Page 10 of Taken By Fury
He looked at his brother. “Help me out here.”
Greydon shook his head. “Sorry, you are on your own on this one.”
Sighing, he spoke. “What would you have me do, then?” The smile that crossed her mouth told him he would not like her next words.
“Take her with you.”
Yep. Definitely didn’t like those words. “And what, have her battle her way through a jungle with her hands bound?” The thought of it sounded appealing.
“You have demon magic. Can’t you bind her in some other way? She might actually be helpful on your journey.”
He laughed. “How so?” Other than irritating him and testing his resolve.
“Did you know her father was an archeologist?”
“I did not.”
“Of course, you didn’t, because you have yet taken time to get to know her. Perhaps the two of you can come to some mutual understanding that will benefit all of us.”
“I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“Well, like it or not, I am giving you my first order. You will find a way to take her with you and keep her safe.” The queen lifted her chin and when he glanced at his brother, he found him grinning from ear to ear and trying to stifle his laughter. Zander had to admit, he was pretty proud of his sister-in-law in that moment, even if he wasn’t fond of her command.
Knowing better than to argue, he stood and gave a deep bow and said, “As you wish.” He then took the two steps to reach his sister-in-law, kissed her on the cheek, and whispered, “Good play.”
“Thank you.” She was still beaming as he walked away.
He supposed the first thing he should do was go talk to his prisoner. They would need to strike a bargain, and he knew exactly how he was going to do it.
* * *
At least herstomach was happier and the extra blankets the queen had brought were very much welcomed. Other than that, the cell was still a living hell. Even Zolar allowed her some freedoms.
She chewed her lip as she thought about the god and the deal she had made with the devil. He was going to take his price from her hide, or worse. The longer she was in Atlantis, the more he would expect her to reveal its secrets. Not that she knew any of them, but this time he just might fish around in her brain to get what he desired. She bore witness to the results of such an expedition once and that demon had been left a drooling mess. Not a way she wanted to spend the rest of her life.
Heavy footsteps heading toward her cell brought her attention back to where she was, and she figured this time, it was the king or Zander coming back. Her question was answered as soon as the tall, dark figure of the prince filled her view. He pressed his palm to the bars, and they opened, allowing him entrance before they closed behind him. The youngest prince of the Valarians sucked the air from the small space by his mere presence. While he was not as commanding as his elder brother, the king, he was impossible to ignore. It wasn’t so much his good looks or those piercing gray eyes. The entire package was rolled into one sexy bad boy you knew one minute could take out his enemy with ease and the next he would make you scream his name in bed.
She tried not to shudder.
He stepped closer until he was in her personal space, then looked down at her sitting on the bed. Talk about making her feel small. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to curl into a fetal position or stand up and fight. Instead, she looked up and met his intense gaze and waited.
He grinned. “It took me a little time to figure it out, I will admit. I mean, I have been a prisoner for a long time and am a little out of touch, but my gift still works. Maybe I ignored what it was telling me, but I am listening now.”
She shook her head. “What are you babbling about? What gift?”
“I can scent DNA. It’s how I know what you are, little doctor.”
She swallowed, but her mouth and throat were suddenly so dry it was difficult. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s obvious what I am. I am a human being who is being held prisoner by a damn demon.”
He tipped his head back and laughed. “Nice try. Somehow, some way, you are a full-blooded Valarian.” He reached down and lifted her to her feet, eliciting a gasp. “Here’s how this is going to work. I’m the only one here besides you who knows this. I’ve been ordered to take you with me on a mission, so I am going to keep your little secret. For now. In return, you will tell me everything while we make our way through the jungle.”
“Jungle? Where the hell are we going? If we venture into the outside world, Zolar will find me for sure.” She was both panicked and elated to be getting out of here. This would be her chance to escape.
“Details you don’t need to know at the moment. What you need to understand is this: I will protect you from Zolar.”
Something hard and cool touched her wrist and when she looked down, she saw a silver band with symbols carved into the fine metal and a black stone with green veins in the center.
“What is this?”
