His grin was evil.
Hers was worse. Come here, she said with such calm even she was surprised.
Those black eyes narrowed, a forked tongue swiping over too-thin lips. Though he was obviously suspicious about her sudden eagerness, the man complied, moving closer.
He pushed her down the moment he reached her, throwing himself on top of her, trying to rip off her jeans. Haidee let him, helped him, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her lips into his.
His tongue thrust out, hard, attempting to pry her teeth apart. He neednt have bothered. She opened willingly, blowing the ice of her breath, the very hate of her soul, straight into his mouth. He convulsed. In shock, perhaps, or maybe in fear. Or even pain. She wanted him to feel pain. Then he stilled, unable to move, literally frozen, but that wasnt enough. He hadnt suffered enough.
She shoved him off of her and stood, distantly noting the blue pallor of his skin, the unmoving features, the stiffness of his body. More. She needed more. More ice, more hate, more death. These men deserved to die. Her mind locked on that thoughtdeserved, deserved, deservedand glided to the heap of struggling bodies, brushing her fingers over one, then the other. They, too, froze in place, their skin hardening as the ice flowed over them.
More. Deserved. The remaining three offenders noticed the condition of their friends and leapt away from Amun, watching her through horror-filled eyes.
Whatwhatd you do?
What are you?
Dont come any closer!
Amun pushed to his feet, stepping away from her, as well. His expression was unreadable.
More. Deserved. She walked toward the men, and they scampered backward, tripping over their own feet, falling. More. Deserved.
Haidee.
Come, she said. Taste me.
Haidee.
Amuns voice pushed through some of the ice, but not the hate. She hated these men, knew they had to die by her hand. She reached out. One touch, just a single touch, and she would have what she wanted. Their destruction. Everyones destruction. Yes, everyones. She had only to finish with these two, and she could move on, destroy everyone.
They crab-crawled backward, desperate to escape her. One of them wasnt fast enough, and she managed to latch onto his ankle. She grinned. He seemed to turn into stone right before her eyes. More. Deserved.
Haidee, sweetheart. Look at me.
Sweetheart. She liked when Amun called her sweetheart. He made her feel special. A little more of the ice inside her melted. Until she realized her final target was only a few steps away. More. Deserved. Destruction within her reach.
Haidee, sweetheart. Look at me. Please.
Again the ice melted, and this time Amuns plea reached even her hatred, muting the coldest threads. Slowly she turned to face him. What do you want? The frosty rage in her voice stunned her. Upset her. It shouldnt be directed at Amun.
The last man is gone, sweetheart. You can come back to me now.
Come back to him? What did he mean by that? She was right here, right in front of him. Frowning, she stepped toward him. She would shake him, make him realize.
Like the enemy had done, he backed away. Sweetheart. Your eyes are pure white, and even being near you is painful to me. I need you to come back to me.
Sweetheart again. More of the ice melted, and the hate muted yet another degree, then another, until the emotion was at a low simmer. She hurt him? She didnt want to hurt Amun. Ever. She just wanted to lovehim.
Her knees almost gave out. Love? Did she love him?
As the question echoed through her mind, she swayed, a wave of dizziness sweeping her. Just before she hit the ground, strong arms banded around her and kept her upright.
There you are, sweetheart. I knew youd come back to me. Amun held her tightly to his side, and to her relief, he didnt freeze. In fact, his heat wrapped around her, melting the rest of the ice.
Im sorry, she said, voice shaking. I didnt mean to
Dont be sorry. You saved our asses. Now come on. We need to get out of here before reinforcements show up.
Ye seek the Horsemen, do ye? Dont deny. I heard, a small voice suddenly said behind them. Come, come. I show ye.
Amun turned them both, and when she focused she saw a tiny female with the lower half of a bull and the top half of a human. Small hands waved them forward.
This be fun, the female said with a shady giggle. Come, come, I show ye. She darted away before they could reply.
Were going to go with her. We dont have any other choice.
Yes, we do. We can choose not to go with her. With Haidees luck, the creature would lead them into a nest of vipers, piranha and rape-minded giants. Oh, wait. Been there, done that. What came next would probably be worse.
My demon went silent the moment you He stopped himself. The moment shedwhat? Become consumed by the cold? My demon is still silent, which means I cant figure out where the Horsemen are located. That little female is our only shot. Just dont let anything happen to me, okay? Amun said with what seemed to behumor?
No, surely not. She didnt think shed ever heard him joke with her before. And really, not many men could tease their woman about being stronger than they were. I, uh, wont.
Thank you. The semblance of a smile curled the corners of his lips as he ushered her forward, quickly closing the distance to reach Bull Girl. The almost-grin stunned her more than his teasing. He was just so beautiful, and as amused as he clearly was, he was also distracting.
Love, she thought again.
She couldnt love him. She was careful, always careful, to guard her heart. Yes, she lusted for Amun, cared for him, wanted him safe and happy. That didnt mean she loved him, though. Love weakened, made you vulnerable. Especially love that wasnt returned.
Here, here, the now-bouncing creature said. She stopped in front of the biggest tent in the area, laughter and smoke drifting from the seams in the front flap. They be here. This be fun.
Only then did Haidee recall the old womans earlier warning. Death. Pain. Screaming.
Soon.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
THEY WERE SMOKING CIGARS and playing poker.
Amun had never seen the four horsemen of the Apocalypse before, but despite the crowd of demons hovering around them, he recognized them instantly. They sat around a table comprised of barbed wire, enveloped in a tobacco-scented haze. Three males, one female, and all four were physically perfect beings. Even more so than Zacharel. Or William.
He studied them. Friend or foe? The female had flaxen hair that waved to her waist, iridescent sparkles woven through the strands, and eyes of the deepest purple. The males were a colorful mix, one raven-haired, one sandy-locked, and one completely bald, his scalp tanned to a golden glow.
They wore clothes very similar to Amuns. Black shirts, black pants. They were relaxed, laughing seductively as they revealed their cards, then ribbing the losers unmercifully. What gave them away was the color of their auras. Amun had never noticed anyones aura before, but these were undeniable. The shades enveloped them like a second skin, the females white, one of the males red, one black and one a pale green.
The Rainbow Brigade, he thought.
Haidee stepped to his side and was given her first full look at them. She gasped.
Amuns jaw clenchedme, only want mebut the sound prodded Secrets from his hiding place as effectively as her coldness had driven him there earlier. While Amun had battled the six men whod wanted to borrow her, shed turned into ice walking. Her hair had morphed into icicles, her skin had looked like crystal and her eyesher eyes had lost all hint of color.
Hed been riveted by the beauty of her, queen of the winter storm, and awed by the strength of her. His demon had been terrified, retreating as deep into his mind as possible. The others had felt the pull of her again, even though she hadnt touched Amun. Theyd fought, screamed. Yeah, theyd done that before, but never that quickly or that determinedly.
He just didnt know what to do about it.
Whatever kept Haidee from dying eternally, whatever brought her back to life again and again, had to be responsible for her change. No mere human could do that. What that made her, what that was, though, he still didnt know, and he wasnt sure Secrets had the balls to try and find out. Still. They were going to have to merge with her mind again.
Amun had to know the truth. And maybe, with the answer, he could find a way to save her from the torture of being reanimated. Of course, that meant she would die permanently one day, and he couldnt even contemplate that without sickening.
She was his.
And he was going to have her. All of her. Yes, the cold he felt while they pleasured each other could hurt him. He realized that now. But he wasnt going to let something as minor as freezing to death stop him from being with her.
Hed already lost the war with his resolve to stay away from her. While they were down here, at least. Up there, they would part, and that knowledge only increased his urgency to have her. Tonight. Tonight, he wiped her former boyfriend from her mind and claimed every inch of her.
At least Secrets wasnt whimpering, or the others screaming, because she stood at his side. That was a start. Secrets was too focused on the Horsemen and their thoughtsor rather, what consisted of their thoughtsenjoying the puzzle of them. There was a strange buzzing noise inside Whites head, shrieks inside Reds, moans inside Blacks and utter silence inside Greens.
She the one who iced the congo? Red asked no one in particular. A cigar hung from the side of his mouth.
The crowd finally noticed Amun and Haidee. Some snarled and flashed their teeth, some licked their lips in glee, but all left the tent as if their feet were on fire. Only the Horsemen remained.
The congo. The men whod thought to beat him to pulp, allowing them to rape and dismember Haidee without interference? Most likely. Guys had been as big as apes, with a mind-set to match, so the name fit.
I believe I asked you a question, warrior. Red tossed the cards atop the tabletop and turned, eyes of the cruelest blue leveling on Amun. The shrieks inside the beings head increased in volume. Secrets burrowed through them, still seeking thoughts and intentions. Ill hear your answer now.
Yes, Haidee said, answering for him. She sounded confident, unafraid. But for once, Amun could feel the emotions pouring off her. His brave girl was terrified but determined. I did. I iced them.
If the Horsemen thought to punish her Amun curled his fingers around a blade the congo hadnt managed to steal from him, ready, almost eager.
Very cool, Black said, waving them over with a smile that did little to soothe Amuns dark mood. Sit, sit. Weve been expecting you.
They had, had they?
Amun needed a better read on them, and suspected Secrets would have an easier time sorting through the noise if Haidee wasnt there. Yet he couldnt be without her. Not just to guard hernot that she needed guarding, because damn, he was still in shock over her abilitybut because the other demons inside him might use her absence to overtake him. He would lose focus, returning to that mindless state of horror and pain.
Stand behind me and press your back into the tent flap, he told her as he moved forward. He gave her a gentle push in that direction. Youve got a weapon?
Yes, she whispered.
She didnt question him, but he knew she wanted to. Once again, he wished the connection went both ways, that she could push her voice into his head. Why the hell couldnt she? Just then he wouldnt have minded if she heard every thought he had, knew every urge he experienced. Her safety came before everything else.
He eased into the only empty seat at the table, the horsemen encasing him from every angle. He studied their faces more intently, noting the flawlessness of their skin, the purity of their eyes, the utter amusement in their expressions.
Amusement? Why?
Amun knew the moment Haidee did as hed ordered and increased the distance between them, because Secrets sighed in relief and homed in on the three males and the female, at last digging past the buzzing, shrieking, moaning and silence.
so damn bored
most fun Ive had in a while
too bad we have to kill him
girl might be useful, though
The other demons cackled, a thousand wind chimes in a storm. They werent so loud that they overpowered Amuns other thoughts, and they werent so stalwart they overwhelmed him with dark urges. Oh, he could feel the things they wanted him to do. Taste the Horsemens blood, cause their screams. Theyd been locked away so long, they were desperate. They also sensed Haidee was nearby, the frost of her skin like an invisible tether, and so they behaved. He could deal.
You want safe passage from this realm, Red said, a statement of fact, not a question.
As with everything here, you must buy that passage, White added, her voice as lilting and delicate as a snowfall.
Black smiled at him, all teeth and menace. I hope youre ready for this.
Green, he noticed, never spoke a word. Just watched them all through enigmatic eyes. Amun felt a momentary sense of kinship.
He nodded at each of them.
Well play two hands, Red said. No more, no less. If you lose, you will give me a hand. And I dont mean a round of applause. Feel me?
Behind him, Haidee choked on a breath.
Ill be fine, sweetheart, he told her, even as he arched a brow at his opponents. Ask them what happens if they lose to me.
She obeyed, her voice strained. He was proud of her. She was scared but unbending, used to being in control, but allowing him to lead.
Red shrugged one of his massive shoulders, his attention never veering from Amun. If I lose, Ill escort you out of this realm myself.
Secrets released an uneasy sigh. Over the centuries, Amun had learned the subtle nuances of his demon and knew Secrets sensed something amiss but hadnt yet figured out what.