Dark Deceiver (14 page)

She'd been so confused, so certain it was real. And, she'd bet money now it
hadn't
been a dream at all. They
had
tried to attack her. Kade had stopped them. Not because he was being chivalrous. But because he needed the stones she was tracking down. If only she'd never told him about those.

As she buttoned the shirt, the dull roar of a vacuum cleaner erupted outside the bedroom door. Her eyes darted around the room as her brain leaped.
Now.
She had to escape now, while the noise covered her movement.

Autumn reached for the bedroom door, heart pounding. She couldn't blow this. She might never get another chance. The doorknob clicked as the lock sprung, sending her heart to her throat, but the vacuuming continued. With shaking hands, she eased open the door and slipped into the hallway.

Kade, dressed in jeans and nothing else, stood half in and half out the bathroom door, his muscular arm shoving the vacuum back and forth into the now-dark room. Broken glass clinked as it disappeared into the machine. Beyond the bathroom, the living room, lit by two table lamps, was light and welcoming.

Her gaze traveled that infinite expanse to zero in on the front door and escape. The phrase
so close and yet so far
had never resonated quite so clearly.

Autumn stood rooted in the bedroom doorway, her palms sweating, her pulse racing. She couldn't do this.

She
had
to. She alone knew Kade Smith was an Esri imposter. If she failed to get word to the others, he could kill them all.

Slowly, she forced herself to take a step, and then another, her bare feet barely sinking into the carpet's worn pile. All she had to do was sneak past the bathroom.

The blood thundered in her ears, vibrating through her entire body. Now or never. Now or never.

She took a deep breath, gathered every bit of courage she possessed, then eased past the bathroom door. But just as she thought she was going to make it, the roar of the vacuum died. Kade stepped into the hallway, nearly backing into her. Autumn panicked.

With an explosion of fear and adrenaline, she ran for the apartment door, moving with a speed she could hardly credit. Within a handful of seconds, she was wrenching open the front door.

And just as suddenly, it slammed closed again, held there by a large, bare arm.

Panic thudded in her chest as she yanked at the door, but she couldn't budge it. A silent scream vibrated in her throat, fueled by desperation. She had to get away.

But the door wasn't budging.

Autumn released the knob and whirled, fists swinging. With a miraculous bit of luck, she caught Kade under the chin with her right fist, hard enough to snap his head back. Her eyes went wide.
No way.

But the monster of a man didn't go down. He didn't even stumble, just stared at her, the surprise in his too-blue eyes hardening into determination.

She tried to hit him again, but he caught her right wrist so fast, she didn't even see him move. With her left hand, she aimed for his eyes, but he deflected her hand at the last moment and her nails bit into his cheek instead, ripping through the skin in two places, drawing blood. Jaw clenching grimly, he snagged her left wrist and slammed both hands to the door above her head, pinning her.

But her gaze was caught on his cheek as she watched, scalp crawling, as the bloody gashes disappeared, leaving only the small smear of blood.

Dear God.
The truth of what he was punched her in the stomach all over again. Terror whipped through her like an icy wind, prickling her scalp and making her mouth as dry as sandpaper.

“Let me go!” In desperation, Autumn struggled against his steel hold, trying to kick him or knee him.
Anything.

She had to get away!

But his hold on her appeared almost effortless, though his face was set in grim lines.

As she fought him, an odd buzzing ignited deep in her body. Within seconds, the living-room lights exploded, one after the other, shattering like the bulbs in the bathroom, casting them into shadow. Only the light from the kitchen and the bedroom lit the apartment, now.

“What's happening?” Autumn flinched and tensed for another explosion. Her voice quaked with the fear that was spreading like poison inside her.
“What's happening?”

Kade shook his head, his gaze tight and wary. “I don't know. It's the magic—the power we raised. But I don't know why it's doing this.”

Terror twisted inside her. Panic clawed at her throat and she tried to jerk her hands out of his hold. “Let me go!”

Kade's blue gaze focused on her, pulling on her.

I don't want to leave Kade. I trust Kade.

Autumn jerked and stared at him, breathing hard. “You just talked in my head.”

His eyes narrowed. “You heard
my
voice?”

“Yes!” She struggled against his superior hold and the insanity that was quickly becoming her life. “Let me go!”

He pressed his body hard against hers, pinning her to the door as he grabbed both her wrists in one hand and wrenched off her holly.

“No!” Without the holly, she'd be completely at his mercy. Enchanted.
Controlled.
“No, Kade, no!”

The lights in the kitchen blew, the fluorescent hissing as it died. Only the dim light from the bedroom cast a small glow into the room. But still she fought. She managed to free one leg enough to kick at his shin with her bare toes and stomp on his foot with her heel.

“Be still!”

She froze.
Literally.
Staring at his chest. As if he'd waved a magic wand and turned her to living stone.

She couldn't move. Dear God, she couldn't breathe.
Kade, no! Don't do this.

“That's better,” he muttered. His voice sounded clearly in her head.
I trust Kade. I don't want to leave.

He didn't know what he'd done to her! And she couldn't tell him. Couldn't move.

Her lungs cried for air.

Kade!

But he couldn't hear her.

And if he didn't release her soon…she was going to die.

S
lowly, Kaderil loosened his grip on Autumn's wrists, testing. His thoughts should have taken, now that he'd removed her holly. She no longer struggled against his hold, but neither had she relaxed. She remained pressed against the front door as if she sought to get as far from him as the small space between them would allow. She stared at his chest, refusing to meet his gaze.

He terrified her, and as much as he told himself he didn't care, he did. “I'm not going to hurt you.”

Little by little, he released her wrists, preparing himself for her renewed attack. But she didn't move. He released her wrists entirely, and still she didn't move. Her arms remained above her head as if he'd frozen her. As if…

In a flash he understood. He'd seen Marceils enchanted in just this way—told to hold still and unable to move until they were freed. They weren't even able to…

“
Breathe,
Autumn. Move!” He grabbed her as she collapsed against the door, gasping for breath.
Sweet Esria,
he could have killed her. “Autumn, I didn't know. I
vow
I didn't know what I'd done to you. I've never been able to control another like that.”

She coughed against his chest. “What…what did you do to me?”

He pressed her against him, holding her up, stroking her back. “I must have acquired more power than I thought. When I told you to be still, I meant only for you to stop fighting me, but the magic forced you to obey my command. In every way.”

His mind leaped between horror at what he'd nearly done to her and wonder that he'd been able to do it at all. He raked his damp hair off his face as thoughts swirled in his head. “I still can't enchant you, which would mean controlling your mind. But apparently, I can control your body.”

Autumn pulled away from him, her eyes wide with dismay and fear.

He reached for her, then dropped his hand when she jerked away. “I won't hurt you. I've seen…” Memories rose to sicken him. The Esri controlled their Marceil slaves in just this way—body, but not mind. He'd seen the horrors visited upon slaves in the name of discipline and amusement. Never had he had that kind of power over another. Other than the recurrent wish he wasn't so different from his brethren, he'd never wanted it.

But now that he had it, he'd be a fool not to use it.

Autumn stood just out of his reach, hugging herself, her breaths labored, as if she'd run a long race. Regret hammered him hard. He hated the fear in her eyes, longed for the closeness they'd shared for such a short time.

She watched him with fear and wariness, tendrils of fiery hair drying around her face in a soft cloud. The clothes she'd found in the bedroom did nothing to hide the curves of her body, curves he'd only started to know and would never know again.

He wanted to beg her to forget what he was, but knew it was far too late.

Kaderil reached for her and grabbed her wrist before she could back away. “You will not fight me.”

Instantly, her struggles ended. Her eyes filled with dread, deepening his regret.

He loosened his grip on her wrist, trailing his fingers down her soft skin until he cradled her hand in his. “You will not make any phone calls or leave this apartment unless I tell you to. You will not raise your voice above normal level. I don't want you calling for help.”

Against his palm, her hand began to quake. “Is that all?” she asked bitterly. She watched him with hard, frightened eyes. He'd been out-magicked all his life, but never so utterly controlled by another, and he ached for her plight. Yet he could do little to change it without endangering himself and his mission.

There was one thing he could do. He squeezed her hand gently and stared into those frightened eyes. “If ever again you're in pain or discomfort or danger, you will shout my name even though I've told you to keep your voice normal. This command supersedes all the others.”

Her mouth tensed and trembled with misery. “I don't even know your name.”

“Kaderil. But call me Kade.” The thought of his real name, the Punisher's name, coming from her soft lips turned him cold. His arms ached with the need to pull her against him and erase the desolation he saw in her eyes. But for her, too, he'd become the monster.

And the monster needed to know his strength. Never would he have chosen this path, destroying the precious connection he'd developed with Autumn. But now that he had, now that it was done, he needed to understand the power he'd acquired. It could be critical to his mission…even to his survival.

“I know all you want is to be free of me,” he told her. “But we have some work to do first.”

“What kind of work?” she asked warily.

“Stay here.” He released her and went into the kitchen to retrieve the pack of spare lightbulbs he'd found several days ago. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. Can I turn around?”

“You can try.” He paused as he reached for the lightbulbs on the top shelf of the cabinet to watch her. She didn't move. “Are you trying to turn?”

“Yes.”
Her voice was tight with effort. Then suddenly she let out a sound that was half gasp, half scream.

Kaderil rushed back to her. “What happened?”

Her eyes were wide, but a little sheepish. “It hurt. I think I did it wrong.”

“Does it still hurt?”

“No.”

He looked at her thoughtfully, his gaze straying to the amazing fall of hair that was starting to curl as it dried. As he watched her, she watched him back with a stubborn thrust of her chin, cutting him with her gaze. Myriad emotions swam in those gray eyes—fear, betrayal, anger, hatred and probably a dozen more. But the tears were gone, replaced by a gleam of steel that drew his admiration. And his profound, if fragile, relief.

She was afraid of what he was. Of what he could do.

But, despite all that had happened, deep down she wasn't afraid of
him.

Yet.

He desperately wanted to keep it that way. More than anything in his life, he would miss the softness he'd seen in her eyes. He wouldn't hurt her. Not physically. When he left her world, he would leave her safe and whole. As whole as he could leave her after he did what must be done. That much he could vow even though he knew she'd truly fear him then, and hate him with a fury that would grind the last spark of light from his soul.

“I'm going to try to turn you without touching you.”

“Can you do that?”

“Doubtful. Most Esri can only control through touch, though there are a few who can use their minds or voices.” He concentrated on turning her around, but nothing happened so he took her hand. “Face whichever direction you wish, but don't leave this spot.”

She jerked her hand from his, watching him warily, then turned as he went to get the lightbulbs and exchange them for the broken ones. The living room once more glowed with light.

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

“I want to see if we can break more bulbs. First, I want to know if I can do it alone.” Kaderil focused, drawing the invisible energy up through his body until he could feel it radiate along his skin. But it was only a shadow of the power he'd felt with Autumn. Mentally, he flung the energy toward the nearest light.

Nothing happened.

He peered at Autumn. “Did you feel anything?”

“No. Was I supposed to?”

Kaderil sighed. “I was hoping to raise the energy alone this time. Maybe we can only do it together. Or maybe it's already gone. Virgin's power doesn't last.”

“Good.”

He raised a brow. “You don't like the extra speed and strength?”

Her eyes narrowed with confusion. “Were they real?”

“Real enough.” He rubbed his chin where she'd clipped him.

“I thought only the Esri got the virgin's power.”

“Only the male benefits. I've never heard of a virgin growing stronger, not even an Esri virgin. I don't know why this happened.”

“But it's not going to last?”

“I don't know.” He'd never been with a virgin before, so he wasn't entirely sure what was normal, especially for a dark blood. A dark blood and a human.

He went to stand in front of her. “Hold my hands.”

She lifted that stubborn chin, drawing his attention back to that full, ripe mouth and for a moment, all he could think of was kissing her again, tasting the sweetness of her lips. Desire slammed into him anew.

He forced his gaze to her eyes, startling a flicker of answering need in her eyes, before she closed it down.

She glanced at his waiting hands. “If I say no, will you make me?”

He shrugged. “Yes. Come, Autumn. Give me your hands.”

With a frustrated roll of the eyes, she laid her hands in his. He forced himself to ignore the feel of her skin against his sensitive palms.

“Do you feel the power rising?” he asked.

“No.”

“Me, neither. Fight me.” The moment the command left his lips, she began to struggle against his hold. He held her fast as she kicked his shins and tried to wrench free of his grasp, but still no energy stirred inside him.

“You're fighting me with your body. Because I told you to. I want you to fight me with your mind, Autumn.
Hate me.
”

Almost at once, her eyes flashed and a faint stirring of power charged the air.

“That's it, Autumn.” But in her eyes he saw anger. An anger she'd been directed to feel. If they were going to raise the kind of energy they'd raised before, he was going to have to stir in her real, honest rage. “I release you from your spot.”

At once, she tried to pull away from him.

He pushed her back against the door and pulled her arms above her head as he had before, pressing his body against hers. The moment his bare chest came in contact with the soft, flannel-covered mounds of her breasts, blood rushed to his groin.

She struggled against him, her breaths coming faster.

“Fight me.” He leaned closer, filling his senses with her intoxicating scent until his lips brushed her temple. “Hate me for my lies, for the way I used you to find your friends. For the way I pretended to be one of them in order to win their trust.”

With each word, her hands tightened in his until her nails dug into his flesh, until her eyes sparked with her fury. The power buzzed around them, swirling in and around their bodies like a swarm of bees. But the lights remained whole and bright.

“I'm going to kill the Sitheen, Autumn.”

“No.”

He ignored the way that single pain-filled word squeezed his chest. “Yes, Autumn. It's what I was sent to do, I'm going to kill them all. Jack, Larsen, Charlie, Harrison. Even Myrtle.”

She struggled against him with an inhuman strength, forcing his muscles to bulge and strain to control her. Her hips thrust against his throbbing erection as she tried to kick him, driving his lust to a fevered pitch.

The nearest light burst. Heat began to build in their hands.

He ground his hips against hers. “They'll die because they were foolish enough to think I was one of them.”

“No.” Her face contorted with fury, with the effort she poured into the silent battle—a battle without punches. Without weapons. Nothing but the straining of their bodies as he fought to hold her considerable strength under control.

The second light burst and he growled with triumph, but didn't stop. The energy was riding him now, driving him higher. He wanted more. He
needed
more.

“They'll die because I'll never release you to warn them. You're my prisoner. I can make you do whatever I want, Autumn. Whatever I want! Hate me.
Hate me!
”

A reddish glow erupted over their skin in a flash of light, as if they were lit from within. The heat of power rushed through him in a charge of pure energy, power that strengthened but didn't burn. Power that…

“Kade!” His name burst from her lips, throbbing with agony, tearing him from the power's greed.

Autumn's face was contorted with pain and he wrenched his hands away from hers. “What happened?”

But she didn't answer, just sank to the ground as the glow died, casting them back into shadows.

What had he done? Kaderil swept Autumn into his arms before she hit the floor, then strode back to the lit bedroom, fear lending unnatural speed to his steps.

He laid her on the bed, but instead of curling in on herself, she flung her arms and legs wide, arching her back.

“Autumn, what happened? Where does it hurt?”

Squeezing her eyes closed, she gasped with pain. “Fire. My body's on fire.”

He'd felt the flames, but no burn. But neither was he mortal. His stomach clenched with self-directed anger. Would he
never
cease hurting her?