Dark Promise (12 page)

Her beautiful gentle prince would transform into a terrifying picture he painted of his people. He kept saying she had the power to stop it, but what if he was wrong? What if he was lying?

He faced her and took a step closer. “Give me your hand.”

He stood motionless. He could force her, use magic on her, compelling her to do what he wanted, but he gave her a choice. She raised her shaking hand and took his. He wrapped his hand around hers and pulled her to him, his arm securing her next to him. She was surprised he trembled. The strength wielded in his arm, he could crush her, but he hugged her gently to his body. Despite his eyes turning red, she was safe in his arms. She was his mate—actually not yet. Was she in danger?

“Trust me,” he whispered.

Cassandra wanted to, God, she wanted to so bad, but his picture didn’t give her much hope. Still debating over his husky promise, Eric grabbed her before she could sort out her thoughts. Eric hugged her close to him, her back pressed against his hard chest. Air rushing over her face, she opened her eyes and they were in the clouds. She wiped the moisture off her cheeks.

His ebony wings spread, wide and elegant. They flew above the tops of pine trees, their sweet scent reminding her of Frisco. He dove toward a stone fortress where torches lit the courtyard. Children and adolescents roughhoused in the yard, but on a closer inspection, they had not been wrestling. Eric landed on bloodstained grass. She molded her body close to him, praying he would protect her.

A woman stood in the middle of the yard, wielding a whip. One strike and the woman would leave a sizeable welt. Flicking back her long brown hair, she turned toward them and a wicked smile spread across her red lips.

Eric clutched her hand and she squeezed his hand tight. “What is this place?”

“A school.”

The air sucked out of her lungs. “I thought it was a prison.”

“I told you the Light is gone. Darkness prevails.” He slid his arm around her waist and she leaned against him, wanting to hide behind him. She cursed her cowardice, but as a child, Cassandra had never experienced such travesty on the playground.

Boys and girls of all ages fought each other, girls just as brutal as the boys. Two elementary age girls circled each other. One lunged for the other, seizing her opponent’s hair. They wrestled to the ground, scratching and ripping each other’s clothes. A small boy ran from an older child who cornered him against the wall. “No, leave me alone,” the boy pleaded.

The older child laughed and blew. Flames burst out of his mouth and fanned over the small child. His overalls blackened and fire ate his red-checked shirt. The stench of burned flesh turned Cassandra’s stomach.

The little one yelled.

Cassandra closed her fist and hammered Eric’s arm. “Let me go.”

The boy’s screams grew louder as he ran around the courtyard, fire consuming him. She wanted to douse his flames and rush him to the hospital.

Eric tightened his hold. “Cease your struggling,” he warned. “You can’t help him, or the others will turn on you.”

The coldness in his voice crushed her hope of Eric being the man she wanted. How could she be with someone who would do nothing to stop a young boy from being tortured? Had his heart turned to stone?

“You’re going to let him die.”

“He’s immortal, Cassandra.” Eric’s face hardened. “He was obviously weak. Any sign of weakness results in severe punishment.” No compassion reflected in his eyes.

The woman strolled over toward them, black leather pants hugging her long legs. She slapped the end of the whip handle in her hand. Her white muscle shirt clung to large breasts and revealed sculpted arms. “Prince Eric, I’m honored you’ve come to watch my class.”

The brunette woman had solid crimson eyes, full of hate and she twirled her whip like a baton, stopped and pointed it at Cassandra. “What is that disgusting thing with you? Something for my students to play with?”

Cassandra flinched.

“Watch your tongue, Mistress Shandra. This is my mate.”

Mistress Shandra sniffed and curled her lip. “A human?” She laughed. “As you wish, my Lord.”

Eric scanned the courtyard. “Where is Toby?”

“Useless wretch,” Mistress Shandra snarled. “Locked up. Punished for not doing his schoolwork.”

She didn’t even want to know what Mistress Shandra meant by schoolwork.

“Bring him to me,” Eric ordered.

Mistress Shandra motioned to two large brutes with the same solid red eyes. “Louis, Bruce, bring the coward to the prince.”

Louis and Bruce returned, dragging a teenage boy. His bare feet scraped the sharp rocks. Slashes, scratches and purple and blue bruises marred his naked sweaty torso. Dirt and blood smeared his thin trembling body and his shredded blue jeans hung off narrow hips. The boy’s long dark brown matted hair hung in his eyes. By his foul stench, the poor boy must have been living in squalor. What was wrong with these people? Had they been starving the wretched child?

Mistress Shandra slapped the handle of her whip into her hand. “Toby, the prince wants to see you.”

Toby raised his head, revealing a fat lip and a slash down the right side of his cheek. He had silver eyes and watched her warily.

Eric nodded to Louis and Bruce. “Let him go.”

They complied but not before Bruce spat on the boy. Panting, Toby collapsed to the ground.

Releasing Cassandra, Eric kneeled. “You refuse to follow my father’s orders?”

Cassandra hugged her side, refusing to look at the three demons and edged closer to Eric.

Toby glanced at Eric. He coughed and gasped. “I will fight, not like this, not for pleasure.”

“See my lord,” Mistress Shandra pointed. “He defies the king. He's not one of us. He should be put to death.” Smug satisfaction spread across Mistress Shandra’s cruel face. The woman peered down at Toby as if he was a bug to crush under her stiletto heel.

Toby was a kindred spirit, a boy punished for being different. Unlike the adults in this world, her teachers would punish those children who tormented her. Here bullies were rewarded. How many other children were beaten and tortured like Toby?

She wept at the scars Toby would bear for the rest of his life. How could he recover from this cruelty?

Eric stood. “My nephew’s not to be killed, Mistress Shandra. By tomorrow night, he’ll turn.”

Mistress Shandra bowed. “Very well, my Lord, but he will have to prove himself tomorrow night or die.”

Eric nodded. “So be it.”

Cassandra shot a look at Eric. How could he be so cruel? What happened to her tender prince?

9

Eric wished he could erase Cassandra’s horrified expression at the scene on the playground. He had wanted to show her the smallest victims falling prey to the darkness hoping her compassion would push her to agree to be his mate, but she glared and stuck out her chin. Another one of his ideas to get her to commit had gone straight to hell.

He held Cassandra’s trembling body and flew into the air. Below, Bruce and Louis shoved Toby and kicked him when he fell. He wanted to throw those two oafs into the Chamber, but there was nothing he could do. They had succumbed to the darkness and were following his father’s royal decree.

Eric took Cassandra back to his room and set her on her feet.

She staggered and pushed away from him, her green eyes blazed with fury. “Why did you take me there? How could you stand by and watch those children hurt each other?” She whipped open the balcony doors and stalked into the room. “And then what they did to your nephew? How could you leave him with that woman? What kind of prince are you?”

His plan of winning her heart spiraled out of control. “Cassandra, Mistress Shandra used to be a caring and loving teacher. She never raised her voice to her students and she used to lower her voice to get them to listen.”

“What?”

“If you lower your voice, children must stop in order to hear. It’s the darkness that has consumed her. This is only a small sample of what is going on throughout my father’s kingdom. By tomorrow all will be dark.”

“Including Toby?”

“If he’s lucky.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Any demon who does not turn will be killed or tortured.”

“What happens after tomorrow night?”

“Father plans to march on the demon clans. We are the strongest and they will soon be enslaved and then—”

“Earth.” Her shoulders sagging, Cassandra sat on the bed and sighed.

“Yes.”

She raised her head and twisted her ring. “You’re not giving me much choice are you?”

He leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his chest. “If I could heal the Golden Tree, I would, but I do not possess this power. Only you do. The choice is yours.”

She bit her lip. “What does mating mean?”

“Sex.”

She put her hand on her chest. “You're kidding right?”

“No.”

“Great,” she murmured.

“Sex with a soul mate is different than with anyone else. Once consummated, the bonds are sealed.”

“There’s no ceremony?”

“You mean a wedding?”

“Well, you’re a prince,” she said.

“No.”

She hung her head. “Oh.”

“I'm sorry, Cassandra, there isn't time.”

She frowned. “Time?”

“My father isn’t exactly supportive of this union.”

“Does he know I’m here?” Her voice shook and she rubbed her arms.

“He does.” He forced himself not rush to her side. She was still reeling from the schoolyard and he doubted she wanted him to comfort her. He was now the enemy.

“Is he going to stop the…mating?”

“No.” He half-smirked. “Not unless he wants to face the Wraith.”

“She’ll kill the king?”

“With the snap of her fingers. Besides, my father doesn’t believe in the prophecy nor do my brothers.”

“How many brothers do you have?”

“Two, I’m the youngest. You met my nephew.”

She hugged a pillow. “Toby.”

Outside the window, the two suns set. “Lucien’s son. Toby was banished for not killing a Komodo demon.”

“Lucien knows his son is being tortured and does nothing?”

“Cassandra, Lucien has grown dark. He's the eldest and was the first to fall. He follows our father's every command, including turning his son over to Gryffin. He's now spying on the Komodo dragons, trying to discover their weaknesses. Mistress Shandra works for Gryffin.”

She slammed back onto the bed and tossed the pillow against the headboard. “I can’t believe he would do this to his son.”

He leaned his head against the wall and studied the white painted ceiling. “You can change Lucien back into a loving father.”

“By sleeping with you?”

“And you must touch the Golden Tree and breathe into the bark.”

She flounced up and her eyes shone with hope. “What if I touch it now?”

God, she did loathe him. “Doesn’t work that way. We’re not mated yet.”

* * * *

A noose of fate had slipped around her neck and tightened. “How do I know you’re not lying to me?”

Despite his scowl, his eyes pleaded for her to believe him. “You don’t. But I’m telling the truth.”

The weight of two worlds fell on her shoulders. Dragon demons enslaving humans was not something she wanted to be responsible for. “What happens if I do this?”

“You’ll free my people.”

“And?”

He took a deep breath, sadness reflecting in his eyes. “I told you, you can return to Earth.”

“You mean you’ll let me go?”

He turned. “Yes, I give you my word.”