Demon Slave (Shadow Quest Book 2) (18 page)

He chuckled. “I nearly came from watching you. One touch and it’ll be over for me.”

* * *

Her wicked smile sent even more blood rushing to his sex. Though she was as red as could be, she wasn’t shy about breaching the waist of his pants to find him hard as steel. They both shuddered when she gripped him hard. The way her eyes widened, she was probably thinking he was too large for her. And he couldn’t wait to prove her wrong.

She freed him from his trousers. Her sapphire eyes traveled his length as her hand began moving on him in a rhythmic motion. Sharp pleasure jolted through him like a current of lightning. A faint smile tugged at her lips, making him want kiss her again, but the molten color behind her heavy lids had him mesmerized.

She looked as though she were enjoying pleasuring him as much as he had her. The sight was more erotic than her soft hand stroking him from root to tip.

He wasn’t lying about nearly exploding when she had fallen apart in his arms. When her tongue darted out to lick her lips, Marik couldn’t hold out another second.

As his seed spilled, the orgasm that raked through him was nearly blinding. He pulled her up to kiss her hard and demanding, delving his tongue between her lips—a warning that next time he would be inside her when he came.

If Marik hadn’t heard Rex approaching he would have pressed her to the floor and used his tongue on her further. He didn’t care if Rex had to wait out there all night, but Nadua wouldn’t like it. Nor would she like it if Rex walked in while her hand was still absently stroking him.

After righting their clothes, Marik sat up and pulled her back against his chest, as they had been. Only he couldn’t keep from burying his face in the soft red tendrils of her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. To his dismay, he went instantly hard again.

Pausing thoughtfully for only a second after he entered, Rex laid the wood in the pile and then crossed to his pallet. Evidently, their traps had yet to catch anything.

Nadua awoke resting against Marik. It was becoming so natural to wake in his arms. Going back to a solitary bed would be difficult.

The nearly constant howling that had poured from various cracks over the last few days had stopped. Silence.

The storm was over.

“
Good morning,” Marik’s deep voice rumbled.

Nadua rubbed the sleep from her eyes, allowing them to get used to the glorious sunlight seeping past the pelt wall. She wanted to run out and soak it up, but just because the sun was out didn’t mean it would be warm.

Looking around, Nadua realized Rex was gone.

As if reading her thoughts, Marik said, “I sent him out to hunt.” His green eyes were glinting with dark thoughts, but then suddenly his lips thinned in disappointment.

Footsteps sounded just before Rex entered, harboring a big smile. In his arms were a couple of neatly skinned carcasses and a bundle of long sticks.

“
I told you the traps would work.” He beamed.

“
Oh, thank goodness, I’m starving.” Nadua sat up.

It must have been Rex who had kept the fire going all night because she didn’t recall Marik leaving her side for an instant. Although, she’d been blissfully exhausted and probably wouldn’t have noticed if he had, anyway.

Working together, they crafted a spit from the sticks. Soon after, the smell of cooked meat teased Nadua’s rumbling tummy.

When the meal was over, Nadua barely remembered tasting it. Marik had even offered her some of his portion, but she refused, reassuring him several times that she was quite full.

They were all eager to finally leave their little cavern and get moving to the cave system Rex spoke of, where they would continue traveling south till they reached place she’d captured Marik.

Spurring Nadua’s excitement, Rex claimed there was a naturally warm spring where they were headed. Once they began their trek, the other two had to practically force Nadua to pause and take a break.

They’d been making good ground, when Marik stopped for the third time.

“
I don’t need a break,” she lied. She’d been pushing through snow that often came above her waist. Not to mention she kept tripping over random obstacles like stumps and rocks, hidden under the snow.

I miss my edisdon
.

“
Well, then,
I
need a break,” Marik said, seeing through her.

Rolling her eyes, she slumped down on what she assumed was a rock covered in snow. A squeak burst from her as a sudden wave of white enveloped her.

Nope, not a rock.

She pulled herself out of the snow and ignored the demons’ snorts of laughter as she dusted herself off.

Through his amusement, Rex said, “The entrance to the cave isn’t much farther. We’ll need to start climbing from here, but then we still have a ways to travel once inside.”

Nadua surveyed the mountainside. It looked steep. She supposed a little rest would be alright, although Marik’s continued snickers wouldn’t do.

She spied a branch above him, full of icy flakes. She sauntered past him, and then, without warning, kicked its base. The pack of snow tumbled down, making contact with Marik’s head and sprinkling over his shoulders.

She laughed out loud at his astonished expression, but quickly reigned it in when his features morphed into something menacing.

“
Wait a second.” She put her hands up as he inched toward her.

Darting behind a thick trunk, she managed to keep him at bay for a moment. Then his speed caught her by surprise and once again she was covered by snow. Marik heartily laughed alongside her.

Pulling herself up, Nadua noticed Rex was a little too dry. Stealthily, she began packing snow into a ball. Marik registered her intent and followed her lead. Far too late, Rex realized what was happening and he was already being pelted by both of them. Soon sides became blurred and they were all out for themselves, throwing snowballs at whatever moved.

The fun ended when both demons snapped to attention. Their gazes turned toward the forest.

“
What is it?” Nadua huffed.

“
I heard something,” Marik answered.

Rex waved them toward the mountain. “It could be nothing, but we should move on.”

Moments later, Rex was leading the climb. It was as steep as it had looked and Nadua had to utilize both her arms and legs to help her along.

Marik was at her back and at times it was as if she could feel his eyes on her. She told herself she was just imagining it. When she braved a look, she saw he was transfixed by her backside, as she was bent in an almost inviting position. She jerked her body straight, nearly slipping on an icy rock. Marik latched an arm around her waist, easily righting her, a guilty grin in place.

He held her for a moment longer than was needed and they started their ascent again, only now her body was throbbing with awareness. Her heart rate spiked and a flood of heat washed over her, even as the chill in the air grew worse. Another storm was on the heel of the last.

As if the gods flipped a switch, puffs of white drifted down around them, adding to the fresh layers of already fallen snow. Luckily, they reached the cave before it grew any worse.

Inside was similar to the last cave, except there were a couple of shafts that faded into darkness.

Right away, Rex produced a lantern he kept stored behind a rock—most likely stolen. He said he left them, whenever possible, in the caves he used most.

They all took a moment to dust away any clinging flakes before Rex directed her and Marik to the passage on the left.

Like any cave, the walls were jagged and the ground was hard with stones. As they continued on, a musty smell became increasingly stronger.

Again, Marik stayed behind her, aiding her through the tight spots. Shockingly, the farther they traveled into the cave, the more humid it became. Narrow walls became juicy with muck, and the ground was no longer frozen solid. It actually squished under her boots.

The air was heavy in her lungs, and so thick it felt as if she were pushing her way through it.

A small amount of sweat dripped down her back. The cave held a natural heat that felt completely foreign after so many years in her frigid surroundings. And for the first time in four hundred years, her furs were causing her to become overheated. She paused for a moment to remove them, leaving her in her thin sleeveless shirt and long pants.

Marik motioned to the bundle in her arms. “Would you like me to carry those for you?”

“
I’ve got it, thanks.” She folded the pieces under her arm and proceeded to follow Rex through a small opening. Briefly, she had to crawl on her hands and knees—hobbling forward as she held her furs in one arm—then the shaft morphed into a generously wide and equally tall tunnel.

Rex waited for them a few feet ahead. The dim light of his lantern offered a measure of visibility, then tapered into darkness.

The tunnel opening had been spacious for her, but Marik had to wiggle and push his big shoulders through. Nadua glanced at Rex, noticing how much smaller his frame was compared to Marik’s, though he was nearly as tall. The result of living off this desolate land, she supposed.

A smoky haze suddenly fell over her and she went tense. The gray puffs parted in her mind as if moved by a delicate wind. Sighing, she relaxed and let the vision come.

A rift in the floor. A thunderous echo. The walls shook.

Still in mid-vision, Nadua whirled around. “Marik!”

He looked up at her just as his feet hit the floor. Then she heard it. The sound was terrible. Louder than in her vision, like a viscous lightning storm from below.

The ground began to fall away. She tried to scramble back but her feet slipped on the unsteady terrain. A plume of fine dust obstructed her sight and she blindly reached out as she felt herself sinking.

Catching hold of what must be a newly created ledge, Nadua clung to a wall of stone and dirt. Her feet thrashed for solid ground. There was none. She was on an overhang that could break off any second. Her fingers dug painfully into the rock to keep herself up.

“
Marik!” she called again, fearing he had fallen to his death. With the dust in the air, she couldn’t see anything but floating specs lit by the amber light of the lantern above.

“
Shh,” came Rex’s soft voice. “Any extra vibration could make it worse.”

As if to prove his point, the cavern rumbled ominously. Bits of gravel cascaded all around her, and the sound of clattering rocks finding the end of their journey rose up from the pit.

“
Nadua, hold on,” Marik whispered.

Oh, thank the gods!

“
Where are you?” She kept her voice as low and as steady as her raging heart would allow.

“
I’m on the other side. I could jump, but you need to climb up first or I’ll risk causing you to fall.”

Another tumbling of rocks echoed from below. Her cheek was pressed against the ledge, and her heavy breath disturbed the powdery soil. Some of the fine dust coated her lungs, but she suppressed the need to cough.

“
I can’t.” Her arms were already beginning to shake from holding her weight, and it felt like the rocks were about to slip.

“
Rex?” The hint of panic in Marik’s voice made Nadua’s heart thump painfully faster.

“
I think I can reach her,” Rex whispered back. “Nadua, I’m going to climb down.”

His movements caused a river of lose soil to descend on her. She finally coughed as she was forced to breath in more dust.

A moment later, a strong hand wrapped around her wrist. She mimicked the hold. Quicker than she expected, her body was yanked up to a flat surface. They both scrambled to a more stable location. Nadua turned to see Marik in mid leap, his body slicing through the cloud of particles.

Landing with a heavy thud, he rushed forward to collect her in his arms, right as the ledge collapsed behind him. Relief swept over her and she held on to him just as tightly as she had the rock face.

“
Thank you,” he said to Rex, who must have only nodded in return.