Demon Slave (Shadow Quest Book 2) (37 page)

He went without protest. Nadua had a feeling the only part of the ship Jade was going to show Rex was the inside of her room.

Ethan leaned back in his chair with cocky grin in place. His lips fell when he noticed Nadua’s scrutiny. She raised an eyebrow in response.

After another drink, and a little more catching up, Analia offered to take her back to her room. They said goodnight to Ethan and left the pub. Analia fully sober, Nadua only a bit tipsy.

That is, until a bright vision knocked Nadua to the floor.

Snow softly fell from above, settling on the edges of her hair and tickling her eyelashes. The air was so crisp in her lungs, Nadua could have sworn she was back on Undewla. Her legs were knee deep in a blanket of white, and an unmistakable trail of red led up a gently sloping hill.

Trudging to the top, Nadua squinted past silent flakes. Sori stood not too far in the distance. But closer, stretched out over a white plateau, was a scene of gore and blood. Cyrellians once again fighting Cyrellians, brutally driving metal through flesh. On the edge of the melee she recognized Wren, hunched over a body, pain etched on his face. Nadua didn’t have to look at the girl to know who it was: Ava.

Dead.

Behind Wren, Tamir raised a blade. Wren didn’t even try to move, though he must have known someone was at his back.

Nadua found herself on the floor of the ship. Analia was leaning over her with concern, frantically calling her name.

“
Oh, gods. I have to go back!”

“
What?”

The vision was so clear...too clear. It would definitely happen if Nadua didn’t find a way to warn them.

Though there was a transmission receiver jumbled with some other technology in a palace room, it was only turned on when they wanted to barter with space merchants—which wasn’t often.

“
Are you okay? Do I need to get the doctor?”

“
No, no. Analia, I need a really big favor from you.”

* * *

Marik paced his room, stomping a path into the carpet. He couldn’t keep his mind from drifting to his mate. His beautiful, soft Nadua, who should be here, in his bed, rather than in a completely different part of the ship.

Sebastian had already received word from the Serakians. They agreed to send someone and were scheduled to rendezvous within a week. One week and he would be mateless.

Could he even last a week? Seeing her in the halls, catching her scent everywhere he went. Could he serve her food in the galley while watching her enjoy the company of other passengers? Other males.

No!

His mind screamed, the thought driving him to the Edge—a place that was threatening to become his permanent residence.

Or maybe he had screamed out loud. He could no longer tell the difference. His mind was slipping. His head pounded, anguish finding a corner of his brain to make a home.

The Serakians couldn’t possibly remove this pain, short of killing him. How could even the strongest magic take away someone’s love?

Marik stopped mid-step.

His love.

The thought solidified, taking hold and digging in. He was in love with Nadua. The truth of it was like a physical punch to his gut, only it didn’t hurt. It was freeing. The only thing left to do was find her and tell her she had better get used to him, because he wasn’t letting her go.

Marik nearly smashed into Sebastian as he flung himself out the door. He would have pushed him out of the way if it wasn’t for the fearful look in his eyes.

“
What is it?”

“
A shuttle has been launched.”

* * *

It had taken a lot of convincing, begging, and pleading to get Analia to agree. Analia had suggested they speak with Sebastian about going back, but Nadua couldn’t risk him rejecting the request.

“
Please, Analia! I cannot let Ava die.” Nadua had gone to her knees, tears brimming.

Analia had gazed down at her in a way that made Nadua believe she understood. Her lips thinned and, at length, Analia nodded. After stopping to gather Nadua’s furs, they’d headed straight for the shuttle, ripping past the pub to get there.

Unfortunately, Sonya must have seen them because she appeared just as they were ready to start up the contraption.

“
What in the name of the gods do you think you’re doing?”

Nadua and Analia exchanged worried glances. Nadua tried to explain the urgency of the matter with a quick revelation of her gift and a recap of the vision she needed to prevent. Sonya listened, calm and rigid. But she was also calculating, and Nadua feared the demon was going to stop them.

After she shot a questioning look at Analia, Sonya gave a curt nod and moved to gather the weapons Sebastian had taken from them earlier. To Nadua’s surprise, she said, “Well, we’d better hurry then.”

Maybe she wasn’t so bad, after all.

With them settled inside, the craft rumbled to life and they jetted into the black abyss.

Hours passed by, yet Undewla was nowhere in sight. Just never ending darkness dusted with twinkles of light. Nadua’s gut wrenched. What if they didn’t get there in time? She’d never forgive herself for leaving.

Analia was piloting the shuttle, concentrating on the many confusing buttons and screens. From the passenger seat, Nadua had already stopped trying to make sense of it all.

Sonya sat behind them. She’d folded up the remaining chairs to lay out the weapons and inspect them.

Nadua’s bow leaned against the hull. Next to that was her quill, which held only two arrows. Still, that was better than none. A couple of daggers rested on the floor beside a set of swords. Hopefully they wouldn’t have to use any of them.

Silence filled the space as Nadua watched the stars, keeping her eyes out for a speck of white that stood out among the rest.

Sonya spoke from behind her, her tone venomous. “So, Red, what’s the deal with you and Marik?”

Nadua glanced back at her. Sonya was studying the edge of a blade. Her violet eyes tilted up at Nadua, not even trying to hide her contempt.

“
You first. What’s up with you and Ethan?”

Sonya’s lip curled.

Before she could respond, Analia added, “Yes, there is something strange with you two. Your energies fluctuate wildly. I can’t figure it out.”

Sonya frowned and her deep blush was a satisfying sight. The silence stretched on again and Nadua was sure she wouldn’t respond.

Finally, she did. “We fought.”

Analia groaned, a bit of disappointment seeped into the sound. “I thought you were going to make an effort to be nicer to each other.”

“
We were sparring,” Sonya corrected.

Analia still didn’t look mollified.

“
He was, uh, really good at it, and we fought for a while.” Sonya shifted uncomfortably. “And then we were...doing more than just sparring, which was different for me. And really nice, at first.” A faint smile fluttered over her lips, then she frowned again. “But then...it hurt, and...he freaked out and—he just left. Left! What the hell is that about? No wait, first he yelled at me, then he left.”

“
He hurt you?” Analia asked. “Did he stab you with a sword?”

“
Uh, you could say that.”

Ignoring Analia’s sweet naivety, Nadua interjected, “Well, it only hurts the first time, it gets better after that.”

“
No, swords hurt every time.” Analia looked at her like she was daft, and then spoke a little slower. “They’re metal.”

Sonya snorted, at the same time Nadua snickered. Realizing they were laughing together, both stopped immediately and took on a more a serious demeanor.

Sonya continued, “I know, and I was expecting it to hurt. That’s not the problem. The problem is I hate his guts. More than hate his guts. I mean, he took advantage of me when I was in need of...sparring.” She paused, as if wondering why Analia wasn’t following along. “But then he goes and does this weird gesture that was...really stupid.”

Sonya’s expression said that, on some level, she appreciated whatever it was that Ethan did.

Analia shook her head. “I don’t think you guys should be sparring at all. You can barely work together without killing each other.”

Nadua and Sonya shared a comedic look before breaking into laughter.

Analia looked at them. “What?”

“
Your turn,” Sonya said.

Nadua cringed.

“
How is it you’re mated to Marik, but he looks as miserable as the day we bought him out of slavery?”

Did he look that bad?

Nadua had only gotten a glimpse of him tonight, but he was no worse than when he locked himself in his room on Undewla, drinking, and refusing to come out for anything.

Nadua swallowed hard. Had he taken himself back to that place? And if he really was miserable, then why? Surely not because of her.

Nadua wanted to be with him. It was Marik who pulled away.

Well, whatever the reason, Sonya was blaming her for it. She was waiting expectantly, and her eyes said she was ready with a slew of accusations in response to anything that came out of Nadua’s mouth.

“
I’m not sure why Marik would be unhappy,” she finally offered.

A soft growl came from behind. “How dare you! You’re his mate, and yet you feel nothing for him?”

“
I never said I feel nothing!” Nadua countered, anger pounding each syllable.

“
Then what in the name of the gods is keeping you two apart?”

“
Didn’t they tell you?”

Sonya lifted her chin. “Tell me what?”

Hesitantly, Nadua explained the manner in which Marik had claimed her, steamy details extracted. That she had initially suggested the Serakians could fix it. And that she hadn’t felt then what she felt now and was surprised to find Marik still wanted their bond broken. The last part had her eyes burning. She wished she had never suggested the Serakians.

Through it all, Sonya had sat, seemingly relaxed in her chair, but it was obvious by her expressions, and the random cursing under her breath, that she was hearing everything for the first time.

After a long moment, she pointed her intense gaze back at Nadua. “Well, do you love him?”

Taken aback, Nadua contemplated the question. Marik was abrasive and crude. Overbearing and overprotective. Possessive and irksome.

Despite all that, he was smart and funny, and made her go wild with a simple touch. A hint of lust in his eyes made her heart flip. And any time she thought about him, she wanted him.

But did she love him?

Nadua was overcome by the answer. She opened her mouth to speak, but a loud beep cut her off.

A computerized female voice bounced through the cabin: “Incoming transition.”

“
Anya! Nadua! You get your asses back here right now!” Sebastian’s tone actually made Nadua shudder.

Analia, however, showed no reaction. “Sorry, hun,” she chirped. “If you could feel how important this is to my sister, you would understand. We’re going back to Undewla, just for a little bit.”

Analia’s phrasing was strange at first, then Nadua remembered what Marik had told her about her sister’s gift. Analia could sense energy, as well as emotions.

“
Absolutely not! No. Not going to happen.”

“
Hi, Bastian,” Sonya said in a singsong voice.

“
Sonya?
You’re
with them? I am going throttle you for this! I am not kidding.”

“
You could try. I am in the mood for a good fight.”

“
Marik is going nuts by the way. If anyone cares.”

Nadua got the feeling that last comment was intended for her.

Analia pressed a few buttons, mumbling to herself, “
Marada
is getting closer.” More buttons. “Sebastian...” Her tone turning warning, “I’m not going to let you catch us.” Then she flipped open a small side compartment, pulling out a thin wire.