Dreams of a Dark Warrior (51 page)

Have to get free.
Surely, Regin would know better than to trust Lothaire. She would never be tricked as Declan had been. She hated that vampire.

But what if Lothaire tells her I’ve been injured?
She’d admitted she would worry for Declan; the

vampire could prey on that.

Declan had to escape before Lothaire lured her to this place—a vile, tomblike camp fil ed with blood

foes.

These creatures had beaten him repeatedly, mocking his pain and ridiculing his scars.

Between those beatings, he’d listened to their conversations. They either thought he couldn’t hear them

or didn’t care because he’d soon be dead.

He’d learned that Carrow and her ward had made it off the island, along with Malkom Slaine—who’d

acted as protector to the two. And he’d heard that MacRieve had organized Vertas shifters, holing up in

the mountains and rigging traps for the Pravus.

Apparently, three of the beings Regin worried for stil lived—

The two Sorceri females swept into the temple. Myriad beings, probably three dozen of them, fol owed

the pair inside, eagerly gathering for the show.

“Night comes, Magister,” Portia said. “Make your peace.”

Declan had no reason to think he’d suffer a less painful fate than Fegley’s burning. Yet al Declan cared

about was protecting Regin from them.

Raised voices sounded from outside the temple. Declan swung his head up.
Regin’s voice.

Lothaire was forcing her into the clearing. He’d tied her wrists behind her back.

“You sold me out, leech?” she cried. “I’l kil you!”

Declan thrashed against his bonds.

In a bored tone, Emberine said, “So you fetched us the Valkyrie?”

“They’re so trusting, it’s like leading lambs to slaughter,” Lothaire said. “However, this prisoner should be of particular interest to you—she’s the magister’s woman. That’s why she’s here. Al I had to do was

tel her she could save Chase.”

“No!” Declan bel owed. “Lothaire, don’t do this!”

Emberine studied his reaction. “Intriguing.” She asked Lothaire, “What do you plan for her?”

“I intend to snap her neck, a particular fondness of mine. Eventual y, I’d like to drink her to the quick, but of course, the kil ing blow is reserved for my gracious hostess.”

“I’l rip your fuckin’ head off, vampire!” Final y Declan’s heart began pounding, his blood coursing to his muscles. But he stil couldn’t hit his berserkrage.

Emberine waved Lothaire on, leaving sparks in the air. “By al means.”

As Regin flailed, the vampire snaked an arm around her head, palming her chin with one hand. He

reached the other across her neck to seize her shoulder.

“No! Nooo!”

Regin met eyes with him, as if she were trying to tel him something—

The vampire snatched both of his arms in opposite directions. Declan watched in horror as Regin’s

head twisted. Face lax, body limp, she col apsed to the ground.

He roared with fury.
She’s not dead. Not dead.
She would live through this. If he could get free.
Save
her.

These fucks
cheered
. He stifled another yel as rage flooded his body, the strength of a berserker growing rampant inside him.
One hand free.

“Come, Emberine,” Lothaire said. “The honor is yours.”

The sorceress created a fire sword in her palm. Playing to the crowd, she raised it above her head

teasingly. Al attention was on her.

Another arm free.

The crowd began to chant Ember’s name.
Punish them.
A red haze covered his vision. Thoughts

came at random.

With one final violent thrash, Declan escaped his bonds. As he stalked toward Regin’s body, he seized

the vampires closest to him, yanking them into each other, bashing their skul s.

Never taking his eyes from her, he ripped anyone between them limb from limb.
Closer.
Blood sprayed over him.

Nothing keeps me from her.

FIFTY-TWO

T
hree… two…one.

Regin’s legs surged forward, kicking the sorceress’s ankles and sending her crashing to the ground.

With another kick, she slammed her boot heel down onto Ember’s throat. At that moment, Thad, Natalya,

and Brandr burst into the temple with weapons raised. Lothaire drew his sword, slaying two nearby

demons with one swipe of his blade.

The leech’s plan was working.
Might let him live.

When Regin popped up unharmed, free from the fake knot at her wrists, she met Chase’s wild gaze.

She couldn’t imagine his bewilderment; his mind should be a chaotic frenzy by now. She’d never seen him

so big, so ful y berserk. Across the melee, he ravaged through demons and vamps to get to her.

Lothaire tossed her another sword. “I told you this would work.” His tone was casual, even as he laid

waste to his former al ies.

“Maybe if you hadn’t screwed over Chase in the first place, huh?”

Ember gaped from the ground, her lips working silently before she hissed,
“Die, Valkyrie.”
She shot to her feet, raising her fire sword.

But Regin had already swung. “Gotta dis
arm
you. Bitch,” Regin said as Ember’s arms fel to the ground in a cloud of wafting ash.

Ember screamed, her butchered limbs spurting streams of fire like blood. But Portia was ever watchful

of Ember; a massive boulder hurtled toward Regin, leveling anyone in its path.

At the last minute, Regin ducked. The stone crushed Ember’s head.

Portia shrieked, speeding toward them. A swarm of something that looked like locusts fol owed her. Not

locusts.

Sand.

“Lothaire!” Regin yel ed. “Take out Portia!”

At that, other demons and vampires turned to him. “Lothaire betrayed us!
Again
.” A dozen or so

demons and vampires traced away at once, dragging their wounded.

Turning to Portia, Lothaire eerily chided, “If you’re not with me …”

Deciding to fight another day, the sorceress snatched Ember’s hair around her fist, then latched on to

a vampire about to trace. The three disappeared.

Regin’s gaze found Chase once more. His eyes were focused on her, unwavering, even as he

reached to his side and snagged another foe, wrenching its head from its neck.

Behind him lay a trail of carnage, one headless, twitching body after another. His speed was mind-

boggling. Al those years ago, he’d told her that he’d done incomprehensible feats in order to get back to her.

Now she was seeing them.
A lean bear in winter …

Not far from him, Thad, Natalya, and Brandr fought back to back, dispatching the rest of the fal en

Cerunnos and other creatures that had no means of tracing away. Soon the temple was fil ed with gore,

but cleared of live adversaries.

Only the original six of them remained.

And Chase was storming toward her. Regin sheathed her sword and ran for him as wel . “Chase!”

When he caught her up against his chest, she clutched him with al the strength in her body.
I ran into
his arms.

Her eternal mate.
I
couldn’t
hold my heart back.
“I was so worried!”

Voice ragged, he said, “Nothing keeps me from you.” His gaze was fixed on her lips. “
Nothing
.”

“No, Chase!” His words fil ed her with fear. Words from the past.
Is it too late?
She beat against his chest, clawing to get free. Declan could
never
remember.

Because I want
him.

But he slanted his mouth over hers, plunging his tongue between her lips before she could yank her

head away.

“Nooo!” She kicked him until he final y drew back.

“Sweet as honey,” he rasped. “The others had it wrong. You’re no’ like a drug.” Setting back in for

more, he groaned,
“Better than …”

She head-butted his throat with a vicious snap. “Chase, stop this!” To the others, she said, “He’s

remembering. Help me!”

When Brandr, Natalya, and Thad stepped forward, Chase set Regin on her feet, stil gripping her arm

with one viselike fist. Pure menace emanated from him as he leveled his gaze on the three. Blood had

spattered his torso, lines of crimson crisscrossing his scars. “Nothing keeps me from her.”

He was a berserker in ful rage, with his chest heaving beneath those chil ing scars—a terrifying sight

for most, yet Regin’s heart clenched for him.
He’s magnificent.

Brandr advanced on him. “I can’t let you have her, friend—”

Chase launched a punch; his fist connected with Brandr’s face like a cannonbal . Brandr’s head

whipped around, his body lifted off the ground before it dropped. Limp.

When Chase narrowed his gaze at the others, Natalya and Thad both held up their hands.

“We’l let you two work this out between yourselves,” Natalya muttered. “See you back at the boat.”

They each grabbed one of Brandr’s arms and started dragging the man away.

Lothaire said, “No hard feelings, then, Blademan? Everyone makes a bad day trade now and again. …

” He trailed off at Chase’s look. “Very wel , I’l be at the boat. We’l talk then.”

It’s left to me. Have to escape Chase.
“Ah, gods, I don’t want to do this.” When he turned to her, she brought her sword hilt crashing into his temple.

FIFTY-THREE

“
R
egin!”
Declan roared, his mind mired in confusion as he pursued her through a rain-swept forest.

With each step, his body quickened for her, while memories of a far-distant past bombarded him.

Kissing Regin’s sweet lips by the light of a fire while a blizzard howled outside. Laughing with her

upon a bed of furs. Teaching her about pleasure.

But those memories were dim compared to the last five days.

Kissing Regin’s body under the blaze of her lightning while the wind gusted over them. Lying side by

side, talking in murmurs. Learning how to pleasure her. …

She was his. She owned his heart and commanded his soul and would forever.

Why would she flee him now? When he needed her more than he ever had?

He swiftly caught up to her as she tore along a streambed, farther and farther into a narrowing canyon.

Until it dead-ended with high wal s al around. “Nowhere to run, Valkyrie.”

She dashed across the stream and back, searching for a way out. “Damn it!” She raised her sword. “I’l

use this.”

He stalked closer. “Nothing comes between us.” Not time, not death. He lunged forward, snatching the

sword from her grip, tossing it away. “Why would you deny me?”

“I have to—you can’t do this!”

“I can and I wil .” His hand shot out to loop around her waist, dragging her close. “I need you so badly,

Regin.”

Her eyes went silver. Yet then her expression hardened. “If you take me tonight, it won’t be without a

fight.”

“So long as I take you.”

When Chase dipped down to kiss her again, Regin punched him with al her strength.

He drew back with his brows drawn, not in pain, but in confusion. The hit hadn’t even fazed him. He was

stronger than he’d ever been, faster too. And she wore the torque.

Utterly impossible to best him.

It was her nature to fight, to rail—but she’d fought Aidan in the past.
And look where that got me.

No more.

Maybe if she stayed calm, she could bring him back from the brink? Steeling her resolve, she raised

her hand to cup his cheek. “I need your help.”

He frowned down at her.

“I have to talk to you. And I need you to be calm.” She brushed his wet hair from his forehead. “That’s