Moon Borne (Halcyon Romance Series Book 1) (2 page)

Her involuntary whimper caught them both by surprise and he released her. “Bloody
Amazone
,” he snarled. “Let’s go.” He nodded to his men to bring the other girls.

One of the human males bent to tie her wrists. The glint of his blade winked at her from the top of his boot. She snatched the handle, and gripping it in her hand, rose to aim the blade at the slaver.

“No!” Fear clenched her chest, but she would not succumb to it. The frightened girls might go easily, but she was an Amazon warrior. She was their protector, while the others were away, at least. She refused to allow the young ones to perceive her panic. Squaring her shoulders, she tilted her chin a fraction. “You will release them and in return, I shall go with you, willingly.”

He scowled as he eyed the knife. “Why would I trade these pure breeding vessels for one as experienced as you?”

“You will accept my offer, because I am one of the oldest surviving Amazons. My offspring would be far stronger than theirs. And because I am untouched.”

One of his brows lifted. “I do not believe you.”

No, of course he wouldn’t. Because if she spoke the truth, her value on the slave market was priceless. He held her gaze. She was more valuable than a boatful of Amazons, and he wasn’t aware of her gift. Yet to Kyme, her sisters were worth more than anything, even her life. The sacrifice was nothing.

Besides, this slaver would never outwit her, and she didn’t intend to go down without a deadly battle of wits. Her sisters kept silent, though their eyes cried out in protest.

“Prove it,” the slaver commanded, his glower stalking her.

“Why do you think I am here and not with the others, mating with the Gargareans?”

His gaze dropped to her lower belly. “For all I know, you are already breeding.”

“I will swear an oath to Artemis. Cut my hand, so I may bleed upon her stone.” She lowered her knife and extended her right hand, the middle finger bearing the ring of Artemis. The amber stone gleamed in the sunlight. It marked her as a Daughter, and as such, the truth of her words could be judged against a blood oath sworn to the goddess she worshiped.

The slaver didn’t hesitate, snatching the dagger from her and slashing the blade across her palm. She refused to flinch at the sting splitting her flesh. A drop of blood welled on her palm, and she let it fall onto the amber stone. “I swear to my mistress, Artemis, that no male has ever claimed me.” The stone absorbed the blood in satisfaction and glowed golden.

The slaver cleared his throat. “My buyer will be well-pleased with you. We leave now.” He grabbed her by her braid, yanking her backward against his hard body once more. “I’m not going to tie you,
Amazone
, because you’re not going to run from me. You know what I am. Also know this. I have your scent.” He inhaled deeply against her locks. “I can track you from hundreds of miles away.”

Gritting her teeth, she grasped his wrist with her left hand and dug her nails into his skin. She braced against him as she prepared to thrust her right elbow backward.

“Not this time,
Amazone
,” he purred in her ear and released her, nudging her aside. Without glancing at her, he tilted his head for his men to follow.

As she scanned the tear-filled eyes of her sisters, Kyme bolstered her courage. She lifted her head and squared her shoulders regally, like a Queen. Like an Amazon.

***

The river Thermodon glowered. Its cool blue waters churned and foamed like a rabid dog. The river’s demon had been as bound as she, and as helpless. A shiver coursed through her—an indication the river sensed her presence. The mile-wide waters parted and she trekked across, followed by the pyrates. The two subordinates stuck close to her, but the leader—the slaver—kept his distance. Rightly so. She would find the means to kill her captor and escape. Oh yes, kill him she would. He’d made it clear that was the sole way she would liberate herself. She savored the challenge.

As her boots fell on the slick, rounded rocks of the river bottom, a crushing wave of disgrace clenched her chest, succeeded by the bitter tang of vengeance on her tongue. The ancient
Potamoi
made an offer. The river demon might not be able to harm the son of Ares, but the other two were humans. Easy prey. Easily eliminated. It would be simpler to kill the slaver without his bodyguards.

Before she had a chance to respond, the
Potamoi’s
water levels rose around the two unsuspecting humans. A pair of eight-foot tall funnels formed around them. An instant later, the water settled and they were gone.

She didn’t blink an eye as she strolled forward. The splashes behind her stopped—evidence the slaver grasped what had happened and accepted the fate of his companions.
Good slaver.
He’d best get used to the fact that she would never be under his command.

She might be going willingly, but she was no docile captive.

And she’d never be a slave.

Chapter 2

“You’d damn well better be worth it,” Arsenius growled. He stamped down any regret. Risk was the nature of their occupation. At least he’d been wise enough not to bring his best on this mission. He’d required numbers, not skill. Enough for stealth, not to start a war.

Most of the Amazons were away, attending the mating ceremony. The ones remaining were a handful of young girls, and his target, Kyme.

Coming alone would have seemed cocksure. Commanding underlings confirmed his leadership status. Made him look capable, more of a threat.

He shook his head. Who the hell was he kidding? The blood of Ares coursing through his veins was the reason he was still breathing. Ahead of him, the Amazon sauntered as if she were the one transporting a slave.
Damn. Must collect myself.
He’d heard about this race of ferocious female warriors, and truly, what man did not get aroused envisioning a woman he could wrestle with?

Tales of their fierce beauty spread far and wide. He’d been prepared, or so he’d thought. The creature in front of him was unlike any female he’d ever encountered. Her chestnut brown hair was tightly bound in a braid. His palms itched as the silken strands swept the luscious curves of her bottom, taunting him to untie her braid and spread her locks across her creamy skin. Her thickly lashed eyes were a deep midnight blue, and her full pink lips begged him to sample them. Not to mention the piece of ivory cloth she wore that aspired to be long enough to be called a dress. He forced himself not to stare at her lean, shapely legs, or the lush contours of her hips.

This female was tiny for an Amazon, almost half his size. He doubted she would be able to swing his sword. Yet she fought with the heart of the bear Artemis so treasured. For the briefest of moments, as he’d held her against his body, she’d melted. He frowned. At least that was how he remembered it. Truthfully, he was having trouble concentrating. He’d be a pathetic excuse for a mercenary if he let one small female throw him off his mark.

This hardly explained why the frenzy had overtaken him the moment they’d set foot on Amazon territory. The beast in him had demanded to be unleashed. Like his father Ares, he was subject to the mindless bloodlust of war. He’d had to order his men to tie him to a tree until it passed. Luckily, he’d brought along chains.
Should’ve used them on the Amazon.
How had she gotten out of the rope?

They approached the river’s banks and he paused. The waters buried their path and resumed their normal flow, appearing so very innocuous now. Just as the river had when he’d first crossed it, though the waters hadn’t divided for him. Ares’s blood in his veins had compelled the river demon to let them pass, if not to part. Thankfully, the morning air was hot and his leather breeches had dried.

As they trekked, the sun beat down, and he wiped the sweat from his brow, grimacing at the smudge of blue on the back of his hand. The evidence of his frenzy coated him—the markings which seeped through his skin; even his eyes were probably still strangely lit.

Arsenius raked a hand through his hair, slicking the stray strands from his eyes.
Must concentrate.
This little female was planning her escape. He didn’t doubt it. Her escape likely meant a dagger in his heart.
Aye.
She seemed the type to stab a man where she could look him in the eye at the same time.

Best to remind her of her new role in life. That he was master and she was slave. He stalked to her side and pointed to the horses. “Remember,
Amazone,
I have your scent. You’ll not run from me.” She tilted her chin up. Defiance flashed in those sparkling indigo depths. Gods, there was no subduing her.

He might have her scent, but it was more of a hindrance than an aid. Exotic and delicate, he’d track her scent not to hunt her, but because he’d yearn for another fix of it, for it was like an opiate to him.

Shaking himself, he edged away, putting some distance between them as he mounted his horse. He dug out his long-sleeved ivory shirt from the saddlebag and threw it on. A spike poked his spine, reminding him of the dagger he’d tucked into his waistband. Her blade. When he’d removed it from her pillow, some instinct had urged him to hold on to it. He’d sensed its importance to the Amazon. Indeed, the pointed steel was sharp, the bone handle intricately carved with the image of a deer. Careful not to let her glimpse it, he withdrew the knife and wrapped it in a cloth, burying the dagger inside his saddlebag.

His captive regarded the other two steeds with an expert eye, and then flawlessly mounted the grey. The third horse he left loose to follow them.

***

Despite herself, a trickle of anticipation shot up from Kyme’s toes and lodged in her chest. His rich baritone echoed,
I have your scent. You’ll not run from me.

The thrill of the hunt was better than any aphrodisiac. Like her Amazon sisters, Kyme was a huntress. She reveled in tracking her prey. She’d never expected she’d enjoy being the one hunted. It almost made her want to flee, to see if he could catch her.
No. Too much risk.
He had to conclude she’d play the submissive slave. Right until she sliced open his throat.

As much as she took pleasure in leading the way, she didn’t know their destination. Would he bring her to the village below? Or straight to the slave market?

They halted at the edge of a cliff. He stopped and pointed toward the harbor. “That is where we’re headed.”

A ship? No, impossible. She’d never traveled on the sea before. A ship was too confining for a warrior used to concealing herself in dense forests or battling horseback on open plains. “No, I do not see why that is necessary. A slave market lies not a day’s ride from here. You can sell me there.”

He laughed. “You don’t honestly believe I would sell someone as valuable as yourself to just any trader, do you,
Amazone
?” Wryness permeated his chuckle, and a muscle ticked in his jaw, as though he didn’t wish to sell her.
Odd.

She swung off her horse and guided it toward the steep, rocky pathway. The slaver caught up with her and seized the lead. From this angle, his shoulders appeared even broader than she’d first determined.
Ugh.
Stop admiring his fine, masculine form.
Amazons scorned men. They lived away from society, high in the meadows, protected by the river Thermodon and the landscape of the mountains. Their warrior lifestyle was simple.

Once every year, in the spring, the adult females traveled to the Caucasus Mountains. They gathered in a secret cave and met with a neighboring race known as the Gargareans. Well, mate was a more accurate word. In order to prevent their races from dying out, the Amazons would breed with them. Male children went to the Gargareans and females to the Amazons. It was a satisfactory arrangement.

Other than mating, the Amazons had no use for males. Kyme had none at all. As long as she remained chaste, she was unquestionably powerful. Though some Amazons traced their ancestry to Ares, her bloodline was directly linked to Artemis, a virgin goddess. Oh yes, no one questioned that fact too closely.

A descendant of the Moon goddess, Kyme drew her powers from Moonlight. As the Moon cycles waned, so did her ability to replenish her powers.
Damn.
In her planning, she’d forgotten—tonight there would be no Moon, and no powers for her to use to kill her captor. She’d depleted most of them on the hunt last night. What remained was not enough to kill him. Blast it. Living for so long in the protected meadow had made her weak, complacent. It had been too long since her last battle. Still, she knew better than to drain her energy.

“What?” the slaver growled, facing her.

Kyme bit back another curse, clenching her fists.
Focus.
She would not reveal her thoughts.

His sultry grey eyes no longer glowed, though they were nevertheless intense as he studied her.

“A rock,” she grated. “It’s nothing.”
Yes, more like a thorn.

***

The hell it was. Judging by the tight crinkling of her eyes, his little warrior was scheming.

Wait. His warrior?
His
? It was Arsenius’s turn to curse. When had she become his? He’d just met her. Certainly, he’d meant his prisoner, his slave. Not
his
.