The Ruby Kiss (19 page)

“Ready to give Twister a thump.” To ease his concern, she grinned and held up her baseball bat with as much bravado as she could muster. “Devin said you told him about my weapon.”

Nightshade smiled. It looked like an effort. Lines of tension bracketed his mouth, suggesting he was still in pain. Ruby rested the bat against the wall, climbed onto the bed at his side, and put her arm around him. She examined his wounded throat. Although it still looked bad, it had healed incredibly fast. But his skin was hot and clammy beneath her fingers.

“You’ve got a temperature.”

“I’ll be fine,” he said. “Tell me what’s happened about this Fenrir nonsense.”

She needed to play it down so Nightshade stayed in bed as long as possible. “Devin’s taking me to see Twister in a minute.”

Nightshade grunted and started to sit up. “I’ll get dressed.”

“No.” She flattened a hand on his chest. “You need to recover. I’ll come back and tell you what he says.”

Nightshade eyed her skeptically. “I’ll only stay here if you’re certain Devin will be with you the whole time.”

She wanted to tell him she could look after herself, but he’d probably hurt his throat laughing. She said nothing.

“Get the djinn back in here, will you?” Nightshade said.

Ruby went to the door and called Devin. She hoped he wouldn’t say anything that prompted Nightshade to leave his bed.

“Don’t let her out of your sight, djinn. I’m trusting you with her safety.”

Devin patted Nightshade on the arm. “We’re only going to talk. I’ll bring her straight back.”

Nightshade’s fingers squeezed Ruby’s hand. He whispered her name.

She leaned closer, brushing her lips across his. Deep warm longing spiked with loss ran through her. How she wished she hadn’t kicked him out of bed that night at her home. Or messed up the other night . . . Those might have been their only chances to make love.

“We’d better go before Twister sends someone to look for you,” Devin remarked.

Ruby clung to Nightshade’s hand as she backed away, only releasing her hold at the last moment.

“Come straight back and tell me what Twister says,” Nightshade demanded.

“Of course.” She was glad to see he was regaining some of his normal attitude. And she wouldn’t face Fenrir without seeing Nightshade first.

* * *

When she and Devin reached Twister’s study, a Whip stood guarding the door. He narrowed his eyes on the djinn and flexed his fingers around the handle of his whip.

“Step aside,” Devin ordered.

The two stared each other down for long tense moments before the guard pointed his whip down the corridor. “Twister wants you to go to the Troll’s Armpit.”

Devin turned and put his hand on Ruby’s back, ushering her in the direction the Whip had pointed. His expression was taut, his lips pressed together. “Not good,” he said under his breath.

A dark chill of unease passed through her. “What is the Troll’s Armpit?”

“A bar. Another place where Twister and his cronies gather. But this one is inside the magical protection of the bunker so
I can’t use my powers.” Devin glanced back over his shoulder at the Whip just before they rounded the corner. “I thought Twister wanted to see you privately to discuss his plans. I hoped we could still talk him out of this madness.”

“Now we can’t?”

“In that bar he’ll have buddies egging him on.”

Ruby pulled up. Devin halted at her side with a lift of his eyebrows as she said, “Time for some straight talking. I can’t get out of the Bunker, right? Even if I could escape, Twister would come after me.”

“That’s about the size of it,” Devin agreed.

“So we either get him to back down or I’m dog food.”

Devin glanced down before he spoke. “Your words, Ruby, not mine. But yes, it looks as though you’ll have to face Fenrir. I could get you out of here, but now Twister knows you can force the change on him, he’ll pursue you until you try it on his father.”

“No! I won’t leave without Nightshade.” Ruby’s breath trembled. Fear quivered in her chest and ran through her limbs. She flattened her hands together and pressed her index fingers to her lips to hold back the swell of helplessness. Until that moment, she’d believed they would persuade Twister to back down.

This was crazy. She struggled to get her numb brain to process the reality. “Can I get out of this alive?”

“Yes,” Devin said without hesitation. “I’ll guard you. I can use my powers, because the pit’s outside the Bunker’s protection.”

The words edged back the bleakness threatening to overwhelm her. “Okay, then. But we must stop Nightshade from getting involved. He’s too sick.”

Devin sighed. “Let’s cross that bridge when we get to it.”

He took her elbow and drew her down the corridor toward an open wooden door. The sound of raucous male laughter burst forth from beyond. Above, a painting of a troll sniffing its
armpit hung on a metal curlicue. Ruby grabbed a breath and steeled herself before they stepped inside.

The room was the size of any ordinary bar she’d seen, with scattered chairs and sofas positioned around numerous tables. A quick head count revealed Twister had eight friends with him, including Dragon, the cyclops, and three Whips. As the door banged shut behind her, she pivoted to find the Whip who’d given them directions. He was now blocking the exit.

“At last,” Twister said, rising from his seat. “I was about to send someone to discover where you’d got to, Devin.”

The Unseelie king’s gaze settled on her. Remorse flitted across his face, then his jaw tightened and his expression hardened.

All conversation in the room died as everyone stared at her. Ruby focused on Twister and crossed her arms. She wanted to curse him to hell and back for hurting Nightshade and locking her in her room, but rather than argue and inflame the situation, she used her righteous anger to bolster her courage.

“I assume you’ve asked me here to apologize.”

“Such a tone! That’s no way to speak to your betrothed,” Dragon said with a malicious hint of amusement.

Twister shot him a quelling glance, his eyes glowing gold. Then he returned his attention to her. “Come here, Ruby.”

Devin leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Careful. I don’t know what they’re planning.”

“Why don’t you come over here?” Ruby suggested to Twister. She didn’t want to walk into the midst of his supporters.

Twister’s jaw clenched, but surprisingly he came to her. “You changed me from wolf to man. You will do the same for my father.”

Ruby’s heart thudded. She kept her gaze fixed on his face and said nothing. She wasn’t going to berate him so that he lost his temper and felt less guilty about endangering her. She wasn’t going to make this easy for him.

He rubbed a finger over the scar on his chin and glanced away. “I understand your reluctance. Facing Fenrir will be dangerous. I’m not heartless. I have no wish to see you suffer,” he admitted.

“Then let me go,” Ruby replied. “Once I’ve learned how to use my power, then I’ll come back and have a go.”

He continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “I can give you some measure of protection. Fenrir is familiar with me. Often he’s docile when I go to him. If he senses me in you, there’s more chance you’ll get close enough to touch him.”

“No!” Devin interjected. His fingers gripped Ruby’s upper arm, and he jerked her back against his side.

She pulled away with a frown. “What do you mean?” She glanced from Twister to Devin, sensing there was a power struggle she didn’t comprehend. “Spit it out, one of you. In words I understand.”

“He’s proposing to bond with you,” Devin said, his words laden with accusation.

Ruby swallowed hard before she was able to reply. “I thought we’d knocked that stupid idea on the head.”

“It’ll
protect
you,” Twister said.

“All it’ll do is give Ruby a better chance of getting close to Fenrir so she can touch him.” Devin eyed Twister with contempt. “I thought better of you, cousin. If you want the woman to risk her life, at least be honest with her.”

“I
am
being honest. It should give her a measure of protection.”

Devin grunted in disgust. “I’m taking Ruby and we’re leaving. I’ve tried to talk you out of this madness, but you persist. Nightshade was right; Fenrir has lost his humanity. This is a cruel and pointless exercise.” He turned and started to usher Ruby away.

The Whip at the door stepped forward. “Your magic won’t work here, Master of the Darkling Road,” he said with a nasty smile. His whip hand twitched, ready.

Twister snagged Devin’s arm. His voice was grim. “I didn’t want to do this, Dev. But I can’t have you interfering. You’ve left me no choice.”

Dragon strode up beside the Unseelie king. His hulking form dwarfed everyone except the cyclops. “Without your magic, you’ll have to depend on
these,
smoky.” He bent his arm, displaying bulging biceps, and his lips twitched.

“
Ebn el kalb
,” Devin said under his breath. He released Ruby and stepped away from her.

The djinn was fit and strong, but he’d be no match for the monstrous nightstalker. Ruby rounded on Twister and slapped him on the arm to get his attention. “How’s them fighting going to solve anything?”

“Stay out of it,” Twister snapped.

Dragon feinted one way then the other, laughing when Devin fell for the move. “I can taste your blood already. That smoky tang, mmmm . . .” The nightstalker ran his tongue over long fangs.

Ruby could hardly bear to watch the awful scene, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away, either. If she hadn’t left her damn baseball bat in Nightshade’s room, she’d have bashed Dragon over the head with it.

Dragon lunged again. Devin evaded him easily and gave a mocking laugh. Dragon continued, growling, all traces of levity gone. His silver eyes were narrowed. The stabilizing effect of his half-spread wings allowed him to attack at an improbable angle, and his fist connected with Devin’s gut, knocking the breath from him; then he used his bulk to crush Devin against the wall. The djinn’s head lolled forward, his eyes closed.

Ruby’s heart hammered. She smacked Twister on the arm again. “Stop this,” she commanded when Twister eyed her. “He’s going to kill him.”

“That’s enough, Dragon,” Twister said.

Ruby sucked in a frustrated breath. “Are you bloody stupid? He’s not going to stop
willingly.
”

Twister motioned two of his Whips toward Dragon and Devin, but neither looked eager to rescue the djinn. Hardly surprising after what Devin had done to them. Ruby scanned the room for some kind of weapon. Frantic, she grabbed a metal tankard off a nearby table and hurled it at Dragon’s back. It bounced harmlessly off his wings and clattered to the ground.

Dragon yanked Devin’s head aside, exposing his neck, and he bit down. A yucky sucking noise filled the silence. Bile crawled up Ruby’s throat. She didn’t believe Twister wanted Devin dead, but what if the nightstalker took too much?

“How can you just stand there and let this happen?” she asked. “Devin’s your cousin!”

She barged past the Unseelie king and picked up a small table. Hoisting it awkwardly, she manhandled it across the room. Twister’s motley collection of friends watched with amusement.

She was just about to hurl the table at Dragon’s back when he raised his head and turned to look at her. His silver eyes gleamed with a sickly pink sheen. Scarlet trickled from the corners of his mouth, and the metallic odor of blood filled the air. The table slipped from Ruby’s nerveless fingers to crash to the floor.

Dragon’s gory lips stretched into a nightmare grin. “Lining up for your turn, girly?”

Ruby stumbled back, the raucous laughter of Twister’s friends ringing in her ears.

Dragon released Devin’s unconscious body, which slid down the wall into a heap on the ground. “Smoky won’t give us any more trouble,” he promised. “He’s my creature now.”

Hot fear flashed through Ruby as she backed toward Twister’s side. She hoped he would provide her some limited
safety, considering he needed her. “What does he mean by
my creature?
” she asked.

“He’s formed a blood bond with Devin,” the Unseelie king answered softly. “Dragon thinks he’ll be able to control him through it, but Devin’s too powerful for anyone to control. Otherwise I’d never have let this happen. I just needed Devin out of the picture for a short while.”

“Time for you to claim your woman, Twister,” Dragon continued with a morbid grin.

Ruby stepped away from Twister, wary of him again. Whatever the definition of “claim,” it was completely unacceptable.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Ruby,” Twister said. “I’m going to bond with you to
protect
you.”

“Protect me, my arse.” Ruby sneered. “This has nothing to do with my safety and everything to do with you getting what you want.”

Twister took a step toward her, and her back hit the wall with a jarring shock.

“If you relax and accept me, you’ll find the bonding pleasurable.” The Unseelie king pulled his three linked green stone rings out from under his shirt, and he lifted the chain over his head. As he drew closer, the stones held her gaze like a magnet.

“I didn’t think magic worked in the Bunker,” she said.

“This isn’t magic. This part of me is as real as my arm or my leg.”

She flattened herself against the wall, struggling with the concept that touching the stones would bond her to Twister. “Don’t come any closer. It’s Nightshade I want.”

Dragon gave a harsh laugh. “Where is my useless son? He’s missing the show.”

Her world shrank to Twister and the damn green stones in his hand. A part of her wanted to reach out and touch them, but while that deep-seated instinct craved connection with
another person, her brain stalled in horror at the thought of that person being Twister.

“Don’t you dare,” she spat.

“It won’t hurt, Ruby,” he whispered.

“You’re crazy. We don’t even like each other.”

His eyes flared gold, drawing her gaze from his hand to his face. He gripped one of her wrists and pinned her against the wall. She tried to jerk up her knee, but he crowded too close. She threw up her free hand to claw at his cheek. He met her blow and clasped her hand. His stones pressed warm and hard against her palm.