The Darkest King Read online

  Sunny shook her head. “I’ve got her.”

  “Her name is Aurora,” he said, his voice cracking.

  “Aurora.” Tears spilling over, Sunny carried the precious bundle to the stable and laid her on the bed, then stretched out beside her. So the sheets would get bloody. So what. “C-can you heal her, William? Please! I’ll pay any price. Heal her, and you don’t even have to move in!”

  “I’m sorry, sundae,” he croaked, “but there’s no magic strong enough.”

  A sob bubbled up, but she swallowed it back. To the dog, she whispered, “You are not alone, baby girl. I’m here, and I’m staying by your side. May you have the sweetest dreams, my darling.” Then, she waved her hand over Aurora’s face, using magic to put the dog into a deep sleep. That way, when her organs failed, she would simply drift off forever, pain-free.

  To his credit, William stayed by her side, too. And the other dog, Dawn, watched from a corner, her red eyes projecting misery and fear. Together, their trio cooed to the sleeping Aurora until her little heart stopped.

  Sunny’s tears fell in earnest then. Still, she and William remained in place. She hadn’t known the dog, but one look, and she’d fallen in love. That was her way with all animals, and the reason she would be a vegetarian for the rest of eternity.

  “Who is responsible for this?” she demanded softly.

  “Who else?”

  “Lucifer.” She spat his name like the vile curse it was.

  William reached out and linked his fingers with Sunny’s. “He will pay. I swear it.”

  Trembling now, she glided her free hand through the hound’s biggest wound, collecting blood on her fingertips—blood she smeared under her eyes. “The demons outside belong to your ex-brother?”

  William sat up, nodded.

  “Then they die. Today. By my hand.” William had never seen her fight. He didn’t know her skill level. If he attempted to stop her—

  “Very well,” he said, releasing her. He stood. “We will do this together.”

  Though surprised, she marched to the door. Centuries had passed since she’d gone to battle with a partner. How would they work together?

  William flashed to her side. “Are you s—”

  “Do not ask me if I’m sure I want to do this. I’m sure. I’m ready.”

  He nodded, as if impressed, then kicked open the door. Sunlight flooded into the stable and—

  “Daisy!”

  The demons were gone. Not a single creature dotted the landscape.

  Unable to contain her rage, she screeched, turned and punched the wall. Her knuckles broke, and her skin split, but the pain barely registered.

  William ushered her into the bathroom, where he tended to her wounds gently, tenderly. To her shock, he kissed the bandage when he finished.

  Without saying a word, he gathered Aurora and carried the slain hellhound outside. During his absence, Sunny changed the sheets, showered off the blood and petted Dawn, fighting to shed a heavy weight of sadness.

  William returned. Alone. Dirt streaked his face and caked his hands. He’d buried her, hadn’t he?

  What a sweet thing to do. Sunny sniff-sniffed and plopped into the chair at the desk.

  He flashed in front of her, crouched down and clasped her chin, tilting her head up. Their eyes met, and a frisson of heat whisked through her. He looked so earnest.

  “I’ve decided to take you to the book, sundae.”

  His words registered, and her eyes widened. “Really? You aren’t afraid I’ll destroy your precious to punish you?”

  “Part of me is, but I’m desperate enough to trust you. Don’t make me regret it, sundae.”

  “I won’t,” she whispered, and daisy, she meant it. If he stayed sweet like this, she’d never be able to use his book against him, would she?

  “Do not leave the stable,” he called to Dawn. He opened a portal and, after a slight hesitation, escorted Sunny into a small windowless room with white walls, an old wooden table and a plush recliner.

  In the center of the table rested a display case with a leather-bound tome tucked inside.

  The hound did not stay put. She followed them into the room. William scowled at her, and Sunny grinned.

  “Are you sure you’re irresistible to women?” she teased. “We continue to defy you.”

  The look he gave her...scorching hot, dark and sardonic. “Laugh it up, chuckles. One day soon, I’ll have you screaming my name to the rafters.”

  She gulped. Embers of lust sparked and caught fire, a fever spreading through her body.

  Hoping to cool down, she drew in a deep breath. Wait. Another deep breath. Huh. The air contained zero odors; she couldn’t even smell William’s ambrosial scent. A true travesty.

  “What is this place?” she asked. Dawn explored, sniffing here and there, clearly annoyed by the lack, too.

  “A pocket dimension in Hell I created with my magic. Scents are filtered out, preventing others from tracking the book. My friend Anya likes to joke about...”

  Sunny tried to listen, she really did—magic, scents, Anya, joke—but the room reminded her of the unicorn punishment pit. Small and isolated, with no way out. Horrible memories rose from the mire of her mind. The loneliness. The screams. The taste and feel of blood-soaked mud.

  Calm. Steady.

  “What is this? Panic?” William asked, confused. Again, he pinched her chin and angled her head, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Why?”

  Don’t do it. Don’t tell him. Never reveal a vulnerability.

  Except, that was how single Sunny thought. If she wanted William, and she did, she had to let herself be vulnerable with him.

  Isn’t the relationship fake?

  Yes. No. Argh! She didn’t know anymore. If she’d never detected his deep, abiding sadness, if he’d never been so kind to the dog...but he had, and now, here they were. “It’s not panic,” she told him. “It’s unease.”

  “The woman who planned to combat a legion of demons fears...a room?”

  “Have you ever been buried alive, William?” Her voice cracked. “I have. It was the unicorn king’s favorite punishment. When Lucifer and his demons invaded our camp, I couldn’t fight them because I was trapped in a dark, damp hole.” Her chin trembled. “They slaughtered everyone as I listened, helpless. The screams...so many screams. Blood poured into the pit in rivers of crimson while demons laughed. Then there was silence, and it was so much worse.”

  He cupped her nape and pulled her close, then settled his palm on her lower back. “I’m sorry, sundae.”

  Smashed up against him like this, she only wanted to burrow. With her face resting in the hollow of his neck, she sank her fingers into his silken hair, absorbing his heat.

  This. So many people craved a significant other, and now she knew why. The right person comforted you, accepted you and built you up, never tearing you down.

  But. William hated clingers, and Sunny hated being one. She pried her fingers free, straightened and stepped back, severing contact. Regret hit her in an instant. No heat. No comfort. Only cold and loneliness, exactly what she’d had pre-William.

  Maybe clinging wasn’t so bad.

  With yearning in his eyes, he advanced on her, forcing her back into his embrace. A gentle embrace, despite his ferocity.

  Marveling, she peered up at him. He clings to me? Who was this man?

  He finger-combed her hair before grazing his knuckles along her jawline, every touch a revelation of tenderness, as if he...cherished her. “Why were you punished, sundae?”

  For the first time, she had no voice in her head telling her to keep her past to herself. Maybe because William wasn’t her captor right now; he was her friend. “I wanted to divorce Blaze, but he refused, even though he wanted to be with someone else and we were miserable together.” She tried for a casual tone, b
ut pain seeped into her words. “I made a public scene, hoping to change his mind, but I only managed to injure his pride and infuriate his father, the king.”

  William tensed, but he also kissed her temple. “I’m sorry.”

  The unexpected smooch shocked her to the core. A simple but profound gesture she thought she would replay for the rest of her days. Okay, she really, really needed out of his arms, before she asked about his day, fetched his favorite whiskey and sat at his feet while he read a paper.

  Once again, she stepped back. He glared, until he noticed a smear of blood on her shirt. Concerned, he traced a finger over the stain, collecting a droplet.

  “It’s you,” she whispered. “You’re bleeding.”

  He yanked his shirt overhead, revealing claw marks on his sternum. “I healed this wound earlier, which means the demons used infirmədˉe, too. A venom that cause the wound to come back again and again, until you’ve taken the antidote.” With a wave of his hand, the wounds wove back together. “Or neutralized it with magic.”

  She wanted to engage with him conversationally but...those pecs...that eight-pack, each row of strength hotter than the last...tattoos galore...his adorable navel...the black goodie trail that led to the waist of his leathers.

  Breathless, she twirled a finger. “Turn around.” She wanted, needed, to see him. All of him.

  He looked ready to grin, his eyes flashing. “Should I remove the rest of my clothing first?”

  “Yes!”

  He laughed but he did turn around, without removing his pants. His back... Wow! He had a treasure map tattooed there, and she had a sudden urge to lick every inch of it.

  Lick. Yes. Shivers traipsed down her spine, and champagne spilled through her veins. No. Focus! “Let’s, uh, get to work.” She turned away, one of the most difficult things she’d ever done, and removed the lid from the display case, surprised to discover her unease had been eradicated.

  Magic tingled over her skin, dark and insidious, and she shuddered. But even still... Must touch...

  She eased into the chair. When she reached for the book, William flashed to her side and latched on to her wrist once again, stopping her just before contact.

  “I’m not going to rip the pages,” she promised, unable to look away from the object of her fascination. So powerful.

  “I’m trusting you in a way I’ve never trusted another. Do not betray me, Sunny.”

  “As long as you’re my captor, betrayal is a strong possibility,” she confessed. When would he let her go? She needed her hand on the paper.

  He pursed his lips and mumbled, “You don’t see me as a bloodthirsty warlord, do you?”

  “Of course I do.” With her free hand, she reached up to blindly pat his stubble-roughened cheek. “The bloodthirstiest. Now, about the book. A girl’s gotta work.”

  A pause. She felt the heat of his gaze searching her face. Then he sighed. “I deserve this, I really do.”

  “Don’t worry, baby doll,” she intoned. “You don’t deserve me—yet—but keep tweaking your personality flaws, and you will.” Book! Book! Book! She tugged on her hand.

  At last, he released her. Giddy, she did it; she glided her fingertips over the outer edge of a page and moaned with delight. The magical tingles had intensified.

  “Well?” he croaked.

  She studied the symbols but...nothing translated. Hmm. She traced a swirling design, then another, but again, no part of the code revealed itself. “I’m sorry. I can feel the magic, I can. It’s oddly entrancing but also disinterested in opening itself to me.”

  A moment passed in terse silence. “I told you I’d give you anything you desire if you decode this, and I meant it. Wealth. Another list of people killed. Enough orgasms to put you in a coma of bliss. I’ll move heaven and earth to get the job done, sundae.”

  Just then, she wanted all of that and more. “Can I be brutally honest with you?” she asked as Dawn settled under the table, lying down at her feet.

  He stared at Sunny, incredulous. “You mean you’ve been gentle with me until now?”

  Yes! “First, you’ll be giving me orgasms, anyway. We’re going to have sex, and we both know it. Second, by letting you give me orgasms, I’m doing you another favor. Which means you’ll owe me big-time. But don’t worry. I will decode this. The magic might be playing hard to get but it wants me to win.” She chewed on her bottom lip, knowing her next suggestion would be met with ire. “Maybe we should take the book back to the stable, so I can have more time with it.” Those symbols...so hypnotic. Mesmerizing. Nothing would stop her from figuring out this mystery. Nothing! “Pretty please.”

  Strain carved fine lines around his eyes as he grated, “It stays here.”

  “You aren’t worried about keeping your prized unicorn in the stable,” she pointed out, “so why worry about the book? Let me study it in the comfort of my own prison-home.”

  “My home.”

  “Our home,” she corrected, neither side of her nature trying to punish him. “I can free you from your curse, William, if you’ll trust me and let me study. Granted, I’ll have to take a bunch of breaks to pleasure myself. And you’ll have to watch me. How else will you learn?” As frequently as sexual urges were overtaking her now, she needed to store as much satisfaction as possible before the official kickoff of mating season.

  He went still, a thousand emotions flashing in his eyes, there and gone. She wondered how many thoughts he’d entertained in that split second. “Very well,” he said, perhaps harsher than he’d intended. “We’ll take the book back to the stable. But the same stipulation applies. You will do the book no harm. And, sundae? If you have needs while we’re together, you’ll tell me, and I will tend to you—since we both know we’re going to be having sex and all. I’m trusting you with my future. You’re going to trust me with your present.”

  “But—”

  “That is my deal. Take it or leave it.” He hooked a lock of hair behind her ear, his knuckles grazing her cheekbone, reminding her of his former caress. His kindness. “And don’t cry foul,” he added. “A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do when his woman is a stubborn, paranoid unicorn who wouldn’t know an orgasm if it bit her on the ass. Which it just might do.”

  I’m his woman? For real?

  The thought...pleased her. He pleased her. She’d trusted him with certain information, and he’d rewarded her, trusting her with his precious. Now they were making plans to trust each other with their bodies.

  Somehow, the course of her life had changed in the past two minutes. It was exciting. And nerve-racking. And wonderful, terrible, amazing, annoying, perfect and imperfect.

  Daisy! The truth hit her, and hit hard. He’d warned her. If he moved in, she’d fall. Well, he’d moved in, and... I’m falling for him.

  What was she going to do now?

  18

  “No shirt, no shoes—just take everything off.”

  This female will be the death of me.

  As soon as the thought registered, denial clanged inside William’s head. He wouldn’t be dying. Not now. Not later. Not ever.

  Instinct demanded he live, always. However, William had a second reason to survive, one just as compelling as the first.

  When he’d first moved in with Hades, he’d learned spirits of the dead went up or down, without exception. The ones who went down became slaves of an underworld royal, no matter their station in life.

  Usually, newcomers arrived via a reaper like Lucien. As a keeper of Death, Lucien sensed when someone died within the borders of his territory. He would flash to the body, free the spirit trapped within and escort it to its forever home.

  Every day, Hell’s kings, queens, princes and princesses sent out convoys of demons to collect any new arrivals. All were fair game. First come, first served. The royals kept some of the souls for themselves, and sold the res
t. But, whether kept or sold, the dead always ended up getting a taste of their own medicine. Murderers were murdered again and again. Rapists were raped repeatedly. Beaters got beaten. Liars lost their tongues, and thieves lost limbs. For a thousand different reasons, escape wasn’t possible.

  If William died and ended up in Lucifer’s territory...

  Motions clipped, he returned Sunny and Dawn to the stable, along with the book and its case. Dawn darted under the bed, her safe place.

  What he was going to do with the unicorn, he didn’t know. He knew what he should do. Leave her in the stable and forget her until she’d broken the curse. Every day he wanted her more. Every day he needed her more. If he fell any harder, activating the curse...if she attempted to kill him...

  But how could he abandon the woman who’d comforted a dying animal as it died? One covered in dirt, blood and filth. A mythical creature Sunny hadn’t known, and yet she’d cried as if she’d lost her best friend.

  Everything about her appealed to him. Her compassion and loyalty. Her honesty and integrity. Even her temper and her punishments. She amused and challenged him, arousing his mind as much as his body.

  He cast his gaze throughout the stable, finding Sunny near the exit. She picked up the bag he’d dropped when he’d first flashed here and discovered her at the door, ready to bail.

  Funny, but he used to portal to her, expending his magic. Lately, though, he’d opted to flash. He used no magic that way, but he reached her faster...because he was always in a hurry to return to her?

  Something to ponder—later. As Sunny unpacked for him, a very girlfriendy task, new desires surged. Things he’d never expected to want. A loving partner. Companionship. Communion of souls. Unbreakable ties. Lifelong adoration and affection. Everything he’d once thought himself above. Everything he’d lacked but feared obtaining, so sure they’d be taken away from him.

  He felt as if he were awakening from a dream. As if he finally, truly lived.

  If I don’t have this woman in my arms soon...

  What about the curse?

  Another subject to ponder later. Here, now, his mind remained on Sunny and all the things they could do to each other.