Since Audrey had begged for the sweet oblivion of death, had prayed for at least a few unconscious moments—only to be denied—the princess decided to tempt fate and get the next beating over with.
Taking several small breaths since deep breathing was impossible with her broken ribs, Audrey summoned all the courage she could find. Clearing her throat, she yelled as loudly as she could, “All right, you sick son of Satan, get your pansy ass back in here and finish what you s-s-s-tarted.” Her voice broke on the last word as pain racked her damaged body.
Balor whined and recoiled from her to slink back to the corner where she figured he’d been placed to keep watch over her. It was better that way; no reason he should be punished for actually having a modicum of empathy for another being. Audrey held her breath, mostly because breathing equaled agony, but also to see if she could pinpoint where the Chancellor was hiding. She knew he wouldn’t be far. He would’ve stayed close so he could hear her struggle and writhe in pain. She hadn’t given him the satisfaction—nor would she—and for that, Audrey was sure the bastard would be back sooner rather than later.
The princess once again called on a strength that came from the knowledge that no matter what she had to endure, Rian would be okay. The Chancellor would not have her mate. This time, she even lifted her head, although doing so caused the blood from the wounds on her back to flow more freely.
Looking around, Audrey cringed at the rivers of her blood creating some sort of horrific mosaic as it flowed between the large grey stones of the floor. Her stomach, empty from all the times she vomited during her attack, rolled at the splatters and splashes decorating the walls. It was evident they could’ve only been achieved by someone who loved their work. And Adramelech did indeed love his torture. He’d literally turned it into an art form after his many millennia in hell.
Closing her eyes to focus her energy and block out what had already happened, Audrey injected as much of the hate she felt for Adramelech into her voice as she could and shouted with a voice so ragged not even she recognized it. “You wanted to know where I was didn’t you? Who I was with? How I escaped you even if it was for just a few moments? Wasn’t that what you worked so hard to beat out of me?”
Pausing as spots danced before the darkness behind her closed eyelids and her breath came in tiny spurts, Audrey refused to give up until she’d gotten the Chancellor back into the room. He would finally finish what he’d started. She would so whatever it took to get him to kill her. Enough was enough. The bastard had been her jailor, her tormentor, and the bane of her existence for long enough. She and Rian had tried for every moment of their less than conventional relationship to find a permanent solution to her confinement, only to come up empty handed at every turn.
There was no way she was going to continue to let one of the best men she’d ever known take any more chances with his life for her. Today was the day. This was the spot. Audrey Dobresou, Princess of the Green Isle Kingdom, would make her final stand, and God willing she would die as she’d lived, with her head held high and no regrets.
One quick breath and she said the words she knew would bring not only the Chancellor but her demise. “I was with the dragons…my dragon. And it wasn’t the first time. I have seen him every full moon for the last ninety years. I have kissed his perfect lips. I lay in his welcoming arms and I have pledged my undying love to him.”
She paused as the click of large talons against stone reached her ears. The bastard was coming and it was time to nail her own coffin shut. One quick prayer to the God she knew had never left her was quickly followed by the profession of her unconditional devotion to her mate. She pushed all the everlasting love and affection she had for Rian through the iron-clad bond that flared to life every time she saw him.
Opening her eyes because she wanted to see the fury on Adramelech’s face, Audrey did what she had to do; she taunted the bastard. “Don’t you feel like a complete and total failure? I mean the other demons have to be laughing at you. After all, you are supposed to be the all-knowing, all-seeing Chancellor and President of the High Council of Demons and a little insignificant princess from some backwater kingdom got one over on you. Wow, you must…”
Her words were cut short by the strike of a humongous claw-tipped paw right across her face. Her neck cracked so loudly it bounced off the stone walls as her head flew back from the impact. A small smile curved the edges of her bleeding mouth. She’d done it. Made the beast of all beasts lose his tenuous control. It was the first time Adramelech had ever touched her face. He was out of his mind as punch after punch landed on every available surface of the front of her body.
Sliding into blessed unconsciousness, Audrey could only feel the sweet release of impending death. A single tear slid down her cheek as Rian’s face floated across her mind. Her only regret was that he would live a life without love. Sinking farther away from reality, Audrey begged the Universe for one final wish.
“Please make sure he never forgets how much I love him and let him find another to love him as he rightly deserves.”
Warmth spread throughout her dying body from the spot where the bond she shared with her dragon warrior lived and removed all her pain. As she took her last breath, Audrey heard, “All will be well, my child.”
4
The world around him ceased to exist. He could feel the wooden floor beneath his knees. Smell the brimstone and sulfur from Adramelech’s evil magic. See the smoke where once his beautiful mate had been standing. But it all seemed so far away, like the background scenes in a motion picture…insignificant, just filler. What was real, what mattered…ALL that mattered, was that Audrey was gone, taken by the same piece of shit Demon Lord who’d had her in his clutches for more years than Rian wanted to think about.
He imagined the worse. Thought of the scars he’d touched on Audrey’s skin. His fingertips tingled as he remembered feeling the thick, rough tissue underneath her soft silken flesh. He knew they were more gnarled, more prominent than they needed to be because the sack of shit that held her captive had done nothing to aid in her healing. Hard as he tried, Rian couldn’t stop the images of her lying bloodied and beaten, in pain and suffering through the long days of healing.
Many nights Rian lay awake imagining all the tortures his mate had been made to suffer. Looking at a specifically large scar running up his own arm, the Dragon Leader shook his head. He’d made a choice to fight. His scars were a badge of honor. He’d earned every one. They showed he’d fought harder than his opponent and had been victorious. Audrey didn’t have that luxury. Hers would always be a sad reminder of the betrayal of her uncle, the heartache of not being there when her father was laid to rest, and the untold misery she’d suffered at the hands of Adramelech. Unable to break the spell the horrible images running through his mind created, Rian barely heard Rory screaming right behind him.
“What. The hell. Was that? Did y’all see that shit?”
“Yes, and I can smell the sulfur and brimstone it left in its wake.” Brannoc growled, with his sword at the ready, still checking the cabin for enemies.
“Is Rian okay or just being a dick as usual and ignoring all of us?” Royce grumbled as he set the couch back on its feet and plopped down, blade across his lap.
“Looks like your brother was well prepared,” Kellan’s low rasp of a voice, thick with his Scottish brogue, cut through all the confusion as he nodded to the Devil’s Trap expertly drawn on the ceiling. Moving his foot, he raised his eyebrows and added, “Two traps for one little demon? Seems like overkill.”
“She is not a demon,” Rian ground out through gritted teeth.
In one fluid motion, the Dragon Leader stood, drew his sword, and was across the room with the blade to Kellan’s neck. “You will not talk about my mate that way.” His low, continuous growl resonated through the suddenly silent cabin.
The buzz of Rory and Royce privately speaking mind-to-mind irritated his frayed senses, but not as much as the sounds of Brannoc trying to sneak up behind him. Spinning on the balls of his feet while drawing his dagger, Rian stopped only when it was against Brannoc’s jugular.
“What the fuck, Ri? You gonna kill us all?” Rory asked with a look of complete shock and awe on his face.
“Yeah, come on Rian. Rory’s right. We just came up here to check on you. You’ve been acting like a madman since we found Drago and the disappearing act was the straw that broke the dragon’s back. You’re the Leader of the clan. The one everybody looks up to. We’ve covered for you all that we can. The other Elders are asking for you. We had to come. Now, drop the blades and let’s talk about this shit.” Taking a step closer, Royce put his hands out in front of himself as a sign that he meant no harm.
Shaking his head, Rian’s younger brother looked totally disgusted and more than a little pissed as he went on. “You’re not gonna kill Kell and Brann. I know it. You know it. Hell, they know it. They’re letting you hold them at knifepoint to show respect. It’s damn sure not because they’re scared of you! I have no doubt either of them could put you on your ass with one arm tied behind his back. Together, they could have you trussed like a Christmas turkey in three seconds. Cut the shit and talk to us.” Royce ran his hand through his curly red hair and sighed. “Cause this shit’s not getting us anywhere.”
Rian knew his brother was right. Felt the good intentions, no matter how misguided he thought they were, coming from all of them. It was reassuring to know that even when he had a knife to their necks, his brethren still had his back.
