Chapter 15
Kira stumbledas she landed on her feet, her heart thundering against her sternum. A rush of hot air slammed her face, had her gasping for breath.
Night surrounded her. Dim sconces on the looming black boundary walls revealed that they were in some kind of courtyard. A garden rambled alongside the barrier. Reddish flowers with claret leaves bloomed wildly in the beds between trees that looked like they’d been uprooted and tipped on their heads. Wispy, tendril-like leaves hung down in a tangle.
Nicor laughed. “That was close.”
Furious, Kira spun to him. “You took me through a damn portal?”
“Your sire wants you here. I made sure it happened.”
Anger exploding, she smashed her fist straight into Nicor’s jaw, wanting to wipe the smug grin off his face. She lashed out again, but a hand on her arm prevented her from making contact. Then the pain in her knuckles registered.Aw, crap!She winced, flexing her fingers.
A wisp of a thought in the back of her mind struck with the force of a hammer.
Oh, shit! She yanked free of Riley’s hold, putting distance between them. Her father had demons working for him! Only they could open portals. The urge to run took hold when she recalled what Echo had told her long ago;never show a demon fear. They thrive off it.
These two looked so normal. Human. She hadn’t suspected a thing.
“It’s okay. We mean you no harm,” Riley said, his gaze steady, expression calm, but a nerve pounded his jaw. “Believe me, I didn’t stop your retribution to protect him.” Fury brightened his green eyes. “I just don’t wantyougetting hurt again. The ass has a face of stone.” His fist flew. Nicor stumbled back. “Next time, check with me.”
Nicor cut Riley a hard look as he swiped off the blood dripping from his nose. “You can tellhimyou failed. I cannot. And she has…what? Two days left?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Kira snapped.
Nicor ignored her and lifted a brow at Riley. “Do you really think I’m going to let a Guardian take her from us? Can’t havethatcrazed male here. I might as well put my neck in your sire’s hands.”
“Thatcrazedmale”—she growled despite her lingering fear and her desire to punch Nicor again—“is my man, you damn moron!”
Both men’s attention snapped to her.
Riley swore.
Nicor stared at her, and guffaws of laughter erupted. The ass!
“Things just got interesting. It does explain the male’s scent on you. First things first, let’s get out of here so she can see her sire.”
God, didn’t they listen? “I said I don’t want to see him!”
“Too late. You’re here now. Might as well do it,” Nicor told her before casting Riley an amused look. “Hewed from the same granite rock as your sibling, I see.Heshould have explained all this to you by now.”
“Sibling? What sibling?” Kira demanded, fed-up with their obscure comments.
Inhaling a deep breath did little to calm her frustration. Her darn father had used demons to bring her to him. Unlike other humans, Kira knew about the demons who lived on Earth to escape the oppression of the Dark Realm. She’d met a few, and most seemed nice. Of course, there were cretins like this damn Nicor.
“Who are you people?”
“We’re demons, princess,” Nicor happily informed her.
“Yeah, I got that with the whole portal thing. Why couldn’t you just tell me that upfront? And what sibling is he talking about?” She narrowed her eyes at Riley.
He sighed, rubbing a hand over his shorn, bronze hair. “Let’s go inside, and I’ll explain.”
Ugh, it was so darn hot here. It had to be summer in her father’s part of the world. She rubbed her damp palms down the short skirt of her uniform and pushed up the sleeve of her sweater, the faint stench of sulfur irritating her nose. She frowned. Wait, this place wasn’t concealed in true night…
Her head snapped up. Darkish skies held tinges of purple, lilac, and orange. A sudden tawny flare brightened the sky, highlighting the enormous obsidian fortress in front of her.
This place…the odor reminded her so much of another time a year ago when Týr and Blaéz had taken her through a portal into… Kira’s heart thundered against her ribs. “W-where are we?”
