The Darkest Craving Part 12

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Evil Overlord shoved past anyone foolish enough to get in his way and motioned for his comrades to do the same. They tugged Kane along for the ride, stopping in front of the crowd.

Kane studied the area, taking everything in. There were veins of gold running through the walls, the doors, and on the windows were fabrics that appeared to be woven from rose petals. The ceiling arched in the center, and vines teeming with golden flowers grew from the edges.

Below, there was a tiered dais covered in purple ivy, with the smallest throne situated on the highest level, and the three larger thrones centered on the next one down.

Evil Overlord abandoned his men to pound to the top of that dais. He turned with a graceful flourish and eased into the smallest throne, and it took a moment for Kane to compute the reason why the guy would be allowed to sit there.

He was the prince.

So...he couldn't be Tinker Bell's brother. Could he?

Dude. This doesn't change my feelings for you. Kane flipped him off.

The male displayed a smug smile. He thought he had Kane by the short hairs.

He was wrong.

Kane dismissed him, catching sight of a male and two females sweeping into the room from a side door. They eased into the remaining thrones, and it didn't take a Jenius to know the king, queen and princess had just arrived.

The king was a brute of a man, and surprisingly young. The queen was small and delicate, but appeared to be a few years older than her husband. The princess had the quintessential Fae hair, all-white, with no hint of color, and those endless eyes of blue. Her small, fragile body was squeezed into a bold red gown. The bodice dipped low enough to reveal the tattoo between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, a-he sucked in a breath.

A b.u.t.terfly. A match to his.

She was...you've got to be kidding me. How?

She was possessed by one of Pandora's demons. But which one? And how had she come to acquire it?

He had a very bad feeling.

Before his possession, Kane had been a soldier in King Zeus's army, and he'd locked many of the inmates of Tartarus away; he'd b.u.t.ted heads with the rest. There was no way the princess had been inside the prison when the demons of Pandora's box had been unleashed, and the leftovers distributed among the inmates. So, how had she come to be possessed? And which demon afflicted her?

The same door the royal family had used was opened again, and this time a dark-haired girl was escorted inside. Part of Kane wanted to continue staring at the princess, trying to unravel the mystery of her, but the scent of rosemary and mint wafted to him and his body reacted as if he'd just been stripped and caressed.

Only one female had that scent-and that effect.

He returned his attention to the newcomer with laser focus. She was dirty, bruised and worn down-and his heart almost stopped. She was Tinker Bell.

The urge to go to her consumed him, and he stepped forward. A guard caught him, stopping him from going any farther. He could have broken free of the hold, but didn't.

She was here. She was alive. Fighting now, before he'd gathered all the necessary information, could get her hurt far more severely.

He took in the rest of her. Her hair was tangled around her arms, all the way to her waist. Grime streaked her reddened cheeks. An ap.r.o.n hung around her neck, and it was in the same shape as her gown. She kept her eyes downcast, fear radiating from her.

Someone would pay for this.

He had to lock his knees to prevent another surge forward. Had to grip his pants to stop himself from throwing punches.

When the males released her, she tumbled to the ground, unable to sustain her own weight, slight though it was. Her knees. .h.i.t the floor, and as she whimpered in pain, she braced herself with her hands, causing the fabric of her gown to rise, revealing her wrists. Angry red welts marred her skin. She'd been chained.

Tinker Bell. Chained.

Someone would pay severely.

Forget information. He stepped toward the dais, going for the king. This time, he was whacked in the back of the head.

He heard a muttered, "I'm so sorry, Lord Kane."

Growling, he spun and slammed his joined hands into the culprit's jaw. Bone snapped-and not Kane's.

A yowl of agony split the air.

The rest of the regiment spurred into action. Bring it. He had enough violence pooling in his veins to take down a pack of rabid animals.

"Enough!" a voice thundered.

Everyone stilled and quieted.

"Tell me what's going on."

Kane's gaze landed on the speaker. The king. Anger contorted features that promised to unleash death and destruction.

Whatever. Kane would get his information, after all.

The guard on his left bowed low. "My liege, this is Kane, a Lord of the Underworld, and the host to Disaster. He was the one chasing Servant Josephina."

Behind him, wild murmurings arose. Tinker Bell's gaze shot up, and landed on him. Her eyes widened, and she shook her head, mouthing, "Run."

He popped his jaw. I'm here, honey, and I'm not going anywhere without you. Get used to it.

Excitement danced in the king's eyes. "How we've longed to meet you, Lord Kane." To the guard, he said, "Release our honored guest. Now."

The bonds were instantly cut away. Kane rubbed his wrists.

"I must ask what you want with Servant Josephina, Lord Kane," the king continued more warily. "She is a...special charge of ours."

"Perhaps I wish to buy her." If she was a slave, she was for sale, special or not. And if he had to go that route to get her out of here and started on her new life, well, he'd consider it a blessing.

"We will give you anything you desire-except her," the king said. "I would never sell my own daughter."

The queen hmphed with disdain. "Only a fool would want such an ugly, wretched female."

Kane scowled at her.

Disaster was quick with an agreement.

Wait. Back up. Tinker Bell was the king's daughter? A princess? But why was she dressed like, treated like- Blood. Slave. The words rolled through his mind, and more pieces of the puzzle finally slid into place, little tidbits of information he'd picked up over the centuries drawing together. Tinker Bell was of royal blood, but only partway. Therefore, she qualified to bear the punishment meted out to those in her family.

Anytime the "real" princess had committed a crime, Josephina had been the one punished for it. She would have endured whippings, beatings, stonings and probably a thousand other things he couldn't bring himself to consider. That's why she'd ended up in h.e.l.l.

Oh, Tinker Bell. Poor, sweet Tinker Bell. The very things he'd endured during the worst weeks of his life, she had endured for a lifetime. No wonder she wanted to die.

Kane's jaw clenched, the only reason he was able to silence the spew of curses brewing at the back of his throat. No, the king would never let her go. Not for any price. Not for any reason.

I won't let her go for any price or any reason, either.

Oh, really? asked Disaster.

The Fae next to Kane tripped, falling into him, knocking him to the side. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened," the man babbled.

Kane straightened.

"He's so beautiful. More so than I ever imagined. And he's just like me!" The princess clapped her hands, exclaiming, "I want him, Daddy. Please? Please! Give him to me."

The king stiffened, only to relax a moment later. He eyed Kane with intrigue, the cogs in his brain clearly churning in a direction Kane wouldn't like. "I do find the thought of our family being joined to that of Lord Kane's intriguing."

No. He didn't like it. In any other situation, the threat would have enraged him. A rampage would have ensued.

"You will do us the great honor of wedding our daughter, Princess Synda," the king said, a statement rather than a question.

He liked that even less.

But okay. All right. Kane needed to stay in this realm long enough to plan an escape for Tinker Bell. If he agreed to a wedding, he might be allowed free run of the palace. If he didn't, he would have to fight the army every second of his stay.

"Sure," he said with a nod. "Fine. Whatever. I'll wed your daughter." He wasn't wedding anyone. "But Tink-Josephina can't be harmed while I'm here."

More murmurs slithered through the room. He tried to make sense of the words, couldn't.

The king drummed his fingers against the shaft of his scepter. "We would love nothing more than to accommodate your request, Lord Kane, but a crime was committed last night, and a price must be paid. That's why Servant Josephina is here."

"What crime?"

"Princess Synda was caught with the butcher's son, a male far below her station. Worse, a human."

"Then punish Princess Synda." Problem? Meet solution.

A shake of the king's head, firm and sure. "That's not how we do things around here, Lord Kane. Since the sp.a.w.ning of our race, blood slaves have helped ensure the well-being of the royal family."

"I see." The blood slaves had also helped ensure the maliciousness of the royal family. "And what's to be Josephina's punishment for Synda's crime?"

"Servant Josephina will be shunned for one month. Anyone who speaks to her will be killed."

Better than he could have hoped. Still, Kane squared his shoulders and braced his legs apart, preparing for battle. "Well, then, we've got our first real problem. I'm going to talk to her, and that's non-negotiable."

Crystal eyes narrowed. "Very well," the king said after a few moments of thought, "but you will be lashed for every word."

"What?" someone in the crowd gasped out.

"No. Not Lord Kane!" another cried.

"No," Tinker Bell croaked.

Kane cut her a sharp glance. Silence.

She shook her head, dark hair wisping over her shoulders, saying, "Don't do this."

Still looking out for him, even after he'd failed her so miserably. His determination intensified. To the king, he said, "I will never willingly submit to such a punishment." It would weaken him, and he needed every bit of strength he could summon. "I doubt you can force me-" except for Evil Overload, and his ability, but then, Kane could remove his tongue and that problem would be settled, too "-and the men that try will pay a very dear price."

Behind him, a female fainted.

The princess flattened her hand over her heart and grinned. "He's so wonderfully fierce. How soon can the wedding be planned?"

"Excellent question. We'll make sure it's done by the end of the month. That gives us ten days." The king slammed his scepter into the marble floor so forcefully cracks formed in both. "Now. Everyone will return to their duties. And you," he snarled at Kane. "You will join me in my chambers."

CHAPTER TEN.

JOSEPHINA SCRUBBED A rag back and forth over the already-clean upper staircase banister, surprised she hadn't dimmed...whatever the material was. It looked like starlight and clouds. A chandelier hovered just above her, the rotating streams of opals, sapphires and emeralds attached to nothing but air, casting rainbow flecks in every direction, even the floor many stories below.

I wish I could jump.

Stupid Kane. He should have killed her when he'd had the chance. Now, she was going to make him wish he had. Yes. She liked that plan.

How dare he agree to wed Princess Synda?

Synda would lie to him, and cheat on him. The girl's desire always burned white-hot, but died quickly. She would chew Kane up and spit him out, and there would be nothing left of him but bones. Bones Josephina had risked her life to save.

How could he want that girl? How could he not see beyond her pretty face?

Stupid, stupid, stupid man! Josephina stomped her foot. Anger was easier than hurt over yet another rejection.

The moment he'd agreed to the wedding, something inside her had cracked. Dark emotions had spilled out. She'd nearly broken down and sobbed. She'd nearly shouted, "He's mine! All mine!"

But he wasn't hers, and he never would be.

She, however, might become his.

Would Tiberius give her to Kane, thinking the warrior would punish her rather than his beautiful new wife when she misbehaved? Would Kane actually punish her? If he did...her nails sc.r.a.ped against the rag.

I won't just make him wish I'd died. I'll make him wish he had.

Her chin trembled, and she sniffled.