Trial For The Shadow King (Captive 0f Shadows Book 2) Read online

  “What is this place?” I ask quietly.

  “It’s called the Diamond,” Kane says. His voice is curt, and I sense he’s hiding something.

  “And it’s an inn?”

  He holds the door open for me and shrugs. “Among other things.”

  I inhale sharply as my eyes adjust to the dimly lit room beyond. It’s warm in here, and dry, for which I’m grateful. But the air stinks of opium and tobacco. A long counter in the back is staffed by three women. Behind it is a cupboard filled with alcohol and spirits. Men linger throughout the room, puffing on cigars and strange, bulbous glass fixtures. I spot women in various doorways, twisting their hips sensually.

  “Kane,” I mutter. He pushes me forward, urging me towards the stairs. “This is an establishment.”

  “Of course it is,” Kane quips.

  “No, an establishment,” I hiss, glaring at him.

  His lips twitch as if hiding a smile. “Isn’t it cozy?”

  A woman's moan echoes through the room, and I flush, heat sweeping through me. "What are we doing here?"

  “The Nephilim won’t expect us to stay in a place like this. If he gets wind that he’s being hunted, this is the last place he’ll look.” Kane casts his eyes over the room. “And he may find his victims here.”

  "You doing alright, darling?" A woman purrs, slinking towards us. She eyes me for a moment before turning her gaze on Kane. Her tongue flicks out over her lips, and even I can't help but track it. "You look stressed, I can help you relax."

  Kane’s eyes dart towards me before settling on the beautiful woman. He rakes his eyes over her curves, a predatory smile on his lips. I feel a sudden urge to slap it off of him. “What do you propose?”

  She smiles, running a hand over her heavy breasts, and I feel a flash of anger. "I think we'd start in a private room with a massage," she says sensually.

  Kane doesn’t stop her as she takes his hand and presses it over one of her breasts. I hear a soft growl rumble from his chest before he pulls away. “Maybe another time, darling,” he says, winking. He turns to me, suddenly looking bored. “Our rooms are upstairs.”

  I say nothing as I follow him up the steep stairs, lips pinched irritably. My thoughts continuously return to Kane's hand on her breast and the wicked grin he wore. My gut twists with jealousy, and I glower at Kane's back. Kane has never touched me like that, but he would touch a stranger. He's never been so flirtatious. With me, his flirtations always carry a dangerous edge and I never know if the result will be pleasure or pain. It was obvious with the woman that he had only pleasure in mind.

  At the top of the stairs, Kane turns. “Spit it out.”

  “What?” My voice is short and clipped. I can’t be bothered to hide my irritation. I’ve been standing on a doorway in the slums of Verstad for hours, and Kane has the audacity to bring me to a brothel. Me. A princess of Ryrn.

  "You're not a very good liar, Briar." Kane rolls his eyes, and my anger ignites further. He pushes a door at the end of the hall open and ushers me inside. "I half expected you to stab a dagger in my back."

  My breath cuts short, caught in my chest, at his words. Fear strangles me for an instant as I wonder if Aiden told him what happened. But Kane looks unbothered waiting for me to speak. I force myself to brush past him, towards the cozy-looking bed. “I’m tired. Where are the others?”

  “Why do you care?” Kane asks.

  I glance over my shoulder, surprised by the edge to his voice. Kane’s black eyes are cold and narrow. Suddenly, he closes the distance between us in a single stride. I gasp sharply as his hands clench my shoulders tightly. He forces me back against the bed and I’m too shocked to fight back when he shoves me onto my back. I whimper at the force of his movements, eyes wide with surprise and a hint of fear. He looms over me, one knee propped on the mattress beside my thigh. Our chests are close enough to brush with each breath. Every accidental touch feels like fire.

  “I smelt Aiden on you. Why?”

  My heart stops. “I don’t know,” I pant, unable to think of a convincing lie. He leans closer, his hot breath wafting over my face. I close my eyes, squeezing them shut, to hide from him. I don’t want him to see how much pleasure is tingling through my body.

  Kane leans closer, his lips brushing over the curve of my neck, and I gasp. Heat blooms through me and my core throbs. “Like I said, you’re not a good liar, Briar,” Kane growls, voice rumbling. “Should I be jealous?”

  “Should I be?” I shoot back, eyes snapping open.

  “What do you mean?” Kane asks, lifting his head to pin me down with his gaze.

  I could lose myself in his black eyes. “The woman,” I whisper, hardly daring to breathe when his eyes dart to my chest. “You wanted her.”

  Kane snorts. “I’m a good liar.”

  “Was it a lie?” I press, suddenly feeling brazen.

  “What if it weren’t?” Kane asks. The very air seems to crackle with electricity. His lips are only a fraction of an inch from mine. “How would that make you feel?”

  “Unwanted.” The word slips from my mouth before I can stop it. I clamp my lips shut, cheeks flushing bright red. I have no right to say such things, or to even feel such things. I have a duty. But, Gods, I’m failing.

  Kane is quiet, his endless eyes boring straight into my soul it feels. Suddenly, Kane presses his lips against mine in a fierce kiss. He steals my breath for an instant. Usually so cold, his lips are feverishly hot. Kane's hands slip from my shoulders to cup my cheeks as his lips move with mine. My heart feels as if it could burst, nerves, and explosive pleasure building inside of me. His tongue runs across my lips, and my body pulses with want. As if he can sense this, he coaxes my lips apart with his tongue. His tongue darts into my mouth, and a moan escapes me.

  My body stiffens, shame at the helm. But Kane twists his fingers in my hair, breathing me in the way a drowning man would take his first gulp of clear air, and suddenly nothing else seems to matter. I loop my fingers around his belt as he eases his body onto mine, straddling me. Our heavy, quick breaths echo through the room. Kane drags his tongue over my neck, and I feel the soft tingling of his vampire venom, but it's nothing compared to the last dose he gave me. He must be restraining himself for me. The thought sends a tendril of warmth up my spine. I open my eyes for a moment, just to assure myself that this is reality and not a dream. As if he can feel my gaze on him, his eyes snap open. The darkness of his pupils has melted across the whites of his eyes, but it doesn't scare me. I close my eyes again, inhaling deeply as one of his hands finds my breast. It simply feels right.

  I wrap my arms around him, the first time I’ve ever done so when I’m not in distress. It’s almost impossible for me to reach around his broad shoulders. My back arches as his lips trail over my collarbone, towards the neckline of my shirt. A growl vibrates in his chest and my nails dig into his shoulders. Pleasure floods through me and my thighs tighten around him. Kane growls, rolling his hips against mine. My body is aching with desperate need for him, a need I’ve never felt before.

  “Kane,” I breathe, eyes fluttering.

  At the sound of my voice, he pulls away. Kane darts off of me so quickly he’s gone by the time I open my eyes. He stares coldly at me, eyes raking over my disheveled clothes. I blush, covering myself with the cloak I never had time to take off. Guilt and confusion flicker in his eyes but then he looks away, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Kane’s shoulders relax, and he looks like the dark king he is – without a care in the world because it’s already in his pocket. I sit up quickly, trying to recover my breath. My core throbs once more and I bite my bottom lip, hard enough to distract me.

  “Get some rest,” he rasps, clearing his throat. “We’ll hunt the Nephilim tonight.”

  Kane starts toward the door, and my heart leaps. I don't want him to go. Not yet. "How?" I blurt, stretching halfway off the bed. "The city is enormous, even the poor areas."

  “We’ll simply have to wait,” Kane says. He hea
ds towards the door, heels clicking on the wooden floor.

  “Wait,” I breathe.

  He stops mid-step and looks over his shoulder. His face is twisted with pain. “I’ll be back when night falls.”

  Before I can protest, Kane slips out the door. It closes with a soft click, and I hear his footsteps recede down the hall, towards the stairs. Visions of him pressed against the woman below fill my mind, and my body heats with anger and confusion and disappointment. I collapse back onto the bed, burying my face in the soft down pillow. Sunlight streams through the window despite the heavy purple curtain. It glows around me. I press my palms against my eyes, refusing to cry.

  What I did was a mistake. I need to distance myself – to protect myself. But when I see him, all I want to do is let down every wall and simply be his bride. My shoulders tremble as I strain to hold back my emotions. But I’m not his bride, not truly. I’m an assassin. And I have no right to be anything else.

  Chapter 9

  Kane

  My leg bounces beneath the table, jostling it slightly as I muse over Briar. There's no doubt that she and Aiden were together, alone, sometime these past two days since we arrived in the mortal realm. My heart twitches with irrational jealousy, and I tamp it down quickly. Envy is what got me into this mess with Briar. I let myself fall too deeply into the soul bond. I shouldn't have kissed her. All I've done is confuse us both.

  Sighing, I lift my head from glowering at the grains of the table and survey the parlor. The Diamond has only gotten busier as the day wore on and night crept closer. Now, almost every woman here has a man attached to her hip. The women here are clever, they know how to make men think spending money on drugs or spirits was their idea. They can convince a stranger that he’s the love of their life in only a few sentences. They’re masters of manipulation. Nothing like Briar, who is frightened at every turn and wears her emotions on her sleeve. She’s hiding something from me lately though, but I haven’t bothered to find out what. Perhaps now I should. Now that I know how she would respond to me if I acted on my temptations. And she is tempting.

  I lean back into the plush cushions of the armchair and tap my fingers impatiently. The bond is fucking with me. It will take more concentration to find the truth beneath the nuances of the magic sealing us together. I look up at the ceiling, to the second floor where Briar is still moping. For a moment, I feel the urge to open the bond; listen to her thoughts, and feel how she feels. But I suppress it with a scowl. Night will fall soon, and I can't afford any distractions. I should keep Briar here where she'll be safe. If anything were to happen to her, I would experience it too. If she loses her soul – so, do I.

  “You look tired,” Aiden says, slamming his palms on the table.

  I don’t flinch. Narrowing my eyes at him, I gesture for him to sit. “And how were the wares?” I ask, a hint of disgust in my voice.

  “Delicious.” Aiden grins, his mouth stretching too wide. “I went back for seconds. And thirds.”

  “That’s enough details.” I raise a hand to silence him, eyes half-closed. I sent Aiden off to distract himself during the day, but he never left the dark rooms of the Diamond’s first floor. From the corner of my eyes, I see a woman stagger out of one of the private rooms, her knees shaking. I suck on my teeth angrily, eyes slipping back to Aiden. “You’re still a taker.”

  “No, brother,” he says, leaning forward. “I’m a giver.”

  “Tell me, if you’re such a giver, why can I taste her fear every time she looks at you?” I ask, nails sharpening to claws unintentionally.

  Aiden shrugs, eyes glinting. “Why do you care?”

  “Kane has always cared too much about helpless, worthless creatures,” Willem says coolly. I purse my lips at him as he slips out of the shadows, surprising a few patrons nearby. “I’ve heard rumors of a few strange corpses found in the city; I think we’re in the right place.”

  “Good.” I nod. “Night is coming, we should get into position.”

  “The slums are huge,” Aiden scoffs. “Where do you suggest we even start?”

  I narrow my eyes at him, considering refusing to let him join us after what he did to the mortal woman. But I don’t want him near Briar. Nowhere near her. “Away from where the first bodies were found. He’ll know people will expect him there. He’s a killer of opportunity, and there will be more on the blocks where people aren’t afraid.”

  “That’s hundreds of blocks,” Willem says. His brows furrow. “It will take us weeks if we don’t run into him out of sheer luck.”

  “Use me as bait.”

  I turn, eyes wide at the sound of Briar’s voice. She hovers at the base of the stairs, her eyes fixed on me despite the distractions in the room. “You should stay here tonight,” I snap. I feel Willem’s eyes boring into the back of my head. “At least until we get our bearings in the city.”

  “Willem is right. It will take too long.” Briar’s voice is strained as she admits this. “If you use me as bait for the Nephilim, we can draw him out.”

  “What a clever idea, Briar,” Aiden coos. He folds his arms over his chest. “Come over here.”

  Briar strides closer, her shoulders stiff. She pauses between Aiden and me, holding herself so tightly it looks as if she detests being near either of us. I feel a flash of anger at the thought, as well as disappointment. "I think it's too dangerous," I snap.

  “Shall we vote on it?” Willem asks, cocking a brow. I glare at him, but he ignores me. “All in favor of using Briar as bait?” Aiden, Willem, and Briar lift their hands in the air. I roll my eyes. “It looks like you’re outnumbered, Kane.”

  I rise and step closer to Willem, lowering my voice so only Willem will hear. “I’ll overlook this, just this once, Willem, because you’re my friend. But don’t forget I’m your king,” I hiss.

  “Briar, I’m thirsty,” Aiden says, breaking the tension between Willem and me. “Get me a drink, would you?”

  Briar's tongue flicks out over her lips, nervously. She steps toward the bar and I see a flash of anger in her eyes. "She's not your damn servant," I snap, wrapping an arm around her elbow and tugging her back. "Get your own drink."

  “Briar?” Aiden quirks a brow.

  "I'll get it," Briar whispers as she gently slips her arm from my grip. She returns in a moment with a decanter of amber-colored liquid for Aiden. It sloshes as she slams it onto the table in front of him with a scowl. "Here."

  Willem pins Aiden with an icy stare. “Briar should walk the alleys while we watch. If the Nephilim sees her, she’ll look like an easy target.”

  “Let’s go,” I growl, stalking towards the door and leaving the others in my wake. I clench my fists, claws drawing blood as they prick into my own skin. Questions and accusations whirl through my mind. But above it all, is my fear that Briar will die.

  And I with her.

  Less than an hour later, I crouch on slick shingles. Behind me, there’s a range of chimneys, each serving a different apartment in the ramshackle building I’ve selected. I can see directly into the alley from here. Briar hovers at the end of it, and I can smell her fear. I breathe it in, but it isn’t as sweet as it once was. Now it’s tainted by my own anxiety. Scowling, I shift to get a better grip on the rooftop. Shadows draped around me, I’m well hidden if the Nephilim finds and targets Briar.

  Willem is positioned on the ground, just across the street from the entrance to the alley. I glance across the rooftops, to where Aiden is supposed to be hidden behind a large chimney, but he’s gone. I grind my teeth in frustration, resisting the urge to roar out a curse. I should never have brought him with us. He’s a liability and always has been. I let my nostalgia get the better of me. Vaguely, I wonder if I’m getting weak; if I’m getting soft.

  I turn my attention back to Briar in the alley; I can’t afford to be distracted. She changed into a revealing dress Aiden borrowed from the women’s dressing room at the Diamond. I know she’ll be grateful for the darkness and how it hides her, but I can s
ee perfectly well. The gown clings to her soft curves, accentuating her hips and strong thighs. My thoughts flash back to our moment in the inn, and the way her legs tightened around me. I bite down on my bottom lip, trying to forget the surprising pleasure of the moment. Briar’s breasts almost spill out of the gown, milky white and perfect.

  She wanders through the alley, swaying her hips as she walks. At the entrance, she pauses, leaning against the wall like the other women who work this block. Her long hair is loose for the first time in days, and I’m grateful for it. I didn’t realize how much I like the way her black hair drapes down her back. Focus, I chide myself silently. If something happened to her because I couldn’t control my baser instincts, I would never forgive myself.

  “Brother,” Aiden whispers. I glance to my left, where he slips out from behind an awning.

  “Damn it, Aiden,” I hiss. “What are you doing here? Get back to your post.”

  “I came to apologize,” Aiden says, settling in beside me. He slips beneath the blanket of my shadows.

  “Apologize for what?” I ask, turning back to Briar. She retreats deeper into the alley but seems fine.

  Aiden shrugs. “What happened at the Diamond. You were right to be pissed about the girl.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” I glance at him, searching his face for signs of remorse.

  “Look, I know you don’t have a lot of respect for me,” Aiden says, rubbing his temples. “I’m your older brother, but sometimes it’s like you’re more mature than me.”

  “I am,” I mutter under my breath.