Dallas Fire & Rescue: Consumed Page 6

  “What’s happening?” she asked in wonder.

  “It is your light.”

  Okay, he wasn’t making any sense. Abrihet stepped closer, placing her other hand on his forearm. The moment their skin touched, warmth radiated from her palm to his arm. As they both stood there, Bael seemed to calm, and as he did, so did her rapidly beating heart.

  “So my light, it calls to you?”

  “Yes, it calls to me and my spirit.”

  “I can’t control it, Bael. What happens if it gets out of hand?” Like it had when she was younger. The fire with Sara. That had been her fault.

  His fingers squeezed her hand. He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, bringing her close into his embrace.

  “You think of your lost friend. The little girl in the woods. It is not the same for Terrans. They cannot withstand our light. When the fire speaks to you, it is your father’s ancestors reaching out from beyond. Other Wraithians that have moved on. They are guides of a sort.”

  Well, that part was true; they had guided her out of the fire. But what about the man, the one who’d been angry with her?

  “Come, we must eat; the challenge will begin directly after.”

  Chapter 11

  They were back in the dining hall up on the dais where everyone could see. This time, Abrihet remembered. Bael ate first, and she would eat only when he offered. She was famished. Her breakfast consisted of a very small portion of an oatmeal-like concoction. It was slightly sweet, and she guessed they were trying to recreate maybe brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal, but she couldn’t be sure.

  “I see you and my brother have mated. His Būtība is very much a part of your scent now,” Brenna said, leaning forward shoveling some sort of wild rice into her mouth. She was not a dainty eater.

  “Any news from your friend?” Abrihet asked.

  “In time. As I said, three days. But for now, I thank you for sharing yourself with Bael. He will need it when he faces Baylor during the challenge.”

  Well, at least she knew Ang had been telling the truth.

  Bael fed her, and once again, everyone stared. Not as hard as the night before, but there were some onlookers who were still very curious. After the meal was removed from the table, Braxus stood and addressed everyone in the hall.

  “My two sons will be the featured challenge tonight. There are other grievances that will also be settled this evening. Those of you who witnessed Baylor will stand in his corner. Do we have any who will witness Bael?”

  There were whispers among those at the other tables. A low hum spread across the room until one man stood. He banged on his chest with a meaty fist and declared, “I will witness Bael.”

  Abrihet didn’t know who he was, but she was thankful.

  “That is Ranore, Bael’s second-in-command. When my brother takes the throne, it will be Ranore who has his ear.”

  Once Ranore made his declaration, three more men stood. One of them had Brenna taking a deep breath.

  “That one there, that is Centaur, he is legion commander of the outer post.”

  Abrihet looked at Centaur. He was just as big as Bael and the others. He had black hair, but his skin was the color of stone—a dark gray that looked dull and pasty.

  “Excellent!” Braxus roared, pounding his staff into the ground. “May the strongest of wills survive.”

  Everyone in the dining hall stood, stomping his or her feet, pounding his or her chest, and bellowing, “May the strongest of wills survive.”

  The heat of their words was a tangible thing in the air. As everyone filed out, Bael turned toward Abrihet and again took her hand.

  “As I await the challenge, I will sit between your thighs.”

  “Sit between my thighs?”

  Brenna leaned over and explained.

  “It is a great honor he bestows on you. Even our mother never had our father sit between her legs. It is his way of saying, even though he is your superior, you are his equal in every measure.”

  Well, that wasn’t something you heard every day. Abrihet turned to Bael and found herself smiling. His free hand went to her lip where he tugged gently.

  “These lips are mine,” he growled. “When they lift, I know that I’ve done something worthy to earn such a gift.”

  Oh, boy. He was saying that he liked her smile.

  “Enough with the sweet. You have some ass to kick.”

  Bael’s eyes widened before he tilted back his head and let out a deep belly laugh. It was the first time she’d ever heard it, and the entire time he laughed, she couldn’t help but notice how amazing he looked. How his hard features calmed and gave way to something acutely striking. Bael the demon was devastatingly handsome.

  Shit.

  Abrihet needed to stay focused, but out of the corner of her eye, she noted she wasn’t the only one noticing the change. Brenna and Braxus were both watching. Father and sister looked as if they liked what they saw.

  XXX

  The challenges were taking place outside of the citadel. Abrihet knew it was a citadel because Bael had called it that. They were going to some place he had called Kalns. And, apparently, wings were needed to access it. Something she didn’t have. Kalns wasn’t accessible on foot, and Abrihet had no clue how she was going to get there. It wasn’t until Bael pulled her in close, bent deep so that his face was all she could see and whispered, “hold tight. Wrap your arms and legs around me” that she got it.

  “What about Samsara?” She had brought the fennec with her to the dining hall, but the little fox only wanted to sleep, and currently did so in her lap.

  “She will be fine, put her between us.”

  Abrihet placed Samsara between them, grabbing on to his neck and wrapping her legs around his waist. One moment they were on land, the next they were air-bound. Bael’s takeoff was flawless, and as he carried her in his arms, he made it a point of asking how she was doing.

  When they got to Kalns, it reminded her of the Coliseum in Rome, only a little smaller. There were benches all around where demons sat talking amongst each other. As Abrihet and Bael entered, he glided to a section where his family sat. That was when she came face to face with Baylor and his family. They’d been absent during the meal. She hadn’t given much thought to it, but now as he sneered at her arrival, and his wife—clearly just as annoyed—hissed, she felt a bit out of place.

  “You dishonor us all by bringing your whore here,” Baylor sneered.

  Bael ignored him, and Brenna called to Abrihet. “Come, sister, come and sit by me. Ignore Baylor; he’s a jealous halfwit who doesn’t know his place.”

  Baylor raised a hand to Brenna, who stood her ground. It was like she was daring him to hit her. Bael looked down at Abrihet, grabbing her by the chin and tilting her head back so that he could see her face.

  “Go and sit with my sister, I will come and join you shortly.” His mouth descended for a quick kiss, and Abrihet let him. She knew why she allowed the brief touch of his lips. It calmed her. It felt like there was a tightly wound snake in the pit of her stomach, aggravated by the energy in the air. But showing weakness was not allowed and she wasn’t about to start now. When she turned and spoke, she not only shocked herself but also everyone around her, if the looks on their faces were anything to go by.

  “You will not speak to me this way, and when my Bael wins, he will show others what you truly are. A weak coward.”

  Baylor lunged for her, but it was Braxus who stepped in front of her to shield her from the attack.

  “Sit down!” Braxus roared. The entire arena quieted at the spectacle. “You will wait until the challenge. Your brother has chosen her as his mate. I can see why now, but whether or not she is truly the one his Telling spoke of is not for me to say. Nor you.”

  Braxus took the throne-like chair that was in the middle of the raised area. Brenna sat to his left. As Abrihet walked to where Brenna occupied a chair, Braxus’s staff directed her to his right.

  “You will sit to the right of me.
It is where Bael usually sits. Unless,”—he looked at Bael— “you wish to sit there and not between her thighs?”

  “I intend to, yes,” Bael said with a nod and waited for Abrihet to sit before he used his broad shoulders to part her legs.

  Baylor and his family sat behind Braxus and off to the left, a little raised so that they could see the action in the pit. As soon as Braxus’s staff hit the ground and blue flame spiraled from atop the sapphire held there, the challenges started.

  Two men would enter the ring, but only one would leave. The other would be dead. Abrihet began to worry, but Bael must have felt her tense because he gently kissed the inside of her thigh. Food and drink arrived, but they were more of an afterthought because no one partook. Their eyes locked on the bouts taking place in front of them. Each time a man went down, the crowd would cheer. And each time a man was killed, the winner would roar and beat his fists on his chest until the crowd settled. All winners looked to the dais where Braxus sat and yelled; they were of the strongest warrior blood. That their seed would go on to create more warriors for the cause.

  “What cause?” Abrihet found herself asking.

  “We war with other nations. We are always in need of warriors.”

  “Some of the males fighting below looked to be Ignis.”

  Bael nodded. “They are, but with time and training, they can become warriors, too. They can rise above their station and fight for their people. My father has always encouraged this. It is my brother that wants only the Incaendium. He wants Father to build what he calls an ‘elite warrior class,’ from only the finest houses. There isn’t enough Incaendium to do that, and even if there were, it would cause unrest among the other classes. It’s why my father has ruled for as long as he has.”

  So there was a balance.

  There were seven challenges in all before it was time for Bael to leave and get ready for his. Death and blood filled the air, and Abrihet didn’t think Bael would relent when it came to ending his brother. They were family, but some of the males fighting in the arena had been brothers, as well.

  Bael stood and rolled his shoulders. His wings stretched wide, blocking her view from everyone. When he finished, he walked to the edge of the dais and looked out at the crowd. She had no clue what was going to happen next but then noticed Baylor do the same, standing off to the left of Bael. The crowd became eerily silent.

  Abrihet pulled in a steadying breath to stop herself from having a visible reaction to the hostility coming from each brother. Bael turned and coasted his eyes across her body. One long sweep from head to toe. He didn’t smile, and there were no words spoken. He just looked his fill before turning back and jumping down into the arena. His brother followed, and the two of them stood in front of each other, ready to fight.

  Baylor was the first to throw a punch, and it connected with Bael’s jaw. He didn’t flinch, nor did he move. Some people in the crowd cheered Baylor’s move. Others sat quietly, waiting.

  Abrihet rose from her seat, but Braxus gave her a look, shaking his head. She sat back down immediately. She might be unaffected by fire, but she knew better than to go against Bael’s father. Baylor moved in again, and this time, he connected with Bael’s ribs. Still, Bael did nothing. Abrihet wanted to close her eyes; she couldn’t watch. Each blow, was like a punch to her own gut. But still, she looked on. Knew if she looked away, it would be a sign of weakness. Even when it seemed as if Baylor had the upper hand—which he did, if the blood dripping from Bael’s nose was anything to go by.

  But when Baylor went in for another hit, Bael’s reached out and caught Baylor by the throat, holding the other man clean off the ground. She’d thought Baylor was taller, and she realized that he was, but Bael was stronger and, apparently, had a longer reach. Baylor’s feet dangled a few short moments before Bael tossed him clear across the stadium. Baylor hit the wall and slumped forward, out of breath. That one move had done more damage than all of Baylor’s moves combined.

  Bael didn’t advance. He stood his ground. His chest heaved in and out, but other than that, he looked fine. Baylor could barely stand, but when he did, he pulled something shiny from behind his back. A weapon of some sort. With rage in his eyes and a loud war cry, he rushed Bael. But Bael was quick to deflect, taking his brother to the ground. One of Bael’s knee went to the arm that held the blade, and he crushed the other against Baylor’s windpipe.

  “Do you yield?” Bael yelled for all to hear.

  The crowd was in an uproar. Men were on their feet, beating their chests. Women were literally screaming in a crazed frenzy. Braxus even had a tilt to his lips as if he looked on with pleasure and admiration for his son, Bael.

  Abrihet turned to Brenna and mouthed, “What happens now?”

  Brenna winked and shrugged but motioned for Abrihet to return her attention to the fight. Bael now had the blade in his hand, pointed down toward Baylor’s back. He sliced clean through them, and as he did each appendage, Baylor screamed in agony.

  Bael had taken his brother’s wings.

  “Do you yield?” Bael roared again.

  This time, a defeated Baylor nodded once before looking away.

  Bael stood and roared in a mighty voice. “I am Bael, second son of Braxus, rightful heir to the throne of Wraith. Is there anyone else who wishes to challenge me?” He banged on his chest with both hands, the blood still dripping from his lip as he looked around the arena, daring anyone to step forward. He turned in a complete circle until he came to face the dais. He looked at his father and said, “I take Abrihet as my mate, she will wear my chain, she will bear me sons and daughters. Together, we will usher in the new dynasty. She is your Karaliene!”

  Braxus nodded his head, and the crowd began to chant. “Karaliene, Karaliene.”

  Abrihet turned to Brenna, who also eyed her. Brenna was supposed to help Abrihet get out of Wraith. Though, now, as if the other woman understood the unasked question, she shook her head. There was no leaving for Abrihet. Bael would never let her go.

  Samsara, who was snuggled in Abrihet’s lap once more, looked up with sparkling violet eyes and smiled. Actually smiled.

  Chapter 12

  “Bael, hold still,” Abrihet snapped, trying to clean the wound on his mouth. He was sitting on the edge of their bed, and he couldn’t figure out why she was trying to clean his lip. He was a warrior. He didn’t need his wounds tended to, but he allowed her to handle him anyway. Her eyes moved from his mouth to his eyes. She was annoyed, and he found he liked that she was upset. Not with him, but about the situation.

  “There is no need for this.”

  Abrihet let out a puff of air, and Bael couldn’t help that the corner of his mouth tilted. She might not realize it, but she cared for him. Like he’d come to care for her.

  “Bael,” she hissed.

  “Raktuves,” he growled.

  “I don’t know what that word means.”

  It meant mine, but he wasn’t ready to tell her that yet. He didn’t want her putting up walls again. She’d been worried for him. He’d felt it the entire time he fought his brother, but he’d ignored the tugging behind his chest. He had to stay focused. The feeling wasn’t something he particularly liked but was one he needed to get accustomed to because Abrihet had become his greatest strength—and his supreme weakness. And if anyone else had clued in to that, it viewed as a weakness.

  “You’re a temptress,” Bael rumbled against the flesh of her stomach. Her tank top had ridden up past her waist. He moved his hand in between them as she continued to try to clean his lip.

  “Please, let me do this.”

  Bael pulled her down to her knees so that she was inside the catch of his legs and placed his lips against hers. “Abrihet, I am fine.”

  She glared into his eyes; her beautiful golden brown orbs watching him as his hand glided up the skin at her sides. Smooth, flawless skin. Each pass of his hand up and then down allowed him to feel the heat from within. Her eyes went soft when he cupped her chin and
tilted her head back so that he could peer down at her.

  “All right, fine. You don’t want me to clean your lip, obviously.”

  “No, I never asked you to. It will heal on its own.”

  “Fine.”

  “Yes, fine,” he said against her soft, plump lips. Abrihet surrendered to his kiss with a moan. Bael slid his hands up her arms and then down again until he grabbed her waist. Her hand went to his chest, where she pressed lightly, and Bael knew what she wanted. He wanted it just as much as she did, if not more. He’d just come from a fight and was ready for a tussle of another kind.

  Bael took her hand and pushed it into the waistband of his sweats. He was beginning to see the advantages of wearing Terran clothing. Easy access. He guided her to the hard length of his cock.

  She moaned as she gripped him. He pumped once, and she needed no further instruction as she went to task, taking him in her hand. He bit her lip, and she squirmed as he used deft fingers to undo her pants, searching out the wet heat between her thighs. He was not disappointed. No more words were spoken, the only thing that could be heard were the soft sighs and loud moans coming from her mouth as Bael got down to the business of claiming her.

  XXX

  She really wasn’t going home. Abrihet realized this sometime later after she and Bael had finished making love. There was no other way to describe it. It had been a slow buildup right until the very end. And it had lasted well into the morning. She was falling for him. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly when her feelings had changed, but she knew they had. She’d fallen hard for a demon. In three days. It wasn’t love at first sight, exactly, but it was close. The connection was undeniable, and all she saw now was the man. Not the demon—even when he took his true form.

  In the serenity of their afterglow, they’d lain there, talking. Bael had told Abrihet of his previous disdain for all things Terran but had mentioned that he was starting to see the error of his ways. A statement he’d punctuated with a hard kiss. Abrihet chalked it up to the fact that he’d lived for a very long time, and the last time he’d come to Terra—before he’d come for her—things had been different. Now, they had technology, and Bael admitted that he found all things related to gadgets fascinating. He even talked of looking into bringing some of it down to Wraith.