Moon Borne (Halcyon Romance Series Book 1) Page 13

  Hours later, the exhaustion weighing down her body was worth every look of envy and shout of praise. Her godmother tilted her head. “Daughter, why did you not kill a rabbit?”

  Kyme straightened her shoulders. “The others would bring meat. I wanted to do more, to protect them while they hunted. A wolf pack will eat our livestock and the other animals we hunt. It might also attack our camp and harm the young. Protection was what I wished to give my sisters.”

  Her godmother’s lips curved in satisfaction.

  “What was the second part of your initiation?” Arsenius reclined, clasping his hands behind his head.

  “The marking.” Kyme tensed as she pointed to the brand above her right breast. The memory of that fateful eve flashed in her mind. The dress. The symposium. His revelation. A slave. How much their situation had changed. And how little.

  His gaze heated as he followed her hand. “You haven’t answered my question.” He raised his stare from her breast to level with hers.

  She scowled. He wasn’t going to relent. After reminiscing about her past and her sisters, she was having a hard time reconciling what they’d done together with her obligations.

  How well did she even know Arsenius? What if she told him about her gift and he decided to keep her instead of selling her? He had no notion of how powerful she was, how easily she could kill him. If she revealed herself to him and he chose to betray her, that was exactly what she would have to do.

  “I can’t tell you.” A simple refusal, and less for him to argue against.

  His eyes hardened as his nostrils flared. “Why not? Are you sworn not to?”

  She sighed and told him the truth this time. “No, I’m not.”

  “Then why, Kyme?”

  True, he didn’t discuss the sordid details of his past with anyone, no more than she did. Her refusal to reciprocate must hurt him. Good. That she ached too meant this game of seduction had gone too far. She crossed her arms, bracing to strike another blow. “No matter what happens in this bed, Arsenius, I am not yours. You do not own me, you cannot command me. I will aid you in the recovery of your sister, but afterward we will part ways.” Her nails dug into the flesh of her arms. “And never see each other again.”

  ***

  Kyme’s words cut through him like the lash of a whip, but Arsenius refused to flinch. He was such a fool. She’d cried out his name as he’d pleasured her but that did not change who they were.

  Her tender eyes and soft seduction were but the trickery of a woman extracting information. Had she been one of his crew, he would have used her skills in precisely such a manner. He had no excuse for having been drawn in by her kindness. For being a foolish sap, dreaming of a future, a family. For a brief instant, he’d actually believed Kyme might be his redemption.

  His heart hardened. He wouldn’t make that mistake twice.

  She was right. No future stretched out before the two of them. To ease the pang inside his chest, he told himself it was because he would never risk her loving him. Nor would the gods ever permit it. He was cursed.

  “You’re right.” Ice dripped from his voice. “I thank you for your aid in locating my sister.” He shuffled out of the bed and dressed. At the door, he paused. “We should reach Krete soon. Will you join the hunt for the minotaur?” She inclined her head. “Good. Dress and join us at the meeting room.”

  Before he went below deck, Arsenius checked on the helm. “How long?”

  “You can see her there yerself, Capt’n.” The pilot pointed into the distance. Sure enough, every few minutes the mist parted and revealed the isle.

  “Nicely done, Castor.” He clapped the man on the shoulder and ventured below. Thereus awaited him and, although the centaur probably picked up on his foul mood, he kept his mouth shut. Smart horse.

  “Captain, I suggest we bring Venn.”

  Arsenius tensed. The Wind Borne’s telepathic abilities always made him uneasy.

  “You fight cannon fire with cannon fire, right?” Thereus grinned. Damn, but the words were enough. Who knew how powerful the minotaur’s mind tricks would be? Venn, considered formidable amongst his kind, was only on board this ship at the request of Thereus. Arsenius agreed, as he always did, trusting the centaur’s judgment above all else.

  They reviewed their plans. As the boatswain joined them, he pitched in with lists of supplies. Weapons, food, rope, water, sleeping furs, whatever they would require for the approximate two days they’d be on the island. Demetrius and two others joined them. Kyme slipped in as well.

  As much as possible, Arsenius avoided glimpsing her. He wasn’t the type to baby his wounds, but rubbing salt in them—which happened every time he perused her—was a torment he’d rather live without. Their assignment would be a nice distraction. The list of creatures he hadn’t captured was short. A minotaur graced the top.

  This mission was a class five. The last class five he’d captured was a chimera—a vicious beast with the body and head of a lion, a goat’s head rising out of its back, and the tail of a serpent. He’d lost six men. Had narrowly missed having his leg burnt to a crisp. Needless to say, the payment had been astronomical and his men forgot about the loss of their comrades in the face of so much gold.

  As for what happened to the creature after he delivered it, Arsenius didn’t care. It wasn’t part of his job to ask questions. He’d learned over the years, the less he asked, the greater respect he gained.

  He tapped his fingers on the table. Minotaurs were dangerous, devious creatures. This battle would be as much mental as physical. He looked forward to the challenge.

  “Isn’t the minotaur dead?” Demetrius’s deep baritone broke through the general chatter.

  “Son, ye must’ve been locked away for ages, for ye’ve much to learn.” Nestor chuckled.

  To his credit, the lad didn’t wince at the reminder of his enslavement. “I don’t understand.”

  Thereus leaned forward, lowering his voice to a bard’s cadence. “The minotaur, the one Theseus killed, died thousands of years ago. Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos, aided Theseus into the minotaur’s labyrinth. He killed the beast and brought her back with him on his ship.”

  “And he deserted her on an island, right?” Demetrius snorted. “What a bastard.”

  “Do not judge with such haste. Did you never suspect why he abandoned her?” Silence filled the room, everyone drawn into Thereus’s story. “She was with child. Though ‘with beast’ might be more appropriate.”

  The lad’s gaping mouth drew out grins on most of the men’s faces.

  “Aye, Ariadne was the minotaur’s lover. When he crossed her, she sought out her revenge. Didn’t you ever wonder how she knew the way into the labyrinth in the first place? Anyway, she gave birth to four of them. Afterward, Dionysus took pity upon her and rescued her. The minotaur younglings were placed in a new maze, but this time their existence was kept quiet.”

  “Why are we going to capture one?”

  “Good question. Captain?” Thereus raised an eyebrow at him.

  “Because this particular minotaur has breached the rules. They were permitted outside once a month, to hunt animals, but never to harm any of the human villagers. Last month a young girl was found half eaten and brutalized.” His gaze shifted to Kyme. She perched on the edge of her chair, ready to rise, her knuckles pale from gripping the edge of the table.

  Arsenius sighed. “He broke the agreement.”

  “Who seeks the minotaur?”

  “In other words, who is paying us?” Arsenius smiled at the lad’s blush as he stammered an affirmative answer. “It is the King of Krete. He wishes us to take care of this quickly, and quietly. Most of our buyers prefer their captives alive.” He swallowed the thickness in his throat.

  Although his original terms had been for the live capture of the minotaur, the hatred and repulsion in Kyme’s eyes declared this minotaur wasn’t coming back with them alive. If she craved blood, he would not deny her.

  He tore his
focus from her. Don’t. Do not look at her. Keep your head clear. “We’ll split into two groups, search the area, and reconvene. If you come across any evidence of the beast, do not engage. Send a messenger to the other group. You know well enough how dangerous minotaurs are. In truth, no others would accept this mission. Now, get your crews into the longboats.”

  They quit the room and climbed to the main deck. Once the boats were loaded, Arsenius stood, poised over his men. He unsheathed his sword and braced it above his head. “Let’s show the world once more why the crew of the Adrasteia are to be feared more than any of the creatures we hunt.”

  ***

  Around her, Arsenius’s men shouted their enthusiasm. Kyme had observed plenty of leaders, courtesy of her century and a half of existence, and Arsenius was definitely a great leader. His men admired him. After all, he offered them excitement, thrill for the upcoming mission, but also a clear head and fair weighing of the risks. Everyone in this boat with her understood there was a chance they wouldn’t return. Well, at least not upright.

  To her disappointment, she’d been placed with Arsenius’s crew. She’d been hoping for a little distance between them. The distraction of being near him, especially with what they had said and done, made it difficult to focus. She’d be better off with Thereus, who led the other group.

  They landed away from any human villages. Venn concealed the boats, and each of them loaded a pack onto their backs. The men broke into their two teams. Kyme followed Nestor into the dark woods, where the sun’s rays dissipated as if the celestial being itself dared not venture therein.

  She swept a cloth over her face and under her thick braid, swatting at the insects swarming them. As she sipped water from her flask, Kyme made the decision to ignore the captain and the wavering emotions he roused in her. What mattered was avenging the human. If they didn’t do this with clear heads, they might both be killed.

  She settled into a position at the front of the group; Arsenius stuck to the rear. Their band of a dozen men sliced through the solid silence of the forest. To her disappointment, Demetrius was with Thereus, so she had no one to converse with. It matters not. Focus on the goal, on killing this monster.

  To her right, she spotted a broken branch. Hmm. The limb was bent at an odd angle. Following the invisible path, she spied the next marking. No mistaking the symbol carved into the wood, or the instructions crying out for obedience. Hopefully, none of the others caught what she had. Being the sole female, she could easily distance herself from her companions. Halting, she veered to step off the path they were cutting.

  “Where do you presume you’re going, Amazone?” Arsenius’s voice echoed toward her.

  She trekked forward. “Where do you think? I’ll be back in a few moments.”

  Cursing, he stormed up beside her. “You don’t go anywhere alone, understand?” He gripped her elbow.

  She shrugged out of his grasp and met his heated stare. “I don’t need you to hold my hand. I’ll return quickly, I promise.” A lie. This wouldn’t be a brief audience.

  “Fine,” he growled as he let her pass.

  She followed the instructions discreetly carved into the tree, quickening her pace once she’d lost sight of the men. At her destination, she stopped and frowned, concerned she’d misread the carving. Where are they?

  A twig snapping caught her attention and she whipped around to face the sound. Arsenius. “What are you doing here?”

  “You’re far enough for your purposes, unless you wish to share something with me?” He quirked a brow at her.

  “You must leave, now.”

  He crossed his arms and leaned against a tree. “Not going to happen.”

  Her temper flared. Stubborn ass. She had to get rid of him before the people she waited for gathered. Marching to him, she rose on her tiptoes and leveled her gaze to his. Damn him for being so tall. “Listen to me, if you value your life, you will go. I cannot tell you why, but I swear I am not in danger and I will return as soon as I can.”

  “Not good enough.” His glare locked on her, he bent as though to kiss her, but at the last second, his arms shot out from where they’d been crossed between them. He wrapped those massive arms around her and flung them both to the ground just as an arrow embedded itself in the tree, right where his head had been.

  Growling, he shoved to all fours, his breathing hard as he scanned for the shooter.

  “I warned you.” She scrambled out from under him and made a dash for the bushes.

  “Kyme, no.” He lunged to tackle her, but only managed to snag her ankle, slamming her into the ground.

  A sickening thump cracked. She spun around and spotted Arsenius slumping to the ground, knocked unconscious.

  “Bind him,” a female barked.

  Kyme’s gaze drifted to a pair of sandals and upward where to rest on a familiar face.

  “Kyme.” Her sister Myrto nodded. “She has summoned you.”

  Half a dozen Amazons gathered Arsenius between them, transporting his body above their shoulders like a sacrifice to an ancient god. Appropriate. Kyme would rather answer to the goddess Artemis than the woman they were escorting her to.

  Indeed, she was feared by men and women alike. The most deadly of any surviving Amazon, all trembled at her feet. She was Hippolyta the third. Queen of the Amazons.

  And Kyme’s godmother.

  Arsenius awoke to a massive throbbing in the back of his head. The memory of being struck came back to him with sharp, blinding pain. He tried to raise his arm to check the size of the bump, but the limb refused to obey.

  Bound. Damn. Each wrist to a thick tree on either side of him. His legs were similarly tied. A cool breeze rippled across his thighs. He glanced down and grimaced. Where the hell are my clothes?

  Arsenius blinked to clear his blurry vision, and thanked the gods he remained in possession of his digits. Amazons enjoyed removing parts from their prisoners, like the right eye and thumb, or other, more important members. He glimpsed his favorite anatomy, thankful that hadn’t happened. Yet. Shaking his head, he detected an unfamiliar lightness. My hair? The Amazons had clipped his locks like a common slave.

  Bloody hell, Kyme. You might have warned me. He whipped his head and winced at the resultant pounding in his temple.

  She did warn you, a voice in his mind countered. Twice.

  He ignored the pain and focused on a way out of this mess.

  His instincts told him to command his tremendous strength and break free of these ropes. Meet up with his crew and… That was where logic failed him. Assuming he was able to free himself, he was likely outnumbered. He might not make it to his crew.

  If he did, what then? Attack his captors for no precise reason? Though they were barbaric, they were also Kyme’s family. The gentleman in him would never harm her loved ones. The beast snarled that what was hers was also his.

  He ruled out fighting. Arsenius shifted to his second option—to wait and see. Where am I? They’d trussed him up in the midst of a forest. Surrounded by trees, trees, and more bloody trees. No lapping of water or ocean waves. Judging by the sun, it was early in the afternoon.

  He inhaled and scented the damp earthiness of the forest floor, the smoke of a new campfire to the south, and her. The beast inside him roared, and he had to struggle to keep still.

  What if she was in danger? Though these were her people, they also operated beneath a different set of laws, unfamiliar to him. What if his actions had compromised her? Concern for his fate faded from him, replaced by the instinct to protect Kyme.

  Twigs snapped behind him. He twisted to determine who it was, but the damn ropes kept him in place. He hated being tied up. Loathed that powerlessness as the one who’d bound him did whatever his sadistic mind pleased.

  Sniffing the air, he scented a female was behind him and it wasn’t his Kyme. As two small hands glided across his chest, he closed his eyes in resignation. Her hands drifted lower and praise Ares, for once his body listened to him. He would nev
er be used again. Ever. Apparently, teasing his cock with Elysium was enough to prohibit it from seeking anywhere else.

  He caught the murmur of disappointment in the maiden’s voice before she sauntered in front of him, her amber eyes twinkling with wicked intent. He ignored her, searching once more for Kyme’s scent. Tuning his ears into the frequency of her voice, he forced his hearing to its limits. There. He caught the lilt of her voice, though her anxious tone did little to calm his anxiety over her. A frustrated growl escaped him, and the female hummed in triumph.

  ***

  “Greetings, Godmother.” Kyme bent on one knee before the Queen.

  Towering before her, Hippolyta the Third did not reciprocate Kyme’s greetings. Though she was an unknown number of hundreds of years old, not a single streak of grey marred the red mass of hair piled on top of her head. At over six feet tall, Hippolyta was lean, muscular, and a terrifying warrior. Men fled from her name alone. Her blue-grey eyes manifested the wisdom of a great leader. The only time Kyme ever witnessed them soften was when they conversed in private.

  “Tell me, my child, how it comes to pass that we have found you in such a manner. Verily, the women and I returned from our sequester to hear tales of how you, my brave Kyme, had been taken as a slave. Imagine how far and wide we searched for news of you, how I despaired over your certain ruin. How I had to bargain for the use of a Portal. Only to find you in these woods, free as any bird in the sky.”

  At the Queen’s harsh tone, Kyme cringed. “My Queen, it is not as you conceive.”

  “Do not presume what I am thinking, child.”

  “I meant no disrespect—”

  “Everything I have witnessed is a disgrace to our race.”

  Kyme dropped her head in shame. She had no idea her godmother would go to such lengths to recover her. “If you will but permit me to explain my actions.”

  “Speak.”

  She lifted her head and related the facts of her capture. How she’d not been able to harm the slaver and so forged a deal to save her sisters. How afterward, she’d realized finding his buyer was the most important thing. And now, how Arsenius had revealed his client had sought her all along.