Willing Sacrifice (21 page)

T
orr had been lying about not running away, just a little.

Grace overwhelmed him. Made his head spin. Made him wish for things that were impossible.

Just the idea of being with her like that every night for the rest of his life was enough to scare him. Not because he couldn’t imagine it, but because he
could
. He could also imagine the lengths he’d go to keep her at his side.

Now that he’d gotten a taste of her, he knew he’d never have enough. Anyone who tried to stand between him and Grace now was in for a world of pain.

He would die for her, kill for her, raze entire worlds for her.

For a man with his abilities, that was a dangerous way to feel.

He knelt on the damp ground and simply breathed in the thick night air. He had too much emotion rioting inside him—too much love, lust and territorial greed. Grace was his. No other man would ever touch her, human or otherwise.

He could keep her here on this planet where there were no other men. He could stay and spend the rest of his years loving her. Or at least the rest of her years.

Even as the idea sparked to life, it died a sudden death. He couldn’t stay here. His vow wouldn’t allow it. Eventually, his need to protect humans and guard the gate to Athanasia would overcome him and he would spend all his time desperately trying to find a way home.

For now he was content. Protecting Brenya and the women here was important. The children here were vital to winning the war. And protecting Grace, the only human he’d sensed here, was a true joy. But it wouldn’t last.

Once he’d dealt with the threat, that contentedness would fade. He would become restless and, eventually, frantic to return home.

That wasn’t the kind of thing he wanted Grace to witness.

So what were his choices? Take her home with him? Watch her age and die?

It would destroy him.

Even as he thought about it, he felt one of the leaves on his lifemark rip free and fall. The pain made him suck in a breath and dig his fingers into the damp ground.

It was a cruel fucking joke that a woman who touched him so deeply could never be the one he needed to survive.

Suddenly, a strange sense of calm came over him.

If anything ever happened to her, it would destroy him. He wouldn’t have to suffer endless centuries without her. He would simply go with her when she left this life.

It was such an obvious solution, it was a wonder he hadn’t thought of it before. He would have his life with Grace and then let go when she did. No more war, no more fighting, no more pain.

His brothers would be one warrior short, but they were having children of their own now—more fighters to fill the void he’d leave. They wouldn’t miss him for long.

His decision made, Torr went foraging in the woods to feed the woman he would spend the rest of his life with.

All he had to do now was persuade her to have him.

•   •   •

Grace washed in a trickle of icy water seeping down the cave wall. There was no more light to guide her, so everything took twice as long. Still, it helped pass the time while Torr was gone.

Her body tingled with the memory of what he’d done to her as well as his dark promise for more. She didn’t care about the food he’d bring back, only about the man who would bring it.

When she heard the slight swish of brush outside the cave entrance, she froze, stuck somewhere between fear and excitement.

“It’s me,” he whispered, and all fear drained away.

She couldn’t see him, but she could sense him drawing nearer. The disk along her back vibrated slightly, but she couldn’t tell if it was in response to the one he wore or if she was simply shaking with anticipation.

“I’m over here,” she said.

“I can see you.”

“Oh, right. I forget other people can see in the dark.”

When he spoke again, he was much closer. She could smell the forest clinging to his clothes and skin, feel his body heat reaching for her. “If I could give you the power to see at night, I would. As it is, the best I can offer is a small fire at the back of the cave.”

He was so sweet, always worrying about her needs. “Will the light give us away?”

“No. I’ll cut some brush and create a screen. I need to cook the meat anyway.”

“What can I do?”

“Rest,” he said, his tone promising wicked delights. “You’re going to need it.”

Grace stifled a shiver and stayed where she was until he had the brush screen in place and a small fire going to light the space. It was little more than a single flame but seemed incredibly bright after so long in the dark.

He scrubbed a rock in the trickle of water, then set it by the fire and laid out several thin strips of raw meat.

“Good hunting?” she asked.

“Good enough. I found some berries, too. They look like the ones we ate earlier, but you should check them out, just to be sure.”

She took the pouch he offered and saw that he’d found the sweet red ones that ripened this time of year. She popped one in her mouth. “They’re safe.”

He adjusted the strips of raw meat so they’d start cooking, and opened his mouth for one of the berries.

Grace moved closer to where he knelt. Giving in to the pull he had on her felt good. Right.

She took one of the berries and fed it to him. Before she could move away, his lips closed over her finger, sucking on it in a way that made her nipples harden.

He let her go, grinning as he chewed. His gaze was fixed on her chest, where the very obvious outline of her nipples was visible.

“I love it that I can do that to you,” he told her. “Makes the playing field just a bit more level.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He shifted his position so she could see the bulge of his erection. “Honey, I’ve been hard for you since I got here.”

She felt her blush start at her cheeks, then work its way down beneath her tunic.

“If you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to let this meat burn.”

“That idea should probably bother me more than it does.”

He let out a low, rumbling growl that vibrated all the way to her core. “I could just feast on you.”

Another intriguing idea, but not one that was going to keep them safe. “You need real food.” She fed him another berry.

“Not as sweet as you, but close.”

He finished cooking the meat. They ate around the little fire, watching it die down.

“Will it bother you if we let it go dark?” he asked.

“No.” Not if he was here.

“We’ll be safer that way.”

“I understand. I’ll be fine.”

“You’ve had a long day. You’re injured and tired. I should let you sleep now.” He picked up the last berry and held it to her lips.

She took it and caught his finger in her teeth.

His amber eyes darkened to a deep, rich bronze. “But I’m not going to.”

She swallowed her bite. “Good. Because I’m not tired.”

He leaned closer, staring at her mouth. “When I’m done with you, you will be.”

“Arrogant man.”

“Honest man. I can’t get enough of you, Grace. Not even close.”

“Maybe not, but I think it’s going to be fun for you to try.”

•   •   •

Grace was naked under her tunic. That delightful discovery nearly shorted out Torr’s brain. His hands slid up her bare legs as he kissed her, sure that he would encounter some kind of barrier, but all he felt was hot, smooth flesh.

His hands cupped her buttocks as he pulled her onto his lap. He wanted to lay her out and cover her with his body, driving deep, but his weight was too much for her on this hard ground. The disk on her back would cut into her delicate skin, taking away any pleasure he might give her.

Unacceptable.

It was better to let her ride him, let her set the pace so she could enjoy his body as much as possible.

Heaven knew he enjoyed hers.

He wanted to take things slow, give her time to warm up again. He wanted to prove he was a gentle man who would always set her needs above his own. But as soon as his fingers slid between her thighs and felt how slick she was for him, all thoughts of restraint vanished.

He had just enough functioning mental power left to remember how to open his jeans before he settled her on his erection and pulled her hips down.

Grace let out a sound somewhere between a sigh and a hiss. Her sex tightened around him, and he knew he’d been too rough, too fast.

He went still, sure he’d just broken whatever tenuous trust she’d extended him.

“Sorry.” The word was thick, barely intelligible.

She didn’t respond. Instead, she covered his mouth with hers and began to ride him.

His sweet Grace turned fierce. She nipped at his tongue and clawed at his back. She moved in a sinuous rhythm that had him speeding toward his climax way too fast.

He tried to tell her to slow down, but her mouth muted him. Her tongue demanded his attention, twirling and thrusting in a way that drove him mad.

He hadn’t known she had this in her—this hot, insatiable need to claim and conquer—but he liked it. He liked everything she did. Too much.

Her soft sounds of pleasure filled his mouth. Her sex fluttered around him, just as it had before when she’d reached her peak.

She was close, perhaps even closer to completion than he was.

That she could burn this hot this fast ignited his blood. It made him crave her all the more, something he hadn’t thought possible.

She sucked in a huge breath that pressed her breasts to his chest. If not for the need to hold her close, he would have ripped that leather from her body. He couldn’t stand letting go of her long enough to do the job, so he slipped his hands inside the back opening and cupped her shoulders.

One hard pull down and he was seated within her fully. The move ground her clit against him and made her clench violently around his erection.

He caught her first cry of release with his mouth to muffle the sound. Some distant sliver of his mind was still aware of the possible danger outside. But then her sweet body rippled around him, and nothing else mattered.

His climax poured down on him like a waterfall, drowning him in pleasure. His seed jetted from his body to find its home within hers. Each wringing clench of her sex milked him harder, demanding more from him.

Finally, when he had nothing left to give, he carried her to the ground, cradling her trembling body.

It took him far too long to regain his senses, but by the time he did, Grace was asleep.

He felt bad for taking her battered body so roughly. The shallow cuts from the Warden’s net had to sting. He hadn’t exactly been gentle with her.

Still, she was resting now, and he doubted that would have been the case if he hadn’t worn her out.

Slowly, so he wouldn’t wake her, he disengaged their bodies and arranged her in what looked like a comfortable position, with a pack for a pillow and his discarded shirt for a blanket, It was the best he could do for now.

Soon he would have her in a real bed, take her in a real shower. But he knew better than to think he would wait until then. Grace was part of him now, and he would have her any way he could get her for as long as she’d let him.

Torr washed and knelt between her and the cave entrance. His sword was on the ground in front of him, and a deep sense of satisfaction settled in his chest.

This was what he’d been born to do. Theronai or not, Grace was his woman. All he had to do now was help her remember why she loved him so they could be together as they were meant to be.

G
race dreamed of Torr naked and helpless, strapped to a bed while demons consumed his flesh. She dreamed of being forced to watch while he suffered, unable to do anything to save him.

She woke sweating and shaking, the darkness in the cave doing little to help her shed the sickening sense of dread the nightmare had given her.

Torr was at her side before she had time to even sit up. His fingers stroked her hair away from her face, and even though she could barely see him, she knew his touch, his scent.

“You’re okay,” he told her. “It was just a dream.”

She forced herself to shake off the sickening sense of helplessness that clung to her. After several slow, even breaths, she was able to speak. “Can I have some water?”

He left for a minute, then returned and held a water skin to her mouth. She gulped down the cold liquid and the chill woke her up the rest of the way.

Outside, she could see a dim, foggy halo of gray light where the cave entrance stood. “It’s almost morning.”

“It is.”

“We should get moving.” She stretched and yawned.

“Is there enough light for you to see to hike?”

“Not yet, but there will be by the time I get cleaned up.”

She heard a whisper of movement, felt his heat fade. “I’ll light the fire, then give you some privacy.”

As soon as he had a small flame going, she made quick work of washing up. She put on fresh clothes she’d brought along and left the dirty ones behind.

There was a sense of foreboding in her gut, warning her to travel as light as possible. Between the supplies they’d lost or used and her discarded clothes, her pack was less than half full now.

She slid Tori’s short sword in her belt, wondering if she should leave that behind, too. It wasn’t like she knew how to use it.

Still, it gave her comfort to know it was there, and that was reason enough to hang on to it for now.

She found Torr waiting at the cave entrance, eating more berries that he’d found. He offered some to her.

Just the idea of putting anything in her stomach made it churn. “No, thanks. I’m good.”

“What I wouldn’t give for a steaming cup of coffee right now. Maybe some bacon.”

Instantly, she knew what those things were and how they tasted, even though she couldn’t remember ever having eaten them.

“Sorry. None of that here.”

His face brightened with a grin. “It’s okay. I have everything I need.”

He was talking about her, and in that moment she knew she was falling for him.

Something deep inside her shifted, snapping into place. There was an almost audible click to it—a kind of absolute certainty that things were as they were supposed to be—the way they had been. Her whole body sagged with relief, and a void she hadn’t even known she had filled with a soft, comforting warmth.

Grace swayed with shock. Torr’s big hands gently gripped her arms, his touch careful of her injuries. “Are you okay?”

He eased her to the ground. She went, too stunned to even consider doing otherwise.

The things she was feelings for him weren’t new. They were familiar. More than that. They were a part of her that had been missing for years.

She stared at him, unable to even think of what to ask. Finally, she settled for, “You’re not a stranger.”

His lips went flat and tight. He said nothing.

“I know you, don’t I?”

Again he was silent.

“Why won’t you answer me?”

“I want to, but I vowed not to. Please, Grace, just let it go. We’ll talk to Brenya when we get back. She can explain everything.”

“She won’t. Explaining isn’t one of her talents. She’s more about issuing orders. You need to tell me.”

He stroked her face, and even that was familiar. “I’ve said all I can. We have a job to do. We have to focus on that.”

“You’re asking me to just ignore the fact that you’ve been lying to me?”

“I haven’t lied. Not once.”

“But you’ve hidden the truth. It’s the same thing. How can I trust you now?”

He pushed to his feet. Gone was the lover from last night. All that was here now was a hard, cold warrior. “I’ll come back for you when I’ve found the Masons’ building site. Stay here and stay quiet.”

“If you think I’m letting you ditch me now just because I know your secret, you’re crazy. I’m done sitting around, waiting on others. Waiting for the truth.”

“Grace, I—”

“No. I’m done, Torr. We’re going to finish this job and go back to Brenya. The sooner I have my answers from the two of you, the sooner I can move on with my life.” She pushed to her feet and poked him hard in the chest. “But if you think I’m just going to forgive you for withholding information, you’re wrong. I’ve always tried to be kind, but I’m not a doormat. You can’t lie to me. Can’t use me.”

“Grace, no. I’d never use you.”

“Then what do you call last night? Would I have done that with you if I’d known who you really were? If I’d known you were hiding details about my own life from me? I don’t think so.”

His jaw hardened. “It isn’t what you think.”

“Maybe it is, maybe it’s not. All I know is that I can’t be sure. I can’t trust you.”

His stomach clenched as if she’d just landed a hard blow. “I would never hurt you.”

Her heart broke a little, and it was all she could do to keep her chin high and her eyes dry. “Too late. You already have.”

With that, she turned and started hiking.

•   •   •

Torr wanted to kill Brenya for binding him to his word. He’d never meant for his promise of silence to hurt Grace, but it had.

Some things are better left forgotten,
Brenya had said.

Apparently Torr was one of those things.

His stomach burned. His hands kept closing into fists.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Grace was supposed to love him again. He wasn’t a pitiful invalid tied to a bed anymore. He was able to protect her, to make love to her. He was more of a man now than he’d been before, and yet she still couldn’t love him.

What did that say about him?

Maybe she’d never loved him at all. Maybe her act of self-sacrifice had been one of pity, not love.

There was no way to know now. The woman who’d willingly sacrificed herself to save him couldn’t remember why she’d done it.

But she’d remembered something.

He’d seen it in her eyes before she’d started asking questions. She’d looked at him with such warmth. He’d been sure that what he’d seen glowing in those dark eyes had been love.

Maybe he’d been wrong. Or maybe he’d been right and his silence had killed whatever feelings she’d had for him.

She was too angry and hurt to talk to him, and he was too much of a coward to ask. He was afraid he might not want to know the answer. So instead of dealing with his feelings, he shoved them down and forced himself to concentrate on the job at hand.

That was something he’d had a lot of practice doing.

He picked up his pace, putting himself in front, just in case the Warden had left behind any more nasty surprises. As the ground sloped up again, he slowed down so Grace wouldn’t have to struggle to keep up.

She hadn’t eaten today, which grated on his sense of duty. And she hadn’t slept nearly long enough, thanks to his need for more of her.

At least he hadn’t given in to the urge to take her this morning. It would have been so easy to cover her body with his own, part her thighs and slide inside her. She would have been soft and relaxed, right up to the point where he made her burn.

Even the thought was enough to make his cock twitch and swell.

He checked over his shoulder to see that she’d fallen too far behind. Exhaustion bowed her body, and her skin was pale except where the stain of exertion painted her cheeks.

He stopped to give her time to catch up.

“You don’t have to wait on me,” she said. “I know where I’m going.”

“I prefer to keep you close.”

“And I prefer to get this job done and get back to where I’m not trapped with you. Just go. I’ll be fine.”

Her desire to get rid of him stung, but he ignored it. She had a right to be angry with him. She had even more of a right to be angry with Brenya.

So did he.

Torr kept his distance, trying to respect her need for privacy as much as he could. Letting her out of his sight wasn’t an option—not with enemies so close by. At least he wasn’t breathing down her neck.

When at last they neared the top of the final hill that shielded the lake where Brenya had found her own portal stone, he waited for Grace to catch up.

“It’s just over this hill,” she said as she caught her breath.

“We’ll do it like before. Stay low and quiet. Only looking for now.”

Grace nodded and followed him the last few yards. He found a vantage point inside a thicket and crawled through it until his view was clear.

Below was a small lake, just as she’d said. The water was a murky black color. Leading from one edge was a deep furrow in the ground, as if something large and heavy had been dragged away. It was dry, telling him that the mark wasn’t fresh.

“They carried the stone off in the direction of the southern village,” said Grace. “Do you think that’s a coincidence?”

Not likely. “We don’t know anything for sure. We’ll have to follow the trail to find out.”

She started to stand.

Torr grabbed her arm and pulled her back down before she could break concealment. “Stay down. We’ve already run into one trap. I’d like to keep it that way.”

“You think there’s more?”

“I think that we’d be fools to assume this is going to be easy. Any creatures powerful enough to lift a heavy stone from the water and carve it into a portal would also be powerful enough to cover their tracks.”

“What if they didn’t go that way at all?” she asked.

“Anything is possible.”

“So what do we do?” asked Grace. Before he even had time to answer, she did. “Wait. I know.”

“You do? How?”

“That knowledge Brenya gave me? It’s telling me that we need to go for a swim.”

“How’s that going to help?”

“We need another one of those rocks. One small enough to carry so it can lead us where we need to go.”

“Okay, then. Stay here and be my lookout.”

Before she could argue, he slipped away and skirted the ridge so if anyone saw him come down the hill, they wouldn’t know where Grace was.

He stripped and dove into the lake. The water was murky and chilly against his heated skin. The pressure around him increased as he swam deeper. Only a faint glow from the twin suns made it all the way to the lake floor, but as he amplified his vision, he could tell the bottom was covered with rocks. All he needed to do was grab one.

The second his fingers closed around a small one, he felt the water shift violently around him. The pressure surged against his eardrums until he thought they’d burst. By the time he recovered from the sudden sense of vertigo, he realized he was pinned.

Touching the stone had triggered some kind of trap, and one of those monofilament nets had caged his body. He couldn’t even move enough to reach his sword.

He was stuck, and if he didn’t get free soon, he was going to drown down here and leave Grace to fend for herself against the Solarc’s minions.

•   •   •

Serving as lookout for Torr was one of the better tasks Grace had been given.

Even if she was hurt by him keeping secrets from her, she still had to admit he had a fabulous body.

He’d stripped naked, then added only his sword belt to his body before he dove into the lake. The water rippled slightly before smoothing out once again.

She held her breath until her lungs burned. He still hadn’t come up for air.

She took another deep breath and held it as long as she could. Still no Torr.

Anxiety crawled in her mind until she was queasy. She couldn’t lose him. He might have been lying to her, but he was a link to her past. She cared about him, perhaps even more than she was willing to admit.

Something wasn’t right. Sure, he was superhuman and all, but even he had to breathe, didn’t he?

She rushed down the slope, shedding the bags she carried as she went. She didn’t even slow down, just dove into the water where she thought Torr had entered.

The water was thick, but she saw a flash of something from the corner of her eye. Torr.

He was trapped in one of those nets the Warden had left behind. He was still alive, but each movement was weaker than the last.

Grace swam to him, covered his mouth with hers, and gave him her air. She tried to pull him free, but the net confining him had been partially pinned under a huge stone. No way was she moving that.

She resurfaced just long enough to breathe again before she went back down, her short sword in hand.

She was only able to cut a few strands before her lungs started to ache. Another trip to the surface to breathe, and back down to feed that air to Torr.

The progress was slow, but she eventually freed one of his arms. Blood painted the water, making it even harder to see. She was going by feel now, alternating her trips for air and cutting away the bonds.

Finally, she sliced through one last strand and he shot like a rocket toward the surface.

She followed him, sucking in huge gulps of air to refill her lungs.

His lips were still blue, but the color was returning fast. His skin was shredded in places, but at least he was free.

“You okay?” she asked.

He nodded, not wasting his breath on words.

As soon as she could, she took another deep breath and dove to the bottom. She went by feel, grabbing a rock about the size of her fist before kicking back toward the sky.

She passed Torr on the way up.

“What the hell were you doing?” he demanded as soon as they surfaced. “I almost died doing that a minute ago.”

“How many nets can there be down there?”

He took the stone from her hand. “Let’s not find out. Back to shore.”

He didn’t need to tell her twice.

Her wet leather tunic weighed her down, but she was a strong enough swimmer to make it back safely. Once on land, she collapsed and just breathed.