Kiss of a Demon King

45

So how are things with Mike Rowe?" a woman's voice said.

Consciousness gradually returned to Sabine, and she found herself between waves of pain-in that harrowing lull between remembering agony and anticipating it.

"Mike Rowe? Who exactly are you talking about, Holly?" another female answered. Is that Nïx speaking? Yes. What is she doing in my dream? Or am I waking?

"The actor?" this Holly said slowly. "From Dirty jobs. Who took out a restraining order against you?"

A pause, then Nïx said, "Ah! Yes, well, Mikey and I broke up after I finally got him to fool around with me."

"In the week since I saw you last?"

"Yes, last night if I recall correctly," Nïx said. "He was quite adroit for a human, very tempting. But then I had to forget the phone number he pressed on me."

As if she couldn't help himself, Holly asked, "Why's that?"

"I remembered I'm a rake."

Sabine blinked against her hazy sight and spied Nïx in the sitting area of the bedroom. Sabine squinted at the Valkyrie's T-shirt. It read, born to blossom, bloom

TO PERISH-G.S.

The other female, this Holly, had glasses and a prim demeanor. She looked to be folding clothes?

"Besides," Nïx said, "I needed to break it off with Mikey, since I'm leaving town."

"What do you mean you're leaving?" Holly-demanded, folding and refolding the same towel. "I still don't know my way around this world, and you're taking off-yet again?"

"Cadeon can show you about."

"Where do you have to go that's so important you can abandon me?"

"Auntie Nixies taking a TO. I'm heading to Buda­pest, to investigate this band of immortal warriors," she explained. "They're called the Lords of the Underworld. If that doesn't make you want to mate ..." She growled and clawed at the air. "Anyway, they're supposed to be excessively hawt."

"And by investigate, you actually mean do."

Nïx made a scoffing sound. "Holly, how else is one supposed to investigate a male? Really?"

Holly sputtered, but Nïx talked over her. "Just between us-if they can handle what the Nixanator's bringing, I might not ever leave. . . ." Her vacant gaze skittered over to the bed, and her eyes widened. "She's awake."

Nïx strolled over to the bed with Holly following. "Remember me? Nïx, the Ever-Knowing? And this is my niece, Holly." Nïx indicated the pretty blonde who gave her a weak wave. "She's Cadeon's wife."

Nïx put a glass of water to her lips, but Sabine turned away to gasp out the words, "Where's... Rydstrom?"

"We finally peeled him away from you. We'll be your sitters this eve. Rydstrom, Cadeon, and myriad demons are out searching for your sister, so they can poach her portal." She laughed abruptly. "I'm sorry, this is not a funny situation, but 'poach your sister's portal' really sounded raunchy."

Holly rolled her eyes.

"He's bringing Lanthe back here," Nïx finally con­tinued. "And then he intends to take you to Omort and beg for the antidote."

Sabine's heart stuttered-this time from emotion. "He can't... go through with this!"

Nïx said, "He's decided to sacrifice himself for you."

"Omort will kill him this time . . . will read his mind ... discover any of his plans of attack-"

"There won't be any," Nïx said quietly. "Rydstrom's counting this as a one-way trip, sorceress."

Sabine shook her head sharply. "You can't let... him do this!"

"You try stopping a nearly seven-foot-tall demon who's hopelessly in love."

"Nïx," Holly murmured, "Sabine needs some clean sheets. They're dirty with all the blood . . . blood-" Her hand flew to her mouth, her face paling even more.

"Are you having morning sickness again?" Nïx asked. When Holly darted from the room, she called, "My gods, Holly, way to steal Sabine's thunder!"

To Sabine, Nïx said, "I'll be back shortly. Yell if you need anything." She heard Nïx mumble at the door, "Poach her portal. So going on a T-shirt."

Sabine lay quaking and stunned. Rydstrom planned to sacrifice everything for her.

An idea arose, a plot. Could it work? She had little time before the next wave hit-did she have the

strength?

She would find the strength, because if he was going to save her, she was going to protect him. Or at least give him the means to protect himself.

Gritting her teeth, she rolled off the bed, collaps­ing onto the plush rug. She could hear Holly retching in the guest bathroom and Nïx running water for her. Sabine had no strength to hide herself with illusion, but as long as she could hear them, she'd be clear.

She crawled on her belly from the room, sometimes digging her nails in the carpet to pull herself forward, When she reached the hall at last, it looked intermi- | nable, the distance to his study impossible.

So weak . . . But she pressed on through the pain. One elbow in front of the other, her legs trailing use-

lessly behind her.

Ever listening for the Valkyrie, crawling, crawling. Only her love for that demon kept her going.

She spit up blood, choked back a cough, crept another foot. Just a few more to the study door . .. then finally inside.

She'd made it to the armory! With effort, she craned her head to gaze up at the combination lock she'd have to reach. From her place on the floor it looked as attain­able as the moon.

Rydstrom will die if you don't do this!

With that thought spurring her, she wobbled to her knees, then began dragging herself unsteadily to her feet. Have to reach it. She was about to crumple to the floor. Can't . . . cant do this.

A shadow loomed behind her. Sabine twisted her head around. She cursed fate to find Nïx standing behind her.

"Did you need something, sorceress? Hmm?" She had blankets thrown over her shoulder and was fiddling with something in her pocket. A weapon! "Perhaps a Vicodin?"

Sabine felt like weeping. "What do . . . you want?" She' d been so close.

Just as Sabine heard the front door opening, Nïx said "Rydstrom's back with your sister." . He'd already returned? "Nïx, I .. . need ..."

"And he's about to find you out of bed-"

"Sabine!" Rydstrom's voice shook the walls of the mansion.

Sabine's heart was about to seize again. She collapsed to the floor, dazed.

"Do you want the sword, sorceress? Isn't that what you came here for?"

Speechless, Sabine gave a weak nod in answer.

Nïx pulled a giant syringe out of her pocket, holding it up. As Sabine stared in astonishment, Nïx blinked at it, as if she didn't understand where it had come from.

The Valkyrie scratched her head with her free hand. "Ah!" She smiled, her face lit with realization. "I knew that I'd come here tonight to do one of two things: shove this into your heart or to play Wii. And I forgot my Wii!" She shrugged-

Then plunged the syringe directly into Sabine's chest.

Eyes wild, Sabine sucked in a desperate breath, grasp' ing at the needle jutting from her chest-gaping at Nïx as she busily worked the combination on the armory.

"The adrenaline will keep you conscious for a few more minutes, but not much more."

Just as fits of energy began flowing through Sabine's body, Nïx unlocked the armory and whistled in a breath at the sword.