afraid I’ll kick your ass again?” I readied my stance.
“Soren,” a voice boomed.
We all turned to see Cayden stalking toward us with unbridled violence. Wisps of smoke curled around him, banishing the mist with each of his steps.
I realized too late that taking my eyes off Soren for even a split second was a regrettable mistake I wouldn’t be able to undo. The arrival of Cayden sent Soren into action, knowing that Cayden wouldn’t let him hurt me, his best friend’s mate.
Soren’s fingers tangled into my hair, and I was yanked backward against his sidestepping horse. My side hit the powerful beast, the flames circling his muscular legs scorched at my ankles, and with one simple order from Soren, his horse bolted into the mist, dragging me along with them.
12
Pain burst at my hair roots, and I screamed, a vacant sound that echoed through the sudden vastness of the in between, a place neither for the living or the dead. The mist was like a heavy coat that offered no warmth, and I was sucked back into that place of panic and helplessness—a place I never wanted to be again.
“Lexi!” My name was bellowed from somewhere within the dense, frosty mist, bouncing around me from all sides as I was jarred against the horse.
Soren hauled me in front of him, and I went wild, scratching, thrashing, kicking, and punching, anything I could do to dislodge myself from his mount. I’d rather take my chances wandering aimlessly in Hell’s Mist than find out what Soren planned to do with me.
Never!
“Let me go, you asshole!” I hissed, hitting him on the shoulder as I squirmed against his hold to grab my dagger without success.
His laugh made my skin crawl and my stomach pitch. Memories of him chasing me through the woods, taunting me as he created vivid pictures of what he planned to do when he caught me rose in my mind. He hadn’t though, and I reminded myself of that fact again and again. Ashor had found me. And now I had to find him. I was every bit as persistent as the Prince of Darkness was lethal.
Soren was a dead man. If I didn’t kill him, Ashor would.
The demon hauled me tighter against him, whispering in my ear, “You and I have unfinished business. I really hate unfinished business.”
My breath became tight in my chest as my ears picked up the thunderous hooves from the riders in front of us. Whimpering echoed from somewhere in the mist, someone begging and pleading for his soul to be found. I ignored the throbbing pain at my scalp and went for the dagger tucked into my boot. I never left home without it. “Uh, yeah well, I hate you. Does that make us square?” My fingers grazed the top of the blade’s handle. Just another inch and…
Soren jerked on the reins, signalling for his horse to make a quick right that jostled me in his lap. I let out an audible growl of frustration as my hand slipped off the hilt. Motherfucker.
He tsked. “Nice try, but I don’t think so, little demon. Let’s save the swordplay for later.”
Tossing my hair out of my face, I spat, “Fuck off.”
“The things that come out of your pretty mouth.” His eyes flicked to my lips, an incorrigible half smirk on his own. “Imagine if you were my mate.”
Bile churned in my stomach. “I’d rather not, unless you’re trying to make me sick.”
He chuckled, his pointed nails embedding deeper into my skin. “There is always something sweeter about the ones that fight back. My mother might have an infinite amount of patience, but I do not.”
“She will never make you her heir,” I seethed. “If that’s what you think to gain by bringing me back.”
Like a cobra striking its prey, his fingers were in my hair again, snapping my head back as he hissed in my ear. “You know nothing.”
I knew that I was on borrowed time. The further Soren took me away from my family, the harder it was going to be for me to get away from him. Even if I managed to break free, I still had to combat against the mist. Finding my way to the Gate was going to be the real test.
But first, I needed to get off this horse.
An idea formed, a very dumb and potentially harmful plan, but it was all I had. Anything was better than what sordid crap Soren was drumming up in his corrupt mind. Not