I fought in the divine wars against the Tainted Ones, the foul creatures of destruction. I am not without my own power.”
“Tainted… You mean like the creatures that broke over our land, spreading sickness?” She didn’t know much about the matter, but tales had spread about the ravagers, monsters from the underworld that destroyed their world.
He shook his head impatiently. “The miasma of the chthonic world intruding on the living world is different. It is more of a barrier between humanity and divine light that brings sickness in various forms. The Taint, however, is a true corruption that is against the gods and must be stopped. The Tainted Ones must be destroyed or returned to their prisons within the earth.”
“Okay, great plan. But what are you going to do with me…?” she asked, praying that he might release her.
He shot her a hard look, his lips curving in a merciless smile as if it were carved into place. He stopped and turned to her, a large hand reaching up to delicately trace the line of her jaw with one claw. “Your fate is as yet undetermined,” he murmured, his eyes glinting like moonstones in the dim light. “But whatever path it may take, your future now belongs to me.” The promise came out as a purr, his smile widening into a feral grin. “If that comforts you any.”
“Not even a little,” she whispered under her breath as he snatched her wrist again and yanked her after him, his dark laughter rolling around her. The titter of the red-capped creatures made her shiver as she stumbled after him.
“Do not fear, little one,” he rasped. “I am the most threatening king in these woods. I will not let you go, but you can be assured that only I shall devour you.” His eyes turned on her, liquid white heat. “And when I do, you shall find a far greater release in your surrender.”
She went rigid at his pronouncement, offended despite the hot coal that burst to life within her. Yanking her arm back, she struggled against his grip, but it didn’t weaken or break, and the laughter of the little ghouls followed her as the male in front of her swung around and enclosed her firmly in his arms, lifting her easily off her feet.
“You bastard,” Diana hissed, renewing her struggles foolishly against the supernatural being. She was all too aware that he could break her with minimal effort.
He purred and crushed her tighter to his chest. “Indeed I am. The son born of a passionate embrace of the lord of the wood and the goddess of love and desire. But you may call me lucomo—your king.” He said nothing more as he ran his nose down her cheek. She trembled at the touch and drew in a breath that turned into a gasp as he moved at a dizzying speed through the trees.
Resting her head back against his shoulder, Diana looked up and saw a pale dove lit from the branches above, its white body streaking through the trees.
Chapter 5
The beings of his court watched with open curiosity as he tugged the human huntress inside his abode. Though the palace was hidden from any who did not know its location, it was teeming with spirits whose eyes followed their movement from every corner. The human had mercifully ceased struggling before they arrived, so she did not attract undue attention or stir a feeding frenzy. It was all he could do to not imbibe of the fear that flowed off her. He was sated on the flavor, but did not wish to become drunk on it as some of his kind might. The wine of mortal essence stirred by their emotions was intoxicating and tempting to all of them.
Silvas preferred to remain in control.
All the same, he did not want the other denizens of the Eternal Forest to be feeding on the human. She was his… at least until the time that he finally tired of her. His hackles raised, and an aggressive shiver ran through him. No. Not even then. Perhaps then he would escort her back over the border of the Eternal Forest and into the human world. He could not tolerate the idea of another being touching her.
Bemused by his predicament, he shifted the weight of the human, setting her a little higher and more comfortably over his shoulder. His possessiveness toward her defied reason. It was normal to feel attraction. Many beings enjoyed slaking their desires on humans,