Lord of Chaos (The Dragon Demigods #7) - Charlene Hartnady Page 0,68

but it quickly sours. “He wants to turn me into a tracking, killing machine.” I shiver, wrapping my arms around myself. “Not everyone he’ll expect me to take down will be evil or deserving of his punishment. I can’t fight these compulsions forever. So, I will be expected to kill indiscriminately. It’ll be hell. I think you understand how that would feel.”

He nods. “Then we’re more alike than we ever imagined.”

I pick at a piece of loose thread on the sofa. “There’s something you need to know…”

“What’s that?” He frowns.

“You are making the decision not to hand me over because you don’t believe Gaire can bring your friend back.” I pull in a breath. “He can, Rage. You need to know that he can, and he will.” I look down at my hands. “I would understand if you decided not to help me anymore in return for Warrick.”

“You’re saying Gaire can get Warrick back? That he’ll be normal? Not some zombie, or—”

“He’ll be exactly how he was when he died.”

“Sixteen years old?”

I nod. I’m practically holding my breath. I can’t blame him if he takes the deal. “All I ask is that you renegotiate the terms. Tell him you won’t be involved, in exchange for your friend’s return. Tell him you’ll stop helping me in return for Warrick. Please don’t hand me over. Let me get away first. Give me a fighting chance.” Gaire will still find me. Without the help of Rage and his friends, it won’t take long, and there won’t be any defense against him. At least, I don’t think there will be. I will have to hope that I’m no longer as bound to that bastard.

“Stop.” Rage cups my face and lifts my chin. He’s smiling. He’s beautiful when he smiles. His eyes lighten up. They go from a black starless night to a gorgeous, gunmetal gray. “I can see your mind working. As much as I wish I could bring Warrick back, I won’t do it. It doesn’t seem right, somehow. And then there’s you, Nia. I’m not handing you over to a sadistic fuck like Gaire. I won’t. Thank you for confiding in me about Gaire being able to come through with his bargain, but…it’s not going to happen. Warrick was such a good person. I know if I gave him the option, he wouldn’t want me to do it either.”

“Thank you.” I wrap my arms around Rage. I breathe him in for a few seconds.

His arms are around me too. Then he’s sliding his hands up and down my back and kissing my neck. It feels good. Too good. I pull away. “This isn’t a good idea.”

I see something flash in his eyes. Disappointment…is there more? He schools his emotions and clears his throat. “Yeah, of course.”

I don’t have to say anything more. He knows why it’s a bad idea. I think he’s developing feelings for me. Someone like Rage would be easy to fall for right back. I could fall in love with him quickly and fall hard. Far worse than I ever did with Gaire.

No!

I won’t!

I don’t want Rage to feel bad about my rejection, so I make an excuse. “I’m hungry. Starving, actually.” I realize that it’s actually true. “I’m also tired. All that teleporting. We’re hoping that Gaire doesn’t find us as easily, but who knows… I think we should work on getting our strength back.”

“I’ll make you something to eat.” Rage stands. He goes over to the refrigerator. “What about a sandwich? Or I could grill up some steaks?”

“A sandwich would be great. I’ll help.”

“Stay right there,” he says. “Let me do this for you.”

I nod. Yep, I could fall for Rage in a hot minute. I feel for this man. He’s so hard on himself. So tortured. I can’t imagine how he must feel. He’s already lost so much.

21

Rage

Later that day…

I wake up with a start. Nia is on the bed next to me. She’s still sleeping. I look around the room, which is bathed in shadows. The sun must be setting. We’ve been sleeping for hours. I listen for footfalls, a heartbeat, anything out of the ordinary. I get nothing. It doesn’t mean that nothing is there.

Gaire will be here soon. I know it. The idea to take us back to the last place Gaire expects us to go was a good one. It’s that, or he’s giving me some time to think about his offer.

Nia mutters something incoherent. She quickly settles. I watch her sleep