Claimed by Light by Reese Monroe Read Free Book Online

first.”
    “Infuriating frat boy.” Halena rested her head back and closed her eyes. “The Great One chooses a Mate for every Gatekeeper. A human. He or she is marked with a tattoo—the sacred Ahavah. When it surfaces, the Shomrei—”
    “That word, Shomrei, that’s another word for Gatekeeper?”
    “We’re Shomrei warriors, the Gatekeepers of Hades. So yeah, Shomrei, Gatekeeper, they’re both me.”
    “What happens when the Ahavah surfaces on the human?”
    “The Shomrei feels it. We can find our Mate anywhere, for the most part. The Mark calls to us. The human gets sick, his or her body preparing for the changes.”
    “Changes. Like what?”
    “Becoming a Shomrei. Immortal. Now, can you please get me out of here?”
    “Then what happens?”
    “First, you tell me something. What do you think he meant by the One?”
    “Whatever it is, it’s keeping him from killing me. I haven’t cooperated much when it comes to you. Especially when I melted Votar’s hand with this.” He held up the Mavet. “And that other demon was here to torture you, and I stabbed him. It paralyzes the demons, doesn’t it?”
    Halena nodded. “If the blade’s in his body, yes. Once out, it’s not long until they can move again. So, the One. Meaning…?”
    “Votar said that I was the only one who could have gotten you here. That the Oracle, Bastian, had foreseen it or something. Well, saw me and you together somehow.”
    Halena didn’t like the sound of “together” at all. And all this Mate talk. Theo’s Mate, Sadie, had been able to touch the Mavet before they fully mated. But she’d already had her Mark. So what the hell was Slade?
    “What happens after the Mark on the human?”
    “Shomrei touches the human and gets his or her Mark. When they…kiss, the bond strengthens, and when they fully mate—have sex—their lives are connected.”
    “And you’re immortal… How old are you then?”
    She eased up again as much as the restraints would allow her. “Eight hundred three. Are we done playing Twenty Questions yet? I’d really like to get out of here before your master shows up.”
    “One more thing.” He cleared his throat. “I need a favor.”
    “You did not just say that.”
    “If I help you escape, you have to promise to go to Addie. Protect her.”
    “And why would I do that?” Shit . Playing on my protective gene, so not fair.
    “By you escaping…what if they take it out on her? Like, punish her. I don’t know. I just…need her safe.”
    Damn, this guy never stopped thinking about his sister, did he? Had to respect him for that. There weren’t many selfless humans out there anymore. Not that she wanted to respect him at the moment, considering she was chained to a concrete slab. And she really wanted to hate his guts for betraying her.
    Though the concern in his eyes wasn’t helping her resolve any.
    “Fine.”
    “Vow it.”
    “Excuse me?”
    “I heard demons do vows and swear by the blood of—”
    “For crying out loud, I vow it on my honor as a Shomrei. I will find your sister.”
    “And protect her.”
    “And protect her.”
    “Just get to my hotel. My computer has her contact info. Addison. Password Addster.”
    “Done. Now, can we get on with it?”
    Holding up the dagger, he asked, “What do I do?”
    “Just swing away. Try not to cut off my hand, though. It takes a while to grow back.”
    Four well-timed swings on Slade’s part had Halena free. In a flash she was on him, hand secured around his throat, and pinned him to the wall.
    Images of them together at his hotel, at the bar dancing and smiling, flashed before her eyes. It’d all been a lie, hadn’t it? To get her to his place and drug her.
    “You vowed it.”
    “Vowed to protect Addie, yes. Never said anything about you.” Empty words, she knew. She wasn’t going to hurt him, but he at least deserved a little scare for what he’d done to her.
    Not that much seemed to scare him, considering how he stood up to Votar.