Fatal Desire by Valerie Twombly Read Free Book Online Page B

legs tucked under her. Her hand reached between the bars and brushed a lock of hair from his eyes. “What has happened, my son, that would cause you to bring the wrath of the gods down upon you?”
    He lifted his head, and their gazes met. Anger boiled beneath the surface, and he forced his dragon to recede. Repose would be his only friend right now. “He has her. I have no choice.”
    Her eyelashes fluttered. “Who has who? Don’t speak to me in riddles.”
    He let out a mocking laugh. “But the gods speak them all the time. You could have stopped this. All of this could have been avoided if only you would have killed him.”
    Her lips pursed, and her eyes narrowed. “You try my patience, Odage.”
    Again a sinister laugh escaped past his lips. “You know nothing about patience. I’ve waited a year to see her. Done his bidding.” He pulled himself closer until his face touched the bars. “I am the devil’s puppet, My Lady, and he has my daughter.”
    Shock registered on her face.
    “Well done, Odage. You managed not to fuck this one up.” The voice echoed through the room.
    Qadira’s eyes widened. “Lowan,” she whispered.
    Odage stood and brushed off his jeans. “I have done as you asked, My Lord. You will let me see Leria now?”
    “To show you I am a demon of my word, I will allow a brief visit.”
    Darkness swirled around him and pulled. Distance grew between him and the goddess until she was gone and he stood in a dimly lit room. “Leria?”
    “Father?”
    A girl ran from the shadows. Her raven hair pulled into a braid; she looked more like her mother than the last time he had seen her. He bent and scooped her into his embrace, squeezing her.
    “Child, I have missed you.” His voice was unsteady.
    Her arms wrapped around his neck. “Daddy, where have you been? Where’s Mom?”
    Tears threatened to spill, but he forced them away. Instead, he kissed her velvet cheek and inhaled her scent. This would need to last him for a while.
    He sat in a nearby chair and pulled her into his lap. “I need you to be a strong, okay?”
    She touched his cheek. “It’s okay. I’ll be strong, promise.”
    The child was wise beyond her sixteen years. “Your mother is dead.”
    He tried to not let the visions of his mate falling from the sky enter his mind, but it was too late. Lowan had managed to force her to shift back to human form in midflight. There was nothing he could do. He stood paralyzed on the mountainside and watched in horror. The fall had been too high for her to survive. The love of his life lay in a broken heap at the bottom of the rocks. It wasn’t enough to take his mate from him; Lowan had taken his daughter hostage, forcing Odage to do his bidding. His mind was shattered. Killing and torture were in his blood now. Stained by the dark seed Lowan had planted, he only had one mission now.
    See his daughter to safety.
    He stroked her hair, cherished every second, for who knew when Lowan would force him to leave her.
    “She’s with the gods now?”
    “Yes, sweetheart. She watches over you every day.”
    Leria smiled. “I like that. Are we leaving now?”
    “No, I have not finished my business yet. Soon, I swear. But first I need you to make me another promise.” He placed his palm on top of her head, opened his mind, and flashed mental images to his daughter. “Now promise me should something ever happen, should you ever get free from here, you run and find the man I showed you. He will take care of you.”
    “Times up, dragon,” the menacing voice laughed.

 
    Chapter Six
     
     
     
    “Men, you have your orders. We will rendezvous in the Vutha Mountains in one hour, and then we will burn the guardians from their homes. Capture any females and bring them to me. Otherwise, kill all the men.” Caleb watched twenty dragons exit his home and hoped like hell when they arrived, the guardians would be gone. Aidyn had assured him the place would be empty. Caleb hoped they were doing the right