Gena Showalter - [Lords of the Underworld 13] by The Darkest Craving Page B

do it again,” he stated flatly. Already her life was so miserable she wanted to die. How much worse would it be for her with Disaster hanging around? And what if she got stuck with the creature forever, rather than temporarily? Was that possible?
    Kane didn’t want her to risk it. This girl, she was...he didn’t know what she was to him. He only knew he couldn’t bear the thought of her suffering.
    Her nose went into the air, making her look sullen and defiant and utterly adorable. “Don’t get any ideas about rescuing me. I’ll do what I want, when I want.”
    Want me.
    The ground cracked beneath his feet. He didn’t care.
    “Can you control the ability?” The words croaked from him.
    “I don’t know,” she admitted softly. “I’ve never gotten to test my limits with people I didn’t want to borrow from.” Her gaze lowered to his lips, and she shifted from one foot to the other.
    She’s not thinking about kissing me. She can’t be thinking about kissing me. “You need skin-to-skin contact?”
    “Yes.”
    “I’ll help you with that, too.”
    Her eyes brightened, the clouds rolling out to reveal endless oceans backed by glorious sunlight. The brightness didn’t last long, however. She glowered, and the clouds returned. “You can’t help me, Kane, not without putting yourself in danger. So will you listen to me and either prepare for battle or run for your life?”
    “No to both. Why would the king of the Fae want to kill me for looking at you?”
    She was desperate to argue; he could see it in those narrowed eyes. But she must have realized he was stubborn enough to wait all night for the answers, and just messed up enough to get physical with her the next time they were truly together.
    No telling what would happen then.
    “He feels he must dispose of anyone who threatens to take me away from the kingdom.”
    “Does he plan to have me brought into the kingdom or have me executed on sight wherever I’m found?”
    “The kingdom. He likes to watch.”
    Good. “I’m glad they’re coming.”
    “You’re glad?” she choked out.
    “They’ll do the work for me.”
    She sputtered for a moment before finally deciding on a verbal path. “What work?”
    “Finding you. I will, you know.” A promise.
    One that came with razor-sharp desire.
    The crack in the ground widened, dropping Kane several feet.
    “I just told you not to—argh! Kane, don’t be foolish! Please.”
    The sound of pounding footsteps caught his attention. On alert, he palmed a dagger and looked around, but all he saw was more fog and trash. Then, three...no, five...no, eight bodies broke through, stopping a few feet away from him.
    “I found him,” a hard male voice called.
    If anyone could see Tinker Bell, they gave no indication.
    “But...this is Lord Kane, a warrior of the Underworld,” someone else gasped.
    Murmurs of awe arose. “I can’t believe this. I can’t believe I’m standing in the presence of Lord Kane.”
    Questions were thrown at him.
    “Will you tell us about the battle that took place in the skies? Our men weren’t able to attend, so details are sparse.”
    “Did you really chop off a Hunter’s foot and stuff it in his mouth, just because he called Cameo an abomination?”
    Tinker Bell paled, backed away. “Oh, Kane. They found you. I’m sorry.” She vanished.

CHAPTER NINE
    B RUTAL ? K ANE THOUGHT . Bloodthirsty? Hardly.
    “I’m sorry for the need for this, Lord Kane, but I must bind you, as ordered.” The soldier appeared grief-stricken by the thought. “I’ll be slain if I refuse.”
    “Do it, and don’t even think about being gentle about it,” snapped the tallest of the bunch. “And you,” he said to Kane. “Where’s the other man? The one traveling with you.”
    “There’s a good chance I killed him.”
    The guards nodded their agreement, as if they knew him and expected nothing less. All but the one who’d asked the question. He had to be the leader. Nothing else would