Surrendered Read online

  “It is you who will be sorry,” the lead guard snarled. “You may have bested Judoth with your flame but you cannot best us all.”

  “Watch me,” Thorn growled.

  Taking a deep breath, he let the fire out, allowing it to envelope his entire body in a heated, blazing rush.

  * * * * *

  Neh’sa watched in disbelief as he went up like a torch—before the spread of the fire from his eyes to the rest of his body had been slow, controlled. This time the big Kindred let it go completely, allowing the flames to cover every inch of him in less than a second.

  She winced instinctively back from the flames, aware that all around her the Krine and his guards were doing the same. Still, they held their ground and the Krine’s hand remained heavy on her shoulder—which happened to be the one Thorn had bitten. Gods, she ached everywhere but she was almost too frightened to know it.

  He’s going to go and leave me here, she thought, watching as Thorn took a step towards the nearest door. It would be the ultimate payback for the way she’d forced him to submit.

  “Hell no, I’m not going to leave you, sweetheart!” he sent suddenly through their strange new link. “You’re coming with me.”

  “How? You’re on fire!”

  “My flames can’t hurt you—we’re bonded, which means you’re a part of me now.”

  Neh’sa wasn’t sure how to feel about that. And did he actually expect her to run into the fire to be with him?

  Suddenly the Krine began to laugh—deep, trollish laughter that hurt her ears.

  “You claim to care for this female and yet you burst into flames. You may go yourself but you cannot take her with you—not without burning her to a crisp.” He made a motion with one hand. “So go on—go, little warrior. Go and leave your Mistress here for us to punish.”

  “You son of a bitch,” Thorn growled. “Get your hands off my female now!” Lifting a palm, he shot a fireball straight at the Krine’s broad chest.

  The Berroff leader gave a low gasp and stumbled back, raising both hands to beat out the flames on his chest.

  For a moment, Neh’sa was free.

  Thorn looked at her, his eyes flaming. He held out his arms.

  “Neh’sa—come now!” he shouted.

  Goddess… Neh’sa looked at him, at the burning pillar of fire he had become. Could she really rush into the flames to be with him and not be hurt?

  “Trust me,” he sent urgently through their link. “You won’t be burned, I swear it! Come to me now before they grab you again!”

  The Krine had batted out the flames and recovered himself. He straightened up, blood suffusing his face, his three eyes filled with rage.

  “How dare you attack the Krine?” he bellowed. “Now you will pay—both of you. This little female will be the first to feel my wrath!”

  He reached for Neh’sa and she ducked out of the way just in time to avoid his huge, gray, grasping hand. She gave a panicked glance around the room. The Krine was behind her and his guards were surrounding them on three sides. Thorn was in front of her, blazing like a torch. She could feel the intense heat of his flames—it was like standing too near a furnace set to full blast.

  Could she do it? Could she trust him?

  What if he’s lying? What if he’s wrong and his flames can hurt me? What if—

  “Neh’sa, now!” he roared, holding out his arms.

  Taking a deep breath, Neh’sa took a literal leap of faith. As the Krine reached for her again she thought, Goddess help me! and launched herself into the big Kindred’s arms.

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Neh’sa passed through the fire and Thorn caught her. She felt the flames close around her and for a moment she couldn’t breathe she was so afraid.

  Then she realized that though she could feel the warmth of the burning inferno surrounding her, it wasn’t unbearable. Indeed, it wasn’t nearly as hot as it had felt from the outside as she stood and watched the big Kindred burn.

  “Told you you’d be all right, sweetheart.” Thorn cradled her to his chest as he glared defiantly at the Krine and his guards. “It’s like I said—you’re part of me now and I’m part of you. My flames can’t hurt my bonded mate.”

  Neh’sa wasn’t sure how she felt about being bonded to him but there was no time to discuss the matter. They still had to get away from the palace in one piece.

  And from the look on the Krine’s face, that wasn’t going to be easy.

  “What manner of witchcraft is this?” he bellowed. “Is the female a Pyro too? How can she burn yet not be consumed?”

  “She is bonded to me now—I have claimed her,” Thorn growled. “No other male can touch her or they will burn—burn with the fire of a thousand suns. I will see to it personally.”

  “My Krine,” one of the guards said uneasily. “What if he speaks the truth? See—the Yonnite female flames as much as he does himself. What if he had transferred some of his powers to her?”

  “Powers be damned,” the Krine shouted in a voice like thunder. “Kill them! If I cannot have the Mistress, none can have her! My will is being disobeyed—kill them both for this blasphemy!”

  The guard raised his blaster but Thorn lifted a hand and a stream of fire that looked white-hot, like the plasma center of a star, shot out. The moment it hit the blaster, the weapon was transformed into a dripping, glowing mass of melted metal.

  “Ah! My hand—my hand!” the guard shrieked, shaking his hand frantically. Droplets of the molten metal flew out, hitting the other guards in the face and eyes, causing some of them to drop their weapons as well.

  “Stay back, I said,” Thorn roared. “I’m leaving now and I’m taking Neh’sa with me!”

  “Never!” The Krine himself was suddenly blocking their path. “No male comes to my planet and refutes my will! Both of you will die.” He grabbed a thick, spiked cane from the nearest rack and raised it over his head.

  He never got a chance to swing. Thorn shot out a hand again and this time the stream of white-hot plasma was aimed directly at the Krine.

  This was no warning fireball to be put out by a few quick slaps. The plasma coated the Krine, sticking to him like glowing jelly. In a split second, the ruler of Berroff Prime was a shrieking, flailing torch.

  Thorn dodged out of the way, keeping himself and Neh’sa out of reach, as the other male spun around wildly, seeking in vain to put himself out.

  The Krine blundered into some of the heavy red velvet drapes which covered the walls of the dungeon room. They caught at once, the flames racing around the circular room until the entire space was bathed in flames.

  The guards were shouting and scattering, trying to get away. Their shouting brought others running but when they got to the door, they stopped short, their eyes open wide in disbelief as they saw what had become of the dungeon.

  The Krine, still screaming, had gotten himself entangled with the agony cross. He fell with the heavy piece of equipment on top of him and writhed like a burning bug beneath it, his bellowing wails filling the air and echoing over the hungry sound of the flames. The air was thick with smoke and the stench of roasting flesh, making Neh’sa want to gag.

  She didn’t want to see anymore. She wasn’t one to turn away from a crisis, but in this case, there was literally nothing she could do. She had to trust Thorn to get them through this, to get them out of this awful situation without getting killed.

  He still held her tightly to him as he approached the knot of guards who had gathered to stare helplessly into the dungeon room.

  “Stand back,” he growled, glaring at them. “Let us pass or I swear by the Goddess you’ll all burn. Stand back!”

  His threat seemed to make a big impression—the guards scattered, running away as if the demons of the Seven Hells were after them. Which might not be far from the truth, Neh’sa though faintly.

  Thorn carried her through the long, twisting stone corridors of the palace, occasionally threatening someone to let them pass. At last, jus