Chained_Brides of the Kindred Read online

  She must have seen it too and known what his glowing red eyes meant but she didn’t run away. Instead, she held out a hand to him.

  “Please, Kor,” she said in a low, trembling voice. “Please…don’t you remember? You promised never to hurt me.”

  Kor didn’t want to hurt her—didn’t want any harm to come to her at all but somehow he couldn’t say so. He opened his mouth but nothing came out—no warning would emerge because his vocal chords were locked by someone else—by the dark voice, the demon inside him! He tried to turn away, to point his deadly gaze elsewhere but the rest of his body was frozen too—nothing was his own anymore.

  No, not all of him was frozen—the bond she had talked about was there. Suddenly Kor sensed it, like a thin, bright ribbon of golden light. It stretched between them, connecting the two of them with love and hope and the promise of a future together.

  “Maggie!” he sent, using the bond. “Maggie, run—hide! It’s too strong for me. I can’t control it!”

  “Cast it out!” she insisted, still not moving. “Cast it out, Kor! You can do it—I’ll help you.”

  “I’m not strong enough! It has me too tightly,” he sent desperately through their link. “Please, Maggie, run before I—”

  Just then he felt the shout of rage, the explosion of power leaving him and a brilliant red beam exited his eyes.

  A brilliant red beam of death aimed straight at Maggie.

  “No! No, Maggie—no!” At the last moment, Kor managed to wrest a small bit of control back from the demon inside. He jerked his head up, sending the red beams high above her head instead of directly at her.

  There was a scream of rage, both from the demon within and the witch who claimed to be his mother. The beams of burning energy shot high…and hit the great stone arch directly over Maggie’s head.

  With horror, Kor watched as the arch burst apart and huge chunks of carved stone came raining down. He saw Maggie look up too, an expression of terror and shock on her face. Then one of the stone pieces slammed into the side of her head and she went down in a crumpled heap on the steps.

  “No! No!” Kor’s vocal chords unfroze and he gave a cry of rage and sorrow that was all his own. He had to get to her—had to go to Maggie! For a moment the demon held sway over his body, paralyzing him, keeping him from his beloved.

  Cast it out, Maggie had said. You have to cast it out!

  And finally, Kor found he could. He pushed the dark voice out of his head and regained control. At last he was free to go to her, free to go to Maggie.

  The crowd of assembled Touch Kindred were babbling and the Swamp Witch was screaming as he raced to Maggie’s side but Kor barely heard them. He knelt on the stone steps and gathered her limp body into his arms.

  “Maggie?” he gasped. “Blondie—come on—talk to me! Please, Maggie, please be all right! Please, I love you!”

  She didn’t answer. Not when he called her with his mouth…and not when he called her with his mind. Her eyes…those lovely deep blue eyes he loved so much…rolled up in her head and a trickle of blood leaked from the corner of her mouth. Her yellow curls were red, matted with blood…so much blood and he had spilled it—it was all his fault!

  Kor put a hand to her chest but he couldn’t feel a heartbeat, he tried to feel for a pulse but his fingers slipped in the blood and still she didn’t move…didn’t speak…didn’t breathe.

  Maggie was dead.

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  “Maggie.” Kor pulled her close, cradling her limp body against his chest. Suddenly a cry of anguish broke from his lips. “NO! No, please! She can’t be…she can’t be…”

  He couldn’t finish the sentence aloud but the little voice in his brain had no problem doing it for him.

  Dead…she’s dead and you killed her! You killed her, Kor…you are to blame!

  Kor bowed his head. He knew it was true. There was no denying his guilt, no defense he could give—none he wanted to give. He had invited the demon in willingly, wanting only to forget his pain and humiliation. He had given it free access to his mind and body, had allowed it to control and command him and use him to terrorize and kill innocent people.

  And in so doing, he had killed the only woman he had ever truly loved.

  Something broke inside him with the realization and a hoarse sob was torn from his throat.

  It’s my fault—it should be me! Please, let me die too. I don’t want to live without her. Oh, Maggie I’m so sorry. No…no…no…

  “Warrior, look up.”

  The voice above him startled Kor. It had the same supernatural resonance the dark voice of the demon had had but it was richer, kinder and infinitely more powerful.

  Standing above him was a Kindred female with green-on-green eyes. They glowed a brilliant emerald as she looked down at him, a mixture of pity and sorrow on her lovely face.

  “Lady?” he asked in a hoarse whisper. “Who…what are you?”

  “I am the Goddess of the Kindred—I am your Goddess, Kor.”

  “I…I do not worship as a Kindred for I do not count myself as one.”

  “Ah, but I have ever counted you among my children.” A soft smile formed on her lips. “You have had a terrible life—a life of hardship and pain since the demon took you from your witch mother and sent you to live as a slave.”

  He looked at her uncertainly. “The…the demon did that? But I thought—”

  “You were told lies. The demon slaved you out, planning to give you the worst existence possible. He wanted to make you incapable of anything but hatred and evil. In short, he strove to create the perfect host.”

  “Then he succeeded.” Kor looked down at the limp form in his arms. “I killed so many in my life and then I invited him in and let him use me to kill even more. I even killed the only female I will ever love.” He kissed Maggie’s forehead gently. “Oh, blondie…” he murmured.

  “No, warrior, he was not successful. It is true that you are prideful and arrogant, quick to anger and slow to forgive, but you are not devoid of love. Your treatment of the little one in your arms proves as much.”

  “Who, Maggie?” He kissed her again. “How could I help loving her? She shared my pain—she risked her life to save me and she’s so innocent and sweet and good and honorable.” He shook his head. “She was right to choose her fiancé over me. I don’t deserve her.”

  “And the fact that you know this, has earned you a second chance,” the Goddess said.

  “What?” Kor looked up at her. “What…what do you mean?”

  “Guard her well, warrior. And strive to repair the damage the demon did through you. Remember, I will be watching as I watch over all of my children. Farewell.”

  The green light faded from the Kindred girl’s eyes and she staggered a step, one hand to her head. Suddenly a warrior—the one who had called himself Saber—was there to catch her.

  “Lissa? Are you all right, amalla?” he asked, looking at her anxiously.

  “I…think so. What happened?”

  “The Goddess spoke… through you… again.”

  Kor jumped when he realized the voice was coming from the girl he held in his arms. He hardly dared to look down but when he did, he was filled with such joy and relief that for a moment he couldn’t even speak.

  “Maggie?” he managed at last in a low croak.

  “Hello, Kor.” She smiled weakly and lifted her hand to cup his cheek briefly, then let her hand drop as though the effort tired her out.

  “Blondie…” He stroked her blood-matted curls carefully. “Are you okay? I thought you were…were dead.” He almost couldn’t get the word out.

  “I was.” She looked up at him seriously. “I was, Kor. But…the Goddess sent me…sent me back…for you.”

  “Oh, sweetheart.” He crushed her to him—but carefully.

  “Hey!” Maggie pushed against his chest weakly and he pulled back at once, giving her some space.

  “Are you all right?” he asked anxiously.