Steal the Sun (Thieves #4)(111)

Neil frowned because he knew that Daniel would rather have Lee here than him. “Lee is faster. We decided he should get to the palace and tell Dev so he could mount a rescue. We had no idea what had happened to you except that someone had taken you both over here. It seemed prudent to get help.”

Daniel grunted. It wasn’t what he would have done, but it made sense.

“So all Devinshea is going to know is that his goddess was taken to our sithein without her clothes,” Roarke said, not happy with the prospect. “He won’t mount a rescue. It would be far too risky and his mother and brother would never allow him to come over here. He will push forward with the war.”

“And no doubt that was their plan all along.” I was a little worried that this would work out all too well for the bad guys. Though I thought Dev might fool them all. He loved me. He deeply cared for Daniel. It might kill him to not know where we were. Still, he’d allowed us to leave without him in the first place. “I love my husband, but he’s being irrational. He was heartbroken over the loss of our child. We have to find a way to get to him and tell him what we know.”

“Nim,” Roarke shouted. “Are you ready yet? They aren’t getting any farther away.”

Nim appeared in the doorway. She was dressed in some sort of animal skin trousers and a thin black shirt. “Let’s go. I told the servants to run.” Nim had been concerned with her servants being captured and tortured by the red caps. It was another plus for the woman in my books.

I was dressed in one of Arawn/Roarke’s shirts. It was enormous, but Nim was slender and I was not. My curves wouldn’t be fitting into any of her clothes. I looked down at my bare feet. The forest was going to be hard on them.

“Don’t worry, baby,” Daniel said, picking me. “Your feet won’t touch the ground. Let’s move. We need to get to the palace as soon as possible. Point me in the right direction and I’ll fly me and Z.”

“It won’t work,” Nim said grimly. “The entire sithein is plagued by eddy winds. Unless you know how to ride an eddy wind, we’re walking. I can’t and neither Roarke nor Arawn can.”

Daniel rolled his eyes and slapped his head like he should have known something. “That explains the mountain. It was surrounded by eddy winds. I have no idea how to catch one much less ride one. Sorry, Z, we’re walking. We should get moving.”

“Vampire,” Arawn said suddenly. “You should nourish yourself. I can feel your hunger.”

“It can wait until she’s safe.” Daniel started down the stairs.

I heard the others following. I glanced about, taking in my surroundings. It was a small but well-appointed brugh. If I had to guess I would say it was a vacation house. They probably normally lived at the palace, as all the ascended gods did. The servants had taken Nim’s orders to heart. They appeared to have fled. The cabin was quiet as we made our way through.

“The door is to the left,” Nim called out behind us.

Daniel took a hard left and then he was kicking the door open, allowing the night in. He strode out with Neil following hard behind him. Nim and Roarke ran to keep up as we made it to the yard. We needed to make it to the forest where our small party would have the advantage over the heavily armed troops. They wouldn’t be able to travel as quickly as we could. Daniel began running to the left, but Neil stopped him with a decisive pull on his shoulder.

“Stop,” Neil yelled, frustrated that Daniel wasn’t letting him go first. It was a reversal of everything we’d done before. In the past, Danny and I did nothing during a job without Neil’s senses telling us it was all right to continue. The change was obviously pissing Neil off. “Will you give me a second? I smell something. It’s coming from that direction.” Neil pointed to the direction we were about to head.

“Watch out for the advance guard!” Nim yelled as she and Roarke made it out the door. “They always send a couple ahead of the full troops.”

The red caps came into view. They carried iron pikes in their hands and the minute they saw us, an unholy gleam lit their dark eyes. They took in the scene in front of them, quick to recognize their quarry.

“By the order of King Angus, you will give us aid, My Lord. We seek Her Grace, the wife of the Seelie High Priest,” one said, his voice harsher than sandpaper. “Surrender her and we shall be satisfied.”

“No you won’t,” Nim said, huffing her disbelief.

The three smiled, their grins creepy and bloodthirsty. “No,” the one said. “We won’t.”

Their eyes told the tale. They had full orders to execute Nim and Roarke and probably to parade the traitors’ heads through the sithein as they brought me to the king’s palace.

They began to move forward, their movements a testament to long training and discipline.

“Catch her,” Daniel demanded as I found myself tossed into the air.

Neil moved gracefully under me, and I was grateful for his physical prowess as he made sure I didn’t hit the ground.

Daniel struck quickly. His legs kicked out, attempting to dislodge the goblins from their traditional weapons. He hit one hard, his foot meeting with the goblin’s chins. The red cap’s head flew back and his body followed, but the other two paid no attention to their weakened comrade. They were far too busy shoving their cold iron weapons into my vampire’s body. One of the pikes entered Daniel’s chest and the other met his belly. I was shocked not at the blood but the lack of it. Daniel’s body bled weakly, and I remembered he hadn’t fed the day before. Even a single day could weaken him.