Wicked Edge (Realm Enforcers, #2)(77)

Okay. Good. She might be in a bed, but her clothing had remained on. Except for her socks. Her feet were bare.

Silence surrounded her, deep and pounding. No outside sounds at all penetrated the walls.

A dim light glowed from the bed table, and she kicked free, trying to stand. Her knees wobbled, and she had to hold on to the bed for several precious moments, trying to regain her strength. Finally, she could stand without falling.

A door took up the center of a far wall, so she shuffled across plush carpet to reach for the doorknob. The golden knob didn’t even turn. Swallowing, she reached for the light switch on the wall and flicked it up.

The light slashed pain through her skull, and she winced, closing her eyes. She took in several deep breaths and exhaled, trying to calm her galloping heart. She opened her eyelids enough to let a little light inside. Then, taking her time, she slowly opened them all the way. A deep purple carpet covered the floor and matched the bedding. A feminine dresser and end tables were set in the room. Two doorways led to a walk-in closet and fully appointed bath, also in purple.

An original oil painting by Juno Dungs above the bed added more vibrancy to the already colorful room. The walls had been painted a muted beige.

She quickly scoured through the dressers and only found lingerie, yoga pants, and some jeans. More clothes, probably in her size, filled the closet.

Damn it. There had to be something she could use to pick the lock.

Staggering only a little, she made it to the bathroom. Typical feminine makeup, all unused, filled the drawers. No bobby pins or nail files. Damn it.

She searched for a weapon but only found a black eyeliner. So she slid it up her sleeve just in case. Maybe she could use it to poke an eye out. She meandered back into the bedroom and crossed to examine the door.

As she reached it, the knob turned and it opened inward.

Ivan Bychkov stepped inside. “Felicity. It is so good to see you.”

She lost all reason. Yelling, she leaped across the foot separating them and slammed into him, jamming her elbow down on his collarbone. The cartilage cracked with a very satisfying crunch.

Using his uninjured side, he grabbed her arm, swinging her out and throwing. She spun through the air and landed on the bed, rolling off the other side. Pain lanced up her shoulder. She stood, grasping the bed covers for balance.

Ivan frowned and rubbed his collarbone. “Good lord, woman. You’re wilder now than you were a century ago.”

“Thank you,” she said, showing her teeth.

“That changes and now.” He stood about six-foot-six, long and lean, with stark white blond hair and purebred demon black eyes. To most women, he’d be handsome.

But she could see all of him, and real evil lived in him. “You know I’m going to kill you, right?” she spat.

His eyebrows were a light brown, and he drew them down. “I just don’t understand the hostility.”

She blinked. “Are you kidding?”

He sighed. “The drug we used will hamper you for a while, and according to my doctors, you need protein and sugar in your system. If you’d please come with me, we’ll get you fed.”

The guy was crazy. “Where’s my son?”

“He’s fine and is safely secured in the mine area of the mountain.” Bychkov rocked back on his heels. “The dizziness you’re experiencing can be quelled by a good meal.”

Okay. So her vision was a little blurry. “What did you drug me with?”

“A cocktail created by a friend of mine by altering normal tranquilizers.”

Damn witches and their potions. Of course, that’s exactly how she had drugged Daire. She winced. Man, would Daire be pissed that she’d been kidnapped. She stepped around the bed. “Fine. I’ll eat, and then I want to see my son.” At the very least, ingesting protein would help her regain her strength to take on Ivan. “Where am I, any—” She gasped upon entering the hallway.

Sparkling rock surrounded her, while a long carpet stretched over more rock. “We’re underground,” she breathed.

“Yes.”

That explained the quiet. “Where?” she asked, adrenaline heating down her back.

“On the island,” he said, pivoting on his boot and leading the way.

Her lungs seized. “On Fryser Island?”

“The one and only.” He clasped his hands at his back and strode past several closed doorways.

“We’re at the Sjener?se mine,” she murmured, tripping and regaining her balance. “How did you get me here?”

He glanced over his shoulder. “Once you were knocked out, I teleported you here, of course.”

Crap. She hadn’t thought of that. Sure, a majority of demons could teleport, but she hadn’t counted on being squired a world away from home. “I can’t teleport.”

“I know.” He sighed, stopping in front of a silver-plated elevator and pushing a button.

She hovered near the wall and planted her hand over the sparkles. Many minerals glowed, but a shiny greenish pink one held promise. Obviously not silver or coal. “Is this planekite?” she asked.

“Yes.” The elevator door swished open and he stood back, gesturing her inside.

The mineral felt cold and innocuous. It was hard to imagine that something so pretty could actually kill an enforcer with Daire’s strength. Even walking down the hallway would weaken him and subdue his powers.