Passion Untamed (Feral Warriors #3)(76)

As she'd suspected, the hall was being cleared, the tables carried out and the rugs rolled and removed. She'd never done the ritual in this hall, and she wondered why Birik needed such a large space. The question did nothing to ease the ever-tightening knots in her stomach.

Already, in the cleared area on the near side of the natural columns that divided the hall, fires had been lit in great caldrons, forming a large ritual circle. Set within the circle were four cages. Leading her companions into the hall, she saw that the cages were filled nearly to overflowing with snakes.

How many creatures does Birik intend to kill tonight?

It was a moment before she realized that beyond the columns were other fires. A second ring.

Two circles?

Of course. Birik would raise power through the sacrifice of Vhyper and his snakes, while he expected her to do the same with the other Ferals and her deer. If the two energies melded and joined the way he obviously hoped they would, the combination might well be explosive.

She skirted the first circle, heading toward the second. As she cleared the columns, her pulse began to skate, fast and erratic.

Within the fire ring sat three wood platforms, tilted at a slight angle. Jag and Foxx lay chained and unconscious on two of them, their heads at the lower ends. On the floor beneath each platform sat a large vat ready to catch the blood.

Paenther lay on the floor in the middle of the circle, naked and staked as he'd been the night they'd freed the Daemons. But like his friends, unconscious. Or enthralled.

Her stomach rolled. She'd been practicing the chant to remove the shackles since she entered the caverns, but it wasn't going to do an ounce of good if they stayed like this.

Unconscious Ferals weren't going to be able to fight, shackles or no shackles.

Dear Mother, what am I supposed to do, now? Please don't let these men or these creatures in my care die.

She led her small menagerie between the fire pits and into the circle, trying not to stare at Paenther, but fear and love welled up inside her until she couldn't look away. His black hair hung back from his face, revealing the tattoo on his chest and throat, and the claw marks across his eye. Even enthralled, there was a latent power about him that drew her, that excited her on a hundred levels. A hard strength and a silent bone-deep promise of retribution to anyone who dared cross him.

How was she ever going to live if he died?

She forced herself to turn away. He wasn't going to die. She refused to allow it.

With a touch of her hands, she ushered the deer to the empty platform she knew Birik intended for her pets' slaughter. Struggling against tears, she tied them loosely around the necks with the ropes attached to an eyebolt screwed into the rock. Then she knelt and calmed them as best she could, meeting Faithful's dark-eyed gaze, praying she could save them all. At the sound of quiet steps behind her, she turned to find Vhyper approaching.

Part of her, the part beaten and abused too many times within the walls of these caverns, wanted to ignore him, or to run and cower against the wall. But something had happened to her in Feral House. Within Paenther's strong, gentle arms, she'd recovered a lot of the strength she'd once had. And it was a strength she refused to lose again.

Taking a deep breath, she rose and faced him, her fists clutching the skirt of the dress she'd donned after she returned.

"Big night," Vhyper said with a grin that didn't reach his eyes.

She tried to reconcile this cold, dangerous man with the friend who had once risked everything to keep Paenther alive.

Lacing her fingers together at her waist, she cocked her head at him. "You do know Birik means to kill you, right?"

"Of course."

"Why would you sacrifice your life for him, Vhyper?"

He tugged at his earring. "Not for him, little witch. For Satanan."

"You'd give up your life to free the very evil you're sworn to fight? An evil that will destroy everyone and everything you've ever cared about? That will decimate this world?"

Something flickered in his eyes. A knowledge. A pain.

Paenther was right. The real Vhyper, the one with the soul, was still in there. But it was the other one who struck with the speed of a snake, backhanding her and knocking her to the ground. Face throbbing, she watched the large Feral walk away.

Pushing herself to her feet, she turned to find Birik coming toward her, a black snake wrapped around his arm, a second curved around his neck. As he neared, she looked away as she always had.

"It's time to begin. When I tell you to, start your dance, then mount your Feral. You'll have to ready yourself this time, unless you'd like one of my men to do it."

She jerked her head, going cold at the thought. So many times her body had been used, in so many ways. But after knowing Paenther's touch, the thought of anyone else touching her made her ill. "I can do it."

Birik nodded. "The sorcerers will drench you in the blood of the deer. But not until you climax will we sacrifice the three Ferals, and we'll do it all at once. The surge of power should be...astounding. Prepare yourself."

He turned away and lifted his voice, sending a high call echoing over the stone, signaling the Mage to gather. Sorcerers, sentinels, and witches alike appeared through the doorways and rushed toward the circles.

Skye's heart clutched. The Ferals were still unconscious.

"Birik..." As he turned back, she looked away before he saw the worry in her eyes and started to suspect its cause. "I need...I need them awake."