“That’s right. I’m just a figment of your imagination, created by the ugly fuckers who took us.”
At his words, one of the Dark Fae bared his teeth and took a menacing step toward him. Kellan had gotten a reaction, just as he figured he would.
If it was just him that had been taken, Kellan would have eventually worked out their weaknesses and gotten free, but he didn’t have forever, not as long as Denae was with him. He’d made a vow to her, and he didn’t intend to break it.
“They are pretty ugly. And you say that men and women fall for the creatures?” Denae asked, conversing as if they were chatting over tea. “Those people must have low expectations.”
Kellan barely choked back his laugh. He didn’t imagine there was ever a human who had turned away a Fae—either Light or Dark.
She was trying to help him, but all her comment had done was turn all three males’ focus on her.
At the rate she was going, Denae’s soul wouldn’t last the next few hours.
“Enough!” Kellan bellowed. “Show yourselves. Now.”
At once, a bluish glow filled the chamber, allowing him to see where the shadows fell, and allowing Denae time to see just where she was being kept.
“That will be the last order you ever give, Dragon King,” one of the Dark Fae said as he held up a hand and magic rammed into Kellan’s gut. “You’re our toy now.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Denae watched with horror as Kellan doubled over from the vicious magic attack. His hair fell to cover his face, but not before she caught a glimpse of the feral fury that filled his features.
She shivered, because it was just a matter of time before Kellan got free. When he did — he was going to rip the Fae apart.
And she couldn’t wait to see it.
Knowing she wasn’t alone helped to calm some of her fears, but not nearly as much as she wanted. How she wished she had magic of her own to help Kellan, but she was simply a mortal. The only thing she had going for her was her training and her wits. It was going to take both to get her out alive.
With her jaw still aching from his hit, Denae remained silent, hoping the Fae would forget about her. Two of them were focused on Kellan. But the third, a tall male with long black hair streaked with silver, and white marks all over his bare chest that looked like tattoos, had his red gaze on her.
Denae divided her attention between Kellan and the Dark Fae. Kellan straightened and lifted his chin, daring them to use magic again.
The three Dark were attractive, and she could understand why so many humans fell prey to them. They were tall, lithe with sculpted bodies, though they didn’t compare to Kellan’s muscular form.
The Dark Ones’ hair was black just like Rhi’s, but the difference were the streaks of silver that ran through it. One of the Fae, the one who had spoken to Kellan, had his hair cropped short, which only accentuated the silver in his hair and his red eyes.
The second Fae’s hair hung to his chin with two thick silver streaks falling on either side of his face.
Denae didn’t want to look at the third again. He was the same one who had been at the docks, the same one who had ogled her then, as he was now. His black hair hung down his back almost to his waist with the silver mingling among the black.
“You can no’ kill me.” Kellan’s voice rang out in the room hard and commanding.
The lead Fae simply smiled. “It will make our fun last infinitely, Dragon.”
“As long as you hold me. When I get free—”
“When?” he interrupted Kellan. He gave a snort and looked at his companions before his red gaze shifted back to Kellan. “That’ll never happen. Or have you forgotten what happened to the two Kings we captured before?”
Undeterred, Kellan said, “When I get free, I’m going to take great pleasure in ripping each of you limb from limb.”
“Not going to happen,” the second Fae said with a sly smile. “We’ve got plans for you, Dragon.”
Denae spotted the third Fae walking toward her. She hastily climbed to her feet and turned away. Every instinct told her to face the creature and never turn her back to it, but she wanted to ignore him, to show him his wiles wouldn’t work on her. In order to do that, she had to look anywhere but him.
“You think you can ignore me?” he whispered in her ear, moving her hair so that his fingers skimmed her ear. “That’s not possible.”
“I’m doing it, aren’t I?” she retorted.
There was a pregnant pause and then a soft chuckle. He molded himself to her back so she could feel his erection. “Our females use your males for sex, and we also like to take a mortal woman. But do you know why we lure pretty young things like you?”
“I don’t care.”
“Hope. Optimism. Aspirations. Those are the emotions I feel within you. We take those from mortals, because they are too good to resist. But do you know the emotion that is the most delicious?”