Dreams of a Dark Warrior (32 page)

“Did they put every part back under the hood, Valkyrie?”

“Nice piercings.”

“Surgical steel’s your color.”

Both al ies and enemies had witnessed her at her lowest. Even the ones who hadn’t seen her stil knew

how intensely she’d reacted. As Natalya had told her, “You were like a nuclear reactor. Your lightning and thunder shook the building.”

Regin had yearned to be strong, had been resolved. Which was why her reactions had stunned her.

After a thousand years of knowing herself, suddenly she’d been
altered
.

In that operating room, she’d behaved in ways she’d never anticipated. Like a stranger might. Not like a

stalwart Valkyrie would.

“Chase promised me I would beg,” Regin muttered. “He was … right.” A Valkyrie, begging
mortals
for mercy. Shame scalded her.

“The magister was there?”

“He ordered it but didn’t have the stones to show. Fegley was there smirking. Dixon, of course.” Regin

would never forget the doctor’s eyes behind those freakish glasses—studious and calm as she’d probed

and sawed. There was no hate, no patent sense of righteousness.

Because Dixon truly believed Regin was no more than an animal to be utilized in the pursuit of science.

In the background, her fel ow surgeons had carried on a casual conversation as Regin had screamed

in agony. …

When she shuddered, Natalya laid her hand on Regin’s shoulder. “There’s one thing that’l make you

feel better—and strike fear in the hearts of your enemies once more.”

This demeaning ordeal wasn’t merely an ego check. Anytime a Lorean was perceived as weak, others

cal ed open season. If Regin ever did escape this place, she’d be endangered from this defeat. “And

what would that be?”

“A trophy. Taken from Chase’s body and carried on your person. Like a fashion accessory. I’m going

to own a memento from Volós before I die.”

Despite her pain, Regin grew curious. “What did he do to you?”

“He tortured me for a couple of years, mainly as court entertainment. Then I was largely forgotten in his

vile dungeon for about six years. Until his nephew visited.”

“The one you kil ed.”

“Correct.” In a faraway voice, Natalya said, “Every night in that cel , I sat plotting revenge. With every rat I caught and ate raw for sustenance, with every lash of a barbed whip, I only grew harder, losing

myself in fantasies of kil ing Volós.” Black veins forked out across her irises. “And before I destroy him, I’m going to tel him to send his nephew my regards. I can see it playing out so clearly in my mind.”

“We’ve got to escape this place first. And I’m not feeling particularly bul ish about our odds right now.”

“You’re feeling downtrodden because you’ve been dwel ing on what Chase has done to you. Instead

you should think about what he’l soon
surrender
to you. Come, Regin, tel me. How would you kil him?”

Regin gritted her teeth and sat up. “A sword stroke from his gul et down to his bal s. It’d be just deep

enough to kil him, but not outright. There’d be enough time for realization and horror to set in. Natural y.”

“Natural y. And Fegley?”

“Cut off the tool’s tool. Then nick his femoral artery.”

“For Dixon?”

Regin was liking this game. “I’d force her to swal ow razor blades. Let them slice
her
body open from the inside.”

“Now you’re talking! That notorious Valkyrie pride is surfacing—I can see it. Think of it, Regin.

Retribution is within reach for both of us. Let’s make a pact to help each other get our revenge.”

“I’m
in
.” Regin swiped her sleeve over her eyes. “Hey, Natalya?”

“Yes?”

“I’m real y glad we had this talk.”

THIRTY

H
ours later, Declan conceded defeat with Slaine. But only temporarily. Though the demon despised

Carrow the witch for luring him into the Order’s clutches, Slaine stil wanted her, even believed she was

his mate.

I’ll use that.
Threaten the life of a male’s woman, and he would do anything, say anything.

Pitiable,
he told himself, even as he feared what he’d do if someone had a blade at Regin’s throat.

Out in the corridor, he again noticed that Dixon wouldn’t meet his eyes, even turned to avoid him.

Farther along, he came upon a smirking Fegley, rapping his nightstick against his palm.

Vincente was nowhere to be found, though he’d obviously needed to talk to him. Disquiet settled over

Declan as he strode to his quarters.

Back at his console, he pul ed up Regin’s cel . She was curled up on the bottom bunk, her back to the

camera. Her fey cel mate was pacing.

A knock sounded at his door. After a short pause, Webb entered. “Better luck next time with Slaine,

son.” His tone was odd, his expression almost … guilty.

Now Webb was acting strange?
Gotta cut back on the medicine.
Paranoia had him by the throat.

“I need to take the vampire’s ring off-island for more study,” Webb said. “And transfer a prisoner as

wel . Unfortunately, I must leave tonight before the storm hits.”

Declan was only half-listening, keeping the monitor in the corner of his vision. Was Regin’s skin dim?

“The ring’s in my safe.”

“I’ve col ected it already.”

“Which prisoner are you transferring?”

Just as Webb said, “The one you’re no doubt watching,” Regin turned on the bed—revealing a line of

staples below the hem of her shirt.

Vivisection.

The room spun. “What … the Valkyrie was …”

“Examined? Yes, while you were resting today. I’d hoped to have her shipped out before you finished

with the demon.” Then he exhaled. “You and those monitors. Never could hide anything from you. Wel ,

not much, anyway.”

Declan shot to his feet. “No. She wasn’t scheduled,” he said slowly. “Some other creature was.”

“I decided to have her examined before her transfer.”

Sagging against the console, Declan rewound the feed of the O/R to this morning. Regin had just

awakened strapped to the operating table.

He could do nothing but watch in horror, his heartbeat roaring in his ears, his mind threatening to break

once and for al .

This had been done by Declan’s order hundreds of times before, but he’d never truly understood. …

As they’d begun slicing her skin open—without anesthesia—she’d shrieked, her body twisting in the

restraints. Tears had leaked from her stunned eyes. Again and again, thunder had boomed, shaking the

camera.

She’d felt
everything
.

When they’d cracked open her rib cage, Declan clutched the edge of the console, crushing the wood to

splinters. Never had he felt so sickened. Not even the night his entire family had been murdered.

Once Regin had grown insensible, just before speech became impossible, she’d begged Chase to stop

it.

And Fegley had told her, “Who do you think ordered this done to you? You didn’t think that he’d retaliate

against you?”

That lying son of a bitch! I will bash his skull!

With a roar of fury, Declan turned to Webb. “Why the fuck would you do this?
Why?
” he bel owed, not recognizing his own voice.
She cried for me to save her. …

In a faltering tone, Webb answered, “Now, just calm yourself.”

He fears me. He should.

“This is one of thousands of examinations. Why would you care about a detrus who sought to kil you?”

No, she stopped me before I could kiss her.

“She’s got you bewitched. Tonight I’m moving her from the island, so you can throw off this spel . I’l fix it, just like I fixed the last one.” Webb ran his hand over his face, looking much older than his years. “Then you can return to life as you knew it. To a life of purpose and service.”

Declan felt a murderous rage, and confusion fol owing on the heels of it. Because he wanted to kil the

man he’d looked upon as a father.

“You want to harm me right now, don’t you, son? After al I’ve done for you? Can’t you see that this is

an enchantment?”

It wasn’t.
Unless Regin got to me when I was just a boy.
He’d been waiting al his life … “Answer me!

Why would you do this to her?”

“We have to uncover their weaknesses. The Valkyrie could prove more dangerous to the Order than

any other faction. Hel , that glowing one wants you dead even now. Play the feed where she talks to her

witch friend.”

Though he could imagine what she’d said, Declan did. As the guards dragged her past the witch’s cel ,

Regin’s skin had been ashen, her legs trailing limply. He could see the grisly staples climbing above the

col ar of her shirt and down her flat bel y.

Bile rose in his throat.

“Carrow … is that y-you?” She’d coughed blood. “Can’t s-see.”

Carrow leapt to the glass. “I’m here!”

“Kil him, witch! Curse Chase. He ordered this. He is Aidan the Fierce. T-tel my sisters.”

Declan shoved his fist against his mouth.

Regin had been right to trick him, had been smart to do everything in her power to escape.
What

should I have done? Calmly awaited my torture?
She’d known this was in store for her.

And I didn’t protect her
.

“Son?” Webb began backing away—because, Declan dimly realized,
he
was stalking closer.

“I understand what you must be feeling.” Webb stumbled up to the next level of Declan’s room. “But this

is manageable. Maybe it’s time for you to know what you’re battling, so you can comprehend why you feel

this unnatural pul to her.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Son, you’re … you’re a berserker.”

“You bloody
knew
. For how long?”

“We knew you were different from the beginning. You kil ed two Neoptera with a bat when you were just

seventeen years old. Dixon only recently put it al together after she studied the immortal berserker.

Though you’re stil mortal, you share key markers with him.”

Might have been swinging, but I’ve still gone down.
Declan was of their world. “But if you knew I was different …” He trailed off, his eyes narrowing. “It was
you
who sent Dixon to help me camouflage my symptoms.”

When Webb didn’t deny it, Declan said, “Did you tel her to keep me high, so you could control me, so

I’d continue to be a good little soldier?”

“It’s not like that, son. She suggested an … enhanced medical regimen, and I agreed. You seemed

more satisfied.”

“Even though you saw what I went through to get clean the first time! Why not tel me, and let
me
figure out how to deal with it?”

“I was protecting you. You already had more obstacles to overcome than any other man I’ve ever

known. I thought this knowledge would break you.”

It might have, before Regin. Declan’s brows drew together. Their kind— He stopped himself.
No,
my
kind have one mate
.

Al his life, he’d wondered what he yearned for, obsessing over it every minute of the day, sickened with

the need to find it. He’d nearly lost his mind. Declan flexed the hand he’d used to punch the tile in his

shower earlier.

At last, he could stop wondering. Regin was … his. To possess, to protect. He swung a lowering glance

at Webb. The man before him had hurt Declan’s woman. Had removed her from his reach, possibly

forever. “You had to suspect that the Valkyrie is mine. Stil you did this to her?”

“Now, wait just a minute! You told me that you’d beaten your obsession. I believe you cal ed her a

detrus whore. How was I to read your mind?”

“Bul shite! Then why hide this from me? Why send me off the island? I wasn’t supposed to be back for

days!”

“The Valkyrie are a real threat. That subject is the key to developing a weapon to fight them—a device

that disrupts a Valkyrie’s energy supply. There’s potential, but we need to test it on her again.”

“That subject?” Declan lunged forward, his hand shooting out to wrap around Webb’s throat. “That

subject is
my woman
!”
How Regin cried for me …

Webb’s eyes went wide with fear. He tried to talk, but Declan tightened his grip.

I loved this man like a father?

Suddenly the power surged, the lights wavering.
My bloody installation doesn’t have power surges.

Webb’s radio sounded: “Commander, our security nets are picking up some strange interference. We

thought it was more of the Valkyrie’s lightning, but this is different. …”