Wolf's-own[4] Incendiary by Carole Cummings

Author:Carole Cummings [Cummings, Carole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-01-12T07:42:54+00:00

“HE WANTEDthe Incendiary willing.” The girl gasped as Kamen dipped a finger into the wound he’d made just below her ribs, crooked it. She arched against Leu’s

hold, juddering with pain and shock, but she still snarled as Leu kept her from writhing away. Kamen’s face was blank, his eyes cold and flat. The girl screamed this time, but Xari could have told Kamen this would do no good. Mortal this one might be, but held in thrall to an immortal power that had managed to birth gods; torture was redundant. “He lost his patience. And thenyou came back.” Kamen merely lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t care.” His smile chilled Xari, at least—she couldn’t tell if it had the same effect on anyone else, because she couldn’t take her eyes offKamen. “I onlycare where he is now.”

Whenthe girldidn’t answer, perhaps couldn’t, Kamen’s finger slid downinto the wound up to his knuckle… twisted. Xarihad to turnher head to hide the wince as the girlshrieked.

It was no surprise to her, this vindictive bit of ruthless retribution. She knew Kamen’s tactics; she knew what had brought himto Wolf’s attention. She knew he wouldn’t stop. And she knew what that look in young Morin’s eyes meant too. She couldn’t allow it to take root. Fate’s hand was like a new kiss set to his brow, this youngKurimo, and it would not do for himto fear the one uponwhomhe might one dayhave to rely.

Xariturned to the maijin held fast in Goyo’s grip. “Zuan,” she sighed, genuinely regretful. Zuan merely looked at her with eyes that held no reason, no recognition, eventhoughhe had beenDragon’s once and Xarihad knownhimlongbefore Asaihad evenbeena seed ofanidea inthe back ofher mind.

Older than she, this one, as old as time, and she thought she understood now why the Hawk Priest had stolen those who’d come even before he had. Maijin had beenenslaved once before, after all, the seed ofthe old magic deep inside their souls more vulnerable than apparently even the gods had known to the leash held by the usurped who would be the usurper. Xari wondered if Kamen had yet realized that the same seed still sat as a dormant little lure at the bottom of the Incendiary’s tormented soul, and was just as defenseless.

Of course he had. It was, no doubt, why Kamen was now wrist-deep in this girl’s guts, ignoring the screams and the ashen cast to the faces around him. Asmall bit of sacrilege in Wolf’s own temple, Xari supposed, but Kamen was and had always been the bloody hand at the end of Wolf’s long arm, and… well. The metaphor rather gained appallingpower whenmade into too-vivid reality. She waited untilthe cries tapered into whimpers.

“Kamen,” Xarisaid quietly. She laid one hand to Zuan’s armand held the other out toward Kamen. “She can tellyou nothing. Even did she want to.” She shook her head whenKamennarrowed his eyes. “And youhave no time to indulge your wishfor blood.”

“I can’t smellhis blood anymore,” Kamen said, slowly and from between his teeth. “And he isn’t using the ring, which means I can’t feel him.

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