Kresley Cole - Kiss of a Demon King

But when Cadeon talked about his new wife, his entire demeanor changed. His glass of liquor went for-

gotten on the table. "We knew how smart she is. But who knew how sexy a mathematician could be?"

"How did you get the sword?"

"I had to give her to Groot for it. Thought you'd be proud of me for making a sacrifice for once in my life. I thought of you, of the kingdom, and the people. Still, I was planning on taking her right back, but the bastard tricked me...."

After Cadeon relayed everything that had happened. Rydstrom could hardly imagine how painful it would've been to see the betrayed look on the face of the woman he'd fallen for so completely.

Even though Cadeon had a plan to save her, Ryd­strom didn't know that he himself could have done the same.

Cadeon said Holly had . .. cried.

My brother's a stronger man than I am. It was difficult to swallow that truth, but Rydstrom was craven with his need for Sabine-the thought of even parting from her for a day made his fangs grow. "Holly's forgiven you?"

"Almost mostly. But she still gives me slack about it when she's sick. I take it as a husbandly badge," he said, puffing out his chest.

"Sick? You told me she was fully immortal."

"Yeah, but she throws up some, because, well, the thing of it is . . . Ah, fuck, Rydstrom, I knocked her

up."

"You're going to be a father?" Gods help the world.

I'm going to be an uncle?

"I got Holly, like, on the first shot. Nïx is calling me Bull's-eye and the Womb Raider."

"Nïx is nothing if not subtle." A month ago, Rydstrom would've been uneasy with the idea that his brother had gotten a babe on the Vessel. Now he felt confident the female would bear a warrior of ultimate good.

"That's why I'm on my own tonight-cause Nïx and Holly are out shopping for baby swords or something." He scratched his head. "I'm kind of hoping they were joking about that, but with Valkyries, how can you know?"

"How do you feel about having a babe?"

"At first, I was happy, because I thought it'd mean Holly'd have to forgive me, like I'd smuggled an ally on the inside who'd help me," Cadeon said, still every bit the mercenary. "Then I got excited. If Holls thinks I drive her crazy, imagine little Cadeons running around all over the place."

"I have firsthand experience with one. And that was plenty."

An awkward silence fell over the room. Rydstrom took a drink, muttering over the rim, "Make sure you have wainscoting."

"What?"

Rydstrom shook his head. "Nothing."

"No, tell me."

"When you were little and your horns were molt­ing, they itched so bad that you'd run them against the walls. Nylson and I used to burst out laughing to see every new three-foot-high gouge running the length of a hall. We wouldn't let anyone repair them." His lips curled until he noticed Cadeon's expression. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're talking about me. And it sounds . . . fond." What the hell did Rydstrom have to lose? "It nearly broke me to send you away."

Cadeon scowled. "So much that you visited all the

time?"

This much resentment?. "I did every chance I could. At least once a week in the beginning." At Cadeon's dis­believing look, he said, "I was there watching over you, making sure you had everything you needed. I stayed out of the way because Zoe and Mia said I would inter­rupt your bonding with your new family."

"How about not sending me away at all?"

"After Nylson and our father had just been slain? Because they broke the custom? When you were little, I was still adjusting to being king. I'd just lost my older brother, who was my best friend. And my father, as well. Then you were to be in jeopardy, too? I couldn't stand the thought of it. I was tempted to take you and our sis­ters and start anew, turn our backs on wars and killing."

Cadeon gaped. "You considered giving up the

crown?"

"If there'd been a worthy replacement for me. Yes. Then, just a few years later, I lost the kingdom to a vicious murderer. I'd wondered if I'd fought hard enough, or if I'd let go too easily. The guilt was unre­lenting, is unrelenting."

"But the crown was everything. That's why you've hated me all these years."

"I never hated you. And the crown had nothing to do with why I've been hard on you." At Cadeon's raised I brows, Rydstrom said, "All right, that was part of it.

But I was also angry because of the way you were liv­ing your life. You were selfish and uncaring." Rydstrom knew Cadeon wouldn't argue that. "Sabine's since told me that you would've been assassinated if you'd gone to Tornin. Omort had five hundred troops waiting for you."

"Sabine told you that?"

"She wanted to ease some of the strife between us."

"Kind of nice, for an evil bitch."

"Guard your words carefully, brother, that woman is going to be your queen." Just when Rydstrom thought they'd have another row, Cadeon raised his palms.

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry. But don't forget that she's part of the reason I gave up Holly. I thought if I got the sword, I could free you. It ate at me, thinking of you in a dungeon. Nïx told me the sorceress would ... use you."

The sorceress did.

With a nod at the now empty bottle, Cadeon said, "You've finished it-something I never thought I'd see-so are you ready to divvy what happened?"

Rydstrom exhaled. Then he told Cadeon almost everything, leaving out his false vow, ending with, ". . . I'm not making progress with her as I'd hoped. And I've only got another two days."

"Look, I know I'm the last person you want to take advice from, but you can't force this. You can't make her love you."

"Then what would you do?"

"You know, do nice shite for her. Buy her things. Really think about what she likes and what makes her happy and make it happen. She'll come around. And if

she doesn't, you can cut off your horns for her. Chicks

dig that."

Rydstrom's gaze shot up. Sure enough, Cadeon's had been shorn. "What the hell did you do that for?"

"Holly wanted a normal life, so I was trying to give her normal. She's since berated me, and forbidden me from ever touching my 'rock-hard, sexy horns' again. Then she outlined what she was going to do to me when they grew back. Gods, brother, that woman quicks my wick." Then he frowned. "Wait a minute. Did you say Sabine was going to be my queen? What the hell is she now?"

Deceived.

A storm was coming, outside the house and within it as

well.

Rydstrom was going to confess to Sabine about his sham vow. With a heavy heart, he made his way upstairs to their room, leaving Cadeon to finish his drink.

Though he'd been working to earn her trust, Ryd-strom was about to destroy it with one blow. But he had no choice. Every time she called him her husband was like a knife to the chest.

He sat beside her in the bed. "Sabine, there's some­thing I must confess to you."

She didn't answer, didn't turn to him, but her slim shoulders tensed, letting him know she'd awakened.

"All I ask is that you try to understand the circum­stances. Can you do that?"

No response. He laid his hand on her shoulder and tugged her over to face him. She opened her eyes.

They were filled with blood.

"What is this? Sabine, what's happening?"

"It's . . . here" Her words were slurred, her skin waxen.

He gathered her up in his arms. Her heartbeat was racing.

When a line of blood tracked from her nose and another from her ear, the sharpest fear he'd ever felt came over him. "Ah, gods, what is happening to you? Tell me, cwenal"

"Poison," she gasped.

"What are you saying? How? Who did this to you?"

Her back arched sharply, her hands fisting in Ryd­strom's shirt. When she coughed, blood misted from her mouth.