Dreams of a Dark Warrior

parasite. His irises are nearly red. Females are always tittering about how you never know whether he’s going to kiss you or kill you. And that’s just something I’d want to establish up front, you know?”
    Chase narrowed his eyes.
    “For the record, I like ’em young, dumb, and hung. And clever Lothaire only fits one of my criteria. Plus he’s a vampire. I despise vampires. We probably have that in common—”
    “You refuse to reveal pertinent information about your enemy?”
    “I’ll bet Lothaire won’t dish about me either. Matterof fact, I’ll bet you don’t know much about the Valkyrie at all.”
    “If that’s true, you’re soon to remedy my lack of knowledge.”
    “You’ve never captured a Valkyrie, have you?” Had her tone been gloating?
    “But I have one now.”
    When his thumb hovered over the red button, she stared at him aghast. “You’re truly going to … torture me?”
    He cast her a puzzled look. “Why
wouldn’t
I torture you?”
    Because you used to love me, used to cherish me.
“I thought we had a moment yesterday? Didn’t you like seeing me in lingerie?”
    In a monotone voice, he said, “Why did the charge throwers have no ill effect on you?”
    He’s truly going to do it? Then fuck him. D EFCON .
“Chase, I’ve tussled with vibrators stronger than your
charge throwers.
”
    No reaction. “You consumed energy. And channeled it at will. How?”
    All Valkyrie consumed it—they were each connected through a grid of mystical energy—but Regin was the only one she knew of who could radiate it through her body. She’d inherited the talent from her birth mother. “So how does one get started as a magister? College or trade school?”
    “I don’t have the time or patience for games. Now, tell me, why do you … glow?”
    “I touched a radioactive alien cock once.”
    He pressed the button.
    As her eyes followed a bead of poison traveling down the tube, she muttered, “You’re not giving me much of a choice here, Chase.”
    She remembered all those centuries ago when Aidan had taught her war strategies. If this were a battlefield, then she had only one move open to her—a charge. Could she be his doom once more?
    To sit and wait in this facility would mean certain death. Regin hadn’t stayed alive for a thousand years by
inaction
.
    When the poison reached her arm, she clamped her jaw shut to keep from screaming—it was like liquid fire in her vein. Sweat broke out on her face. Every muscle in her body began to knot.
    She gritted out, “When I escape—”
    “Valkyrie, no one has
ever
escaped this island.”
    “Nothing but a roll call … of dead immortals?”
    “Precisely. Now, tell me what language you speak to your cell mate.”
    “Immortalian. No? Immoratlivan. Immortinian!”
    “Do you
want
me to hurt you?” Another bead inched down the line.
    “I want you to go fuck yourself!” she bit out just before it hit.
    Her back bowed, her sharpened claws slicing into her palms as she fought the urge to shriek. Lights flared and thunder rocked the building.
    Blood trickled from her nose. She tasted more in her mouth.
    If he does it again, then my decision’s settled.
    “I’m told the effect is cumulative—it will continue to worsen.” Though outwardly calm as he explained this, his face had paled even more. “But if you tell me about the Valkyrie’s weaknesses, I’ll administer the antidote.”
    “Weaknesses? So many. Foremost, we’re … ticklish.”
    A third bead dripped down.
    “You’ll pay!” The pain was blistering, like acid eating away at her from the inside. She threw back her head and shrieked as her body seized. Her arms wrenched violently against her restraints.
    Pop.
Her shoulder dislocated. Light bulbs shattered above them.
    Going to kill him. Going to do the deed myself!
When she’d finally endured that wave and faced him once more, her vision was blurred by a film of blood. Dots of crimson had begun to seep from her pores.
    He narrowed his eyes. “Your glowing has lessened. Is it emotion-based?”
    She spat, giving him a slow, bloody grin. “This will hurt you … more than it ever hurts me.”
Must make him remember.
    “And again, you act as if we’ve met.”
    “I did know you,” she said. “Long before all this. Don’t you remember me?”
    Like a shot, he was on his feet and around the table, his hand gripping her throat. He squeezed her windpipe as he demanded, “Were you there that night?”
    She gasped,