Immortals After Dark 03 - No Rest for the Wicked

space was pitch black, she knew he could see perfectly, because he was studying her expression. Then his gaze fell to her claws before she eased them behind her back. There was no hiding that she was shaken.
    “Clawing free, Kaderin?” He strode to her, and helped her to her feet. “How long have you been trapped in here?”
    She brushed her knees off. “A couple of hours.”
    “How did this happen?”
    “Bowen pulled down the rocks when I was inside.”
    “MacRieve?” Sebastian clenched his fists. “I will kill him for this.”
    She shrugged. “Promise? Because that would eliminate two competitors.”
    “Is he still near?” Sebastian narrowed his eyes, clearly hoping he could face him now.
    She shook her head. “He’ll have collected his egg and be long gone. He’s done what he set out to do with me, and he’s already removed several of the demons and all of the fey from the competition completely. Anyone who faced him is out.”
    “How?”
    “All we know is that he’s trapped them somewhere.”
    “What about the young witch?” Sebastian asked. “Surely MacRieve wouldn’t have hurt the girl.”
    “He got Mariketa as well, but she managed to curse him first,” Kaderin said. “He seems to be weakening and not regenerating from injuries.” She jerked her chin in Sebastian’s direction. “Bowen will come after you next. As of yesterday, I was tied for the lead with him—”
    “As expected—”
    “And also tied with you. He’ll attempt to take us out one by one.”
    “I look forward to facing him. I’ll relish killing him for trapping you here.”
    Her answer was another shrug. Sebastian fell silent, and she knew he was waiting for her to ask him to trace her out. She drew in the gravel with the toe of her boot.
    “Damn it, ask me to take you from here,” he grated.
    “No.”
    “You’d rather rot in here?”
    “I was making progress,” she said.
    “Obstinate female. Is it impossible to admit you’re relieved I’m here? That I could save your hide right now?”
    “No,” she said simply. And she didn’t elaborate, making him look like he wanted to throttle her.
    She had to assume Bowen had collected his prize in the next ravine over, but Cindey could still be beaten. If Kaderin got out of here soon.
    “Very well, I’ll leave you to your progress.” He turned to trace, and she hurried forward, touching his arm.
    “Look, I don’t want to be traced to your backyard. The prize must be in the next cavern system over, and it’s just across a ravine.” She crossed to the rocks, and pushed with frustration. “I need to be directly on the other side of these, and I know you can’t trace there.”
    “Because you assume I haven’t been there before?”
    She piped her lip and blew a curl out of her eyes. “Do you often visit Las Quijadas, Sebastian?” At his blank look, she added, “Argentina.”
    “No, I can’t trace there. But... ” He studied the boulders, then pushed against one until it began to move.
    When she gasped, he stopped. “Seems I could free you, after all.”
    She gave him a tentative touch on his chest. “What would it take to get you to finish moving those?”
    “What are you offering?” he asked, his voice rougher.
    “Money? Would you take money to push these free?”
    “I’ve plenty of my own. More than enough for both of us.”
    She scowled at that. “What do you want, then?”
    “I want”—he ran his hand over his face—“to... touch you. Not here, but tonight—”
    “Not going to happen.” She crossed her arms over her chest, and his gaze landed on her damp cleavage. As he had that night on the coast, he looked like he was considering throwing her over his shoulder and tracing her back to his bed. “I do so wish my breasts would stop staring at your eyes.”
    His head jerked up, and he had to clear his throat to rasp, “Kiss me. Kiss me, and I’ll free you.”
    “The last time that happened you bit me, and you could do it again.” Kissing Sebastian always seemed to lead to more. Last time, it had led to his taking her blood.
    And possibly her memories.
    “I never bit you. I grazed your skin. Accidentally.”
    “Then tell me you haven’t contemplated doing it again.”
    “I”—he exhaled heavily—“cannot. The pleasure was too intense to ignore.”
    She was shocked by his honesty and didn’t bother disguising that fact. “Then I’m betting in the same situation it would happen again.”
    “I would vow not