An amused laugh filled the room, jerking him away from the incriminations running loose in his head. "That's the last thing you should do."
"Then why-"
"You need to make sure you know the difference between the two women."
"Of course I know the difference." Brie was like family. Caly was his life.
"Caly doesn't know that. You jumped from her bed into Brie's arms and happened to be holding her dagger."
"That's not the way it happened."
"Prove it to her."
"How?" Frustration made him growl the words. If he thought it would help, he'd reach across the table and force the words out of her.
Kelly smirked as if reading his thoughts and dodged out of reach. "You're a big boy. Figure it out." She sailed from the room without another word.
"Wait!" Ruman followed her and almost bumped into her back when she pulled up short.
"Don't back down, don't take no for an answer. Fight for her." Kelly turned the corner and disappeared into the darkness, but the seed had been planted.
He needed to get Caly alone. With a house full of hunters and trackers, there was only one way to do it.
Ruman headed back toward Caly's bedroom to plot. It was the last place she'd look for him if she thought to kick him out. He opened the door and was assailed by memories of what they'd shared.
He'd be damned if the first time would be the last time they spent in that bed.
Chapter Twenty-nine
David picked up the dagger, turned it over when his fingers fumbled. The piece slipped and plunked against the desk hard enough to dent the wood.
"What's with the dagger?" He wiped his palm on the front of his shirt.
Ignoring him, Caly took out a magnifier and studied the etchings. As the silence stretched, her skin prickled uncomfortably under his stare. Realizing he wasn't going to go away just because she wished it, she unbent a little. "It's called Carnwennan."
"King Arthur's dagger?"
She nodded, observing him without lifting her head.
"Holy cow." David's gaze dropped to the blade, his voice a choked whisper of awe. He reached out then snatched his hand back like it would jump and bite him. He might not be wrong. "So King Arthur was a demon slayer. Cool."
"The blade's made of a unique metal that alerts the owner to a demon's presence. It preserves their life."
"How does it work?"
Caly sighed and looked at him. "When you touched it, what did you feel?"
"Cold. Ice cold. And it's incredibly heavy."
"When the blade activates, multiply that by a thousand. A shock so cold it burns hot whenever a demon's close. My body absorbs the energy, alters my senses to make me sharper, faster, stronger. The longer the connection, the stronger the urge to hunt. I can almost feel the demons now before the blade reacts." The blade was binding her demon and itself together.
Terror balled like cotton in her throat at what she would eventually become, but there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it. She needed the dagger to save Ruman and the others.
"Shit." He peered at the weapon but some of the worship in his eyes vanished. "But why you?"
Caly shrugged and went back to her wax rubbing. "Something in my touch activated it."
"How does it work around Ruman and Brie compared to other demons?"
She didn't want to hear either name at the moment, but she bit back the first comments that popped in her mind. David didn't deserve to get his head bit off and spit back out. "Not to the same extent. I don't know if it reads from me or if it doesn't detect a threat from them, but the reaction is more of a hum along my skin."
"Caly?"
"Hmmm?"
"Be careful."
She lifted her head in time to see his back disappear out the door. Need and repulsion forced her hand to the pommel. She hated to have the blade out of her reach, but cursed the problems that came with it.
Namely tempting Ruman away from her.
It was only a matter of time before he would try again, and she'd have no choice but fight him. She thought of letting him win, too, but feared that if she lost the knife, she'd lose the edge to protect her people. How could she choose?
Enough!
She pushed the thought and the man out of her mind. That was in the future. She had a bigger problem that had to be dealt with first. Lifting the page, she studied the etching closer when understand struck.
Snatching up the dagger, Caly unsheathed the weapon. The symbols along the blade and pommel were similar to the medallion.
A key.
Now all she had to do was break the code. And fast. Instinct told her time was running short.
Two hours later, little devils were chipping away at her skull, and she hadn't received any answers for her troubles. Setting the magnifier aside, she rubbed her weary eyes. She was close to breaking the code but had no hope of getting answers in time for them to be of any help.
With daylight only hours away, Caly called it a night. Her body demanded rest from yesterday's battle. Every inch of her skin ached. She hoped fresh eyes in the morning would bring answers.
Slipping under the desk, she carefully peeled back a piece of paneling. Beneath was a hollowed out space big enough for a book or weapon.
Once the wax paper was hidden, she stretched and headed upstairs to oblivion. Outside her bedroom door, she hesitated. She couldn't go through another confrontation tonight. Ear to the wood, she listened.
Nothing.
Balanced on the balls of her feet, she entered the room ready to bolt at the first sign of anyone inside. Relief and disappointment fought when there was no sign of Ruman. She hadn't realized how much she had expected him to be there with an explanation.
Too exhausted to disrobe, Caly fell face first across the bed and closed her eyes.
Everything would look better after a few hours rest.
The mattress jostled and someone tossed a cover over her. She raised her arms to flip it away but too late. In seconds, she was wrapped tighter than a pig in a blanket.
She gasped, struggling to breathe. Pinned to the mattress under someone's bulk, Caly twisted to unwrap herself, determined to go down fighting. The blanket fell away from her face. She sucked in a greedy breath of cool air and recognized the shadowy person over her.
"You. What-" A rough cloth filled her mouth, cutting off her words.
* * *
Ruman was desperate to make Caly understand but the stubborn witch wouldn't sit still long enough to listen. She didn't give him a choice but to kidnap her. He stared down at Caly, her green eyes shimmering with such passion that his heart skipped a beat.
That the emotion happened to be anger didn't deter him.
Unable to resist, he leaned forward to kiss her, ignoring the way she jerked away. His lips landed on her forehead, and he smiled. "It's time we had a nice chat. I know the perfect place where we won't be interrupted."
Ruman gathered her in his arms, taking care to keep his hold firm. She wiggled and squirmed worse than a hellhound puppy.
He dropped her back on the bed and placed his hands on the mattress on either side of her shoulders. "Are you trying to hurt yourself? Now behave."
The instant he reached to scoop her up, she kicked out at him. "You asked for it." He easily slapped her legs down and covered her face with the rough material. He bent and tossed her over his shoulder.
A whoosh of air escaped Caly's lungs when he straightened. She bucked wildly, almost causing him to lose his hold. Ruman slapped the palm of his hand across her butt hard enough for her to feel the warning.
Caly screeched from beneath the blankets, her body vibrating with rage.
"I won't have you hurt yourself. If you're worried about the others, don't. I left a note in the kitchen in case anyone gets concerned." A half smile twisted his lips at her little growl of outrage.
The house was silent, everyone in bed as he walked out the front door. Outside was different. Ruman pulled back in the shadows and waited, timing the guards. Less than five minutes passed when the sentry made his rounds and disappeared around the corner. He had a minute to make it to the barn before the second sentry swept the yard.
When the sound of crunching leaves faded, Ruman sprinted. Brie wouldn't be far from Jarred's side, and since Henry's return, they'd both be in the house in case of emergencies. Recently rebuilt, the hastily put together room in the loft contained the barest of essentials - a bed, a nightstand and a chair.
And his addition. Ropes.
"Honey, we're home." He placed her on the bed, shifting the blanket to free one leg. Her foot swiftly connected with his jaw. He grunted, muscles straining to contain her, and quickly looped a rope around her boot then did the same to the other.
Now the arms.
His jaw throbbed by the time he shifted to face her, but it was the way she wiggled below him that had his body reacting predictably.
Hoping to avoid a struggle, he grabbed the first distraction that popped in his head. Ignoring the thrill that skimmed along his skin, Ruman kissed her jaw, shifting to nuzzle below her ear. Cloth muffled her words. She fought, scrunching her shoulder to deny him access.
Undeterred, he continued until she relaxed infinitesimally. When she arched under him, Ruman shuddered and dragged his teeth lightly against her skin and down her throat, the reason for being there growing foggy.