MARK OF LOVE (Lovemark #3)

6. Quilla

Chapter 6

Quilla

I jumped and whirled toward the second person to surprise me in the past ten minutes.

The woman who stood there gazing at me with an arched eyebrow looked somewhere between evilly entertained and pleasantly bored.

She always had a way of looking at me as if she didn’t give a f**k, all the while caring so much she judged and critiqued every action I made. It was a talent only Melaina could master.

Dropping my sword I hadn’t even realized I had lifted, I turned back to the slumped man at my feet. “He found me again.”

“So I see.” Melaina strolled up next to me and stopped. “And you let him see your true identity this time.” She shook her head, tsking in disappointment. “Very unwise, Quilla.”

“It wasn’t my fault; he caught me unaware.” I scowled at her, fully prepared to defend myself more, but she nudged him with her foot and rolled him from his side until he landed completely on his back, his limp hand flopping out next to him.

“Damn.” She gave a delighted shiver once he was facing up and revealing his full masculine appeal. “But he sure is a sight for sore eyes, isn’t he? Just look at that face. So strong. So young. So mouth-wateringly gorgeous.” Crouching next to him, she ran the back of her fingers along the very same jawline I’d just been appreciating.

Something about her stroking him in the sensual, slow way she was made my insides squirm and scream with this insatiable desire to pull her off him.

By her hair.

I glanced away so I could stop seeing it. “He got smart,” I muttered. “I didn’t realize he was following me this time.”

“So I guess this means we need to kill him now, hmm?”

“Yeah,” I mumbled, swallowing as I glanced down at him again. “I guess.”

“Well, then.” She pushed to her feet before dusting her hands against each other as if clearing them from all guilt and accountability. “Don’t let me stop you.”

My heart stuttered in my chest. And a sudden idea occurred to me. Sucking in a hopeful breath, I glanced up at Melaina. “Did you get in to see the jeweler today?”

“I did.”

Oh, thank God.

“And?”

If the jeweler had the amulet we needed and she was able to get her hands on it, maybe we could just leave the Outer Realms here and now and never come back; problem solved. There would be no reason to kill anyone to keep them from chasing and killing me. Not even this man could follow me out of the Outer Realms.

“And he didn’t have the amulet,” my aunt reported.

“What!?” No! We needed that amulet more than ever. I narrowed my eyes at her. “Do you think he was being honest? Maybe he really did have the amulet but just—”

“Oh yeah.” She sounded sure of herself as she pressed a hand to her plunging bustline to swear by her honesty. “He was still loopy from a post-orgasmic high when he told me, and it’s basically impossible to lie then, so he couldn’t have been dishonest.”

“You had s*x with him?” I exploded incredulously, only to pause and send her a tight smile before answering myself, “Of course, you did.” This was Melaina we were talking about. She never turned down a chance to copulate.

“And he gave me a new lead too.” She wiggled her eyebrows in self-congratulations. “He swears a pearl collector in Tyler told him about having an amulet like the one I described.”

“Tyler? But we just came from that direction.” We had literally passed directly through Tyler on our way from Kole up north to Pinsky. Why hadn’t the guy in Kole just told us about the Tyler jeweler?

“These damn gem dealers are beginning to piss me off,” I muttered. “I swear, they’re just jerking us around on purpose and leading us on a wild goose chase.”

“Well, if they were, it’d be your fault,” Melaina felt the need to impart, “since—you know—you stabbed the last one we interviewed.”

I rolled my eyes. “Even if that was the reason, how would he even know I was in any way associated with you?”

She frowned a moment before answering, “Good point.” Ready to change the subject, she motioned toward the unconscious High Clifter at our feet. “Are you really going to kill him?”

I didn’t like her questioning tone, as if she didn’t think I was capable. So I scowled. “Of course.”

“Shame.” Melaina sighed as she bent down to feel him up again, squeezing his upper arms. “Because seriously, these biceps. So firm. And you should really feel how muscled this chest is. I’m telling you right now, this is how a man is meant to be made. Hey, if you’re going to kill him, anyway, mind if I have a quick ride first? A boy as handsome and virile as he is has got to be good for a spot of orgasmic fun. It would be nearly impossible for him to be otherwise.”

My teeth ground together as I gazed around the clearing, trying not to think about where my aunt had to be touching him as I made sure no one else joined our party. So far, he’d been pursuing us alone, but it was always possible he’d called in reinforcements. An army of more High Cliff warriors could show up at any moment.

But no one else was about except for a black cat peeking out from behind a tree, watching us. It hissed at me when I made eye contact.

Filthy animal.

I narrowed my eyes right back and made a go-away, psst sound at it, until Melaina gave a shocked gasp.

“Sweet baby Jesus, would you look at that lump.”

It was impossible not to look when someone said look, and so my head turned that way before I could stop it.

I immediately wished I had better impulse control, though, because I found Melaina spreading her fingers over the crotch of his trousers, trying to smooth the material flat but failing because something underneath obstructed her attempts.

She glanced up at me, humming her approval. “Now, this is what I’m talking about. Take note, darling, because any man who tells you size doesn’t matter doesn’t have this in his pants.” After smoothing her palm lovingly over the bulge and purring deep in her throat, she scrambled to untie the laces that were holding his britches closed. “I have got to see this monster in the flesh.”

Oh God. I turned my eyes away, internally panicking over the idea of her looking at him—touching him—so much so that it caused an uneasy churn to unfurl deep inside me. I just couldn’t let her do this.

It was on the tip of my tongue to say Aunt Taiki’s name, and somehow bring up Melaina’s true love in an attempt to stop her from doing this here and now to the handsome stranger.

But my aunt had always been a highly s****l being. Male, female, young, old, any variety you threw at her; she usually found a way to appreciate their body. Mentioning Taiki wouldn’t halt her pursuits. She typically found a way to simply include Taiki’s memory into such physical pleasures.

No, it would just hurt her if I said Taiki’s name.

The only people I’d never seen her exhibit any kind of s****l interest in were Graykeys: her husband, children, and myself included. Maybe I could tell her he was a Graykey, except she could prove that false in half a second.

And then an idea hit.

“I don’t think he knew I was a Graykey,” I announced, biting my lip as I glanced down. She’d just gotten the leather ties undone, but she hadn’t opened his trousers yet.

Hands stilling in their hearty attempts to reveal him, she glanced up and lifted a single eyebrow. “Come again?”

“He had no idea,” I reiterated, even though a part of me wanted to deny my own claim because he had to have known. Except, honestly... “There was no feigning his surprise when he saw my mark.”

Melaina blinked and slowly rose to her feet, her mission to undress him successfully aborted.

“Then why has he been following us?”

“I don’t know. And I don’t care.” I glanced at the man’s face. It was still too comely with his long dark lashes resting on the tops of his cheeks. So I planted my foot on his shoulder and shoved, pushing him into his stomach so I couldn’t keep looking at him.

And so Melaina couldn’t so easily reach his c**k again.

“He must have some Graykey blood in his possession to be able to track me through so many glamoured disguises though.” I bumped my elbow into her arm and hitched my chin in his direction. “Why don’t you search him for a vial?”

That way I wouldn’t have to touch him, until—

Shit.

I’d forgotten I didn’t like her touching him either.

“Search him? Oh, gladly,” she answered, rubbing her hands together in eager anticipation as she stepped forward.

“You know what,” I decided, nudging her back, away from him. “I’ll just kill him. It’ll be easier that way and ensure once and for all that he’ll stop following us, whether he has a vial or not.” Which he probably didn’t, because he hadn’t known I was a Graykey.

Melaina lifted her brows as if amused by my decision.

“You sure?” she asked, her lips tightening as if she couldn’t quite contain the urge to laugh.

I scowled. “Just because I’ve never taken anyone’s life before doesn’t mean I’m incapable, you know.”

“Oh, of course not.” But she still looked as if she wanted to laugh at me. Sweeping out a hand, she motioned toward the man. “Be my guest then, sweetling. Show us your bloodthirsty, savage ways.”

Sniffing, I scowled and stepped past her, approaching the tree where one of the daggers I’d thrown had embedded itself. The cat who’d been hovering behind it darted out toward the man and jumped onto his back, growling deep in its throat at me as I yanked the blade free of the tree trunk.

“Scat,” I muttered, kicking at it to scare it off. “Get out of here.”

The pesky thing didn’t move.

I narrowed my eyes, and the cat looked up at me with a freaky, perceptive stare. Finally, it made a sniffing sound, like a sneeze, telling me I didn’t intimidate it in the least, and it pranced off the man’s spine, only to sit on the back of his head, swinging its tail lazily as if it was no longer concerned about me being a threat.

Okay, that was it. Not even the damn cat thought I could kill anyone. Now I really had something to prove.

Except the man was so very still. Maybe he was already dead. That way I wouldn’t have to take his life. Hoping maybe, possibly I’d be off the hook this time, I knelt next to the slumped High Clifter and checked his pulse, only to find a steady thump pressing back against my fingertips.

Damn. I was going to have to do this.

Blowing out a long, steadying breath, I rotated my shoulders to loosen them. You shouldn’t stab anyone with such tightness in your shoulders, right? Might throw off your aim and cause you to miss a vital organ. Then they’d bleed out slowly and painfully. And there was no way I could stand to watch that kind of mess.

Finally loose and limber enough to murder, I lifted my arm back high over my head, the hilt of my dagger gripped tightly in my fist, and I focused on a spot in the center of his spine. Except my gaze got a little caught on the back of his head and the way the ends of his short, dark hair curled ever so slightly against the collar of his tunic. An urge to reach out and wrap one of the locks around a single finger filled me. His shoulders were so wide and superbly shaped too.

His form truly was a feast for the eyes.

And suddenly, I realized I couldn’t kill him this way.

Because, you know, stabbing a person in the back didn’t seem very sporting. That was why. Yes. I didn’t want my first kill to be quite so murderous, you know.

I’d always pictured it with me being a lot more defensive—struggling and gasping for breath—and not knowing if I’d survive the next moment. This felt a bit too offensive.

“You want me to do it?” Melaina asked suddenly, making me jump because I’d completely forgotten she was standing there, watching.

“No,” I snapped, popping to my feet so I could glare back at her. “I got this.”

I did have this.

“Yes, but—”

“I said I’d do it!”

“Well, good God,” she shot back, equally irritated. “Then get to it already. This is like watching a sloth commit murder.”

Putting my foot against the man’s hip bone, I pushed him back into a roll until he flopped limply on his back again. There. Now he was fully capable of defending himself. If he were conscious, of course.

Shit, I’d forgotten how sickeningly handsome his face was. How could anyone destroy such masculine beauty? I’d be a monster if I took that pretty face from the world.

“For the love of all things holy,” Melaina groaned. “Just give me the damn dagger; I’ll kill him.”

She really would too. Probably quickly and heartlessly. I pulled the knife away when she went to reach for it, and this odd inner place inside me panicked.

“Get back,” I snapped.

“Then do it already,” she lashed out, at the end of her patience.

“I am!”

Huffing, I turned back to the unconscious High Clifter and knelt next to him again before lifting the blade above my head, ready to plunge it down into his still-beating heart.

I’m sorry, I whispered to him inside my head. But this was about survival. It was either him or me.

Okay, I was going to do this. On the count of three.

One.

Two.

“It’s curious though,” Melaina said, making me close my eyes briefly, grateful for the moment of reprieve.

Not that I could let her know I was thankful. So I ground my teeth and sent her an impatient scowl, keeping the dagger held high above his chest, poised to plummet. “What’s curious?”

“If he didn’t know you were a Graykey—”

“He didn’t.” At least he had seemed genuinely surprised when he’d found out. And why would he even want to feign that?

Melaina nodded, going with that theory. “Then why was he following you? I mean, there was no doubt it’s you he’s been after this whole week. Not me or anyone else.”

“What’s your point?”

“Why?” she said. “That’s my point. Why you? Aside from being a Graykey, you’re a no one.”

Wow. I just adored how she always made me feel like an unremarkable nonentity with the simplest of phrases. So very kind and considerate of her.

Ignoring the prickle to my pride, I shook my head. “I don’t know. And I don’t care. He’s a complication we can’t deal with right now. So he has to die.”

We had an amulet to find, a world to escape, and new lives to begin elsewhere. We didn’t have time for this.

“But aren’t you even curious?” she countered, sounding exasperated.

“No,” I answered.

Except, of course, I was. But honestly, I felt more scared than curious, so killing him was the best option. With him gone, out of our lives, the fear of whatever truths led him to my trail would be gone. And I could breathe normally again. So he really had to die. Because I enjoyed normal breathing.

“At least do me a quick favor before you off him,” Melaina said. “Tap on his tattoo there and see what happens.”

The dagger dropped suddenly to my side as if her words had taken control of my arm and rendered it useless. “Do what?” I gasped.

And yep, here came that spike of fear again. My pulse began to race and my head went a little dizzy.

“Five times will do it, I’d say.”

Shaking my head, I huffed out an incredulous snort. “Like hell.”

I knew all about the lore behind a High Clifter’s love mark. Their one true love could touch their tattoo five times, and it would crackle with an electrical charge, causing it to snap and sparkle. A High Clifter’s love mark could also help them track their mate, too. That was another thing I’d heard about their freaky tattoos. At first sight, it was like a beacon was planted, and from there on out, they’d be able to follow and find you. No matter where you went.

Creepy, right?

And though that hidden, fearful place inside me was already wondering about this very possibility, I gaped at my aunt with open-mouthed astonishment before shrieking, “You must be mad.”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, if he keeps finding you through every different glamour you wear, and he had no idea you were a Graykey, then how else—”

“Well, he…” I started, only to fall silent, because I didn’t have another answer. If he hadn’t been after me because I was a Graykey, then why had he been chasing me?

Melaina sighed. “Why else would anyone care about you?”

Well, ouch.

Ignoring the fact that I was in no way useful or beneficial to anyone outside the fact that I held a dark curse inside me and therefore might as well be put down like a rabid dog, I cleared my throat. “I’m sure there are hundreds of other reasons.” Except I honestly couldn’t think of a single one. “We just haven’t considered it yet.”

“Other than the fact that the man’s probably your—”

“Don’t say it,” I warned her, pointing the end of my knife threateningly. “I’m warning you—”

“True love.”

I narrowed my eyes and dropped the knife back to my side. “You said it.”

She sighed dryly. “Well, what else was I supposed to say? It’s the most likely possibility.”

“It is not the most likely possibility,” I exploded. “It’s the most ridiculous possibility. This—this person is not my—my—my—”

“Soulmate?”

“Argh. Stop spouting that crazy nonsense, or so help me God, you’ll live to regret it. The mere idea is absolutely nauseating.”

She wasn’t cowed by my threat in the least. In fact, I think I only amused her. Crossing her arms over her chest, she lifted a mocking eyebrow. “Well, then give his mark a tap and eliminate the possibility so we can move on and conceive of another.”

I instantly retreated a dozen feet away from the man’s body. “But I don’t want to touch him.”

“Why ever not? The boy’s a comely gent. Clean enough, smells nice, and he doesn’t appear to have any bugs. Just tap his damn tattoo already, and let’s get this test over with.”

“But what if he’s—”

“What if he’s what?” she countered, grinning smugly because she knew how much I dreaded the mere possibility.

“What if he’s—you know? My—my—”

“Your one true love?”

I glared at her, teeth clenched.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Well, there’s only one way to find out, and standing here discussing the possibility is not it.”

I remained frozen, unable to move.

Melaina smirked. “Unless you’re too scared,” she taunted.

Oh, that did it.

“Dammit, fine,” I muttered. “But this is completely stupid. There’s no way…”

Before I could stop myself, I surged forward and knelt at his side, tapping his temple as fast as I could, ready to be done with the entire discussion.

And sparks flew from his mark, making me screech and stumble away.

“Mother of God!”

My stunned gaze lifted to my aunt. She gaped back with wide, incredulous eyes. “It worked,” she blurted, blinking rapidly, apparently as surprised as I was.

I shook my head. “No,” I whispered. “What just happened?”

Melaina was the first to recover. With a sudden snicker, she shook her head. “It appears you just landed yourself a partner for life, my dear.”