Corruption of the Rose Page 4

  Saris had bowed his head in acknowledgment of the words, an interest flaring to life within him and a hunger that he had not yet known how to identify.

  His Master, however, had slanted him a knowing look, his lips curving in a secret smile. “You were made to be my crucible of another design, far more controlled than blindly facing with the creatures that attempt to escape the underworld as I did. But you must prepare them, and to create the perfect gold of their being you will have to destroy them, tear them apart, make them bleed, give them pain and fear. You are to be the monster leashed and restrained, but one from which they cannot escape.”

  If only it had been so easy. Every hunt ended the same—death and more death.

  Saris’s ears flattened. He did not remember his human life any longer, and he felt no pity toward the many skulls that littered the Master’s laboratory. Each human, found with magic the lupi brought here, and each male died one by one, each death terrible in its own way. They all failed, and they all were left to decay and feed the creatures of the night. Not the lupi. They did not eat human flesh. After so many failures, the room smelled strong of old decay. It had been nearly two hundred years since the last mage had ventured near.

  “Saris,” a male growled, his dark gray fur slipping through the shadows as he approached.

  Saris lifted his eyes to meet the fiery gaze of the other male.

  “Find the human, Gnaval,” he snarled.

  Chapter 5

  It had to be midday, but in the forest, nothing changed. The deep shadows seemed to hold its secrets, impenetrable by the glory of the sun. Rose could almost believe that she was approaching the mouth of the underworld, where the light of the living sun did not penetrate until it sank into the west. It was too easy to forget that she was a human wandering through those shadows and not a spirit born of them… The frantic beat of her heart was the only thing that ceaselessly reminded her of her mortality and the precarious state of existence that accompanied it.

  Plants that grew in the deepest shadows, and many species and variations that Rose had never seen before, seemed to stretch out for her. Some were larger, brushing against her, slapping at her arms and legs as she forced her way through them. Others were smaller, like the tiny leaves on a long vine no thicker than the thin A string on a violin. The latter she especially hated because they clung to her with needle-sharp barbs that dug into her skin, cutting into her as she passed, leaving trails of blood droplets in her wake.

  She didn’t want to think of what might be following her through the forest. She felt eyes on her, tracking her movements. She was certain that she was being watched, but if the stories of the creatures that called this mountain their home were even close to true, then she didn’t want to know what might be slavering after her. The tales of the bestia aside, which were frightening enough to young mages, there were all manner of creatures that would occasionally escape the confines of the underworld—frightful things that didn’t belong in the world of men.

  Do not think of it, she admonished herself. Still, that didn’t stop her fingers from tightening in her skirts at her side. Movements in the forest were difficult to ignore or dismiss as nothing. They were too large to be small predators slinking through the undergrowth. Her pulse hammered as a low hissing moan drifted to her ear, but it stopped, replaced with a shriek of pain.

  Predators. Just part of being in the forest.

  A loud rustle caught her attention, and she slowed to a halt. It was never a good idea to give one’s back to a predator or otherwise appear to be fleeing. Turning slowly, she drew a sharp breath, looking for any sign of threat. A shadow just behind her wavered with far more purpose than shifting branches in the wind. It seemed to condense and thicken as something dark pushed forward.

  That was no simple animal. Numerous malevolent eyes glowed at her as an enormous mouth full of hundreds of needle-like teeth moved out of the shadows. It widened as it neared her, a low growl accompanying it. It was too intelligent as it stared at her, three long forked tongues sliding out of its mouth with long strings of dripping drool. She couldn’t see the rest of it concealed within the shadows of the brush, but she had seen enough!

  Rose threw up her hand, her voice hoarse as she shouted out the warding spell, her fingers sketching glyphs in the air as she drew an energy barrier around it. She didn’t linger, although she saw the barrier flash in her peripheral vision as she whirled around and fled. She didn’t know where she was running—only that she wanted to put some distance between her and it, hoping that it might decide not to pursue her. The barrier wouldn’t last long, but there was a chance that it would last long enough.

  The shadow creature snarled, but she didn’t turn to see if the barrier was still standing or even if it flashed again with another strike from the monstrosity it held. Even so, she could feel the snap of energy in the air that propelled her into a faster sprint as she held her skirts high and leaped over small obstacles in her path.

  Another low shadow slinked by her side, and her breath caught in her throat as a three eyed foxlike creature with six serpent-headed tails snapped at her before rushing away. Its teeth only grazed her, but it was enough to make her falter as she swung away from it. She didn’t see the edge of the gully until she was pitching over it.

  Wet moss softened her fall, although it didn’t save her from being jabbed by stones and branches breaking under the weight of her body that lay beneath her like thick boney braces. Nor did it save her head from cracking against hard, packed earth sharp enough that it sent lights bursting behind her eyelids. Groaning softly, Rose forced her eyes open only to come face to face with a bleached human skull staring back at her. With a startled curse, she struck her arm out, slapping it away.

  Rolling to her elbows, she pushed herself up, letting her eyes scan the ground in front of her. Several more skulls pushed up from the soft, damp earth in front of her. She swallowed and wiggled back away from them.

  Just how many humans died on the mountain for there to be multiple remains in just that one spot?

  Her eyes scanned her surroundings, a shudder rolling through her. The wind picked up with a low moan that whipped over her as she pushed to her feet. Her head spun with the movement—no doubt due to the fall. Swallowing back a small amount of bile that had worked its way up from her stomach, she walked unsteadily forward. Swiping a tangle of wet hair out of her face, she stumbled over the uneven ground. She could have attempted to make her way back out, but she wasn’t eager to return. Besides… down was good, right?

  A shiver stole over her with another gust of cool wind, reminding her that the end of summer was at hand, bringing with it the scent of rain. Clasping her arms around herself, she trudged through the gloom, the temperature dropping with every step. As the shadows grew even darker, betraying the onset of night approaching, her stomach twisted with hunger that hadn’t been satisfied since the day before, her mouth and throat dry with thirst.

  She didn’t have much energy left, but she would need to find food and water soon. A soft sigh exited her parched lips as she whispered her summons, her strength waning as the power fed into the kingdom of water. A small aqua light swirled, one of the smaller spirits, the tiny water serpent glided along a current of air as it appraised her.

  “Please,” she whispered. “I need food and water. Show me the way.”

  Its eyes widened at her intelligently as it drifted down to touch its nose to a hooked stick. Rose groaned as she bent, but she picked it up and held it in her hand. The water serpent uncurled its long tail and wrapped it around one end of the stick before sailing forward on the currents of moisture in the air.

  Rose stumbled after it through the trees, its soft light bringing her some comfort as it led her by the rod. She could still see the movements of other unthinkable things in the shadows, but she ignored them as she followed the little serpent. When at last it let free of the rod and flickered from sight, Rose stood on a small rocky slope until the softest sound of a tric
kle of water met her ears.

  She stumbled toward it, breaking through the few remaining trees and bushes, the rock jutting up from the wet ground in a rough bank around the riverbed. Dropping to her knees beside the water, she scooped handfuls of it to her mouth, gulping down the cold, fresh liquid. It tasted off and sent a strange, languid feeling drifting through her.

  She stared down at the water, perplexed. Her eyes trailed the length of the river to where it burst from a rocky wall into a deep pool. In the marshy land surrounding the pool, thick bushes of blackberries grew, heavy with fruit, and right at the water’s edge dark roses bloomed in thick clusters. Her breath drew in.

  The Forial Rose. Creeping forward, she stared at the beautiful crimson-black flower, her fingers tracing one petal in wonder. That she would find it now… It did her no good in her current predicament. Her eyes drifted toward the ground and stilled at the sight of a leather bag lying half-concealed in the bushes. Careful of the thorns, Rose drew it to her, a small sob rising painfully in her chest. She recognized it immediately.

  “Oh, Alexi,” she whispered sadly. “You did find it after all. I’m sorry for your death, but I thank you for doing this one last service in leaving your bag. It might end up saving me.”

  The roses that were doubtlessly contained within wouldn’t save her, but it might help her survive the wilderness if she could transport food when she came upon it. She stared hungrily at the blackberry bush as she silently slipped the strap over her head so that it rested between her breasts. Tucking her hand inside of it, her fingers felt around inner hoops that contained the specimen jars. Pulling one free, she filled it with berries and did the same with the next two jars. She was tempted to fill all the jars, dumping out the collected roses, but she also knew that the berries wouldn’t keep long and so limited herself to three. If she were lucky, she might find wild apples growing. It was the season for the fruit, and the trees were known to grow in the surrounding valley and lower foothills of the mountain.

  She would find food and make her way out of the mountain. She controlled her own fate. No one else. She wasn’t going to be another skull on the mountain. She was only fortunate that she didn’t drink the potent waters of Lethe straight from the fountain bursting from the earth, else she might have wandered about the woods in a state of confusion until some creature picked her off. No doubt that was what happened to more than one of those whose remains she found.

  Nothing controlled or had Mastery over her. She would not submit to this world.

  The disapproving frown of her Master rose in her mind, but she banished it. This was survival, not an arcane lesson that demanded surrender to gain greater personal Mastery. She would surrender to nothing and cut her own path back to her world. Her lips tightened as she applied herself to her task, plucking one berry after another as she filled the jars.

  The berries collected, and her fingers stinging from the sharp thorns of the bramble, Rose turned her attention to feasting from the bush, determined to fill her belly. The sweet juice burst over her tongue as she ate them ravenously, popping one berry into her mouth after another. She didn’t know how many berries she ate, but she licked her lips with satisfaction as she brought the last one to her lips.

  A low, vicious snarl cut through the air just above her, followed by another. Slowly, Rose lifted her eyes, the fat berry tumbling from her fingertips. A fearful gust escaped her, and her eyes widened at the sight of the creatures gathered at the head of the rocky fountain, malevolent yellow eyes glaring down at her. Suddenly, she was far too aware of just how Alexi had died.

  Bestia!

  She wanted desperately to deny the sight before her. Her food-filled belly churned with fear, sending a wave of nausea through her. They were horrific. Enormous muscular gray and black furred bodies pressed close together. The fur was short on their grotesque lupine faces and over their chests and limbs. It thickened around their faces into something like a long mane, perhaps the only hallmark of their human origins, but the hair was braided in many places. A few of the creatures adorned their braids with small bones, giving them an even more terrible appearance. Another ridge of fur ran along their shoulders, down the backs of their limbs, and down their spines, where it ended in a long lupine tail. Their forelimbs gripped the rocks with powerful hands tipped with claws, but the hind limbs were a twisted nightmare of human thighs shaped into the hindquarters of a wolf, terminating into a pair of massive paws on the males she could see in profile.

  As she stared at them, they rose into a half-crouched position, the male at the fore straightening, giving her an unwanted view of the sheath housing his sex. Pushing up to her feet, she scrambled back, her hands raising ineffectually, pleading.

  “Please,” she whispered for the second time in so few hours. “I didn’t mean to intrude. I just want to leave the mountain.”

  As if taking glee in her fear, the gray male at the front bared his teeth, a deep, dark laugh rumbling from him. “I am certain that you do. I can taste your fear, human. I see no harm in taking pleasure from it. Run, little female, run if you have hope for escape.”

  The other males around him laughed, their bodies crowding closer to the ledge. Rose knew it was foolish. She had no hope of outrunning them— but she was still left with one option. Spinning around, she ran only a few feet before plunging into the ice-cold water. Although the cold gnawed at her flesh as it swept around her like a frigid tomb, Rose felt an upwelling of triumph when the currents began to pull her along, increasing in speed.

  She regretted that she had no more energy to spare for an elemental helper to assist in speeding along her escape, but, so long as she could evade the bestia, she was certain that the currents would carry her downstream and beyond the barrier. She smiled despite the frigid splash of water against her face as the rapidly escalating current swept her away. Whiteheads appeared around her as she heard the furious howls and snarls of the bestia following close behind. The water rolled her into his icy currents and when she broke the surface again, she was facing the monsters.

  They were close—a lot closer than she had imagined they would be—as they flew along the banks on all four limbs. Still, a triumphant smile stretched her lips. She was going to escape them, and soon she would be free…

  Hands closed around the back of her neck, yanking her from the water. Rose flailed in the air as she was turned to face the male holding her from where he perched on a fallen tree bridging the river. Somehow, he had been able to get ahead of her. But how was that possible?

  Rose twisted, her fingers digging into the strong, furred hand that held her tightly. He gave her one sharp shake and dragged her close so that she was treated to an eyeful of his deadly teeth as he grinned at her.

  He slowly shook his head, his tongue clicking against those terrible fangs as his laughter surrounded her.

  “Clever human, to risk the water—but not fast enough to escape a lupo. Now you are ours, just as you were meant to be since you came to this place. All on this mountain is our prey, and so you are ours too.”

  He hauled her over to the bank, throwing her carelessly onto the ground, his large body hovering over her for a moment, his eyes watching her every movement. Terror seized her as she tried to back away, her boots sliding helplessly against the muddying ground beneath her as the other males closed in, the first male disappearing from sight. A thrumming growl filled the air, accompanied by the oddest smell, as they closed in around her, their clawed hands reaching for her.

  Chapter 6

  Rose choked, her head thrashing as a scent rose in the air and invaded her nose. It wasn’t unpleasant like canine fur. Instead, it was addictive. The scent of smoke, clove, spice, and something rich and undefined burrowed within her until she could smell nothing but that incredible aroma.

  It sparked a heat within her, like an electrical current hitting a pool of water. She arched, a soft gasp bursting from her throat as an unexpected surge of desire hit her. Claws scraped over the tattered remai
ns of her clothes, ripping them free, each drag sending an achy need through her that was accentuated by the cold hair kissing her bared skin. She arched against the claws on her skin, relishing the erotic graze. She hadn’t felt such in years, not since she indulged in the watery embrace of a merman. She’d had other lovers before and since, both human and spirits, but never had she known that pleasure—until now.

  But this was so different, and somehow the forbidden nature of the way they were touching her, mingling with the rush of her fear, made it all the harder to resist. Their scent didn’t improve their appearance at all, but it mattered less as seconds passed. They certainly weren’t attractive, their features both humanoid and lupine. They were too feral to be beautiful like the many spirits she had enjoyed… but there was something so enticing about that fact as she felt their need rising like a firestorm around her.

  Fur brushed against her tantalizingly, and she whimpered. She was aware that she wasn’t reacting normally. Never mind that these weren’t even humans and likely had extra abilities, she had never reacted in such a way with any of her lovers. She always took control, even among her nonhuman males. She delighted in her control over them. Yet here she was, submitting to this strange intoxication, whining as she writhed in the dirt, her body pulsing with need.

  And she loved it!

  Not so much being in dirt—but at that moment, she couldn’t be bothered to care. It was the intense lust that raged through her that she craved. It was like the finest elixir hitting her tongue, and she wanted more of it. It brought her riding to the very edge of ultimate pleasure and kept her waiting there as if the hands of a lover had played over her most intimate flesh, stroking her need higher. All that done just by that incredible, addictive scent!