Eternal Destiny - Book 2 (Second book in The Ruby Ring Series) Read online

  He cupped her face. “I truly am sorry.”

  A single tear trickled down her cheek.

  Ever so gently, Victor wiped it away with his thumb.

  They stared into each other’s eyes, both lost into their own thoughts, yet connected through something she couldn’t see and would never have believed in had she not entered this world.

  She swallowed hard. “I have closure now. It’s touching that you care, and I thank you, but I’m still not leaving with you.” Sarah decided he was never going to get her into that castle of his without a fight. She considered Plan B again. She wanted to run and to get him as far away from her friends as possible, before he decided to use them as leverage against her. If he followed her, he couldn’t harm the others. Before she could change her mind, she turned and darted into the trees, faster than she would have ever imagined she could go—blinding speed that no mortal could ever achieve. She moved between the dense forest, avoiding trees faster and faster, getting further away from her friends with each passing second. Leaves and dirt whirled in the air, and she had to wonder if she was literally moving faster than a speeding bullet. It was another superhero ability she wasn’t even aware of. The forest blurred around her, and the wind whistled through the trees, rushing against her face as if she was driving over 100 MPH on a convertible. She was sure no human could see her; she’d just be a colorful blur. She ran even faster now, dodging boulders and giant tree trunks by sensing where they stood. It was something like having built-in sonar.

  She didn’t want to dare look back, yet she knew she had to. Hoping her clunky leather shoes could handle the friction, she risked a glance over her shoulder. Victor was behind her, closing in fast, which meant he could’ve easily caught her already. He was playing some kind of cat-and-mouse game, hyped on adrenaline from the hunt, enjoying the thrill of the chase. Suddenly, strong arms gripped her and tackled her to the ground, like some defensive end sacking a quarterback. The Earth shook, and piles of dirt and leaves flew around them as they crashed into the grass, with the impact force of a 225,000-pound jetliner in a tumble of long rolls. The jolt hit her like a sledgehammer, knocking the breath out of her.

  Obviously, Victor was much faster, and he knew it. His body weight pinned her helplessly down on the moss-covered, damp ground as he wrapped his hands around her wrists, before she could whack him a good one. The smell of wet earth filled the air. His hands stretched her arms above her head, his expression giving nothing away.

  Her dress had slid up to her hips, and she wished he’d let go so she could cover herself. She gasped for breath, wondering what his next move would be. Is he angry at me for running? Will he hit me? Put me in some weird trance? Kill me?

  He smiled, not even breaking a sweat. “Did you actually think you could get away?”

  A smile? Does he find this funny? “At that speed? Yes!” She stared up into his sapphire-blue eyes, her wrists fighting to be released from his iron grip. “Let go of me.”

  He nodded, ignoring her demand. “I’m impressed. You were fast…for your first time. I’ll teach you how to become even faster.”

  “Faster?” she asked, still fighting against his grip.

  He grinned. “Much faster. Now stop squirming. I’m as strong as a fortress.” His gaze locked on hers before he closed his eyes and lowered his mouth gently onto her lips, trapping her in one of his amazing kisses.

  She could feel his heart racing and something else—the unmistakable bulge from his groin pressing hard against her, making her body ache for him. He was hot for her, and most definitely, he wanted that honeymoon she’d cheated him out of on his wedding night.

  “Are you trying to seduce me?” she whispered, shivers racing down her spine. “If you are, it’s not working.”

  “No?” His lips lowered ever so gently onto hers, his black hair caressing her face where it touched her skin. “How does a man seduce his own wife then?”

  “You mean your pretend wife. I don’t even know you.” She cringed inwardly at how low her voice sounded, how breathless, betraying how much she wanted him to keep going and ignore her half-hearted attempts at refusing his advances.

  “It is an easy problem to solve, as we have hundreds of years to get to know each other.”

  She tried to push him away, but he only gripped her more tightly, pressing her breasts against his muscular chest. His eyes penetrated hers with probing intensity, their power exuding sexuality. Her heart pounded as the familiar electricity flooded through her body. How am I supposed to fight this kind of chemistry? It was like nothing she’d ever experienced before. His kiss was irresistible, devouring, and addicting; the taste and feel of him divine. She whimpered and kissed him back even deeper and harder, threading her fingers through his thick hair. Leading him on was wrong, but she couldn’t help herself when she was around him.

  The kiss ended abruptly when he turned his head, a frown crossing his brows. “Do you hear that?”

  “I only hear the pounding of my heart. Did you compel me to kiss you like that?” she asked.

  He flashed a glistening white smile. “I think we both know the answer, my Queen. There is no need to control you. You want me as much as I want you.”

  He had nailed it, but she’d never admit it. “Cocky, aren’t you?”

  Grinning, he held out his hand to help her up. “We need to go. I won’t feel safe until we’re in Tastia.”

  She stared up into his blue eyes that seemed to absorb everything around them. A stray ray of sun caught in his black pupil, fascinating her until it disappeared again. It would be so easy to get lost and caught up in this world. She imagined her sister must’ve felt the same way when she fell in love with Charles, before she was murdered by the Immortals. The reality hit her with full force. Liz had let herself get drawn in, and it was the end of her. Sarah refused to follow in her footsteps.

  Victor pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You know I could easily compel you to come with me.” His tone was playful, like a lover’s, but behind it the words rang true.

  “And I could compel you right back, Vic,” she said.

  He smiled. For a moment, he lowered his lips onto hers, pressing gently without expecting anything in return. “If you knew how…and even if you did, I’m way too strong.”

  “You win.” For now. She held her lips up to him so he would kiss her again because it felt so good, so right. With him, everything just clicked into place, as though, after years of searching, she’d finally found the missing piece of the puzzle. Her mind screamed for her to realize he held all the power, and no woman should ever let a man pull the strings and decide the pace. She knew her mind was right, yet her heart told her to just go with it and let him take control. Just let go. What’s the worst that could happen? No!

  She’d go with him willingly. The last thing she wanted was for him to put her in some kind of weird trance. There would be no more Zombie Land for Sarah. She needed to stay in control. She’d rather lean back and watch what was happening, until it was time to run again, when the perfect opportunity presented itself. The problem was, a few more of those paralyzing kisses, and she knew she might not be able to leave.

  Her gaze searched his, eager to convey what went inside her head. “You want to take me to Tastia, but you don’t understand. Without me, my friends will never make it back home.” She had to find a way for them to leave that crazy place, and she figured she could always catch up later. After all, she had the key to the portal on her hand, which meant she could leave anytime she wanted. The minute King Victor turned his back, she’d be history—or future, rather. “If you promise to rescue my friends and send them safely home to our world, I’ll go with you.”

  Victor didn’t even blink. “Done.”

  “Really?”

  “That’s a fair request. I’ll return your friends for your cooperation. You have my word of honor.”

  She knew she was pushing her luck here, but she couldn’t stop milking it for all i
ts worth.

  “You’ll give Mia and Jules the wedding she’s always dreamt of, including a fancy Cinderella gown, even more glamorous than the one I wore.”

  “Is that all, milady?” A grin grew across his lips.

  “No.” The face of the little girl with the long red hair and sunken face flashed across her mind. “You’ll send food to the village of Lato. The people there are starving. You should be ashamed of yourself, sitting in your fancy castle and hosting your parties, drinking and eating to your heart’s content, while babies and children are dying.”

  “Lato belongs to King William, not me.”

  She frowned, anger rising up inside her. “I don’t care who it belongs to. Those people need help…and fast.”

  “No woman I know would make such demands in such a dire predicament as the one you are facing. Rather, they’d be begging for mercy, begging me to spare their lives for their betrayal to their king.”

  She pushed out her chin defiantly. “I’m not a submissive woman like the kind you are used to.” She couldn’t even imagine what someone so attractive, wealthy, and powerful would want with her anyway. Victor could have had his pick of the most beautiful, submissive maidens in the kingdom. Sarah knew she looked nothing like Cinderella with her straight brown hair and brown eyes, and when it came to personality, she wasn’t a Snow White kind of girl. Sarah would’ve mopped the floor with her evil stepmother’s and stepsisters’ hair before she would’ve put up with all that crap.

  He nodded. “Fair enough, my Queen. I see you’re definitely meant for something great—to rule by my side and be my equal.”

  She raised her hand to touch his cheek, her fingers moving along his jaw line of their own accord. She knew she shouldn’t allow herself to get attached to him, yet she couldn’t help herself. Something deep and strong drew her to him, making her want to touch him and spare him any further disappointment in her. “About my betrayal…I’m sorry for the pain and anger I’ve caused you, but I don’t regret my decision for a minute. You see, I’m not into being treated like property, and I’ll live my life the way I see fit.”

  “See, milady? You’re feisty, strong-willed, and unpredictable. It’s what I love the most about you. I shall meet all of your demands, including helping the village of Lato, though it doesn’t belong to me.”

  “Guess we have a deal then.” She reached for his hand; a current of electricity flowed through it, like she had touched a live wire. Freaky. Glancing down at their hands, the rings glowed brightly, as if they were in perfect tune. Perfect peace washed over her. There has to be a way to get out of this psychic bond from these rings and this marriage. Sure, every fiber of her being was attracted to him, but she had no desire to be stuck in Medieval Land for the rest of her life, magic rings and queen status or not.

  They spent the next thirty minutes chitchatting about the simplest of things, from the weather to the wildlife in the forest. Victor didn’t seem at all like the tyrant people made him out to be, and Sarah began to think that he was just misunderstood. At the very least, he deserved a second chance.

  He bent down to pick up a wildflower in full bloom and held it out to her, his lips twitching, his eyes sparkling with something she couldn’t quite pinpoint.

  Murmuring a thank you, her hands clasped around it and, in a bold moment, she rose on her toes and planted a soft kiss on his cheek, her heart beating like a drum in her ears. When he pulled back he didn’t seem to react, but she could see something change in his attitude, his skin glowing as though a weight had just been lifted off his shoulders.

  “You know what I love about these woods?” Victor whispered, pulling her close and burying his face in her flowing hair. “They smell divine.”

  Her heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, she wasn’t sure whether he had truly meant the woods or her. “Did you…?” Her voice broke, and the question remained trapped somewhere inside her throat.

  He shook his head, grinning. “That’s for you to find out,” he said, as though he was reading her thoughts. Gripping her hand, he pulled her along, his face smiling down at her.

  She could sense the immense pleasure and joy he felt from holding her hand, and she was sending the same vibes right back. She looked away as heat spread across her cheeks. She wasn’t going to be able to hide anything from him.

  “My horse is tied up by the huge oak tree,” Victor said.

  “I know being in enemy territory is beyond dangerous. I’m sorry you had to risk your life to come here, but I never asked or wanted you to come to my rescue. I don’t need a knight in shining armor.”

  He pulled her along until they reached a clearing. A dark horse neighed to greet them. “I understand your motivations, but going into King William’s castle was a suicide mission for both of us.”

  “You mean for me?”

  “No. I mean for us. Putting your life at risk is putting my life at risk too.”

  “I’m sorry I made you risk your life by coming over here,” she said softly. It was true, even still, she doubted she would’ve acted any other way. “But you didn’t have to come.”

  The lines around his mouth tightened. “Yes. I did.”

  “I sense there’s more you haven’t told me.”

  “You haven’t figured out why King’s William’s men are after you?”

  “The king is pissed I took the identity of Gloria.”

  “No, my love.”

  “Then what?”

  “We’re connected as one beating heart. If I get killed over here, you have just as much to lose.”

  Sarah sighed. “You’re talking in riddles. Do you mean I’ll feel all the pain that you’re experiencing?”

  “Worse.” He glanced into the towering ferns and cocked his head. “Quick. We must leave.”

  Curiosity overwhelmed her. “Wait. I want to hear more.”

  He gripped her hand. “I hear horses nearby.”

  “Immortals or King William?”

  Before he could answer, an arrow whizzed past her head and hit the tree, causing her to jump.

  Two knights lunged toward Victor, knights bearing the crest of King William.

  Cramps spread across her legs and she crumbled to the ground. Dirt and dust fell into her eyes, blinding her for a second. “Victor!” she yelled. “Are you okay? I’ll help you.” She scrambled up while rubbing her eyes to get the dirt out.

  Somewhere to her right, someone groaned.

  She turned her head sharply in that direction, wondering whether the blurred shape was her husband. As she pushed up for a better look, her legs buckled under her, and she toppled back onto the ground. Whatever the knights were doing to him, she was feeling it, and that was probably why they weren’t paying her much attention; they didn’t really need to. Dizziness flooded over her. She fought it, as she couldn’t allow herself to lose consciousness, yet something pulled her under, making her pulse race faster. Desperately, her mind tried to cling to reality. Her muscles weakened as darkness gathered around her. With a last breath, Sarah fell into oblivion.

  Chapter 2

  “Where am I? What am I doing here?” Pushing up on her elbows, Sarah rubbed her head, wondering how long she’d been passed out. What is this stuff? Sawdust? Dried grass? Her skin itched from the straw poking through her cloak. The swish of a tail, the slosh of water, and chewing noises echoed to her right. A horse whinnied. The smell of musty hay and manure made her gag as flies buzzed past her ear.

  She pried her eyes wide open, still wondering where she was. Flaming torches hung on the white-washed stone walls. An outline of a man holding a Viking-like battle axe stood over her. She blinked against the glaring sun and sat up, her eyes struggling to adjust to the sudden brightness. At the sight of him, Sarah’s heart lurched, and she let out a short shriek that turned into a groan against the onset of a throbbing headache pounding in the right side of her skull. “Please don’t hurt me!”

  The man held out his hand, then pulled back again, hesitating, as though he�
�d had a change of heart.

  Frowning, she peered from his axe to the wooden stalls behind him, then back to him.

  The guy didn’t look like he’d be offering an aspirin and a glass of water anytime soon. “You’re awake,” he said, a frown perched between his brows. Slowly, he lowered the axe.

  Sarah scooted back on her elbows, nearly paralyzed by panic, her body trembling from head to toe. “Wh-who are you?”

  “You weren’t supposed to wake up.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “I’m King William Jarod.” He was tall with short blond hair, muscular arms, and broad shoulders. Staring into his eyes, which were blue as the sky, she couldn’t picture him being any kind of serial killer. He reminded her more of a medieval Ken doll with his dark green tunic, simple matching belt, and gold eagle emblem. “Welcome to my castle. This is the room where I keep my most prized horses. If you had stayed unconscious for a minute longer, you’d have woken up in a better place.”

  She was sure he was about to kill her, and he proved the old adage that looks could be deceiving. A whimper escaped her throat. She sat up, ignoring the protests from her aching body as she yelled, “Please don’t do this!”

  “You are doing this country a great service. Your sacrifice will be honored.” He held up the battle axe, ready to swing.

  “NO!” She jumped up, ready to knock that thing out of his hand one way or another. She wasn’t going out without one heck of a fight. “What did you do with Victor?”

  King William spat on the ground inches away from her leather shoes. “Your husband escaped. I won’t let the same happen with you,” he said, swinging the axe over his head like a madman.

  Sarah’s breath caught in her throat, and her heart skipped a beat. “Why are you doing this?” Her words came low and hoarse, and she realized that her heart was about to give up on her.

  Narrowing his gaze, he lowered his arms, but he didn’t loosen the grip around his axe. “You look confused, which makes me believe you truly are in the dark about what’s going on. Believe it or not, I’m an honorable man. If you are to die today, it is only fair that you know the reason.”