Kiss of the Betrayer (A Bringer and the Bane Novel) Read Online Free Page B

the roof of the captain’s cabin and lowered herself to lie on her stomach, hanging her head over the edge. If she could inch her torso lower, she should be able to get a clear view into the cabin.
    She bent her elbows, ready to push forward, when the door beneath her banged open. Panic swept through her. Her grip slipped, causing her to drop to her elbows with a dull thud.
    “Who’s there?”
    It was a male voice, one she didn’t recognize. Probably the man she’d seen with Rhys Blackwell earlier this evening.
    Footsteps thundered on the deck, pushing her into action. Jade jumped to her feet and with four long strides, leapt from her hiding place onto the rope ladder leading to the crow’s nest. Her grasp slipped and the rope bit into her palm, leaving a stinging trail. She clawed at the rungs, finally gaining a hold. Her intent had been to slide to the ground and make her escape in the direction she’d come, but he was instantly below her, as if he’d deduced her intent.
    With no route for escape, she began to climb, picking her way up the unsteady weave of rope. Sweat ran down her neck despite the cool evening and her stomach lurched to her throat. A small whimper squeezed through her lips. With each foot she ascended, it became more difficult to release the ladder.
    Don’t look down. Don’t look down.
    The ladder swayed under the weight of the man when he launched himself onto the ropes, dislodging Jade’s foothold. Her legs swung wildly, searching for a solid perch. She glanced down to see him maneuvering along the woven mass as efficiently as a spider traverses its web.
    She looked upward. The crow’s nest hovered four feet above her now, though she didn’t know what she would do once she got there. She cursed her shortsightedness for not braving a leap into the inky black water instead of taking this dead-end path.
    Finally, her fingers touched wood and she slapped her hand through the small opening of the crow’s nest. It took all her strength to pull her nearly paralyzed body through the narrow gap. Tremors vibrated up her legs as she worked herself into an unsteady stance. Flashes of heat and nausea washed over her. The black water stretched out in front of the ship and blended with the night sky. There was only one escape.
    Gritting her teeth, she shoved her arms in the air. The words lodged in her throat, refusing to be spoken until she heard the man’s heavy breathing directly below her.
    “Rell!”
    Silence greeted her, but the prickles of heat told her the demon was close. She closed her eyes. Come on, sister. If there was ever a time to not let me down, it’s now.
    The bite grew and Jade swallowed hard against the pain. A hand slapped the floor of the crow’s nest near her foot. Her eyes sprang open and she stomped on the searching fingers, eliciting a colorful string of curses from her pursuer. His hand disappeared from sight. Time was nearly out.
    “Rell!”
    The familiar down-stroke of air sounded behind her at the same time a large hand snaked out and grabbed her ankle, knocking her off balance. She screamed and slammed against the curving wall, catching herself before she toppled over the side. The dark shadow ghosted across Jade’s periphery and again she jammed her arms in the air. Her ankle jerked out from under her the same instant sharp talons wrapped around her wrist.
    For a second Jade hung in the air, suspended between the demon and the man below her. Whether from the strength of Rell’s grip or the shock of seeing a Demon Bane, the man’s hold slipped free and Jade found herself floating out over the Sea of Alba.
    “Rell!”
    The man’s voice broke through Jade’s fear. The stroke of the large green wings faltered. Jade craned her neck to see him. Was this somebody Rell knew or was it his attempt to draw them back? He stood watching their escape from the lookout, but he made no further effort to capture her.
    Movement below them drew Jade’s attention. Ravyn and Rhys