{Cinder | 2002}

“Do you care to make a wager on it, General Korac?” Nox asked. His tone between amusement and danger.

Alarm bells sounded in Korac’s head. Nope. This was not something he wanted to do. He said, “Your highness, I don’t think—”

“What shall the stakes be?” Nox continued speaking over his subordinate.

Ugh. Korac hated when he was in one of these moods. He considered Nox his actual best friend. At least as much as one could have on Cinder. However, the King entertained certain temperaments in which Korac preferred to avoid him for a week or two. This encounter progressed on that usual path.

Even so, Korac said, “The throne of Earth.” He might as well go all in.

The exalted King of the planet Cinder and the Icarean race finally lifted his chin off its rest on his fist. He turned all the way on his massive throne to face his right-hand man. Ten seconds. Twenty seconds passed. Then came a burst of laughter.

That’s right. One of those moods.

Nox said, “All right, then!” He patted Korac on the back hard enough the General had to decide if he should appear moved by it or steadfast.

A glint shone in the King’s black eyes.

Move or die.

Korac exaggerated a clumsy step forward and tried not to roll his eyes. “What are the criteria?” he asked his ruler, fearing that power in his fist.

“Well, as you said, bedding them should not be an issue,” Nox acknowledged. His smile spread, and dread settled in Korac’s stomach. “But let’s add some constraints. A two-fold victory. The first one to bed the Progeny descendant in her dreams gets what he wants out of the game. What do you desire out of the game, Korac?” Nox stood from his throne and gave Korac his back.

Keeping Korac’s face neutral was not an issue. Keeping his voice calm should be fine. But his heart beat in his skull to an erratic rhythm of its own desires. And Nox detected that shit. Fuck it. “The girl.”

Nox turned away from the vast procession to peer at his general. He asked, “The Afflicted One?” His eyes narrowed into obsidian slits. “Why?”

Korac wanted to sigh so badly. What answer would suffice his master? “She’s the only one as close to the Traitor Prince as Rayne, and I believe it will inflict maximum damage.”

Nox nodded. “The old score to settle?”

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It was metaphorical pain from a stitched wound.

Korac broke rank then. He stepped forward until his bare chest was cast in the rays of their desolate sun. He boomed, “For betraying our King.”

The crowd of one hundred thousand cheered for the honor of their ruler. On the threshold, prepared to cross into the conduit for Nox on this glorious eve of invasion. So why was their ruler in one of these moods? Performance anxiety?

Nox smirked at his army. An impressive force of Icarean soldiers, varying in rank and distinction, but each of them were battle-ready. He said, “Yes, it will be a mighty victory. You may have the girl should you seduce her in her dreams first. I will take her if you do not.”

Korac resisted tightening his fists. On rare occasions, he deigned to consider beating his King’s ass. Nox enjoyed tormenting him in his love life which might explain why the Icarus never found time for his own. The notion of Sagan at the mercy of such a mad demon… Korac needed to put his fist through something, soon. “You said two-fold?” He didn’t even ask that if Nox lost, would Korac get Rayne. One, that would imply, aloud, Korac thought Nox might lose. And two, Rayne was off the table. Her entire being and soul belonged to Nox, whether or not she understood that yet.

Nox faced him, giving the masses his side-profile as he said, “Seducing them in their dreams will be simple. The real challenge is seducing them outside, on the plane of reality. If you can take that girl after destroying everything around her, I’d call it a conquest worthy of a throne. And then you will take her on it again in front of your people on Earth. Symbolic of our triumphs.” The ranks grunted. The vicious smile on Nox’s lips beamed as he turned to his troops.

Not for the first time, Korac hated him. More would come. Nox wasn’t finished.

“Of course…” Here it comes. “That’s if you win.”

{Invasion Day | 2006}

Last winter, Nox had lost the first half of the bet, and Korac knew the King of Cinder had thrown the match. He’d put off seducing Rayne for so long, he’d forgotten the bet almost entirely. Meanwhile, Korac never left Sagan’s side. Once their fight in the cafeteria had begun, the world fell away. He thought of nothing but her skills and abilities. She surpassed his expectations. Too well. Sagan might earn her ancestor’s moniker soon, and Korac wasn’t sure she understood her ancestor’s particular affliction.

During the entire fight, Korac never once mentioned how he’d saved her body and mind from utter ruin. Mostly because they weren’t out of the woods, yet. If he lost the last leg of this race, he knew what his king had implied. Nox would take Sagan on the throne. No doubt forcing Rayne and Korac to watch. He cringed in his leather duster. “Rank bastard.” He grunted and crumpled a trash bin with a kick.

Korac weighed the elements in their favor. The first being Rayne had a good head on her shoulders. No way she was about to let the dude who was destroying the world seduce her. The second being Korac’s intense desire to fuck Sagan as soon as possible. Nothing mattered to him more.

But what played repeatedly in his head? Nox’s language. In referring to the first portion of the bet, he used the word ‘seduce.’ Several times. But for the latter half, he said ‘take.’ As in, with or without consent.

Korac didn’t like that at all.

Iona airlines either needed better security, or they knew Korac was hovering near the perimeter and didn’t give a damn. He just had to see Sagan. The sight of her at the school, several feet below him, haunted him. The tears Sagan had shed when she believed she’d killed him, left Korac lost in his own head. The last eight hours wore on him. Pretty and delicate, she looked fragile, but he knew better. Her strength overwhelmed him. Her depths matched his own. He caressed the battle axe he’d retrieved from the burning school.

Korac needed to see Sagan. Beneath him or on top of him. Now.