FIRE AND ICE.

by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Chapter 1.

Adron Quiakides had never been the type of man one approached recklessly.

Not if one wanted to live, anyway.

And tonight, while he sat alone in a back booth of The Golden Crona nursing a bottle of expensive Grenna alcohol, the last thing he wanted was for anyone to disturb him.

His pleasures in life were minimal, and consuming buckets full of the yellow-orange liquid gave him the solace his battered soul craved.

Because tonight, more than ever before, his memories hurt.

This very hour marked the fifth anniversary of the night he had made the decision he would spend the rest of his life paying for.

Adron gripped the bottle tight in his right hand, unable to believe it'd been that long since he'd last walked without a p.r.o.nounced limp.

Moved without pain. Spoken without his throat aching from the effort of it.

Five years since he'd experienced any comfort or peace whatsoever.

He'd lain in bed for hours trying to sleep. Trying to forget, and finally he'd realized the only way to silence his demons was to drown them out.

And nothing worked better than Grenna.

Tipping the large bottle to his lips, he let the fire pour down his throat.

"Hey, baby," an attractive red head said as she sauntered over to him and propped a thin hip against his table. "You want some company?"

"I have company," he said, his raspy voice grating on his ears. "Me, myself and I."

She raked a hungry look over his body, then leaned across the table to show him her ample b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "Well, there's enough of me to make all three of you happy."

There had been a time, once, when he wouldn't have hesitated to take her up on that offer.

But then life was nothing if not ever-changing, and usually it altered on the hairpin of a second.

She licked her lips. "C'mon, handsome, buy me a drink."

Adron glared at her. She wasn't the first woman to proposition him tonight. And in truth it mystified him that any woman would bother given the vicious scar on his face. But then, the women in The Golden Crona weren't all that discriminating, especially not when they sensed money.

"Sorry," he said coldly. "None of us are interested."

She sighed dramatically. "Well, if any of you change your minds, you let me know." With one last wistful look at him, she headed back into the human and alien crowd that drifted through the packed bar.

Adron shifted uncomfortably in his seat as a bone-deep pain shot through his left leg. Clenching his teeth, he growled low in his throat.

One would think the amount of pain-killers he lived on when combined with the alcohol would squelch any amount of ache. But it barely numbed his physical torment.

And it did nothing for the burning agony in his heart.

"d.a.m.n it to h.e.l.l," he snarled under his breath, then he threw his head back and finished off his drink.

He grabbed a pa.s.sing green-fleshed waitress and ordered two more bottles.

As he waited for her to return, he saw another woman headed his way.

The fierce glare he narrowed on her, sent her scurrying away.

He was through playing around. Tonight he intended to get fully flagged and he pitied the next fool stupid enough to approach him.

Unless they came bearing more alcohol.

Livia typpa Vista had lived the whole of her life in protective custody. More hostage than princess, she'd long grown weary of everyone's dictates for her behavior, and at age twenty-six, she'd had enough.

She was not a child.

And she was not going to marry Clypper Thoran in two weeks. Not even if he were the last male in the universe!

"You will do as you are told."

She winced at her father's imperious command. High Eminence he might be, but she, not her older brother, had inherited his stubbornness. No matter the cost, she refused to marry a Territorial Governor sixteen years her father's senior.

Since Clypper had demanded a virgin for his bride, she knew a way to thwart them both.

After tonight, she would be a virgin no more.

Tomorrow, her father would kill her for it. But better to die than to be married to a cruel, goat-faced ancient who groped her with cold hands every time he got near her.

"The Golden Crona."

As the cold rain poured over her, Livia stared at the sign above her head. Her maid, Krista, had told her about the club. Inside it held all manner of heroes and villains, and though she would rather surrender her virginity to a hero, she honestly didn't care. So long as he was pa.s.sably attractive and gentle, he would be good enough for the night.

Gathering her courage, Livia opened the door and stopped dead in her tracks.

Never had she seen anything like it. A sea of aliens and humans danced and bobbed through the smoky bar that smelled of sweat from many species, and of cheap alcohol. The obnoxious music was so loud, it made her ears throb.

A big, orange reptilian male gave her a frown as she hesitated in the doorway.

"In or out," he snarled.

She took a deep breath to fortify her courage. That, and she mentally conjured an image of Clypper's fat jowls and beady, l.u.s.t-filled eyes.

Shuddering, she stepped inside and let the door pulse close behind her.

"Twenty-five credits," the reptile-man demanded.

"Excuse me?"

"Twenty-five credits. You pay or I toss you out on your a.s.s."

Livia arched a brow at him. It was on the tip of her tongue to put him in his place, but then she remembered he had no idea who she was.

And she must keep it that way.

If anyone learned she was a Vistan princess, she would be sent back to the hotel where they were staying.

Not to mention the fact that her time was short. She had to find a man before someone missed her and started a search.

Pulling out the money she'd stolen from her brother, she paid the fee.

"Okay," she whispered to herself as she surveyed the bar full of people. "It's time to find him."

She walked through the crowd and flinched as several unwashed humans eyed her with interest.

Livia quickly amended her list of qualifications to include a man who bathed.

A tall, dark human male smiled at her, displaying a set of black teeth.

Okay, she would also add one who knew how to use a toothbrush.

As she crossed the room, she saw a brunette at the bar who looked like a hopeful prospect. She headed for him. But as soon as she drew near, she froze.

It was her father's personal runner.

If she knew how to curse, she would definitely curse at her luck.

Just don't let him see me.

Falling back into the crowd, Livia kept an eye on him while trying to scan the crowd for her target. Surely, there was someone here who could...

A commotion in the entrance caught her attention.

Livia turned to look.

Oh no! She panicked at the sight of her father's Royal Guard swarming into the bar. Immediately, the gray glad soldiers began questioning patrons as they spread out to cover as much of the bar as they could.

She trembled. For them to be here in force and grim meant Krista had volunteered her location and no doubt, her intent as well. Livia groaned at the very thought.

How could Krista betray her? Her maid had been so helpful in the planning and execution of her escape.

But then for some unknown reason, Krista lived in fear of Livia's father and one scowl from him would have easily caused her maid to tell everything.

Right down to the grittiest of details.

Livia cringed at the thought of her father's reaction. But at least Krista, unlike her, would be spared his outrage.

Krista was protected by their laws. Only a male of her family could punish her, and Krista had no living male relative.

Livia was not so fortunate, and there was no telling what her father would do to her for this.

Chast.i.ty was one of the highest virtues any woman could possess on her world. In fact, men and women were only allowed to mix during meals, chaste, royal functions, and when married couples performed conjugal duties. For a woman to seek out a man not related to her was strictly forbidden.

And punished severely.

She shook the fear away. She'd known the consequences before she set out. Either way, she was going to pay for her indiscretion, and if she had to pay, then she was going to make sure she completed the deed.

Clenching her teeth, Livia scanned the room for a hiding place. At the back of the club were a line of booths. She headed for them.

Unfortunately, all of them were occupied.

Drat!

"Hey, babe," a rough looking man asked her. "You want some company?"

She considered it until he reached out and grabbed her arm. He pulled her toward him, his hand biting fiercely into the flesh of her upper arm. "C'mon," he said with a slick smile as he roughly ran his hand though her wet hair, "what say you and me head to the back?"

She jerked away from him before he hurt her anymore. "No, thanks."

Stepping away, she saw the guards heading her way as they skimmed the crowd.

Her heart hammering, she ran to the last booth and sat on the empty bench before the guard saw her.

"What the h.e.l.l are you doing?"

She shifted her gaze from the guard to the man who sat across from her. Livia's breath caught in her throat.

He was more than pa.s.sable.

In fact, she'd never in her life seen a man so incredibly handsome.

His features were sharp and aristocratically boned. His dark brown eyebrows arched finely over the most piercingly blue eyes she'd ever seen.

Dressed all in black, he had long, white blond hair tied back into a neat queue. Clean-shaven and washed, he had an air of refinement and power surrounding him.

But his eyes were cold as he watched her. Guarded.

An aura of danger clung to him and by the set of his jaw, she could tell he didn't want company.