by Liza Probz
“I do.” She thought of her love for Marek and how this moment would seal the dissolution of it. She was a thief and he would never forgive her for taking something so precious, but she had no choice.
Her emotion fed the blue light around her, the room illuminating and filling her with fear. Large creatures moved toward her with speed and agility, their fangs long and eyes black as night. What had she done?
Of course, they protected the jewel.
“From thieves like me.” She closed her eyes and let out a soft cry, preparing for the pain of death. There were too many of them and she was too tired to fight. “Forgive me.”
Who she whispered her plea to, she knew not. Too many people needed to hear it, but none would.
Chapter 36
Marek spent a few more minutes talking with his parents before making an excuse to slip out. The fact that they had agreed to allow him to move forward with Jazmine left him wanting to find her and divulge everything. She needed to know how much he was in love with her, that she was carrying his twins, that he would do anything to help her find Caleb.
He let out a shaky breath and took the elevator to the first floor, half running, half walking to the library. Nojan called from behind him and he paused, turning to see what his brother wanted.
“I have everyone together,” Nojan said. “Where is Jaz?”
“It’s Jazmine and I have no clue. I was going to see if she was in the library.” Marek turned and walked into the large room to his left, the smell reminding him of all of the hours he spent poring over the history books of his people. The stories were vast and most of them rather entertaining, but study was still study.
“I don’t see her.” Nojan moved into the library behind Marek.
“I guess she might have gone with one of the servants or maybe Kara down to the festival.” Marek let out a long breath and walked back to the large open center of the library. “Let’s meet with everyone and then I’ll go find her.”
“All right. It shouldn’t take long. We’re really at an impasse without knowing where we’re headed.” Nojan walked into the hall as Marek took long strides to catch up with him. He pushed the excitement of all he had to share with Jazmine back down and tried to focus on the topic at hand.
“I thought the first stop was going to be on Vanfia? Seems like that would be our best bet seeing that the king is out for blood on Jazmine and most likely has figured out who she is. If he realizes who Jaz is, then he will be looking for Caleb too. He’s a wise old man, from what I hear.”
“He has saggy tits, from what I hear.” Nojan laughed and Marek smirked, unable to help himself.
“Yes, well, you’ll have to ask Jaz. Tease her mercilessly about it. She had to almost seduce him to lift the bag of jewels off of him that she took.” Marek shook his head, his smile so wide it almost hurt.
“How was the conversation with Mom and Dad?”
“Great actually. They already knew that she was pregnant.” Marek shrugged as they walked into the large conference room, his brothers Calabez and Zelup sitting at the far end. He glanced to Nojan. “Not a word on any of this.”
“Of course not.” Nojan turned and moved to a large projector, tinkering with something below it before turning his attention to Marek.
“Let’s make this quick.” Marek turned to his brother, Calabez. “I guess Father has requested that you lead the rescue mission alongside Nojan and Kara. Seems like a good plan, although an odd one.”
Marek rolled his shoulders, still not entirely comfortable with his father’s counsel, but there was usually little combatting it when his father laid down his demands.
“I’m a little surprised that he’s not allowing you to go. Did you ask him what the basis of that decision was?” Zelup uncrossed his arms and stood, pressing his hands to the table in front of him.
“He’s probably not willing to risk letting Marek go again. He’s only got six months to prepare for his reign as king.” Nojan flipped a switch on the projector and moved toward them.
“Most likely the case. Do we have anything Kara can study on the boy besides books?” Calabez stayed seated in a reclined position. He was the scoundrel of them all. Marek loved him but was almost glad not to have Jazmine on the ship with Calabez for weeks at a time. He acted as if his cock might fall off if he didn’t use it multiple times daily.
“I don’t know honestly. I’ll ask Jazmine later tonight. How early can you leave for the expedition?” Marek glanced back to Nojan.
“Father said two weeks, but I honestly think we should be ready to go in the next few days. The ship is prepared, and if we decide here that Vanfia is our starting point, I think we need to get moving. It’s a three-day journey on hyper-speed.” Nojan pointed toward the screen. “Look up here and I’ll show you a few things about the Kanula. They are a rare breed and are hardly ever seen on other planets, but we have a little from their last invasion of Partinth.”
“Why the fuck would anyone want to invade the home of the angels? They don’t have anything tangible to take, they aren’t capable of taking physical form, and the musical way they speak is enough to give me a headache for weeks.” Calabez rolled his eyes before turning and focusing on the screen.
“They’re demons, Cal. Think about it. I’m sure their natural born enemies are the heavenly hosts. Sometimes, invading has nothing to do with taking over or stealing anything, but causing mass destruction. Death and carnage are their legacy.” Zelup glanced back at Nojan and Marek. “Am I right?”
“Quite. They are demons, and their skin is extremely tough, like the turtle shells of Territh. They fight like motherfuckers, and unfortunately, their skills are inherited, not taught.” Nojan sat down in the chair beside Marek and clicked the button on the small remote in his hand.
Marek leaned over, taking in a deep breath. “And these are the creatures we believe to have Caleb?”
“It’s what Jazmine thinks, but we will test the information out when we get to Vanfia. There is an oracle there that is said to know everything. We will consult her first before talking to the king.” Nojan glanced back at Marek. “Unless you’d go about this differently. Just speak up and we can discuss it.”
“Great. A fucking crazy cat lady and demons with impenetrable skin. Sign my ass up for the death mission.” Calabez tapped the table beside him as if excited.
“He’s serious, right?” Nojan asked.
Marek chuckled. “He is. That’s the scary part.” Marek pulled out the seat next to Nojan. “Show us the lands of the Kanula. Give us a layout. If Caleb is there, then we will be going to their planet. How are we to land, sneak on without being caught, and retrieve the boy?”
Marek turned as the door behind him flung open, his sister Kara barging in frantically. “Marek. Hurry. It’s Jazmine.”
Marek stood and moved toward the door, almost tripping over some of the cords from Nojan’s machines. He didn’t look back but jogged beside his sister as his chest constricted.
“What’s wrong? Is she hurt or sick again?” Marek glanced toward the long hall in front of them, the library to their left as they picked up their pace. He had never seen Kara get upset other than in the presence of another’s pain or suffering. As an empath, she was constantly sharing in the emotions of those around her, but never had he seen her ruffled, scared.
“She had to go to the restroom, so I took her. I think she got sick in there. I told her I would come to find you, but when I couldn’t, I got worried about her. I left her standing by the bathroom, and when I got back, she was gone.”
They moved past the bathroom and took a left, Marek’s eyes moving toward the golden door on the left. It was cracked just so. He let out a long groan as the world threatened to come crashing down.
“No. No. Fuck.” He moved toward the door, ignoring his sister as she continued to update him. No one knew what horrors hid behind the doors but his parents, him, and Nojan. The others had been protected from it for the time being. They knew of the
jewels and priceless creatures, but not of the nightmares that the gods constructed as a way of keeping out thieves or wayward guardians.
He pulled harder, using every bit of his strength. His teeth bit into his lip too hard as he put all of himself into the task. He couldn’t hear Jazmine screaming, so either she was okay, was unconscious, or dead. Blood dripped down his lip as he finally ripped the door open enough to get in. Magic held the damn thing shut and he didn’t have the time or willingness to go get the incantation from his mother that would open it.
He rushed in and stopped short, the image in front of him shocking. Jazmine stood in the midst of the darkness, her hands over her face. The sound of her crying broke his heart. It was soft and filled with such sadness. The bright light around her illuminated the whole room, the image of the nightmares visible to him around her. They didn’t come close, the light seeming to scare them more than they scared her.
Taking the last few steps, he turned her and pulled her close as she let out a soft scream.
“It’s just me, baby. It’s Marek. I’ve got you now. Nothing’s going to harm you.” He pulled her close, picking her up as she remained stiff as a board. Moving her toward the door, he stopped for a minute, pressing his face to it to see Kara.
“Help me get her through. She’s in shock.”
“Of course,” Kara said softly before her hand reached into the room and took hold of Jazmine. Marek helped to move his girl in just the right way to get her through the narrow opening. He moved through once she was on the outside and pushed the door shut with all the emotion that burned through him. Damn the stone. She obviously knew about it and had gone in seeking it, or death. What did she think now that she realized Nojan and he had lied to her?
“Kara, we’re good. Just go prepare a bath for her in the guest room she’s staying in, or have one of the servants do it.” He nodded toward the hall behind them, wanting his sister to give them a minute.
“I’ll do it.” She gave a sad smile and turned, walking quickly away.
Chapter 37
Never in all of her travels had she ever encountered something as heinous as the creatures that rushed toward her. She closed her eyes tighter, a soft prayer leaving her. If her mother was the goddess of light, surely she would offer protection. Jazmine was only trying to right every wrong laid upon her and Caleb. Life had been nothing more than one disappointment after the next, and her present situation was no better.
She heard their growls as they crawled the walls around her, the smell of sulfur burning her nose and causing her eyes to water. The sound of claws scraping over the rocky walls left her reeling. She was close to losing her mind.
The fluttering in her stomach went wild, the movement bringing her calm. Darkness faded and warm light filled her entire body as the room faded.
“Tell me what you want to do then, Jaz? Do you want to find our father and question him on who we are and where the fuck we come from? Tell me and we’ll do it. This madness of running from place to place, trying to lay claim to an inheritance that we don’t have, is driving me insane. You’re driving me insane.” Caleb stood in front of her, his brow pulled tightly as he screamed loudly.
“We have to come from somewhere,” she screamed back. “Would you rather we just live normal lives? Settle down on Territh and leave the past where it seems to belong? Are you truly okay with that?” Her heart ached in her chest. Fighting with him never got her anywhere and yet she wasn’t sure how to convince him any more than she had. They were close to discovering the truth of who their parents were. She could feel it. They were standing on the precipice of truth.
“Yes. I want a normal life. A woman to keep me warm at night and back-breaking labor. I want a small hut and a warm meal every once in a while. You seek adventure, but I’m tired. I’m so tired, Jaz.” He shook his head, his expression showing his disgust clearly.
“Then you stay here and I’ll go out on my own next time. I cannot accept the fact that we have no memory of our past. I need to know. I need to belong, Caleb. Why don’t you understand that?” She ran her fingers through her hair, her need to choke him driving her to almost do it.
“Then you do it alone. I’m done. Nothing is worth this feeling.” He turned from her and moved toward the bedroom in the small room they were renting.
She let out a disgusted sigh and walked to the door. “Fine. I don’t fucking need you anyway. Stay here in your simplistic life. Good luck hiding the fact that you’re not at all who you think you are. Good fucking luck!”
She walked out into the night and never saw him again.
“Jazmine. I’m right here. It’s all okay. I have you now.” Marek’s voice penetrated the sadness that rode her hard. She glanced up, the large Vartik prince wrapped around her.
She tightened her grip on him and let out a long sob as her heart broke again. Caleb was gone and probably close to death. Marek had lied, and the jewel sat only a few feet away, but hell stood between her and getting it.
“You fucking lied to me.” She moved back a little, beating her fist hard against his chest. She couldn’t stop her tears as the world dissolved around her. How badly she wanted to fade with it. Nothing made sense, nor had it ever.
“I know, baby. I had to. The jewel is my family’s to protect no matter the cost. It’s tied to my mother’s life force. Whomever the queen is, it’s the weight of being granted such a gift. The gods trust us to protect it to some extent, but if we ever thought to get rid of it in our greed or desires, they put in a failsafe, Jaz. If the stone leaves and doesn’t return within a year, the queen of our people will die a slow and horrible death.”
Jazmine slowed her attack, her tears not stopping, but getting worse. “Then we’re damned. No, I’m damned. My brother will die and it will forever be my fault.”
“No, baby. We’re going to get him back. Trust me.”
“How can I? You lied to me, Marek. You told me the fucking jewel didn’t exist. You could have just told me that it did and that it was tied to your mother’s life.” She pulled away from him and wrapped her arms around herself.
“You were a thief and I didn’t know you. I didn’t love you then. I would take the damn thing if there was any way around it. I promise on my life, Jaz.”
She turned and pinned him with a stare. “Were you ever going to tell me?”
“No.” He didn’t hesitate, which afforded her comfort. She wanted a straightforward answer. He had every reason to keep it from her, but her grief pushed her to continue to overreact. She reached up and pressed her fingers to her brow as her legs threatened to give out beneath her.
Marek’s arms wrapped around her, and she didn’t fight him. If the jewel wasn’t part of the plan, then all she had was his willingness to send his brothers after Caleb, but she was going. Nothing short of death would stop her.
“Please let me get you into the room. You’re as white as a sheet. I’m sorry I lied to you. It won’t happen again. I just didn’t see a way around it with our current situation.” Marek’s lips brushed by her ear, the movement sending tingles rushing down her arms.
“I’d like to lay down. I don’t feel so good all of a sudden.” She wrapped her arms around him and moved down the hall slowly with him.
Kara moved from the bathroom and stopped in front of her.
“You scared me.” Kara’s voice shook and Jazmine felt like shit for causing the pretty girl to feel anything negative. She seemed to stain people no matter where she went.
“I’m sorry. I’ll explain soon. I just needed to see if there was hope.”
“There is. I’ve seen it. I’m going to risk my life to restore it for you.” Kara smiled and rubbed Jazmine’s arm as another tear dripped down her face.
“Thank you.” Jazmine reached out and pulled the girl into a hug, believing her for some odd reason. She would be part of the crew going after Caleb. Jazmine could almost sense providence in their midst. She pulled back and glanced down, grateful that Marek moved up besi
de her when he did.
“Thank you, Kara. I appreciate you, sister.” He pulled Kara into a hug and kissed her forehead before walking her to the door. Jazmine watched his every move from beneath the parted curtain of her hair.
He might have lied, but the reasoning behind it was valid. She would have done the same thing. If he didn’t care for her, he wouldn’t have come into the room, risking his own life to save hers—again.
“What were those things in the darkness?” She turned to him, glancing up to stare into his darkening gaze. The black orbs of his eyes drew her in deeply.
“They were nightmares, sent to us by the gods. They were spawned in the belly of the deep. They would have killed you, Jazmine.”
“They had no physical form, right?” She closed her eyes and moved up on her toes, brushing her lips past his. She needed his warmth and didn’t care what she had to do to get it. Her preconceived notions about him and Nojan were invalid and the knowledge of the truth released her to feel the torrent of emotions that crashed in around her.
“They do if you allow them to manifest. They are different for everyone. Your worst nightmare is what comes to life. If you’re not willing to fight, you die.” He pulled her in tightly and reached behind her, tugging at the strings of her dress. It fell to the floor, leaving her in her panties.
“Thank you for saving me… again.” A smirk lifted her lip, but it didn’t last. She was so weary and needed hope restored for good.
“I will always be there to save you.” He pulled his shirt over his head and undid his slacks, the dark material falling around him. The thickness of his chest and swell of his abs on display caused her breath to catch.
He took her hand and brushed it down the length of his erection, his power washing over her as she released herself to it. He was magnificent and all she needed for the moment. He would save her as he had over and over again.