Dark Queen’s Quest

by I. T. Lucas

  It was so damn frustrating.

  The thing about hotels was that rooms changed occupants frequently, so there were a lot of echoes to sift through, and fast-forward was not available.

  Mey had to watch and listen to heated arguments between spouses, witness strangers having sex on the couch, and worst of all waste the precious time she had.

  Yamanu would be back anytime now, and she hadn’t gotten any of his team’s interactions yet.

  Probably because none of them had been emotionally charged. Regrettably, mundane chitchat didn’t leave imprints on the walls, but it could have revealed what she was looking for.

  A clue to the small oddities she’d been noticing about Arielle, Yamanu, and the rest of the team.

  Except for Ethan.

  He was just a cute little baby and perfectly normal.

  Then finally she got something.

  Arwel stood in front of Arielle’s door and knocked. “Alena, may I have a word with you?”

  So that was her real name. It suited her better than Arielle, which evoked images of Little Mermaid in Mey’s mind, complete with the red hair and pixie face. Alena sounded like someone stately and more dignified, which this particular bearer of the name personified.

  Alena opened the door and glared at Arwel. “I don’t need an escort of five Guardians for a walk down Wall Street. What do you think might happen to me there? Doomers jumping out from coffee shops? Don’t tell Kian, but Annani and I go out by ourselves all the time.”

  Doomers?

  Who or what were Doomers? It sounded like a synonym for boogiemen.

  Arwel shook his head. “That’s not true. You always have a couple of Odus with you. They can protect you.”

  Ari, aka Alena, waved a dismissive hand. “The most Ovidu can do is frown indignantly at an attacker. The Odus might have been designed with fighting capabilities, but I’m pretty sure that they got erased with the rest of their memories. In the thousands of years that Annani’s had them, they haven’t fought even once.”

  Thousands of years must have been a figure of speech, but the rest of what Alena said about her butler didn’t make any sense either.

  Perhaps her meaning had been lost in translation? Perhaps she’d meant trained instead of designed? And by erased she’d meant lost?

  Except, Alena had been faking her foreign accent, and what little there actually was sounded English, not Eastern European. She shouldn’t have any trouble with the language.

  “Perhaps you are right about their fighting skills, but they can still shield you and your mother with their indestructible bodies, and they have done that when it was needed.”

  Okay, that was totally inexplicable. Indestructible bodies? What in hell was he talking about?

  Perhaps they were rehearsing a movie script?

  “Fine,” Alena sighed in exasperation. “I’ll take Ovidu with me and Eva and the rest of you can stay here.”

  “Why? Are we such bothersome company?” Arwel put a hand over his heart. “I thought that you liked me.”

  She laughed. “You sly, sly, Guardian. Fine. You can come as well.”

  “Bhathian would feel offended if you left him behind with the baby. After all, he is a Guardian.”

  Alena rolled her eyes. “Okay, he can come too. But what about Ewan and Uisdean? You can’t convince me that they are going to feel left out. I’m sure that the last thing they want to do is go sightseeing with me.”

  “They’ve never been to Wall Street.”

  Throwing her hands up in the air, Alena went back into her bedroom but didn’t close her door. “I give up. You win. Everyone can come. Do you want to invite Ragnar as well?”

  Arwel rubbed his hand over his jaw. “That’s not a bad idea. I’ll check with him.”

  “Don’t!” Alena turned around. “I was joking.”

  “I know. I was joking too.”

  And that was when the echo fizzled and dissipated.

  As soon as Alena and Arwel had reached an agreement, their emotional state had gone back to normal, which meant no echo.

  Mey was about to get up, when another scene started playing. This time it was from the very same morning.

  A cup of tea in hand, Alena turned to Yamanu. “Is Mey going to get up anytime soon? It’s after ten in the morning.”

  The smirk on her face was a sure sign that she’d heard what they’d done last night despite the background music. Either that or she was guessing.

  Yamanu ignored the hint. “She had a long week and needs her rest.”

  “I’m sure,” Alena said. “But if she wants to join me on my shopping expedition, she should…”

  The sound of the suite’s front door opening threw Mey out of the scene, the voices and images blinking out of existence instead of slowly fading away.

  “What are you doing?” Yamanu asked.

  Her heart pounding against her ribcage, Mey forced a smile. “What did it look like I was doing? I was meditating. Then you walked in and broke my concentration.”

  “I’m sorry. If I had known, I would have waited. But you didn’t tell me that you were going to meditate while I was gone.”

  She waved a hand. “It was a spur of the moment kind of thing.”

  It was difficult to keep her breathing even and her facial muscles relaxed. What she’d heard was so bizarre, and she hadn’t had time to process it yet.

  Crouching next to her on the floor, Yamanu stroked her hair. “You don’t have to stop on my account. I promise to be quiet as a mouse.”

  “I can’t meditate when there is someone with me in the room. I get too easily distracted.”

  “Then I’ll go to the bedroom.”

  She put a hand on his knee and used it to push herself up. “It’s not going to work. Besides, Ari is probably about done with her makeup, and I should get ready.” She glanced down at her yoga pants. “I wish I had something nicer to wear. But I thought that I’d be going home in the morning.”

  Yamanu smiled, his eyes roaming over her body. “You look mighty fine to me, my lady Mey. I like seeing you like that, casual and comfortable.”

  That was nice to know. Some guys wanted the model look twenty-four seven, and she was glad Yamanu wasn’t one of them.

  Still, if Alena was putting on her Arielle makeup, she was going to dress appropriately too. Mey would feel uncomfortable in her homey attire while going out with her.

  “Perhaps Ari can lend you something of hers?” Yamanu suggested.

  Mey shook her head. “Is there any way we can stop by my place on the way so I can change? It will only take me a minute. I’ll just pull on a nice dress and grab some decent shoes and that’s it. I’m not one of those women who try a hundred outfits before deciding on what she wants to wear. I’m quick.”

  She was babbling, which wasn’t like her at all. It was a dead giveaway that she’d been up to something, and Yamanu was no fool. But perhaps he would attribute her nervousness to worry about looking schlumpy next to the decked-out Arielle.

  “I can ask Ari if she doesn't mind waiting. But you need to remember that your place is being watched, and that you have to be mindful of that. No talking about Arielle or about going shopping with her.”

  Mey grimaced. “It’s so creepy that I don’t feel like going back there. I’ll just wear what I have on and buy something to change into.”

  “That’s a better option.”

  50

  Yamanu

  “This is my definition of hell,” Arwel murmured.

  Yamanu agreed. They’d been all over the shopping mall, waiting outside clothing stores while the ladies tried on outfits, outside shoe stores while they tried on countless pairs, then bathrooms, jewelry stores, and more of the same.

  If he could help it, Yamanu was never going to do that again, but he had a feeling that more shopping was awaiting him over the next six weeks. Alena was bored, and apparently that was her way of entertaining herself. It wasn’t about the act of purchasing things, it was a fun w
ay to pass the time for her.

  Women, for some reason, enjoyed shopping in packs. For him, it was more of a solitary activity that was usually completed as fast and as efficiently as possible, and most of it was done online. Mall stores didn’t carry his size, not in clothing and not in shoes.

  For some inexplicable reason, though, he’d thought that it would be fun to hang around the mall with Mey, just enjoying each other’s company. But he’d forgotten about the stares his looks attracted, and Mey was keeping Alena company while he was stuck with the guys.

  He had a nagging suspicion that she was doing it on purpose.

  She’d been so nervous when he’d caught her meditating, as if what she’d been doing was a crime.

  Did that count as strange and unusual behavior?

  Maybe, but not in the way that mattered to him. Neither meditation nor nervousness belonged in the paranormal realm.

  Eva patted Arwel’s arm. “I understand. It must be difficult for you with all these people around.”

  “That too. But I’m talking about being dragged from store to store and waiting for you ladies to be done. It’s mind-numbingly boring.”

  Eva nodded. “I’ll try to get Ari to stop for ice cream. How about that?”

  “Awesome idea.”

  “I’ll go check on her and Mey.”

  “Thanks.”

  She motioned for Bhathian to follow her into the store with the stroller. “There is a place for you to sit outside the changing room.”

  He grimaced. “The suffering husbands’ corner.”

  “Indeed.” Eva laughed and threaded her arm through her husband’s.

  Watching them together, so comfortable, so familiar with each other, suddenly wasn’t just an observation. Yamanu wanted that, and he wanted it with Mey.

  Was he an idiot for believing she was his fated mate after knowing her for only five days?

  If he were human, yes, it would have been idiotic. But he was an immortal, and for some reason the Fates had been kind to his clan lately, arranging fated matings left, right and center.

  Was Mey really his? Delivered to him by the merciful Fates? Or did he want her to be and therefore believed that she was?

  “What is tormenting you?” Arwel asked. “The shopping is bad, but it can’t be responsible for the anguish you are feeling.”

  Having an empath as a best friend and roomie had its disadvantages.

  “Stop focusing on me and spread your awareness wider. We are here to search for a certain someone and to guard Alena.”

  “As if there is a chance in hell he’s going to be here.” Arwel shifted to his other foot and then leaned against the railing. “Don’t worry, I’m alert. But all I get is a lot of human crap, and it’s driving me nuts. I need to get out of here.”

  “Perhaps you can play on Alena’s sympathy and save us all? Tell her that you can’t handle the onslaught and that you need to go back to the hotel.”

  Arwel snorted. “Right. After the fabulous job I did of convincing her to take us along wherever she goes? I don’t think so. She wanted to go alone with Eva and Mey.”

  “Is she nuts?”

  “No, she is fearless. There is a slight difference. She’s used to accompanying Annani on her excursions, and you know how Annani is. She thinks she is invincible. Alena seems to think herself equally strong, which is, of course, absurd.”

  “Who knows? Alena might be powerful. It’s not like we know much about her and what she can do. I thought she was a recluse, a gentle soul, and a wallflower. I was wrong about all three. And as for Annani, she has a good reason to be fearless.” Yamanu glanced around to make sure no one was listening. “She’s the most powerful being on earth.”

  Arwel shook his head. “That might be true, but she is still vulnerable. I agree that there is very little chance of anyone getting the upper hand with her, but freak accidents happen. Take Lilen for example. A rotten human cut his head off by striking him from behind. On the battlefield, the stenches of fear and aggression are so strong that it is difficult to feel someone coming at you, especially when you are busy fighting off several opponents. Not only that, that human could have been an anomaly like Turner who didn’t emit any emotional scents.”

  Yamanu nodded. “I wonder if there are humans out there who are immune not only to our mind manipulation, but also to Annani’s.”

  “I have no doubt. And that’s why she shouldn’t go places without bodyguards galore to protect her. There is no substitute for trained warriors watching her back.”

  “Yeah, but if we are talking extremes, there are things even a bunch of bodyguards cannot prevent. A sniper with special ammunition aiming at her heart or brain, a nuclear bomb or a plane crash. Following your logic, she should never leave the sanctuary.”

  Arwel smiled. “Precisely. She shouldn’t. And that’s why Kian is so stressed out whenever she visits.”

  “You can’t expect her to be holed up there forever. It’s a nice place, but come on, would you have liked to live there and never venture outside?”

  Arwel arched his brows. “You are jesting, right? I would have loved to. With no humans around, it would have been a real paradise for me.”

  “So why don’t you ask for a transfer? Not that I want to get rid of you, but that’s a viable solution.”

  Looking down at his shoes, Arwel shook his head. “I can’t. And you of all people should get it. The clan needs me and what I can do.”

  It seemed like Arwel had figured out why Yamanu had been abstaining, but thankfully his friend had kept his mouth shut about it.

  Except for that one time when he was drunk and asked questions he shouldn’t have.

  They were both sacrificing for the clan.

  “Alaska is like a retirement colony,” Arwel continued. “Think of the Guardians who serve there. Anandur says that they are a bunch of out-of-shape guys who are happy with doing basically nothing.”

  “And that is who we entrust our Clan Mother’s protection to? Kian should assign proper Guardians to her.”

  “Kian has no say in it. Annani decides who lives in the sanctuary.”

  “That’s regrettably true.”

  51

  Mey

  “That was fun,” Arielle, aka Alena said as they waited for Arwel to open the door.

  Mey smiled. “Yeah, I got several nice outfits, and the best part was having the guys carry the bags. Now I understand why you brought them along.”

  Yamanu was holding her two shopping bags, and Arwel and the two other Guardians were carrying Alena’s. Eva’s were stashed on the bottom of Ethan’s stroller. Thank God for the little guy getting fussy. If not for him, the shopping expedition would have lasted until the mall closed.

  It hadn’t been all shopping, though. They’d eaten lunch and dinner at the place and had stopped for ice cream between the meals. Enviably, Alena didn’t seem concerned with calories at all, eating whatever her heart desired. She must have one hell of a metabolism going for her.

  Arielle, not Alena.

  Mey needed to keep thinking of her as Arielle or she might let slip the name she wasn’t supposed to know.

  “I’m going to change into something more comfortable,” Arielle said as she waited for the guys to drop her many shopping bags in the bedroom. “Join me for a movie?”

  That wasn’t a request. It was a command.

  “Sure. I’ll just change back into my yoga pants and T-shirt.”

  The new dress Mey had put on in the mall was comfortable enough, but she wanted to take her bra off, and the fabric was too clingy and would show her nipples.

  Yamanu followed her into the bedroom. “Do you want to go to your place tomorrow and pack a bag? Or did you buy enough things to hold you over?”

  Kicking her shoes off, Mey pulled the dress over her head. “It can wait for Monday. But are you sure that it’s okay for me to stay here for so long? I can rent a room of my own.”

  Naturally, that wasn’t what she wanted, but she f
elt like she had to ask.

  For a long moment, Yamanu didn’t answer, his eerie eyes roaming over her nearly nude body. “You’re not going anywhere.”

  She struck a pose. “Is it because of this?”

  “That too. I like having you in my bed and knowing that you are safe.”

  She walked up to him and sat on his lap. “That’s so sweet of you to say, and I know that you want me here. But what about the others?”

  “Everyone likes you.”

  “Arielle does, and I think Eva likes me too, but I’m not sure about the guys. They seem uncomfortable around me.”

  “That’s because you are a gorgeous, sexy lady. You make men nervous.”

  “But they know that I’m with you.” She chuckled. “It’s not a secret that I’m sleeping in your bed and that you are not sleeping on the couch.”

  Thinking of secrets, she was reminded of the weird conversation she’d summoned from the walls earlier. “By the way, I was wondering where Arielle’s butler sleeps. Does he stay with Uisdean and Ewan?”

  “He sleeps on the couch in her bedroom.”

  “Isn’t that odd?”

  Yamanu shrugged. “She’s had him since she was a little girl. He’s taking care of her and keeping her safe.”

  Strange didn’t begin to describe it. Even if Ovidu was Alena’s father, he shouldn’t have slept in the same room with her. It wasn’t the Middle Ages when families slept in one room.

  Mey shook her head.

  If this were a science fiction movie, or an Asimov book, she would have thought that Ovidu was a human-looking robot, and that Alena turned him off and put him in the closet for the night.

  52

  Mey

  As the movie dragged on, Mey’s eyelids became heavy. The others had retired at various stages, and now it was only her, Ari, and Yamanu.

  Perhaps if she pretended to fall asleep on the couch, they would leave her there, and she could listen to what the walls had to tell. Perhaps the conversation she’d overheard between Alena and Yamanu had continued into something interesting.