Matthias hesitated. How he wanted to remind them who the superior ones were in this gathering! These creatures were in the presence of humans, of the Erathi, the race that currently dominated the earth and would one day surpass all the shifters and their so-called kings and queens.
But before he could open his mouth, he reminded himself why he had contacted the Nephezai in the first place. He had to keep his cool.
Gesturing to the men behind him, Matthias bowed, and the others followed suit. “Your Royal Highness, I am deeply humbled to be finally in your presence. It is such an honor.” The words tasted like ash on his tongue.
The king inclined his head in reply. When he didn’t make any further comment, Matthias began speaking again. “I don’t want to waste any of your precious time. How about we get straight to business?”
Qozzlotl scoffed. “What is it with humans and their fascination with time and business?”
With an effort, Matthias donned a friendly smile. “So, the reason I called this meeting—”
“You called no such thing!” the king spat. “I do not answer to humans.”
Matthias bit back the retort on the tip of his tongue. Was it worth reminding this so-called king it was humans who had banished his whole race to the deep depths of the ocean? “Of course, Your Highness. My apologies. But regarding the matter of—”
“I know what you want. I know what it is you truly desire.”
Matthias couldn’t help flicking his gaze to the purple spangle.
“Don’t dare to think I am ignorant, human.”
“Matthias.”
The king’s posture stiffened. His eyes burned with a spark of intensity.
“My name is Matthias, not human.” There was only so much of this creature’s pious attitude he was willing to put up with.
“I don’t care. I am not here to learn names, human.”
Matthias’s jaw clenched so hard he risked cracking a tooth.
“I am here for, as you say, ‘business,’” continued the king. “Now, show me.”
Matthias frowned. After a heartbeat, he turned and snapped his fingers at his men, all the while dreaming of the day when the world would be rid of these detestable shifters. A group of hunters carried over four Metallikite crates and placed them on the ground between him and the king.
“For you, King Qozzlotl. I know how much you admire the rare and exotic land creatures. My men have scoured the globe to retrieve these very rare, almost extinct, specimens for you.” He snapped his fingers again, and one of the hunters opened a crate. “This is a saola from the Annamese Mountains of Vietnam. Due to its parallel horns, it’s also known as the Asian unicorn. My hunters were very lucky to come across this marvelous specimen. And this one over here is a Hispaniolan solenodon from—”
The king swiped an arm as if to shoo away a fly. “Enough. I have already stated my terms.”
The back of Matthias’s neck prickled with sweat, but the grin remained plastered to his face. “Of course, Your Majesty. But as I explained in my last correspondence, nullifying your banishment would take a lot of time and—”
“Time? Again with your time. We have been banished for three thousand years. Is that not long enough?!” The king’s question ended on a thunderous roar. Water from the tower raged and splashed over Matthias, his men, and the caged animals, who erupted in hoots, chirps, and squeals.
Matthias wiped his face on his sleeve, allowing himself to gather words that wouldn’t end in a massacre and the loss of everything he’d been working for. He set his sights on the purple spangle. “You are right to be frustrated, Your Highness, but you must understand that what you’re requesting is a delicate matter. World leaders need to be approached, and there are a lot more of them now since the banishment of your ancestors. Who knows how many even know about shifters in general, let alone about you and your people? And even if they’re no longer aware of your history, you can’t just spew up out of the depths of the ocean and expect a warm welcome back on land. Peace treaties, alliances, border securities, all of these need to be taken into consideration before discussions to allow your return can begin.”
Qozzlotl studied him with cool, calculating eyes, then burst into booming laughter. Matthias frowned and shared a glance with Axel, who shrugged.
“Forgive me, but I fail to see what’s amusing.” Matthias couldn’t contain the derision in his tone.
When the king’s laughter finally died down, he said, “Your fancy words are what amuses me. You speak of meetings and discussions, as if talking and talking and talking is what makes a great leader. No. A leader makes a decision”—he snapped his fingers—“and then it is done. It is that simple. It seems I have made the mistake of dealing with the wrong simple human. When I request a reversal of our banishment, you give me a pretty speech. And when I ask for the rarest land specimens to enhance my collection, you offer me what I already have. It is more in my interest to kill you, human, along with your men. But that is the same mistake my ancestors made long ago, so today, I will let you live. Next time, I will not be so lenient.”
The king turned his back, and so did the other Nephezai.
“Wait, where are you going?” Matthias called after them.
Qozzlotl did not answer.
Matthias took a step forward. “You promised to make an exchange. I will not leave here empty-handed!”
Still, the king ignored him. His water tower withdrew to the edge of the cliff and began to make its descent
Matthias rushed to the edge so quickly he almost toppled into the water below. Without thinking, he called out, “Fine, you want a specimen you don’t have. How about a hybrid shifter?”
Qozzlotl paused. The water around him rippled as he swiveled to face Matthias. “Impossible.”
Matthias grinned. “I have it here with me now.”
The king studied him, but Matthias recognized that glint of greed in his eye. “If this is a trick, human, I will go back on my promise not to kill you this day.”
Matthias shook his head, unable to wipe the smug smirk off his face. “On the lives of my wife and children, this is no trick, King Qozzlotl.”
The king finally nodded. “Show me.”
Matthias gestured for his hunters to return the animal crates to the back of the SUVs and bring out another. He whispered directions into Axel’s ear, who nodded with a smirk of his own. Then, with arms spread wide like a circus showman, Matthias turned to the king. “Your Highness King Qozzlotl, may I present to you the hybrid shifter.”
Axel unlocked the Metallikite crate. In a blur, two figures launched out and pounced on the closest hunters. It took a few seconds for Matthias to register that there was something familiar about the male captive.
He turned to Nika and said in a low voice, “Care to explain how one of my escaped gladiators wound up in the hybrid’s crate?”
Nika shrugged. There was much more behind her innocent expression, but Matthias couldn’t address that now.
Finally, after three of Matthias’s men had been knocked out, Axel managed to restrain Thane on the ground with a Diamantium trident against his throat, and the struggling Violet was yanked before the king. She hissed and swore and almost broke away from the two men holding her until Nika went up and kicked her legs out from under her.
Qozzlotl looked her up and down, then with an unamused expression, he turned to Matthias. “I’m waiting.”
Matthias leaned in close to Violet. “Be a lamb and shift for His Royal Highness.”
“Don’t do it, Violet!” yelled Thane. “Don’t give them what they—ooph!” A fist slammed into his flesh, and he let out a low groan.
“Shift, Violet,” demanded Matthias.
Violet’s face screwed up into a snarl, and she spat into his face. “Bite me.”
Matthias drew in a long breath before he wiped away the disgusting glob of saliva with his sleeve. Then he turned to Nika. She grinned in response, drew her arm back, and landed a power punch in Violet’s fa
ce.
Violet shrieked. Once again, she tried to fight her way out of the hunters’ grips, but they held tight.
“Shift,” Matthias commanded again.
Nika landed another punch, but Violet took it, this time with barely a grunt.
“Shift, Violet dear, and this will all be over,” said Matthias.
Thane’s muffled voice began to yell again, but Violet only chuckled, the sound edged with a hint of hysteria. “You’ll have to kill me first.”
“With pleasure,” Nika growled, then pummeled Violet with blow after blow. It wasn’t until Violet began to bleed that Matthias realized Nika’s glittering knuckles weren’t a trick of the light.
Violet remained silent while Thane’s roars reached a new level of rage.
Matthias caught Nika’s wrist mid-punch and inspected the Diamantium knuckle-busters he himself had given her for Christmas many years ago. Nika’s expression was wild, unapologetic. Yet Violet still hadn’t shifted. Matthias gripped his niece’s wrist tighter and was contemplating his next step when the Nephezai king drew closer to the almost unconscious Violet.
The aquatic shifter swiped a finger through the stream of blood oozing from Violet’s lacerated cheek. “Fascinating . . .” After inspecting the viscous liquid, he turned his gaze on Matthias. “I will make a trade.”
Matthias grinned. “Perfect,” he said, eyeing the purple spangle.
“No.” Qozzlotl covered the spangle. “This will remain with me. Only when you speak to your ‘world leaders’ and nullify the Nephezai’s banishment will I hand it over to you.”
Matthias’s knuckles cracked from the pressure of his clenched hands.
“As previously discussed, these will be yours.” Three of the king’s subjects brought forth three tomes made of solid gold and gemstones. “But only in exchange for the Seh’vuthi pair.” He gestured to both Violet and Thane.
Matthias hardly glanced at the tomes. He had acquired a fair number already since getting his first from the Veniri queen about a year ago. “Why do you want both of them? Isn’t a hybrid shifter enough?”
Qozzlotl looked down at Matthias with an expression that dripped condescension. “I am a collector, and a collection holds more value when it is complete. Hybrid shifter or not, what is a single Seh’vuthi without their partner?”
Matthias frowned. That was the second time the Nephezai had used that S word. Perhaps it was some kind of Nephezai term Matthias hadn’t come across yet. Tilting his head from side to side, he made a show of considering the terms. Renard was going to demand his pound of flesh if Matthias returned without Violet. Plus, if he didn’t get what he really wanted, why should the sea king?
He’d already opened his mouth to voice his decision when Nika leaned in to whisper in his ear. His eyes grew wide at his niece’s simple solution. He patted her on the shoulder and nodded once, and she turned and headed toward one of the SUVs.
“If a complete set is what you require, Your Majesty, then there is one piece missing.” Matthias grinned when the Nephezai’s eyes twinkled with greed. No more than half a minute later, Nika returned, and Matthias gestured to the bundle in her hands. “Here is the hybrid shifter’s child.”
The words had barely left his mouth before both Thane and Violet began to beg and plead for the baby in Nika’s arms. When it became clear neither would pipe down anytime soon, Matthias rolled his eyes and signaled to the men who still restrained Violet. They released her, and she sprinted to Nika and snatched the child, then collapsed in a pathetic display of crying and fussing.
“I approve of this exchange,” said Qozzlotl.
“Wonderful.” A pair of Nephezai guards moved in to apprehend Thane, but before anyone came near Violet, Matthias whispered gently in her ear, “Don’t celebrate yet.” Ignoring her venomous glare, he pointed to her child. “See this collar around your baby’s neck? It contains an explosive.”
Violet’s eyes grew wide, and her face lost all its color. Perfect. He had her in the palm of his hand.
“Do you see that purple disc around the sea king’s neck?”
She glanced to Qozzlotl and nodded.
“Obtain that disc from the king, find a way to the surface of the sea, and press this button on your child’s collar. It will send out a GPS signal, and we will come and collect the disc from you. Once I have that disc in my hand, the collar will be removed, and your baby will live to see her next birthday. The countdown on the explosive is set for three weeks from today at midnight.”
Before she could say anything in return, Violet, her baby, and Thane were swept away by the Nephezai guards. Qozzlotl inclined his head toward Matthias, then he and the rest of the aquatic shifters returned to the ocean and disappeared beneath the cerulean, churning waves.
Acknowledgments
Wowzers! What a mission!
It’s been less than a year since I published my first book, and here I am, now finished with my second. I feel like I’ve learned so much since Shards of Venus, and yet I have so much more to learn in this world of being an author.
Again, I owe a phenomenal thank you to my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Without His amazing sacrifice, I would have ended it all long ago. I give all credit to You, my Father in Heaven and the Holy Spirit for my life and all that is good in it. I have no doubts You’ve given me these stories, and it became much more apparent with this second book how much more I’ve relied on You to inspire me and given me the words to write. I never would have been able to finish this without You. Thank You!
To Kevin, my wonderful husband, again your support and encouragement has been stellar! And again, a massive thanks for your feedback and involvement in this journey so far. Words cannot express how grateful I am, nor how much I love you. Thanks for calling this emotional wreck your wife! xxx
Annabelle, you are such a delight and you bring me so much joy. You are so creative and imaginative, I’m always eager to see what you create next. Is it too much for me to hope that we will be writing stories together one day? I love you so much!
A big thank you Janeen Donovan, my Mum. Your support in more than just emotional and financial, has been truly grateful. It’s an honour to be your daughter. Thank you for raising me, for being there whenever I need, for feeding my Enid Blyton addiction and for introducing me to authors such as Frank E. Peretti, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien. I think I can safely blame you for sparking my wild imagination, haha!
A big thank you to the rest of my family! Oh, Wow! I’m so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful clan. The Hams, Donovans, Colemans, Evans’, Drapers, McCuddens, Eveans’, Youngs, and all the extended family. Thank you so much for your support in buying my first book and being my behind the scenes cheerleaders.
To my Alphas, the super talented Writer’s Unite Group; Carleton Chinner, Julie Dickson, Tim Edwards, Suzie Eisfelder, Tarryn Mallick, and Katarina Smythe (a.k.a. Kaydence Snow). You guys are AWESOME! I’m so glad I found you guys and eventually plucked up the courage to share my budding little story. Thanks for all the feedback, the support, the great laughs and the motivation to keep writing. Gosh, I cringe to think how many tears and whinging you had to put up with from me during the writing of this book. But, you guys have been such a solid and steady support in helping me to whip my work into shape, and find the courage to “suck it up” and move on with the next step. You’re all such an inspiration and I’m so excited to see what the future brings for your own amazing writing.
Treece and Dan Stubbs and your adorable little Iggy. You guys are such a blessing! Thanks for being amazing in hearing all my crazy world-building ideas, for being avid beta readers, and for being available to help me brainstorm and fix several of my plot holes. You guys rock!
To my Hervey Bay bible study group and to the St George Sisterhood, thank you for remembering my writing journey in your prayers. Whether I’m facing the successes and the struggles, your prayers and spiritual support has been priceless. Thank you so much!
A big shout out to a
ll my beta readers who volunteered their precious time to read through my manuscript and to provide me with honest feedback. You all kept me on my toes and picked up several inconsistencies compared with the first book. Taking on a beta reader role is an epic job and I’m truly grateful. Thanks Heaps!
And to my editor, Kirstin Andrews, what words can I possibly use to describe how grateful I am for your hard work in polishing Flames of Mars? Getting this manuscript done was a messy and mammoth task this time around. But you helped me to see it through to the end. I know I mentioned it to you before, but I feel so “uplifted” when I go through your edits. I can clearly see how you’ve helped to improve my work. Thank you so much for all the work you put into editing my story. It’s been such an honour to have you as my editor. Please don’t ever leave me!!
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