She glanced at the lights. She could feel her fellow imps still entrapped within the lightless globes. Their whimpers reached out to her, high with sorrow. She didn't have a clue how to release them.
Why was she the only one that had been freed? What had this man done to release her? What sort of incantation had he used when he didn't seem to possess a magical bone in his body?
There was something ... something Natala thought she'd heard him say to her, but she couldn't remember. The words seemed to tease her brain then slipped away before she could grasp them. He'd definitely done something. She just had to find out what. Whatever his request was, it could be the answer to her freedom. Not just hers, but also for the imps still trapped inside the globes wrapped around the tree.
There were several things she had to do now that she was free of her prison.
Natala wished she could somehow ensure that the demon Carabia hadn't tracked her here. The incident that went on between them must have happened a long time ago, but every detail was still fresh inside her mind. The bastard dominated them for too long before she had the guts to go up against him. Yet, before that threat ... she had to deal with these alien urges that had ignited inside the pit of her stomach upon meeting the human called Noel.
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Chapter Two
He looked at the assortment of food he'd carried into the living room on a large blue tray. Noel hadn't even realized he had any trays until he'd rummaged through the bottom cupboards in the kitchen. There weren't many occasions in his life that called for trays. He usually parked himself in front of the TV and ate with the plate or bowl in his lap. But for his guest, he wanted to show some hospitality.
Noel could lie to himself and pretend he was doing all of this for the good of mankind. As a way to show how friendly humans could be to her kind. But the truth was he wanted to impress and make this petite woman feel comfortable.
Natala. He enjoyed the way her name sounded inside his head. Noel shook away the guilt that surfaced. It was stupid to torture himself like this. Nancy would've wanted him to find happiness again, not become an old man at the age of twenty-five. That's how old he'd been when she died. At the moment, that's exactly what he felt like—an old, lonely man. He hadn't even bothered with the gym since Nancy had been hospitalized. If it wasn't for all the lifting he did at work and the fact he walked there every single day because it was so close, Noel would get no exercise at all.
He suddenly felt a little self-conscious. How did he look to this fine woman? Would she be interested in him, or just use him as a way to get back to wherever it was she'd come from?
Shut up, he snapped. What was the use of torturing himself like this? Didn't he do that enough already?
"Do you always have conversations with yourself?"
The voice made him lose track of his crazy thoughts. Just as well too. He had too many of them. “Sorry?"
"You and your thoughts, it sounds like you enjoy a conversation with yourself a little too much. Is that a common thing with humans?” Natala asked with a grin.
"Only lonely ones,” he blurted before he could stop himself. The look she gave him wasn't what he'd expected. For a second he thought he saw something similar burning in her eyes.
He turned his attention back to the coffee table between them, where he'd laid out the tray of food, along with a bottle of red wine, another of orange juice and a cup of hot coffee. She was gazing at each, as though unsure where to start.
"I think you should start with the coffee inside the cup,” Noel said softly. He didn't want to appear pushy but was eager to see what she thought. Vanilla flavored coffee was his favorite, and he still hadn't met anyone that agreed. Not even Nancy. She'd always turned her nose at it, claiming it wasn't real coffee. He still didn't understand that comment.
"Oh coffee, I've heard about this creation but never had the chance to try it myself.” Her small hands eagerly grabbed the cup. She lifted it to her nose and her nostrils flared as she closed her eyes and took a small sip. “Oh, now that's pleasant and it smells so nice too."
Noel sat back on the armchair directly across from her and focused on the food again. He couldn't look at Natala without the need to reach out for her. A satisfied smile curved his lips. He couldn't quite explain why he found it important to make her happy and satisfied, but he did. He tried to ignore the single strand of black hair that had fallen across her forehead. His fingers itched to push it away from her eyes, so he crossed his arms and hid his hands beneath his elbows.
He hoped the combination of dip, crackers, olives, ham and fruit was enough to quench her appetite. Maybe later he would offer to put together a nice home-cooked meal but for now this would do.
"That was delicious,” she said after downing the entire contents inside the coffee cup. “The silky flavor is still coating my tongue.” She licked her lips.
He couldn't stop from glancing at the tip of her pink tongue. He was suddenly filled with impure thoughts and tried to concentrate on being a good host. “Would you like another cup?"
"Oh no, I think I'll sample everything else first.” Her eyes were wide when she grabbed a cracker and smelled it. “Thank you for your hospitality. It's very much appreciated."
"No problem. Whatever you need, I'll try to accommodate.” He cursed himself for sounding so darn eager. Still, it wasn't every day a cute woman just appeared in front of him. Noel had come very close to pinching his arm while he was in the kitchen, because he couldn't believe this was real. But he'd held off. It was better to just ride it. If it all turned out to be a dream in the end, he could wake up on Christmas day all by himself and drown in the misery that was his life.
But at least he'd have this dream to hold onto for a little while. This little imp—whatever that was—had jump-started his system and it was a welcome change after so much sadness. It was great to be in a different place for awhile, even if it was an illusion.
"Maybe I'll take you up on another cup of coffee later on,” Natala said with a wink.
"Sure."
She stuck the cracker into her mouth and munched on it. He heard every crunch against her teeth and it was very loud for a dream.
He just sat back and watched her, fascinated by the sassiness she seemed to possess. All she was doing was eating, but there was an edgy attitude in everything she did. And that included the very mundane act of eating.
Noel was fascinated, maybe even smitten—if he dared to admit it. Falling for women wasn't easy for him but, when he did, it was almost instantaneous. He'd fallen for Nancy as soon as he'd met her. He realized that something very similar was happening now.
Natala slid off the couch and sat on the carpeted floor in front of the coffee table. She stretched her legs out under the table but her feet just barely made it out the other side.
"I will be sure to instill protection wards all over your abode so no one shall ever hurt you.” She held a green olive between her index finger and thumb, rolling it before she popped it into her mouth.
He thought that was a very bizarre thing to say. What exactly was a protection ward? “Thanks, I think."
"There's no need to thank me, I am simply showing my gratitude for your hospitality. My kind are rarely shown acts of kindness ... so when we are, we're very appreciative.” Her eyes met his as she swallowed the olive, but she looked away quickly. “So, you live here all alone?"
He nodded but didn't offer any further information.
She narrowed her eyes as she popped a piece of fruit into her mouth. She chewed the strawberry and laughed. It sounded like a blissful melody to his ears, sweeter than any song he'd heard in a long time.
The sound was contagious and he laughed too. A warm glow ignited inside his stomach. Oh, he wanted her. This gorgeous creature bewitched him with every single thing she did. It had been the same with Nancy ... the excitement dropped to the pit of his stomach. If he didn't stop the constant comparisons and let Nancy's memory invade his thoughts at e
very turn, Noel would get nowhere with this woman.
"Is something wrong?” she asked with genuine concern on her face.
He shook his head. “No, not really but I'd love to hear your story, Natala. I'm intrigued to find out how something as unlikely as a beautiful woman exploding out of a Christmas light is possible."
"You don't believe in the otherworldly?"
He frowned. “You mentioned that word before but it's not one I've heard used very often, outside of fiction."
"There are a lot of things that appear in fiction which are entirely real.” She picked up a cracker and took some dip with it.
"Like what?” His heart was now speeding up for an entirely different reason, and he welcomed the distraction. If he had something else to focus on and try to understand, then it might make his attraction toward her easier to push to the back of his mind.
"Like the Underworld and the creatures that dwell there."
"Are you talking about demons?” he asked. Noel wasn't entirely naïve to the supernatural. Since he'd installed cable Internet in his home shortly after Nancy's death, he'd surfed many strange Web sites. Plus he enjoyed checking out Wikipedia, and there were many articles there about a variety of monsters. For the most part he'd been interested in reading about the soul's journey, reincarnation and the afterlife—all topics to help ease the pain of losing his wife.
He had studied because the idea that Nancy had moved on to another place—the next phase of her existence—would ease his mind. And somehow, it had. It also led him from one strange link to another and before he knew it, he'd stumbled on the article about faerie fossils.
To actually hear the word Underworld mentioned in everyday conversation made his excitement peak more than he could've imagined it would. Maybe he just wanted to find some sort of meaning to life. Too much negativity could do that to a person. No matter how much positive energy he tried to wrap himself in, it usually drifted away from him. Could Natala change all that?
"Demons, and so much more..."
"Is that what you are?” The saliva dried up inside his mouth. He took a long sip out of the bottle of water he'd grabbed for himself.
She shook her head.
He sighed in relief. Noel might not know too much about the otherworldly but one thing he didn't want to involve himself with was anything demonic.
"I was born in the Underworld but am definitely not of demonic blood. The Sulus Clan is mostly a peaceful race of imps, though like every race, there are exceptions.” She popped the cap off the wine and sipped the contents straight from the bottle.
He'd had that bottle of red wine for years, but never found a reason to open it. Now was definitely a good reason.
Natala scrunched her face after the long sip. “This tastes exquisite, yet bitter."
"It's called wine."
"Whatever it is, I'll keep this one close. It's having an effect on my limbs."
"Alcohol usually does,” he said with a smile. And in someone so small in stature, Noel had no doubt it would take effect immediately. Still, he didn't want her drunk. “It's a good idea not to have too much at the one time."
She nodded slowly after popping a grape between her lips.
"What were you doing inside a light globe?” It seemed silly to keep up the small chatter just so he could enjoy the moment but he couldn't help himself.
Natala shrugged. “That's a story I'm not sure you're ready for."
"Let me be the judge of that,” Noel said. His voice sounded hoarse and foreign. He didn't mean for it to sound as harsh as it did, but he wanted to know what was going on ... especially if his unintentional release of Natala would somehow result in some sort of demonic situation.
* * * *
Natala swallowed the sweet piece of fruit. That's what he'd called it. This fruit, unlike everything else she'd tasted so far, was the only thing that reminded her of what used to grow in the Wilds, where she'd grown up. There wasn't much left of the Wilds anymore, and even less of the population. The imp clans lived side-by-side and in harmony for centuries before the demons decided to invade their lands.
A kingdom that took years to build was devastated within days. All its occupants either killed or enslaved. She'd been one of the lucky ones, young enough for the demons to see her as servant material. Not to be executed as her parents, uncles and aunts had been.
"They're too set in their ways," the old horned crone had whispered in the demon's ear as he stood over her and her terrified family. "Take the wee ones and we can use them as slaves. Imps are very good for that sort of thing, just as brownies are. Trained well enough, we could turn them."
The food she'd consumed sat heavy inside her stomach at the memory.
Some of her own kind had turned. They were sneaky and mischievous in nature, but hardly in a wicked sense. Yet, she'd lost cousins to the shadows. And the ones that hadn't been lost were still entrapped inside the light globes on the tree.
Natala glanced at the large tree that almost touched the ceiling. It was wide and smelled like home. She still considered it wrong to have a wild thing cut away from its natural habitat. Mostly because it always served as a symbol of what had happened to her kind—ripped away from their happy existence to become someone else's property.
It made her heart heavy with sadness and her blood boil with anger.
Still, it wasn't this man's fault.
"Are you okay, Natala?” he asked gently.
She turned her gaze toward him, and sucked in a deep breath as she admired his very handsome features. His hair was dark and cut short. There was no hair on his face and the blue eyes were large and filled with emotion. There was such sadness buried inside there. It took all the control she had to keep from kneeling in front of him to touch his face. She wanted to soothe some of that misery away from him ... even if she had plenty of her own to deal with.
"Natala?” he repeated.
The way his deep voice washed over her skin made her shiver. The air was so cold inside this abode, it felt almost artificial.
"Yes, I'm fine.” She nodded. “Are you sure you wish to hear about how I got here?"
"Yes, I'm positive."
She met his eyes. “Then you'll also have to know that as soon as the first word of explanation leaves my mouth, my problems become yours. As do my enemies."
"Your enemies?” His eyes narrowed, brow creased as he unfolded his arms and sat forward.
"Yes, I have enemies. I consider every demonic being to be an enemy of both me and my kind. They've enslaved us for several centuries, and will do whatever they can to keep us under their control.” She wasn't sure this was the right thing to do, to involve an innocent man that hadn't shooed her away as soon as she'd appeared. But she needed to trust someone from this world, to help her understand how she could use the power that was slowly returning to her advantage.
"I'm sorry."
Out of all the possible answers she would've expected from this man, or any other for that matter, that wasn't it.
Heat swept over her skin to chase away the cold that had gripped her. It alarmed her. Natala pulled her legs out from under the coffee table. What could easily be mistaken as a reaction to the sensations this man brought out of her was much more. It was the heat of a demon's power, of demonic breath upon her bare skin.
She was on her feet within seconds, both hands closed into fists at her sides. Natala had known it wouldn't be a good idea to speak so freely, but certainly hadn't expected to find the presence of a dark one inside this home. What had changed? Surely it hadn't been the mention of her story. She'd hardly gotten started. The words implicating him had left her mouth now, and whatever was bound to happen to her would also happen to Noel. There was more at stake now.
"I need to ward your abode now. Although I think it might already be too late.” Natala turned to look at Noel, who was also on his feet now. “Tell me, do you have any areas inside this place that are dark and concealed to all light."
He looked tho
ughtful before he answered with, “I don't have a basement, if that's what you're asking."
The word caused a shiver to race down her spine. Since being stolen from the Wilds, dungeons and basements were all she'd known. “It doesn't have to be a—” She couldn't bring herself to say the word. “—one of those. It can be any other place that would serve the same purpose."
"I have an attic."
"Right, what is that?"
"The attic is between the ceiling and roof.” His index fingers were both pointed upward.
She had to inspect the plan of the house so she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, opening her awareness. A part of her was able to leave her body to wander around the inside of this house. It was only one flat level, with several rooms that opened out on the other side of the corridor Noel had wandered into before. When she looked into the two rooms, everything felt untainted. But when she noticed the closed door in the dark corridor, Natala froze.
There was something behind that door.
"Natala."
A hand on her shoulder made her rush back into her body. She opened her eyes to find Noel a little too close. The spot on her shoulder where his hand made contact with her skin made her flush. A trail of pins and needles raced down her arm. There were some things that all creatures—no matter where from—were prone to feel. And the way a simple touch from him made her feel was one of them.
She tilted her head back to look into his eyes. The pupils inside were large, unlike they had been before. His expression was serious and he wouldn't remove his hand. It looked as if he was going to make a move towards her, to get closer but Natala stepped back. His hand slipped off her but she could still feel the burn of attraction.
"Is everything okay?"
She shook her head, trying to answer him and also clear her head at the same time. “No, it's not okay. You have a door in the corridor, is that the attic you speak of?"
"Not just the attic, it's a linen closet as well."
"I need to ward it with the toughest protection I can."
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