by S. E. Smith
“Nali must have brought the winged horses,” Ashure said.
Tonya laughed and shook her head. “Nope, she has a baby Sea Monkey on her shoulder. I think my little sister is in love with the things,” she said, peering around the crowded room.
Ashure made a face. “Horrible creatures if you ask me. They love to make mischief and have made a mess of more than one of my ships,” he said before his expression cleared. “On the other hand, they can make life rather entertaining when released on others.”
Tonya nudged Ashure with her elbow. “Be nice. Ruth told me what you did on the docks. She even said that there was one at her wedding,” she muttered.
Ashure nonchalantly straightened the ruffled sleeves sticking out from under the royal blue coat. He had worn it for their wedding a few hours earlier. The festivities would last for at least a week—if his patience held out.
The Isle of the Pirates had filled with visitors from far and wide who had begun arriving days ago for his and Tonya’s wedding and the celebrations that would follow. Ashure scanned the crowd. Koorgan and Ruth, from the Isle of the Giants, had come to attend to some business contracts before the wedding. They were currently chatting with Drago and Carly. His focus paused on Max and Angela. Tonya’s adoptive parents had taken everything in stride, and Tonya’s younger siblings had declared they were never going home. Max was currently talking with Mike and Marina—probably about what had happened in Yachats, while Angela stood gently rocking the couple’s infant son.
“Dolores and James were a bit overwhelmed at first, but I think they are enjoying themselves now,” she murmured, leaning into him.
“Yes. Orion and Jenny appear to have taken your grandparents under their calming influence,” he agreed.
“It looks like MJ has found some new ‘cool’ friends,” she said, pointing to her younger brother.
Since yesterday, MJ had been hanging out with Orion and Drago’s boys. At the moment, they were clustered around MJ and the gaming device that he had brought with him. Ashure nodded to Ross Galloway as he and Gem stepped into the Great Hall. Ross held up a tankard of beer in greeting.
Ashure heard Tonya’s surprised intake of breath when a very serene, elegant woman with two very protective humans followed Ross and Gem into the room.
“How did I miss seeing Magna, Gabe, and Kane?” she exclaimed.
“I meant to tell you. Magna was concerned that it might cause some issues,” he said.
“Well, there had better not be any. I’m glad that she came,” she said.
“I agree—and so did the others. Each kingdom finally recognizes that we owe a great debt to Magna,” he reassured her.
“That’s good,” she replied with a contented sigh. “Thank you for a wonderful wedding. I would have been just as happy having it on the beach like before,” she murmured.
He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her close and kissed her brow. He scowled when he saw several pairs of eyes mischievously peering at him from behind Tonya. He pulled away from her and sent a scathing, searching glare around the room until he found the man he was searching for.
Koorgan touched his brow and threw his head back with a booming laugh that had a rippling effect throughout the room. The damn Giant had released at least a dozen of Nali’s Sea Monkeys in the room. He wrinkled his nose in distaste when Nali stepped in front of him.
“My Great Hall is infected with your creatures, Nali,” he stated.
She nodded. “I know. Can I speak with you for a moment?” she murmured near his ear.
“Of course. Tonya—” he started to say.
“Go ahead. I’d like to chat with Magna,” she encouraged.
Ashure waved his hand toward a door that was barely discernible behind a tapestry. Nali lifted her hand and motioned for the baby Sea Monkey on her shoulder to jump up onto the arm of a decorative sconce. He opened the door and waited for her to pass through before he followed. They walked in silence to a cozy sitting room off the corridor.
He opened the door for her again. Closing it behind him, he walked over to a small bar and poured them each a glass of bourbon. He studied Nali for a moment where she stood in front of the fireplace before he walked over and handed her one of the glasses. He lifted his glass in a toast.
“To Dapier, for not finding all the bourbon and giving it away along with my brandy,” he said.
An amused smirk curved her lips, and she raised her glass and touched it to his. “To Dapier,” she murmured in agreement.
He lowered his glass and studied her again. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
She glanced at him and sighed as she sat down in one of the plush chairs in front of the fireplace.
“You know me too well,” she complained.
He released a short laugh and nodded. “Yes, I do,” he agreed.
“Do you remember our speculation that at least two of the alien creatures could still exist?” she inquired.
Ashure frowned and sat down in the chair next to her. “It was true?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yes. One, possibly both, are on the Isle of the Monsters. An injured sea stag washed up on the beach not far from the palace this morning. It was inhabited by one of them,” she explained.
“What did you do with it?” he demanded, sitting forward.
Tears glittered in her eyes for a moment before she blinked them away. “The stag is contained. The alien cannot do much inside the sea stag, not as it did when it infected Magna or Gem’s cousin. I’ve ordered only my most trusted Gargoyles to guard it. The alien cannot penetrate their stone,” she said.
“We must tell the others. We will search every inch of the Isle for the other one and destroy them once and for all,” he said, rising to his feet.
She rose as well. “No. The Isle of the Monsters is different from the other Isles, Ashure, you know that. It would be impossible for anyone else—including you—to differentiate between the alien and a monster. This is something I must do alone,” she said.
Ashure shook his head. “Nali—” he protested.
She laid her hand on his arm. “It can’t penetrate my skin in certain forms, Ashure,” she reminded him.
He gritted his teeth in frustration. “Then why did you tell me if you won’t allow me to help you?” he growled.
“Because if I’m injured or the creature somehow manages to possess my body, there is only one person who knows where to take me, Ashure, and that is you,” she said.
He swallowed when he realized where she meant. He took in a deep breath and nodded his understanding. From what Tonya had shared of her experience with Xyrie, the unicorns held a direct connection to the Goddess herself.
“How will I know if you need me?” he forced out.
She reached into a small pocket in the front of her black vest and pulled out a bracelet made of fine, satiny unicorn hair. There were three crystal-clear jeweled beads threaded through it. She placed her drink down on the table between the chairs and motioned for him to raise his wrist.
“If possible, I will send Pai. If he cannot come, and I need help, all three beads will turn red. Remember, do not come unless all three are red,” she warned.
He looked down at the bracelet and frowned as it magically wrapped around his wrist. “Why do I have to wait for all three?” he asked.
“I wanted to give myself a chance to capture it. I may fail once—even twice—but there is no way I will fail a third time,” she vowed.
“You always were stubborn,” he absently chided, staring at the bracelet around his wrist.
She softly chuckled. “So says the boy who climbed a mountain to see if he could touch the clouds,” she tenderly replied.
“I’ll be there for you,” he promised.
“I know you will,” she said, picking up her glass and touching it to his again. “To you and Tonya.”
Later that evening, he lay in bed absently fingering the unicorn bracelet Nali had given him. He smiled when Tonya pulled back the covers
and slid in beside him. He held his arm out for her to snuggle against him.
“Are you still worrying about Nali?” she asked.
He nodded. “I guess if anyone should be worried, it is the aliens. Nali is formidable when she is in a good mood; she can be devastating when she is in a bad one and nothing will do that faster than a threat to the monsters that she protects,” he murmured.
Tonya chuckled and ran her fingers through the hair on his chest. “I can only imagine. I was pretty impressed by one pissed off Pirate King,” she observed.
He suddenly rolled over and lovingly looked down at her. “I love you,” he said before he moved to kiss her.
Their lips had almost met when she uttered an inelegant snort. He looked at her in surprise before he realized that she was looking over his shoulder, up at the canopy above them. He rolled over to see what she was looking at and loudly swore. Several pairs of mischievous eyes stared back at him, showing off rows of tiny sharp-toothed grins.
“I hate that damn Giant,” he growled.
He yanked the covers up over their heads as Sea Monkeys began to rain down on them. His aggravation quickly dissipated when Tonya giggled. She slid her hand down and protectively covered his groin as he grunted.
“I have to protect the family jewels if we plan on giving Max and Angela grandkids one day,” she teased.
“Goddess, but I’ve decided that I hate Sea Monkeys,” he moaned.
She rolled on top of him when the last Sea Monkey scurried off the bed. “Just think of the stories you’ll be able to tell our kids,” she murmured against his lips.
He released the covers and slid his hands up under her nightgown. “I don’t think this will be a story you’ll want me to share,” he promised.
Ashure slid one hand to the side and wiggled his fingers, opening a small portal to the room below him. He smiled in satisfaction when Koorgan’s muted yell rose upward as the Sea Monkeys under the bed escaped through the opening. He closed the opening and returned his focus to Tonya, the adventurous siren from another world who healed his soul and gave him what his heart truly desired—someone who loved him—shadows and all.
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Thank you for reading! Next in this series is:
The Monster’s Caress
A Seven Kingdoms Tale 8
Nali will do anything to protect the monsters in her care. When one of her Sea Stags washes ashore grievously injured, she knows that the last of the alien creatures has made it to her kingdom. Her search for the alien leads her to an unexpected discovery—another visitor, this one from Earth!
Asahi Tanaka finds himself in a strange, but eerily familiar world. He had heard tales from his grandfather about the mysterious and magical realm where monsters lived—a magical world that had destroyed his family. His thirst for answers takes him farther than he ever expected—straight into the arms of the fabled monster his grandfather once told him about.
More than just the Isle of the Monsters is in danger. Nali and Asahi must rely on each other to fight against an alien determined to conquer the Empress of the Monsters—and destroy the entire Seven Kingdoms. Will the magic that sparks between these two warriors from different worlds be enough to destroy the threat or will they be overpowered, dooming the Seven Kingdoms?
Coming Soon!
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In the meantime, do you want to try a new series?
S.E. Smith recommends:
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Command Decision
Project Gliese 581g Book 1
An international team leaves Earth to investigate a mysterious object…
Lieutenant Commander Joshua Manson’s career has taken him to many places, just not the one he has always dreamed of going – into space. His sometimes controversial methods during missions have given him a reputation as a rule-bender, so when Josh receives a summons to Washington D.C. after a challenging mission, he worries that soon he won’t have a career at all. Once there, though, Josh is offered the chance of a lifetime, command of a mission investigate an unknown object in space. The more he learns, the more determined he is to do this, even if it means a one-way ticket.
* * *
Cassa de Rola’s family has lived for centuries in the quiet valley where they farm. She fervently hopes their valley will stay quiet, but the growing unrest between intergalactic forces makes it unlikely that her family will remain untouched for much longer. When an unusual object falls from the sky and Cassa finds a strange male in the container, she knows that taking him in will endanger the lives of everyone close to her, but she can’t leave him defenseless.
* * *
Both sides of the coming war are determined to discover the origins of the escape pod that crashed on the de Rola farm and find whoever was inside. The dominoes fall, and when the fight between the Legion and the Gallant Order escalates, a new rebel leader emerges from the stars that will change the galaxy, and Cassa’s life, forever.
* * *
Discover new worlds and conflicts in a sci-fi adventure sure to become your favorite! Check out the full book here: books2read.com/Command-Decision
Additional Books
If you loved this story by me (S.E. Smith) please leave a review! You can discover additional books at: http://sesmithfl.com and http://sesmithya.com or find your favorite way to keep in touch here: https://sesmithfl.com/contact-me/ Be sure to sign up for my newsletter to hear about new releases!
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Recommended Reading Order Lists:
http://sesmithfl.com/reading-list-by-events/
http://sesmithfl.com/reading-list-by-series/
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The Series
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A Seven Kingdoms Tale