Hot Knights

by Rue Allyn

  Inside the colorful building, an elderly lady sat at the reception desk reading. When she saw them, her crinkly eyes went large. “My, you are tall, aren’t you? And those pale blue eyes. Wait, gray. No, blue.” Appraising his Alcatraz tourist shirt, the old lady smiled. “We get so many visitors from near and far, I have a knack for this. Let me guess . . . you’re from Sweden!”

  Tera laughed. The old woman was right; he could totally pass as Swedish. “You’re absolutely correct; he’s my Nordic pen pal.”

  “I traveled here from very far to convince this woman to marry me.” Sabin’s seductive voice brought Tera’s laughter to a sudden halt and he caught her in his arms in an elaborate back-bending kiss.

  “Ohhh wonderful!” The sweet old woman clapped her hands excitedly. “I’m so glad I have a room for you two. Quite often we’re booked.”

  Sabin’s lips released Tera just in time for him to grasp the key being handed to him. “Thank you.” His eyes glittered with seduction and Tera could have sworn she saw the old lady blush.

  “You two just head on up and we’ll take care of the paperwork later.” The wonderful old woman winked at Tera, who was being escorted up the stairs by Sabin before she had a chance to protest.

  “One room was not my plan,” she hissed as they ascended the stairs.

  “I imagine that it would seem a chore to share a bed with one my size, but you might find that I could create a pleasant experience for the both of us.”

  “Would you quit it with the sexual innuendos, please?” Tera yanked the key out of his hands and fumbled with it as she tried to open the door.

  As it finally swung open, her jaw dropped as she took in the elaborate Redwood Room, the door plaque named it. The soft pink comforter covering the bed was a stark contrast to the photographic mural of a redwood forest covering the walls.

  Sabin ushered her in. “We’ll be spending our first night together in a redwood forest. Still don’t believe in fate, Dryad?”

  “No,” she folded her arms across her chest.

  Sabin pushed past her without bothering to shut the door, and tore off his new Alcatraz t-shirt. Tossing the fabric on the ground, he moved around the small room, peeking out the window and surveying the washroom.

  Frowning at the twist of events, she wondered if she should leave the Knight of the Cloud or the Fog or whatever in the room, and head back to where she lived with the coven in Alameda. It was a quick decision—turning loose an immortal warrior in her city was probably not a good idea. Especially after he knocked out half the tourists at the Fisherman’s Wharf. Nope, she would have to tough it out. Gazing longingly at the wallpaper of the realistic Redwood Forest, she did like the room. Actually, she loved the room. Annoying, washboard-abbed mystical warrior aside, that was.

  Heavy antique furniture filled the room in dark shades of wood, much like the trees in the mural of the forest that stretched along the wall. The window of the two-story building was bordered by layers of gauzy green fabric that also hung like a canopy over the bed. The bed! Tera realized that although she loved the gigantic antique dresser and vanity, there was absolutely no room on the floor for the warrior to sleep.

  As if on cue, Sabin walked in from appraising the washroom and collapsed onto the queen-sized bed. “Quaint bathing room. As an immortal I do not have to deal with pesky matters such as body odor or disease, but having a wash might be fun.”

  She ignored the sensual wink he sent her way. Don’t look interested. Don’t look interested, don’t look interested . . .

  As he stretched his hands behind his head and relaxed, Tera focused on the window so she didn’t have to see his stomach muscles flex hotly. Time to change the mantra. I’m not interested. I’m not interested . . .

  Finally, she snapped, “Don’t get too comfortable. And put your shirt back on. We’re heading a couple blocks down to the park.”

  “It’s dark now, is it really necessary to put on the shirt?” Sabin grinned mischievously.

  “Yes. It’s definitely necessary. I don’t know how you do things in the plane of the fog, but here in the realm of the city by the bay, one can get arrested for indecent exposure.”

  “You think me indecent?”

  Now he was messing with her. It was obvious she thought him quite decent in a very indecent way. “Oh yeah, an eyesore for sure.” Tera smirked at Sabin before crooking a finger, beckoning him. “Time for some target practice.”

  “You mean to take your frustrations out on me in the park, do you?”

  “You wish. I won’t be pummeling you anymore since I know it gets you hot. And I won’t be encouraging that. Now come on, I want to get acquainted with that cool gun of yours. If we get lucky, we’ll come across some vampires lurking about. Nothing makes me happier than leech hunting.”

  “Artemis created quite the blood-thirsty Dryad. I like it. I should let you know, Tera, that as a Knight of the Fog, I am forbidden from killing creatures who have not broken any of my laws.” He finally pulled on his shirt.

  “You mean a big hulking guy like you doesn’t just go berserk on the bad guys?” She raised an unimpressed brow.

  “I hope you mean hulking in a good way.” He released a slow smile on her that nearly made her toes curl. “And you’re welcome to my weaponry if you so desire, especially since you won’t let me carry it. Such outlandish laws here.” Sabin shook his head and opened the door to the small, charming room. His hand stretched through the doorway and Sabin bowed slightly. “After you.”

  “Thanks.” Tera was careful not to brush against Sabin’s body, which was entirely too large for the room. She all but had to squeeze against the doorway to avoid touching him. She heard him chuckle. “And I’m not bloodthirsty. I just do what needs to be done. As a matter of fact, there’s one vampire that I let live in Alameda. I followed him for a while and I determined two things; he gets most of his blood from the butcher, and he tips my baristas well. Therefore, he can stay.”

  As they made their way through the hotel, past the sleeping gatekeeper and out the door, Sabin looked confused. “Tipped your barista?”

  “Yeah, I own a coffee shop.”

  “So, how does a Dryad come to leave a forest and create a business?” Startled that he would ask so personal a question, Tera wondered exactly what to tell him. As she rounded the corner onto Cole Street, she glanced at Sabin. The tall, silvery-haired immortal looked absolutely glorious, his gaze lingering on her intently. Behind him, rows of pale-colored Victorian homes towered with dramatic, winding fire escapes.

  “People started coming to the forest quite often. The forest was safe though, protected. One day a beautiful bird flew into my branches, and after I spoke to it like I do most creatures, the bird took the form of a young girl.”

  “A shape shifter?”

  “No. A Wiccan. Although she hasn’t grown into her full abilities, her aunts enchanted her with the gift. For every tattoo she gets in the form of a bird, she can take its form. And unlike shape shifters, because it’s magic, she gets to keep all her clothes when she goes back and forth between forms.” She laughed, recalling her friend’s antics. “Sparrow is always bragging about her ‘special condition.’ She gets the best aspects of being a bird, without the heinous shape shifting drawbacks.

  “Anyway, she brought me some clothes one night and we went home together after dark when the park was closed to visitors. She was pretty young then, so part of me feels like her aunt or something, although now we appear to be of the same age.”

  Stepping onto the grassy grounds of the Panhandle, Tera continued to explain while Sabin listened, appearing captivated by her story. “So Sparrow took me home to her family, her coven of relatives. I guess you could say. I fit right in, or at least they made me feel like I do.” Tera giggled. “You see, they live in a giant Victorian house that they paid for with lottery winnings, so there’s plenty of room for me.”

  “That’s against Wiccan law,” he pointed out, his eyes smoldering.

 
“Man, I would have pegged you for a rebel, not a pantywaist.”

  Now he really glowered. “Pantywaist? This is not in my vocabulary, but it does not sound good. It is my job to keep order. What do you expect?”

  “Well anyway, the Reed Coven is the most powerful coven in the Bay Area so nobody really tells them what to do. Effectively, I mean.”

  “I am sorry that I interrupted. Please tell me more about your beloved law-breaking relatives.”

  Tera detected a hint of teasing in his tone so she went on. “I moved into the house and I spruced up their garden. Like, major overhaul. You’d think a powerful coven of witches could manage their own estate. Geesh. But since I didn’t have a job, I had time on my hands. So anyways, with my Dryadically induced green thumb, I created quite the garden behind their house. I started my business by bringing my home-grown local produce to the Alameda Farmer’s Market. My fruits and vegetables were a hit. Eventually, Sparrow started using my lavender and ginger to create incredible baked confections that we also sold at the market. Then one day, the coven gave me a special gift on my birthday—by birthday I mean when Sparrow discovered me since we have no idea when I was really born. They gave me enough money to put a down payment on the spot for the coffee shop I’d been dreaming about.

  “I had been drawing and listing all the things I would offer for sale if I had a coffee shop. And I would have live music by local musicians and local art. I wanted it to be a community place, you know.”

  Tera finally sucked in a breath and noticed Sabin smiling. It was hard to contain her excitement when talking about the coffee shop. But she was starting to get the idea that he was entertained by her nostalgic ramblings, so she continued. “Sparrow was the first to sing at my open-mic night and, of course, she was so good people started coming back just to hear her—and drink my delicious coffee. Sparrow really does have a good voice, but then, she does quite a bit of singing when she’s in literal sparrow or warbler form. There’s been a couple times when the aunts spelled me so that I had a desire to go up on stage with her, and boy was that a riot.”

  When Tera realized that Sabin’s gaze had never wavered from her all this time, she immediately decided to change the subject. Enough talking about moi. Small talk and arguing only from now on. “So, we’re far enough in the trees of the Golden Gate park now, about those weapons . . . ”

  “Yes, of course, you still have them in your leather jacket.” Sabin looked amused at her absent-mindedness. “You’re cute, Dryad. I like it when you give in to your passion. Even if it’s about a coffee shop and not me.”

  Tera blushed and pulled the astral gun from her inside pocket. She’d almost forgotten that she took it from Sabin since his tight shirt left little opportunity for proper concealment. The heavy silver gun weighed smooth in her hands. Looking it over, it looked like a pretty normal gun, save for the barrel, which was larger than most she’d seen. “So what’s the deal with this thing? It left a trail of something as it shot through the air.”

  “It’s an astral gun.” Sabin moved behind her, and grabbed the weapon from within her hands. Cupping them inside his own, he helped her to aim the gun at a sign across the park.

  “I know how to aim.” Tera muttered from their close proximity.

  “Yes, but the gun only works within my hands. You see, as a Knight of the Fog, the gun is crafted specifically for me. My mind controls the astral bullet.” Suddenly, Sabin re-aimed the gun to a nearby tree and fired. Tera screamed at the sight of the shimmering bullet heading for the tree. As a Dryad she couldn’t even fathom the pain, and if it had been her own trunk, she would have experienced the agony herself. But as she watched in horror, the bullet slowly dissolved into dust before it found its mark.

  “I can control the output of the astral gun and its bullets. If I shoot and then have a desire to retract the bullet, I can do so. You should know, Dryad, I would never inflict harm upon a tree. You think me that heartless?”

  Tera chose not to answer. “Just explain the gun.”

  “Earlier when we were on the island, we were ambushed by demons who tried to attack us through invisibility. The astral bullets rendered them visible, disabling them momentarily of all their abilities. This is how we control the various creatures traveling within the Portal Realm. We don’t usually kill unless we have to. Our bullets ready the victims for our wrath, whatever we choose it to be depending on the misdeed. The astral bullets are mystical; they can detect the true heart of the person they penetrate. If the heart is pure, under no circumstances can the bullet kill.”

  “Interesting.” Tera contorted her face so that it appeared she was only mildly impressed. “So long story short, I can’t use this thing?” She hung her head like a five year old.

  “You could bash something over the head with it.” He grinned. “And we both know that you’ve got a wicked right hook.”

  Tera’s mood lightened as Sabin teased her, and for a moment, she enjoyed the close proximity of the warrior’s hard body. “So much for target practice. I don’t see any vampires either. Usually I can come here and find some getting their drink on with locals stumbling home from bars on the Haight.”

  “We can spar if you like.” Sabin tucked his gun securely into the back of his tight leather pants. Anticipation flickered in his eyes.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She noted his hungry look with caution. The butterflies in her stomach argued otherwise.

  “Why? Because you vowed chastity to the Goddess Artemis? I’ll admit that I have intentions to sway you away from that before I leave.”

  “You shouldn’t admit that. It makes me more wary.”

  “Or gives you an intense anticipation, a curiosity to discover what kind of passion an immortal soldier such as myself could deliver. One who has been hungering for you since I first glimpsed you.”

  At nearly seven feet, he was a towering, sensual feast for the eyes. She tried not to go weak in the knees, for he did indeed look like he could deliver on his promise. Artemis had spoken only of how horrible men were, how they wanted only one thing and that they were selfish with pleasure. But the look in Sabin’s glittering, icy-blue eyes led Tera to believe that they were the determined kind, determined in an intensely pleasurable sort of way.

  After all, he couldn’t break her heart; she wasn’t in love with him. Perhaps she might take the Knight up on his offer. Tera’s skin prickled with awareness, and her instincts as a hunter told her that someone was approaching. A leaf crunched on the ground one hundred yards off and she turned in its direction. “Did you hear that?”

  Sabin turned his body in the same direction, placing his body in front of hers. “It can’t be.” The Knight’s voice was deep and disbelief laced his words. That could not be good.

  Chapter Nine

  Out of the darkness of the dense tree-filled park came the glittering silver stream of dust from an astral gun. Tera’s mouth dropped open as she ogled the beautiful comet-like trail.

  Sabin pushed Tera aside as the astral bullet lodged into his abdomen. Sinking to his knees in pain, Sabin gritted his teeth. The astral bullets could only come from a Knight of the Fog. His insides twisted as he watched his comrades step into the clearing. The pain in his stomach was immense, but pushing himself back to his feet to shield Tera from any more attacks, he knew that would only be temporary. A Knight of the Fog could only use the astral gun on another if a crime had been committed. His heart was pure from wrong-doing, and so the astral bullet would dissolve quickly rather than inflict maximum damage.

  It was clear from her state of shock that Tera had yet to realize Sabin had saved her. “Are you . . . ?” Her words dropped off as she followed to where Sabin’s furious gaze was focused. Out of the dense darkness of the trees stalked three large men, all leather clad and bare-chested. Their bodies were long and rippled with muscles and their eyes a frightening silvery-blue that matched the cold metal of the guns.

  Another bullet soared from one of the Knights’ gu
ns and Sabin ushered her behind him once again as he prepared for impact. The Knights seemed stunned as they watched him take the second impact. This time, he couldn’t stop the groan that escaped him. To hell with this!

  But before he could act, Tera leapt up from the ground behind Sabin and disappeared from sight. He caught sight of her pulling herself up into the branches of the tree fifteen feet up, clearly at home in a forest. Her attackers obviously didn’t realize who they were messing with.

  The Knights marched closer to where Sabin stood, bleeding and clenching his fists as he fought to control the rage that bubbled from within. He was glad to have Tera out of the way. The last thing he wanted was for one of his friends to harm the beautiful, innocent woman he admired so much.

  Rowen was among the three Knights who approached. Despite the pain, anger and confusion simmering in his veins, Sabin knew he should do nothing to harm his friends. Rowen aimed his gun to take Sabin down to his knees once more, so Sabin stood, prepared to be captured. At least then he would find out what the hell plane was going on.

  But when Rowen was about forty yards away, Tera dropped down from the treetops, knocking the Knight and his gun to the ground. At the same time, two branches whipped out from the treetops and curled around Knight Sodor’s arms, holding him firmly in place. Knowing how deadly his comrades could be, fear propelled Sabin into action, determined to keep Tera safe as the remaining Knight, Zeth, descended on her. Rowen was on the ground, bleeding from three spots where Tera had sliced and diced with her silver knife. Zeth yanked Tera back by her hair, but the Dryad quickly aimed her pepper spray behind her, getting the Knight in the face. Sabin was relieved that Tera was kicking ass, and he got to the foursome just in time to free her from the burden of taking them all on at once.