Beguiled (Book 2 Immortal Essence series)

by RaShelle Workman

  An explanation didn’t seem complicated. Michael was hedging. Whatever his species, he was either embarrassed, or scared I wouldn’t like him because of it. If he wasn’t kelvieri, it didn’t matter whether we had feelings for each other or not. According to the law of the Universe, different species weren’t allowed to be together. Physically or otherwise.

  “Venus?” Michael touched my cheek with his thumb, and I jumped. My skin flushed and responded in a way it never did with Zaren.

  “Don’t touch me.” More quietly, “Don’t.” My deliberations made me angry. Irritated, my body was so drawn to him, like two ends of the same piece of string.

  “Chill.” Michael said, uncomfortable.

  “Sorry.” It didn’t make it right to lash out. He had no idea of the thoughts running through my head, the sorts of emotions eroding my insides. The excited butterflies. It wasn’t fair to Zaren. “It’s my family. I still haven’t found them, and it’s been difficult.” Tears filled my eyes again. Cret, I swore internally, wiping them away.

  Michael coughed. “They are the reason I’ve come.”

  “What? You know something about Amberlee? About my mom and dad? Six weeks in Kelari and you know it all.” I huffed. Did he come to upset me, to cause me pain? It was possible, I guess. I hurt him when I didn’t reciprocate his feelings in the cave with the gods, and I’m sure seeing me with Zaren made my rejection of him even more painful.

  “My father—”

  “Ugh. I know, Michael. I’m sorry. For everything. But go home. My problems aren’t your problems. This is kelarian business.” He said he wasn’t all human, but that didn’t mean he was kelarian. I wondered why he stayed on Kelari? What were his motives? But then it wasn’t like he had a lot of reasons to return to Earth. His alien-murdering father. High school football. Cheverly? Maybe.

  He shook his head, and blew out his breath in frustration. He was angry.

  Great, here it comes, I thought, bracing myself for his worded assault.

  He must’ve noticed the stony mask I plastered over my features because he softened. The skin between his eyes relaxed and the tightness of his jaw loosened.

  “I’m sorry too,” he finally said.

  “Don’t be. You didn’t take my parents. Whatever’s happened, it isn’t your fault.” I tucked my hands in my lavender jacket pockets, and wrapped it around me. “Look, I can’t stay. I’ve a meeting to get to.” I regarded him, imploring. “Please, I’m glad you’re okay, and I’m truly sorry for everything, but I-I need to go.” Even though I felt I had to say the words, to be fair to Zaren, each syllable hurt as I spoke. I’d never told such a blatant lie in all my life. As the soon-to-be Queen of Alayeah there were more important things to worry about than a finicky heart. “Do you have a place to stay?” I wanted to be fair to Zaren, but I didn’t want to leave Michael without a place to sleep, or eat, or whatever his kind required to survive. Those thoughts brought me up short. What was he?

  “Of course,” he said quickly.

  “Maybe we can get together another time. I’d really like to talk to you. Find out where in the Universe you belong.” I gave a short laugh.

  “This can’t wait, Venus.” Bite enunciated his words.

  “You’re so arrogant.” I started up the hill, ignoring the low-lying plants scratching my feet. They didn’t damage, only irritated. I needed space, away from Michael, a chance to ponder my feelings.

  He’s staying for you! The voice burst through my brain. It sounded female, yet kind of growly. “No,” I whispered, but stopped. Was he staying for me? My heart knew it was true. He told me he loved me. He believed I was his soul mate. But I rejected him. Surely he was furious, humiliated even. I would be.

  He’s a part of you. He risked his life for you.

  The snarling voice was right. It didn’t matter that I picked Zaren. What mattered was I wanted Michael around. I wanted him to be happy. And I wanted to know all about what he’d been doing the last six weeks. The Chans and their meeting could be rescheduled.

  “Michael!” I turned back, and ran directly into his chest. Michael had followed me, but I hadn’t heard him. Again.

  He grabbed hold of my waist. “I’m right here. You don’t have to shout.” He smiled as he spoke, and his white teeth shone in the moonlight.

  “I’m glad you’re okay.” I patted his chest.

  “I know, Princess.”

  His soft voice pushed away all the barriers I’d built up. With those three little words the dam inside burst. I swallowed, choking down a sob. Tears leaked onto my cheeks, and I let them. I didn’t care anymore. The past several weeks I pretended I could handle everything—being the leader of Alayeah—the perfect kelvieri princess, but I wasn’t. I couldn’t be what my country demanded. Not yet. There should be another couple of hundred years before such a mantle was passed on.

  Michael brushed away my tears, his features scrunched in concern. “Venus. Stop. Shhh.” He pulled me into an embrace. I wrapped my arms around him. My head rested against his chest, and I drew in a deep breath. I’d missed him. Michael. Full realization of how much consumed me.

  “I know where your parents are. That’s why I’ve come,” he whispered into my hair.

  I froze, all cozy feelings toward Michael disappearing as quickly as they came. He knew nothing about Kelari. About me. The pain and agony I’d gone through searching for my parents. He was playing me. Whatever his real origins, they must be evil. Otherwise, why would he say such things? Lie to me. I didn’t understand. “How dare you?” I balled up my fists, and releasing all of my pent up agony, pounded on his chest.

  “I hope you’re happy now. I hope you feel better. I hope you rot in hel—”

  “Would you stop,” he said, grabbing my wrists in his hands and glaring. “I’m telling you I know where to find your parents. I want to help, so why do you keep freaking out?”

  “Really?” I tried to read his strange expression. “You can’t be serious.” I casually wiped my nose on the sleeve of my jacket as I searched his eyes.

  “For cret’s sake. I’m totally serious.” He dropped my wrists, rubbing his neck. I knew he used my favorite swear word to ease the tension suddenly between us, but it didn’t work. I was a wreck with emotion.

  “Where are they, then?” The words quivered as they tumbled out. I wanted to believe he spoke the truth.

  “Well, here’s the thing. Um, they’re in Helker.”

  “Impossible.” I stepped toward the crashing waves.

  He moved with me. “I’m not lying. They are there. I swear.”

  “Why would you say such a thing?” I asked, facing him.

  His features hardened. “Why do you have to be so exasperating? Can’t you trust me? Accept what I’m saying without twenty questions?”

  “Seriously? You want to know why? Because up until a few minutes ago I thought you were human. Now I learn you aren’t, yet you wait six weeks to come and find me.” I poked him in the chest with my finger as I spoke. “Do you even remember what Helker is?” By the look on Michael’s face it was obvious he remembered and more. “Have you been?”

  Darkness, an angry fury, twisted his features. Frightened me. “As a matter of fact I have.” The words rumbled out of him, low and intense.

  Afraid, I moved away, my feet splashing in the surf. A strong energy abruptly began to pulsate from Michael and shot through me, pulling at my core. It didn’t hurt, not really, but the sensation startled me. “What are you doing? Stop!” I grabbed at my chest; trying desperately to force whatever he was taking from me, back inside. “What are you?” If he was kelvieri, he certainly wasn’t like any I knew. Was he human at all? Terrified, I receded further in the water, but stopped when it reached the middle of my thighs. My teeth chattered. The hem of my dress soaked, weighing me down. I felt trapped between Michael and the water.

  Which was worse? I wondered.

  Michael fell to his knees and closed his eyes.

  “Michael?”

 
; “You. Are. Exquisite,” he said, sounding as though he were in agony. His arms fell to his sides, and dangled like a rag dolls.

  Anxious about what might be wrong, I lifted my dress by the hem, and pushed through the water, toward Michael.

  Your soul mate. The words rushed through my mind.

  “Michael,” I said again. As I walked, the sand suddenly shifted beneath my feet, and I fell to my knees. The frigid water prickled my dry skin like thousands of tiny stings. I gasped in shock and hauled my feet under me to stand. At that moment though, a very large, very heavy sneaker wave crashed down on my shoulders, knocking me into the water, pressing my chin against the sand. When it retreated, it dragged me with it.

  I fought against the current, digging my fingers into the sand, grasping for anything solid.

  Would Michael notice I was no longer on the beach? A strangled shriek surged through my throat.

  “Help,” I screamed, and swallowed some of the brackish water. I knew in seconds I would tumble off the shallow sandbank, and be lost to the deep gloom below.

  Refusing to give up, I threw my head above the water and searched the beach for Michael. Another wave smashed over me. It roared in my ears, the sound like an angry tiger. Unprepared, I took in a mouthful of water, its briny saltiness icy. The wave grabbed hold and pulled me further out, off the sand bar, and into the great nothingness beyond.

  I scrambled, fighting to regain the edge, my fingers tearing on the rocky reef. The wave continued to tug me away, and the sand I clutched tumbled over the edge, and disappeared into the pitch-black depths.

  I was sinking—not drowning. Oh, no. I’d live. As a kelvieri only a few things in the Universe could kill me, and water wasn’t one of them.

  Down.

  Down.

  Down.

  Like a wet sock . . .

  Our palace shaman once explained a kelvieri’s body absorbs salty water like a sponge, weighing us down. I shuddered at the thought of an eternity at the bottom of the sea as a bloated statue.

  It appeared I might not have a choice

  Colorful fish mocked my desperation, swimming around, oblivious to my suffering. I clawed at the water, and moved my feet. But I continued to sink.

  “Michael,” I tried to scream, filling my mouth with water.

  So I wouldn’t die, but I wouldn’t be doing a whole lot of living either. Random thoughts skimmed through my mind. Like: What did I have to show for my life? What good had I done? Accomplished?

  Nothing of great importance.

  Except, well I’d been kissed. I knew what it meant to love and be loved. Didn’t I? But a kiss? Loving? Those weren’t really contributing to the greater good of my planet.

  In that bleak moment I realized I wanted to—make a difference. Somehow, and in some way I wanted to improve the lives of my fellow countrymen. I couldn’t from the dark depths of the Alayeahean Sea though.

  “Cret,” I tried to shout, swallowing more water, hating my need to be rescued.

  My dress stirred around me like a colorful cloud. My jacket grew heavy, as though it was sewn together by thread as heavy as bricks, pulling me down more rapidly.

  I was so concerned about my lame attempts at being leader, being a good girlfriend, being the kind of kelarian my parents would be proud of. None of those things mattered now. I’d hang out with the fishes, the whaletins, and . . .

  A dark shadow swam past. If it was a sharire I might be in trouble.

  Michael must realize I was gone by now. Would he think I used Britorent and left?

  Offering a silent plea to the gods, Ith and Aetha, I prayed they’d help me out of this mess.

  3. Black Hole Sun

  The moon’s light didn’t reach this deep, and the inky darkness churned. My kelvieri eyes allowed me to see though. A large, sleek shape moved in my direction. It cut slowly through the water like a knife through flesh.

  Closer and closer.

  I saw its rounded nose. Two big eyes zoned in on my floundering form. Its mouth slightly opened, giving me a view of all its razor sharp teeth. When it got close enough I would fight it, probably even kill it, but I wasn’t looking forward to the encounter.

  The sharire was within ten feet now, and closing fast. It must’ve realized my predicament because it suddenly shot below and aimed its body so it was directly under me, and vertical.

  I’d be swallowed whole.

  Huh, I hadn’t thought about the prospect of spending years in the belly of a sharire.

  “No!” Again I tried to claw my way to the surface.

  Why was I so stupid? Michael wasn’t that scary.

  The sharire traveled upward. It decided to meet me halfway. Maybe if I moved my legs as if I walked on land, it would help. I tried to take a step, and suddenly shot upward and sideways through the water.

  Whoa. Had something so simple worked? Turning, I saw Michael. He punched the beast directly in the nose. The sharire shook its head back and forth. Michael treaded water, moving his hands as though waving, his feet hanging precariously close to the sharire’s mouth. I guessed he waited to see if the creature would swim away.

  Relief flooded my veins. He saved me—again.

  My reprieve was short lived though. The sharire recovered and came at Michael again, its tail whipping as it jetted toward him. Michael moved to the right at the last second and grabbed the sharire by an eye socket and the top of its mouth, and twisted. A loud crack reverberated through the water. The sharire’s tail flicked a couple more times and then the beast was still.

  Michael killed it. He certainly wasn’t human if he could manage such a feat. He was as strong as a kelvieri. Maybe stronger.

  I tried to move my hands the way Michael did, and kick my feet. It didn’t help. My body was descending again, and I swore if I made it out of the sea, as soon as I had the chance, I would learn to swim.

  Michael let go of the sharire. I watched it slowly float away, leaving a trail of red blood. This area would be full of ravenous beasts within minutes. One sharire was bad enough. But dozens . . . I shuddered.

  One of Michael’s arms wrapped around my waist, and he began to tow me away, out of danger. As we went, I watched sharire after sharire emerge, circling, their senses honed in on the blood, on an easy meal. A cerulean serpent, twice the size of the largest sharire, slithered into view causing the sharires to dart away like scared guppies. The serpent nudged the dead body with its nose once, opened its mouth and ate the carcass whole.

  Would the serpent come after us next?

  Michael couldn’t get us out of this water fast enough. As I searched our surroundings, watching the underwater scenery change, I realized something. We weren’t moving upward. It actually seemed like we were going deeper.

  Once more, I thought about Michael’s origins. A human would not have been able to hold his breath so long. Nor would he have been able to swim so deeply. Though his body appeared human, he certainly wasn’t.

  My insides twirled up with worry. I couldn’t escape him. He was stronger than I (which frustrated me). But I had to do something. Try to protect myself. I pounded on Michael’s forearm with my fist. His grip on me tightened.

  “What’s going on?” I tried to ask, hating that I was at Michael’s mercy. Of course, when I spoke, water filled my mouth, and I sounded like a gargling fish. Frustrating. He smiled, and held up a finger, telling me to wait a minute. I’d wait all right, but only because I didn’t have a choice.

  We neared a huge rock, more like an underwater mountain. A reddish orange substance oozed from its crevices and blackened. I realized the mountain was an active volcano.

  Mosses in tangerine, lemon and lime grew in clumps along the surface. Anemones, sea flowers in fuchsia, and starfish clung on and swirled in the deep current. Fish of various sizes and colors darted in and out of the lavish growth, reminding me of a highly populated city. In the center, near the bottom, loomed a gloomy cave entrance, which appeared to be where we were heading.

  Ap
prehension intensified in my stomach.

  I searched Michael’s face for any sign of malice. All I read in the lines and furrows was concentration.

  Once we entered the cave, Michael swam upward quickly. The seawater went from black to navy to turquoise, then emerald to lilac, and finally powder blue.

  Within seconds we broke the surface. I took an unnecessary breath, coughing and sputtering out all the water I’d swallowed. After Michael lifted me onto a black lava rock, he splashed out. I hate to admit I really noticed the way his white shirt clung to every muscle on his torso and arms.

  Sulfur mingled with seawater, filling the room with the stench of rotten eggs.

  My stomach turned and I puked.

  A strong hand rubbed my back.

  “Where are we?” I asked, wiping my mouth with my hand. The cave emitted an eerie green light, allowing me to see all the way to the top, some fifty feet in the air. All around us were magma rocks in various stages of hardening. High above were horizontal salt lines, giving me an idea how far the water could rise. A constant drip dripping came from my right, and on the left a small stream followed a path to a dribbling waterfall.

  Michael bent down so his face hovered next to mine. “This is the way to Helker. I told you your parents are here. Don’t you want them freed?”

  I searched his beautiful face, afraid to believe, afraid he spoke the truth. And if it was the truth, what did it mean? Kelarians in Helker were only brought here while they awaited trial, or after they were tried and convicted. Helker was a punishment. No one went into Helker of his own free will. And no one left until the appointed time of release, which usually meant never.

  “Of course I do,” I said. “But what crimes did they commit? Why are they here?”

  Michael shook his head. “I don’t know. They were here before I . . .” He paused, wiped his eyes, and shook out his hair.

  I waited for him to continue.

  “They’ve been here a while,” he finished, his voice flat.

  “How are we going to get them out?”

  He looked away, his lids covering his expressive eyes. “There’s only one way,” he finally said.