“Oh, I can feel her, but I don’t know if the Sídhí Chi’Kehra can detect so much power expended with my rapid ports.” Pausing, a crease formed along her forehead. “She just disappeared.”
“Yes, she did,” a deep male voice said directly behind them.
At the words, they jerked around.
Sword in her hand, Sarah surged forward, only to jerk to an abrupt stop. Her growl mingled with Nick’s snarl of fury.
Twenty feet away stood an elf, regal in fine cut leather and silk clothes. His long, black hair fluttered in the breeze, entwining with the corn-silk strands of his captive.
The haughty elf held Miranda in his arms.
Sarah’s growl turned harsh, guttural, as she demanded, “let my sister go.”
Bruises covered the girl, making her look like a semi-truck had hit her and backed over her again. Frail, and weak, she leaned toward Sarah as if reaching for her.
The look of fury in the girl’s eyes threw his mental summary of her injuries totally off kilter.
“Sarah, so help me, I’ll kill you myself if you attack Colin after I spent hours convincing him you would listen to reason!” Miranda mentally shouted.
“You’re the Sídhí Chi’Kehra,” Sarah stated, ignoring her sister. Frost covered her words.
“Yes, and you are Earth’s. If you attack me with her in my arms, I will destroy you,” Colin stated. The icy calm coating his words, gave them such a deadly ring that most adversaries would run backwards instead of confronting him.
Sarah snarled at the threat and took a single step forward.
“Both, of you, stop it,” Miranda whispered. A look of pain flashed across her face.
If Nick hadn’t been Sídhí, he would have never heard her from so far away.
“What the hell did you do to her?” Nick demanded, baring his fangs in a snarl of anger.
“You’re Nick, aren’t you?” Miranda didn’t wait for his answer. “After ripping Sarah’s throat out, night-after-night during your mate dreams, you can’t accuse anyone of anything,” she snapped at him. Her verbal voice might be soft, but her mental voice held fire as she slapped him down.
“What happened between my mate and I is not in question,” Sarah snarled, glancing at her sister.
“Neither is my condition. Colin and I are bonded mates. Either accept that or leave,” Miranda said. Steel laced her voice, but tears glistened in her blood colored eyes.
“He’s your mate?” Sarah exclaimed. The shock of her words flowed through him.
“Yes,” Colin and Miranda said together.
Well, that put a different spin on things.
Sarah eased back, but didn’t lower her weapon. Her voice, firm and cold, echoed across the meadow. “As much as I love my sister, I still need to know what your intentions toward Earth are.”
“Answered with your hand in crystal,” Nick added, and sucked in a breath of surprise as Sarah’s fierce approval surrounded him, caressing him from the inside out.
The elf nodded, acknowledging Nick’s demand.
The ground began to tremble. Halfway between the two Chi’Kehra, liquid crystal erupted from the ground, spewing dirt and flowers everywhere. Sprites dashed from the area as if shot from a slingshot.
The geyser slowed, freezing into a solid shape. A heartbeat later, the fountain liquefied slowly. Flowing down it swirled and formed a four-foot square, milk-white pedestal with smooth walls. The surface of the block dipped down, forming a shallow bowl.
When nothing else happened, Sarah stepped forward, and he caught the edge of her mental order as she directed liquid synth to fill the shallow center.
From the opposite side, Colin approached the block of crystal. With one arm, he cradled Miranda against his chest. Raising his hand, palm up, he lowered it into the water.
Nick suppressed a snort. Did the man think they were dumb? When liquid synth mixed with a person’s blood, the liquid energy acted like a lie detector.
He glanced up in time to see Miranda’s expression. She looked shocked. A small gasp escaped her lips. She didn’t say anything, but she extended her claws, and made a shallow cut down Colin’s hand.
Blood swirled in the white semi-clear liquid.
“I’ve been visiting Earth for over five hundred years, and haven’t made a play for it yet. The Great War ended thousands of years ago, and I do not want another one, nor do I have any intention of becoming involved with the elves petty squabbles or their on-going war with the other races,” he paused, looking pointedly at the liquid. If he had lied, the synth crystal would have turned black as midnight.
Nick sighed in relief, but the man was not finished. “And you, Sarah, what exactly are your intentions toward Sídhí?”
“Intentions?” Sarah parroted the word. Nick felt her confusion before it turned to humor. She smiled, and actually uttered a small laugh. Slicing her hand with a quick flick of her claws, she dunked her bloody palm into the liquid. “I have more than enough trouble with the Dhark Empire and umbra without adding a whole new world to the mix. I do not want to rule Sídhí. Thanks, but no thanks.”
Nick didn’t need to glance at the liquid. He knew it didn’t change colors.
“Umbra?” Colin asked. His gaze snapped to Miranda’s face. Looking down at her, his face tightened with a flash of concern.
The girl’s face went white with fear. “What umbra?”
Sarah gave them a quick, sketchy outline of what had taken place.
When she paused, Nick asked Colin, “Did you know of the umbra and the gateway to Earth?”
“Not the gateway,” Colin said, shaking his head in denial, “but after the war, there was a single umbra colony remaining on Sídhí. The group was small and located on the far continent of DarNeth. I make a rare visit to the shifter’s royal court at Cambiar, the capital city of DarNeth, just to remind the umbra ambassadors I’m around, but to my knowledge, the shifters ruling that region have never had a problem with them.”
In his arms, Miranda shifted. She tried to swallow a gasp of pain, but it hissed through her teeth.
“We’ll discuss this later. She needs bed rest.”
“No, Colin, I’m fine,” insisted Miranda. Placing a hand on his arm, she added, “This is important.”
“I agree with Colin, Sis. You look like crap.”
“Thanks,” she said. Glaring at her older sister, her face curled in a look of reproach.
Colin chuckled. “How about we change locations?”
Without a further explanation, Colin walked away.
Nick was about to ask where he was going when a gateway appeared.
The large elf walked through the doorway, into a room with high peaked ceilings and a marble staircase. The glimpse was enough to shout castle.
Nick glanced at Sarah. She appeared as stunned as he felt, but not for long.
Curling her fingers around his, she met his eyes. “Well, he might be more useful than I first thought,” she said into his mind, keeping their conversation private.
“How?” he asked, sending his question only to her, just as she had done.
“Trellick Valley is riddled with gateways. It is the only reason we pretend loyalty to the Dhark Empire. If Colin can teach me to open and shut a gateway…”
“You can defend your home against the empire,” Nick finished her excited thought.
“Yes,” she said, tightening her fingers around his. Determination radiated from her.
As soon as they walked through the gateway, Colin introduced them to an elf whose stiff demeanor and uniform cried guard. “Gabe, this is Lady Sarah and her mate, Lord Nicholas. Sarah is Miranda’s sister and is to be treated as family.”
Colin turned from the weapon-covered elf. “Captain Gabrielle will show you to your rooms. Later this evening we’ll meet for dinner. Please, consider my home as your own.”
“Thank you,” Sarah said politely. Turning her gaze to Miranda, she bent forward and kissed her sister’s cheek. “We’ll talk later
. Feel better.”
As if finally giving up the fight, Miranda rubbed her cheek against her mate’s blue shirt and said, “Okay, see you later.”
Chapter - Vampire’s Kiss
Exotic hothouse flowers filled the elegant suite of rooms. Thick, velvet drapes framed the windows. Real gold trim graced several works of art. All told, the area reflected very expensive taste.
Ignoring the room, Sarah gazed out the window. She hated the inactivity of just waiting. She needed to do something, before she went bonkers.
Walking up behind her, Nick slipped his arms around her narrow waist. “Want to go for a walk?”
“In that?” she asked, nodding toward the swirling bits of snow. In the hours she had spent restlessly pacing the room, the light snow had grown heavier. Several inches covered the wide veranda.
Rubbing his cheek against her hair, he pointed toward a closed door on the opposite side of the room. “Why not? It’ll give us something to do, and they’ve provided all sorts of clothes, including a couple of big coats.”
When she hesitated, he nuzzled her neck. “I don’t know about you, but I’d like a little fun time without the possibility of being watched through a peep hole in the wall.”
Chuckling, she turned in his arms. “We’d smell them. Anyway, I did a mental scan and found a fairy enhanced security layer to keep out the nosey neighbors.”
“Spoilsport,” he said, tugging her toward the door.
Once through the door, her eyes widened in disbelief. He hadn’t been kidding. Every type of clothing imaginable, from riding leathers to ball gowns, stocked the room. When they first arrived, she’d glanced through the doorway, but hadn’t really looked at the clothes.
Giving in to temptation, she shrugged into a thick coat and pulled up the hood. No point in advertising she was a halfling in a city predominately filled with full blood elves.
Nick did the same.
Holding hands, they slipped through the balcony doors. High above the town, she searched for a good place for them to arrive after the port.
“Let me,” Nick said, brushing a wisp of hair out of her face.
Nodding her agreement, she relaxed into his hold as he wrapped strong arms around her. A moment later, they stood next to a two-story wall of stone. The barricade had a row of sharp spikes dotting its top edge. The metal stakes had to be for appearance, because they would never stop a grown Sídhí intent on climbing the wall.
They walked for some time, strolling down streets covered in a growing layer of snow. The cobblestone roads were not straight. They were a twisting warren that offered no indication of where they were. It was almost like walking down a ravine built from multi-story buildings and thick, rock walls.
The large mansions soon gave way to smaller homes. The occasional retail shop, most of them with an apartment nestled above it, started making an appearance. Through the windows, she saw everything from baked items to bolts of cloth.
No one stopped them.
Seeming intent on getting to wherever they were going, and out of the building weather, most of the elves ignored them. Others gawked at them like a unique zoo specimen.
Without much warning, they emerged onto a street straight across from a large park. Spires of crystal graced the park entrance. A waist-high wall of gray rock encircled the wide-open space. The area was exactly the way she liked it - empty of people.
Randomly picking one of the twisting paths, they made their way through tall trees and thick blue bushes.
“Hey,” he said, grabbing her attention. Warm, spice-scented breath tickled her ear. His feeling of anticipation flooded her. “Rules of engagement: human speed only.”
He brushed her lips with his and grinned. “You’d better hurry, your thirty second head start just started.”
“Head start?” she questioned then gasped as his words clicked. He wanted to play.
Laughing, she turned and darted away. Well, she ran as quickly as a fast human would be. Nearly a minute passed before she slowed. Turning, she looked behind her. Her tracks were the only thing marring the snow.
Frowning, she nearly retraced her steps. There was no way he could have lost her, not as slow as she had been going. She took a hesitant step forward. Her instinct screamed a warning at her. Turning, she caught the outline of a shadow an instant before Nick knocked her into a snowdrift.
Even then, he protected her, twisting to take the brunt of the fall.
“Gotcha,” he whispered.
Sprawled across his chest, she smiled down at him and did what she’d wanted to do for months. She kissed him without hesitation, knowing her heart was in her eyes.
His mock growl ceased, replaced with a rumbling purr of pleasure. Firm, cool lips met hers. The beginning flicker of a flame simmered through her body.
Pulling her closer, he offered his neck to her.
She shook her head. “No, you first,” she said softly, baring the tender part of her neck to his hungry eyes.
She had a feeling even if her straight-laced Clan vampire didn’t approve of recreational neck biting he would’ve accepted her offer just as quickly.
Deep in her mind, he chuckled. “Yes, I would have.”
Rolling with her, she ended-up beneath his warm body. Lowering his head, he licked her neck, once. She felt the rasp of his fangs skim across her neck. A slow burn started in the pit of her stomach, pulsing in places she couldn’t name.
The glands of a vampire, the small lymph node that normally produced venom, also created a sexual stimulant when in close proximity to their lifeMate. She had heard about it, but this was the first time Nick had produced the intoxicating substance.
A pale version of the stimulant was why biting between younger, unmated vampires was such a forbidden activity.
Another lick and she whimpered, softly begging him to bite her. Kissing her neck, he ignored her plea.
By his third lick, she was squirming under him, breathing hard as the aphrodisiac entered her system in greater quantity. Gently, almost reverently he kissed her hard beating vein and sunk his fangs into her neck.
Her body exploded with feeling, rapidly building with each draw of blood. As if stars were exploding within her, she shattered in his arms.
He shuddered, coming unglued in her hold.
“Wow,” she murmured breathlessly.
“A bit more than wow on my end of things,” he said, curling around her.
Hours later, back in the warmth of the castle, Sarah patted her arm dry with a soft towel, letting her skin absorb the fragrant oils from her bath. Taking a bath in the river had been fine, but nothing took the place of a long soak in a tub of hot water, especially after their romp in the snow.
Pausing in front of the mirror, she inhaled the sweet scent of lavender and heather.
“You’re killing me,” Nick said with a heartfelt groan. His earnest words reached her as he sent her a glimpse of what he was doing on the wide terrace. Heavy clouds covered the area, turning the pale sky dark as night approached.
Pulling on a pair of soft, brown pants, she chuckled. “Next, you’ll be asking for a peek.”
“Now, I know you’re trying to kill me. I wonder what kind of priests they have on Sídhí?” he asked thoughtfully.
Hearing the yearning in his voice, she couldn’t help but agree.
Finished drying off, she slipped on a hunter green blouse with brown and black embroidery, one that matched the pants, and pulled on knee-high boots.
She found Nick, also freshly showered, on the balcony. The palace, carved into the side of a mountain, overlooked the town beyond. The front of the massive citadel was a blending of beige and brown marble with ribbons of synth crystal embedded throughout.
According to the solemn faced escort that showed them to their rooms, the sprawling city was Elfheim, capital of the elf nation of Elysia.
Built from granite and topped with colorful clay tiles, the bulk of the city sprawled down the valley. Here and there, spiraling towers
and soaring archways of pure crystal appeared throughout the city, enhancing the ethereal feel of the place. A light snow continued falling from the sky.
“Want to go play in the snow,” Nick whispered wickedly in her ear as he curled strong arms around her waist.
She snorted. Yeah, better not go down that road again. They had nearly gone too far, doing something they both wanted desperately, but would have later regretted. The time in the park had been wonderful, but now that they were back in the real world, her mind kept dwelling on those they left behind on Earth.
They needed to finish checking on Miranda, find out the secret of opening a gateway, and return to Earth. Unfortunately, that didn’t look to be in the immediate future. Leaning her back against him, she sighed, knowing she might as well enjoy their unexpected vacation.
“I agree. I can’t help but worry about Jared and Emily,” he said gruffly, putting voice to her thoughts. Pulling her snug against his body, he angled her away from the cold wind howling up the mountainside.
“Mac’s there. They’ll be fine. I’m more concerned with the crystal activating the ruins.”
“Yeah, there is that small glitch.”
“Small?” she repeated, snorting at his snarky words.
“I’m not worried about the ruins, because I know you’ll fix it. Now, please, explain to me what I’m not seeing in your golden boy. You seem to trust him completely. I know the two of us started out on rocky ground, but he has an attitude that won’t quit. He’s like a strutting peacock that needs plucked,” Nick said with a touch of exasperation.
A tall, black-feathered peacock with Mac’s face popped into her head. She couldn’t help it, she chuckled at the image he flashed her. “I’m not sure where to start. Growing up I didn’t have very many playmates. Miranda, Mac, Jessica, Aaron, and a couple others made up the core of my friends.”
“You’ve never mentioned Jessica.”
Remembering the time Jessica attacked one of Sarah’s trainers, because she thought he’d intentionally hurt her, Sarah smiled. “She’s a nymph with the protective nature of a vampire. She thinks she’s indestructible.”
Exile: Sídhí Summer Camp #3 Page 20