Exile: Sídhí Summer Camp #3

by Jodie B. Cooper

  “Dangerous attitude for a nymph,” he said, and she agreed heartily. Other than the long life of a normal Sídhí and telepathy, a nymph was no stronger than a mundane human was. “I’m surprised you trusted her with your secret.”

  “Her family is part of my family’s trusted inner circle. And the Inner Circle, as I call them, knows I’m Chi’Kehra. Unfortunately, knowing I could flatten the entire castle in a temper tantrum was not necessarily a good thing.”

  “Did you have many tantrums?” he asked hesitantly, as if sensing her dislike of the subject.

  “Yes, but I only really remember the last one.” She shivered at the memory. “I demolished a three-thousand year old marble statue. Chunks of stone flew everywhere, shattering mirrors and windows. My mom and Miranda were just outside, having a picnic in the courtyard. Shards of glass flew. Mom threw herself in front of Miranda, but she wasn’t fast enough. A shard sliced open my sister’s leg. I was only three, but I remember she cried, and cried. I never had another tantrum.” She shook her head, not realized how sad she must have looked until he growled, and she glanced at his surface thoughts. “The people had a right to protect their children.”

  “You were just a baby,” he snarled.

  “Yes, but a very dangerous baby.” She rubbed his arm, trying to calm the bubbling anger she felt flowing through him. “Anyway, that’s why Miranda and Mac mean so much to me. Miranda and I were inseparable. When we found Mac, he could care less how powerful I was. Well, neither could Aaron or Jessica, but Mac was special.”

  “When you found him?” he asked curiously, no doubt hearing a story behind her words.

  “It’s a long story.”

  “We have time or shorten it. I’m curious.”

  “Yes, I can feel it thrumming through me. I think unquenchable curiosity must be a trait all the Andrews carry,” she said, snuggling deeper in his arms as a gust of icy wind whipped around them.

  Seeing her chill bumps, he muttered something about the wretched weather and pulled her behind him into their suite of rooms, leaving the cold winter outside. A cluster of chairs and a large sofa created a cozy sitting area in front of a large fireplace. Sitting on the sofa, he offered her his lap.

  She didn’t need to be asked twice.

  Sitting down, she curled onto his lap. The heat of his arms and the flickering flames of the fire quickly thawed her chilled body. “I was twelve when Miranda got it in her head she wanted to see animals in their natural setting. We both knew our parents would flip so we kept our adventures to ourselves. The day we found Mac we were researching mega-grizzly.”

  At his groan of horror, she glanced up at him. “No comments from the popcorn section.”

  He nodded and tightened his hold on her.

  “I ported us to Alaska.”

  “One question.”

  “Nick,” she warned, “do you want to hear the story or not?”

  “Yes,” he hurried before she could interrupt, “but you were only twelve. You couldn’t have gone through puberty. How could you port?”

  “I’m Chi’Kehra.”

  “So is Colin, but he makes a gateway.”

  Sarah snorted. “He’s an elf, I’m part vampire. I guess that makes a difference.”

  He nodded his head and pretended to lock his lips with a key.

  With a smile curving her lips, she continued her story. “I searched for a valley that covered Alaska. There wasn’t one on the maps, but I felt one there. At the time, I remember thinking it felt wrong.”

  He shifted. A shaft of curiosity hit her.

  Stifling her smile, she took the hint. “It was Phoenix Valley. Completely closed off from other valleys and Earth, no one knew of its existence, nor did they know it was dying.”

  “Die…” he snapped his mouth shut.

  With her free hand, she rubbed his chest. “A large source of synth crystal will last a very long time, but not forever. For whatever reason, Phoenix Valley did not have a single source of renewing crystal, not a single crystal spring in the entire valley. Later, I found out the phoenix couldn’t figure out why their valley was dying, but the valley was literally collapsing from lack of energy.”

  “That’s why Mac is so loyal. You somehow saved their entire valley,” he said in awe, seeming to forget he was supposed to remain silent.

  “Yes, to keep the valley from literally crumbling inward I ported a huge reservoir of liquid crystal into the valley. I didn’t ask for their loyalty, but it happened anyway.”

  He snorted. “They should be loyal.”

  “Anyway, on our first excursion to the valley we didn’t know any of that. We ported to the valley, appearing near a large glacier. On Earth it’s called Portage Glacier, I found out later the phoenix call it Moaning Giant. Anyway, our timing was horrid. A patrol of phoenix were flying right over us so we ducked into a small, stone building. Scrollwork covered the building, but it was in the old tongue, and I didn’t take the time to think about it.”

  Remembering her curiosity, she sighed. She had always been drawn to old, dangerous things. “I later learned the words formed a warning. Mac is a pureblood, third generation royal. When dealing with fairy, finding out someone is pureblood is a critical piece of information.”

  Nick leaned his cheek against her head. His contentment matched hers. “So that’s why you put up with him? He’s a royal?”

  “No, I put up with him, because he’s one of my best friends. He was just a child, but he was never afraid to play with me. Even Miranda, Aaron, and Jessica respected the power, the danger I represented.”

  “Child? You lost me. He is the mythical Prince McKenzie. Right? Do you know how many stories there are about him? He was certifiably crazy thousands of years ago.”

  “His body is that old, but actual years that he has been awake total less than eighteen. He is actually younger than you are.”

  A knock sounded on the outer door.

  Nick groaned, dropping his head to the back of the beige sofa. “We are so not finished.”

  “A little anticipation is good for you,” Sarah said with a smirk.

  When she started toward the door, Nick gave a soft growl. “I’ll get it.”

  Catching the edge of his last thought, she hid a smile. Chi’Kehra, or no Chi’Kehra, he wasn’t letting his mate open the door to a possible threat.

  She realized she better get used to his over-protective attitude. What did she expect? He was vampire. They put their mate’s safety as more critical than breathing.

  The door opened, and she frowned.

  Fritz, a vampire that easily matched Mitch for pure muscle, stood at rigid attention. A snarl curled his upper lip, revealing very human teeth. No doubt, the thick, silver collar that blocked his fangs also drained him of every ounce of strength.

  The minute he saw her, his angry appearance turned to disbelieving shock.

  “Fritz,” Sarah said in greeting, motioning to Nick to let Miranda’s bodyguard into the room.

  He entered the room, and Nick shut the door behind the blonde-haired vampire, cutting off his three-man escort of armed guards.

  Five long strides later, Fritz dropped to his knee with his sword hand over his heart. “Liege,” he said solemnly, “I failed.”

  Sarah stepped forward and touched the man’s shoulder lightly. As all of her family’s private guard, he had been hand chosen for the duty. The fact he had failed to protect Miranda, an immediate member of Sarah’s family, was a mark against his honor. A point of disgrace any member of her guard would rather die than commit.

  Glancing at Nick, she brought him up to speed. “His name is Fritz, Miranda’s bodyguard. He disappeared the same night as Miranda.”

  At her light touch, Fritz raised his head. “Is she okay?”

  No question as to how Sarah reached Sídhí, only concern for his charge. Her lips curved, giving him a smile of reassurance. Truth be told, she had been worried about him as well. The man had been her little sister’s shadow for so long
she nearly considered him part of her extended family. “A little banged up, but otherwise quite happy.”

  “And the Sídhí Chi’Kehra?” he asked with a snarl, glancing at her neck and wrists.

  She swallowed her snort of laughter, refusing to let even a glimmer show through her eyes. Even if Colin had managed to wrap her entire body in silver, it would not have stopped her. Her immunity to silver was a tidbit of information that most people, even the majority of her guards, ever realized. She wanted to keep it that way.

  “He is Miranda’s lifeMate.”

  Shaking his head in disbelief, his eyes literally bulged like a bullfrog. For a moment, she feared his head might explode. “I won’t let him chain her in silver,” he snarled, looking every bit the enraged vampire he was.

  “Neither would we,” Nick said. Stepping to her side, he placed a gentle hand on her hip.

  The beginnings of a growl died in Fritz’s chest. Glancing at Nick’s possessive handhold, his back stiffened and his fist clenched against his chest. Looking straight into Nick’s eyes, the man said, “My Lord Nicholas, through my blood oath to my Lady Chi’Kehra, my sword and my life is yours to command.”

  Sarah felt her mate stiffen. “I don’t…”

  Sarah touched his shoulder, stopping his words. “You might not like the title, but as my mate it is inevitable.” Sending him a private, mental message, she added, “If you refuse his gesture, it breaks his blood oath to me.”

  “You’re right, I’m not crazy about being called lord this and lord that, but I am honored, and I accept your blood oath of service,” Nick said smoothly.

  “Place your hand on his shoulder and squeeze,” she said, mentally coaching him.

  The moment Nick did as she requested, Fritz relaxed his rigid muscles.

  The remainder of the day oozed by like dripping molasses, only interrupted by a brief visit from Miranda’s healer who informed them her sister was not up to visitors that evening.

  Chapter - Time

  “Hey, Sis,” Sarah said as she and Nick walked into her sister’s large bedroom the next evening.

  A small, ornate dining table sat beside the bed. Several silver platters sat in the middle. From the mouth-watering aroma, it smelled as if dinner would be roasted meat, yeast bread, and several spicy dishes she couldn’t identify.

  “Would you tell him this isn’t necessary,” Miranda huffed, glaring at her mate.

  Wisely, Sarah kept her mouth shut. More than a day had passed, but her sister’s face remained discolored and slightly swollen.

  Colin leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Miranda’s forehead. “You wanted to have dinner with your sister, so here she is.”

  From the mass of pillows propping her up in bed, Miranda glared at him before tugging him down for a proper kiss. “Don’t think I’ll always be this docile.”

  Colin snorted. “There is not a submissive bone in your body.”

  Sarah laughed. “Agreed,” she said, giving Miranda a careful hug.

  “Nick,” Miranda said, waving him closer.

  Nick’s pleasure seeped through Sarah as her little sister ordered him forward for a hug.

  Smothering a grin at her sister’s imperious attitude, Sarah offered Colin her hand. Miranda might feel free to hug everyone in sight, but she was too accustomed to smothering her emotions to feel comfortable in flaunting unnecessary, expressive actions in front of a near stranger.

  Greetings behind them, they sat around the table.

  Giving Miranda a stern look, she asked the question that was upper most in her mind. “While I agree what happens between our mates is private, you need to at least give me the bare bones of what happened.”

  A literal thundercloud of rebellion crossed Miranda’s face. Before she had time to explode, Nick said, “You scared the crap out of us. Your family is still hunting for you.”

  His words seemed to deflate the fight from her. “Yeah, I figured as much,” she said with a grimace.

  “The fault is mine,” Colin said between clenched teeth. He proceeded to tell them what happened. From several pauses, he was editing the actual events. That was okay. From the way Miranda looked, Sarah wasn’t sure her temper could handle the complete truth.

  As they began eating, talk turned lighter. The girls took turns telling stories from their youth. On more than one occasion, Colin and Nick looked like they were about to choke on their food. Looking at their adventures through someone else’s eyes, she supposed they seemed reckless.

  “Seemed?” Nick asked her. Horror thrummed through their bond. “The two of you snuck into not one, but four dhark lords bedchambers. You question that was reckless?”

  Colin groaned. Hand rubbing his temple, he asked Miranda, “What was so important that you risked your life?”

  Miranda snorted, giving him a grin. “How else were we supposed to get our hands on one of their jackets?”

  “You stole from the dhark lords?” Nick asked in a strangled voice. “Wait a minute, you said you took jackets. This happened about ten years ago didn’t it?”

  “I was only ten,” Sarah said, eyes narrowed. “Too many innocents were dying, and the dhark lords needed to be taught a lesson.”

  “A lesson?” Nick asked, shaking his head in disbelief. “Even the news channels in Clan Valley covered it. A jacket, one from each of the five most powerful dhark lords, was shredded then hung on the poles surrounding Dhark Plaza.”

  “I included one of dad’s jackets so no one would question why he wasn’t represented,” Sarah commented, remembering the fuss her dad had made.

  “We nearly got caught in the second chamber, and Sarah wouldn’t let me go to the rest of them,” Miranda huffed.

  Brittle silence reigned.

  “If you can’t handle our exploits, don’t ask,” Sarah said with a soft smile curling her lips.

  Miranda yawned.

  “Time to call a halt,” Colin said.

  “I am not a baby,” Miranda said, a soft growl rumbled from her chest.

  He chuckled. “Oh, I definitely agree on that, but you are healing. Before you argue, I know you agree that Sarah and I need to talk.”

  “Just talk or do you plan on attacking the umbra settlement?” Miranda asked.

  At Colin’s look of surprise, Sarah smothered a grin. The poor guy had no clue what he was up against. Sarah might’ve been the grunt power behind their juvenile exploits, but Miranda had a major hand in planning them.

  “Talking needs to come first,” he hedged.

  Her little sister snorted her disbelief.

  Colin sighed. “We will probably go take a look. I can’t say what we will do, because I don’t know. And before you even suggest it, I will not take you into such a dangerous situation.”

  Okay, wrong thing to say. Sarah sat back, enjoying the sparks flying from her sister’s eyes.

  “Enjoy while you can, because while I agree Miranda shouldn’t go, I won’t be put off that easily,” Nick said firmly, stroking the top of her leg.

  “I would never do that to you. I can’t promise, but I will try to never underestimate you,” Sarah said quietly. “I know you can handle yourself in a fair fight, but there will be times, like the beach, where you would not do well. At least, not until you receive further training.”

  “Agreed,” he said, kissing the hand she raised to his cheek. “I think a reconnaissance mission falls in my sphere of abilities.”

  “Good, I want you at my side.”

  “Sarah, would you tell him I’ve done stuff like this before,” Miranda said in exasperation.

  “You have, but not when you are unable to walk across the floor by yourself.”

  “You had to bring logic into it,” Miranda grumbled. Looking at Colin she ordered, “You will be careful.”

  A surprising smile bloomed across his face. “Of course, Mia Cara,” he said gently.

  His meek tone was not the response Sarah would have expected from a powerful monarch, one more familiar with givin
g orders then receiving them.

  After calling Healer Bella to sit with Miranda, the three of them moved to a small office.

  “Miranda has told me about the threat the Dhark Empire poses to her home valley,” Colin said, starting the conversation. Doubt flickered across his face. “She said you can’t create a portal and that you agreed to attend the dragon’s summer camp in hopes of finding a way to permanently close the portals between the empire and Trellick Valley.”

  “Yes, it was the only reason I agreed to attend camp,” Sarah said. A slight frown crinkled her forehead. “I’ve talked to people that were alive during the Great War, and they told me what the old Chi’Kehra was capable of. After assuring me he could open and shut portals, I tried to close one of Trellick Valley’s primary portals. It caused a dozen small earthquakes. I thought the entire valley was going to collapse.”

  “Ah, I think that explains it. You tried cutting the power from the portal, didn’t you?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Yes, how else would I do it?”

  He chuckled. “Come on let’s see what you can do.”

  Standing to follow him, she felt a surge of warmth from Nick. “You’ll do great,” he said, snagging her hand in his as they stepped through the gateway Colin created.

  His support was wonderful, but he had never seen her in action, not really. She had only told them of one of her attempts to close a gate. She had been down that path a hundred times. It always ended in creating actual earthquakes in whatever valley she was in, and on Earth.

  No doubt, she had caused the seismologist on Earth to scratch their heads in concern. She snorted softly. From the various news reports, they were actually blaming all the oil wells and other drilling for the small tremors she had caused.

  They emerged from the gateway half a world away. It had to be that far, because the sun was high in the sky. Birds flew across the wide meadow. A cluster of markles grew to the right of them, while tall furble trees surrounded the entire area. Behind them, she heard the crash of water. A swift glance confirmed the presence of a waterfall.

  “Okay, I am going to create a small gateway. Watch the energy fluctuation,” Colin said in the exact tone of voice her last tutor had used.