by S. E. Smith
Ross stood up when he saw the look of pain and determination in their eyes – and saw the spiral of sparkles sliding from the woman’s side. Her parents. Had to be. Who else would be on her mind? He turned and looked down at her as the image began to fade when she lowered her arms. A single tear coursed down her cheek.
“Gem…,” he murmured in concern.
“That is what my parents looked like the last time I saw them. My mother was wounded. They realized that the alien creature was stronger and far more dangerous than they could defeat without help, but they knew they had to keep it from escaping,” she murmured, staring at the pool of water.
Ross ran his thumb tenderly across her cheek, capturing the tear. She looked up at him with a troubled expression. Struck by the haunted look in her eyes, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.
“Everything will work out. I promise,” he vowed.
They silently embraced. After several minutes, he reluctantly released Gem when she lowered her arms and pulled back. She looked at him without speaking before she turned away. She paused after taking a couple of steps.
“We better get some sleep. According to the stones, the traps will become more treacherous the closer we get to the palace,” she murmured.
“I’ll be up in a moment,” he replied.
He watched as she slowly climbed back up to the cave. Only when she had disappeared behind the curtain of water did he release the breath he’d been holding. He hadn’t realized he wasn’t breathing until his burning lungs began to protest. That is what she did to him – made him so freaking confused he didn’t know his ass from his head!
He leaned back to look up at the stars. Shoving his hands in his front pockets, he contemplated once again how his life could get so fucked up in such a short period of time. ‘If’ – all of the questions began with ‘if. ’
If I had moved away instead of sticking around Yachats. If I had not seen Magna. If I had minded my own business. If I wasn’t such….
Ross stopped the negative thought, and patted the pocket of his T-shirt, wishing for the thousandth time that he had not chosen to quit smoking. He dropped his hand and sighed deeply.
“Whether you want to be a hero or not, Ross, doesn’t matter. Gonna help that wickedly enchanting Princess save her home or die trying. My old man would be laughing his ass off if he could see me now,” he muttered to the diamond-encrusted sky.
Shaking his head in self-deprecation, he turned around and climbed the narrow path up to the cave. Mist from the waterfall coated his face, and he wiped it off. He smiled tenderly when he saw that Gem had made a pallet out of moss and leaves for him on the other side of the fire from herself.
He studied her with a strange mixture of concern and admiration. She was using his sweater as a pillow. Her arms were wrapped around it, and her face was partially buried in the Merino wool fibers. He was glad he had worn it instead of one of his cheaper ones. The fibers were finer and didn’t itch.
He didn’t know why that thought had popped into his head or why it would even matter, but it did. He looked at the wall of water. Making a quick decision, he picked up the pallet she had made for him and placed it beside hers. The move did three things: it allowed him to face her and the opening instead of having his back to it, it put the fire between them and the opening, and it allowed him to use his body heat to help keep her warm. He had not missed her slight shiver nor the way she unconsciously rubbed her cheek against his sweater.
He lowered himself onto the pallet. Lying down, he turned on his side and pulled his jacket from where she had neatly folded it so he could use it as his pillow and he spread it over both of them. She immediately scooted back against him and relaxed.
He frowned when he noticed a strange pattern of colors dancing from her skin to his when he wrapped his arm around her waist. As he folded his other arm under his head, he noticed the same colors in her hair. They caressed his face, spreading a tingling sensation of warmth before gradually disappearing.
He was too tired to care what they might mean. They could mean everything or nothing, but they weren’t killing him at the moment. In fact, the colors felt really nice, so Ross closed his eyes, and slowly relaxed.
He would only keep his eyes closed for a little while. He was used to getting very little or interrupted sleep from spending a lot of time on his fishing boat. He needed to stay awake – just in case.
I’ve got to protect my Princess, he exhaustedly vowed, even as he fell into a deep, deep sleep.
12
The high seas of the Seven Kingdoms
* * *
With a disgruntled groan, Gant lowered the sails of the medium-sized schooner, and stepped toward the railing, warily peering through his spyglass at his quickly approaching visitors.
Either he was having a really bad day or his mission had been announced to half of the Seven Kingdoms! From the east, he could see a ship flying Ashure Wave’s all-too-familiar flag. From the north, he could see the distinctive outline of two dragons in the sky. When he turned to the west, the vivid lightning in the clouds told him that Nali, the Empress of the Monsters, had also spied him. It didn’t take them long to converge on his location.
The two dragons were the first to land. Drago, the King of the Dragons, shifted first, followed by his Captain of the Guard, Theron. Gant clenched his jaw when the two dragon-shifters walked across the deck of his ship as if it belonged to them. He bowed his head to Drago in greeting.
“King Drago, welcome aboard my ship,” he wryly greeted.
Drago flashed him a sharp-toothed grin. “Thank you for the invitation,” he retorted.
Gant smiled at Theron’s knowing chuckle. The dragon grinned back at him. Gant studied the telltale scar of a dragon’s burn along the captain’s right cheek and down his throat. Only the king’s dragon fire could produce such a scar on another dragon.
“It looks like you have more company,” Theron commented.
“Yes, I noticed that as well,” Gant replied.
The three men turned to watch Ashure Wave’s magnificent ship glide toward Gant’s port bow. With the Pirate King’s usual flare, he waved a nonchalant hand and half a dozen grappling hooks flew through the air. Gant waved his hand in defense, and four out of the six fell to the water as if they had hit a transparent wall. He would allow the pirate two hooks – bow and stern – but not six! He didn’t care if the man was a king. Gant was still pissed off about his unexpected swim off the dock thanks to the damn sea monkeys that Ashure had unleashed.
“Gant! Still upset with me, I see,” Ashure laughed. “What brings you to my part of the world?”
“Ashure,” Gant replied with a brief bow of his head. “Koorgan would like the return of the mirror. ”
“Mirror – ah, yes, well, I seem to have misplaced it. Once I find it, I’ll be happy to have it delivered to your king,” Ashure assured. “Good day to you, Drago. It is good to see dragons once again flying through the skies. ”
“One of your ships fired on me and Theron, Ashure. The next time I’ll burn it down to the waterline,” Drago snapped.
Ashure raised his hand in a placating motion. “I will speak with my captains, Drago. No need to get upset. I’m sure the captain meant no disrespect to you or your man,” he half-heartedly defended.
The snap and crackle of electricity in the air drew their attention.
“Hold on!” the crew on Ashure’s ship shouted as Nali’s ship descended from the clouds. Gant gripped the handrail and watched as the massive vessel carried by four Thunderbirds descended for a landing. He could feel his hair standing on end from the static electricity produced by the Thunderbirds.
Nali’s ship gracefully glided across the water and pulled up on his ship’s starboard bow. Gant gritted his teeth when it rocked his schooner back and forth.
“Hold her steady,” Ashure ordered in a booming voice.
Drago bent his knees and took the movement in stride while Theron muttered a few words
about monsters and pirates that would have had him on both Nali’s and Ashure’s black list. Gant straightened up, then scowled when Nali jumped and landed on the bow of his ship.
“Well, it would appear that the only one who hasn’t invaded my privacy is… never mind,” Gant grumbled when Ashure swung from a rope down to the deck of the schooner.
“This is a bit of a surprise,” Ashure commented, rubbing his hands together. “I believe this calls for a drink, don’t you, my lovely empress?”
Nali shook her head. “Only if you are supplying it, my dear pirate,” she retorted.
Ashure shot Gant, Drago, and Theron a pained expression. “She wounds me. Gant, do you perchance have any of the brandy that I left behind?” he inquired.
“You took all of it when you took the mirror,” he replied.
“Ah, well, I guess since Drago and his man did not bring a ship, I will have to sacrifice a bottle that was destined for the lovely Isle of the Monsters and its beautiful Empress,” Ashure tsked with faux regret.
“If I may be so rude as to inquire, why are you all here – on my ship? Did Koorgan send you?” Gant quietly demanded.
Ashure cheerfully answered. “Nay, I knew you were searching for the Isle of the Elementals and thought you could use some assistance. I’m always up for a new challenge. ”
“I came because Ashure is here,” Nali bluntly stated.
“I came because Orion sent a cryptic message that sounded ominous. Now, seeing Ashure here, I can only imagine he must be behind it,” Drago growled.
“Why am I always the one who is blamed?” Ashure demanded in mock outrage.
Theron chuckled. “Because you usually are behind it. We heard about the sea monkey catastrophe on the docks,” he informed Ashure.
“That is something else I need to discuss with you at a later time, Ashure,” Nali snapped, pointing a waving finger of warning at Ashure. “My sea monkeys are not to be used in your antics.” With that, she curtly turned away from him. “Now that our reasons for being here have been explained, let us get down to business. Drago, the alien creature still lives. We need your and Orion’s help to kill it,” Nali stated.
“I am here,” Orion replied.
Gant hissed with surprise when he saw Orion gliding in on a wave of water. The King of the Sea People stepped onto the railing and then down onto the deck. The trident in his hand glowed for a moment more as the funnel of water retreated into the ocean. Orion gave Gant a brief nod before turning his attention to Nali.
“I received your message,” Orion said.
“I’m glad you came so quickly and you were able to convince Drago to join us,” Nali murmured graciously.
“Given the contents of your message, I could hardly afford to wait,” Orion dryly replied.
“Gant, your journey and ours are intertwined. Is there a place on your ship where we can talk?” Nali asked.
Gant saw that Nali’s eyes no longer held amusement but a deep concern. “There is an office below deck – with refreshments,” he added, looking at Ashure.
“Brilliant,” Ashure murmured.
“You cannot go, Ashure,” Nali snapped.
“Perhaps if you would explain why I cannot participate in saving the Seven Kingdoms instead of using vague hints and dire threats, I would agree with you,” Ashure replied in an uncharacteristically sharp tone.
“It is too dangerous. If the alien were to inhabit your body—” Nali began before she bit off her sentence and shot an expressive glare at Ashure that Gant didn’t quite understand. “I think you know why that would be a problem.”
Ashure stood and walked over to Nali. He gently grasped her hand and lifted it to his lips. Pressing a kiss to her fingers, he stared down at her with unblinking eyes. Gant swallowed when he noticed a strange swirling of colors in the pirate’s eyes that he had never noticed before. Koorgan had told him of how Ashure’s eyes had changed before LaBluff had dissolved – was this what Koorgan had talked about?
“If anyone should be afraid, it is the alien creature, Nali, not I,” Ashure reassured her.
“My mirror said otherwise,” Nali stated.
For a moment, Gant thought the Empress was talking about the magic mirror that Ashure had taken. That mirror had been enchanted to show the possessor the thing they wished for the most. It wasn’t until Drago growled in disapproval that he realized there must be another mirror.
“You had better tread carefully, Empress,” Drago warned.
Nali turned to face Drago with a raised eyebrow. “The Goddess’s Mirror showed me the truth before, did it not?” she retorted.
“What did the Goddess’s Mirror show you this time?” Ashure asked, shooting a sharp glance at Drago.
Nali turned and looked at the group. Gant lifted the crystal bottle that held the Silver Rum. It might not be brandy, but it was close enough. He carefully topped off the glasses. Theron grinned, held his up, and bowed his head in thanks. Nali lifted her glass and stared into the crystal clear liquor.
“The mirror is not always easy to interpret. There are times when the images are clear and other times when they are not,” Nali admitted.
“Well, that helps us a lot,” Ashure dryly commented, returning to his seat and picking up his drink.
Nali glared at Ashure. “The first time the mirror was very clear that Carly’s appearance was a catalyst. With Drago awake, we now have our best chance to defeat the dark shadow. The image that appeared this time didn’t make sense at first, but I now understand the reason for Marina’s warning that you should not be near the palace the day we faced Magna and the alien creature. If you were to avoid being near the creature the first time, it only makes sense that you would still be in danger this time,” she explained.
“Not necessarily, though I would have appreciated knowing Marina’s fears instead of everyone trying to keep me in the dark and sending me on wild goose chases, but I digress. What exactly did the mirror not show you this time?” Ashure asked with a sigh.
Nali frowned. “Without Magna’s power, the alien creature is not as strong, but it is fragmented. I do not yet know exactly where all the pieces are or how best to destroy them. I have seen glimpses of many things,” she explained.
“Well, there are enough of us,” Drago pointed out. “You, Ashure, Theron, and Gant can find them and Orion and I will destroy them,” Drago said, looking at Orion for confirmation.
Orion nodded. “It would be best to stay close, but if it comes at us from multiple points, we will be ready,” he agreed.
“There is more,” Nali said, grimly looking at the group.
“Isn’t there always?” Ashure muttered with a roll of his eyes and a grimace.
Drago and Theron snorted at Ashure’s pained expression. “What is it?” Gant asked.
Nali looked at him with a dark, unfathomable gaze. “This time, one of us will die,” she softly said.
13
Gem woke the next morning feeling refreshed and warm. The fire, made of magic, still burned brightly in the fire pit. She could feel the warmth against her back.
She could also feel the warm body she was curled up against. She slowly opened her eyes and was greeted by Ross’s morning shadow of dark stubble. Her hand lay over his heart, and her head was tucked against his shoulder.
She could feel one of his hands on her hip while the other hand lay across her waist. Amusement filled her when he smacked his lips in his sleep and sighed. She didn’t know what he was dreaming about, but from the low rumbling growl coming from his stomach, she imagined it was food.
With regret, she faded into a mist and reformed several feet away. Ross grumbled incoherently in his sleep and gathered the sweater she had been using as a pillow in his arms. She wrapped her arms around her waist and studied his relaxed features.
She’d thought that if he were to stay, that would simplify matters, but now that he had admitted he cared for her and he might not go back to his world, Gem was even more conflicted. The colors mar
ked them as a perfectly balanced pair, but she just didn’t know….
Obviously she found him attractive, that wasn’t in doubt. She had never before thought someone so scruffy could be so appealing! His dark brown hair was almost to his shoulders and there were shorter pieces sticking out all over. She couldn’t see him ever bothering to style it smooth, because he didn’t strike her as someone who worried about how it looked, unlike most of the men she knew. His face was tanned, and there were faint wrinkle lines near the corners of his eyes and mouth as if he spent a great deal of time outside.
She curled her fingers against her waist as she remembered the sensation of his calloused hands against her skin. It was obvious he was used to hard work. His hands also had scars that would never be found on someone who spent their days immersed in court politics. Gem decided that she liked that about him.
His nose had a slight bump in the center, and there was a tiny, thin scar running along the ridge that told her it had been broken before. She grimaced when she saw the fading bruise where she had struck him. Guilt washed through her. She reminded herself that she had struck him before she realized he was not a threat.
The more she studied his face, the more she saw. This was a man who had lived life and had a strong moral compass. He was also sexy and funny.
Which makes this journey even more alarming, she suddenly thought.
Shaking her head at her thoughts, she silently exited the cave. She would gather some food for their morning break and decide on the best route to the palace. Yesterday’s traps had made it difficult to cover a lot of ground, and she could feel the fragile magic straining to hold the Isle aloft. There was no doubt in her mind that time was running out for her people and her heart.
Ross sat up and wildly glanced around him. His heart was pounding, and he rubbed the center of his chest. The dream had been incredibly vivid – it would have been nice if he could remember what it was about.