by Linsey Hall
Cool water caressed me, pulling me deeper into the pool as if it had a mind of its own. I submerged, the water seeming to carry me away. It seeped into my mind, the influence of truth swaying my thoughts.
Time passed at a mysterious pace, but my lungs never felt tight. At one point, my hip pressed against something warm and solid—Tarron. I turned toward him, drifting in the current.
We barely touched, but the magic wrapped around us, pressing us closer. I could feel the depth of our connection, the pull of fate and destiny. Warmth flowed through me, the heat of his skin and my own desire.
I drifted toward him, wanting nothing more than to wrap my arms around him. He seemed to feel the same, because he moved toward me and held me tight to his chest. My mouth found his, lips to lips. His strong muscles pressed against me, hot and firm.
Need like I’d never known surged through me. I wanted him. Now.
No.
A little alarm went off in the back of my head. This was a strange time to be kissing. A strange place.
I pulled back, resisting the magic that pushed us together. Tarron clutched me to him, but I pushed harder. Seeming to get the drift, he released me immediately. Through bleary vision, I saw him shake his head, as if trying to drive away the magic in the pool.
A flash of light exploded in my mind.
A premonition. Truth flared to life within my head.
Knowledge.
Only I could save the Seelie kingdom.
And the Unseelie kingdom.
The two of them, together. Neither apart nor the same. My destiny.
Something about me—about my magic—made me the one to do the job.
I gasped, sucking in water. The trance was broken. I surged to the surface, panting and panicked.
9
Tarron burst out of the water next to me, his eyes wide. His dark hair was slicked back from his face, and water droplets glittered on his broad shoulders, gleaming like diamonds on the broad swath of chiseled muscle. “Did you see that?”
“See what?” My mind raced, memories flaring. Had we seen the same thing?
“You’re meant to save the Seelie Kingdom. The Unseelie as well.”
I nodded. “I did see that.”
I turned to Aurelia and Domitia. Both leaned forward, their eyes wide and on us. They looked like they were watching the climax of their favorite soap opera.
They very well might have been.
“Does that pool also show the truth about the future?” I demanded. “Premonitions?”
Aurelia and Domitia both nodded.
“It can show the truth about the future, if someone has the ability to see,” Aurelia said. “What did you see? You saving the world?”
For fate’s sake, I was sick of seeing the future. I appreciated getting a head start on problems, but I was seeing nothing but misery and responsibility.
“Not the whole world,” I said. “And I don’t know how it happens. But I did see myself as the Savior of both Fae kingdoms.” I shuddered at the weight of the task.
“What does she save them from?” Tarron demanded of them. “The fire? But what will attack the Unseelie Court?”
Domitia shrugged. “We don’t know. We put you in there to make sure you weren’t lying to us. The premonition is a bonus because she has the sight.”
“You’re not lying, by the way.” Aurelia grinned. “Or you’d be dead.”
“If I re-submerge, will I see more?” I demanded.
Domitia shook her head. “The magic is done.”
Damn it. I eyed the ground for my clothes, ready to climb out. They were missing. “Where are my clothes?”
Aurelia’s brows popped up. “Oh, those? No idea.”
I scowled at her. “Cough them up, Aurelia.”
She pouted, then reached beneath her cushion and tossed them at me. I climbed out, and Chad hurried forward, handing me a towel that I wrapped quickly around myself. I turned back to Tarron, who was looking studiously away, still standing in the water.
I wouldn’t have minded if he’d stolen a peek, but frankly, it was a bit weird in this random sex temple.
As I dried off, Aurelia gestured for me to sit again. I did as she asked, and Tarron joined me once he was dressed. Domitia never once looked away from him, but he didn’t seem uncomfortable. Nothing to be embarrassed about for this guy.
His shoulder pressed warmly against mine, and the desire I’d felt in the pool returned. It was natural—I wanted Tarron, there was no denying it—but this was a weird time to be thinking about sex.
These goddesses were the worst.
I looked at the Vestals. “Did that pool make us kiss? Some kind of magic?”
Aurelia shook her head. “The pool of truth makes you do what you want to do most. To face the truth of your deepest desires.”
“That’s a multitalented pool,” I muttered darkly. But it was hard to fight what she was saying. Being with Tarron was becoming one of my deepest desires.
“Did you know that would happen?” Tarron demanded, anger slicing through his tone.
“What, you didn’t like the kiss?” Domitia’s brows rose.
“I like to choose.”
“You did choose.” Aurelia gestured to the pool. “It’s the pool of truth.” She leaned forward. “But you know, if I hadn't taken a vow to observe consent when we’d switched the nature of this temple, I might be tempted to use a bit of magic on you.”
“Well, don’t,” I snapped. “The pool was enough.”
It probably would have trapped us here if I hadn’t come to my wits.
“You know we’re telling the truth,” Tarron said. “We’re here to help your goddess. Tell us how to get to her. Quickly.”
Aurelia looked up at the ceiling. The sky appeared through several crystal-clear windows set into the roof. “Well, you won’t see her before morning. That is certain.”
I frowned. “Why not?”
“The storms are coming.”
A cold shiver of dread raced over my skin.
“Fine, then.” I knew I didn’t want to mess with those, that was for sure. “When can we go?”
“You can leave soon, if you must.” Aurelia pouted.
“We must. Did you miss the bit about saving your goddess and his kingdom?” I pointed to Tarron.
“Right, right.” She nodded. “I get away from myself sometimes.” She leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “What will you do for us if we help you?”
“Shouldn’t protecting your goddess Vesta be enough?” Tarron asked.
“I’m not entirely sure she needs protecting,” Aurelia said. “She can take care of herself.”
“Anyway,” Domitia said. “We’re good at multitasking. We can get a little something for ourselves while we serve our role as Vestals.”
“What do you want?” I asked.
Both women raised their brows.
“Right, you’ve made it clear.” I searched my mind. “I know some shifters who might be keen on paying you a visit. I can mention this place to them. Give them directions.”
Both women brightened.
“Excellent,” Aurelia said. “Getting the word out is quite hard, you know.”
“We tried Instagram, but we got the wrong kind of attention, if you know what I mean,” Domitia said.
Oh, I knew too well. I could only imagine what happened when two beautiful women posted on the Internet that they were looking for some sexy-time fun.
“Yes,” Aurelia said. “Make sure they are good-looking. And kind. Smart, too.”
“Just use your best judgment.” Domitia waved her hand at Tarron. “You did quite a good job picking for yourself.”
“Fate picked for me.”
“Well done, fate.” Domitia smiled.
We needed to get off this topic. “Right. I’ll extend an invitation to the shifters on your behalf.” Did this make me a pimp? No. No money was changing hands. I was just setting up a blind date. That had a 100 percent chance of sex at the end. �
��Tell us how to get to the guardians.”
“There is a safe way to ride out the storm and to enter the domain of the guardians,” Aurelia said. “You must go toward the plateau, as quickly as you can. Before nightfall.”
I looked up through the windows in the ceiling. We only had about an hour, from the look of things.
“Situated in the middle of the wall of the plateau, about a hundred feet off the ground, are some buildings carved right into the rock. There are seven of them. Only one is safe—the middle one. Enter through the door right at the center, but you must give the dirt at the entrance a bit of your blood. Otherwise, it will not grant you access.”
“Spend the night there,” Domitia said. “Ride out the storm and don’t dare to leave before dawn.”
“The storms are deadly at night.” Aurelia’s eyes were serious. “Once they have passed and dawn has approached the horizon, you may travel deeper into the tunnels inside the plateau. These will lead you to the guardians’ domain.”
“It’s underground?” Tarron asked.
“No.” Domitia shook her head. “At the termination of the tunnels, you will find stairs leading upward to the top of the plateau. This will get you to the guardians’ territory. The path is dangerous, but you must not try to cross overland, out in the open. That is even worse.”
“The field of flames surrounds their domain at the top of the plateau,” Aurelia said. “Not the flames you are looking for, but deadly all the same. The other woman will have to travel through those.”
Thank fates we’d stopped here for help. These women were weird, but I didn’t want to get trapped in a storm or travel through a field of flames. Hopefully it would slow my mother enough.
“Do not forget to pay tribute to the building,” Aurelia said. “It is ancient. As ancient as the Hittites who once lived here. Respect it, and it shall protect you in return.”
I stood. “Thank you.”
She inclined her head, then pinned me with a look. “Don’t forget to send some nice people back here.”
“Will do.” I was sure I would have no trouble.
Tarron and I hurried out, striding through the courtyards to the exit. I could feel the burning gazes of the two Vestals behind me. Others spotted us as we left, their heads turning and interest glinting in their eyes.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” I murmured.
“Couldn’t agree more.” Tarron strode quickly through the courtyard, and I hustled to keep up.
“Feel like a prime cut of beef at the market?” I asked.
“A bit, yeah.”
“Not into it?”
He glanced down at me. “Only if it’s you doing the shopping.”
I choked out a laugh. “That’s the worst pun.”
“But you laughed.”
“Fair enough.” I stepped out into the forest, hurrying down the steps to the leaf-strewn ground.
Tarron joined me, and I met his gaze. “I can’t help but wonder where my mother is.”
He looked up at the sky, which was darkening. “About to be caught in a storm.”
I glanced up. The light was dimming due to the setting sun, but I also spotted the telltale black clouds on the horizon. I shivered. “Let’s fly. We’ll have all night to rest, and I want to make it there before the first drop of rain so much as drips out.”
Tarron nodded, his wings extending. I called upon my own, and we took to the sky.
The evening was cooler and the shadows longer. I ascended above the trees and spun until I spotted the plateau. We were nearly there. The carved building facades right in the middle of the vertical wall called to me. They looked more like artwork than anything else—as if a sculptor had built a scaffold up to the middle of the vertical face of the plateau and carved in the fronts of glorious, classical buildings. Huge pillars and pointed roofs decorated with carvings that I couldn’t make out from a distance. Doorways were like little blackened eyes. Instead of walking into an actual building, you would be walking into a cave carved into the rock of the plateau.
Tarron and I flew quickly, outracing the birds who were seeking shelter for the night. They flew with purpose rather than panic, so I had to believe they had somewhere safe to go.
As we neared the plateau, the air sparked with magic. It came from the flat surface, no doubt due to the goddesses. Up close, I could spot the plateau glowing orange at the top.
Tarron pointed and shouted. “Must be the field of flames.”
“Thank fates we’re not crossing that.”
We reached the towering buildings that had been carved into the rock. All seven of them lined up in a row, with shadowed entrances leading deep into the middle of the plateau.
I aimed for the middle one, just like the goddesses had said. It was smaller than the rest, and I landed right on the edge of the entrance, wings whipping at my back. Magic pulsed from the darkened entrance, a barrier that I would need to beg my way past.
Quickly, I sliced my finger with my thumbnail and let a droplet of blood fall to the stone floor below. “Please permit me entrance and protect me from the storm.”
The repelling magic flickered and faded, and I stepped forward as Tarron landed behind me. He repeated the ritual and followed me into the darkened cave.
Slowly, I walked through the entryway, arriving in an enormous rectangular room that had been carved out of the rock. There were no windows, of course, but the air wasn’t as stale as I would have expected.
“We need light.” Tarron called upon a ball of flame, then sent it toward the left wall. It found a wall sconce and zipped inside, lighting the lamp, which shed a golden glow. Tarron created more fireballs, lighting every torch along every wall.
Soon, the entire space glowed golden. Stone furniture had been carved into the space, with plush cushions adorning each bench. I pointed to them. “Courtesy of the Vestals, I imagine.”
“That too.” Tarron gestured to a wide blue pool right in the middle of the space. It gleamed with a light from within, enchanting.
I strode toward it, bending down to dip my fingers in. “Not a truth pool.”
No way I was getting in one of those again.
Tarron joined me, testing the waters with his hand. “Just a bath.”
“Thank fates, because I could use one.” I caught the sound of rain from outside, and returned to the entry. The sky had blackened fully, and rain poured from the sky. I stood halfway up an enormous cliff face, a thousand feet in the air. It was an amazing place to take in the view of striking lightning and torrential rain. Magic seemed to keep it from coming inside, because every inch of rock at my feet was perfectly dry.
Tarron joined me, and I shivered at the feel of heat radiating from his shoulder. Memories of the kiss in the pool flashed through me, and tension tightened my muscles.
“You’re welcome to bathe first,” he said. “I’ll look for the tunnel exit that will lead us deeper into the plateau.”
I nodded. “Thanks.”
While Tarron set off to find our path for tomorrow morning, I returned to the pool. He’d conjured two towels and left them there, along with a change of clothes that looked exactly like mine. I touched them, a smile stretching across my face.
It was the little things.
Quickly, I shed my clothes and climbed in, luxuriating in the perfect temperature of the water. The room itself was a bit warm, and the cool blue liquid felt like heaven against my skin.
I leaned back against the edge of the pool, closing my eyes. I couldn’t help but remember the pool of truth back at the Vestals’ temple. It had made Tarron and me act on our deepest desires.
And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel them now.
I did.
I always did.
Not just desire for his physical form—who wouldn’t want that? He was perfect. Unbearably beautiful and shaped like a god.
No. It was him I wanted.
Brave and loyal and strong and good.
I opened my ey
es, spotting him walking back along the edge of the chamber. He stayed far from the pool, as if he didn’t want to interrupt my privacy.
Did I really need privacy?
Maybe it was memories of the pool of truth, or the fact that I was stressed out of my mind over what was to come with the Unseelie queen, or the fact that I’d wanted him from the moment I saw him--but I wanted him more than I wanted privacy right now.
More than I wanted just about anything, in fact.
“Tarron,” I called.
“Hmm?” His low voice carried across the quiet, golden-lit room.
“Could you come here, please?”
I could see him hesitate. Just briefly. His foot moved forward, then stopped.
I held my breath.
He stepped forward again, striding toward me powerfully. He stopped at the edge of the pool, looming over me, his eyes glued to my own. The water couldn’t possibly conceal my breasts, but he was doing his damned best impression of a gentleman.
“Yes?” His voice rumbled, sounding almost rough.
“Would you join me?”
“Join you?” His eyes darkened, going black almost immediately.
I rose from the water, feeling it sluice down my body. “Yes. Join me.”
A low groan, almost inaudible, escaped him. But there was no missing the white fangs that flashed in his mouth, or the horns that appeared at the sides of his head. His fists clenched at his sides, and his throat worked.
He was fighting it.
Probably because it was a bad idea to get too far into this.
But he really didn’t want to resist.
I didn’t bother saying any more. My invitation was clear. I wasn’t going to beg for it.
He groaned. Within seconds, he’d unclenched his hands. Quick as a flash, he was undressed.
My eyes widened as I took him in. This was the first time I’d had a chance to really look at his body unclothed. Broad swaths of muscles and long limbs. I couldn’t get enough of him.
He climbed into the water, moving with the deadly grace of a panther. I started to drift toward him, but I barely had a chance to move. He was on me in an instant, strong hands wrapping around my waist and pulling me toward him as he bent over me, bringing his face closer to mine.