Jewel of Atlantis a-2

by Gena Showalter

  She'd come so close to screaming out her love for him. He'd asked her if she loved him, several times, and each time she'd had to fight to hold the words back. If he'd pulled away from her... she shuddered.

  He uttered a string of unintelligible words, cutting through the nighttime silence. His body jerked and Jewel jolted upright.

  "Oww!" she cried when her forehead slammed into the shelter ceiling. She lay back down and edged to her side. It should have been difficult, if not impossible to see in the darkened tent; after all, the dome cast absolutely no light. As she stared down at Gray, she saw every nuance of his face, and her jaw dropped open on a gasp.

  His eyes were open—and glowing that bright, eerie red again. His skin was pallid, and sweat poured from his overheated body. Her stomach knotted into a thousand different loops. More changes were occurring inside him.

  "Gray," she said. What could she do? How could she help him accept what was happening? If he fought, he would only make himself weaker. Leaning down, she whispered in his ear. "I'm here. I'll keep you safe. Nothing bad will happen. I promise."

  Slowly his muscles relaxed.

  "I'm here," she repeated. "I'm here."

  Color spread over his skin, returning him to his natural bronze. His eyes ceased glowing, dimming in gradual degrees. The tent darkened, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

  "How do you feel?" she asked him.

  "I can see in the dark," he said flatly. "And as you can tell, I'm not wearing my night-vision goggles. I've got to get out of here."

  Gray quickly dressed and scooted himself out of the tent. A cool, salty breeze kissed him, taunting in its sweetness. Without bothering with his boots, he grabbed his transmitter and stalked to the river, gazing out at the beauty of the land. Pitch-black greeted him, yet he saw everything as if it were the bright light of day. Leaves shook and wafted on the bright green trees. The clear river water rippled against the wind. A school of rainbow-colored fish swam past, their fins splashing at the surface.

  Seeing in the dark was a cool superhero trick, yeah, one he knew he'd come to enjoy. That wasn't what bothered him. As he'd lain in the tent, Jewel in his arms, his body sated from their loving, he'd been hit by another desire to bite into her neck and drink her blood. This time, the need had nearly been unquenchable. Unstoppable. Stronger than ever before. With Jewel, the more he touched her, the more he wanted to bite her.

  He was human. A man. Not a demon or a vampire, the epitome of evil and all he fought against. But how long could he hold out? He'd thought his need to protect her would be enough to make him keep his teeth to himself.

  He'd thought wrong.

  "Santa to Mother," he said into the transmitter. Maybe his boss could help.

  Jude Quinlin came online moments later and they discussed Ra Dracas and the list Gray had wanted. Apparently vampires loathed fire, demons hated the cold,

  Formorians could see in the dark, and on and on the list went. Things he mostly already knew. "Is there a way to change vampires back into humans?"

  "Not that we've found."

  "Keep digging." Gray ended the transmission and jerked a hand through his hair. He paused. There was no pain in his arm. No pain in his neck. He moved his hand to his neck. No wound. His gaze jerked to his arm. No wound there, either.

  They were completely healed.

  A gasp sounded behind him, and he whipped around. Jewel's mouth hung open, and her otherworldly blue eyes stared down at his feet. She held a glow stick, her features illuminated by its halo of light.

  "You're floating."

  "What?" His gaze snapped to the ground, and his own mouth fell wide open. My God. His feet were hovering inches above the grass.

  "How do I get down?" he barked.

  "Visualize your feet touching the ground?" A question, not a statement. His attention snagged on her. "You don't know?"

  Without offering an answer, she tentatively closed the distance between them, wrapped her fingers around his ankles and tugged. He floated down until gently hitting a solid foundation.

  "I thought I could handle the changes as they came," he said rawly. "You're alive. Nothing else matters."

  "I'm becoming one of them."

  "No, you're still Gray. My Gray."

  Unbidden, his gaze traveled to her neck, to the erratic pulse there. "You wouldn't say that if you could get inside my head right now."

  Her hand reached out and moved up his chest, sliding along the ridges of stomach muscles, making him suck in a breath. Making his skin tingle. Just as he'd done to her, she found his nipples and rolled them between her fingers. "You're Gray," she said again. "You're hard and hot and wonderful. You're not a monster."

  His blood heated with desire and simmered with need. More desire, more need than ever before because all of his senses were suddenly heightened. Her mystical scent drenched him; her heat pulsed at him. Her own desire and need blasted him, swimming and blending with his own.

  His mouth watered. Maybe, if he allowed himself one taste, just one taste of her blood... He jerked away from her. Hell, no. If he took her in his arms, his tentative control would snap.

  Hurt and embarrassment crossed her delicate cameo features.

  He almost drew her back, but managed to resist. "Don't touch me again."

  Her eyes widened with hurt surprise, and she stumbled backward. "But... why?"

  The dome began to emit a slight ray of light, sweeping over trees and rocks. He ignored her as determinedly as she'd ignored his questions of love last night. "Let's pack up. We need to get moving if we want to reach the Temple of Cronus on schedule."

  As he spoke, the hairs on the back of his neck rose. The corner of his eye caught a flicker of movement, and every instinct he possessed screamed to duck. He grabbed Jewel by the forearms and propelled them both to the ground. A spear sailed through the air, slicking the spot he'd stood and slamming into a thick tree trunk.

  "We want Dunamis, human. If you give it to us, your death will not be so painful for you." The deep male voice boomed as loud as thunder—and came from the water.

  Gray forgot everything but protecting his woman. All at once he catalogued his escape route and sized up his enemy. There were at least fifty mermen in the water, spears raised. If there'd been more light, Gray knew those spears would be embedded in his back. The urge to fight them was there, but he wouldn't risk Jewel getting hurt.

  "Let's go," he told her, jumping to his feet and jerking her up with him. He kept her body shielded with his.

  He pushed her into the shadows of the forest, grabbed her wrist and started running. Rocks dug into his bare feet, but he kept moving. "This is my fault. I knew better than to go to the river."

  "I should have known they would come back," she babbled. "I should have at least known what they were planning."

  "At least they have to stay in the water." A naked limb reached out and slapped his cheek. He ground to a halt just in front of their tent.

  Jewel shook her head almost violently. "After a storm, they can walk on land."

  Of course they could.

  "I can't believe this is happening," she said, upset deep in the undertones of her voice.

  "Keep your voice down. You're like a beacon right now, signaling our every move." Motions quick and precise, he disassembled their tent and hooked it to his backpack. "How long do we have?"

  Jewel remained eerily silent.

  Gray jerked on his boots and raced around the camp, grabbing all of their stuff and cramming it into his bag. "Which way should we go?" He clasped Jewel's wrist and bolted toward the trees, using the escape route he'd mapped out yesterday. He did his best to make their tracks as invisible as possible.

  She didn't answer. Her body was stiff, and she was barely moving, slowing him down, practically making him drag her. He flicked a glance over his shoulder. The blue of her eyes swirled, a fathomless pool.

  "They are even now leaving the water."

  Her voice was as otherworldly as her eyes.
Surreal. Like a thousand voices layered into one. Her features were so blank she appeared to be in a trance.

  "They plan to scour these woods until you are found and destroyed."

  "Sweetheart, I know that. What I don't know is where to go. You need to direct me." Silence.

  Her feet tripped over a fallen limb, and she stumbled forward. Her body was too stiff to bend and ease the fall. He caught her, absorbing her weight. Good Lord. What was happening to her? Not knowing what else to do, Gray hefted her onto his shoulder. He broke into a sprint. "Jewel?"

  Again silence.

  He swatted her bottom. "Snap out of it, baby, and tell me where to go."

  She instantly responded to the direct command. "Travel into the Inner City. There you will find a shield to protect you."

  "A shield? What are you talking about?" Turning toward the city, he quickened his speed. He didn't even think about putting her down. She was as still as the dead, her voice still layered with that weird inflection. He was worried about her, wanted to assure himself she was okay, but he couldn't slow down.

  Something the merman said bothered him... but what? He replayed the fish man's voice in his mind as he maneuvered around the trees and ducked under limbs.

  We want Dunamis, human. Give it to us.

  He blinked. They thought he had the jewel. Why would they think that? Unless... Unless his supposition last night when he'd been talking to his boss had been right. Dunamis could breathe, Jude had said.

  Gray's arms tightened around the woman on his shoulder. Like Dunamis, Jewel knew what his enemy was planning and knew how to direct him to safety. And she'd told him Dunamis was protected by a man who wanted to destroy it. Protect. Destroy. The two were complete opposites. Gray wanted to protect Jewel, but he wanted to destroy Dunamis.

  He shook his head. Surely not. No. Not possible. But apprehension slithered through him and the idea refused to leave. His Jewel was not the jewel. The Jewel of Dunamis was a stone.

  Please God, let the Jewel of Dunamis be a stone.

  The woods were becoming brighter, but Gray did his best to stay in the shadows. He'd been running for what seemed an eternity. His breath emerged ragged, and he hated that Jewel bounced up and down on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Was he hurting her? She never uttered a protest.

  A spear sailed past her ear, then another, barely missing him. Only his new, lightning-fast reflexes saved them. Gray slanted a quick, backward glance. The mermen were closing in on him. Fast. Their tails had split in two, giving them glistening, scaled legs. How the hell was he supposed to outrun them?

  "Where do I go, Jewel? Where will you be safe? How do I get us out of here?"

  "Fly. Mermen cannot fly," she said. "You can."

  Fly? At the river, he'd floated, but it hadn't been on purpose. He didn't know how to do it on his own. Another spear whizzed past him.

  He actually heard it cutting through the air and was able to slant to the side before getting hit. Down here, like this, Jewel was in danger. That clinched it. He had to try.

  "Oh, shit," he muttered, then pictured himself flying.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  "The Mer King has sent us a messenger." Layel stroked his jaw and arched his brows as he awaited Marina's reaction.

  The demon queen lounged across her makeshift bed of furs, her arms folded behind her neck. Instead of armor, she wore a soft, gauzy gown that barely covered her dry, green skin.

  They were in the forest, just outside the Inner City, planning to make war with the dragons, and she looked ready for bedding. Never had Layel encountered a more vain, repulsive creature. Her army was just as bad. They knew the fundamentals of war, but were even now busy gorging on animal flesh, everything else forgotten.

  "So?" she finally said, at last acknowledging his presence. Sighing, she eased to her stomach, exposing small horns. "What did he say?"

  "The Mer King found the human who destroyed your palace and absconded with your favorite pet."

  Marina jerked up and twisted to face him, her evil features fairly sparkling with excitement. "Where are they?"

  "On their way into the city."

  Within seconds, she was on her feet and closing the distance between them. "We cannot allow the Mers to find them. She belongs to me, and he will die by my hand."

  Overwhelmed by the cloying scent of sulfur that always surrounded the queen, Layel glided back one step. Two. Across the entire city would not be far enough, really.

  This woman he faced and pretended to hold in some regard was partially responsible for the death of his beloved. She hadn't struck the deathblow, no. The dragons held that sin. But Marina had watched those fire-breathing bastards roast Susan alive and had done nothing except laugh.

  She would pay mightily for that laughter.

  Layel had no other purpose in life than to destroy those who played a part in Susan's death. She had been—and still was—everything to him. She'd been human, one of the rare humans cursed here by the gods to be food for the city's inhabitants.

  "The man possesses Dunamis. Do you really think the Mers will catch him?" Layel drawled. "That's why the king sent a messenger. He requests our help in the man's capture because he knows he cannot battle the owner of Dunamis on his own." Layel ran an elegant hand over the black shirt he wore, a shirt that covered a fire-resistant breast-plate. "I doubt we can capture him, to be honest."

  Her sharp teeth ground together. "We have our armies at our disposal. Of course we can capture him."

  "Why waste our time and energy even trying? Together we can defeat the dragons, and that is all that matters to me." He loved taunting her.

  Her lizardlike tongue flicked out in a hiss. "Our victory will be assured if we capture the jewel."

  While Layel himself would love to own the powerful jewel again, he did not want the damn thing close to Marina. The queen had owned it over a year, and was the only reason Layel had never acted against her. Now, he could use her—and betray her—and she would never suspect. Until it was too late.

  "I will not be able to fight the dragons to my best ability without it," she simpered. "I will be too distraught."

  He had to force his expression to remain neutral, instead of grinning at her obvious try at manipulation. "Then, of course, it is my pleasure to attempt to capture it for you."

  "I'll send my men through the city, as well. I wouldn't want you to forget to tell me you've acquired it." As she smiled with satisfaction, Layel glided from her tent. Demons were everywhere. They spilled from the circular glen, their laughter and noxious scent making his muscles tense.

  He stalked to the cliff at the edge of camp. Full light greeted him, stinging his skin. Some of his people could not tolerate the light. The older ones, like himself, could walk in the day, but not comfortably. He and Susan had lazed days like today away, staying in bed and making love hour after hour.

  Gods, he missed her. The music of her laughter, the softness of her touch. The love in her forest-green eyes. Her sweet innocent blood. His lids slitted and he sent his gaze below, into the city. His vampires were strategically placed atop buildings and hidden along the streets.

  They were warriors, his men. And they were hungry for demon blood. Soon. He grinned. Soon.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  "Jewel."

  The voice called to her from a long, dark tunnel. She tried to respond, but her lungs refused to cooperate.

  "Jewel."

  She opened her mouth, surely the most difficult thing she'd ever done, but again no sound emerged. "Jewel. Come on, baby. Talk to me."

  Gray. She'd recognize that sexy drawl anywhere, anytime. He sounded worried and very upset. The fog blanketing her mind was thick, but she managed to push her way through it and—

  Her eyelids popped open.

  Gray crouched in front of her, his silver eyes swimming with a wealth of emotion: concern, relief, fear.

  She blinked and licked her lips, orienting herself. Where were they? What was he afraid o
f? Pale locks of hair tumbled on his forehead. Dirt streaked his cheeks.

  He caressed a fingertip down her nose. "Don't ever do that again, or I'll—Just don't do it. Understand?"

  Do what? She glanced around her, noticing the stone buildings flanking her front and back, the gravel she lay upon and the robe draped over her head. The sounds of chattering people, pounding horse hooves, and the scents of meats and fruits drifted into her awareness.

  "We're in the Inner City," she said. She remembered being by the river, the Mers attacking and then... She'd had a vision, she realized with a shake of her head. She always lost track of time and place. "How did we get here?"

  His cheeks burned bright red. "I, uh, sort of flew us. First class," he added dryly.

  "With wings?" She jolted up and only experienced a moment's dizziness. "You grew wings?"

  "I did the levitation thing." His chin canted to the side with an I-dare-you-to-contradict-me air. "Those walking fish men are everywhere. They followed us here." He cupped her jaw and turned her head toward him. "You were catatonic, and said we'd find a shield here." Sighing, he leaned back on his haunches. "We've got to get to a safe place. I spotted demons and vampires, as well."

  Her brow puckered. "They rarely venture here. Are you sure?"

  "I never forget a creature that wants to make me breakfast." His wry expression matched his tone. She chuckled, but her amusement quickly faded. "I shouldn't be laughing. We're in danger."

  "It's good to find humor at times like this." His arm snaked around her waist and hefted her up. "You all right?"

  He was watching her so intently, searching her face for... something. What?

  "You want to tell me what happened to you?" he asked.

  She swallowed, licked her lips. How could she explain what had happened to her without revealing too much? "Sometimes I lose awareness. I—"

  A splash sounded, and Gray's head whipped to the side. A small bird drank from a puddle. When he realized they hadn't been spotted, he said, "You don't have to explain now. I shouldn't have asked. There'll be plenty of time to talk later."