Mystic Realms: A Limited Edition Collection

by Nicole Morgan

  The hairs on my neck stood up and having the strange feeling someone watched me, I knew I wouldn’t be wrong in my assessment. He had been there for days and if he knew I could see him or tell when he was near, I’m sure he would have used a different tact instead of blatant stalking. He was the closest I had ever let any human, especially a man. I didn’t have time for men although I had the occasion to need one every once in a while when my libido went on overdrive. Still, he wasn’t my imperative, the occupants of the house were as they were in the most danger and it was my mission to save humans even if it was from their own.

  Dropping down from the roof, I sprang up from a crouch and stood there trying to figure out what the intruders were doing. As my luck would have it, they were human. I watched as one of them knocked over another garbage can while the other one smacked him like he was a child. Then horrible events started to happen. One broke a window, stuck their hand inside, which happened to hold a gun and began firing randomly throughout the dwelling. If there were any occupants in the room, they would be dead from the strafing of bullets as I could hear the thud against a wall inside the room though none seemed to penetrate completely through the thin wood.

  “Just what do you think you’re doing?” I questioned. The men turned shocked, seeing someone was standing there where only a moment before the space had been empty. They looked like a cross between homeless kids and the bikers who frequented the area. They had no clue of my power and never would if I could prevent it. I wasn’t one to brag as I knew my own strengths and weaknesses if truth be told.

  “Who the fuck are you?” the tall one asked in a guttural tone I couldn’t quite place. He was obviously the oldest of the bunch and had tats all over the skin I could see.

  “Maybe I should be the one to ask the questions.” I stated and slowly approached the idiot with the gun. As expected, he shot me with the bullet piercing me in the shoulder. It hurt like a motherfucker, but it only served to piss me off even more as it knocked me back a foot or two. Which wasn’t good for them in the least. “You shot me,” I ground out through clenched teeth, never taking my eyes off the idiots in front of me.

  “Yeah and I’ll shoot you again, you stupid bitch. Who do you think you are?” This came from the one who probably still looked like gutter trash on his best day. And the smell emanating from him was enough to put down a bull moose. He certainly was a step below his friend with all the tats.

  I willed my body to force the bullet out of my flesh as I stood beside the house, staring at it with disgust when it landed on the sidewalk all bloody and battered. Amazement spread across their faces as I continued toward them rotating my shoulder to get out the kinks, blood on the smooth leather of my clothes. “I should have told you it really pisses me off when people shoot me.” The second one raised his gun and I wasn’t going to allow anyone to shoot me again tonight. “Oh no, you don’t.”

  By this time, the anger had built deep within me and it took little effort to have the power form an orb in my hand. I had heard somewhere each one of us has a separate color for their gifts as I thought about one of my own special powers. I’ve also been told we each have one unique skill we could do besides the electricity and the healing. Wish I knew what my other power was, but I didn’t. But then again, who knows if having a second ability was even true. I had never met anyone else like myself, so I couldn’t ask or learn more about our special talents. I just knew I wasn’t alone and that my force orb exhibited a radiant purple which threw out lightning bolts on a trajectory and scared the crap out of people. I definitely liked only scaring people when needed.

  It reminded me of those really pretty artsy orbs which hit the market a few years ago made from noble gases, glass and with just a flip of a switch one could turn on the lights as bolts of electricity flickered along the gas inside the globe. I stood there for a few more moments, tossing the orb from hand to hand, watching them squirm and back away from me as they realized what they were seeing. It thrilled me to no end to make people squirm.

  “What – what are you going to do with that?” the first one asked, taking another step back.

  “What do you think?” I gave them an evil grin, threw the orb and watched them fall in a haze of pain as evidenced by their loud grunts, groans and twisting bodies as they fell. I wished I had the ability to dampen sound when the pricks were noisy but power over air wasn’t one of my gifts. Walking over to them, I looked down at their writhing bodies, knowing I had not given them enough of a shock to kill them as I couldn’t afford to have a murder on my conscience. “Maybe next time, you’ll think about what you are doing before you start shooting at innocent people. And let me tell you, if they are dead, you might not be far behind.”

  I turned away from them, sickened that humanity could do this to each other. I shivered like I always do when I expend a lot of electrical force. I hadn’t found my limit yet, but I was sure a certain amount of what I gave out would drain me of my special abilities. Making my way to the front of the house as quick and silent as possible. I was truly fearful for what I would find. If I could help their pain so be it. It would be the first time I stayed to ease someone to the other side.

  Standing on the front porch, I knocked and got no answer. The situation wasn’t looking good. I glanced around and noticed my friend still there in the car across the street, but I didn’t have time to worry about him. These people needed me. Putting a small amount of electricity through my hand, I was able to jimmy the door open and walk in, closing it silently behind me. I stood motionless for a few minutes, allowing my eyes to adjust to the low light level.

  Swallowing hard, I went toward the room the idiots had shot up. Cautiously, I gazed around the corner and down the hall. Nothing there in the first room. One room down and I breathed a sigh of relief, my back against the wall, edging my way toward the next room. Slowly, I peeked in and took another deep breath. It appeared no one was home and a sigh escaped me. I wondered why those men were even here and why they needed to do what they did. Most people used guns for a reason, mainly bad from what I’d seen.

  With a purposeful stride, I headed back to the front door. Something wasn’t right here. In all my years on this world, you would have thought I would have learned to pay attention as I quickly realized I’d missed something. I saw the Electro-Muscular Device or EMD net a second before it hit me, and I went down like a rock. They sure knew how to take the wind out of a girl’s sails. I hoped they knew how to handle a livid one once I got my powers back.

  “You cocksuckers,” I screamed and began to peel the meshing back from my upper body. Another jolt hit me, bigger than before and I realized I had made more mistakes than just the one. I should have taken out the stranger following me the moment I saw him. As long as I moved, my attackers would continue to zap me. And since I didn’t know my limit, I would do everything in my power to make sure they didn’t know it either. I did the best thing for all of us and stopped struggling having decided to play unconscious.

  “Told you, Darien, she had to have a limit. They all do.”

  I observed the two men through slit eyes. One seemed much older than the other. Both were very attractive men in their own way, but more frightening, they were men who somehow knew about me. How was that possible? I didn’t recognize them at all. Faking a moan, I rolled over on my back, taking full advantage of moving my head side to side as if in pain while I sized up the situation. “What – what hit me?” I made myself mumble.

  “We did, sweetheart.” The younger one pointed at himself and the rest of them who now stood over me, all muzzles pointed toward at my face.

  Cocky son-of-a-bitch, I thought to myself and if I wasn’t faking it already, my eyes would have narrowed with disgust. “What – what do you want?”

  “Well for starters, you can quit faking it.” The older man stared down at me hard and I knew he wasn’t about to take crap from anyone. Including me or maybe I should have thought especially me since he acted as if he knew all my tri
cks.

  I sat straight up, taking the net off my head and upper body. Ten machine guns came to bear on my head. Again, I reminded myself murder was illegal and not on today’s agenda. “Okay, let’s try it again. What the fuck do you want?”

  “Depends on you, Aingeal…it is Aingeal…isn’t it?”

  I frowned, trying to figure out just what was happening here. “Okay. Seems you know something about me. Then you know you won’t be able to hold me for long.”

  “I know.” His gaze told me he knew more about me than maybe I did myself.

  I gazed at him now more confused than ever. “If you know, then what the hell are you doing?”

  He took a deep breath. “I need your help.”

  Now I was really unhappy. I would help anyone who asked but this man didn’t ask, he demanded, and I didn’t take well to anyone’s demands. “You have a funny way of showing it.” I pushed the rest of the net off me and slowly stood up. “Tell your dogs to get off me.”

  “Promise me you will hear me out first.” The sincerity in his face grabbed at me, making something deep in my gut do a flip-flop as I wondered again just how he knew me.

  I looked around at the odds. These men could seriously hurt me to the point it would take months to recover. Humanity would need what I could provide long before that time. I let out a sigh as I realized it wouldn’t hurt to hear what the man had to say. “I’ll listen.”

  “How much do you know about where you came from?” His question was sincere as I took in the honest expression on his face.

  This took me aback for what little I knew, I wasn’t about to divulge to a human or at least someone I thought was human. I lifted my unhurt shoulder in a shrug. “Not much.”

  “Pity. Your home was quite beautiful. Or so I’m told.” He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes.

  “What are you talking about?”

  I listened quietly as this man vaguely explained about the origins of elementals, about my far away home and how I came to be here on this planet called Earth. I heard about failed battles, love and more as I stood there stunned as he spoke quietly on and on. He talked to me and at me for the better portion of an hour. It explained so much and yet so little because I could tell there was so much more he didn’t or couldn’t tell me himself because he was human.

  My stomach clenched as I suddenly knew he wasn’t completely being truthful, but I didn’t know which parts were lies and which weren’t. No matter what happened, I would need to learn from this man all I could. I blinked as I realized the last time I felt this way, I had been a little girl. The memory came to me sudden, without provocation.

  “There are others?” I questioned harshly needing to hear the confirmation again I wasn’t alone.

  “I do believe there are.” He nodded and watched me carefully.

  And thus began my association with Darien Cochran.

  Chapter One

  I sat in the mess room of what had become my home since I met Darien. I didn’t understand everything about who we really were or how the organization ran but I did understand we weren’t allowed to run amok, meaning each of us had duties around the facility but none of us were allowed outside at this point. There was training to do, and I hadn’t even begun to complete mine.

  And I was bored. Bored to the point of tears, I pushed my food around on my plate for the millionth time, not quite full but not hungry either. Emotionally, it wasn’t a good place for me to be. Everyone stayed away from me most of the time. It was like I had the plague or something and no one should be forced to feel this way. I was alone while surrounded by people. True, there were the occasional times when we had meetings and sparring matches. But I was not allowed to go to my full potential in this place at all. I felt forced to hold back during each encounter because these people were human, and I knew from experience I could hurt them.

  Suddenly, the ass who made sure I knew which entity caught me that very first evening, came running in. Jonathan Ingals didn’t have an ounce of humility in his sexy body. It would be a hard lesson for him to learn. Too bad I didn’t go for the body-building yet not quite all there type at all, otherwise I might have tried to hijack him into coming back to my room. I was that desperate. My eyes narrowed as they all covertly tried to look at me. It seemed as if I were still a source of curiosity around here. I contemplated whether I should go over when he spoke.

  “You’re gonna get your ass kicked today. You mark my words.” The thrill of pleasure on his face was almost too much for me to take.

  Arching an eyebrow, I stared at him and remained in my chair. No one in this facility could begin to hold a candle to me and I knew it. Worse, they knew it. “Whatever gave you the idea anyone could kick my butt? Cause I know you can’t.” I sat there and listened to his buddies all crack up as Jonathan’s ears turned red. Now this was something I could really get into. Maybe kicking his muscled body around the gym wouldn’t be a bad thing.

  “Ever heard of Lukas Everhard?” The flash of puppy-like adoration almost made me lose it right then.

  “You’re joking right? Everhard?” I couldn’t contain myself any longer and laughed so hard tears flowed from my eyes. That would be the day.

  “You’re just a bitch who won’t know what hit her.” His face took on a hard edge and if I hadn’t been so bored, I might have backed away.

  “And you’re just an ass who will.” I pushed my plate away and pushed my chair from the table. The orb bobbed in my hand as I stood, dangerously close to being thrown when something huge grabbed my wrist.

  “You know the rules here. No fighting in the mess hall.” The object didn’t remove itself from my body.

  I whirled furious, jerking my arm away, energy in both hands now and was stopped short by the man who stood before me. I was not a small woman, yet this man dwarfed me. Slowly, my gaze moved from his chest to his wide shoulders to his face and stopped there. Ice blue eyes stared at me without one bit of emotion attached to the look. He’s one cold cookie. I blinked rapidly almost as if I had been hit in the gut. This man was not going to take my crap in any way, shape or form. While I might be able to fool Darien somewhat as I had learned since I had arrived, I would never be able to fool this one.

  “You can close your mouth now.” His seductive whisper caressed my ear before pushing me slightly away.

  The first thing that registered was the fact I felt more aware of him sexually than I had with anyone else. Ever. There was a charisma about him which made me want to throw myself into his arms and beg to be taken. And it was more than his physical appearance, because if truth be told, this man looked good…the best I had ever seen with his ice blue eyes, dark hair and muscles in all the right places…again it was a rarity for me to note. It was as if he were palpable under my hands even though we weren’t touching. My crotch clenched once more, and I shook my head to clear my errant thoughts.

  “Told you.” A snide voice commented somewhere off to my left.

  I turned to look at my accuser, electricity leaping to my hand yet again. Some days I couldn’t control it at all. This could be a problem.

  Stepping in front of me, the big man’s forefinger jabbed my chest in a hard push. “You. Me. In the sparring room immediately.”

  I watched as he walked out the door, all predatory-like and with more purpose than I had seen anyone in this place have since my arrival. I eyed everyone else and realized it wouldn’t matter what I said, they were going to see if their man could best me. Sighing, I also knew I had brought this on myself. Vowing to make his fall gentle, I shook my head and followed him down the main corridor, wondering if I should even bother to introduce myself. I ran up to walk next to him and before I could even start, I was cut off by his raised hand.

  “Don’t bother. I know who you are.” He kept his eyes straight forward.

  Frowning, I watched him for a minute. “Yeah, but I don’t know who you are, now do I?”

  He stopped in front of the sparring room door. “And that should ma
ke a difference how?” Shoving it open, he waved a hand. “Ladies first.”

  “As if I’d fall for that one,” I muttered more to myself than anyone.

  Scowling at me, he shook his head. “Look one of us has to go in first. The door isn’t big enough for us to go side by side.”

  “Fine,” I said through clenched teeth. This would end badly, I could feel it in my bones.

  Walking in first, I turned on the lights, went to the edge of the mat and took off my shirt down to the gray sports bra. I heard a few of the men give a low whistle. I knew what I looked like regardless of the scars which marred the otherwise smooth skin. Add the short dark hair with white blonde streaks and blue eyes and you had a person who looked like the next. Plus, you couldn’t save humans if you weren’t in good shape and I managed to keep my body hard, ready for any occasion. Still, I was not one of those fancy models seen on TV either. I was just…healthy…that’s the best way I would put it if one had to categorize me.

  I warily eyed this man, gauging his strengths and weaknesses. It appeared he outweighed me by at least a hundred pounds and those hundred pounds were solid muscle as his biceps bulged. Swallowing hard, I knew this would not be easy at all as his reach would get to me before I could come close to him. Then there was also the fact he was a good six inches taller than me. My face remained impassive even though I wanted to cringe as I was afraid I’d bitten off more than I could chew with this one.

  “Anything goes.” He stood there watching me as my mouth hung open. “Trying to catch bugs again?”

  I closed my mouth and stared at him a moment longer. “Are you crazy?” I finally managed to get out. “I don’t want to kill you.”

  “What makes you think you can?” he challenged, his smile dazzling and almost feral in nature as he looked me up and down.