She danced toward Zohar, and rubbed against him back to back. Reaching behind, she took his laser gun and transferred it from her waistband to his.
Her pulse pounding in her neck, she spun around and grabbed hold of him. She waltzed him toward Jadlok, who stood on the sideline clapping his hands.
Nira plucked the hairpin from the king’s wiry hair, closed her eyes, and wished her shoes to whisk them back to Mimir’s realm.
Darkness closed around her. Blinded, she didn’t know if she’d succumbed to the dance or if the magic shoes had worked. Air rushed by, thwacking her, tumbling her to the ground.
The solid ground. Still, silent, and unmoving.
Her ears beheld the silence with awe. While her heart rate slowed and her respirations returned to normal, she huddled on the earth, curled on her side.
Then sounds trickled into her ears: water gurgling, branches rustling, and the steady rasps of someone breathing.
Zohar.
She rolled over. He lay beside her on his back, his chest heaving. The night sky greeted them above, stars twinkling in the heavens, as the humid smell of the jungle invaded her nose.
“Are you all right?” She trailed a finger down his sturdy arm. Muscles bulged under his skin.
“My strength returns. Good work.” His insolent grin made her teeth clench at his arrogance.
“Idiot. What were you thinking to make that stupid bet when you’d been warned?”
“The elves like dancing and gambling. It seemed logical.”
He rolled to his feet and lifted his belt from the ground where Nira had dropped it. Buckling it around his waist, he adjusted his laser pistol in the process.
Tremors shook the ground. “So, humans,” Mimir’s voice boomed, “have you succeeded in your task?”
Nira lifted her head and peered into the night. She could barely make out the god’s face protruding from the nearest trunk.
“Yes, we have your prize.” She dragged herself upright.
“Pierce my bark,” Mimir instructed.
“Where?” She approached, ducking under an overhanging branch. A bird squawked nearby, while something slithered under a pile of dead leaves.
“Doesn’t matter. Just do it.”
Grasping the quartz knob, she stabbed the pin into the bark beneath what looked like his lower lip.
A startled look entered the depressions that signified his eyes. The great face grimaced, its mouth working grotesquely. Pieces of bark felt away and branches cracked.
Underfoot, the earth shook and rumbled.
Nira cast an alarmed glance at Zohar, who gave her a steady smile in return. The amulet still rested against his chest, its golden hue shining in the moonlight. She warmed toward him, reassured by his company, pushing aside the notion that one day he’d leave this planet, and she’d be alone again. In the meantime, she wanted to be with him as much as possible.
His smile broadened as though he’d read her thoughts, but her attention diverted when a bearded man emerged from the tree with a loud grunt. As the bark popped back into place, Mimir strode ahead, shaking off bits of debris. He was stark naked and in full virile form with a reddish beard and hair.
“By the ice caves of Niflheim, I cannot wait to cleanse myself.” He strutted forward as though oblivious to their presence.
Nira stared in awed wonder. If this was what a god looked like, Zohar wasn’t far behind. The prophecy rang in her mind. Could she and Zohar really be descendants of the ancient beings who had ruled Earth in the days before time? She might find out if she could read the symbol on her watch.
“Ah, Mimir, you are going to let me take a drink from the sacred fountain now, right?”
Mimir halted by a clump of thorny bushes. Ignoring her question, he bent from the waist, giving them a clear view of his buttocks. “It should be right here.”
Zohar scowled at Nira. “Stop ogling the fellow.”
“Why should I? He’s pretty good-looking for a god.”
His warrior’s teeth gleamed white in the moonlight. “You want to see a naked man? I can oblige.” His hand went to his jeans’ zipper.
“Stow it.” She held up a hand. “I’m only interested in clinching our deal. Where’s this magic well?”
“It has been covered through the ages. Come, assist me.” Mimir shoved aside a fallen palm frond.
They helped him clear away a blanket of jungle growth that obscured the site. By the time the sun’s rays breached the horizon, they’d forged a channel through to a tropical pool by a gushing waterfall. Foliage provided a natural camouflage. Roots stretched down from overhanging branches, reaching deep below the water’s surface.
“Behold, the Fountain of Wisdom.” Mimir beamed at his guests. “Nira Larsen, I grant you one sip of the sacred water.”
On a glistening rock rested a wooden dipper. As Mimir knelt to retrieve it, Nira’s face flushed. She wished he’d put some clothing on, or at least find a bunch of leaves to serve the same purpose.
“Guard your knowledge wisely.” Mimir offered her the dipper. “Do not fall prey to those who would use you for their own gains.”
“Thank you, I’ll be careful.”
She grasped the handle, then picked her way carefully over a series of rocks to the water’s edge. Spray from the waterfall wet her face. A moment’s trepidation rocked her. Remembering what had happened during their adventure with Sylvia, she crouched down to complete her mission before the water level rose to swamp them.
A ray of sunlight pierced the breaking day. As she got a clearer look at the pool, she gasped. An eye floated on its surface.
“Is that…?”
“Odin’s eye? Yes, it is. Hurry, child. I long to dive in and wash off this debris.”
Without further hesitation, Nira sank the dipper into the water, brought it to her lips, and filled her mouth. She swallowed, tasting a faint mineral residue.
“Well? You feel anything?” Zohar faced her, legs spread apart in a combat stance. He, too, wasn’t trusting their safety.
“No.” She put the dipper on the nearest rock. “Is that it?” she asked Mimir, who readied himself to leap into the pool.
The fierce god wrinkled his brow. “Look at your watch, girl, and go home. Your task here is finished.”
She glanced down, moving her wrist at an angle to catch the fledgling sunlight. Ah, there. She studied the symbol that had been incomprehensible before. As she squinted at it, the markings rearranged into decipherable letters.
“Zohar, listen. I can read it. It says, one of six.” Her voice trembled with excitement.
“One of six?” He frowned. “That is it?”
“There’s a phrase here too, but it doesn’t make sense. I think it’s incomplete. Remember the prophecy: the six daughters of Odin must join with the six sons of Thor to utter the ancient words. Maybe I’m one of the six, and the ancient words refer to a spell. This phrasing could be part of an incantation.”
“What kind of spell, against the Trolleks? We do not need magic to defeat them. The Drift Lords have brought them down before.”
She shook her head. “There’s more at play here this time. And if I’m descended from Odin, you must be from Thor’s line.” Her words tripped over themselves in her eagerness to explain.
Zohar regarded her with a grim face. “If what you say is true, we are each of us one of six. My team has lost Rayne. That leaves me, Kaj, Dal, Yaron, Paz, and Borius.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re right. Six of you remain. Perhaps it was Rayne’s destiny to die.”
“Perhaps.”
He didn’t sound convinced, but another, more compelling notion induced Nira to grip his arm.
“Hey, if your team has six guys, where’s the rest of my equation? I’m one of six. That means I have five sisters, not necessarily blood related, but other women who have the same powers as me. We have to find them.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Zohar heard a splash before a cascade of water dumped ont
o him. Mimir had dived into the pool. Time for him and Nira to go home before the god emerged and found them still there. They didn’t want to provoke his anger.
Nira’s hand still gripped his arm. He placed his large palm over hers and squeezed. “Use your shoes to get us out of here.”
“You got it.”
She shut her eyes, concentrating, and his vision whirled. When he could see clearly again, they stood by her motor vehicle parked on the roadside just where they’d left it.
The rising sun heated the asphalt and made his shirt stick to his back, reminding him he could use a good shower and a change of clothes. Moisture hung in the air, wafting an earthy scent into his nostrils. From the cottony clouds gathering overhead, rain appeared imminent.
“I’ll drive my car from here.” Nira let go of him, weariness invading her face. “You can take the shuttle, but I’m afraid the safe house might be compromised. Where should we meet?”
“I must return home to retrieve my equipment. Let us rendezvous around the corner from the house. You can whisk us inside without anyone noticing.” His head tilted. “Perhaps you can pick up some provisions along the way? I like those round cookies with the sweet dark chunks.”
She swatted his arm. “Bad idea. Someone’s probably reported Carlson missing by now. If the cops know he was following me, they’ll have put out an alert for my license tag. I should ditch the car in town.”
“Leave it here and take the shuttle with me.”
“No thanks.” She blew a stray hair out of her eyes. “I’ve had enough excitement for one day.”
The local authorities are not the only people interested in you, my carona.
Zohar might be shielded by the charm he wore, but why hadn’t the Trolleks made another attempt to grab Nira? Were they truly done with her? Was the blood sample Algie’s only reason to want Nira?
He may have thought so before, but perhaps Algie merely waited to see what Nira discovered. Now that she could read runes, she’d be more valuable to them. Since he couldn’t drive with her, he must offer some means of protection.
While she foraged in her pocket for her car keys, he slipped the pendant off his head.
“Wear this.” He held the necklace out to her.
Her large eyes regarded him with astonishment. “Why? The amulet is yours. You need it to ward off evil.”
He snorted. “It didn’t help much with the elves. You need it more. The Trolleks could still vector shift in at any time to assault you. I have polarized myself. I shall be fine.”
He didn’t add that his last session had been yesterday morning. He was due for a renewal, but if he and Nira had a moment alone in the house, he’d rather lose himself in lust before immunizing himself. Her flowery fragrance made him wild with wanting. After all their exertions, he craved an hour or so of mindless lovemaking. Burying himself in her would provide the only true comfort he’d ever known.
That thought discomfited him, so he told himself he really wanted to wipe the exhausted look from her eyes and change it to passion. That’s all it was, a diversion from stress. She knew it. He knew it. It couldn’t be anything more.
“I can defend myself against the Trolleks,” she reminded him in a quiet voice as he held out the medallion.
“The Trolleks do not have to confound you. They can take you by force. I would rather you wear this charm. We do not know how it works. It may provide some sort of energy shield against them.”
“O-kay.” She put it on, then patted her pockets. “Oh no. I’ve lost the magic ribbon, Zohar. It must have fallen out when I was dancing with Jadlok’s people.” Dismay etched her face.
“Do not distress yourself. That may have been the elvin king’s intention all along.”
After watching her drive off, Zohar hiked to the spot where he’d left the shuttle. Decloaking, entry, and liftoff took minutes. Putting the flight plan on automatic, he hailed Paz.
“It’s good to hear your voice, rageesh.”
“Nira and I are headed for the safe house. Have you any news?” Anxiety for his team pitted his stomach.
“Kaj’s locator beacon still does not show on our monitors, sire. Nor does he answer his comm signal. And there’s one more thing.” Paz’s voice sobered. “Borius found his shuttle, abandoned on a remote island in the Pacific.”
“Any evidence of external damage or a malfunction?” Dread sank like a lead weight to his toes.
“Nay, sire.”
“What of Dal? Has he been moved to sickbay?”
“Not yet. He reacted adversely to a medication and remains dirtside in the hospital.”
Has’pute. Zohar couldn’t afford to lose another one of his friends. Gazing out the viewscreen as his shuttle flew toward Orlando under full cloak, he rubbed his neck.
Maybe that was the plan. Eliminate the Drift Lords one by one. If so, it was working all too well. Forget about the prophecy’s six sons of Thor. Until Dal rallied, only Yaron, Borius, Paz, and himself were left from the original team of seven. Nor did he have any trainees in his back pocket he could summon from the Academy.
He swallowed. “Did Borius have anything to report?”
“Nothing unusual. He’s wondering if Kaj discovered something significant, so he is repeating Kaj’s patrol vectors.”
“Good idea.” He considered asking for an update on those crystals he’d given Paz to analyze but it would have to wait. He’d almost arrived at his destination.
“Did you and Nira have any success, sire?”
“Aye, she gained the ability to read the symbol on her watch. We will have a debriefing later.” Zohar signed off, scraping stiff fingers through his hair.
Fortunately, he and Nira made it safely home without attracting undue attention. He met her at the assigned place, and she used her magic shoes to whisk them inside the house.
She had managed to stop for food stores along the way despite her earlier protests, reminding him if Dal had been poisoned, they should throw out whatever remained from before.
Alone in the house, they ate a quick meal with chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Then Nira headed for the sanitation facility. Hearing the shower run made his loins tighten as he imagined her naked beneath the spray. Standing beside the bed, he stripped off his clothes down to his briefs.
He headed for the bathroom, as she called it, like a bee homing in on a flower.
“What?” she yelled upon his knock.
“I have waited long enough.” Zohar pushed open the door.
“Eek! What are you doing?”
He stepped onto the cool tile, kicked his underwear off, and slid the glass door aside. “Make room. I will scrub your back.”
Her gaze dropped to his proud member. “Um, I don’t really need help…”
“I insist.” He stepped inside the narrow space, the evidence of his arousal like a flagstaff between them.
She stood frozen, cloth in hand, staring. Her nipples peaked under the stream of water. How he wanted to lap up the droplets on her skin.
He plucked the washcloth from her fingers. Replacing her under the spray, he allowed the steamy flow to flatten his hair and cleanse the day’s cares from his body.
His pulse hammered as he regarded her from under hooded eyes. She smelled like sweet purpura blossoms. He inhaled deeply, soaking in her essence like his skin soaked in moisture. Damp ringlets framed her face. He itched to smooth them back and kiss the tender spots on her temples.
Spurred on when her eyes darkened with desire, he soaped the cloth and approached her with a determined gleam.
So they were destined to be together, huh? Their meeting was the result of fate, not chance? What it meant for their future didn’t matter now. All he cared about was erasing those lines etched around her mouth and taking her to that ethereal plane of light and love.
No, not love, a mental voice chided. It’s only a momentary pleasure.
Yet when they were in the throes of passion, he felt so much more than lust. He felt as though
he’d come home.
Weakness lay in that direction, his inner demon said. You’ll lose much more than your seed between her legs.
Growling, he spun her around and lathered her back until reason fled. After letting her rinse off, he bent to kiss her shoulder from behind. That simple act unraveled him as he nibbled his way to her neck. Her skin was so soft and pliant, and her low moan of pleasure drove him wild. He had to join with her, flesh to flesh, body to body.
His fire ignited, and he yielded to the conflagration.
****
“Brace yourself against the wall.”
Zohar’s husky rasp sent thrills along her nerves. Her heart pounding, Nira obeyed. He adjusted the faucet to allow a trickle of lukewarm water from overhead. Moistening her lips, she sighed with delight when he reached around to fondle her breasts.
Oh yes, touch me there.
His hot breath tickled her ear while she considered her folly. She shouldn’t let him seduce her like this. She’d wanted time alone, to think about what she must do next. But now she couldn’t think at all.
His fingers roamed south to tantalize the sensitive folds between her thighs. She moaned as his fingers explored her. Heat pooled in her belly, gathered strength, formented like a kettle of lava boiling toward eruption.
“Don’t stop.” She pressed against him, his stiff organ prodded her juncture.
“You wish for completion?” His low, sexy tone turned her knees weak and her bones to jelly.
“Yes. Now.”
“Not yet. Turn around. I will wash your front.”
As she complied, he soaped her body from neck to toes, stopping now and then to brush his lips against hers. Leaning inward, she yearned for more. Instead, he increased the force of the spray so she could rinse herself.
“Now do me.” He handed her the cloth with a wicked grin.
Intending to give him the same sweet torture, she scrubbed his chest in a slow circular motion, enjoying the feel of his hard muscles beneath her fingers. His soft hair wove from his chest past his taut abdomen to a nest at his privates.
Warrior Prince Page 24