by S. E. Smith
“Where did you go?” Arilla asked as she stood on the other side of Aikaterina.
Aikaterina was silent for several long moments as she watched the beauty of the world that had saved her life explode with color as the sun rose. A sigh of resignation escaped her. They thought of her as a Goddess, but she was more like them than they realized. She made mistakes, learned, grew, and craved to be loved just as much as they did.
“I had a mistake to correct,” Aikaterina whispered in a quiet voice.
“What mistake?” Arosa asked, puzzled and surprised.
Aikaterina sadly smiled at Arosa. “Even as old as I am, I still make them. There were two brothers that were never given a chance at life because of a decision I made,” she murmured.
“Will they be given a chance this time?” Arilla asked.
“I hope so,” Aikaterina replied, beginning to fade. “But, it still won’t be easy,” she added with a chuckle.
Arilla and Arosa looked at each other before they faded as well. Aikaterina wasn’t upset with them, thankfully. Perhaps, that meant they could return to the playground again soon.
Epilogue
The next day, Trelon and the other men laughed as they stepped off the ‘ride’ for the fifth time. The lower cavern was filled with shrieks, laughter, and the sounds of voices from not just their families, but from those who lived in the nearby city and beyond.
“Your mate did an incredible job,” Zoran admitted as several people stopped to wish him a shy hello.
“Our mates,” Trelon reflected as he glanced over at where children were screaming as they ran through the cemetery across the way. “They all worked together.”
“I guess this means that you aren’t going to kill Dulce and the other engineers, after all,” Kelan said as he glanced up at the control room high above where Dulce was talking with another engineer.
“I guess I’ll just have to threaten him, instead,” Trelon replied with a grin.
“Uh oh, here comes Vox. What is he eating this time?” Creon interrupted with a raised eyebrow.
Creon and Carmen had been reluctant to come down here again after last night, but Spring and Phoenix had cried and cried. It had taken a while, but nothing unusual had happened so far. Right now, Carmen had gone off with Cara to Pirate’s Cove.
“I don’t know,” Mandra said. “He has been shifting back and forth all morning.”
Vox grinned as he held up an odd shaped bucket. Roam was riding on his shoulders, while Riley chatted with Trisha and Ariel. All three women were dressed up in different costumes than they were last night. Mandra grinned at the fake wings on Ariel. He had ripped her costume last night to pieces in his impatience to get it off her. Today, she was a fairy princess.
“What are you eating this time?” Mandra asked Vox as he stepped up to them.
“If I shift and carry the bucket, the people running the different activities give me candy,” Vox exclaimed in excitement.
“Tricken treat,” Roam said as he kicked his feet.
“Yes,” Vox remembered as he patted Roam’s foot. “You have to say Tricken treat to get it.”
“That’s Trick OR Treat,” Riley added with a roll of her eyes. “They still get it mixed up.”
“Talk about mixed up, has anyone seen Cara and the girls?” Trelon asked as he looked around the crowds.
“She said something about the pirate ship,” Trisha said with a frown. “I guess the bedding in the Captain’s Cabin got ripped somehow. She’s gone to replace it.”
Trelon’s cheeks flushed at Trisha’s pointed look, before he excused himself. They all watched as he hurried away before a soft voice behind them drew their attention. They watched as Ha’ven, who was carrying a sleeping Alice, and Emma stepped out of the crowd.
“This has been so much fun,” Emma commented. “Alice is exhausted from playing so much.”
“Just wait until you see what Cara and I have been talking about doing next,” Ariel replied with a grin. “We thought it would be neat to decorate the cavern up for Christmas. Cara thinks she can get the climate control device she was working on while we were on Kelan’s warship to create snow.”
“The North Pole?” Abby suggested excitedly, clapping her hands. “Who could we dress up as Santa?”
“Asim,” Ariel volunteered with a mischievous grin. “We can use Pactors as the eight reindeer.”
“Who is Santa? Is he related to the Great Pumpkin and the Easter Bunny?” Vox asked as he paused before eating more candy.
Riley rolled her eyes and tucked her arm through his. “Even better, he brings you presents,” she informed him.
Vox’s eyes widened with excitement. “What kind of presents? Can I ask for anything I want? When does he bring them? How does he know what to bring?”
Laughter filled the air as all the men started talking at once. They were discussing what they would ask for. They were all enjoying the conversation so much, that none of them, except for Emma, noticed the three figures that walked by dressed in long, golden gowns. Aikaterina turned and smiled at Emma’s soft gasp of recognition.
Yes, sometimes interference is a good thing, Aikaterina thought before she faded into the crowd.
If you loved this story by me (S. E. Smith) please leave a review. You can also take a look at additional books and sign up for my newsletter at http://sesmithfl.com to hear about my latest releases or keep in touch using the following links:
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Additional Books by S. E. Smith
Paranormal and Science Fiction short stories and novellas
For the Love of Tia (Dragon Lords of Valdier Book 4.1)
A Dragonlings’ Easter (Dragonlings of Valdier Book 1.1)
A Dragonlings’ Haunted Halloween (Dragonlings of Valdier Book 1.2)
A Warrior’s Heart (Marastin Dow Warriors Book 1.1)
Rescuing Mattie (Lords of Kassis: Book 3.1)
Science Fiction/Paranormal Novels
Cosmos’ Gateway Series
Tink’s Neverland (Cosmo’s Gateway: Book 1)
Hannah’s Warrior (Cosmos’ Gateway: Book 2)
Tansy’s Titan (Cosmos’ Gateway: Book 3)
Cosmos’ Promise (Cosmos’ Gateway: Book 4)
Curizan Warrior
Ha’ven’s Song (Curizan Warrior: Book 1)
Dragon Lords of Valdier
Abducting Abby (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 1)
Capturing Cara (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 2)
Tracking Trisha (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 3)
Ambushing Ariel (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 4)
Cornering Carmen (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 5)
Paul’s Pursuit (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 6)
Twin Dragons (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 7)
Lords of Kassis Series
River’s Run (Lords of Kassis: Book 1)
Star’s Storm (Lords of Kassis: Book 2)
Jo’s Journey (Lords of Kassis: Book 3)
Magic, New Mexico Series
Touch of Frost (Magic, New Mexico Book 1)
Sarafin Warriors
Choosing Riley (Sarafin Warriors: Book 1)
The Alliance Series
Hunter’s Claim (The Alliance: Book 1)
Razor’s Traitorous Heart (The Alliance: Book 2)
Zion Warriors Series
Gracie’s Touch (Zion Warriors: Book 1)
Krac’s Firebrand (Zion Warriors: Book 2)
Paranormal and Time Travel Novels
Spirit Pass Series
Indiana Wild (Spirit Pass: Book 1)
Heaven Sent Series
Lily’s Cowboys (Heaven Sent
: Book 1)
Touching Rune (Heaven Sent: Book 2)
Excerpts of S. E. Smith Books
If you would like to read more S. E. Smith stories, she recommends Abducting Abby, the first in her Dragon Lords of Valdier Series
Or if you prefer a Paranormal or Time Travel with a twist, you can check out Lily’s Cowboys or Indiana Wild...
About S. E. Smith
S. E. Smith is a New York Times, USA TODAY and #1 International Amazon Bestselling author who has always been a romantic and a dreamer. An avid writer, she has spent years writing, although it has usually been technical papers for college. Now, she spends her days and weekends writing and her nights dreaming up new stories. An affirmed “geek,” she spends her days working on computers and other peripherals. She enjoys camping and traveling when she is not out on a date with her favorite romantic guy.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Epilogue
About S. E. Smith