by Rosalie Redd
Nikki’s chest swelled, a feeling of accomplishment lightening her heart.
“Let’s go.” Gaetan picked up his cane, gripped her hand, and headed into the water tunnel.
She sucked in a deep, shuddering breath. What awaited them?
CHAPTER 22
The tip of Gaetan’s cane slipped between two rocks, sticking in the soft mud. He yanked on the wood and the mud gave way, a loud sucking noise issuing from the gap. Tightening his grip on Nicole’s hand, he drew her into the small cave.
A cool, damp breeze caressed his cheek, the source unknown.
“This is it?” Nicole’s soft voice echoed around the chamber.
Water rushed over the tunnel, filling in the space. Darkness closed in around them. Gaetan’s pulse rose, a sense of entrapment slithering along his nerves.
Nicole gripped his arm, her fingers digging into his muscle. “I can’t see.”
She fears the dark.
Empathy for her crept from a tiny place in his heart. The back of his hand burned, the line reappearing. His chest swelled. He placed his hand over hers and gave her a gentle squeeze. “Don’t worry, my little water lily. I can take care of that.”
He rubbed his thumb over the sunstone embedded in his cane. A soft glow emitted from the gem, lighting up the cave walls.
A gentle sigh eased from Nicole’s lips. “Thank you. That’s much better.”
The relieved smile that graced her features accentuated her rosy cheeks and the sea-green hue of her eyes. He held his breath, mesmerized not only by her beauty, but by the zest for life that reflected in those deep green depths. How he longed to feel the same way, but after so many years, the pain had dulled his senses.
Pain… The constant agony in his knee was blessedly gone.
A brief memory of running through the woods in his beast form skimmed across his mind. The beast hadn’t experienced any pain. Was he healed?
A sudden rush of blood zipped through his veins. He took a tentative step without his cane, putting pressure on his bad knee. The leg started to buckle, and he leaned on his cane once again. No…he wasn’t healed. The urge to pop a pill made his mouth water. His fingers twitched, and he fought the impulse to reach for his satchel. “At least the pain is gone.”
“There are so many rocks here. Do you see the blue sunstone?” Nicole’s voice brought him from his reverie.
Light from the sunstone in his staff reflected off a small pool of water near the cave entrance. Rocks in all shapes and sizes lined the shore. He raised his cane, illuminating more of their surroundings, and scanned the area, eager to find the blue sunstone. “It’s here somewhere. It has to be.”
He wouldn’t entertain the idea that they were wrong. They’d seen the gem through the water tunnel, but what if that had been an illusion? No, he wouldn’t go there. He had to retrieve the stone and find Anlon. The guilt he’d become so familiar with resurfaced, heavy and burdensome.
Nicole searched near a pile of small boulders, her brow scrunched in focused determination. Soothing warmth started deep inside, easing up his chest and across his arms. Her willingness to help him stripped away one of the chains around his heart, easing the weight.
A sense of urgency pushed him in the opposite direction. If they didn’t hurry, they’d be stuck here all day. He scanned the rocks, searching…searching…
“Oh! I found it!” Nicole held the blue sunstone between her fingers. It caught the light from the gem in his cane, reflecting in a brilliant cascade. She scrambled over the small pile of rocks and handed him the sacred stone.
“Seems I can’t get rid of you. Not yet anyway.” He shoved the stone into his pocket. “We should leave while we still can to find Anlon and—”
A shudder rippled over his skin. “No, no, no!”
“I felt it, too. We’re too late. The sun is up.” Nicole trailed her fingers over the back of his hand, caressing his mark.
The desire to pull her to him, kiss her until she cried out his name, flared along his nerves. But, he didn’t deserve her. He was too broken and too scarred. With enough force to kill his enemy, he slammed the tip of his cane against the ground. The light on the end flared.
“Look!” Nicole’s soft voice echoed around the chamber.
In the far corner, cut into the very rock itself, a small passageway became visible.
“Let’s check it out.” Nicole tugged on his arm.
“Since we’re stuck here, we might as well.” He gripped her hand, and she clasped her fingers around his.
A smile curled her mouth, tugging at her plump lips. The urge to kiss her rippled over him once again, but she drew him forward. All he could do was follow.
As they approached the small entrance, the breeze picked up, flipping Nicole’s tresses over her shoulder. He couldn’t stop himself, and he caught a few tips between his fingers. She glanced at him, her brow furrowing around her inquisitive eyes.
He returned her smile, his chest expanding from the brief exchange.
Closer now, the dark outline of objects in the room took shape—a desk, a chair, a bed, and the scent of ageless time carried by on the breeze.
After crossing the threshold, sunstones embedded in the walls flared to life and brightened the room. Scattered over the desk were several old tomes, some open, others stacked on top of one another. Next to a table sat an old, rickety wooden chair with a slat missing from the back. A large green comforter covered the massive bed. In the corner was an odd looking sink, water filling the bowl to the rim. Despite the sense of age, everything appeared clean and untouched.
“It looks like someone lived here.” Nicole picked up an odd stylus from the desk. She studied the tipped end.
“Indeed, but who?” He trailed a finger over one of the ancient tomes. Cuneiform characters graced the cover. “Hey, I recognize this language. It’s Lemurian.”
He read the titles of the closest books. “Research… Portal transportation…” His gaze landed on one with the distinct symbol of the letter ‘M.’ “Lemuria.”
“I wonder what they say?” Nicole pulled close, and her arm rubbed against his.
Heat ignited between them. He fisted his hand and swallowed, unwilling to give in to his desires. “Let’s find out.” He cracked open the first one and began to read.
Nikki had seen the gleam of desire in Gaetan’s eyes when she’d brushed her arm against his. A part of her had wanted him to kiss her like he had before, to take her and finish claiming her as his mate. For a moment, she thought he’d do exactly that, but he hadn’t. Instead, he’d buried himself in the old tome.
While he read, she explored the small room. In a cabinet over the table, she found canisters with dried herbs and a few jars with some peaches. She unscrewed one and sniffed the contents. The peaches’ sweet scent tickled her nose. There must be some unique magic in this place to keep the food so fresh.
She approached the basin against the far wall. Smooth as glass, the water filled the bowl to the rim. She peered into the dark depths. Her fingers twitched. A small ripple danced over the surface.
“This is fascinating. Someone named Mitan lived in this small cave. From what I can tell, he was a Lemurian god, like Alora.” Gaetan’s voice floated across the room, but Nikki’s attention was on the water as it started to bubble.
“His notes indicate he had characters here, a long time ago. He marked them all with an…an… ‘M’ in their palm for ‘Mitan.’ Do you know what that means?” The scrape of the chair leg against the floor resounded in the room. “It also mentions that even though they are gods to us, we as characters, have free will. That’s life altering.”
“Gaetan, come quickly.” The water in the bowl churned, swirling, splashing droplets down the basin’s side and onto the rocks lining the floor. She couldn’t control her power. Fear sent her pulse tripping through her veins.
He approached her from behind and brushed his hands down her arms, sending a calming warmth under her skin. With a quick tug, he pulled
her against him, his breath tickling the back of her neck and causing a shiver of need to tickle her bottom. The water in the bowl calmed along with her racing heart. She relaxed into him, letting him catch her, bear her weight.
Images flashed across the water. A green planet, red patches marring its surface. Two moons. Tall trees, branches intertwining above a sea of houses and platforms embedded into their massive trunks. The vision pinpointed on a single home in a large tree, a deck surrounding three sides. A man dressed in a pair of silky white pants and a matching shirt placed his elbows on the deck railing. His brow furrowed over a pair of intense brown eyes.
“Who is he?” This was unlike anything Nikki had ever seen before, and her voice trembled.
Gaetan planted a warm kiss along her earlobe. “I don’t know. Perhaps—”
Heated voices burst from the image.
“Let’s watch,” Gaetan whispered.
Nikki relaxed into him, eager for his comfort and his tender touch.
Another man, this one dressed in a tailored suit strode onto the deck. He had shoulder-length brown hair, piercing blue eyes, and a tiny jewel glittered in his nose. Arrogance and menace radiated from him, permeating the air with tension.
The first man turned around and crossed his arms. “Zedron. I told you never to come here.”
Zedron… Zedron… Nikki recognized that name but couldn’t place him. Wait! Sheri mentioned this to me. That’s Alora’s nemesis. The god we’re fighting against. Nikki held her breath and focused on the picture.
“Oh, Mitan. You’ll come around, you always do.” Zedron smiled, revealing a perfect set of white teeth.
“I won’t be a party to your plan to win Alora’s hand. She’s my best friend from childhood. Once she finds out you intend to tarnish Veromé’s reputation, she’ll never bond to you.” Mitan’s eyes flashed.
Zedron trailed his finger over the back of a deck chair, toying with the cushion’s ribbon. “Perhaps I should tell the council that a member of the neutral faction colonized a planet, a little blue planet with a single sun.”
Mitan pushed away from the railing. The wood creaked from the pressure. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh, I would.” Zedron tsked. “Neutral faction families don’t support free or slave parties, so your actions are scandalous. I know how much pain that would bring your council member father. He’d lose his seat in disgrace.”
Mitan’s nostrils flared, and his fingers curled into a fist. “Alora won’t love you, not like she does Veromé. That’s something your money and power could never buy.”
“So, you’re telling me you won’t cooperate?” Zedron took a step forward, his blue eyes flashing.
Mitan closed the distance, the males mere inches apart. “No, and better yet, maybe I should turn you in. I’m sure the council would be very interested in how you acquired this information. Spying is a capital offense.”
The muscles in Zedron’s shoulders tensed, his arms shaking with fury. A roar of pure rage rushed from his throat. He gripped Mitan’s shirt and shoved him.
Mitan stumbled across the deck. He collided with the wooden rail.
A loud crack echoed between the trees.
Mitan ran toward Zedron, but the evil god was ready. His fist connected with Mitan’s chin. Mitan crashed against the railing once again. Wood splintered and slipped over the edge.
“Goodbye, Mitan.” Zedron’s lip curled, and he kicked Mitan in the gut.
The railing gave way with a loud, sickening crack.
Mitan yelled and disappeared over the edge.
Low, predatory growls rose from below.
Nikki screamed, her heart racing. As she pushed away from the strange basin, her fingers scraped against the rough stone edge. Pain rippled up her arm, and blood dripped into the water, mirroring her sympathy to Mitan’s plight.
CHAPTER 23
G aetan wrapped his arms around Nicole, tugging her close. She trembled against him, her soft skin making contact with his fingers, the pleasant sensation teasing him. The water in the basin stilled, the brutal image of Mitan’s murder erased from the vision. Too bad he couldn’t wipe away the vision from Nicole’s mind. “Sh…sh…it’s over now.”
She drew her hand to her mouth, a soft hitch easing from her throat. Blood dribbled from a gash on her index finger. “Mitan didn’t deserve to die.”
“No, he didn’t.” Gaetan trailed his fingers along her arm until he reached her hand. He took her palm in his. “Let me tend to your wound.”
She blinked, her gaze flicking to their clasped hands. “That place didn’t look familiar. It wasn’t Earth. Do you think it was Lemuria? Was it real?”
He drew a small cloth from his pocket, dipped the end in the water, and carefully wiped away the blood from her cut. “You have a small scrape. With your Dren heritage I suspect you’ll heal in no time, and yes, I think the images were real. I suspect we saw a recording of some sort, and it appears Mitan discovered Earth first. I wonder if Alora knows about this or that Zedron murdered him.”
“Can you contact her?” With a gentleness he was fast becoming used to, Nicole grazed her fingers over his brow, stopping for a moment to toy with the shock of gray. Her touch sent a rush of blood south. His inner beast growled.
“You don’t contact the gods. They contact you.” He turned her hand over, palm up, and brushed his fingers against hers, encouraging her to open for him.
She complied on a soft inhale.
He stroked her palm with his forefinger, tracing the outline of the letter ‘M.’ “At least we have an answer to this mystery. You are a descendant of Mitan, one of his characters.”
She blinked, but didn’t draw away from his touch. “How is that possible? I’m human.”
He pondered her question, letting the implications sink in. “I’m not sure, but what would happen to his characters when he died? Especially if no one knew he’d placed them here?”
“Would they die, too?” She pulled her full, plump lower lip between her teeth, gnawing on the delicate flesh.
The urge to kiss her rippled through him, sending another rush of blood to his already engorged shaft. Surreptitiously, he adjusted his stance and returned his attention to her eyes.
The dark pupils dilated, and she drew away, her fingers skating over his marking. “Or maybe they lived…and bred with the humans.”
He let her go, but a twinge tightened his chest. “That’s possible and would explain the mark on your hand.”
She strode to the desk, and he couldn’t help but notice how her hips swung from side to side, enticing him. Brows scrunched together, she studied the open pages of an old tome. “You mentioned earlier that you found a passage about ‘free will.’ What did you mean?”
“From what I could gather, it means we have the ability to choose sides in this war. I thought we were bound to fight for our goddess, Alora, not that I would choose to leave her, but it looks like we have the ability to choose, hence, free will.” He stroked his chin. “Kaelyn, the Ursus queen, would find that information useful I’m sure.”
“That’s good news.” Nicole smiled, but her eyes held a hint of sadness.
An ache built inside, hardening to the point of pain. He brought his fingers to his throat and touched the skin. He couldn’t see the line that circled his throat, but it was there. Nicole was his mate, and they seemed so compatible, but the solitary mark didn’t lie. Their relationship wouldn’t be a good one. Yet, he couldn’t deny his attraction to her. He curled his fingers around his cane and shuffled across the floor to join her.
“This can’t be easy for you. Your world has changed so much over the past couple of days.” …and that’s my fault. He bit down on the words. She wouldn’t be here with him now if his cane hadn’t knocked against his knee, alerting the Gossum. He’d ripped her from her life, uprooted her, bonded to her, but a part of him was glad, and he hated himself for it. What had her life been like? His gut churned, but he had to know.
She turn
ed to look at him. Her blonde hair cascaded around her shoulders, accentuating her soft skin and beautiful eyes.
Craya… His chest tightened, squeezing the breath from his lungs. He didn’t deserve her, never would, but that didn’t stop his desire for her. “Tell me more about your brother.”
She inhaled, studying him, her green eyes glimmering. After a long moment, the muscles in her shoulders relaxed, and she leaned her hip against the wooden table. “His name was Toby, and he was just like Ginnia, special.”
She licked her lips, and he focused on them for a moment before returning his attention to her eyes. “Tell me more.”
She rubbed her fingers over the wound on her hand. A small scab had already formed. The rhinestones in her bracelet caught the light from the sunstones lining the walls, flaring like brilliant white stars. “He was born with Down Syndrome and never progressed past the mental age of five.” Her eyes sparkled, but there was a sadness in her gaze.
He swallowed the lump in his throat. What would he do if he ever lost Ginnia? She was as much a part of him as his deformed leg. “You loved him very much. What happened?”
She blinked several times and gnawed at her lip in that adorable way he’d grown to love. “There was a car wreck. My father…he…” She shook her head and looked away.
Gaetan cupped her chin, his thumb stroking her cheek. “Please tell me.”
She peered at him, and the sea-green hue of her eyes held such sorrow, it called to him on a level so deep his soul ached. He cared for her, more than he should. A heat wave crested over his shoulders, accompanied by a round of regret. She wouldn’t love him back. The single band around his throat was proof.
“My dad was an alcoholic. He was drunk the night of the accident, but insisted on taking us for a ride. I didn’t want to go, but I was barely eighteen and couldn’t stop him from taking Toby, so I went along. At the time, Toby was only twelve. I survived. They didn’t.” The pain in her eyes bore into him, eating into his soul like acid. Gaetan, with his pain med addiction, was too much like her father.