Portal to Passion

by Nina, Tara

  A cold chill skittered up and down her spine when she attempted to move but couldn’t. Every ounce of her hurt even more now than it did before. Instead of regaining energy by resting, she seemed even more depleted of strength. Had her use of magic earlier to turn on the light caused this wicked drain on her chakra? Deveney hoped not. She depended on her magic to get out of here.

  She took a deep breath and a wonderful scent filled her nose. Hope had entered the building. If she could have found her voice, she would have screamed his name and led him in the right direction to find her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t force more than a whisper to cross her lips. Desert dryness occupied her throat and mouth, making it near impossible to speak.

  Unable to scream, she waited. She attempted to force an ounce of magical strength to surface. Severe pain riddled her entire being, shutting down her futile effort. Inhaling deep, she picked his phenomenal essence from the stench. Tor. It invigorated her and gave her spirit a lift.

  He would find her. This she knew with her whole heart. He wouldn’t leave her in this godforsaken place. No matter how hard she tried, the remnants of the drug held her magic bound and rendered her body useless. There wasn’t enough energy in her soul to muster the ability to yell. Deveney closed her eyes and prayed.

  Tor, please find me.

  * * * * *

  The moment Tor’s feet left the last stair, he knew Deveney was down there. He sensed her presence. Thick, putrid scents of death and decay filled the air. But somehow he picked her essence from the foul bouquet. They located the only door at this lowest point of the dungeons.

  Tor stalled for a moment. He thought he heard her voice inside his head.

  Tor, please find me.

  With the impending descent of the Proprius Bestia, he wasted no time. Hearing Deveney’s plea gave him the strength of ten men. He gripped the door and ripped it from its hinges. Nothing stood between him and his mate and most certainly not an old rusted dungeon door. He snorted long and hard as he shoved it to the side. A low glow illuminated the small room. At the sight of his mate curled in a ball on the floor, his heart skipped a beat.

  Was she dead?

  Tor ran to her side and fell to his knees. Griswaldin stood guard at the door. She had to be all right. She just had to be. Fear gripped his heart and tore at his soul. With trembling fingers, he brushed the hair from her face and her eyelids fluttered. Relief washed over him. She lived.

  “Deveney,” he whispered. “Deveney.”

  Tor leaned in close to hear her weakened voice. “I knew you’d find me. I don’t like it here. Please take me home.”

  Tor laughed, scooped her up in his arms and placed a tender kiss to her forehead. “Your wish is my desire, my love. Let’s get you home.”

  He stood with her cradled in his arms. She slipped back into a state of unconsciousness. He nestled her head against his chest. One of her arms he hung loose around his neck. The other he tucked in her lap. It pained him to see her in this frail condition—pale, cold and defenseless. But there was nothing he could do to heal her now. They had to get out of there first. The sound of fighting echoed down the stairwell and they knew the battle descended another level.

  Griswaldin took the lead, charged up the stairs with a sword in one hand and a huge knife in the other. Tor shifted Deveney’s light weight into one arm and drew his sword with the other.

  At the top of the stairs, he halted for a second, taking in the gruesome battle. A warrior lay in a pool of blood, battered beyond recognition at the base of the upper stairwell. Several of the others he did not see, but knew they fought on the landing above them. Griswaldin swung a mighty sword at the base of the skull of an enraged Proprius Bestia lion, which had several battered warriors backed against a wall. The swipe was clean. For an instant the creature stilled, blinked, then its head rolled from its shoulders to the ground followed by its body.

  Somehow another Proprius Bestia escaped the battle upstairs and rolled down the stairwell to land at Tor’s feet. It sprang upright. Its eyes seemed familiar, but he could not recognize the face. The Proprius Bestia sickness distorted it into a wild, crazed-looking beast of a golden bear. This was something he truly hated to do…fight one of his own.

  When it moved in his direction, Tor swung his sword in more of a defensive manner rather than a killing stroke, slicing it across the chest. In one violent swipe of its massive claws, the sword was knocked from Tor’s grip. Blood dripped from the gash in its chest. Unable to get a clear aim at its neck, Griswaldin plunged his sword into the creature from behind, drawing its attention to him. But nothing fazed it. It turned and struck Griswaldin in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

  Another warrior rushed it, hitting it in the side with the full force of the warrior’s enormous weight. But the Proprius Bestia simply tossed the warrior against the wall as if he were nothing more than a small object. During the momentary distraction, Tor pulled his knife from its sheath. There was only one way to stop it and one way to kill it. When the Proprius Bestia turned to face him, Tor tightened his one-armed grip on Deveney. The creature did just as he anticipated. He lunged in Tor’s direction. Swift and sure, Tor threw the knife, planting it hilt deep in the center of the crazed bear’s chest.

  Stunned, the creature crumbled to his knees, then fell onto his side. The face shifted into that of the man and Tor’s heart sank. It was his one-time friend, Rubius Goldenacious, who turned Proprius Bestia about a year earlier. When Griswaldin readied a sword to remove the head, Tor yelled, “No!”

  Griswaldin froze and lifted a bewildered gaze to him.

  “We cannot kill him. He is a fallen warrior from our clan.”

  With a nod, Griswaldin lowered the sword and sheathed it. Tor handed him the unconscious Deveney, then knelt at his former friend’s side.

  “Rubius, can you hear me?”

  “Yes,” came the graveled reply as he opened his eyes.

  His face was that of man, but his body lingered in the shape of a huge golden bear, the once glorious coat now matted and discolored. An immeasurable pain displayed in the gaze that met Tor’s. It seemed as if years of torture and torment were showcased in Rubius’ eyes instead of just the one that had passed. Rubius could not move. The position of the knife in his heart kept him paralyzed. But he could speak.

  “Tor, finish the job. Kill me now and end this misery.” He licked his lips, then whispered on a ragged breath, “Please.”

  A single tear streaked Rubius’ cheek and Tor swallowed against the sudden lump in his throat. This was his friend. How could he ask Tor to kill him?

  “I cannot,” Tor replied as he touched his friend’s shoulder. “There has to be a way to save you.”

  Bring him home with us. We will find a way.

  Her voice filtered inside his head and he lifted his gaze to Deveney. Though her head leaned listlessly against Griswaldin’s chest, her tired eyes were open and she stared directly at him. Determined to accomplish this telepathic feat, he concentrated on only her face and thought the words he wanted to speak.

  Are you sure, my love? We know no methods to cure them. He’s asked for death. It might be the only way to release him from the torture he suffers.

  He watched her chest rise and fall on a labored breath. He sensed she fought the potion within her system to reach out to him.

  He may have asked, but I know it is not in you to grant his wish. Maybe he can help us discover a cure to the sickness.

  Tor watched her eyes close and her breathing become shallow. She succumbed to the potion once again. It was too strong and she was too weak to battle it for long. This he sensed from her weakened essence. He looked at his fallen friend and made the decision. As he stood, he gave the order to the remaining warriors.

  “We take him with us. Leave the knife where it is. It keeps him paralyzed so he can not harm anyone.” Tor turned to Griswaldin. “Thank you, I’ll take her back now.”

  With Deveney in his arms, he led them down
the tunnel and out of the passageway. Outside they found Griswaldin’s son, Grant, in the midst of a battle. Behind him lay two beheaded Proprius Bestia gorillas. In one swift move, he beheaded a Proprius Bestia lion before its claws made contact with him. The large man turned, wiped the blood from his sword and sheathed it as he walked toward them.

  “That’s a mighty fine warrior you’ve got there, Griswaldin,” Tor stated. “I’m glad he’s on our side.”

  “Me too.” Griswaldin turned to commend his son for such bravery. “Three by yourself. Even your old man never took down three alone.”

  The young grizzly grinned, then proclaimed loud and proud, “I had the finest teacher. I am the product of the master.”

  His brows pursed when he caught sight of the Proprius Bestia the other four warriors carried. The arched-eyebrow look he gave his dad showed his confusion, as did his words. “I just killed three and yet you save one. You going soft, old man?”

  “No, my son.” Griswaldin nodded in Tor’s direction. “Tor believes there may be a way to save them. This one we take back. But if he somehow manages to get that knife out of his chest, you’ve got the go-ahead to kill him.”

  The mic on Griswaldin’s shoulder beeped. His second-in-command informed him the battle was over. The last of the Proprius Bestia either fled back to Dystopia or were dead. The ones that ran were being followed by Gawyn and his men to find their point of entry and seal it.

  Grant took over the watch of Rubius. Out of the corner of his eye, Tor noticed he made Rubius comfortable, while at the same time he made sure that knife didn’t move.

  As he settled back with Deveney in his arms, it hit him. How did the Proprius Bestia get in? Had they battled their way through the slit Visuvius was repairing? He touched the mic on his shoulder and called to Visuvius. He had to know his grandfather’s situation.

  When he responded, the knot in Tor’s chest loosened. After a short discussion on the repair process, he was relieved to know the Proprius Bestia had not entered through that area. But where and how had they gotten in? On a silent prayer, he wished Gawyn’s men well in their efforts to locate the Proprius Bestia’s pathway from Dystopia. Too tired to think about it anymore, he snuggled Deveney close and let his eyes shut for a moment of rest. Soon they’d be home and she’d be in the proper care of a healer.

  Deveney, I love you.

  I love you too. He heard her response and smiled.

  Chapter Seventeen

  It took longer than he wanted at the debriefing between him, Griswaldin, the second-in-command, Gawyn, Visuvius and several other key warriors. Gawyn’s men found the pathway the Proprius Bestia used for entry, a naturally worn slit in the shield where the magic had thinned and separated. Visuvius and his assistant repaired it when they were done with the hole Obinu caused as a diversion to get Tor away from the palace. The casualties of this battle were high. But the numbers of dead Proprius Bestia were higher than the number of dead warriors. For that Tor was grateful, but his heart still ached for the Proprius Bestia. The thought they were once men tortured his mind as he let out a heavy heartfelt sigh.

  At least they managed to save Rubius. The healers balked at helping him. They called him an abomination. Never had they seen such…a Proprius Bestia with a man’s face. It wasn’t right. Tor convinced them he was harmless as long as they did not touch the knife. Once they accepted that as fact, they cleaned him, fed him and brushed his coat.

  It also helped that Sven and Willow demanded his bed be placed between their beds so they could watch over him as they healed. That eased Tor’s mind some to know Rubius was safe under their watchful eyes, even though they both were on the mend as well. With them present, no one would dare hurt the injured Proprius Bestia.

  Visuvius couldn’t hide his excitement to get started testing Rubius for ways to right this curse. Tor suggested he wait. Rubius wasn’t exactly happy to be there. At the moment, he hated Tor for not killing him. Could Tor blame him? No. He couldn’t. The tortured look in his eyes etched a memory in Tor’s head he’d never forget. If this didn’t work, he’d have to set his friend’s spirit free and that meant removing his head from his shoulders. A cold shudder ran down his spine. He prayed he’d never have to do that.

  In the early evening, he finally made his way back to his room. Throughout the day he received reports from Nona and the healers as to Deveney’s and the baby’s health. She responded to the anti-potion they gave her. The baby lived and grew at a spectacular rate, which was a wonderful sign according to Nona. Anticipation sprang to life in his gut. He couldn’t wait to hold Deveney in his arms and kiss her.

  Tor stopped outside the door. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He sensed someone he didn’t know was in the room with his Deveney.

  He shoved the door open and rushed in ready for a fight. A woman sat on the bed beside his mate. Their conversation halted abruptly as they stared directly at him.

  She leaned toward Deveney and stated loud enough that he heard it too, “If that’s Tor, I can see why you want to stay.”

  Tor’s cheeks reddened. Never had he done something as foolish as rushing his own bedroom for intruders. But then again, he’d never had anything as wonderful as Deveney living in his room to protect before either. Turning his gaze to Deveney’s, he saw the laughter in her eyes and couldn’t help but smile. She knew he’d thought she was in danger.

  “Tor, this is my best friend, Tiara. She has chosen to live here with us. Isn’t that great? Maven tested her for magic and claims she has a dormant gene that with the right coaxing might reveal itself in time.”

  He sensed her presence before he saw the old woman. “Is that so, Maven?”

  “Yes,” she said. She stepped through the Mirror of Azure, tugging a large rectangular-shaped object along with her. She set it beside three other bags of similar shape and turned to the woman Deveney called Tiara.

  “That’s the last of them. I’ll send someone up to move them to whichever room Tor deems for your use.” She turned and walked toward Tor and the door. She whispered for his ears only, “It’s a stubborn ruled magic Tiara contains. Stubborn, mule-headed and doesn’t shut up. May the Goddess Nirvana help the mate the magic claims for that one.”

  Tor caught her arm when she started for the door, taking her by surprise. He hugged the ancient magi. “Thank you for disobeying my own stubborn stupidity. You saved my life and you may have saved the clans from extinction.”

  Maven smiled as she shot a glance across her shoulder at the pair sitting on the bed. Her voice sounded tired, yet happy. “We shall see what path this leads us on. Those two are just the beginning. I sensed there were others within that plane who might suit the needs of our men.” She sighed heavily and took a breath. “I need to rest and realign my magical center. That world called Earth drains the magic from one’s chakra.”

  With a brush of her hand to Tor’s cheek, she stepped around him and walked out the door. Tiara stood, kissed Deveney on the cheek and walked toward him. She was a beautiful woman with bright green eyes and thick, long black curls that hung down to her waist. Yeah, he agreed with Maven. This woman would be a handful for any man. But that wasn’t his problem. He looked across her shoulder to the woman in his bed. He was taken.

  Tiara stood in front of him, hugged him tight, then stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. The bat of those thick black lashes would melt any man’s heart, but it held no effect on him. He smiled as he watched her work her feminine charms to no avail.

  As if he’d passed some sort of test, she grinned widely. “Welcome to the family, Tor. Which room is mine? I think I’d like to freshen up before I go exploring the palace.”

  Tor touched the mic on the shoulder of his robe and called Nona. He told her he was sending Tiara to the kitchen and that she needed to be made comfortable in any guestroom she chose. Tiara smiled as she listened to his directions to the kitchen.

  “Catch you later, Deveney.” She winked. “I’m off to find me a hunk of tro
uble like this one.”

  Tiara slapped Tor on the rump when she walked past and headed straight out the door. Deveney burst into a fit of laughter at Tor’s surprised expression. She eased from the bed to stand on shaky legs. When she reached for the bedpost to steady herself, Tor appeared at her side in a split second.

  “Are you okay, my love?” Concern filled his eyes as he swept her off her feet and into his arms.

  “I am now,” she replied on a heated breath. She placed moist kisses to his neck. “I think I need a healing bath. Are you up to it?”

  “Your wish is my desire,” he stated. The warmth of her lips to his skin sent an arrow of need straight to his cock.

  Tor turned and headed to the bath. He set her on her feet long enough to disrobe them both, then lifted her and carried her into the water. A sparkle drew his attention to her neck.

  “You no longer wear the Amulet of Perception?” Tor questioned curiously.

  “Maven removed it. Since we are mated as one, we no longer need it to communicate,” Deveney answered. “She put it on Tiara so she would have no problems with interpretation.”

  “Ah, so that’s how she and I understood one another,” he said, just realizing he hadn’t noticed it earlier. “I see you have a new trinket in its place.”

  “It’s a gift from Maven. It’s the Mystic Star and it matches my birthmark.” A pleased grin brightened her face, making him smile as well. “She gave it to me because I finally learned to fully control my magic. But I wouldn’t have done that without you.” Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

  “My Deveney, my sweet, sweet Deveney,” he whispered in between a barrage of tender kisses to her forehead, nose and lips. “I thought I’d lost you.”

  “Tor, it’ll take more than a crazy snake to separate me from you.” She uncurled from his arms and sensually slid down his body until she captured his cock between her thighs. “I’ve missed you, Tor. My chakra desperately needs reviving. Are you going to talk all night or are you going to fuck me?”