by Tia Didmon
She pulled down the black mask that had a skull printed on the front. “That was fun. If there were anymore twists and turns, I’d be a pretzel.”
Jordane pointed at the huge cavern. “This is the start of the crypt. It goes in for miles. There are several smaller caverns attached to the main hub. They break off in multiple directions.”
Kiki surveyed the large cave. “This place is massive. How come no one knows about it?”
“The caverns were created by the first warriors and expanded by each generation. There’s only one way to access them and a human could never remember the route.”
Kiki took out her scanner. “GPS, scanner, phone, nothing electronic works here. I didn’t expect reception but my instruments should still record data.”
“The crystals will not allow any mechanical devices to work. No human has stepped foot in these caverns,” Jordane said.
She glared at him. “I’m human.”
“You are far more than human.”
“I’m still human,” she snapped.
Jordane grinned. “I am thankful for your human heritage. It is the miracle that brought you to me but if you were only human, you would not be here. You would not carry a crystal on that prehistoric gun of yours.”
Kiki took out her DK10. “This weapon is state-of-the art.”
He huffed. “It is a toddler’s toy.”
Her teeth snapped together. She had a quick remark, judging how she looked around the cavern. He assumed she didn’t want to anger him while she couldn’t find her way out. Her eyes turned to slits. “Prove it.”
His heart skipped. It had been hundreds of years since someone had challenged him. It took all his years of training not to let his enthusiasm show. “Come with me mi amor.”
Kiki stiffened. “I don’t want to know what that means but why are you speaking Italian if you grew up in... Canada?”
“I spent over a thousand years in Italy. That was where the ruling royals lived. It was our duty to protect them... until the cotillion.”
“I’m sorry the demons blamed you.”
“Pride blinded me from the truth. I failed them. It won’t happen again.”
Kiki stopped, touching his arm. “You aren’t to blame, Jordane.”
Her compassion was a gift. One she’d never admit to. He wasn’t sure if it was her touch or his excitement of being home but the cavern began to glow. The soft green and blue ambient light lit the end of the large cavern. A welcoming.
Kiki stared at the pulsing combo of green and blue. “What is that?”
“The crystals. They recognize us and wish to welcome us.”
“It’s like the Aurora Borealis. It’s beautiful but they don’t know me.”
He took her hand. “They do. Come, let’s see if any of the crystals are missing.”
They approached the area with long granite beds adorned with crystals of blue, green and black. Jordane knelt, touching the rocks. “None are missing.”
“What does that mean?”
“I won’t know until tomorrow when we have a closer look at your crystal. We should wait for a bit. You have been awake for almost twenty hours. You need rest.”
“But you don’t,” Kiki snapped.
“I am a living being. I require food, water and rest. Being a warrior does not mean you neglect your body’s need for such things.”
Kiki looked down. “Sorry. That was bitchy.”
“I thought we agreed you would not reference yourself so?”
She winked. “Technically, I didn’t call myself a bitch but I never agreed to your terms. You spoke, and I ignored you.”
Jordane laughed. The forgotten merriment raced through his body like lightning. So rare. Such a gift. “Why do I feel there will be many instances where you use your selective hearing against me?”
Kiki’s eyes lit up. “Selective hearing? I like that. I will definitely select what I do and don’t listen to where you’re concerned.”
Jordane took her hand and pulled her after him. Her hand was small compared to his yet it fit him perfectly. “I know you will make the coming eons interesting.”
“Ha! Coming eons my ass. Keep talking like that and I will train just so I can kick your ass.”
Jordane smiled. “It’s good to have goals. Even if they are unattainable.”
“Just wait. You’ll regret that,” Kiki muttered.
He led her to a room filled with plastic totes. He opened the first one and pulled out camping equipment.
She took the lid off another. “Sleeping bags grow in caves?”
“No. We are warriors not animals. While our ancestors slept on furs, we use down sleeping bags and other modern equipment. I have a stove for cooking and canned foods we can eat since I didn’t stop to hunt for fresh...”
Kiki held up a hand. “Stop right there. I love meat, but I have no desire to meet the donor. Unless it comes on a bun, I don’t want any part of it.”
He laughed. “We will have canned stew.”
She pulled blankets and other provisions from the tote before realizing Jordane had set up one large bed. “I hope that is for you.”
Jordane looked down. “It is for us. Why?”
She dropped a pillow on the floor. “I said I would help you find out about the crystals. I didn’t say I would sleep with you.”
Jordane matched her stance. His warrior chafed at her defiance. His animal rose in anticipation. “I will not touch you... inappropriately. It’s cold and will get colder. I wish only to warm you.”
Her face hardened. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before.”
Jordane’s eyes flickered. “Where have you heard that before?”
Kiki turned away. She would not answer that question and Jordane knew it. She glanced back at the exit.
Jordane followed her gaze. “Kiki?”
“What?”
“I want you to relax. You will remain clothed. I simply wish to keep you warm when you sleep. Your human body is more susceptible to the cold. I apologize for not considering the temperature difference. A warrior’s core adjusts to his surroundings. We have no need for heaters. I will be more conscious of your human differences in the future.”
Kiki’s eyes narrowed at the sincerity in his voice. She hated the cold. It was the reason she chose L.A. but she was sure she’d never shivered or given any outward sign of her discomfort. “How did you know I was cold?”
“I can... see your body temperature. Since we stopped running your outer extremities have cooled.”
“Neat trick. How do you do it?”
“It is not a trick. It is one of the boons of merging with a crystal,” he said.
She had let Jordane lead her into an unforgivable situation, allowed herself to be vulnerable. She’d made a promise to never let that happen... again. He had her breaking all the rules. Her rules.
Jordane held out his hand. “If you do not wish to sleep let’s see if the crystal inside your weapon wishes to stay with you.”
Kiki took his hand. “How?”
He pulled her to his side. “I will show you.” He led her through another cavern into a smaller room with a stone pedestal and a simple clay bowl. He touched the rim of the bowl like it was an old friend. His smile lit his eyes.
She cleared her throat. “You seem attached to that old bowl. Is it an heirloom?”
Jordane picked up the bowl, turning it in his hands. “Only a warrior touches the merging bowl. While simple it represents eons of power and respect. I have not held it for a very long time.”
“Why?”
“I had no reason to. There hasn’t been an emerging warrior for over a thousand years.”
She tramped down the excitement and fear. While she prided herself on keeping her life structured, her world had taken many unexpected turns in the last few weeks. How could she plan for this? For Jordane. He was like a tornado that kept coming, refusing to alter its path. “I’m not a warrior. Will it disappoint you when the crystal doesn’t stay with me?�
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Jordane replaced the bowl on the pedestal. “No, it brought you to me. For that I will be eternally thankful.”
Kiki took her weapon from its holster. “Will I lose my weapon?”
“In its current form, yes.”
She passed him the DK10, trying not to regret the loss of power and safety the weapon had represented for her. Did he understand how hard it was for her to trust him with something as important as her weapon? It was her safety net. The one thing she could rely on.
Jordane held the gun in both hands. Heat emanated from his hands as it focused inward. The loud crack echoed in the cavern as molten lava seeped from the gun. “The color is unusual.”
“Is that what liquid crystal looks like?”
Jordane placed his hand under the seeping metal. “It is a compound unlike any other and does not exist on your periodic table. It’s organic and metallic. You must feel it to understand.”
“I’m thinking that will burn my fingers off.”
Jordane handed her back the weapon as the liquid in his hand solidified. “Perhaps. We will see.” He placed the crystal in the bowl.
Kiki stared at the amber colored crystal. It glowed with an internal light source that shouldn’t exist. She barely contained her excitement. “I have never seen anything like that.”
He ran his hand over the crystal. The brightness increased as if it were communicating with the large warrior. “I do not recognize this crystal.”
She looked at him. “How is that possible?”
“This crystal has not resided in the warrior’s crypt since I became the leader.”
“Where is it from?”
Jordane touched the crystal. “There was a demon king who killed all of his warriors. It was before our princes were born.”
“What happened to them? Why would the king kill his own?” she asked, still captivated by the pulsating rock.
“The king was too powerful; the warriors could not defeat him when he began to slaughter his own. I thought these crystals, destroyed.”
Kiki looked at the glowing rock. “I have one of those warrior’s crystals?”
He nodded. “As does every member of your team.”
“How many did he kill? How many crystals were there?”
“Fifty warriors. Fifty lost crystals.”
She backed away from the glowing pedestal. “The PIA is aiming to have a death squad in all PIA headquarters. Do you think they have all the missing crystals?”
“The warriors made a stand together to oppose the king. They believed it was the only way to defeat him. They fought together and died together. If the PIA found one crystal, they likely have them all.”
Kiki didn’t fear death but her fellow agents were another matter. “What does that mean?”
“Your PIA sees the crystals as a simple energy source. When they realize the magnitude of the crystals power, all will be in danger.”
She swallowed hard. “Shit.”
Jordane held the bowl out to her. “Hold your hand over the bowl but do not touch it.”
Kiki felt the warmth emanating from the crystal. She heard a soft hum. It sounded like words spoken underwater. The low echoing sound mesmerized her as she extended her hand. The crystal flared, liquefying in the bowl before tentacles of fire reached up, wrapping around her wrist.
She braced for the pain, relaxing when she felt only warmth and acceptance. While she could feel the power of the crystal enter through her pores and race through her bloodstream, she didn’t feel alarmed. Even the soft glow from her skin brought a sense of peace. Like she had found a piece of her soul. She sighed as the euphoric feeling passed and the light from the bowl diminished. She took an extended breath feeling the difference in her body. “I feel different. Sensitive. Whole.”
Jordane placed the empty bowl on the pedestal. “The crystal will show you your true purpose. Your one chance at happiness. Fulfillment. This will happen only once. You must fulfill your destiny.”
Kiki touched her temple as images flashed through her mind. Many were strange, foreign. But all ended on a single theme. “It’s... I”
Jordane took her hand. “The merging is a... unique sensation. Your soul has merged with that of the crystal. You are forever connected. To its power. To me.”
She saw the green glow behind his eyes. She felt his excitement. “You’re happy...”
He smiled. “Yes. Will you tell me what you saw?”
She stepped up to him, touching his chest. “I saw you.”
“I am the warrior’s leader, it is understandable that the crystal would show you...”
Kiki reached up and pulled him to her. She kissed him, feeling the tingle of excitement when he growled into her mouth.
He pulled back. “We should not do this while you are under the influence of the crystal. My emotions have resurfaced, and I am connected to you because of your emergence. I will not be as gentle as I should be.”
She watched him struggle. Felt it. He wanted her but he would hold himself back because of some outdated sense of duty. “I’m not a virgin.”
Jordane stiffened. “That’s not the point. We...”
“I don’t break.” She kissed him again, barely able to think through the sensations coursing through her body. While she’d had sex. She had never felt desire. Need. This was an inescapable lust that set her blood on fire. A hunger that couldn’t be ignored.
Jordane broke their kiss. “We should stop.”
She felt his need like it was her own. His reluctance an aphrodisiac. “I saw you.”
“I know. As your leader I...”
She tried to focus on the images racing in her mind. The visions of death. Destruction. Perseverance. Life. She tried to focus. To slow the visions in her head. “I saw you standing over your mother’s body, crying as you held Tovan in your arms. She wasn’t in animal form.”
His eyes flashed with pain. “A Were shifts back to their human form after their death. I have never felt that kind of remorse. It caused me to lose my emotions earlier than most. I was not the parent Tovan deserved.”
Kiki touched his chest. “You’re wrong.”
“You don’t know...”
“That you sang to him as a baby. Or you starved when there wasn’t enough food so that he wouldn’t. That you were willing to die to protect him when the pack said he wasn’t worthy of being a warrior.”
Jordane sucked in a breath. “Your communion with your crystal is more detailed than I thought possible.”
“There’s more.”
“You are still receiving images?”
“Yes. It’s weird. It’s almost like the... crystal can communicate with the others.”
Jordane grabbed her face, searching her eyes. “You hold the first crystal. The first warrior soul.”
Kiki stiffened. “Is that bad?”
He looked at her in a wonder. “It is... a miracle. Like finding a rare treasure you thought lost forever.”
She ran her fingers over his wrist. “Does that make me your boss?”
Jordane laughed. It echoed in the room startling them both. “Trust you to use this information to your advantage.”
She frowned. “I would never use something I learned against you.”
Jordane tipped up her head. “I know that. So, does the crystal or it wouldn’t have showed you. Chosen you. It knows you in ways you can’t imagine.”
“You can’t see me though... right?”
He squinted. “No. I was given my destiny when I merged with my crystal. It’s up to me to seize it.”
“Okay.”
“What don’t you want me to see, Kiki?”
She looked at him with regret. Seeing him as he was. A man too good for this world. Too good for her. She couldn’t bring herself to answer his question. She could give him this one night. One moment, letting him know that if things were different. If she was a different person, that she would choose him. She kissed him with everything she had. Fire. Passion. Love. This one
night he would have them all. Her hand caressed his arm.
His growl rumbled against her lips, causing a rush of liquid between her legs. Her body had never felt so hot. Aroused. Electrified. She pulled his shirt from his jeans, feeling his indecision. “Don’t say no. If you do, there’s no second chance.”
He grabbed her, pinning her against the wall. She felt the cold stone for a moment before her body heated to account for the chilled cavern. She moaned at the urgency in his touch.
Everything about Jordane screamed discipline. Reserve. Quiet reflection. There was nothing like that now. His desperation as he peeled her clothes from her body caused a rush of damp heat to pool between her legs.
He threw her jacket on the floor before undoing her black khakis. She felt the rough texture of the rock scrape her back. She’d only had sex in a four-poster bed with black velvet coverings and she’d hated it. This raw desire, torn from her soul, was a gift. A miracle she would never regret. Never forget. She would hold this memory with her until she took her last breath and pray Jordane forgave her for what would happen.
He kissed her breathless. She hadn’t noticed him take off his clothes but he stood naked before her. Hard. Ready. “I have waited countless centuries for you. Trapped in an emotionless void, daring to hope you existed. There will never be another for me.”
Kiki touched his face. “I’ve never wanted anyone. I chose this moment for you. Promise me you’ll remember that.”
Jordane pulled her against his taut body. “You speak as though you will die. You are stronger now than any of your PIA brethren.”
“They can kill everything. Even demons.”
“Yes, but you seemed convinced that you...”
She kissed him, not wanting to focus on a future that didn’t exist. She wanted this moment for him. Her. Them. Laura had told her that some creatures could love an entire lifetime in a few seconds. She wanted that to be true. She needed it. Prayed for it.
Her hands caressed his abdomen, feeling the muscles beneath tighten at her touch. She wanted to explore every inch of him. As she watched his gaze roam her body, she was sure he felt the same. “Forget about the past... the future, I want this. I want you.”
