Shimmer (Summer's Harem Book 1)

by Maggie Alabaster

  I glanced back toward Fletcher, who walked near the back of the group, silent and looking troubled. Everything I had seen and done in the last few days was strange. This must feel like a bad dream to him. The sooner we got him back to the human realm, the better.

  The idea made my heart hurt, but it was his home and if he chose to stay there, that would be his decision. Deep down, I hope he'd come back with us, assuming we made it back. I wouldn't pressure him though. In spite of him talking about being intimate again, it wasn't that simple. Nothing was anymore.

  "Hmmm, interesting." Ash's words drew my attention back to him.

  "What is?" I asked. "Please don't tell me it's leading back into the vault?" I highly doubted there would be anything left of it anyway. If there was, it would be buried under the rubble.

  "No," he replied. "It's tugging me southward."

  I frowned. "South and west would take us around the mountains. There's nothing on the other side."

  "How can there be nothing?" Fletcher asked, speaking for the first time in a long while.

  "There's only ocean," Huon said. "Gods, I hope we're not supposed to go under the water."

  I grimaced. "I doubt any of us are good enough swimmers."

  "Are mermaids real?" Fletcher asked.

  I stared at him. I was trying to think how to respond, when Khat laughed.

  "Are you talking about seafae?"

  "I… maybe." Fletcher replied.

  "There's no such thing," Khat told him.

  "Oh," Fletcher's face fell.

  "How would that help anyway?" Saff asked.

  "I don't know," Fletcher admitted. "If the key was in the sea on Earth, I mean in the human realm, maybe they could go in and get it."

  "A seafae, if there was such a thing, wouldn't last an hour in the water in the human realm," Khat said scathingly.

  "I guess so," Fletcher replied, his shoulders slumped.

  "Is there a taint there too?" Saff asked, his head cocked to the side.

  "Humans throw all their rubbish in the ocean," Khat said "it's their favourite way of getting rid of things."

  Fletcher's eyes jerked up. "We're working on fixing it."

  Khat sniffed. "So are we going to stand here and speculate, or are we going to keep walking?"

  "This could take days," I said. "Unless we fly." I eyed Khat unapologetically. If he was going to blame Fletcher for his whole species' shortcomings, then he deserved a bit of discomfort.

  "You could just keep walking," I told the mimicat. "I mean, we're only trying to reach the human realm."

  He swished his tail and spoke in my voice, but with a mocking tone. "We're only trying to get to the human realm." He hissed and reverted to his own voice. "You know what's at stake, fae."

  I met his gaze, unwavering. "Flying it is then," I said. "Maybe you can shrink down a bit. I'm sure one of us has a pocket to spare."

  He shot me a look of pure venom, then nodded toward Ash. "I'll travel with him. I know he won't eat me."

  Ash arched an eyebrow, but said nothing.

  "I bite," Khat reminded him. He scrunched up his face and shrank down small enough to fit in the palm of Ash's hand. "I'll ride on your shoulder." His voice was slightly higher now, in keeping with his size.

  I bit back a laugh.

  Ash scooped up the tiny mimicat and placed him on his own shoulder.

  "Don't go digging your claws in," Saff said easily.

  "I make no promises," Khat squeaked.

  I stepped over to Fletcher. "Do you want to fly with me?"

  He smiled faintly. "I'd love to. I don't bite." He cast a sidelong look at Khat.

  "That's a shame," Saff said. He spread his wings and rolled his shoulders.

  I shook my head at him and wrapped my arms around Fletcher. Before I could uncurl my wings, Huon cleared his throat.

  "What about Tavar?"

  The troll watched us, looking unimpressed.

  "Can you carry her?" I asked Huon.

  Both looked horrified.

  "I'll go with him." Tavar pointed toward Saff, who looked surprised, but nodded.

  "Fine with me." He curled an arm around her and pulled her close, her bared breasts to his chest. His eyes widened. "I have a spare shirt if you'd like? It might be cold up higher."

  "I'm sure I'll be fine." If Tavar was bothered by his discomfort, she showed no sign.

  "Um, all right." He spread his wings and followed Ash, who had leapt skyward.

  "Hold on tight," I said to Fletcher.

  "I know you won't drop me," he said, smiling. He leaned in to kiss my mouth, then braced himself.

  "Mmmhmmm," I replied. "I'll try not to."

  Before he could respond, I had us climbing into the sky and over the treetops. From up here, the extent of the taint was more obvious and shocking. It stretched almost as far as I could see. The horizon showed a healthier shade of green, but below us was an endless canopy of brown.

  "That doesn't look good," Fletcher said.

  "No. it doesn't." I hovered over the scar in the base of the mountain and peered into the hole I had made. Most of it looked to have collapsed back in on itself.

  He looked down in the same direction. "Remind me not to upset you."

  I laughed softly, little more than a rumble in my chest. "I'm sure there's nothing you could do which would make me do that to you." Although, only a few shorts days ago, I might have done the same to Huon and Saff. I had all but forgotten to be mad at them by now though. We had bigger problems to worry about.

  "We should follow the others."

  This would take a while. We had to cross the mountain, which meant flying higher, in thinner air. If Fletcher got too heavy, I could shrink him down and put him in my pocket, so at least I wouldn't tire too much from his weight.

  "Summer, are the fae the only things which fly in the fae realm?"

  "Why do you ask?"

  "Because we seem to have company."

  I turned just as a huge, winged form shot up from the trees and soared toward us. It screeched, an ear piecing sound which made me wince as it went right through me. I shook my head to clear it just as the bird lunged.

  "Shit." I managed to duck fast enough to avoid having my head pecked off by the enormous beak.

  "What the hell is that?" Fletcher asked.

  I made a mental note to tell him about all the hells fae believed in, and said, "It's a roc. Nasty creatures. Very aggressive and territorial, but they stick to their own area. We must have flown over its nest."

  "That must have a bloody big nest," he said.

  I snorted, but didn't respond. He certainly wasn't wrong.

  I looked around frantically, both for the other fae and for—

  "Look out!" I swerved as the roc's mate came screaming out of the trees. It missed us by a feather. The wind from its passing sent my hair flying in every direction. I shook my head to get it out of my eyes.

  "Can you blow them up?" Fletcher called out frantically.

  "They're only protecting their babies." I just needed to get us out of here, and quickly. I didn't want to deprive innocent birds of their parents, even if they were huge.

  "Summer!" Huon waved at me from twenty metres away. One of the rocs spotted him and veered away from me to go after the fae king.

  "Huon!"

  Without thinking, I shrunk Fletcher so fast he almost slipped out of my grasp. He scrabbled to hang on to my shirt and I grabbed onto him with one hand.

  "Warn a guy next time," he said.

  "Sorry. Um." I didn't have time to do anything else, so I shoved him down the front of my top.

  His hands scrabbled before he grabbed onto the inside of my shirt. "There are worse places to be." He looked up at me and smiled, in spite of wide, scared eyes.

  "Yeah, yeah, just hold on. Ow, not there."

  "Oops, sorry. Wow, your nipple looks huge from here." He sounded awed.

  "It's an illusion. Now be quiet and let me concentrate." I held him in place wit
h one hand while I wove back and forth, trying to stay ahead of the roc. Judging by the plain brown plumage, this was Mama Roc. Daddy Roc had a streak of green down his side and on his head. Right now that streak was headed for Huon.

  Huon tucked back his wings and dropped so suddenly I thought he was injured. Then I saw him skim the canopy.

  The male roc screeched in annoyance and soared over the top of him.

  I sent a blast of magic in the direction of the roc, close enough to scare but not hit him. He squawked and broke off the pursuit.

  In the meantime, Mama Roc had zeroed in on me. She let out a furious screech so loud it tore through me and knocked me sideways.

  I windmilled my spare arm and beat my wings in a desperate attempt to stay in the air.

  Fletcher squeaked in fright and disappeared inside my shirt.

  Lucky him, I wished I could hide too.

  Instead I twisted in mid-air and sent a warning shot of magic toward the giant bird.

  "I don't want your babies, all right?" I shouted. "If you kill us, they might die too."

  The roc apparently didn't speak fae. She wheeled around and came back at me, but this time she had her mate with her.

  "Shit."

  "What?" Fletcher's face reappeared.

  "Um, nothing," I lied. "Just hang on."

  "Summer!" I saw Huon waving at me.

  "Are you crazy?"

  He must be, the rocs banked and went after him again. He dropped hard and disappeared amongst the trees.

  The female roc screamed in frustration. The distraction gave me the time to follow Huon's example.

  I wrinkled my nose and hovered amongst the rotted leaves in the canopy.

  22

  "I think they're gone."

  I hadn't seen Huon coming until he spoke. I jumped and twisted in mid-air to face him.

  "Did you drop Fletcher?" He looked toward the ground, a worried expression on his face.

  "I'm right here." Fletcher popped up between my cleavage.

  "Oh, there you are." Huon chuckled. "Aren't you lucky?"

  "As amusing as this is," I waved my hand toward the nearest treetop. "Have you seen this?"

  Huon's face became more serious. "I had noticed, yes."

  "Noticed what?" Fletcher asked.

  Neither of us answered him.

  "We should catch up to the others." I rose just enough to peek over the canopy. All I saw was empty sky. "Unless they're smart enough to lie in wait, then we should be clear."

  I glanced down toward Fletcher. "It might be better if you stay that size, just in case." It was certainly easier to fly without his weight added to my own.

  "Fine by me," he agreed. "As long as you hold on tight."

  I nodded and curled my hand around him more firmly. "Let me know if I squeeze too hard."

  "Yes, that could get messy." Huon's wings flitted lazily behind him as he mimed his face being squashed, eyeballs popping out of his head.

  "Thanks buddy," Fletcher said dryly.

  "You're welcome." Huon grinned. "Come on then, we're getting left behind."

  Cautiously, we popped up out of the tress and headed in the direction we'd last seen Ash.

  As it happened, he and Saff had seen the rocs and stopped to wait for the rest of us. Tavar looked unimpressed, seated on a thick branch fifty or so metres above the ground. Khat must have curled up in Ash's pocket, or he would have been complaining.

  "The key is tugging harder," Ash said as he resumed his place in the lead. "I think we're close."

  "Is it possible the key is really here?" I had to speak loudly to be heard over the rush of the wind.

  "At this stage, I think anything is possible," Ash called back.

  "I guess so," I said under my breath. I wouldn't be surprised by anything I saw from this point on.

  A glimmer of light caught my eye up ahead and a vast expanse of bluey-green. The tang of salty air made my nostrils flare to suck in more. Anything to alleviate the smell of dying foliage.

  "The beach is up ahead," Ash called out.

  "Thank the gods!" Saff replied. He looked strained from carrying Tavar, who looked as stiff as a board.

  "Where? I love the beach." Fletcher thrust his head up higher and strained to see.

  I laughed softly. "You'll see it soon enough, we're about to land." I turned to catch Huon's eye and he nodded. His face was red and he looked ready to burst. Containing himself had never been his strength.

  Ash landed on a long, narrow expanse of beach near the base of the mountains. The rest of us followed suit, arrayed around him as if we'd silently agreed to protect the key-holder.

  I hastily crouched to let Fletcher climb down and enlarged him to the same size as the rest of us. I straightened as Huon stalked toward Tavar who had barely stepped away from Saff.

  "Why didn't you tell us?" Huon demanded.

  I expected her to be confused, but she averted her eyes.

  Saff, on the other hand, looked perplexed. "Tell you what?"

  "Why don't you explain it?" Huon suggested, hands on his hips, eyes flashing with anger I had rarely seen on him. In other circumstances, it would have been as hot as all the hells.

  Tavar shrugged. "We were trying to find a solution ourselves," she said softly. "We didn't think we needed the fae to intervene."

  "Would someone please explain what the fuck you're talking about," Saff demanded.

  "The trees," I said, drawing all eyes toward me. "They've been dying for a long time. Maybe since we lost lesser magic. It's not a new thing." I fixed my eyes on Tavar's. "Is it?"

  "No," she replied shortly. "It's not."

  "And the trolls, in their wisdom decided the fae didn't need to know," Huon raged. "All the times that's been wasted—"

  Tavar rounded on him. "Not wasted. We wouldn't have found the first key had we not spoken to the elders and learned all the lore surrounding lesser magic. We don't have books and libraries like the fae do. Our knowledge is all here." She tapped the side of her head.

  "Legends, stories, knowledge, it's all passed down from one generation to the next, but we had to listen to it and decipher it as best we could."

  "Maybe with our help—"

  She interrupted Huon again. "The elders would not have spoken to you. If not for Korta agreeing to listen to you, the fae would not be involved."

  "Korta said we did this," I reminded her. "She blamed us for the taint."

  "If the fae hadn't cast out the trullen—"

  Now it was my turn to interrupt. "Really? You're going on something which happened a thousand years ago? This is here and now."

  Tavar sucked in a breath, then nodded. "The elders remind us of the past. I believe it is time to let it be left in the past. However, it is part of our lore and we will not stop speaking of it, while trolls remain."

  "That might not be much longer if we don't find these keys," Huon muttered.

  She turned toward him slowly "Agreed. I don't think there is anything we could have gained by going to the fae sooner. Would you have listened?" She raised her chin and stared Huon down.

  "I…" He looked toward the ocean. The sun brought out the colour in his eyes and highlighted his long lashes. "I suppose we wouldn't, but if there's anything else you're keeping from us…"

  "I must say the same to you," she replied. "I have told you all I know."

  Huon nodded. "Us too." He glanced at me. I looked at Ash.

  Ash nodded. "We've shared everything we're aware of. We have nothing to gain from doing otherwise."

  "I don't see any way to get back," Fletcher's voice broke through our tense conversation. He looked stricken.

  "You were hoping for a door?" Saff asked, teasing gently.

  "A door, a window… hell I'd settle for a cave full of those screaming spider-thingys." Fletcher kicked at the sand.

  Saff stepped over to put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, we'll help you get back home. All right? Huon, Summer and Ash will work something out."

  "
No pressure," I muttered. When Fletcher looked at me, I quickly added, "Of course we will. Ash, what is the key telling you?"

  "Please say it's not guiding us until the water," Huon said.

  Ash shook his head slowly. "No, it's not." He frowned. "I'm not sure what it's saying. It's not pulling, nor pushing. It's just… pulsing."

  "What, like a heartbeat?" I asked.

  "In a manner of speaking," he agreed.

  "That's not unnerving at all," Saff said sarcastically. "It's not alive somehow?"

  "Magic is a living thing," I reminded him. "Like plants and flowers are."

  "None of those have heartbeats," Saff pointed out.

  "Not that you can hear," I said.

  The smile he gave me made my heart skip. I could easily fall for him as much as I could fall for any of these amazing men. The strangest thing about it was that nothing about this felt strange at all. I cared about them and they all seemed to care about me. Apart from friendly jibes at each other, they all got along. That might be the most miraculous part of all.

  "We should split up and look around," Huon said decisively. "Maybe we will find a cave, or a door, or something."

  "Maybe it's a magic portal like last time?" Saff suggested.

  "The veil between worlds is a physical doorway," Ash reasoned. "Albeit a magical one. Not one accessed via the mind. In theory, anyone could pass through it. There's no reason to think this is any different."

  "Except the veil is closed, as far as anyone truly knows." I looked to Tavar, who nodded.

  "All the lore is vague on this matter," she replied. "Only that the key would lead the way. The assumption it leads to the human realm is only based on the knowledge of the key having been taken there and left."

  "So it might have pulled us here to find a locked door," I said slowly. I wanted her to deny my assumption, but she nodded.

  "It is possible."

  "All right, I guess we do what Huon said and split up."

  Fletcher hadn't moved far from me but he now stepped closer. "I'm with you."

  "Me too." Saff moved to my side.

  "I guess I'm with Ash," Huon said, unperturbed. "We'll go south. You head north."

  "Me too." Khat stuck his head up out of Ash's pocket. He leapt out and promptly grew back to what I thought of as his regular size.