by Jo Penn
He wasn’t a mad-warrior type nor a take-charge type, but he could handle himself. Apparently not with Professor Rico Arkman Tarok.
Flinging open the front door, Rico moved fast, and before Freddie had any time to build up to the next fight, he was shuffled into the back of his own Kombi and the door shut in his face.
Chapter Three
Disorientated, taking a moment to figure out and understand this, Freddie frowned a little at noticing some changes.
The Kombi was a hand-me-down from another sprite who’d used it to travel Europe, so it was equipped with a little bench, sink, and storage compartments down one side and a bed, which Freddie had taken out. Now there was one of his duffel bags, blankets, two boxes of food, the Kombi’s old camping stove, and a thick mattress beneath him with pillows. Rico climbed in the front of the Kombi, and Freddie immediately lurched at the man.
“Whoa there!”
Very easily Rico caught him, and Freddie ended up on his back on the mattress. He struggled, trying to get the man off him.
Even with his training in how to dislodge someone when caught in this position, Rico was far too big and strong, easily capturing Freddie’s wrists and placing them above his head. Holding them together with one hand, Rico trapped Freddie’s legs with a long muscular one and pinned him with his body.
Freddie lay beneath Rico, puffing from the exertion and marveling at how powerful this man was.
Also really annoyed that all his training and experience meant squat against a crazy man! Oooh, how he’d love to tranq Rico now.
Their current position produced an entirely different reaction in Rico. Freddie felt every hard contour of the man’s body. He felt the bulge pressed against his lower stomach and was startled first by Rico purring over him, their faces pressed close together, then how that purr vibrated through his own body and caused an instant hard-on.
The need to struggle evaporated. Now he pulled Rico close instead of pushing away. He looped an arm around the man’s neck and tugged him down, their lips lightly brushing first then devouring. They kissed like lovers. Rico urged Freddie’s lips apart, his tongue delving in to taste and tease, Freddie groaning, wanting more. Rico’s hips pressed against his as a sure hand trailed up his right leg and slid beneath Freddie’s pajamas pants. Freddie lifted his leg and placed it across Rico’s ass as the man’s mouth demanded more, their bodies pressing and straining together.
Thoughts eluded Freddie, sensations taking over completely. He wanted more. He reached for the waistband of Rico’s pants as kisses were pressed along his cheek and jaw, teeth scraping his vulnerable throat and sending his insides quivering.
Reality slammed through the haze of passion. Teeth. Fangs!
“Don’t you dare bite me.” Freddie bucked, trying to dislodge Rico once again and truly miffed.
This passion was the most powerful he’d ever experienced, and it annoyed him to have it spoiled by a vampire wanting to get his feeding fix.
Then those fangs scraped across his throat once more, sending Freddie reeling with pleasure. Rico was breathing heavy as he released Freddie’s hands and knelt above him on all fours. Freddie now saw he was no vampire. Rico’s fangs were thick. Vampires’ fangs were longer and slender.
“Who are you?”
“Rico.” He lowered his head and sniffed Freddie’s chest, the action very predatory and creature like.
Freddie went limp. “I mean, what type of supernatural?”
Green eyes fixed on him steadily. “Pouvoir.”
Holy Creator! Rico was no vampire, nor immortal like Freddie had first assumed, but was actually one the most powerful of supernatural kind, the pouvoir.
This could not be happening, Freddie tried to grapple with this new information. It didn’t seem possible. It couldn’t be real. Pouvoirs did not turn up in the middle of the forest in need of rescuing. They were said to be the most powerful. They were elusive, living in homes, in villages and cities behind magical shields that stopped the rest of the world from seeing them.
The pouvoir were mostly myths and legends. Not a single sprite could say they’d seen one in over eight hundred years. When he was young and learning about all the different types of supernaturals, he learned about different scents, characteristics such as strength, agility, and food source, and he studied the drawings of each to memorize their appearance.
There was only one drawing of a pouvoir. Due to how old the hand drawing was, it was carefully preserved and when technology advanced and scanners became available, the picture was scanned and copies placed in books young sprites used for learning. That one picture showed a creature with very light-colored wings, a long tattoo on one side of his body and thick fangs.
Freddie shook his head, trying to focus and ended up sniffing Rico to learn a pouvoirs scent, but Rico just scented like a human.
“Oh Gods no. This doesn’t make sense. You were in the forest in need of rescuing. You cannot be a pouvoir…”
Rico bared those massive fangs. “Wasn’t in need of rescuing, but I’m glad you dropped from the tree, real glad.” He purred, lowering his head.
“You’re not going to bite me with those, are you?” Freddie’s eyes were fixed on the fangs, body quivering. They were huge and looked very sharp. And could probably drain him dry with a few sucks.
He’d fight. Freddie would fight if he needed to defend himself, but he was confused. And for some reason he didn’t think Rico would hurt him.
“Shh, mate, you’re safe.” Rico kissed Freddie’s cheek and changed from caged, fierce creature to calm and focused in a blink of an eye, sitting back on his haunches and checking the time on his old-fashioned wristwatch. “We need to get moving. It’s been seventeen hours since you drugged me, which, by the way, was good for me in the end. It stopped me wiring up and surging with the first sighting and has given me time to heal and catch up on some rest, but we need to get moving. The crāwan and my brethren are going to be searching and will find this place soon enough.”
“I…first sighting?” Freddie was more confused than ever.
How could Rico not be affected anymore? And to announce he was pouvoir then to act businesslike completely confused Freddie.
“When a pouvoir encounters their soul mate for the first time, our true depth of emotion clashes with our magic, causing our bodies to release a surge of magical power. We go to baser instincts. Mine. Take. Have. Mate. Basically, we wire up for a short amount of time and throw off a lot of energy and scents. Drugging me was a good way to keep me from surging and giving away our location to the crāwan and brethren. Now.” He sat Freddie up and handed him a little glass container. “We need to roll, Freddie. I did a test run, the Kombi actually turns on, so we’ll use it to get out of here. There’s food in the boxes and the thermos has coffee.” Dropping a quick kiss to his lips, Rico climbed back into the driver’s seat and twirled his hand. “By the way, I’ve erected a shield that’ll stop you going for my throat again. You won’t be able to leave the back of the van either.”
“You…I need to think.” He scowled.
All Freddie could think was, what was that kiss? Wow, it was nothing like anything he’d had before. The moment their bodies touched, their lips locked, his world was blown!
Was Rico telling the truth? Were they…mates?
“Take your time. Just drink that down.” He laid out a map across the steering wheel, no longer paying Freddie any attention.
Between the amazing chemistry they shared and being locked in the back of his own Kombi, Freddie was more than a bit confused and annoyed. Rico said he was a pouvoir, but how exactly did Freddie know that for certain? And Rico hadn’t explained why he had been chased by the crāwan nor why he didn’t want to contact his own kind for help. Exactly what was going on?
While he wanted to get out of the van and call someone to help him sort Rico out, another part of him wanted to take a little more time to understand what was happening, and why.
He sniffed the conte
nts of the little glass bottle. “What is this?”
“Umm? A potion that covers scents, power, and essence.” He sounded distracted, concentrating on the map.
A map? That was antiquated. Why not GPS? Or use his phone. Freddie couldn’t think of anyone who used paper maps these days. He frowned at the glass bottle. Was this why Rico’s scent smelt like human?
“Why should I drink?” he asked suspiciously. He wanted answers, and it was past time Rico started giving them to him. And he wanted his phone. But he guessed Rico wouldn’t just hand that over.
“Because, love, it’ll cover you from the crāwan who are after us. And my brethren.” He muttered the last.
“No way am I drinking this then. If your brethren, which I’m taking to mean your kind, can find us, then you’re no longer my problem.”
Rico glanced over the front seat to where Freddie was seated on the makeshift bed. His green eyes captured Freddie’s full attention, and when Rico spoke, his voice seeped deep inside.
“Fredrik, you want to drink the potion. You know how important it is that the crāwan do not find us. They want the globe. We cannot let them find us to reach their goal.”
Yes, he wanted to drink the potion to stop crāwans finding them. Freddie drank the entire contents, shivering a little as it flooded his system. He could even feel the strange magic beginning to work.
Then his head cleared, and he was stunned. “You used magic to make me drink.”
“Yeah, I did.” Rico folded the map, placed it on the passenger seat, and started the Kombi.
“You dick!” Freddie yelled. “That’s way out of line, man.”
Rico was totally unrepentant. Hissing at him, Freddie settled back on the soft mattress, placing the container in a spot where it would not be broken and tried to think of what he knew of pouvoirs.
Not a lot, really. They were said to be the most powerful of the supernaturals, but myth and hearsay were not facts. They had wings and other characteristics he wasn’t sure of, were said to be the world protectors and higher beings.
It would be good to know more to aid in his escape, and he would like his sword. Should he mention the brakes didn’t work well? No, that was giving Rico the advantage, and sprites were too smart to give anyone the advantage.
“If you’re pouvoir, why are you driving and not doing that appearing and reappearing thing?”
“Teleporting? Well, for one, crāwans have neat tricks they use to pick up on that sort of magic use, and though we’re covered in the potion, I can’t take the chance they’ll sense us. And two, I don’t want my kind tracking me.”
Okay, that made sense. Avoiding crāwans was always a good idea. Still, wanting to avoid his own kind led Freddie to believe Rico was on the run. A fugitive. A criminal. Freddie poured himself a coffee from the thermos and burned his tongue, cursing Rico for the injury. He settled back against the side of the Kombi with pillows for support while he drank.
So, Rico was on the run from crāwans and pouvoirs, he possibly was a pouvoir, and he was searching for a globe of some kind. Okay, before Freddie executed an escape plan, he needed to know more. So far Rico hadn’t made any attempt to harm him, though he was acting strangely and was definitely on the run. He’d kidnapped Freddie, but he’d done so because he believed the crāwan would follow him to Freddie’s home and harm him.
From what he was understanding, Rico may also believe that Freddie was his mate. There were myths and legends, old fables and tales about mates, just like there were about pouvoirs. Soul mates. That was a strange concept. Two people with souls that matched one another and were meant to be together.
He’d hang a bit longer. Not because he believed they were mates—that was a thing of fairy tales—and not because they had amazing chemistry—though that was hard to overlook. No, he would stay to find out what was true and what wasn’t. If the crāwans really were after a magical globe, then Freddie would help Rico keep it out of their hands. And if Rico was making up a lot of shit and doing something illegal, it wasn’t safe to leave him out here, so Freddie would report him.
For an hour they drove in silence, aside from Rico’s occasional muttering as he studied the map. Freddie pulled some clothes out of his duffel bag and changed in the back of the Kombi. He used the sink to wash his face and brush his teeth.
After a while he attempted to put his hand through to the front of the Kombi, testing the “shield” thing Rico had mentioned and came up against something invisible and solid. A magical barrier. That was different.
“Are all shields like this?”
“Nope. This one is designed to keep you in. Others can be to protect, hide, or are full of illusions, and some can send people away.”
“Oh. I need the bathroom. A proper one. Not a tree.”
“I do too. Should be a gas stop twenty minutes up the road.”
Freddie settled back in his spot. “Does this mean you intend to let me out of the car?”
“Love, I’m not trying to hurt you in any way. As I said, the crāwan will come looking for you, and the sprites who took out the crew who ambushed me. I’ve sent an e-mail to my kind who will warn your sprites.”
“How kind of you. And you did not actually say that. What do you intend to do?”
Rico was silent for a time, Freddie wondering if he was going to be ignored and not exactly sure what to think of that. Instead, he studied the Kombi for weak spots. After all, everyone was always saying the Kombi was falling apart. That should mean there was a place his foot could go through and he could crawl out.
“I couldn’t just leave you there, Freddie. The crāwans will keep hunting for me, and if they find out you’re my mate, they’ll hurt you to get what I’m searching for. I am sorry you’re caught up in this and we don’t have the opportunity to get to know each other in a better setting.”
“Mate. That’s hard to believe.” He crossed his arms and gave Rico a scowl, letting the professor know he wasn’t believing the story.
“Mate. Soul mate. One true love. Whatever you want to call it. I meant what I just said, Fredrik. I’m sorry you are caught up in this and would rather we had the chance to get to know one another in a better setting. Hell…” He sighed and tapped the steering wheel with long, strong fingers. “It’s been a long time since I’ve acted in pouvoir ways. Darkness was probably right. I’m out of touch with my kind, but the reality is, mate, I am pouvoir, and when my kind find our soul mate, we do not ever let go. Err, not that we hold our mate against their will. I’m just saying pouvoirs try to win their mate over.” Rico rubbed his chin, frowning. “Yeah, I understand this is difficult for you to take in, and we’ll talk more, but once I bite you and we exchange—”
“No fang action, bud.” Freddie was a little aroused by the thought and miffed by his reaction.
This was not the right time. But you couldn’t help who you were attracted to.
“Lots of fang action.” He smirked, glancing over in the rearview mirror. “I have to find the soul globe, Freddie. That’s why I’m taking this trip across country the long way. I have to stay low so no one can track me. If the crāwan get their filthy hands on the globe, the damage they can do is too much for the balance to withstand. Staying low and avoiding everyone is the best way to reach Oslo and the globe without detection. I will get you out of harm’s way, somewhere safe, before I continue on for the globe.”
Freddie leaned forward, understanding this at least. Crāwans and scales of balance.
“Scales? Do you mean the scales of balance?”
That was an old tale too, but one that nearly everyone believed. If the scales tipped one way or the other, it would cause an imbalance in the world. From his understanding, the scales must remain neutral, no side further in control than the other.
Not that he understood this entirely but got the gist. Scales tilting one way or the other too much, to give a smidge of control to either one, was bad.
“Okay, I can understand this is important, even if I’m n
o expert. Why are you searching for this globe alone when crāwan are chasing you?”
Rico seemed to think on this for a while and then shrugged. “This is my duty to perform.”
“So? Why alone?” Probably some macho, go-it-alone bullcrap.
“Fredrik—”
“Fred or Freddie. Pick.”
“Freddie. I am to search for the globe.”
Rico obviously felt very strongly about it, Freddie could see he was driven, determined, and downright stubborn! Why was finding the globe a one-person job? Did pouvoirs not work together? There was no ‘I’ in team.
“I’m not understanding that.”
For a few minutes nothing more was said, and he was unsettled, not sure how to take the silence, not understanding why finding the globe had to be done alone. It did not make sense to him.
He was a sprite, and sprites worked together, supported each other.
And he was cooling down about the abduction. Sure, Rico probably shouldn’t have done that, but Freddie did see his point. There was no way Freddie would have listened back at the cottage, not for a while, anyway. They’d been on the road forty-five minutes, and it was only now he was beginning to understand and see the urgency.
Rico ran a hand through his longish wavy brown hair, which drew Freddie’s attention straight to the big muscles in his arms, chest, and back and the way his hair curled just a touch at the ends. Freddie wanted to touch. Under the circumstances, that seemed wrong. Frowning, Rico tapped his fingers distractedly. Then he stopped and scowled as he began telling Freddie about a soul globe
“The soul globe is an instrument, a tool.” Rico began. “It was crafted millennia ago with the purpose to draw souls to it. Not to harm, that was not the intention of the creator.” Rico glanced in the rearview mirror, Freddie nodding that he understood this.
“So it was made by a pouvoir?”
“Yes, a pouvoir with the creative gift. The globe is a tool designed to aid another pouvoir, the Defender of Souls. There are times when people die and their soul does not pass to another realm as is supposed to happen. Sometimes magic has been used to steal the soul. Other times the person who has died left something undone and their soul drifts and wanders. Whatever the reason may be, it is the duty of the Defender of Souls to find lost souls and guide them to where they should be.
