by Gena D. Lutz
Ariel moved closer to the shelf and leaned her elbow on it. Her face shined with amusement and she grinned. “If she were a higher level witch, she would have felt me probing against her. But she isn’t. And as a result of her negligence, I now know where to find Tyson.”
That was incredible news. However, I had no idea why Ariel had decided to gift us with it.
“If you already know where he is why bother coming here to tell us? There is no way you need our help. He can’t defend himself against you.” I remarked.
Ariel chuckled, “No, he doesn’t stand a fair chance against me. I would have handled this already except for one thing. His attempts at making hybrid wolves have resulted in something horrendous. Instead of the species he intended on, he has created a new kind of vile creature instead. These engineered wolves have the capabilities to wipe out all supernatural and humankind both. No one is immune to this new super strain. If you are infected by one of them, you die.”
Ariel rubbed her hands over her face and sighed. It was the most human like gesture I had ever seen her make. She left the shelf and walked over to the both of us. We had somehow ended up halfway across the room from her.
“That goes for all nymphs as well,” she continued. “And that’s not even the worse part.” She huffed, “Tyson, with the help of his witch, has complete control over all twelve of them.”
“Ten.” The number slipped out from between my lips. I looked up into the face of a very confused and worried nymph. “We killed two of them over at the Adelphi compound.”
“Then it’s begun.” Ariel stated. “Tyson has already sent out his first attack. It will only get worse from here.”
“So what you’re saying is Tyson not only plans to try and free the Darkin when the porthole opens between our worlds. He is also planning on unleashing a deadly virus as well?” Nathan groaned.
He began to pace in front of me, worry lines forming between his brows. He was growing more and more agitated by the second and I didn’t blame him one bit.
Ariel walked back over to the bookcase, all but ignoring Nathan. It seemed as though the eggs themselves had beckoned her, drawing her attention to them every couple of minutes. Her body had been slightly shifting toward them the whole time she was speaking to us, not to mention the side glances she kept throwing in their direction.
Ariel nodded at Nathan before scooping up the blue egg. Carrying it, she sauntered over to the sofa and sat down; her body sank into the soft cushions.
“I simply must get myself one of these. The power surrounding this one in particular amuses me. Not to mention the pleasant melody it gives off. Can I have it?” She asked with a distant look at him.
Nathan’s gaze snapped to hers. He took a few steps, stopping in front of the lounging nymph. He held his hand out and shook his head.
“Hand it over,” He said, gesturing at the egg. “We need to figure out what to do about Tyson. I think that’s a little more important than that damn egg you seem to be so charmed by.”
Ariel jerked the egg back and pushed it up against her side. Her eyes swirled silver and she stared daggers at him. I felt a sense of urgency tugging at the back of my mind, a warning of sorts.
“Nathan, back up.” I warned my mate. Placing my hand around his forearm, I pulled him back next to me. “Something’s not right with her.”
One of Nathan’s dark brows lifted into an adorable arch while he gave me a puzzled look. “She is acting like that malformed elf in the Lord of the Rings. The one obsessed with a piece of jewelry,” he whispered.
I glanced back over at Ariel. She was stroking the crystal egg, holding it close to her chest. She did look enamored by the thing. I understood the comparison. I was just happy that she seemed to lose focus on us. I was sure that those silver swirly eyes meant trouble for whoever dare inflame them.
“Gollum is the name you’re looking for and he wasn’t an elf, he was a Stoor Hobbit corrupted by the ring,” I corrected him.
I took my LOTR facts pretty seriously. Nathan was in for a surprise in regard to that. I thought it was pretty sexy that he brought it up in the first place though, used incorrectly or not.
“I stand corrected,” he said, taking my geeky-ness in stride.
“It needs something.” Ariel said, abruptly standing up.
Nathan and I both took a few more steps back. I didn’t feel like I was in any danger, but retreat seemed like the proper thing to do when faced with someone acting certifiable.
Without looking up from the egg, Ariel began to sing.
The air swelled, pressing heavily against me. The thick scent of sulfur filled the room and beads of tiny light began to form around us. I reached out with my finger and tried to touch one of them, but the beads fizzled out before I could. A larger concentration of the odd bubbles of light hovered around Ariel and the egg, popping and reforming, trying hard to hold a substantial form. She began to sing louder, making the pressure in the room increase. Bending forward she placed the blue crystal egg on the floor before her. Her body began to sway and dance to the beat of her own sung melody as she circled around it. The beads of light grew larger, more corporeal, morphing into liquid and melding themselves together until they ultimately became one long stream of liquid. The torrent of water coursed into a circle, dancing with Ariel, weaving around her body like an elemental snake being charmed by its master. Nathan and I just stood there frozen. We watched on as she continued her dance. Within seconds, she had another stream of water twirling around her body, intertwining with the other one. She made a forward thrusting motion with both hands. Lights flashed like a mystical disco all around us with her forward thrust. The scent of water mixed with sulfur as the two streams slinked away from Ariel, moving forward to wrap around the egg instead. An unseen force lifted the blue sphere up until it was floating a few feet in the air. The egg began to spin in time with the nymph’s notes, as she picked up the beat, singing faster, and then it twirled even faster still.
I grabbed Nathan’s hand for comfort. I don’t think we could have moved even if we wanted to. The scene in front of us was too mesmerizing. The amount of power Ariel expelled frightened me, yet at the same time, I viewed it as a beautiful wonder.
Suddenly, a loud bang rocked the house, the quake shaking it all the way to its foundation. Everything that hung on the walls crashed to the ground. The TV tipped off its stand, falling on its side. I tried to keep my eyes on Ariel and the egg, but instead, found myself flat on the ground underneath Nathan’s massive body, for the second time in as many days.
“Ah shit!” I barely heard Nathan yell over all the glass shattering and objects slamming all around us.
He sat up against the far wall, lifting me onto his lap as an overhead light barely missed crashing on top of us. He had his arms wrapped over my head protecting me from all the flying debris. I pushed his arms down and out of the way so I could see what was happening. He grunted his disapproval but I shook my head at him. I was too intrigued by the light show in front of me to worry about anything else. It was hypnotizing.
Just when I thought my eardrums would burst from the intense pressure building up and pressing against them, a blinding light flashed before Ariel. She abruptly stopped dancing, and like a deflated balloon, her tired body slumped to the floor. As my eyes adjusted back to normal I noticed a human like outline, which was curled up into a ball where the sphere had been moments before. A head covered with long, wet hair slowly lifted. Broad shoulders uncurled and two large trembling hands pushed an enormous mass of flesh and limbs off the floor. As he rose, a large muscular chest was revealed. When my eyes traveled up further, the strange man glared at us with a hard angled face. A set of slashed lips trembled, opening as he growled four words.
“Where is my Moira?”
The man towered over us as he uncurled his massive body and stood to his full height. He had to be pushing seven feet tall easily. He made no sudden movements and neither did we. Nathan’s arm came around from behind
me. It crossed over my chest as he stood. The movement placed half of my body behind his. I slowly lifted myself up, staying where he had situated me. There was no need to rile his wolf’s protective instincts any further by putting myself intentionally into what him and his wolf would perceive as harm’s way. My own wolf hadn’t sent me any warnings or given the impression that I was in any kind of danger; she was just as curious as I was about the sudden arrival of this new guy. However, the scene itself sent a chill up my spine. I had never seen anything like the being standing before us. He was asking for Moira. I had no clue what or who a Moira was. The stranger’s eyes scanned the room. He looked right passed us like we weren’t even there. The color of his eyes was unnatural. They were a light green that faded away until they were almost a pale yellow. His hair was soaked by the water enchantment that brought him here, so I couldn’t tell its exact color. But it was of a light hue.
“Am I not speaking correctly in your native tongue? What have you done with my Moira… mo ghràdh?” He asked us, in an accented voice that was low and stern. It drifted throughout the room with an unknown power behind it.
I held up my hand to get his attention. When his head swung in my direction, and his determined gaze landed directly on me, I immediately regretted the gesture. It wasn’t that he was throwing me threatening looks or even acting in an aggressive manner. No, it wasn’t anything like that at all. He was still standing in the same spot, and he looked very frustrated. The sad, desperate look bothered me. He really wanted…no…more like needed to find his Moira. Intense and desperate longing reached out to me and all I could think about was helping him find whatever he was looking for.
“You know, that’s just like a man.” Ariel said lifting herself up off the floor. She walked past the gigantic, soaked to the bone, blond haired stranger without the least bit of concern or hesitation. Her feet sloshed through tiny puddles, which were spread out across the floor. She stopped, plucked the remaining crystal egg off the shelf, and turned to stand face to chest with the strange man.
“I bust my ass, using up most of my reserves to release you from your confinement, and how do you thank me? You immediately ask after another woman, that’s how. If it wasn’t expected I would be hurt…truly I would.”
Ariel grabbed his hand, and with little care, shoved the purple and black egg into it. “Here is your Moira. Now tell me, how the hell were you able to make me use my magic to free you from your prison?”
The man’s eyes jumped to the egg that Ariel had just pushed into his hands. The relief in his expression was instantaneous, shadowed only by lingering concerns for the well-being of his precious Moira. He let out a sigh, drawing the egg in and against his chest. He was gentle with it, like he would be if it was a delicate flower, scared to loosen even one of its petals from its stem. With a relieved breath, the man tucked the crystal egg away in a leather pouch that he wore draped over a tight fitting pair of dark grey slacks. The pants were made out of an odd material the likes I had never seen before. They molded perfectly around the shape of his legs and bottom. His upper torso was bare, revealing a toned chest and broad shoulders. He wore nothing on his feet.
Nathan must have had enough. Instead of just standing around and waiting for this new guy to say something he turned to me, lifted a slim brow, spun back around, and walked over to the mystery man.
“Now that you’ve found your egg, feel like explaining how and why you’re standing in the middle of my living room?” Nathan questioned.
The man tipped his head to Nathan. His lips curved into a smile as he said, “I beg your pardon, Lycan. But I had to make sure my Moira was safe before I did anything else. I was imprisoned in that egg for decades; sorry that my first thought wasn’t of introductions. I am Harek of the fire breathers. And this,” he said, patting the round bulge in his leather pouch, “is my female, Moira, of the shadow dwellers.”
Ariel snorted softly. “Hello Dragon. You still haven’t explained how you drained my powers. No supernatural being of this world has the strength for such a thing.”
Harek lifted a sable colored brow as he focused his attention on Ariel. “It wasn’t a hard task, Nymph. Your kind is prone to seduction. You can spin a song of need with your voice, which you heavily lace with carefully selected illusion, lust, and also, your own yearnings. I am Dragon. My song compels completely, no pretenses. I can slip into your power because it is akin to mine. The power I wield just happens to be stronger than yours. You manipulate your gifts. I am the gift.”
Harek explained this to her without smugness or any indignation. His tone was matter of fact, confident when he continued to explain his situation to us.
“The Dragon Ginnarr, also of the shadow dwellers, enslaved me and Moira. He was not very pleased with our rejection to his constant advancements. He wished for us to be his lovers. We had no interest in being as such with anyone else but each other. Because of this, we have been trapped inside these sightless diamond spheres for Ryōjin only knows how long.”
Harek’s face softened as he reached out to Ariel, picking up her cream colored hand and placing it into his darker, tan one. “You were the first Nymph to ever hold my prison within your hands. A power like yours was the only way I could free myself. I am sorry for having to take your magic so callously. I hope you can forgive me this slight against you, Princess.” His accented voice smoothed over her and he finished with a sincere note. “I thank you from the depths of the deepest sea for freeing me.”
Ariel beamed and then laughed. I mean a true blue, from her gut, laugh. I had only seen her chuckle before, at most. She always seemed to be so focused on her mission of helping Brady that I had never gotten the chance to see this side of her before. It wasn’t half bad. Maybe there was more to her than just being a snobbish and spoiled princess? But I wouldn’t hold my breath.
“Think nothing of it, Dragon. I am already feeling much better, no harm has befallen me.”
Ariel let her hand linger in his for a few more seconds before visibly shaking the look of desire and admiration from her face. “I could understand why someone would covet you so fiercely. You are truly a glorious man and beast.”
“Ah, my female is of the same opinion. I thank you sincerely for such high praise, the both of us do.” He said, making it very clear to whom he belonged.
It took me a little while, but I realized that I was still wedged securely behind Nathan’s back. I straightened my spine and walked around him into full view of everyone in the room.
“Hello Harek, I’m Roxanne.” I said, introducing myself.
The Dragon walked with leisure the several feet that spanned between us until he came to a stop in front of me. He held out his hand, and without hesitation, I slipped mine into it. His grip was firm, not to mention five times warmer than any I had ever felt before. I shrugged to myself explaining away his scorching grip as being a dragon thing.
“This is rare,” he said, looking me over with curiosity. “You are not only a lycan but a vampire as well.” He correctly deduced. “I have come across a slight number of your kind over the last few centuries. The ones I spoke with called themselves Prime? Supposedly they were created through a witch’s magic. Are you one of these Prime wolves?” Harek asked.
I could feel Nathan scoot up behind me. His hand came to rest on my shoulder and he gave it a little squeeze. He was letting me know that he was there for me if I needed him. I appreciated the reassuring gesture. I had been typically alone throughout my adult life, no one ever around to look out for me or have my back. I couldn’t bitch too much about it though; it was my own fault. I’d kept pretty much to myself, never letting my guard down long enough to really get to know anyone. I had to admit, the change of pace felt pretty good. I reached up and squeezed his hand, letting him know that I was okay. Harek was no threat to me, or anyone else in this room for that matter. I truly believed that he had been unjustly imprisoned and I wanted to help ease him into his newfound freedom. He had mentioned his unaware
ness of the passage of time while being held captive. Maybe when things settled down, I could help him recount his years.
“Yes, I am Prime, newly turned. My sire is Ember Stilwell. She is the alpha of our pack.” I answered honestly, not seeing a reason to hide anything from him.
He nodded, “The Primes are a noble clan, from what I can recollect. You can rest easy with the knowledge that you are amongst good company.”
“Thank you.” I said, “I believe I am, too.”
His smile was sincere as his lips curved up at me. I could still see the hint of sorrow that I couldn’t help but notice before, carried in the shadows of his soulful, greenish yellow eyes. I knew it was a reflection of the worry he held for the woman still trapped inside her own diamond prison.
I closed my eyes for a second and then popped them back open. Exhaustion was causing me to nearly fall asleep where I stood. The last few days had been long and demanding and all I wanted was a respite. But then what was I to do about Harek? I was pretty sure he didn’t have anywhere to go. I looked over at Ariel. I knew asking her to help by finding his family or maybe a place to stay would be out of the question by the way she lustfully gawked at him. The poor dragon would be scraping her off him like gum under a table in no time at all.
“You must be so confused right now, Harek. I would like to try and help you if you’ll let me,” I said.
I had decided that the best course of action was to take matters into my own hands, thus keeping Harek out of Ariel’s wanton ones. I had a good idea why they called over sexed individuals nymphos. I wouldn’t be surprised if those nymphomaniacs were actually half human and half nymph.
