by Aubrey Ross
“Rhys,” the shifter grumbled. “You’re a long way from home.”
“Not as far as you might think.” Sleek hair flowed to his waist like a curtain of blue/black silk. The vivid sapphire of the cloud remained in his flashing gaze. His strong features had been arranged with masculine beauty and classic symmetry, creating an impression of fierce nobility. “You gave me quite a chase, but the fun’s over.”
Without so much as a flinch to indicate his intention, the shifter lunged for Lance. The shifter’s middle finger extended and sharpened, becoming a slender tentacle that stabbed into the side of the vampire’s head. Lance shrieked. The shifter sucked out his energy in an instantaneous withdrawal.
Rhys cast a net of energy fibers. The net surrounded the shifter as Lance’s emaciated body crumpled to the floor at his feet. The shifter twisted and screamed. Rhys braced his legs far apart, his eyes glowing with the effort of maintaining the net.
The woman backed toward the door, her eyes wide with disbelief. Eric spotted her retreat and blocked her path. Mercedes looked at Faelon. Do you understand what’s going on? Who are these beings?
Rhys is an ally. The shifter is our enemy. Without taking his eyes off the fight, he sent a ripple of affection her way. Will you ever learn to trust me?
She glared at him even as she absorbed the emotion. When you learn to trust me.
The shifter stopped struggling. Its body undulated and swelled. His face lengthened and narrowed, his legs thickened then bent. The material across his chest split, revealing transparent skin. Mercedes gazed in morbid fascination at the frantic beating of two hearts.
As suddenly as it had stilled, the shifter launched a rapid series of movements. It spun, crossing its arms and legs until its body formed a blurred column of flesh. With a guttural cry, it released its corporeal body and rolled out from under the net.
“Damn it!” Rhys transformed back into mist, but the shifter was gone and the energy net disintegrated in a shower of blue sparkles.
Rhys reformed as he crossed to the red-haired woman. “Where will he go? Show me his lair.”
She fell to her knees, her hand covering her mouth as she wept pathetically. “Can you help me? Oh god, the things that creature did to me. I… please help me.”
He passed his hand over her face and she slumped into his arms. “She reeks of Setti essence. It’s doubtful she can tell me anything useful, but I must determine the level of her contamination before I consider releasing her.”
“I understand,” Faelon said.
“Well, you’re the only one!” Mercedes advanced on them. “What was that thing and why did it know my mother’s name?”
“Have you made any progress?” Rhys asked Faelon.
“Nothing more than I’ve already reported.” He looked at Mercedes and then Eric before returning his gaze to Rhys. “Did you track the Setti shifter here?”
“Your niece summoned me.” Lifting the unconscious woman in his arms he nodded toward Mercedes. “She’s got a Froswick com crystal around her neck.”
Mercedes lifted the crystal pendant. It was still warm. “You allowed me to breathe and kept me from panicking.”
Rhys inclined his head, his eyes sparkling. “Vampires aren’t known for their restraint. Your lover would have fought to the death to protect you, but he would have died.”
“Are you from Mercedes’ home dimension?” Eric asked.
“My origins are complicated. Faelon can explain who I am. It sounds like Faelon has a lot to explain.”
“You can say that again,” Mercedes muttered.
Rhys started to leave, then paused. “Have Olav examine your niece. I don’t understand what I’m sensing.”
Before Mercedes could ask what that meant, Rhys flashed out of sight.
Chapter Seven
They took time to dress and compose themselves before they faced Faelon. To Eric’s astonishment, the master vampire pulled Mercedes into his arms and hugged her tightly before they could utter one word.
“Do not ever frighten me like that again,” Faelon admonished. “Am I understood?”
“No.” Mercedes kissed him on the cheek and stepped back. “I don’t understand any of this. How long have you been communicating with people from Mother’s dimension?”
Eric led Mercedes to the sofa in the front room and Faelon chose the adjacent chair. “Rhys isn’t actually from Froswick. His father is a Guardian and his mother was human.”
“What’s a Guardian?” Eric asked. “I gather it’s a species not an occupation.”
“In a way it’s both. The Guardians are non-corporeal beings who see to the safety and welfare of lesser developed people. They thought the Setti threat was contained. Obviously they overestimated their success. Rhys has had extensive dealings with these creatures in the past, so he is coordinating an interdimensional resistance.”
“One of these dimensions is my mother’s?”
“Yes. Ezetta and her bonded mate came to Earth in pursuit of a woman named Chevon.”
“What do you mean her bonded mate?” Mercedes scooted to the edge of the sofa, her hands tucked between her knees. “Mother was married when she arrived on Earth?”
“They were Day Warriors, the highest honor in the military of your mother’s world,” Faelon explained. “The inhabitants of Froswick are largely nocturnal. They succumb to a trance during the daylight hours just as we do. This bond allows them to pass energy back and forth enabling them to resist the solar trance.”
“Why would that be important?” Not caring if Faelon growled at him, Eric rubbed her back, trying to ease the tension gathering between her shoulder blades.
“The Setti have learned to attack during the day, when the people of Froswick are helpless. Day Warriors are their only defense.”
“You said they came here after Chevon,” Eric reminded him. “Who was she and why were they chasing her?”
“We’re still not sure. All we know is almost two hundred years have elapsed and the Setti still hunt her.”
“That’s why the Setti are here, to find this Chevon?” She relaxed against his side and Eric settled his arm around her shoulders.
Faelon was quiet for a moment, then he looked into Mercedes’ eyes. “Rhys doesn’t think they ever left. He thinks a recon team has been here since Chevon first escaped through the Veil. They have been watching and waiting for any sign that Froswick inhabitants still exist on Earth.”
“Oh my god,” Mercedes pushed to her feet, the color draining from her face, “I gave them just the proof they needed when I went on TV.”
Faelon didn’t need to agree with her. They all knew it was true.
“But they were after Chevon, not Ezetta,” Eric pointed out. “So why would they care? Why did the Setti believe no one from Froswick was still here? Something still doesn’t add up.”
“Shortly after Ezetta arrived her bonded mate was murdered by a Setti strike team. She was reeling from the loss when Chevon contacted her. Chevon claimed that she had uncovered evidence incriminating her sister as a Setti spy. When she turned the information over to the authorities not only did the information disappear but her sister was murdered and Chevon was set up as the prime suspect.”
“So she ran,” Eric mused.
“Wouldn’t you? About this time, Ezetta met Victor. He was captivated by her and offered to scan Chevon’s mind, to test the truthfulness of her claims. Everything she said was true. She was falsely accused, but she couldn’t return to Froswick. The Setti desperately wanted her dead and she no longer knew who she could trust.”
“What did they do?” Mercedes licked her lips, a bit of the color returning to her cheeks.
“Ezetta sent a message reporting that she had located Chevon. The back up team arrived just in time to witness the horrific murder of both women at the hands of a vicious vampire.” Faelon’s dramatic inflection told them both it was a set up.
“Victor?”
“Yes. Chevon never contacted Ezetta after
that day. It would have been too dangerous. I don’t know where she is or why the Setti want her so badly, but we have to find her before they do.”
“Why couldn’t you have explained this to me before now? I’m not a child.”
“No, but you’re more fragile than you realize. Even I am no match for the Setti. That bloody shifter got away from Rhys. If they invade in force…” He stood and placed his hand on her shoulder. “I don’t know what Rhys was talking about, but he wouldn’t have made the suggestion unless it was important. I need to take you to Olav.”
“Who is Olav?” Eric joined them in the center of the room, unwilling to be shut out.
Faelon shot him the heated glare he’d been expecting since they descended the stairs together. “I suspect that Mercedes instigated this tryst. That is the only reason you’re still alive. Don’t provoke me.”
“I mean no disrespect, sir, but Mercedes is my mate. Anything that concerns her, concerns me.”
Faelon looked into her eyes, obviously searching her mind. After a long, strained silence, he nodded. “I will not interfere.”
“Who is Olav?” Eric asked again.
“A healer from Froswick.”
“She doesn’t leave my side.”
Faelon chuckled. “I will send Olav to you.”
* * *
“That’s impossible. The Awakening must be carefully evoked and even then it doesn’t always happen.”
Mercedes sat on the sofa in the front room of the band house, watching her visitor pace. She was so fascinated by the feisty little woman that she found it hard to concentrate on her words. Her skin tone was even more distinctly alien than Mercedes’ own, the green streaks in her hair more obvious, and her pupils were not only diamond shaped, but much larger than a human’s.
“Stop staring at me,” the woman yelled without missing a beat.
The man, whose coloring was nearly identical to the woman’s laughed and returned his attention to Mercedes. “Don’t mind Kylie. She has aspired to be a Day Warrior her entire life, while you have taken the first step without even trying.”
“She can’t be a Day Warrior,” Kylie continued with her objections. “Her father was a vampire! This can’t be happening.”
“What can’t be happening?” Eric asked. “What is this Awakening that Mercedes can’t possibly be experiencing?”
“The Awakening is the first step in forming a Day bond.” Olav raked his fingers through his hair and studied Mercedes for a moment. “Maybe it’s the combination of vampire and Froswick blood that is making her so susceptible to the transformation. I don’t know that much about vampires, but the bonds you form don’t seem to be that different from ours.”
“They can’t be Day Warriors. It’s…”
“Not fair?” Olav slapped his mate on the butt, then kissed her mouth. “Lots of things in life aren’t fair, fluretta. I thought you’d figured that out by now.”
Kylie took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “You’re right. If they can complete the bond, we should all celebrate. Froswick needs every Day Warrior we can get.”
“So how do we complete the bond?” Eric asked.
Olav glanced at Kylie as if he expected her to start protesting all over again. “Her senses need to be stimulated to a frenzy, then you -- do what comes naturally.”
“I think we can handle that.” Eric scooted closer to Mercedes and she sensed a particularly strong surge of possessiveness emanating from him.
Why did Olav keep looking at Kylie? “Actually in our dimension it often takes three or four men to keep up with the frenzy created by the Dawning.”
“There is no way she is having sex with anyone but me.”
“Only her mate actually -- bonds with her. If any of the supporters spilled his seed inside her body you would end up with a three-way bond. The others just help manage her arousal.”
Mercedes cleared her throat and placed her hand on Eric’s leg. She felt hollow and hot and all this talk of arousal and ritual sex was only making her restlessness worse. “I guess you better spell it out for us. What exactly would these other men need to do to me?”
“Generally the supporters use their hands and their mouths freely, but they aren’t allowed to penetrate the woman with anything other than their fingers.”
“They’re not allowed to penetrate her with anything,” Kylie disagreed. “During my Awakening you wouldn’t even kiss me properly.”
“That was an Awakening ceremony. This would be the Dawning.”
Before Olav could provide any more details a blue light flashed through the room. May we enter? Eric recognized Rhys’ voice and the complexity of his energy.
“Who is with you?”
Commander Brock Sihngal. Both Kylie and Olav know him.
“I recognize Commander Sihngal’s energy signature,” Kylie confirmed. “I don’t know the man who spoke to you.”
“I know him.” As Eric was about to open a gap in the exterior shields, Rhys materialized in front of him.
“I was being polite,” Rhys said with the hint of a smile.
The second man flashed into sight a moment later. Slightly taller than Rhys, the warrior’s muscular build and militant stance broadcast his occupation despite his casual attire. Lethal and remorseless, these were the kind of men it would take to combat the Setti invasion. Wavy brown hair framed his rugged features and his eyes were a light, crystalline shade of green.
“I mentioned what I sensed earlier to Brock and he insisted on meeting Mercedes.”
Eric stood and blocked Brock’s path. “Earlier you weren’t sure what you sensed.”
Rhys didn’t bother arguing the point. He looked at Olav and asked, “Was I correct? Is she Awakened?”
Olav just smiled. “Most definitely, and unless Mercedes has any other questions, I think we’ll let you three sort this out for yourselves.”
“We’re not leaving her alone with them,” Kylie protested.
“She’s not alone,” Eric stated.
“She’s not mute, either.” Mercedes stood and nudged Eric aside, standing beside him while her gaze swept over Brock. “Are you from Froswick or are you just helping Rhys?”
He clasped his fist over his heart and bowed from the waist. “I am Commander Sihngal of the Nac O’te. I’m not interested in Day bonding with anyone at this time, so your mate can stop glaring at me. However, I am more familiar with the Dawning rites than anyone else in this room.”
“See, they’re not going to fight or anything exciting,” Olav said. “Let’s go do all of the things I was forbidden during your Awakening.”
Kylie’s cheeks brightened and a smile curved the corners of her mouth. She caught Mercedes’ gaze and said, “I’ll give you a call when things have settled down. I’m sure you have lots of questions.”
“Update Arabel before you get too distracted,” Rhys suggested. “I spoke to her earlier, but she’ll want to know that Mercedes’ Awakening is confirmed. We’re still half a step ahead of the Setti and hopefully by morning we’ll have a set of Day Warriors.”
Chapter Eight
Mercedes stared at each of the three men in turn, trying to boil her impressions down to a single word. Rhys was nobility. Elegant, yet strong, authoritative without being autocratic. Brock was a bit harder to define. There was something savage in his light green gaze. He was definitely ruthless, and still she sensed a certain gallantry beneath his grim exterior.
One glance at Eric was all it took for her to have her word. Mine. Eric was her mate plain and simple, the other half of her soul.
“I will take my leave as well,” Rhys told them. “You seem reluctant to share this experience with others, so I will respect that wish. Brock has participated in many successful Dawnings. I suggest you make use of his expertise.” With his usual directness, Rhys departed.
“If we decide becoming Day Warriors is not a priority, what are our options?” Eric addressed his question to Brock with his gaze, his tone remained stiff a
nd formal.
“The burning will assail her in waves, each more intense than the last. There is no way to prevent this. It has already begun.” Brock casually pointed out her erect nipples, an irritation she had been trying to ignore. “If she can surrender completely and you are brave enough to forge the bond, you will both emerge stronger than you ever imagined. If you fail, you will go on as before. But this opportunity will never come again.”
“I’m willing to try, but the choice is ultimately hers.”
“No.” Brock caught her shoulders and turned her to face Eric, pulling her arms behind her back. “She is your mate. It is your responsibility to protect her and provide for her. Is this not the vampire way?”
“Yes, but we live in a day and age when --”
“You glimpsed the enemy today. We don’t have time for political correctness. Males are stronger than females for a reason. Mercedes will need your strength tonight as never before.”
“I understand.”
Brock pulled her head back until it rested against his shoulder. “Do you trust your mate, Mercedes?”
“Yes,” she said without reservation.
“Would he ever administer pain beyond what you could endure?”
The memory of his intimate bite sent a shiver down her spine. “No. He knows how much I can take and would never cause me harm.”
Brock pushed her into Eric’s arms. “I am here to assist you in any way I can. As the hunger mounts she might need to be restrained. Where should we take her?”
Eric led her past the practice space and the studio booths to a nondescript door at the end of the hall. Their entrance triggered diffused lighting and Mercedes looked around with a mixture of curiosity and anxiety. She’d never been to a pleasure dungeon before, but there was no other way to describe the room surrounding her. It was furnished with stout wooden racks and cuffs suspended on chains, padded benches and flexible tables.
“Get undressed.” Had that authoritative command actually come from Eric?
