by Jen L. Grey
“I’m staying here with you.” His tone is hard, determined. “Where you go, I go.” He begins to run his fingers through my hair and presses a kiss to my forehead.
My heart calms, and my power doesn’t seem quite as overwhelming. The ground stops shaking, but the wind still blows hard.
Something crashes at one of the stands, and a lady yelps. “That was one of my best spells.”
“Everyone calm down and stand back.” A loud, strong woman’s voice echoes against the clearing. “There is no reason for alarm.”
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Dax’s tone is low, almost a growl.
Oh, no. What’s going on? I’m going to have to suck it up and leave the safety of Charlie’s arms. I take a deep breath and look in their direction.
“I’m going to talk to her.” The lady’s teal blue hair whips in the wind, and she points her finger at me. “The person causing this whole fiasco.” She appears to be in her mid to late twenties, and the wind makes her short jumpsuit conform to her figure.
Charlie keeps his arms around me and steps behind me. “She isn’t trying to hurt anyone.”
Yeah, because intent means everything. I’ve learned the hard way that it doesn’t matter. Action is the only thing people will judge your character by. “I’m losing control and need help.” I hope she’ll take to honesty, because if not, we’re all screwed.
Her lavender eyes meet mine, and she stares at me for a moment before taking a deep breath. “Fine, follow me.”
“I can’t. We were told to find Ria.” At least, someone seems kind of helpful.
She props her hands on her hips and looks me over again. “You’re looking at her.”
A wave of power crushes through me, and the ground begins to rumble once more. I fall to my knees and scream.
“Pick her up,” she says and points to Dax, “and follow me. Now.”
“Hey…” Charlie’s arms tighten, but then he slackens. “She’s right. Just get her. You can carry her better than me. Let’s go.”
Strong hands pick me up, and I’m clutched to a hard, muscular chest. His musky scent reassures me, and soon he’s running even though I’m barely jostled.
Wave after wave of power rams through me. I have no clue how long we’ve been moving, but a door opens, and we’re walking through it and into a dark, warm place.
“Shut the door fast,” Ria shouts, and she races over to what seems to be cushions on the floor. “Lay her here so she can rest. She should start feeling better soon.”
The ground stops shaking, and the Water Artifact stops tugging on me from the outside. “Oh, my God. What is this place?” I can breathe comfortably for the first time since we arrived on land.
Charlie comes back into the room and sits down beside me. He kisses my lips and runs his fingers across my cheek. “Are you feeling better?”
“Yes, the Water Artifact isn’t attacking me anymore, and the magic inside me is calming down.” I lay my forehead against his and sigh. “I was scared for a minute, but I’m better now. I just want to know why I’m not affected here.”
“I have protection spells here.” Ria crosses her arms and frowns. “How did you know about the Water Artifact, and how the hell is it calling to you?”
“Watch it. She’ll kick your ass.” Dax laughs and leans against the wall. “Don’t let that little show make you think she’s not strong.”
Of course, he would speak to my fighting abilities. “I’m here to take the artifact. I have the other three artifacts, and I’ve come to get the last one.”
“That’s impossible. I’m the only one who is capable of getting close to it.” She lifts her chin up in the air and pushes out her chest. “You can’t take it. It must remain here.”
“Did you not just see what happened to her?” Charlie’s nose wrinkles. “That’s going to continue to happen if she doesn’t get it.”
“Well, I’m sorry.” She puts both of her hands on her hips and frowns. “It’s not going to happen. It must remain on our world. It’s nonnegotiable. We’ll starve otherwise. It’s what keeps our world alive.”
Oh, great. This is going to be fun. “Well, then we have a huge problem here.”
“Why is that?” She rolls her eyes. “You’re just another entitled person who thinks you can waltz in here and take it.”
“No, since I have the other three elements, the fourth one has to balance me out.” I get up and walk over to her, standing so we are eye to eye.
She stumbles back a second before she takes a deep breath and stands tall.
I take another step, getting in her personal space. “If I don’t take it and soon, I’ll implode. Which won’t be a problem for you, but how many of your people will I take with me?”
Chapter Eight
Ria tilts her head to the side and purses her lips. "I'm sorry, but it's worth risking the lives of a few to keep our world safe." She stares into my eyes.
"No, there has to be a way," Charlie says as he steps up next to me, desperation clear in his voice.
I place a hand on his arm and squeeze. She must be older than she looks or had to learn some hard lessons at a young age. "She's being reasonable. She's thinking of her world as a whole the same way I'm having to think about things now in my own life." It's the same lesson I learned in the Angel Realm before I could even get the Angel's Breath Artifact, so it has to be relevant in every leader's life, right?
"Chris, what are you doing?" Dax's forehead creases and the corners of his eyes wrinkle.
"Agreeing with her is probably not the smartest." That's an understatement. "But she's being a good leader. I can't fault her for that. She’s defending her world just like I'm trying to save myself and our home." I glance at Charlie, and he raises an eyebrow.
"You know what?" Ria purses her lips and rubs her chin. "Why don't you all stay here for a while?"
Now, she wants to make us feel welcome? “Why would we stay?”
"I mean, obviously you can't find the artifact, or you would have gone straight to it." Ria holds out a hand toward me and smirks. "And no one here will tell you where to find it. So why don't you stay here and live out your remaining days. At least you'll find a little peace inside these walls."
“No, that’s not acceptable.” Charlie’s nostrils flare, and his hands clench.
Dax steps to the other side of me. “Are you expecting us to sit here and watch her implode?”
“Just think about it.” She looks right at me, ignoring the other two. “With that much power, I can only imagine all the people who are trying to manipulate you and control you. By staying here and living out the rest of your days, you can live on your own terms.”
Wow, that’s one thing I had never even considered before. The thought has appeal to it. I mean, why would I want to return to Earth? She’s right; between Damien, the witch, and council, everyone wants to sink their teeth into me.
And really, who do I have to return to? I mean, yes, my parents and I have been working on a better relationship, but they will be fine without me. Hell, they are so busy reestablishing their own relationship with each other that they haven’t even focused on me all that much. So, even though we are rebuilding, I’m not all that close to them.
“You know what?” Ria takes a few steps to the door and grabs a few bottles off of a nearby table. “I’m going to head back to the market and leave you three here to discuss things. I’ll be back in a little while.” She walks out, leaving the three of us alone.
“Okay, now is our chance.” Dax takes a few steps to the door and stops. He turns and looks at me. “Why aren’t you coming?”
“Chris, what’s going on?” Charlie’s hazel eyes are filled with concern. “You can’t possibly be considering her proposal.”
It’s easy for them to be like this. “Well, why shouldn’t I consider it? I mean, let’s be real. The person I’m closest to is right here with me.” Staying here and living my life in peace wouldn’t be so bad. “I wouldn’
t have to worry about the council or everyone else. I could live for me.”
“Good to know I’m chopped liver.” Dax grumbles and leans against the wall.
“I care about you too, just not the same way.” I swear he’s a pain sometimes. “And you could stay or come and go since you jump realms. You just couldn’t tell Luke.”
He crosses his arms for a moment and bites his bottom lip. "Of course, I'd keep your secret, but I wouldn't be able to go back. He'd know something was up and try to find some way to leverage the truth out of me."
"That's interesting. He keeps saying he's on the good side, but that comment right there sure doesn't sound like it." Reasons why I'm beginning to trust my gut in all ways.
"Don't confuse noble intent and ethics." He pushes off the wall and shakes his head. "They are not the same thing. The end justifies the means with Luke whereas ethics mean you always do the right thing."
He's right. Maybe I'm not so ethical anymore myself. Hell, the angels taught me not to be so ethical. Isn't that kind of an oxymoron? "Well, what about all three of us staying right here? I'm not saying we don't still get the Water Artifact. I mean I want to live."
"Thank God." Charlie wraps his arm around me and tugs me against his side. "I was getting worried there for a minute." He taps me on the nose and grins. "Now that I can get on board with. As long as we still find the Water Artifact and you stay with me, I don't care which realm I'm on as long as I'm with you."
Now there is the man I love. I stand on my tip toes and kiss his lips. Butterflies take flight in my belly.
Dax clears his throat and walks across the room. "This is a bad idea, guys. Earth is home. Can we really leave everyone back there to the fate the mirrors display? That demon is stealing souls. I mean, let's see how it goes after we get the artifact, but we need to play the part like we are considering staying without stealing it."
I don’t know if I believe the mirrors. At this point, I almost think it’s another way the council is manipulating us, but the last part is a good point. "Yeah, but I'm not going to be able to leave this place without getting overwhelmed, so I'm not sure how we're going to be able to find it."
"We'll figure it out." Charlie places his hands on my shoulders and rubs. "We always do."
For the first time since we got here, I take in our surroundings. There are a handful of stairs from the door up to what I’m assuming is the living space and a large square room where we are. There are cushions in various colors arranged on the ground for sitting. Other than that, there is a solid wooden bookshelf across the room filled with thick leather books. There must be hundreds. Other than that, the room is bare.
“What are these books?” For them to be this old, they must be important. I grab one of them and hold it in my hand. There isn’t a title page, but when I flip it open, there is spell after spell for water. “Holy crap. This is a book full of water spells.”
Charlie walks over beside me and grabs one himself. “So is this one. This one seems to focus on crop growth.”
Huh, that’s interesting. “This one concerns health ailments.”
He puts his book down and grabs another one. “Hey, check this one out.” He holds it out so I can look at it.
“Wait…” Would she really leave us in here with this? “That’s the Water Artifact we’re looking for.”
“I thought it looked strange.” He stares at it and squints his eyes. “It’s just three small round circles of water that float in the air. That’s odd.”
Yeah, tell me about it.
“Let me see.” Dax walks over to us and looks over my shoulder. “That’s what we’re looking for?”
It is rather anticlimactic when you see it, but it’s more powerful than it looks. “It’s water. Everyone always underestimates it.”
“That I’m not arguing with.” Dax takes the book from Charlie’s hand and stares at it. “But at least, we all three now know what it looks like. That should help in the search.” He puts the book back and places the other two around it like we never touched this section. “But we need her to think we didn’t touch these. We need her to think we are considering abandoning our search.”
There’s truth to that logic as well. That’s one reason why I like him around. He helps put things in perspective. “So, she said to make ourselves at home; and if we’re going to be here for a little while, I guess we should explore more than just this room.”
“Then, let’s get to it.” Charlie winks at me and grabs my hand, pulling me toward an opening in the back.
Another short set of stairs takes us to a landing. There’s a small kitchen-like area to the left. There is no sink but a large glass container of water. There’s a pantry full of green vegetables and fruit and a small square table in the center of the room.
“Well, at least there are four chairs.” If we decide to stay, there is a spot for each of us and Ria.
“Yeah, but are there four beds?” Dax raises an eyebrow.
“All we need is three, so let’s hope for that.” Charlie heads out to the landing again and into the next room.
Oh, dear God. Why is he pushing this right now in front of Dax? I need to smooth it over; at least somewhat. “He’s right, Dax. We only need three, especially with how my powers are being. It wouldn’t hurt to have him close by.”
Dax Dax opens his mouth to speak and closes it again. Instead, he simply shakes his head. “Let’s go look and see what we have to work with.”
Thankful that he dropped the conversation, I hurry out. I join Charlie and glance into the room. It’s not a huge room, and there are cushions on the floor like the ones in the living area but longer. They are assorted colors with a thick blanket laying on top of each. That’s the only thing in the room except for a small closet in the corner. “They live simply, don’t they?”
“Apparently so.” Charlie grabs my hand and pulls me out.
We look at the next three rooms, one of which is a large bathroom that looks just like the ones back home. The other two rooms are identical to the first bedroom except that the second and third bedrooms share a bathroom.
“Wow, I expected a little more for some reason.” It’s very simple, and there aren’t any televisions or radios.
We walk back down into the living room when the front door opens again.
Ria enters, and her lavender eyes scan us over. “So… you three seem like you’ve been busy.”
Is she trying to make us nervous? I’m not falling for it. “Well, you did say to make ourselves at home, right? We just scoped out the house.”
She stops in her tracks and blinks. “Oh, you did?”
Hmmm… She seems shocked. Why wouldn’t she expect us to take her up on the offer? “Yes, your offer was generous, so we want to get acclimated since we’ll be staying here a while.”
“Oh, that’s great.” She forces a smile and clears her throat. “I was worried it would take more coaxing, so this is wonderful news.”
Not sure I'm buying that. "Well, you had some valid points that were hard to ignore, and you're right. It's not like I'm going to be able to find the artifact, especially with the way the powers affect me outside your home."
"So, does that mean she'll be stuck in here the rest of her life?" Charlie makes his tone sound light, but there is a dark undertone to it.
"Well, no." She reaches into her bag and pulls out a gold necklace with a flat gold amulet attached that's about the size of a half dollar. "This is actually something for you that will help you get outside these walls."
"How does that work?" Dax steps up next to me and stares at it.
"It has the same qualities as the walls of the home, but it's not as strong since it's small." She hands it to me and clasps my hands. "However, you can go outside for a few hours and live a normal life and explore this world."
This is what we need. A way for me to still seek the Water Artifact. "Thank you."
She arches a teal eyebrow and tilts her head. "This is only yours since you'
re considering staying. If you change your mind, you must give it back. Do you understand?"
"Of course, I do." Even if Charlie and I do stay, I plan on living a long life. I'm going to find that damn artifact.
"All right. Then, why don't you all go out and explore a little, and I'll get everything set up for your return." She takes a few steps back and smiles.
That sounds like the perfect excuse to begin exploring. "Sounds perfect to me. Are you guys ready?"
"I'm ready to go anywhere with you." Charlie grabs my hand and tugs me toward the door.
"Actually, I'm going to stay back and help Ria." Dax's eyes stay firm on her. “I'll explore with you next time."
That's his way of saying he doesn't trust her and wants to keep an eyes on her. I've gotten to know him well enough to understand him. "Well, okay. We won't be gone too long."
"Looks like we'll have some alone time." Charlie smirks, and his shoulders relax a little.
Alone time does sound great, but what I'm most excited about is exploring this new world and finding a hint about where the artifact is.
Chapter Nine
Before walking out of the house, I fasten the necklace in place and ensure the amulet is secure. I don't want to chance feeling like I did just a few hours ago.
"Are you good?" Charlie reaches out and gives it a gentle tug. It doesn't loosen and stays in place.
"It appears so." I'm ready to get out of here. I'm not sure why, but the walls are now closing in on me. "Let's go check out our potential new home." Maybe I’ll miss Earth more than I thought.
"Have fun exploring the market." Ria turns her back to Dax and rubs the back of her neck. "I told some of the ladies at the market that you may be heading over there soon to check it out. So go have fun exploring."
If that wasn't a subtle way of telling us what to do, I'm not sure what else could be. "Great, that sounds like fun. I didn't get to see much earlier anyway."
"That is a huge understatement." Charlie holds the door open for me and places his hand on the small of my back. "I doubt you would even know your way back there from here."
