“How much longer before we get there?”
Mountains went on for as far as I could see. My eyes closed, and I felt for home. For Kelu and any of my kind. A tug pulled me to the side. We were getting close, but the connection was faint. I couldn’t feel any Paltenians at all. Just a residual energy of where they’d been before.
“Two more full days. Maybe less if we push it.”
Cara’s deep exhale was followed by a nod. I could feel how tired she already was. The food supply was getting low, and it wasn’t what I would consider food. Power bars and granola was not going to keep our frequency where we needed it.
“I wish I could take us there right now. I could, but I gave the Dron my word. We can’t bring suspicion. My people are not the only ones inhabiting the area.”
“Are any dangerous?”
Cara’s blue eyes went wide as she began looking around.
“When I left, we were on good terms. That was over five years ago. Anything could have happened. We’ll keep pushing forward. I’m always listening, love. Always.”
Cara slid on her pants while I pulled her shoes free from the pack. She was still shivering, but quickly warming in the sun. As for me, I could have cared less. The cold drove me on. I carried Cara when she got tired. She even fell asleep in my arms. I was content just to hold her knowing as long as she was in my arms, she was safe.
Just as the sun dropped close to the mountains, she stirred.
“Atlas stop. We’re not alone.”
I slowed, blinking, as I pushed my energy out farther.
“I hear nothing.”
“Someone’s here.”
Turning, I scanned the openness off to our side. Green was visible a quarter of a mile away, and there were trees a little farther than that, but I saw nothing. Felt nothing.
“I think you were dreaming, love.”
“I was, sort of. More…out of body. I saw this, right here, where we are. But more. I was higher, above the mountain. Let me down. Get the sword from the side of the bag.”
“Cara—”
“Do it, Atlas. They’re just over that ridge. Lots of them. Twenty. Maybe more.”
I quickly put Cara down, retrieving the sword. As I placed her behind me, I was suddenly bombarded with warmth. It tingled in my gut, swirling with a comfort that nearly took my breath away.
“Kelu.”
“Your sister?”
“I’m sure of it.”
I took a step forward, stopping as Cara’s hand snapped to my wrist.
“I don’t think so. These people don’t look like you. They’re…” her mouth twisted, “almost an orange color. They don’t look human.”
My eyes went to the top of the mountain, back to my mate. Thoughts raced at hyper-speed. Like a weight, my heart was pulled to my stomach. I didn’t bother grabbing the bags. My arm wrapped around Cara’s waist, and I took off running for the trees with everything I had. It was one thing to face the Allure in a social setting, quite another to be caught unmanned. The earth species were of light, but barely.
“Atlas, what’s happening? We’re going the wrong way.”
“Life is but one way. Far away from Allure.”
The trees got closer, but I could feel them heading down the mountain behind us. Their shield was gone. They’d come, and they wouldn’t stop until they had us.
“We have to go the other way,” Cara said, staring over my shoulder. “They’re here. They’re everywhere.”
“In the—?”
Before I could finish my sentence, Emi-Ehn, the queen of Allure, stepped from the tree-line. I slid to a stop, turning, but the others were gaining ground. My sword came up, while I side-stepped. The queen was not someone I could beat on foot. She was just over seven feet tall and more powerful than all her men put together.
“Take us home, Atlas. Right now. Take us home.”
“I gave my word to Dron. Give me a minute. Fuck. Fuck!” Anger bubbled with pride. With protection. Closer, Emi-Ehn got, glaring as she made her way to us. The white top barely covered her breasts, and the low skirt clung to her swinging hips. White markings were drawn over dark orange skin. The swirls and dots had significance, but none I ever wanted to know.
“We are not here for trouble. We’re just passing through.”
“Passing through with a human? On my land, Paltenian?”
My jaw clenched as I glanced behind me at the large group approaching.
“I had no choice. My sister needs me. I’m not as powerful as I once was. I can’t just appear in my home like I could before.”
A laugh filled the space, followed by a choir of deep mirroring tones.
“Do you hear that, dogs? The coward king lost his powers. What a pity.”
“Atlas is no coward.”
Dark brown eyes turned to slits as the queen cocked her head at Cara. My arm pulled in my mate, keeping her close, but I could feel the resistance. She was trying to get more in front of me.
“All we want is to pass through.”
Emi-Ehn’s hands came to her hips.
“Who’s the human? She belong to you?”
“Yes.”
“Your new queen?”
The question was without consequence, no matter how I answered.
“I am no longer king. My sister rules our people.”
A laugh. “I take that as a yes. Why not royally claim the human you so heavily guard? Are you embarrassed of her? She is a downgrade from Leone.”
“I beg your pardon?”
My grip tightened on Cara. “You’re bordering extremely dangerous territory, Your Highness. You know that.”
Pressure jerked in my hold, trying to break my grip as Cara continued. “I don’t know who you think you are, but I will not be judged by someone who calls her soldiers dogs.”
“They are dogs,” I whispered.
“Like, actual dogs?”
“About three times the size when they change.”
“Oh.” Cara pushed her lips together as she looked up at me.
“Are you done?” Emi-Ehn circled around, stopping on the side where I held Cara. “What will you give me if I let you through?”
“I have nothing to give. We’re traveling light. Our pack is back there.” I gestured my head. “All we have is a little food, clothes, and a small tent. If you let us through, I can make it worth your while once I get home.”
“Not good enough. I’ll take the pack, but I want more right now.”
“You’re not having our stuff.” Cara grabbed my wrist. When I wouldn’t let her remove my hand, she ducked under my grip. I went to lunge, but hit a wall just like the one Ri had thrown up in the hotel room. The darkness that left my mate slithered over my skin, crawling toward the crown of my head like snakes.
“Cara, no.”
“Yes, Atlas. I’m tired, I don’t feel well, and this woman is rude. If we don’t have food or a tent, we’re going to freeze.”
“Who is this woman who clearly has no sense? Is she not human? Something new? Something…more?”
Seduction dripped from each word. There was an awe in the queen’s eyes as she pressed her fingers into the invisible wall Cara had around herself.
“My name is Cara. I’m a biologist. A very good one. Now, step back. We’re going to get our pack, and we’ll be on our way.” She swallowed hard, straightening her back even more. “And if you’d be so kind, I’d like an apology.”
“Cara.”
Her blue eyes didn’t steer from the queen. Emi-Ehn’s canines elongated just past her bottom lip, and tingling vibrated the protection around me. I could see her powers testing Cara’s in a shimmering oil that coated my side of the shield.
“Nobody speaks up to me like that. Not even a biologist. What bravery you have. What a stupid mistake.”
“Let me in, Cara. Now.”
The wall between us lifted, but her hand came back, making me keep my distance. She didn’t want to look weak, and I hated that I made her appear that wa
y in the first place. I wasn’t used to her being human, and I was looking at it in a negative light, but was she so defenseless? She sure as hell wasn’t against the Ri.
“The only thing that’s stupid is you wanting trouble. All Atlas and I need is to get through. If you’ll please give me an apology, we’ll walk away. No one will get hurt.”
“There will be no apology for the truth. You are no queen. You’re not even fit to be a servant to one. You are small, ugly, and weak without your gifts.”
“Enough, Emi. You don’t know what you’re messing with.” I stepped forward, but Cara’s arm barred across me.
“Maybe you’re right. I am small, and I’m not the prettiest. I know that. Despite your opinion, Your Highness, when I first saw you, I thought you were beautiful. Probably one of the most attractive women I’ve ever seen. But your beauty is dimmed by your inner ugliness. It’s toxic. A disease festering within your light. I feel it. I want it.”
“No.” I grabbed Cara’s biceps, turning her to face me. “If you give in to these needs, Ri wins. You’ll be giving yourself to him. Stay with me. Stay in the light.”
“Ri?”
The name echoed around us at the queen’s rage.
“What does that tsunoh have to do with this human? Murderer. Demon. He’s ruined our home!”
“And he’s about to ruin it worse,” I exploded. “You’re not helping. The monster you speak of has tied my mate to him. He means to use her to steal the light of all those who get in his way. She can do it, Your Highness. She could drop you in mere seconds, and you’d be dead. I’m getting her to Kelu to keep her safe. To break this tie and come up with a plan. Ri will not stop. When he realizes he can’t have Cara, he will wage war on me, which I will oblige. I’m going to need you. I’ll need as many lightworkers as I can get.”
Dark eyes left me, taking in Cara suspiciously.
“You say she can take light. Prove it. There is no other way I will let you leave here alive.” Her stare lifted, searching her men. “Volunteer for the cause?”
“Only the best,” I rushed out. “My mate can’t be tainted any more than she already is.”
A smaller man jogged forward without pause. Cara’s head shook, but I could feel her urgency as the shield gave way. Desire crept through the air, starting as a gentle brush over my skin, bleeding into a liquid lust as it penetrated me. Leaves blew in the distance, louder than all the heartbeats combined as the wind changed. My gut twisted while Cara’s fingers made a path over the man’s muscular arms.
“Don’t kill him, Cara. Just take a little. Enough to prove your gift.”
The insatiable trance she was in had me moving in just behind. The man didn’t look around or flinch when Cara’s palm settled over his stomach.
“So obedient. So submissive. You love her. You love your queen. Would you die for her? Yes,” she whispered, “I feel you would.”
Cara’s fingers moved up the man’s neck, stopping on his cheek. When her face got within an inch, a blinding light began to pour from his mouth. Panic flared in his eyes, and his body went rigid. It looked like he was trying to fight but couldn’t.
“I feel it,” Emi-Ehn whispered. “I feel her taking him from me. I feel her pull on all my men. They can’t move.”
“Okay, Cara, that’s enough.”
Bright veins webbed her face, illuminating blue eyes as her feet left the ground. My breath caught, and I grabbed her wrist, feeling my body seize at the electrical shock.
“Make her stop. Make her stop now!” The queen’s voice carried around us as her soldiers awkwardly crowded in. They wanted to do more, but their strength was limited. One decision and Cara would have them. She’d take them all. “Human!”
Cara’s free hand lifted, fisted at his cheek, rolling as she tried to force it toward his mouth. Internal screaming nearly brought me to my knees.
“She can’t,” I mumbled. “She’s trying, but the darkness is so strong.” I reached for her again, cursing as my own energy tugged in her direction. “Cara, baby, you have to let go. You’re going to kill him. You don’t want that. We both know what it will do to you.”
“I…” A nearly nonexistent yell came out like a heavy exhale. Again, her hand rolled, nearly limp, toward his mouth.
“That’s it. You can do it.”
Nervous eyes flickered from me to Cara. The queen grabbed the shoulder of one of her men and squeezed as she shifted on her feet.
“Almost there, baby. Come back to me. Let it go.”
“At-las.” Cara covered the soldier’s lips, flying back as the light broke between them. The queen threw herself toward the fallen soldier while I rushed the few feet separating me from my mate. Broken breaths left her, and her glowing eyes were rolling. One by one, jolts sent her arms and legs twitching from the power.
“You did well. You served your queen bravely.”
Emi-Ehn stroked the man’s hair as he groaned. When I lifted Cara in my arms, she did the same with her soldier.
“Ri has created this…woman? Your queen? He did this to her?”
I nodded, kissing Cara’s forehead.
“He has gone too far. He must be stopped. She...” The queen grew quiet as she nervously looked at Cara. “We will escort you to Paltenia Anew.”
Chapter 20
Cara
Chants joined the deep tone of Queen Emi-Ehn’s voice as she sang a hypnotic tune in a language I’d never heard before. From the open door of my tent, I watched her dance before the fire, staring into the flames as though she saw secrets not yet revealed. The smell of meat wafted through the air, no doubt a new kill from the soldiers who had watched me warily on our long journey through the night. Hours had passed while I drifted in Atlas’s arms. In truth, I didn’t want to be awake. I didn’t want to face them after what I had done. I could have killed the Allure soldier who’d volunteered. I could have killed them all, and I almost had. The fork in my mind appeared as bright and bold as the light I ingested into my being. And I had wanted more. I wanted them all.
“Your sorrow is killing me. Will you not lay down so I can hold you?”
Atlas twirled his fingers in the bottom of my hair, stealing a touch here and there of the brand over my back. The soft trace was a comfort to him—a reminder of our declared love. Instead of turning, I stayed crossed-legged, facing the ceremony going on outside.
“Cara, you didn’t hurt him. You only took a small amount of his energy. He was fine after a few minutes.”
“He’s not fine,” I whispered. “He may never be fine again. I felt what he did. I felt the moment he grasped my true power. The terror splintered his soul. It scarred him in places he doesn’t even realize yet. Tonight, when he finally goes to sleep, his nightmares will be unlike any he has faced before. And he’ll face me.” I turned, looking over my shoulder. “He’ll face me, Atlas. I will be the monster he can never defeat. When he fears death, it will be me he truly fears. As he should. He sees me for what I am—a threat.”
“You’re wrong. You stopped. In your heart, you didn’t want to hurt him.”
“But I did.” I returned, staring at the queen whose hands were lifted over her head. She had such a beautiful voice. A beautiful face. She’d painted her cheeks to reveal deep red slashes. Her energy was intense. I felt waves of cleansing. I got the impression it had been awhile since she’d cherished her light. She called it forth now, purifying it, washing the shadows from them all.
“We talked about this, love. You didn’t want to hurt him, Ri’s tie did. Just like Ri’s persuasion was responsible for killing his men. I can feel your confusion, but I think we both know this sort of evil is not in your nature. It never has been. Lay with me. Let me watch your life so I can prove it. Besides,” he smiled, “I want to see you grow into who you are. I want to know everything about you.”
I blinked at the memories of my happy childhood. Had that really been me? I felt like an entirely different person than the carefree only-child who was adored by her pa
rents.
Crawling to Atlas’s side, I held him as he merged his energy with mine. I allowed him to take my memories at will. They played out like a movie, showing me things I had been too young to remember. The love my parents had for each other was undeniable. It showed in the way my father smiled as he longingly gazed at my mother from across the room while she held my infant form, to her coming up behind him and hugging him while I was on a blanket spread across the floor. I crawled. I walked. I crashed my bike, and both my parents rushed to my aid to wipe my tears. School memories, bullies. Chocolate chip cookies and homemade vanilla ice cream when my grandma came down to visit. High school got better. I had my first crush. He never noticed me, but Jonathan Kelly had.
My first kiss was behind the bleachers at a high school football game. Atlas grunted protectively as he pulled me in tighter. College came. Long nights of studying. A party. One filled with Christmas lights and red plastic cups. Me drunk, stumbling along the road, laughing with my roommate, Angie. We were holding hands, blissful in our small moment of freedom from working two jobs. Then…weight crashed into us from behind like a freight train. Pain exploded along my body, and the sky was suddenly visible. The clear night gave view to the stars. In that moment, time didn’t exist. Maybe I was dead. Maybe I had died for the briefest moment. Although I felt myself blink, and I was far away from that body, I recognized the warmth and pressure at the back of my head. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. And my leg. The excruciating pain tore me from the heavens in a scream I had no control over.
Atlas’s breathing turned deep as the white ceiling of the hospital rushed overhead. It came and went, met with blinding lights. Then, a voice. A voice so muffled, I couldn’t understand what it was saying.
“Cara, honey. Cara, are you awake?”
My mom’s blurry face came into focus, and I was in a hospital bed with my leg elevated. Pain hugged around my heart, tremoring through every inch of me, but I forced the conversation forward by calling out to her.
“Oh, thank God. I was so worried. Oh, baby, I was so scared.”
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