by Larisa Long
Blu giggles.
Janx grabs my pen. “Are you sure about this? About how you feel about me? Do you know the punishment for signing an Eternal Verum decree if your heart has not opened to all of us?”
My stomach clenches as I quickly look between Zash and Blu.
Zash nods at Janx. “I am an empath. I know exactly how she feels about all of us, and I would never put her in danger.”
Blu drinks from another shake. “I can tell you how she feels about you, but it will cost you three cookies.”
I take a deep breath as I study the dragon. “It’s like I said outside, you are part of me. I feel like I’ve known you forever. With the witch and vampire, I always felt creepy like I’d just danced through a spider web or like that tiny hair that gets in your eyes but, dammit, you can’t find it no matter how hard you try.” I grimace as I hear myself. “Tell me I just thought that. Or did the words vomit tumble out?”
Blu presses his lips together and giggles. He puts his hand to his heart. “I adore your thoughts and words. It makes me less frantic. If you can believe it.”
“I can’t explain it. I don’t want to overanalyze it, but—”
Janx kisses me before I can react. Now I’ve never been kissed by a dragon before. But damn.
Damn.
Damn.
I highly recommend it. I should have written about this on my college essay.
The moment his lips touch mine… My heart stops or speeds up or liquefies or… Thoughts. Incoherent. Words. Random. Hot. Safe. Power. Do. Not. Stop. I can feel my soul. Does that even make sense?
His lips. Magical. The heat from his body… Scorching. I’ll never be cold again. He pulls back, and I collapse into his chest and listen to his heart. I love hearing their hearts race.
“Where have you three been all my life?”
Blu giggles again.
What is happening to me? I run to the window to look out at the forest. “Why does everything makes sense now? Why am I actually home in this cruel world? I’m not stressed. I’m not worried.”
I put my hand over my heart. “It’s not jumping around with a caffeine lurch. My mind isn’t churning over deadlines for papers or worrying about tests or figuring which classes to take and what will look best on my law school application or trying to avoid my brother’s friends who give me that look.”
Janx steps forward with his fists clenched. “What look?”
“I’m calm. I’m actually like a real person. Calm and…” I try to think, but I’m new to being calm so I have no idea how I’m feeling.
I glance at the impossibly gorgeous immortals with bodies that need to be studied extensively.
Blu looks down at himself. “Yes, Mera, you must explore my body. Every glittery exquisite part of it. Extensively as you said. And thoroughly. And often.”
I glance around the red and black decorated castle. “This world is strange and brutal and weird, and I hate that humans control everything. Nothing good can come from that, but…”
“But?” Zash waits as if I’m going to say something that will either crush him or compliment him.
I study the faerie and reaper and dragon. “I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I have no idea what’s happening to me, but I don’t care.” I run back to Janx and rip the pen from him. I sign the paper quickly before my nerves unleash more havoc. As soon as the ink dries, Zash and Blu grab my hands. Janx puts his hands on my shoulders.
“What’s happening now?”
Zash takes a deep breath. “We’re anchoring you. There’s going to be a jolt.”
“There better be a jolt.” Blu lets me go for a second so he can eat a cookie. “I hope.”
“A jolt?” I tense my body and glance back and forth as I wait. We wait a few minutes. As soon as I relax. I mean the actual second I untense, my body jolts like I’ve been hit from a greedy gust of wind. If the immortals hadn’t been holding onto me, I would have flown across the room like an impatient champagne cork. “What was that?”
“I knew it. I knew it.” Blu lets go of me and jumps up and down and spins about a thousand times. “I knew it. I knew it.”
Janx falls to his knees like he’s praying. I look to Zash who has become my go to explainer.
Zash doesn’t let go of my hand. He tries to speak but closes his eyes and whispers something in a language I’ll never understand if I study it for decades.
I’m officially worried. “Did something happen that wasn’t supposed to? Did I do something wrong? Again?”
Chapter 15
“Our names are etched on your heart and your soul,” Zash whispers.
What the? “Etched like carved or waterproof ink or calligraphy or what?”
Zash kisses my hand. “That means you are a Verum. Your heart belongs to the three of us.”
“Forever and always,” Janx whispers, as he remains on his knees with his head bowed. “Thank you.” He glances up at me. “I promise you will never regret taking a chance on me.”
I squeeze my lips together while I think. I am beyond lost. Again. I’ve lost the map, the directions, the GPS, the go to sugary snacks, the backup healthy snacks, the first aid kit, the extra water, the spare tire, and the friend who was supposed to keep me awake.
Blu grabs me and twirls me with him. “We are going to have such fun.” He puts me back down but continues to twirl on his own. “Official little man. Hey!”
The official man comes back in and glances at the bee corner. “Can I take one of the honey jars? I love it on toast.”
I nod and hand him the paper.
The official man looks at the three immortals focusing on each one. Then he glances at me. “Lucky. Eternal Verum Immortals are rare. Powerful. There was this one reign who swore he loved his immortals and signed the document.” He shakes his head.
He leans in close to whisper. “Turns out he had the hots for this other reign and her succubus instead. That was a mess I’m glad I didn’t have to clean up.”
I grab my stomach. “What happened to him?”
The official man leans in even closer to me. “They didn’t tell you what would happen if you signed and had even the slightest doubt about your feelings for one of them?” He shakes his head as he looks at the immortals as if he’s chastising them. Then he looks Zash up and down. “Were you hoping to reap her soul or something?”
Zash steps back and glares at the official man. “Absolutely not.” He looks at me quickly. “Never.”
I study Zash with the blankest expression I can portray.
He puts his hand over his heart. “I know your heart, your thoughts, your everything. Mera, I would never put you in danger.”
The official man looks at me and shakes his head like he doesn’t believe Zash.
Zash narrows his eyes at him and folds his arms over his chest. “It has been ages since I’ve reaped a hudigenous.”
The official man swallows so hard the hollow sound vibrates around us. His hands shake as he gives me another paper. “One more document.”
Blu points again to the door, and the man flees.
I hand the document to Zash. Before he reads it, he finds another book, opens it to a passage and hands it to me.
Eternal Verum: relating to the rarest and most powerful of Eternals who have already been declared both an Eternal and an Eternal Immortal (Please see Eternal Immortal definition). A Verum is declared when the chosen reign falls in love completely and irrevocably with his/her lowborns.
I glance up at the three who hold their breath until they know how I will react. Blu looks like he could unleash a squeal on cue.
I continue reading: The names of the lowborns will be etched on the reign’s heart and soul and will only be extinguished upon the death of the lowborn. Each reign has a limited number of lowborns to which he/she can allow into their hearts. These reigns will be declared Eternal Verum Immortals.
I slam the book shut. “That document didn’t ask if I could possibly, maybe, in the near or distant future love all of
you, did it?”
Blu gasps. “Oops.”
“It asked if I was actually without a doubt already in love with all of you.”
Zash takes a deep breath and winces.
“And why are the Eternal Verum Immortals so powerful?”
Janx looks down at the ground while Blu investigates his wings. Zash studies the symbols on his arms.
“Hello?”
Zash looks at me but doesn’t say anything.
“Is that an answer?”
“I think we should save that for another time.” He grins at me sheepishly. “It’s nothing horrible, trust me.”
“Definitely not horrible,” Blu admits, with a devious grin.
“Uh huh.” I stare at the three for the longest time. “Could I force you to tell me?”
Zash blushes. “Oh, I’m sure you could think of many ways. Maybe the things you wanted me to do to you when we first met.”
My pulse skyrockets. “That’s not fair. I couldn’t control my thoughts around you. Beautiful shirtless immortals with muscles and tattoos showing up in my bedroom on my birthday.”
They smirk at me.
“Come on. My thoughts veered to the naughty. Who wouldn’t go there?”
Blu jumps up and down and raises his hand. “You can force me to tell you. I’d do it for three kisses and thirty pies. No. Three pies and thirty kisses. No. Six pies and some inappropriate touching. Yes, that would do it.”
I roll my eyes and rub my temples. “What’s the next document? Do I have to detail everything I ate as a child? Everything I’ve ever thrown away? My first crush? Does it ask if we’ve had sex yet?”
Zash blushes.
“Really?”
“No. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” Zash shakes his head then stops grinning and becomes serious again. “It doesn’t ask that.”
He hands it back to me. “This would declare Arc and Risq quiguleres.”
I wait for him to explain.
Zash slams his lips together and then blows out a breath. “A declaration of death. If they are seen, they can be taken, tortured and killed by anyone.”
I shake my head. “I won’t sign that.”
“Mera …” Janx shakes his head as his eyes plead with me. “They are dangerous. You have every right.”
“No. No one should have the right to do that.”
Janx growls loud enough to shake the walls.
I grab my heart. “That’s fierce.”
The dragon studies me. His intensity could probably drain energy from a nuclear power plant. “I will protect you at all costs.”
“What does that mean?”
He steps closer to me, and my heart surges. “That means if I ever see them again, I will rip them apart, keep their hearts as trophies and give their souls to Zash.”
I lean as far back as I can get. “Okay then. I’ll have to remember to keep on your good side.”
Janx winks at me. “You have nothing to worry about.”
Blu whistles again. “Official guy!”
The guy comes back inside, and I hand him the unsigned document. He looks at it then smiles at me. “You have a very kind heart.”
“That she does,” Janx mutters under his breath and walks away to look out the window.
The man looks at Blu.“You’re a faerie.” He licks his lips. “Delicious.”
Blu painfully smiles and points to the door.
The man sighs and turns around but then whips back around and takes one more lingering look at Blu. “They are all deliciously gorgeous. How did you get so lucky? I wish I was born in your realm. I have this recurring fantasy about waking up to gorgeous faeries who demand that I satisfy their every requirement.” He leans closer. “And I mean every requirement. If I don’t they punish me for hours. It is exquisite.”
Blu closes his eyes and shutters. He points to the door more emphatically.
The man bows and finally leaves.
Blu keeps his eyes closed. “Is he gone?”
“No,” I say. “He’s still thinking of ways for you to punish him.”
Blu slowly opens his eyes and then shakes. “He wanted me as a souvenir.”
When we thought he was gone, the official man returns. “Sorry, forgot to give you this.” He hands me another document which I hand to Zash.
The official man waits.
Blu clears his throat. “I do not believe my Queen would want you to look at me like that.” He touches my shoulder.
“Right.” I look at the official guy. “Please do not lust after my faerie.”
The official man stomps his foot. “Why does he have to be so beautiful then?”
Zash chuckles. “He asks himself that same question.”
Blu shakes his head. “Zash.”
“It’s true. I thought you said you were built for lust.”
The official man smiles and steps forward.
Blu steps back and raises his wing. “Far enough. No one else has the right to be that close to us.” Blu lowers his voice. “My Queen is very jealous and can go into a rage at any time. You cannot imagine the messes we’ve cleaned up of body parts from her … tantrums.”
I wink at the official guy and blow him a kiss. I’d been taught as a child that pretending to be mad can be an easy defense.
He backs up and lowers his head.
I wait for Zash to finish reading. Janx glances at the document, and I swear loses a bit of coloring before glancing back at me quickly.
“What is it?”
“It’s madness,” the official guy says. “Total madness.”
Blu peers over Zash’s shoulder at the document. His wings pale, and he grabs his stomach. “I need more chocolate.”
“Will someone tell me what is going on?”
The official guy backs up more. “Please, I don’t want violence.”
Zash peers at me. He opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out. He then looks at Janx.
Janx takes a deep breath. “A rebellion.”
I wait for more.
The official guy steps forward. “They’re trying to overthrow the reigns. They’ve already raised six castles. Killed anyone bonded with the humans and released those who didn’t voluntarily take the oath.”
I look between Blu, Zash and Janx. “Are you serious? Are you in danger because of me?”
Zash hands the document to Janx and grabs my hands. “We won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“But what about you?” I look at the official guy. “Is it too late to take the document back which linked them to me?”
“Yes,” Zash says quickly. “It’s official, and none of us would ever change that.”
“We are linked with you forever,” Janx says. “We wouldn’t change that for anything.”
“They’re right,” official guy says. “It was recorded the moment you signed.”
Blu grabs me. “I would never want you to take that back. We belong to you, and you belong to us.”
“What are they doing to the reigns?” Janx asks.
The official guy looks down at the ground. “Some were executed on the spot if none of their immortals spoke of their cruelty. The others …” He makes a face that indicates he couldn’t bring himself to speak about it. “There is a list,” he says quickly. “At least those are the rumors.”
Zash frowns. “List?”
“Of humans who are nice.”
I roll my eyes. “Probably a short list. Could fit on a piece of gum.”
The official guy nods. “Our kind doesn’t have the best reputation. Are they nicer where you’re from?”
I sigh. “Some are. Others are just as vile as they are here.”
Someone knocks on the door.
The official guy jumps and runs behind Blu. “Can I stay here? Can I be one of you? Would you protect me? I’ll take the oath to the faerie. I’ll be your slave. I’ll do everything.”
Zash goes to the door and peeks out. “It’s okay. It’s West.”
Cyl’s vampire, West,
saunters in. He smiles at me and bows. “Congratulations, Queen Mera on becoming an Eternal Verum Immortal. So rare. Powerful. Cyl, of course, is also one.” He notices the official guy. “Hey, Stu.”
Stu blushes and smoothes out his clothes. “West.” He fiddles with his hair. “How did you know I’d be here?”
West frowns. “I didn’t.” He shrugs. “Anyway, Queen Cyl wishes to make her apologies. Given the recent circumstances about the spate of violence, we do not believe it wise to—”
The same sounds from when I was declared an Eternal boom around us. The castle shakes.
West runs to the window. “Oh, no.”
“Another banner?” I ask.
West looks ashen as he motions to Zash.
Zash looks out the window and looks back at me.
West bows. “I must go.” He runs to the door and then turns around. “Be safe.” He leaves.
Stu, the official guy, runs after him. “Wait! West, can you protect me? I’ll say the oath to you.”
I look to Zash. “What’s happening now?” I go to the window. There are fireworks and various banners with symbols I can’t read. “What do they say?”
Blu also glances out the window, but he quickly turns away. “I’ll gather the supplies.” This time his voice is more serious without his usual flirty flippancy.
Zash grabs my hands. “We will protect you.”
“What do they say?”
Zash swallows hard and bows his head.
Janx looks out the window and growls. “One threatens all the reigns. Another calls for death to all humans. Another wants to kill all traitors.”
“Traitors?”
Janx motions to himself, Blu and Zash. “Anyone who bound themselves voluntarily with a reign.”
Zash looks at me with sadness and fear. “This means they’ve taken the town. More reigns have fallen. Otherwise they wouldn’t be so public.”
Blu returns with bags which he hands off to Zash and Janx. “It won’t take them long to get here. We have to leave.”
Chapter 16
Loud cracks explode around us, and they get closer and closer.
Zash looks at Blu.
“I’m working on it,” Blu says. “Okay.” He grabs me and I can barely keep up with him as he runs to the wall, puts his hand against it and it opens. Blu gets me inside the hallway and then hands me off to Zash who drags me further along. Janx follows. Blu stays behind to close the door.
