by Jaymin Eve
My fist clenched in the sands around us as I fought for control … sands which were no longer red. For the first time since coming through the wave, I took a look at our surroundings.
“Are you seeing this?” I asked.
Grace didn’t move from Jacob’s side, but she did lift her head to look with me. I stood and turned a full three hundred and sixty degrees. We were on the edge of a large circle of actual golden sand, like you would find on the beach. Surrounding it, divided into quadrants, were four jeweled meadows. Ruby, sapphire, emerald, and … clear and shiny … diamond. It looked like the same spell from the ruby lands had affected them all.
Turning to Grace, I expected to see shock on her face. Except she looked almost contemplative. Like this was familiar.
“Do you recognize this land?” I said abruptly, and then wanted to kick my own ass for talking to her like that.
To my surprise, she only grinned at my tone, shaking her head. “When did you get so impatient, Tyson Compass. You were always the calm one.”
With a shrug, I worked hard to return that smile. “My idiot brothers are rubbing off on me.”
My chest tightened as I looked at Jacob – unmoving, covered in ruby. It was so thick that I couldn’t even tell it was him trapped beneath.
Grace cleared her throat. “It’s like standing at the center of a gem rainbow.”
Yeah, a creepy fucking rainbow that turned living beings into statues.
“Are we stuck here?” she asked as she got to her feet. “All of these lands look to be covered in their own particular jewel, so … the spell has to be across all of them, right?”
She’d reached the same conclusion as me. I had no idea if anywhere was safe from this spell. Well, outside of this golden patch.
“We need to get Jake help, but both of us getting encased as well is not the way to do that.” I was pacing, trying to figure it out. “I could attempt to open a doorway back to Stratford, but since I’ve successfully managed only one step-through in my life, I’m not confident it wouldn’t collapse, leaving us stranded between worlds.”
I would never risk her, and if I stepped through first, I would leave her here defenseless. Striding back to Jacob’s side, I reached down and captured his free hand, searching for our bond.
Jake…
I tried again to connect to him. There was a flicker of something at the end, but so brief I wondered if I imagined it. Sending my reach farther out, I tried to connect with Braxton and Maximus, but besides some lingering tendrils of their race power I was getting nothing.
“Fuck.” I let out a low rumble of exasperation, my fists clenching as my hands dropped away from Jacob’s. My curse must have taken Grace by surprise. She started a little, but recovered almost instantly. “Jacob is beyond me, as are my other brothers. We might just have to risk it, pick one of these jeweled lands and take our chances making it through.” The wave would start another cycle now, so we had some time.
Grace didn’t say anything, she just bounced from one bare foot to the other, her tattered clothes engulfing her too-thin frame. Large eyes stared at me, the color so dark they almost blended into her pupils. Her eyes had always fascinated me. How could they be so dark and yet so depthless?
“I’m ready when you are.”
Right. Escaping.
I scooped my brother’s heavy ass up and hoisted him across my shoulder. I stumbled once; he was stiff, like a long plank of timber, and his top end far outweighed the bottom. I struggled for a minute or two, tried a bunch of different positions, but could find no way to easily balance him. I would not be able to run fast enough with his weight to get out of here before the wave.
“We might have to leave him?” Grace suggested.
My head snapped up, our eyes meeting across Jacob. With a huff, I gently placed him back on the ground, stalking closer to her. My words were rough: “You expect so little of me? What makes you think I would ever leave my brother behind? Any of my pack?”
Her face was fearless; she stared at me boldly, challenging me. “I don’t expect so little of you at all. I was not testing your loyalty again, Ty. If anything, your loyalty to your pack is beyond reproach. Beyond anything I have ever seen.”
Her eyes squeezed tightly and her brow creased. It felt like she’d just reached out and punched me in my chest. The pain she displayed in that one small movement, the envy I heard in her voice … fuck, I was an asshole.
I reached out and wrapped my arms around her. “What are you doing?” she spluttered, as I hauled her closer to me.
“You, Grace Carter, mean more to me than any other supernatural in the world. My brothers are my family, but you are my everything. I will leave Jacob here if that’s the best option for us to get help, for me to save you. I’ll come back for him, of course, but you’re my number one priority.”
A single tear fell from the corner of her eye, and as the dampness landed on her cheek she jerked back, like she was absolutely shocked she could cry. She swallowed hard, the movement obvious in her slender throat, and I couldn’t wait another second. I lowered my head, my lips landing on hers before her small huff of surprise could even be heard.
The kiss started out slightly off-kilter – I’d surprised her and this was our first kiss. But that lasted only a heartbeat. She pressed into me, tilting her head back and parting her lips. My hunger for her roared to life, and my tongue slid in between her lips, dominating her. Owning her.
Our mouths moved together, and despite the fact we were in a very desperate situation, it would have taken a spell far greater than the jewel spell to tear me away. With no effort, I hauled her up to me, and she didn’t even hesitate to wrap her legs around my waist. I tightened my grip, pressing my lips harder to hers, sucking in her full bottom lip, exploring her taste and scent as I committed it to memory.
Our kiss slowed, and slivers of sanity bled through my need. With one last touch, we pulled apart. My arms remained around her, holding her body as close as I could. Her arms were wrapped tightly around my neck, her center pressed against me. I wanted to slide inside of her, to feel every part of her body against mine. But now was not the time.
Breathing deeply, I dropped my head into the crook of her neck. “Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you … right?”
I knew I hadn’t hurt her physically. Her dilated pupils, rapid pulse, and distractingly erect nipples told me that. But she had been through a lot, and I was supposed to wait for her to make the move. Some of my worry abated when she squeezed herself closer to me, her lips grazing my cheek. I felt her happiness through our bond, so I didn’t fight when she untangled her legs, wanting to stand again.
She didn’t move away from me, just met my gaze directly, one of her hands pressed against my right pec, her fingers clutching my shirt. “You didn’t hurt me, Tyson Compass.”
Thank fuck for that. A burning intensity unfurled in my center and worked its way up to my chest. Her presence grew stronger in my mind as more of our bond cemented. It clicked into place, and a strange energy followed, trickling across my mind. I reached for it.
Grace…
I let the word trail off.
There was no reply, although her brow furrowed like she had heard me.
“Do you feel me in your mind?” I asked. “Hear me?”
She shook her head, and then paused. “I don’t know, I sense something … feel your presence stronger than before, but I don’t actually hear you.”
If we ever got out of here, we needed to talk to Braxton. I wanted to know how this dragon mate thing worked. I wanted that sort of bond with Grace, and something told me it was possible, just hovering there, out of reach.
“We can’t leave Jacob,” she whispered, bringing us both back to reality.
The kiss had been a long time coming, and I wanted nothing more than to pick it right back up. But she was right, we needed to get out of here first. We needed to help my brother.
“And … I’m sorry about how I treated you.” Her sudden confession surpri
sed me, but I didn’t interrupt. “It never felt right when I bailed after the dragon king. I was stupid and naïve. Carrying around my pain like I bore this huge burden. I was a child, Ty, and as hard as the last two months have been, they did achieve one thing. I’ve grown up.”
I shook my head. “You had every right to not trust me. And I never wanted you to grow up like that.” If only I could kill her cousin all over again. He just hadn’t suffered enough.
She snuggled closer, her warmth pressing into me. Her light jasmine scent was enough to have my senses firing. “If you don’t want this nice, patient version of Tyson to disappear,” I said, my voice a husky murmur. “The one who will wait forever for you to be ready, then you need to step away. Because I don’t think I can.” She was destroying me with each gentle touch, each moment where she made her way back to me from whatever darkness lived inside of her.
She let out a chuckle as she stepped back. The small space gave me a chance to focus and get my body under control again. She was still smiling when I eventually faced her. The right side of my lip quirked up at the sight. I couldn’t help it, she was so damn cute when she was happy.
“So,” she said, “I was thinking … if you can’t create a step-through back to Earth, then maybe you can create one to somewhere in Faerie.”
I nodded. “It will be a hell of a lot easier staying on this world. Even with the strange magic in this land. I think it’s our best option.”
A gust of breeze blew some of her long locks across her face and chest, and in that moment she had never looked more like a warrior, proud and determined, strong and brave. I was honored that the fates had chosen her as a mate for me. But, like all warriors, she didn’t know when to stop. I could see a deep tiredness in her eyes, the dark blotches under them. She needed to rest.
My little stubborn witch would never admit it, though, so I was going to have to make it about me.
“I’ve exhausted a lot of energy today, and my sorcery side is not settled. I’ll feel more confident about my step-through if I can get a few hours rest first. We can each take turns keeping watch.”
She nodded, her confident façade falling momentarily. “I could never sleep at my gran’s. I was always afraid they would attack me when I was unconscious. Having to constantly be vigilant, it’s … exhausting.”
I bit back my first response, not wanting to upset her again by letting lose the multitude of curses poised on the end of my tongue. I internally wrestled with what to say next, until I realized she only needed one thing from me. Support. “I will keep you safe, Grace. Always. Come get some rest. I’ll take first watch.”
She wanted to argue. I could tell by the way she opened and closed her mouth multiple times, but eventually her exhaustion got the better of her and she stumbled to my side. “I just need a second of privacy first.” She wiggled on the spot. “Got to pee.”
I smiled, glad she was growing more comfortable with me.
“No worries. I want to check on Jacob’s vitals again.”
I tried not to keep tabs on her, outside of making sure she hadn’t wandered too far. I focused on my brother, relieved that his low vital signs remained stable.
Grace was back in a few minutes, and looked even more tired than before. We both dropped down beside Jacob, using him as a backrest behind us. He was totally going to kick our asses when we freed him and he found out about that.
Grace slumped against me as she tried to get comfortable. I let her shift around for a minute, before eventually my impatience grew. Lifting her up, I placed her firmly between my thighs, wrapping my arms around her.
She tensed, but only for a second, before I felt her go boneless, dropping her head back onto my chest. She let out a contented sigh and it rocked all the way to my dick, which was pressed into her perfect ass. Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back and started to recite spells, anything to remind my body – and our bond – that she needed sleep above all other things. Within seconds, her breathing started to even out, and as she made more cute sounds in her sleep, I let my eyes linger on the dips and angles of her face. I loved the way she was so fine-boned, and yet somehow strong. I still wanted her fiercely, but more importantly, I was content to hold her. Protect her. This was what I had been born to do.
Grace Carter
There was nothing soft on Tyson. Nothing.
Hard, broad muscles surrounded me, his chest a series of cuts and dips, defined planes wrapped in tanned skin. Despite this, I wasn’t sure I’d ever slept as deeply as I did when he wrapped me up in his arms and let me rest against him. I must have been beyond exhausted, because it felt like I had only settled against him, breathing in that fresh outdoors scent he always carried – like he had just been in a forest, except it was all Tyson – when I was lights out.
Without a single thought for some time, it was only as consciousness started to return that so did the nightmares. I didn’t have them much during my time being held in the basement, mostly because I didn’t let myself sleep long enough to dream. But there were times they came, when the darkness filled my mind like a thick, insidious smoke I could not escape, no matter how far and fast I ran, how much I fought and screamed.
At first the smoke didn’t seem so scary, despite the slightly ominous feel to it. It was only when it caught up to me that I felt true fear. Those dark tendrils filled my mouth and eyes, choking off my senses until I was blindly fighting against a foe I could not defeat. I fought and breathlessly screamed until the last beats of my heart faltered. Then, as I died, usually I woke up.
“Grace, open your eyes!” The demand penetrated my subconscious just as I was struggling with the smoke. “Baby, wake the fuck up. Come on.”
I coughed a few times, my chest rattling as I fought the unconscious which continued to pull me back under. Tyson. I clawed my way toward him, using our mate bond as a guide. I finally had an anchor in this crazy world. With a gasping cough, I wrenched myself up, eyes flying open as I took in deep shuddering breaths. Large hands wrapped around my biceps, holding me closer as he examined my face. It took me a few moments to calm down enough to meet his gaze.
His eyes were a fiery gold, full magic mode. He was channeling all kinds of energy, and he looked furious. “What happened, Grace? You started murmuring, and then you were crying. Tears were pouring down your cheeks as you slept.” His face was like granite, hard and unyielding as his focus remained on me. One thumb lifted and wiped across my right cheek, removing moisture I hadn’t even noticed. “You can’t do shit like that to me. I couldn’t wake you up.”
Despite my heart racing from the last vestiges of that dream, a snort-laugh escaped. “Sorry, Your Majesty. I will try and contain my emotions next time some scary-ass dream assaults me.”
He shook his head at me, the next words even harder: “Not funny, little witch. Now tell me what the hell just happened.”
His demand didn’t bother me – he was worried; he cared. I would never get upset about finally seeing this side of him. “I told you about my ice energy, but … there is something more. When I was being held captive … this darkness started to hover around my magic center. It was small at first, but each time they hurt me … it grew.” Just speaking about it had tendrils swirling inside of me. The icy spot slapped out again, knocking it down. It was like I had fighting siblings inside of me.
Tyson, whose grimness had not disappeared, was still waiting for the rest. For the information about the actual dream.
“After this darkness appeared inside, well, I started having this dream. Just on occasion. It’s always the same. This smoky fog appears and it completely engulfs me, taking me over slowly. With the last beat of my heart, I wake up.”
Somehow his expression darkened even further, and I found myself hauled up against his chest again. “I’m okay now,” I murmured against him. “It’s just a dream.”
His body rumbled under mine. “Not just a fucking dream, Grace. Even if we ignore the timing of when it started, or call it stress of the
situation you were in, there’s still the fact that it’s not normal to have the same dream over and over. Especially one so dark. It’s not normal to feel dark tendrils around your magic center. We’re pretty much light at our center … so what’s with the dark?” He rubbed a hand across his face in a tired gesture. “You’re being messed with, and I’m pretty much done with that happening. It’s going to stop, one way or another.”
After seeing him pummel Trevor, I had no doubt he meant every one of those words. Still, now was not the time. We had more pressing issues. “We’ll figure it out, Ty. I’m glad now you know everything that happened to me in there. It helps.” It did, I already felt like a weight had lifted from me. “So was there any trouble while I slept? How long was I out?”
For a second I didn’t think he was going to let me change the subject, but he only shook his head and allowed me to pull back. “No trouble. You slept for a few hours. The magic waves have started up again. They form all around us and then wash out across all four lands. Our theory was right before. None of them are safe to travel through.”
Pulling myself to my knees, I faced him. His long legs were still spread out on either side of me, heavy muscles visible through his dark pants. “I feel a lot better now. I’ll keep watch while you get some sleep.”
A lazy smile tipped up his lips and I suddenly felt like a bunny being assessed by a panther. Predator and prey. It made me uneasy but I didn’t back away. Tyson was scary, but not in the same way Trevor had been. My cousin was a monster. Tyson was anything but.
My insides clenched at the look on his face. That look was everything, and I kind of wanted to see it on his face for many more years. My lips parted as my tongue flicked out to moisten them. My mouth was dry, and it was more than just the fact that I needed fluids. It was Tyson. I wanted to kiss him again, so badly it was an actual physical ache in my chest.
We’d had our first kiss yesterday, and it was not even remotely enough. A part of me wished it had never happened, because now all I could think about was kissing him again – I wasn’t sure I wanted to ever stop kissing my Compass. But, alas, like everything else in my life, I had other shit to do first. Save my mother, save Jacob, and get all of our asses safely out of Faerie. Tyson and me … we would have to wait.
