His eyes held my attention; they indicated he was older than me, much older.
I wished I knew how much older. I got a small hint when his normally large pupils didn't expand upon seeing me. A younger elf couldn't suppress the expanding reaction when surprised or when their emotions changed.
I groaned. Elves were wickedly fast. I might have had a chance against a younger elf, but not an older one. I was so screwed.
The sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach grew into a rock-hard chunk. I couldn't teleport away, because the gateway was too close. The enormous energy contained within the gateway totally screwed up the synth crystal in my blood. I was less than helpless without my natural vampire abilities. I couldn't even extend my claws or fangs.
I swallowed several times, trying to rid myself of the lump lodged in my throat. Screaming jitters raced up my spine, warning me to run, but I'd waited too long, running for my life wasn't an option. I started praying for a miracle.
Except in really rare instances, elves hated vampires, always had and always would. The attitude was a fact of life. A reality of racial hatred that I was normally unconcerned about, but the man, glaring at me from the gateway, shoved the problem smack in my face.
A look of haughty distaste flickered across his immobile face. It was just my bad luck the slight breeze sent my scent straight to him. I was a halfling. Well, more like a fourthling, but there was no such term for someone like me who was one-fourth vampire and a three-fourths elf.
If there was anything an elf hated more than a vampire, it was a halfling. Well, that was too bad. I couldn't exactly change what race I was, even if I wanted to.
On the other hand, I wasn't prejudiced toward elves or vampires. I could care less if a person was full-blood or half. And truth be told, I thought the tall, muscle-wrapped elf was a true piece of eye candy. He was gorgeous, not that I was into older men or anything, but his sculptured features, slender body, and muscled shoulders screamed high-dollar movie star.
Other than the opportunity to ogle his hunky body, today was not turning out to be the fun birthday I had planned on, so much for getting home and being shocked over my 'surprise' birthday party.
Yeah, at this point, I worried I might not make it home in one piece.
I tried building up my courage. I told myself he didn’t have any reason to kill me. When that didn’t work, I figured I might as well make the best of a bad situation.
I smiled at him, carefully keeping my fangs from flashing. There was no point in starting a fight with a rude flash of fang, especially a fight I couldn't win.
“Hi,” I said, wishing my voice didn't tremble.
“You're a halfling,” he said, his deep voice sounded nearly musical as he spoke in the old tongue. His firm lips curled-up and his nose crinkled, increasing the disgusted look on his face.
So sorry! Said once, said twice: Hello! I couldn't help being born a halfling, I wanted to shout. Of course, I didn't say anything. Even though my mom didn't think so, I did have a few grains of common sense in my head; I tried – very hard – not to act sarcastic with people who wanted me dead.
It might irritate them.
I sighed with regret, wishing I had tried running for it, but elves were the fastest of all Sídhí races. Running was out of the question.
I tried hiding my fear behind a larger smile, but it probably wasn't working. Knowing my lifelong run of luck, he would think I had gas or something.
I didn't know what else to do or say. Of all times, my mind decided to go totally blank. What could I say? Other than: Please don't kill me, Mr. Elf.
If he had been a vampire, I might have thought of something, but not an elf, especially an elegantly dressed elf that looked like he stepped out of a medieval castle. He had on tight fitting calf skin pants, knee-high lace-up boots (that looked hand crafted,) and a hand-embroidered silk shirt.
How often did someone like him appear out of thin air? It simply wasn't possible.
Suddenly, the answer hit me smack between the eyes. Oh, crap! I thought, realizing how eyeball-deep I'd plummeted into trouble, I felt the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach increase into sweat-popping fear; it smacked me upside the head, really hard.
That gateway wasn't a connection between Earth and a valley. It was a gateway to the old world, to Sídhí! As the truth dawned on me, my panic shot through the top of my head and terror strangled me.
Oh, hell's bells!
There was only one answer: He must be the current elvish monarch on Sídhí. In other words, he was the Sídhí Chi’Kehra. And being Chi’Kehra was more than a title. Just like my sister, it meant he had the ability to manipulate raw energy, pure synth crystal. And everyone knew synth crystal, created by the Ancient Ones, was the most powerful form of energy ever created.
There had only been four Chi’Kehra in all of history and that included Sarah and this guy. He wouldn't like having a halfling knowing any of his business, especially if he was scouting Earth for an invasion.
I gulped, trying to shove my fear down, but my mind kept racing away with itself. Why else would the Sídhí Chi’Kehra open a gateway to earth? Especially a gate opened in the middle of the night and hidden in a bunch of trees, but still had access to a large city?
Every person who wasn't a pure-blood elf was screwed with a cherry on top. Oh yeah, the entire world was rushing toward a disaster and didn't even realize it.
“I can tell from your horrified expression you've realized who I am,” he said seriously. An emotionless mask covered his face as he walked toward me.
He stopped beside me, towering over my nearly six feet by a good foot. “Tell me, do the people of Earth approve of mixed births or are you an outcast?”
“That's rude,” I said snappishly, speaking much louder than necessary. I had to buy some time until Fritz came looking for me.
I crossed my arms in front of me, trying to keep him from seeing how bad I was shaking. I hated what I was doing. It made me literally sick, because poor Fritz didn't stand a chance against Chi’Kehra. I gritted my jaw, refusing to shed the tears that built behind my eyes.
I prayed Fritz heard me; I didn't have a choice. If the horrid elf planned on invading Earth, or even if he planned on uniting all the elvish houses, Trellick Valley was worse than screwed. He would wipe all of us from the face of the Earth. The urgency to warn my family crashed through me; I couldn't let anything stand in my way.
Right on time, I heard Fritz weaving through the trees. He appeared some ten feet away, running full tilt toward us, dagger drawn.
I groaned, mentally slapping myself over my slow reactions to an emergency. Why hadn't I screamed for help? Hello, idiot that I was!
I mentally screamed for reinforcements – from anyone who could hear me. When I didn't get any type of response, I realized the gateway must be interfering with my telepathy just like it did with my ability to port.
“Help!” I mentally screamed and spun around, running as fast as I could.
Swords clashed and my gut clenched in grief. I complained about my shadow, but Fritz wasn't only my bodyguard, he was a friend. I ran harder, but tears blurred my progress. Roughly, I slashed my hand across my face, knowing I had to get a grip. Every Sídhí that wasn't a full-blooded elf depended on my warning, whether they knew it or not.
Without a shred of sound to warn me an iron-hard fist wrapped around my upper arm jerking me to an abrupt halt. “That's far enough halfling.”
After killing Fritz and chasing me, he wasn't even breathing hard.
My lips curled-up, baring my short fangs at him. I snarled, letting him glimpse the danger of man-handling a vampire, a dangerous adversary.
I certainly wasn't a weakling. I'd never go down without a struggle. He might kill me, but I'd make him work for it. I growled and lunged toward him, snapping my now elongated fangs at him. The hair-raising growl rumbled through the trees, silencing the nighttime symphony as the tiny creatures recognized a larger predator in their midst.
He arrogantly lifted his eyebrows in disbelief at my show of defiance, uttering a loud sigh he shook his head, looking like a bored aristocrat surveying a dirty peasant.
My anger and fear gave way to rage. The burning emotion bubbled through my veins, giving me strength. I twisted, trying to break his hold, but it solved nothing. His hand clenched me tighter and I cried out. It felt like he was going to pinch my arm clean off. And with a full-grown Sídhí, it was quite possible.
I hated the injustice of it all. As bad as I wanted to get away from him, he wasn't even bothered by my struggles. I was the one who looked worse for my attempted escape. My sunshades slipped off the top of my head where I'd stuck them. My face stung, where small branches had slapped me in my dash for freedom. And my hair, my hair was a disaster and my downfall. The long stuff swirled into my mouth. Biting a hunk out of someone was impossible with a mouthful of hair in the way.
He didn't pause at my show of anger. Instead, he jerked me backward, dragging me behind him; he silently marched toward the gateway.
Understanding his intentions my eyes widened in terror. I tried extending my two-inch claws, but it was too late. Under the power of the gateway they shrank back to normal fingernails.
In front of me and to the left, Fritz laid spread eagle on the ground several feet from the gateway. Gashes covered his chest and gut. Blood was splattered everywhere, on bushes, the ground, and the surrounding trees. Serious fights between Sídhí were always fast and furious and normally ended with someone getting their head chopped off, the one sure way to kill a Sídhí.
Fritz looked at me and I silently thanked God he wasn't dead.
“You didn't kill him,” I muttered in a low voice. Honestly, I couldn't believe Fritz wasn't dead.
On each wrist and ankle, Fritz was cuffed with solid crystal. Each shackle was connected to a stake of crystal driven into the ground. Even though he was unable to move, his severe wounds, including a deep gash across his stomach healed before my eyes. Thankfully, he was several hundred years old and healed rather quickly.
“Call Chi’Kehra,” Fritz ordered me, struggling against his restraints. His voice was heavy with unspoken words, trying to make me understand the urgency in warning our people without tipping off the elf holding me prisoner.
The man beside me snorted, humor laced his words as he said, “Understanding your modern language is difficult, but yes, I am Chi’Kehra.”
Fritz's frantic eyes met mine and I wanted to tell him that I kept trying to call for help, but the stupid gate blocked my attempts.
Never say elves were dumb. The Chi’Kehra certainly was not.
“You didn't mean me. Did you?” Chi’Kehra asked, glaring at Fritz, who snarled back.
Stubbornly Fritz refused to answer his question.
Chi’Kehra turned his attention to me. With a bone-jarring movement, he held me off the ground and shook me. “Well, halfling, does a khatt have your tongue? Is there a Chi’Kehra of Earth?”
My head flopped around on my shoulders. I felt like one of those bobble-head dolls.
I must have looked silly, but that didn't stop my intense anger. Fury still bubbled near the surface; it glared at him, but without the impact I wanted. I wanted him to fear me, but it was nighttime. He didn't receive the full impact of how much I hated him. If we'd been in the direct sunlight my eyes would've turned a solid blood red that smoldered with heated anger.
I remained silent. Refusing to answer was my only weapon. Anyway, there was no way I'd willingly betray my own sister. She might be a powerhouse, but the powerhouse standing in front of me had a lot more experience.
“Perhaps a journey to Sídhí will loosen your tongue.”
At his solemn words, fear ripped through me and I struggled against his iron-grasp, but he walked toward the gateway, not paying me the slightest bit of attention. He flicked his hand toward Fritz and a chain of synth crystal appeared. The chain lengthened, absorbing the stakes that pinned Fritz to the ground. Chi’Kehra dragged me and a struggling Fritz toward the gateway.
I frantically tried stopping my forward momentum; I shoved my feet outward, but my shoes scraped uselessly across the leaf littered ground. “No!” My urgent protest made my voice shriller than normal.
“Sarah!” I mentally screamed just as we passed across the threshold of the gateway and into a large bedroom. Belatedly, I realized I also screamed Sarah’s name out loud.
“Who is Sarah?” he asked calmly, casually flicking his fingers toward Fritz.
Crystal wrapped around Fritz's mouth, muting his loud shouts. Another flick of fingers and a separate gateway opened behind Fritz and he tumbled through it. The gateway closed without a sound.
My frantic eyes latched on the remaining gateway, the one connecting Earth to Sídhí.
Suddenly, Sarah appeared in the clearing. Sword raised, she rushed toward me, roaring louder than I've ever heard her. Fury glowed from her eyes.
“Sarah!” I shrieked, knowing she'd never make it through in time. The view to Earth snapped shut, silencing Sarah's agonized shout of denial.
My shoulders sagged and I choked on a sob. “My sister, Sarah's my sister,” I answered his question without thinking. I was too stunned to think. I was an elf's prisoner, permanently trapped on Sídhí with no hope of ever returning home. I shuddered, sucking in a ragged breath I searched for some glimmer of hope.
Only a single person might save me and that was Sarah. My sister would come for me. She'd never stop trying. She terrified others, but she loved me. Somehow, she'd figure out a way to get me home.
His snort of ridicule pulled me from my mournful thoughts. “Sídhí is your new home. Only another Chi’Kehra has the power necessary to open a gateway. So unless your sister, whom I assume is half vampire like you, is friends with Chi’Kehra...” he stopped and the skin between his eyes tightened in a frown. “The Earth-born Chi’Kehra is your sister? That woman who attacked was Chi’Kehra?”
I hastily shook my head, denying his accusation. “No, of course not. We're both a quarter vampire.”
“You lie, Chi’Kehra is your sister!” He shoved his face in mine, glaring at me.
My heart raced in rekindled fear and my mind shrieked at me: He knows!
The world of Sídhí had to be millions of light years away from Earth, but I had to warn Sarah; she was the only person who had a chance at protecting Earth. Honestly, I didn't know how she would hear me, but I tried anyway.
“Sarah!” I mentally screamed, hoping beyond hope that - combined with the sibling blood we shared and as Chi’Kehra - she would hear me.
From my look of concentration, he must've guessed I was using telepathy. I had no warning, before he violently threw me across the room.
I slammed headfirst into a stone wall.
~ ~ ~
Chi’Kehra gritted his teeth, looking at the crumpled form of the beautiful young woman.
Doing the right thing sucked, but his duty was protecting his people, not giving the Earth-born Chi’Kehra a chance to destroy his world. Who would have dreamed more than one Chi’Kehra could exist? Even if she didn't want to conquer Sídhí, another Chi’Kehra would throw his world into chaos.
Already he felt the energy surrounding his world changing as the white-blonde Chi’Kehra sent tendrils of energy outward, hunting for her sister. If the unconscious young woman mentally cried-out for her sister, it would all be over.
He only had a very brief window of opportunity; he didn't dare give the young woman the slightest chance to call for help. Depending on how old and well trained her sister, the Earth-born Chi’Kehra was, it would only take moments for her to zero in on a relative by blood.
A silver collar might have helped, but he didn't have time to fetch one.
He sighed, frustration fueling his anger. He didn't want to kill an innocent. Perhaps if he tried talking to her it would help. Surely, a few minutes would not be enough time for the other Chi’Kehra to lock onto her sister. He simply hoped
he could convince the young beauty to remain silent.
He honestly couldn't understand his hesitation to silence her. True, she was an innocent bystander caught in a bad situation, but that shouldn't have mattered. He had always done whatever was necessary when protecting his people. This was different, she was different.
She touched something deep in his soul. He didn't believe in love at first sight, but the thought of hurting her made his chest ache.
~ ~ ~
I blacked-out for a moment.
When I awoke, sharp shooting pains streaked through my head. My jaw and shoulder felt on fire. I struggled to open my eyes, blinking against the pain. A large gray rock blocked my vision, sitting inches from my nose. I couldn't smell anything, except the blood trickling down my nose. Ugh, I hated nosebleeds and I really hated pain.
I lay crumpled at the base of the wall he threw me at. I didn't think I fainted for long, because I heard his firm strides coming up behind me. I rolled over and pain threatened to pull me back under. With a force of will, I finished rolling over. That didn't sound too hard, but it hurt like the blue-blazes.
I watched him walk slowly toward me, shaking his head. He actually looked sad. “It didn't need to come to this. If I must, I will kill you in order to protect my world. I'd much rather propose a truce.”
The significance of what he said pounded through my head. If he didn't kill me outright, he'd chain me with enough silver that I'd become deaf and dumb to my Sídhí abilities. I'd rather be dead than a slave.
I tried standing up, but my body screamed in pain. Streaks of stabbing pain ripped through my broken jaw, shoulder, and arm. I couldn't tell him I wouldn't cry for help even if I wanted to. The pain stopped the words, letting them die in my throat. My jaw hurt too badly; I couldn't form any kind of sound other than a whimper.
Speaking mind to mind with the Chi’Kehra was totally not an option. I doubted if my mental shields would keep him out.
When I remained silent, a sword made of pure synth crystal appeared in his hand. His jaw clenched. From the look in his eyes, he appeared determined.
Beloved LifeMate: Song of the Sídhí #1 Page 2
