I paused for a long moment, staring at him. “About what?” I finally dared ask.
He dropped to his knees suddenly, his body uncomfortably close to mine. My heart jumped into my throat and my stomach knotted.
“I think you know,” he remarked.
The moon shone from behind him, and I cursed inwardly because I couldn’t see his face properly, because I wasn’t sure if he was still smiling. I narrowed my eyes, trying to get a better look.
And then it didn’t matter anymore, because his face was moving toward me, and before I could even process what was happening, his full, firm lips were brushing against mine, leaving a soft, tickling trail in their wake.
“What… Um, no. No, I don’t,” I gasped, grasping at his chest and pushing him back.
“Why did you kiss me, back at Herakles’s camp?” he asked, refusing to budge. His breath was hot against my face, and I had no idea what to do with myself anymore.
“No reason!” I snapped.
“That’s nonsense,” he retorted. “Be honest.”
“Why?” I fired back, even though I was aware that I was only digging myself deeper into this hole. A hole that I, truthfully, wasn’t even sure I wanted to climb out of.
“Because I want to kiss you again,” he replied. “Because you’re dangerously addictive, and I can’t get enough of you.”
I paused, desperately attempting to process what he’d just said.
And then I replied with the only honest thing I could.
“I… I think I want that, too,” I managed.
“And why is that?” he asked, suddenly switching to the role of interrogator.
“Huh? I don’t know! Do you always know why you do stuff?” I retorted, more than a little bit exasperated. He was way too close for me to think straight, and all I could focus on was the taste of his lips. My whole being wanted that experience again—this time in full, with no one watching.
I briefly glanced around, spotting the silhouettes of the rest of our crew about a hundred yards down the shoreline, resting in front of a small campfire.
“I do know why I want to kiss you again. Didn’t you hear me, just now?” Zeriel asked. The undercurrent of amusement in his voice didn’t go unnoticed. He was enjoying this more than he had any right to.
That triggered something in me—the same fire that had pushed me to kiss him in the first place.
“So what’s stopping you?” I shot back.
He shifted closer again, and suddenly I could see his eyes clearly, as if a veil had just been removed from mine. The moon, which had been hiding behind a small cloud, was now once again illuminating the stone slab. Desire burned in his blue irises, and his lips were slightly parted, his breath heavier than usual.
“Absolutely nothing,” he remarked. “I would’ve liked to know why you kissed me, but since you won’t tell me yourself, I’ll just have to find another way to get it out of you.”
He didn’t give me a chance to reply this time. He lowered his head and captured my mouth in a full-on kiss, one arm sneaking around my waist and pulling me flush against his muscled frame. He nudged me back down, and laid on top of me. I was but a feather beneath him, cloaked in heat and darkness.
“You’re quite the firecracker, you know that, Vesta?” he whispered.
“Takes one to know one,” I gasped, my lips moving instinctively against his.
Something was happening to me, something extraordinary and impossible to control. I didn’t know what it was or where it would lead; all I knew was that I didn’t want it to stop. His hands moved up to the small of my back, then ran upward, and I arched my spine, inviting him to explore. One hand traced its way all the way up to my neck, then settled at the back of my head, as he immersed us both deeper into the kiss.
I was starting to lose my senses, acting on nothing but pure instinct and delight, my fingers buzzing from the feel of his smooth, bare skin and the taut muscles beneath. Leave it to Vesta to fall for the shirtless king.
“Like I said, addictive,” he breathed, lifting his lips from mine to press a kiss against my neck.
I was just about to grab his head and plant his lips back where they belonged, when I realized with a start that I had to stop this. Even if I didn’t want to. This was the break I needed, that we both needed, before this got too out of control.
What in Neraka were we doing? Now wasn’t the time for this. Not when we were in the middle of such a crucial—and dangerous—mission, with no idea what tomorrow would bring for either of us.
I stilled, my gaze fixed on the Tritone’s.
“Vesta, why did you kiss me?” he demanded again, his voice husky and low, pulling at the hem of my self-restraint.
Another second, and I probably would’ve reneged on my resolve, surrendered myself back into his arms. But instead, I managed to find enough strength to push myself up and climb off the stone. Barely able to breathe—or walk—properly, I staggered back toward the small fire, even as I felt Zeriel’s eyes following me.
“We’re not going to address that tonight,” I announced.
“Huh? Well, then, what about tomorrow night?” he called after me, stifling a chuckle.
“Nope!”
“Okay, when?” He laughed outright.
“When I feel like it!” I snapped back.
I realized then that I was both excited and terrified. The way he made me feel was not something I could adequately put into words. My heart was singing and dancing, giddy like a hyperactive little girl, while my lips were still tender from his passion. I loved every little reaction that Zeriel brought about in me, and I wanted more.
But I also worried that if I let myself fall too much deeper into this, he was going to break my heart, even if he didn’t intend to. Given our circumstances, falling in love was dangerous. And I wasn’t interested in experiencing the painful part of love just yet. Or even ever, for that matter. I’d cried enough during the daemon occupation, without losing a soulmate.
“That’s no way to treat a king!” he called out.
I chuckled softly but ignored him. I was still in awe of what had just happened. This guy was a literal king among his people, and he’d just kissed me like I was the only girl in the world. I was struggling to regain my composure, but I had to. Because there were Perfects out there looking for us, and this was bad timing, to say the least.
That didn’t have to stop me from enjoying this little thread of power I now seemed to have over Zeriel, however…
Ben
The midnight moon was at its high point in the sky. We put the fire out, since we couldn’t let it burn for too long to avoid Perfects detecting us from afar. We gathered on the lagoon’s shore, each of us mentally preparing to talk to the Hermessi. The voice had promised.
I took a quick look at my team and noticed the subtle shifts between them. They tried hard to keep a straight face, but I was seasoned enough to recognize the body language. Zeriel and Vesta were stealing glances from each other—the Nerakian fae’s cheeks were constantly flushed. These two had gotten closer at some point. Hunter and Kailani seemed to be at an impasse. There was anger and grief in their eyes, whenever they looked at each other.
Lumi was almost permanently watching Bogdana. After the old fae had revealed her role in Ta’Zan’s birth, Lumi became even more alert about her, unable to fully trust her. I had to agree with the swamp witch on this one. Bogdana could be a liability, a weak spot in our armor, if Ta’Zan got a hold of her.
Draven and Serena were more in love with each other than ever. They were practically glowing, even in times as dire as these. Taeral had just spoken to his parents, and I could see the look of concern on his face. He, like the rest of us, worried about the outcome of this battle of ours. Part of him probably wondered if he’d ever see Sherus and Nuriya again. I couldn’t blame him. I thought the same of River…
“I love you,” Bijarki said, smiling, then took a deep breath and looked at us. He’d been talking to Vita using their Te
lluris connection. We all took advantage of all the means of communication available, since we didn’t know how long until they’d go back down—we estimated up to a week or so.
“How is she?” I asked him.
The incubus was shimmering silver like the Earth’s moon. He was going to be a father, soon, and I completely understood the joy bursting through him. “Her due date is just around the corner. She’s worried about me, of course, but I promised I would come back to her and our baby. I plan on doing whatever it takes to keep my word.”
“But she’s feeling okay, I suppose,” I replied, always worried about my granddaughter.
He nodded. “Heavy, she says,” he chuckled. “She can feel it coming, if that makes sense. She’s even given herself a deadline. If the baby doesn’t come out in a week, they’re going to have words.”
We all laughed this time. Vita had this adorable way about her—petite and lovely and beautiful, yet fierce and determined, ready to move mountains if needed. No wonder Bijarki had fallen so hopelessly in love with her. I was curious as to what their child would be like. How much fae, and how much incubus? Or would he or she be one or the other?
“She’s in good hands,” Serena said. “Auntie Victoria is looking after her and Voss. We just need to focus on what’s going on here, so we can get back to what’s going on over there.”
In conclusion, nobody was really 100% here. We all had inner thoughts, ardent hopes and crippling fears to deal with. None of us wanted to do this, but we still picked ourselves up and moved forward.
I took a deep breath, then looked at Bogdana and Lumi. “Okay. So, the Hermessi said midnight. Here we are. What now?” I asked.
“Perhaps I should go in the water again,” Bogdana suggested. “Like I did the last time, with Rose.”
“Oh, you mean shortly before we found out that you were holding out on us in terms of crucial, Ta’Zan-related information?” Lumi retorted, unwilling to forgive yet. “I don’t think so. No. You’ve done your part, and you don’t belong at the front of the fae line here. I’m not trusting you with any relationship we may be able to build with these entities.”
Bogdana took offense but chose the diplomatic route. “But I—”
“Ben should do it,” Lumi cut her off. “Out of all the fae in our group, besides you, Ben is the most experienced. He should give it a shot.”
Bogdana sighed, then nodded briefly. She gave me a weak smile. “Just let yourself float, then shut your mind off. Imagine the Hermessi as a thread. Visualize it in your head and follow it… You’ll find it.”
“We’re going for the water Hermessi, right?” I replied.
“It’s the most responsive one, so far, so, yes,” Lumi said.
“I’m more of a fire fae,” I sighed. “Are you sure we’ll make a connection?”
“We belong to all four elements,” Bogdana reminded me. “I, too, am more of a fire fae, just like you. However, it didn’t stop the water Hermessi from reacting to me. Give it a try. See what happens.”
“Okay… Cool,” I muttered, then took several deep breaths in order to calm myself down. My heart was already racing, dragging me into a state of hyperventilation. Ever since I’d gotten my fae body, I’d been afraid of losing it, somehow. There was a part of me that worried the Hermessi might not see me as one of their own, but rather as someone living off borrowed time, an impostor of sorts.
Nevertheless, I braced myself. I left my backpack, my weapons and earpiece behind, mentally preparing myself for a full disconnection. The crew waited on the shore, while I went into the water, first walking, then swimming toward the center of the lagoon.
Once I reached it, I looked back, noticing my people watching. I wasn’t close enough to see their expressions, but I could almost feel the hope pouring out of them. My stomach churned. I’d never done anything like this before, and doubt was often a killer of great endeavors.
I allowed myself to float, as I stared at the sky for a while. My eyes felt heavy, all of a sudden, so I closed them and envisioned the thread that Bogdana had mentioned. I imagined it blue, to symbolize water.
Time seemed to stand still, as darkness enveloped me. The blue thread materialized before me, so I caught its end and wrapped it around my finger, so I wouldn’t lose it. I followed it, unsure as to how I was moving—was I floating? Swimming? Walking? I couldn’t tell, because I could no longer see my body. It was as if I didn’t exist anymore.
I kept tracing the blue thread back to its origin, whatever that was, only… at some point, the thread turned into a stream. I could still grip it with my bare hands—hands I couldn’t see. The paradox was mindboggling, to say the least. But I stayed focused on the stream, now. Whatever else was happening around me, it didn’t matter. Only the Hermessi mattered.
The stream became a river, and I felt like I could still hold on to it, as if I was infinitely bigger. A titan following the water. Once more, without even realizing, I found myself in the middle of the river. My feet felt cold—the feet I couldn’t see.
The sound of rushing water got louder. The trickling had a rhythm, which I managed to catch. I played it back in my head, until it made sense. Until words were formed. Spoken words.
Midnight is here.
I stilled, looking around. “Who’s there?” I asked, raising my voice.
I’m the one you’ve been waiting for.
The feminine whisper sounded so close, that I was compelled to glance over my shoulder. No one was there, just the river flowing into eternity.
“And who’s that, exactly?” I replied, hoping to get a name from this entity.
You know my name.
“Uh, no, I don’t.”
You all do. My name has been the same for eons, in any possible language.
I took a not-so-wild guess. “Water?”
She smiled. I could feel it in the pit of my stomach, somehow.
Water. The source of life in any corner of this universe and the next. I make my way through anything and everything. Nothing stops me. Yet, here I am, Ben. I’ve stopped for you.
My heart was fluttering, but it also felt heavy. Like a boulder with wings. I figured this wasn’t the first nor the last weird thing I’d experience in this meditative state.
“You said you were stronger at midnight. How so?” I asked.
Her voice sounded so close, but I couldn’t see her anywhere. This was quickly beginning to border on creepy.
When the sun sleeps and the moon awakens, the tides rise, and I rise with them.
“We need to talk to you,” I said. “We need your help.”
Silence lingered for a while. I waited, patiently, hoping that she was contemplating whether to come forward or not. She’d reacted for a reason. She’d helped us with Douma, back by Amane’s cave, and she’d helped Rose by the river on Merinos, too. Water had a role to play in this vanquishing this nightmare, I knew it.
My help? How so?
“You should manifest yourself, first. We need to see you’re strong enough to show your presence in the real world, too, not just in our fae subconscious,” I replied. “Otherwise, there’s no point in this conversation going forward.”
Ben. You cannot ask water to manifest itself. It’s water. All it does is pour and nourish and… drown.
“Then why’d you help us before?”
Because you looked like you needed a hand.
“We need more than that. Come talk to us. The fate of your planet is at stake here.”
Ben… I can’t just come out, willy-nilly. I demand a favor in return. Accept, and I shall make myself known in the physical plain, too.
I sighed. This particular episode reminded me of Harper’s account from Neraka, when Ramin demanded a favor in return for his help to destroy Shaytan. In this case, however, I was being asked for a favor to get a Hermessi to simply show up. It sounded like a pretty steep price. Then again, these were desperate times, calling for equally desperate measures.
“What favor?” I asked.
/>
Oh, I don’t know yet. I’ll let you know when I do, I promise.
I rolled my eyes. Or at least I thought I did. I couldn’t really feel my body in this darkness. “Fine. I accept. Now, please, show yourself. We need to talk.”
Once more, I could sense her smiling. She was satisfied—maybe a little too much, but it was too late to turn back now. I didn’t fully trust the Hermessi, mainly because I had zero knowledge of their history, of their powers and their limits. All I knew was that they were entities of natural elements, responsible for bringing life into the many worlds out there, including this one.
But there wasn’t any lore on them, not that we knew of, anyway.
Follow the stream back to where you came from, Ben. I shall see you there.
I turned around, watching the stream flow endlessly into pure blackness. I walked, or swam… or floated, until the water turned back into the blue thread I’d imagined. I stayed on track, eager to get to the end. It seemed to be taking forever, and I was beginning to lose my patience.
Until it hit me. I looked down and saw my hand again. The end of that blue thread was still wrapped around my index finger. I chuckled softly, then unraveled it and let it loose. Darkness swallowed me again.
I was nowhere and everywhere at the same time, trying to wake up.
For a moment, I feared that nowhere and everywhere would be all I’d ever get.
Ben
The sound of water was all around me. I opened my eyes and saw the starry sky.
Within seconds, I remembered where I was, as if having just come out of the longest dream state. My body was as light as a feather—granted, I was floating, but it was more than that.
I resumed a normal position in the water, taking in my surroundings once more. The lagoon was simply breathtaking at night. Firefly-like insects hovered above the shore, like the tiniest stars that had gotten lost from their flock in the sky. My team waited on the edge, where I’d left them, but there was something else.
Or, better said, someone else. A female figure emerged from the water, approximately fifty feet from the shore. I instantly knew who she was and tapped into my fae ability to get the water to help me swim faster toward her.
A Shade of Vampire 66: An Edge of Malice Page 11
