Haven

by Dria Andersen

  Soon they pulled up to the travel pod at the marketplace in the heart of the realm. Outdoor vendors stretched as far as the eye could see. A rainbow of colored awnings covered fruit vendors, bakers, vintners, and various crafters hawking their wares in every language including English. Liliana’s eyes lit and Leo was glad he’d thought of the trip. Always on guard, he exited the lift first, his gaze racking over both male and female, looking for threats. His brother’s warning was uppermost in his thoughts. He turned to help Lily out of the transport, happy but surprised she’d waited inside. It must have shown on his face, her eyebrow lifted.

  “I’ve dealt with security before, I know better than to move before I’m given the ok,” she caressed his cheek before grabbing his hand. “I also know how to fend for myself, try to remember that as well, my mate.”

  He chuckled. Her words reminding him that she’d spent years alone on Adro, looking for her sister, while eluding soldiers. She was smarter than it seemed he gave her credit for. He released her hand, resting his on the small of her back as he guided her through the crowded market. His reputation often proceeded him when he went out and here was no different. He received respectful nods from some of the males, open staring from a lot more of the ladies than he was comfortable with and salutes from members of the Amanda scattered throughout the market for security. The more hostile stares he met head-on, the offender’s eyes lowering quickly. He put a protective arm around Lily, keeping an eye out for anyone out of place. They randomly stopped at various shops, her happy chatter drawing a smile from him. She had an easy way with the shopkeepers, respectful yet firm as she haggled over prices. Her beauty robbed him of breath. She turned to him and smiled, winking in a shared joke over her negotiating. It punched through his heart and he was struck dumb by the realization that he might actually, really like his mate.

  Liliana caught him staring as she spun in a happy circle in the middle of the baker’s stall. A blush colored her cheeks as she reached over for her pastries. Her heart settled into a fast rhythm as his gaze caressed her face. Needing a distraction from the riotous feelings, she broke of a piece of her favorite namo bread and lifted it to his lips.

  “You have to try this. I’ve only ever found these here at Mr. Aleah’s stall.”

  He opened his mouth, waiting on her. The hunger in his eyes had nothing to do with the sweet treat. If he kept staring at her in that manner, they would need to find privacy, propriety be damned. She fed him the fruit laden pastry, laughing as juice dribbled down his chin. She swiped it with her finger and put it in her mouth, her eyes on his as she sucked on it. He growled and pulled her close.

  He nipped her ear. “Behave, ina.”

  What was the fun in that, though? She laughed instead, pulling him down the busy path to the next stall. They spent the next couple of hours wandering the market, him following her, one eye on her, the other scanning the crowd. The way his face softened every time he turned his attention to her made her feel unbelievably lucky. He was guarded with most they came in contact with, though never impatient with any child with the courage to approach him. She watched him lower to their level, answering their questions, no matter how outlandish. For the adults, especially males, he lifted his lips in a snarl sending them scrambling from their path.

  “I realize the attention I garner when I go out, but you seem to have me beat.” He remarked dryly.

  Heat crept up her neck. She sipped from her frozen fruit cup to stall. He raised an eyebrow.

  “I left a week before my mating ceremony with the prince.” She ducked her head in embarrassment.

  His lips twitched as he suppressed a smile. “A week? Runaway bride, then?”

  She turned from him and cleared her throat. “Something like that.” Had she known running was an option, she wouldn’t have waited until a week before the ceremony to do so. She certainly wouldn’t have waited until Prince Kedric whipped her and threatened her life if she stayed.

  He turned her shoulders back to face him. “There’s more to it than that, then?”

  She nodded. “Can we drop it for now?”

  He stared at her for a long moment before nodding and kissing her lightly.

  Three hours into their trip, her feet decided they’d had enough. The pain wasn’t what made her ready to leave though. A half hour or so ago, the back of her neck started tingling, a sign she’d come to respect and heed. Someone was watching her, and she didn’t mean the disapproving looks she was receiving from some of the older Eshu nobles.

  She’d known as soon as rumors of her new impending mating started circulation, they would be shunned. She was prepared for it, and for the most part ignored the tsking sounds and averted eyes they’d dealt with all day. This was different, malevolent, definitely more than just staring. She tucked closer into Leo’s side, grateful for his size.

  “What is it?” He tightened his arm around her, concern creasing his brows.

  She started to shrug it off.

  “Don’t, Lily. You’ve progressively gotten quiet these last few minutes, something is bothering you.”

  “I have this eerie feeling I can’t shake.”

  She expected him to brush off her concerns, instead his eyes darted around them. Surprise and relief warred within her. She’d spent her life having her family dismiss everything she did and said. That he didn’t hesitate or ask if she was sure…she rubbed her chest as affection for him blossomed.

  “Can you pinpoint the feeling?” All business, Leo turned them back towards the transport area, his steps measured, but not rushed.

  “Someone is watching us.”

  “Watching, not staring?”

  She nodded, relieved he understood the difference. She slid closer to Leo, appreciating his warmth and the arm around her waist. She felt secure in a way she hadn't felt since...ever. She snuggled into his side not caring about etiquette. They were going to stare anyway. They were near the transport when she spotted the candies Bea loved and used to sneak to her when she was small.

  Hand to Leo’s chest, she stopped them at the stall. “I want to get some candy for Bea.”

  Handing him the bags, she stepped closer, grabbing a small basket to put them in. She scooped in a few handfuls, smiling at the memories evoked by the sweet smell. Bea would love these. She placed her basket on the scale, eyes roaming the stall as the shopkeeper weighed them. Candy jars of various sizes flanked the front counter, the ones below shaped like owls. She already pictured the smile on Bea’s face. She reached down and grabbed it a moment before chaos erupted.

  Blown back by a blast of air, confusion turned quickly to pain as she landed on her back. She blinked against the brightness of the sky, clutching the candy jar as she fought to make sense of what happened. Her ears rang, and Leo’s face swam in and out of focus as he leaned over her. Pain exploded through her body as he lifted her, the jostling stealing her breath. Her heartbeat thundered in her ear loudly as he ran through the scattering, panicked crowd. Lily looked down at the jar, realizing she’d forgotten to pay. She glanced back at the stall and found it annihilated. Her eyes widened, her heart stopped, then settled into a rapid rhythm, the sound second to her harsh breathing. Lily closed her eyes in pain. What the hell had happened?

  ***

  “Damn it!” Vanity cursed, bringing her hood up around her head.

  Hours spent on that spell and she’d missed. Leo was moving at a fast clip, his precious mate tight in his arms. No way could she risk launching the spell again and accidently hitting him with it. Yeah there would be stink if she took out the girl since she was a noble, but Xavier would pause the Earth on its axis if something happened to his brother. There would be no hole or realm where she could hide.

  It took the Amanda no time to gather in force around the stall, cordoning it off to search for clues. She moved quickly through the still panicking crowd, not wanting to be anywhere near that stall once they started their questioning. She’d been following Leo and her target through the market p
lace for close to an hour before they’d stopped at that empty stall. The shopkeeper had been far enough behind the counter that she’d decided to risk it. Her commission was for Liliana only, she refused to take out some struggling shopkeeper and his shoppers. Not because of anything having to do with morals or her conscious. Verity just didn’t kill anything that didn’t come with some form of payment.

  Period.

  She made her way through the thinning crowd towards the portal she’d used to enter Legba, cursing her bad aim. Well, not so much her aim. Someone had bumped into her as she set up her spell. She sighed in annoyance. She hated dealing with regular folk. Now, with this failed attempt, Leo would be more vigilant. Who knew what type of protections he’d set around his mate. Getting a second chance at Liliana just went from slim to damn near impossible. She had no time to think about it now, she was late. Glancing around to ensure she remained unseen, she pressed her palm against the sagging stall towards the back of the market, activating the illegal portal. The cloying smells of vegetation threatened to choke her as it opened. Verity took small shallow breaths through her mouth and cursed the Mina and their decaying forest.

  Stepping through the portal she hotfooted it, heading towards the single structure on their realm, a small cabin used as a meeting place. Between the creepy forest with eyes and the claustrophobic cabin where she met with her partners, Verity had a crushing need to escape. The meeting place had been nonnegotiable. Meeting on Minona would keep the precognitive race from seeing their plans. This godforsaken cabin was their only blind spot on the planet. Fucking Mina and their all-knowing, all-seeing eyes.

  "Dziva."

  Her partners greeted her with suspicion, her lateness noted and filed away, surely to come back and bite her in the ass. She cursed Liliana anew.

  She blinked, refocusing on the faces standing around the room regarding her curiously. "Yes?"

  "How did the meeting with the Ajo go?"

  She lowered her hood, and pushed the heavy fall of hair over her shoulder. Would it be too much to ask for a freaking breeze in this place?

  "Dziva." Impatience tinged the sharp bark of her name.

  Her eyes narrowed on the speaker. Dark eyes met hers, the yellow strip down the middle widening, encompassing the dark orbs of the creature. The Apophi's slender waif-like body was protected by scales much like hers, but very much impenetrable. She palmed her dagger anyway.

  She debated taking him to task, but knew he’d simply feed on any anger she directed his way. Not worth the effort. Besides, the Apophi would amplify the anger until the eight of them were all going at each other's throat, and nothing would get done.

  Yeah, best to let it slide.

  "They’re on board, though somewhat reluctantly." Though she dreaded every meeting with the guild, the one with the Ajo was worse. They were completely psychotic, and no amount wheedling had worked. In the end, she’d had to promise them something she wasn’t altogether sure she could grant.

  "What? They’re benefiting from this arrangement as much as we are. If we have the amulet, the Aje will be unable to reform their tribe, thus expanding their miserable life." The Benu flapped his large phoenix wings in aggravation.

  Someone scoffed.

  "What do you expect? They’re insane. Logical thinking is a luxury for those creatures." This from the Cagyn in the group.

  Verity eyed the female. She'd certainly earned her place in their merry band. The group consisted of eight beings, each powerful in their own right. The only goal of this group was to find Ofeeree and free him. They each had their different reasons for doing so. It was an unspoken rule that no one asked. She certainly wouldn’t tell another her reasons.

  No names were exchanged to keep them from telling on each other. At least that was the theory. Verity didn't do business with people she didn't have dirt on. She looked around at those assembled. "Despite their insanity, for the time being we need them. Getting the amulet is the key to getting into Oya's temple. That should be our goal for now."

  "I disagree." An Abiku challenged. The demon met the eye of every being at the table, catching their attention. "The Kokoro souls have been released. Finding them should be our priority."

  Heated argument broke out as the others added their two cents. Verity rubbed her temples, grimacing at the headache already forming.

  She held up her hand for silence. "Once we have the souls, then what? We hold them until someone tells us where Ofeeree's hiding place is?"

  "Our plan to find his location failed. I agree with the Dziva, we can’t move without it." The Apophi licked his lips, his eyes raking her body.

  Verity suppressed a shudder. Nasty creature. Out of the eight members of their group, the Aphophi was the only one she feared. That was saying much in light of the fact that a soul-eating demon was in their ranks. Something about the creature made her skin crawl.

  "Do we have another plan for getting the location?" The Benu asked.

  "I have one in place," the Cagyn said. They all listened as she outlined the plan.

  It was clever, and could definitely work. Verity grudgingly gave the woman respect. But there was a slight problem with their plan, in that she’d almost killed the woman they planned to use to get Ofeeree’s location. She eyed the Eshu in the corner and shook her head slightly at him. She failed in the job he’d hired her for, but perhaps it was for the best. With Leo stepping up security on his soon to be mate, getting to her would’ve been impossible.

  "The plan will take some time. But between that and the Ajo, we’re well on the way to freeing Ofeeree." The Cagyn smiled, her dark marbled skin glowing in anticipation.

  "Gaining entry into Oya's temple, will allow us to free enough powerful souls for an army that can't be beat." The Apophi rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

  Chapter 12

  LEO PACED HER PARENT’S living room, angrily barking orders into his communicator. Despite his obvious anger he wasn’t shouting. Somehow, she found that scarier. She sat perched on the edge of her mother’s chintz armchair, tightly clutching the owl shaped candy jar she’d picked up at the candy store. Her fingers were cold and clammy where they met in the middle of the jar. Her ears had stopped ringing, but she was freezing, lightheaded, all signs she recognized as shock. All of the near misses she’d had over the years on the run had made her an expert on the symptoms.

  She breathed deeply, closed her eyes and went through the techniques she’d learned to calm her body down. When she opened them a few minutes later her heartbeat was a little slower, and there was feeling in her fingers again. Leo's hair was longer, darker, his body thicker as he paced. Growls rattled his chest as he continued barking orders. She watched him, her heart rate speeding once more when he turned those beautiful eyes to her. The silver had completely enveloped his pupils. He murmured something she was unable to hear and closed the communicator. He stalked to her, his large body dominating her parent’s common area, his chest heaving.

  She set the jar next to her on the chaise and lifted her chin. She could and would be strong in the face of his anger. The non-submissive gesture could set him off, but damn it she almost died. She wouldn’t cower from her mate.

  She swallowed hard.

  Even if he was close to changing into his Cagyn form. He growled and stalked to her, lifting her by her arms. He took her mouth in an aggressive kiss, blotting out panic, near misses, hell all thoughts had disappeared. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held on for dear life.

  He turned and walked down the hallway, his lips never leaving hers. He pushed her back into a wall, the picture frames rattling. She came up for air, her lower back throbbing, reminding her of the injuries from the blast.

  “Leo, we can't, not here.”

  He trailed his teeth along her neck and the thought of him biting her, bonding the two of them bounced through her mind. She stopped herself from once again pleading for him to bind them. He sighed, kissing her one final time on the base of her throat. His touc
h gentled and he pulled back, running his hands over her body, checking for injuries. The claws on his hand gave away how close he was to losing control of his beast. She let out a hiss of pain as he raked his hands across her back. Now that the fog of passion and panic had lifted, the pain of her body was becoming apparent.

  He hissed, the rage coming back momentarily. “You are not to go anywhere alone until I can figure out who did this.”

  She started to protest. Words from a few of the human women she’d met ran across her mind. Start as you mean to go on. They couldn’t start their relationship with him dictating her every move. But at the same time, she did almost get killed, could she really argue? She opened her mouth but closed it when she saw the look in his face. Anger, more like rage was apparent but she saw the worry there, the tenderness bleeding his eyes back to their normal color. She somehow felt the way she handled this could set the tone for their mating. Pain shot up her back and she closed her eyes. She’d distract him from his orders for now.

  Her moan of pain snapped him back from the edge. Leo shook his head to shake away the anger as worry for her once again jumped to the forefront. He eased her down from the wall, his claws receding as he calmed down.

  “What hurts, baby?” He gentled his touch and watched her eyes for reaction.

  They widened when he got to her back. He turned her, and saw the bruises blooming from the middle of her shoulder blades to her lower back disappearing into her dress. His heart stuttered and his beast slammed to the forefront. His body burned and stretched, the Eshu form seamlessly replaced by his Cagyn one. His already dark skin darkened, the bronze whirls coming to life as power flooded his body. His fangs crowded his mouth, the incisors cutting into his lip. Lily turned around, her eyes meeting his. No trace of fear lurked in her eyes and that satisfied him on a level he never thought possible. No one faced him in this form. The Demi he was sent for knew his Cagyn form meant death. Despite the fact that his hand spanned nearly her entire waist, the black tipped claws finishing the distance, Lily stood before him unfazed. Fear for her took hold of his heart.