I kissed him and noticed the playful grin that formed on his lips just before he lowered his hand to stroke one of my tails.
"Eep!" My face burned bright red, and I slapped his chest. "Hands off the tails," I hissed.
He chuckled. "So it is a pleasurable spot, then," he hummed. I groaned, pulled out of his embrace, and whacked my tails in his face.
"Ah. Crimson, don't get mad,” he whined.
"Hmph. I'm going back to bed since you're all better now," I huffed.
"Crim, don't be upset!" Quillian called, speed walking to catch up with me. I smirked, secretly glad he was okay. Even if Storm's purpose was to break us apart, all her actions did was make me learn more about Quillian.
And now we had a date.
"Why is everyone looking?" I mumbled, feeling super shy as I tightened my hold around Quillian's arm.
He smiled at my cautious behavior, seeming immensely amused by it. "Because you're absolutely beautiful and fit the look of a new bride on her honeymoon," Quil replied, sounding super pleased with our disguise.
We'd headed to a village in the east called Ramiko Nala. Though it was a small village, it was known to host many newlyweds. They were known for their stunning attractions such as glowing waterfalls, secret passages to endless gardens, and a beautiful hidden destination for couples to enjoy their privacy with one another. It was sectioned off, so you could walk naked throughout your designated area and not fear anyone seeing you. If the food was delivered, you had to answer the call bell before the server was allowed to enter.
It was still a popular destination after many years, but even with its stellar reputation, Yomato had been receiving constant reports of human remains being found. It hadn’t been near the tourist area, but it had gotten so bad, humans avoided this place at all costs.
We'd dressed up in fancy attire to give the impression we were newlyweds and arrived, planning to stay for the next two days. Yoshi used his father's connections to get us one of the best sections that included a tour of all the major attractions.
It would not only help us see what really goes on in broad daylight when tourists were around, but it would also give us some insight about nightly activities where people weren't as wary about their surroundings.
"I don't think I'm pretty enough to stop traffic," I mumbled.
"I do," Quillian replied, making me blush.
"Tease."
"Just admit you secretly like being complimented," Quil insisted.
"Maybe," I countered with a slight grin.
We turned to our left and found the check-in building. It was a smooth procedure, with Quil only needing to sign a form. Then we received card keys that were magically enhanced to give us access to our sectioned paradise.
After all that was finalized, we were escorted to our sectioned paradise by one of the maids, who assured us our luggage was already in our room.
"So, do many shifters come to this place, or is it a mix of shifters and humans?" Quil asked as we walked down a path that would lead us to the portal used to teleport us to our section.
"Ah. We used to have a good mix of both,” the maid replied, looking around quickly to see if anyone else was around. When she felt the coast was clear, she continued, her voice very low. "However, as of late, there's been a real decline in human guests. We generally made more money with human tourists, but since so many human corpses have been discovered, we’ve discouraged any humans from showing up until the problem is solved. Our CEO has been made aware of the situation, but it's as if he can't locate the group that's doing these crimes. We're waiting upon the Emperor to send his guards to assist. It's really damaging our business and making it rather difficult for us to get enough hours,” she disclosed.
She smiled at both of us, looking a little sympathetic. "My apologies for talking about such depressing things during your vacation. You two just seem like foreigners of high class, so I thought maybe you'd be able to contact the Emperor and inform him of the problem. It seems our efforts are only leading to dead ends." The maid sighed.
"No worries. We do know someone who could send the message to the Emperor. After our stay, we'll forward the message over," I reassured her, giving her a confident smile.
"Arigato! The staff and I would greatly appreciate it. It's hard to get jobs in these parts, so if this place ends up having to close down, it will be very difficult for us." She bowed her head over and over again.
"I can imagine," Quil replied, looking around. We reached the circular portal that seemed like just a stone platform. We walked up the stairs to it and faced the large panel, which had a card slot.
"Press your card key in that slot, and it will teleport you to your paradise. Please feel free to take today off. Tomorrow, you're scheduled for many fun activities including the tour of the glowing waterfall,” the maid informed us.
"Arigato," I replied, and she bowed.
"Thank you! Please enjoy your stay, and if you need anything, buzz for a server," she explained.
We nodded and bid her farewell. Then Quillian placed the card key into the slot and slipped his hand in mine. We watched as different colored magic circles formed around us, and our surroundings swiftly changed. When the magic circles disappeared, we were in a completely different section of the resort, but it was absolutely stunning.
The flowers, the buzz of nature, even the sky looked vibrant as the sun's warm rays shone down on us. We looked behind us and spotted a two-story cabin, which made me gasp in adoration.
"Wow..." I whispered.
Quil nodded. "This place is unreal.”
We both headed inside the cabin and slipped our shoes off. I noticed our bags were neatly set in the corner of the room.
"We have this whole place to ourselves?" I beamed at Quillian, who smirked.
He slipped his arms around my waist, and we swayed from side to side. "Yes. This whole spot, just for you and me."
"I know this is technically work, but I'm excited." I hummed.
"Me too,” he replied before kissing me. "Let's change and get this investigation over with so we can have some private time."
"Agreed." I nodded.
"May this talisman protect and strengthen your powers while chaining any excess essence that may trouble you or place you in harm's way. Such essence cannot harm you, only communicate with you in time of need or desperation. I place this form of protection on thy ankle, which should only be removed when you must release such troubled magic to where it belongs in the sky above."
The old woman nodded her head three times before placing the talisman on my ankle, sealing the spell.
"Arigato Gozaimashita, Great One," I whispered.
She peered up at me from her stool and smiled. "You are blessed with great power, my child. I'm glad you came to me when you did. The competing magic inside you is displeased with your growing strength."
"I'm aware, sadly," I replied.
She rose up, looking deep in thought and pressed her hand to my shoulder. "Do not second guess your power. You have magic that can save all of us, my child. You will deal with challenges and torment along the path you are destined to take. However, such a path will only strengthen the bonds you have with the many individuals who love you dearly. Do not let the enemy take such bonds away from you. Fight for what you want, and do not give up. Being powerful sometimes means being broken down. Then one is able to appreciate the strength they have and use it to conquer their enemies and bring peace,” she professed.
I didn't know what to say and took a glance at Quil, who had a guarded expression on his face as he looked between the two of us.
"Now, this anklet will not only protect you spiritually, but will also ensure you won’t experience a premature death like the essence that lingers inside you did. It will come in handy in the near future,” she foretold.
"Thank you, Great One." I bowed my head to her.
"No need, my child. Feel free to come by again if you ever need advice. My door will always be open t
o you and your husbands,” she declared.
"Husbands..." I blushed at her knowing smile as she looked back to Quillian, who was also blushing. He quickly turned his gaze away at our glance, and I giggled quietly.
"Once again, Great One, thank you for your advice and kindness. I will certainly come again when I need your words of wisdom."
"Farewell, my child. May you enjoy the rest of your vacation."
I made my way to Quillian who slid his hand into mine. Then we both turned to the older woman and bowed. She returned our bow and waved farewell, watching us leave her home. We strolled down the path back to the main square of the village to take the portal to our paradise. We both deserved a nap after our previous hours of investigating, where we came up empty-handed.
"She was very kind," I commented, deciding it was safe for us to talk here. We turned left, heading to the more private path leading to the square.
"She was. Looks like we came in time before Storm really stuck to her word to try and hurt you," Quillian pointed out.
"You know what bothers me?" I queried.
"What?"
"I understand why Storm's essence is trying to take control of me, but wouldn't that be a reflection of the individual? I mean, I have no idea who Storm really was, and the one time I did meet her, I thought she was kind to even acknowledge me. However, I was researching about essences this morning, and I found an article that talks about everyone's magic essence being a perfect replica of the individual," I explained.
"Really?" Quillian asked, sounding intrigued.
"Yes. I read a few of the professor's articles. He seemed to be very knowledgeable about magic essence and how they could linger in objects or people for many years, but all his research suggested that an essence can't be manipulated, even after death. I don't know if it's true or if there's other documentation that supports or goes against his research, but that's what I discovered so far."
"So you think Storm was a little jealous to begin with and didn't want to share us with anyone to the point of wanting to harm you?" Quillian asked.
"Hmm. I don't know if that's how I see it. I don't want to say anything because again, I don't know her. Sure, I know bits about her past from what I've seen in the memories before the whole fiasco that happened with Konashi and N.R.O., but maybe Storm was hiding a side she didn't want you guys to see? I just feel if I was in her position and had very few loved ones, I'd be pretty selfish too, and not want to lose any of them to anyone, especially a woman."
"Women are complicated," Quil commented. I pulled my hand out of his to elbow him in the side. "Ow! I take it back. Not complicated, ow..." he complained. I smiled, taking his hand back in mine.
"I guess we can talk about it with the others when we get back. Again, we were with Storm all the time, only leaving her alone when she had certain training sessions or business trips where we knew she'd be safe in attending without our presence," Quil explained.
"Okay." After replying, I looked to my left and noticed a group of kids. "Hmm?"
I stopped to stare at the group, who looked to be pointing and laughing at something. "Kids? Why would there be a group of kids at a resort like this?" Quil asked.
"Hmm, don't know. Maybe they came with their parents," I considered.
"Maybe. Let's head back," Quil suggested. I nodded, but my Kitsune didn't want to leave for some reason, coming right to the surface. My tails and ears appeared, and I listened carefully, picking up the children's words.
"Freak!"
"Useless!"
"Hahaha, she's gonna die. You belong with the rest of the dead humans."
"Once we finish with her, we'll get paid! We'll be able to go buy whatever and our parents will praise us."
"Good riddance. Humans are pathetic. Waste of space."
"Die!"
I tugged my hand out of Quil's and darted forward, moving quickly as I heard a muffled scream. The sound of footsteps not too far behind told me Quil picked up on what was going on and was following my lead.
In seconds, we were in front of six kids who looked to be in their early teens, none appearing older than thirteen. I locked on to a pair of hands gripping for dear life over the edge of a cliff that led to a deep stream. I gasped, which alerted the six boys to our presence.
Quillian took a step forward. "FREEZE!" he snapped, and all six of the boys were frozen in place, blocks of ice covering their feet. I was at the edge of the cliff in a heartbeat and grabbed onto the little girl just as her hands slipped.
"I got you!" I exclaimed, meeting her wide, fearful green eyes. I pulled her up and she crawled into my arms, holding me so tight as she trembled uncontrollably. I helped untie the cloth covering her mouth that served to muffle her cries. She began to wail and sob.
"Arigato! Arigatooo." She repeated the words over and over again.
"You're safe now," I spoke quietly, stroking her back soothingly.
"Let go of us, Roujin!" one of the boys snapped with anger.
"YA! You old man! Don't interfere, or we're gonna tell!" another boy declared.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP, ALL OF YOU!" Quillian shouted, silencing all of them with ease. A chill ran through me as a cold breeze blew in our direction.
I looked to Quillian, whose eyes were flickering in different colors as he stood there with clenched fists. I could feel immense rage flowing off him in waves and his hair began to shift from its normal blonde with red ends to a bright blue with amber ends.
Blue scales ran down his arms, which were visible thanks to his tank top. A long blue tail formed, with a sharp end that reminded me of the edge of an arrow, which shifted between red, gold, and orange.
"Oh, shit..." one of the boys whispered, trembling in fear.
"D...dra...dragon shifter?!" another boy said in shock, pointing to Quil, who looked ready to kill these kids.
"Who are you going to tell, huh?" Quil demanded, his voice a lot deeper than his usual tone and filled with malice.
"Uncle Joe...he told us we had to kill humans and we'd get rewarded by a red-eyed man!" a boy with blonde hair confessed.
"Dammit, Chris! You weren't supposed to say anything!" a fourth boy complained.
"He's a dragon shifter! He'll fry us! We're already in fucking trouble. This is all your fault! You forced me into this and told me you'd make sure the red-eyed guy kills me and my whole family if I said anything!" Chris snapped with tears in his eyes. I could tell he was speaking the truth and looked up at Quil, who met my gaze. He nodded to me and pulled out our card key, pressing the bottom button.
A hologram formed; it was an image of the maid from earlier. "Good afternoon, Mr. Reid. How can I be of assistance?"
"Please bring the police force down to the second pathway leading to the main square. We found five kids who tried to kill a human kid. Also, send a unit of officers to retrieve a man who goes by Uncle Joe. If anyone tries to go against this order, inform them that Quillian of the Empiric Guards has authorized this order with the Emperor's permission. Anyone who resists will be brought in for investigation."
"Y-yes, Sir Reid! Police officers have been dispatched and should be there at any moment!" she exclaimed.
"Arigato," Quillian replied before pressing the button to turn off the hologram.
"Five boys?! But there's six of us!” one of the boys shouted.
"My instincts tell me that Chris over there is innocent in all of this, and since he told me some very valuable information, deserves a less extreme punishment. Now, don’t say another word, or I'll ensure that patch of ice covers your whole body and the next time you speak will be at your trial," Quil threatened.
All the boys shut up at that, and I returned to comforting the little girl, who looked to be only about six or seven. Within two minutes, the police guards had arrived, arresting all the boys and taking Chris after Quillian had done a detailed interview with him.
The little girl's parents were here on vacation, even after all the rumors, and had planned to check out today
due to the ongoing news. They were completely shocked that their only child had almost been killed, and couldn't thank us enough for saving their precious daughter.
After three hours of discussions, reports, and Quillian contacting the others and the Emperor regarding the incident, we finally returned to our secluded cabin.
The moment I entered the house, I went straight to change into a bathing suit. Then I walked out to the wide infinity pool, needing a moment to myself. Quillian didn't stop or ask me questions, just giving me space, which really helped me in my current mood.
I didn't know how to explain how I currently felt. Angry, sad, disappointed by what our country was becoming. We could have walked away, thinking it was just a bunch of teens having fun, but we would have been ignoring another death by doing so. I couldn't even imagine how the parents would have felt, the immense regret they would have harbored for coming to a place they were warned about over and over again.
I took a deep breath and submerged myself in the water, swimming to the bottom and rolling over to press my back against the flat surface. My gaze lingered on the rays of the sun for a long time as I remained under the water.
Normally I would be afraid of staying in the water for long, unsure of how long I could hold my breath. But this time I didn't care, staying under for minutes with no urge or desperation to go back up for air.
I closed my eyes, remembering my past like it was a movie playing my mind. The emotions unwound themselves and filtered through me, one after another. My ears picked up the sound of something plunging into the pool, but I didn't move or open my eyes.
It wasn't until something pressed against my cheek that I opened my eyes; Quillian's pink eyes met mine. I could see the fear in them, which was replaced by relief as he rubbed my face with his thumb.
I closed my eyes and reached out my arms. Quillian's arms encircled me as he held me in an embrace. Was it weird to be hugging the person I loved underwater? Yes.
Yet, I felt a level of compassion in his actions as we continued to stay under the clear surface of the pool. When he pulled back, I finally felt the urge to go to the surface for air, my lungs begging to breathe once again.
Calming the Storm (Crimson Storm Chronicles Book 2) Page 15
