“We found a scruffy, starved dog tied to a rock in a cave. Except it wasn’t a dog. It morphed into a wolf. A wolf from the legends, Zohar. They’re all true.”
Her words bounced off him, so intent was he on his goal. They were getting closer now, he could tell because the singing rang clear on the evening air. Through a stand of spindly tree trunks, he spotted the girl.
She sat on the slope of a meandering stream, her bare legs stretched out beneath a cotton sundress. She wore no shoes and her golden hair twisted into two braids.
“Look, there she is.” He increased his pace.
Nira kicked him in the shins. “Wake up. You’re not behaving rationally.”
His knee folded, and he lost his grip on her. “What’s wrong with you?”
Nira broke free and staggered back. “Don’t you see? This could be a trap, and you’ve fallen for it. That girl is luring us here, just like the ancient sirens called to sailors.”
“The singer may be a child, but her voice is fabulous. Stop acting so paranoid. Hello there,” he yelled to the stranger.
The girl gave them a startled glance. “Oh, hello. Please help me. I’ve injured my ankle.” She wiggled her toes, wincing as if to demonstrate her pain.
“I’m telling you, this is a set-up.” Nira’s voice hardened. “I won’t fall for that ploy twice.” She snatched his phase gun from where he’d tucked it behind his waistband. “Give it up, Fenrir, or I’ll shoot.”
Zohar regarded her, open-mouthed. She’d aimed at the child, using both hands that shook visibly. Was she out of her mind? “Put that down. Can you not see this girl needs our assistance?”
“Yeah, right. I’m damn tired of fighting today. Stand aside, Zohar, so I can have a clear shot.”
“I mean you no harm.” The girl regarded them with wide green eyes. “My name is Sylvia.”
“What are you doing here, Sylvia?” Nira demanded. “Why are you alone in the woods?”
Before the girl could answer, Zohar spun in a crouch and kicked the weapon from Nira’s hand. He caught it in mid-air.
Exchanging a glance with her, he felt smug satisfaction at her angry glare.
“I was gathering herbs, but I tripped on a rock and gashed my leg.” Sylvia pointed to a red slash on her skin. “I’ll be okay if I can get that plant on the other side of the stream. It has healing properties and will ease the pain so I can walk.”
“Are you from Cassadaga?” Nira asked, as though that would explain everything.
“I live nearby, but I’m not a member of the camp if that’s what you mean.”
“Your parents let you go into the woods by yourself?” Nira scoffed.
“I come here all the time.” The girl’s voice rose and fell in a melodious cadence. “When I hurt my ankle, I got scared and started to sing. That’s what I do to calm myself.”
Nira tapped Zohar’s arm, her gaze compelling. “Let’s go. We can call 911 from the road.”
The little girl attempted to stand but collapsed with a whimper. “Don’t leave me. Please just pick a few stems of that plant. See the ones with yellow flowers? They’ll heal my wound so I can stand. My mother wouldn’t want outsiders to treat me.”
“I’m heading home,” Nira said in an undertone. “If you want to play her game, do it without me.” With a suspicious glance at the girl, she turned away.
“Wait,” Sylvia cried. “I have something valuable for you if you help me. It will aid you on your quest.”
As Nira hesitated, Zohar narrowed his eyes. When someone offered gifts, he proceeded with caution. He’d learned his lesson from a silver-tongued salesman on Marresh Station. He had been fighting a stomach virus, and the slick-haired fellow had provided a remedy. In hiding from the empress’s troops and weak from dehydration, Zohar had accepted the brew, actually a drug to disable him.
The purveyor had turned him over to state forces. Those lost hours were a dark blur in his memory, but he remembered endless questions about his colleagues’ whereabouts and his nerves screaming with pain. He’d broken free when a disagreement between his jailors diverted their attention.
His men never spoke of the incident, even after he’d submitted himself for recuperative counseling. It hadn’t affected his leadership of the Drift Lords, but the experience had only increased his self-doubts in terms of ruling the land.
He regarded the girl, assessing her. Had her music so bewitched him that he’d let down his guard with such ease?
Stepping forward, he intended to offer his assistance if only to allow Nira to escape.
“I will give my gift only to you.” Sylvia pointed to Nira, who had turned toward them. “It will take you where you want to go.”
Zohar’s blood chilled. Nira had been right to warn him. He shooed her away.
“Go on, I will handle this.” Could Sylvia be a Trollek? Usually, they didn’t send their young through the dimensional gate, nor did they confound human children, but it’s possible they’d made an exception this time.
“Why do you not just give me your gift?” Nira waved at her. “You probably cut your own leg and are perfectly capable of getting to your feet.”
“Please believe me.” The girl pressed her palms together. “I truly need your help. You search for knowledge of your past. Get me those plants, and I will tell you where to find the answers you seek.”
“Oh, for God’s sake, more riddles.” Nira stripped off her shoes and threw them on the ground. Then she stooped to roll up her pant cuffs.
“What are you doing?” Zohar glanced at her askance.
“I’m wading into the stream. You wait here. It’ll take me a minute to pick those stalks.”
“No, you stay, and I will go.” Maybe those stems oozed poisonous sap. He wouldn’t allow her to take the chance.
Zohar approached the gurgling brook. Crystal-clear water swirled over a sandy bottom strewn with smooth, round rocks. It looked gentle enough. Across the bank, yellow flowers swayed gently in the warm summer breeze. Hopping first on one foot and then the other, he yanked off his boots.
“I didn’t finish telling you about Carlson.” Nira passed him and dipped her foot in the water.
He shook his head in exasperation. “All right, go ahead, since you insist.”
Her face turned grim. “The detective followed me from Cassadaga. He drove the car stuck behind mine. We heard cries coming from the woods, and he thought it might be a lost child. Instead, we found a dog tied in a cave. The dog changed into a wolf and ate him.”
“Say again?” He gaped at her.
“The cute little dog was Fenrir, a Fire Giant in disguise. He’s a shapeshifter who takes the form of a huge wolf.” She gave a brief recap of the legend. “That’s why I don’t believe Sylvia is an innocent little girl who needs our help. However, I’m willing to give her a chance if she’ll provide some answers.”
His hackles rose. Instinct urged him to flee while they had the opportunity.
Nonetheless, Zohar submerged his toes. If Sylvia could help them in their quest, it was a risk worth taking.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Let’s just grab those flowers and get out of here,” Nira muttered to Zohar. Cool water swirled about her ankles, reminding her of fond memories from her youth.
Her adopted mother had often taken the girls on lakeside picnics. They’d pack a cooler with cold chicken and homemade potato salad and juicy plum tomatoes. Then they went swimming, without worrying about the many dangers that ruled the news these days. Those were simpler times, but they brought peace and love.
With a bittersweet smile, she watched Zohar enter the water. She appreciated his effort to take charge so she could remain safe. Usually she took care of everyone else. His solicitous attitude made her feel special.
As though reading her mind, he gave her a dazzling grin that set off a coiling warmth within her. She could get used to having him around. His presence radiated comfort and security. His broad shoulders and tall stature provided strength. His commanding air
demanded respect and made her want to earn his regard. And what for? So he could leave her in the end?
Dismissing her wistful fancies, she focused on their target. At the opposite bank, the yellow wildflowers swayed in the breeze. A honeyed fragrance drifted her way. All she had to do was skip across the rocks and pluck a few plants.
She skirted a slimy stone and stepped onto the sandy bottom, her feet sinking into the moist granules. The water rippled as it dodged rocks and danced downstream. She advanced a few paces, dipping into a deeper zone where her legs sank to mid-calf level. Zohar, maintaining his balance by windmilling his arms, tiptoed across the rocks toward her.
Meanwhile, Sylvia had climbed the ridge to watch from a higher vantage point.
Nira gave her a sharp glance. She had thought the girl’s sore leg hobbled her. That must have been a ruse, as she’d suspected.
Sylvia’s voice carried as she began to sing, the words indistinguishable on the wind.
Nira looked down. She’d sunk lower, where the water frothed and spun as though resenting the intrusion. She glanced back at Zohar, who’d almost caught up to her. He wore a puzzled frown.
They’d better hurry to the opposite bank, but when she glanced at their objective, her breath hitched. The flowers seemed more distant, the opposite slope smaller in perspective.
Impossible. She’d been halfway across.
A faint roar droned in the background, competing with the girl who chanted her song in a rising voice. With each high note she sang, the crescendo got louder. Nira glanced upstream, where the brook disappeared around a bend surrounded by dense foliage. The hills rose on either side, forming a wedge.
Uh- oh. It had rained last night, too.
She’d heard of tumultuous tides and flash floods, but never in Florida. Yet as her eyes widened, water catapulted between the two steep ridges. White-capped, fomenting waves charged in their direction as though propelled by demons.
She shouted a warning to Zohar just as the rushing rapids licked at them with an advance wave. Then the full force arrived to snap at her knees and uproot her into the frothing deep. In an instant, the brook became a raging river.
Nira sucked in a quick breath as her feet lifted. She submerged, flailing her arms for balance. The strong current swept her along, smashing her into rocks and sharp-edged reeds. She gasped each time her head broke the surface, bruised but still breathing, her strength rapidly ebbing.
An eddy pulled her under again, and she tumbled into a tangle of weeds, panicking when her ankle snagged.
No, she wouldn’t die this way.
Her lungs burning, she untwisted the vine to free herself. She burst to the surface, inhaling a large breath of air. Zohar’s head bobbed up—then he vanished. The current pushed her along, forced her underwater again. Opening her eyes in the murky depths, she noticed a vine trailing from above.
Old advice for dodging undertows came to mind: swim parallel to the current until you break free. Don’t fight against it.
She kicked her legs to propel herself diagonally, using a large rock as a lever. Inch by inch, she advanced toward the fibrous vine. Resisting the urge to open her mouth and gasp like a dying fish, she grabbed the vine just as Zohar’s body crashed into hers. He seized her by the waist to secure a hold on her.
She tugged on the vine to show him what she intended. He nodded, his cheeks puffed and his lips pursed like a great trout. His big hands clamped over hers. Together they hauled on the vine, kicking toward the surface to gain a breath of lifesaving air. Smashed down again, they held on tight.
Progress took minutes but it seemed like hours. Once her feet touched bottom and her head broke the surface, Nira sucked in huge gulps of air. Coughing and spitting water, she crouched until her lungs cleared. Finally, she could breathe without long shudders. She crawled onto the sandy bank, scraping her knees. Too exhausted to climb the slope, she collapsed on her stomach.
Zohar landed on his back, his arms splayed out like a human sacrifice. He gasped for air beside her until his respirations slowed. Then he rolled sideways to regard her with bleary eyes. “Are you all right?”
She warmed to his concern. Drenched and tired, he still thought of her welfare first. His body heat radiated toward her, lighting her inner furnace and igniting a low fire in her belly.
“I’m fine.” She resisted the urge to press her mouth to his to raise their body temperature. “You?”
“Good enough. You were right. Sylvia tricked us. She must be working for the Trolleks.”
Nira sat up abruptly, her sodden hair causing rivulets of water to stream down her face. “Where is she? I don’t see her.”
“She’s gone?” Swearing, Zohar struggled to his feet.
“Over here.” Sylvia waved from their side of the river. She stood at the top of the slope, golden hair loose and blowing in the breeze. “Please complete the task I have given you, and the path to enlightenment shall be yours.”
As though attuned to her singsong voice, the rapids subsided with her words, until nothing remained except for the pleasant meandering stream.
“Are you confounded, girl?” Zohar demanded. “Do the Trolleks command you?”
“Stand aside, soldier of the stars. This is not your trial.”
Nira stood in her sopping clothes and squeezed out the excess water. At least the air was warm so they’d dry off quickly. Dusk would come soon but the temperature should stay in the eighties.
“Those flowers you wanted are right behind you.” Nira pointed to a spot beyond Sylvia. “Since you can walk, pick them yourself.”
“My injury still exists.” Sylvia turned her leg to show the gash. “It will not heal unless you fulfill our bargain.”
“Then move out of my way.”
Her limbs trembling with fatigue, Nira plodded up the hillside. Zohar might be right. Sylvia could be confounded. Or she could be a Trollek herself, although Nira’s brow didn’t ache like it normally did in the beasts’ presence.
“Only those pure at heart shall succeed.” Sylvia stepped back, making way for Nira with an encouraging smile.
Was she an ally or an enemy?
“Whatever.” Nira could figure out the riddles later. Reaching the summit, she plucked a handful of yellow blossoms. “Here.” She shoved them at the child as Zohar reached her side.
Sylvia beamed with approval. “You have done well.” She accepted the offering, broke a stem in half, and dabbed the sap onto her wound. Her flesh began filling in instantly until she bore smooth skin with nary a mark.
“See? You possess powers beyond your comprehension.” Sylvia’s wise eyes regarded Nira with the knowledge of the ages. “When you have need of them again, these flowers will reappear.”
“That’s good to know. Now what’s this reward you promised?”
“You can have my shoes.” Sylvia slipped off her black leather pumps.
Hadn’t the girl been barefoot earlier?
Nira took them with a doubtful expression. The shoes had shiny gold buckles that added style. Actually, they looked a lot like the pair of very expensive shoes Nira had seen in a high-end catalog recently. Could the girl have read her mind?
She slipped her feet inside. No big surprise. They fit perfectly. Was this her reward? A new pair of shoes?
“You nearly killed us for footwear?” Zohar put a protective arm around Nira’s waist. His incredulous expression said he’d expected something more.
The child gave him an angelic smile. “Did I not say my gift would take the lady where she wants to go? Simply think of your destination, and you are there.”
Nira glanced at her askance. “You mean, I just visualize a place, and these shoes will take me there?” Did she have to click her heels together? Or would wishing be enough?
“You will be transported, along with anyone holding onto you. Try it, and you’ll see I speak the truth.”
Nira hesitated. What if this was a trick and they ended up on the Trollek world?
“Fir
es of Agathorn, I grow tired of these games.” Zohar nudged her. “Let us return to our vehicles.”
She dug in her heels, refusing to budge. “Aren’t you forgetting something? We’d have to cross that stream again.”
His nostrils flared. “What choice do we have? My boots are over there, and I lost my weapon in the river. We are improperly equipped to carry on.”
She touched his arm. “I understand your concerns, but I have to pursue this opportunity. You should return home. Your men need you.”
“You need my protection.” His eyes glimmered. “I will not leave you alone.”
“Then let’s see where these shoes take us.”
“How about Orlando? Consider it a test to see if this gift truly works.” He glared at Sylvia as though challenging her to refute him.
“Tests,” Nira muttered. “Why is everyone so keen on tests?”
Zohar gestured to the shoes. “Note that small crystal set inside the buckle? It could be an energy source. Paz knows more about those things. He’s involved in a private research project involving crystalline structures and the comm networks.”
How nice for him, but he’s not here now.
“You mean these shoes could be a transport device, like the Trollek technology that allows them to vector shift?”
She lifted her head to query the girl but saw only the yellow flowers waving in the breeze. Pine trees towered in the near distance. The waning sunlight cast shadows on the hillside. “Sylvia has disappeared.”
Zohar glanced up. “Look what has shown up in her place: my boots and my T-6. Dry as a bone,” he mumbled after retrieving his footgear and his gun.
Their clothes were drying rapidly as well. Nira had given up on trying to figure out how things worked anymore. The rules of her universe had changed.
“Please, Zohar. I have to reach the magic fountain, if it’s real. I-I’d like you to come along.”
“Would you now?” His low, sexy tone had a purring quality.
Aware of his restrained power, she gazed into his deep turquoise eyes. “I promise we’ll go home afterward.”
His lips curving upward, he raised his arms toward heaven. “Very well. Imagine us at this place where you drink from the well of knowledge.”
Warrior Prince Page 21
