by Evi Asher
This was impossible. No way could there be a spring-filled valley in Alaska—not like this, not at this time of year. She didn’t know any magic, but she was sure if she did, this place would stink of it.
A deep male voice to her left spoke and Angelica jumped and squealed. “It’s about time you got here.”
She spun at the sound of his laughter and pinned him with her eyes, about to tell him how rude it was to sneak up on people when she found herself speechless.
He sat on a rock to the left of the glacier entrance, and she could have kicked herself for not noticing him before. He was not a male you could ignore.
He was shirtless, one leg pulled up onto the rock so his bare foot cupped the surface, the other foot on the ground. Strong arms wrapped around his raised knee, and Angelica had to admire his tawny body, which was all strength and muscle. Pectorals and abs that would have made her drool if she hadn’t been gone for Colt—but what made him striking was his hair. It was long, brushing the sides of the rock, and perfectly straight, a shade of blond she couldn’t do justice to with words, and it framed a masculine face with a straight nose and sculpted jaw, a sprinkling of dark blond stubble dusting his cheeks, and eyes the color of African violets, a deep purple.
“Are you done looking at me, yet?” he asked.
Angelica shook herself out of her fascination with him. He stood up, and she was enraptured again. He wore a pair of jeans that hung low on his hips, and as he moved, his muscles played under all that golden skin.
“Who are you?”
He shrugged. “A messenger. An errand boy, which ever you prefer. I’m here to take you to see the Oracle.”
He smiled and she saw he had dimples. “Do you always stare at males this way?”
Angelica threw her shoulders back. She tossed the question back at him. “Do you always walk around undressed?”
He looked down at himself with a frown as if he didn’t realize how little he was wearing. “I dress like I’m told to. I’m not ashamed of what is on display.”
“Yeah, well, don’t bitch when someone stares then.”
He took two steps toward her and Angelica was suddenly craning her neck up to look at him. She felt fear because his expression was feral.
“I’m no one’s toy, so keep your eyes to yourself,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Oh, I touched a nerve. So sorry.” She took a step back, but didn’t break eye contact.
He seemed to realize that he had threatened her and smiled again, instead.
“Don’t mind my grumpiness. I’m Grave, and you are Angelica.”
“Good to know you know who I am, now tell me.” She canted her head at Grave. “How do you know who I am?”
“Told you. I’m here to take you to the Oracle.” He started walking down into the valley.
Angelica didn’t move. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what is going on here. Where is this place, and how did I get here?” There was no way the valley was real.
“It’s the valley of the Unnamed Oracle, and you came through an ice tunnel,” he said over his shoulder as he continued to walk deeper into the valley. “Hurry up, you are already late, and she’s waiting.”
Angelica had a feeling she wasn’t going to get any more answers out of the male, so she ran to catch up with his long strides.
“This place isn’t real,” she stated.
“Actually, it is. It’s the Oracle’s realm, and she moves it where she wants to.”
“Unnamed Oracle?” Angelica didn’t know who that was.
“Yeah, your friends met her a while ago. She helped Scarlet.”
Angelica gasped. “Yes, I remember Scar telling us all about it.”
Well, in truth, she remembered parts of it. She’d been too lost in her own misery about being sent to the breeding center to listen closely to what the then strange Scarlet had been telling the other phoenix females.
Her stomach chose that moment to grumble loudly, and Grave laughed.
“We’ll feed you soon, since I know you must be starving. You have to eat extra right now.”
“What does that mean?”
He turned his face to look at her, a strange expression flashing across his features, but he didn’t answer her question.
They reached to the top of a rise and Angelica felt her breath vanish as she looked down.
In the dip ahead of her was a huge house, elegant and refined, but it wasn’t the house that got her attention. There was a lake, and feeding the lake was a waterfall so beautiful, it seemed she must be dreaming it. Animals lay on the green grass next to each other, predator and prey ignoring each other as the birds sang in the green haven.
“What is this place?”
“I told you already. It is the home of the Unnamed Oracle.”
“And you live here?”
“For now.”
His tone darkened. There was a story there, Angelica was sure of it, but she didn’t know him well enough to press for it.
Angelica felt stirrings of urgency. She didn’t have time for a vacation. “I need to get back to Colt.”
“It will be taken care of.”
“What?” She stopped walking again and Grave turned back to face her.
“Please, Angelica, can we get a move on? She’s not very nice when she’s unhappy.”
Someone was going to have to answer her questions, and why ask the minion when you could ask the queen. Angelica walked faster. The sooner she got to the Oracle, the sooner she could get her answers and leave to find Colt and damage Malta.
Chapter Five
The walk to the house took longer than Angelica thought it would, but she couldn’t say it was a boring walk. The scenery was beautiful and the mowed lawn shone with dew and spider webs.
Her guide stayed silent, and she watched his long hair sway, playing peek-a-boo with a backside that was utterly drool-worthy, but even as hot as the male was, he wasn’t Colt, and no one compared to her ice-bear.
“So, what flavor of Eternal are you?” Angelica asked Grave as they were walking across the lawn.
He snapped his head to the side to look over his shoulder at her and his lips thinned. “None of your business.”
“Really?” Her voice dripped sarcasm. “But you know what I am.”
“Yes, you are a phoenix, formerly of the phoenix realm, forced to the earth plane by Colt of the Ice-Bears, and now on the run from him.”
“Is there nothing about me you don’t know?”
“Not much.” He shrugged, eyes facing forward again.
“Then how about you do me a courtesy and tell me what you are. Fair is fair, after all.”
He didn’t even look back this time. “No.”
“What is it? Some kind of gross thing? Are you going to turn into a puddle of puss at the full moon?”
A bark of laughter escaped him, but he didn’t answer her.
He took the last few strides that took them to the mansion of a house and started climbing the stairs. Angelica stopped, not wanting to put her foot on the first step. He must have sensed that she had stopped and turned at the top of the stairs.
“Angelica, you are safe here. You have my word.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t know you.”
“You can trust me.” He looked so sincere that Angelica sighed and followed him up to the top of the stairs.
In front of them were huge double doors that looked strong enough to keep an army out. They opened smoothly, as if a mild breeze had touched them and they had given way to its soft caress.
There was a woman waiting on the other side of the threshold, dressed in a pink, flowing, gossamer dress. She wore a smile and held out her arms in greeting.
“Welcome, Angelica of the Phoenix. We are so glad you have arrived.”
Angelica frowned, but nodded her head. “Um…sure.”
“I’m Justine. Please, come with me and I will show you to your room.”
“Room?” Ange
lica looked at Grave. “There is some mistake. I’m not going to be here long enough to have a room. I need to speak to the Oracle and leave.”
A tinkle of laughter bubbled up the woman’s throat. “No, that won’t be possible right now. You have to stay for a while yet. The Unnamed Oracle is not available for audiences at the moment.
Angelica was about to argue when Grave caught her eye and shook his head.
“Okay, take me to my room, but I’d like to see this Oracle as soon as possible. I’ve got places to be and asses to kick.”
The woman blushed at Angelica’s words, but turned and led her through the grand foyer and up a staircase.
Angelica took the opportunity to look around. The whole house seemed to be done in shades of pink, so pale they were almost white. It was a lot of pink, and Angelica winced a bit. She was all for the color, but this was a bit too much.
The staircase wound up onto a landing, and the woman took her up another set of stairs up before turning right in the corridor. “This is your room.” She pointed at a wooden paneled door with an engraved doorknob.
“Clothes and food have been provided for you. You may rest and refresh yourself. I will come and fetch you as soon as the Oracle is ready to see you.
“Why won’t she see me now?”
“That is not for me to say.” The woman smiled and walked away.
Angelica turned to Grave. “What are you…my guard or something?”
“No or something about it.” He turned, put his back against the wall next to the door, crossed his arms over his chest as if he was getting comfortable, and gave Angelica a smile. “I’m here to make sure you don’t decide to leave without saying goodbye.”
Angelica harrumphed and opened the door.
* * * *
Colt reached the bottom of the crevasse first and immediately spotted the tunnel out of it. He bent down and saw a scrap of material lying on the ice. Was the fragment a piece of Angelica’s clothes? He picked it up and put it to his nose.
Yes!
It was Angelica’s. Her scent was all over it. She must have gone through the ice tunnel.
He looked up at Athera and Laz descending the rope. “There is an ice tunnel here, hurry up.”
“Angelica’s not down there?” Athera paused her decent to ask.
“Move while you talk. No, she’s not down here. I think she went into the tunnel.” Colt glanced back at the tunnel as if he was subconsciously expecting Angelica to appear out of the darkness.
He bit back the disappointment when she didn’t. Man you got it bad. “No shit,” he muttered.
“What was that?” Laz called down.
“Nothing, just move faster, okay?”
“Aye-Aye, Captain.” Laz’s tone was mocking, but Colt chose to ignore it. The faster the Eternals got down, the faster he could move out after Angelica .
He had to find her. He had to make it right, for both of them and for the baby she carried.
He felt his grin, and it surprised him that every time he thought of the baby, he grinned like the proverbial Cheshire cat.
His thoughts sobered when he thought of Kate. She’d thrown Angelica down here, hoping that some form of permanent damage would be done. He didn’t know what her motive was, and he couldn’t prove it, but he knew in his gut that Kate was guilty.
He’d have a long talk with Jericho when he got back. He wanted to know exactly who Kate was and where she had come from. Then, Colt wanted to find a way to prove that Kate had tried to hurt Angelica. The female wouldn’t survive much past that.
“Incoming,” Laz spoke and Colt shifted out of the way as the necromancer touched his feet down on the ice.
An absurd thought crossed his mind and he spoke before he thought. “Aren’t Necromancers supposed to be evil?”
Laz let out a bark of laughter. “Who says I’m not?”
“You are helping the good guys,” Colt pointed out.
“Trinity said you were only a little evil.” Athera got to the end of the rope and Laz helped her down. “Thank you.”
“You are welcome.” He smiled.
“See, you aren’t evil. Evil doesn’t have manners.”
Laz laughed again and shook his head. “You are way too trusting, Athera. It’s going to get you into trouble.”
She shrugged, and her flashlight bobbed as she did. “I don’t think so.”
“I know it.”
“As riveting as this conversation is, can we get moving?” Colt looked from the entrance of the tunnel, back to them, then at the entrance again.
“Waiting on you, bro.” Laz waved his hand for Colt to take the lead.
He didn’t have to be asked twice as he started down the tunnel at a fast pace.
They had been walking about twenty minutes when Athera called out from behind them. “Can we have a bit of a break, please?”
Colt stopped and glared back at Athera. “We need to find Angelica .”
“And I’m not as fit as you are, so give me five minutes, then we can carry on.”
“Five minutes could be the difference between life and death.” Colt growled.
“Don’t underestimate Angelica,” Athera pointed out as she sank to the floor of the ice tunnel. She puffed to get air into her lungs. “If you baby her, she’s going to get pissed at you. She’s a strong female. You need to get used to that.”
“I don’t think I ever will,” he muttered in reply. “She’s mine to protect.”
Ath sighed, and Colt smiled. She must have decided to give up lecturing him because she knew it would do no good.
“Can we move on, now?” He offered her a hand up.
She took his hand and got to her feet. “The ice was making my ass wet anyway.”
Colt tried not to laugh and failed as he shared a grin with Laz, then looked over at her. “You know what, Ath? You’re not so bad.”
She snorted, but smiled at him. She faked a southern accent and did a little curtsey. “Why, thank you. Can we go, now?”
Colt shook his head with a smile, then turned and walked deeper into the tunnel.
A while later, they reached the steep slope in the ice. Colt knew just how to get up it, and between him and Laz, they got Athera up without too much trouble. Soon, the ice around them lightened and Colt felt a jolt of anticipation. He had a gut feeling that Angelica was near and the feeling had him grinning again.
He was the first one to step into the valley and he stopped dead, causing Athera to slam into his back.
“Ouch! Move, you oaf.” She gave him a gentle shove and he stepped forward so that Athera and Laz could get out of the tunnel.
“Well, sucker-punch me and call it a knock-out.” Laz breathed the words as they all scanned the valley, awe and wonder in their expressions.
“Where the hell did this come from? This isn’t supposed to be here, is it?” Laz turned to look at Colt then hissed, dragging Athera behind him.
“What?” Colt turned his head and pivoted his whole body, dropping into a fighting crouch.
There was a male dressed in no more than a pair of worn jeans, standing to their left, and he was big enough to be a threat. Colt didn’t know what the fuck was going on. This valley was not possible in the Alaskan landscape at this time of year, not to mention that they’d followed a tunnel in a glacier to get there. Something was wrong.
“Seriously? I got pulled off of my enjoyable guard duty for the likes of you three?”
“Who are you?” Colt spoke in a low tone, checking over his shoulder to make sure that Laz had pulled Athera safely out of the way. If it came down to a fight, he didn’t want Athera in the line of fire.
Bad pun
He almost laughed. He felt his lips twitch and sobered instantly.
“The name is Grave, and I’m the male who has the pleasure of guarding that sweet little piece, Angelica.”
“What!” Colt tensed his whole body going into fight mode.
This man had Angelica.
He. Would.
Die.
Colt launched himself at Grave, throwing a right hook that snapped the other male’s face to the side. He followed with an uppercut to Grave’s abdomen and the male staggered back.
“Fight me, you asshole. You’ve got my mate and I’m going to make you pay.”
Grave held out a hand to stop Colt. “Not that I’m up for a good brawl, but it’s not like—”
Colt hit him with a left, splitting Grave’s lip and making him stagger back further.
A growl burst from the male as he straightened and spat blood, wiping the rest of it off his lip with the back of his hand. His eyes were icy, going almost white. It was freaky, but Colt didn’t let it faze him. Most Eternal’s eyes changed colors when they were worked up, and Colt was doing plenty to work the other male up.
“You really want to do this.” His tone was glacial, and Grave spread his arms away from his body, then slowly brought them down.
There was a shimmer of light, and Colt frowned. In each of Grave’s hands, he held a scythe, the long wooden handle reaching past his elbow, the cross piece in his fisted grips. The blades shone like an oil slick, rainbow hued, but seemed to be sucking the light out of the air like twin black holes.
Colt shrugged and allowed his bear to extend its claws. He wanted his mate back and he would march into whatever black hole Grave could dish out to get her back.
“Wait! Stop!” Laz shouted, darting between Colt and Grave. He pushed Colt back with one arm and sank to one knee in front of Grave, his head bowed low, his shaggy dark hair falling over his face.
“Reaper, forgive us. This is a misunderstanding.”
His voice held a note of reverence that had Colt frowning.
“What the fuck are you doing, Laz?”
“Shut up, Colt,” the necromancer hissed, then spoke to Grave again. “Please, Reaper, we didn’t know.”
Grave straightened his shoulders and lifted his arms. The scythes vanished into air. “Fair enough. I’m a forgiving kind of guy.”
“Okay, does someone mind telling me what’s going on here?” Athera asked, but her voice was hoarse, like she hadn’t spoken in a while, her eyes glued to Grave.
“Get to your feet, necromancer. I don’t like fawning Eternals.”
