Bethany nodded, a miserable look on her face. I hated seeing her like this. She was always the peppy one. We sat in silence for a couple of minutes while she collected her thoughts. Finally, she sighed and said, “Yeah.”
“And?” I prompted gently. I didn’t want her to feel like she had to tell me. If she decided to keep it to herself, I wouldn’t pry.
“I don’t know.” Bethany shot a glare at Malik, though he wasn’t looking in her direction. “He irritates me to no end and at the same time…” another sigh, “I like hearing the sound of his voice. And I shouldn’t.” The last was said forcibly. “I shouldn’t care about a demonborn at all. It goes against everything I was taught growing up.”
The way she ended the sentence sounded to me like there was a big ‘but’ that should have been tacked on. I waited. Glancing at Malik, I wondered how he felt about my friend. I could see why she would be attracted to him. He certainly wasn’t hard on the eyes.
Then again, I doubted that was what drew Bethany to him. No more than it was the primary factor that drew me to Caius. Yes, Caius was hot. But he’d been just as sexy when I hated him. His looks hadn’t changed. What drew me was his honesty. The way he had tried to teach me things when no one else would, even before we were friends. The way he’d stayed when he could have walked away, and his faith in my ability. That was what drew me at first. All of the other stuff was secondary. Like icing on the cake.
“But,” Bethany finally said, drawing me from my thoughts, “I do feel something for him. I don’t even know what it is. It’s not just sex appeal, though there is that aplenty. He’s funny and has an uncanny ability to irritate me one second and make me smile in the next. And he’s incredibly loyal to his siblings. He’s pretty much everything I didn’t think demonborn could be.”
She looked down at her hands again. I watched Malik out the corner of my eye. He glanced in our direction, his eyes flicking past me and coming to rest on Bethany. A frown tugged at his mouth as his gaze lingered on her a moment longer and then he turned to answer something Lilly asked.
Bethany, her eyes still downcast, hadn’t noticed. I debated playing cupid for a moment, then decided against it. No good ever came of that. From what I’d learned since I came to this side of the veil a year ago, cupids didn’t appreciate people impersonating them.
I peeled the banana thing and took a bite. It looked like a banana, had the texture of a banana, and tasted like a plum. It completely messed with my senses because my eyes had already convinced my brain it was indeed a banana. My taste buds disagreed. I liked plums, so it shouldn’t have bothered me, but it was a lot like thinking there was Dr. Pepper in your cup but finding out it was Pepsi when you took a drink. My mind had trouble accepting the flavor.
A few minutes after I choked down the banana-plum thing, Lilly put out the fire and Caius announced it was time to go. We followed the path as it began to descend sharply. The sentient forest grew thicker and darker to my left. It was daytime, so there was no danger from the trees, yet I still watched them warily. It was because of this I caught sight of the tiny ghost of light.
I paused and Bethany ran into me. I reached to catch her arm as she stumbled back, but Malik steadied her. Another flash of light pulled my attention to the darkness under the trees where the sun didn’t reach through their thick growth.
Caius was at my side. “What?”
“Little lights,” I whispered. I’m not sure why I felt the need to whisper, only that it seemed like I might scare the lights off if I spoke too loud. Another tiny flash shone for a second in the darkness.
“Wisps,” Caius said. “We are nearly there.”
“Was this what the clue meant when it said to follow the lights?” I asked, my voice still quiet. How I remembered the details of the clue after everything, I had no idea.
Rowen shook his head. “Following wisps is a fool’s errand. They never lead anyone anywhere, they only get them lost.”
“It’s the only way to find the second Watcher,” Caius said.
The golden-blue light flashed again and I took an involuntary step forward. Even knowing what it was, I couldn’t resist the impulse to follow. Bethany, James, and Lilly stepped toward it with me. The others reached out and grabbed us, pulling us back. Caius linked his hand with mine. “It appears you four are still young enough to be susceptible to wisps.”
I blinked and looked down at our hands, my brow furrowing in confusion. Reading the question in my expression, Caius continued, “Malik, Rowen, and I will have to keep hold of you four or the wisps will wait until there is a moment of distraction and lead you off to only they-know-where.”
I looked back the way we’d come, searching for Amisi. Would she be able to follow us through the forest? Or would the wisps lead the cat astray? She was nowhere in sight. With no other choice, I faced back toward the forest.
Malik took Bethany’s hand in one of his as Caius took Lilly’s in his other. Rowen took James’s hand. When the little light flashed again, Caius walked toward it. As soon as we drew near, another glowed several paces farther under the canopy of the trees. Each time we got close to one, it would disappear and another would light up, bobbing slightly in the air a little beyond reach, taking us down no discernable path.
A couple of times the sound of something moving in the trees would draw the attention of Caius, Malik, and Rowen. In those times, several wisps would spring up in a different direction than we had been going. The pull from them was so strong I found myself dragging at Caius’s hand until he pulled me back. Each time, when we didn’t follow those and they disappeared, it was like a fog lifted from my mind and I could think again. Then one would show itself in the direction they had been taking us all along and we would move forward again.
We spent the better part of three hours following the wisps through the trees. How Caius could tell which was the real path and when they tried to lay a false trail, I had no idea. When we could see the edge of the forest, the wisps suddenly left us. After several more minutes of walking, we broke through the trees.
***
“Her powers were growing in unexpected ways.” ~Caius
Chapter 17
A broad beach of pink sand spread out below where we stood. On the horizon, dark clouds boiled with a coming storm, casting their dark shadows on the water farther out and turning it iron gray. Waves crashed against the shore and against the tall, red rock spires that clustered together at one end of the beach. The spires created a wide cove. The golden rays of the sun that hadn’t yet surrendered to the incoming storm turned the water of the cove turquois. Several smaller rocks were sprinkled around inside the cove, their flat tops just above the surface.
It wasn’t the rocks that caught my attention though. Resting on one of them, near the entrance to a cave, was a mermaid. Her long, black tail flapped in slow, lazy motions against the water’s surface. Unlike the mortal world beliefs, her scales ran all the way up her front and wrapped around her neck. If it wasn’t for the huge tail fins and the dorsal fin that ran down the back of the tail, it would look like she was wearing a long, black, halter top dress.
She lifted her tail, arching it over herself so the translucent, ebony fins dripped water onto her bare back. The wind caught her black hair and whipped it around her face as she propped her chin on her hands and eyed us with curiosity through her pale gray eyes. As we walked closer, her eyes narrowed and she slipped from the rock. I figured she was leaving until she hoisted herself out of the water and onto a rock that was much closer to the sandy beach.
A steep trail led from the forest to the wide swath of sand. It was immediately apparent that the footing on the trail was anything but stable. The soft earth shifted under my feet and sent me skidding until Caius caught me around the waist. Not that he was faring much better. Catching me nearly toppled him.
Bethany and James followed after me, clutching each other’s hands for safety. Which really wasn’t safe. If one of them went, they would just take the othe
r down too. The seven of us made our way down in a combination of slipping and climbing. The constant tug and pull of the wind didn’t help any. At one point, Malik lost his footing with a curse and crashed into Lilly, who then crashed into Rowen and on down the line, I really thought we were all going to end up in a heap on the beach below.
Thankfully, I was in a spot with two young trees on either side of me. At the first sounds of mayhem behind me, I grabbed the slender trunks and braced myself, catching them all and nearly wrenching my shoulders out of their sockets. Caius climbed back up to brace me until everyone had their feet under them again.
After some shaky laughter and another string of curses from Malik, we edged forward again with Caius leading the way. After another fifty feet of perilous descent, we finally reached the beach. A sigh of relief escaped me and I tried not to think about the fact we would probably have to use that trail again when we left. I could only hope it was one of those places where it was easier to climb up.
I turned to take in our surroundings and found my gaze locked on the mermaid. It was mind-boggling to see one in person and I found I couldn’t look away. Her wet hair clung to her arms and shoulders as she stared at us. Her voice was musical when she said, “I’m surprised to see you here, Caius. And with Children no less.”
“I’m only here for the key, Nyx.”
Nyx? A nervous tremble ran through me. Another god, or in this case, a goddess. A goddess of chaos no less.
“Key?” She arched a perfect brow. “And what key would that be?”
“The one for the dagger. The one the clue with the first key told us was here.” Impatience shadowed Caius’s tone.
Nyx gave him a sensual smile. “Oh, that key.” Her gaze raked over the group of us and mischief sparkled in her eyes. “This is going to be fun.”
She slipped back into the water until only her head was above the surface. Lifting one hand, she held it toward the cave and said, “Join me inside.” Then she disappeared, her tail rising once from the water as her sleek body streaked toward the cave.
Caius sighed and closed his eyes. I got the distinct feeling he was counting to ten. When he opened them, he motioned in the direction Nyx had gone. “Might as well get this over with.”
We followed him across the sand. As we drew closer, I could see the rough rock of the opening arched from the beach out into the water. A narrow path of stone shared space through the opening with a wide channel of crystal clear water. Just as I started to pass under the arching stone, a loud, plaintive bug-like call made me turn.
Amisi scrambled down the steep path to the beach, with more grace than any of us had managed, and then bounded across the sand. Hissing as she passed the others in the group, she skirted them as best she could. When she reached me, she pressed herself against my leg and uttered another of her strange meows. I bent and ran my hand over her soft fur. Amisi rubbed her face against my hands and purred. Straightening, I moved to walk into the cave. I would’ve picked Amisi up and carried her, but not only did she not particularly care for that, she’d also already doubled in size since that first morning in the Between and was a little too big for me to comfortably carry.
We followed the path as it wound inside, with Amisi staying close, until it reached a set of marble steps, which descended deep beneath the surface of the channel that ran next to us. Beyond the steps, the white marble extended into a lavish room that looked nothing like a cave with its glass-smooth walls and sculpted columns so detailed I almost expected the waves depicted on them to move.
Nyx swam to the steps until she was right above them. Stunned, I watched her tail morph until she had two perfect legs. What had been scales became the halter top dress I’d compared them to earlier. As she exited the water, the light from the chandelier hanging in the middle of the room shimmered over the dress, showing off the muted scaled look of the material. Although the dress reached the floor and trailed out behind her, two slits in the skirt freed her bare legs to the hip. Taller than Caius by several inches, she practically glided across the floor.
We waited in silence as Nyx approached us. She finally stopped in front of Caius and sighed in a way that was almost a pout. “And here I was hoping you came for another reason. Alas, it appears I have yet to wait for you to want me.”
“Though your beauty is enough to dry mouths, I’m afraid I’m already taken,” Caius said.
“Taken?” Her eyes widened slightly. “By whom?”
Caius glanced at me. When her gaze shifted to me, I had to struggle not to gulp. I was the person standing between a goddess and her conquest, how would she take that? I also kind of wanted to strangle Caius for letting her know it was me. If Nyx decided to kill me, there wouldn’t be anything he could do about it. Archangel and Archdemon heritage wouldn’t stop a goddess.
Nyx surprised me by laughing, the sound light and tinkling. “You are mated to this little thing?” She eyed me up and down, eyes resting on Amisi for a moment. A flicker of surprise crossed her features. “Well, she is cute, I’ll give you that. And has somehow befriended a Bastet cat. Intriguing.” Her attention returned to Caius. “I have no intention of keeping you, you know that. I would be more than willing to let her participate as well if that would make it better.”
I did my best not to choke.
“Nyx, as much as I adore you, I’m afraid it just isn’t going to happen,” Caius said, amused.
She sighed dramatically. “As you wish. Just know the offer stands.” Her gaze moved to Malik. “What about you, Malik?”
Malik cleared his throat. “Regretfully, I must decline.”
Nyx studied him for a long moment. “Hmmm, it appears all the best brothers are taken.”
“The key, Nyx,” Caius urged.
“Of course, Caius. I look forward to the events that will follow. However,” she paused, “though I will hand the clue to you shortly, I would encourage you to at least stay for the night.”
Rowen frowned. “Why would we do that?” He looked rather uncomfortable in the presence of Nyx.
Her gaze found him and her lips spread in a smile. “Aren’t you a handsome one. Are you taken as well?”
I was unprepared for the flash of sorrow in Rowen’s eyes a second before he answered, “For many years.”
That surprised me. As far as I knew, Rowen had no mate. A glance at James and Bethany showed the same confusion and I wondered if he’d just said it to put Nyx off.
“It appears luck is not with me this evening.” She sighed again and turned back to Caius. “A storm will hit in less than an hour. You are well acquainted with their vicious nature. It would be safer for you here.”
Caius nodded. “We will accept your hospitality. Thank you for the shelter.”
“My home is always yours, Caius.” Nyx eyed our little group again. “Now, who is the one working with you on this?”
Though still more than a little afraid of her, I lifted my chin and stepped forward. I would not be a coward and she would not see my fear. “I am.”
“Then you two will come with me,” she said. “The rest of you will follow Sensha and Fiara to your rooms.” As she said this, two more mermaids emerged from the water, one whose tail would be a deep blue in the water and the other a shimmering golden-red.
I gave my friends a worried look, unsure of their safety here. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do other than follow Nyx when she led the two of us through a doorway and down a hall. Amisi stayed right next to me as we passed several closed doors before reaching the one set into the end of the hall. She pressed her hand against it and whispered something I couldn’t hear. The door swung open and we followed her inside.
***
“Nyx had been my friend for a long time, but she always did things for her own reasons.” ~Caius
Chapter 18
The room beyond the door was a small library filled floor to ceiling all the way around with books of every size imaginable. I was temporarily diverted from our task by the desire t
o read all the titles and immerse myself in the room. Sadly, that wasn’t why I was here. Nyx moved along the shelves until she pulled a tattered volume from one. “Since you have already visited the first Watcher, you know I don’t actually possess the key. Only the directions to it.”
“We’re aware of that,” Caius said.
I wondered where we were going to be sent next and not particularly looking forward to it. Getting the first key wasn’t a memory I wanted to revisit.
Nyx handed the book to Caius. “Only you can open it.”
He opened the book to reveal a notch cut in the pages. A tiny tube, identical to the others we’d seen, lay in the notch. Caius plucked it out and handed the book back to Nyx. He turned the familiar object in his hands and I got the feeling he wasn’t looking forward to this either. “Nadia spoke of the true nature of the dagger.” He removed the slip of paper from the tube and unrolled it. “She said it was broken into three pieces. She knew the first piece and said the second piece would lie with you.”
Surprise flickered on Nyx’s face. “You don’t know the true nature of the dagger? Why are you seeking it then?”
“Sinmar and Alaric said it would stop the flood of Lost.” Caius finally looked at her. “Nadia seemed to think it would have some other purpose. A purpose both Alaric and Sinmar claim to have no knowledge of.”
“I have no way of knowing if it will help with the Lost or not.” Nyx eyed the slip of paper as if she almost regretted giving it to him. “I know only that it was forged by the Morrigan for a specific purpose. I don’t know what the first piece of information is, nor do I know the third.” She hesitated then pulled a scrap of worn parchment from the back of the book. “This is what I have. However, if it stops the Lost in some way, I wish you all the best. It is a problem that continues at a horrifying pace.”
Betrayed (Raven Daughter Book 2) Page 13
