The days were short in this place. It would be night within a few hours, but he hoped to be back long before she was asleep. “I’ll light a fire, and you can grow your damned trees. Can you manage apples, as well as oranges, this time? Or maybe some vegetables out of the rock? Carrots or cabbage?”
Dardaptoans would eat fish occasionally, but mostly existed on a diet of vegetables. And blood. It had been a damned while since he’d fed.
He’d take care of that little need in the city. There was no way he was allowing himself even a drop of his female’s blood.
One taste just wouldn’t be enough. Ever.
Tonight he’d just content himself with fish. And whatever his female could provide.
“I can do a full garden if you want it.” Her words were proud but her voice was timid.
His heart hurt hearing the fear he’d put in his female’s voice. He should be damned for what he’d asked of her. If he hadn’t thought it truly necessary...
“Just enough for a meal or two.”
“You’ve got it. Hope you like Brussels sprouts.”
Fifteen minutes later he had a small fire going, two fish roasting on spits and carrots and Brussels sprouts baking in an oven made of small stones he’d gathered from just outside the den.
After five hundred years, he for damned sure could provide food for his female at least. Even if she managed the vegetables. He’d found the way to cook them, without the trappings of more modern society.
If he were the kind of male to take pride in that, he would.
But he wasn’t.
“Once we eat, I’m going. I figure it’ll take me about an hour to fly the rest of the way into the city. Then there’s a merchant I need to meet. He should have what we need to get out of this place and get you to Levia.”
“Not the demon realm?”
“No. I want you with your damned sister. The rest of those Taniss females. At least then you’ll be better protected.” He’d made a decision while carrying her into the den. No matter what realm she ended up staying in—demon, Gaian, or Levian—he would go, as well. Would watch her from afar. Make sure she always remained safe, until the day she hit the end of her human lifespan—because though she had definite Druid traits, her blood still scented human to him—and left the world. Then he’d follow her without a backward glance for the damned world they were leaving behind.
“What makes you think you have a say in where I go?”
“Just know that I do. Responsibility for saving your damned life, means I get that privilege.”
“Hardly.” She pulled the flat rock on top of their makeshift oven to one side, using his bunched up cape to protect her fingers from the heat, and checked the carrots. “They’re roasting. I didn’t think it would work.”
“I know what I’m doing. This isn’t exactly my first trip into the wilderness. Even in another realm.”
“I think I prefer to call them layers. It makes more sense to me that way.” She burned her fingers on the rock when she replaced the top one. Stuck the injured digits in her mouth.
“Stick them in the stream.” He grabbed her hand and did it himself.
“You’re awfully grabby.” She pulled her hand free. “You always have a hard time keeping your hands to yourself?”
Only where his Rajni was concerned. He thought he’d done a damned fine job of not attacking his female and pulling her beneath him. He’d abstained for more than twelve months, after all.
Rajnis were meant to touch one another. They couldn’t help themselves. That he’d lasted as long as he had was unheard of in all of the Dardaptoan histories. “Something like that. Let me see your fingers.”
“It wasn’t serious. So tell me...what are the other layers like? How many have you been to? What kind of plants are there? Are they like ours?”
Enthusiasm. Of course. When was the last time he’d felt the least little bit of excitement for anything?
Thirty years ago when he and his brother decided to go demon hunting. That was when. That thought had him glaring at the girl. “Just start eating. I want to get moving.”
Chapter 15
She’d obviously touched a nerve with her question. Why? What had she said that was so wrong? She checked the vegetables and though they weren’t completely roasted, at least they had softened enough to be edible. And the fish he’d cooked for them both was wonderful. Of course, it could be because they’d eaten very little since arriving in this realm. This layer.
Layers of an onion made sense to her. Portkeys were used to dissolve the boundaries between the layers so that people could travel from layer to layer. That was simple enough to understand. In theory.
“It’s ready.”
“Eat what you want. I’ll eat once you’re finished.”
“But—”
“Go on. This fish isn’t quite ready yet.”
She ate. Then pushed the vegetables toward him. She watched him while he ate. “Why do you think it brought us here?”
“I don’t know.”
“It grabbed for me. It could have grabbed Josey—she was closer. But it grabbed me. I don’t understand why.”
“I don’t either.”
“Why did you come? Why did you help me?”
He stared at her for a long time, the light of the fire beside them casting flickering shadows over his face. “Don’t know. Didn’t seem right that a girl be taken when I could stop it.”
Why did it sound like he was lying? She knew he was. But why?
“Thank you. I don’t think I’ve said that yet, but I do appreciate you trying to help me. And I’m sorry you got pulled in with me.” For as much as he confused her, she was glad she wasn’t alone, and that she at least knew the person she was with.
“Don’t be. It wasn’t your fault. Never your fault that this happened.” He stood. “I’m going. The sooner I get what we need the sooner you’re home. You don’t leave this cave for any reason. Do you understand?”
“I don’t have to like it. But I do get it. But what do I do if you don’t come back?”
“I will.”
“But what if you don’t? Anything can happen. We’re both smart enough to know that.” What would she do if she found herself completely alone here? Was he right when he said that someone would make a slave out of her? How was she to know who she could trust and who to avoid? She didn’t have any money that would work in this layer—she’d lost her purse when she’d been yanked through the portkey—and had no idea how to get some here that would work.
No, without him she was in far more trouble than she was now. “Please, Nalik...”
He looked at her for a long moment. “What?”
“Please don’t forget me. Come back as soon as you can. I will be waiting.”
***
Girl really knew how to turn the knife inside a man. Did she know that? It would take a while for the image of his Rajni pleading with him to return to her to fade from his mind. He doubted he’d ever be able to truly forget the fear she hadn’t quite been able to hide.
He flew over the terrain, making note of landmarks to guide his way back to her when the time came. It looked no different than any of the other seven realms he’d been to. Most of the area here was rural, agricultural, with crude farms ever so many miles. The majority of the occupants of this area were barely more than serfs, eking out the most meager of existences.
Scars marred the land in several places, and it took little for the experienced warrior in him to realize what they were. Battles had taken place in this land, probably within the last half-decade.
Rachion was just in the distance and he put on some extra speed. Something in the air was just wrong, and it made him more than edgy. It made him damned nervous. He wanted to get what he needed and get back to Cassandra.
Chapter 16
She could do this. He would be back before she knew it. She paced around the cave, bigger than the last one at least, then washed up in the small stream. It was only a few fe
et wide, and about a foot deep, but she’d seen several golden fish swimming in the waters. She distracted herself for a little while growing flowers on the banks, but that only worked for a little while.
Something wasn’t right out there. She knew it. Was Nalik alright? Had something happened to him?
She fought every instinct telling her to get out of the cave. He had told her to stay, and she understood his reasoning. It was just her fear messing with her head. That’s all it was. She was perfectly safe exactly where she was.
But she didn’t feel safe.
When the earth around her rumbled, she knew she wasn’t.
Cass ran toward the small opening, hoping he’d used dirt and not rock to close the entrance.
She had to get out of there, fast. The earth rumbled again, and she could hear the plants and trees above screaming their fears. Earthquake.
If she didn’t get out of there and quickly, she’d be crushed. Her fingers sunk deep into the dirt Nalik had used to seal what could be her tomb and she pulled and dug. She wasn’t fast enough.
The cave fell in behind her. The force of the collapse sent her through the rest of the dirt and out of the cave. Something other than natural had her rolling down the small hill and landing against a huge boulder.
It had almost felt like hands pulling on her. Some protection Nalik had put in place that she didn’t know about?
Cass lay where she was for several more minutes. Tried to catch her breath. She couldn’t. It hurt too much. She rolled on her side as the earth continued to rumble. She crawled—she had to get away from the trees somehow, in case they fell. She could grow trees, but there was no guarantee she could keep them from falling on her during an earthquake.
Every foot she managed to crawl, the ache in her chest grew that much worse. She’d broken ribs, for sure. But how many?
Where was Nalik? Had the earthquake been wherever he was? Was he coming for her? Did he know she needed help?
What was she supposed to do?
Cass tamped down on the rising panic she couldn’t help but feel as the earth shook around her and the trees began to fall. To scream their own fears. She pulled herself to her feet, trying not to breathe too deeply.
She had to get off this hill and out into the open. Then she could decide what to do next.
One step at a time. She would just focus on taking one step at a time.
Chapter 17
Nalik knew she was in trouble the instant the city around him began to shake. The people in the dirty little shop he’d found barely reacted to the quake, making him think earthquakes were the norm in this region.
But his female was trapped in cave. The walls of which could crumble around her. He flashed into a bat at a run, not caring who saw. The portkeys would just have to wait.
It would take him close to an hour to fly to her. He just prayed to the damned goddess that he made it to her in time. He couldn’t bear to think what he would do if he didn’t. Why hadn’t he considered the possibility of earthquakes before he’d stuck her in a damned tomb? He should have brought her with him; he could have found a safe place to put her within the bounds of the city. It would have been a risk, but how could she survive a damned earthquake when she was in a cave? Stupid, stupid, stupid.
How could he have been so careless with her? He knew how terrified she must be. And he hated himself for that. Did she know he was coming back for her? Did she have that small amount of trust for him, or did she think he’d abandoned her?
Right there in midflight Nalik almost prayed to the damned goddess he knew couldn’t hear him in this world. Only the knowledge that it wouldn’t do a fucking bit of good had him saving his breath.
He pulled every bit of strength he had from his gut and put on a burst of speed, flying over the landscape toward where he’d left his female.
Chapter 18
Cass couldn’t go any farther; she would have to accept that. She was completely dependent on Nalik finding her before the burning in her lungs had her collapsing. Would it be smarter to sit down and wait for him to find her? The shaking had stopped, mostly. Every ten minutes or so there would be an aftershock, but they weren’t as intense. She’d made it to a large field, full of rolling hills full of wildflowers and some type of wheat grain. Someone’s farmland, most likely. Would they help her if she made her way to their main house? Did they even have a main house?
Would they make a slave out of her if they didn’t kill her right away? What would happen to her if they did enslave her? Her mind couldn’t wrap itself around that idea, not at all.
But how would Nalik know where to find her? She would just have to take a chance that he could. What else could she do?
She spread his cape out over a small patch of grass. She didn’t want to crush any of the flowers, or the grain. Cass curled up on her side—the side that didn’t have any broken ribs—and waited. Hopefully he’d look for her; hopefully he’d find her soon.
She pulled the cape over her shoulders and lay beneath it, shivering. She tried to fool herself into thinking it was Nalik holding her. His cape still smelled like him. He’d find her. She knew he would.
He hadn’t abandoned her yet; he’d come back the night before, hadn’t he? Why would he leave her now? He would find her.
The ache in her side, her chest, was growing. She didn’t know much about medicine—or first aid. That was Josey’s thing, not hers, but she knew enough to suspect she had broken more than just a few ribs. One was probably pressing into her lung. From where she’d moved too much after the earthquake. Or perhaps she had internal injuries of some sort.
Something wound around her left leg and Cass opened her eyes to check just what it was. A grass, most likely of the wheat variety, was growing up her knee. Her breathing evened as the stalk widened, sprouted offshoots that covered her waist and chest. Soon she was covered neck to toe in thick grasses. They kept the sun from burning her skin, and some of the aches started to leave her body, soothed by the plants.
She’d never managed something like this before. Hadn’t Theo said powers and magic were more enhanced in Evelanedea because of the atmosphere or something? It was certainly true for her. She used to be able to enhance her plants, to grow small things onions and beets with just a seed and a thought.
But here in this world she was doing far more than she ever imagined. And she didn’t even have to think about it before it happened. The leaves thickened over her and Nalik’s cape, until there was a two-inch thick barrier protecting her body. The grasses grew around her head, leaving her just a small opening through which to breathe. She felt so...soothed. Like someone was holding her in their arms, keeping her safe and protected. Healing the injuries to her body, making her whole again.
How weird.
Maybe her grandfather had made her Druid somehow?
Nalik certainly seemed to think so. When was he going to find her?
That was her last thought as she fell asleep, cocooned in her blanket of grasses.
Chapter 19
She was jerked awake when the grasses covering her were cut away with a sword. Strong arms yanked her off of Nalik’s cape and held her aloft.
Male voice laughed and catcalled, causing her to flinch and kick.
It didn’t matter, she was hanging in a man’s hands. Not Nalik. She knew that immediately. Cass looked into her captor’s eyes.
They were almost identical to Nalik’s, right down to the shape. But that was the only similarity between the two men, other than size. This man was probably an inch or two smaller than Nalik. But his muscled bulged even more than Nalik’s. And where Nalik’s hair was a dark as his name, this man’s was blond. His hair was far longer and shaggier—and curlier—than Nalik’s. Nalik was very neat in appearance.
This guy was just arrogant. “Put me down.”
“Look here, boys, we have us a little plantling, curled up in our fields. A gift from the goddess of lust perhaps, sent to tempt our loins?” He laughed as he dragged her
closer. “Tell me, little poppy, what does you plan, lying about so?”
“I plan nothing. I’m just lost, and injured from the earthquake.” He was a beautiful man, perhaps the most beautiful she had ever seen. But he really reminded her of the people of Dardanos. They shared similar builds—most Dardaptoans were tall, the men strongly muscled and every one of them beautiful. And his eyes were shaped like Dardaptoan eyes, and were the right color. But he wasn’t a Dardaptoan, was he? “Please? You’re hurting me.”
“You are a pretty little flower lover. I’ve never seen one quite so small though. Perhaps you are not yet full grown? Not yet into your powers, by chance?” He shifted her somewhat, but did not place her back on the ground. “Perhaps I should keep you as a pet. Or more. You are rather comely with that hair and eyes the color of the hills.”
“I am not a pet. Let me go. I’ve done nothing to you, and what can you get from actually keeping me against my will?” Would he make a slave out of her? What would he expect of her? To sleep with him? “I don’t have anything of value.”
“Little flower, a female like you always has value to someone. Tell me—where are your males?”
“Ju, this is definitely not the girl’s.” Another man held up Nalik’s black cloak. “I’d say she has a male around somewhere.”
The blond giant’s hands tightened on her armpits. He shook her, causing the still unhealed ribs to protest. “Where is he? Who is he?”
Cass just glared. “Don’t shake me. It hurts.” She would never let them see how frightened she was.
“Answer my inquiry, lest you feel the point of my blade at your neck.”
A vine shot out of the ground and wrapped around the man’s legs clear up to his thighs, surprising both him and Cass. He cursed and dropped her to the ground. He yanked the vine clear of his boots and trousers, then tossed it aside. “Damned plant lovers and your sneaky ways.”
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