Mark of the Bear (Hades' Carnival)

by N. J. Walters

  “I’ll email them. Hopefully by the time we get home we’ll have heard something.” She chewed on her bottom lip, trying to decide what to write just in case they were wrong. “How about this? If you’re the tiger who is searching for a bear please email me.”

  “That works.” Marko studied the machine and the miniscule keyboard. “This is amazing. Add, in the service of the Lady.”

  She nodded in approval. “Ready?”

  “Yes.”

  Kellsie hit the send button and the email disappeared from the screen. “That’s done.” She turned off her phone and shoved it into her tote bag. “Time to get moving.”

  She slid into the driver’s seat, happy to be on her way home. “Get in. We’ve got a long drive ahead of us.”

  Marko went around the front of the car and climbed into the passenger seat. He watched her put on her seatbelt and copied her actions. “I could drive.”

  Kellsie laughed. “Good try, but I don’t think so. Not until you do a driver’s ed course and get your license.” She reached out and patted his hand. “Which I don’t think will take you long at all.”

  She started Betsy and pulled away, leaving the clearing and the nightmare behind her.

  Epilogue

  Kellsie climbed out of the passenger side of the rental car. She’d been right. It hadn’t taken Marko long at all to get his driver’s license. He babied Betsy as much as she did, maybe more. He’d also insisted on driving the rental car from the airport.

  She’d been surprised at how well he’d handled being on a plane. But as he told her, they were immortal. Being blown to bits and being beheaded were the only way for them to die. If they crashed they’d be hurt, but they would heal and walk away. That made a lot of sense and Kellsie found she relaxed and enjoyed the flight more than she normally would.

  The last few weeks had been a blur of activity as Marko acclimated to the modern world. The man was a quick study, putting his knowledge into practice with ease. Truthfully, he knew more than she did about the world.

  It shocked her how easily he soaked up information. Like a sponge, he was eager to learn it all. He excelled at anything he set his mind to and driving was just one of many things he’d mastered in a few short weeks.

  The driver’s door slammed and she glanced over at him. Damn, the man looked awesome in the leather pants, but he was sexy as all get out in modern clothing. The brown T-shirt stretched across his massive shoulders and the faded blue jeans hugged every muscle and bulge to perfection.

  “Everything okay?”

  She smiled and walked toward him. He automatically wrapped his arm around her and pulled her snug against his body. She was very familiar with the position and, surprisingly enough, she liked it.

  They’d talked a lot since they’d returned to her home in Los Angeles. The biggest decision Kellsie had made was to go ahead with her book. Maury was thrilled with the idea and already had several publishing houses interested. Over the past few weeks, she’d been making notes in between helping Marko adapt to modern living and corresponding with Aimee and Roric.

  Now she was about to meet them and she was nervous.

  Marko leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “It will be all right.” They were amazingly attuned to each other’s moods and thoughts, one of the offshoots of Marko sharing his immortality with her.

  She was still trying to wrap her brain around that fact. She was immortal. She’d never look any older than she did today.

  “I know,” she told him. And she did know it. They’d beaten the devil himself and lived to tell about it. Whatever came next, they could handle it. Together.

  The door to the house opened and a slender woman with short black hair stepped outside. Behind her followed a big man with white hair with black stripes and a feral aura about him. That was definitely Roric.

  Kellsie gave Marko a push. “Go on. It’s been a long time.”

  The two men walked toward one another in almost a daze. Marko was larger but they were both impressive in size and stature. Her man moved first, snagging his large hand around Roric’s neck and pulling him into an embrace.

  Tears pricked her eyes and Kellsie blinked them back. The connection between the two men was palpable. They were more than friends and fellow warriors. They were brothers. She tried not to think of those lost and those still imprisoned. She especially tried not to think about Mordecai who’d skewered her with his sword.

  This was a happy moment.

  The two men pounded each other on the back. Kellsie winced. That had to hurt, but neither of them showed as much as a twinge of pain. Of course, they were both immortal warriors.

  “Hi, I’m Aimee.”

  She’d emailed the woman almost every day over the past few weeks, discussing the problems associated with loving an ancient warrior. And they were legion. The guys were just a tad old-fashioned in how they acted sometimes. But that was okay. She could work around that.

  She took the other woman’s hand. Aimee had soulful green eyes. A scar marred her left cheek but it in no way detracted from her beauty. “I’m so glad to meet you at last.” Kellsie took a cue from Marko and hugged the other woman.

  When they parted, Aimee laughed. “I can’t believe I’m actually meeting Kellsie Morris. I’m such a big fan. I own all your movies and made Roric watch them too.”

  How big a kick was that? Kellsie was thrilled and embarrassed at the same time. “Thanks. I’m glad you enjoy them.”

  The men moved over beside them and Marko put his hand on the small of her back. It was a small move but smacked of possession. She didn’t mind. She liked the fact they belonged together. He was as much hers as she was his.

  “Kellsie, this is Roric. My fellow warrior and friend.”

  “I’m so glad to meet you, Roric,” she began. She didn’t get out any more words because the large man took her into his arms and hugged her until she could barely breathe.

  “Thank you,” he whispered in her ear. “Thank you for giving him his life.”

  She hugged Roric back. “You’re welcome.”

  Marko scowled and groused. “Let her go. You’ve got your own woman.”

  The rest of them laughed and they headed for the house. The mood was easy between them as they settled in and enjoyed a long afternoon and a wonderful dinner together. They’d shared their stories before, but they went over them again. No detail was too small to dissect. Somewhere in there might be the key to freeing the remaining warriors.

  “I don’t think it’s possible,” Aimee began. Both men scowled at her but she continued, unfazed by their dark looks. “The curse is structured a certain way and that’s how it works. It can’t be circumvented.”

  And Aimee would know. She was the resident expert in such things. The woman was a graphic artist and had illustrated many comics and graphic novels. Currently, she was working on her own, a story about the Lady of the Beasts. It was in its final stages and would be released in a matter of months.

  Aimee had already asked if she could do Kellsie and Marko’s story. They were still discussing it. Kellsie kind of liked the idea of their adventure being set down in words and pictures. Marko was a bit more reserved, but she’d work around that in time.

  The drawings Aimee had shown them had shocked Kellsie. Aimee was a very talented lady. They were so real. She shivered at the memory. The pictures of Hades were the most disturbing. It was though the god was staring back at them from the page, watching and plotting. And maybe he was. The drawing of the Lady made her sad. She knew in her heart she’d heard her, been helped by her.

  “I agree with Aimee.” Kellsie was in her usual seat on Marko’s lap and swiveled so she could see Roric and Aimee who occupied a large easy chair. “If there was any other way to do this then it would be written in the curse.”

  Marko growled. “I hate feeling so helpless.”

  Kellsie rubbed his arm where it wrapped around her stomach. “I know. All we can do is search for them and be there if they
need extra help.”

  “We need to make plans. Decide how we proceed from here.”

  It hadn’t taken Kellsie long to realize that Roric was a planner. Marko had explained that he’d been the unofficial leader of the group of warriors.

  “We need to put away some money in case we need to travel,” Kellsie began and felt Marko’s tension. Uh oh, her bear wasn’t happy. She knew he hated the fact that she was currently supporting them both.

  Roric rubbed his chin, his pale blue eyes glittering. “We must find work of some kind.”

  “I make enough money for both of us,” Aimee countered. Kellsie could tell it was an old argument between the two of them.

  “It has been long enough,” Roric insisted.

  “I could get you both work in the movies as extras or stunt men. You both have serious sword skills.” Of course that meant they’d need identification and papers, which Kellsie was working on.

  She’d met a lot of people in her years in the movie industry and some of them had contacts of the shady sort. She’d already gotten Marko’s straightened out and hoped to have Roric’s for him soon.

  “Wait a minute.” Kellsie slid off Marko’s lap and turned to face him as a thought occurred to her. “You guys have been around forever. Don’t you know where to find some buried treasure or something? Coins. Artifacts. Something.”

  Marko glanced at Roric who shrugged. Marko closed his hand and opened it again. In his palm was a large diamond.

  “Holy crap.” Aimee gasped.

  Kellsie’s eyes widened as she stared at the huge glittering stone. “Is that thing for real?” she asked Marko.

  He frowned at her. “Of course it is real.”

  She shook her head. “It’s too much. Something like that would attract too much unwanted attention.”

  Marko frowned and closed his hand again. When he opened it, the diamond was gone. Kellsie tried to suppress her disappointment. She’d wanted a better look at the thing.

  “It’s not that easy, is it?” Aimee rested her chin in her palm and tapped a finger against the side of her face.

  “Nope. Not unless we can get something smaller and find a way to dispose of it without too much attention.” They didn’t want the authorities looking too closely at either man. It would be a little difficult to explain the entire immortal-warrior thing.

  “I will work in the movies,” Marko announced.

  “I can get you work,” Kellsie told him. “But I’ve got money in the bank and this book deal. It’s enough for now. We need to be ready to move in case we can assist one of the other warriors.”

  “I will work,” he repeated.

  Kellsie knew the inactivity was hard on him. The last few weeks had been taken up with acclimating. Now that he was settled he was starting to chafe at the inactivity.

  “You can stay here as long as you want,” Aimee offered. “There’s plenty of room and the men can roam in the hills.”

  That was something Marko was missing in Los Angeles. Freedom.

  She and Marko glanced at one another. “We can stay a week and go from there. I can work from here.” She’d bought herself a new laptop as a sort of I-survived-the-devil present, and she could write and research her book just as easily from here as she could at home. She had all her notes stored on her hard drive.

  “That’s settled. For now.” Roric stood with Aimee in his arms. “Now we will bid you good night.”

  “Roric,” Aimee drew out the syllables in his name. “You’re being rude.”

  He shook his head. “No. They are tired after their trip. Is that not so, my brother?”

  Marko stood and scooped her into his arms. “That is true, my friend.” Kellsie clung to his neck and smiled. Sometimes living with an ancient warrior wasn’t bad at all.

  The women looked at one another and laughed as their men carried them to their respective beds. The night settled around them, quiet except for the sound of sensual cries and the rustle of bed sheets.

  Hours later, Kellsie sat in bed unable to sleep. She was too wound up after the trip. She knew she’d be tired tomorrow but she could always nap. She reached over the side of the bed and pulled her book out of her bag, careful not to wake Marko. Her original book had disappeared with the carnival, along with her clothes, so she’d bought a new copy to enjoy while she was here.

  She clipped her book light onto the paperback, flicked it on and stared at the cover of Araminta Davidson’s latest book. The cover gave her the shivers. The heroine was running from some kind of demon or creature. She’d put off reading this one simply because it was too close to the nightmare she’d been through.

  But this was fiction and she didn’t have to worry about the ending. In a romance there was always a happily ever after. No way was she letting Hades and his minions deprive her of enjoying a book by her favorite author.

  Kellsie settled back against the pillow, opened the book and began to read. Beside her, Marko stirred and threw one arm across her stomach. She glanced at him and her heart swelled. His amazing hair was spread across the white pillowcase and the sheet was pushed low, giving her an unobstructed view of his superior back. The bear tattoo seemed to watch her every move.

  She smiled and went back to her reading. The more she read, the more she couldn’t believe what was on the page. Oh, the names were different and the situation was slightly different, but there was no mistaking the story. The pages flew by as the story unfolded.

  It was about a carnival that was run by the devil. The heroine was enjoying the rides, never knowing she was about to become part of something bigger, something beyond her understanding. When the heroine laid eyes on the carousel for the first time and saw the imprisoned, cursed warriors, goose bumps raced down Kellsie’s back and she slammed the book shut.

  It was too real. It was the exact description of the carousel she’d seen and the writer had included all the animals as well. In her book none of them were missing. Not yet. But the heroine was drawn to one of the animals. And Kellsie knew it was one that was still sitting on the real carousel, waiting to be released.

  Reaching out, she shook Marko. He came awake in an instant, alert and ready to fight. When he realized there was no immediate threat, he turned to her and cupped her cheek in his hand. “What is it, love? Having trouble sleeping?” His deep brown eyes were filled with concern.

  “You’re not going to believe this.” She held up the book. “I think I know who Hades is going to go after next.”

  About the Author

  N.J. Walters has always been a voracious reader of romance novels and decided one day that she could write one as well. The contemporary story, Discovering Dani, was the very first novel she wrote while living in a little town much like the one Dani O’Rourke lives in, though all other similarities to Dani’s life pretty much end there. Then she wrote another one that followed up on Dani’s friends and neighbors. But she didn’t consider herself a “real” writer yet.

  Just a few years later N. J. had a mid-life crisis at a fairly young age, gave notice after ten years at her job on a Friday and received a tentative acceptance for her first published novel (an erotic romance) from a publisher on the following Sunday.

  Happily married to the love of her life, with his encouragement and support she gave up the job of selling books for the more pleasurable job of writing them. She now spends her days writing novels of her own. Werewolves, vampires, time-travelers, seductive handymen and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to do it. And some days she actually feels like a “real” writer.

  N.J. enjoys hearing from readers, and she can be reached at njwalters22@yahoo.ca. You can check out her web site at www.njwalters.com.

  Look for these titles by N.J. Walters

  Now Available:

  Jamesville

  Discovering Dani

  The Way Home

  The Return of Patrick O’Rourke

  The Seduc
tion of Shamus O’Rourke

  A Legal Affair

  By the Book

  Past Promises

  Legacy

  Alexandra’s Legacy

  Isaiah’s Haven

  Legacy Found

  Quinn’s Quest

  Finding Chrissten

  Damek’s Redemption

  Spells, Secrets and Seduction

  A Touch of Magick

  Dreams of Seduction

  Love in Flames

  Hades’ Carnival

  Night of the Tiger

  Coming Soon:

  Hades’ Carnival

  Pride of the Lion

  Howl of the Wolf

  To win the battle for his soul, he may have to sacrifice the woman who set him free.

  Night of the Tiger

  © 2012 N.J .Walters

  Hades’ Carnival, Book 1

  Aimee Horner lives and breathes her career as a graphic novel illustrator, but she never expected it would invade her dreams. In recent months, worsening nightmares have pulled her into the darkest corners of Hell.

  On a rare night out with friends at a traveling carnival, she finds herself strangely drawn to an abandoned carousel adorned with vividly exotic animals. One steed, a massive white tiger, is a temptation she can’t resist. The moment she climbs upon him, her world changes forever.

  More than five thousand years ago, Roric and his fellow shapeshifting warriors were imprisoned in their animal forms, a last-ditch effort by the goddess they served to save them from the horrors of Hell.

  With one special woman’s touch, he has a chance at freedom and redemption—but the clock is ticking. If he is still alive in twenty-four hours, the spell will be broken, and Hell will have no claim on his soul. The only hitch is his blazing attraction to Aimee. If only he could trust that she isn’t merely a distraction sent by Hades—luscious bait to lure him from his mission.