Dangerous Lovers

by Becca Vincenza

  The car rumbled and we moved, my hand remained steady to my count. Twenty. Light exploded before my tightly shut eyes. I pulled my eyelids closer. I pulled everything closer, but my counting hand. Thirty-nine. The breeze I could taste it, smell it, feel it. Forty-three. I was safe. I was free. No more concrete cages. Fifty-seven.

  “Audrey…” Nixie’s humming was interrupted by a masculine voice. Not his. Never this again. Eight-two. “Audrey…” Eighty-seven. “Don’t you want to look outside?” Ninety-six. It’s a trick, the breeze–the smell of it, the feel of it, the taste. The flashlight. I knew all their tricks. One hundred and twenty-one. I knew them all. But the heat touching my eyelids, the unwavering truth in his voice. One hundred and thirty-four. How could I not believe him? I opened my eyes and lost count.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Stone

  It was like a newborn opening its eyes for the very first time. Untainted and eager. Even her seemingly dead eye shone bright. Her wild maroon hair flew around her head by the gust of the cracked window. Finally her lips twitched, before I knew it, her entire face lit up with a full smile. I didn’t think I’d ever seen anything as painfully beautiful. She wasn’t even aware she was unfolding and stretching her long lithe body.

  “Beautiful.” The word slipped out before I knew I said it. Nixie heard me, giggled and punched the back of my seat. I had the urge to turn around and snarl at her but refrained from doing it. Audrey remained next to the window. When her eyes weren’t rapidly taking in the sights, she would close her eyes and let the breeze brush against her face. In those moments she looked truly free.

  A few times during the drive, she flickered back to the scared, damaged, woman we just rescued. Then, she would touch the stitching in the seats and her lips would move. I knew she was counting. Watching her during those moments was like watching a beautiful piece of art melt away.

  I wanted her to be able to hold onto the free, majestically natural and open woman she was becoming. Not the broken, dangerous, harsh girl she was. I couldn’t stand to see her so broken.

  Thinking of her that way only reminded me of my own sins. How many times had I killed in the name of Braden, my clan’s family name? How many times had I tortured men and women alike to get a simple answer?

  I looked forward, feeling wholly unworthy to look upon Audrey, an innocent to me, guilty to another only because she had no answers to give.

  “She is no saint. And if you keep painting her in that light she will not thank you.” Elijah’s head was tilted toward me slightly, but with his eyes completely black it was hard to tell where he was really looking.

  “No one is a saint. Some of us are just better than others.” I answered, watching as we passed another state line. We were headed north on the coast, I wasn’t sure where Elijah would take us, but I hoped it wasn’t near the York’s land. The York’s were one of the biggest, strongest families in the world, with a bit of marked land on each continent. They weren’t too fond of the Braden clan and on occasion worked with the Vedenins.

  Hours later, after Nixie, Audrey and I had fallen asleep at least once, and after two stops for food, gas, and bathroom breaks, we arrived. I’d fallen asleep three hours before and I wasn’t sure what state we were in. We’d all ditched our phones and Nixie reluctantly parted with her iPod knowing Jacobs had tracking devices in all of them. Since I’d never seen this car before, I was guessing Elijah obtained it somehow. I wasn’t going to ask and I knew he wasn’t going to tell.

  “This is my cabin. Only one other person knew about it and he is dead now.” Elijah rarely ever smiled and I was glad for it, cause he was smiling at me now, his sharp dagger like teeth made him look deranged. “There are two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a living room with a couch. You can all take the rooms.” Elijah didn’t even look at any of us.

  I suppressed a growl and got out. The forest spread out around me felt like heaven, plenty of space to run, to stretch my tight muscles. I looked over at Audrey. Her mouth popped open as she took in all the sights. She looked almost natural. Standing within the trees, she looked at peace.

  Nixie joined Audrey and touched her shoulder. Audrey noticeably flinched at the contact but she relaxed when she saw it was only Nixie. While they headed in, I took the bags from the trunk.

  “How safe are we here?” I asked hoping he’d give me a good answer.

  “I made our scent untraceable, but the magic will fade. If we are found, it will be because of a stray shifter stumbling upon us. This remote, I estimate at least a month before that happens.” I nodded, better than I thought originally.

  “Could you get me an extra few things?” This time Elijah looked at me with his head barely tilted. I knew wraiths weren’t easily surprised, but he looked at me with their equivalent of surprise. I gave him a list and he just nodded.

  “I will be a couple of hours. But I will return.”

  I turned back to the wraith’s secret cabin.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Audrey

  Waking up, all I could recall was how I had been outside. I had touched the ground with my toes. I had felt the fresh air all around me. In the car was different, it zipped by as if eager to pass by. This air was different; it was stiller, patient.

  Nixie had urged me into the house too soon. She was asleep on the bed keeping as much distance between us as she could. She wasn’t the reason I couldn’t sleep though. I was just too eager to go back outside. I was starved for four years, I needed this.

  I closed my eyes, I could hear everything. A cricket northwest, a frog southeast, and a deer to the west. Leaves were rustling. I dreamt of these sounds, longed for them. Now being able to hear them myself again – nothing compared.

  The temptation was too much. I practically ran out the door. My bare feet touched the damp ground. I didn’t care, I soaked up the moisture like a plant. The further away I moved, the more extreme the colors became. This place was so full of life. Colors exploded, new colors formed. I should have felt overwhelmed, but instead I felt at ease. I ran over to a tree eager to look at the bark and see every slight shade of brown or green it had to offer. I was utterly fascinated by it all.

  “Audrey!” Nixie’s musical voice came out strained and broken from the direction of the cabin.

  I looked up at the sky. Had I been out here that long? It had been littered with stars but now was clear and light blue. I turned to head back to Nixie when I saw a black panther step out behind a tree. Its murky brown eyes changed to a bright yellow. Stone. He walked over to me and placed his large head under my hand.

  He grabbed the edge of my shirt with his teeth and started to pull me back toward the cabin. I smiled slightly at him, but he just flicked his tail at me and walked in front of me. A couple of times, when I stopped to smell a flower or inspect something closer, he had to turn around and nudge me onwards. The fifth time he got so annoyed he growled at me. I almost laughed. Deep down I knew that I should be scared that Jacobs would find us eventually but I couldn’t bring myself to worry about that. Not yet. Not when I felt content. Almost happy.

  As soon as we got into the clearing, Stone bounded off into the house. Nixie rushed over and bent down a little so that we were eye to eye.

  “Are you all right?” Nixon's coral eyes flashed her worry.

  “I am the happiest I’ve been in many years…” Since I lost my companion, Aiden. But even with that, I hadn’t fully been able to ease the pain in my heart. Now it was less noticeable.

  “You had tears in your eyes, I was worried about you.” Nixie smoothed my hair back. “I am sorry I got scared. When I woke up, you were gone.” Nixie pulled me into a hug. She took in a long shaky breath.

  I couldn’t find it in myself to pull away, or even be uncomfortable at her touch. Instead it felt almost soothing, like finding a lost family member.

  “I can’t believe a wraith would offer up his totally top secret cabin for us. Are you working your womanly charms on him?” Nixie moved to my side tapping m
e with her hip, laughing.

  “My womanly charms?” I asked, but my mind was more on the idea that Elijah had given up this place. For me?

  “Yes, sweetie, womanly charms.” She leaned forward, exaggerating her already well-endowed chest. Her voice took a deep, seductive tone. “Elijah may be a wraith, but he is still a male. A male with creepy ass eyes, but eyes nonetheless.” She winked at me and ran her green tongue over her teeth.

  “If you’re talking about creepy eyes, apparently you’ve never met a weresnake. Creepy. Especially when their eye shields blink. I know snakes don’t have eyelids so when a weresnake is in its human form their eyes don’t quite adjust right, they still have eyelids like humans but they rarely use them, it’s more of a conscious thought for them.” Stone added as he pulled on his shirt.

  “I haven’t met a weresnake before! I wonder how creepy that would be…” Nixie stopped and looked us both with a sly smile. “Never mind. Anyways what is the plan cuttlefish?”

  “I know you have been enjoying the outdoors Audrey, but you need to be more careful. Also, we need to start teaching you as much about our world as we can. Hopefully something will help trigger a memory. Sooner or later Jacobs will find us, and he will be more than determined to find out whatever your secret is. And for all of our sakes, I hope by that time you can give him something.” Stone became very serious after that. He led us both back to the house and into the kitchen. While he started to cook, Nixie told me more about aquatic paranormal creatures.

  “I know we told you about dragon shifters and how they are extinct now, well we lost a few creatures as well in the ocean. We lost the water nymphs, now that was a tragedy. They were the most beautiful of the aquatic creatures, highly sought after by not only mermen, but male sirens, and even land based creatures. It’s rumored that they could live both underwater or on land in either of their forms. They were a lot like sirens in that aspect. I suppose with two forms, though you know a siren from a mermaid because sirens don’t have tails, and we look much like a human but with gills. I will have to show you sometime. Easier to show then tell. I had this one friend, oh she was gorgeous in her blue hues. Anyways, nymphs usually kept to themselves and they had control over the seas. Again, all rumored here, but it was said nymphs were the sons and daughters of the water Gods. Now I think those bastards actually had the krakens, now what we wouldn’t give to get rid of those!” Nixie started to laugh.

  “Nixie, maybe we should stop with the aquatic lessons, it’s not like she is an aquatic paranormal anyway.” Stone interrupted while Nixie finally took a breath. She pouted, but there was a twinkle in her eye.

  “We never finished telling you about all the different kinds of Weres!” Nixie practically jumped up and down. “So there are Weres for almost very kind of animal out there, and really they take on the instincts and characteristics of their animal spirit even in their human forms. Like a weresloth,” She paused looking over at Stone, “Yeah I met a weresloth, you can be jealous now! Anyways, so he was really slow and when he talked it took him forever to get out a sentence. Oh, I met a wereraccoon once. Gross! Don’t ever hang around them too often, they smell horrible and they are super possessive of their food. One hissed at me once. Moving on…So that is pretty much the jist of Weres. They are pretty simple creatures to understand.” Stone set some food on the table, it was soupy noodles and smelled of beef.

  “Ramen noodles, it was all he had that was still okay to eat. I think he should be back soon. And he is going to be bringing better food.” Stone explained as he handed another bowl to Nixie who immediately wrinkled her nose. Stone had told me before that Elijah had gone to shop far from the cabin in fear that some type of tracking paranormal might catch his scent.

  “I am guessing he won’t be bringing me my seaweed salad. He is bringing fish right?” She looked up at Stone who moved to the other side of the table.

  “Yeah, I told him.”

  “Whew, for a second there I was really worried. Thanks, Stone. You are a guppy!” Nixie smiled, looking back down at her food. “I know it says shrimp flavored, but this does not smell like shrimp.” She sighed, and started to eat it despite her reluctance.

  “What are some paranormal creatures?” I asked quietly.

  “Well, there are nature based ones like the Dryads, elves, fey, fairies and pixies. Those are usually the most common ones you will find. Elves are not small little things. Those are gnomes. And my advice is to stay far away from gnomes, the bastards drive people insane. There are a lot of paranormals but we really need to start educating you on the families. Now, there are ten major families and forty minors ones that branch off the top ten families. The Bradens, who we belong with, will not be the only ones looking for us.” They both got really quiet after that. I watched them both, waiting for them to explain.

  Stone looked at Nixie who swallowed hard. “Elijah mentioned we were near the York’s land.”

  “The Yorks?” Nixie’s usually pale green-tinted skin looked even whiter.

  “I am sorry, Nixie.” Stone reached over to touch Nixie but for once I saw her shy away. She stood so abruptly that her chair fell backwards.

  “I think I smelled a lake nearby.” Nixie’s words were stiff and lacking the normal musical tone I was so used to hearing in her voice. The door slammed on her exit. I stirred my food. Stone touched my hand bringing my eyes to his.

  “There is history there. Something she’ll have to tell you but for now how about I take you for a walk in the woods. I know you weren’t done this morning, we were just hoping you would eat.”

  I nodded and followed him to the front door. We went in the opposite direction Nixie had headed.

  “Would you be willing to tell me about your past? Anything that you remember?”

  I stiffened at his words. Was this just another elaborate trick, if this didn’t work out for a day then would they send me back to Jacobs? I didn’t want to be sent back to Jacobs. Stone touched my elbow and trailed his hand down my arm. My eyes closed against the sweet assault. He cupped his hand around mine, his fingers twitched as if they wanted to be closer.

  “I am not asking for them. I want to know about you.”

  I looked up at Stone.

  “I don’t know what you want me to tell you…” I whispered looking away from his forest green eyes.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Stone

  “Tell me anything.” I said watching her.

  She looked down at the ground as if she was ashamed to even think about her past. I wanted to know everything about her, a need I couldn’t quite understand. Usually I was happy enough to be uninvolved. It was easier that way. But looking down at her, I wanted to know everything about her. I waited a long time as we walked, but I knew I had to wait for her to come to me.

  “I had a stuffed animal. He had a name. Aiden. He was my only friend for so long that when I lost him, I felt like I lost the only good thing in this world. It was just a small little thing I remember that my father gave me.” I saw her lips twitch for a moment but when she looked up at me, her eye was impossibly sad. She had lost her one and only friend.

  “How did you lose him?” I asked before I realized that it was the wrong thing to say. “Wait you don’t…”

  “I was in my room that morning holding Aiden. I held him so tight because I had been crying. My dad had knocked on the door. I let go. I let go of him. When I got to the door, my father looked worried and tried to pull me out of the room. I told him I had to go back for Aiden. All I remember was turning back to grab him. It was the last time I ever saw him.” She held onto my hand even tighter as if I was her life-line.

  “I am so sorry, Audrey.” What could I say? I understood the pain of loss and didn’t want the world to come after her anymore. Hadn’t she suffered enough? I stopped walking and turned toward her. All I wanted to do was wrap her in my arms and never let go.

  I didn’t realize that my hands were on her hips guiding her back to a tree. I looked down at
her eyes. I saw a hint of fear, uncertainty, and something more. I knew what I was seeing. Desire. Even though I could see she didn’t completely understand, she still leaned forward, pressing against me. Her soft body pressed against mine. I closed my eyes, savoring the feeling for only a moment before I opened them again.

  I couldn’t wait any longer. Her plump lips invited me in, and I had to have a taste. I leaned down and she leaned back, just a little out of fear, but the tree wouldn’t let her escape. One hand remained firmly on her hip, the other migrated to the back her head, both to keep her in place. I couldn’t wait to tangle my hands in her hair again. As if her hair had a mind of its own, it twisted around my hand. I savored the feel of the silky strands.

  I needed to feel her entire body against me. My body moved without my permission, getting as close to her as I could. Then, I pressed my lips against hers. They were as soft as I imagined them to be. She tasted like she smelled, wild, untamed, and sweet. She remained stiff for a moment then followed my lead. When I ran my tongue on her bottom lip, she gasped and I moved in. She froze for a moment. Then her tongue followed mine. Kissing her made me feel lighter. A burden that I had been carrying suddenly lifted and I was free. It was an odd sensation. I knew we needed to come up for air, but I didn’t want to leave her lips, I didn’t want to ever part from her again which was the thought that pulled me away from her.

  My forehead pressed against hers. She breathed heavily, eyes downcast.

  Gods, I needed to know what she was feeling. I needed to know if I had destroyed her.

  “Audrey.” I needed her to look up at me. When she did, her eyes were starting to tear. It felt like a stab to the heart seeing the tears in her eyes. Shit…“Did I hurt you?”

  “No…it was…nice.” She looked down, her cheeks reddened to a beautiful scarlet color. Her skin was still unnaturally pale from lack of sunlight but she looked absolutely stunning standing in front of me now.