by S. E. Smith
“Tell me more about the Goddess’s Mirror,” he quietly requested.
She looked at him with a startled expression before she sat back in her chair and looked up. The sky was now dotted with stars that glittered like billions of brilliant twinkling lights. His breath caught at the beautiful swirling river of colors flowing across the heavens.
“It is said that the Goddess who created our world wanted a place where magical creatures could exist in harmony. To do that, she created the Seven Kingdoms. Each Kingdom held a piece of her essence. The Dragons received the Dragon’s Heart while the Sea People were gifted the Eyes of the Sea Serpent. The Elementals were given the Gem of Power—which turned out to be more different than any of us expected,” she mused. She took a sip of her bourbon before she continued. “The Isle of Magic was given the Orb of Eternal Light, a gift that Magna, the Sea Witch, was able to unlock through the spell she cast on the King of Magic. She used the power to kill the alien that had possessed her body. The Giants were given the Tree of Life while Ashure—” Nali stopped and looked down at her glass with a half-smile. Asahi experienced an emotion that surprised him. It almost felt like—jealousy. She sighed and looked up at him with an amused expression as if she could sense his conflicted emotions.
“You said that he and Tonya are together,” Asahi remarked.
“Yes. It is good to see him happy—not that he didn’t appear to be before. Ashure is a complex man. His mother was from the Isle of the Monsters and his father was a pirate. Neither one of them deserved a son like Ashure. In fact, neither one of them should have become a parent at all. The only good thing they ever did was create Ashure, though of course they didn’t intend to do that. They died when he was very young,” she explained.
“You love him,” he reflected, watching the play of emotions that crossed her face as she spoke of Ashure.
She smiled at him. “Yes, very much. I never had a sibling, but Ashure is as close—and as irritating—as any brother could be. He is the King of the Pirates and protector of the Cauldron of Spirits,” she said.
“That sounds ominous,” he replied.
Nali’s grin hinted at her dangerous side. “Only for those who cross the line. You aren’t in your world any longer, Asahi. Here we are each made of a magic that goes all the way to our souls. The magic doesn’t die when we do.”
Asahi was quiet for a moment as he absorbed that information, then he asked, “And what is the story of the Goddess’s gift to the Isle of the Monsters?”
She glanced at him before looking up at the sky again. “It allows me to see the future—when she wants to share it with me. The mirror warns me of harm to my people—or any of the Seven Kingdoms—and can guide me in protecting them… sometimes,” she softly replied.
“But…?” he prodded.
She looked at him with a rueful expression. “But—it is often not very clear,” she admitted.
He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. “Did anything like the incident with the alien earlier ever occur before?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Never,” she said.
Asahi saw Nali look behind him and heard Darla approaching with their meal. He sat back and silently waited as the young manticore placed their dinner on the table. He murmured his thanks to her and waited until she left them alone before he spoke again.
“The mirror is too dangerous to use again. Somehow, the alien can connect with it,” he stated.
“I’ve warned Reese about the dangers. He, the other guards, and Pai will keep watch tonight. Pai and the manticores have excellent night vision. There is also the possibility of using the mirror to our advantage now that we are aware of the entity’s capabilities,” she countered.
Asahi nodded and began eating. The delicious flavor of grilled fish seasoned to perfection flooded his taste buds. Nali’s soft groan of pleasure covered his stomach’s growl of delight.
“This is delicious,” he commented.
She nodded. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was—or how tired,” she confessed with a rueful grin.
Chapter 9
Nali bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing at the myriad of emotions flitting across Asahi’s face. Kora had led them to the nicest room in the inn. Neither of them had expected the room to have only one enormous bed. It was obvious the manticore assumed they were together.
“I hope you’ll be comfortable, Empress. This was the last room available because of the Valley Festival that starts tomorrow,” Kora said with a slightly anxious note in her voice as she nervously wrung her hands together.
“It is perfect, Kora. Thank you,” Nali politely assured her.
Kora beamed and nodded. “Enjoy. I’ll have food packed for your journey tomorrow. Sleep well,” she said with a nod before backing out of the room.
Asahi looked at the bed before he scanned the room. She didn’t miss the way his eyes briefly lingered on the cushion in the window seat. She chuckled, walked over to him, and gently patted the center of his chest.
“Don’t even think of sleeping in the window seat or on the floor. We are both exhausted and mature enough to keep our hands to ourselves. We will need a good night’s rest if we are to stay strong and alert. I’m going to get cleaned up,” she stated.
She knew he was watching her when she grabbed the soft forest green silk robe that Kora had laid out at the end of the bed. She strode across the room and then paused at the door, looking at him with a sexy smile. Her heart hammered when she saw intense desire glimmering in his dark eyes.
“Of course, you could always wash my back if you want to save time,” she suggested rather provocatively.
Nali internally groaned. That was not what she had planned to say. She wanted to blame her ill-advised choice of words on the look in his eyes, but that would have been a lie.
“Be careful what you wish for, Nali,” Asahi warned, slowly advancing on her, his eyes never leaving hers.
She parted her lips and lifted her chin in a silent challenge. “Be careful what offers you accept,” she countered when he stopped in front of her.
He lifted his hand and caressed her cheek, then he tilted his head forward and paused. Their eyes locked, and she could sense the intense anticipation building between them. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.
The robe in her hand fell to the floor. As she slid her hand up his arm to his neck, she caressed his bottom lip with her tongue. In one fluid movement, he grabbed her waist, pulled her into his arms, and deepened the kiss.
Their breaths mingled, becoming one, as their need for each other ignited a fire that could only be quenched with their union. She tilted her head back when he threaded his fingers through her long dark curls. He kissed her with his eyes open, and she did the same. A powerful wave of pleasure filled her when she noticed the play of emotions in his eyes as their tongues danced in a primitive mating ritual. She reluctantly ended the kiss to take a breath.
“Are you sure?” Asahi said, his voice raspy with desire.
Nali gave him a confident smile and slid one hand down between them to cover the telltale bulge pressing against her. He deeply inhaled and tilted his hips forward as he exhaled with a low groan. Excitement zinged through her.
“How do you like the water?” she purred.
“With you in it,” he murmured, placing another kiss on her lips.
Asahi couldn’t drag his eyes away from Nali. She turned on the water to the shower unit before she started to undress. She removed her boots while he removed his shoes. They set them aside and turned toward each other.
He reached up and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. They both removed their shirts and dropped them to the floor. He moved his hands to his belt and waited until she did the same. Together, like mirrored erotic dancers, they continued undressing until they stood before each other—unshielded by clothing.
“You are a very… impressive looking man,” Nali said.
He closed the distance between them. Impre
ssive didn’t even begin to describe the woman standing in front of him. Her long black curls hung down her back and over one shoulder, the curly swath stopping just shy of the dark areola surrounding her taut nipple.
Her skin was the color of rich mocha, and he wanted a taste. He trailed the back of his fingers up her arm to her shoulder. His body reacted to her softly inhaled breath.
“Soft as the petals of a rose,” he said.
Nali lifted a knowing eyebrow and gave him a wicked smile full of promise. He shook his head in grudging concession when she slid her hands around his waist, splayed them across each of his buttocks, and pulled him into the shower. Her parted lips met his as she switched their positions and pushed him back against the wall.
Asahi threaded his fingers through her hair and gripped her hip with his other hand. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip before gently sucking on it. After a few seconds, she reluctantly tilted her head back to look into his eyes.
“I’m glad that you didn’t listen to me when I told you to go east,” she admitted.
He cupped her cheek. Water droplets clung to her eyelashes. She pressed another fervent kiss full of promise on his lips and then stepped back.
He grabbed the bar of soap, and with tender strokes and attention to detail, he washed her. He wanted to take his time to memorize her luscious body. Her muted moan of pleasure made him smile.
His smile faded when she took the soap from him. The touch of her hands gliding over his body created mental images of her lips following every stroke. When she dipped her hands lower and stroked his cock, he gritted his teeth to keep his control, but he loved the pleased expression in her eyes when she felt his immediate response.
He slid his hand down her arm and wrapped his fingers around her wrist. If she continued caressing his cock this way, he would come. He took the soap from her and placed it on the shelf. Then, applying gentle pressure, he turned her until her back was to him.
“My Enchantress,” he said, kissing her shoulder.
She leaned back and rubbed her buttocks against his erection. “I want to create magic with you, Asahi,” she breathed.
He reached out and turned off the water. Together, they dried each other. They caressed and fondled each other as they moved back into the bedroom, skimming their hands over skin in an erotic foreplay that increased their hunger.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down on top of him. She straddled his hips, the soft curls covering her mound rubbing against his engorged shaft. He cupped her full breasts and captured her nipples between his talented fingers. She leaned forward, caged his head with her forearms, and slowly licked his parted lips.
“You make me feel alive,” she said.
She balanced on one arm while she moved her hand down between them. Firmly gripping his cock, she guided it to her soft folds. The soft hair covering her mound brushed against the bulbous head of his manhood before the sensation of liquid heat surrounded him.
“Nali,” he groaned, lifting his hips as she sank down on him.
She arched her back and rode him. Emotion overwhelmed Asahi as he watched the expressions of pleasure cross her face. Her eyes were closed, her lips parted, and her head tilted back. He pinched her taut nipples, drawing a passionate cry from her. All the while, each stroke of her sweetly heated channel was a pleasurable torture. His balls were rock hard and a tingle low in his spine spread until the dam of his control felt like a fragile web caught in a hurricane.
He leaned up and captured one of her nipples between his lips, sucking it in deep. She responded with a cry and rotated her hips, brushing her swollen nub against him. Her feminine depths fisted him like a glove. He sucked harder, thrusting his hips as she gripped his upper arms.
“Yes! Oh, yes!” she cried out as she violently shuddered with her orgasm.
He dropped his head back against the pillow and reached around her. With a quick flip, he turned them over until he was on top. He didn’t give her a chance to recover. He tightened his arms around her and pumped his hips faster as he drove deep inside her. Her cries grew louder and she clung to him. He uttered a low, guttural groan as the dam burst, and he emptied wave after wave of hot cum inside her.
He lowered his head to her shoulder as pleasure and contentment swept through him. She held him, caressing his lower back. Another shudder ran through him when her channel squeezed his cock.
He nuzzled her neck. “You are my rose, Nali. You are my sun, my moon, and my magic,” he murmured near her ear.
She drew in a deep breath and released it on a sigh. “You don’t mind that I’m a monster as well?” she asked.
He leaned back and tenderly brushed her hair away from her face, then gently cupped her cheek, stroking her smooth skin with his thumb. She gazed up at him, her beautiful eyes searching.
“Your ability to transform is part of who you are. You are a monster and an Empress, but more importantly, you are a beautiful, compassionate, and intelligent woman in any form—one for whom I have feelings and deep respect,” he said with great sincerity.
Her eyes glittered with emotion. She leaned up and captured his lips, deepening their kiss when he parted his. She caressed his back, moving along the curve of his buttocks. His body responded to her loving touch, and he knew in that moment that he wanted to feel Nali’s touch for the rest of his life.
My beautiful, passionate monster, he thought, losing himself in her kiss.
Isle of the Pirates
Ashure leaned over and brushed a kiss across Tonya’s lips. She sleepily murmured and rolled over onto her back before blindly reaching up and cupping his cheek. He tenderly smiled as he looked down into her sleep-filled eyes.
“Are you leaving already?” she murmured in a voice still thick with sleep.
“Yes, love. The sooner I leave, the sooner I can come back to you,” he affectionately teased.
She scooted backward until she was leaning against the headboard. “Do you have the sword that Magna enchanted?” she asked.
“Yes, it is safely hidden,” he replied.
“Do you have the mirror and the bag I packed for you?” she continued, pushing her tangled hair back from her face.
Ashure chuckled and gave her a lingering kiss. “I have everything. Food, clothing, swords, the magic wards Marina gave me, and the human weapon Max insisted I take,” he promised.
“Oh, okay. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t forget anything. Promise me again that you’ll be careful,” she whispered, staring at him with huge, worried eyes.
“I promise,” he said with a groan when the desire to hold her close was almost too strong to resist. If he gave in, it would be hours before he was ready to leave again. “I can’t let Nali do this alone. I hope it doesn’t take long to capture or kill the alien.”
“I know. This thing—this alien—Magna told me about it and how dangerous it is. I know that I would only be in the way if I came along, or worse, a distraction. You need someone like Magna, or Max, or Mike Hallbrook,” she said.
“And that is what I love about you—you understand. I’d better go now, otherwise Nali will be having all the fun,” he muttered before he leaned in and kissed her hard one last time, then stood up and backed away.
She touched her lips and sent a warm look his way. “I love you,” she murmured.
“I love you, my beautiful pirate,” he softly replied before he held up the mirror.
He firmly gripped the mirror. The items he was taking with him were tied to him through magic, kept safe in the magical realm of the Cauldron of Spirits until he called on them. He took a deep breath and stared at his reflection for a moment before he spoke the incantation.
“Oh, magical mirror, grant my wish, take me to Nali, the Empress of the Monsters,” he instructed.
He slid his finger over the rose thorn to activate the magic. He looked down when the portal’s swirling colors appeared. A look of dismay crossed his face an instant before he fell through.
Oh,
boy, Nali will really be pissed at me this time, he thought with wry amusement.
Chapter 10
Ashure fell through the air until his feet hit the soft surface near the foot of the bed. He pinwheeled his arms as he fought to keep his balance on the unstable surface. A sudden movement behind him caused him to fall backward on the bed. He bounced on his back several times between the pair of startled and distinctly irate lovers. He grunted in relief when his head landed on a soft pillow.
While the landing had been soft, it was probably the worst place and time to suddenly appear. He gave an apologetic smile to soften the impact of his intrusion. Given the heated glare he was receiving and the dagger brandished in his direction, his effort wasn’t working.
He swallowed when he felt the dagger’s tip press against the soft tissue at the base of his throat. The appearance of a tiny, animated gold Gryphon on the hilt of the dagger caused him to blink in surprise. The diminutive winged lion shook his head in disgust and snorted at him before it looked up at the man who was holding the dagger.
Ashure’s smile turned into a grimace, and he sent a beseeching look to his beautiful but equally furious friend. She had scrambled out of the bed and was tying the belt of a dark forest green robe around her slender waist.
“Ah, good morning, Nali,” he mumbled, trying not to move his throat as he spoke. “Do you think you could ask your lover not to skewer me, please? I promised Tonya that I would return unscathed.”
“Asahi, you can release him. He is not a threat. Ashure, what are you doing here? I told you not to come unless all three beads turned red,” she angrily hissed.
Ashure breathed a sigh of relief when the man above him pulled the magical dagger away from his throat. He curiously followed Asahi’s movements as the man rolled off the bed. Amusement struck him when Asahi walked naked across the room, picked up a black duffle bag from a chair near the bathroom, and disappeared out of sight.
