by S. E. Smith
Tonya, he whispered, remembering her lying in their bed with a small, sexy smile on her lips, her eyes warm and sleepy. My love.
He turned the dagger in his hand so that the blade was pointed at his chest. The pain was too reminiscent of the time when he had held her in his arms after Bleu shot her—only this was magnified a million times because he knew there was no hope of ever seeing her again. There was no Magna to slow down time this time.
“Ashure, no!” Orion called out.
Ashure opened his eyes as a new thought occurred to him, and he parted his lips with the first stirring of hope. “Time—we need to change the time,” he whispered.
“Ashure, don’t let Tonya’s death be in vain,” Orion urgently said, gripping his arm.
Ashure’s eyes met Orion’s, and he slowly nodded. “Time, Orion. There is another way,” he said, his voice growing stronger and louder.
“What?” Orion asked with a confused expression.
Ashure waved the dagger in the air at the encampment. “Time, Orion. Drago’s Time-Space hoop! The magic—that is why this doesn’t make sense. We never made it to the Mystic Mountains to help Nali. That is why this is happening. We need Drago’s hoop. We need to go back into the past,” he exclaimed with growing excitement.
Ariness frowned. “You have a Time-Space hoop?” he repeated in disbelief.
“Yes!” Ashure said triumphantly.
“Where is it?” Ariness asked with growing excitement.
Ashure looked at Orion again. Ashure turned and looked back the way they had come. They had left it back in the village—forgotten during the attack.
“We don’t know how to work it,” Orion pointed out.
Ariness grimly nodded. “You may not, but I do,” he said.
“It won’t do us any good if we can’t get to it,” Ashure said.
“Where is it?” Mike asked this time.
“In the village,” Ashure replied with a grimace.
Chapter 21
Isle of the Monsters
Asahi jumped out of the boat with the bow rope when he heard the hull scraping the lake’s rocky bottom. He waded ashore and secured the rope around a large boulder. Nali looked around before gazing up at the steep cliff ahead of them. The sheer stone wall rose thousands of feet into the air. From this vantage point, clouds shielded most of the mountain from view.
She walked over to the boat’s starboard side and flipped a rope ladder over the gunwale for Asahi to climb back into the boat. He gave her a wry grin of thanks. She stepped back when he pulled himself over the side.
“This looks like a dead end. I assume this is the mountain the mirror showed us,” he said.
She nodded. “Yes.”
He tilted his head back and looked up as far as he could. The skeptical expression on his face made her smile. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.
“It’s a long way to the top. You should ask Ashure about that one day,” she teased.
He looked down at her in surprise. “Ashure? He climbed to the top?” he asked.
She chuckled and nodded. “When he was nine. He almost died on his little adventure,” she said.
He looked up at the cloud-shrouded peak again. “Nine! Incredible,” he repeated.
She laughed and shook her head. “I think you mean incredibly lucky. The mountain only allows those who are true of heart to ascend it,” she said.
“True of heart? You mentioned that before. What exactly does that mean?” he asked with a frown.
“Those that seek nothing in return. Legends passed down from one Empress to another say that after the Goddess created the Isle of the Monsters, she stood upon the highest mountain and marveled at the beauty and diversity of the creatures here. She didn’t see them as ugly or something to fear, but unique and precious in their own way. To help protect them, she gave them three things,” she explained, facing him.
“An Empress to protect them,” he guessed.
She smiled and tilted her head. “Yes.”
“The Goddess’s Mirror to help her do so,” he added.
She nodded. “And….”
He frowned and looked up at the mountain again. She loved the way he became still as he processed information.
“And a way to communicate with her in times of great need,” he finally said, looking down at her.
“Yes, though I don’t know if there has ever been a time greater than now,” she murmured.
She slid her hands up his muscular arms until they rested on his shoulders. He gripped her waist. The warmth of his hands through the thin material of her blouse sent a shiver of awareness through her. She gazed up at him, her heart filled with emotion.
“I’m falling in love with you, Asahi Tanaka,” she said as she ran her fingers through his hair.
He turned his head and pressed a kiss on her palm. “Then I am the luckiest man alive. From the moment I saw you land in the forest, there was never a doubt in my mind that you were the woman for me,” he confessed.
She met his lips halfway. This is what pure magic feels like, she thought when he tightened his hold on her.
Her heart hammered when he slid his hands over her hips. Their kiss changed from passionate to almost desperate. The turmoil of the last few days and the fear of what the future held intensified the depth of their emotions. Nali never wanted their kiss to end.
He traced her bottom lip with his tongue and trailed soft kisses across her cheek to her neck. She instinctively tilted her head to give him free access to the slender column of her throat. All the while, she pulled at his neatly tucked shirt.
She groaned when she slipped her hands under the loose shirt and touched his warm skin. Pure pleasure coursed through her as she caressed his flesh. It would be so easy to forget where they were and the danger bearing down on them.
“One day—” she breathed.
She closed her eyes and sent out a fervent wish for them to have a future together. He paused, his lips still pressed against her neck as if he heard her unspoken request. He hugged her tighter. A sigh of regret slipped from her. She should have kept her worries to herself.
She looked deep into his eyes when he tenderly cupped her cheek. A sense of calm settled over her. She pressed her cheek against his hand when he caressed it with his thumb.
“That day will come soon,” he vowed.
Nali nodded, her throat closed with a foreign emotion. She gave him a fierce hug before she released him. He touched one of her long curls as she stepped away.
“We need to be prepared in case Ashure doesn’t make it back or he comes back alone. You have Mr. Gryphon, but the dagger alone will not be enough to protect you. The Water Sirens will do everything they can to slow down the alien and will help us as much as they can once it gets here,” she said.
“Can the alien inhabit the Water Sirens?” he asked, warily scanning the water.
“I don’t think so. The alien would have to inhabit each molecule of water. That would be an impossible feat since the sirens would merely dissolve and scatter,” she explained.
“Well, that is at least one small positive, I guess,” he wryly replied.
“One,” she agreed.
“How do you suggest we prepare a defense?” he finally asked.
She studied their surroundings. There wasn’t a lot they could do. Their best defense was the magic contained in the mountain.
“We need to get to higher ground. I’ll find an area large enough to set up our base camp,” she said.
“I’ll gather our equipment,” he replied with a nod.
“Asahi—thank you,” she murmured.
He tilted his head. “For what?” he asked with a flash of surprise.
She lifted a hand and caressed his cheek. “For not listening and going the other way when I told you to,” she answered.
She turned away from him and focused. The familiar transformation swept through her, changing her flesh from silken soft to hard granite. Long, powerful wi
ngs swept out behind her. She bent her knees and pushed off the boat’s deck. Soaring upward, she sought a place where they would take their first stand against the alien. Hopefully, they would not be alone.
Isle of Magic
After discussing a strategy to retrieve the Time-Space hoop, Ashure warily scanned the area outside the dome. Ariness walked over and stood in front of him and Orion while Mike brought up the rear. He glanced briefly at Orion and saw the same expression of apprehension and determination on the Sea King’s face. Shadows were rippling among the dead and dying foliage.
“I will create a shield, similar to the one around the dome, that will protect us until we get to the village,” Ariness promised.
“The amount of magic needed to maintain it will drain you, Ariness,” Orion cautioned.
Ariness looked at them with tired, sad eyes. “Yes. Mike and I both know that we will not be returning. The only hope for our world will rest on your success,” he replied.
“Ariness, are you positive you can work the hoop? It was my understanding that only a Time Wizard can properly control them,” Orion asked.
Ashure grimly nodded. “We found out the hard way what happens when a novice uses the hoop,” he added.
Ariness’s smiled sadly. “Then it is a good thing that you have one with you,” he commented before turning away and lifting his staff.
Ashure tightly gripped his sword when the transparent shield morphed outward. They stepped through the opening and paused, giving the magic time to reseal behind them. Cocooned in a bubble, they cautiously advanced down the path.
Behind him, Ashure heard Mike’s labored breathing. He looked over his shoulder with concern. The entity’s dark essence ran under the skin on his neck like spider webs.
“Mike,” he murmured, slowing down to walk beside him.
“I’m good. I’m good,” Mike hissed between clenched teeth.
He tried to wrap an arm around Mike’s waist, but Mike shook his head. Ashure frowned when Mike staggered a few steps away from him. It was clear the man was on the verge of collapsing.
“Don’t!” Mike yelled. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that to come out so harshly. Cornelia and the healer warned me that their magic would only contain the alien for so long. I don’t want to risk it infecting anyone else,” Mike explained in a strained voice.
“We will make this right,” the Pirate King swore.
Mike’s eyes darkened with emotion. “I hope you do. I would really love to hold my wife and son,” he said.
Pain flashed through Ashure when he thought of Tonya. He understood exactly what Mike was feeling. The thought of never holding Tonya again was more than his mind and heart could handle.
He looked around at the dying landscape. There was no future in this timeline. He turned his focus on Ariness. The old wizard held the key to a different future, hopefully a better one. If Ariness unlocked the door, Ashure would do everything in his power to ensure that both he and Mike made it home to their families.
A low howling sound penetrated their protective bubble, and the alien shadows in the village multiplied, blindly creeping closer to the group, unable to pinpoint their exact location.
“They know we are here,” Ariness stated.
“It’s because of me,” Mike said through clenched teeth. “The alien that’s taking over my body is… reaching out to warn them.”
Ariness nodded. “We won’t have much time. I cannot maintain the magic shield when I work the spell to activate the Time-Space Hoop. Mike, you must use your connection with the alien to keep it at bay,” he instructed.
Mike nodded. “Let me know when you’re ready,” he said.
Ashure looked warily at Orion. There weren’t a lot of choices available. This would be their only chance of changing a devastating future for not only the Seven Kingdoms but countless other worlds, including Earth.
Ariness gave a sharp nod, and they weaved their way through the debris to the center of the village. Ashure saw the Time-Space hoop lying along the cobblestone road. He flexed his fingers around the hilt of his sword. Orion did the same, holding his Trident at the ready.
Once the hoop was within the protective bubble, Ariness stopped. He jammed his staff down between the stones but continued to hold onto it. Ariness’s pallid complexion shocked Ashure when the old wizard twisted around and faced them. The man looked as if he had aged a century since they’d left the encampment.
“Step into the hoop and lift it above your head,” Ariness instructed.
Ashure picked up the hoop. He frowned when Ariness placed a hand on Orion’s arm and shook his head when the Sea King paused outside of the circle. Orion stiffened for a moment before he stepped back.
“What is it?” Ashure demanded with a frown.
“You must go alone,” Ariness said.
Ashure stared at Ariness with a frown before he looked at Orion. “I don’t understand. Why?” he asked.
Orion touched his arm. “Mike cannot hold off all the aliens by himself. Ariness must focus on the spell, and out of all of us, you must be protected at any cost. If the alien were to control you, it would control the Cauldron of Spirits—which contains some of the most dangerous criminal magic known to any world. I will assist Mike,” he said.
Ashure stared in silence at the men in front of him and knew that they were sacrificing their lives so he could succeed. The alien had grown too powerful, already taking the life of one of their group and countless others. As things were, there would be no surviving this attack for any world, it was do or die. He nodded and sheathed his sword. Stepping back, he lifted the Time-Space Hoop above his head.
“Now,” Ariness murmured, removing his hand from the staff.
The protective bubble evaporated, and shrieks of rage sounded from the possessed entities surrounding them when they were finally able to see the small group of men. Ariness lifted his hands and began chanting the spell to control the Time-Space Hoop. The silver etchings on the hoop began to glow in a specific sequence, but Ashure focused his attention on the battle.
Black discolorations now covered Mike’s skin, and the human man flung out gestures in various directions like a desperate conductor, sending out commands to the attacking forces. Orion used his Trident to send powerful bursts of energy through the vines that were hungrily reaching for them.
Ashure cried out in denial when one vine pierced Mike’s chest, lifting him off the ground. The memory of Ross Galloway’s body flashed through his mind. Deep down, he knew that this time the Goddess would not interfere. If Mike was to have a second chance at life, Ashure would have to be successful in changing the past.
Orion’s shout drew his attention, and he watched in horror as Orion sliced through the long stinger of an enormous scorpion that was rising from under the cobblestones. Large stones tumbled aside as the unnatural creature snapped its pincers. Orion blasted one off, but he was unable to get a clear shot at the scorpion’s body. The scorpion grabbed Ariness around the waist with its other pincer and lifted the old wizard off his feet.
“Now, Ashure!” Ariness choked out.
Ashure dropped the hoop. The sights and sounds around him were forever burned into his memory. Blood seeped from Ariness’s mouth as the scorpion crushed him. Orion roared a fierce battle cry as more scorpions appeared faster than even he could blast them. In that split second before he disappeared, he knew a hell far worse than even the deepest level of the Cauldron of Spirits. He briefly closed his eyes as he spun backward. He hoped the world he was going to would be much better than the one he had just left behind.
Chapter 22
Valdier:
The Hive
The storm was raging with gale force winds by late evening, but three powerful dragons cut through the wind and driving rain, intent on reaching their destination.
How much farther, Zoran? Creon asked, thankful of the connection between the dragons that made mental communication possible.
Not far, Zoran replied.
Creon cast a worried look at the dainty dragon flying beside him. Carmen had refused to stay home, so they had left Spring with Abby, Zoran’s mate.
We are almost there, he encouraged.
The white dragon with shimmering scales edged with red, pink, and purple nodded her head. Admiration for his mate filled him.
How could Phoenix have made it through weather like this? Carmen’s thought whispered through his mind.
He didn’t answer, but breathed a sigh of relief instead when the Hive’s rocky cliffs came into view through the swirling rain. The wind intensified as they neared the island. The thought of his tiny daughter facing such a journey—even with Stardust by her side—threatened to choke him with fear. He reminded himself that both of their daughters had their mother’s indomitable strength and determination.
There is a cave near the foot of the mountain, Zoran said.
Waves crashed against the rocks as they swooped through the tall stone pillars rising out of the ocean. Carmen followed Zoran while Creon took up the rear. His dragon banked around another tower of rocks and under a natural bridge created by the relentless force of the waves. He veered again and lowered his head against the force of the wind. Zoran glided into a landing near the mouth of a cave. Carmen landed next to him with Harvey beside her. Creon’s solid black dragon shifted a moment before he landed, lightly stepping forward into the cave.
He steadied Carmen when she shifted to her two-legged form. Goldie transformed from Zoran’s armor into her four-legged form, and Zoran shifted too. The group stared out at the driving rain in silence.
“Goldie, light, please,” Zoran said.
Goldie’s body began to glow, illuminating the entrance to the cave. Creon looked around the area, stopping when he noticed a small firepit.
“Creon… she was here. I recognize the way she built the fire ring. Paul taught Trisha, Ariel, and me how to make one just like it,” Carmen exclaimed with relief.
