Hidden Realms

by Dean Murray

  I didn’t see any harm in telling him. “When I was twelve.”

  He smiled widely. His handsome face was a flimsy veil hiding a monster beneath. He pulled a chair up to mine then turned it backwards and lowered onto it, his gaze intent upon me. “I see, and you said that you never had a mark.”

  “Nope.”

  He rocked forward a bit. His shirt sleeve lifted, exposing a tattoo of that weird design on the inside of his forearm.

  “What is that?” I asked.

  “I forget how little you know about what you are. It is the fivefold symbol.”

  Well, that was helpful. “But what does it mean?”

  He ran his finger over the top circle. “This, my dear, is the key to real power. The first circle represents air.” His finger moved clockwise, touching each of the other circles. “Fire, water. Earth.” He moved to the center circle. “Let’s not forget the most important and elusive of all elements, ether, or void, if you prefer.”

  He looked at me curiously. “Are you certain you didn’t have a mark where your scar is now? It would have been slightly lighter than your normal skin tone.”

  “I already told you. I didn’t have one.” There were five elements? I thought there were four. That had to mean there was one more lord. I didn’t want to accept where my mind was headed. Was Zach a lord? No, that was absurd. Even with as handsome as he was, he didn’t compare to the rest of them.

  “This, indeed, is curious. I would really like to keep you, but we will see if that is a possibility in a few moments. Unfortunately, we haven’t made enough progress as to not need the fae to accomplish our designs.” He stood fluidly and pushed his chair away. “In fact, here they are now.”

  When the heavy door swung open, I felt the effects of four lords blast into me. Taylor was the first to enter the room. I swayed on my chair.

  Luke was next. He raised a brow and looked at me pointedly as if to say, “I told you this wasn’t over.”

  Jett sauntered into the room. He cocked his head to the side, saluting me. Only one person had ever done that before. He had to be the mysterious rider. He was the man in the woods. I shuddered.

  Finn strolled in looking bored. He nodded.

  “Thank you for coming,” said Roger. “I understand that you have claimed this girl as an Elemental. As many of you know, she does not carry a mark. Take off your shirt, Rayla.”

  Completely stunned by his demand, I looked up at him. He was serious. I folded my arms across my chest protectively. “No.”

  He hovered over me, anger flooding his features. He yanked me to my feet. “I will do it for you then.”

  “Do not touch her,” Jett said, breathing hard as if he was planning to throw Roger against the wall if he needed to. He stepped closer. “She is no longer your concern. You may leave.”

  Roger hissed, “That is what I have been trying to tell you. It appears that you all have been mistaken. I was going to show you.”

  Luke shook his head. “We concede she does not carry the usual markings, but that does not discount her from being an Elemental. There is a possibility she could be the Nexus. In any case, she belongs to us. You may have her when we are done, but not until.”

  Roger visibly stiffened. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. His tone was that of barely concealed furor. “You can’t still be waiting for something that won’t ever happen. Every Elemental has been catalogued since the beginning. There has never been one and never will be.”

  Finn shot a tempestuous glare at Roger. “How dare you think to tell us what will be, boy. We govern your very existence. You may not believe in prophecy, but we do.”

  “What prophecy?” I asked, but no one bothered to answer me. I was becoming dizzy as my gaze bounced like a ping-pong ball between the two of them. Roger’s antics could work to my favor if I played this right. I cleared my throat. “I will do what Roger asked to prove that I am not an Elemental.”

  Silence occupied the space as every man in the room turned his attention to me. Their gazes were a sticky film as they followed my movements.

  I kicked off my shoes telling myself that being in my bra and panties was no different than wearing a bikini. Unfortunately, I had never felt comfortable being so exposed. I sighed in frustration, unzipping my jeans. I wriggled them to the floor and stepped away. My socks were not coming off no matter how absurd I looked.

  I felt like a stripper with the way they watched me. How could someone do this for a living? I lifted my sweater over my head. My hands got stuck in the cuffs. I smiled, embarrassed, as I wrestled free of the fabric. Some exotic dancer I’d make. I pulled my hair up and twirled. “See. No mark. Would you all leave me alone now? You’re really screwing up my life.”

  “You could be hiding my mark,” Jett said in the deepest baritone I had ever heard. I could happily listen to that sound for eternity.

  That aside, I couldn’t figure out what was he playing at? He knew that I didn’t have one. He was probably trying to cover for the other day. If he only knew that he hadn’t been the only one who had confronted me alone. I shook off the shudder that rippled slowly under my skin and pulled one side of my panties lower, exposing my hip. I gazed up at him with a look of triumph.

  He cocked his head to the side, his dark braids swaying. He smiled. “The other one.”

  Of course. I fought a strong wave of déjà vu, and it wasn’t because of yesterday. Something about the way he moved nearly brought back a memory, but I couldn’t pinpoint it. I turned and exposed my flesh.

  His smile turned fractional. Each step he made toward me set off a quake through my insides.

  I returned his grin, hoping he couldn’t see how much he affected me. “Look, you guys are gorgeous, and I’m really flattered you want me. But I have nothing to offer you.”

  Jett stopped a foot from me and lowered to his knees. “You won’t mind if I see for myself?”

  “Be my guest.” I trembled under his watchful eye. I was mortified. No guy had ever seen this much of me up close except for maybe Zach and I guess Roger, and now I had five scanning every inch of my body. He pulled the fabric lower, but I kept a hand on the hem just in case he took it too far. His expression shifted moments before he touched my scar. Power surged through me stronger than I had ever imagined possible. Pain jolted my frame, but I kept myself externally calm.

  He stood, caressing my thigh as he rose. I kept my gaze steady as his emotions flooded into me. More than anything he was disappointed. I had expected anger or, to be honest, pure evil. I covered my unease with a faulty smile.

  He turned toward the others. “It is not here, and even though I would rather not admit it. We have not addressed one explanation.”

  Luke stood by Jett looking down on me determinately. “I feel this girl more than any that have come before her. She has to be mine. Besides, he isn’t here to claim her.”

  “Yes,” a familiar voice said from behind me. “I am.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  I whirled around. Zach stood there with a pained expression in his eyes.

  My hands flew to my mouth. I fell to my knees. I paid no attention to the jolting pain when they slammed against the cold concrete. I ignored the pool of blood that oozed slowly toward him. My words were whisper light. Even though I had considered it, I never actually believed he was one of them. “You can’t be fae.”

  “You have seen this man before?” Luke accused from behind me.

  Zach turned toward Luke. He was every bit as lordly as the rest of them. “I have been courting her, as is my right. You have all seen the only place her mark could have been.”

  I bristled at him, standing. “Is that what you call what you have done to me?” I jerked my jeans up my thighs then thrust my finger inches from his nose. “You are a blasted liar.”

  He stepped toward me. “Rayla—”

  “Don’t.” I backed away from him, hitting into something solid. I looked up only to see Finn’s amused expression. I glared at the gr
oup. “You’re going to have to take my word for it. I never had a mark.”

  Zach shook his head fractionally as if to say, “Don’t be so stupid. I’m trying to get you out of this.”

  Luke laughed triumphantly. “In that case, you could belong to any one of us.”

  I shivered. I didn’t want this life.

  Zach didn’t look affected. “She is mistaken. She was young when she got her scar. She may not have noticed the subtle difference in her skin. I will prove to you that she is mine.” He started toward me.

  What was he planning to do? He smiled, broad and wolfish. I had seen that smile before. I had been wrong. Jett hadn’t been the man in the woods. Zach held that honor. Oh crap. What was I going to do? He could control me anytime he wanted.

  I looked away. I couldn’t take the intensity of his gaze. Maybe I did belong to him?

  I felt his soul brush up against mine. I fought as hard as I could. My heart leapt at his approach.

  Why was I fighting this? He was my world.

  No. He wanted to take my world from me. He wasn’t my sweet boyfriend. He was a fae lord. I had to remember that.

  I yanked my sweater over my head the second before he reached me. I needed the barrier between us. He leaned into me. My pulse trumpeted in my ears. The room began to spin. I put my hand on his chest to stop him. He laughed, strong and sure.

  Oh, heaven help me, I couldn’t resist him. I smiled, rocking to my toes to get nearer. He was too far away. I ran my hands up his chest and around his neck. I couldn’t wait for him to claim me, so I pulled his face closer.

  His lips worked mechanically against mine. I could feel his restraint. I wanted more. I growled in protest when he pulled away from me.

  The room and its occupants came into focus again. Even Roger looked away when I tried to connect my gaze with his. I couldn’t think straight. What had I just done?

  “As you can see, gentlemen, I have this firmly under control.”

  Luke approached us. His jaw was tight as he spoke. “Why have you waited so long to step forward? You know the rules.”

  Zach spread his hands. “I meant no disrespect. I didn’t expect her to be mine. I only came because I had to.”

  “This proves nothing,” Jett said. His tone was hoarse with anger.

  Zach moved behind me, pulling me against him. “I’m sorry,” he whispered before he shoved his hand under my shirt and caressed my scar.

  Agony shot into my torso and spread throughout my body. I convulsed as though I had grabbed a live wire. When Zach released me I crumpled to the floor, not strong enough to hide my pain this time.

  Zach turned to Jett, his breath labored. “Are you satisfied now?”

  Jett nodded, anything but pleased. “You have two days to get her life settled.” He stormed out of the room with Luke and Taylor on his heels.

  Two days until what? I thought back to what I had read. Zach had to take me to the fae realm to perform the bonding.

  “I am happy for you, brother,” said Finn as he clasped Zach’s forearm. “It has been a long time.”

  Zach nodded giving Finn a curt smile before he swept me into his arms. Did he really expect me to just go with him? He walked toward the entrance of the tunnels. They were a hundred times less creepy than they had been in the dark, but they still held enough of an eww factor to keep me from being thrilled about where we were headed. I refused to take another step into that place even if I wasn’t the one walking.

  “There is a perfectly good door over there. Use it,” I said.

  He didn’t even glance at me as he continued forward. “I don’t want to.”

  “You are such a jerk,” I hissed. “I will never forgive you for this.”

  He raised a brow, glancing at me amusedly. “Never is a long time.”

  “So?”

  He laughed and shifted me in his arms. His hand rested leisurely on my thigh.

  I stiffened. “Put me down. I can walk fine on my own.”

  “No.”

  I pushed away from him, but he tightened his grip. “I don’t want to be anywhere near you.”

  His gaze was locked blindly forward. “Too bad.”

  He held me in silence. His pace was steady as he deftly maneuvered the tunnels. I couldn’t keep track of the twists and turns he took, but I vowed to never come into this place again. All I had to do was wait until he got me out of the catacombs, and I would run.

  He looked at me sharply. “Oh, Rayla, when are you going to learn?” he said as though he had read my mind.

  I turned away from him. “Don’t talk to me.”

  “You are acting like a child.”

  I harrumphed. “Why didn’t you just take me in the woods? Why did you put me through this?” I couldn’t hold back my sobs any longer.

  He set me on the ground. His fingers caressed my cheek as I slid to the dirt. “You scold me for giving you a choice?”

  I swatted his hand away. “I never had a choice when it comes to you!”

  He moistened his lips, smiling down at me. “Point?”

  I scrambled to my feet and walked away. “You are so arrogant.”

  He caught up to me effortlessly. “It is one of my biggest weaknesses.”

  “You’ve been compelling me this whole time.”

  His eyes turned sad. “You questioned too many things, and I didn’t have time to win your trust. You would have trusted me eventually on your own. That is how compulsion works. I couldn’t make you do something you wouldn’t be willing to do on your own.”

  I glared at him, not knowing what to say to that. He smiled wickedly as he let me move ahead of him. I came to a fork in the tunnel. I went left.

  He laughed. “Wrong way.”

  I stomped past him, shoving at his chest.

  I ran.

  “Rayla, don’t be stupid.” Zach shouted.

  I rounded the corner. His growl echoed around me.

  So he was angry. I didn’t care. I hadn’t been able to really run for a long time, and I put my whole effort into it. The dank air notwithstanding, I loved the feel of my bones quaking when my feet struck dirt.

  Zach was near. His voice was clear in my mind, demanding that I stop. He was trying to take over my body as he had before. To my surprise, I shattered every compulsion he used on me. I refused to let him in. I looked back. When I turned around, I ran straight into a wall. I was stunned for a few seconds.

  I leapt to my feet as he closed in on me. My chest heaved wildly. “Stay away from me.” I hadn’t been able to say it as forcefully as I wanted to.

  He shook his head, panting. “Don’t make me take you, Rayla.”

  Oh, no. My name on his lips was the key to my will. I glared at him, brushing dust from my jeans. “No matter what you do, if you use force, you will not have the real me.”

  Fury crossed his face briefly before being replaced by defeat. He leaned against the wall. “I know. I tried. I was hoping you would want me first. I’ve done a great job, haven’t I?”

  I was gasping. I bent over, placing my hands on my knees. I looked at him coldly. “I am not going to feel sorry for you!”

  He reached his hand out toward me, chuckling lightly. “I am not asking you to. Sit. Let’s talk.”

  “I have nothing to say to you. You – you – ” I struggled to find the right term. “Mondodismic bastage.”

  He folded his arms across his chest, cocking his head. His eyes shining, he laughed. “You’re not even old enough to have seen that movie. But don’t you mean ‘bastard?’”

  I straightened in defiance. I watched whatever was available at home to fight the boredom. Besides, I liked that show. I narrowed my eyes. “No. I said what I wanted to.”

  He smiled warmly as he towered over me. “That is not a word.”

  “Well, it should be!”

  “You’re weird. You know that?”

  “Right back at you.”

  “Good one.”

  I glared at him, but I didn’t have
a comeback to offer. I looked at the dirt instead.

  He grasped my hand, smiling sadly. “Please. Let me explain some things to you before you pass judgment.”

  I eyed him warily, pulling my hand away. He tensed until I slid to the floor opposite him. He sighed visibly as he lowered to the ground. He hugged his knees lightly.

  A damp lock fell to his forehead. “If you had any idea how hard this has been for me, you might not be so condemning.” He gazed at me through his lashes, heat clear in his eyes. “I wanted you the first moment I saw you, but then I realized you were not alone. I did the only thing I could. I waited for the right moment.”

  “You disappeared because Cassie was with me?”

  His tone was soft. “We are not allowed to claim an Elemental in front of humans.”

  Oh. This wasn’t his first time around the Elemental track. The thought of him being with someone before me shredded my insides. I began drawing the mighty pegasus in the soft dust.

  I shivered. It really was out there.

  He chuckled. “So you did see Styx. I’m sorry about that. I lost control of my illusion when I saw you. I have never felt a pull like yours. It is indescribable.”

  I let out a scornful scoff. “You poor guy. This must have been really hard for you to bear.”

  He lowered his gaze from mine. “It really has been.”

  I stood up. “Let me take care of that for you.”

  He was next to me momentarily, his hands at my elbows. “You cannot escape me. Don’t even try.”

  I stared at him defiantly. “So I’m just supposed to give myself to you? Is that what you want?”

  He smiled roguishly, running his fingers lightly up my flesh. “It would be nice.”

  “Yeah, well, too bad for you.”

  He took my shoulders in his big hands. “Why do you fight your feelings? I know you love me.”

  I gazed up into his starry eyes. “How can I be sure those emotions are actually mine and not another compulsion?”

  His jaw tightened. “I have not taken advantage of you in any way.”

  “You and I obviously have a different definition of that.”