by Dean Murray
I stiffened. “I am not getting anywhere near him.”
Zach crowded me with his big body. “You are being ridiculous. Styx is just excited to see you.”
Bull crap. “I would rather walk.” I turned on my heel and stopped short. Jett was right behind me. I refused to even acknowledge he was there.
“It’s really far,” said Zach.
Luke was suddenly next to me. “You heard her. She doesn’t want to go with you.”
I looked between them. Dark and Light. Each one perfect. How could I choose?
I gave them both my impression of imperious. “I desire to walk.”
I sidestepped the group and headed toward the city. Jett took his turn at laughing. The sound hit me like a shockwave. I shuddered, but kept moving.
The three of them skulked behind me. I was soon too overwhelmed with what I was seeing to pay any attention to them. I lowered my shades. I wasn’t ready. I blinked back tears and replaced them. Shimmering crystal towers jutted above three story golden gates.
Who were they trying to keep out? King Kong?
We had to be at least a mile away from the enormous castle. Pastures of swaying tall grass flanked the road. Cute little cottages were nestled against the enormous redwood tree-line. People flowed out of the houses, coming toward me. Luke stepped to my left, Zach to my right. I could feel Jett’s solid steps dogging mine.
I looked into the faces of the hopeful. Why were they staring at me like that? They were beautiful people, but there wasn’t one single child among them.
What a sad existence. Children were the gift of God.
I grimaced. Oh, yeah. These people didn’t have one of those. I felt sorry for them.
Every person bowed as I passed then dropped to a knee. I was not royalty, and I didn’t want people treating me like that. I was no better than they were. So what if I had mystical power. They did too.
A black blur flew above us as if scouting for trouble. I wished he wasn’t so close. That thing scared the heck out of me.
The gates to the city swung wide as if in greeting. I braced myself for something spectacular.
It was. Just not what I expected.
I stared at a medieval village. The people within were dressed in their finery: shimmering silks and satins, rich velvets, impressive brocades. I felt completely underdressed.
Then I realized I wasn’t. Somewhere along the way, I had been draped in a glowing white ball-gown. Yeah. That looked good with my sun glasses. I didn’t know why I cared what these people thought about me, but it might have something to do with the expectations in their eyes.
The road wound upward to the castle. A grin spread along my lips. I was actually going to see a real one. And this one was cool. It was made entirely of crystal.
I could feel the multitude following us. Their emotions swirled around me, mingling with my own. Did they do this for every single Elemental?
The brightly colored buildings rose high above us. The one on the right gleamed as though built with ruby bricks. It couldn’t be, but that’s what it looked like. The next one shimmered iridescent in the bright sun-like opal.
I leaned over to Zach. “Are these made out of what I think they are?”
He smiled down on me, seemingly pleased I had asked him. “They are.”
I closed my gaping jaw. “But I didn’t think gems came that big.”
He chuckled. “We do not hide our wealth underground or in vaults. We keep it in the open for all to enjoy.”
I felt a pang of frustration having grown up in a relatively poor family, and there were so many people in my world way worse off than we had been. One sculpted brick could have provided for my entire town for the next hundred years.
The street narrowed as we drew closer to the castle. I looked behind me. A sea of people followed us.
We came to a grove of trees. The leaves were a brilliant orange, like the new bloom of a poppy. There was no breeze to speak of, but they swayed together as if dancing. I watched them as I passed under the glowing archway.
Gasping, I stopped to take in my first real view of the castle. My fingers flew to my mouth. Luke and Zach laughed, each placing an arm around me. I could feel them swatting at each other, but I didn’t care. I was looking at the most beautiful scene I could ever imagine.
A waterfall rushed from the top of the fairytale castle into a cloudy mist at the base, making the entire structure seem as if it was floating. The cool spray prickled my skin. Colorful birds flew overhead, singing an enchanting melody. The fragrance of the air became more intense with every breath. My head felt funny. I tried not to sway on my feet, but the experience was overwhelming.
The castle was enormous. The iridescent spires were capped in gold. The glowing blocks of stone were almost transparent, sort of like a shoji screen. I squinted, trying to catch a glimpse of the inside. Rushing forward, I picked up my skirts and skipped down the path enjoying this entirely too much. I couldn’t keep from smiling in wonder. I twisted and turned to see the source of every new sound. There was so much to take in. Weakness drained my body, but I didn’t want to miss anything at all.
The image before me swam. I blinked, but everything was skewed. When excruciating pain shot through my skull, I clutched my head then fell to the glowing earth.
*****
Dove gray eyes gazed into mine, searching.
Too close.
Shocking white hair piled into a messy array. The scent of jasmine floated over me. A wild giggle, a prodding of skin.
Hungry blackness.
Chapter Twenty Three
I lay in a bed cocooned in soft cloth, my muscles abnormally stiff. Downy pillows rested under my neck. Sensations came slowly. Soothing sounds of birdsong. The scent of leather and sandalwood. I blinked a few times just to make sure I was actually seeing this.
Luke and Zach were playing a game of chess over in the corner like old friends. The alabaster and jet board mimicked the differences between the two men. I tried to keep quiet. They laughed softly. I smiled fractionally.
They were the two most stunning men I had ever seen. I could feel the weight of a decision I didn’t want to make looming over me. How was I supposed to choose one of them? If I picked one, I would hurt the other. I didn’t want to care, but it was too late for that. I turned away.
If I couldn’t escape, maybe I should let that feral looking woman do it for me? She had been here recently. Her scent lingered beneath the others.
I heard the scrape of a chair against stone. Zach’s beautiful face hovered above me. Luke’s golden one not far from Zach’s.
I groaned, trying to sit up. Why was I so weak? I felt as though I was coming out of a deadly fever.
“Let me help you,” Zach said softly. He leaned into me and lifted me upright.
My pulse raced as always at his nearness. I breathed in deeply, hoping it would help. It didn’t.
Luke propped the pillows up behind me. His arm brushed mine. My heart couldn’t take this. I needed some space. I shifted away from them both.
To my surprise, neither one seemed offended. Zach offered me a drink.
I downed it greedily. “How long have I been out?” My voice cracked as though I hadn’t used it in a decade.
Luke sat on the bed. Zach moved to the other side. I didn’t get the look that passed between them. Had it been that long?
Luke grasped my fingers lightly. “We were beginning to worry you would never recover.”
“What happened to me?”
Zack spoke up first. “You do not have the protection of a solid connection. We tried to get Tabitha to choose one of us to complete the process, but she refused. She wasn’t sure which of us you belonged to.”
That made two of us. Maybe she wasn’t as crazy as she had seemed.
Luke grimaced, “Nothing like this has ever happened.”
I smiled weakly at them. “There’s a first time for everything.”
My words didn’t have the effect I expected.
They both glared at me. Again, my fault.
Giggling women rushed into the room. They pushed at Luke and Zach, as if they could budge a statue.
Zach smiled down at me. My heart fluttered. I felt ridiculous.
“Time to leave. They’ll sick the royal guard on us if we don’t,” said Zach, smiling.
Luke brushed my fingers. “Just go with it. They won’t hurt you. This is an honor for them.”
A bit of my happiness left when they did. One of the women came to my side. She handed me a plate of food, smiling kindly.
“Thank you,” I said. I nibbled at the delicacies feeling too nervous to really eat.
The woman brought a hot pink melon to my lips. “You need your strength. Please, mistress, eat this.”
I obliged, but my stomach rebelled a little. I found I didn’t have the strength to refuse her. I finished everything on the plate and downed the drink she had given me. Hopefully it wouldn’t make a return journey.
The other two women pulled my covers away. I shivered.
“Are you cold?” one of them asked.
Wasn’t it obvious? I nodded anyway. She closed her eyes and warmth caressed my skin. I smiled at her.
“My name is Grindell.” She pointed to the woman standing next to her. “This is Elise.”
“I am Shaerie,” the woman that had given me the food said.
They would be hard to tell apart. They all were tall with flowing blond hair, golden satin skin, and blue eyes like Luke. Were they his sisters?
“We need to get started. You will come with us.” Her words held a subtle but undeniable command.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come. “What are you going to do?”
“Prepare you for the ritual,” Grindell said as though stunned I didn’t already know what was going to happen.
The cool glowing tiles chilled my bare toes. The lovely pink satin nightgown I was in didn’t do much to take away the chill. Might as well get it over with. When I stood, I swayed a little.
Shaerie placed a hand at my elbow. “This way, miss.”
She led me down the hall to a large bathroom. A Romanesque steaming pool rested in the middle of the room. We had to be up pretty high. Blue sky shone through the Grecian columns. There were no outside walls or windows.
I felt my clothing disappear and swallowed hard. Thankfully, the women didn’t look at me as we proceeded into the water. I dipped underneath, the warmth spreading through me.
This wasn’t ordinary water. My insides sizzled with something intangible yet frightening. Would I even recognize myself when this was done? My scar prickled with sensations, not alarming, but strange none the less. I had expected it to vanish, but it was still there when I stood up. Oh well. I sighed as the women washed my body and hair. We emerged from the pool completely dry. They rubbed oil all over me.
In another instant, a new gown caressed my skin, white and weightless as a cumulous cloud. I ran my fingers along the shining fabric. It was sort of like silk, but I wasn’t sure.
“The fibers are collected from the nest of the alspeca spider,” Grindell said as if reading my mind.
I cringed. “This is made from a spider web?”
“Not so different than wearing the cocoon of the silkworm, I think.”
Eww. I didn’t want to know this. Even so, the fabric was light as chiffon. I shifted some through my fingers. It caught the light, reflecting a prism on the wall. Beautiful.
Elise led me to a bench overlooking the green valley. She guided me down when I stood rigidly in terror. I didn’t like being so close to the edge.
Her gaze slid over the picturesque scene. It was stunning. I didn’t want to think about how high we were, or the fact that nothing shielded me from the open air. One shove and I would plummet into the mist below.
“There is no place in your realm that compares to this, don’t you think?” Grindell said from over my shoulder.
“I wouldn’t know,” I said sadly. “I didn’t exactly get out much.”
They laughed. The sound was comforting. Maybe these people weren’t so different than humans. From their perspective, I wasn’t even human.
A familiar laugh rang louder than the others. The women around me fell silent. I whirled around. Ainessa stood a few paces back. What was she doing here?
She looked pointedly at the women. “Leave.”
They scurried out of the room faster than I could tell them to stay. I didn’t want to be alone with Ainessa. She scared me almost as much as Jett did.
She sat beside me, black skirts rustling. Her gown flowed seamlessly over her flawless frame. Her gaze slid over the valley below.
She snaked her hand over mine, pulling me to my feet. I struggled but she was strong. Was she going to throw me over the edge? My heart beat wildly as she tugged me closer to my doom. Her fingers dug into my shoulders, and she stepped behind me.
“Take a good look, Rayla. This is what you could rule.” Her voice drifted to wistful. “I could teach you how. None of the lords spend more than a few weeks at court. They don’t even know what is happening within their lands. You need someone to guide you.”
She turned me around and gave me a hug. “We could be sisters. The women here need you. This madness has gone on long enough.” She pulled back, a pleading look on her face. “Help us.”
“I…”
She shook her head. “You needn’t decide now. Just think about it. I would not control you like a lord. You could have anyone you want, anytime you want. You wouldn’t be stuck with one of them.” When I raised a quizzical brow at her, she said, “Yes that is what I am saying. You could have them all.”
Was that really supposed to be appealing? I had never understood that sort of desire, but what if I didn’t have to choose between Zach and Luke? It sounded nice on the surface, but I couldn’t be that way. One man was all I wanted.
She must have read my resolve. “What I meant was that your options with me are limitless. With my brothers, you will be consumed once the bond has been made. Look at what happened to your friend. Elementals never fully recover from that sort of connection.” She started for the door, turning back with a smile. “Think about it. We could start a revolution.”
Without another word, she glided out the door. I slunk to the bench and buried my head in my hands. I didn’t want this sort of responsibility. I could imagine being overshadowed if I bonded with Jett, but Zach or Luke? Neither man would do that to me. They had both proven that.
Zach had succeeded in getting me to fall for him in a big way. Even though I didn’t like to admit it, he could have taken me anytime he wanted.
Luke was sweet and vulnerable. His turbulent emotions didn’t disturb me now that I knew why he felt that way. I had to stop thinking about them.
Hurried footsteps clanked on the crystal floor. I spun around. Zach rushed into the room and pulled me to my feet. His gaze slid over me briefly before he crushed me in his arms and stroked my back. I could feel the tension leave him with each pass of his hand.
He sighed, pushing away from me, and studied my face. “I would have sent her to the blackest hell of outer darkness if she had harmed you. I’m so sorry. I was only distracted for a moment. Did she threaten you?”
I smirked, shrugging. “She wanted to be sisters.”
He laughed, a higher pitch than usual, but worry furrowed lines into his forehead. I reached up to straighten the crease between his brows.
He closed his eyes the moment my fingers touched his sweat glistening skin. With timid fingers, I traced the line of his strong jaw. He leaned into my hand, covering it with his.
“I’ve missed you,” he said.
His touch was so familiar, his presence comforting. Not having him in my life would be unbearable. “Me too.” I smiled at him, loving being close to him like this.
“So.” A grin spread slowly along his lips. “Are you over being mad at me yet?”
Was I? Mad was not the right word. I was dis
appointed. I had believed Zach could help me ditch a life I didn’t want. “I guess.”
He scrunched up his face. “That’s reassuring.”
Luke charged into the room. Zach didn’t step away from me. He placed his arm possessively across my shoulders.
I didn’t know what to do, so I gave Luke a small smile.
Luke glanced at me briefly, emotionless. “The assembly is waiting.”
Zach turned me to face him. His expression was as serious as I had ever seen it. “No matter what you decide, I will always be here for you. I love you.”
I glanced over to the door. Luke was already gone.
Zach pulled me into him and covered my lips with his. His kiss was sweet, barely a hint of passion at all in the beginning. That didn’t last long. I was soon being devoured, but I could have happily gone on like that for hours. I took whatever he was willing to give me. Pulling him closer, I ran my hands up his chest and slid them around his neck. I didn’t want it to end, yet he stepped away from me too soon. He gave me a once over, smiled wolfishly, and walked out of the room.
I placed my hand over my pounding heart and took a deep breath before I followed him down the hall. He led me to the base of a grand staircase. Motioning for me to take the steps to the left, he took the right.
I glanced over at him several times, but he climbed formally. What was he thinking? Was he as nervous as I was?
He met me at the top and offered his arm. I gratefully accepted, feeling a bit overwhelmed. I had no idea what was about to happen, but it seemed more bearable with him next to me.
Trumpeters sounded our arrival. This was it: The beginning of my new life.
Zach ushered me onto a glowing terrace. A crowd cheered as I entered the space. I was so close to covering my ears, but I didn’t want any of them to see how freaked out I was.
Zach guided me to the center of the terrace. The fivefold symbol was inlayed in gold, ruby, sapphire, garnet, and emerald. The precious gems sparkled in the sunlight. The glowing floor and sky lent a celestial feel to the rooftop. He gave me a reassuring nod.
I wished it could repair my shredded nerves. I scanned the sea of unfamiliar faces. The weight of expectation was clear in every gaze.
