by Janelle Peel
Eagerly, Gideon’s gaze latched onto to hers. “Titus ordered me to take her life.”
The sweet scent thickening the air increased.
“Did Luna know about this order?”
Gideon’s green eyes glazed over. “No.”
Viv leaned closer. “Would you have gone through with it?”
“No.”
“Have you had any more visions regarding Poseidon?”
His brow creased. “Yes.”
Sora shifted in her seat at the bar.
Palming Gideon’s knee, Viv whispered, “Tell me.”
Content with the contact, Gideon grinned. “Poseidon’s puppet has outlived his usefulness. The Arctic King is dead. Poseidon is raising his army from the Deep.”
Viv’s fingers slid to his wrist. Gently, she caressed his pulse. “Do you know where?”
He frowned. “It was cold and dark. This is all I know.”
She pressed. “What does he look like?”
Gideon shuddered. “He looks like… me.”
Sora stood. “What does Poseidon plan to do with his army?”
Lovesick, he continued to stare at Viv like a man lost at sea. “He plans to find the heart.”
“And after he has it?”
Gideon’s eyes rolled back into their sockets.
Viv hissed and convulsed on the couch.
Jackson rushed toward her.
A strange weight rooted me to the spot in tandem with Sora’s scream.
“Stop!”
Confused, I pushed the feeling aside. “What’s going on?”
Bex snagged my elbow. “Don’t move. It’s a compulsion.”
Jackson stood frozen with one foot raised. His hand was inches from Viv’s shoulder.
Standing, Sora shook her head. “Viv’s been sucked into Gideon’s vision. If we break the connection before it plays out, her mind will shatter. When it’s over I will release my hold.”
An irritated growl rumbled from Jackson’s chest.
She sighed. “I know, but we can’t risk it. We have to wait.”
The seconds stretched into minutes.
Turning to Bex, I asked, “Can she control all Vampires?”
Bex nodded. “Yes. Blaze is the only exception. She can also control Shifters, but not Fae.”
My nose wrinkled. That was some scary shit right there. “Can Blaze do it too?”
“Yes, but only with Vampires inside our Clutch.”
This elicited more questions, but I decided to let it go.
Blaze rumbled from behind the bar. “Half of what she can do is above my pay grade. I just smile and look pretty.”
Sora chuckled fondly. “Shush it.”
Lifting a brow at their banter, I queried, “Does your Clutch have Seers?”
Somberly, Sora shook her head. “No. As far as we know they all perished during the Sundering.”
Gideon gasped. Blinking, he slowly came back to himself.
Viv’s emerald-flecked orbs widened at Jackson’s statue-like state. “Damnit, Sora! Let him go!”
Faster than I could track, Jackson crushed Viv against his chest. “Thank the Goddess.”
Viv snorted. “It’d take more than that for you to be rid of me.” She pulled away, and her gaze latched onto Sora. “I think you’d better sit down for this.”
Sora paled. Taking her seat once more, she muttered, “Spill it.”
Tugging at her purple spiked hair, Viv began pacing. “I saw two things. In the first, it’s just as Gideon described, only he’s amassed a hell of a lot more than I’d imagined. Thousands, Sora. Thousands of strange creatures spread out across the seafloor ready to do his bidding.”
Blaze began pouring drinks. “That’s not so bad. They’re stuck in the ocean. If Skye and Riva remain on land we should be fine.”
Turning on her heel, Viv glared. “Nothing will be fine. Tabula Rasa sits at sea-level, Blaze. Though he’s weak without the heart, he still holds sway with the ocean. I watched him submerge an entire island! If he keeps up with his plan, he’ll flood the Earth!”
Gideon slurred, “She’s right. It’s only a matter of time before he turns his attention to the ice caps.”
My stomach dropped. What were we going to do?
Sora tossed back her drink. Steely determination caused the stars inside her irises to spin. “It seems we only have one choice.”
All eyes looked to her.
“We raise the Rune Gate and banish the son of a bitch to another dimension.”
Jin
Several hours and multiple bouts of puking later, Jin struggled for a comfortable position on the large bed.
The clothes he’d be given chafed against his skin. Course and roughly hewn, the material was completely unlike the sheer wraps used among his people.
Collin grunted beside him. “Relax. If they were going to kill us they’d have done so by now.”
He sighed. “It’s these clothes. How anyone could possibly want to wear them is beyond me.”
“Lie.”
Though he knew Collin was right, he stubbornly refused to agree. His mind replayed the scene on autopilot. They were in over their heads. No one, Mer nor man, should have that much power. Bex’s absolute control over the sea left him feeling small and inadequate. If Riva was truly her sister, her magic might even surpass Bex’s.
Naively he’d thought he could woo Riva. What a ridiculous notion. Now they were captives of an unknown, fang-wielding Mistress. Just what were those canines used for anyway?
Soft voices sounded outside the door and interrupted his mental tirade. The handle turned and the Mistress herself entered.
Her oversized top had seen better days. Holes raced across the fading pink fabric from her navel to the bottom edge of her breasts. The word AC/DC was emblazoned in faded letters across the front. Soft black pants led to her bare feet.
Collin sat up with an interested expression.
She snickered. “Well, I’m sure by now you know who I am. Let’s start with why you’re stalking Riva and have traveled halfway around the world to find her.”
Collin greedily stuffed another bite of chocolate into his mouth. Tonguing it aside, he scrutinized Sora’s body. “So, Master Blaze is your Mate?”
Amused, Sora smirked. “Yes, and I suggest you stop looking at me like that if you value your blood.”
Collin sobered. “Right. Master Vampire. Got it.”
She chuckled. “I’m kidding. Let’s get back to our discussion. You believe Poseidon used your father. King Berin, right?”
Bile rose to the back of Jin’s throat. Swallowing past the burn, he croaked, “Yes.”
The stars swirling within her gaze stopped. “I’m sorry to inform you, but he is dead.”
Confused, Jin slid to the edge of the bed. “How do you know?”
She sighed. “The other Mer? Gideon? He’s a Seer. It’s already happened.”
Collin gasped.
Jin held no love for their father, but his passing still stung. Shoving aside the emotion, he plucked at the hem of his pants. “What are your plans for us?”
Moving to the door, she paused. “You were a Prince. Now you’re a King. Do you value your subjects’ lives?”
He stilled. All thoughts of obtaining Riva fled. “I do.”
“Then we need your help to save them.”
Riva
While everyone was busy preparing, it was my job to learn how to fly.
Standing on the lawn, I struggled to ignore the gathering crowd of onlookers. Evidently it was hilarious to see me crash and burn.
“Are you ready to try again?”
Ever patient, Skye’s expression held genuine curiosity. If anyone was allowed to be upset, it was him. We’d been at this for over an hour.
Dusting the blades of grass from my knees, I stood. “Not really. These things are pretty to look at, but they’re useless.” I flared one wing for emphasis.
Taking my hand, he chuckled. “I want to try something. Close
your eyes. Find your magic. I’ll meet you inside your well.”
Heaving a sigh, I did as he asked.
The sound of the surf filled my ears as a salty scent penetrated my nose. Somehow, even more feathers now decorated the beach. Their long lengths stuck out at odd angles. Instead of his white and gold, mine had joined the fray. The multitude of blues, greens, and pinks was stunning.
Pressure on my palm alerted me to his presence beside me.
“Are you ready?”
I snorted. “For what? To crash into the water?”
He smirked mockingly. “You control the sea, Riva. No one will see you fall. If you do, just use your power to catch yourself.”
Well, I mused, he did have a point. Anything was better than being a laughingstock.
Releasing his grip, I stepped back a few paces. Taking a running start, I arrowed toward the shore, where the sand was more densely packed. The wind lifted my hair and teased it from its tether.
Wait! That was it!
Please work, please work. Flaring my wings, I called on the gentle current as I would the ocean. A large gale answered and lifted me high into the sky.
Spiraling through the air, I marveled at the freeing sensation.
Skye zoomed past me like a rocket.
Laughing, I took a moment to admire his perfection.
The gilded tips of his feathers lit like rays of sunshine. He flexed effortlessly with every stroke, and the muscles lining his spine rippled with an intoxicating motion. His cerulean hair fanned out as he made an abrupt turn.
Oh shit! Trying to escape, I put on an extra burst of speed.
Just before he slammed into me, I bid the tide to rise. The gyre hit us with a massive slap and sucked us down. My wings became waterlogged like heavy weights. Hiding them, I reveled in the glorious tang of the sea as my gills opened and my legs melded.
Unused to his tail, Skye floundered.
I giggled. “Calm down. You won’t drown. Just relax.”
His mismatched gaze met mine with an expression of disbelief. “We can talk?”
I lifted a brow. “Yeah, how else would we communicate?”
Hesitantly, he looked down the length of his body. His tail fluttered. He smiled briefly before his face shuttered. Using his arms, he began swimming toward the shore.
Confused, I swished beside him. “What’s wrong?”
He shook his head.
“Talk to me.”
One second he was there, and the next he disappeared.
Confused, I abandoned my well, for reality.
Blinking against the setting sun, the damp grass beneath my rear soaked into my borrowed pants.
Skye was gone.
I found Bex a short while later inside the kitchen.
She patted the stool beside her. “Hey. How was flight school?”
I sighed. “Fine.”
Sliding her plate closer, she tapped the edge with a ting. “Your favorite. Tell me what’s wrong.”
Purple jelly oozed from the edges of the perfectly cut triangles. It failed to cheer me up.
“Was Skye an asshole during your training?”
Rolling my shoulders, I grunted, “No, actually. That went surprisingly well. I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Every time he seems to open up, he shuts down. It’s like this wall slams into place.” His words repeated inside my mind. “He said he prefers to be alone. Why didn’t he and Gaz ever get together? I mean, she’s beautiful.”
Drumming her fingers on the countertop, Bex seemed to arrive at a decision. “Skye was broken when he came to us. He’d been living on his own for quite some time. Someone murdered his mother.”
I gasped. “That’s awful.”
Her lips firmed. “It gets worse. The resulting rage awakened his powers, and he lashed out unintentionally. It could have happened to any one of us. When he came to, he realized what he’d done.”
My stomach dropped. Twisting to the side, I peered into her eyes. Ripples flickered across her irises similar to a stone skipping across a placid pool. Her sadness was palpable.
“The concussion of magic slaughtered his entire village. He’s the last Air Elemental.”
A sharp pain lanced my chest. Though I was upset with my own family, I couldn’t imagine how terrible it would feel to be responsible for their deaths.
“To answer your second question, Gaz pushed too hard. If you haven’t noticed, she’s very impulsive. The shoot first, ask questions later type. Skye is more of an observer. Their personalities don’t exactly mesh.”
I could totally see that. Skye was always calm and in control.
Touching my shoulder, she squeezed reassuringly. “It’s not you, Riva. He doesn’t believe he deserves happiness. I don’t think he could survive another loss, so he doesn’t put himself out there.”
Chapter 14
Riva
Clutching the fist-sized pearl, I stared through a thick pane of glass. Though the ground below rushed by, it felt like we were standing still.
I still couldn’t wrap my brain around the strange contraption. Bex explained the dirigible’s origin, but it was lost on me. The term military bunker was beyond my understanding. Not that it mattered. What did matter was we were finally doing something.
The ship’s outer shell was wrapped in a camouflaged blue-and-white skin. From below it blended with the sky almost seamlessly. Wide windows offered a panoramic view of the outside world. The sun descended long ago and left only darkness in its wake.
Thin plastic sheets made up the sparsely decorated interior. They flexed when tread upon but seemed to hold even Kai’s massive weight.
Lila’s fingertips glowed silver as she touched the cabin’s wall. The bright light flickered upward to the envelope and encased it in a layer of protection. It was a necessity with the speed we were traveling. Airships weren’t designed for the massive winds Skye was busy providing.
Ramrod straight, his shoulders tensed in concentration. Though I was eager to know what he saw, I refused to ask. Other than a curt nod when we boarded, he hadn’t so much as glanced in my direction.
Pulling my gaze away from his back, I skipped over Gaz. She was seated next to Lila, and her glare caused the skin on my neck to tighten. Lifting a brow, she fingered the pommel of her sword.
Bex lay on the opposite bench with her head upon Kai’s thigh. Though she appeared to be napping, her quick intake of air told me otherwise. She was sampling the mood of our ragtag group.
Gideon, Jin, and Collin were busy arguing quietly near the back of the ship. A small light on the floor cast eerie shadows on their faces.
Curious, I made my way over.
Gideon shook his head sharply. “King Titus will never go for it.”
Collin scoffed, “It’s not like we have another choice. Someone has to go.”
Jin rubbed his face tiredly. “Gideon, you have to. Collin and I wouldn’t make it past the Guards, let alone inside the castle.”
Stubbornly, Gideon crossed his arms. “What you’re asking is impossible. Titus would never agree to an alliance with you. Your Kingdom is in ruins. Hell, you don’t even have an army. You’ve nothing to offer him.”
Jin’s nostrils flared. “The fate of all Mer is something, Gideon. At the very least the Atlanteans need to be informed. The only other person who could go would lead Poseidon straight to their gates.”
At my arrival their debate came to a standstill.
Jin’s stance made sense. My people needed to be warned regardless of Titus’s order. “I agree with Jin.”
Gideon paled. “Even if I wanted to go, which I don’t, how am I supposed to get there?”
Bex’s soft chuckle startled us all. “Oh, there’s a way. Trust me.”
Gideon
Eyes wide, he stared at Kai’s lead-colored skin. “You’re joking, right?”
Bex caressed one sickled wingtip. “You’ll be fine. Ask Riva. Kai personally saved her when she fell from my back.”
Kai’s ta
il slithered up Bex’s leather-clad leg.
Gideon cringed at the sight, and bile rose to the back of his throat. “F-fell?”
Riva waved at the open door and the darkness beyond. “Yeah, but it won’t happen to you. You’re just going straight down, not clear across the ocean.”
Lila chimed in. “Gaz could give you a ride if you prefer.”
Gideon glanced at the Angel in question.
Her breastplate winked in the lone lamp’s dim glow. Bracing her fists on her hips, she nodded encouragingly. “I don’t mind.”
Hmm. If he was going to possibly fall to his death, he’d rather be pressed against her than a Demon. He gathered his resolve, and his voice cracked. “That is acceptable.”
Skye rumbled from the front of the airship. “Get to it. Poseidon is getting stronger with each passing moment.”
Passing Lila her sheath, Gaz’s wings appeared in the blink of an eye. Flaring their honeyed tips, she opened her arms wide.
Taking a deep breath, Gideon stepped into her embrace. Gods, she smelled divine.
Gently, she maneuvered them to the entryway. “Any last words?”
His heart rate increased. The vision took him before he could respond.
Bex
Everyone froze as Gideon’s eyes rolled back in their sockets.
Caught in his sight, Gaz listed through the door.
Terror raced up my spine as Riva reached out to grab her.
Too late I screamed, “No!”
Her pearl hit the ground with a dull thud as she too fell through the opening.
Kai’s tail wrapped around my waist before I could follow.
“You can’t touch them, Bex!”
Driven by fear, the shift exploded from my skin.
Unable to take the added weight, the dirigible tipped dangerously to the side.
My claws scrabbled for purchase on the slick plastic flooring.
Kai blocked the doorway as my hindlegs bunched in preparation to jump through.
I roared in challenge.
Skye’s strained shout penetrated the rage clouding my thoughts. “Shift back, Bex. I can’t hold the ship if you don’t!”
On cue, a loud groan sounded with a screech of metal. The ceiling opened with a hiss of air.
