*The stories may get a somewhat more adult in language. When I first started writing I was being more "PG-13" (except for the violence), now there's a possibility of "R" rating in language and general. Just FYI.
Everlasting: Acceptance
-1-
Lost in her thoughts, Kira stood nearly motionless between the foot of her bed at Na'ethal's clinic and the window. The rain pelted the outside of the glass, the water running down in fast rivulets. The curtains were tied back revealing the late August thunderstorm driving its way through New Bellwich: dark clouds churning up the late morning sky and the thunder's deep rumble before the sharp crack. A flash of lightening followed. Kira twitched as the window pane rattled violently. The lush, wind-whipped trees outside were deluged with water.
She was still amazed that she was alive after the infiltration of the wer's den. It was a frightening and intoxicating thought. If that's what was in store for her by assisting the eldritch to fight the demons, did she really want to get involved?
No. And...well, yes. As when she was back at the vampire's adyta, Kira was scared at the excitement she felt deep down about the whole Secret World. Surely that wasn't normal.
The second floor, private room of the converted two-story mansion turned clinic—decorated with delicate bamboo wallpaper, soft beige flooring, and plants surrounding a softly bubbling table top fountain—was mottled with shadows cast by the dim, recessed ceiling lights. Dr. Nathan Allen's clinic contained recovery rooms used for special patients, some human but mostly eldritch. The elven nurses, their masquery hiding their true appearance from the human nurses, staff members, and patients, cared for the secret patients in this wing of the old house.
Another peal of thunder roared through the storm-ridden sky, the clouds growing darker and more sinister. The wind swept past the window, driving more rain before it. Kira shivered slightly. The cool air blowing into the room kept the humidity outside at bay.
Would Ryan continue to allow her to train and fight?
It was in this room that the young woman had slept for three days after her horrific ordeal in the wer's den. It was now Thursday morning. Three days lost since she'd been tortured by the shapeshifters. Three days since Cade nearly died.
Kira stared at her reflection in the darkened window. The slender, pale, young woman held a light weight, long-sleeved shirt in her hands. She knew the girl would wear the shirt over her tank top and jean shorts to hide the fact that the knife scars on her inner arms had already healed. How could the girl in the window explain to Cade how her injuries were healing so quickly when she couldn't even explain it to herself. The whip marks on her back were now only thick, red, horizontal lines...and even they were fading.
Kira was gathering her courage to visit Cade in the room next door.
Her mind wandered to the visit by Na'ethal, her elven doctor—known to his human patients as Dr. Nathan Allen,—earlier this morning.
She was still amazed that she was alive after the infiltration of the wer's den. It was a frightening and intoxicating thought. If that's what was in store for her by assisting the eldritch to fight the demons, did she really want to get involved?
No. And...well, yes. As when she was back at the vampire's adyta, Kira was scared at the excitement she felt deep down about the whole Secret World. Surely that wasn't normal.
The second floor, private room of the converted two-story mansion turned clinic—decorated with delicate bamboo wallpaper, soft beige flooring, and plants surrounding a softly bubbling table top fountain—was mottled with shadows cast by the dim, recessed ceiling lights. Dr. Nathan Allen's clinic contained recovery rooms used for special patients, some human but mostly eldritch. The elven nurses, their masquery hiding their true appearance from the human nurses, staff members, and patients, cared for the secret patients in this wing of the old house.
Another peal of thunder roared through the storm-ridden sky, the clouds growing darker and more sinister. The wind swept past the window, driving more rain before it. Kira shivered slightly. The cool air blowing into the room kept the humidity outside at bay.
Would Ryan continue to allow her to train and fight?
It was in this room that the young woman had slept for three days after her horrific ordeal in the wer's den. It was now Thursday morning. Three days lost since she'd been tortured by the shapeshifters. Three days since Cade nearly died.
Kira stared at her reflection in the darkened window. The slender, pale, young woman held a light weight, long-sleeved shirt in her hands. She knew the girl would wear the shirt over her tank top and jean shorts to hide the fact that the knife scars on her inner arms had already healed. How could the girl in the window explain to Cade how her injuries were healing so quickly when she couldn't even explain it to herself. The whip marks on her back were now only thick, red, horizontal lines...and even they were fading.
Kira was gathering her courage to visit Cade in the room next door.
Her mind wandered to the visit by Na'ethal, her elven doctor—known to his human patients as Dr. Nathan Allen,—earlier this morning.
-2-
“Now this is what I've been waiting to see,” Na'ethal said with a wink. “You're finally awake.”
His smooth, tranquil voice comforted Kira. The storm outside hadn't completely broken through her feelings of safety just yet. She smiled and blinked from her bed. She lay between freshly changed, clean-smelling sheets--a faint, exotic scent. Strangely enough she felt rested and fully awake. Kira was smiling because it was amusing to see the tall, long-haired, pointy-eared, cobalt-blue eyed, exotically beautiful elf dressed as a modern, human doctor. In her mind he ought to be carrying a sword or bow and arrow, not wearing a stethoscope around his neck.
Kira was startled when, before her very eyes, his appearance changed to the human-looking Dr. Allen, then reverted to his true elven form. He must have strengthened the elven magick that controlled his masquery around humans for it to break through Kira's perception of him in the Reverie.
Na'ethal busied himself checking his patient's vital signs and the machines to which she was hooked up. Satisfied at his findings of her status, Na'ethal gently disconnected the pads on her chest that had been monitoring her vitals. He used a cool hand on her forehead to brush back wisps of her dark hair. Although elves usually controlled their outward emotions around strangers, Na'ethal had grown fond enough of Kira to be less guarded with his.
While watching him work, Kira discovered that if she thought of him as Na'ethal then she saw his elven form. But when she called him Dr. Allen, or even Nathan, in her mind, his elven masquery shimmered into place and he looked like a human. Short blond hair, deep blue eyes, and still very handsome.
Kira giggled from where she lay. She kept this form in her mind for the time being.
“Something amusing?” Nathan asked, blond eyebrows arching upward.
The dark-haired girl shook her head, still smiling. “Nope,” she said innocently. “Am I alright now?” she then asked.
The doctor proclaimed her to be healing satisfactorily. He didn't mention her quick healing, having already experienced that phenomenon with the injuries she had sustained in the orc attack last month. That time she had also slept for three days. Nathan had made a note of this interesting fact in the private file he stored on his personal laptop.
“How do you feel?” he questioned.
Kira nodded her answer. She wiggled up to lean on her elbows. “Fine, actually. Maybe some itching on my back.”
She purposely neglected to mention her dreams—the same dreams she'd experienced after the orc attack. The dreams of dragons and light: the bright, healing, comforting light was her secret for now. She didn't know what it meant, but Kira felt it was something that ought to remain private.
Nathan teased, “If you're going to get this seriously injured every month, I'm going to set aside this room for you.”
Shrugging, Kira sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She wiggled her toes for good measure. “I'll try to keep it down to a minimum,” she promised.
Kira truly meant what she said.
The doctor closed her regular patient file and snapped the plastic container shut. He rested it against his chest, arms crossed.
“In other welcome news, Cade is awake, as well, if you want to visit him after you shower and dress. In fact, he's rather looking forward to seeing you,” Nathan said with a wink.
“Really?” Kira asked, her heart feeling somewhat lighter.
But nervousness also shot through her body. Her stomach did a strange flip-flop. Kira dropped her eyes to her now still toes.
“I believe the nurse caring for you two let slip you were awake. Then he questioned me as to your state of being. I told him I still needed to check on you, but you appeared well. So, yes...'really'. Now, I'm going to call Ryan to come pick you up. You're healed enough to go home. He brought you clothes, by the way. They're in the closet. ”
“What about Cade?” Kira asked, her thoughts completely focused on the young demon hunter.
When she glanced back up, Na'ethal was back in his elven form.
The doctor shook his head. “No. He's staying right where he is for at least three to five more days. He doesn't heal as...well, as quickly as you do. Although, he's healing remarkably well for a human. Don't forget his body is dealing with more severe injuries. Bella and Thomas did all they could with the severity of his wounds. The rest is up to Cade.”
Kira remembered the healing, and the disappearance of Bella. She frowned, concerned. “How are they? Bella and Thomas?”
“Thomas is fine now. Bella...,” Na'ethal shrugged and frowned slightly. “We've not heard from her since Sunday night. There's no way to contact her. She usually comes to us when she thinks we need her or she requires us.”
Kira was silent. She didn't know Bella except from that one night at the vampire's adyta, and later when the archangel healed Cade. But she was disturbed that something serious might have happened to the white-haired angel because of the healing, considering the way she disappeared so strangely.
"And the...the werwolves?" Kira asked hesitantly.
The elven doctor hesitated a moment. "Dead," he told her. "They're gone for good, I promise."
His smooth, tranquil voice comforted Kira. The storm outside hadn't completely broken through her feelings of safety just yet. She smiled and blinked from her bed. She lay between freshly changed, clean-smelling sheets--a faint, exotic scent. Strangely enough she felt rested and fully awake. Kira was smiling because it was amusing to see the tall, long-haired, pointy-eared, cobalt-blue eyed, exotically beautiful elf dressed as a modern, human doctor. In her mind he ought to be carrying a sword or bow and arrow, not wearing a stethoscope around his neck.
Kira was startled when, before her very eyes, his appearance changed to the human-looking Dr. Allen, then reverted to his true elven form. He must have strengthened the elven magick that controlled his masquery around humans for it to break through Kira's perception of him in the Reverie.
Na'ethal busied himself checking his patient's vital signs and the machines to which she was hooked up. Satisfied at his findings of her status, Na'ethal gently disconnected the pads on her chest that had been monitoring her vitals. He used a cool hand on her forehead to brush back wisps of her dark hair. Although elves usually controlled their outward emotions around strangers, Na'ethal had grown fond enough of Kira to be less guarded with his.
While watching him work, Kira discovered that if she thought of him as Na'ethal then she saw his elven form. But when she called him Dr. Allen, or even Nathan, in her mind, his elven masquery shimmered into place and he looked like a human. Short blond hair, deep blue eyes, and still very handsome.
Kira giggled from where she lay. She kept this form in her mind for the time being.
“Something amusing?” Nathan asked, blond eyebrows arching upward.
The dark-haired girl shook her head, still smiling. “Nope,” she said innocently. “Am I alright now?” she then asked.
The doctor proclaimed her to be healing satisfactorily. He didn't mention her quick healing, having already experienced that phenomenon with the injuries she had sustained in the orc attack last month. That time she had also slept for three days. Nathan had made a note of this interesting fact in the private file he stored on his personal laptop.
“How do you feel?” he questioned.
Kira nodded her answer. She wiggled up to lean on her elbows. “Fine, actually. Maybe some itching on my back.”
She purposely neglected to mention her dreams—the same dreams she'd experienced after the orc attack. The dreams of dragons and light: the bright, healing, comforting light was her secret for now. She didn't know what it meant, but Kira felt it was something that ought to remain private.
Nathan teased, “If you're going to get this seriously injured every month, I'm going to set aside this room for you.”
Shrugging, Kira sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She wiggled her toes for good measure. “I'll try to keep it down to a minimum,” she promised.
Kira truly meant what she said.
The doctor closed her regular patient file and snapped the plastic container shut. He rested it against his chest, arms crossed.
“In other welcome news, Cade is awake, as well, if you want to visit him after you shower and dress. In fact, he's rather looking forward to seeing you,” Nathan said with a wink.
“Really?” Kira asked, her heart feeling somewhat lighter.
But nervousness also shot through her body. Her stomach did a strange flip-flop. Kira dropped her eyes to her now still toes.
“I believe the nurse caring for you two let slip you were awake. Then he questioned me as to your state of being. I told him I still needed to check on you, but you appeared well. So, yes...'really'. Now, I'm going to call Ryan to come pick you up. You're healed enough to go home. He brought you clothes, by the way. They're in the closet. ”
“What about Cade?” Kira asked, her thoughts completely focused on the young demon hunter.
When she glanced back up, Na'ethal was back in his elven form.
The doctor shook his head. “No. He's staying right where he is for at least three to five more days. He doesn't heal as...well, as quickly as you do. Although, he's healing remarkably well for a human. Don't forget his body is dealing with more severe injuries. Bella and Thomas did all they could with the severity of his wounds. The rest is up to Cade.”
Kira remembered the healing, and the disappearance of Bella. She frowned, concerned. “How are they? Bella and Thomas?”
“Thomas is fine now. Bella...,” Na'ethal shrugged and frowned slightly. “We've not heard from her since Sunday night. There's no way to contact her. She usually comes to us when she thinks we need her or she requires us.”
Kira was silent. She didn't know Bella except from that one night at the vampire's adyta, and later when the archangel healed Cade. But she was disturbed that something serious might have happened to the white-haired angel because of the healing, considering the way she disappeared so strangely.
"And the...the werwolves?" Kira asked hesitantly.
The elven doctor hesitated a moment. "Dead," he told her. "They're gone for good, I promise."
-3-
Back from her thoughts of the early morning, Kira watched the storm and continued to summon her nerve to visit Cade. She felt more than a little awkward.
She clearly recalled her tears and unrestrained emotions when she thought Cade was dying. Not to mention when he died in her arms. How she had been devastated at the thought of losing the young demon hunter from her life. As if she loved...Kira shook her head sharply.
No, she couldn't. She wouldn't. Not Cade. She firmly told herself that she had merely been overwrought from having been tortured and terrified, and then witnessing Cade come to her rescue only to die from the heroic effort. All of that would drive anyone to hysterical emotions. Kira scowled. The hunter slept with any girl he found attractive, he drank to relieve stress, and Kira had a strong suspicion that his plan had been to leave New Bellwich once the wer business was taken care of.
If they lived through it, that was.
Well, they had lived through it.
Kira sighed, absently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and pulled her shirt on to hide her healed arms. To the sound of the storm raging outside, she turned herself toward the door and commanded herself to walk.
She clearly recalled her tears and unrestrained emotions when she thought Cade was dying. Not to mention when he died in her arms. How she had been devastated at the thought of losing the young demon hunter from her life. As if she loved...Kira shook her head sharply.
No, she couldn't. She wouldn't. Not Cade. She firmly told herself that she had merely been overwrought from having been tortured and terrified, and then witnessing Cade come to her rescue only to die from the heroic effort. All of that would drive anyone to hysterical emotions. Kira scowled. The hunter slept with any girl he found attractive, he drank to relieve stress, and Kira had a strong suspicion that his plan had been to leave New Bellwich once the wer business was taken care of.
If they lived through it, that was.
Well, they had lived through it.
Kira sighed, absently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and pulled her shirt on to hide her healed arms. To the sound of the storm raging outside, she turned herself toward the door and commanded herself to walk.
-4-
Since he could barely walk further than the adjoining bathroom without stretching, and possibly tearing open, his healing wounds, Cade was forced to remain sitting up in bed. Of course, this was his first day fully conscious and alert, so the young hunter hadn't had much chance to go anywhere. Still he wasn't in the habit of lounging around under clean sheets while healing. Usually healing took place with a bottle of booze before passing out in some skanky motel room after he'd tended his own wounds.
The upper body sponge bath by the smoking hot elven nurse had improved Cade's mood tremendously, however. She'd shaved him, too, but left some shadow of facial hair, insisting it made him look more dangerous. Luckily the bath ended where the sheet began because it so happened that his blood was flowing just fine. The tray over his lap that held the water and other supplies had hid the result of that blood flow.
Cade had been surprised as hell to find he'd been in and out of consciousness—mostly out—for the past three days. The doctor, the elf who'd been at the meeting at the damn bloodsuckers' hideout, had showed up to check on him this morning. Cade had immediately questioned the doctor about Kira. Was it true what the nurse had said? He didn't...couldn't...say anything when he found out she was definitely awake and alive. Cade hadn't trusted himself to speak for a moment, afraid his voice would betray more than he wanted.
He didn't remember anything after the wer bitch attacked him and ripped through to his guts, so he'd had no idea what became of Kira. If she'd been killed...well, Cade would have rightly blamed himself and added another innocent death to his list.
The thunderstorm outside his window darkened his room even with the lights on. The television reception dissolved into static for a moment, then returned. Cade watched the rain strike the window and listened to the roaring wind.
Bored of the television, Cade muted the volume. He lifted his white t-shirt up around his chest. The muscles in his arms and chest flexed automatically. He examined the thick red, jagged lines that traveled from his chest, over his stomach, and down under the waistband of his loosely tied pajama bottoms. The thick welts stung a little, itched a lot, and too much movement tugged at them painfully as if they were ripping apart. There were neat, clear stitches drawing the wounds closed. Underneath the muscles felt sore.
Cade exhaled slowly, frowning, his brow furrowing. The welts by themselves were disturbing enough, but what must the original slashes have looked like? Cade couldn't imagine how he'd survived such trauma to his body. He vividly recalled the searing, blinding pain of the wer's claws raking down his body, ripping him wide open.
Then everything went black in his memory.
Cade shuddered slightly. Something that could cause such massive damage to his flesh and muscles should have killed him. That much the hunter knew.
* * * * * *
Kira watched Cade through the window in the door for a moment. She chewed on her bottom lip. Instead of his muscular chest and defined stomach of the present, she was reliving the gaping slashes, ruined flesh, and gushing blood of that horrible night. She shuddered and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. When she reopened them, Cade's body was back to normal. Even the tattoos on his chest were visible again. The pentagram on his upper chest seemed to have survived intact. Kira continued watching him for a few seconds longer before pushing the door open. She stood shyly in the door way.
“Admiring yourself again?” she asked, to hide her awkward feelings.
Cade glanced up quickly with a huge grin, tired but sincere. His eyes drank in the sight of Kira, looking fairly healthy despite her ordeal, but still somewhat fragile and pale.
“That'd be your job, not mine,” he replied, his grin becoming a leer. He waggled his eyebrows.
“Oh, in your dreams!” Kira said, poking out her tongue.
Kira sighed inwardly at the growing familiarity of Cade's deep voice. The sometimes rough, sometimes growling timbre of his voice reached deep into Kira's soul and made her feel safe when he was around.
For a moment they smiled at each other, silenced at the relief of seeing the other alive.
“So, hey you,” Cade said.
“Hey yourself.”
Cade motioned Kira over to the bed. “Come here, check this out...these must have been some wicked wounds,” he announced.
Kira approached the bed, wincing at the thick welts, still ridged and an angry red color. If only Cade knew how horrific the original wounds had been. She wondered how much Na'ethal had told him. Kira perched on the edge of the bed in the middle without thinking, even though there was a chair nearby. Cade didn't object.
She obediently examined his chest and stomach with her eyes only. “Yeah, wicked. So, how are you feeling? Are you in pain?” she asked quietly.
“Only when I move and breathe,” Cade teased.
Kira's face crumpled. “Oh, Cade, I'm so sorry...I...,”
“Whoa! Hang on there, don't fall apart on me! It's okay, really...it's not that bad. Your doctor must be pumping me with some serious pain killers because I've been out of it for three days now.” Cade tried to reassure Kira that he'd just been teasing. He didn't realize she'd take him so seriously. But then she seemed to take everything seriously.
Kira eyed Cade warily. Was he in pain or not? She couldn't really tell.
“Same here,” she finally said. “Out for three days. I didn't even wake up, apparently.”
Cade finally let his t-shirt drop down, but Kira could still see part of his bare, flat stomach. She dragged her eyes back to his face.
Cade nodded toward her. “How 'bout you? You feeling alright? You look good,” he added unexpectedly.
Kira paused. “I'm still healing, too,” she partially lied. “I...I wasn't as injured as you were,”
Cade looked puzzled. He'd seen the whip slashes through Kira's tattered shirt. His brow furrowed but he didn't say anything.
“So, what exactly happened, Kira?” he asked. “After that whackjob wer attacked me?”
“You remember that?”
Cade nodded, grimacing again at the recollection. “Hell yeah! Kinda hard to forget being ripped to shreds,” he said. “Christ, I've never felt pain like that before! I'm surprised my guts weren't spread out all over the damn place.”
“So, Na'ethal didn't tell you?” Kira asked hesitantly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Cade shook his head. “Not really. He said he'd wait to let you bring me up to speed.”
Kira chewed on her bottom lip. What did Na'ethal want her to say? The truth or a lie? How much did Cade need to know.
He deserved to know the truth, Kira decided. She told him...everything.
The upper body sponge bath by the smoking hot elven nurse had improved Cade's mood tremendously, however. She'd shaved him, too, but left some shadow of facial hair, insisting it made him look more dangerous. Luckily the bath ended where the sheet began because it so happened that his blood was flowing just fine. The tray over his lap that held the water and other supplies had hid the result of that blood flow.
Cade had been surprised as hell to find he'd been in and out of consciousness—mostly out—for the past three days. The doctor, the elf who'd been at the meeting at the damn bloodsuckers' hideout, had showed up to check on him this morning. Cade had immediately questioned the doctor about Kira. Was it true what the nurse had said? He didn't...couldn't...say anything when he found out she was definitely awake and alive. Cade hadn't trusted himself to speak for a moment, afraid his voice would betray more than he wanted.
He didn't remember anything after the wer bitch attacked him and ripped through to his guts, so he'd had no idea what became of Kira. If she'd been killed...well, Cade would have rightly blamed himself and added another innocent death to his list.
The thunderstorm outside his window darkened his room even with the lights on. The television reception dissolved into static for a moment, then returned. Cade watched the rain strike the window and listened to the roaring wind.
Bored of the television, Cade muted the volume. He lifted his white t-shirt up around his chest. The muscles in his arms and chest flexed automatically. He examined the thick red, jagged lines that traveled from his chest, over his stomach, and down under the waistband of his loosely tied pajama bottoms. The thick welts stung a little, itched a lot, and too much movement tugged at them painfully as if they were ripping apart. There were neat, clear stitches drawing the wounds closed. Underneath the muscles felt sore.
Cade exhaled slowly, frowning, his brow furrowing. The welts by themselves were disturbing enough, but what must the original slashes have looked like? Cade couldn't imagine how he'd survived such trauma to his body. He vividly recalled the searing, blinding pain of the wer's claws raking down his body, ripping him wide open.
Then everything went black in his memory.
Cade shuddered slightly. Something that could cause such massive damage to his flesh and muscles should have killed him. That much the hunter knew.
* * * * * *
Kira watched Cade through the window in the door for a moment. She chewed on her bottom lip. Instead of his muscular chest and defined stomach of the present, she was reliving the gaping slashes, ruined flesh, and gushing blood of that horrible night. She shuddered and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. When she reopened them, Cade's body was back to normal. Even the tattoos on his chest were visible again. The pentagram on his upper chest seemed to have survived intact. Kira continued watching him for a few seconds longer before pushing the door open. She stood shyly in the door way.
“Admiring yourself again?” she asked, to hide her awkward feelings.
Cade glanced up quickly with a huge grin, tired but sincere. His eyes drank in the sight of Kira, looking fairly healthy despite her ordeal, but still somewhat fragile and pale.
“That'd be your job, not mine,” he replied, his grin becoming a leer. He waggled his eyebrows.
“Oh, in your dreams!” Kira said, poking out her tongue.
Kira sighed inwardly at the growing familiarity of Cade's deep voice. The sometimes rough, sometimes growling timbre of his voice reached deep into Kira's soul and made her feel safe when he was around.
For a moment they smiled at each other, silenced at the relief of seeing the other alive.
“So, hey you,” Cade said.
“Hey yourself.”
Cade motioned Kira over to the bed. “Come here, check this out...these must have been some wicked wounds,” he announced.
Kira approached the bed, wincing at the thick welts, still ridged and an angry red color. If only Cade knew how horrific the original wounds had been. She wondered how much Na'ethal had told him. Kira perched on the edge of the bed in the middle without thinking, even though there was a chair nearby. Cade didn't object.
She obediently examined his chest and stomach with her eyes only. “Yeah, wicked. So, how are you feeling? Are you in pain?” she asked quietly.
“Only when I move and breathe,” Cade teased.
Kira's face crumpled. “Oh, Cade, I'm so sorry...I...,”
“Whoa! Hang on there, don't fall apart on me! It's okay, really...it's not that bad. Your doctor must be pumping me with some serious pain killers because I've been out of it for three days now.” Cade tried to reassure Kira that he'd just been teasing. He didn't realize she'd take him so seriously. But then she seemed to take everything seriously.
Kira eyed Cade warily. Was he in pain or not? She couldn't really tell.
“Same here,” she finally said. “Out for three days. I didn't even wake up, apparently.”
Cade finally let his t-shirt drop down, but Kira could still see part of his bare, flat stomach. She dragged her eyes back to his face.
Cade nodded toward her. “How 'bout you? You feeling alright? You look good,” he added unexpectedly.
Kira paused. “I'm still healing, too,” she partially lied. “I...I wasn't as injured as you were,”
Cade looked puzzled. He'd seen the whip slashes through Kira's tattered shirt. His brow furrowed but he didn't say anything.
“So, what exactly happened, Kira?” he asked. “After that whackjob wer attacked me?”
“You remember that?”
Cade nodded, grimacing again at the recollection. “Hell yeah! Kinda hard to forget being ripped to shreds,” he said. “Christ, I've never felt pain like that before! I'm surprised my guts weren't spread out all over the damn place.”
“So, Na'ethal didn't tell you?” Kira asked hesitantly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Cade shook his head. “Not really. He said he'd wait to let you bring me up to speed.”
Kira chewed on her bottom lip. What did Na'ethal want her to say? The truth or a lie? How much did Cade need to know.
He deserved to know the truth, Kira decided. She told him...everything.
-5-
Well, everything except her emotional reaction to his “death”.
“Son of a bitch!” Cade growled, shaking his head. “Are you saying I freaking died? That wer bitch clawed down almost to my guts and killed me?”
“I'm not sure now,” Kira admitted hesitantly. “It seemed like you did, died I mean. But Bella and Thomas definitely healed you most of the way, and here you are now. Alive.”
Cade let his breath out in a big whoosh. “This is freakin' me out, I have to admit.”
Cade was silent for a moment, thinking. Then he shrugged. “But I guess there's a first time for everything—including dying and being revived somehow.”
Kira stared at him, stunned at his attitude about dying but reassured that he seemed to be taking the news with relative calmness.
“What the hell happened to the wer bitch anyway? Why'd she stop using me as a scratching post?”
Kira shook her head but the motion felt like a lie. “One of the eldritch must have killed her,” she answered. “I think I blacked out for a second when she came after me. I saw huge teeth and lots of slobber, but then I can't remember after that. She was suddenly dead in front of me.”
Strange flashes of memory pulsed through Kira's mind. Silver claws, blood, terror and anger.
Both were silent....reliving their own memories or imagining what must have occurred. The storm tried to intrude by shaking the window with a peal of thunder.
Kira picked absently at the white sheet on the bed. She glanced up at Cade. Without thinking she leaned over and brushed her fingers gently across the almost healed gash on his forehead.
“You had this before the fighting,” she said softly. “I saw it when you first showed up.” Kira remembered him stabbing someone in the back with a knife. “What happened?”
Cade had closed his eyes for a moment when Kira first touched him. Her hand felt...good. Comforting. Right.
“Oh, the damn alpha wer sent those two goons from the other night to, I assume, finish me off and leave me for dead. But Sebastian—cold, unfeeling, vampire bastard that he is—helped me with his supervamp powers.”
Kira looked confused as she reluctantly drew her hand away.
Cade wished that she had left her hand where it was.
“He beat the crap out of them...it was fairly gruesome, to be honest,” he explained, sounding more impressed than anything.
“I'm sorry, Cade...everything you went though...,” Kira began.
“Me?!” he interrupted. “Sweetheart, you were the one tortured all damn day and nearly fed to a demon. I'm the one that's carrying the guilt here!” he said angrily.
Cade leaned his head back and exhaled sharply. “I should have never left you there alone. I blew it...I underestimated the enemy and almost got you killed...or worse by the looks of that demon pit to hell or wherever the damn thing led.”
“Cade, stop!” Kira demanded. “You can't take responsibility for me. I don't want you to, either. I went there willingly, knowing the dangers. I took the risk, same as you.”
“You went because of me," Cade reminded her. "Because of something I did. Kira...maybe you shouldn't...you know, help the the eldritch council. Let them gank the damn demons. It's too dangerous.”
“It's been dangerous for you, too, you know...even before now. And now these,” she gestured to his healing wounds. “Are you going to stop?”
“No,” he said without having to think. “But I can't stop hunting ...I mean, it's what I do, what I have to do. I have to make up for not...,” Cade stopped himself before he said saving my family.
He couldn't tell Kira that it was his punishment to keep fighting, to save the world one demon at a time. His hidden secret—the heartache, fear, depression, and yes, even doubt—that tormented Cade was his burden to bear alone and silently. Even his own life didn't matter, only saving others. Cade blamed himself for his family's deaths. He wasn't allowed to stop hunting demons, wouldn't allow himself to stop, not until he was forced to. Which meant he'd be dead. Part of him was angry that he had been denied a normal life; but it was his choice to give up what could have come after the death of his family in order to seek vengeance.
“Forget it,” he said abruptly. “It's not important.” I'm not important, his mind added. “So where the hell are we anyway?” he asked, changing the subject. “It doesn't feel like a hospital.”
It took Kira a moment to catch up with Cade's subject change. She sensed the previous discussion was closed and pursuing it would only lead to an argument.
“Um...Na'ethal's clinic, it's an old mansion in the northwest part of New Bellwich. He's a real doctor, you know...he sees human patients, like us, as well as the everlasting. These rooms are private in case...well, for situations like ours when special healing is necessary.”
“Convenient,” Cade murmured.
“Oh yeah, all your stuff...your truck, too...they're all here in the back parking lot,” Kira told him.
Cade nodded. “Yeah, I know. The doc told me. Thanks for that.”
“Oh, don't thank me. My car at the motel and our stuff at the abandoned building had to collected, too. No trace of us exists out there now,” Kira said. “I wonder what happened to the werwolves? Na'ethal only told me they were all dead.”
There was silence for a moment while Cade stared out the window at the raging storm, and Kira plucked at the sheet some more.
Cade snapped his fingers, startling Kira. “I know what I wanted to ask you. What was that you said when you kicked the wer bitch? Something like malsvir riika,” Cade said the strange word slowly, his tongue tripping over the consonant placements.
Surprised, Kira shook her head. “I don't remember saying anything like that,” she said. “And that sounds like something you made up anyway.”
“Well, you said something weird, “ he insisted.
Kira shrugged. But she didn't admit the word...the language...felt familiar to her, somewhere deep in her mind. And it didn't sound like a nice word, either.
Then the nurse, who'd been caring for them both walked in. “I won't be long,” the stunning blonde elf said with a smile.
She fluffed the pillow behind Cade's broad shoulders.
Cade gave her a flirtatious smile. “Take your time, beautiful,” he said. “I seem to feel better the longer you're here.”
The nurse laughed indulgently, and Kira rolled her eyes. She scooted back against the foot board of the bed and tucked her feet under her. She watched the nurse inject a syringe into Cade's IV line.
Cade watched the elf's amazing rear end, grinning when she caught him.
Kira slapped Cade's foot through the sheet on the bed. He glared at her, then went back to ogling the nurse.
“What's that?” Kira asked.
“It's something Dr. Aleanitryn has been giving the two of you. Elven medicine to help with the healing. You'll be even better in a couple of days,” she informed Cade with a wink. “Back to your old self, I would imagine.”
Then she turned to leave. She gave Kira a secret smile, letting her know with twinkling eyes that she didn't take Cade seriously.
No wonder Cade was healing so quickly, Kira thought. She knew what his injuries looked like three days ago even if he didn't. She glanced at the young hunter who was leaning far out of the bed to watch the nurse leave. Kira smacked him in the leg, causing Cade to jerk back.
He moaned and clutched his mid-section. “Why'd you do that?” he protested.
Kira glared. “Could you be anymore obvious that you want to...to have sex with her?” she hissed. “She's an elf, you idiot, in case you didn't notice. Even you don't stand a chance with an elf.”
Cade shrugged casually at Kira's prediction.
"I noticed the elfness...believe me, I noticed. Are all the females that freakiin' hot? Because, well, just wow...," Cade's voice trailed off into thoughts best left unsaid.
Kira scowled. "How should I know! She's the only one I've ever seen."
Kira felt angry that Cade's behavior upset her. She had no claim to him. It shouldn't matter who he slept with; but she didn't want to know about it. It was embarrassing enough that she'd never even...but yet he had so much experience. He'd never want someone like her anyway.
“Anyway, I was merely....admiring the view,” Cade protested with a grin.
Then he remembered. “Are you jealous? Maybe you want to sleep on my chest again,” he teased.
“Son of a bitch!” Cade growled, shaking his head. “Are you saying I freaking died? That wer bitch clawed down almost to my guts and killed me?”
“I'm not sure now,” Kira admitted hesitantly. “It seemed like you did, died I mean. But Bella and Thomas definitely healed you most of the way, and here you are now. Alive.”
Cade let his breath out in a big whoosh. “This is freakin' me out, I have to admit.”
Cade was silent for a moment, thinking. Then he shrugged. “But I guess there's a first time for everything—including dying and being revived somehow.”
Kira stared at him, stunned at his attitude about dying but reassured that he seemed to be taking the news with relative calmness.
“What the hell happened to the wer bitch anyway? Why'd she stop using me as a scratching post?”
Kira shook her head but the motion felt like a lie. “One of the eldritch must have killed her,” she answered. “I think I blacked out for a second when she came after me. I saw huge teeth and lots of slobber, but then I can't remember after that. She was suddenly dead in front of me.”
Strange flashes of memory pulsed through Kira's mind. Silver claws, blood, terror and anger.
Both were silent....reliving their own memories or imagining what must have occurred. The storm tried to intrude by shaking the window with a peal of thunder.
Kira picked absently at the white sheet on the bed. She glanced up at Cade. Without thinking she leaned over and brushed her fingers gently across the almost healed gash on his forehead.
“You had this before the fighting,” she said softly. “I saw it when you first showed up.” Kira remembered him stabbing someone in the back with a knife. “What happened?”
Cade had closed his eyes for a moment when Kira first touched him. Her hand felt...good. Comforting. Right.
“Oh, the damn alpha wer sent those two goons from the other night to, I assume, finish me off and leave me for dead. But Sebastian—cold, unfeeling, vampire bastard that he is—helped me with his supervamp powers.”
Kira looked confused as she reluctantly drew her hand away.
Cade wished that she had left her hand where it was.
“He beat the crap out of them...it was fairly gruesome, to be honest,” he explained, sounding more impressed than anything.
“I'm sorry, Cade...everything you went though...,” Kira began.
“Me?!” he interrupted. “Sweetheart, you were the one tortured all damn day and nearly fed to a demon. I'm the one that's carrying the guilt here!” he said angrily.
Cade leaned his head back and exhaled sharply. “I should have never left you there alone. I blew it...I underestimated the enemy and almost got you killed...or worse by the looks of that demon pit to hell or wherever the damn thing led.”
“Cade, stop!” Kira demanded. “You can't take responsibility for me. I don't want you to, either. I went there willingly, knowing the dangers. I took the risk, same as you.”
“You went because of me," Cade reminded her. "Because of something I did. Kira...maybe you shouldn't...you know, help the the eldritch council. Let them gank the damn demons. It's too dangerous.”
“It's been dangerous for you, too, you know...even before now. And now these,” she gestured to his healing wounds. “Are you going to stop?”
“No,” he said without having to think. “But I can't stop hunting ...I mean, it's what I do, what I have to do. I have to make up for not...,” Cade stopped himself before he said saving my family.
He couldn't tell Kira that it was his punishment to keep fighting, to save the world one demon at a time. His hidden secret—the heartache, fear, depression, and yes, even doubt—that tormented Cade was his burden to bear alone and silently. Even his own life didn't matter, only saving others. Cade blamed himself for his family's deaths. He wasn't allowed to stop hunting demons, wouldn't allow himself to stop, not until he was forced to. Which meant he'd be dead. Part of him was angry that he had been denied a normal life; but it was his choice to give up what could have come after the death of his family in order to seek vengeance.
“Forget it,” he said abruptly. “It's not important.” I'm not important, his mind added. “So where the hell are we anyway?” he asked, changing the subject. “It doesn't feel like a hospital.”
It took Kira a moment to catch up with Cade's subject change. She sensed the previous discussion was closed and pursuing it would only lead to an argument.
“Um...Na'ethal's clinic, it's an old mansion in the northwest part of New Bellwich. He's a real doctor, you know...he sees human patients, like us, as well as the everlasting. These rooms are private in case...well, for situations like ours when special healing is necessary.”
“Convenient,” Cade murmured.
“Oh yeah, all your stuff...your truck, too...they're all here in the back parking lot,” Kira told him.
Cade nodded. “Yeah, I know. The doc told me. Thanks for that.”
“Oh, don't thank me. My car at the motel and our stuff at the abandoned building had to collected, too. No trace of us exists out there now,” Kira said. “I wonder what happened to the werwolves? Na'ethal only told me they were all dead.”
There was silence for a moment while Cade stared out the window at the raging storm, and Kira plucked at the sheet some more.
Cade snapped his fingers, startling Kira. “I know what I wanted to ask you. What was that you said when you kicked the wer bitch? Something like malsvir riika,” Cade said the strange word slowly, his tongue tripping over the consonant placements.
Surprised, Kira shook her head. “I don't remember saying anything like that,” she said. “And that sounds like something you made up anyway.”
“Well, you said something weird, “ he insisted.
Kira shrugged. But she didn't admit the word...the language...felt familiar to her, somewhere deep in her mind. And it didn't sound like a nice word, either.
Then the nurse, who'd been caring for them both walked in. “I won't be long,” the stunning blonde elf said with a smile.
She fluffed the pillow behind Cade's broad shoulders.
Cade gave her a flirtatious smile. “Take your time, beautiful,” he said. “I seem to feel better the longer you're here.”
The nurse laughed indulgently, and Kira rolled her eyes. She scooted back against the foot board of the bed and tucked her feet under her. She watched the nurse inject a syringe into Cade's IV line.
Cade watched the elf's amazing rear end, grinning when she caught him.
Kira slapped Cade's foot through the sheet on the bed. He glared at her, then went back to ogling the nurse.
“What's that?” Kira asked.
“It's something Dr. Aleanitryn has been giving the two of you. Elven medicine to help with the healing. You'll be even better in a couple of days,” she informed Cade with a wink. “Back to your old self, I would imagine.”
Then she turned to leave. She gave Kira a secret smile, letting her know with twinkling eyes that she didn't take Cade seriously.
No wonder Cade was healing so quickly, Kira thought. She knew what his injuries looked like three days ago even if he didn't. She glanced at the young hunter who was leaning far out of the bed to watch the nurse leave. Kira smacked him in the leg, causing Cade to jerk back.
He moaned and clutched his mid-section. “Why'd you do that?” he protested.
Kira glared. “Could you be anymore obvious that you want to...to have sex with her?” she hissed. “She's an elf, you idiot, in case you didn't notice. Even you don't stand a chance with an elf.”
Cade shrugged casually at Kira's prediction.
"I noticed the elfness...believe me, I noticed. Are all the females that freakiin' hot? Because, well, just wow...," Cade's voice trailed off into thoughts best left unsaid.
Kira scowled. "How should I know! She's the only one I've ever seen."
Kira felt angry that Cade's behavior upset her. She had no claim to him. It shouldn't matter who he slept with; but she didn't want to know about it. It was embarrassing enough that she'd never even...but yet he had so much experience. He'd never want someone like her anyway.
“Anyway, I was merely....admiring the view,” Cade protested with a grin.
Then he remembered. “Are you jealous? Maybe you want to sleep on my chest again,” he teased.
-6-
Kira's heart missed a beat. She felt the blood drain from her face. Her stomach clenched.
He knew!
Thunder crashed outside. Kira flinched.
Cade must have been awake in the vampire's secret room that morning she woke up on his side of the bed. More than on his side, on him. Kira was mortified. That was the first time, that she remembered, since she didn't remember anything about her previous life, that she'd been physically close to a man in a bed—or in any other way.
“You bastard,” she whispered in a shaky voice, unable to contain her emotions. Kira sprang to her feet. Tears filled her brown eyes and spilled down her cheeks.
Caught completely off guard by her reaction, Cade lurched forward and grabbed for her hand. He caught her wrist. Kira tried to fight him, to pull away, but he was stronger at first. He thought Kira would yell at him or smack him, but he hadn't expected the sudden tears.
Then he remembered how uncomfortable Kira had been helping him conceal his tattoos. She'd all but admitted through her silence that she'd never touch a man's body before. How could he have been so stupid as to have forgotten that.
Also, Cade didn't have time to admit he had enjoyed Kira that close to him, because the effort to restrain Kira began to pull on his wounds.
“Hey! Hey, Kira...I was teasing,” Cade protested. “Stop, please. Just stop and come... .”
Suddenly he released her and clutched at his midsection, doubling over then jerking back to stop the shooting pains. Both actions only worsened the situation and the pain. Cade swore as he pressed back into the pillows. He squeezed his eyes shut. Hurling was a definite possibility. A film of sweat formed on his face.
He gasped when soft hands were placed on both sides of his face.
“Oh! Oh, Cade, are you alright? Should I call Na'ethal?” Kira asked softly.
“No!” he gasped, working through the pain, grimacing with his eyes still closed. Then more evenly but still panting. “No, it's passing...the pain. Kira, I swear I was only teasing.”
He felt the edge of the sheet wiping at his forehead, while the hands on his face alternated their presence. Cade opened his eyes to find Kira gazing down at him. Her brown eyes, shiny from tears, were worried. Her face was a mixture of remorse and concern. He relished the feel of her hands back on his face. He hadn't meant to upset her.
“Well...don't,” she said. “Just...don't, okay? Don't be a bastard,” she said reproachfully, but without real anger.
Their eyes locked. Green eyes and brown eyes searching the other for...something. Cade lifted his hand intending to stroke Kira's lips when a voice floated into the room.
“Are you ready to go, Kira?” Ryan asked. “The storm is breaking up. The rain should have lessened by the time we finish with Na'ethal.”
Kira drew her hands back as if touching a hot stove. She swiped at her face in an attempt to erase the tear marks on her cheeks. Then she twisted around on the bed and jumped up, a feeling of guilt washing over her.
Cade flinched slightly at the idea of Kira's uncle walking in at just the wrong moment. However, a moment later would have been an even worse moment...if things had progressed to where Cade had intended.
“Ryan!” Kira exclaimed. “Yeah, I am...I was just...yes, I'm ready,” she said hurriedly.
He knew!
Thunder crashed outside. Kira flinched.
Cade must have been awake in the vampire's secret room that morning she woke up on his side of the bed. More than on his side, on him. Kira was mortified. That was the first time, that she remembered, since she didn't remember anything about her previous life, that she'd been physically close to a man in a bed—or in any other way.
“You bastard,” she whispered in a shaky voice, unable to contain her emotions. Kira sprang to her feet. Tears filled her brown eyes and spilled down her cheeks.
Caught completely off guard by her reaction, Cade lurched forward and grabbed for her hand. He caught her wrist. Kira tried to fight him, to pull away, but he was stronger at first. He thought Kira would yell at him or smack him, but he hadn't expected the sudden tears.
Then he remembered how uncomfortable Kira had been helping him conceal his tattoos. She'd all but admitted through her silence that she'd never touch a man's body before. How could he have been so stupid as to have forgotten that.
Also, Cade didn't have time to admit he had enjoyed Kira that close to him, because the effort to restrain Kira began to pull on his wounds.
“Hey! Hey, Kira...I was teasing,” Cade protested. “Stop, please. Just stop and come... .”
Suddenly he released her and clutched at his midsection, doubling over then jerking back to stop the shooting pains. Both actions only worsened the situation and the pain. Cade swore as he pressed back into the pillows. He squeezed his eyes shut. Hurling was a definite possibility. A film of sweat formed on his face.
He gasped when soft hands were placed on both sides of his face.
“Oh! Oh, Cade, are you alright? Should I call Na'ethal?” Kira asked softly.
“No!” he gasped, working through the pain, grimacing with his eyes still closed. Then more evenly but still panting. “No, it's passing...the pain. Kira, I swear I was only teasing.”
He felt the edge of the sheet wiping at his forehead, while the hands on his face alternated their presence. Cade opened his eyes to find Kira gazing down at him. Her brown eyes, shiny from tears, were worried. Her face was a mixture of remorse and concern. He relished the feel of her hands back on his face. He hadn't meant to upset her.
“Well...don't,” she said. “Just...don't, okay? Don't be a bastard,” she said reproachfully, but without real anger.
Their eyes locked. Green eyes and brown eyes searching the other for...something. Cade lifted his hand intending to stroke Kira's lips when a voice floated into the room.
“Are you ready to go, Kira?” Ryan asked. “The storm is breaking up. The rain should have lessened by the time we finish with Na'ethal.”
Kira drew her hands back as if touching a hot stove. She swiped at her face in an attempt to erase the tear marks on her cheeks. Then she twisted around on the bed and jumped up, a feeling of guilt washing over her.
Cade flinched slightly at the idea of Kira's uncle walking in at just the wrong moment. However, a moment later would have been an even worse moment...if things had progressed to where Cade had intended.
“Ryan!” Kira exclaimed. “Yeah, I am...I was just...yes, I'm ready,” she said hurriedly.
-7-
Ryan strode into the room, sunglasses hanging from his shirt pocket and his detective's shield clipped to his belt. His trousers and short sleeved shirt were dotted with spots of water from the rain. His rugged face and short hair were dry courtesy of the wet umbrella he'd left downstairs. There was no indication of the gash he had sustained on his neck during the battle with the wer and Na'ethal's sword. Unable to hide the damage to his simulacrum without appearing more out of place than usual with his clothing choices, Ryan had initially focused all his healing energies and celestine magick on his throat. A layer of flesh colored, temporary sealant had also been necessary. The deep, bloodless gashes to his chest weren't visible when he was dressed, so Ryan had left those to heal last.
As he was technically still on duty, his attitude was in cop-mode. He surveyed the situation in the room and surmised he had interrupted something between Kira and the demon hunter. Ryan was neither sorry nor glad, just observant as Kira did not seem to be in any danger.
Kira sought sanctuary at the foot of the bed behind the foot board, out of Cade's reach as well as not too close to Ryan as he approached the bed.
Cade watched warily as the cop approached. He felt awkward and helpless in the bed while the other man stood. He blinked momentarily as the black feathered wings he saw previously shimmered into view. He wondered what sort of eldritch Ryan was...he never did get to ask Kira.
“Na'ethal tells me you will heal,” Ryan commented.
Cade nodded. “So I heard,” he replied.
There was silence for a moment.
“You did well with the wer situation,” Ryan said, but offered no details.
“Yeah...thanks,” Cade said.
“Although your death in battle would have been honored,” Ryan added.
He didn't notice the horrified look Kira aimed his way.
The cop's seeming lack of emotions was weird. It unnerved Cade somewhat and made him wary of showing any of his own. He wondered how Kira lived with this day in and day out. The way Ryan stared at him made Cade wonder if the man was waiting for more.
“I...um...couldn't leave Kira there with them,” he added, resisting a glance over at the young woman hovering at the foot of the bed.
Ryan nodded. “No,” he agreed. “But you did well,” he repeated. “What are your plans now?” he asked.
Cade was thrown by the question—he hadn't expected to be asked that. For the past six years, since he was twenty, no one had ever really cared what his plans were. He came and went as he pleased in his hunts.
Pausing before answering, Cade finally said, “It depends.”
This time his eyes betrayed him as they darted toward Kira, then back to staring up at Ryan.
“Of course,” Ryan said as if agreeing, not requiring a more in depth answer.
“Take care of yourself, demon hunter.” Then he began to walk toward the door. “Kira?”
As she was leaving, Kira gave Cade a hesitant wave. Her emotions were in complete turmoil at the moment, what with the wer and now with Cade.
“Hey, don't leave me stuck here alone too long,” he said, a hint of desperation behind the casually spoken comment. “There's still a lot I have to know about the Secret World.”
Kira gave him a tentative smile.
“Just...get better, okay?” she replied.
Cade's smile faded when the dark-haired girl left the room. He frowned. He turned to the window, noticing in the back of his mind that the rain was lessening and the sky had begun to take on the glow of the hidden sun. He wondered if Kira really would come back. Would he see her again? More than that, Cade wondered, would he hang around once the doc released him?
Perhaps he would follow his original plan and leave New Bellwich. The situation was becoming too complicated here, and he felt compelled to return to hunting. Friends weren't part of the life he'd created for himself, weren't allowed. He was also afraid of what would happen to Kira...at least if he wasn't around he wouldn't know nor would he be the cause of anything else bad happening to her. He was already carrying enough guilt. Cade's heart grew heavier than normal, but even in the privacy of his room he refused to let any tears fall.
Instead the demon hunter closed his eyes, shut down his heart, and wished for a drink.
As he was technically still on duty, his attitude was in cop-mode. He surveyed the situation in the room and surmised he had interrupted something between Kira and the demon hunter. Ryan was neither sorry nor glad, just observant as Kira did not seem to be in any danger.
Kira sought sanctuary at the foot of the bed behind the foot board, out of Cade's reach as well as not too close to Ryan as he approached the bed.
Cade watched warily as the cop approached. He felt awkward and helpless in the bed while the other man stood. He blinked momentarily as the black feathered wings he saw previously shimmered into view. He wondered what sort of eldritch Ryan was...he never did get to ask Kira.
“Na'ethal tells me you will heal,” Ryan commented.
Cade nodded. “So I heard,” he replied.
There was silence for a moment.
“You did well with the wer situation,” Ryan said, but offered no details.
“Yeah...thanks,” Cade said.
“Although your death in battle would have been honored,” Ryan added.
He didn't notice the horrified look Kira aimed his way.
The cop's seeming lack of emotions was weird. It unnerved Cade somewhat and made him wary of showing any of his own. He wondered how Kira lived with this day in and day out. The way Ryan stared at him made Cade wonder if the man was waiting for more.
“I...um...couldn't leave Kira there with them,” he added, resisting a glance over at the young woman hovering at the foot of the bed.
Ryan nodded. “No,” he agreed. “But you did well,” he repeated. “What are your plans now?” he asked.
Cade was thrown by the question—he hadn't expected to be asked that. For the past six years, since he was twenty, no one had ever really cared what his plans were. He came and went as he pleased in his hunts.
Pausing before answering, Cade finally said, “It depends.”
This time his eyes betrayed him as they darted toward Kira, then back to staring up at Ryan.
“Of course,” Ryan said as if agreeing, not requiring a more in depth answer.
“Take care of yourself, demon hunter.” Then he began to walk toward the door. “Kira?”
As she was leaving, Kira gave Cade a hesitant wave. Her emotions were in complete turmoil at the moment, what with the wer and now with Cade.
“Hey, don't leave me stuck here alone too long,” he said, a hint of desperation behind the casually spoken comment. “There's still a lot I have to know about the Secret World.”
Kira gave him a tentative smile.
“Just...get better, okay?” she replied.
Cade's smile faded when the dark-haired girl left the room. He frowned. He turned to the window, noticing in the back of his mind that the rain was lessening and the sky had begun to take on the glow of the hidden sun. He wondered if Kira really would come back. Would he see her again? More than that, Cade wondered, would he hang around once the doc released him?
Perhaps he would follow his original plan and leave New Bellwich. The situation was becoming too complicated here, and he felt compelled to return to hunting. Friends weren't part of the life he'd created for himself, weren't allowed. He was also afraid of what would happen to Kira...at least if he wasn't around he wouldn't know nor would he be the cause of anything else bad happening to her. He was already carrying enough guilt. Cade's heart grew heavier than normal, but even in the privacy of his room he refused to let any tears fall.
Instead the demon hunter closed his eyes, shut down his heart, and wished for a drink.
-8-
Kira stared at both eldritch.
Glared was more like it.
Glared daggers—sharp, piercing, soul-stabbing daggers.
There was deafening silence in Na'ethal's usually peaceful office for a moment after the news had been imparted. The faint sounds of the declining storm passed by outside. The multitude of windows allowed a view of the surrounding landscape of tall trees and foliage.
“What?” Kira said sharply, with a hint of hysteria.
The two eldritch exchanged glances. Now and then there was nothing in life—even in the everlasting life of an immortal—more threatening than an angry and scared female, especially a twenty-three year old who didn't remember her past and was now staring down a possibly everlasting future. Ryan was thinking he ought to be safe since his body was made of rubber and granite; while Na'ethal blessed the wide, heavy wooden desk between himself and the recipient of the news.
“Now, Kira...” Na'ethal began.
Kira's eyes widened and her nose actually flared. “Don't you “now” me!” she finally shouted. “What the hell kind of cruel joke are you two playing? You're both insane! How can it be possible? How?”
Kira stalked around the office from the wall to a window and back to the center, her movements guarded and fierce. Her breath came in shallow puffs of agitated air. She definitely did not need this devastating news dumped in her life right now, not with all the other emotions vying for attention in her heart and mind. Kira couldn't handle this.
“Kira,” Ryan said in a low voice, an attempt to be calming. “This is no joke. This is serious. You are part immortal...what gente we don't know yet.”
“You're wrong,” she insisted stubbornly.
To her ears Ryan sounded patronizing, as if she ought to simply accept this unbearable change in her life and move on.
She held up a hand, palm outward, as if to ward the two eldritch off and make them stop talking. “You have to be wrong.”
Na'ethal attempted this time. “Kira, honey, we aren't wrong,” he said gently. “The markers in your blood definitely match the blood of other everlasting, as I explained. And both Eolande and Bella could sense something in you. Faerie can see auras, and angels can smell the everlasting scent. They're not wrong about this.”
Na'ethal left out the part about Kira's scent being so ancient that it even stunned Bella. And Bella hadn't said half-immortal, but Na'ethal's tests had shown evidence of human genes in the young woman.
Kira's mind flashed back to the strange conversation with the green forest spirit that night with the Eldritch council. “Do you know? Do you know what you are? It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen...so much silver, white, and light." No, no, she didn't know. Kira scowled. She didn't want to know, either.
“It would explain the rapid healing you have experienced—twice now,” the elf doctor reminded her.
“As well as your strength when learning Fist of Stone fighting and resisting the torture of the wer, and your superior health and excellent hearing,” Ryan added matter-of-factly.
Her voice dripping with sarcasm, Kira added, “And my ability to see into the Reverie.”
“Exactly,” Ryan agreed seriously.
Kira glared once more, then collapsed dramatically into a cushioned chair. “When will you know what I am?” she asked warily, head thrown back to stare morosely at the ceiling.
“I don't know, Kira,” Na'ethal answered. “But I'll keep working on it, and we'll find out. I promise.”
“Super,” she said with an attitude. “Great.”
Kira shot up from the chair and paced the room again like a caged animal intent on hurting someone for locking it in. She moved slow, though...deliberate and methodical. She was beyond angry. She didn't want to be one of 'them'.
“And when you find out,” she continued, “you can then get it out of me.”
Ryan stared neutrally, but his eyes narrowed slightly. It was interesting to watch Kira display her emotions. He wanted to ask her to explain how she was feeling, but had enough sense to know a human wouldn't appreciate that, especially not Kira and not right now.
Na'ethal sighed.
“Being immortal...even part immortal isn't something you get rid of,” Ryan explained patiently. “Well, short of permanent death, which is different for all the eldritch.”
Kira swore, using words that neither immortal knew she was aware of. Then Kira lashed out at the closest thing to her. She kicked the wall.
Her foot broke through the plaster and narrowly missed the wooden frame of the wall. A gaping hole remained in the pale green paint and floating dust settled on the carpet. Kira froze in place and stared. She was too embarrassed to say anything, but she flicked her eyes to her doctor.
“I believe it's time we departed,” Ryan said to Na'ethal. “I'll take care of the wall.”
Glared was more like it.
Glared daggers—sharp, piercing, soul-stabbing daggers.
There was deafening silence in Na'ethal's usually peaceful office for a moment after the news had been imparted. The faint sounds of the declining storm passed by outside. The multitude of windows allowed a view of the surrounding landscape of tall trees and foliage.
“What?” Kira said sharply, with a hint of hysteria.
The two eldritch exchanged glances. Now and then there was nothing in life—even in the everlasting life of an immortal—more threatening than an angry and scared female, especially a twenty-three year old who didn't remember her past and was now staring down a possibly everlasting future. Ryan was thinking he ought to be safe since his body was made of rubber and granite; while Na'ethal blessed the wide, heavy wooden desk between himself and the recipient of the news.
“Now, Kira...” Na'ethal began.
Kira's eyes widened and her nose actually flared. “Don't you “now” me!” she finally shouted. “What the hell kind of cruel joke are you two playing? You're both insane! How can it be possible? How?”
Kira stalked around the office from the wall to a window and back to the center, her movements guarded and fierce. Her breath came in shallow puffs of agitated air. She definitely did not need this devastating news dumped in her life right now, not with all the other emotions vying for attention in her heart and mind. Kira couldn't handle this.
“Kira,” Ryan said in a low voice, an attempt to be calming. “This is no joke. This is serious. You are part immortal...what gente we don't know yet.”
“You're wrong,” she insisted stubbornly.
To her ears Ryan sounded patronizing, as if she ought to simply accept this unbearable change in her life and move on.
She held up a hand, palm outward, as if to ward the two eldritch off and make them stop talking. “You have to be wrong.”
Na'ethal attempted this time. “Kira, honey, we aren't wrong,” he said gently. “The markers in your blood definitely match the blood of other everlasting, as I explained. And both Eolande and Bella could sense something in you. Faerie can see auras, and angels can smell the everlasting scent. They're not wrong about this.”
Na'ethal left out the part about Kira's scent being so ancient that it even stunned Bella. And Bella hadn't said half-immortal, but Na'ethal's tests had shown evidence of human genes in the young woman.
Kira's mind flashed back to the strange conversation with the green forest spirit that night with the Eldritch council. “Do you know? Do you know what you are? It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen...so much silver, white, and light." No, no, she didn't know. Kira scowled. She didn't want to know, either.
“It would explain the rapid healing you have experienced—twice now,” the elf doctor reminded her.
“As well as your strength when learning Fist of Stone fighting and resisting the torture of the wer, and your superior health and excellent hearing,” Ryan added matter-of-factly.
Her voice dripping with sarcasm, Kira added, “And my ability to see into the Reverie.”
“Exactly,” Ryan agreed seriously.
Kira glared once more, then collapsed dramatically into a cushioned chair. “When will you know what I am?” she asked warily, head thrown back to stare morosely at the ceiling.
“I don't know, Kira,” Na'ethal answered. “But I'll keep working on it, and we'll find out. I promise.”
“Super,” she said with an attitude. “Great.”
Kira shot up from the chair and paced the room again like a caged animal intent on hurting someone for locking it in. She moved slow, though...deliberate and methodical. She was beyond angry. She didn't want to be one of 'them'.
“And when you find out,” she continued, “you can then get it out of me.”
Ryan stared neutrally, but his eyes narrowed slightly. It was interesting to watch Kira display her emotions. He wanted to ask her to explain how she was feeling, but had enough sense to know a human wouldn't appreciate that, especially not Kira and not right now.
Na'ethal sighed.
“Being immortal...even part immortal isn't something you get rid of,” Ryan explained patiently. “Well, short of permanent death, which is different for all the eldritch.”
Kira swore, using words that neither immortal knew she was aware of. Then Kira lashed out at the closest thing to her. She kicked the wall.
Her foot broke through the plaster and narrowly missed the wooden frame of the wall. A gaping hole remained in the pale green paint and floating dust settled on the carpet. Kira froze in place and stared. She was too embarrassed to say anything, but she flicked her eyes to her doctor.
“I believe it's time we departed,” Ryan said to Na'ethal. “I'll take care of the wall.”
-9-
The drive back to Landry Pointe, to the mansion on the outskirts of town at the edge of the bayou, had been silent except for the swish of the windshield wipers of Ryan's black Chevy Impala. Kira had turned away from him, staring out at the drizzling rain. Her arms were wrapped around her knees, her feet resting on the seat. Not even the opening of the clouds to slowly reveal the afternoon sky had pierced her heavy thoughts.
Kira didn't say a word—and Ryan made no attempt to draw the young woman out—even as they had driven into the detached garage, then made their way across the soggy grass to the back, kitchen door.
The room that Kira been allowed to decorate and stock—as she was the only one who actually ate food—welcomed her as she followed behind Ryan. The windows and door let in plenty of light; the solid, polished wood cabinets gleamed; the stove that would seem to burn wood was in actuality a regular gas stove; and the hardwood floors and off white walls were all comforting and warming. Kira experienced a sudden relief at being “home” after so long away. This forgotten feeling hit her hard and only piled yet another emotion onto her already towering stack.
She yanked open the refrigerator and stared inside.
Ryan eased out a chair from under the table and sat down to wait. Patience was a very strong point for the immortal gargoyle and cop, centuries spend watching and waiting for sinners and evildoers—both for feeding and for capture—had taught Ryan the skill of waiting.
Kira slammed the refrigerator door, holding a bottle of water. She realized she was starving, too.
“You need to accept this part of yourself, Kira, and deal with it accordingly. There's no changing what you are, and you aren't realizing the advantages,” Ryan announced.
One leg was crossed over the opposite knee as he relaxed against the table, one arm resting on the back of the chair.
Kira stopped mid-swallow, nearly choking at Ryan's casual tone of her devastating situation. His voice after such a prolonged silence between them had also startled her.
“Oh, thanks for the compassion and understanding of this traumatic news!” she shouted.
The police detective merely stared. “You know I can feel neither. I am simply attempting to help you be realistic.”
Kira shrieked and fled the kitchen. The water bottle barely made it to the counter without tipping over. She pounded up the back stairs to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Throwing herself on the bed, Kira was unable to stop the flood of tears that poured from her. The pressure had finally reached her limit for her to hold it in any longer. She knew she was acting like a hysterical basket case but nothing else would help now except to let the tears flow.
How the hell could she tell Cade she was part immortal? It would surely drive him away.
Downstairs as he wandered from the kitchen to the living room, Ryan removed his cell phone from his pants pocket and flipped it open.
Kira didn't say a word—and Ryan made no attempt to draw the young woman out—even as they had driven into the detached garage, then made their way across the soggy grass to the back, kitchen door.
The room that Kira been allowed to decorate and stock—as she was the only one who actually ate food—welcomed her as she followed behind Ryan. The windows and door let in plenty of light; the solid, polished wood cabinets gleamed; the stove that would seem to burn wood was in actuality a regular gas stove; and the hardwood floors and off white walls were all comforting and warming. Kira experienced a sudden relief at being “home” after so long away. This forgotten feeling hit her hard and only piled yet another emotion onto her already towering stack.
She yanked open the refrigerator and stared inside.
Ryan eased out a chair from under the table and sat down to wait. Patience was a very strong point for the immortal gargoyle and cop, centuries spend watching and waiting for sinners and evildoers—both for feeding and for capture—had taught Ryan the skill of waiting.
Kira slammed the refrigerator door, holding a bottle of water. She realized she was starving, too.
“You need to accept this part of yourself, Kira, and deal with it accordingly. There's no changing what you are, and you aren't realizing the advantages,” Ryan announced.
One leg was crossed over the opposite knee as he relaxed against the table, one arm resting on the back of the chair.
Kira stopped mid-swallow, nearly choking at Ryan's casual tone of her devastating situation. His voice after such a prolonged silence between them had also startled her.
“Oh, thanks for the compassion and understanding of this traumatic news!” she shouted.
The police detective merely stared. “You know I can feel neither. I am simply attempting to help you be realistic.”
Kira shrieked and fled the kitchen. The water bottle barely made it to the counter without tipping over. She pounded up the back stairs to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Throwing herself on the bed, Kira was unable to stop the flood of tears that poured from her. The pressure had finally reached her limit for her to hold it in any longer. She knew she was acting like a hysterical basket case but nothing else would help now except to let the tears flow.
How the hell could she tell Cade she was part immortal? It would surely drive him away.
Downstairs as he wandered from the kitchen to the living room, Ryan removed his cell phone from his pants pocket and flipped it open.
-10-.
“Na'ethal wants to know if you would like to visit the Elven nations across the river tomorrow.”
Ryan's words played themselves across Kira's mind again as she silently watched the country highway that seemed to disappear into the huge wooded area far ahead of them. Na'ethal's convertible let in the already hot, morning sun as the wind barely blew the tendrils of unsecured hair around Kira's face. The rest she'd hastily pulled back into a ponytail after they'd crossed one of the bridges that connected New Bellwich with its southern townships on the other side of the huge river. The speed limit increase had also intensified the wind blowing around the convertible. But the breeze barely made its way into the car, which Kira thought highly unusual.
Over Ryan's cell phone yesterday, Na'ethal had somehow convinced Kira to accompany him to visit his home in the elven nations. She didn't even remember much of what he'd said yesterday, but at the time she'd already cried herself dry of tears and felt drained. Despite her traumatic situation, a small part of her was sparked with interest at seeing the elven homelands that she'd only heard about up until now. She had figured there were worse ways to spend a Friday.
Kira had agreed reluctantly, however, not quite ready to be drawn out of her misery. How and what to tell Cade still weighed heavily on the young woman's mind, leaving a sinking feeling inside of her.
Kira now glanced over at the elf next to her in the driver's seat. His long hair was drawn neatly back into a platinum braid, his pointed ears sticking out. With a neutral expression on his face, Kira couldn't discern what Na'ethal was thinking about this visit home. She rarely heard him speak of the elven nation from which he came. Dressed in dark jeans, a crisply pressed, short-sleeved white shirt with the top button undone, and loafers with short socks, her elven doctor still amazed her with his exotic beauty.
Kira looked down at her own attire—jeans, a thick strapped tank top, and light-weight tennis shoes—and hoped she was dressed appropriately enough to meet the elves. “How much further do we have until we're there?” she asked, not even having to yell since there was very little noise coming into the car.
Na'ethal glanced over at the previously silent young woman next to him. He'd not pushed her to talk on the drive, knowing she'd say something when she was ready. Today was not about forcing anything else on the half-immortal girl; it was about showing her immortality could be accepted. He had thought that if Kira could see more eldritch, such as the elves—the strange, beautiful, fierce, and magickal beings that Na'ethal called his kin—, she might be more accepting of her own new-found connection to the Secret World.
Especially one elf in particular.
“We have about three more miles of this road before we reach the wilderness,” he replied.
They'd already crossed the Expressway Bridge over the Mississippi and driven through the more suburban parishes leading to the wilderness area.
“Then we're there? That's it?” Kira asked, curiosity getting the upper hand of her emotions. “The elves live that close to other people?”
“Well, no...that's when we reach the outer section of the wilderness. It's roughly shaped like an oval...more or less...,” Na'ethal explained. “The elves, we, left a five mile area all around that's “safe” for humans to visit and use. Despite being a protected wilderness, people would be suspicious if the whole area was off limits. The actual elven nation, at least the part in the Real World, continues on for ten miles north to south and twenty miles east to west.”
Kira frowned, forgetting the scenery flowing past the open car. “How do you keep people out of the elven part? Surely they would drive in further than five miles.”
Na'ethal nodded. “They would...except the roads entering the park stop right at the outside. To get any further people have to walk. There are trails to enjoy, but even they only go so far in. Anyone that manages to hike further is...discouraged from continuing,” he said vaguely.
“Go on,” Kira insisted, motioning with one hand. This was getting interesting.
“Well, the trees are thicker and more overgrown, the bayous and swamps more dangerous, and there's physical and magickal security surrounding the inner area.”
“Seriously?!” Kira exclaimed. “Magickal security? Like what?”
“Oh...protection spells, mostly," Na'ethal explained. "If anyone manages to get through the trees and past the swamps, they become disoriented, confused, even scared of what's in there. They never find their way to the elven strongholds and are usually forced out, then are left with no firm memories except a feeling of “danger”. The guards, also, keep an eye on the perimeter. Most humans don't even “see” the inner areas, and they believe it's unapproachable, even dangerous, with no way in.”
Kira was silent for a moment. To hide an area so huge from the people who lived around it...and who surely saw the area on maps...must take an enormous amount of energy. She shook her head. So deep in thought she was that Kira only subconsciously noticed the shadows as the car passed into the outlying trees. Na'ethal sped up, taking the winding road at a fast speed into the wilderness.
“That's amazing,” Kira finally said. “But how long have you...have the elves lived here. I mean how long has it been hidden from people?”
Na'ethal thought for a moment. “This particular area? Thousands of years,” he guessed.
Kira gasped but was silent.
“As this country was settled, the elves had to make certain their land was protected. You'd be amazed at how many heavily forested and inaccessible areas all over the world are home to the elven nations. Not only that but the US Director of National Parks is an elf,” Na'ethal added with a wink.
“What?!” Kira exclaimed, turning abruptly in her seat. “Are you serious?”
“Of course,” the elf said. “Most of them have been. That's how my kin have made certain our homelands are protected.”
Kira was torn between amusement at the fact that an elf held a position of importance in the country's government and amazement that an elf held a position of importance in the country's government.
“Elves aren't the only eldritch that have held, or currently hold, a political office,” Na'ethal interjected into her thoughts, giving her even more to wonder over. “Keep in mind that both Ryan and Thomas are detectives. That's a government job.”
Then he pointed to an approaching side road. “Look, remember this road,” he insisted as he maneuvered the convertible to make the left hand turn.
Ryan's words played themselves across Kira's mind again as she silently watched the country highway that seemed to disappear into the huge wooded area far ahead of them. Na'ethal's convertible let in the already hot, morning sun as the wind barely blew the tendrils of unsecured hair around Kira's face. The rest she'd hastily pulled back into a ponytail after they'd crossed one of the bridges that connected New Bellwich with its southern townships on the other side of the huge river. The speed limit increase had also intensified the wind blowing around the convertible. But the breeze barely made its way into the car, which Kira thought highly unusual.
Over Ryan's cell phone yesterday, Na'ethal had somehow convinced Kira to accompany him to visit his home in the elven nations. She didn't even remember much of what he'd said yesterday, but at the time she'd already cried herself dry of tears and felt drained. Despite her traumatic situation, a small part of her was sparked with interest at seeing the elven homelands that she'd only heard about up until now. She had figured there were worse ways to spend a Friday.
Kira had agreed reluctantly, however, not quite ready to be drawn out of her misery. How and what to tell Cade still weighed heavily on the young woman's mind, leaving a sinking feeling inside of her.
Kira now glanced over at the elf next to her in the driver's seat. His long hair was drawn neatly back into a platinum braid, his pointed ears sticking out. With a neutral expression on his face, Kira couldn't discern what Na'ethal was thinking about this visit home. She rarely heard him speak of the elven nation from which he came. Dressed in dark jeans, a crisply pressed, short-sleeved white shirt with the top button undone, and loafers with short socks, her elven doctor still amazed her with his exotic beauty.
Kira looked down at her own attire—jeans, a thick strapped tank top, and light-weight tennis shoes—and hoped she was dressed appropriately enough to meet the elves. “How much further do we have until we're there?” she asked, not even having to yell since there was very little noise coming into the car.
Na'ethal glanced over at the previously silent young woman next to him. He'd not pushed her to talk on the drive, knowing she'd say something when she was ready. Today was not about forcing anything else on the half-immortal girl; it was about showing her immortality could be accepted. He had thought that if Kira could see more eldritch, such as the elves—the strange, beautiful, fierce, and magickal beings that Na'ethal called his kin—, she might be more accepting of her own new-found connection to the Secret World.
Especially one elf in particular.
“We have about three more miles of this road before we reach the wilderness,” he replied.
They'd already crossed the Expressway Bridge over the Mississippi and driven through the more suburban parishes leading to the wilderness area.
“Then we're there? That's it?” Kira asked, curiosity getting the upper hand of her emotions. “The elves live that close to other people?”
“Well, no...that's when we reach the outer section of the wilderness. It's roughly shaped like an oval...more or less...,” Na'ethal explained. “The elves, we, left a five mile area all around that's “safe” for humans to visit and use. Despite being a protected wilderness, people would be suspicious if the whole area was off limits. The actual elven nation, at least the part in the Real World, continues on for ten miles north to south and twenty miles east to west.”
Kira frowned, forgetting the scenery flowing past the open car. “How do you keep people out of the elven part? Surely they would drive in further than five miles.”
Na'ethal nodded. “They would...except the roads entering the park stop right at the outside. To get any further people have to walk. There are trails to enjoy, but even they only go so far in. Anyone that manages to hike further is...discouraged from continuing,” he said vaguely.
“Go on,” Kira insisted, motioning with one hand. This was getting interesting.
“Well, the trees are thicker and more overgrown, the bayous and swamps more dangerous, and there's physical and magickal security surrounding the inner area.”
“Seriously?!” Kira exclaimed. “Magickal security? Like what?”
“Oh...protection spells, mostly," Na'ethal explained. "If anyone manages to get through the trees and past the swamps, they become disoriented, confused, even scared of what's in there. They never find their way to the elven strongholds and are usually forced out, then are left with no firm memories except a feeling of “danger”. The guards, also, keep an eye on the perimeter. Most humans don't even “see” the inner areas, and they believe it's unapproachable, even dangerous, with no way in.”
Kira was silent for a moment. To hide an area so huge from the people who lived around it...and who surely saw the area on maps...must take an enormous amount of energy. She shook her head. So deep in thought she was that Kira only subconsciously noticed the shadows as the car passed into the outlying trees. Na'ethal sped up, taking the winding road at a fast speed into the wilderness.
“That's amazing,” Kira finally said. “But how long have you...have the elves lived here. I mean how long has it been hidden from people?”
Na'ethal thought for a moment. “This particular area? Thousands of years,” he guessed.
Kira gasped but was silent.
“As this country was settled, the elves had to make certain their land was protected. You'd be amazed at how many heavily forested and inaccessible areas all over the world are home to the elven nations. Not only that but the US Director of National Parks is an elf,” Na'ethal added with a wink.
“What?!” Kira exclaimed, turning abruptly in her seat. “Are you serious?”
“Of course,” the elf said. “Most of them have been. That's how my kin have made certain our homelands are protected.”
Kira was torn between amusement at the fact that an elf held a position of importance in the country's government and amazement that an elf held a position of importance in the country's government.
“Elves aren't the only eldritch that have held, or currently hold, a political office,” Na'ethal interjected into her thoughts, giving her even more to wonder over. “Keep in mind that both Ryan and Thomas are detectives. That's a government job.”
Then he pointed to an approaching side road. “Look, remember this road,” he insisted as he maneuvered the convertible to make the left hand turn.
-11-.
Kira's attention was grabbed by the sudden change in the surroundings as the convertible wound it way along the side road. The trees seemed to grow thicker and heavier above them, the air felt uninviting and closed in, and the road itself quickly became cracked and worn out until it finally turned into nothing more than a jolting dirt path. The signs that announced “DEAD END” and “PRIVATE ROAD” made Kira peer ahead into the dimness of the tree-covered road.
“Um, there's a metal gate up ahead,” she announced, pointing. “It's got chains across it as well. Are we actually going in there?”
To the side of the road were deep gullies filled with briar and a tangle of bushes that would make passing on either side of the gate nearly impossible without injury. Further away from the dirt road was a thick line of trees.
“We are definitely going in there,” Na'ethal answered with a nod. But the elf stopped the car at the gate and waited patiently. Kira glanced around wondering what he was waiting for, surely he had a key or something.
“Wha..?” she began but was stopped by a slender, long-fingered hand in the air. She saw a spark of amusement in the elves deep blue eyes.
Suddenly the gate began to swing open until there was enough room for the car to pass. The chains seemed to split in two sections without even being unlocked. Na'ethal gunned the engine and shot through, bouncing them along through more trees and past swamps loud with the sounds of frogs and insects. A splashing on Kira's side caught her attention, and she was in time to see the large tail of an olive colored alligator begin disappear in to the murky water. Kira shuddered at the sight. The tail had to have been at least ten feet long, which usually accounted for half an alligator's length.
“Holy crap, did you see...?,” she began again.
“Oh, you might see things more horrible than that,” Na'ethal promised, his normally melodic voice now low and threatening. But his eyes danced with a hidden smile.
Kira's brown eyes opened wide and she moved slightly away from the passenger door, staring at the bayou around them warily. Perhaps this hadn't been such a good way to spend a Friday after all...who knew that beautiful creatures like the elves would live in such a frightening place.
Suddenly the young woman shrieked and braced her hands against the dash. She hadn't noticed the speed at which her doctor was driving until she saw the road end up ahead. There was a broken bridge hanging out over and dangling into a dark, nasty looking swamp. Several splashes in the water were evidence of more alligators lying in wait for the unsuspecting who ventured too far into the elves' territory.
Na'ethal was heading straight for the destroyed bridge!
Kira screamed this time.
“Stop! Are you crazy?” she yelled.
The elf turned his head, taking his eyes off the road...or lack of road...and winked at Kira.
“Trust me,” he said calmly.
The car reached the broken down bridge, lunged upward slightly, and shot forward....
“Um, there's a metal gate up ahead,” she announced, pointing. “It's got chains across it as well. Are we actually going in there?”
To the side of the road were deep gullies filled with briar and a tangle of bushes that would make passing on either side of the gate nearly impossible without injury. Further away from the dirt road was a thick line of trees.
“We are definitely going in there,” Na'ethal answered with a nod. But the elf stopped the car at the gate and waited patiently. Kira glanced around wondering what he was waiting for, surely he had a key or something.
“Wha..?” she began but was stopped by a slender, long-fingered hand in the air. She saw a spark of amusement in the elves deep blue eyes.
Suddenly the gate began to swing open until there was enough room for the car to pass. The chains seemed to split in two sections without even being unlocked. Na'ethal gunned the engine and shot through, bouncing them along through more trees and past swamps loud with the sounds of frogs and insects. A splashing on Kira's side caught her attention, and she was in time to see the large tail of an olive colored alligator begin disappear in to the murky water. Kira shuddered at the sight. The tail had to have been at least ten feet long, which usually accounted for half an alligator's length.
“Holy crap, did you see...?,” she began again.
“Oh, you might see things more horrible than that,” Na'ethal promised, his normally melodic voice now low and threatening. But his eyes danced with a hidden smile.
Kira's brown eyes opened wide and she moved slightly away from the passenger door, staring at the bayou around them warily. Perhaps this hadn't been such a good way to spend a Friday after all...who knew that beautiful creatures like the elves would live in such a frightening place.
Suddenly the young woman shrieked and braced her hands against the dash. She hadn't noticed the speed at which her doctor was driving until she saw the road end up ahead. There was a broken bridge hanging out over and dangling into a dark, nasty looking swamp. Several splashes in the water were evidence of more alligators lying in wait for the unsuspecting who ventured too far into the elves' territory.
Na'ethal was heading straight for the destroyed bridge!
Kira screamed this time.
“Stop! Are you crazy?” she yelled.
The elf turned his head, taking his eyes off the road...or lack of road...and winked at Kira.
“Trust me,” he said calmly.
The car reached the broken down bridge, lunged upward slightly, and shot forward....
-12-.
“Oh crap!” Kira gasped for air, peeling her fingers from the car's dash. Her eyes were barely opened to slits. “Why didn't you tell me?” she demanded. Then with a scathing look she hissed, “You bastard. You scared me to death back there!”
Na'ethal laughed. “It was easier and quicker to show you,” he said, trying for innocence but failing miserably.
“I'll never forgive you for that,” Kira replied halfheartedly as most of her attention was on her surroundings.
Kneeling up in the car's front seat the young woman peered around her. The car was stopped at the end of a slightly arched bridge, one that was made of a highly polished, dark wood. There was a clear river running under the bridge. Huge, brightly colored fish swam with the current. A stunning forest of trees grew all around them. The sun shone through the tops, creating dapples of sunlight and shadow on the forest floor. Bits of blue sky peeked through the canopy. The smell was almost intoxicating, fresh and fragrant at the same time. Kira inhaled deeply several times.
“Turn around, Kira...look behind you,” Na'ethal whispered.
When she did her mouth fell open. Behind the car at the other end of the bridge, Kira could “see through” to the murky swamp and dark forest they had traveled through only moments before. It was wavy, though, as if she were looking through a huge sheet of plastic wrap.
“Welcome to the Secret World,” Na'ethal said quietly. “Where we are now doesn't exist on the other side, at least not visually to those who can't see into the Reverie. Next time, you'll be able to see the full bridge and the entrance,” he promised.
He shifted the idling car into drive and started along the smoothly paved road made of finely ground stones, shells, and common gems. The mixture was tightly packed and hardened, colored white, pink, and gray with a slight sparkle. From the bridge, the road diverged into two directions, one heading east and one heading west. Na'ethal took the western road and again drove at a fast speed.
“This way leads to the nation of my kin, the Lethquesti...the other direction leads to the elven nation of the Valmori. There are other roads that connect the two, but these are the main ones leading into and out of the Real World.”
“But there's more nations than those two, right?” Kira asked, remembering her studies of the immortal gentes so far.
“Correct,” Na'ethal nodded. “There's seven in all with lands all over the world.”
Lush green trees flew by, alternating with open meadows of wildflowers and other plants. Everything was brighter, greener, and more beautiful than Kira had ever seen. When, in the distance, the river could be seen there was usually a waterfall of some sort crashing down from a tall cliff. The miles passed quickly as Kira became entranced by the pristine scenery.
“This part of the elven nations exists in the Reverie but co-exists with the Real World as well. Remember I told you that the forest was about ten miles by twenty miles?”
“Yeah, I remember,” Kira said cautiously. This could only get more bizarre, as did all things involved with the supernatural world of the eldritch, she had discovered. Still she steeled herself to go with the supernatural flow.
“Well, the elven nations...the two that exist here...continue on in the Secret World for hundreds of miles in all directions past where it co-exists with the Real World. When we want to leave, we'll have to return to the bridge, if we wish to return to New Bellwich.”
“But...but I thought the Reverie existed next to the Real World,” Kira said in confusion. “Like one on top or mirroring the other?”
Na'ethal nodded. “This center part does, but the rest...,” he shrugged. “I don't know if I can explain it so you'll understand...at least not in terms of the physics. But there's more to the Reverie. There are parts that exist that have no counterpart in the Real World. Yet they do exist almost as another world, another plane of existence, you could say. Everything is still physically real.”
Kira shook her head slightly. She understood Na'ethal's words but couldn't visualize how what he was saying could be real.
“Don't worry about it, my dear,” he said soothingly. “Don't try to understand all of it now. The elven nations exist whether you believe or not. And once you see the rest of our lands for yourself, you'll believe.”
It was then the car came out from the line of trees that had blocked most of the sky and land around them for the last mile or so. Kira's mouth fell open in disbelief...no matter what her eyes told her, her mind fought against believing.
Except she knew it was all real. The half-immortal girl could feel it deep inside herself. Her mind warred between acceptance and denial of what lay in front of her...just as she warred between her acceptance and denial of being immortal.
Na'ethal laughed. “It was easier and quicker to show you,” he said, trying for innocence but failing miserably.
“I'll never forgive you for that,” Kira replied halfheartedly as most of her attention was on her surroundings.
Kneeling up in the car's front seat the young woman peered around her. The car was stopped at the end of a slightly arched bridge, one that was made of a highly polished, dark wood. There was a clear river running under the bridge. Huge, brightly colored fish swam with the current. A stunning forest of trees grew all around them. The sun shone through the tops, creating dapples of sunlight and shadow on the forest floor. Bits of blue sky peeked through the canopy. The smell was almost intoxicating, fresh and fragrant at the same time. Kira inhaled deeply several times.
“Turn around, Kira...look behind you,” Na'ethal whispered.
When she did her mouth fell open. Behind the car at the other end of the bridge, Kira could “see through” to the murky swamp and dark forest they had traveled through only moments before. It was wavy, though, as if she were looking through a huge sheet of plastic wrap.
“Welcome to the Secret World,” Na'ethal said quietly. “Where we are now doesn't exist on the other side, at least not visually to those who can't see into the Reverie. Next time, you'll be able to see the full bridge and the entrance,” he promised.
He shifted the idling car into drive and started along the smoothly paved road made of finely ground stones, shells, and common gems. The mixture was tightly packed and hardened, colored white, pink, and gray with a slight sparkle. From the bridge, the road diverged into two directions, one heading east and one heading west. Na'ethal took the western road and again drove at a fast speed.
“This way leads to the nation of my kin, the Lethquesti...the other direction leads to the elven nation of the Valmori. There are other roads that connect the two, but these are the main ones leading into and out of the Real World.”
“But there's more nations than those two, right?” Kira asked, remembering her studies of the immortal gentes so far.
“Correct,” Na'ethal nodded. “There's seven in all with lands all over the world.”
Lush green trees flew by, alternating with open meadows of wildflowers and other plants. Everything was brighter, greener, and more beautiful than Kira had ever seen. When, in the distance, the river could be seen there was usually a waterfall of some sort crashing down from a tall cliff. The miles passed quickly as Kira became entranced by the pristine scenery.
“This part of the elven nations exists in the Reverie but co-exists with the Real World as well. Remember I told you that the forest was about ten miles by twenty miles?”
“Yeah, I remember,” Kira said cautiously. This could only get more bizarre, as did all things involved with the supernatural world of the eldritch, she had discovered. Still she steeled herself to go with the supernatural flow.
“Well, the elven nations...the two that exist here...continue on in the Secret World for hundreds of miles in all directions past where it co-exists with the Real World. When we want to leave, we'll have to return to the bridge, if we wish to return to New Bellwich.”
“But...but I thought the Reverie existed next to the Real World,” Kira said in confusion. “Like one on top or mirroring the other?”
Na'ethal nodded. “This center part does, but the rest...,” he shrugged. “I don't know if I can explain it so you'll understand...at least not in terms of the physics. But there's more to the Reverie. There are parts that exist that have no counterpart in the Real World. Yet they do exist almost as another world, another plane of existence, you could say. Everything is still physically real.”
Kira shook her head slightly. She understood Na'ethal's words but couldn't visualize how what he was saying could be real.
“Don't worry about it, my dear,” he said soothingly. “Don't try to understand all of it now. The elven nations exist whether you believe or not. And once you see the rest of our lands for yourself, you'll believe.”
It was then the car came out from the line of trees that had blocked most of the sky and land around them for the last mile or so. Kira's mouth fell open in disbelief...no matter what her eyes told her, her mind fought against believing.
Except she knew it was all real. The half-immortal girl could feel it deep inside herself. Her mind warred between acceptance and denial of what lay in front of her...just as she warred between her acceptance and denial of being immortal.
-13-.
At the end of a still, pristine river lined with trees, there rose a huge white, stone castle. Shrouded in mist that glowed in the sunlight, Kira believed it was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen.
“Oh! Are we going there? What is it? It's gorgeous!” she breathed.
Na'ethal smiled, pleased at Kira's reaction. But he shook his head regretfully. “No. At least not yet. That's the palace of the King and Queen of the Lethquesti,” he explained.
Kira turned to stare in disbelief, although she knew better than to doubt anything anymore. “Um, did you say 'King' and 'Queen'? You all really have...royalty?”
The platinum-haired elf raised an eyebrow. “We refer to them as nobility. But, yes, each nation has its own King and Queen. There's also a council...the democratic part of our government. Didn't you read about this in your studies?” Na'ethal asked with slight annoyance at his sometime pupil.
Kira shook her head. “Mostly you've been teaching me about elven supernatural powers...I mean, preternaturae...and magickal wyrds, remember?” she defended herself. “We haven't had time for much else. The others are also trying to cram stuff into my brain, you know. So I can be this Death Knell warrior for you all.”
“Ah,” Na'ethal sighed. “Then I was remiss in my teachings of the more civilized aspects regarding elves,” he replied, ignoring the rest of Kira's comment. He didn't necessarily agree with the idea of training her to fight with the immortals.
“In any case, we're going to visit a hamlet first, like a town, to see a friend. Then I'll take you to my family's stronghold,” he added.
Kira asked, “Is that like your home?”
“More like an estate, but yes,” Na'ethal nodded, “the family home.”
Kira nodded. “Cool,” she replied, becoming more drawn into seeing the elven nation.
Something that she'd never have been able to witness had she not been part-immortal, Kira realized. She sighed. Both for the realization and with some regret that Cade wasn't here to see this with her. It would blow him away, as she knew he'd never seen anything like this in his life, nor even imagined it existed.
“Oh! Are we going there? What is it? It's gorgeous!” she breathed.
Na'ethal smiled, pleased at Kira's reaction. But he shook his head regretfully. “No. At least not yet. That's the palace of the King and Queen of the Lethquesti,” he explained.
Kira turned to stare in disbelief, although she knew better than to doubt anything anymore. “Um, did you say 'King' and 'Queen'? You all really have...royalty?”
The platinum-haired elf raised an eyebrow. “We refer to them as nobility. But, yes, each nation has its own King and Queen. There's also a council...the democratic part of our government. Didn't you read about this in your studies?” Na'ethal asked with slight annoyance at his sometime pupil.
Kira shook her head. “Mostly you've been teaching me about elven supernatural powers...I mean, preternaturae...and magickal wyrds, remember?” she defended herself. “We haven't had time for much else. The others are also trying to cram stuff into my brain, you know. So I can be this Death Knell warrior for you all.”
“Ah,” Na'ethal sighed. “Then I was remiss in my teachings of the more civilized aspects regarding elves,” he replied, ignoring the rest of Kira's comment. He didn't necessarily agree with the idea of training her to fight with the immortals.
“In any case, we're going to visit a hamlet first, like a town, to see a friend. Then I'll take you to my family's stronghold,” he added.
Kira asked, “Is that like your home?”
“More like an estate, but yes,” Na'ethal nodded, “the family home.”
Kira nodded. “Cool,” she replied, becoming more drawn into seeing the elven nation.
Something that she'd never have been able to witness had she not been part-immortal, Kira realized. She sighed. Both for the realization and with some regret that Cade wasn't here to see this with her. It would blow him away, as she knew he'd never seen anything like this in his life, nor even imagined it existed.
-14-.
Suddenly noise and shouting floated across the air. Without warning several large creatures flew low out of the trees and across the road.
“Kessuk amadas! Damn fools!” Na'ethal swore twice as he slammed on the brakes. Elves usually weren't quite so emotionally flustered, but when he nearly crashed into something that large, he let down his guard slightly.
Kira knelt on the seat again staring open mouthed, hanging out over the car door. “Holy crap! Are you serious? Winged roosters with long-ass tails? Seriously?”
Na'ethal peered out the front windshield of the convertible at the horse-sized creatures. “They're cockatrices,” he said more calmly. “They're a legendary beast that we give protection to.”
Kira watched as three whooping and yelling youths on the biggest, most beautiful, and definitely most bad ass horses she'd ever seen chased the...giant roosters with tails and wings across the road and over the next meadow. She wondered why the creatures didn't just fly higher and escape. But Kira had no time to ask.
“Some of our children practicing their riding,” Na'ethal explained. “But if they're caught chasing those creatures by the wood elf, they'll wish they'd stayed home today.”
“Kessuk amadas! Damn fools!” Na'ethal swore twice as he slammed on the brakes. Elves usually weren't quite so emotionally flustered, but when he nearly crashed into something that large, he let down his guard slightly.
Kira knelt on the seat again staring open mouthed, hanging out over the car door. “Holy crap! Are you serious? Winged roosters with long-ass tails? Seriously?”
Na'ethal peered out the front windshield of the convertible at the horse-sized creatures. “They're cockatrices,” he said more calmly. “They're a legendary beast that we give protection to.”
Kira watched as three whooping and yelling youths on the biggest, most beautiful, and definitely most bad ass horses she'd ever seen chased the...giant roosters with tails and wings across the road and over the next meadow. She wondered why the creatures didn't just fly higher and escape. But Kira had no time to ask.
“Some of our children practicing their riding,” Na'ethal explained. “But if they're caught chasing those creatures by the wood elf, they'll wish they'd stayed home today.”
-15-.
“Ah, and she comes now,” Na'ethal added in amusement. “Allow me to do the talking,” he whispered conspiratorially, fighting a smile. “She can be...shall we say, temperamental.”
Kira hadn't really seen that many elves as of yet; however, she guessed that this one was unusual looking, Beautiful, as they all were but so different as well. Tall and slim, masses of straight, white blonde hair in thick layers, large pointed ears with piercings and chains, small, delicate features and pale creamy skin, full lips, intricate pattered scars the color of her skin all over her face, and red eyes blazing with anger.
And apparently she was a wood elf, whatever that was.
The angry female elf leaped gracefully off her horse...a massive, chocolate-brown creature with matching mane and tail. The mane hung down past to the horse's withers and looked as though it had been braided then released. The tail looked the same but was a huge fan of hair that nearly reached the ground.
Kira followed Na'ethal's signal to get out of the car with him but she remained well back from the horse and angry rider. Kira thought, in appearance anyway, the wood elf looked about her age, even though she knew the elf was probably much older.
“Amin umm n' dur!” she exclaimed staring at Na'ethal with obvious delight, her anger taking a backseat.
“English, amin hin,” Na'ethal requested, gesturing to Kira.
“I do not believe my eyes!” the wood elf repeated, then added, “Na'ethal, you have come to visit.”
She bowed slightly but with a hint of playfulness. Her voice was intoxicating to Kira, musical yet with a hint of defiance.
“Sa'miria,” Na'ethal replied, narrowing his eyes in a slight warning and shaking his head.
Sa'miria huffed, her anger returning. “Did you happen to see three idiotic youths chasing my cockatrices? I told them to leave the creatures be, but they did not heed my warning. When I catch them...,” she trailed off, the implication in her voice apparent.
Someone was going to be in a world of hurt, Kira thought.
“I'm sure they were merely playing,” Na'ethal answered neutrally.
“Ah! Then you did see them!” Sa'miria said accusingly. “You know I do not suffer fools and stupidity, especially where the magickal creatures are concerned,” she needlessly reminded Na'ethal.
The tall, blond doctor sighed. He drew Kira by the hand up next to him, feeling her resist slightly.
“Kira, this is Sa'miria...she is, among other things, a self-appointed guardian of the creatures we have here. Her home lies between the two nations...she is Valmori, they are elves of the green, or keepers of the wild lands.”
He turned to the wood elf. “This is Kira Laurent, she is here with me to visit.”
Kira swallowed as the Valmori wood elf looked her over curiously, but not in an unfriendly manner. “Hi,” she said, hating how stupid that sounded.
“Human? Fantast?” Sa'miria inquired of Na'ethal.
He raised his eyebrows. “Actually, half-immortal,” he informed the other elf.
“Hmm,” Sa'miria replied, sounding neither surprised nor disgusted, merely intrigued. “Seasa nae aelo llie,” she said with a bow, then repeated herself, “Pleasure to meet you.”
Kira smiled hesitantly while Sa'miria stroked her horse's large, velvety nose.
“Are you here to see your family?” Sa'miria asked the other elf.
Na'ethal raised his eyebrows again. “I was hoping to see a friend first,” he replied.
“Oh, who?” the wood elf said curiously.
Na'ethal smiled. “You.”
Sa'miria made a noncommittal noise but a pleased smile threatened her lips. She turned, tossing her wild blonde hair back as she nearly flew onto her horse, so graceful and fluid were her movements.
“You'll have to go by the road. I will see you when you arrive.”
With that she galloped off back into the trees. Kira swore the massive horse even seemed to glide, its gait was so smooth.
Na'ethal turned to Kira with a pleased smile. “That went well,” he assured her. Kira could only trust her elf doctor, as she had no idea what this was all about.
Kira hadn't really seen that many elves as of yet; however, she guessed that this one was unusual looking, Beautiful, as they all were but so different as well. Tall and slim, masses of straight, white blonde hair in thick layers, large pointed ears with piercings and chains, small, delicate features and pale creamy skin, full lips, intricate pattered scars the color of her skin all over her face, and red eyes blazing with anger.
And apparently she was a wood elf, whatever that was.
The angry female elf leaped gracefully off her horse...a massive, chocolate-brown creature with matching mane and tail. The mane hung down past to the horse's withers and looked as though it had been braided then released. The tail looked the same but was a huge fan of hair that nearly reached the ground.
Kira followed Na'ethal's signal to get out of the car with him but she remained well back from the horse and angry rider. Kira thought, in appearance anyway, the wood elf looked about her age, even though she knew the elf was probably much older.
“Amin umm n' dur!” she exclaimed staring at Na'ethal with obvious delight, her anger taking a backseat.
“English, amin hin,” Na'ethal requested, gesturing to Kira.
“I do not believe my eyes!” the wood elf repeated, then added, “Na'ethal, you have come to visit.”
She bowed slightly but with a hint of playfulness. Her voice was intoxicating to Kira, musical yet with a hint of defiance.
“Sa'miria,” Na'ethal replied, narrowing his eyes in a slight warning and shaking his head.
Sa'miria huffed, her anger returning. “Did you happen to see three idiotic youths chasing my cockatrices? I told them to leave the creatures be, but they did not heed my warning. When I catch them...,” she trailed off, the implication in her voice apparent.
Someone was going to be in a world of hurt, Kira thought.
“I'm sure they were merely playing,” Na'ethal answered neutrally.
“Ah! Then you did see them!” Sa'miria said accusingly. “You know I do not suffer fools and stupidity, especially where the magickal creatures are concerned,” she needlessly reminded Na'ethal.
The tall, blond doctor sighed. He drew Kira by the hand up next to him, feeling her resist slightly.
“Kira, this is Sa'miria...she is, among other things, a self-appointed guardian of the creatures we have here. Her home lies between the two nations...she is Valmori, they are elves of the green, or keepers of the wild lands.”
He turned to the wood elf. “This is Kira Laurent, she is here with me to visit.”
Kira swallowed as the Valmori wood elf looked her over curiously, but not in an unfriendly manner. “Hi,” she said, hating how stupid that sounded.
“Human? Fantast?” Sa'miria inquired of Na'ethal.
He raised his eyebrows. “Actually, half-immortal,” he informed the other elf.
“Hmm,” Sa'miria replied, sounding neither surprised nor disgusted, merely intrigued. “Seasa nae aelo llie,” she said with a bow, then repeated herself, “Pleasure to meet you.”
Kira smiled hesitantly while Sa'miria stroked her horse's large, velvety nose.
“Are you here to see your family?” Sa'miria asked the other elf.
Na'ethal raised his eyebrows again. “I was hoping to see a friend first,” he replied.
“Oh, who?” the wood elf said curiously.
Na'ethal smiled. “You.”
Sa'miria made a noncommittal noise but a pleased smile threatened her lips. She turned, tossing her wild blonde hair back as she nearly flew onto her horse, so graceful and fluid were her movements.
“You'll have to go by the road. I will see you when you arrive.”
With that she galloped off back into the trees. Kira swore the massive horse even seemed to glide, its gait was so smooth.
Na'ethal turned to Kira with a pleased smile. “That went well,” he assured her. Kira could only trust her elf doctor, as she had no idea what this was all about.
-16-.
When they reached Sa'miria's stronghold in the forest, Kira stared around in awe as she slowly stepped out from the car. The entire area within the trees was utterly amazing. A large cabin-like structure was set up in the trees; huge gardens all around full of what looked like herbs, fruit trees and bushes, and vegetables—all lush, vibrant looking and healthy; and a waterfall nearby cascading almost silently into a flowing stream that wound around and in back of the cabin.
“Sa'miria is many things besides guardian of the animals,” Na'ethal explained as he stood behind Kira, also admiring the setting. “She's also an herbalist, a healer, and a horticulturalist...which many of the Valmori are, as well.”
“So anything to do with nature, animals, and plants?” Kira guessed.
Na'ethal nodded as he led the young woman toward the elevated cabin and the small foot bridge that crossed the narrow part of the stream.
“Oh, no way, look at those trees!” Kira exclaimed in awe.
Suddenly a familiar female voice, musical and intoxicating came from behind them. Sa'miria stepped out from behind one of the trees Kira had marveled at. The elf had changed into soft leggings, a tunic, and boots...all earth tones. She nearly blended in with the forest.
“You like my designs, Kira?” Sa'miria asked, pleased.
Many of the trees had been magickally reshaped into seemingly carved designs and figures of people and animals.
“Oh, I do!” Kira said with genuine pleasure as she whirled around looking at everything. “I love your entire stronghold.”
Sa'miria glanced at Na'ethal in surprise, pleased to hear the girl's use of the correct term. "And I assure you the trees came to no harm with the carvings."
Kira nodded. She found she was glad of that.
Na'ethal stepped back slightly as Sa'miria took over showing Kira around...from more of the outdoors to the amazing interior of her cabin, reached through climbing a spiral staircase that wound around the trunk of a huge tree. There were hanging baskets of herbs, fruits and vegetables in the kitchen, although no meat products anywhere as most elves were vegetarians. There was a huge, wall sized shelving unit full of old books that Kira knew wouldn't be found in any public library in the Real World; and everything was just a little bit different or magickal than what was found outside the Reverie.
Kira learned about and was allowed to sit upon, much to her delight, the Shollari horse that was a distinctive breed of horse bred only by the elves for many thousands of years. Initially the massive and courageous horses were used as war-and hunting-steeds, but were now kept and protected out of love and loyalty. They were used mainly for riding pleasure. Sa'miria demonstrated the Shollari breeds' extreme intelligence by asking Kyally, which she said meant loyal companion, to please pick three of the nicest apples from the trees.
Kyally picked up a handled basket, walked around the three apple trees for a moment, chose and gently picked three apples, then brought the basket back to Sa'miria with a proud bow of her head.
And, Kira could have sworn, a wink of one long-lashed, dark brown eye.
For hours, Na'ethal allowed his two friends to get to know each other. He thought...hoped...that Kira might do better with having a female immortal friend to help her accept her newfound knowledge. He knew Sa'miria would befriend Kira. They ate exquisite elven food, talked of the Everlasting especially the elves, the two elves played several musical instruments during an impromptu concert, and they even all enjoyed several games of poker, which amused Kira to no end. Kira even learned that Sa'miria was 312 years old, and Na'ethal was 398. She tried to accept that as normal but it took a few moments for her to compose herself.
Kira even told Sa'miria, with some input from Na'ethal, about how she came to live with Ryan Laurent, which was more than she'd even told Cade in all their time together.
“Sa'miria is many things besides guardian of the animals,” Na'ethal explained as he stood behind Kira, also admiring the setting. “She's also an herbalist, a healer, and a horticulturalist...which many of the Valmori are, as well.”
“So anything to do with nature, animals, and plants?” Kira guessed.
Na'ethal nodded as he led the young woman toward the elevated cabin and the small foot bridge that crossed the narrow part of the stream.
“Oh, no way, look at those trees!” Kira exclaimed in awe.
Suddenly a familiar female voice, musical and intoxicating came from behind them. Sa'miria stepped out from behind one of the trees Kira had marveled at. The elf had changed into soft leggings, a tunic, and boots...all earth tones. She nearly blended in with the forest.
“You like my designs, Kira?” Sa'miria asked, pleased.
Many of the trees had been magickally reshaped into seemingly carved designs and figures of people and animals.
“Oh, I do!” Kira said with genuine pleasure as she whirled around looking at everything. “I love your entire stronghold.”
Sa'miria glanced at Na'ethal in surprise, pleased to hear the girl's use of the correct term. "And I assure you the trees came to no harm with the carvings."
Kira nodded. She found she was glad of that.
Na'ethal stepped back slightly as Sa'miria took over showing Kira around...from more of the outdoors to the amazing interior of her cabin, reached through climbing a spiral staircase that wound around the trunk of a huge tree. There were hanging baskets of herbs, fruits and vegetables in the kitchen, although no meat products anywhere as most elves were vegetarians. There was a huge, wall sized shelving unit full of old books that Kira knew wouldn't be found in any public library in the Real World; and everything was just a little bit different or magickal than what was found outside the Reverie.
Kira learned about and was allowed to sit upon, much to her delight, the Shollari horse that was a distinctive breed of horse bred only by the elves for many thousands of years. Initially the massive and courageous horses were used as war-and hunting-steeds, but were now kept and protected out of love and loyalty. They were used mainly for riding pleasure. Sa'miria demonstrated the Shollari breeds' extreme intelligence by asking Kyally, which she said meant loyal companion, to please pick three of the nicest apples from the trees.
Kyally picked up a handled basket, walked around the three apple trees for a moment, chose and gently picked three apples, then brought the basket back to Sa'miria with a proud bow of her head.
And, Kira could have sworn, a wink of one long-lashed, dark brown eye.
For hours, Na'ethal allowed his two friends to get to know each other. He thought...hoped...that Kira might do better with having a female immortal friend to help her accept her newfound knowledge. He knew Sa'miria would befriend Kira. They ate exquisite elven food, talked of the Everlasting especially the elves, the two elves played several musical instruments during an impromptu concert, and they even all enjoyed several games of poker, which amused Kira to no end. Kira even learned that Sa'miria was 312 years old, and Na'ethal was 398. She tried to accept that as normal but it took a few moments for her to compose herself.
Kira even told Sa'miria, with some input from Na'ethal, about how she came to live with Ryan Laurent, which was more than she'd even told Cade in all their time together.
-17-.
Finally though, time passed. Even in the Secret World of the elven nations, time moved forward from day into night.
Na'ethal rose gracefully and stretched. “Kira, I apologize, but the hour grows late. There's no time to visit the rest of the Lethquesti nation. I promise I'll bring you another time.”
Kira looked slightly surprised as she rose from the comfortable pillows on the floor. “Oh, I'd sort of forgotten all about that,” she admitted sheepishly. “This has been the most amazing day!”
Na'ethal smiled. He'd never really had any intention of taking Kira further than here, this time at least.
Kira wasn't comfortable with much physical contact, not after her imprisonment in the psych hospital, her two weeks on the streets, and her inability to remember her past. They all served to make her leery of getting close to others. But Sa'miria had no such qualms. She enveloped the young woman in a soft hug, then pressed a slip of paper into her hand.
Kira stared. “What's this?” she asked looking at a name and address.
“It's a wonderful store in the city. I want you to meet me there tomorrow,” Sa'miria said as she led her two guests down the tree's spiral staircase.
“Oh...I,” Kira began uncertainly.
Sa'miria looked at the girl strangely. “You do like to shop, don't you?” she asked in amazement.
“Yes, of course!” Kira blurted automatically. “I mean...I don't know. I guess so,” she said, frowning. Did she like to shop? She'd gone shopping for clothes when she first arrived at Ryan's, and she shopped for food...but she'd never really shopped for no particular reason.
Sa'miria laughed as she walked to Na'ethal's convertible. “Well, tomorrow you shall shop,” she declared. “Then you'll know if you enjoy it or not!”
Na'ethal rose gracefully and stretched. “Kira, I apologize, but the hour grows late. There's no time to visit the rest of the Lethquesti nation. I promise I'll bring you another time.”
Kira looked slightly surprised as she rose from the comfortable pillows on the floor. “Oh, I'd sort of forgotten all about that,” she admitted sheepishly. “This has been the most amazing day!”
Na'ethal smiled. He'd never really had any intention of taking Kira further than here, this time at least.
Kira wasn't comfortable with much physical contact, not after her imprisonment in the psych hospital, her two weeks on the streets, and her inability to remember her past. They all served to make her leery of getting close to others. But Sa'miria had no such qualms. She enveloped the young woman in a soft hug, then pressed a slip of paper into her hand.
Kira stared. “What's this?” she asked looking at a name and address.
“It's a wonderful store in the city. I want you to meet me there tomorrow,” Sa'miria said as she led her two guests down the tree's spiral staircase.
“Oh...I,” Kira began uncertainly.
Sa'miria looked at the girl strangely. “You do like to shop, don't you?” she asked in amazement.
“Yes, of course!” Kira blurted automatically. “I mean...I don't know. I guess so,” she said, frowning. Did she like to shop? She'd gone shopping for clothes when she first arrived at Ryan's, and she shopped for food...but she'd never really shopped for no particular reason.
Sa'miria laughed as she walked to Na'ethal's convertible. “Well, tomorrow you shall shop,” she declared. “Then you'll know if you enjoy it or not!”
-18-.
When Kira awoke the next morning, Ryan had already left for a Saturday shift at the 6th District's precinct. He seemed to work a great deal, although he never tired. She dressed casually—jean shorts, a snug top and a short-sleeved shirt over that, and tennis shoes—, which is all Kira had really There was no need for dressier clothes in her new life. She briefly wondered what sort of clothes she'd worn before, then shrugged the thoughts away. As the weeks passed she found herself thinking less of her old life. It did no good to dwell on what she couldn't remember, and Ryan encouraged her to move forward. She knew he was looking into nationwide disappearances of anyone her age or appearance, but so far the official database and public searches had turned up zilch.
Kira drove into New Bellwich from Landry Pointe confidently now, passing through the Upper Garden and Warehouse/Arts Districts where Ryan worked. She'd learned her way around the past month, having taken over possession of the Mustang. It still bothered her somewhat that she didn't contribute to living with Ryan, nor could she buy her own things or food. But Ryan, and indeed the few other eldritch that she knew, insisted that her dedication to the fight against the Death Knell was payment back enough.
But Kira still wanted to earn her own money somehow. She laughed to herself as an image of Cade and herself working immortal cases for money crossed her mind. Yeah right, like that partnership was ever going to happen.
She found a parking lot near the border of the French Quarter and Downtown, close enough to where Sa'miria wanted to meet her. She locked her car up tight, then headed to the occult/voodoo shop which, from first appearances was definitely authentic, not one of the New Age type stores. Inside the dimly lit store there were two customers, one a large black woman and the other a young, pretty woman with pale platinum hair. There was no sign of Sa'miria yet. Kira began to wander around but felt distinctly out of place.
“Psst,” a female voice whispered near Kira.
When she glanced up, there was the blonde girl staring at her with a grin and hands on her slim hips. It took Kira a moment to see past the elven masquery of Sa'miria. “Oh crap! I didn't even realize that was you,” Kira hissed.
“Shh,” Sa'miria said mischievously. “You'll give me away,” she winked and inclined her head toward the large woman finishing her purchases.
They caught the owner, or whoever was behind the counter—an older African American man with short gray hair—staring at them. Then he shook his head slowly. Kira wasn't sure what that meant, but Sa'miria grew serious and went back to examining a charm as if her life depended on it. Kira remained silent, unsure of what to do.
Shortly the man behind the counter cleared his throat. “Sa'miria,” his voice rumbled across the store.
“Shh, it's Sami over here,” the elf replied with a teasing smile as the female customer left the store. “Jakob, it's been too long.” Sa'miria dragged Kira by the arm over to the counter.
As she neared the man, Kira began to see what she'd missed before, or perhaps she hadn't been meant to witness it yet. There appeared to be a bear's head on the man's shoulders, but she could still see his human face as well. She gasped and pulled back slightly.
“Aha, she finally sees you,” Sa'miria said triumphantly. “Kira, this is Jakob. He's a manitou, bear totem, which I assume is what you're seeing now?”
Kira nodded. This was like the man with the alligator head she saw on the trolley car. She'd seen him back when she first came to town with Ryan to shop for clothes. She had heard of the manitou briefly since then, but hadn't met or seen another as of yet.
Jakob raised a bushy gray eyebrow. “And you are what gente?” he addressed Kira directly.
“Um...I...we're not sure,” she stammered, not sure who all she was supposed to be telling this information to. Na'ethal and Ryan hadn't told her not to tell other immortals, to keep it a secret, but she still wasn't sure. “I have immortal blood, that's all I know. Both Bella and Eolanthe could sense it, and...and it's in my blood.”
Jakob's eye brows shot up. She knew members of the eldritch council? Now he was intrigued by this girl.
“It's alright, Kira,” Sa'miria encouraged. “Jakob knows Ryan and Na'ethal, too.”
Jakob shook his head in wonderment but stuck out his large, knobby hand for Kira to shake. “No, it's alright. Let the girl get to know me better before she confides her secrets,” he said. “For now it's enough to know who she is, and for her to know I am a friend.”
“Wow,” Kira suddenly said in amazement. Every day her life got stranger and stranger, if that were possible from what she'd seen in the beginning with the orc trying to kill her and Ryan turning in a gargoyle.
Sa'miria laughed and nudged Kira in the ribs. “It's not so bad being immortal, is it?” she asked teasingly. “Many advantages.”
“Half,” Kira reminded her new friend with some irritation. Was that was this was all about? Introducing her to more immortals so she'd accept her new found status that much easier.
Well, it wasn't going to be that easy, she thought. No siree!
Kira drove into New Bellwich from Landry Pointe confidently now, passing through the Upper Garden and Warehouse/Arts Districts where Ryan worked. She'd learned her way around the past month, having taken over possession of the Mustang. It still bothered her somewhat that she didn't contribute to living with Ryan, nor could she buy her own things or food. But Ryan, and indeed the few other eldritch that she knew, insisted that her dedication to the fight against the Death Knell was payment back enough.
But Kira still wanted to earn her own money somehow. She laughed to herself as an image of Cade and herself working immortal cases for money crossed her mind. Yeah right, like that partnership was ever going to happen.
She found a parking lot near the border of the French Quarter and Downtown, close enough to where Sa'miria wanted to meet her. She locked her car up tight, then headed to the occult/voodoo shop which, from first appearances was definitely authentic, not one of the New Age type stores. Inside the dimly lit store there were two customers, one a large black woman and the other a young, pretty woman with pale platinum hair. There was no sign of Sa'miria yet. Kira began to wander around but felt distinctly out of place.
“Psst,” a female voice whispered near Kira.
When she glanced up, there was the blonde girl staring at her with a grin and hands on her slim hips. It took Kira a moment to see past the elven masquery of Sa'miria. “Oh crap! I didn't even realize that was you,” Kira hissed.
“Shh,” Sa'miria said mischievously. “You'll give me away,” she winked and inclined her head toward the large woman finishing her purchases.
They caught the owner, or whoever was behind the counter—an older African American man with short gray hair—staring at them. Then he shook his head slowly. Kira wasn't sure what that meant, but Sa'miria grew serious and went back to examining a charm as if her life depended on it. Kira remained silent, unsure of what to do.
Shortly the man behind the counter cleared his throat. “Sa'miria,” his voice rumbled across the store.
“Shh, it's Sami over here,” the elf replied with a teasing smile as the female customer left the store. “Jakob, it's been too long.” Sa'miria dragged Kira by the arm over to the counter.
As she neared the man, Kira began to see what she'd missed before, or perhaps she hadn't been meant to witness it yet. There appeared to be a bear's head on the man's shoulders, but she could still see his human face as well. She gasped and pulled back slightly.
“Aha, she finally sees you,” Sa'miria said triumphantly. “Kira, this is Jakob. He's a manitou, bear totem, which I assume is what you're seeing now?”
Kira nodded. This was like the man with the alligator head she saw on the trolley car. She'd seen him back when she first came to town with Ryan to shop for clothes. She had heard of the manitou briefly since then, but hadn't met or seen another as of yet.
Jakob raised a bushy gray eyebrow. “And you are what gente?” he addressed Kira directly.
“Um...I...we're not sure,” she stammered, not sure who all she was supposed to be telling this information to. Na'ethal and Ryan hadn't told her not to tell other immortals, to keep it a secret, but she still wasn't sure. “I have immortal blood, that's all I know. Both Bella and Eolanthe could sense it, and...and it's in my blood.”
Jakob's eye brows shot up. She knew members of the eldritch council? Now he was intrigued by this girl.
“It's alright, Kira,” Sa'miria encouraged. “Jakob knows Ryan and Na'ethal, too.”
Jakob shook his head in wonderment but stuck out his large, knobby hand for Kira to shake. “No, it's alright. Let the girl get to know me better before she confides her secrets,” he said. “For now it's enough to know who she is, and for her to know I am a friend.”
“Wow,” Kira suddenly said in amazement. Every day her life got stranger and stranger, if that were possible from what she'd seen in the beginning with the orc trying to kill her and Ryan turning in a gargoyle.
Sa'miria laughed and nudged Kira in the ribs. “It's not so bad being immortal, is it?” she asked teasingly. “Many advantages.”
“Half,” Kira reminded her new friend with some irritation. Was that was this was all about? Introducing her to more immortals so she'd accept her new found status that much easier.
Well, it wasn't going to be that easy, she thought. No siree!
-19-.
As they were preparing to leave a few minutes later, Jakob invited Kira to come visit the shop anytime. She nodded politely and thanked him, then followed Sa'miria out the back door to an alley. It wasn't a true alley as in 'stay-out-or-you'll-get-your-stupid-ass-mugged' but an alley converted into small unique shops and eateries in French Quarter style.
“Come, we'll visit some of the stores in the Alley Market. It runs from here into Downtown. Ryan and Na'ethal are excellent teachers of fighting, but they forget about information.” Sa'miria began walking confidently down the alley, gliding in between the lunch crowd, leading Kira along.
“Information?” Kira asked curiously, trying to look around her without bumping into anyone.
“Yes,” the elf's head bobbed up and down.
Only Kira could see her ear chains swaying and hear them softly clinking as they collided. In order to not be distracted while amongst regular humans, Kira thought the name 'Sami' in her mind. Sa'miria's appearance changed back to the young woman she'd seen in the store. Kira soon grew accustomed to the elf's masquery shimmering in and out.
“Several of the shop owners are immortal. At some point you might need their help, or they may need yours. You should know who they are, and they should know you.”
After meeting several other everlasting of various gentes, Kira was exhausted. Sa'miria claimed to know a place to eat that served healthy, vegetarian foods; but first she needed to buy one more thing. Kira was amazed at the elf's energy. If she hadn't been half immortal herself, Kira would surely have never made it this long with her new friend. Kira elected to sit on a bench near a large bush planted in an even larger pot and people-watch while Sa'miria went into a darkened store at the end of the Alley Market.
There were less people down this way, Kira noticed. She closed her eyes for a moment but then strange sounds caused her to pop them open. Near the shop where Sa'miria had gone in there appeared another door out of nowhere. One second there was a white brick wall with bushes and white flowers, the next a double, wooden blue door.
“Come, we'll visit some of the stores in the Alley Market. It runs from here into Downtown. Ryan and Na'ethal are excellent teachers of fighting, but they forget about information.” Sa'miria began walking confidently down the alley, gliding in between the lunch crowd, leading Kira along.
“Information?” Kira asked curiously, trying to look around her without bumping into anyone.
“Yes,” the elf's head bobbed up and down.
Only Kira could see her ear chains swaying and hear them softly clinking as they collided. In order to not be distracted while amongst regular humans, Kira thought the name 'Sami' in her mind. Sa'miria's appearance changed back to the young woman she'd seen in the store. Kira soon grew accustomed to the elf's masquery shimmering in and out.
“Several of the shop owners are immortal. At some point you might need their help, or they may need yours. You should know who they are, and they should know you.”
After meeting several other everlasting of various gentes, Kira was exhausted. Sa'miria claimed to know a place to eat that served healthy, vegetarian foods; but first she needed to buy one more thing. Kira was amazed at the elf's energy. If she hadn't been half immortal herself, Kira would surely have never made it this long with her new friend. Kira elected to sit on a bench near a large bush planted in an even larger pot and people-watch while Sa'miria went into a darkened store at the end of the Alley Market.
There were less people down this way, Kira noticed. She closed her eyes for a moment but then strange sounds caused her to pop them open. Near the shop where Sa'miria had gone in there appeared another door out of nowhere. One second there was a white brick wall with bushes and white flowers, the next a double, wooden blue door.
Three dark colored elves, two with white hair and one with black, and one elf that was almost white...at least Kira thought they looked like the elves with their pointed ears...surrounded Sa'miria and appeared to be threatening her. Kira rose without thinking but felt herself shoved back by an unseen force. Her butt plopped back down on the bench hidden behind the bush. Kira bent down to look under the branches. Sa'miria's hand was behind her back, palm facing out. Kira wondered if the elf was using some sort of elven magick on her.
Two women with baby carriages walked past the group of elves, but they acted as though they saw nothing. Neither the elves, nor men surrounding a blonde girl...which would be suspicious on its own. Kira understood then that she was witnessing the Reverie, which meant Sa'miria wasn't there for anyone else but her to see.
Suddenly the four strange colored elves grabbed Sa'miria and dragged her struggling through the recently appeared door, shutting it behind them. Before they did Kira swore that one laid his hand on Sa'miria's forehead causing the elf's legs to give out beneath her.
Two women with baby carriages walked past the group of elves, but they acted as though they saw nothing. Neither the elves, nor men surrounding a blonde girl...which would be suspicious on its own. Kira understood then that she was witnessing the Reverie, which meant Sa'miria wasn't there for anyone else but her to see.
Suddenly the four strange colored elves grabbed Sa'miria and dragged her struggling through the recently appeared door, shutting it behind them. Before they did Kira swore that one laid his hand on Sa'miria's forehead causing the elf's legs to give out beneath her.
-20-.
“Oh CRAP!” Kira hissed, sitting up straight, then bolting to her feet. She was free of the force that had held her back. “Son of a bitch!” she exclaimed, borrowing one of Cade's favorite phrases without realizing it.
She ran over to the wooden blue door and reached for one handle. Then she drew her hand back as if burned. She couldn't just go waltzing through the door, she was still in the Real World...and it wasn't. She could see people glancing at her odd behavior and attempted to act normal. She would appear to just vanish into the wall in their eyes if she tried to enter the door.
But Kira wasn't about to allow Sa'miria to be kidnapped like that. Who knew who those elves were or what they wanted!
Moving into the shadow of a building, she pulled out her phone. Kira first called Ryan but had to leave a quick message when he didn't pick up. Damn! Where was a cop when you needed one, especially one you lived with and was freaking immortal and super strong? Then she tried Na'ethal. Same thing.
“Arrggh,” Kira grumbled to herself.
She couldn't wait any longer and returned to the blue door. Plus she had her gun in her satchel, complete with the license to carry it legally. But there was still the problem of getting through the door that didn't exist in the Real World. It occurred to Kira she had to get into the Reverie where the door really existed...but how?
She tried to focus on the door, blocking out the sounds around her. Eventually peoples' voices became dim and colors more muted. Certain areas stood out as bright spots, and Kira saw even more doors around her...doors that hadn't been there before. And holy crap there was even a staircase winding its way upward to a second story of a building that hadn't been there before. Kira didn't have time to focus on that weirdness right now, as she thought this was it.
She was actually in the Reverie!
Kira quickly ducked through blue door and slammed it behind her, leaving herself at the top of a set of stone steps with one bare light bulb above her head. But she but felt safe enough that no one had seen her disappear through the wall. They might have realized she herself vanished, but hopefully their minds would offer an excuse of such bizarre activity.
She ran over to the wooden blue door and reached for one handle. Then she drew her hand back as if burned. She couldn't just go waltzing through the door, she was still in the Real World...and it wasn't. She could see people glancing at her odd behavior and attempted to act normal. She would appear to just vanish into the wall in their eyes if she tried to enter the door.
But Kira wasn't about to allow Sa'miria to be kidnapped like that. Who knew who those elves were or what they wanted!
Moving into the shadow of a building, she pulled out her phone. Kira first called Ryan but had to leave a quick message when he didn't pick up. Damn! Where was a cop when you needed one, especially one you lived with and was freaking immortal and super strong? Then she tried Na'ethal. Same thing.
“Arrggh,” Kira grumbled to herself.
She couldn't wait any longer and returned to the blue door. Plus she had her gun in her satchel, complete with the license to carry it legally. But there was still the problem of getting through the door that didn't exist in the Real World. It occurred to Kira she had to get into the Reverie where the door really existed...but how?
She tried to focus on the door, blocking out the sounds around her. Eventually peoples' voices became dim and colors more muted. Certain areas stood out as bright spots, and Kira saw even more doors around her...doors that hadn't been there before. And holy crap there was even a staircase winding its way upward to a second story of a building that hadn't been there before. Kira didn't have time to focus on that weirdness right now, as she thought this was it.
She was actually in the Reverie!
Kira quickly ducked through blue door and slammed it behind her, leaving herself at the top of a set of stone steps with one bare light bulb above her head. But she but felt safe enough that no one had seen her disappear through the wall. They might have realized she herself vanished, but hopefully their minds would offer an excuse of such bizarre activity.
-21-.
Kira was at the top of a set of stone steps that led down a tunnel. She sent up an unconscious prayer to be watched over as she embarked on this insane foray down into the depths of who-the-hell-knew where. The moment she placed her tennis shoe on the that first step, Kira committed herself to at least finding out where Sa'miria had been taken. The light faded as she descended the tunnel to reach first one level, then more steps to another.
Her eyes had adjusted so she could see in the dim light almost as good as if it were twilight out. She'd figured that out about herself already, with guidance from her immortal teachers, but it still kinda freaked her out to be able to see in the dark. That totally wasn't normal.
But then neither was she...anymore.
It was when Kira turned a corner and reached as second set to steps that she nearly freaked out and turned back. How was that even possible, she thought, staring without blinking?
The darkness was filled with a disorienting mix of purple swirling color and white flashes of light. Metal spiral steps wound around a thick metal pole that seemed to go on forever into the depths. There were no handrails or guards of any freaking kind to prevent a horrible fall over the side. Kira glanced behind her to see the normal set of steps still solid behind her. This sure as hell wasn't part of any of New Bellwich's sewer systems.
Then her attention turned back to the metal spiral staircase, and she took a deep breath almost wanting to close her eyes.
Her eyes had adjusted so she could see in the dim light almost as good as if it were twilight out. She'd figured that out about herself already, with guidance from her immortal teachers, but it still kinda freaked her out to be able to see in the dark. That totally wasn't normal.
But then neither was she...anymore.
It was when Kira turned a corner and reached as second set to steps that she nearly freaked out and turned back. How was that even possible, she thought, staring without blinking?
The darkness was filled with a disorienting mix of purple swirling color and white flashes of light. Metal spiral steps wound around a thick metal pole that seemed to go on forever into the depths. There were no handrails or guards of any freaking kind to prevent a horrible fall over the side. Kira glanced behind her to see the normal set of steps still solid behind her. This sure as hell wasn't part of any of New Bellwich's sewer systems.
Then her attention turned back to the metal spiral staircase, and she took a deep breath almost wanting to close her eyes.
Eventually the stairs had gone down so far that Kira wondered how far below the city she was. She'd managed to walk down the middle, focusing intently on remaining standing and not plummeting to her death. Finally the staircase ended at a long metal walkway inside a tunnel. It was tall enough for her to stand upright for some time before it opened up into an empty space. The whole place was empty except for a system of scaffolding-type structures around the outside surrounding the large, open cavern. She had no clue as to how far she'd walked nor how many miles underground she'd traveled so far.
Kira glanced over the side of the walkway in front of her, seeing the ground far below. Weird, she thought. No way was she getting down below, not yet anyway. Kira glanced down at her feet to see a strip of cloth. It matched what Sa'miria had been wearing. At least she knew the elf had been brought this way.
Kira placed one foot in front of her to continue.
Suddenly she found herself standing on thin air!
But there'd been a platform in front of her, where did it go? This thought flashed hysterically through her mind instantly before she began to fall. Kira didn't want to die, not this way...not without seeing Cade again. How could she have been so stupid as to come in here by herself?
Suddenly she was back on the platform in the tunnel with a strong arm wrapped around her waist, holding her tightly against a firm, muscular body. She felt the back of her head against someone's chest. Kira froze, trying to figure out just what happened while she tried to make herself breathe again.
Kira glanced over the side of the walkway in front of her, seeing the ground far below. Weird, she thought. No way was she getting down below, not yet anyway. Kira glanced down at her feet to see a strip of cloth. It matched what Sa'miria had been wearing. At least she knew the elf had been brought this way.
Kira placed one foot in front of her to continue.
Suddenly she found herself standing on thin air!
But there'd been a platform in front of her, where did it go? This thought flashed hysterically through her mind instantly before she began to fall. Kira didn't want to die, not this way...not without seeing Cade again. How could she have been so stupid as to come in here by herself?
Suddenly she was back on the platform in the tunnel with a strong arm wrapped around her waist, holding her tightly against a firm, muscular body. She felt the back of her head against someone's chest. Kira froze, trying to figure out just what happened while she tried to make herself breathe again.
-22-.
“Are...you alright?” a voice asked her hesitantly but casually. It was a deep voice, not as deep as Cade's she found herself thinking, but soothing.
Suddenly Kira jerked away, breaking free of the grasp. She felt the arm give way easily, as if not intending to hold her against her will. She whirled around pressing her back to the tunnel wall to face her...savior?
Or soon to be attacker?
She stared...up. The young man in front of her, no older than in his early-twenties, was tall, so incredibly tall. Taller than Ryan and Cade, although she wasn't sure about her elven doctor. Whereas her head fit comfortably under Cade's chin, she estimated her head would...and indeed had done so...rest against the upper chest of the youngish man now staring at her curiously. His hair was dark and tousled, falling in his face a little; his features gentle but good-looking, too. He was definitely tall and lanky, but Kira could see muscles underneath his shirt and open jacket.
He was staring intently at her with wide-open green eyes, not in a creepy way...well, okay it was a little creepy considering they were underground in a dark tunnel overlooking a cavern with some bizarre staircase behind them, but he seemed more fascinated than lecherous.
Kira eyed the young man warily. She wasn't sure what to wonder about first: how he got down here or who the hell he was.
“I'm fine,” she finally answered hesitantly. “I know I should thank you for saving my life...but I'm not sure what else you intend to do to me,” Kira said honestly and a bit defiantly.
She'd go down kicking and screaming and shooting if this guy tried to hurt her. But if she were honest, she was getting nothing but a peaceful intent from him. As crazy as it sounded--as if things weren't already crazy enough in her life—Kira was feeling extremely safe with this stranger. A feeling of comfort and relief was making her relax. And that scared her, so she tried to tense up and be aware.
“I don't intend to do anything to you,” he replied simply, with a gentle smile.
Kira blinked and found herself smiling slightly in return.
“Oh,” she said, at a loss for words suddenly. “Well...that's good then.”
“My name is Jareth, by the way,” the young man said.
Then as if it were an afterthought he asked, “And you are?” Although he already knew. But that would freak her out, Jareth thought. He'd heard her plea of safe keeping earlier, but that didn't mean she'd meant to call him.
Kira opened her mouth but at first nothing came out. Why was she feeling so awkward around him...Jareth, her mind repeated his name, enjoying the sound...yet so safe, too.
“Um, Kira...my name's Kira,” she finally answered. Her last name wasn't necessary at the moment.
She watched Jareth nod. He seriously looked her directly in the eyes, lingering there as if seeing something he liked. Then he smiled.
“It's good to meet you, Kira,” he said.
Kira felt caressed by his deep voice.
Kira glanced around, her eyes darting here and there along the dark, stone walls. She truly didn't know what to say. Then something occurred to her.
“What are you doing down here anyway?” she asked.
Jareth had also sensed Kira was going to die once he'd arrived here—or be seriously injured. Despite Bella's warnings that night at the vampire's adyata to stay away, Jareth had been secretly watching the young woman when he could. Unfortunately, during her ordeal in the wer's den, Jareth had been unable to see her due to having a crisis with his own Death Knell duties. But this time he'd heard her unconscious plea to be kept safe, and had been able to use the Reverie to reach Kira before she fell. She wasn't going to be killed if he could help it. Jareth would rather die himself than watch the beautiful mortal girl plummet to her death.
“I can't lie to you, Kira,” Jareth admitted slowly. “I'm not human, I'm an angel. A guardian angel. You were going to die when you stepped off the edge, and I couldn't let that happen. I also heard your prayer to God.”
Kira eyed Jareth in stunned silence for a moment. All she could think was, seriously? Then she had to make herself breathe again, and her breath whooshed into her lungs. She blinked. Along with everything else she'd learned and experienced over the past six weeks or so, Kira chided herself for being in such shock.
Go with the supernatural flow, she reminded herself.
But still, a freaking guardian angel?
Then it hit her. “Oh, ohmigod! Was it...was it you? That night, that night at the psych hospital?” she asked breathlessly. But no, it couldn't have been. She remembered a teenage boy, not this gorgeous guy standing in front of her.
Jareth nodded slowly. He ran a hand through his shaggy hair. “I was charged with saving you, Kira. I had to get you out of there.”
“B...by who?” she asked. “Who knew I was even in there?”
Jareth's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Well, who did she think, he wondered? He glanced upward to the heavens...far, far above them at this point but still above them.
Kira's eyes opened wide. No way! God? Seriously, there was really a God? Kira pressed harder into the tunnel wall with her back for support and almost sank to her knees. There ought to be a Secret World rule book in general and a book on who's who in the immortal world at this point. How many other surprises were waiting for her...wait, Kira didn't want to know.
“I've got you,” Jareth said, catching Kira before she could land on her knees. He knelt down to one side of her and kept his arm around her waist.
Kira hadn't even seen Jareth move.
“I'm alright,” she protested, pulling away slightly. She wasn't, not really, but she had to be. She'd also remembered why she'd come down here. Kira pushed Jareth away, and was relieved when he backed off without hesitation. "So...you already knew who I was," she said.
Jareth nodded, hoping Kira wouldn't be mad.
“Look,” Kira said, “I came down here for a reason. An elf friend was taken by some dark colored elves...well, except one was almost pure white...I don't know who they are, but I have to find her.”
“The Dru'Galeeth,” Jareth said quietly. “Night elves, drow. If this is one of their cities, then there will be guard patrols and security and defense systems. I'm surprised you got this far, Kira. This must be a back way into the city or something. This is dangerous business. You should return to the surface, to the Real World.”
Kira shook her head. “No, I can't just leave Sa'miria down here!” she exclaimed, but keeping her voice down. She hadn't thought about security or guards. “And did you say 'city'?” she inquired, trying to keep the ever necessary open mind. “Down here? Under the ground?”
Suddenly Kira jerked away, breaking free of the grasp. She felt the arm give way easily, as if not intending to hold her against her will. She whirled around pressing her back to the tunnel wall to face her...savior?
Or soon to be attacker?
She stared...up. The young man in front of her, no older than in his early-twenties, was tall, so incredibly tall. Taller than Ryan and Cade, although she wasn't sure about her elven doctor. Whereas her head fit comfortably under Cade's chin, she estimated her head would...and indeed had done so...rest against the upper chest of the youngish man now staring at her curiously. His hair was dark and tousled, falling in his face a little; his features gentle but good-looking, too. He was definitely tall and lanky, but Kira could see muscles underneath his shirt and open jacket.
He was staring intently at her with wide-open green eyes, not in a creepy way...well, okay it was a little creepy considering they were underground in a dark tunnel overlooking a cavern with some bizarre staircase behind them, but he seemed more fascinated than lecherous.
Kira eyed the young man warily. She wasn't sure what to wonder about first: how he got down here or who the hell he was.
“I'm fine,” she finally answered hesitantly. “I know I should thank you for saving my life...but I'm not sure what else you intend to do to me,” Kira said honestly and a bit defiantly.
She'd go down kicking and screaming and shooting if this guy tried to hurt her. But if she were honest, she was getting nothing but a peaceful intent from him. As crazy as it sounded--as if things weren't already crazy enough in her life—Kira was feeling extremely safe with this stranger. A feeling of comfort and relief was making her relax. And that scared her, so she tried to tense up and be aware.
“I don't intend to do anything to you,” he replied simply, with a gentle smile.
Kira blinked and found herself smiling slightly in return.
“Oh,” she said, at a loss for words suddenly. “Well...that's good then.”
“My name is Jareth, by the way,” the young man said.
Then as if it were an afterthought he asked, “And you are?” Although he already knew. But that would freak her out, Jareth thought. He'd heard her plea of safe keeping earlier, but that didn't mean she'd meant to call him.
Kira opened her mouth but at first nothing came out. Why was she feeling so awkward around him...Jareth, her mind repeated his name, enjoying the sound...yet so safe, too.
“Um, Kira...my name's Kira,” she finally answered. Her last name wasn't necessary at the moment.
She watched Jareth nod. He seriously looked her directly in the eyes, lingering there as if seeing something he liked. Then he smiled.
“It's good to meet you, Kira,” he said.
Kira felt caressed by his deep voice.
Kira glanced around, her eyes darting here and there along the dark, stone walls. She truly didn't know what to say. Then something occurred to her.
“What are you doing down here anyway?” she asked.
Jareth had also sensed Kira was going to die once he'd arrived here—or be seriously injured. Despite Bella's warnings that night at the vampire's adyata to stay away, Jareth had been secretly watching the young woman when he could. Unfortunately, during her ordeal in the wer's den, Jareth had been unable to see her due to having a crisis with his own Death Knell duties. But this time he'd heard her unconscious plea to be kept safe, and had been able to use the Reverie to reach Kira before she fell. She wasn't going to be killed if he could help it. Jareth would rather die himself than watch the beautiful mortal girl plummet to her death.
“I can't lie to you, Kira,” Jareth admitted slowly. “I'm not human, I'm an angel. A guardian angel. You were going to die when you stepped off the edge, and I couldn't let that happen. I also heard your prayer to God.”
Kira eyed Jareth in stunned silence for a moment. All she could think was, seriously? Then she had to make herself breathe again, and her breath whooshed into her lungs. She blinked. Along with everything else she'd learned and experienced over the past six weeks or so, Kira chided herself for being in such shock.
Go with the supernatural flow, she reminded herself.
But still, a freaking guardian angel?
Then it hit her. “Oh, ohmigod! Was it...was it you? That night, that night at the psych hospital?” she asked breathlessly. But no, it couldn't have been. She remembered a teenage boy, not this gorgeous guy standing in front of her.
Jareth nodded slowly. He ran a hand through his shaggy hair. “I was charged with saving you, Kira. I had to get you out of there.”
“B...by who?” she asked. “Who knew I was even in there?”
Jareth's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Well, who did she think, he wondered? He glanced upward to the heavens...far, far above them at this point but still above them.
Kira's eyes opened wide. No way! God? Seriously, there was really a God? Kira pressed harder into the tunnel wall with her back for support and almost sank to her knees. There ought to be a Secret World rule book in general and a book on who's who in the immortal world at this point. How many other surprises were waiting for her...wait, Kira didn't want to know.
“I've got you,” Jareth said, catching Kira before she could land on her knees. He knelt down to one side of her and kept his arm around her waist.
Kira hadn't even seen Jareth move.
“I'm alright,” she protested, pulling away slightly. She wasn't, not really, but she had to be. She'd also remembered why she'd come down here. Kira pushed Jareth away, and was relieved when he backed off without hesitation. "So...you already knew who I was," she said.
Jareth nodded, hoping Kira wouldn't be mad.
“Look,” Kira said, “I came down here for a reason. An elf friend was taken by some dark colored elves...well, except one was almost pure white...I don't know who they are, but I have to find her.”
“The Dru'Galeeth,” Jareth said quietly. “Night elves, drow. If this is one of their cities, then there will be guard patrols and security and defense systems. I'm surprised you got this far, Kira. This must be a back way into the city or something. This is dangerous business. You should return to the surface, to the Real World.”
Kira shook her head. “No, I can't just leave Sa'miria down here!” she exclaimed, but keeping her voice down. She hadn't thought about security or guards. “And did you say 'city'?” she inquired, trying to keep the ever necessary open mind. “Down here? Under the ground?”
-23-.
In her angel form Bella paced atop Mt. Everest. At least it was the great mountain located in the Reverie not the Real World. It was still bitterly cold with biting winds and very little oxygen; but since neither affected the archangel, she didn't seem to notice the fierce winds whipping at her long, white hair and clothes. And there were no mountaineers attempting to achieve the near impossible to get in her way.
What Bella had learned while in the Celestial Realms had astounded her. And angered the archangel, because she didn't appreciate that secrets had been kept from her. As a messenger angel, it was her job to assist the eldritch in their fight against the Death Knell, especially those immortals in New Bellwich. She fumed. How could she fulfill her highest duty if she didn't have all the pertinent information?
She'd had to learn for herself that Kira was an immortal. That night at Cassandra's, at the Tantalusi coven leader's adyta, Bella had smelled the scent of an immortal on Kira. Shame on Na'ethal for not warning her in advance, for he'd known something. Then Eolande had used her faery senses, as crazy as she was, and read the girl's aura as being made of silver, white, and light...definitely not a human aura.
And now Bella had learned for certain from the Celestial Realm that Kira was definitely immortal. Not only that but the girl had literally been created. Beyond that she wasn't told anymore—not what Kira was nor where she came from. That, she was told, was to be revealed later. And the Angels wanted Kira kept safe yet trained in the ways of a Death Knell warrior in order to use her to deal with the demons and save humanity.
And Cade. Bella had come to save Cade from death at the wer den at the risk of her own life force. The orders had been that the young man must live. There was no other option, so she'd healed him as best she could with Thomas' help. Cade had still been tethered to Kira somehow, Bella had seen the tendril of energy between the two young ones. Whereas Thomas had merely used his daeva powers to help her heal, Bella had infused Cade with some of her own life force through the misty substance she had breathed into him.
The young man was more than a demon hunter; he was one of the Keys. Keys to what Bella didn't know yet, but he also had to be protected and watched but allowed to fight as well.
What Bella had learned while in the Celestial Realms had astounded her. And angered the archangel, because she didn't appreciate that secrets had been kept from her. As a messenger angel, it was her job to assist the eldritch in their fight against the Death Knell, especially those immortals in New Bellwich. She fumed. How could she fulfill her highest duty if she didn't have all the pertinent information?
She'd had to learn for herself that Kira was an immortal. That night at Cassandra's, at the Tantalusi coven leader's adyta, Bella had smelled the scent of an immortal on Kira. Shame on Na'ethal for not warning her in advance, for he'd known something. Then Eolande had used her faery senses, as crazy as she was, and read the girl's aura as being made of silver, white, and light...definitely not a human aura.
And now Bella had learned for certain from the Celestial Realm that Kira was definitely immortal. Not only that but the girl had literally been created. Beyond that she wasn't told anymore—not what Kira was nor where she came from. That, she was told, was to be revealed later. And the Angels wanted Kira kept safe yet trained in the ways of a Death Knell warrior in order to use her to deal with the demons and save humanity.
And Cade. Bella had come to save Cade from death at the wer den at the risk of her own life force. The orders had been that the young man must live. There was no other option, so she'd healed him as best she could with Thomas' help. Cade had still been tethered to Kira somehow, Bella had seen the tendril of energy between the two young ones. Whereas Thomas had merely used his daeva powers to help her heal, Bella had infused Cade with some of her own life force through the misty substance she had breathed into him.
The young man was more than a demon hunter; he was one of the Keys. Keys to what Bella didn't know yet, but he also had to be protected and watched but allowed to fight as well.
-24-.
The darkly beautiful and old-world looking subterranean city that was the stronghold of Val'ton Donadar filled the miles long and stories high cavern. Huge stone stalagmites hung from the rounded ceiling far above, although some reached near the floor and joined with the stalactites forming twisted and uneven columns. Slave-labored buildings were made of dark wood, stone, and metal, somewhat resembling a sinister and arcane old European city.
The cavern was seeped in a purple and blue glow coming from the light inside the dwellings, all created from the bioluminescence of rare fungi. Narrow roads, meant for foot traffic or slave-pulled wagons, were cut into the stone floor wound around the maze of buildings. Some of the roads even went directly over a huge abyss, held up by stone pillars that were hundreds of feet in height. These roads disappeared into the darkness of the caverns away from the city. Unless one knew the roads, it was easy to get lost in the city and impossible to find ones way around without a guide.
A stone wall topped with spikes separated the lower part of the city from the upper, with several well-guarded passage ways cut into the wall. King Val'ton's castle lay in the upper part of the city on top of yet another stone plateau; however any drow was allowed in either part of the city. The stone wall had been there naturally, so the dark elves had simply made use of it. More of the dark, subterranean city flowed around the castle and beyond.
The inhabitants of the city went about their business. Night elves had only two shades of skin color—pure white and matte black with metallic colored eyes. Their hair was either black, silver, white, or gray.
Bats flew overhead in the upper reaches of the cavernous city.
The cavern was seeped in a purple and blue glow coming from the light inside the dwellings, all created from the bioluminescence of rare fungi. Narrow roads, meant for foot traffic or slave-pulled wagons, were cut into the stone floor wound around the maze of buildings. Some of the roads even went directly over a huge abyss, held up by stone pillars that were hundreds of feet in height. These roads disappeared into the darkness of the caverns away from the city. Unless one knew the roads, it was easy to get lost in the city and impossible to find ones way around without a guide.
A stone wall topped with spikes separated the lower part of the city from the upper, with several well-guarded passage ways cut into the wall. King Val'ton's castle lay in the upper part of the city on top of yet another stone plateau; however any drow was allowed in either part of the city. The stone wall had been there naturally, so the dark elves had simply made use of it. More of the dark, subterranean city flowed around the castle and beyond.
The inhabitants of the city went about their business. Night elves had only two shades of skin color—pure white and matte black with metallic colored eyes. Their hair was either black, silver, white, or gray.
Bats flew overhead in the upper reaches of the cavernous city.
Sa'miria stood spread eagle and bound with heavy chains hand and foot to two pillars in Val'ton Donadar's castle, in his main throne room. Besides the fungi's glow, the room was lit with a few ceremonial candles as well. The elf been stripped of all but her undergarments to reveal that the pale, skin-shade designs scarred into her face went all over her body. Her red eyes blazed with anger.
Three drow priests in dark hooded robes stood behind their king, watching the exquisite body of the Valmori elf with desire...for her beauty and what they were about to remove from her.
Val'ton, his long white hair pulled back from his dark-skinned face, reached out to gently stroke the scars on Sa'miria's face.
She spit at him, tossing her head back to move away from his touch. Her hair, loose and flowing down her back, whipped around her head. “Don't touch me, dos 'ksher uss!” she yelled.
Val'ton laughed, turning to his high priests with a wink. “Evil, am I?” he repeated. “You thought differently when we were life-bonded, Sa'miria. In fact you craved my touch as I recall. With much moaning and begging.”
Sa'miria snarled, unembarrassed at the reminder of her unquenchable sexuality when she was younger. “You tricked me. We were never truly bonded,” she hissed. “You only wanted to use me, to gain my elven magick. You didn't realize the dark magick would choose me as its master.”
Val'ton strode slowly around Sa'miria and the pillars, dragging his fingers lightly over her pale body despite her insulting verbal protests. She vowed to get ever with him. “Amin feuya ten' lle!” And he did disgust her.
“Ah well, believe it or not I did love you, granted in my own twisted way. But now all I want is what's rightfully mine...ours,” he amended, sweeping his hand to include the three night elves in the throne room with him, his high priests. “I want back what belongs to the Dru'Galeeth, Sa'miria,” Val'ton suddenly growled.
Sa'miria thought back to her youth...when she was only 162. She had “earned” her scars by practicing and learning the ways of the Dru'Galeeth. She hadn't turned against the elves, but had been looking for excitement, for “more” out of her immortal life. She'd been magickally seduced by Val'ton Donadar when he sensed she was ripe and open to a greater form of magick than most elves.
“You can't get it back, the scars don't simply come off. You know that. Once one is chosen, they have the dark magick for life. You might have wanted to use me and my ability as your dark vessel for the magick, but it didn't work! The dark magick made me stronger intead of pliable. You couldn't control me!” Sa'miria shouted. “Not then, and not now. But I've learned the magick can be used for other purposes than what you had in mind.”
After she had escaped the Dru'Galeeth, Sa'miria had hidden for decades in an abandoned European castle in the Reverie. Mostly in a trance, her body and mind assimilated the dark magick with her already growing templa tel'Quessir, her elven high magick, making it something unique. Found by the Valmori elves eventually, she'd been brought back into her former nation after proving her loyalty once again. Of course, that proof had taken nearly a hundred years.
“Amin feuya ten' lle,” Val'ton snarled. Shut up! He wanted the Dru'Galeeth dark magick back to make the night elves the most powerful of the elven nations. “Well, if the magick won't come out of you, then I will have to find a way to control you...and the magick. But I think I will try to remove it first. I have a spell.”
Sa'miria narrowed her red eyes. For the moment she was under several strong dark elf spells to render her own magick useless, but she could feel the effects wearing off. “I can fight you, Val'ton, don't doubt that. You don't know how strong I truly am,” she threatened.
Val'ton narrowed his own eyes. It was true, what his still luscious, former mate said. He didn't know what she was capable of, so he had to proceed with care. Removal of the magick would kill Sa'miria, although he didn't much care about that; however, he didn't know what would truly happen to the dark magick without its master...or mistress, in this case...despite what the spell promised.
Three drow priests in dark hooded robes stood behind their king, watching the exquisite body of the Valmori elf with desire...for her beauty and what they were about to remove from her.
Val'ton, his long white hair pulled back from his dark-skinned face, reached out to gently stroke the scars on Sa'miria's face.
She spit at him, tossing her head back to move away from his touch. Her hair, loose and flowing down her back, whipped around her head. “Don't touch me, dos 'ksher uss!” she yelled.
Val'ton laughed, turning to his high priests with a wink. “Evil, am I?” he repeated. “You thought differently when we were life-bonded, Sa'miria. In fact you craved my touch as I recall. With much moaning and begging.”
Sa'miria snarled, unembarrassed at the reminder of her unquenchable sexuality when she was younger. “You tricked me. We were never truly bonded,” she hissed. “You only wanted to use me, to gain my elven magick. You didn't realize the dark magick would choose me as its master.”
Val'ton strode slowly around Sa'miria and the pillars, dragging his fingers lightly over her pale body despite her insulting verbal protests. She vowed to get ever with him. “Amin feuya ten' lle!” And he did disgust her.
“Ah well, believe it or not I did love you, granted in my own twisted way. But now all I want is what's rightfully mine...ours,” he amended, sweeping his hand to include the three night elves in the throne room with him, his high priests. “I want back what belongs to the Dru'Galeeth, Sa'miria,” Val'ton suddenly growled.
Sa'miria thought back to her youth...when she was only 162. She had “earned” her scars by practicing and learning the ways of the Dru'Galeeth. She hadn't turned against the elves, but had been looking for excitement, for “more” out of her immortal life. She'd been magickally seduced by Val'ton Donadar when he sensed she was ripe and open to a greater form of magick than most elves.
“You can't get it back, the scars don't simply come off. You know that. Once one is chosen, they have the dark magick for life. You might have wanted to use me and my ability as your dark vessel for the magick, but it didn't work! The dark magick made me stronger intead of pliable. You couldn't control me!” Sa'miria shouted. “Not then, and not now. But I've learned the magick can be used for other purposes than what you had in mind.”
After she had escaped the Dru'Galeeth, Sa'miria had hidden for decades in an abandoned European castle in the Reverie. Mostly in a trance, her body and mind assimilated the dark magick with her already growing templa tel'Quessir, her elven high magick, making it something unique. Found by the Valmori elves eventually, she'd been brought back into her former nation after proving her loyalty once again. Of course, that proof had taken nearly a hundred years.
“Amin feuya ten' lle,” Val'ton snarled. Shut up! He wanted the Dru'Galeeth dark magick back to make the night elves the most powerful of the elven nations. “Well, if the magick won't come out of you, then I will have to find a way to control you...and the magick. But I think I will try to remove it first. I have a spell.”
Sa'miria narrowed her red eyes. For the moment she was under several strong dark elf spells to render her own magick useless, but she could feel the effects wearing off. “I can fight you, Val'ton, don't doubt that. You don't know how strong I truly am,” she threatened.
Val'ton narrowed his own eyes. It was true, what his still luscious, former mate said. He didn't know what she was capable of, so he had to proceed with care. Removal of the magick would kill Sa'miria, although he didn't much care about that; however, he didn't know what would truly happen to the dark magick without its master...or mistress, in this case...despite what the spell promised.
-25-.
“Holy crap! How the hell do we know where to start looking?”
Kira whispered as she and Jareth hunched over on the ledge and peered
down over the Dru'Galeeth city. “It's like a maze of dark purple
shadows. And what's all the glowing light?”
“It's from the fungi,” Jareth said.
“Mushroom lights?” Kira mumbled to herself. “Weird.”
Kira fell silent for a moment as Jareth studied the layout of the city from their vantage point on the ledge. He had told her the continuation of the platform she'd tried to step on had been an illusion, a trap for mortals. He'd shown her the real ramp leading down to the surface of the cavern. Kira frowned again at the memory of the small pile of skeletons underneath the fake platform.
They'd found their way through the rest of the cavern, where they'd come out on a lookout point above the city. They could see dark-skinned and pale colored drow going about their business in the city; as well as strange looking figures.
“First we have to get down there,” Jareth reminded her.
Kira glanced down seeing only the rocky surface of the cavern's wall below them. And further down, nothing but boulders and jagged rocks.
“Right,” she said doubtfully. “Any ideas?” she asked. “Too bad we can't just fly down.”
Jareth ran a hand through the shaggy hair of his mortal form. He didn't know how much to reveal to Kira about himself. Their best plan was for her to return to the surface of the Real World and let the immortals rescue the elf. But the guardian angel had a feeling Kira would never agree to that.
“If you give me a few minutes...and stay here out of sight,” Jareth warned, “I might be able to locate your friend by using the Reverie.”
Kira frowned. “I thought this city was in the Reverie...isn't this the magickal fringes of the Real World?”
Jareth made a very human so-so motion with one hand. “Yes and no. The drow strongholds exist in both...the Real World and the Reverie. It's hard to explain, but you can see the city because you can see into the Reverie. And mortal who manage to make it this far down would see the ruins of a city but not the actual place or the inhabitants. Of course, they'd never make it out of here alive to reveal their find...if they even made it this far without dying one way or another.”
Kira raised her eyebrows. She must have been really lucky then. “Well, then go do what you can,” she requested. “Whatever that is.”
Staring back over the town, Jareth eliminated several locations by starting with the obvious. If the drow leader wasn't fearing discovery and felt confident there were several places the elven female could be. He'd start with those. It was entirely possible the drow or some of the underground slave and servant dwellers would spot him, then Jareth would have to travel the Beth-el into the Seven Heavens to escape.
But that would mean leaving Kira behind.
Jareth decided the first check out the palace, hoping he could sense the elf's presence quickly.
“Do you trust me?” he asked Kira, pulling her up and into his arms. “We have to get down from here first.”
“Well, I...,” she stammered. His arms, chest, and abdomen were tight with muscles where he held her firmly. And he really was freaking tall! And despite everything, he smelled rather good, too...sort of a fresh floral scent that seemed to fit him.
“I'll take that as a yes,” Jareth said, knowing they had no time to waste. “Hang on.”
Kira suddenly felt her feet leave the ground. She gasped and flung her arms around Jareth's neck, locking them together, burying her face in his neck. She saw the slight glow around the guardian's angel's body as they rose up and over the empty space below them. Kira squeezed her eyes shut and swore into Jareth's neck. But before she knew it her feet were back on solid ground and the pressure of his arms lessened. Kira jumped back in surprise to find them both down on the lower level. She glanced up at the high ledge where they'd been only moments before.
“Holy crap! Did you just actually fly?” she asked in amazement.
Jareth shrugged. “More like levitated really,” he admitted. “It was the only way down.”
Kira took a deep breath and made herself get over her shock. She stared from the shadows across the deep chasm where one of the narrow roads crossed. She had a more direct view of the city now.
“Stay here out of sight,” Jareth ordered.
Kira had no time to agree or disagree as he seemed to disappear right in front of her, leaving her alone amidst the sharp, jagged rocks and shadows.
“It's from the fungi,” Jareth said.
“Mushroom lights?” Kira mumbled to herself. “Weird.”
Kira fell silent for a moment as Jareth studied the layout of the city from their vantage point on the ledge. He had told her the continuation of the platform she'd tried to step on had been an illusion, a trap for mortals. He'd shown her the real ramp leading down to the surface of the cavern. Kira frowned again at the memory of the small pile of skeletons underneath the fake platform.
They'd found their way through the rest of the cavern, where they'd come out on a lookout point above the city. They could see dark-skinned and pale colored drow going about their business in the city; as well as strange looking figures.
“First we have to get down there,” Jareth reminded her.
Kira glanced down seeing only the rocky surface of the cavern's wall below them. And further down, nothing but boulders and jagged rocks.
“Right,” she said doubtfully. “Any ideas?” she asked. “Too bad we can't just fly down.”
Jareth ran a hand through the shaggy hair of his mortal form. He didn't know how much to reveal to Kira about himself. Their best plan was for her to return to the surface of the Real World and let the immortals rescue the elf. But the guardian angel had a feeling Kira would never agree to that.
“If you give me a few minutes...and stay here out of sight,” Jareth warned, “I might be able to locate your friend by using the Reverie.”
Kira frowned. “I thought this city was in the Reverie...isn't this the magickal fringes of the Real World?”
Jareth made a very human so-so motion with one hand. “Yes and no. The drow strongholds exist in both...the Real World and the Reverie. It's hard to explain, but you can see the city because you can see into the Reverie. And mortal who manage to make it this far down would see the ruins of a city but not the actual place or the inhabitants. Of course, they'd never make it out of here alive to reveal their find...if they even made it this far without dying one way or another.”
Kira raised her eyebrows. She must have been really lucky then. “Well, then go do what you can,” she requested. “Whatever that is.”
Staring back over the town, Jareth eliminated several locations by starting with the obvious. If the drow leader wasn't fearing discovery and felt confident there were several places the elven female could be. He'd start with those. It was entirely possible the drow or some of the underground slave and servant dwellers would spot him, then Jareth would have to travel the Beth-el into the Seven Heavens to escape.
But that would mean leaving Kira behind.
Jareth decided the first check out the palace, hoping he could sense the elf's presence quickly.
“Do you trust me?” he asked Kira, pulling her up and into his arms. “We have to get down from here first.”
“Well, I...,” she stammered. His arms, chest, and abdomen were tight with muscles where he held her firmly. And he really was freaking tall! And despite everything, he smelled rather good, too...sort of a fresh floral scent that seemed to fit him.
“I'll take that as a yes,” Jareth said, knowing they had no time to waste. “Hang on.”
Kira suddenly felt her feet leave the ground. She gasped and flung her arms around Jareth's neck, locking them together, burying her face in his neck. She saw the slight glow around the guardian's angel's body as they rose up and over the empty space below them. Kira squeezed her eyes shut and swore into Jareth's neck. But before she knew it her feet were back on solid ground and the pressure of his arms lessened. Kira jumped back in surprise to find them both down on the lower level. She glanced up at the high ledge where they'd been only moments before.
“Holy crap! Did you just actually fly?” she asked in amazement.
Jareth shrugged. “More like levitated really,” he admitted. “It was the only way down.”
Kira took a deep breath and made herself get over her shock. She stared from the shadows across the deep chasm where one of the narrow roads crossed. She had a more direct view of the city now.
“Stay here out of sight,” Jareth ordered.
Kira had no time to agree or disagree as he seemed to disappear right in front of her, leaving her alone amidst the sharp, jagged rocks and shadows.
-26-.
Tentacles had wrapped themselves around Sa'miria—the pale flesh of her limbs, waist, and neck were held tightly by the thick, muscular appendages. She flicked her eyes down at the stone floor where the earth had opened up into holes to allow part of the creature to come to the surface. Her arms had been released from the chains but were now held down and away from her sides by the tentacles. Sa'miria struggled again but was unable to free herself.
And it hurt like hell when she did as the creature squeezed her tightly.
One of the black-skinned drow priests, his copper eyes glinting from inside the hood, stood ready with two dark porcelain bowls; while another, this one pale white with silver eyes, held a large, sharp knife. Val'ton sipped at a silver glass of morimatra, the drow's famous spiced wine.
Sa'miria' eyes showed her anger, the glowing red having turned to blood-red. She eyed the priest with the knife warily as the other one set the bowls down below her arms. She realized the drow planned to drain her blood, for that was where her magick was stored. How she didn't know, but the ancient drow's blood all those centuries ago had bonded with hers instead of taking her over as Val'ton had expected. Her bright green eyes had turned red on that night.
“Ah, a'maelamin,” Val'ton smirked, enjoying Sa'miria's anger at his term of endearment. He crossed his arms over his chest, the silver gaunlets and drow chainmail that covered his upper body glinting in the glow of the room. “I see the magick in your eyes, ready to come out and be mine.”
“This isn't going to work, you idiot!” Sa'miria hissed. “You can't absorb the magick by taking my blood into your body!”
“Why not? That's how you managed to steal it from me,” Val'ton hissed, now angry at the thought.
“Aiya!!” the elf said angrily through clenched teeth. “It chose me, you jackass!”
Val'ton shook his head in denial. “That's what this ancient spell is for, my darling. After my priests drain my blood and infuse me with yours, the spells will make certain the magick in the blood bonds to my body.”
Sa'miria rolled her eyes. Although she was still bound by the tentacles, she could feel the drow's dark magick wearing thin. She could feel her own magick gaining strength in her body once again.
And it hurt like hell when she did as the creature squeezed her tightly.
One of the black-skinned drow priests, his copper eyes glinting from inside the hood, stood ready with two dark porcelain bowls; while another, this one pale white with silver eyes, held a large, sharp knife. Val'ton sipped at a silver glass of morimatra, the drow's famous spiced wine.
Sa'miria' eyes showed her anger, the glowing red having turned to blood-red. She eyed the priest with the knife warily as the other one set the bowls down below her arms. She realized the drow planned to drain her blood, for that was where her magick was stored. How she didn't know, but the ancient drow's blood all those centuries ago had bonded with hers instead of taking her over as Val'ton had expected. Her bright green eyes had turned red on that night.
“Ah, a'maelamin,” Val'ton smirked, enjoying Sa'miria's anger at his term of endearment. He crossed his arms over his chest, the silver gaunlets and drow chainmail that covered his upper body glinting in the glow of the room. “I see the magick in your eyes, ready to come out and be mine.”
“This isn't going to work, you idiot!” Sa'miria hissed. “You can't absorb the magick by taking my blood into your body!”
“Why not? That's how you managed to steal it from me,” Val'ton hissed, now angry at the thought.
“Aiya!!” the elf said angrily through clenched teeth. “It chose me, you jackass!”
Val'ton shook his head in denial. “That's what this ancient spell is for, my darling. After my priests drain my blood and infuse me with yours, the spells will make certain the magick in the blood bonds to my body.”
Sa'miria rolled her eyes. Although she was still bound by the tentacles, she could feel the drow's dark magick wearing thin. She could feel her own magick gaining strength in her body once again.
-27-.
As she impatiently waited for Jareth, Kira remained in the shadows of the rocks. She studied the city across the chasm, the sounds and muffled voices sounding like any other ordinary city. Only this one was deep underground, inhabited by dark elves, and made mostly out of stone.
Not really all that ordinary after all.
Kira felt the darkness pressing in around her. It wasn't so much the absence of light...Kira had never been afraid of the dark, per se...but it was the fact that she had no idea how far New Bellwich was above her. How far above was the sun and the light and the Real World. The lack of sunlight was almost painful, as if her skin were tingling.
Kira shivered. Then she heard a noise behind her. It wasn't really a noise, so much as it sounded like someone's heartbeat. But how could she hear someone's heart?
“Crap,” she muttered. “Just...crap.”
Turning around slowly, she locked eyes with a black-skinned, white-haired guard no more than a few feet from her. She recognized him as one of the group that had taken Sa'miria because of the three small braids that started at his forehead, like cornrows. He also carried a long spear.
“How the uoi'nota did you get in here?” he growled menacingly, his silver eyes blazing. “Now you die.”
The drow guard, sent back on patrol of the outskirts of the city, lunged at the intruder bringing his spear upward to impale her.
Without thinking, Kira dodged quickly as her fear took over her body and her mind. She ducked down to the ground and swung a leg out, taking the drow's legs out from under him. He only went down on his back because he'd been surprised at her quickness, not expecting that from a human, she knew. Kira grabbed the spear's shaft near the blade and yanked the weapon away hard. She heard it clatter on some rocks before it disappeared down into the chasm. A spear seemed to be sort of a stupid weapon, she thought.
The night elf sprang up quickly and leaped toward her. Despite having lost his spear, the drow didn't seem to be bothered. He appeared to be going to attack her anyway. Kira tried not to shriek but fell backward with a crash onto the hard ground. She knew she was close to the edge of the long fall down and panicked. She closed her eyes and raised her hands to protect herself.
Kira felt the Dru'Galeeth guard land on her, then howl in agony. Her eyes flew open of their own accord, and she stared the dark elf in the eyes. His were wide with horror.
His weight disappeared as he rolled off onto his back then tried to crawl to his hands and knees clutching his midsection. Without conscious planning, Kira attacked. Using the gargoyle martial arts training Ryan had taught her, she struck out hard and fast with kicks at the dark elf while both of them were still on the ground. As he collapsed to his side facing away from her, Kira jumped to her feet. Even though he'd stopped moving, she crouched warily behind a rock waiting for him to stand and attack again.
But he remained still. Taking a deep breath to calm herself she reminded herself that she was training to fight with the immortals now. She wasn't going to let this freak her out. Kira rose and walked slowly over to the prone figure on the ground. She poked at him in the back with her foot but got no response. She listened closely and stared hard but saw no signs of breathing. Then Kira walked around his head to the other side and noticed the blood gushing from his chest and stomach soaking the dark ground.
Kneeling down she knew he was dead. He had deep, wide gashes in his chest that had shredded his skin and muscles. Kira stared in horror at what looked like thick claw marks. How had that happened? No way could she have done that. She stared at her short fingernails only to see there was blood on them. When she went to wipe them on her shirt, she realized her shirt was also soaked with the drow's blood. Ripping her top shirt off by tearing the buttons, Kira threw it aside in horror.
Not really all that ordinary after all.
Kira felt the darkness pressing in around her. It wasn't so much the absence of light...Kira had never been afraid of the dark, per se...but it was the fact that she had no idea how far New Bellwich was above her. How far above was the sun and the light and the Real World. The lack of sunlight was almost painful, as if her skin were tingling.
Kira shivered. Then she heard a noise behind her. It wasn't really a noise, so much as it sounded like someone's heartbeat. But how could she hear someone's heart?
“Crap,” she muttered. “Just...crap.”
Turning around slowly, she locked eyes with a black-skinned, white-haired guard no more than a few feet from her. She recognized him as one of the group that had taken Sa'miria because of the three small braids that started at his forehead, like cornrows. He also carried a long spear.
“How the uoi'nota did you get in here?” he growled menacingly, his silver eyes blazing. “Now you die.”
The drow guard, sent back on patrol of the outskirts of the city, lunged at the intruder bringing his spear upward to impale her.
Without thinking, Kira dodged quickly as her fear took over her body and her mind. She ducked down to the ground and swung a leg out, taking the drow's legs out from under him. He only went down on his back because he'd been surprised at her quickness, not expecting that from a human, she knew. Kira grabbed the spear's shaft near the blade and yanked the weapon away hard. She heard it clatter on some rocks before it disappeared down into the chasm. A spear seemed to be sort of a stupid weapon, she thought.
The night elf sprang up quickly and leaped toward her. Despite having lost his spear, the drow didn't seem to be bothered. He appeared to be going to attack her anyway. Kira tried not to shriek but fell backward with a crash onto the hard ground. She knew she was close to the edge of the long fall down and panicked. She closed her eyes and raised her hands to protect herself.
Kira felt the Dru'Galeeth guard land on her, then howl in agony. Her eyes flew open of their own accord, and she stared the dark elf in the eyes. His were wide with horror.
His weight disappeared as he rolled off onto his back then tried to crawl to his hands and knees clutching his midsection. Without conscious planning, Kira attacked. Using the gargoyle martial arts training Ryan had taught her, she struck out hard and fast with kicks at the dark elf while both of them were still on the ground. As he collapsed to his side facing away from her, Kira jumped to her feet. Even though he'd stopped moving, she crouched warily behind a rock waiting for him to stand and attack again.
But he remained still. Taking a deep breath to calm herself she reminded herself that she was training to fight with the immortals now. She wasn't going to let this freak her out. Kira rose and walked slowly over to the prone figure on the ground. She poked at him in the back with her foot but got no response. She listened closely and stared hard but saw no signs of breathing. Then Kira walked around his head to the other side and noticed the blood gushing from his chest and stomach soaking the dark ground.
Kneeling down she knew he was dead. He had deep, wide gashes in his chest that had shredded his skin and muscles. Kira stared in horror at what looked like thick claw marks. How had that happened? No way could she have done that. She stared at her short fingernails only to see there was blood on them. When she went to wipe them on her shirt, she realized her shirt was also soaked with the drow's blood. Ripping her top shirt off by tearing the buttons, Kira threw it aside in horror.
-28-.
His angelic gift of quiet presence allowed Jareth to fade into the Reverie far enough so as not to be sensed by the Dru'Galeeth. He moved unseen and made his way through the city. The angel knew he would have to find Sa'miria on his own, none of his kind knew he was here. Bella had expressly forbid him to have contact with Kira, so Jareth was going against a superior's orders and would be punished if found out. Otherwise he would have used his sixth sense and contacted Heaven for the needed information.
So Jareth listened instead as he made his way through the shadows of the city. He focused on unusual sounds and scents, eventually finding himself at the palace of the Dru'Galeeth king. Once inside, the angel discovered what he was looking for and cringed in anger at the sight. With blood dripping from deep gashes in her arms, the female elf stood with her head down, her blood pooling into two bowls below her. Jareth ran a hand through his tousled hair. He couldn't take out the priests and the other drow, presumably the kind, on his own and expect to free Sa'miria without leaving Kira behind. There was simply no way to get the elf away from the dark elves by himself.
Jareth turned to head back to Kira's hiding place to break the news to her.
So Jareth listened instead as he made his way through the shadows of the city. He focused on unusual sounds and scents, eventually finding himself at the palace of the Dru'Galeeth king. Once inside, the angel discovered what he was looking for and cringed in anger at the sight. With blood dripping from deep gashes in her arms, the female elf stood with her head down, her blood pooling into two bowls below her. Jareth ran a hand through his tousled hair. He couldn't take out the priests and the other drow, presumably the kind, on his own and expect to free Sa'miria without leaving Kira behind. There was simply no way to get the elf away from the dark elves by himself.
Jareth turned to head back to Kira's hiding place to break the news to her.
-29-.
“She's there.” Ryan pointed downward from the ledge overlooking the Dru'Galeeth city.
His voice was neither relieved nor worried, merely stating a fact. But he knew it was a good thing they'd found Kira first. His celestine spirit's protective nature made him want to keep Kira safe, although he felt no true emotions for her.
Ryan stood with Na'ethal and Thomas along with Stefan, and both Lethquesti and Valmori elves. The three Lethquesti elves were the tallest, their eyes varying shades of blue or green with some shade of blond hair and medium shaded skin. Two of the three Valmori had pale skin and brown hair, but the female was more olive skinned and had unusually deep red hair. Their ears were large and pointed.
After receiving Kira's messages, Ryan and Na'ethal had gathered the group quickly, arming themselves for a possible fight with the night elves. No one had had time to change and wore their street clothes.
They watched Kira, dressed only in jeans and a tank top, stand in the shadows and stare out toward the eerily glowing city.
“We'd better alert her we're here,” Thomas suggested. “If we come down behind her, we'll likely frighten her."
* * * * *
Kira heard more noises above her and spun around in fear, expecting more Dru'Galeeth guards. Instead she stared up to the ledge and almost collapsed to the ground in utter relief. She waved as she leaned back against a large rock for temporary support. She saw the eldritch glance at each other and nod.
Suddenly Ryan, Thomas, and one other stepped off the ledge. Kira gasped in panic for a moment, expecting them to plummet to their deaths. Instead all three merely levitated downward in a standing position. Then Na'ethal and the elves sort of leaped and clung to the jutting rocks, shimmying and climbing down effortlessly. Soon the dark-haired girl found herself surrounded by the immortals, seeing all the elves without their masquery. She stood with her back to the city.
“Are you alright? Are you injured?” Ryan asked calmly, since if Kira were physically injured they would have to deal with that before finding Sa'miria.
Kira shook her head. staring around at the elves as well as the male who'd come down with Ryan and Thomas, wondering if any of them had been at the wer's den. She didn't really remember who all was there, save for the eldritch council members.
“I'm...fine,” Kira said, hesitating only briefly. She had just killed a drow after all, although she'd hidden the body already.
Ryan raised his eyebrows but refrained from commenting.
Thomas' police detective training kicked in, and he noticed Kira keeping her hands in her jeans pockets while her eyes flicked guiltily behind them every so often.
Na'ethal moved forward to stand near Kira, and they both turned toward the city. “How did you get so far down here?” he asked gently, thinking of the spiral staircase and the platform illuison. “You're miles under the city and deep into the Reverie.”
“I...I just kept walking,” Kira said, leaving out Jareth's part for now. “I came in where I saw the drow take Sa'miria, that blue door, and kept following the way in.”
Thomas moved slowly away from the group, tapping Ryan on the arm to follow him. He glanced at Ryan for a moment to allow the gargoyle to touch the surface of his mind. I think she's hiding something. Ryan nodded. Thomas inclined his head and walked in the direction Kira had been glancing. It didn't take the two detectives long to find the dead body of the Dru'Galeeth guard, his chest slashed open by ten, deep slash marks.
“What the hell?” Thomas asked in surprise, squatting down to examine the body as if he were on a murder case. "Did Kira do this?"
Ryan half shrugged and shook his head. Whatever kind of immortal Kira was, it must be something with sharp claws, he thought. Then he noticed a shirt laying to the side. He picked it up and saw the blood on the front. Kira's, he figured. Wadding the thin material up, he shoved it into the inside pocket of his light jacket. Leaving Kira's shirt laying around would be bad, leaving her blood as evidence and possibly a clue for the damn night elves would be worse.
* * * * *
A commotion back where they'd left the others caused Ryan and Thomas to slip out of the shadows quickly and on alert. They drew their guns at the sight of Kira standing with her arms stretched protectively out in front of a tall, dark-haired male who had to have stood 6'4” if not more. He really didn't seem to need protecting. Everyone now noticed the blood under and around Kira's short fingernails.
“Stop!” Kira ordered Na'ethal and the elves. All of them had their swords out and pointed at the stranger. “He's with me,” she insisted.
Ryan strode closer, eyes narrowed at the young man. “He is...one of us,” he said evenly. “I recognize him.”
“Yes! Listen to Ryan,” Kira exclaimed in relief. “This is Jareth, he's a...,” she began then felt a nudge on her back. She turned to Jareth and stared up, confused. “What?” she asked him.
Jareth shook his head. This had all gone horribly wrong. He wasn't supposed to be here, now Bella would find out. He knew who the others were, especially the three on the eldritch council.
Thomas saw it first...in his mind. The past and the future...at least what could be the future. “You're a guardian angel,” he stated. “Kira's guardian angel, aren't you? Or you were rather...but no longer. Bella took that away from you.”
The others stared, especially Kira. Jareth hadn't told her that important little tidbit.
Jareth knew the davea was seeing the past and the present, although the future would be up for grabs depending on present actions. But he couldn't lie. Jareth nodded. “I was, yes. But it wasn't my idea to stop protecting Kira,” he added almost defiantly.
“Yes, well, that's not our concern right now,” Ryan commented.
Indeed right now he didn't care why the angel was here, just that he had apparently protected Kira enough to get her this far. Although Ryan did wonder if Jareth was the reason for Kira asking him if he were an angel when he first rescued her from the orc.
Na'ethal nodded in agreement. None of them really cared what the guardian angel's business was. Bella would deal with him if she found out, it was none of their concern about the angels unless it had to do with the Death Knell.
“We need to find Sa'miria. Did you find out anything?” he asked worriedly.
“And get Kira out of here,” Ryan added. She was his first priority.
Jareth nodded and told them the horror he had witnessed.
His voice was neither relieved nor worried, merely stating a fact. But he knew it was a good thing they'd found Kira first. His celestine spirit's protective nature made him want to keep Kira safe, although he felt no true emotions for her.
Ryan stood with Na'ethal and Thomas along with Stefan, and both Lethquesti and Valmori elves. The three Lethquesti elves were the tallest, their eyes varying shades of blue or green with some shade of blond hair and medium shaded skin. Two of the three Valmori had pale skin and brown hair, but the female was more olive skinned and had unusually deep red hair. Their ears were large and pointed.
After receiving Kira's messages, Ryan and Na'ethal had gathered the group quickly, arming themselves for a possible fight with the night elves. No one had had time to change and wore their street clothes.
They watched Kira, dressed only in jeans and a tank top, stand in the shadows and stare out toward the eerily glowing city.
“We'd better alert her we're here,” Thomas suggested. “If we come down behind her, we'll likely frighten her."
* * * * *
Kira heard more noises above her and spun around in fear, expecting more Dru'Galeeth guards. Instead she stared up to the ledge and almost collapsed to the ground in utter relief. She waved as she leaned back against a large rock for temporary support. She saw the eldritch glance at each other and nod.
Suddenly Ryan, Thomas, and one other stepped off the ledge. Kira gasped in panic for a moment, expecting them to plummet to their deaths. Instead all three merely levitated downward in a standing position. Then Na'ethal and the elves sort of leaped and clung to the jutting rocks, shimmying and climbing down effortlessly. Soon the dark-haired girl found herself surrounded by the immortals, seeing all the elves without their masquery. She stood with her back to the city.
“Are you alright? Are you injured?” Ryan asked calmly, since if Kira were physically injured they would have to deal with that before finding Sa'miria.
Kira shook her head. staring around at the elves as well as the male who'd come down with Ryan and Thomas, wondering if any of them had been at the wer's den. She didn't really remember who all was there, save for the eldritch council members.
“I'm...fine,” Kira said, hesitating only briefly. She had just killed a drow after all, although she'd hidden the body already.
Ryan raised his eyebrows but refrained from commenting.
Thomas' police detective training kicked in, and he noticed Kira keeping her hands in her jeans pockets while her eyes flicked guiltily behind them every so often.
Na'ethal moved forward to stand near Kira, and they both turned toward the city. “How did you get so far down here?” he asked gently, thinking of the spiral staircase and the platform illuison. “You're miles under the city and deep into the Reverie.”
“I...I just kept walking,” Kira said, leaving out Jareth's part for now. “I came in where I saw the drow take Sa'miria, that blue door, and kept following the way in.”
Thomas moved slowly away from the group, tapping Ryan on the arm to follow him. He glanced at Ryan for a moment to allow the gargoyle to touch the surface of his mind. I think she's hiding something. Ryan nodded. Thomas inclined his head and walked in the direction Kira had been glancing. It didn't take the two detectives long to find the dead body of the Dru'Galeeth guard, his chest slashed open by ten, deep slash marks.
“What the hell?” Thomas asked in surprise, squatting down to examine the body as if he were on a murder case. "Did Kira do this?"
Ryan half shrugged and shook his head. Whatever kind of immortal Kira was, it must be something with sharp claws, he thought. Then he noticed a shirt laying to the side. He picked it up and saw the blood on the front. Kira's, he figured. Wadding the thin material up, he shoved it into the inside pocket of his light jacket. Leaving Kira's shirt laying around would be bad, leaving her blood as evidence and possibly a clue for the damn night elves would be worse.
* * * * *
A commotion back where they'd left the others caused Ryan and Thomas to slip out of the shadows quickly and on alert. They drew their guns at the sight of Kira standing with her arms stretched protectively out in front of a tall, dark-haired male who had to have stood 6'4” if not more. He really didn't seem to need protecting. Everyone now noticed the blood under and around Kira's short fingernails.
“Stop!” Kira ordered Na'ethal and the elves. All of them had their swords out and pointed at the stranger. “He's with me,” she insisted.
Ryan strode closer, eyes narrowed at the young man. “He is...one of us,” he said evenly. “I recognize him.”
“Yes! Listen to Ryan,” Kira exclaimed in relief. “This is Jareth, he's a...,” she began then felt a nudge on her back. She turned to Jareth and stared up, confused. “What?” she asked him.
Jareth shook his head. This had all gone horribly wrong. He wasn't supposed to be here, now Bella would find out. He knew who the others were, especially the three on the eldritch council.
Thomas saw it first...in his mind. The past and the future...at least what could be the future. “You're a guardian angel,” he stated. “Kira's guardian angel, aren't you? Or you were rather...but no longer. Bella took that away from you.”
The others stared, especially Kira. Jareth hadn't told her that important little tidbit.
Jareth knew the davea was seeing the past and the present, although the future would be up for grabs depending on present actions. But he couldn't lie. Jareth nodded. “I was, yes. But it wasn't my idea to stop protecting Kira,” he added almost defiantly.
“Yes, well, that's not our concern right now,” Ryan commented.
Indeed right now he didn't care why the angel was here, just that he had apparently protected Kira enough to get her this far. Although Ryan did wonder if Jareth was the reason for Kira asking him if he were an angel when he first rescued her from the orc.
Na'ethal nodded in agreement. None of them really cared what the guardian angel's business was. Bella would deal with him if she found out, it was none of their concern about the angels unless it had to do with the Death Knell.
“We need to find Sa'miria. Did you find out anything?” he asked worriedly.
“And get Kira out of here,” Ryan added. She was his first priority.
Jareth nodded and told them the horror he had witnessed.
-30-.
The group of twelve split up and separately crossed the road bridges the led to the city from the rocky outskirts. Although they needed to rescue Sa'miria, there were too many guards and drow for their group to take on in a fight, despite the enhanced abilities of the group. The drow were just as enhanced with preternaturae. The plan was for multiple distractions while Kira, Ryan, Na'ethal, and Thomas headed for the palace where Sa'miria was being tortured. The rest would make their way to the palace as well. Their intention was not to kill but to retrieve...at least this time.
Kira ran between Ryan and Na'ethal across the bridge, trying her hardest not to look down into the abyss below. Although the road was wide enough for some sort of animal or person drawn vehicle, it wasn't a typical sized road. Kira stuck to the very middle, fear churning her stomach. Once they reached the other side, just outside of the main city, Ryan drew them all down behind a large rock.
“Now we wait for the angel,” he said.
Kira had no idea what Jareth was supposed to do for a distraction, just that she'd had to promise him not to look up. In fact none of them could move from their hiding spots until they heard the screams.
Kira ran between Ryan and Na'ethal across the bridge, trying her hardest not to look down into the abyss below. Although the road was wide enough for some sort of animal or person drawn vehicle, it wasn't a typical sized road. Kira stuck to the very middle, fear churning her stomach. Once they reached the other side, just outside of the main city, Ryan drew them all down behind a large rock.
“Now we wait for the angel,” he said.
Kira had no idea what Jareth was supposed to do for a distraction, just that she'd had to promise him not to look up. In fact none of them could move from their hiding spots until they heard the screams.
Jareth stepped out from the Reverie in the midst of the market district of the shadowy drow city, the glow from the fungi that served as lights making the tall angel even more startling. He wasted no time as the dark elves froze and stared at him. He didn't give them time to react. Jareth rose up into the air, staring down and called upon his wrath form: a form that was fierce, powerful, and terrible to behold. While not demonic, it was horrific enough to be something that the human and immortal mind could not comprehend. Jareth let loose a portion of his higher dimensional reality: the fearsome appearance and feelings of profound despair and terror he released spread across the drow in an instant.
Confusion and intense fear rippled through the area and those who lay eyes on Jareth began to scream, bolting inside buildings, cowering where they had stood, throwing themselves to the ground, or simply running from the sickening feelings that overcame them.
Confusion and intense fear rippled through the area and those who lay eyes on Jareth began to scream, bolting inside buildings, cowering where they had stood, throwing themselves to the ground, or simply running from the sickening feelings that overcame them.
-31-.
When he heard the screams, Keth'aer and the other two Lethquesti elves sprang into action. They stepped out from behind their hiding place near the guard buildings. They knew the alert would go out immediately for all the Dru'Galeeth guards to converge on the location of the screams. Although somewhat delicate looking, Keth'aer was as strong and agile as any elf. He positioned himself in the center of the other two, all armed with their bow and arrows, as the guards began to pour out of their small barracks.
His bright sea green eyes focused on the guards, Keth'aer began to hum and sing quietly, using the same enchanting voice wyrd that he'd used to calm Kira at the wer's den. He began to attract the drow toward him. They stopped running and turned toward the blond elf as if in a daze, their eyes unfocused. So long as he continued singing they would remain sedated. In a few minutes, he and the other two elves could disappear into the darkness of the city toward the palace, while the effects slowly wore off the Dru'Galeeth. Hopefully the entire group would be far away by the time the guards regained their senses.
His bright sea green eyes focused on the guards, Keth'aer began to hum and sing quietly, using the same enchanting voice wyrd that he'd used to calm Kira at the wer's den. He began to attract the drow toward him. They stopped running and turned toward the blond elf as if in a daze, their eyes unfocused. So long as he continued singing they would remain sedated. In a few minutes, he and the other two elves could disappear into the darkness of the city toward the palace, while the effects slowly wore off the Dru'Galeeth. Hopefully the entire group would be far away by the time the guards regained their senses.
-32-.
Two Valmori elves had taken their place at the other end of the city. When the time came they ran silently through the streets. The screams could be heard echoing off the top of the huge cavern and one of the elves made certain every drow they passed saw him. He held out his hands, watching as whoever saw him immediately stopped and stared. Under his domination wyrd, all they could do was watch. They would eventually come out of it sometime after he was out of sight, but for now the two Valmori had a clear path to the wall that surrounded the inner part of the city, the section where the palace was located.
-33-.
Ky'ali, the third Valmori in the rescue party, waited until Jareth had ceased showing his wrath form, and the drow were quivering, frightened figures on the ground. Long red hair streaming behind her, she ran through the narrow streets heading for the sounds of the approaching guards on duty. She heard the angel behind her. As Ky'ali spotted the first of the guards, she drew her hands into fists as if grabbing something in the air and pulled them toward her.
The guards suddenly stopped, crashing into each other as the darkness enveloped them and they could no longer see through it. There was enough darkness that Ky'ali didn't need to create shadows and darkness, she merely made use of what was around her. She leaped to the side and rebounded off the walls of buildings, then easily cleared the confused mass of guards with a somersault. When she landed on the other side, she paused to listen to them stumble, yell, and fight the shadowy figures that she'd created around them in the inky darkness. Jareth landed next to her.
“Come on,” Ky'ali gestured. “I hear more guards ahead, then we should be at the wall.” She prepared to pull forth more darkness.
The guards suddenly stopped, crashing into each other as the darkness enveloped them and they could no longer see through it. There was enough darkness that Ky'ali didn't need to create shadows and darkness, she merely made use of what was around her. She leaped to the side and rebounded off the walls of buildings, then easily cleared the confused mass of guards with a somersault. When she landed on the other side, she paused to listen to them stumble, yell, and fight the shadowy figures that she'd created around them in the inky darkness. Jareth landed next to her.
“Come on,” Ky'ali gestured. “I hear more guards ahead, then we should be at the wall.” She prepared to pull forth more darkness.
-34-.
Ryan pulled Kira up from her crouch, thinking it would be better if she weren't here but expecting her to do her part since she was. He ran with Kira behind him, heading up the main market street followed by Thomas and Na'ethal. If Kira hadn't been with them, they could have moved much faster; however, Ryan observed that she ran faster than a typical human could. He wondered if she even noticed.
With the distractions happening around them, it was fairly easy to reach the gates of the inner city. Kira noticed that no one tried to stop them. It was disturbing to watch the drow cowering on the ground as they ran passed them, but she hoped no one was seriously injured. She knew she ought not to feel that way...after all the Dru'Galeeth had kidnapped Sa'miria; but she wanted to believe that not everyone down here was aware of that fact.
“Don't let them fool you, Kira,” Thomas said to her as they ran. He'd noticed her looking from side to side and the concerned expression on her face. “They're evil creatures. Darkness is in all their hearts and souls. Dru'Galeeth are known among the elves as the best poisoners, torturers, and assassins. And they keep slaves,” he added.
Kira glanced at the daeva, even more confused now. Not everyone of any one race was evil, they couldn't be. Surely there were good and bad, as in any group of people. Then again, perhaps immortals were different. Kira pushed it from her mind, needing her concentration to help with rescusing Sa'miria.
With the distractions happening around them, it was fairly easy to reach the gates of the inner city. Kira noticed that no one tried to stop them. It was disturbing to watch the drow cowering on the ground as they ran passed them, but she hoped no one was seriously injured. She knew she ought not to feel that way...after all the Dru'Galeeth had kidnapped Sa'miria; but she wanted to believe that not everyone down here was aware of that fact.
“Don't let them fool you, Kira,” Thomas said to her as they ran. He'd noticed her looking from side to side and the concerned expression on her face. “They're evil creatures. Darkness is in all their hearts and souls. Dru'Galeeth are known among the elves as the best poisoners, torturers, and assassins. And they keep slaves,” he added.
Kira glanced at the daeva, even more confused now. Not everyone of any one race was evil, they couldn't be. Surely there were good and bad, as in any group of people. Then again, perhaps immortals were different. Kira pushed it from her mind, needing her concentration to help with rescusing Sa'miria.
-35-.
Stefan reached the gate first, coming up behind the two elves where one was dominating and dazzling the drow into submission. He passed them when the way was clear and skidded to halt in front of the gate and stone wall built into the rock. No way was the group going over, not with the huge, sharp sickles placed evenly across the top. As the first of the bow and arrow armed guards rose up on their platform on the other side, Stefan generated a wave of psychic energy from his mind. All the guards he could see suddenly tumbled back, stunned. He heard them fall, but the damage would fade before too long.
Behind him Ryan and the others appeared at a fast run. Ryan kicked at the smaller gate that had been closed and locked, his granite skeleton under his human-looking simulacrum shattering the entire structure. The wall between the sections of the city was mostly natural, so there wasn't a real difference between the inner and outer city as far as the citizens were concerned. The gate was normally kept open.
Once inside, the rest of the immortals joined forces. Ryan led his group directly for the ramp that led to the king's palace, while the rest created havoc and chaos behind them. Ryan, Na'ethal, and Thomas, and even Kira took out several guards that attempted to bar their way. In the confusion they had a fairly clear path to their destination.
Thomas created a field of silence around the four of them, preventing their approach being heard from anyone inside. Stopping at the massive, wooden front doors, Ryan used his thermal vision to see inside. He spotted only four guards on patrol, apparently not having heard the chaos outside yet.
Ryan turned to the others. “Na'ethal, you take Kira and get to Sa'miria. Jareth said he saw her in the main throne room. Thomas and I will deal with the guards inside.”
When the other two eldritch agreed, the two police detectives broke down the doors. It was then the guards heard the commotion in the city down below. Na'ethal was disgusted...albeit grateful...with Val'ton's lax attention to what was going on in his city. Apparently no one had been able to warn him yet.
"Run, Kira!" Na'ethal shouted. "Head for those doors there!"
Behind him Ryan and the others appeared at a fast run. Ryan kicked at the smaller gate that had been closed and locked, his granite skeleton under his human-looking simulacrum shattering the entire structure. The wall between the sections of the city was mostly natural, so there wasn't a real difference between the inner and outer city as far as the citizens were concerned. The gate was normally kept open.
Once inside, the rest of the immortals joined forces. Ryan led his group directly for the ramp that led to the king's palace, while the rest created havoc and chaos behind them. Ryan, Na'ethal, and Thomas, and even Kira took out several guards that attempted to bar their way. In the confusion they had a fairly clear path to their destination.
Thomas created a field of silence around the four of them, preventing their approach being heard from anyone inside. Stopping at the massive, wooden front doors, Ryan used his thermal vision to see inside. He spotted only four guards on patrol, apparently not having heard the chaos outside yet.
Ryan turned to the others. “Na'ethal, you take Kira and get to Sa'miria. Jareth said he saw her in the main throne room. Thomas and I will deal with the guards inside.”
When the other two eldritch agreed, the two police detectives broke down the doors. It was then the guards heard the commotion in the city down below. Na'ethal was disgusted...albeit grateful...with Val'ton's lax attention to what was going on in his city. Apparently no one had been able to warn him yet.
"Run, Kira!" Na'ethal shouted. "Head for those doors there!"
-36-.
Although still standing upright between the stone pillars, Sa'miria was mostly being held up by the tentacles wrapped around her body, the suckers adhering painfully to her bare skin. The gashes in her forearms were still dripping blood into the bowls, the procedure having been in progress for roughly ten minutes now. But that blood was merely for the ritual. The needle sticking into her vein was slowly draining the blood from her body into a bag attached to a small machine. When done the machine would be reversed, pumping the blood back into Val'ton's body when Sa'miria was dead.
Despite her pain and slow slip into unconsciousness, the Valmori elf was able to pick up the commotion outside the throne room. Her senses were even greater than the normally enhanced senses of the elves, and she heard the sound of a familiar voice shouting.
The commotion caught the attention of Val'ton and the priests. He ordered them to continue and went to investigate, angry at being interrupted. His damn guards should have kept everyone and anyone out of the palace. The Dru'Galeeth king flung open the huge doors.
Summoning all her remaining strength, now that she knew help had arrived, Sa'miria focused her energy on the chains around her ankles. The chains were metal and metal was matter...matter that Sa'miria could control. First the link around one shackle shattered, then the other, and her legs were free. But she was still held up by the tentacles. The stone pillars began to vibrate and rock back and forth. Suddenly one tumbled over, crushing one of the priests beneath the heavy object. It broke apart and scattered across the floor.
The other two priests looked on in fear for a moment, then stepped back and began to chant.
Sa'miria could feel the dark magick of the drow begin to crawl up her legs to render her immobile, but she gathered the last of her strength and stared at the floor. Underneath the tiled floor was earth...and the dirt was more matter. Suddenly there was a piercing wail and reverberating shriek as the holes allowing the creature's tentacles to reach her closed into nothingness. The tentacles remained attached to Sa'miria for a moment before falling away, now detached from the monster below.
Just as the Valmori elf collapsed to the floor, bloody, half naked, and blistered with sucker marks, Na'ethal crashed into the room. He slammed his fist into Val'ton's face, knocking the drow king backward. Kira ducked into the room and gasped in horror at the crumpled form of Sa'miria. She was sprawled out, her long hair fanned around her, her body ravaged by torture. Out in the main room, Ryan and Thomas finished nearly killing the four guards, then ran in behind Na'ethal.
The drow priests ran from the room.
“Let them go!” yelled Na'ethal as he knelt down next to Sa'miria and Kira. He gently brushed the elf's hair away as he leaned over her. “Don't let him get away, though,” the elf said, showing his anger, pointing to the retreating drow king.
“Is she alive?” Kira asked in fear.
The elven doctor nodded and tore off his shirt, leaving himself bare chested. With Kira's help, they quickly got it on Sa'miria and tucked it around her. Although the elves were not embarrassed by showing the body unclothed, they might end up somewhere in the Real World where it would be inappropriate to have Sa'miria mostly naked. Na'ethal scooped the tall elf easily into his arms, cradling her against his chest.
The rest of the rescue team burst into the room just as Ryan yanked Val'ton over. They stood in a quick huddle for a moment, hearing the massing of guards outside the palace doors. Much of the chaos had worn off and the drow were regaining their senses.
“Grab her blood, all of it,” Na'ethal ordered in general. “We can't leave it behind.”
He knew the magick of Sa'miria lay in her blood. He needed to get it cleaned and back into her body, or at the very least not leave it for the drow. Three of the elves grabbed the two bowls and one bag.
Ryan stared at the drow king. “Now you get us out of here. There's bound to be secret passages and easier ways to the surface. Use one of them,” he ordered menacingly.
“Like hell I will!” Val'ton shouted.
Then the drow king felt himself grabbed and punched in the face. He turned to see a daeva. Despite the blood running from his nose, he could smell what the other immortal was.
“He may not have emotions,” Thomas growled threateningly, “but I do. And I'm pissed that we even had to come here because of you. So start walking...NOW! Or you die an excruciating death.”
Despite her pain and slow slip into unconsciousness, the Valmori elf was able to pick up the commotion outside the throne room. Her senses were even greater than the normally enhanced senses of the elves, and she heard the sound of a familiar voice shouting.
The commotion caught the attention of Val'ton and the priests. He ordered them to continue and went to investigate, angry at being interrupted. His damn guards should have kept everyone and anyone out of the palace. The Dru'Galeeth king flung open the huge doors.
Summoning all her remaining strength, now that she knew help had arrived, Sa'miria focused her energy on the chains around her ankles. The chains were metal and metal was matter...matter that Sa'miria could control. First the link around one shackle shattered, then the other, and her legs were free. But she was still held up by the tentacles. The stone pillars began to vibrate and rock back and forth. Suddenly one tumbled over, crushing one of the priests beneath the heavy object. It broke apart and scattered across the floor.
The other two priests looked on in fear for a moment, then stepped back and began to chant.
Sa'miria could feel the dark magick of the drow begin to crawl up her legs to render her immobile, but she gathered the last of her strength and stared at the floor. Underneath the tiled floor was earth...and the dirt was more matter. Suddenly there was a piercing wail and reverberating shriek as the holes allowing the creature's tentacles to reach her closed into nothingness. The tentacles remained attached to Sa'miria for a moment before falling away, now detached from the monster below.
Just as the Valmori elf collapsed to the floor, bloody, half naked, and blistered with sucker marks, Na'ethal crashed into the room. He slammed his fist into Val'ton's face, knocking the drow king backward. Kira ducked into the room and gasped in horror at the crumpled form of Sa'miria. She was sprawled out, her long hair fanned around her, her body ravaged by torture. Out in the main room, Ryan and Thomas finished nearly killing the four guards, then ran in behind Na'ethal.
The drow priests ran from the room.
“Let them go!” yelled Na'ethal as he knelt down next to Sa'miria and Kira. He gently brushed the elf's hair away as he leaned over her. “Don't let him get away, though,” the elf said, showing his anger, pointing to the retreating drow king.
“Is she alive?” Kira asked in fear.
The elven doctor nodded and tore off his shirt, leaving himself bare chested. With Kira's help, they quickly got it on Sa'miria and tucked it around her. Although the elves were not embarrassed by showing the body unclothed, they might end up somewhere in the Real World where it would be inappropriate to have Sa'miria mostly naked. Na'ethal scooped the tall elf easily into his arms, cradling her against his chest.
The rest of the rescue team burst into the room just as Ryan yanked Val'ton over. They stood in a quick huddle for a moment, hearing the massing of guards outside the palace doors. Much of the chaos had worn off and the drow were regaining their senses.
“Grab her blood, all of it,” Na'ethal ordered in general. “We can't leave it behind.”
He knew the magick of Sa'miria lay in her blood. He needed to get it cleaned and back into her body, or at the very least not leave it for the drow. Three of the elves grabbed the two bowls and one bag.
Ryan stared at the drow king. “Now you get us out of here. There's bound to be secret passages and easier ways to the surface. Use one of them,” he ordered menacingly.
“Like hell I will!” Val'ton shouted.
Then the drow king felt himself grabbed and punched in the face. He turned to see a daeva. Despite the blood running from his nose, he could smell what the other immortal was.
“He may not have emotions,” Thomas growled threateningly, “but I do. And I'm pissed that we even had to come here because of you. So start walking...NOW! Or you die an excruciating death.”
-37-.
When the group reached closer to the surface using a different tunnel and ramps upward, Ryan stopped them. They'd just come up a final ramp that had one side of it open to the ground far below.
“We're close,” he said. “I can hear the city above us. I guess we don't need you anymore,” he commented to Val'ton.
Suddenly Ryan pushed Val'ton over the edge. Kira jerked and gasped in shock as she listened to his screams as he plummeted. She so hadn't been expecting that form of brutality and death.
“Oh crap!” she hissed. “Thomas told him he would die only if he didn't help us! What the hell?!”
Ryan raised an eyebrow and shrugged.
Thomas laughed slightly. “Don't worry, Kira...he'll live. He'll be injured and take awhile to heal, but he'll live.”
“Unfortunately,” Na'ethal added. “Then he'll be pissed, too.”
When Sa'miria moaned, the group got moving and headed for the tunnel exit from the sewers that would take them back into nighttime New Bellwich.
“We're close,” he said. “I can hear the city above us. I guess we don't need you anymore,” he commented to Val'ton.
Suddenly Ryan pushed Val'ton over the edge. Kira jerked and gasped in shock as she listened to his screams as he plummeted. She so hadn't been expecting that form of brutality and death.
“Oh crap!” she hissed. “Thomas told him he would die only if he didn't help us! What the hell?!”
Ryan raised an eyebrow and shrugged.
Thomas laughed slightly. “Don't worry, Kira...he'll live. He'll be injured and take awhile to heal, but he'll live.”
“Unfortunately,” Na'ethal added. “Then he'll be pissed, too.”
When Sa'miria moaned, the group got moving and headed for the tunnel exit from the sewers that would take them back into nighttime New Bellwich.
-38-.
Na'ethal, Ryan, Kira, Jareth, Thomas, and the two male Valmori elves headed back to the doctor's private clinic. They drove through the night in parade of vehicles. They'd had to add Sa'miria and Kira's cars to the rest of theirs. Sa'miria was placed into one of the private, second floor recovery rooms that only the elven staff took care of.
She lay on the bed cleaned up, bandaged, and covered with a soft blanket and conscious. Her blood was being transfused back into her, her body accepting and further cleaning the magickal blood as it entered. The elf smiled up at Na'ethal. They'd spoken of how she ended up in the drow city and why. Kira had been amazed by the story.
“I never thought I'd end up here as a patient,” Sa'miria joked. Her eyes had gone back to glowing red instead of blood red.
“Yes, well, as I told Kira several days ago...let's not make a habit of it, shall we?” the elven doctor said, taking Sa'miria's hand gently in his own.
She lay on the bed cleaned up, bandaged, and covered with a soft blanket and conscious. Her blood was being transfused back into her, her body accepting and further cleaning the magickal blood as it entered. The elf smiled up at Na'ethal. They'd spoken of how she ended up in the drow city and why. Kira had been amazed by the story.
“I never thought I'd end up here as a patient,” Sa'miria joked. Her eyes had gone back to glowing red instead of blood red.
“Yes, well, as I told Kira several days ago...let's not make a habit of it, shall we?” the elven doctor said, taking Sa'miria's hand gently in his own.
-39-.
Outside the door a figure listened. No one had heard him, surprisingly, so Cade had merely stood and learned. He'd been out of bed during the day, moving slowly but feeling better...and bored. He'd watched television and movies for as long as he could, wanting to know what Kira was up to but unwilling to call her. The demon hunter was afraid he'd be rejected as he'd not heard from Kira since she left early yesterday morning. Dressed in his jeans and a t-shirt, Cade had been wandering the halls of the clinic's second floor barefoot, trying to pass the time when he heard Kira and the others return.
Cade peeked in through the crack in the door, seeing Kira, Ryan, and Na'ethal standing around the bed. A female elf, obvious even to Cade, with intricate scars on her face and red eyes lay talking to them.
* * *
Sa'miria laughed lightly. “I'll do my best...unless you don't come to visit more often,” she smiled at Na'ethal. “Then this may be the only chance I have to see you.”
Then Sa'miria turned to Kira and took the young girl's hand. “Thank you,” she said sincerely. “If you hadn't followed me...,” the elf shook her head. “You and Jareth. I don't think I'd be alive right now. That's quite the guardian angel you have there.”
Kira blushed and was about to shake her head no, but Sa'miria held Kira's hand to her cheek.
“Don't lessen your part in this,” she said. “You did well, for a half immortal,” she then joked lightly.
Kira laughed suddenly. “You're welcome then. Just, next time we go shopping, we don't split up.”
“Agreed,” Sa'miria said. “Now, I need to enter gleefasil to heal.”
Kira glanced at Na'ethal curiously.
“It's the elven state of rest,” he explained. “A hibernation state of slowed body functions and deep relaxation. We don't actually sleep.”
“Ah,” Kira said.
* * *
Cade ducked away from the door when he heard talk of the elf resting. His room was situated so that he'd have to cross in front of the door to reach it, so he hurried toward the stairs that led to the main level. No one had ever said he had to stay on the second floor, and since the clinic was closed Cade knew there'd be no one downstairs.
He found an empty room off the main lobby and ducked into it. It was a smaller waiting room of sorts. He had to think about what he'd heard about Kira. Was it really true? Was she one of them now?
Cade peeked in through the crack in the door, seeing Kira, Ryan, and Na'ethal standing around the bed. A female elf, obvious even to Cade, with intricate scars on her face and red eyes lay talking to them.
* * *
Sa'miria laughed lightly. “I'll do my best...unless you don't come to visit more often,” she smiled at Na'ethal. “Then this may be the only chance I have to see you.”
Then Sa'miria turned to Kira and took the young girl's hand. “Thank you,” she said sincerely. “If you hadn't followed me...,” the elf shook her head. “You and Jareth. I don't think I'd be alive right now. That's quite the guardian angel you have there.”
Kira blushed and was about to shake her head no, but Sa'miria held Kira's hand to her cheek.
“Don't lessen your part in this,” she said. “You did well, for a half immortal,” she then joked lightly.
Kira laughed suddenly. “You're welcome then. Just, next time we go shopping, we don't split up.”
“Agreed,” Sa'miria said. “Now, I need to enter gleefasil to heal.”
Kira glanced at Na'ethal curiously.
“It's the elven state of rest,” he explained. “A hibernation state of slowed body functions and deep relaxation. We don't actually sleep.”
“Ah,” Kira said.
* * *
Cade ducked away from the door when he heard talk of the elf resting. His room was situated so that he'd have to cross in front of the door to reach it, so he hurried toward the stairs that led to the main level. No one had ever said he had to stay on the second floor, and since the clinic was closed Cade knew there'd be no one downstairs.
He found an empty room off the main lobby and ducked into it. It was a smaller waiting room of sorts. He had to think about what he'd heard about Kira. Was it really true? Was she one of them now?
-40-.
Kira reached the bottom of the stairs and turned toward the back of the clinic where Jareth and Thomas were waiting. She'd had a thousand thoughts running through her mind on her way down.
She certainly hadn't completely accepted her new status as half immortal, but rescuing Sa'miria had shown her how it might be at least advantageous. She'd been able to run faster than normal and even fight. Her enhanced hearing had allowed her to hear that guard before he attacked her, although she still didn't know how she'd killed him. Kira knew she had a lot to learn still, and she wanted to know exactly what she was.
Plus she'd met Jareth, who despite being a guardian angel...at one time, her guardian angel apparently...seemed like he could be a friend. He was certainly good-looking, even if that was just his earthly form...it was still quite the form. Kira blushed to herself. She shouldn't be thinking like that about an angel!
She wondered what her life had been like before the fire and her parents' deaths. Was she immortal then and didn't remember? Who exactly was she? Kira wanted to find Cade and talk to him about this...she'd visit his room before she left the clinic.
Not quite ready to face everyone, Kira ducked into a small side room to be alone for a few moments. She jumped slightly when she realized there was someone else in the room with her.
“Cade! Jesus, you scared the crap out of me,” Kira breathed. But she felt pleased inside to see him.
“So, you're one of them now? I heard the elf talking up in her room,” Cade said abruptly in a strange tone of voice. Then he felt a heaviness in the pit of his stomach. He hadn't meant to say it like that.
The way Cade looked at her when he said that made Kira step back. She blinked in surprise. She'd expected him to...well, she hadn't known what to expect really. She'd hoped he'd be okay with the idea. Now that she had begun accepting her fate..she didn't like it but she accepted it..she'd wanted to share it with him. Jareth and Sa'miria had accepted her.
“Why do you say it like that?” she asked, anger creeping into her voice. “ 'Them', as if it's something horrible. There's good and bad eldritch, too, you know, just like humans. Besides, I'm only half, I'm still...well, human, you know. I just...,” Kira trailed off.
Cade was just staring at her.
Cade wasn't sure how he felt about this. He and Kira, they'd been the same, humans helping to fight demons...equal in that way. He was, of course, stronger and more knowledgeable...and well, better at demon hunting..but still they'd been...mortal. Would she have special powers and more strength now? More than him? What would be the use of him staying around then? He'd almost decided to stay. Now Kira wouldn't need him anymore.
“I guess you won't need me to help you, then,” he said with a laugh. But the humor didn't reach his face.
“Cade! How can say that?” Kira exclaimed, hurt.
“Sounds like you did alright without me helping fight those drow,” he reminded her, partly amazed at how easily saying 'drow' came out. “You and your angel apparently work well together.”
Kira realized that Cade had heard the entire conversation in Sa'miria's room.
“You were still recovering, you idiot!” Kira snapped. “I wanted you to be with...,” she started then paused. Screw him then, she wasn't going to admit she'd been wishing he was with her. “Look, if you don't want to hang around and help, then don't. You prefer to work alone anyway,” she reminded him sarcastically. “But if you don't want to be here because I'm...the way I am, then just admit it.”
“Kira...it's just...you're different now..,” Cade began, unable to explain what he really was thinking.
She wouldn't need him.
“I'm still me! Different isn't always bad, Cade,” Kira added tartly.
Cade didn't answer because he was trying to bring himself to admit he felt inferior to Kira now, useless to her. How could he protect her?
It didn't occur to Cade they could work together, so accustomed he was to being the one doing the saving.
Kira took his silence as a rejection of her. She stamped her foot in frustration. “Bastard,” she said cooly. “Fine, leave then. See if I care.”
Kira rushed past him out of the small room before he could stop her.
She certainly hadn't completely accepted her new status as half immortal, but rescuing Sa'miria had shown her how it might be at least advantageous. She'd been able to run faster than normal and even fight. Her enhanced hearing had allowed her to hear that guard before he attacked her, although she still didn't know how she'd killed him. Kira knew she had a lot to learn still, and she wanted to know exactly what she was.
Plus she'd met Jareth, who despite being a guardian angel...at one time, her guardian angel apparently...seemed like he could be a friend. He was certainly good-looking, even if that was just his earthly form...it was still quite the form. Kira blushed to herself. She shouldn't be thinking like that about an angel!
She wondered what her life had been like before the fire and her parents' deaths. Was she immortal then and didn't remember? Who exactly was she? Kira wanted to find Cade and talk to him about this...she'd visit his room before she left the clinic.
Not quite ready to face everyone, Kira ducked into a small side room to be alone for a few moments. She jumped slightly when she realized there was someone else in the room with her.
“Cade! Jesus, you scared the crap out of me,” Kira breathed. But she felt pleased inside to see him.
“So, you're one of them now? I heard the elf talking up in her room,” Cade said abruptly in a strange tone of voice. Then he felt a heaviness in the pit of his stomach. He hadn't meant to say it like that.
The way Cade looked at her when he said that made Kira step back. She blinked in surprise. She'd expected him to...well, she hadn't known what to expect really. She'd hoped he'd be okay with the idea. Now that she had begun accepting her fate..she didn't like it but she accepted it..she'd wanted to share it with him. Jareth and Sa'miria had accepted her.
“Why do you say it like that?” she asked, anger creeping into her voice. “ 'Them', as if it's something horrible. There's good and bad eldritch, too, you know, just like humans. Besides, I'm only half, I'm still...well, human, you know. I just...,” Kira trailed off.
Cade was just staring at her.
Cade wasn't sure how he felt about this. He and Kira, they'd been the same, humans helping to fight demons...equal in that way. He was, of course, stronger and more knowledgeable...and well, better at demon hunting..but still they'd been...mortal. Would she have special powers and more strength now? More than him? What would be the use of him staying around then? He'd almost decided to stay. Now Kira wouldn't need him anymore.
“I guess you won't need me to help you, then,” he said with a laugh. But the humor didn't reach his face.
“Cade! How can say that?” Kira exclaimed, hurt.
“Sounds like you did alright without me helping fight those drow,” he reminded her, partly amazed at how easily saying 'drow' came out. “You and your angel apparently work well together.”
Kira realized that Cade had heard the entire conversation in Sa'miria's room.
“You were still recovering, you idiot!” Kira snapped. “I wanted you to be with...,” she started then paused. Screw him then, she wasn't going to admit she'd been wishing he was with her. “Look, if you don't want to hang around and help, then don't. You prefer to work alone anyway,” she reminded him sarcastically. “But if you don't want to be here because I'm...the way I am, then just admit it.”
“Kira...it's just...you're different now..,” Cade began, unable to explain what he really was thinking.
She wouldn't need him.
“I'm still me! Different isn't always bad, Cade,” Kira added tartly.
Cade didn't answer because he was trying to bring himself to admit he felt inferior to Kira now, useless to her. How could he protect her?
It didn't occur to Cade they could work together, so accustomed he was to being the one doing the saving.
Kira took his silence as a rejection of her. She stamped her foot in frustration. “Bastard,” she said cooly. “Fine, leave then. See if I care.”
Kira rushed past him out of the small room before he could stop her.
-41-.
“Son of a bitch!” Cade swore, more at himself than anything.
He turned to punch the wall nearest the door, his fist balled up tightly.
A hand stopped his. His fist hit a long-fingered palm. Cade smacked the hand and yelled. He shook out his hand in pain and did an awkward sort of dance.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“You just hit a rock. I'm not surprised it hurts,” Ryan commented, watching Cade work though the pain. “Is it broken?”
“No,” Cade said through clenched teeth, flexing his hand open and closed. “Christ, what the hell was that?” he asked. “Your hand...,”
“Kira hasn't told you,” Ryan stated the obvious.
“Uh...apparently not, since I have no freakin' clue what you're talking about,” Cade snapped.
“I'm not human, boy. I'm a gargoyle...you've seen the wings, right? At Cassandra's?”
Cade looked with surprise. “Dude...seriously?” He nearly reached out to poke at Ryan then thought he'd prefer to keep all his fingers. His hand still stung from the impact against Ryan's fist. And he could faintly see the black, feathered wings flickering in and out of existence.
“You can learn about gargoyles later,” Ryan decided. “But, yes, seriously. You will learn I do not joke around, as they say.”
“Huh,” Cade said.
“Now why did Kira nearly knock me down on her way out?” Ryan asked, leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. “And why were there tears running down her cheeks?”
“Why do girls have to be so emotional and jump to conclusions when someone is trying to gather their thoughts?” Cade asked in return.
Ryan raised his eyebrows.
“Kira's hardly a girl, she's a young woman,” Ryan said.
Cade just glared. A risky move considering he was glaring at a gargolye, a police detective, and Kira's uncle—three protective males rolled into one apparently super strong body.
Cade found himself blurting out what was on his mind, surprising himself. He covered the basics, not one to elaborate on his feelings on the rare occasions he spoke about them. But talking to Ryan was easy. The man was rational and logical.
He turned to punch the wall nearest the door, his fist balled up tightly.
A hand stopped his. His fist hit a long-fingered palm. Cade smacked the hand and yelled. He shook out his hand in pain and did an awkward sort of dance.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“You just hit a rock. I'm not surprised it hurts,” Ryan commented, watching Cade work though the pain. “Is it broken?”
“No,” Cade said through clenched teeth, flexing his hand open and closed. “Christ, what the hell was that?” he asked. “Your hand...,”
“Kira hasn't told you,” Ryan stated the obvious.
“Uh...apparently not, since I have no freakin' clue what you're talking about,” Cade snapped.
“I'm not human, boy. I'm a gargoyle...you've seen the wings, right? At Cassandra's?”
Cade looked with surprise. “Dude...seriously?” He nearly reached out to poke at Ryan then thought he'd prefer to keep all his fingers. His hand still stung from the impact against Ryan's fist. And he could faintly see the black, feathered wings flickering in and out of existence.
“You can learn about gargoyles later,” Ryan decided. “But, yes, seriously. You will learn I do not joke around, as they say.”
“Huh,” Cade said.
“Now why did Kira nearly knock me down on her way out?” Ryan asked, leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. “And why were there tears running down her cheeks?”
“Why do girls have to be so emotional and jump to conclusions when someone is trying to gather their thoughts?” Cade asked in return.
Ryan raised his eyebrows.
“Kira's hardly a girl, she's a young woman,” Ryan said.
Cade just glared. A risky move considering he was glaring at a gargolye, a police detective, and Kira's uncle—three protective males rolled into one apparently super strong body.
Cade found himself blurting out what was on his mind, surprising himself. He covered the basics, not one to elaborate on his feelings on the rare occasions he spoke about them. But talking to Ryan was easy. The man was rational and logical.
-42-.
Cade found Kira in the back kitchen area talking quietly with an amazingly tall male. He towered over Kira protectively, listening intently. His hair was tousled, and he was too pretty-boy for Cade to take seriously. But the way he was gently comforting Kira, even if she wasn't in his arms and crying, caused Cade to worry that he'd lost her already. Damn, that was probably Jareth, the freakin' guardian angel.
Cade almost lost his nerve, even after the advice from Ryan, but then he found his balls and strode into the room.
Cade almost lost his nerve, even after the advice from Ryan, but then he found his balls and strode into the room.
-43-.
When Kira saw Cade she experienced a range of emotions all at once. Anger at what he'd said, relief that he was here still and had come looking for her, embarrassment at the way she'd just run out of the room like a silly girl, and awkwardness at having both Cade and Jareth in the same room. Afterall, she had already admitted to herself that she liked her new angel friend.
Cade walked over to her, ignoring the tall angel. As he looked like a regular human, Cade could pretend that's exactly what he was. He saw Jareth straighten up, his height truly staggering...like some huge freaky Sasquatch or something. If he was trying to intimidate Cade, it wasn't working.
“Kira...I'm sorry. I...” he blurted out then paused. The words wouldn't come. “Look, this is hard,” he said, his voice rough and embarrassed.
“Try,” Kira encouraged softly. “I want to hear what you have to say, Cade.”
Cade wanted to punch Jareth in the face and make him go away, the way he was hovering over Kira. He glared at the other male.
“I...look, it's just that I was afraid you wouldn't need me anymore, now that you're immortal and all that,” he began. “I wasn't sure you would want me to help you.”
“Oh, Cade,” Kira began. She sort of melted when his voice took on that rough growl she was becoming all to familiar with, the one where he seemed hesitant to express his feelings.
“Well, seeing as you're only a human, you really can't,” Jareth interjected.
The angel didn't like this mortal. Not after Kira had come in so upset a little while ago. She hadn't told him much, just that Cade hadn't been as accepting as she'd hoped. Now here the bastard was trying to get back into her life. Jareth would just as soon he leave New Bellwich. It had been bad enough that one night watching Cade almost kiss Kira outside the vampire's adyta, but to have him in her life all the time. Jareth found himself feeling jealous.
While not perfect, angels were closer to perfection than mere mortals. Yet on earth, Jareth was subject to certain temptations of the flesh like anyone else. His problem, the one lapse in judgment that he had were his feelings toward Kira. Feelings he'd had ever since he met her. That was the reason Bella had taken him away from guarding Kira. Jareth couldn't be impartial. By having feelings about a human, Jareth was acting against the Divine...an imperfection that could get him cast down as a demon or imprisoned on earth if it went too far.
“Jareth!” Kira exclaimed, shocked at his attitude toward Cade. “You need to give us a minute alone now,” she insisted, seeing that Cade was hesitant in front of the other man, well, angel.
Once Jareth had disappeared...he hadn't simply walked out of the room, he'd just vanished into the Reverie...Cade growled.
“Look, Kira, I really am sorry!” he exclaimed, uncomfortable with all this sharing of feelings. “I really don't have a problem with you being half immortal, okay? I just don't know if you'll need me, but I can't go back to my old life. I've seen too much and know too much now. There's more evil to fight that I ever knew about. And...I want to fight it with you.”
“How can I trust that you'll stick around, though?” Kira asked honestly. “You were ready to leave earlier. What if you get angry or something, will you threaten to leave again?”
“No,” he insisted firmly. “I don't know what to tell you. You'll just have to believe me, to trust me. I promise from now on I'll be here when you need or want me; and even when you don't, probably.”
Kira wanted Cade in her life. He understood hunting demons and apparently wanted to be a part of everything. Plus Kira felt he was supposed to be a part of her life, despite the things about him that annoyed her. But she didn't want to scare him off by telling him that. And she wouldn't admit it to him, but she liked feeling safe with him.
Kira sighed. “Yeah, okay,” she agreed, looking up into his eyes. She actually did trust him. The trust ran so deep that it scared her...because it ran so deep already.
“Yeah?” Cade suddenly grinned. His relief was obvious and he felt that a small part of the long-time emptiness inside of him had just been filled up. “Okay then!”
They both stared into the others eyes, unable to break contact. There was tension and longing inside of each of them, but neither moved or said a word waiting for the other person to say or do something. Then the moment passed. They both averted their eyes for a split second and the spell was broken. Both Cade and Kira assumed the other simply wanted to be friends.
Cade walked over to her, ignoring the tall angel. As he looked like a regular human, Cade could pretend that's exactly what he was. He saw Jareth straighten up, his height truly staggering...like some huge freaky Sasquatch or something. If he was trying to intimidate Cade, it wasn't working.
“Kira...I'm sorry. I...” he blurted out then paused. The words wouldn't come. “Look, this is hard,” he said, his voice rough and embarrassed.
“Try,” Kira encouraged softly. “I want to hear what you have to say, Cade.”
Cade wanted to punch Jareth in the face and make him go away, the way he was hovering over Kira. He glared at the other male.
“I...look, it's just that I was afraid you wouldn't need me anymore, now that you're immortal and all that,” he began. “I wasn't sure you would want me to help you.”
“Oh, Cade,” Kira began. She sort of melted when his voice took on that rough growl she was becoming all to familiar with, the one where he seemed hesitant to express his feelings.
“Well, seeing as you're only a human, you really can't,” Jareth interjected.
The angel didn't like this mortal. Not after Kira had come in so upset a little while ago. She hadn't told him much, just that Cade hadn't been as accepting as she'd hoped. Now here the bastard was trying to get back into her life. Jareth would just as soon he leave New Bellwich. It had been bad enough that one night watching Cade almost kiss Kira outside the vampire's adyta, but to have him in her life all the time. Jareth found himself feeling jealous.
While not perfect, angels were closer to perfection than mere mortals. Yet on earth, Jareth was subject to certain temptations of the flesh like anyone else. His problem, the one lapse in judgment that he had were his feelings toward Kira. Feelings he'd had ever since he met her. That was the reason Bella had taken him away from guarding Kira. Jareth couldn't be impartial. By having feelings about a human, Jareth was acting against the Divine...an imperfection that could get him cast down as a demon or imprisoned on earth if it went too far.
“Jareth!” Kira exclaimed, shocked at his attitude toward Cade. “You need to give us a minute alone now,” she insisted, seeing that Cade was hesitant in front of the other man, well, angel.
Once Jareth had disappeared...he hadn't simply walked out of the room, he'd just vanished into the Reverie...Cade growled.
“Look, Kira, I really am sorry!” he exclaimed, uncomfortable with all this sharing of feelings. “I really don't have a problem with you being half immortal, okay? I just don't know if you'll need me, but I can't go back to my old life. I've seen too much and know too much now. There's more evil to fight that I ever knew about. And...I want to fight it with you.”
“How can I trust that you'll stick around, though?” Kira asked honestly. “You were ready to leave earlier. What if you get angry or something, will you threaten to leave again?”
“No,” he insisted firmly. “I don't know what to tell you. You'll just have to believe me, to trust me. I promise from now on I'll be here when you need or want me; and even when you don't, probably.”
Kira wanted Cade in her life. He understood hunting demons and apparently wanted to be a part of everything. Plus Kira felt he was supposed to be a part of her life, despite the things about him that annoyed her. But she didn't want to scare him off by telling him that. And she wouldn't admit it to him, but she liked feeling safe with him.
Kira sighed. “Yeah, okay,” she agreed, looking up into his eyes. She actually did trust him. The trust ran so deep that it scared her...because it ran so deep already.
“Yeah?” Cade suddenly grinned. His relief was obvious and he felt that a small part of the long-time emptiness inside of him had just been filled up. “Okay then!”
They both stared into the others eyes, unable to break contact. There was tension and longing inside of each of them, but neither moved or said a word waiting for the other person to say or do something. Then the moment passed. They both averted their eyes for a split second and the spell was broken. Both Cade and Kira assumed the other simply wanted to be friends.
-44-.
Na'ethal stopped Ryan and Thomas before they could walk into the clinic's staff kitchen. “We need to talk about Cade,” he said quietly to the other two. “Earlier this morning, I found something in the boy's blood.”