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Autore
Planetoid
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2016
- Location
- Midwest USA
Chapter 1
"Damn! They said it was gonna rain today. Freaking weather men! How in the hell are we even going to squeeze two drops out of those wispy clouds!" Muttering out loud Autora shook her weary head and stomped away.
The soles of her smooth black boots, fondly name her 'ass-kickers', crunched on top of the drying grass, the ground so dry that each step caused a puff of dust to swirl lazily before resettling. One must think it would be the middle of the summer in a desert. Ha! Shading her eyes behind the length of her hand she looked past the 'Welcome to Alaka'i Wilderness Preserve' sign and stared up at the peak of Mt. Wai'ale'ale. The one place located outside of the continental US with the most annual rainfall.
The edges of her fingernails were ragged from teeth marks, teal paint chipped away carelessly. Black strands fell around her face and across her sweat licked neck as they escaped the high pony tail she had thrown up on her way out of the hotel room that morning. Dropping her hand she wished the sight wouldn't fully sink in, but the strangest feeling of being watched just hyped the tension coiling inside her chest. The 'ass-kickers' kept her moving forward though with the sunlight glaring off the golden hood of the rental truck she had parked down the road. Twirling the keys on her fingers, the musical jingle filling the silence that stretched around.
She almost jumped as a giant lizard scurried out from underneath the driver’s side door, hiding to escape the abnormally bright sun that raised heat waves off the pavement. She could almost hear its leathery scales sizzling as it disappeared into the brown and crackling brush. Whatever was going on couldn't be natural.
Opening the door she angles her long limbs into the stifling cab flipping on the a/c as soon as the key turned with a throaty rumble. Escaping down the road Autora thrummed her fingers to some Imagine Dragons, chuckling internally at the irony of the name. She thought it would be a simple stop on a beautiful island, sort of a mini vacation from her normal stuffy office job in upper Manhattan. Seeing no end in sight however to this unbearable heat wave she'd have to go farther. Looks like a trip up the mountains were in order.
The report from this area her boss had dropped onto her desk two days ago didn't mention that there were any clans she needed to gain permission to be able to wander this island so she packed a set of bikinis and her 'ass-kickers', a few light shirts and shorts and boarded a red eye that same night. Renting a car and checking in along with a luxurious dip in her in-room whirlpool and the first day was gone. Waking up to the sunlight filtering across her bed she stretched feeling her spine pop and toes crack she choked back a cough and grimaced. It felt like a lifetime since this morning as the mountain came closer in her windshield.
A loud grumble seemed to shake the truck making her eyes flip back and forth looking for the approaching storm clouds, realizing too late that it was her stomach. Slapping her tummy she in no uncertain terms told it to shut the hell up! Breakfast long forgotten in this heat.
The small pack she had thrown into the passenger seat lay flayed open to her surprise. Searching her memory and coming up blank she could only guess that whatever was watching her back there had no qualms of snooping. Shrugging her shoulders while storing the information for later she spied a smashed granola bar and ripped into the flimsy package scarfing it down like a starving person in one bite.
The sharpness of her incisors increasing at even that tiny morsel of food. Biting back a growl of irritation she took her eyes from the road to hunt down the king sized m&m's she knew she had thrown in her pack. With a triumphant whoop she looked back to the road, bag of candy in hand. That whoop turned to a loud curse as she spun the wheel as hard as she could to the right.
In the second it took her to look out her window triumphantly a large green shape filled her sight. Her swerve to avoid it came to a screeching halt down at the end of a short ravine filled with dried out trees. One trunk buried into the hood and passenger door. Groaning she fluttered her eyes as her vision swam red, her arms pinned in front of her making pins and needles sensations to shiver down her chest and back.
An acrid smell burst thru her nose and made her cough before the cerulean shape occupied her vision again before they closed and she lost consciousness.
Watching the small truck veer off the road the creature winced when the metallic screech of locked up brakes and metal on wood finally came to a stop. Stalking forward it peered down the small ravine at the twisted metal remains surrounding the thick tree trunks.
A small billow of smoke started pluming from around the hood. A shimmer surrounded the creature as it swiped its huge talons and tore off the door just as it saw the girl black out over the steering wheel, her arms pinned between the dash and her body. Talons turned into hands as it plucked her from the cab as the rest of the truck caught on fire.
The creature communicated to its leader to dispatch a team to put out the blaze before it razed this side of the island. Mentioning his unconscious prize he ignored the raise of concern and shut off his link.
Chapter 2
A steady thrumming pulsed beside her head, wincing she tried to raise her hand to the ache in her temple but felt resistance. Tugging her hand harder a deep throaty voice spoke into her ear shocking her into stillness.
“We’ll be there soon. Your hurt pretty badly so I'd suggest you just sit back and enjoy the ride cailin dathuil." The speed of air around her increased after the voice ended making her wonder how much further they had to go.
Flashbacks of the large winged shape burst behind her throbbing eyes. There wasn't much she could do at this point, being not only captive but in incredible pain. Stilling in the voices grasp she merely waited. Hurting too much to even try to process what cailin dathuil was or how to get away.
A sharp tingle stole over her from head to toe making her wince from the intrusion.
She knew that feeling.
Magick.
Her eyes shot open with a hiss. Her first look thru bleary eyes was off a dimpled chin surrounded by a shaggy chestnut beard a few days shy of being groomed. It flowed up to a pair of strong lips pressed flat in anxiety, the angle of the nose suggesting a few fights over a lifetime. Her head hung too low to see the voices eyes, she shuddered to think of what color would match that deep voice.
Pushing aside the thoughts rambling thru her addled brain she struggled to look around without the voice noticing her perusal. The sound of rushing water greeted her first, the damp smell of moss and heated rocks accompanied it. Then came the voices, first at a distance and then an angry buzzing. Closing her eyes she opened her ears to sort thru the confusion.
"What has he done?"
"Where did she come from?"
"Are we safe anymore? Should we seek out a new lair?"
“Eryavin said we would be safe here!"
The voice seemed to studiously ignore the others and strolled further into the cavern. The man’s heartbeat picked up the closer it reached its destination. Expecting to feel a cold slab underneath her when they stopped moving, but not the warm soothing feel of an underground hot springs. Startling her she pressed into her captor’s heat when she realized they both were in the water. Belatedly she thought of her clothes as they sunk deeper into the water. The cleansing smell of sandalwood and eucalyptus lingered in the air.
"What are we...” was all she got out before the voice dipped her under the water and held her.
Her preservation for life kicked in as she screamed under the water, her arms and legs thrashing despite his hold on her. While reacting she failed to notice the absence of pain and the clearing of her vision. From above the water the voice looked on in amazement. Scales rippled across her pale creamy skin. Not only that, but the coloring had him gasping in surprise. They were a pearlescent pink and silver with an under tone of red.
How was it possible? There had never been anything like her before. It wasn’t conceivable. The clans didn’t mix. Ever. Especially not hated enemies like the silvers and reds. The abrasions on her arms and cheeks disappeared and the gash above her brow washed away along with the dried blood. She was a sight to behold even if her temperament was causing water spouts to erupt around them and sending it over the lip of the pool. She was marvelous.
Pulling her sputtering face out of the water he smiled down at her before she reached out with a clawed hand and swiped at his face wanting to knock it off there.
"Why the hell did you do that you dick?! Stop man handling me and let me go! Now!" Releasing her she fell into the water with an undignified splash, a strong peal of laughter echoing above the water. She re-emerged and glared at him as water steadily dripped down the bridge of her nose and from her thick dark eyelashes.
Lost in the depth of her rage darkened eyes, like lightening at midnight, he didn't see her fist till it made contact with his nose. A sickening crunch swallowed by a grunt of pain doubled him over making him an easy target. Jumping on top of him she shoved him under like he did her.
She didn't realize that the water had healing properties. Grabbing her around the legs he pulled her underneath the water with him, her scream of outrage like sweet music to his ears making him grin widely showing off his lengthened teeth. Shoving her hands against his shoulders she kicked out and landed a good blow to his gut before they both erupted from the water.
If looks could kill he would be dead ten times over. The sight of her mouth falling open in surprise just as his had earlier. The deep bronze of his skin illuminated the green like a burnished copper. Reaching up he went to swipe a strand of her hair that lay curled and plastered across her cheek. She batted his hand away with a snarl. Unafraid he went to do it again, snapping her teeth she went to bite his fingers. Throwing his hands up in defeat he chuckled.
"Alright, alright! Calm down cailin dathuil. I won't hurt you."
"Well then what the hell do you call almost drowning me? Your version of a friendly greeting?"
Shaking his head he swiped the chestnut curls from his face sending a spray of water to halo around him. "This is the thanks I get for snagging you out of your burning truck, and getting you healed? Not drowning healed."
His friendly smile made her seethe even more. A frown creased her brow as small pieces started falling into place. This guy had rescued her from her truck and also had the same shade of scales that the creature had that made her crash in the first place.
Chapter 3
"You! It was you I saw! I wouldn't have crashed if it wasn't for you! Arggh!" The last word came out as a growl as she launched herself at him. His mouth and eyes popped open widely. She would have laughed at it if not for being so pissed she could kill.
Bracing her legs under the water he reached up and grabbed ahold of her arms and pinned them behind her back as she fell into his chest. Her snarling and spitting only made him smile wider. What a spitfire she was.
"I believe I said calm down, didn't I? I'll put you under if I have to. Don't get me wrong restraining you is fun and all, but I really should check in." he couldn't resist winking at her knowing it would set her off again.
"Gah. What is with you? I swear, you do let me loose I won't hesitate to take off a limb or two!" Her knee hung precariously close to the 'family jewels' so to speak. Realizing this he shifted his hips and pulled her arms in tighter. Locking his gaze with hers, flashing grey and bright cerulean clash in a battle of wills. Her temper seemed to ebb away as light seemed to swirl in their depths sweeping out the anger and allowing a sense of peace in. Seeing the flare of anger leave her eyes and the tension of her limbs loosen he released his hold slowly.
Weaving on her feet she used his shoulders to steady herself. Blinking rapidly she dropped her hands as if burned.
"Fine, let's go check in. You sure as shit know I'm not standing here dripping wet to wait for you to get back. Least you could do after assaulting me is to show me where to get clean clothes. You'd probably love for me to catch hypothermia, oh and by the way, you owe me a new pair of 'ass kickers'."
"A new pair of what?" he looked at her with a small amount of amusement and confusion. Bending her knee she lifted her right foot out of the water and pulled off her boot, a waterfall of water cascaded out from the inside. Shaking the wet leather in front of his face she looked at him like "duh!"
"These are what I'm talking about idiot. For being a handsome guy you don't have a lot up in the head do you?" Carrying her boots smashed against her wet chest she gestures for him to show the way. With an undignified snort he patted her head and walked past her. Biting her lip she reigned in her temper. If she was going to get out of here she needed to find her way around which left her only one option. Follow the insufferable man.
In front of her he had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Listening to her stomp like a small child that was pouting almost made his day brighten. Meeting the eyes of the clansmen and women that lingered outside the bathing cavern though made him sober up pretty quickly. The weary eyes and the questioning looks brought back the real reason why he had brought the girl here. When every ones gaze moved from being curious to wary he knew she had followed and was now in view, puddles of water following their footsteps.
Knowing everyone wanted to ask him questions he shook his head towards them warning them away. Coughing lightly he looked over his shoulder. "So you think I'm handsome huh?" Placing a lot of emphasis on being cheerful he still couldn't keep out the strain of tension from coloring his voice.
"Typical. Call a guy handsome and that's all he thinks about. Worse than damn girl, I swear." Muttering she huffed catching the change in his demeanor she attempted to discretely look around their surroundings.
For a cave it was certainly well lit and it was a hell of a lot classier than some of the five star hotels in Boston. How could they come up with all this inside of a cave? If it weren't for how she came to be here and the disheveled look of the people milling about a person might have thought they were actually in one of those five star exclusive hotels.
What she couldn't seem to wrap her mind around was that brief tingle of magick they had passed thru earlier. Only barriers produced that brief a feeling. So another question to add to her list was where they would be that these people would need a barrier only fae could produce. Who were these people and why did they need to be hidden. It felt like she had fallen into the rabbit hole. Nothing made sense. They couldn't be human rebels. The reports would have indicated any activity of them, especially to those who hold the reins. Could they possibly be? No it couldn't be. A lair of dragons. There hasn't ever been a lair on an island before. There wasn't enough heat and way way too much water. That was, until, the unseasonable heat and subsequent drought that was eating up the island. It wouldn't have occurred to her. Hell even the report didn't say or suggest any of this. Intelligence was falling way behind if they couldn't pick up on this.
All of this she mused pretty quickly. Had to do something other than watching droplets glisten at the ends of deep brown ringlets to fall and cascade down the nape of his neck and onto his collar. She so needed a real vacation and a visit to a spa. Muscles she didn't use were aching just thinking about the piece of meat strutting in front of her. Sighing exasperatedly she hurried her steps and walked beside him.
"How much further? These clothes are getting awfully uncomfortable and I'm getting extremely hungry. You will be the one to blame should I start eating people. I want to leave as soon as possible so let's get this show on the road." She made herself seem like a snotty brat hoping he would want to be rid of her quickly if she made herself be as unappealing as possible. Her musings didn't go unnoticed. He kept a close watch on her. Her emotions were easily passing across her face. A small crease in her brow made him want to push it in with his fingers.
"Do all beautiful girls complain this much? Or am I getting special attention? You did after all say I was handsome. Oh, and as for your clothes and...", a loud growl erupted next to him momentarily silencing him and making her look up with a wide eyes sheepish expression before he busted out laughing. Tears escaping his eyes as he held his chest, “and your extremely angry stomach. Geez when did you last feed that thing? Are children even safe around it?" Shooting him a burning look she stuck out her tongue. "Har de har har, very funny. Children are safe but you might not be if you don't take of my needs. Now!"
Arching a brow he gave her a heated look, not the shut up kind but the panty dropping scorcher. "I didn't. You know that's not what I...oh grow up!!" Sticking her nose in the air she brushed her half dried hair over her shoulders hiding her reddened cheeks. He wanted to tease her further, she almost made it too easy, but a large open archway came into view cutting off his comeback. The palm of his hand cupped her elbow stopping her from walking any farther. She wanted to pull her arm out of his hand but seeing the seriousness on his eyes made her pause.
"Now my cailin dathuil, I know that you are feeling trapped and that seems to make you a bit cranky, but I think it might be more beneficial to this situation if you don't treat my commander as a handsome man. The smoother this goes the faster you can get out of her." Behind his back he crossed his fingers knowing full well they were never letting her go but there wasn't any reason to tip her off yet. "Our meeting with him is through this arch. But first I do suppose you'll need a little more sophisticated clothing. Come on thru here." Guiding her after slipping his palm to the small of her back he strode towards a small building sitting to the right of the archway. Pausing to open the worn wooden door he ushered her inside.
Chapter 4
"Welcome to my humble abode, only the finest for us...royal...hard workers." He stumbled over his title carefully slipping in a different word before revealing certain information. "If you'll wait here I'll get you some clothes. They are gonna fit a bit long and hang weird but they are at least dry. Check the kitchen for a snack to feed that monster in your belly too. Hate for the guards to think you were sprouting an alien and take you down." Avoiding the shoe missile she had chucked at him, he ducked down the hallway with his laughter left in his place. The opening and closing of drawers, slams of cabinets, and the tinkle of glasses rattling as the refrigerator door opens echoes from the small room.
Coming back into the kitchen a few minutes later with fresh clothes and a towel around his shoulders he takes in the damage the lone female could accomplish in a short time, especially a hungry one. A bread package was spread open across the counter joined with a package of Swiss cheese and Cajun turkey. A mayonnaise jar was open with a knife sticking out of the top. To top it off there was a half carton of milk gone and a split bag of nacho cheese chips littered beside the rest. It was like a hurricane. Standing in the middle was the eye, her mouth shoved full, sandwich in one hand, and glass in the other, crumbs littered down the front of her shirt.
The noises she emitted while eating should be illegal. He'd never heard eating sound so much like sex before in his life. Clearing his throat he hid his discomfort behind the island and looked at her as she swallowed hard, wiping a smear of mayo from the corner of her lips. Gulping down the remains of her milk she giggled looking over the mess she made.
"Um, I suppose I was hungrier than I thought. I apologize for my mess. Here I'll clean it up for you." Embarrassed by her behavior she scurried around and put away the cheese and meat, closing the chip bag and snagging the milk to toss back in the fridge. When she went to grab the bread an arm snuck around her waist and pulled her into a hard warm body. Shifting to give him a piece of her mind she was shushed as he pressed a finger to her lips. Her eyes widened as his grew darker, the pad of his thumb swiping at her bottom lip before it popped into his mouth.
"You had a little mayo left. I, um, just thought I'd help you clean it off."
His stormy green eyes made her tense. She was not going down this road ever again. Not even for a pair of sparkling green eyes as deep as the sea.
Sighing he saw her close off from him, dropping his arm he stepped back. The clothes he brought in for her lay heaped on a bar stool.
"Here are some clothes. I hope you don't mind boxers. I don't keep an extra drawer for women. There's a belt for the pants too. I'll uh be waiting outside. The bathroom is the first door to your left down the hall. Don't take too long or I'll have to come find you." He said with a wink before walking thru the front door and gently closing it behind him. He appeared to take her rejection pretty well but didn't want to test his patience and be caught with her pants down literally so she peeled out of her wet clothes throwing them over the shower rod and used a towel to wipe away any extra moisture before tossing on his extras. They smelled faintly of sunshine and coconut. Twitching her nose she tightened the belt to keep her pants up and tried stretching the tight material compressing her chest. She felt more exposed than if she were in a bikini. Not seeing any alternative she huffed and tied her hair up into a low braid. The cool stone floor eased under her soles wishing the coolness could ease the tension ringing in her ears.
While outside he paced back and forth not believing his own stupidity. Holy hell what was wrong with him. He needed to get her to Eryavin and soon before he lost his mind. He was still pacing when she stepped out of his home. Seeing him so unsettled made her want to laugh in payback. Serves him right for all the crap he'd put her thru. But it had to come to an end if she wanted to get out of here.
Clearing her throat she watched him come to a stumbling halt. Geesh he wanted to drool, his eyes nearly popping from his head, She was damn near indecent in that shirt but they didn't have time for her to change. Clearing his mind he offered his arm bowing his head. "Shall we go now?" Nodding she took his arm and kept her amusement to herself.
The archway they passed opened into a small stadium with small rows wrapping around an open dirt arena. Directly across was a set of chairs that were placed higher than any others and surrounded by a railing. In the middle chair sat a large man, not rotund by any means but bulky and intimidating. The lightest blue eyes she had ever seen was staring back at her watching her every move. His expression was clouded, undecided. He looked from her to her escort, his brow arching questionably taking in their comfortable demeanor. Meeting Eryavins’ eyes he inclined his head and released her arm. "Well met my Lord. It's my pleasure to introduce our guest....uh..." He looked over at her realizing he hadn't ever asked her for her name.
"Autora, My Lord, My given name is Autora VanDromen."
"It's a great pleasure to meet you young lady. I hope Fadan has treated you well and taken care of your needs?"
"Ah so that's his name, I had taken to calling him Idiot."
Fadan blushed slightly and made to explain when the elder suddenly shook with laughter. "A girl after my own heart. If only I were brave enough to call him as I see fit too. He only let's those he likes give him pet names. Yours is by far the best I've heard in my lifetime. My, my young woman you certainly know how to make an old man feel young again. Fadan bring her closer so we might talk without having to shout over the meeting grounds."
Hiding his embarrassment he led her around the walkway and up to the gathered chairs. Up close the deep etches around Eryavins eyes and mouth softened with laughter, a streak of silver ran from his widow’s peak and towards the back in an elegant sweep. Instead of ice for eyes they seemed like a clear summer sky free of clouds. For an older man he was still toned like a twenty year old not a gentleman in his sixties. Were all the men here this amiable?
Looking back and forth between the two she noticed subtle similarities. They had to be related. Deep blue robes flowed around his ankles, sleeves falling to mid elbow hemmed in silver, the colors accentuating his chestnut hair. Feet bare and slightly webbed. Reaching out his warm rough hands grasped her small one in between them.
"Welcome my dear, welcome to our humble home. I am so grateful you joined us." The warmth in his voice kept her from stating that she didn't come of her own free will. She turned her gaze to the younger version of this charming man for help. The smile on his face shouted loud and clear that he wasn't going to be of any help to her. Swallowing her pride she plastered on a warm smile and bowed her head.
"Please Sir, I am grateful for your help. If it wasn't for Fadan I would be a charred strip of meat only fit for the flies at the bottom of a ravine. You both have my gratitude for it." Her grinning face turned to Fadan and glared at him furiously.
"Oh you poor thing. Then it was good that Fadan stumbled across you and brought you here to heal. Our underground spring is quite rejuvenating." He pulled her down into the chairs with him, Fadan settled behind her seat with his elbows resting along the top of the chair. "I do believe you about that underground spring. It definitely cleared a lot of things up for me. You've been most kind and I couldn't possibly intrude on your home any longer. I should report the accident to the car rental and get back to my own clothes. I have friends that will be looking for me before too long." While she tried to ease herself from the conversation the two guys carried an internal dialogue.
(E)~ What the hell did you think you were doing by bringing her here?
(F)~ She had paperwork containing a report on the climate changes. I had no idea she would react to seeing me that way.
(E)~ Why did you show yourself like that in the first place? Now you have her suspicious. You could have just spoke to her and eventually got what she was doing here without the mess.
(F)~ I know I know. There was just something about her. I don't think there was any way to reason with her. She brings out the idiot in me.
(E)~ Well that's for sure. I haven't seen you so tied up before. Oops, I think we've been quiet for too long.
Glancing back and forth between the two it was like a staring contest gone wrong. Clearing her throat she waved her hands back and forth in front of her.
"I apologize my dear, you were saying?" She had to bite her tongue to keep from retorting angrily. "Yes I had been saying that I didn't want to keep you any longer. There are things I need to do back in town. So if it's not an inconvenience I'd appreciate if I could go back." She looked at both of them with a mix of expectation and frustration, her feet bounced up and down nervously. Eryavin winced slightly turning towards her he placed a warm palm on her knee, the muscle jerking to a stop.
"We can see to all of that for you. We'll call your car rental, have someone pick up your belongings from the hotel and we can leave a message for your friends telling them you’re alright. I want to make sure you are perfectly fine before you leave. Please you won't be an inconvenience on us. It isn't often that we have visitors. You'd even have Fadan as your personal escort. Won't you stay with us a little longer?"
If it weren't for the bitter taste of desperation and nerves coming off of him she would have believed they honestly wanted her company. Moving her legs to the side she tried dislodging his hand from her knee without tearing it off, but it was like a leech, suctioned to her. She'd had enough of this. Fadans hand cupping her shoulder was the final straw.
"I don't know what the hell is your problem but you cannot keep me here like a freaking prisoner no matter how fancy the words and packaging! Get your filthy hands off me before I chew them off!" Her eyes flashed a stormy silver and her incisors elongated, scales erupting down her arms and neck. Both men jumped back and stared at her in amazement and just a tinge of fear. The sweet scent making her toothy grin even bigger.
"I'm getting out of here and don't you even think of following me. Something is seriously wrong here and I'll get to the bottom of this." Walking backwards she hissed, narrowing her eyes, turning her head back she made the mistake of looking behind her. Before she could make it thru the archway Fadan had shifted to a space in front of her retreating form. her snarl of anger was cut short as he pounced on her and pinned her arms behind her back dropping them to the floor on the thresh hold of the arch. Fadans body encompassed Autoras keeping her anger from rebounding. Pressing his head to hers he forced her to look at him in the eye.
"Oh hell no! Get off me you freak! I'm not joining your cult, or you lair, or freaking be your captive bride. You have all those other women to be with so let me go!" She screamed at the top of her lungs and squeezed her eyes shut, her nostrils flaring in outrage. A small crowd formed around the couple grappling on the floor. Her instincts kicked in as the change embraced her body, her skin tearing and long spikes erupt down her back and arms. Realizing what was happening Fadan jumped off her and ordered everyone to back up.
Erupting before them with an earth rattling roar Autora stood on all fours a magnificent specimen covered in scales the same shade as pearls from the sea. Talons etched deep grooves into the floor as she sweeps her tail in a 20 foot arc around her. A small trail of smoke lazily streamed from her nostrils, a slight electrical charge released a waft of ozone around her body.
"Shit! Everyone out, one small spark and it would ignite the whole room! Go! Now while she is still preoccupied." Watching the masses scurry like vermin she chuckles loudly, the sound harsh and grating. Her large head swung back and forth till her huge swirling gray eyes settled on the lone male figure. Crooning tauntingly she took a step forward when she felt the first brush of magick tingle up her spine. Growling she slammed her tail down savagely sending dust and dirt to fall from the ceiling. Her spikes quivered on outrage. Instead of her target there stood a tiny woman with her arms out in front of her. Painted blue swirls covered her palms. Short red pixie cut hair swayed with the ripple of energy that emanated from her hands. Shrieking Autora tried pushing forward only to hit a barrier. Her maw opened wide releasing a stream of fire that formed around her in a wide arc, a few sparks skittered like fireworks around her open mouth.
"Oh Shit! Autora don't!"
Chapter 5
Fadan ran toward her waving his arms. The look of panic on his face was the last she saw. An explosion rocked the cavern. The screams of the unprotected echoed thru the dim light that filtered thru the dust and debris. Huge chunks of the cavern ceiling lay littered along the floor. Coughing roughly Fadan swiped his hands back and forth in the air clearing his field of vision. A small heap caught his eye as it lay next to a pool of blood. Grabbing at the fae woman’s arm he dragged her over to the crumpled body. Dropping to his knees he rolled over the still form.
"Autora...Autora...wake up cailin dathuil...Come on...please..." Fadan gently slid a palm under her neck and the other around her waist, pulling her up against his body. Her nude body from shifting was covered in blood, her dark locks glinting ruby as they lay limply against her head and across her shoulders. Holding her softly to his chest he leaned his head down so that his ear was by her parted lips internally begging for even the barest brush of moisture and heat. Gulping when he thought it was never going to come he visibly shook as the first puff of warm air brushed past the edge of his ear.
"Oh thank goodness. You stupid, stupid girl. And you call me the idiot. Come on beautiful open those pretty eyes for me. You know you want to wake up and scream at me." Shaking her head back and forth lightly, his eyes burning with tears when he feels a small hand land on his shoulder.
"Prikhodite molodoy I privesti yeye."
The faes rich Russian calmed his anxiety. Picking up the woman’s slackened body he trudged behind the fae and tried not to jar Autora too badly as he jumped around the debris left behind from her explosive discharge. If she would stay with him, he could only imagine the power they could wield and what their group could accomplish. Looking at the destruction and the clean-up crews busying themselves with the mess he wondered how the hell had he not ever heard of destruction like this in one of the major cities before. This woman’s temper seemed almost legendary. He thinks even some of their toughest warriors would have a hard time standing against her. With his arms curled around her he tried to block her nudeness from on lookers, growling possessively at several males staring at her lewdly. They were a few who had seen her shift and knew her power.
He had to admit that she was extremely intoxicating and that was even before her show of anger. That level of power made her down right irresistible to unmated males. A shiver stole down his spine to think of what a mating ride would be with this one. If she was awake she would have smacked the grin from his face before clawing at him especially knowing his train of thought. For fucks sake she was unconscious and drenched in her own blood and here the lot of them were thinking about one thing. S.E.X.
Shaking his head he berated himself once again for these perverted thoughts. As they passed into where the hot springs were housed, his thoughts travelled back to just this morning. Wow it had only just been this morning that she was first in his arms. It was almost uncanny. Perhaps it was fate that brought all of this together. His thoughts drifted back even further to last night. Patrols earlier in the day had noticed a rogue satellite had been circling the island. Someone was awfully curious. That night he landed at the top of the extinct volcano and looked up into the night sky, winking with not only stars but hundreds of satellites. None of them seemed particularly focused on them but who knows who was watching. What their group was doing here had to stay quiet. If they came under watch by the Evren Corporation then they were all dead. They wouldn't stand for rogues in their world. As if they ruled everything. He stayed there on the edge of the world all night, ever vigilant.
His father kept pushing this unusual climate on the island causing further damage to the environment. Someone was bound to notice. He tried telling him that to set up this lair on an island that sees some of the highest annual rainfall was madness. He supposed that it does create a large barrier between them and any other dragon communities.
At the break of day he pushes off the ledge using his back legs and at the peak of his jump unfurls his wings. Like emerald jewels the sun reflected prisms of color on the foliage below. Keeping to the less populated side of the island he dipped back and forth, running his wing tips across the water, his claws snatching at waves and cradling fish for breakfast, the heat from the tempered climate warming his back. Turning on his back he laid the fish to cook on his stomach. When they started to sizzle he plucked them into his massive maw and with a satisfied belch he flipped over and landed on a small rocky outcropping. Cleaning his claws in the scrubby grass that broke and pretty much turned to dust underfoot. He snorted in disgust.
A loud rumbling came from the road. Knowing he stuck out he shifted back and crouched down. A rather noisy truck ambled down the road and seemed to slow down when it reached the welcome sign to Alaka'i Wilderness Reserve. Pulling off to the side of the road it grumbled to a halt. The cab door opened and out stepped one of the most enchanting creatures he had ever seen, even for a human. She appeared to be studying the sky and the mountain. From where he stood crouched he could barely make out what she was saying, only catching the anger radiating off of her.
While she was preoccupied he snuck over to her truck, testing the latch he begged for it not to squeak, a high pitched peal startled a lizard out from underneath her cab. He saw a bag laying in the seat and a manila envelope stuck out from the top. Looking up he noticed a dark shadow hanging in front of the driver side door, but it appeared frozen. Panicking he grabbed a few pages from the envelope, ripping the bag in his rush before gently closing her passenger door just as she opened hers. Blending back into the brush he watched her confusion over the bag but shrug it off and start up the vehicle. As she drove off he looked at the papers in his hand. What he found made a bead of sweat form across his brow and his heart pump full of adrenaline.
They were found and now if she made a report all would be lost. He didn't wait to consult anyone he just reacted. Shifting mid run he bolted thru the drying palms and Cyprus and erupted out onto the road. His hulking shape took up the whole road as he watched her truck approach at a dangerous speed. His reptilian eyes widened when he realized she wasn't going to stop in time, her attention occupied to the side of her interior. When her head popped up in triumph and then quickly turned to panic he almost wanted to laugh but didn't. He watched as she swerved and then the rest of what happened sped thru his memory.
The warm soothing scent of eucalyptus shook him from his train of though. The natural springs fed over the dormant volcano hot air pockets were one of the main reasons they chose this area of the island in the first place. It always calmed his beast being in here. The group’s sole fae female gestured to the water’s edge, herself kneeling in wait. Walking into the water he turned to face the ledge and gently spread her body onto the edge. His hands hovering under her neck and across her hips. He cradled her as an excuse to stay close even if he wasn't needed. Clucking her tongue the woman spread her hands, coated in magick, out centering them over Autoras stomach then circling them outward, small orbs of light followed her fingertips drifting along over the top of the skin. The trail leaving in their wake made her skin glow ethereally. Reaching down the fae cupped some of the water in her palms bringing it up to Autoras forehead, dribbling it across her eyes and arcing it like a crown across her brow. Pink rivulets rolled down from her hair and pooled under her neck. Words of strength, peace, and healing sifted thru the air to mingle with the sandalwood and eucalyptus. Every minor ache he had floated away into the moist air as he waited impatiently for Autora to awaken, his hands itching to crawl over her body and wake her up one way or another. He hadn't been this nerve racked before over any woman. Growing more and more frustrated at her unconsciousness he gently slid his hands out from under her and stepped out of the water. The fae never stopped her chanting even as she noted his absence. Her tone of voice changed when he stepped out. Bending over she whispered into Autora's ear.
"Ya pos ylayu tebya obratno. Vy prosnetes! Kog da vy priyeolete. Vy dolzhny predupredit' ikh ob proiskhodyashchego. Vy budete pomnit' vse!"
Surrounding Autoras body with a powerful spell she bowed over with the force of the travelling spell she was equipping. The ripple of power burst outward as Autoras body shimmered within it. Winking out the fae slumped over onto the ground, using the last of her strength she broke her connection to the male fae living with this lair. Her eyes dimmed as she closed them. Fadan felt the change too late, coming in and dropping to his knees in agony as the female breathed her last. Autora was gone and now their female fae. A loud roar could be heard coming from the volcano along with a terrible rumble that shook the birds from the trees. The natives trembled and the visitors huddled in their hotels fearing the worst. But it was yet to come even as the air on the island became thicker and more charged.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A continent away, a bloody body landed face down on an austere office desk scattering papers and pictures to the floor in a flurry. The desks occupant jumps from the thick black swivel chair and looks down in anger and confusion. A smooth dark skinned hand reached out and lifted the tangled black locks from around the face, the other hand resting gently against the small of its back. A sharp inhale of breath lingered in the room before a rich timbre spoke one word.
"Tori?"
"Damn! They said it was gonna rain today. Freaking weather men! How in the hell are we even going to squeeze two drops out of those wispy clouds!" Muttering out loud Autora shook her weary head and stomped away.
The soles of her smooth black boots, fondly name her 'ass-kickers', crunched on top of the drying grass, the ground so dry that each step caused a puff of dust to swirl lazily before resettling. One must think it would be the middle of the summer in a desert. Ha! Shading her eyes behind the length of her hand she looked past the 'Welcome to Alaka'i Wilderness Preserve' sign and stared up at the peak of Mt. Wai'ale'ale. The one place located outside of the continental US with the most annual rainfall.
The edges of her fingernails were ragged from teeth marks, teal paint chipped away carelessly. Black strands fell around her face and across her sweat licked neck as they escaped the high pony tail she had thrown up on her way out of the hotel room that morning. Dropping her hand she wished the sight wouldn't fully sink in, but the strangest feeling of being watched just hyped the tension coiling inside her chest. The 'ass-kickers' kept her moving forward though with the sunlight glaring off the golden hood of the rental truck she had parked down the road. Twirling the keys on her fingers, the musical jingle filling the silence that stretched around.
She almost jumped as a giant lizard scurried out from underneath the driver’s side door, hiding to escape the abnormally bright sun that raised heat waves off the pavement. She could almost hear its leathery scales sizzling as it disappeared into the brown and crackling brush. Whatever was going on couldn't be natural.
Opening the door she angles her long limbs into the stifling cab flipping on the a/c as soon as the key turned with a throaty rumble. Escaping down the road Autora thrummed her fingers to some Imagine Dragons, chuckling internally at the irony of the name. She thought it would be a simple stop on a beautiful island, sort of a mini vacation from her normal stuffy office job in upper Manhattan. Seeing no end in sight however to this unbearable heat wave she'd have to go farther. Looks like a trip up the mountains were in order.
The report from this area her boss had dropped onto her desk two days ago didn't mention that there were any clans she needed to gain permission to be able to wander this island so she packed a set of bikinis and her 'ass-kickers', a few light shirts and shorts and boarded a red eye that same night. Renting a car and checking in along with a luxurious dip in her in-room whirlpool and the first day was gone. Waking up to the sunlight filtering across her bed she stretched feeling her spine pop and toes crack she choked back a cough and grimaced. It felt like a lifetime since this morning as the mountain came closer in her windshield.
A loud grumble seemed to shake the truck making her eyes flip back and forth looking for the approaching storm clouds, realizing too late that it was her stomach. Slapping her tummy she in no uncertain terms told it to shut the hell up! Breakfast long forgotten in this heat.
The small pack she had thrown into the passenger seat lay flayed open to her surprise. Searching her memory and coming up blank she could only guess that whatever was watching her back there had no qualms of snooping. Shrugging her shoulders while storing the information for later she spied a smashed granola bar and ripped into the flimsy package scarfing it down like a starving person in one bite.
The sharpness of her incisors increasing at even that tiny morsel of food. Biting back a growl of irritation she took her eyes from the road to hunt down the king sized m&m's she knew she had thrown in her pack. With a triumphant whoop she looked back to the road, bag of candy in hand. That whoop turned to a loud curse as she spun the wheel as hard as she could to the right.
In the second it took her to look out her window triumphantly a large green shape filled her sight. Her swerve to avoid it came to a screeching halt down at the end of a short ravine filled with dried out trees. One trunk buried into the hood and passenger door. Groaning she fluttered her eyes as her vision swam red, her arms pinned in front of her making pins and needles sensations to shiver down her chest and back.
An acrid smell burst thru her nose and made her cough before the cerulean shape occupied her vision again before they closed and she lost consciousness.
Watching the small truck veer off the road the creature winced when the metallic screech of locked up brakes and metal on wood finally came to a stop. Stalking forward it peered down the small ravine at the twisted metal remains surrounding the thick tree trunks.
A small billow of smoke started pluming from around the hood. A shimmer surrounded the creature as it swiped its huge talons and tore off the door just as it saw the girl black out over the steering wheel, her arms pinned between the dash and her body. Talons turned into hands as it plucked her from the cab as the rest of the truck caught on fire.
The creature communicated to its leader to dispatch a team to put out the blaze before it razed this side of the island. Mentioning his unconscious prize he ignored the raise of concern and shut off his link.
Chapter 2
A steady thrumming pulsed beside her head, wincing she tried to raise her hand to the ache in her temple but felt resistance. Tugging her hand harder a deep throaty voice spoke into her ear shocking her into stillness.
“We’ll be there soon. Your hurt pretty badly so I'd suggest you just sit back and enjoy the ride cailin dathuil." The speed of air around her increased after the voice ended making her wonder how much further they had to go.
Flashbacks of the large winged shape burst behind her throbbing eyes. There wasn't much she could do at this point, being not only captive but in incredible pain. Stilling in the voices grasp she merely waited. Hurting too much to even try to process what cailin dathuil was or how to get away.
A sharp tingle stole over her from head to toe making her wince from the intrusion.
She knew that feeling.
Magick.
Her eyes shot open with a hiss. Her first look thru bleary eyes was off a dimpled chin surrounded by a shaggy chestnut beard a few days shy of being groomed. It flowed up to a pair of strong lips pressed flat in anxiety, the angle of the nose suggesting a few fights over a lifetime. Her head hung too low to see the voices eyes, she shuddered to think of what color would match that deep voice.
Pushing aside the thoughts rambling thru her addled brain she struggled to look around without the voice noticing her perusal. The sound of rushing water greeted her first, the damp smell of moss and heated rocks accompanied it. Then came the voices, first at a distance and then an angry buzzing. Closing her eyes she opened her ears to sort thru the confusion.
"What has he done?"
"Where did she come from?"
"Are we safe anymore? Should we seek out a new lair?"
“Eryavin said we would be safe here!"
The voice seemed to studiously ignore the others and strolled further into the cavern. The man’s heartbeat picked up the closer it reached its destination. Expecting to feel a cold slab underneath her when they stopped moving, but not the warm soothing feel of an underground hot springs. Startling her she pressed into her captor’s heat when she realized they both were in the water. Belatedly she thought of her clothes as they sunk deeper into the water. The cleansing smell of sandalwood and eucalyptus lingered in the air.
"What are we...” was all she got out before the voice dipped her under the water and held her.
Her preservation for life kicked in as she screamed under the water, her arms and legs thrashing despite his hold on her. While reacting she failed to notice the absence of pain and the clearing of her vision. From above the water the voice looked on in amazement. Scales rippled across her pale creamy skin. Not only that, but the coloring had him gasping in surprise. They were a pearlescent pink and silver with an under tone of red.
How was it possible? There had never been anything like her before. It wasn’t conceivable. The clans didn’t mix. Ever. Especially not hated enemies like the silvers and reds. The abrasions on her arms and cheeks disappeared and the gash above her brow washed away along with the dried blood. She was a sight to behold even if her temperament was causing water spouts to erupt around them and sending it over the lip of the pool. She was marvelous.
Pulling her sputtering face out of the water he smiled down at her before she reached out with a clawed hand and swiped at his face wanting to knock it off there.
"Why the hell did you do that you dick?! Stop man handling me and let me go! Now!" Releasing her she fell into the water with an undignified splash, a strong peal of laughter echoing above the water. She re-emerged and glared at him as water steadily dripped down the bridge of her nose and from her thick dark eyelashes.
Lost in the depth of her rage darkened eyes, like lightening at midnight, he didn't see her fist till it made contact with his nose. A sickening crunch swallowed by a grunt of pain doubled him over making him an easy target. Jumping on top of him she shoved him under like he did her.
She didn't realize that the water had healing properties. Grabbing her around the legs he pulled her underneath the water with him, her scream of outrage like sweet music to his ears making him grin widely showing off his lengthened teeth. Shoving her hands against his shoulders she kicked out and landed a good blow to his gut before they both erupted from the water.
If looks could kill he would be dead ten times over. The sight of her mouth falling open in surprise just as his had earlier. The deep bronze of his skin illuminated the green like a burnished copper. Reaching up he went to swipe a strand of her hair that lay curled and plastered across her cheek. She batted his hand away with a snarl. Unafraid he went to do it again, snapping her teeth she went to bite his fingers. Throwing his hands up in defeat he chuckled.
"Alright, alright! Calm down cailin dathuil. I won't hurt you."
"Well then what the hell do you call almost drowning me? Your version of a friendly greeting?"
Shaking his head he swiped the chestnut curls from his face sending a spray of water to halo around him. "This is the thanks I get for snagging you out of your burning truck, and getting you healed? Not drowning healed."
His friendly smile made her seethe even more. A frown creased her brow as small pieces started falling into place. This guy had rescued her from her truck and also had the same shade of scales that the creature had that made her crash in the first place.
Chapter 3
"You! It was you I saw! I wouldn't have crashed if it wasn't for you! Arggh!" The last word came out as a growl as she launched herself at him. His mouth and eyes popped open widely. She would have laughed at it if not for being so pissed she could kill.
Bracing her legs under the water he reached up and grabbed ahold of her arms and pinned them behind her back as she fell into his chest. Her snarling and spitting only made him smile wider. What a spitfire she was.
"I believe I said calm down, didn't I? I'll put you under if I have to. Don't get me wrong restraining you is fun and all, but I really should check in." he couldn't resist winking at her knowing it would set her off again.
"Gah. What is with you? I swear, you do let me loose I won't hesitate to take off a limb or two!" Her knee hung precariously close to the 'family jewels' so to speak. Realizing this he shifted his hips and pulled her arms in tighter. Locking his gaze with hers, flashing grey and bright cerulean clash in a battle of wills. Her temper seemed to ebb away as light seemed to swirl in their depths sweeping out the anger and allowing a sense of peace in. Seeing the flare of anger leave her eyes and the tension of her limbs loosen he released his hold slowly.
Weaving on her feet she used his shoulders to steady herself. Blinking rapidly she dropped her hands as if burned.
"Fine, let's go check in. You sure as shit know I'm not standing here dripping wet to wait for you to get back. Least you could do after assaulting me is to show me where to get clean clothes. You'd probably love for me to catch hypothermia, oh and by the way, you owe me a new pair of 'ass kickers'."
"A new pair of what?" he looked at her with a small amount of amusement and confusion. Bending her knee she lifted her right foot out of the water and pulled off her boot, a waterfall of water cascaded out from the inside. Shaking the wet leather in front of his face she looked at him like "duh!"
"These are what I'm talking about idiot. For being a handsome guy you don't have a lot up in the head do you?" Carrying her boots smashed against her wet chest she gestures for him to show the way. With an undignified snort he patted her head and walked past her. Biting her lip she reigned in her temper. If she was going to get out of here she needed to find her way around which left her only one option. Follow the insufferable man.
In front of her he had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Listening to her stomp like a small child that was pouting almost made his day brighten. Meeting the eyes of the clansmen and women that lingered outside the bathing cavern though made him sober up pretty quickly. The weary eyes and the questioning looks brought back the real reason why he had brought the girl here. When every ones gaze moved from being curious to wary he knew she had followed and was now in view, puddles of water following their footsteps.
Knowing everyone wanted to ask him questions he shook his head towards them warning them away. Coughing lightly he looked over his shoulder. "So you think I'm handsome huh?" Placing a lot of emphasis on being cheerful he still couldn't keep out the strain of tension from coloring his voice.
"Typical. Call a guy handsome and that's all he thinks about. Worse than damn girl, I swear." Muttering she huffed catching the change in his demeanor she attempted to discretely look around their surroundings.
For a cave it was certainly well lit and it was a hell of a lot classier than some of the five star hotels in Boston. How could they come up with all this inside of a cave? If it weren't for how she came to be here and the disheveled look of the people milling about a person might have thought they were actually in one of those five star exclusive hotels.
What she couldn't seem to wrap her mind around was that brief tingle of magick they had passed thru earlier. Only barriers produced that brief a feeling. So another question to add to her list was where they would be that these people would need a barrier only fae could produce. Who were these people and why did they need to be hidden. It felt like she had fallen into the rabbit hole. Nothing made sense. They couldn't be human rebels. The reports would have indicated any activity of them, especially to those who hold the reins. Could they possibly be? No it couldn't be. A lair of dragons. There hasn't ever been a lair on an island before. There wasn't enough heat and way way too much water. That was, until, the unseasonable heat and subsequent drought that was eating up the island. It wouldn't have occurred to her. Hell even the report didn't say or suggest any of this. Intelligence was falling way behind if they couldn't pick up on this.
All of this she mused pretty quickly. Had to do something other than watching droplets glisten at the ends of deep brown ringlets to fall and cascade down the nape of his neck and onto his collar. She so needed a real vacation and a visit to a spa. Muscles she didn't use were aching just thinking about the piece of meat strutting in front of her. Sighing exasperatedly she hurried her steps and walked beside him.
"How much further? These clothes are getting awfully uncomfortable and I'm getting extremely hungry. You will be the one to blame should I start eating people. I want to leave as soon as possible so let's get this show on the road." She made herself seem like a snotty brat hoping he would want to be rid of her quickly if she made herself be as unappealing as possible. Her musings didn't go unnoticed. He kept a close watch on her. Her emotions were easily passing across her face. A small crease in her brow made him want to push it in with his fingers.
"Do all beautiful girls complain this much? Or am I getting special attention? You did after all say I was handsome. Oh, and as for your clothes and...", a loud growl erupted next to him momentarily silencing him and making her look up with a wide eyes sheepish expression before he busted out laughing. Tears escaping his eyes as he held his chest, “and your extremely angry stomach. Geez when did you last feed that thing? Are children even safe around it?" Shooting him a burning look she stuck out her tongue. "Har de har har, very funny. Children are safe but you might not be if you don't take of my needs. Now!"
Arching a brow he gave her a heated look, not the shut up kind but the panty dropping scorcher. "I didn't. You know that's not what I...oh grow up!!" Sticking her nose in the air she brushed her half dried hair over her shoulders hiding her reddened cheeks. He wanted to tease her further, she almost made it too easy, but a large open archway came into view cutting off his comeback. The palm of his hand cupped her elbow stopping her from walking any farther. She wanted to pull her arm out of his hand but seeing the seriousness on his eyes made her pause.
"Now my cailin dathuil, I know that you are feeling trapped and that seems to make you a bit cranky, but I think it might be more beneficial to this situation if you don't treat my commander as a handsome man. The smoother this goes the faster you can get out of her." Behind his back he crossed his fingers knowing full well they were never letting her go but there wasn't any reason to tip her off yet. "Our meeting with him is through this arch. But first I do suppose you'll need a little more sophisticated clothing. Come on thru here." Guiding her after slipping his palm to the small of her back he strode towards a small building sitting to the right of the archway. Pausing to open the worn wooden door he ushered her inside.
Chapter 4
"Welcome to my humble abode, only the finest for us...royal...hard workers." He stumbled over his title carefully slipping in a different word before revealing certain information. "If you'll wait here I'll get you some clothes. They are gonna fit a bit long and hang weird but they are at least dry. Check the kitchen for a snack to feed that monster in your belly too. Hate for the guards to think you were sprouting an alien and take you down." Avoiding the shoe missile she had chucked at him, he ducked down the hallway with his laughter left in his place. The opening and closing of drawers, slams of cabinets, and the tinkle of glasses rattling as the refrigerator door opens echoes from the small room.
Coming back into the kitchen a few minutes later with fresh clothes and a towel around his shoulders he takes in the damage the lone female could accomplish in a short time, especially a hungry one. A bread package was spread open across the counter joined with a package of Swiss cheese and Cajun turkey. A mayonnaise jar was open with a knife sticking out of the top. To top it off there was a half carton of milk gone and a split bag of nacho cheese chips littered beside the rest. It was like a hurricane. Standing in the middle was the eye, her mouth shoved full, sandwich in one hand, and glass in the other, crumbs littered down the front of her shirt.
The noises she emitted while eating should be illegal. He'd never heard eating sound so much like sex before in his life. Clearing his throat he hid his discomfort behind the island and looked at her as she swallowed hard, wiping a smear of mayo from the corner of her lips. Gulping down the remains of her milk she giggled looking over the mess she made.
"Um, I suppose I was hungrier than I thought. I apologize for my mess. Here I'll clean it up for you." Embarrassed by her behavior she scurried around and put away the cheese and meat, closing the chip bag and snagging the milk to toss back in the fridge. When she went to grab the bread an arm snuck around her waist and pulled her into a hard warm body. Shifting to give him a piece of her mind she was shushed as he pressed a finger to her lips. Her eyes widened as his grew darker, the pad of his thumb swiping at her bottom lip before it popped into his mouth.
"You had a little mayo left. I, um, just thought I'd help you clean it off."
His stormy green eyes made her tense. She was not going down this road ever again. Not even for a pair of sparkling green eyes as deep as the sea.
Sighing he saw her close off from him, dropping his arm he stepped back. The clothes he brought in for her lay heaped on a bar stool.
"Here are some clothes. I hope you don't mind boxers. I don't keep an extra drawer for women. There's a belt for the pants too. I'll uh be waiting outside. The bathroom is the first door to your left down the hall. Don't take too long or I'll have to come find you." He said with a wink before walking thru the front door and gently closing it behind him. He appeared to take her rejection pretty well but didn't want to test his patience and be caught with her pants down literally so she peeled out of her wet clothes throwing them over the shower rod and used a towel to wipe away any extra moisture before tossing on his extras. They smelled faintly of sunshine and coconut. Twitching her nose she tightened the belt to keep her pants up and tried stretching the tight material compressing her chest. She felt more exposed than if she were in a bikini. Not seeing any alternative she huffed and tied her hair up into a low braid. The cool stone floor eased under her soles wishing the coolness could ease the tension ringing in her ears.
While outside he paced back and forth not believing his own stupidity. Holy hell what was wrong with him. He needed to get her to Eryavin and soon before he lost his mind. He was still pacing when she stepped out of his home. Seeing him so unsettled made her want to laugh in payback. Serves him right for all the crap he'd put her thru. But it had to come to an end if she wanted to get out of here.
Clearing her throat she watched him come to a stumbling halt. Geesh he wanted to drool, his eyes nearly popping from his head, She was damn near indecent in that shirt but they didn't have time for her to change. Clearing his mind he offered his arm bowing his head. "Shall we go now?" Nodding she took his arm and kept her amusement to herself.
The archway they passed opened into a small stadium with small rows wrapping around an open dirt arena. Directly across was a set of chairs that were placed higher than any others and surrounded by a railing. In the middle chair sat a large man, not rotund by any means but bulky and intimidating. The lightest blue eyes she had ever seen was staring back at her watching her every move. His expression was clouded, undecided. He looked from her to her escort, his brow arching questionably taking in their comfortable demeanor. Meeting Eryavins’ eyes he inclined his head and released her arm. "Well met my Lord. It's my pleasure to introduce our guest....uh..." He looked over at her realizing he hadn't ever asked her for her name.
"Autora, My Lord, My given name is Autora VanDromen."
"It's a great pleasure to meet you young lady. I hope Fadan has treated you well and taken care of your needs?"
"Ah so that's his name, I had taken to calling him Idiot."
Fadan blushed slightly and made to explain when the elder suddenly shook with laughter. "A girl after my own heart. If only I were brave enough to call him as I see fit too. He only let's those he likes give him pet names. Yours is by far the best I've heard in my lifetime. My, my young woman you certainly know how to make an old man feel young again. Fadan bring her closer so we might talk without having to shout over the meeting grounds."
Hiding his embarrassment he led her around the walkway and up to the gathered chairs. Up close the deep etches around Eryavins eyes and mouth softened with laughter, a streak of silver ran from his widow’s peak and towards the back in an elegant sweep. Instead of ice for eyes they seemed like a clear summer sky free of clouds. For an older man he was still toned like a twenty year old not a gentleman in his sixties. Were all the men here this amiable?
Looking back and forth between the two she noticed subtle similarities. They had to be related. Deep blue robes flowed around his ankles, sleeves falling to mid elbow hemmed in silver, the colors accentuating his chestnut hair. Feet bare and slightly webbed. Reaching out his warm rough hands grasped her small one in between them.
"Welcome my dear, welcome to our humble home. I am so grateful you joined us." The warmth in his voice kept her from stating that she didn't come of her own free will. She turned her gaze to the younger version of this charming man for help. The smile on his face shouted loud and clear that he wasn't going to be of any help to her. Swallowing her pride she plastered on a warm smile and bowed her head.
"Please Sir, I am grateful for your help. If it wasn't for Fadan I would be a charred strip of meat only fit for the flies at the bottom of a ravine. You both have my gratitude for it." Her grinning face turned to Fadan and glared at him furiously.
"Oh you poor thing. Then it was good that Fadan stumbled across you and brought you here to heal. Our underground spring is quite rejuvenating." He pulled her down into the chairs with him, Fadan settled behind her seat with his elbows resting along the top of the chair. "I do believe you about that underground spring. It definitely cleared a lot of things up for me. You've been most kind and I couldn't possibly intrude on your home any longer. I should report the accident to the car rental and get back to my own clothes. I have friends that will be looking for me before too long." While she tried to ease herself from the conversation the two guys carried an internal dialogue.
(E)~ What the hell did you think you were doing by bringing her here?
(F)~ She had paperwork containing a report on the climate changes. I had no idea she would react to seeing me that way.
(E)~ Why did you show yourself like that in the first place? Now you have her suspicious. You could have just spoke to her and eventually got what she was doing here without the mess.
(F)~ I know I know. There was just something about her. I don't think there was any way to reason with her. She brings out the idiot in me.
(E)~ Well that's for sure. I haven't seen you so tied up before. Oops, I think we've been quiet for too long.
Glancing back and forth between the two it was like a staring contest gone wrong. Clearing her throat she waved her hands back and forth in front of her.
"I apologize my dear, you were saying?" She had to bite her tongue to keep from retorting angrily. "Yes I had been saying that I didn't want to keep you any longer. There are things I need to do back in town. So if it's not an inconvenience I'd appreciate if I could go back." She looked at both of them with a mix of expectation and frustration, her feet bounced up and down nervously. Eryavin winced slightly turning towards her he placed a warm palm on her knee, the muscle jerking to a stop.
"We can see to all of that for you. We'll call your car rental, have someone pick up your belongings from the hotel and we can leave a message for your friends telling them you’re alright. I want to make sure you are perfectly fine before you leave. Please you won't be an inconvenience on us. It isn't often that we have visitors. You'd even have Fadan as your personal escort. Won't you stay with us a little longer?"
If it weren't for the bitter taste of desperation and nerves coming off of him she would have believed they honestly wanted her company. Moving her legs to the side she tried dislodging his hand from her knee without tearing it off, but it was like a leech, suctioned to her. She'd had enough of this. Fadans hand cupping her shoulder was the final straw.
"I don't know what the hell is your problem but you cannot keep me here like a freaking prisoner no matter how fancy the words and packaging! Get your filthy hands off me before I chew them off!" Her eyes flashed a stormy silver and her incisors elongated, scales erupting down her arms and neck. Both men jumped back and stared at her in amazement and just a tinge of fear. The sweet scent making her toothy grin even bigger.
"I'm getting out of here and don't you even think of following me. Something is seriously wrong here and I'll get to the bottom of this." Walking backwards she hissed, narrowing her eyes, turning her head back she made the mistake of looking behind her. Before she could make it thru the archway Fadan had shifted to a space in front of her retreating form. her snarl of anger was cut short as he pounced on her and pinned her arms behind her back dropping them to the floor on the thresh hold of the arch. Fadans body encompassed Autoras keeping her anger from rebounding. Pressing his head to hers he forced her to look at him in the eye.
"Oh hell no! Get off me you freak! I'm not joining your cult, or you lair, or freaking be your captive bride. You have all those other women to be with so let me go!" She screamed at the top of her lungs and squeezed her eyes shut, her nostrils flaring in outrage. A small crowd formed around the couple grappling on the floor. Her instincts kicked in as the change embraced her body, her skin tearing and long spikes erupt down her back and arms. Realizing what was happening Fadan jumped off her and ordered everyone to back up.
Erupting before them with an earth rattling roar Autora stood on all fours a magnificent specimen covered in scales the same shade as pearls from the sea. Talons etched deep grooves into the floor as she sweeps her tail in a 20 foot arc around her. A small trail of smoke lazily streamed from her nostrils, a slight electrical charge released a waft of ozone around her body.
"Shit! Everyone out, one small spark and it would ignite the whole room! Go! Now while she is still preoccupied." Watching the masses scurry like vermin she chuckles loudly, the sound harsh and grating. Her large head swung back and forth till her huge swirling gray eyes settled on the lone male figure. Crooning tauntingly she took a step forward when she felt the first brush of magick tingle up her spine. Growling she slammed her tail down savagely sending dust and dirt to fall from the ceiling. Her spikes quivered on outrage. Instead of her target there stood a tiny woman with her arms out in front of her. Painted blue swirls covered her palms. Short red pixie cut hair swayed with the ripple of energy that emanated from her hands. Shrieking Autora tried pushing forward only to hit a barrier. Her maw opened wide releasing a stream of fire that formed around her in a wide arc, a few sparks skittered like fireworks around her open mouth.
"Oh Shit! Autora don't!"
Chapter 5
Fadan ran toward her waving his arms. The look of panic on his face was the last she saw. An explosion rocked the cavern. The screams of the unprotected echoed thru the dim light that filtered thru the dust and debris. Huge chunks of the cavern ceiling lay littered along the floor. Coughing roughly Fadan swiped his hands back and forth in the air clearing his field of vision. A small heap caught his eye as it lay next to a pool of blood. Grabbing at the fae woman’s arm he dragged her over to the crumpled body. Dropping to his knees he rolled over the still form.
"Autora...Autora...wake up cailin dathuil...Come on...please..." Fadan gently slid a palm under her neck and the other around her waist, pulling her up against his body. Her nude body from shifting was covered in blood, her dark locks glinting ruby as they lay limply against her head and across her shoulders. Holding her softly to his chest he leaned his head down so that his ear was by her parted lips internally begging for even the barest brush of moisture and heat. Gulping when he thought it was never going to come he visibly shook as the first puff of warm air brushed past the edge of his ear.
"Oh thank goodness. You stupid, stupid girl. And you call me the idiot. Come on beautiful open those pretty eyes for me. You know you want to wake up and scream at me." Shaking her head back and forth lightly, his eyes burning with tears when he feels a small hand land on his shoulder.
"Prikhodite molodoy I privesti yeye."
The faes rich Russian calmed his anxiety. Picking up the woman’s slackened body he trudged behind the fae and tried not to jar Autora too badly as he jumped around the debris left behind from her explosive discharge. If she would stay with him, he could only imagine the power they could wield and what their group could accomplish. Looking at the destruction and the clean-up crews busying themselves with the mess he wondered how the hell had he not ever heard of destruction like this in one of the major cities before. This woman’s temper seemed almost legendary. He thinks even some of their toughest warriors would have a hard time standing against her. With his arms curled around her he tried to block her nudeness from on lookers, growling possessively at several males staring at her lewdly. They were a few who had seen her shift and knew her power.
He had to admit that she was extremely intoxicating and that was even before her show of anger. That level of power made her down right irresistible to unmated males. A shiver stole down his spine to think of what a mating ride would be with this one. If she was awake she would have smacked the grin from his face before clawing at him especially knowing his train of thought. For fucks sake she was unconscious and drenched in her own blood and here the lot of them were thinking about one thing. S.E.X.
Shaking his head he berated himself once again for these perverted thoughts. As they passed into where the hot springs were housed, his thoughts travelled back to just this morning. Wow it had only just been this morning that she was first in his arms. It was almost uncanny. Perhaps it was fate that brought all of this together. His thoughts drifted back even further to last night. Patrols earlier in the day had noticed a rogue satellite had been circling the island. Someone was awfully curious. That night he landed at the top of the extinct volcano and looked up into the night sky, winking with not only stars but hundreds of satellites. None of them seemed particularly focused on them but who knows who was watching. What their group was doing here had to stay quiet. If they came under watch by the Evren Corporation then they were all dead. They wouldn't stand for rogues in their world. As if they ruled everything. He stayed there on the edge of the world all night, ever vigilant.
His father kept pushing this unusual climate on the island causing further damage to the environment. Someone was bound to notice. He tried telling him that to set up this lair on an island that sees some of the highest annual rainfall was madness. He supposed that it does create a large barrier between them and any other dragon communities.
At the break of day he pushes off the ledge using his back legs and at the peak of his jump unfurls his wings. Like emerald jewels the sun reflected prisms of color on the foliage below. Keeping to the less populated side of the island he dipped back and forth, running his wing tips across the water, his claws snatching at waves and cradling fish for breakfast, the heat from the tempered climate warming his back. Turning on his back he laid the fish to cook on his stomach. When they started to sizzle he plucked them into his massive maw and with a satisfied belch he flipped over and landed on a small rocky outcropping. Cleaning his claws in the scrubby grass that broke and pretty much turned to dust underfoot. He snorted in disgust.
A loud rumbling came from the road. Knowing he stuck out he shifted back and crouched down. A rather noisy truck ambled down the road and seemed to slow down when it reached the welcome sign to Alaka'i Wilderness Reserve. Pulling off to the side of the road it grumbled to a halt. The cab door opened and out stepped one of the most enchanting creatures he had ever seen, even for a human. She appeared to be studying the sky and the mountain. From where he stood crouched he could barely make out what she was saying, only catching the anger radiating off of her.
While she was preoccupied he snuck over to her truck, testing the latch he begged for it not to squeak, a high pitched peal startled a lizard out from underneath her cab. He saw a bag laying in the seat and a manila envelope stuck out from the top. Looking up he noticed a dark shadow hanging in front of the driver side door, but it appeared frozen. Panicking he grabbed a few pages from the envelope, ripping the bag in his rush before gently closing her passenger door just as she opened hers. Blending back into the brush he watched her confusion over the bag but shrug it off and start up the vehicle. As she drove off he looked at the papers in his hand. What he found made a bead of sweat form across his brow and his heart pump full of adrenaline.
They were found and now if she made a report all would be lost. He didn't wait to consult anyone he just reacted. Shifting mid run he bolted thru the drying palms and Cyprus and erupted out onto the road. His hulking shape took up the whole road as he watched her truck approach at a dangerous speed. His reptilian eyes widened when he realized she wasn't going to stop in time, her attention occupied to the side of her interior. When her head popped up in triumph and then quickly turned to panic he almost wanted to laugh but didn't. He watched as she swerved and then the rest of what happened sped thru his memory.
The warm soothing scent of eucalyptus shook him from his train of though. The natural springs fed over the dormant volcano hot air pockets were one of the main reasons they chose this area of the island in the first place. It always calmed his beast being in here. The group’s sole fae female gestured to the water’s edge, herself kneeling in wait. Walking into the water he turned to face the ledge and gently spread her body onto the edge. His hands hovering under her neck and across her hips. He cradled her as an excuse to stay close even if he wasn't needed. Clucking her tongue the woman spread her hands, coated in magick, out centering them over Autoras stomach then circling them outward, small orbs of light followed her fingertips drifting along over the top of the skin. The trail leaving in their wake made her skin glow ethereally. Reaching down the fae cupped some of the water in her palms bringing it up to Autoras forehead, dribbling it across her eyes and arcing it like a crown across her brow. Pink rivulets rolled down from her hair and pooled under her neck. Words of strength, peace, and healing sifted thru the air to mingle with the sandalwood and eucalyptus. Every minor ache he had floated away into the moist air as he waited impatiently for Autora to awaken, his hands itching to crawl over her body and wake her up one way or another. He hadn't been this nerve racked before over any woman. Growing more and more frustrated at her unconsciousness he gently slid his hands out from under her and stepped out of the water. The fae never stopped her chanting even as she noted his absence. Her tone of voice changed when he stepped out. Bending over she whispered into Autora's ear.
"Ya pos ylayu tebya obratno. Vy prosnetes! Kog da vy priyeolete. Vy dolzhny predupredit' ikh ob proiskhodyashchego. Vy budete pomnit' vse!"
Surrounding Autoras body with a powerful spell she bowed over with the force of the travelling spell she was equipping. The ripple of power burst outward as Autoras body shimmered within it. Winking out the fae slumped over onto the ground, using the last of her strength she broke her connection to the male fae living with this lair. Her eyes dimmed as she closed them. Fadan felt the change too late, coming in and dropping to his knees in agony as the female breathed her last. Autora was gone and now their female fae. A loud roar could be heard coming from the volcano along with a terrible rumble that shook the birds from the trees. The natives trembled and the visitors huddled in their hotels fearing the worst. But it was yet to come even as the air on the island became thicker and more charged.
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A continent away, a bloody body landed face down on an austere office desk scattering papers and pictures to the floor in a flurry. The desks occupant jumps from the thick black swivel chair and looks down in anger and confusion. A smooth dark skinned hand reached out and lifted the tangled black locks from around the face, the other hand resting gently against the small of its back. A sharp inhale of breath lingered in the room before a rich timbre spoke one word.
"Tori?"