Destiny United (26 page)

Black mist blew in circles around her, faster and faster
it twirled until it began to take shape, finally ending as a man. Instinctively,
Aila placed an arrow in her bow and aimed it at the mysterious being, a
menacing glare set on her face.

“Whoa,” the mist man said with a patronizing smile.
“Don’t slay me yet little fae warrior.” He paused to furrow his brow. “Or is it
warrior-ess? Hmm…I’ll have to work on that.” Focused back on her, he continued,
“I am Gethin, guardian of the Underworld. And you just passed through my gate
without permission.”

The wolf whined and scratched a paw in the dirt. Gethin
gave him one look then commanded, “Down.”

Immediately the wolf obeyed.

Gethin turned back to Aila with an expression that
stated, clearly,
“Look at me. I have power. Do what I
say.”
Then he eyed her bow with an unspoken threat.

She lowered her arm. She had no idea what he was; only
that he was the most dangerous thing she’d ever seen. Though his appearance
didn’t say much – short blond hair so light it was almost white and a wide but
fantastic smile with perfect teeth – something about his eyes was deeply
disturbing. Light brown one moment then flickering yellow the next. Not quite
human, not quite animal. Something altogether unique.

But it was his presence that was most unsettling. He
reeked of power and magic. It smothered her, swept the air from her already
heavy lungs. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Instinct
screamed to run. She forced herself to stand her ground but couldn’t stop a
shudder.

He gave her another look.
“That’s
right. Fear me.”

No problem there. She cleared her dry throat and said,
“Umm…sorry?”

He chuckled with amused arrogance. “Rest easy. I’ll let
you pass.”

She arched a brow. Did she have “gullible” written on her
forehead?

“For a price,” he added.

Ah, there it is.
She
positioned her bow over her shoulder. “I have no money.”

“I don’t need money. What I need is for you to deliver a
message.”

“To who and what’s the message?”

“The goddess of night.” His tone changed from condescending
amusement to anger. “Nyx is her name.”

“A goddess? Wouldn’t she be in heaven?”

He laughed lightly but there was no humor in it. “Nyx was
cast out of heaven. She was a very naughty goddess. She stole something from me
and I want it back.” His eyes flashed yellow and glowed under the red sky. Combined
with his feral smile, Aila backed up a few steps. “Here’s a lesson you can take
to the bank…”

She furrowed her brow but didn’t have the balls to tell
him he got the saying wrong.

“Never steal from a dragon. You won’t get away with it
and it pisses us the fuck off.”

Dragon?

“Anyway, right now Nyx wreaks havoc in a little place
called Las Vegas. I need you to take this to her.” He held out a dark metal
cylinder about a foot long. It was covered in mysterious symbols and one side
contained a row of letters that spun like a combination lock, protecting
whatever was inside.

“What is it?”

“
Sermo sermonum tenet
. The
thing which holds my words. The combination is the only way to open it.”

“What’s the combination?”

He laughed, low and deep in his throat. “You’re funny.”

She shrugged. “Nyx knows it?”

“She’ll figure it out.”

He held the cylinder closer but she was wary. “Why can’t
you take the message yourself?”

Gethin’s gaze roamed her body, far too bold for a human.
He slowed at her breasts, his smile widened as he licked his lips. If arrogance
had a face, it would be his. Blown up to billboard size. With flashing neon
lights.

“So curious,” he said softly. “I will answer you this
once. But in the future, try to remember, it’s best not to ask too many
questions. The more you know, the more vulnerable you are. There are beings
that would torture even a little thing like you for information you wish you
did not possess.”

She didn’t doubt that.

“I cannot enter Las Vegas. Nyx, the thieving bitch, is in
possession of a device that makes it impossible for me to enter the city. And
since she never leaves it,” his voice was a growl now, “I must resort to
passing notes like school children.”

Suppressing the urge to ask why, she said instead, “How
will I find her?”

“I’ve no doubt your vampire friend can help you.”

“And should I tell her you gave it to me?”

“You won’t have to.” He grinned. “Now, little fae
creature, do we have a deal?”

Aila looked from the scroll back to Gethin then nodded.
She’d deal with this later. One mission at a time.

“Wise decision.”

The wolf whined catching Aila’s attention. “Thanks, for
that.” She waved a hand towards the now passive creature that had tried to rip
out her throat only moments ago.

He dipped his head in a sort of half bow. “Just out of
curiosity, what would you have done had I not shown up?”

She straightened her shoulders. “Killed it of course. An
arrow between the eyes,” she said because it sounded cool. It was also a
blatant lie.

He narrowed those glowing eyes. “Do you know where you’re
going?”

She shook her head.

“You won’t last long wandering out here on your own.
Beasts will eat up a little morsel like you.”

She had no doubt he included himself in that number. Human
Aila would have slapped on her most charming smile, batted her eyes, and asked
for directions. Ass-Kicking-Faery Aila just shrugged. It was simple and easy
and it said absolutely nothing about her current mental state – which happened
to be unstable at best.

He gave her a long unsettling glance then said, “Tell you
what. Since I am a benevolent dragon and because I need your services when
you’re done with all your,” he waved a dismissive hand, “fae uniting, I’ll take
you to your sister myself.”

Her brow creased in confusion. How did he know Sage was her
sister? Or that she was looking for her? And what did he know about her uniting
the fae? Before she could ask him any of the many questions pouring through her
mind, she was swept up in a black mist. Nothing made sense for a moment. She
was floating, entombed in the mist. But where was her body?

Oh no, she wasn’t
in
the
mist. She
was
the mist. After what felt like far
too long without a body, she panicked, wondering if she was bound to wander
this hellish plane forever as molecules of vapor.

Finally, she was solid again and never so happy to feel
her feet on the ground. Gethin materialized next to her. She swayed a bit from
the trip in the mist. He grinned mockingly at her disorientation.

With a flash of his golden eyes he said, “Good luck, Aila
the Foretold.” As he faded back into mist his voice carried over. “Be quick
about that message. You don’t want to anger one such as me.”

And here she was, alone again, standing in front of
another black iron gate surrounding a castle.
Rheol
Haearn,
it was called. Marcelo had said it meant “iron rule.” It looked
like whoever ruled it had an iron fist. It was monstrous. Black stone piled
high forming three large towers. A domed roof made of glass curved up between
the towers. A bolt of lightning over the castle and rumble of thunder in the
distance seemed appropriate.

She sighed. Leave it to Sage to take over the Underworld.
She couldn’t have stumbled upon Unicorn Land instead?

Aila tugged on the gate’s rungs but the thing wouldn’t
budge. There was no sign of an intercom box or automatic gate opening button.
Seriously, Sage? Not even a doorbell?
She
looked right, then left, but the gate went on as far as she could see. At least
there wasn’t a moat.

She climbed the gate then jumped down, crouching low and
slipping into a shadow. The courtyard was empty.
Shouldn’t
there be attack dogs or something?
This was the goddamn center of the
Underworld and there was no one guarding it? It was quiet.

“Too quiet,” she murmured laughing inside at the cliché.
If it were a movie, this would have been the part where the audience yelled, “Run
away! Run away!”

Is this what I’ve become? The “too-stupid-to-live girl”?

“Aw, fuck it. I don’t have time for this.” She inhaled a
deep breath, scenting the air. Her lips curled into a smile.
Marcelo’s here.

She stormed across the courtyard, eager and unafraid. A
tall black statue in the middle stopped her in her tracks. It was a man dressed
in a long trench coat, sword raised high, his mouth a fierce snarl. The plaque
below read
Cadmael, Dark King of the Underworld.

Sage’s father.

Huh. She had his eyes. And ego, apparently. Her gaze made
its way down the statue’s body then did a double take. There, between its legs,
a chunk of the rock was missing. Someone had castrated the Dark King?

Movement to the right caught her eye. She froze, focusing
her senses as Marcelo had taught her. Then she smelled it. Blood. She spun
around. Before she could blink a vampire appeared just a few yards away. Almost
as tall as Marcelo, his fangs were bared, black eyes focused on her bow, now
aimed with an arrow at his throat. Oh yes, vampires were fast. But so was she.

“What do we have here?” he said in laughing tone.

She rolled her eyes. What was it with male immortals and
their amused arrogance?

The vampire’s skin was as black as night, his long dreads
swayed when he took an exaggerated whiff of the air. “A fae? Interesting. Far
from home, aren’t you, little one?”

She did her best to imitate Marcelo’s predatory gaze. “Back
off, jackass. I’m here to see the queen.”

The vampire didn’t move. His eyes flared then husky
laughter burst from his throat. “Lucky for me she’s not here right now. I’m
hungry and you’re the tastiest looking thing I’ve ever seen.”

She gulped, fear finally making an appearance. “I’m
Marcelo’s. That is…I mean…I belong to him.”

He put his hands out to the side. “I don’t see him here
now.”

“Get out of my way,” she commanded with false bravado.

He grinned.

She aimed her bow lower. “Unless you want to end up like
your friend here,” she gestured to the Dark King’s statue, “I suggest you move.
I already shot one vampire this week, don’t test me.”

He looked at her as though she was nothing more than a
petulant child making ridiculous threats.
But his grin faded when his
gaze fell upon something behind Aila. Another inhale of the stale air and her
heart stopped. Richness and spices. Anger and joy.

Marcelo.

She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Wait for his
forgiveness or tackle him to the ground.

“Atsu, go.” Marcelo’s voice eased her soul.

The vampire cast her one last longing glance then
disappeared. Slowly she turned to face Marcelo. Their eyes locked for a long,
tense moment. Neither one of them moved, neither spoke.

Talk, Aila! Say something! Like what? I’m sorry I put an arrow
through your windpipe then left you passed out and helpless on the forest floor
while I ran off with a fae prince. Oh, and I think I might be in love with you?

She cleared her throat and squeaked a timid, “Hi.” She
wanted to smack herself in the forehead.
Good one.

He stalked towards her, eyes dark and angry. She suddenly
wondered if she was safer with Atsu, who only wanted to eat her, than with
Marcelo, who looked like he wanted to screw her until she couldn’t even stand, let
alone escape with a fae prince.

He cocked an eyebrow. “You belong to me?”

“I…I…uh…”
Forgive me. Love me.
Tell me this desperate ache in my chest isn’t for nothing. Tell me you belong
to me too.
She swallowed hard. “I was…just…the vampire was going to…”

Her rambling was cut off when he appeared inches in front
of her. She looked up. His face was an unreadable mask.
But God he smells so good.
  Her eyes fluttered closed
and she leaned into him, seduced by his warmth.

She startled when he grabbed her shoulders in a firm grip
and wordlessly raked his gaze over her body. He spun her around and looked over
the back of her. After a confused moment she realized he was checking her for
injuries. She tried to step away to tell him she wasn’t hurt, but the look he
gave her froze her in place.

Finally, he turned her to face him again. She wished he
would just yell at her. Get it over with. The silence, the indifference, was
torture.

“Did you sleep with him?” he asked in a cold voice laced
with dangerous undertones.

“What? Sleep with who?”

“The bloody fae I smell all over you!” His bellow echoed
across the courtyard. “Who do you think?”

Finally some emotion!
Yet
Aila’s own temper flared. She hadn’t even spent two minutes in his presence and
already he was questioning her loyalty? Not even a “hi there, hello, how are
you?”

She narrowed her eyes and gave him a cruel stare. “No! Of
course not!”

His shoulders sagged with relief.

“We kissed. That was all.”

Black eyes flared and a muscle ticked in his jaw.

She backpedaled. “Before you freak out, let me tell you
it was because of that kiss that I’m here. That kiss made me realize how much I
missed you.”

He blinked. “You missed me?”

“Yes, I missed you!” She was shouting now, frustration
mixed with hurt made her voice crack. She hadn’t meant to reveal her feelings quite
this way, but since screaming matches were kind of their thing, she went with
it. “Does that satisfy your ego? That I was miserable without you? That I found
out I need you more than I need a family, a history, a culture to belong to? Do
you feel better knowing you hold some kind of power over me? I hope so cause
now I just feel stupid!” She paused and searched his face for any hints to what
he might be thinking. She came up blank. “If you don’t say something soon I’m
going to turn right back around and –”