Waves of Change (World Above Water, Book 1) (19 page)

“I know, Daniel; we’ll make it.” Chris gave the order, and each team began to move. When he sensed a Ver-Rist Tokos agent ahead of them, Daniel killed him without hesitation. Each team reported their kills, and they continued to move through the facility.

The Pa lel enforcers masked their Leuk Ahnal nature, and relied on hand-to-hand combat and the element of surprise in the hope of keeping their movements covert. They plotted their routes using a series of clicks over their radios to follow Daniel’s and Chris’ directions.

* * * *

Alicia’s mind was in a haze of pleasure and sensation. Despite her clouded senses, she was aware of her body moving, and she lifted her head to see Grant was using the water to carry her to the bed. He placed her onto her back and manipulated the water to separate her ankles. Kneeling between her thighs, he stroked himself in front of her.

“You will enjoy this, Alicia, I promise.”

Alicia looked Grant up and down, and he smiled.

“See something you like?” He licked his lips and lowered his hand to stroke his shaft.

“I never answered your question.” There was only one way she could think of to keep him away from her.

“Which question was that, my pet?”

“You asked me what I thought about you.”

“Oh yes. Are you in the mood to share now?”

She allowed her gaze to travel to his erection and said a silent prayer. “He’s bigger than you are.” She tried to prepare herself for his reaction, and she squinted.

Grant flashed a look of pure anger. Manipulating the water in the headboard, he controlled it and cocooned her body inside.

Alicia held her breath as the water completely encapsulated her. Grant lifted the water with her in it and moved it from the mattress. She levitated higher and higher until Grant pulled the water down with force.

As she was slammed onto the floor below, pain radiated through her body in waves, but she still couldn’t take a breath. After coughing into the water, the liquid took on a tinged hue in front of her face as blood escaped her throat. He lifted her again and repeated the process. The water soon took on a more distinct red color, and she gasped from the pain and the impact. Water rushed into her lungs immediately, and she coughed into her liquid prison, unable to breathe. Grant immobilized her, and she could feel herself drowning.

Davidus stormed into the room with his eyebrows pulled down and his jaw tense. “Grant, control yourself! This is not giving us the data we need.”

“Your Highness, forgive my ignorance. I shall continue.”

Davidus disappeared back into his alcove, and Grant removed the water from her face. He drained the water from her lungs, and she began to cough and sputter.

He stroked her cheek and leaned into her, placing a passionate kiss on her lips before he whispered into her ear. “I will enjoy breaking you, Alicia Winters, and you will enjoy it too.”

He levitated her back to the bed and took up his previous position. “You’re already wet for me.”

All Alicia could do was close her eyes and try to let her mind go blank. She was determined to concentrate on nothing. While her mind traveled into darkness, her body responded with silent tears. A loud snapping sound broke through her dread, and she opened her eyes in time to see Grant’s body falling onto her. His head was twisted, his chin just beyond his shoulder.

“He will never touch you again, beautiful. We’re almost inside.”

The force of Grant’s body landing onto her chest sent torrents of pain through her ribs, and Alicia let out a gurgling scream as more blood pooled into the back of her throat.
I can’t breathe with him on me like this!

King Davidus entered the room and moved toward the bed. His voice was full of fury as he stood over her. “How did you do this? Answer me!”

Alicia struggled to breathe. The weight of Grant’s lifeless form was crushing her, and she couldn’t take a proper breath. Before she could try to wriggle from beneath him, King Davidus placed his hands on both sides of her head. Blinding pain radiated through every nerve, and she tried to scream. The only thing she could think about was getting out from under Grant’s corpse. She didn’t realize she was concentrating until the globes of water he placed on her temples began to vibrate and ripple.
Oh no!

Chapter 17

“Get away from her!” Daniel screamed the words as he and Chris ran toward King Davidus. Their progress was halted when he heard an all too familiar voice.

“Davidus, no!” The Pa lel turned and dropped to one knee at the sight of King Philip. He wore a determined expression, but there was something else in his features.
Is he afraid?
Daniel walked next to his king. They approached the bed, but Philip froze in his tracks when he saw Alicia.

Davidus’ machines began to whir, amplifying and refracting Alicia’s brain waves into a resonance. Alicia’s eyes took on a bioluminescent glow. Her brown irises turned blue and appeared electric, bringing a malevolent smile to Davidus’ face and a taunt to his lips. “You’re too late. It’s beginning.”

“Davidus, you arrogant fool! You’ve destroyed us!” King Philip clenched his fists and shook them at his sides before releasing a slow breath.

Alicia’s body began to vibrate along with all of the water in the room. The glowing bioluminescent symbols appeared all over her skin, and she rose from the bed. King Davidus stepped back to marvel at this development and appeared to revel in his victory. He all but bounced in place as he watched her levitate, and his lips spread in a wide smile. “You’ve lost, Philip. The Ver-Rist Tokos claim victory on this day!”

Daniel didn't care about Davidus. His focus was on Alicia, and he reached out to restrain her. He wasn’t sure what to do to help her, but he didn’t want her out of reach. After he closed the gap between them, he wrapped his arms around her waist. He held onto her in an attempt to anchor her to him, and he reached out to her water to try to figure out what was happening to her.
“Come back to me, beautiful.”

A large pulse came from Alicia’s chest and moved outward. When the pulse dissipated through the walls and beyond sight, her eyes closed and she collapsed. Daniel kept her from falling to the floor. He tried to search her mind, but to his dismay, he couldn’t.

Davidus cackled maniacally before a frown took over his face. He lifted his hands toward Philip and shook them. “What is this?”

“You were blinded by your own ambition and ignorance, Davidus. The moment you brought her here she was tracked to you.” King Philip looked to Chris and nodded. “My enforcer alerted me of this plan, and I came myself to end your threats. What you fail to understand is that the
Halai-ah Kyindi Ehl
has the power to break our connection to the water completely.

“It was created for two reasons. The first reason was for the time when we decided as a people that we wanted to live like the rest of humanity. Our ancestors and
Enki
knew the world would change someday and predicted we might want to change with it.

“The second reason was for the time when our people became a threat to the world. If we were to ever grow too hungry for total dominance, the
Halai-ah Kyindi Ehl
would select a human to sever our connection. When you came to power, you began to doom us all with your lust for dominance.

“The
Halai-ah Kyindi Ehl
sensed your desires and called out to Alicia as a child. It needed her to put an end to your threat. Thanks to your evil, we are no longer Leuk Ahnal. Our tie to the water is the same as any other human now.”

“N-no! That’s impossible!”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, Davidus. Your legacy of power will be written as the man who severed us from our connection. I was going to kill you. I was even going to have Alicia killed. I was willing to do anything to stop this. But now, I will bring you back as a prisoner. I will alert the other nations, and I’m certain they will all want to have words with you.” Turning to the members of Daniel’s and Chris’ team, Philip gave his order. “Take him away.”

Members of the teams moved in and pulled Davidus’ arms behind his back. His face contorted as he appeared to strain to use his powers with no effect. “This can’t be right!”

Knowing he could no longer reach her through her water, Daniel began to call to Alicia in a soft voice. “Open your eyes, beautiful. Please.” He turned to his king, hoping he’d have answers for him. “Is she going to be all right? Has this hurt her?”

Philip kneeled in front of Daniel and chanted words he didn’t recognize. The symbols on Alicia’s body glowed with more intensity, and her eyes opened.

“Your Highness, what’s happening?” He was grateful she was awake, but he wasn’t sure why her symbols glowed, or why her eyes changed to the strange blue color.

“Daniel, when Alicia activated the
Halai-ah Kyindi Ehl
, she severed our connection to the water. At the same time, all of the powers of the Leuk Ahnal were given to her. She is more powerful than any of our people ever were. She has become
Enki
, our goddess of water. If it is her will, we may get our powers back.”

Chris and the rest of the team members dropped to both knees and bowed their heads before Alicia. In unison they all chanted, “
Enki-ak-si lilu.
” It was the simple prayer all Leuk Ahnal knew, the words that asked for
Enki
to grant them her favor.

Daniel watched as Alicia’s bleeding stopped. She turned her gaze to him, the bright blue of her irises contrasting sharply with her brown skin.

“Beautiful, are you all right?”

*

Alicia smiled and nodded before she reached up and placed her hand on Daniel’s face. “I’m all right.”

“
Enki
Alicia, what is your will?” King Philip was still kneeling with his head bowed. Alicia looked at him and spoke to him in his mind.

“You were already like the rest of humanity. You feared what you couldn’t control, what you didn’t understand. You sought to destroy me and my unborn child while making justifications for the mandatory loss of life. Those are the foundations of almost every war we’ve ever had. No one needed to activate the artifact when these feelings entered your heart so easily. You are a living example of the departure of your own ways. My sacrifice would have been for nothing, and I would have died knowing my life was wasted for your empty honor.”

“Forgive me,
Enki
Alicia. If you will permit it, I will seek your counsel to stay true to our ways.”

Alicia nodded and Philip rose, his head still bowed. Taking off his jacket, he draped it over her body before he backtracked away from her. He motioned for the team members to leave with him, and they mirrored his actions, each bowing before they left the room.

Chris remained, keeping his head bowed while smiling. “Alicia, if you wanted me on my knees, I would have gladly obliged long ago.”

Alicia smiled and Daniel shook his head. When she tried to get up, Daniel held her close.
“I’m fine, Danny. I can walk.”

He hesitated, but eventually gave in and helped her up. As soon as she was on her feet, she hugged him tight, causing him to draw in a deep breath and hold it. “Beautiful, the baby, can you tell?”

“The baby’s fine; we’re both fine.”

Daniel squeezed her tight and exhaled. Chris exhaled as well and rubbed his hand across his forehead.

When she saw he was still on his knees, she tilted her head and rolled her eyes. “Get up, Chris. I won’t tolerate any of this bowing and
Enki
Alicia business from you.”

Chris laughed and rushed over to embrace her. She released her hold on Daniel and allowed Chris to wrap her in his arms, and he kissed her forehead and held her close. “If you ever do anything like this again, I swear to… Well, damn. You’re
Enki
now. Get ready for some blasphemy!”

“I’d be nicer to me if I were you, Chris, especially if you want me to tell you where your
Dau-Hael
is.”

Chris’ eyes widened in an instant, and he stiffened in her arms. “Y-you—you know where?”

“Mm-hmm.” She nodded and smiled before stepping away from Chris and allowing Daniel to take her hand. Chris took the opposite hand, and they walked together, heading out of the room they all wanted to forget. The symbols on Alicia’s legs and hands began to glow brightly as she used her newfound powers to return Chris’ and Daniel’s connection to the water.
It’s strange. I don’t even have to figure out what to do; I just know how to use this.
Turning to Daniel, she squeezed his hand lightly before sending her thoughts to him.
“Elan-ak-hanaeyl.”

“I love you too, beautiful.”

Alicia could feel Chris’ mood lighten, and she knew a wisecrack was imminent.

“So, after all of this, I think I need to move in with you two. What do you say? I’ll bring movies and lingerie!”

“Chris…”

“Daniel…”

“Hold on, I think I’d like to see Chris in a leather bustier.” Alicia pretended to think on the image as they continued out of Davidus’ compound.

They all smiled as they walked out of the facility and into a new future.

The End

Publisher’s Note

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About Nulli Para Ora

Nulli Para Ora is a romance author who writes in multiple genres. A lover of languages, anime, martial arts, video games, nature, and music, Nulli pulls inspiration from the profound to the mundane.

Whether it’s crafting a new realm, an alien planet, a new species, or an alternate reality, you can always count on twists and turns in Nulli's tales. Love can be irrational, undeniable, blissful, and sometimes frustrating, but it's also universal, binding hearts across cultures and time.

Table of Contents

Waves of Change

Blurb

Chapter 1

Chapter 2