Three days later"And I'm telling you, Mage, that will put us in the middle of an ocean." I turned to my Mate. "We need to aim for this spot, Kiema. Do not believe everything Kord tells you," I said as I pointed to the middle of a big land mass on a very roughly drawn map of Earth. "All of my research says that's going to be worse than landing in an ocean, Dragon. Besides, you haven't been there in eons. What makes you think things will still be as you remember them?" Kord snarled at me. He turned to Kiema. "Pick somewhere else. We don't want to be stuck up in the mountains or trapped in an over-congested city. Some place with open areas that're easy to protect."Kiema smiled the same smile she'd been flashing since this morning when the discussion of where to land on Earth had begun. "Mate," I began. "What has you smiling so secretively?" I asked. "I already know where we're going. You and Kord are the ones holding everyone up." She gave me a brighter smile. "And? W
With a short scream, I pulled everyone back onto the sidewalk. I wasn't going to admit to Kord, but he'd been right. I had an absolutely horrible sense of direction. The fact that we'd come a hair's breadth from becoming pancakes was my evidence in point. "Watch the fucking road, you cunt!" some driver yelled at me while flipping his middle finger up in the air as he honked his horn. Ransom growled next to me. "It's okay," I said, patting a hand to his abs. "It was my fault.""He better hope I don't see him ever again."I swallowed the laugh that was tickling my throat. Even on the street, it looked like there were hundreds, if not thousands of people rushing, walking, and strolling about in every direction. "Where are we?" Scarlet asked as she leaned around Ransom. If I had trouble hearing her in a quiet room, then it was almost impossible for me to hear her in all of this noise. "What did you say?" I asked through telepathy. Her cheeks pinkened. She repeated
"Ten, got any ideas?" I asked the dragon who shared a body with me. "Follow their directions. It looks like they are the peacekeepers or law enforcement for the city. This is nothing like what Earth should be. There are too many people. Too many buildings. Too many cars. Too much pollution. What have they done to my beautiful planet?""Progress and greed, Ten. I'm so very sorry," I said as I put my hands up in the air. One man, dressed in a black vest that read POLICE in big white letters across the chest stepped through the throng of men and women who were circled around us. "I'm Captain Jamison Holt. You're going to need to come with me, please." "We'll be glad to accompany you if you could but tell us why." Ten said through our mouth. Captain Holt looked startled. "You're being arrested.""On what charges?" Ten asked. "You're all wanted terrorists." With that he turned and made his way to a big black truck that had SWAT written on the side. "What the fuck?" Ash
I could feel Berserker jerking on the reins of my control. He wanted out, and he wanted his mate. This locked up in different areas bullshit was about to get a lot of people killed. I practiced the breathing techniques Xander and I had learned in therapy after my father killed mom. The same ones he used on Scarlet. Thinking about my mate being that close to a breakdown had Berserker bum-rushing the leash I had on him. Breathe in. Hold it.Hold it.Exhale."Ten, where the fuck is all this Earth magic supposed to be? I don't feel a Gaiadamned bit different," I snarled mentally to help distract myself. "I do not know, brother. It is as if the magic has disappeared altogether. This is not the Earth of my youth," he answered. He sounded both saddened and angry. "I feel like something is trying to suck or siphon my magic," Kiema said. "It's almost like we're in a vacuum of some kind and once it locked on to us, it began trying to slurp me up one big gulp after another
I knew immediately she'd cut me off from everyone else. The skin she wore looked nothing like she did on the spiritual plane, but then again, she had to make do with what she had to choose from. This woman was in her late sixties, white haired, wrinkled skin, watered down green eyes, and a sensible, if ugly skirt suit. "Hello, Kiema. Sorry to see you're still alive," she said, her voice sounded a lot younger than her body looked. "Herpes, what an awful surprise." I nodded at her. She looked shocked. "I didn't know if you'd recognize me or not. But it seems as if you've gotten a few upgrades of your own. What are you doing on Earth?""Sightseeing."She snarled at me, stomped her low heeled shoe on the floor like a child. Which given the age she's trying to present was beyond hysterical. "I could have you locked away indefinitely here. You would wither, die, and then your magic - which is rightfully mine anyway - would be up for grabs.""So why don't you do that?" I watche
"Are you going to keep notes on this interaction as well?" I asked Atlas as we made our way into the gigantic foyer of the hotel. He slung his arm over my shoulders. "Do you want me to?"I looked up into his face. Grabbing my courage was nearly as difficult this time. I flashed him a smile, nodded. "Then that's what will happen, little sister."My heart caught in my chest at the term. I'd gained so much more than just mates when I accepted my guardianship. Beyond the family I'd acquired, I hadn't felt so strong and brave in my entire life. I had something to offer, something to claim. The give and take in this group was as close to equal as it could possibly be. And it was a beautiful thing to see. A heavenly thing to be part of. Atlas gave me a squeeze before letting me go. I quickened my steps to catch up with Kiema at the front of the group. I tugged on her waist before she got too far away again. Being the shortest, with stubby little legs no less, made me feel like
This woman looked nothing like her mother. No dark eyes, no rainbow hair, no regal bearing - scratch that last part. This woman oozed regal. But she worked in a hotel. Albeit a fancy one, but still. The manager narrowed her eyes at me before turning to her younger, smaller employee. Her gaze softened. "Go get some air, Bethany. I'll take care of this."Bethany opened her mouth. The manager shook her head, her long brown hair sliding over her shoulders in a wave of slight curls. "You're not to blame. You won't be punished in any way. Go on, now."Bethany's eyelids fluttered closed as a single tear escaped her control. Shit, shit, shit. I hadn't wanted to damage the young woman. Just get her to give us a couple of rooms. "Then you should have been more careful with a Valkyrie's magic," the manager said as she glared at Scarlet. Scarlet stood beside me, her shoulders straight, her head held high. The manager watched her like a predator watches its prey. I stepped
I dug my nails into Asher's arms, my entire body vibrating with rage and fear. This woman claimed to be my mother. But according to Alok, she was also the person who wanted me dead. Kiema burst up, fists clenched, her face spelling out Nix's murder. "You're the one who wanted Scarlet dead?!"Wind rose up in the room, whipping everything around in a small tornado. Kiema's silver eyes washed to complete liquid silver. "You made a mistake. Scarlet is one of mine. You'll go through me to hurt her.""And me," Saint said as he rose to his feet. His form wavered at the edges as Ten tried to break through."And me," Ransom and Kord both stood up. Their forms also on the verge of shifting. "And us," Lukas and Atlas said. Lukas stepped away from his partner, his hands loose and ready at his sides. Atlas' top lip pulled up in a snarl. "And us," Xander and Taryk said from behind me and Asher. I didn't turn, but I knew their magic flared and pushed at their control. Asher's arms r