Nexus, page 24
Aurora caught my eye and rolled hers. I had to muffle my snort of laughter so the vampire didn’t get into a snit. “Climb onboard,” I offered. “The good ship Saige is about to set sail from the dock.”
“Please stop,” he said in a pained tone. “You know nothing about sailing, ships or docks.”
“Keep your arms inside the vehicle at all times,” I continued as if I hadn’t heard him. “Decapitation and dismemberment could be the consequences if you ignore the warnings.”
Ruen snickered as he clambered onto my back. Aurora looked at the trees that surrounded us and scrambled down from my shoulder. I felt her soft body press against my back as she squirmed between Ruen and me. I took off running, quickly picking up speed during the steep descent to the bottom. An avalanche of rocks started, then small boulders were bouncing and rolling around me. I veered off the path as shouts sounded from the alarmed guards.
The noise of the avalanche muffled my footsteps as I sprinted through the trees and shrubs. Ruen heeded my advice and kept his limbs and head tucked behind me. Dodging trees, I skirted around the two groups as they spotted each other. I was long gone by the time they converged.
Chapter Fifty-Three
BIRDS AND ANIMALS FLED when they heard me coming as I raced across the valley. Ruen and Aurora were peering over my shoulder, now that they were no longer in danger of being decapitated by branches. I headed directly for the pathway that led to the gate, stomach gurgling with hunger and feeling weak from using too much energy.
“The soldiers must have heard you,” Ruen said, turning to look over his shoulder. “I can hear them chasing after us.”
I reached the mouth of the mile-long crevice between the high rock walls that would take us to the gate. By the time I neared the end of the path, I was staggering from exhaustion. Four soldiers stood guard about fifty yards from the gate.
“Don’t stop!” Ruen urged me, thumping me on the back with his bony knees. I’d slowed down enough for the soldiers that were chasing us to see us. They shouted in glee, thinking they had us trapped.
Putting my head down, I put on a final burst of speed. One of the guards managed to dive out of the way, but the other three weren’t so lucky. Two bounced off my gut and were trampled beneath my gigantic feet. The third one clung to my boobs, staring up at me with a terrified expression.
I peeled the soldier off me and tossed him over my shoulder, then had to lift my hand to shield my eyes from the bright blue light. “I’m going through the gate!” I shouted to warn Ruen. He cringed behind me, holding onto Aurora tightly as I ran full tilt through the magical portal.
Again, my entire body tingled from head to toe when I became encased in the light. It was worse this time. I figured it was because three beings were passing through the portal instead of just two. My transformation happened so fast that I didn’t feel myself shrinking. One moment, I was a huge ogre who was wedged in the doorway. The next moment, I became human again. We spilled through the gate and landed in a heap on the bare concrete floor of the warehouse.
“Don’t shoot them!” one of the shifters who was standing guard shouted. “They’re Lord Gilden’s envoys!”
Ruen was tangled up with me. He had one hand on my shoulder, another one clutched my shirt in a death grip and a third one was holding tightly to my arm. Someone spoke even as I was trying to figure out how he’d grown an extra hand.
“Who the hell is the woman with the green and blue hair?” someone asked.
Still shaking in exhaustion and hunger, I pushed Ruen off me and turned my head. A pair of stunning green eyes stared at me from an exquisitely beautiful face of a woman I’d never seen before. “Aurora?” I croaked. In this form, I could feel magic emanating from her. It was her hand holding onto my shirt so tightly.
“It’s me,” she replied in a melodious voice.
“But, you’re a bird,” I mumbled in stupefaction.
“It’s a long story,” she said with a grimace and struggled to sit up.
“Why is she naked?” the shifter who’d stopped his colleagues from shooting us asked. One of the other guards was talking on his cell phone. I heard Drake’s name mentioned and figured he was reporting to our boss.
I took the hand the shifter offered me and let him pull me to my feet. Aurora was handed a jacket and drew it around herself. “My feathers didn’t follow me through the portal,” she said, which only confused them more. Almost a foot shorter than me, she was slender, had light brown skin and short, spiky blue and green hair. She wasn’t full-figured like I was and had small boobs in comparison to mine.
The door to the portal was swung shut, cutting off the blinding blue light.
Ruen recovered from the pain of his transformation and rose to his feet. All signs of his former joy were gone. He was back to being his usual pessimistic self again. “I need a shower and to burn these clothes,” he said gloomily.
All signs of the giant’s semen were gone, but our clothes were tattered and our hair was greasy. My weapons were gone, but the ones he’d borrowed from me were still strapped to his arms and legs.
“We’ll take you to Lord Gilden,” the lead guard said. It wasn’t a suggestion and the werelion wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
“I’m starving. Can we stop for burgers on the way?” I asked as my stomach rumbled loudly.
“What’s a burger?” Aurora asked.
“You have a lot to learn about this world,” I told her as we followed two of the guards to the exit.
“I’ve never been to this dimension before,” she said. “I’ve only ever lived in the underworld.”
The shifters exchanged looks, probably doubting the wisdom of bringing her along. Our boss hadn’t told them to leave her behind when he’d been notified about our arrival. They indicated for all of us to climb into the back of the SUV when we reached it.
We had a silent ride to Lord Gilden’s building. Aurora stared out through the windows, taking everything in. She didn’t ask any questions and huddled close to my side. Ruen had removed my weapons and handed them back to me. His head was resting against the back of his seat. I knew he was awake, but he clearly didn’t want to engage in conversation.
I peered into my backpack when I slipped my knives inside it, then quickly closed it again as a glimmer of light shone upwards. The scroll fragment was buried at the bottom of my pack. The glow was fainter here, but it was still visible.
Aurora flicked a glance at my backpack, but knew better than to say anything. As far as the shifters knew, we’d gone to the underworld as trade envoys. The dragon lord was the only one we could tell the truth to.
As per my request, we stopped at a fast-food restaurant to grab a couple of burgers. I could have eaten five of them on my own, but I handed one to Aurora. We wolfed them down as we continued our journey to the center of Nexus.
I pulled a t-shirt out of my backpack and handed it to Aurora. “Put this on,” I suggested. My jeans were far too large for her and she’d never be able to keep them up. She shucked off the jacket and the werelion almost ran up the back of the car that had stopped at a light. He slammed on the brakes when his colleague sucked in an alarmed breath. We all jerked against our seatbelts, except for Ruen, who hadn’t buckled himself in. His reflexes were good enough to lift a hand and brace himself against the seat. He didn’t even bother to open his eyes.
“Watch the road instead of the naked girl,” the second lion growled, but he turned to watch Aurora wriggle into the t-shirt. She pulled the jacket back on over the shirt, then leaned against me. It was a bit weird to have a woman clinging to me like this. I’d grown used to her affectionate nature in the underworld. Now that she’d assumed a human form, it was going to take some adjustment for us all.
The SUV pulled into the driveway to the underground parking area of Drake’s building. It parked in one of the slots for employees and Ruen opened his eyes. “Home sweet home,” he said peevishly.
“Aren’t you glad to be back in our world?” I asked as we climbed out.
“I had a certain freedom in the underworld that I lack here,” he replied, then cut a look at our escorts without elaborating. I knew he was talking about being able to kill, maim and feed on our enemies. Now that we were home, the restrictions his boss had placed on him had returned.
“I can feel someone very powerful and magical somewhere above us,” Aurora said in a low voice.
“That’s Drake,” I said. “He’s the dragon shifter I mentioned.”
Her eyes widened and she seemed to be on the verge of fleeing. Then she braced herself and followed us into the elevator when the door opened. She slid her hand into mine and became glued to my side as it whisked us upwards. I felt bad for her for being in a new form in a new world where everything was strange and frightening. I needed a bit of comfort myself after our ordeal, so I didn’t tell her to let go.
Chapter Fifty-Four
AURORA’S KNEES WERE practically knocking together when the elevator opened. The shifters didn’t follow us into Drake’s office. They took the elevator back down to the garage.
Lord Gilden stood in front of a window next to the French doors with his back to us. “I’m glad you made it back, safe and sound,” he said as he turned around.
“We’re relieved to be home, my lord,” Ruen said. “It wasn’t easy, but our mission was a success.”
Aurora began to tremble when the dragon switched his attention to her. I squeezed her hand, silently telling her she wasn’t in any danger. “I see you’ve brought someone back through the gate with you,” he said in heavy disapproval. “I’m sure you have a reasonable explanation for it.”
“This is Aurora,” I said in introduction. “Aurora, this is Lord Drake Gilden. He’s in charge of the supernatural community in Nexus.”
“Hello, my lord,” she said in a trembling voice.
He inclined his head in greeting, then switched his golden gaze to me expectantly. He wanted to know my reason for bringing her back with me and he wanted to hear it now.
“We ran into Aurora shortly after we entered the underworld,” I began. “She was being attacked by a pair of hungry dogs. I saved her from them and she helped us find the scroll.”
“She knows about the scroll?” Drake asked in a sharp tone.
“She led us straight to it,” Ruen told him. “We probably would have stumbled around for months without her guidance.”
“How exactly did you find the scroll?” he asked, belatedly gesturing for us to take a seat. He’d been expecting an extra guest, going by the third chair that had been placed in front of his desk. We all took a seat and Aurora glanced at me for guidance.
“Aurora can sense magic,” I explained. “She has a different form in the underworld.”
“What form might that be?”
“She’s a bird,” Ruen said. “She’s smaller than a peacock, but similar in coloring.” Aurora would have been drab shades of brown if she’d resembled a peahen.
“A bird isn’t your natural form, is it, Aurora?” Lord Gilden said, piercing her with his gaze. She trembled harder and shook her head, but clamped her lips shut.
“Do you want the scroll?” I asked to distract him.
“That can wait for a few moments,” he said, to my surprise. “Would you like some refreshments? I’m sure you’re all famished from your lengthy journey to another dimension.”
Ruen’s fangs descended and he swallowed when he began to salivate. “If it isn’t too much trouble, my lord,” he said in a tone that was almost humble.
My rumbling stomach had to be the cause of Drake offering us refreshments. The constant noise was getting on his nerves. He called someone to bring some food and blood up to his office, turning away to face the French doors while he spoke.
“It’s okay,” I whispered to Aurora when her trembling didn’t diminish. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
“Do you promise?” she asked, looking at me beseechingly.
“I promise.” I’d never had anyone relying on me like this before. It would be hard for her to adjust to living in our world. I’d help her out until she got settled. It would be cruel to abandon her when she needed a friend so badly.
My vow finally had her unclenching my hand and her trembling stopped. Drake spun his chair back around after he ended his phone call. He took in Aurora’s new relaxed state and I knew he’d heard our conversation. “Food and drinks will be brought up shortly,” he said. “Why don’t you begin telling me about your mission? Did you meet with the overlord?”
“Yep,” I replied. “He’s dead, by the way.”
“You killed him?” he asked, voice rising in shock.
“I tried to off him after he started chewing his way through my boob and gut, but a giant stepped in and tore his head off for me.”
Lord Gilden stared at me with his mouth open, unsure whether to believe me or not. He looked at Ruen and the vampire nodded. “We were lucky the giant woke up when he did. None of us would have made it out of that cave alive if he’d remained in his sex coma.”
Drake put one hand over his face and held the other one up to silence us. We didn’t dare move until he heard the elevator door open. He gestured at his lackey to wheel a trolley laden with food over to us. “I need to make a phone call,” he said when the servant was gone. “I’ll be back shortly.”
Ruen barely waited for his boss to stand up before he snatched a thermos from the tray. Taking the lid off it, he inhaled the smell of blood. His fangs clanked against the metal when he put it to his lips and began to drink.
“Are we in trouble?” Aurora asked once the dragon lord had stepped through a door over to the left.
“Probably,” I said with a shrug, then picked up a plate full of sandwiches. “I don’t think he was happy to hear the overlord is dead.”
“It wasn’t our fault,” she said, taking the second plate from me when I handed it to her. “We were just defending ourselves.”
“This will probably cause some kind of diplomatic kerfuffle,” I figured. “They know someone came from our world to theirs. It’s possible they’ll think we deliberately assassinated their ruler.”
“I highly doubt that,” Ruen said, using a napkin to delicately wipe the blood from his lips. He’d chugged down the entire thermos in seconds. “Even the stupidest idiot could figure out what happened in that cave,” he went on. “They’ll be able to tell the giant was responsible for the overlord’s demise. Lord Gilden will come up with a plausible story to cover the reason why we were there.”
“We’re trade envoys,” I said ruefully around the sandwich I’d stuffed into my mouth.
Aurora tentatively took a bite of her food, then scarfed it down. “Everything tastes so good here,” she said when she’d finished her first sandwich.
“Wait until you try coffee,” I told her, then poured us both a cup. Adding cream and sugar, I handed her one of the cups.
Smelling it first, she took a cautious sip, then grinned. “I love this world. I never want to leave it.”
Now that I’d seen what life was like in the underworld, I appreciated my own dimension far more. I’d never take toilets for granted again. “Me neither,” I agreed, but suspected I wasn’t going to have a choice about that. Fate had picked me to be her champion and my job had only just begun.
Ruen drank the second thermos of blood at a more sedate pace. We finished our food and beverages, then quietly chatted until Drake returned. His expression was grim, but he didn’t tell us who he’d called. He took a seat behind his desk, then tented his hands together. “Tell me everything that happened,” he ordered.
I did most of the talking, with Ruen clarifying some details when it was necessary. Lord Gilden alternated from disbelief, to amusement and every emotion in between. He didn’t interrupt us or ask any questions. He just took it all in, sipping a glass of whiskey from time to time.
I toyed with the whiskey he’d poured for me, only taking small sips every now and then. It took a couple of hours to fill him in completely. “As we already said, the giant that was guarding the fragment killed the overlord, then Aurora knocked the giant out with another cosmic orgasm,” I said. “We ran for our lives and headed back to the gate. I pretended to be a dumb, hungry monster on my way back through the city. The soldiers let me take all the food I could carry in exchange for me not eating them.”
Drake’s lips twitched and he almost smiled, then indicated for me to go on.
“It took two nights of walking and four nights of sprinting before we reached the gate. A few guards were standing in my way, but I barged through them. We jumped through the gate and made it back here intact.”
Heaving a small, enigmatic sigh, the dragon leaned forward. “May I have the scroll?” he asked.
“Sure. You can have your letter back, too, since we didn’t end up using it,” I replied and fished around inside my backpack.
Drake gingerly reached for the rolled-up sheet of parchment that glowed faintly. It was almost like he expected it to explode in his hands. The glow intensified when he touched it, then died down again. Aurora stiffened slightly and glanced at me as if she wanted to say something. I shook my head warningly. Whatever she had to say could wait until we were alone.
“Can you read it, Lord Gilden?” Ruen asked when Drake’s eyes moved across the red ink.
“Of course,” he replied. “I’m a dragon, after all.”
“So?” I asked in confusion as I placed the unopened letter on his desk.
“Dragons can understand all spells. Even ones that are written in foreign languages,” he explained.
“What does it say?”
Rolling it back up, he tucked it into an inner pocket of his jacket. “It would be safer for us all if you don’t know,” he replied, then checked his watch. “Dawn will arrive soon. I’m sure you all need to rest.”
“I could sleep for a week,” Ruen muttered.
