Page 15

“ R emnant!” I shook the shadow fae hard, frantic to pull her from the nightmare that held her hostage and caused pain to etch permanently into her gorgeous face.“Please, wake up, my little umbra.”

Her screams, the exact replica of the ones I heard while in the soul mirror, had alerted me that something was wrong.

The moment I got to her side, shadows exploded violently and hit me with such force that it had knocked me out for several hours. When I woke, I was sprawled out on my ass with a whimpering unconscious Remnant curled into my side, and the night had passed into midday.

Worse than that, we were no longer in the Balsam Plains, her shadows were missing, and so was my goddess damn satchel.

I shook her harder this time her lashes fluttering against her pale cheeks.

“For the love of the Goddess, please, please wake up. I need to see those beautiful emerald eyes open for me.” Brushing back her hair tenderly, I added.

“One day of your glaring at me wasn’t enough.

I want to see them sparkle when you laugh, the fire in them when you find your pleasure, the death in them when you take your vengeance—” My forehead dropped to hers and my voice broke, “come back to me…”

“Her shadows have transported us near water.” My beast growled and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. “And we are no longer alone.”

“Fuck.” I snarled. Never mind the fact the shadows could transport…

we had bigger problems. I pulled away, regretting my choices while I was making them.

“Time to wake up, Remnant Dark. The water fae are here.” Before I could change my mind, I raked my knuckles hard against her sternum.

Hoping the sudden jolt of pain would be enough to wake her.

But she only groaned loudly and I watched in horror when a lone tear slid down her pale face.

“Goddess damn it!” I snarled, shaking her again.

“Unmask your bond and use it to wake her before it's too late. They cannot discover she's alive.” My beast commanded harshly. He was prowling with agitation inside my mind.

“Piss off cat.” I growled back at him. “You know I can’t do that. I vowed I would give her the choice when the time came. I refuse to be added to the list of things taken from her.”

“Irrational. What choices she has won’t matter when you’re both dead. It is unsafe here.” The cat snarled at me.

I looked over my shoulder and could see a new waterway forming, its crystal depths swirling ominously towards us.

I was not well versed in the waterways of Faerie but I knew this river had not been on the maps I studied.

Scooping up Remnant, I tucked her protectively into my chest. “We might still have time to get away.” I muttered.

“You’re a fool. That waterway has changed in seconds. There is no place to hide now. I can smell their rotten stench even with your meager fairy senses.” He warned me.

Before I could respond, a sultry coo came from behind me. “You aren’t leaving, are you handsome?” The siren-like voice was a soft caress on my skin that made my stomach curdle where I stood.

“Fuck me.” I sighed and tilted my head up to the cloudless sky, mouthing a worthless prayer…more like a plea to a goddess that never listened.

“That can be arranged.” The siren voice purred again .

Shielding Remnant with my arms I turned around. “I’ll pass this time, Kira.” I said cooly to the naked water fae standing within the banks of the small river. Like all water fae, Kira was exceptionally beautiful.

Her skin glittered like the water she waded in.

Long waves of pink hair covered her breasts and flowed over her toned naked legs, and down into the water around her.

Red lips smirked at my perusal and her jeweled rose colored eyes blinked innocently back at me through dark lashes.

Water droplets fell from them like crystals into the swirling water, alluring in her sexual innocence that broke the strongest of mind into mindless desire.

Except Kira was anything but innocent. She was a powerful water fae, taking over leadership of her people when their precious Atlantis fell. Her selfishness made any alliance with her a tremulous affair, one that I appealed to stay far far away from.

Recognition crossed her face while she attempted to peek at what I was guarding. “Emon! How delightful that we have crossed paths yet again. Searching for your way back home now? I can take you there.” She said huskily, indicating the water around her.

I held back a snort at her clever attempt to discover my homeland. There was a reason the water fae could not travel the waterways to Finlandia and it had everything to do with their conniving leader.

“One would think that our paths are crossing purposefully.” I finally said wryly.

Her rose colored eyes sparkled. “Perhaps it’s fate.” Delicate feminine hands trailed over her seductive form and I felt her siren power flex against my own. “Perhaps we are soulmates and your body yearns for pleasure only I can give.”

I swallowed back a gag. “Cut the shit, Kira. Your allure didn’t work on me the first time we met and it definitely won’t now. I was just leaving, so if there is nothing else?”

Red lips formed into a perfect pout and her eyes drifted lazily downward. “What…no who are you hiding?” She leaned forward for a closer look.

I gripped Remnant harder and pulled away but it was too late.

“Goddess bless us.” She gasped, the water splashing unceremoniously upon the beach shores as she stumbled closer. “Is that who I think it is?”

“Don’t take another step closer.” I snarled, stalking slowly back with a growl rumbling deep in my chest .

Kira’s reaching hand snapped back sharply and her eyes glared. “Remove your filthy shifter hands from her and give her to me.”

“Touch her and I will kill you.” I bared my growing fangs with a hiss and curled my extending claws protectively around my soulmate.

Kira scowled and retreated further back into the water but I was no fool—she wasn't going to give up this easily and the water was the source of all her power.

When her sparkling skin rippled, my entire body tensed at her metamorphosis into a creature of the deep. Thick black layered scales now covered her entire body leaving behind her luscious pink hair and sultry rose colored eyes, the only characteristic left of her land fae form.

I snarled again when miniature whirlpools revealed a score of water fae rising up from its turbulent surface.

True to water fae fashion, every warrior flanking their leader was female, covered in the same black scales with an array of matching brightly colored hair and eyes.

In unison, multiple spears of bone with sharp poisoned tips descended in my direction.

Kira smiled maliciously with her needled teeth.

“You have a choice, shifter." Kira purred at me, despite my warning growls growing louder. "Give her to me and you won’t die this day or fight and die anyway. Either way, she is coming with me.”

My cat roared inside me. “Do not trust the water snake, fairy boy!”

“Believe me when I say this cat, I trust the water fae as much as I trust your golden hide.” I held Remnant tighter to me. “I cannot risk her life fighting them.”

“This is a mistake, let me out so I can have fish for dinner.” The beast barked.

I looked back up at Kira, not fully believing what I was about to say. “She stays with me. We go together.”

She rolled her eyes. “These are not negotiations, shifter.”

My lips peeled back in a silent snarl. “Yet even with your warriors, you cannot risk fighting me for her.”

Nervously, a violet haired water fae shifted, their spear dropping unknowingly towards my soulmate.

Lunging, a guttural roar ripped from my throat and my claws instantly embedded deep within their skull, their shocked expression the last to form on their face as their spear dropped to the raging river below and the goddess's light left their eyes.

Dropping into a snarling crouch, I watched the guard fall backwards into the water, their bright red blood swirling around the remaining warriors.

Curling as much of my body over my unconscious soulmate, I braced for their retaliation, more spears falling towards me while I reached for my golden power trembling just below the surface.

“Hold!” Kira shrieked, diverting their threat and sending their weapons crashing back into the river. Shocked, her guard scrambled back, more fearful of her wrath than my murderous claws.

Growling low, I slowly backed away from the shores, dragging Remnant with me. “Like I said, Kira. You cannot risk it.”

Kira looked down at her dead guard floating in the water and cocked her head. “How interesting.” She whispered before her eyes snapped back up to me to reveal a manipulative gleam. “I do believe you are correct, shifter. You go together.”

Narrowing my eyes, I stood cautiously. “She stays with me.”

Kira laughed, a cold shallow sound, and then waved towards the water. “Yes, yes. As you have already said. Shall we then?”

The cat roared at me furiously. “You can’t be this stupid, it’s a risk following those water snakes!”

“I must.” I sighed to him, controlling the snarling beast attempting to rip down my barriers and take control.

My foot dragged as I stepped towards the water and then faltered completely when Remnant released a loud gasp, her blazing emerald green eyes snapping open full of renewed hatred…towards me.

I was too relieved to care .