Authors: Trinity Blacio
“Where are the women?” Alton growled, grabbing hold of Dylan and lifting him up. “Did you send them somewhere?” Alton asked Baal, and he shook his head as Lars, Storm, Bane and Gage moved to them. “Who has the power to take them like that?” Gage growled, half beast as Ral pushed forward.
“They come now, go take the boy and find the women. I’ll deal with these here.” Baal stepped away from them, letting his power slowly come out. The gators around the pound started to trash around, lunging.
But before he could see what was going to happen, Maxim looked at him. “Dylan, can you see the different waves of music?” Maxim asked, and he nodded.
“Show me, we’ll follow it to find your mommy and grandma,” Maxim said and at once, Alton was in the boy’s head seeing everything he did.
“There is a faint pattern, have you seen it?” he asked, but didn’t need to, as all of them were once more back in the realm of the Fae. “You’re kidding, right?” Alton asked, looking at Maxim, who shook his head.
“I wish I was. The queen is going to have a fit,” Maxim said.
“Fit is not the word for it.” Aibell said, as she appeared and seemed to walk on thin air. “Now, can you tell where they are?” she asked. “You know, this is strange, I should be able to tell if my granddaughter is here.” She frowned and turned in a full circle. “Follow me,” she growled and moved down a path that suddenly appeared.
Dylan curled up closer to Alton. “It’s cold and dark,” Dylan whimpered.
“We’ve got you, little warrior. No one will touch you. Is your friend there?” Ral asked, in full warrior status now.
The little boy shook his head, but Alton and Ral could see the eyes of the warrior inside.
Aibell stopped, staring into the darkness. “I haven’t been here in a long time. I promised myself I would never come here again, but it seems I’m being called back.” She looked over her shoulder. “This is not a place for Dylan.”
One minute he was holding Dylan and the next he was gone. He growled and stepped forward, but Maxim grabbed onto him. “He’s safe at the house with Ida.”
As Aibell went to step into the darkness, Agares appeared at her side. “Let’s do this together, shall we? It’s been a while since I’ve seen your father and mother.”
“And you know what happened last time?” she asked.
“We’ll handle this now. Let’s go get our grandchildren. No one should be in this place too long,” Agares stated and looked back. “Be prepared. If you thought my world was bad, this is nothing like it.”
Baal appeared before him. “If one hair is touched on my daughters or mate…” Baal snapped.
“Son, maybe you should allow us to handle this?” Aibell suggested, but he shook his head.
“Whoever this is sent people to harm my family. I’m done playing nice,” Baal said.
Aibell moved forward into the darkness, but Alton heard her mumblings. “He’s just like his father, as stubborn as they come. Let’s hope my parents take that into account.”
Both he and Maxim stepped up beside Baal as they moved forward, but what greeted them made him cringe. Eyes, different shapes, sizes and colors covered walls as they moved down the hall, but what made him almost jump out of his skin was the floor seemed to be made out of the heads of live things.
Ral took over his body, shifting to his true form, as Maxim turned to part beast and warrior as the others followed suit, not knowing what was ahead of them. The hall finally opened up five minutes later to a large dark city. Creatures he had never seen before moved around but watched them as they followed Aibell and Agares towards a silver tower, that... He glanced at Maxim and he nodded.
“Bones, human,” Maxim snarled, earning a quick stare from Agares.
“You are going to have to control yourselves. This is not the place to start anything,” Agares told them and Aibell laughed.
“Like you listened? You wouldn’t be where you are now if you’d listen to your own words,” Aibell hissed.
“Now is not the time to bring up the past,” Agares nodded to the blood-covered doors which opened up. “Your family waits for us.”
“You will explain this all when we leave this place,” Baal growled.
No one said another word as a half demon/half troll moved in front of them, along with six creatures Alton had no idea what they were. Six eyes, no nose, one crooked mouth, with gray-blue hair that looked like metal curls. Oh, he knew better than to stare, but damn, it was hard hearing the things hair clink as they moved.
“Seems we are lucky, Mother has offered us her protection,” Aibell stated to no one.
Three different floors, and after moving up each one, the creatures got more nightmarish and dangerous, but not one of them moved to interfere with their progress.
“I don’t care if they are family. Damn it, Mom, they had no right to bring us here,” Willow growled, her voice carrying to him. Alton smiled as Baal snorted in front of them.
“Looks like my daughter’s doing okay,” Baal glanced back at him, smiling.
***
Feeling scared was now a new emotion that was top on her list of things Willow didn’t like at all. The family that sat before them in some disgusting thrown room couldn’t be part of her family as they were saying. But what was worse, was the room they were in. Impaled creatures hung dead around the room, which stunk enough that Willow and Tamara had lost their lunch twice already.
If it hadn’t been for her mother surrounding them in a fresh scent, Willow and Tamara would still be on the ground. But right now Tamara was behind Willow and Laurann. “Drink, you need to feed,” Willow told her sister, holding out her wrist.
Her sister shook her head. “I don’t think I can right now,” Tamara told her, as the older woman frowned at them.
“She’s not feeling well?” the woman asked, her voice scratchy and loud.
“No, she’s pregnant and being in this stink hole does not help,” Willow growled at her. “If you were going to bring us here, you should have thought ahead at least concerning Tamara. If you are really family, you don’t want her to lose her children.”
The woman stood off the throne of weird bones. She was tall, had eyes that were gray-blue and full lips. She was stunning and graceful. Her husband, a warrior of old days, moved to her side, watching them carefully. “She carries more than one child?” the man asked.
Willow rolled her eyes, and her mom smacked the back of her head. “Don’t be rude,” she growled. “My daughter Tamara carries at least two, maybe three children. Why is this important?”
The man didn’t say a word but walked around them, studying each of them like they were specimens on one of those stupid science dishes. She stepped forward, but her mother grabbed onto her arm, holding her. “Don’t,” she snapped. Her hand, half clawed, her eyes were now those of a cat and her hair was stripped as was her skin.
That is when she felt them, her men. Willow took a deep breath and tears threatened to fall. Never had she been so needed it was almost embarrassing.
“
That’s because you haven’t been mated before
,” Maxim snarled. “And we feel the same way, Little Kitty.”
Willow turned slowly, looking up as her family stepped into the room. It was like a weight was lifted off her chest. She held out her hand and helped Tamara up, moving to her men as Lars and Gage surrounded Tamara.
Alton surrounded her with his arms, while Maxim stepped up behind her, hugging her from behind. “I’ve never been so happy to see someone. I hate getting sick,” she mumbled into Alton’s chest. “Take me home.”
“We can’t leave yet, I’m afraid,” Maxim kissed the side of her neck, before turning to greet Aibell’s parents.
“You called father, mother?” Aibell asked, bowing her head to her parents.
“Did you forget your promise, daughter?” Vaulau said as Willow’s son, Dylan appeared in his arms.
“No!” she snarled, and Willow shifted right there, ready for her attack, when Alton or Ral, the warrior inside him, wrapped his arms around her, stopping.
She screamed and turned to glare at him, but he held onto her. “You will allow your grandparents to deal with this,” Alton ordered.
“Mom?” Dylan squirmed in Vaulau’s arms, till he put him down and allowed him to run towards her. She shifted, kneeling and holding out her arms for him.
“Explain why you would do this and frighten my grandchildren! You go too far, father,” Aibell snapped and the room shook.
“Control it Aibell, or I will take it away, and you know I can. Agares, if I would have known it was your children that would bridge the gap, I would have sent someone else to rein in those that are out of control.” Vaulau glanced over his shoulder and pointed to the spot at his feet.
At once Shald knelt down, her head resting on his thigh. “All that you see here is the beginnings of the different doors out there. This place is the like the train station for all the worlds out there. But there are always others out there waiting to take over. It’s one of the reasons I make sure those around me are protected.” Vaulau reached over and touched Aibell’s cheek.
“You are so like you mother, but I made my daughter promise she would inform me if she had any children, so I could make sure they weren’t hunted.” His gaze moved to Tamara and then to Willow.
“My granddaughters will be hunted as will their children, I’m afraid.” Vaulau knelt down before his wife and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. “I knew Shald was my mate, my love slave and my soul, but her family refused to allow us to join, so I took her.” He smiled and looked towards her.
“You could say it was like one of those silly books my wife likes to read from your world. Anyway, a few years later, I heard the only reason he allowed us to get away was because he believed our children couldn’t produce the
Sarfas.
It seems he was wrong.” Vaulau stood and pulled his wife up with him. “Agares, you are free from your world. I’ve sent someone else to take over. You will be needed to protect what comes your way.”
“Willow, come here child, and bring your men,” Vaulau order.
She glanced up at Alton, and he nodded. Both Maxim and Alton stepped forward with Dylan in her arms. Vaulau studied Alton, then Maxim, before nodding. “Your men both have warriors that have dealt with the
Tarrs
, which is good. So does your son. I’m happy you have the added protection. I see it is the same with Tamara. They will target her and Dylan. Your children and women of my daughter will be sought.”
“If I may ask a question?” Alton said, but Willow knew it was really Ral asking, his voice was deep, and different.
“No, it’s not Shald’s family that has sent these things, but once her family had announced that the
Sarfas
had been born, they would hunt them down,” Vaulau explained.
“So they’re not just coming here to take the human woman?” her father, Baal, asked and Vaulau shook his head.
“Oh, they will take the women too, I have battled them in the air and on land. Grandson, how many daughters do you have?” Vaulau asked her father, who actually looked embarrassed.
Her mom laughed and slipped her hand into his. “He has no idea, seems children are popping up all the time, why?” Her mom asked.
“Because his daughters will be prized beyond anything else. At least…” Vaulau stopped and turned to stare behind her. “Come her child.” Vaulau held out his hand.
Willow turned to see Storm sigh and step forward, rolling her eyes. Her father glared at her and Storm glared back. “What?”
“You are not mated yet?” Vaulau ignored them all, staring at Storm.
“I don’t need any man and I can take care of myself,” Storm said, earning a groan from Bane who had followed her up.
“For once, be quiet,” her brother hissed.
Willow couldn’t help but laugh as did her mom. “Yep, so much like Willow.”
“She might be like Willow, but she has no one. Langut, you will be assigned to my granddaughter, so prepare to meet her on Earth.” Vaulau said to a man Willow hadn’t noticed until he stepped away from the wall.
“Chameleon?” she whispered, earning a smile from the man who was over seven feet tall and built like a damn tank. He had no hair, and his eyes were almost pure white, but Willow could see a hit of gray in them.
“I need no babysitter,” Storm hissed.
“But you will listen to him, won’t you,” Vaulau stated so quietly that even Willow stepped back, afraid. Both Maxim and Alton touched her and reassured her.
“Fine, but if he gets in my way, I’ll deck him, and I hope he likes the ocean,” she growled.
Vaulau laughed. “Oh, this is going to be fun to watch. On another serious note, and why I summoned you all here now, it seems we have family coming and they will expect to see all of you.” Vaulau stated, once more turning his gaze on Willow. “You, Tamara especially, will be here, but I believe Storm needs to stay away. I don’t trust Shald’s father not to take her back with him.”
Aibell moved to her mom. “How much damage can your family do? Never once have you mentioned them to us, or at least not within my hearing range.”
Her mother looked up at her mate, and he nodded. “My father is just as powerful as your father. For the both of them to go to war would destroy everything you know.” Her mother reached out and touched her cheek. “Your man, Agares, is like this. It is why your father placed him below. He needed to learn to control his gifts. Let’s hope there will be no other mess-ups, because there are no second chances. I’ve missed you Aibell, so many grandchildren and I haven’t gotten to see any of them,” she said, a tear of blood rolling down her cheek.
Willow stepped forward. “Your daughter, all of us really just found out about each other. If you are allowed, we would love for you to join us anytime you want. My home, or our home…” she glanced over at Maxim and Alton, who smiled, nodding.
“We’d be honored to have you visit us. You could get to know Dylan, but I’m afraid this place is too much for him,” Maxim took Dylan out of Willow’s arms.
“I agree. Our own quarters are not like this.” Vaulau glanced down at Shald. “Your mother has been very lonely with all her children gone and I have been negligent in my duties to her. But that will change. We would be happy to join you one day. But for now, I think it’s time for you to take that little one home for a nap.” Vaulau placed his hand on Willow’s cheek.