Entwined Realms Volume One Read online

  “Which means you are denying me?” Fallon asked, and smiled. Larissa had seen rabid dogs snarl with more warmth. “After the day I’ve had, that is excellent news.”

  The stone giants took a step forward.

  Inside the club, the silvery curtains that separated the front doorway from the club entrance billowed inward as Seemus crashed between them. He landed on the edge of the dance floor, out cold. If any of the beings noticed, it didn’t stop them from dancing.

  Fallon came through the door, stepping on Seemus’s body as she entered. Aislynn was a little gentler, stepping over the unconscious man and directing Larissa to do the same.

  Aislynn kept a hand on her elbow, but that pressure was nothing in comparison to all the other stimuli. Breathing wasn’t the best idea here, as thick smoke and the earthy, sharp smells of herbs and spices – even money most were of a narcotic nature – clogged her sinuses. The lights went from too bright to deepest dark and back again in seconds, not letting eyes adjust. Underneath the too-loud music were snippets of conversation in dozens of languages, with most of them not in a human dialect.

  Fallon led the way, her gait steady and sure as she made a path toward the back of the club, seeming not to take in any of the sights, though how she could be immune to the sight of the tall elf in a tuxedo dancing with the short, bearded dwarf in a wedding dress was a mystery.

  What kind of place was this?

  Better question, what kind of woman was this Oracle?

  Fallon reached the back and flung aside a set of dark silk curtains to reveal a door. Without knocking, she opened it and stepped inside.

  It was 1001 Nights in live action. Everyone here wore body-baring, jewel-toned outfits right out of a harem scene.

  By the heat suffusing her face, Larissa knew she was sporting a mighty blush. Their actions belonged in a harem, people all around engaging in acts of hedonism that would make the most jaded courtesan blush.

  Dear gods, I never knew a man could do that. I need to find another cuss-out when some guy makes me really mad…

  “So why the hell did we need to come here to you?”

  Fallon’s pissed-off voice knocked through Larissa’s shock. It took a few moments to focus on the swordswoman, standing a few feet away from a teal blue settee that adorned the middle of the room. The settee was surrounded by men and women, all of them tall and lithe and so beautiful Larissa had to check the urge to smooth her hair and clothes in their presence. The way Fallon stood blocked the person she was talking to.

  A few steps closer, and the face of the Oracle came into view.

  She looked human to Larissa’s eyes – and it wasn’t as if she was wearing a lot of clothing to hide any parts that might not be – but her coloring could best be described as dipped in gold. Velvety brown skin, thick dark hair, near-black eyes, but all held a deep golden sheen that was as beautiful as it was unusual. The woman was beyond stunning.

  The Oracle said nothing at Fallon’s outburst. The men and women surrounding her paid no attention to the swordswoman. They kept massaging the Oracle, the oil they used smelling sickly-sweet to Larissa’s overworked nasal passages. When the Oracle tilted her head back, a man took the opportunity to lean in and press his lips to the hollow of her throat.

  After long moments that had Fallon growing more agitated by the second, the Oracle finally spoke. “Oh, Fallon, you’re here.”

  It looked like Fallon was tensing to attack the woman, but before she could, Aislynn sidled alongside her and grabbed her shoulder. “Let me take over now,” she said to the redhead. Fallon’s eyes still blazed, but she nodded, taking a step back.

  Aislynn kneeled in front of the Oracle. “Great Oracle, we have come as requested.”

  The Oracle’s attention was still on Fallon. She smiled, a lift of her lips designed to irritate. “You see, Fallon, this is how I should be approached. Watch and learn.”

  Fallon ground her teeth together and bent forward, her sword hand giving a little jerk.

  Without turning, Aislynn lifted her hand and motioned Fallon to stay back. This scene or some variation thereof had to be a popular one.

  The Oracle turned her attention to the elf and graced her with a blinding smile. The Oracle was a beautiful woman, but when she smiled she transformed into otherworldly. “Dearest Aislynn, it is so good to see you.”

  “It is always an honor to be in your presence,” Aislynn replied. The words were said with the perfect balance of sincerity and warmth, and what should have sounded forced and phony became a lovely sentiment.

  That dark-gold gaze turned toward Larissa. “Larissa Miller,” the Oracle said. She had a rich, cultured voice, and Larissa straightened at the sound of it, half-remembered lessons in manners taking over. The Oracle smiled, and damned if it didn’t look like she heard Larissa’s thoughts. “It is lovely to meet you. You wouldn’t believe how many people have you in the center of their minds right now.”

  Only one male mattered, the rest could go hang. “That’s lovely, though I don’t know why I deserve the sentiment. Would you have any clue why I’m suddenly so popular?”

  The Oracle’s smile was smug and a touch superior. Fallon’s reactions were making more sense. “Now, now, I didn’t bring you here to talk shop. You’ll find out soon enough. Besides, your popularity has brought Terak into your life. How does it feel to be under the protection of a gargoyle? Have you become friends, or perhaps something more?”

  She was the Oracle, so she probably knew everything that happened and everything that was going to happen. Fine, it was another piece of crazy Larissa needed to get used to. That didn’t mean the first time she spoke of her feelings aloud it was going to be to this woman. Instead Larissa said, “Terak is a good protector. He’s kept me safe while still trying to let me have my life.”

  One of the Oracle’s female attendants rubbed oil into her bare feet. The Oracle made a little hum of pleasure, but still kept on with the conversation. “And yet he didn’t protect you from being taken by Fallon.”

  “That was my fault. I was the one stupid enough to trust her,” Larissa finished, using her thumb to point over at Fallon. Fallon looked supremely unconcerned. “And I walked right into a trap.”

  “Yes, Fallon is quite adept at deceptions with the right coaching, aren’t you?” Fallon might have tried to make a hand gesture at that statement, but if she did, Aislynn was able to hide it quite well.

  The Oracle stood, a lithe, graceful movement. She reached out to Larissa. “Come here, I have a gift for you.”

  No, Larissa really didn’t want a gift from this woman, other than the gift of telling her exactly why a bunch of undead were after her. But the way all eyes were watching her, she probably didn’t have the luxury of refusing at this moment, so she stepped forward. The Oracle took her hand, the dark skin soft and the touch delicate.

  “I think,” began the Oracle, “you enjoy being with the gargoyle more than you are letting on. But I understand a woman does not like giving up her secrets, especially before she knows what’s going within the mind of a thick-headed male. You don’t need to say anymore. I wish to give you this.”

  The Oracle handed her a small, leather bound booklet, about as thick as a pamphlet, and said, “You are a teacher, yes?”

  It was nice of the Oracle to phrase things in the form of a question and let people feel they were imparting information. “Yes, I am.”

  “Excellent. I know teachers value learning, and this book has very valuable information on gargoyles. If Terak remains part of your life, this you’ll want to know.”

  Larissa weighed it in her hand. “This is a very light history.”

  The Oracle arched one fine brow. “Why would I bother with that? This, my dear, is about how gargoyles mate.”

  Huh. So this was what dumbfounded felt like.

  “Trust me, read that book. You’ll like what you learn.” The Oracle stepped back, though she didn’t sit on the settee again. She looked at the elf. “Oh, and Aislyn
n? I need you to tell Fallon something.”

  “Yes, Oracle?” Aislynn answered, acting like it wasn’t unusual to be receiving messages for a woman not two feet away.

  The Oracle smiled, full of mischief and torment. “Tell her to get her sword ready. They’re coming through the door.”

  Fallon bared her teeth even as she reached back and grabbed her sword. In a fluid movement she turned and ran, coming within a few feet of the doorway as the walls exploded.

  This time the revelers were disturbed. Screams rent the air as a mass of bodies started running away from the chaos. Aislynn grabbed Larissa’s arm, and displaying more strength than such an ethereal woman should ever possess, picked her up and toward a wall in the back.

  “Protect the Oracle,” came shouts from all around. The men and women, so languid moments ago, now held the same warrior postures of Fallon and Aislynn.

  In the confusion, Larissa was thrown hard against a wall. Pain radiated through her back where she was hit, but it was manageable. She put down her hands against the wall to push away, only to feel a doorknob, thank gods. One turn confirmed it wasn’t locked. It opened into an alleyway. One side was blocked off, so there was only one way to go.

  Once she was at the end of the alley she glanced in both directions. Several blocks down on the right was lots of traffic and wandering beings. After one last look behind her to make sure no one had followed, she took off.

  After several blocks of running the sidewalks became crowded. If it weren’t for the mix of races she had never seen outside of books, it could have been any night on the town, with revelers searching for the next bar or club. She still stood out a little with her casual clothing and too quick breathing, but if ever there was a moment to celebrate being on the shorter side height wise it was now.

  Head down, she walked fast and straight. Find a phone and call Michael. He’d be able to get to her. Piece of cake, though it would be a little easier if her ears weren’t still buzzing from the earlier club noise.

  A hand wrapped around her mouth and pulled her into an alleyway.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

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  Larissa’s nails dug into the arm holding her as she kicked backwards. Another hand closed around her middle and a low buzz of sound started near her ear, gradually turning into words. “Calm, little human. You are safe.”

  She relaxed. That voice, that deep baritone meant safety. She withdrew her nails. The arms loosened enough that she could move, and she turned to face Terak.

  “Thank gods.” She threw herself against him with such force his body rocked back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him with all the strength in her body.

  There was no hesitation as he returned the gesture. He brought her tight against him, his arms steel bands as they closed around her. His mouth rained small kisses against her temple. “You are safe. I have you. You are safe and they will never touch you again.”

  His wings flapped, taking them up into the air.

  “I was so scared.” Gods, his smell was so clean, warm and heady and such an amazing contrast from inside the club. This was what she wanted to be surrounded with. How could any drug be more potent than Terak close and warm and all hers?

  His breath puffed across her ear and his lips never quite left her skin. “I would never stop searching for you, never. If I had to make war with the Guild for your safety, they would all be laid before me. I will never be separated from you.”

  They traveled in silence then, though Terak kept her close. As they approached her apartment, Terak’s mood began to change. His relief was being replaced by silence and stillness. Once they entered the apartment the transformation was complete, as anger charged through every inch of his body. He was so tight she was almost surprised he wasn’t vibrating.

  He let her down, folding his wings around himself with a snap. He circled her, taking her in. “You left without me and my protection.”

  The words and tone were flat, but they held such anger he may as well been screaming for the knot they caused in her stomach.

  “Terak.” She took a cautious step toward him, holding out her hand the way she would to a growling junkyard dog. He stopped circling, and that was a good-enough sign to touch him, to rub his arm, plea and apology mixed together in the gesture. “I tried contacting you several times over two hours. I swear I did. I jumped on the balcony and I used that little silver ball you gave me, but neither worked. I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “I never received any message. The ball is foolproof, it should have reached me.” He shook his head. “It does not matter. You should not have gone! It was foolishness to leave.” The flatness was now gone, and the walls vibrated with his anger.

  “I had to!” He could be mad, but she wasn’t going to be talked to like she was eight. “They lied and said the meeting was going to be an exchange of information. I never expected to be kidnapped, and I had my brother with me, so I wasn’t alone. I had to take a chance to find out if they knew anything to help.”

  He made a sound of dismissal, wiping away her words with the swipe of his arm as he stomped away from her. “I told you not to trust the Guild, and I told you to never leave without me. You disobeyed my instructions. It is pure luck I was able to find you as quickly as I did.”

  “Excuse me?” Now he was pushing it. “If you were so worried, then you shouldn’t have disappeared on me. I wasn’t the one who ran away after kissing someone senseless!”

  “I…” He straightened, wrapping himself in his usual dignity. “I did not run away.”

  “Sure seemed like that to me. For weeks every time I turned around I tripped over you, and then suddenly we share a kiss and you are nowhere to be found? What would you call that if not running away?”

  “It was not running away. I needed to think upon the events of the last few days.”

  “Yeah, including how you kissed me.”

  “It was…it was…” He looked defeated. “Do you regret it?”

  Talk about turning it around. Now she was on the defensive, looking into eyes filled with pain and hope. She pushed her hair back, ducking her head. “I wouldn’t say I regretted it,” and she really shouldn’t mumble like that, because she didn’t want him to ask her to repeat what she said.

  “Then what would you say?” he asked, his eyes sharpening.

  “I’m…not unhappy it happened.”

  “Does that mean you are happy it occurred?”

  Wasn’t this leading the witness? Oh right, they weren’t in court. “I would have preferred other circumstances.”

  “Such as?”

  “Such as you not being engaged.” Ha! There, couldn’t argue with that one.

  “Valry and I are no longer Intended.”

  Back the truck up. “What? When… How? Really?” Eloquence, thy name is Larissa Miller.

  He studied her for several moments, and then he smiled.

  He smiled.

  A full-blown grin such as she had never seen on him. Happiness radiated from him in a way she’d never experienced before, and how was she supposed to respond when the sight was frying the synapses in her brain?

  He advanced, walking toward her with a predatory grace he’d never displayed before. “You seem pleased by that news.”

  Who was this gargoyle? He had always been reserved, almost courtly in his bearing before, not this magnetic, determined animal stalking his prey. And by his direct stare, there was no doubt that his prey was her.

  Since he was advancing, what else could she do but back up? “I need more details before I decide how I feel.”

  “What type of details, little human?”

  “The usual – what happened, any chance of reconciliation, are you returning the engagement gifts?” Her back hit the wall and he was leaning over her, not allowing her any more movement.

  He studied her, his eyes intense, almost scary in how focused they were on her. “What do you feel, Larissa?” and gods knew, she would admit to about anyth
ing if it meant that he kept saying her name in that exact voice.

  She didn’t know why he was no longer engaged, whether it was because of her words or some other reason. But it was time to move forward. If these last few weeks – hell, last few hours – had taught her anything, it was life was uncertain, and you needed to grab hold of the chances you were given, all the outside forces be damned.

  His alien, beautiful face was right by hers, every line and plane as familiar as her own. A face she dreamed of belonging to a male she longed for. She reached up, stroking her finger over the grey skin. “I don’t regret a moment of what’s happened to me, because I found you in the middle of it all.”

  His head reared back inches, shock and hope and gratitude mixed together in his expression. He cupped her face, tilting her head back. His lips were warm with the right pressure, demanding she open to him without bullying her on it.

  This was connection, soul-deep and scary in how right it was. His wings came around her, wrapping her in an embrace more consuming than any that only consisted of arms. Those wings brought them together, sinking skin into skin, and even that wasn’t nearly close enough.

  “Your lips are so soft,” he said, pulling back the tiniest bit, as if parting hurt him. “All of you is so soft.”

  He didn’t take her mouth again, but pressed his lips against the underside of her chin. With exquisite leisure he made his way down the side of her throat, only moving further after every inch had been explored.

  She groaned. “Terak, what are you doing to me?”

  He loved her breathy voice. He loved everything about her, but he especially loved she was now in his arms. “Do not humans enjoy this?” He licked her pulse point, the texture of her skin under his tongue a wonderful sensation. “Or this? Shall I tell you what gargoyles enjoy, little human? What a male will do when he has a female in his arms that he has dreamed about since the first moment he saw her?”

  Her breathless “Show me” almost dropped him to his knees. Instead, he stepped back and pulled her shirt from her pants, ripping the front and scattering buttons. “I hurt every time I left you. You had me wanting, and it felt as if I would never be at ease again.”