Chapter Twenty-six
A scream had me jumping up from Ivo’s lap. I may be weakened, but I still had my training as a human and I was ready to kick butts and take names if needed. Another scream rang through the air and my skin prickled. It was coming from outside. I dashed outside, completely forgetting the part where I was supposed to stay safely behind my mates and be protected. Oops.
I stumbled as the fabric of my skirt caught on my beautiful heels. I kicked them off, and then paused. I really liked these shoes. I waved my hand and teleported them to the cave. I lifted my skirt and took off running again, sliding to a stop on the slick marble floor to take in the scene in front of me.
Five guys dressed in all-black were attacking three of our blood driven guards. I watched as one of the masked guys grabbed a woman and shoved her into the beautiful lagoon-style pool. It was the deepest pool I had ever seen, and I was in love. I totally needed one of these! I bet my dragon would enjoy splashing around in it.
The woman’s gown had a long train and it wrapped around her legs and she started sinking. No one else seemed to notice her desperate struggle. One of the vampire guards screamed and went down, and our uninvited guests took that as an opportunity to rush the remaining two guards. Another woman was shoved into the pool and sank like a rock. Everyone else either stood frozen in fear or ran, desperately tried to get out of the way of swinging blades.
I just wanted one night off. One night to be a girl, and not a goddess that had to protect the world. I sighed and dug deep within myself, reaching out to my magic. It curled in a ball and rolled over like a teenager on the weekend. I yanked it, forcefully bringing it up and through the relaxing happy fog. My heat immediately caused a sheen of sweat to coat my skin. I needed my mates. No. I needed to focus.
I dove into the water. The cool sensation was a relief as it flowed across my skin. My energy undulated around me, and throughout the pool. It was sluggish, but at least it had answered my call. Once it had grabbed the women, I shot to the surface of the water. I held the soaking wet women by two glowing blue water tentacles. Without pausing I shot out five more tentacles and grasped the masked attackers, holding them above the water as well.
I glanced around, quickly taking in the rest of the scene. One of the vampire guards was motionless against the patio floor, dark blood pooling around him. Another of the vampire guards had nearly had his head sliced off and was struggling to breathe as his body worked to heal itself. Vampires heal, but it’s still painful for them when they’re wounded. I sighed and reached out with two more watery tentacles and pressed them against their wounds. The entire pool began to glow as my energy poured into the water.
The men healed and I let the tentacles slip back into the water. While I had been focused on healing, one of the intruders decided that now was the perfect time to throw a knife toward my back. Seriously? Couldn’t he see I was busy?
In one smooth motion, I caught the knife, twisted it around, and sent it sailing back into the idiot’s shoulder. It wouldn’t kill him, but it would hurt like a son of a rum puncher. A second guy thought that I was distracted and decided to slash at me with his sword. I looked down at my beautiful gown. His blade had slit my dress from the hip down. My eyes blurred with unshed tears. This was the most beautiful thing I had ever worn, and I had planned to wear it every day for the rest of my life, and then at my funeral too.
“That was so mean!” I dunked him beneath the water and held him there. I turned to the first woman I was carefully supporting and laid her down on the patio floor. She wasn’t breathing. My magic slithered over her chest, and I could feel the water in her lungs. I slowly pulled the water up her throat. It danced like a cobra listening to a snake charmer. She began coughing and sucking in deep breaths.
I yanked the guy back up, and he joined her in coughing and spluttering. “Are you going to behave now?”I asked .
“Do you mind putting me down now?” the second woman asked in a timid voice.
“Oh! Of course! Here let me help you with that.” I gently put her on her feet, and then, drawing a bit more of my quickly waning power, I pulled the water from her clothing and hair. Her makeup was ruined, but otherwise she was dry.
More guards rushed out of the house and surrounded the pool. It was about freaking time.
One by one I dropped the assailants, a little harder than necessary, onto the slick marble in front of the guards. My magic spun and danced around me, putting on a show for the crowd that was pressing in around the pool. Once the water of the pool had settled, I began to walk toward the edge as casually as I could walk across the floor. My dragon instincts were pushing me to preen as the gasps of the onlookers came from all around me. I didn’t feel like preening, I felt like sleeping. My body was still fighting the effects of the Ivleek.
I walked onto the marble and people pressed in around me, wanting to ask questions. I didn’t want them to see me weak, so I stiffened my trembling spine and smiled. Where were my mates? Surely they had heard the screams. I couldn’t sense them near me. I finally made a laughing excuse about finding my men and pushed through the crowd and into the house. My skin was clammy, the heat shimmering just under the surface.
“That was amazing! You took out the entire fight and saved the two women without any effort!” A girl had followed me inside, her voice excited as she gushed about what had happened. “And you looked so regal! We couldn’t even tell where your dress ended and the water began. It was like you were part of the water and it wanted to play with you.” Her voice was dreamy by the time she finished and I attempted a smile.
“Thank you,” I replied. “Too bad that jerk managed to rip my gown. I hope Myth can talk her into repairing it somehow, although I don’t even know if that is possible with this type of material.” I ran a finger across the frayed edges of the fabric.
“I bet she can!” the girl replied enthusiastically. “Come on, let me help you into something else. That way the fabric won’t fray anymore and you can feel a bit more covered since that slit is sure to get some attention form the guys around here. Especially since everyone can’t stop talking about how delicious you smell.”
I followed behind her, happy to have a chance at saving my beautiful gown. I also loved the idea of not showing my pink clam to all the strangers. My men had conveniently forgotten to give me underwear, and I wasn’t sure how much I was flashing as I moved.
She motioned for me to go behind a changing screen and start undressing, and said she would grab some clothes and be right back to help me. I was twisting my arms like a contortionist in an effort to reach the laces holding the dress up, when I smelled him. I would never forget his scent.
My heart seized in my chest and I forgot how to breathe. Had he been here all night? Why hadn’t we seen or smelled him before this? My hands started shaking and I pressed them to my mouth. I didn’t know if I could face him again.
The door eased shut and I heard the quiet click of the lock.
“Tia, I know you’re in here,” he said. “Sara brought you here for me.”
I guess the nice girl’s name was Sara, and she had been waiting for a chance to get me away from my mates and the other attendees.
My heart ached with the memories of pain, and tears slid down my cheeks.
He stepped around the corner of the screen. His body was lit from behind, creating a silhouette of his figure.
“Cage,” I whispered.