Chapter Thirty-Eight #2
“We are moving halfway across the kingdom to a desert oasis that’s out of the way. The king has a getaway place, and there will be no one around to observe us, but it’s inaccessible by vehicle, and it would take too long to walk,” he explains impatiently.
“We can all fly. How about we do that? Colbie can ride on Hunter or me.” I perk up at Nox’s suggestion. I would love to ride his pegasus, but Hunter shakes his head, grinning with glee.
“Nope, that would take too long as well. Come on, let’s do this. Time is wasting.” He happily places a hand on Titus’s shoulder, and Gem does as well. I grimace and exchange a wary look with Nox.
“If you’re going to puke, do it on his feet,” I tell him, pointing at Titus.
“He deserves it.” I reluctantly take his hand, and Nox takes the other one, and without waiting for either of us to breathe, let alone say another word, we move.
That same rolling stomach feeling that is disorienting and nausea inducing hits me, and when we reappear, I slap a hand over my mouth and breathe deeply through my nose, trying to keep my breakfast down.
“Ugh,” Nox groans, clasping his head. I hear both Gem and Hunter groan as well.
“Shit, you could have warned us,” the phoenix complains, looking paler, the flames in his eyes dull.
“Why do you think we objected?” I retort, taking another deep breath, waiting for the vertigo to ease.
“I thought you were exaggerating. Let’s not do that again.” Hunter looks slightly green as I turn to see where Titus brought us.
“You’ll get used to it eventually,” he assures us as I look around.
We are standing next to a tropical oasis of palm trees with a brilliant, ripple free, mirror-like pool nestled between them.
On one side of the pool is a small, elegant tent-like structure, which I’m assuming is my father’s accommodations when he comes here to stay.
Beyond the sanctuary is nothing but golden sandy desert.
Sand dunes break up the expanse, making it impossible to see beyond them, but there’s no sign of life.
“This is but only one of a few oases that allow navigation of this desert. You could wander for days and not stumble across one, which makes traveling it unwise. That and ward protection set up by the goddesses when they helped the first king create the kingdom is how we’ve managed to stay off the humans’ radars,” Titus explains, allowing us to get our bearings.
“Right, well, we have no time to waste. Let’s start working on shifting.
You have three forms to get through today,” Gem tells me.
“Let’s start with mine. Like the dragon and your hydra, I can adjust the size of my phoenix to suit my needs and environment.
We will work in a smaller form today so you aren’t too tired to work on the other forms.”
“Size matters?” I ask him, and he smirks, and the other three chuckle like schoolboys. I roll my eyes at their behavior. “I mean, which size I choose will affect how exhausted I am?” Again, they snicker at my comment.
“To begin with, yes, but as you get used to shifting and make sure you are filling your reserves sufficiently, you will adjust and size won’t matter,” Nox explains. “Why do you think shifters eat so much?”
“Is that why there is always a buffet available at the palace? Because you all eat so much? I thought it was a royalty indulging in excess thing,” I ask, and Hunter nods.
“Yes, we all have voracious appetites.” He pauses, and his eyes heat. “For everything.” I hear the suggestion in his voice. Well, that explains why I’m constantly needy. I guess this is my new state of being now. Luckily I have eight mates to take care of those needs.
“Okay, so feel for the fire inside your soul,” Gem tells me.
I close my eyes and search for my inner creatures.
It’s freaking crowded inside my mind, but I am easily able to distinguish between each of my forms. They are all different to a certain degree.
My mer form has the slightly salty taste of brine as well as feeling cold, whereas my hydra has the same cold sensation but feels like freshwater and has the bitter taste of acid.
I find the one that radiates heat. There are two, but my dragon form has a slithery, reptilian feel and is a slow burning heat, whereas the phoenix is an out of control wildfire with the rush of wind from its wings.
“Got it,” I tell them.
“Pull it forward,” Gem instructs quietly.
I sink into the power, handing control over to that blazing inferno, and it explodes forward like it’s been waiting patiently for this exact moment.
My own consciousness takes a back seat, though I share their eyesight as we shoot into the sky, a piercing scream leaving our beak.
I lose track of time as I dive and glide on the eddies of wind.
My vision is so sharp, I catch sight of small, scurrying creatures that move in a rocky outcrop jutting up out of the desert a small distance from the oasis.
Did you know the Chaos Kingdom is known for its precious gems? Those rocky outcrops are entrances to mines all over the kingdom, and it’s where the kingdom gets its wealth, Gem says in my head, his own phoenix keeping pace with mine, our wings occasionally brushing.
But where are the miners? I swoop down to take a closer look, Gem on my tail.
Off to the side, I spy Hunter’s purple dragon flying parallel to us, and on the opposite side is a magnificent pink pegasus.
He’s breathtaking, with a huge wingspan and a lush, full mane and tail that flutters around him.
I don’t see Titus, but I have no idea if his wings would be able to keep up with us.
They look elegant but flimsy, and I have no idea how they would hold his body aloft, let alone move speedily.
Possibly underground working, or maybe this mine isn’t being harvested at the moment. Loki told us he has the workers sifted in and out every day by fae hybrids. You’ve done well, baby. Let’s return, and you can try one of the other forms now.
I do as he says and spend some time in both my pegasus and fairy forms. My wings are smaller than Titus’s, and they are purple, silver, and black.
They are so freaking pretty. He said mine are smaller because that’s the normal size of fairy shifter wings.
His are larger because of his fae heritage, but not as big as full fae wings.
Flying as a fairy is way harder than as a pegasus or phoenix.
I crash a couple of times, have bruises all over my body, and am bone tired by the time they call a halt to the session.
We head back to the castle, and Titus takes us straight to our room where I have another shower and change into a dress that someone laid out for me.
We reconvene in my father’s living space for lunch.
The goddess taps her foot impatiently as I devour the meal.
I know she wanted to go this morning, but what I did was important.
I feel so much more confident in my abilities now, and I’m in tune with my creatures.
None of the other kings and queens ever had to contend with multiple animals, so I think everyone needs to cut me a little slack.
“I sent a message to my parents this morning,” Gryffin tells me as I’m finishing up. “They are preparing for a coronation, but they said it will take time to invite everyone who needs to be there. They suggested we put it off for another few days.”
“Nonsense. No one needs to be there, but we need her crowned today,” Aramis argues, her face showing signs of stress.
Her mouth is pinched, and her eyebrows are turned in.
She is obviously worried about something.
“As long as there are shifters to witness it, it doesn’t matter about any of the other kingdoms.”
“Because that’s how I want to start my rule, by insulting the other royals,” I say dryly, taking a sip of wine my father produced for me.
“It won’t matter, because none of them will be ruling alongside you,” she argues, and I guess she has a point.
“What about tomorrow? I’m pretty tired after this morning. That will give Lucas and the queens a chance to put something together we all might be happy with,” I suggest, trying for a compromise, and she gives in with a reluctant nod.
“Fine, but I want you crowned by sunrise tomorrow. Make sure Lucas and his queens know this. I will see you then.” She disappears in a flash, and I grimace.
“Not sure I’m winning any allies at the moment,” I grumble.
“She will be fine. She’s not used to having to compromise, and she’s definitely not used to someone saying no,” my father explains. “But good for you for standing up for yourself. Don’t become a slave to their whims like I was.”
“Will you be coming to my coronation?” I ask him, and he winces.
“I want to be there more than anything, but I am worried I will run into your mother.”
“Shit, I hadn’t even thought of her. Do you think your moms and dad will invite her?” I look at my tiger who grimaces.
“I don’t think they want to, but it might cause more issues if we don’t.”
I sigh but nod my agreement. “Okay, but I’m warning all of you, she will get handsy and probably try to seduce all of you.”
Liam doesn’t look surprised by my words, since he’s already experienced her delightful ways.
“She already tried,” Brodie says gruffly. “When we escorted her back to the neutral zone, she offered us sex in exchange for us to look the other way and let her go.”
I gape at him, hurt beyond comprehension that my mother would stoop so low, and that was when she didn’t even know they were my mates.
“She will be worse now that you are my mates. It will be a game to her,” I tell them quietly. “It isn’t something she hasn’t tried in the past and succeeded in.”
I feel their sympathy for me and disgust for my mother inside my chest, and it aches but also reassures me that they have no intention of falling for her games.
“Maybe they won’t be able to find her,” Gem says hopefully, but I’m probably not that lucky.