Page 18 of Taken By Fury
“Anything is possible. Mankind has been desecrating ancient civilizations for centuries.” He shoved aside a thick branch and held it while she walked past.
“My father would have disagreed with you. He thought it important to understand our past and where we came… from.” She stopped and looked up into the trees. “Seems kind of funny now, since I have no idea where I come from or who I am anymore.”
“I’m certain the queen will find your family tree.”
She pulled her gaze from the tree-tops and looked straight at him. “What did Zolar do to you in that prison?”
Not a topic he would have chosen to talk about. “You mean besides forcefully remove my semen from my body? Not a discussion I care to have with you.” He walked again. “I’m just thankful none of the pregnancies took.” He looked over his shoulder. “Unless you are lying about that.”
“No. They either didn’t conceive or those that did never carried to term. It was why Zolar wanted to find a female who was a full-blooded Valarian.”
“That makes no sense. He had my people, including females, in his prisons. I mean, ten of them were rescued from one of his facilities. So, why not use one of them?”
“I often wondered the same thing and even asked him as much.” She swung at the swarm of insects again and he had to wonder why? It was evident to him they were not biting her. She was a demon. Biting bugs were not an issue.
“And what was his reply?”
“Something about none of them held the key that unlocked Atlantis. I don’t really know what he meant, other than he was looking for a particular female who had been born ‘among the humans,’ he always said.”
“And to think, he had one in his lab all along. Why didn’t he test you?”
“Oh, he did have me tested, but I was able to switch my results with a human. Every day I held my breath that he might find out I tricked him. It was why I made myself so valuable in the lab.”
They were finally at the site he had chosen, so he stopped and pulled off his pack. “This is where we make camp.” As he stared at her, he had to wonder why Zolar searched for a particular female. Searched for Sheila, who had been right under his nose. There had to be something they were missing. Maybe Aimee could do her thing and go ask Uuna about it.
“I couldn’t help but notice that you carry a small tent on your pack while I have none. Care to explain?” Her brow jacked up, and she looked every bit an Amazon queen standing there with hands on her hips and the late afternoon sun filtering across her body. Her tank top was plastered to every curve, and it was evident she had decided not to wear a bra. He would agree. It had been a wise choice.
“There is nothing to explain. We share a tent.” He began unpacking said tent. “There is room for three people in here.”
“I could have easily carried my own tent.”
He stopped unfolding their accommodations and looked up at her. “No doubt, but I can keep you safer beside me.” He wasn’t going to offer any further explanation. “Can you build a fire? I only need a few sticks and I can take care of the flame.”
“Fine.” She lowered her pack to the ground, then wandered off, but not out of sight, to gather some wood. “Why didn’t we simply pop into the ruins and find what you’re looking for, then pop back home?” She looked over her shoulder at him.
“Home?” She already thought of Atlantis as her home. “Because the artifact needs to call to me. It might take a little time for me to sense it.”
“And if you don’t?”
“Then we are in the wrong spot.”
By the time he had the tent erected, she had a nice pile of sticks and a few decent logs. It was way more than required, but it was apparent she had no idea about demon magic. He wondered if she held any at all. She was a full-blooded Valarian, so she should have the same powers as any other of his kind. As he took a seat on a log and began stacking wood, she sat across from him.
“Don’t you need to strip the bark? Everything is so damp.”
“It’s a shame.”
“What is?” Her gaze was full of questions.
“The fact you were raised as a human. Somewhere inside you there has to be the magic of a Valarian. Has nothing ever manifested itself?” He pointed at the pile of sticks and sent his own power forth, creating first a spark, then a ball of fire. His magic was far stronger than any wet wood and a nice little blaze started. The amazement in her eyes made him want to show her more of what she had missed out on.
“Are you saying I could do that?”
“With practice, I see no reason why you couldn’t. Our children are born with the magic, but it grows as they do so that they can acclimate and not become overwhelmed.”
She stared at the flames. “I have never been able to do anything out of the ordinary. No sparks from these fingertips.” She stood. “That wood will not last long.”
“It will last as long as I wish it to.”
