Page 14 of Taken By Fury
“What do you mean? Explain it to me.”
She flicked out her tongue to lick her lips, and it was his undoing.
* * *
Freeingherself would not happen with that damn demon pinning her to the table. She tried to shove against his chest, but that was like trying to move a brick wall. Impossible. There was a part of her that didn’t want him to move. Instead, craved to be close to something that made sense, but she didn’t even know why he made sense to her. Yes, she had been drawn to this home in particular, and the painting on the wall freaked her out. Somehow, she knew them, but that was impossible. All of this was impossible, but before she could examine it like any good scientist would, he claimed her mouth. The will to fight him off drained from her like water in a tub.
She melted into the table as his tongue danced across hers and caused her entire body to tingle. No sooner had he stoked her fire, he stopped and stepped away from her. Now free, she pushed herself back to standing.
“What the hell did you do that for?” Her entire body ached, and now her mood was foul as hell.
“You didn’t seem to mind. Now, are you going to tell me about your heritage?”
“Fuck off.” She started for the door when he grabbed her wrist.
“Such harsh words toward your prince.”
She laughed. “Prince? You arenotmy prince.”
“Ah, but the DNA I smell in you says otherwise.”
“You bluff. Such a thing isn’t possible.” She hoped because she knew so little about his species. Sheila had tried to learn while she was in the labs, but it would take several lifetimes to unlock all the keys the Valarians held.
“Fine. Don’t believe me, so we shall test it for ourselves.” Just as she opened her mouth to reply, he whisked her away into a dark void and when they came out the other side, it was into a room full of light from several large windows. She turned to get her bearings, and that was when she spotted it.
She took a step forward. “She is beautiful. Who is this a statue of?”
He laughed. “Not a statue, but a goddess in stasis.”
She glanced at him to see if he mocked her, but his features showed he did not. The woman sat before her on a golden throne, her elegant white gown embroidered with gold thread, and the red velvet folds of her cape cascaded down around her ankles. In her right hand, she held a scepter, its golden rods forged into three tridents that merged at the top. The apex of its formation held a large, round larimar stone so white it was nearly translucent. In her left hand sat a bronze bowl inlaid with intricate gemstones. The woman’s golden eyes were fixed ahead, never wavering as she gazed into the distance. As Sheila studied every detail, she noted that the woman’s skin, while pale, did not look to be made of stone. This statue did indeed look real.
“How can that be?”
“Too complicated to explain. However, the goddess holds the ultimate DNA testing devices right in her hands.”
“Explain.” Her curiosity grew even more. She was quickly learning that nothing could be taken for granted in this world she knew so little about.
He stepped closer. Jabbed his finger on the tip of the trident until it bled, then moved his hand over the bronze bowl until a drop fell inside.
“Watch the stone.”
She did and her mouth dropped open as the stone turned a deep blue. “What does that mean?”
“Dark blue means I am a royal Valarian. From what we have learned, lighter blue indicates Valarian, just not royal. Aqua seems to be the color of choice for Fang and any Daldara and no color for a human.” He grinned. “Care to test it yourself?”
The scientist in her did, but if what he said was true, it would change color. How blue would the stone turn, she wondered? Maybe it wouldn’t change at all, and all her testing had been wrong. Which did she hope for?
“Afraid to prove me right?”
She glared at him, then stormed closer. The prick was quick, and her blood flowed the same red as Zander’s had. When she held it over the bowl, she also held her breath. One drop fell in, and she pulled away, sticking her finger in her mouth to stop the bleeding. Even the air in the room stopped moving as they both watched the stone turn blue. It deepened but stopped at a slightly lighter shade than Zander’s had been.
“Well, well. Seems I was right, after all. It also appears you are not only Valarian, but a descendant of the royal house somehow. Perhaps your parents were a lord and lady, yet that makes no sense considering where that family portrait was located. That was definitely not an upper-class home.” He stared at her, and she wanted to shrink away. There was no denying her secret anymore.
“I…”
“At a loss for words now? How about you start with what you know, and we can go from there?”
This time, she succumbed to her weak knees and sank onto a large pillow at the foot of the throne. Her entire world had just changed. Sure, all her DNA testing had screamed at her that she was not human, but this was like a punch in the gut. In an instant, the man towering over her was truly her prince and the woman on the throne, her goddess. It was almost more than her mind could handle.
