Page 24 of Taken By Fury
“Have you looked inside yet?” She sounded like an excited child.
“I have not. I wanted to find you and be certain you were not causing any trouble.”
She ignored him.
The box thrummed with Uuna’s power and as he opened it, they both gasped. Inside lay a stone of rare beauty. Its crimson color pulsed from blood-red to magenta to vibrant orange.
“What is that? It’s beautiful.”
“This is a ruby fire crystal.” He pulled it out by the gold chain it was attached to and dropped it over his head. The stone settled against his chest with the weight of a feather. “It carries the power of fire.”
Her brows furrowed. “But you already have that power. I saw you start a fire from nothing.”
“I do, but not all Valarians hold that power. This is a gift left by Uuna meant for the destroyer.”
She blinked. “The destroyer?”
“Our queen, Aimee, is destined to destroy Zolar.”
* * *
She waspositive she had heard wrong or misunderstood. “Aimee is supposed to kill a god?”
“That is what Uuna has said.”
“Well, that seems utterly insane, but then this is not my battle.” She looked back at the wall and squinted as if that would help her read and understand the symbols any better. “What does this say?”
“You seem very drawn to this wall and its symbols.”
“I don’t know why I came into this room. I felt the same pull I did before.” It was as if she had been a walking zombie. She studied him as he looked at the symbols, but he did not indicate that what the message said meant anything to him.
“It’s a blessing for the home and its occupants.”
“Oh. Here, I thought it might tell us who lived here.” She didn’t try to hide her disappointment.
“Sorry.” He suddenly looked upward where the ceiling would have been to the bright sunny sky. There was no missing the tension in his muscles.
“Something wrong?”
He didn’t seem to pay attention to her. Instead, he was busy searching the sky before he suddenly grabbed her by the arm and jerked her to his hard body.
“What are you doing?” She tried to shove him away, but he was like a brick wall. Unmovable.
“Quiet,” he snapped. “We have company.”
She searched the sky where he seemed to look but saw nothing. Still, she wasn’t stupid enough to question him. He wasn’t human and could do and sense things she could not. But why couldn’t she? If all the DNA tests were to be believed, she was just like him. Well, except he was a prince.
“Stay close to me,” he whispered. “Do not let go of me.” He pressed them against the wall and that was when the hair on her arms stood straight up as if an electrical current had passed over her. He looked at her, then leaned in until his lips were against her ear.
“I have us under a cloak, but do not move.”
How messed up was her mind that being pressed against him was a damn turn on? Their very lives might be in danger, but her body was ready to roll around on the ground right here with him. It quickly subsided when four Concosa demons suddenly appeared in front of them.
“I smell royal blood,” one demon snarled, his gun now pointing right at them.
“This place stinks of it, but Zolar said it would,” another replied.
Sheila tried not to tremble, but no matter how hard she told herself to stop, her body only shook more. Zander must have taken pity on her because he slipped both arms around her and pulled her to his chest where she buried her head, certain they were about to die.
