Intertwining Destinies

Chapter 39

Emerald stretched her legs and felt silky warm sheets slide under her feet. A part of her mind flashed back to the time she had woken in Nuada's bed. Now, even though awake, she kept her eyes closed, reminiscing a memory from long ago. A tear escaped from beneath her closed eyelids as she thought of Nuada. It hurt to think what the BPRD would have done to him by now. She felt a warm stroke on her face, wiping the wetness away.

As her eyes flew open at the touch, she found herself staring up at a canopy made of draped blue sheets. Turning her head, she came face to face with Sreng, who was lying there on his side, his pale eyes fixed on her. It took a moment for her to be aware that she was in a bed, and not on a cold floor of the undersea glass house. She made a hasty slide away from him, pushed herself upright and felt stray waves of hair fall over her face. Flipping them aside, she realised that Sreng must have loosened her hair from the hold of its band.

He smiled at her annoyance. "You look better this way."

"What the hell? she exclaimed, looking around. "What place is this?"

"We are still in the siren house, but I've brought you to a more comfortable situation."

"But why?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"We're to be mates. I have decided on that," he replied, falling back self-satisfied, on his pillow.

"What are you talking about? How did I get here?!"

He tapped a finger on his bearded chin. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I remember Agent Gonzales pushing a needle in me. I don't remember anything after that. Did you bribe him, or something?"

Laughing lightly, he shook his head. "I had glamoured myself to resemble him. I have been Gonzales, all along."

"Can all fae make themselves look like someone else?"

"Not all. Being a shifter, I do so without effort. Others practising magic would be able, but it takes immense power to hold the illusion for more than minutes."

"Shifter? What does that mean?"

Sreng seized the moment to pounce, forcing her back helpless on the bed.

"Get off me!" She tried to fight him, but his strength was overwhelming.

He easily subdued her by sitting on her thighs and firmly gripping her hands, and straddled her tighter as she struggled to throw him.

"What do you think you're doing? Get off!"

"You're too curious, you know, little elf," Sreng snarled, his calm eyes suddenly burning with rage. "You think to glean information from me? Like they taught you at the BPRD?"

"I –just – wanted to know what shifters are," she protested, straining to get free. "It hasn't been long for me in the fae world. There's still a lot for me to learn. Get off!"

"I would like to have taken you after you'd washed yourself, but I want you now," he whispered, his eyes raking her frame.

As his intentions began to dawn on Emerald, she felt her heart squeeze in fear. Nuada, Nuada! Please help me! But no amount of screaming for Nuada in her mind could bring her any rescue. Only a fresh wave of tears escaped her as she tried in vain to fight off the faoladh, and the crush of his weight on her legs.

"What are you crying for?" he hissed. "I'll make you my queen."

"You're crazy! Please, please," she whimpered, "get off me!"