Of all the porous sea sponges, where did my brain go that I thought this was the way to win Mist over? I might as well lie in a bed of sea urchins. It would have been less painful and equally idiotic. Disgusted with myself, I stalked through the garden, away from the scene of my most recent disastrous encounter. I shoved my hair back from my face, turning randomly through the numerous purple-hedged paths and flowering blooms, but the beauty around me faded from my sight. The image of Mist's furiously blazing eyes seared my vision.
Shells, how had this gone so completely sideways? I'd thought it simple before I'd arrived and I snorted at my own naivety.
As if I could ever compete. He's the damn original 'fallen angel', the devilish temptation for thousands of women over thousands of years. And barnacles take him, but he's got two cocks and a tail to back up his seduction game... the game he invented the fucking book for.
What female is going to pick me over him? None.
I groaned, swiping a hand across my face. It's not like he forced Mist. He didn't have to... just like Inanna. She eagerly left me for him. Why would Mist be any different? What do I have to offer that he doesn't already have and do better?
Nothing.
What am I doing here? I'm never going to get Mist back.
Pazuzu's question—"You really have no idea why?"—burbled to the forefront of my thoughts and my pace slowed until I came to a halt.
There had to be a trigger, some event that happened that caused Mist to change her mind about me.
But what?
The day she'd stopped talking to me had started the same as the previous, with a delicious wake-up that I'd thought had satisfied us both.
"Mmm... you do know how to spoil a girl, Sea God," Mist purred, arching in my hands as I licked her shuddering body.
I flicked my tongue over her soaked folds. "Who needs breakfast when I have you, Mist? You didn't really want to go spar with Scota again today did you?" A blend of our essences with her unique fresh ocean taste, I couldn't get enough of the curvaceous sprite. Perhaps I could keep her in bed all morning.
She smirked down at me and tugged my hair. "Yes, I do. Shannon is probably already waiting for me. As much as I want to go another round, you'll just have to wait until this evening."
I nipped her.
She jerked and shoved my head away, trying not to laugh. "Damn you, Manannan!"
I released her and she rolled away, off the edge of the bed and quickly tugged on her clothes.
The cheeky kiss she'd blown at me as she strode out the bedchamber doorway was the last time she'd looked at me affectionately—a cherished memory I could visualize with perfect clarity even now.
But my mind refused to stop there, and my thoughts replayed the rest of the day like an onrushing tsunami I couldn't escape.
When I returned from the nearby Atlantean outpost in the early evening, Elatha and I were ready to strangle his brother, Elada. His constant complaints about his lack of a sex life and disrespectful comments about the females around us had a headache pounding in my temples. We'd spent the day mediating disputes and assisting with evaluating the outpost since it had been some time since Elatha had visited the remote location, off the usual routes for travel between the surface and lower oceans, and away from their major submerged cities. Between dealing with those and with Elada, I'd wanted nothing more than to sweep Mist off her feet and find a secluded waterfall to play in together.
My first glimpse of her after shaking off Elada's infuriating presence had lightened my chest, like I could finally breathe after being immersed in polluted waters.
"Mist!" I'd called out, my hand raised as I entered the dining cavern Scota used for meals. I hurried forward, eager to enclose her in my arms, but her expression as she turned to face me stopped me in my tracks.
Body rigid, she'd held her palm towards me, with fury snapping in her narrowed, tricoloured blue eyes. Her power swirled in an angry fog, curling and snapping around her like a biting winter storm that held everyone back.
My heart clenched, lungs frozen. I didn't know what to do, what to say, or why she was so angry with me. I finally opened my mouth, whether to apologize or ask what was wrong, I wasn't even sure.
She shook her head once.
"Mis—"
She snarled, "Stay away from me."
Then she left, striding out of the cavern for the nearby forest.
I sank on a nearby bench, shaking in the wake of the memories. Tears soaked my cheeks. Recalling the details had provided no more enlightenment than they had the day it had happened. I'd been too stunned and hurt to ask on our two-day trip back from Scota's and when we'd returned to the Summer Realm Court, Mist again refused to talk to me. If we hadn't been trying to save young Prince Aidan from that curse, perhaps I might have pressed until I found out.
Now, it seemed too late.
A muffled scream shattered the stillness of the garden.
I scrubbed the salty moisture from my eyes and stood. That hadn't sounded like a cry of pleasure.
"Hel—" Another muffled scream.
I spun, running toward the sound. It was farther from the palace and it took me a few minutes to navigate the dense purple hedges to find a break that led to the short wall and rocky outcrop outside the garden.
No one was there.
Flower petals were strewn over the black stone like colourful teardrops, with a cluster of flowers and stems scattered on the rocky outcrop.
I rushed over the wall, ignoring the buzz of the wards, and searched the boulders. Had someone fallen over the cliff's edge? As I walked closer to it, something drew my gaze up.
Contrasting against the red sky, a dark mass twisted and flailed. With my hand held up to block the sunlight, the silhouettes took a few seconds to resolve into recognizable shapes. I sucked in a harsh breath.
Anna!
Rising quickly in the air far above me, she struggled with two winged gorilla-looking demons. I'd never seen anything like them before.
"Oh shells!" Manipulating air alone was not one of my powers and I ruthlessly drew moisture from the garden and distant pools into thick clouds. I hurled a blast of moisture-laden air toward them as I formed the remainder under me and lifted off the ground.
The demons were buffeted by the turbulence but didn't waver as my cloud struck. Massive leathery wings beat powerfully as they drew away faster than I could pursue. Still, I tried another strike and another, then stopped.
They'd reached the edge of the floating sky island, heading out into the vast air currents.
I'd never keep up to them, not with so little moisture in this dry, cursed air. I glanced back at the palace in the distance...
The Dark Angel of the Four Winds would have the speed to catch them.