Hey Guys!!
Prepare yourselves for one MASSIVE Chapter in celebration of my hitting 14,000 fans!! We had a little competition running on my fan page on Facebook, where fans told me what they would like to see happen in the story and the idea with the most likes would have their idea put through. There was a tie, so this Chapter is dedicated to Yuuki Cross, as her idea was first to come up in the plot line I have laid out.
Hope you guys enjoy!!
Lots of Love,
Daisy xx
P.S Huge thankyou to all of the votes that have been pouring in, even though I've been away for a long time, it's really great to have your support!!
(Obsidian's P.O.V)
Crash.
I threw the chair across the room, watching it splinter against the wall in satisfaction. My chest heaved as upturned my book-shelf with a roar, books tumbling out onto the floor. Storming over to my bed, I ripped back my curtain, the tearing of material only angered me further and I ripped the entire curtain off it's rail, the soft material floating down to the floor.
Growling, I reached her door and yanked it open, breaking the lock and almost ripping it off it's hinges. Almost an entire week. I had not seen her for almost an entire week and that was how she treated me? With nothing but indifference?
"No!" I roared, slamming open her door and ripping it from it's hinges. "You will not treat me like that!"
Her bedroom mirror stood opposite the door, showing me the monster I had become in her absence. The jagged scar sliced through my face and my eyes were burning with a fierce fire. My chest was heaving and covered in a thin layer of sweat, the cursed pendant sticking to my skin.
I stared at myself for a moment, the anger slowly building up inside me and letting out a roar I tore at my face. This stupid scar! Those horrible creatures! I pulled back, blood at my finger tips and looked at myself again. A twisted, anger fueled face glared back, blood oozing from the slices in his cheeks. He rolled his neck from side to side and bared his pointed teeth at me. I tore at my hair and screamed, a long, hoarse brutal sound that didn't sound as though it was coming from my mouth. I dropped to my knees, my body shaking and stared wide eyed at the floor boards beneath my fingertips.
Had I become a monster? Or had I just found myself again?
* * *
(Circe's P.O.V)
Anthemin and I were busy playing a game of tag when I felt it. There were vibrations in the water, something was coming towards us. My head broke the surface of the water and I peered in the direction that the ships would be coming from. The small dots that had appeared on the horizon roughly an hour ago had gotten bigger and I squealed in excitement. Anthemin appeared beside me, his nostrils snorting out buckets of water.
Some-one approaches us Vanima.
"I know!" I said, forgetting for a moment about communicating through my mind. "Look, they are closer." I pointed towards the ships and he followed my gaze.
Some-one else.
I looked at him in confusion, sliding back below the surface of the water. Through the clear seas, I could see for miles and I quickly spotted the large shape swimming towards us. It was no where large or awkward enough to be a dragon, which meant it had to be ...
I swam towards the shape and at the speed we were both going, it didn't take long to meet in the middle. I waved at the old man enthusiastically and he smiled back, gesturing that I swim to the surface and I did so obediently.
"Hobb's," I grinned. "What brings you here?"
He chuckled at me. "I thought I would come and check on you before everyone else arrived." He rose one shaggy eyebrow. "Obsidian has been demanding your presence for the better part of the day. He was being quite obnoxious when I left."
I struggled to find something to say. "Oh." Turning around I began swimming back to where Anthemin floated, he had gone back to spearing fish on his tail again but his head twisted around when we drew closer.
Elder, He said respectfully, dipping his snout, his upper lip pulling back from his giant fangs slightly. We were not expecting you till later.
Hobbson dipped his head in reply to the gesture. Anthemin, it was not planned, I came to check on the Princess.
Anthemin snarled softly. You doubt her safety when she is with me?
Of course he doesn't, I interjected before Hobbs could reply. Anthemin, be polite.
The young Dragon growled gently again deep within his chest, but said no-more, choosing instead to study Hobbson carefully, his great white eyes burning holes through the merman.
"Circe ..." Hobbs started, but I held up my hand.
"I don't want to talk about him."
"You need to, you're going to be sharing a ship with him again."
"Then I'll just deal with him like I did last time." I said stubbornly. I didn't know what Hobbs was achieving by bringing this up, as far as I could tell, what ever feelings Obsidian had for me had disappeared when I had left.
Hobbs's face softened. "He needed you when you were gone. We all did. Especially when Cobalt got worse, he is just closed off at the moment, worried about his brother. You don't know how much he's changed since we brought you aboard the ship, I'm sure that you don't want things to go back to the way they were."
I sighed, playing with the tip of my tail. "I don't, but I just, I don't know ... he scares me," I finished softly, looking down at my golden scales. "I never know what to do around him."
Anthemin nudged my back softly with his warm head. The heat from inside him burned hotly through his scales, warming up the water around him even more. He huffed out a breath, surrounding me in steam.
The Dhaeraow is one to fear Princess, came his voice. He is dangerous, a piece of his Father's soul hangs from his chest.
Hobbsons expression hardened a little at Anthemin's words. "As much as your race hates Zeus Gold, his son is no Dhaeraow. Save that title for whoever stole your Dragon egg from you again. "
Anthemin snarled, and I felt his scaly lips curl back from his fangs as he bared his teeth. I turned to his and stroked his head.
"Hush Elessar," I spoke softly, using the Air Sprite word for Dragon. I had learnt a few words from Zalas in my short time away and planned on learning alot more. "It is okay."
"Change of subject." I said. "Where are we headed, now that we have been to the Air Kingdom?"
Hobb's turned his attention back to me although he looked warily at Anthemin out of the corner of his eye every now and then. "We are going to the Water Kingdom to meet your Mother and decide what to do about the disappearance of the second Dragon egg. It could involve coming back into contact with the Earth Kingdom, something that hasn't happened in over a thousand years. I dare-say they will be hard to contact, neither Faerie nor Elf or another magical being from the land has been sighted since their banishment." His expression turned serious. "No doubt, the Council will be able to come up with a deal that will make them easier to find."
He looked uncomfortable for a minute, as though he wanted to say something more, but then the moment passed and I looked at him, holding my breath.
"Does that mean that we could potentially be going to visit the Earth Kingdom as well?" I asked, excitement the undercurrent in my voice. What other creatures were out there that I hadn't discovered yet? What other magical beings was I yet to know about?
Hobbson still looked uncomfortable and he moved uneasily in the water. "If your Mother permits it, then yes, it is a great possibility."
I nodded and grinned and he smiled back, running a weathered hand through his graying hair. He chuckled.
"You still have a lot to learn before then Princess, and the gates to your Mother's Kingdom are a long way away. I see that you have discovered more about the lilies." He said curiously, gesturing to the one that I had picked up while he was talking.
The precious flower glowed warmly in my hand, it's little golden tendrils waving around happily.
"Yes," I breathed. "Anthemin told me that they are called Dragon Lilies. He says that a Dragon left them behind her on her search for the Air Kingdom." My eyes lit up. "He says that Dragon magic cannot be explained, that it is a magic like no other."
Hobbsons eyes sparkled. "I see. And how are you with shocking people now?"
I laughed at the memory and reached over to him, touching my finger to his arm gently, I focused on letting the energy pass smoothly between us, instead of shocking him with a massive jolt of it like I had done previously.
He grinned as I continued to fill him with energy. Eventually though, once his hair and teeth had begun to glow slightly, he pulled away.
"I don't think I can hold as much as you Circe," He chuckled. "You had better stop there before I get fried from the inside out. "
I laughed and spun around in the water, touching my hand to another lily and taking back all of the energy that I had passed to Hobbs. The light was beginning to fade now, the sun dipping lower on the horizon and the first colors of the night streaked the sky with deathly reds and beautiful pinks.
The ships grow closer, Anthemin observed.
I turned, and sure enough I could distinctly make out the ships now and the figures that scurried around on the decks. One in particular stood out to me, they were still too far away for me to make out any facial features, but I could already imagine his burning gaze finding me in the water and locking me in place. I shuddered and looked away, when I looked back he was gone.
A roar from overhead had me looking up in surprise as a huge dragon belly flew over the top of our heads. Anthemin roared back in reply, the majestic sound rolling across the water as his jaws opened wide and the sound poured forth.
The was a yell and then a splash as a figure leapt off the Dragons back and into the ocean. A few hundred meters away Unabonan slide into the water smoothly, great waves rolling off the side of his scales and at the same time, Zalas appeared out of the water beside me, his fine white hair sticking to his skull.
"Vanima," He smirked in greeting, tilting his head to the side.
I turned my face away from him, still angry and he laughed. "You can't seriously still be mad at me can you?"
"Yes I can!" I growled. "You should have told me! Cobalt's life was on the line."
Zalas snorted. "It wouldn't have been if his stupid brother had just accepted the help our of healers."
I clenched my fists as I looked at him stonily. "He would have been fine if Nelonimi had not injured him in the first place!"
"Ooo," Zalas tutted, turned his head to the side as though he was hurt by my words. "Nelonimi had every right to act the way she did, after all, the Dragon egg that was taken by Zeus Gold was hers after all."
I gaped at him and he reached a slender finger forward, lifting my chin until my mouth closed. Positioning himself in front of me he held my face in place, studying me carefully.
"There are alot of things you don't know Princess," He said, tilting my head carefully from side to side, his eyes haughty. His voice was cool but I detected a hint of danger behind it. "So I suggest you remember that before you ignorantly insult Unabonan again. Agreed?"
I cast my eyes shamefully downwards. So I had been rude this morning. "I'm sorry," I ground out, hating having to say the words to him. I expected him to smirk but he didn't. He simply nodded, accepting my apology before turning around and swimming to his Dragon. No, not his Dragon, for now I knew the truth, that Unabonan was actually his brother.
Zalas reached the Dragon Prince's side and I watched as he levitated himself out of the water and onto Unabonan's back. His glowing white eyes stared at me from across the water.
"The others will be here soon," he said quietly, but I could hear him as clearly as though he was standing right next to me.
Hobbson swam to my side as I nodded. "What was all that about? He questioned softly.
"I'd rather not talk about it," I whispered, feeling Anthemin's sympathy swell in my mind. Hobbson nodded and just then I heard a yell across the water.
"Circe!!"
I looked towards the direction of the ships which were now only a half a mile away and spotted the little figure standing at the front of my Mothers ship. Lacy's black hair bounced around her as she jumped up and down, trying to get my attention.
I waved to let her know that I had seen her and she shouted out something else. I frowned and tilted my head. What had she said? I looked over at Hobbs and he shrugged. She shouted again but her voice trailed off at the end I couldn't be sure that I was hearing correctly.
Suddenly a gigantic figure was standing beside her, his dark skin the same color as her wild hair. Samson.
He raised his hands to cup his mouth and his voice bellowed out across the water. "Cobalt is awake!"
I froze and looked at Hobbs with disbelief, hardly daring to believe it. Zalas's smug tone rang out then and I spun around to look at him.
He was studying his nails, lying on Unabonan's back while the Dragon floated on the surface of the water, his neck stretched out and his head half submerged. I almost thought he was asleep for a moment before I noticed all of the lilies that had clustered around him were glowing brightly and his scales were holding a kind of luminosity to them that wasn't there before.
"That's the other thing I forgot to tell you." He waved his hand dismissively although his eyes gleamed with mischief. "The boy woke up."
I hissed at him in anger, my eyes narrowing into slits and my nails sharpening into claws, my shame forgotten. How could he not tell me?
He grinned at my reaction and I felt a hand touch my shoulder, Hobbs's gruff voice reaching my ears. "Leave it Circe, it's what he wants."
Breathing deeply, I gained control of myself again, nodding to show that I had heard. "You're right," I replied, my eyes never straying from Zalas. "He isn't worth the trouble."
The ships were almost upon us and I slipped below the waves, suddenly coming face to face with Anthemin. He turned his head to the side, his white eyes unblinking.
Climb on my back, I'll take you.
I nodded and clung to his head as he lifted my body up out of the water, turning his head around so that he could place me on his back. I sat side saddle, my tail useless out of water and clung to the scales around his neck. Hobbs looked up at us smiling.
"Do you want to come too?" I asked.
He shook his head. "No, I will see you later on, I'm going to go and check out the coral reef that we looked at last time."
I nodded. "I'll tell Cobalt."
Hobbs nodded gratefully. "Thank-you."
I didn't even bother to ask what Zalas was doing as Anthemin swam for the ships that were slowing down now, coming to rest just inside the first of the lilies. I heard shouts aboard to lower the anchors as we drew closer, my heart beating in anticipation.
Lacy was still standing in the same place, with Samson beside her, the big man grinned as we came along side the ship, peering down at us over the railing. Anthemin's head came to just below the railing and I waved at them in excitement.
"Well if it isn't little girly looking big and bad on a Dragon," Samson chuckled, his deep bass laugh and I poked my tongue out at him.
It was safe to say that Samson had developed a new found respect for me after I had turned into a Siren in front of him and almost ripped out his Captains heart.
"I bet old Henry would scare you so much now eh?" He suggested, wiggling his eyebrows. I laughed sarcastically and shuddered at the thought of Henry. That horrible head had been the source for many of my nightmares and I looked at Samson reproachfully.
"Why don't you come down here and say that?" I laughed and he chuckled, wiggling his finger at me.
"No thank you Princess, I'll be staying up here where it's safe." His white teeth gleamed at me and Lacy's squeaky voice sounded. She had disappeared for a moment and now she was back and he face peered down at me eagerly.
"Circe look!" She squealed and there was a familiar huffing sound before a shaggy black head appeared beside Lacy. His face was drawn and thin, his eyes tired, but his smile was as wide as ever as he took me in.
"Circe!" His voice was thin and croaky and I promptly burst into tears, just wanting the feeling of holding him in my arms. I felt Anthemin's alarm beneath me but there was nothing he could do.
"Oh Cobalt," I choked pathetically, tears streaming down my cheeks. "I'm so glad you are okay!"
His gaze was sympathetic. "I missed you too Sweetheart, please don't cry. Would you like it if I came down?"
I nodded and I heard Lacy's voice brighten from beside him. "Ooo wait for me! I want to come too, I missed out last time."
Around ten minutes later, the ladder was lowered down over the side of the ship and Samson was helping Cobalt down, although he was adamant that he was fine and he could do it himself. Leonardo was below him and the caution proved necessary as Cobalt's foot slipped more than once, his arms shaking as he made his descent. Leonardo was strong though, and he supported the other pirate until they both slipped into the water.
I was quick to slide off Anthemin's back and as soon as I touched the water I was in his arms, holding him as though my life depended on it. I could feel the weakness in him, his muscles were softer than usual and his body was thin under my hands. As I hugged him, I transfered energy into him slowly and his arms tightened around me gradually as the life source revitalized his body. He stroked my hair with one hand, tucking me under his chin and kissing the top of my head gently.
"I missed you so much," I whispered again, breathing him in. "I was so scared when I saw you, I thought I was going to lose you."
My tail swished through the water, keeping us afloat and he ran his other hand up and down my arm soothingly.
"I'm sorry you had to see that," He murmured, kissing my hair again. "Your healing must have improved though!" He said, his tone impressed. He pulled back from me slightly and wiped the tears from my face. "Please stop crying Princess."
I sniffed, but still the tears flowed. "I'm trying," I laughed a watery laugh. "And I have gotten better, but I wouldn't have been able to do it without Anthemin."
Cobalt's face scrunched up slightly. Color was returning to his cheeks and I knew that the energy was helping. "Who is Anthemin?" He questioned.
I smiled and pointed. "He is my Dragon," I said softly.
Anthemin was still in the water, a little way from us, eyeing us closely. Every now and then his heavy gaze would flicker over to where Lacy was now in the water, playing with Leo, but his eyes would always settle back on me.
Cobalt suddenly looked angry. "You have a Dragon now?" He pulled away from me slightly, his expression hurt. "Did you not forget that a Dragon did this to me?" He gestured to the giant scar on his side that I could see through the clear water. "So what, you're just instantly friends with them now?"
My expression fell, mirroring his hurt expression. Lacy, sensing tension, reached out to Cobalt.
"Colby-"
"No Lacy," He said, his eyes still on me. I was shocked with how quickly his mood had changed. "I was almost killed by one of those," he shot a look towards Anthemin, his expression furious. "One of those things," He spat. "And now I find out that you have been playing buddy buddy with them?"
I was shocked, is that how he really saw it? My face was broken with hurt and I swam towards him.
"Cobalt I-"
"I thought you were better than that Circe," His eyes were pained and disappointed.
"So did I brother."
Everyone looked up to see a smirking Obsidian lounging casually against the railing surrounding the ship.
"Stay out of this Bones," Cobalt spat, glaring up at his brother.
Obsidian chuckled darkly. "Now now brother, awake for less than half a day and already you are back to being obnoxious. Although," He said, his voice turning toxic. "I do have to agree with you. Gone for less than a week and she forgets all about us, all about the fact that the people she is with almost killed my brother and did this to my face," He spat venomously, pointing to the scar that marred the side of his face.
There was fresh blood there and I wondered fleetingly through my shock what had happened. "You know Circe, when I handed you over to him, I wouldn't have done it if I thought you would become so easy." He glared hatefully at me over the side of the ship before turning around with a swish of his cloak and disappearing from sight.
Anthemin was churning the water behind me, absolutely furious and with a roar, he shot out a jet of white flame, straight over our heads and onto the deck of ship.
"Anthemin!" I cried out, too late. "No, don't!
There was a ferocious snarl from on board the ship and suddenly Obsidian appeared at the railing, his sword held high above his head as though he was about to throw it.
In one great motion, the water beside the ship split out and spewed forth a Dragon as black as the night. She opened her jaws and roared, straight in Obsidian's face, her massive teeth only centimeters away from him. Her eyes flashed from ice white to pure gold in a second before changing back so quickly that I wasn't sure if I had seen correctly or not.
Her mouth gradually closed until she was merely snarling, a viscous sound that rumbled through her entire body and sent the water rippling. Obsidian stood, stock still, staring straight at her, his eyes slightly glazed over before he turned abruptly and walked away without a word. At the same time, Zarska slid back below the waves, her dark shadow of a shape disappearing under the shadow of the ship.
I let go of a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding. What had just happened? My shocked eyes drifted over to find Lacy's. She was gripping Leo with all her might, her eyes wide and fearful. Suddenly she let out a nervous giggle.
"What just happened?" She giggled again, seemingly unable to help herself, and promptly slapped a hand over her mouth.
I shook my head dumbly. "I honestly have no idea." My mind was still turning Obsidians words over in my head. Is that what he thought? That I had spent a few days in the Air Kingdom and now I was completely on their side? I snorted. Since when had he cared about anything that I had done? And anyway, it wasn't as though I was friends with either Zalas or Aranel.
"Hey!" I swam swiftly over to where Cobalt was. He had reached the ladder and was now attempting to pull himself up it. I gave him a firm tug and brought him back down into the water.
"Not now Circe." He growled, "I just want to go."
"No." I said stubbornly. "We are doing this now. First of all, stop being such a baby! If anything, you owe Anthemin a thank you and an apology! Without him, you wouldn't be alive right now. Secondly, I have not gone over to their 'side'," I quoted in the air with my fingertips. "So stop being so stupid, it isn't like I'm friends with Zalas or Aranel, it was her Dragon who hurt you and Obsidian by the way. And thirdly, you just woke up after we all thought you were going to die, so there is no way I'm letting you out of my sight!" I finished, my face flushing slightly with anger.
His lips quirked up slightly at the sides as he studied me, before turning to look at Anthemin. He took a deep breath before grudgingly mumbling an apology. Anthemin merely narrowed his eyes slightly before disappearing under the water.
Call if you need me, his words swept through my head like an ocean wave and then he was gone.
"Good." I said, folding my arms across my chest. "Now can we please go and have some fun?"
Cobalt sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Look Circe, I'm sorry about what I said, I didn't mean it, it seems as though I missed out on alot while I was out and it just shocked me was all." He turned his puppy-dog eyes onto full blast. "Can you please forgive me?"
I rolled my eyes and swam forward to hug him tightly. "You are forgiven," I mumbled into his chest. "And I'm sorry too, I didn't see it from your point of view."
He nodded and cupped my cheek. "Don't worry about my brother. He is just being a son of a-"
"Guuuys!!" Lacy whined, "Come on, I want to have some fun!"
I looked around for Anthemin before remembering that he had left. I wondered where he had gone, did he know what had happened between Zarska and Obsidian? Pushing the thought away, I swam towards Lacy, my blonde hair flowing out behind me.
"Come on then, let's go."
A sudden shout from behind had me almost cricking my neck as I whipped my head around. What now?
"Circe!" Nathaniel was waving at me from the side of one of the Air Kingdom ships. A sour faced Aranel stood beside him and I wondered vaguely what they had been doing together.
"Circe!" He called again as he began stripping off his clothes eagerly, earning himself surprised stares from the crew aboard the Air Kingdom ship. "Circe wait for me, I'm coming in too!" In his excitement, his stumbled over his pants as he tried to get them off his feet. His expression turned into one of surprise as he toppled over the side of the ship, Aranel's hand not fast enough to catch him.
"Naddy!" I cried, swimming out towards him and reaching the spot where he had disappeared in seconds. I could see him under the water, he had almost reached the surface, and we broke through the water together, he gasping for breath, myself not tired in the slightest.
He gasped, wiping water from his eyes as he spluttered. "Circe," He said, still spluttering.
"Yes, Nathaniel?" I questioned, checking him for bruising. That had been a long and uncoordinated fall.
"Circe," And finally his eyes focused on me, his expression bemused. "Why are you half a fish?"
I was still laughing by the time the others reached us, Aranel was still on board the deck, her head sticking out of over the side of the ship.
"What's so funny?" She asked snottily, looking as though she would very much like to spit on my head.
"I'm not sure," Nathaniel was sniggering a little as he took in the tears running down my face from laughing so hard. "I only asked why she was half fish."
I managed to control myself slightly, but the odd giggle was still slipping out every now and then. Cobalt swum up behind me and put his arm around me, drawing me to him grinning.
"That would be because she is part Siren," He said, smiling at Nathaniel. "I don't believe I've met you before." He held out his other hand to shake. "I'm Cobalt Bones."
Nathaniel grasped his hand tightly, his expression turning grim. "I know who you are, I've been at your bed side for the better part of the day, Circe asked me to check up on you. " His face turned friendly. "I must say, you are looking alot better than you were before, I'm Nathaniel, Circe's brother from back home."
Cobalt turned to look at me, his eyebrows raised.
"It's a long story," I said, rolling my eyes. " A really long story."
He nodded, his eyes suggesting that he would be asking about it another time.
As the sun sunk low on the horizon, we swam out to where the lilies were the thickest, laughing and joking with each other. I was nice to have some time to catch up with everyone. Aranel had decided against joining us, she 'had some more important things to do' as she put it.
Zalas and Unabonan were a little way away from the rest of the group. Zalas was playing with a single lily in his hands, manipulating the air around him and making it float gently above his chest. Unabonan still appeared to be sleeping but the water was starting to glow more strongly around his massive form and his scales were shining a bright white that hurt my eyes if I looked at him for too long.
I was still gathering energy myself, my hair shining brightly as well as my mermaid tail. Hobbson and Anthemin appeared, just as the sun was disappearing into the sea; the display of colors was fabulous, bright bloody reds, burning oranges and yellows faded out into dusky pinks. The odd lavender coated cloud floated happily around in the otherwise clear sky and slowly, stars appeared, blinking pleasantly in the darkening sky.
As things in the heavens began to grown dimmer in preparation for nighttime, below the water a different world appeared. The fish that were constantly swimming around us began to show their true colors, beautiful neon stripes and violently colored polka-dots, shining white fins and flashing tails.
I laughed in delight, tugging on Naddy's arm to get his attention. "Look! Aren't they wonderful?"
He let out a cry of delight which was echoed as the others discovered what I had. Slowly the sea was beginning to light up in a different way, the lilies floating atop the surface beamed out warm little lights that shone up a few feet into the night sky before fading out. Dipping my head below the surface, the coral reef that was a few hundred meters away now stood out clearly to me, as though the drowned sun had morphed into this beautiful creature, all of it's rays bringing light to something that had once been so ordinary. The fish were alot greater in numbers over by the coral than were we swam, I could see them, darting in and out of it's tunnels and turrets in their many different groups.
Feeling a tap on my back, I surfaced into Cobalt's arms. Anthemin was a little way from us, but now he swam over, his hard scales glowing majestically. He did not waist time in curling his body around us, his nose coming to touch gently to the side of my head. I felt Cobalt stiffen at his closeness and Anthemin's mental voice held humor in it, due to his discomfort.
The people of the Air celebrate Vanima,
I looked over to the Air ships where bright lights and happy voices drifted across the water. The beating of some sort of drum began, followed by the sounds of other curious instruments that I could not place. I watched in amazement as the lilies surrounding the ships increased their light slightly in co-ordination with the sound of the drum. A single thin voice rung out through the clear night sky. The note was beautiful, powerful, and I wanted to call back.
Why do they celebrate? I asked. Shouldn't they be sad with all that has happened?
They are sad, but they celebrate the now. Right now we are happy, we journey forth on a great quest that will bring them justice and honor. We are to travel over great seas, some of them have never been past the Air Kingdom. It is a great privilege. Especially as they travel with their Princes and their Princess.
I sighed in contentment, enjoying the sounds that floated across the water. Our own ship was dark, but I saw that ropes joined the three ships and as I watched, a huge figure swung from our ship to one of the Air Kingdom vessels. The shape was quickly followed by another and a welcoming roar echoed out. I smiled and felt Cobalt's arms tighten around me.
"Even our crew is enjoying the company." He said softly. "This is what many of them dreamed of Circe, adventure, seeing things that no-one else has. It has gone above and beyond their expectations."
Anthemin rumbled, deep in his chest.
The young one grows tired Vanima.
I turned and Anthemin's head turned at the same time, looking towards where Lacy floated on her back, her eyes closed and a dreamy smile on her face. Nathaniel and Leo were right beside her, Leo was supporting him gently as both him and Nathaniel conversed quietly. They both turned to look at us as they felt our gaze and Naddy smiled at me gently.
Zalas and Unabonan had disappeared, I wasn't sure where to, but a trail of light was left behind them and I thought I saw a flicker of a glowing tail in the distance before it vanished below the surface.
I sighed, as much as I didn't want to go, I knew it was time. The water was still the same temperature as it had been earlier in the day, warm like a bath, as we slowly made our way back to the ships I savored the feeling, not sure what our plans were for the next day and uncertain as to whether I would get to swim or not.
The other Dragons were swimming around and under the ships, their massive frames twisting elegantly through the water as they played with each other, their dance almost seeming as though they had planned it before hand. Zarska was with them also, her shadow like form blocking out the other Dragons whenever she passed in front of them. She swam below our feet as we drew closer, Anthemin had conceded to having Lacy placed on his back and he shivered eagerly as the much larger Dragon tickled his belly scales with her spine. I could tell he wanted to join her and gently I took Lacy off his back, giving him the go ahead.
His excitement gushed through my mind and I had to remind myself that although he seemed so wise, he still was really only a child, he needed to have fun. Zarska met him under the water, making Anthemin seem tiny next to her, and they disappeared under the nearest Air Ship together.
Lacy was clinging to my back, her grip was firm but I could feel the weight of her head laying on my shoulder. Surprisingly, in the water she felt as light as a feather to me. My tail moved powerfully below the surface, keeping us both afloat and I headed towards the side of the ship where the ladder hung down.
Cobalt kept pace with me and gestured that I hand Lacy over to him. He swung her onto his back easily and scaled the ladder as Naddy and Leo caught up. I let them go first, calling to Nathaniel and requesting he through me a shirt as I would be fully naked when I shifted back into my human form.
Surprisingly while we had been swimming, I hadn't felt shy at all about being exposed, I had mastered the art of covering myself with my hair and my casualness had seemed to pass onto the boys. They had been very polite in keeping their eyes on my face at all times. Even Cobalt, who I would have thought would find any excuse to sneak a glimpse, being the perve that he was.
A white shirt came flying over the side of the boat and I caught it, looking over at the other ships before making a move to climb aboard. The beating of the drums still continued, accompanied by the mysterious instruments. I could see people dancing aboard the deck, their movements wild and free, their voices foreign and haunting. I felt a sudden almost painful desire to join them and I closed my eyes momentarily.
"Hard to resist isn't it?"
Hobbsons familiar voice came from beside me and I nodded, gulping a strange lump that had formed in my throat. Like me, his eyes were trained on the ship and he seemed unable to look away. He shifted in the water a little, his powerful tail keeping him afloat.
"We all seem to be like that," He continued, his words not really explaining.
"Seem like how?"
He turned to look at me, even he had been affected by the amount of energy in the water, although not as much as myself. His eyes were glowing slightly and when he opened his mouth to speak, his teeth shone like polished pearls.
"We are the other Circe. And we were made to draw humans in. But at the same time, we can't help but be drawn in ourselves. Drawn in by our own marvelousness, our own power, our own looks." He sighed. "The Elves were the worst for it, or the best, depending on which way you looked at it. They were so magnificent." His face turned incredibly sad. "That they were excluded from the magical world was truly a great loss."
I felt his sorrow and I reached out to touch his shoulder sending a small bolt of energy through our contact without thinking. I had gathered so much and now I felt it humming below my skin, boiling in my blood. I was no where near tired. I wanted to join the celebrations. I wanted to dance until my feet were raw. Until the dawn came. Until the world stopped spinning.
I felt strange, but not in a bad way. Oh no. I felt strange in a good way. A dangerous and exciting way. I could feel the Siren in me, rising to the surface, rearing her beautiful head in excitement. She wasn't vicious anymore. She no longer craved blood and flesh. She craved something else now, she too wanted part of the celebration that we could hear happening not far from us. She wanted to be captured in the lights, to give thanks for what we were and what we had yet to become.
My hand was still tight on Hobbsons shoulder and without even thinking about it, I lifted us straight out of the water.
It was exactly like when Anthemin had stopped me from falling. All of a sudden the air was as thick as the water below. I could see all of the particles that formed it, floating around me like tiny crystals. Time seemed to slow and as we rose upwards, water dripped from our bodies, hanging below us like giant, priceless diamonds, sparkling in the light from the lilies below.
I could feel Anthemin in my mind, guiding me so I did not fall. But I wasn't going to. I was confident and my gaze did not waver from Hobbsons as I brought us both down onto the deck of the ship and time caught up with us again.
The loss of energy was not so great that I felt drained but it still made me gasp and without concentrating I realized that I had already changed back into my human form. I curled over myself, making sure that I was covered, even though there was no-on aboard to the deck to see. I guessed that they had all joined the party.
Hobbson threw me a shirt and I was slow to respond as I tried to figure out what had just happened. Had I just levitated? The old man was grinning at me, he was fully clothed and standing a little way away.
"Feel like explaining?"
I just shook my head. "I ... I don't even know what happened myself." I looked at him. "When I was with Queen Airocei, she told me that I'm not human at all. She told me that my Father was her brother and that he went missing when he was searching for Zeus Gold. My Mother went to look for him with you ..." I looked up at him. "Did you know?"
He shook his head slowly. "No, I didn't, the Queen never told me, Circe-
Suddenly Cobalt appeared on deck and I hurriedly pulled the shirt over my head, not wanting to give him an eyeful. He had turned away from me as soon as he saw I was naked, but as soon as I said he could turn around he winked at me playfully.
"Fancy going to join the party?" He said, his voice husky and filled with something I couldn't place. He had a dangerous glint in his eyes and a shiver ran up and down my spine.
A look at Hobbs told me that I shouldn't mention anything about what happened to anyone. He nodded at me. "You should go and have some fun. I'll be over later."
Without another word, he strode across the deck and through the door that Cobalt had exited.
I grinned at Cobalt. "Where are the others?"
He walked a little closer to me, a swagger in his step. His silver eyes shone mischievously. "Your Brother has decided to stay here with Leonardo, he wanted me to tell you. Lacy is sleeping."
"You'll have to give me a moment to get changed." I whispered, unsure as to why I felt the need to be quiet. Chills were running through me and I felt as though my body was a loaded spring.
"You had better hurry," Came the reply. His face was close to mine and I could feel the heat coming from his skin. I let out a thrilled giggle and before he could do anything I dashed away from him and through the door that led to the Captains quarters, shutting the door quickly behind me and pressing myself against it, laughing breathlessly. There was something about tonight that made me feel wild. That made me feel like doing something reckless. This time I didn't want to go against it, I was going to let it pull me in whatever direction it chose.
My breathing calmed enough for me to realize where I was and my eyes flitted around the room nervously. Was he here? Upon coming back to my senses slightly, I gave a sharp intake of breath. What had he been doing in here?
The room was demolished. The bookcase was upturned, the books spewing out over the floor like discarded innards, the curtain around his bed had been ripped away and was lying mournfully on the floor. Bits of glass and ceramics were scattered across the floor, a chair had been flung across the room, the legs had come apart from the chair entirely, the body cracked and split.
Walking across the room, I found that the door leading to my bedroom had been ripped open, the lock splintered into nothing. Following the path of destruction down the hallway, I found that the same fate had befallen my bedroom door, except this one had been ripped from it's hinges.
Hardly breathing, I stepped into the room. Half expecting to find a wildly furious Pirate waiting for me on the other side.
Instead ... Nothing.
There was nothing. No Obsidian. No nothing. My room was untouched. In comparison to his room, nothing was out of place. Nothing was broken. My heart beat slowed down a little as I realized he wasn't here.
Not wanting Cobalt to come and find me and see the mess, I cautiously stepped across the room to my wardrobe, opening it and digging through my clothes. My fingers were trembling slightly and I shook out my hands, trying to make the feeling go away.
I couldn't shake it however. I felt as though he was watching me, waiting right behind me. I was skitterish as I discarded the shirt and pulled on a beautiful loose dress that was one of the gifts I had received from the Air Kingdom. It was a lovely pale blue, that complemented my milk and honey skin tone, even more so with my hair and eyes glowing white as they were. It was made of the mysterious material that they used in the Air Kingdom, a substance that felt like silk, but was too light to be.
I jumped again as a small creak from the ship broke the silence. It didn't help that I couldn't close my door. Fully dressed, I peeked around the corner of my room and into the hallway. There was no-one there and feeling out of breath I darted to the end of it and into Obsidians dimly lit quarters. Not wanting to spend any more time in there than was necessary, I dashed to the door, opening it quickly, exiting and then slamming the door behind me.
Cobalt laughed at my breathless expression, his face bemused. "Running from some-one?"
I shook my head and ran a hand through my hair, feeling my heartbeat return to normal. "Don't worry about it, let's just go."
He came to stand at my side, looking a little worried. "Was he in there?"
I shook my head again. "No, I don't know where he is."
Cobalt nodded, looking unconvinced, but he tugged me over to where the rope joining the ships was. I scrunched up my nose, unwilling to climb across on the rope, considering that I wasn't wearing any pants.
Cobalt grinned. "Ladies first."
"Oh hell no." I retorted. "You just want an excuse to look up my dress. You're going first."
He pouted and then laughed. "Fine." Swinging up onto the rope, he pulled himself across the distance easily. Myself? Well I had another plan.
Anthemin? Could you please help me?
I was a moment before he answered. Yes Vanima.
Before I had a chance to explain what I needed, he was already rising out of the water below me, stretching his neck up as high as he could. I climbed over the top of the railing and stepped onto the smooth place between his horns, trying my best not to wobble. I had seen Zalas do this so many times, but it was not as easy as it looked.
Use the air currents to balance yourself Princess.
Trying to do as he said, I tried to visualize the air moving around me, his words from not so long ago coming back to me. Just imagine yourself doing it and it will happen.
Opening my eyes, I found that I was steadier and as he began to move across the water, I only wobbled once or twice. Cobalt was almost at the other ship and I grinned at him as we passed him. He grinned at me and then did a double take as he saw who I was standing on. I startled him so much that he almost lost his grip, but he managed to grab back on time and I stuck out my tongue at him.
Anthemin lifted his neck again and I grabbed onto the railing of the Air kingdom ship. They were a little bit smaller than ours, so it was an easy task for Anthemin to give me a little more height, enabling me to climb easily onto the deck at the same time as Cobalt.
I thanked the young Dragon and he received it, sliding down back below the waves. The music was heavy and intense aboard the ship, it rattled the floorboards of the deck and the people dancing looked like wild animals, their hair loose and free, their clothing long and flowing.
I paused for a moment, taking it all in and I wondered for a moment if I could ever dream of keeping up with it all. Our arrival had not gone unnoticed, although they did not stop dancing, the Air Nomads looked at me as they were spinning and laughing, stomping their delicate feet and clapping their hands in time to the drums. There were many lanterns hung all over the ship, on the rigging and the railings and the light cast mysterious shadows on their elegant faces, making their cheekbones high and sharp, their ears growing more pointed, their teeth sharping slightly as they grinned at me.
Suddenly, a daring male solider darted forwards, grabbing me by the hands and pulled me, laughing, into the fray. I laughed with him and let him guide me as we joined the dancers, spinning around wildly. I was sure that I would collide with someone but I never did, their movements were quick and light and they moved around me the way Air moves around any obstacle it comes across. Smooth and flowing, with the lightest touch. The boy that had grabbed me was dancing behind me, his long white fingers holding mine as he moved my arms around me, showing me what to do.
"Do not think," He whispered. "You are like the Air, you move with the currents," We danced through the throng of people and I was passed to someone else, who caught me and continued where the boy had left off.
"But when you face trial, you are strong and powerful, nothing stands in your way." We spun around and away from everyone, my mind was giddy with a fever that no medicine could tame. Everything was a blurred as I danced and danced and kept dancing, my hair flying out around me in a glowing whirl, brushing against others and sending tingles buzzing across my scalp.
I lost track of time, every now and then I would see Cobalt out of the corner of my eye and like me he was completely captured. His eyes were glassy but filled with a fire that I had not seen before. He spun through the group as well, getting passed through the few women that were aboard the ship. Every now and then our hands would touch before we would be whipped away from each other and back into the endless dance.
All of the energy I had built up through the day was fueling my steps. I was not tired, and I did not think I would tire anytime soon. Every time I locked gazes with a person I could see myself reflected in their eyes. My hair was hanging, suspended out from my face and billowing with a wind that wasn't there. My eyes glowed and my features had sharpened slightly, my ears pointing and my incisors descending.
I had become the other.
Closing my eyes, I spun. Reaching out from myself to feel where others were, I danced around them. My body was like the wind, was like the ocean, pushing and pulling me. Rising and receding with the tide. My head was so impossibly clear, yet so foggy at the same time. I could feel every part of me, every single nerve ending. I was so alive, every touch was like a jolt of power, sizzling through my skin. I felt all of the beings around me, their hearts beating and pulsing to the drums. Their life source fueling the dancing, the scent that they gave off making me heady and lustful. I moved my body gracefully, my skirt twirling around my legs.
I had no idea how long we continued for, challenging the night to end, challenging it to put a stop to our celebrations. I felt the music build up inside of me, the wild calls from the Air people adding to the intensity. Vaguely I felt a hand slip around my waist, pulling my body into synchronization with his own.
I opened my eyes and Cobalt's luminous silver orbs stared back. Our gaze did not break as we weaved elegantly through the dancers. They moved aside swiftly, giving us space, their movements influenced by our own. We were one, we were the moon, pushing and pulling at the tide of people. His dark hair hung over his face and his strong hands held me close as he dipped me towards the ground, spinning me around him and letting my hair drag along the wooden floorboards before he pulled me back to his chest.
My thoughts travelled back to the night I had been taken. The way we had danced, the way he had made me feel alive. We were heading that way now, entering dangerous territory. My hands were on his chest as we swayed together passionately, and he dipped his head to press his lips to my collarbone, leaving a burning trail of fire behind him as he made his way up my neck and gently took my earlobe in his mouth.
I spun around so that my back was pushed into his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around my body, his hands rubbing my sides as he gripped me in a fiery embrace. The beat and the pounding of feet around us intensified and I twirled away from him for a moment, my dress flaring out in a full circle around me as others did the same around us, before I was back in his arms, my hands clasped around his neck.
My eyes were hooded and my head fell back, exposing my neck, letting the intensity take hold of my body. I didn't care, I didn't care what was happening, what was going on. All that matter was the right now. This feeling that I was having. This pounding in my chest. This burning want. I was pulled back to his chest and it seemed as though the world stood still for a moment before he pressed his lips to mine, his kiss full of desire.
The music reached it's peak, the music, the voices, were almost unbearable but I let them in, they overwhelmed me, amazed me and in that second, I was suddenly, roughly pulled away and the mood was broken.
There was a ferocious snarling in my ear as I was pulled against something hard. I stumbled slightly, feeling a little dazed, but an arm held me in place, almost pulling me off my feet.
Cobalt looked dazed as well but he began to snap out of it slightly as he shook his head and reached out for me.
"Give her to me."
The snarl that came from above my head intensified and I noticed vaguely that the dancing had not stopped. It seemed as though everyone was looking this way, but they weren't. They were still caught up in the weave of magic that had been spun with our beating feet and swaying bodies.
Cobalt shook his head again and seemed to come to his senses a little more. His face grew angry, he was still slightly affected, his facial features were too pointed, too elongated.
"Bones. Give her back." He growled, his eyes flashing. For a moment he wasn't Cobalt, he was something else.
But so was my captor it seemed and he gripped me closer to him, shielding me in his chest and I could no longer see Cobalt. There was movement then, and I felt for a moment as though we were flying, which perhaps we were.
There was an angry yell from behind us but it faded quickly as the wind rushed around me.
"Hold on tight." His voice was husky, as though he had been sleeping and it sent little shocks of pleasure tickling across my skin. Still half in dreamland, I did as he asked, winding my hands around his neck tightly.
We swung out onto a rope, the rope that I realized, lead back to our ship. My brain still had not quite caught up with what was going on. Why was he taking me here? I had been having a good time, better than good actually. I wasn't ready to stop yet.
My thoughts were diverted however as Obsidian began swinging swiftly across the rope and I felt his muscles bulge under my hands. I was tucked under his chin and I couldn't see his face, but I could see the straight line of his jaw and I suddenly felt a little giddy as I remembered the last time that we had been in this position. If I remembered rightly, I had kissed his jaw and we had almost fallen to our deaths because of my so called 'distraction'.
I looked at the water below and thought about the temptation of a drenched Obsidian. Thinking better of it, I clung to him, trying my best to ignore the incredible display of muscle that was happening under my hands. My thoughts were jumbled as we reached the other side. His dominance had been disconcerting, I hadn't had a moment to think about it, I had just done what he had asked without complaint.
But now I was confused. The heady feeling that surrounding me while I was dancing was slow to wear off and I couldn't think straight. Hadn't I just been with Cobalt? I touched my lips softly and looked across the water. Had he kissed me? I couldn't see him anywhere on the other boat and before I had a chance to think about it properly, Obsidian had gathered me up in his arms and was carrying me into his room.
He booted the door open, kicking it so hard that it rebounded off the wall and shut behind us as we walked in. He stormed straight through the destruction of his room down the hallway and into my room, where he stopped abruptly and didn't move.
I wiggled a little in his arms, trying to get down, but his grip tightened around me and he growled.
"Don't. Move."
I obeyed and tried to quiet my breathing at the same time. His arms were strong around my frame and his thumb began to softly stroke the skin of my thigh, where my dress had risen slightly. I shuddered and closed my eyes, once again trying to collect my thoughts. Hadn't he just been incredibly mad at me earlier in the day? As I remembered rightly, I had become 'easy'.
I struggled again, snarling back at him when he growled at me again.
"Obsidian, put me down." My voice was fierce and he hesitated for a moment before doing what I asked.
Flushed, I organized my dress, pulling it down so that it covered my bodice and my legs decently. I could feel him looking at me the entire time and when I finally looked up to meet his burning gaze, his eyes had a hungry look to them that made me shiver where I stood.
The lighting in the room was dim, the only light came from my still strongly glowing hair and my eyes, I discovered as I looked in the mirror over Obsidians shoulder. I looked wild, I realized with a start. Strands of my hair were floating around me, my whole body seemed to be made of water and I shimmered where I stood. My enlarged eyes lit up the whole of my face and cast strange shadows. I looked to Obsidian and I wondered if I was still affected by the magic of the drums that I could hear faintly beating outside. When I found that I couldn't look away from him I was given my answer.
His ears were elongated and pointed, more-so than any of the Air peoples had been, more-so than Cobalts. His nose was lengthened, his cheekbones as sharp as glass. His full lipped pout pulled back slightly and two sharp little fangs protruded from his gums where his incisors should have been. His eyes were slanted slightly, giving him a feral, almost cat like look and as he shifted, the darkness seemed to shift with him, cloaking him, sticking to him as though he was a magnet for it.
He shifted again and this time it was towards me. His movements were stealthy, he never took his eyes away from mine and in that moment I felt like prey. His scar and the other mysterious cuts on his face only served to make him look more like a warrior, instead of damaging his beauty.
All of the accusations that were on the tip of my tongue fell away as we reached for each other, his arm coming around my waist, his other hand burying itself in my hair, and we met in the middle, our lips crashing together in a wave of emotion. I felt his hunger, his want, his need as his lips moved harshly against my own. He pulled me tighter against him and my body responded with a fearless passion that I had not expected. Reaching up inbetween our bodies, I ripped away the material of his shirt, leaving me with nothing but his bare muscled chest.
Running a finger down the middle of his tightly wound abs had him groaning against my mouth as he continued devouring my lips as though he was a dying man and I was his last breath. I was panting now and I pulled myself closer to him, tugging my hands through his hair with a force that would have almost been painful if it didn't feel so good.
He lifted me up so that I could wrap my legs around his torso, holding me in place with one strong hand as his other reached up to, with surprisingly gentleness, slip the straps of my dress from my shoulders. He groaned as I smothered his beautiful face with my kisses, paying extra attention to the cuts on his cheeks as I sent energy through my mouth and onto his skin to heal them in seconds. I moved to his scar, kissing it gently. He closed his eyes and I kissed his eyelids before re-capturing his jaw with my mouth.
Growling softly, I bit down, not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to make his passion rise again and then he was pressing me up against the wall, his muscles bunching up around me in a way that had me gooey at the center, if the wall had not been there for support, no doubt I would have fallen to the floor.
He nibbled at my lip and I felt the sharpness of his teeth against my skin and it made me shudder with want. Opening my mouth to him, he lightly licked at my upper lip before touching his tongue to mine. His hands were everywhere and I was overwhelmed in a sea of desire as his hands explored the soft skin of my stomach, skimming up to run lightly under my breasts and I was moaning for him to remove the material that was left between us. I wanted to be pressed into his hard skin. I wanted to melt into it and never have to pull away.
When my moans became breathless demands he could no longer resist. Undoing my bodice the rest of the way, I felt no shame as the cloth fell away, revealing all of myself to him. He growled hungrily and turned us around, crossing the room until he reached the bed where he lay me down gently, standing back for a moment to look at me.
My upper half was completely exposed to him, only thin white lace covering my bottom half and I looked back at him boldly as he drank me in, admiring him as much as he was me. He was truly something to behold, there was no fat left on his body and the lines in his stomach and in his arms were so deep that they almost looked like scars in themselves. He moved forward, finally deciding that the space between us was too much to bear, hovering his body over mine, his muscles constricting. I could feel the heat sizzling between us and he nuzzled his nose into my neck, breathing in deeply.
"No-one can know." He whispered softly. I didn't know if it was my imagination, but his words sounded sad and after that he seemed unwilling to meet my eyes, as though by looking into them he would give too much away to me. My palms ran across the skin of his tightly muscled back, feeling all of the scars that crisscrossed his skin.
"I know," I whispered, already accepting that, to have this time with him, this wonderful, dangerous, forbidden time, there would have to be a price.
His lips came down over mine again, silencing me fully as I kissed him back, pulling on his hair until his body connected with mine, his skin skimming across my stomach teasingly, cooling my desire yet setting it on fire at the same time.
Every now and then, when we would begin to calm down, his hooded, hungry gaze would meet mine, his eyes burning a deep, deep golden bronze and filled with lust and then another wave of need would break over us and we would begin all over again.
I felt him, hard against me, the entire night but he did not make a move to suggest that he wanted more from me than he was getting in that moment and for that I was grateful. I had long ago forgotten that I was mad at him, that we had arguments that needed finishing and new ones to start. I had just pushed it all away in my insane craving for his touch but I knew if we had gone further, I would have regretted it deeply and I didn't want that.
He was everything I wanted in that moment and if we could just stay like this forever, I would be happy. I did not ask what was going to happen to us when the morning came. Right then, I just didn't want to know.