The Vampire's Bride

  And with that naughty threat, he bent and made good on his word.

  *

  SHIVAWN HAD ALYSSA behind him on the centaur as they pranced toward the edge of the cliff. The Amazon camp was nearby. Thanks to nymph senses, they could sniff females out anywhere, anytime. Her hands were on his waist, holding tight. He had never felt stronger, more alive.

  Valerian rode beside him, the nymph army lined in their wake.

  "Brenna will not be happy if we slaughter the female warriors," Joachim said in his deep, gruff voice. He was a strong soldier, one of the best, and he was mated to the human Shivawn had once owned.

  They were friends now only because Shivawn had relinquished all claim to the girl. That was a good thing, too. As he was learning, all things happened for a reason. If he'd kept Brenna, he would not have been free to mate with Alyssa, and he would rather die than be without his Alyssa.

  "Clearly, they are hiding in wait. But they have not attacked us yet," Valerian pointed out, "so our charms must be working."

  The lure of the nymphs, he thought, something he'd always been proud of but cursed today. He didn't want Alyssa upset for any reason.

  There was a whoop, a war cry, and then the Amazons were flooding the edge of the cliff above their camp. "Halt," a female voice shouted angrily. "State your business, nymphs."

  "Perhaps we aren't as charming as we assumed," Valerian muttered. He raised his arm, and the army obeyed. "We came to speak with the prisoners."

  One woman stepped forward. She was fair-haired, tall and muscled, yet as pretty as an angel. "No," she said, and Shivawn recognized the voice that had commanded them to stop. She must be the tribe's queen, Kreja. "You may now turn around, Valerian, and return to your palace. We won't kill you. This time."

  Shivawn had heard of her bloodthirsty nature, her un-bending determination and the iron fist with which she ruled her people. What he had not heard was whether she'd ever spent time with Valerian. That familiarity...had they once been lovers? If so, Valerian would have cast her aside--females never left the nymphs. Correction: females rarely left the nymphs--and would not wish to help the nymphs in any way if they had.

  "Tell us what you know of them," Valerian demanded. "Please."

  Kreja smiled, smug. "A please from your lips...irresistible. They were given to us by the gods," she said. "Therefore, they belong to us."

  A young girl pushed her way through the masses. Kreja grabbed for her, saying, "Lily, no!" but the child squirmed for freedom and rather than hurt her, the queen let her go.

  She approached, spear in hand, eyes wide. "Pretty," she breathed, gaze locked on Dorian, an irreverent dark-haired warrior who preferred variety over quality.

  "As are you." He winked at her indulgently. "Perhaps we'll meet again in a few years."

  The queen watched the exchange, looking both proud that the girl was brave enough to approach the warriors and worried for her safety. As if the nymphs would ever harm a child.

  "I'm old enough to have a slave," the girl called Lily said, chin lifting. "His name is Brand the dragon. I made him wash my clothes and fetch my breakfast this morning. I could talk to my mother about keeping you instead."

  His lips twitched. Even Shivawn smiled at that. "No, thanks," Dorian said. "Perhaps another time."

  "Lily!" Kreja shouted, and the little girl jumped.

  "Until then," she said, turning and running back to the females. Instantly they absorbed her into their midst, leaving no sign of her presence.

  A muscle ticked below Valerian's eyes. "Where are you harboring the men? They have information we need," he said, returning everyone to the business at hand.

  "Information I now have. Information I will share only because I have every intention of demanding payment for it one day. You worry for your missing soldiers, I presume. They were taken to an island, far from us," she said. "They told me of sun, moon and sand, where mers swam and the gods could freely exercise their power. Something they did often, testing the warriors mercilessly. Both nymphs were alive when the vampire, Zane, and the dragon, Brand, were brought to me."

  Valerian glanced at Shivawn with dread before refocusing on the queen. "What island?"

  "They did not know."

  "You realize the dragon and vampire armies will come after you if you keep those men, yes?"

  "Yes." She grinned with relish. "Let them come. Amazons enjoy combat, if you hadn't heard."

  "I am ally to both. Should they ask me, I will fight at their side and do all in my power to bring you down."

  Rather than frighten her, the boast merely intensified her giddiness. She sent an eager gaze over the army. "Out of fond remembrance of our week together all those years ago, I will warn you not to try."

  So they had been lovers. Curious, Shivawn thought. Before settling into their current residence, the nymphs had wandered Atlantis from palace to palace, race to race, taking their pleasure wherever they found it but never remaining in one place for long. The Amazons, however, they had always avoided. They didn't desire companions; they desired slaves. For a time. It wasn't in a nymph's nature to submit. Well, not outside the bedroom.

  "One youthful mistake," Valerian said on a sigh. "I will do what I must, Kreja, memories or no."

  She smiled. "You always do. Do it, then. Fight us. Mating season soon approaches." A horn sounded in the distance, and all of the Amazons stiffened. Frowning, the queen glanced behind her as the horn echoed once more. "Until we meet again..." What that, she and her followers stepped backward in unison and simply disappeared.

  "Alyssa," Shivawn said.

  Realizing what he wanted, she gripped him all the tighter and flew him to the top of the cliff. Down, down he looked. The women had stepped off the cliff and into a churning lake. They made a splash when they hit, then surfaced and swam to shore, waving coyly up at him.

  "First they challenge you, and then they run," she muttered. "What odd creatures."

  They floated back down, and Valerian sighed. "Where could this island of sun and moon and mers--" He pressed his lips together, head tilting to the side. "Wait. I know where it might be. Come with me."

  As quickly as their centaurs would allow, they traveled to the nymph palace. Valerian's queen was waiting for him when they arrived. The nymph king dismounted and ran to his pale moonbeam, swinging her around while she kissed his face.

  Alyssa bit Shivawn's shoulder, an action of possession, for Brenna waited atop the front steps, wringing her hands together, black curls billowing around her lovely face as she searched the sea of soldiers for Joachim. The warrior was pushing through the masses. When he reached the little female, he jerked her into his arms and she sighed with relief.

  Shivawn turned until he was facing Alyssa. "I love you," he told her. "Only, always, you."

  Her features softened, fangs retracting.

  "The human means nothing to me, I swear it."

  Alyssa looked away from him. "But you almost bedded her that day. Wanted to bed her."

  What a fool I was. "Let us discard the past, love. We have started fresh."

  "I guess I'll have to kill someone else," she muttered.

  He chuckled. "That you will."

  "This way," Valerian called.

  Shivawn dismounted and helped Alyssa do the same. Side by side, they followed Valerian through the palace, past jewel-encrusted walls and men making love to nymph females in every corner. Decadent moans echoed as they descended the steps and strode into a cave.

  Valerian pressed against a jagged rock in the upper corner of the wall and two boulders parted, revealing a breathtaking view of the ocean. Fish. Mermaids waiting to catch a glimpse of a nymph.

  The king twisted another of the rocks and withdrew a small, round glass, extending it from the wall like an arm. He bent down and placed his eye in the center. Several minutes passed, warriors shifting from one boot to another as they waited.

  What was he doing?

  He moved his body left and right, angling for...wha
t? Finally he stepped back and nodded stiffly. "I was right. Look."

  Shivawn bent and peered through that glass, realizing he was looking up, up and out of the sea. Breath hitched in his throat. There was a patch of land, a large expanse of pin-pricked black, and a round golden sphere. Water lapped at the edges of a beach, white sand stretching into thick, emerald foliage. "What is that place?"

  "I have never been sure if it is on the surface or if it's another hidden city like Atlantis."

  "How do we get there?"

  "The portals, perhaps."

  Shivawn's attention slid to the portal in question. It was upright, surrounded by the mist that constantly seeped from it. Touching it pulled a person out of Atlantis and into the ocean. The one and only time he had done so, he had swum to the surface to steal human females. That's when he'd met Brenna and hurt Alyssa so terribly.

  "Then we swim," he said. He turned to Alyssa to explain the need for such an action and apologize if necessary. Assure her again of his love, most definitely.

  "My king is out there," she said before he could utter a word. "I, too, will go through the portal."

  He glanced to Valerian, who nodded. Attention returning to Alyssa, he tenderly kissed her temple. "You are a true warrior, after all, love. Together, we will bring our people home."

  *

  WHEN THE SUN ROSE, Layel was tense. Afraid. So afraid. His night with Delilah had been the stuff of fantasies and dreams. He needed more. But would he get it? Or would she lose her emotions as Hestia had warned?

  He'd been watching her sleep for hours, the gentle rise and fall of her chest a mating call. He hated to wake her and lose this peace, but it was necessary. "Delilah," he said, gently shaking her.

  Slowly her eyelids cracked open.

  And that's when he knew. His chest constricted with painful intensity. Once more her gaze was cold, blank. She rolled to her back, eyelids already closing. "What's wrong with me?" she asked groggily.

  "Your emotions were taken again." Layel wanted to kill something. The goddess would be a nice choice.

  "Oh." She didn't sound as if she cared.

  "I love you," he croaked out.

  She yawned. "I know. I love you, too."

  At least she knew, even if she couldn't feel. Hestia had been right in urging him to use logic. "Do you remember everything you promised me?"

  "Of course. It's my emotions that disappeared, not my brain."

  He sighed. "It's time to find and destroy the monster, love."

  "All right." Unhurried, she rose and dressed.

  He'd half expected her to insist he allow her to continue sleeping. Hopeful, he pushed to unsteady feet. After he'd donned his pants, he plucked several berries from a nearby bush and held them out. "Eat."

  "I'm not hungry." She studied the length of several blades before sheathing them at her sides. She didn't look as if she cared to use them or even knew what to do with them.

  "Eat. Please. You need to stay strong."

  Reluctantly, she took and ate the fruit.

  "You said you remembered what you promised me, but do you remember last night? What happened between us?"

  "Yes," she said, looking at him. Blinking without concern. "Are you ready? I promised to win this contest, which means I need to fight a monster."

  He grabbed her shoulders, desperation flooding him. "Delilah."

  For a moment, one sweet moment, warmth fluttered over her expression, chasing away the cold, but it was quickly gone. And then the beast was roaring in pain and fury, the high-pitched scream enough to bust his eardrums. Layel stiffened, realization settling deep. "The monster has been found. Come."

  He clutched Delilah's hand and jerked her into motion, racing through the trees, his heart pounding against his ribs. She stumbled several times, and he began to worry for her ability to do what would be needed. Whatever would be needed. Not knowing what else to do, he picked her up and leapt into the air, flying high...higher...

  An eternity passed, the mountain seemingly never ending. Trees knifed toward him, slapping, but then the beach came into view and he knew he was farther away from the action, not closer, the monster's newest roar weaker. With a twist of his body, he turned them around and headed back into the trees. Where in Hades were the other warriors?

  Finally, in the center of the mountain, he caught a glimpse of Tagart exiting a cave, sword raised. Broderick jumped out and attacked him with a sword of his own, the two men swinging and thrusting at each other, grunting and slashing.

  Layel didn't want Delilah fighting in this condition, but he didn't want to risk defeating the monster himself, either. Damn the gods! What should he do? He set her down. She didn't protest. Just sat there, watching the fight through indifferent eyes.

  "Stay here," he whispered.

  "I promised to win," she said.

  "Worry not, love. I'll only be a moment and will find a way to ensure your victory."

  She nodded, the easy compliance so unlike her, his heart sank a little.

  "What's in there?" Broderick demanded of Tagart.

  "Nothing." Tagart swung his sword. Missed as the nymph jumped out of the way.

  "Sure?"

  "Wouldn't matter. This is my kill. I found it first."

  "Yes, but I'll be the last thing it sees."

  Layel dropped to his stomach and inched forward. With the combatants distracted, he could sneak into the cave and injure whatever was inside. If something was even in there. How could this be a riddle?

  He didn't get very far.

  A huge, monstrous creature with black wings and red eyes lunged out, teeth snapping at Layel, then at the struggling warriors, who leapt apart with shocked gasps. Heart drumming in a wild frenzy, Layel backtracked, shoving Delilah behind him. She wasn't ready for such a battle. Might not care enough to dodge a death-blow.

  "I don't think we should fight it," she said, voice devoid of either fear or eagerness.

  He wanted to look at her, but was afraid to tear his attention from the monster. Afraid that a single moment of inattentiveness would cause the beast to attack him, and thereby Delilah. "Why?"

  "I don't fear it." Stated so matter-of-factly.

  "Well, I do. And you would, too, if you still had possession of your emotions, brave Amazon warrior or not."

  "No, you're not understanding. The gods said we would find something the likes of which even the bravest of men would run from, something that we fear more than anything else. We are to face it, defeat it. But the thing I feared above all else was being without you. Last night I faced that fear. I defeated it. I gave myself to you, without reservation, hopeful for the future. Don't you see, Layel? I don't need to slay this beast. I've already won the gods' challenge."

  A riddle. Just as Hestia had said. He stilled, his eyes widening. Delilah had done it. Had truly done it. And she'd done it without him. The foolishness he felt at not having figured it out himself was no match for his pride in the woman who had. His woman. Grinning, he turned and hugged her close. Her arms wrapped tentatively around him, and the small gesture warmed his heart.

  "Very good, my child. Very, very good. And so a winner has been declared," a laughing voice whispered through the trees. "Ah, but do not fear, vampire, nymph and dragon. No one need die this day. The losers shall be spared, as each of you proved useful in some way. And I know what you are thinking, vampire. I told you otherwise before. But how could you have faced your worst fear if there were no consequences for your actions?"

  With the words, the monster disappeared, though its roar continued to echo throughout the mountain. Tagart and Broderick whipped around, confused, searching. "Where did it go?" they panted in unison.

  Each of the five gods appeared in a blazing cascade of lights. As Layel blinked against their brilliance, he saw that only Hestia was smiling.

  The goddess faced Delilah. "Amazon, you have surpassed my expectations. Of all the warriors, you have displayed the most strength, courage, endurance and wit. At any point,
you could have given up, yet you persevered, determination your beloved companion."

  "Not true! My dragon displayed the most strength. You cheated," Poseidon growled at the goddess.

  "As did you," she replied smugly. "Do you honestly believe none of us heard your meeting with the dragon last eve? You told him exactly what his greatest fear was, and still he failed to understand. The Amazon is unquestionably the winner of this game. And that means I have won our game, as well."

  Ares clenched his fists so tightly blood ran from his palms.

  Artemis regarded them coldly, as if the outcome didn't affect her one way or another.

  Apollo was popping his jaw, the glow around him more diminished than before.

  Then they each nodded in reluctant acknowledgment.

  War cries abounding, an army of nymphs suddenly burst past the trees, and stopped. The roars became gasps and snarls. Layel raced forward, his goal to protect the nymphs, his friends, from the gods. But before he reached them, the gods repositioned themselves, beside him one moment, blocking his path in the next. Layel ground to a halt.

  "Valerian," he called.

  "Layel," the nymph king responded. "What's been going on? How can we--"

  Hestia waved her hand at them and they disappeared as quickly as they'd arrived. "Good riddance."

  "You," Apollo said to Broderick, as though there had never been a disruption. "I have a task for you, nymph. As I am no longer welcome inside Atlantis, I feel the need to return to the surface world. And there is something you can do for me there. The least you can do, really, since you did not win me this contest." The two vanished. At least Broderick had appeared amenable.

  "And, you," Poseidon added, pointing to Tagart, eyes narrowed. "You cost me sole claim to Atlantis. For that, you will be punished. And then you will exist simply to amuse me." They, too, disappeared.

  "And then there's you," Ares said to Layel. "Victory could have been ours, but you chose to put love first." Despite his words, there was no anger in his voice. "I would punish you, but you seem to have saddled yourself with a permanent mate. That is punishment enough, I'm thinking."

  A mate was not punishment, Layel thought. A mate was a reward. But he gave no protest as Ares, too, vanished.