Exile: Sídhí Summer Camp #3 (28 page)

With a smile curving her lips, she continued
her story. “I searched for a valley that covered Alaska. There
wasn’t one on the maps, but I felt one there. At the time, I
remember thinking it felt wrong.”

He shifted. A shaft of curiosity hit her.

Stifling her smile, she took the hint. “It
was Phoenix Valley. Completely closed off from other valleys and
Earth, no one knew of its existence, nor did they know it was
dying.”

“Die…” he snapped his mouth shut.

With her free hand, she rubbed his chest. “A
large source of synth crystal will last a very long time, but not
forever. For whatever reason, Phoenix Valley did not have a single
source of renewing crystal, not a single crystal spring in the
entire valley. Later, I found out the phoenix couldn’t figure out
why their valley was dying, but the valley was literally collapsing
from lack of energy.”

“That’s why Mac is so loyal. You somehow
saved their entire valley,” he said in awe, seeming to forget he
was supposed to remain silent.

“Yes, to keep the valley from literally
crumbling inward I ported a huge reservoir of liquid crystal into
the valley. I didn’t ask for their loyalty, but it happened
anyway.”

He snorted. “They should be loyal.”

“Anyway, on our first excursion to the valley
we didn’t know any of that. We ported to the valley, appearing near
a large glacier. On Earth it’s called Portage Glacier, I found out
later the phoenix call it Moaning Giant. Anyway, our timing was
horrid. A patrol of phoenix were flying right over us so we ducked
into a small, stone building. Scrollwork covered the building, but
it was in the old tongue, and I didn’t take the time to think about
it.”

Remembering her curiosity, she sighed. She
had always been drawn to old, dangerous things. “I later learned
the words formed a warning. Mac is a pureblood, third generation
royal. When dealing with fairy, finding out someone is pureblood is
a critical piece of information.”

Nick leaned his cheek against her head. His
contentment matched hers. “So that’s why you put up with him? He’s
a royal?”

“No, I put up with him, because he’s one of
my best friends. He was just a child, but he was never afraid to
play with me. Even Miranda, Aaron, and Jessica respected the power,
the danger I represented.”

“Child? You lost me. He is the mythical
Prince McKenzie. Right? Do you know how many stories there are
about him? He was certifiably crazy thousands of years ago.”

“His body is that old, but actual years that
he has been awake total less than eighteen. He is actually younger
than you are.”

A knock sounded on the outer door.

Nick groaned, dropping his head to the back
of the beige sofa. “We are so not finished.”

“A little anticipation is good for you,”
Sarah said with a smirk.

When she started toward the door, Nick gave a
soft growl. “I’ll get it.”

Catching the edge of his last thought, she
hid a smile. Chi’Kehra, or no Chi’Kehra, he wasn’t letting his mate
open the door to a possible threat.

She realized she better get used to his
over-protective attitude. What did she expect? He was vampire. They
put their mate’s safety as more critical than breathing.

The door opened, and she frowned.

Fritz, a vampire that easily matched Mitch
for pure muscle, stood at rigid attention. A snarl curled his upper
lip, revealing very human teeth. No doubt, the thick, silver collar
that blocked his fangs also drained him of every ounce of
strength.

The minute he saw her, his angry appearance
turned to disbelieving shock.

“Fritz,” Sarah said in greeting, motioning to
Nick to let Miranda’s bodyguard into the room.

He entered the room, and Nick shut the door
behind the blonde-haired vampire, cutting off his three-man escort
of armed guards.

Five long strides later, Fritz dropped to his
knee with his sword hand over his heart. “Liege,” he said solemnly,
“I failed.”

Sarah stepped forward and touched the man’s
shoulder lightly. As all of her family’s private guard, he had been
hand chosen for the duty. The fact he had failed to protect
Miranda, an immediate member of Sarah’s family, was a mark against
his honor. A point of disgrace any member of her guard would rather
die than commit.

Glancing at Nick, she brought him up to
speed.
“His name is Fritz, Miranda’s bodyguard. He disappeared
the same night as Miranda.”

At her light touch, Fritz raised his head.
“Is she okay?”

No question as to how Sarah reached Sídhí,
only concern for his charge. Her lips curved, giving him a smile of
reassurance. Truth be told, she had been worried about him as well.
The man had been her little sister’s shadow for so long she nearly
considered him part of her extended family. “A little banged up,
but otherwise quite happy.”

“And the Sídhí Chi’Kehra?” he asked with a
snarl, glancing at her neck and wrists.

She swallowed her snort of laughter, refusing
to let even a glimmer show through her eyes. Even if Colin had
managed to wrap her entire body in silver, it would not have
stopped her. Her immunity to silver was a tidbit of information
that most people, even the majority of her guards, ever realized.
She wanted to keep it that way.

“He is Miranda’s lifeMate.”

Shaking his head in disbelief, his eyes
literally bulged like a bullfrog. For a moment, she feared his head
might explode. “I won’t let him chain her in silver,” he snarled,
looking every bit the enraged vampire he was.

“Neither would we,” Nick said. Stepping to
her side, he placed a gentle hand on her hip.

The beginnings of a growl died in Fritz’s
chest. Glancing at Nick’s possessive handhold, his back stiffened
and his fist clenched against his chest. Looking straight into
Nick’s eyes, the man said, “My Lord Nicholas, through my blood oath
to my Lady Chi’Kehra, my sword and my life is yours to
command.”

Sarah felt her mate stiffen. “I don’t…”

Sarah touched his shoulder, stopping his
words. “You might not like the title, but as my mate it is
inevitable.” Sending him a private, mental message, she added,
“If you refuse his gesture, it breaks his blood oath to
me.”

“You’re right, I’m not crazy about being
called lord this and lord that, but I am honored, and I accept your
blood oath of service,” Nick said smoothly.

“
Place your hand on his shoulder and
squeeze,”
she said, mentally coaching him.

The moment Nick did as she requested, Fritz
relaxed his rigid muscles.

The remainder of the day oozed by like
dripping molasses, only interrupted by a brief visit from Miranda’s
healer who informed them her sister was not up to visitors that
evening.

“Hey, Sis,” Sarah said as she and Nick walked into her sister’s
large bedroom the next evening.

A small, ornate dining table sat beside the
bed. Several silver platters sat in the middle. From the
mouth-watering aroma, it smelled as if dinner would be roasted
meat, yeast bread, and several spicy dishes she couldn’t
identify.

“Would you tell him this isn’t necessary,”
Miranda huffed, glaring at her mate.

Wisely, Sarah kept her mouth shut. More than
a day had passed, but her sister’s face remained discolored and
slightly swollen.

Colin leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on
Miranda’s forehead. “You wanted to have dinner with your sister, so
here she is.”

From the mass of pillows propping her up in
bed, Miranda glared at him before tugging him down for a proper
kiss. “Don’t think I’ll always be this docile.”

Colin snorted. “There is not a submissive
bone in your body.”

Sarah laughed. “Agreed,” she said, giving
Miranda a careful hug.

“Nick,” Miranda said, waving him closer.

Nick’s pleasure seeped through Sarah as her
little sister ordered him forward for a hug.

Smothering a grin at her sister’s imperious
attitude, Sarah offered Colin her hand. Miranda might feel free to
hug everyone in sight, but she was too accustomed to smothering her
emotions to feel comfortable in flaunting unnecessary, expressive
actions in front of a near stranger.

Greetings behind them, they sat around the
table.

Giving Miranda a stern look, she asked the
question that was upper most in her mind. “While I agree what
happens between our mates is private, you need to at least give me
the bare bones of what happened.”

A literal thundercloud of rebellion crossed
Miranda’s face. Before she had time to explode, Nick said, “You
scared the crap out of us. Your family is still hunting for
you.”

His words seemed to deflate the fight from
her. “Yeah, I figured as much,” she said with a grimace.

“The fault is mine,” Colin said between
clenched teeth. He proceeded to tell them what happened. From
several pauses, he was editing the actual events. That was okay.
From the way Miranda looked, Sarah wasn’t sure her temper could
handle the complete truth.

As they began eating, talk turned lighter.
The girls took turns telling stories from their youth. On more than
one occasion, Colin and Nick looked like they were about to choke
on their food. Looking at their adventures through someone else’s
eyes, she supposed they seemed reckless.

“Seemed?” Nick asked her. Horror thrummed
through their bond. “The two of you snuck into not one, but four
dhark lords bedchambers. You question that was reckless?”

Colin groaned. Hand rubbing his temple, he
asked Miranda, “What was so important that you risked your
life?”

Miranda snorted, giving him a grin. “How else
were we supposed to get our hands on one of their jackets?”

“You stole from the dhark lords?” Nick asked
in a strangled voice. “Wait a minute, you said you took jackets.
This happened about ten years ago didn’t it?”

“I was only ten,” Sarah said, eyes narrowed.
“Too many innocents were dying, and the dhark lords needed to be
taught a lesson.”

“A lesson?” Nick asked, shaking his head in
disbelief. “Even the news channels in Clan Valley covered it. A
jacket, one from each of the five most powerful dhark lords, was
shredded then hung on the poles surrounding Dhark Plaza.”

“I included one of dad’s jackets so no one
would question why he wasn’t represented,” Sarah commented,
remembering the fuss her dad had made.

“We nearly got caught in the second chamber,
and Sarah wouldn’t let me go to the rest of them,” Miranda
huffed.

Brittle silence reigned.

“If you can’t handle our exploits, don’t
ask,” Sarah said with a soft smile curling her lips.

Miranda yawned.

“Time to call a halt,” Colin said.

“I am not a baby,” Miranda said, a soft growl
rumbled from her chest.

He chuckled. “Oh, I definitely agree on that,
but you are healing. Before you argue, I know you agree that Sarah
and I need to talk.”

“Just talk or do you plan on attacking the
umbra settlement?” Miranda asked.

At Colin’s look of surprise, Sarah smothered
a grin. The poor guy had no clue what he was up against. Sarah
might’ve been the grunt power behind their juvenile exploits, but
Miranda had a major hand in planning them.

“Talking needs to come first,” he hedged.

Her little sister snorted her disbelief.

Colin sighed. “We will probably go take a
look. I can’t say what we will do, because I don’t know. And before
you even suggest it, I will not take you into such a dangerous
situation.”

Okay, wrong thing to say. Sarah sat back,
enjoying the sparks flying from her sister’s eyes.

“
Enjoy while you can, because while I
agree Miranda shouldn’t go, I won’t be put off that easily,”
Nick said firmly, stroking the top of her leg.

“
I would never do that to you. I can’t
promise, but I will try to never underestimate you,”
Sarah said
quietly. “
I know you can handle yourself in a fair fight, but
there will be times, like the beach, where you would not do well.
At least, not until you receive further training.”

“
Agreed,”
he said, kissing the hand
she raised to his cheek.
“I think a reconnaissance mission falls
in my sphere of abilities.”

“
Good, I want you at my side.”

“Sarah, would you tell him I’ve done stuff
like this before,” Miranda said in exasperation.

“You have, but not when you are unable to
walk across the floor by yourself.”

“You had to bring logic into it,” Miranda
grumbled. Looking at Colin she ordered, “You will be careful.”

A surprising smile bloomed across his face.
“Of course, Mia Cara,” he said gently.

His meek tone was not the response Sarah
would have expected from a powerful monarch, one more familiar with
giving orders then receiving them.

After calling Healer Bella to sit with
Miranda, the three of them moved to a small office.

“Miranda has told me about the threat the
Dhark Empire poses to her home valley,” Colin said, starting the
conversation. Doubt flickered across his face. “She said you can’t
create a portal and that you agreed to attend the dragon’s summer
camp in hopes of finding a way to permanently close the portals
between the empire and Trellick Valley.”

“Yes, it was the only reason I agreed to
attend camp,” Sarah said. A slight frown crinkled her forehead.
“I’ve talked to people that were alive during the Great War, and
they told me what the old Chi’Kehra was capable of. After assuring
me he could open and shut portals, I tried to close one of Trellick
Valley’s primary portals. It caused a dozen small earthquakes. I
thought the entire valley was going to collapse.”

“Ah, I think that explains it. You tried
cutting the power from the portal, didn’t you?” he asked with a
raised eyebrow.