Perfect Misfits (7 page)

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Fedor gathered his clothing and put his fur robe back on while he scanned the room.

Damn
.

Why couldn’t he see it? He’d hoped that he wouldn’t wake Vicasha, but her voice startled him.

“Looking for something, or just admiring my home?”

The beauty returned.

“Vicasha, where do you keep it?”

A sore look crossed over her features. “She’ll never find even one of them, never mind two of them.”

“She’s escaped again,” he ground out.

Vicasha pulled the silk robe tighter around her waist before standing.

“Pity.”

“Show me where you’ve put it,” he growled.

She stalked past him. “I don’t know what you find so special about that misfit.”

She climbed a small set of stairs. At the top, she stopped and stared out the small window with her arms crossed over her chest. He followed her up the stairs to see what she was looking at.

The view found him staring out into the marsh pitch, but what he’d never noticed before was the large gnarled tree in the very center of the hellish pit. A large, satisfied smile formed on his face.

As fast as the smile formed, it disappeared with a gust of wind that tore through the room. Vicasha spun away from the window, leaping through the air and landing beside the fire pit with fangs and claws protruding, swiping at an unseen force.

He ran down the stairs, hissing while spinning in circles. Minutes had passed when finally Vicasha stood up glaring at Fedor.

“Didn’t you feel it?”

His heart raced. “What is it?”

She turned, looking around the room. “We are not alone.”

Chapter Eight

Tempest’s eyes flew open and a shot of adrenaline sent blood pounding through her veins. She pushed herself up into a sitting position.

By the light of the fire, she spotted Rogue sprawled out on the ground beside the straw bed where she had slept. Deep, even breaths and the gurgle from his throat told her he was asleep. She smiled for a brief second.

Light coming in from the entrance of the cave told her it was daytime.

Wow.
Have I ever slept through the night?

The stick remained tightly clutched in her hand. The Vemlers had not come.

Tempest looked across the fire at the empty straw bed. Sadness and desperation washed over her.

He promised he wouldn’t leave me. What’ll I do now? Just once, couldn’t things go my way?

She sighed.

No sense wallowing in self pity, Tempest. Look you still have the fire, Rogue, and food.

The pot drew her immediate attention. Not wanting to wake Rogue, she carefully stepped over him. The poor gargdog had never had such a great sleep.

She didn’t wish to use the bowls, but as she learned the night before, it seemed the proper thing to do. After two heaping bowls full, the pot still remained full. There would be plenty for Rogue when he woke up.

The
drip, drip, drip
toward the back of the cave now made loud, plopping sounds. Could it be possible that a basin of water might exist—one that might hold enough water for a bath? That most certainly was a luxury she never had.

It would be dark back there, but Tempest made up her mind to check it out.

With quiet footsteps, she followed the sound of the water toward the back of the cave. Over her shoulder, she could still make out the flames and the light coming from the entrance of the cave. She kept going.

The sound grew louder.

A faint glow came from ahead. Tempest halted, wondering whether she should continue.

What can the light be coming from?

Tentative, she moved forward until she stood before a pool of water. The rock ceiling far above her head was alight…and moving. Thousands of small creatures crawled across the rocks overhead.

She stood very still, and then waved one arm, prepared to bolt back the way she’d come. When they didn’t seem to mind that movement, she waved both her arms. Still the creatures went about their business ignoring her.

The water would be cold, but she refused to be deterred. There was nothing she wanted more than to have a bath…except, of course, her freedom off this mountain, and to be able to touch without assuming the others emotions.

Okay, so I want a lot. For now, a dip in the pool of water will suffice.

A couple thoughts entered her mind. Would she remember how to swim? Who was she kidding? She’d never really learned how to swim, she’d been too young. And…what might be in the water?

She slowly undid the ties that held the large cloak up and around her shoulders and body, letting it fall around her feet. One at a time, she kicked off the boots that were way to big for her small feet. Looking over her shoulder for the last time, she stepped with one foot into the dark water. It was cold, but not as cold as she’d been in the past.

Shifting more weight to the foot in the water sent her sliding into the pool, and she came up sputtering and panicked. When her toes touched the soft bottom, she sighed in relief.

The creatures from above stared down at her. For a moment, Tempest worried because they’d stopped their activity. She stood perfectly still, and soon enough they continued with their normal behavior. She smiled to herself and let the tension from her arms and legs float away in the cool water.

Old memories crept into her thoughts. “You’re not worthy,” they told her. “We will send you to Misfit Mountain where you belong.”

Tempest had had no idea what they meant by that. She’d been too young; one night, she overheard them talking about their own misfortune. She’d been a mistake–a union that shouldn’t have happened. She was a disgrace, they’d said—something gone terribly wrong.

She ran her hands over her body, washing the best she could, wishing she could wash away the memory.

Then a noise filled her ears with dread. Her heart skipped a beat. There was scraping on the rocks.

The Vemlers found me.

Tempest scrambled to get back to the edge and clamored out of the water.

Damn!

She didn’t have her stick. Beside her cloak, the Vemlers broke through the rock.

The giant worms had mouths full of spiked teeth, and individual orbs that rotated over their bodies as they crawled. It was those rotating segments of their bodies that slashed through the rock like butter.

Three of them about four feet in length popped through the ground just before the water. She screamed, with no choice but to jump back in the water. To her surprise, the Vemlers halted at the edge of the pool. Perhaps they couldn’t go in the water.

Rogue’s bark and growl sounded in the distance.

“Rogue, stay where you are! The Vemlers are here,” she shouted. Of course, that didn’t stop him. He came bounding toward her.

“No, Rogue,” she bellowed. “Go back. Stay away.”

Two of the Vemlers stayed put while the other submerged into the rock.

“Demon’s dung!” She swore with frustration. Where was the vile creature going?

Quickly, she tried to keep her feet off the bottom.

The gargdog snapped at the creatures, just out of their reach. Then, to her surprise, he turned and ran back toward the entrance of the cave. The glowing eyes up on the ceiling had their fill of excitement, and the majority of them flew to the entrance behind Rogue. He barked over and over again with an intermixed “help.”

Most of the light had vanished with the eyes. Only a few remained, leaving Tempest standing in the dark water.

To the far edge of the small pool, a large wave began to form and rolled toward her.

“No!” She screamed, backing away from what must surely be a Vemler. Unable to go the way she’d entered, Tempest danced to the other side of the pool. The wave disappeared, and an eerie silence filled the air.

· · · · ·

Ryder made a hasty exit from the little village behind the rock. Invisible to everything around him, he’d learned some important information. Apparently, there was something important to Tempest’s freedom, and the witch obviously kept it housed in that disgusting pit. It had to be the old tree, or perhaps something hidden in the tree.

He soared through the sky, flying as fast as he could. Perhaps Tempest knew what they were talking about.

The snow continued to fall again in earnest, making it difficult to see, but his ears alerted him to trouble. Rogue’s sharp bark echoed through the mountains.

“Shit!”

Tempest must be in trouble…again.

Now, he pulled his wings in close to his body, gathering more speed. He could see a stream of tiny creatures making a mass exodus from the cave while Rogue continued to bark frantically, jumping around in the snow.

When the gargdog noticed him coming, he leapt to the side, away from the entrance. Ryder didn’t think there would be time for transformation. It would be a tight fit.

He wound his wings tightly around his body, and flew like a dart into the cave, following Tempest’s screams for help. The domed ceiling saved him from crashing.

Hovering over the water, he spied Tempest standing up to her waist…naked. He didn’t have time to think about that right now.

Damn my inadequacy.

In the dark with just one eye was not beneficial. He caught movement below and to the right. The abomination chewed on the rocks, spitting them out with ease. Ryder now knew what had left those marks up on the glacier.

“Vemler!” Tempest screamed.

An odd wave headed her way, and then disappeared. She tried to run to the edge, slowed by the resistance of the water. Ryder didn’t have time to hash this out with her. Instead, he dove straight at her. She screamed as his arms swooped her from the water just before the Vemler surfaced where she had stood.

Enclosed her in his arms, he spiraled out the way he’d come. The Vemlers were making a quick path toward Rogue. He yelled without slowing down.

“You only have one chance, Rogue. Jump!”

For once, the gargdog listened, and landed squarely on Ryder’s back, between his wings.

“Hang on.” Ryder spread his wings wide, holding Tempest’s small body close to his. Thank goodness she wouldn’t freeze to death. He needed to get them safely away to a new location, and he had just the spot in mind. His only problem was that he couldn’t conceal himself while carrying the two of them.

· · · · ·

The onslaught of blinding snow hit them hard. While his wings allowed him to soar across the heavens, his arms clung to Tempest’s tiny body. She remained unmoving, cradled in his clutches.
What kind of visions will the sprite be having about me? Fuck! I don’t want to deal with this shit and this…beauty who interrupted my life. I don’t need her in my head learning about my secrets…secrets he would never share with another living soul.

Anger spurred his speed.

The odd veil could be seen far off in the distance. He’d noticed it when he followed Fedor. It glimmered and danced through the sky as far as his one good eye could see. Could it be a coincidence that it also seemed to begin behind the mountain range where the beautiful village was located? Perhaps it was a way back to Levare, but something told him it wouldn’t be so easy to cross through.

Circling wide from his original path, he wound around toward the back of the mountain. Sure enough, the village that thrived in the crevasse valley of the mountain remained alight and free of snow, with a beam of soft light shining down from the sky. His mood darkened.

Who the hell created is fucked up world?

Astral had to have answers.

He headed to the back of the lush valley, miles away from where he’d entered with Fedor. From far above, he looked down toward where he intended to land, and slowly began his descent. The advantage of flight should allow him to enter easily—no moving of giant slabs of rock.

Rogue struggled to hang on, and Ryder felt him scramble up toward his neck and fling his front legs over his shoulders.

Sure enough, the descent worked just like he’d hoped. The lush, green woodland awaited his entry. The problem was, he was looking down and directly into Tempest’s face and bare, creamy breasts. His groin tightened. Lust fed on him, and he struggled to push it back. Then he noticed her mark—the one similar to his. Like a beacon, one of the smaller marks within the crescent shaped moon glowed an eerie color of orange.

Ryder’s large feet touched the cushioned moss covering ground, breaking him from the thoughts running like wild through his head. Without hesitation, he brought his large wings forward to shield Tempest’s body from sight.

Rogue let go of his neck and fell to the ground with a
thud
.

Ryder spun in a circle, taking in the surroundings. Ferns and wild flowers covered the soft, mossy ground. The smell of cedar and roses almost made him smile.

Rogue began to whine. “Rogue wants to see Tempest.”

Water trickled down the side of a rock just off to Ryder’s left, and flowed into a little creek. A small knoll covered with large trees gave him an idea.

He needed to put Tempest down so he could make them a shelter. Anxiety washed over him. He didn’t want to let go of her. Closing his eyes and chanting, he commanded a sparkling light that he knew would shine outward from within his wings.

I should have done this long ago.

Rogue jumped up at him, panting with worry.

“Rogue, stop. Move aside so I can set her down.”

Opening his wings, it took all the strength he had in his body to set her comfortably away from him in the blossoming moss.

He had dressed her in a black jumpsuit and sneakers, and now stood over her, transfixed by her innocent beauty.

Rogue dashed to her side and began licking her face.

Ryder turned away, trying to control the pace of his thumping heart. Frustrated, he threw himself at the hill, literally clawing and digging into the soft ground. When he finally stepped back and looked at what he’d accomplished, he didn’t know how long he’d been working.