The Seven: Four tales of passion, danger and love (51 page)

“Chameleons?” Walker asked.

“Shapeshifters, if you will.”

“We can do that?” Grace asked and immediately felt embarrassed over being so excited about it.

“In time, yes. You are still young and your abilities have not yet become fully manifest.”

“So you obviously have followers who can do that,” Walker said.

“Yes.”

“Okay, so we have a cover, which is good.” Walker looked at Grace then back at Nyah. “But we still have a problem with this—this guy, whoever the hell he is.”

The pleasant look on Nyah’s face transformed into one Grace read as sadness rather than anger. It made her want to reach out and take Nyah’s hand.

“Damos,” Nyah finally said.

“Damos?” Grace asked. “You mean Severin?”

That prompted a surprised look from Nyah. “Yes.”

“Damos or Severin, Phobos and Orelia—or is it Nyah?” Walker asked. “People who can turn others into dragons—and more I’m assuming. Just who are you people?”

“Severin and Nyah will suffice. Or Inanna, if you prefer. I have also gone by that name.”

“Inanna?" Grace asked. “As in gods of ancient Sumeria?”

Nyah waved her hand in a dismissive motion. “We were heralded as such during that time, as well as others.”

“Are you saying you’re thousands of years old?” Walker asked with incredulity.

“Yes.”

“That’s impossible!”

“And yet, here I sit before you.”

He shook his head. “Okay, I know I’m going to regret this, but how the hell is that possible?”

Nyah blew out a gentle breath and smiled. Grace gasped as Nyah’s features changed. In moments, a beautiful young woman with long silky black hair sat before them.

“Oh my god,” Grace breathed. “Is that…do you really look like that?”

“Yes, this is my true face.”

“Holy shit.” Walker’s voice was barely a whisper and Grace understood. Nyah was breathtakingly beautiful.

“Why?” Walker asked.

“Why?”

“Why appear as an old woman when you look like that?”

“There is safety in that visage.”

“Safety?”

She chuckled. “I once overheard two middle-aged women talking. One said to the other. We’re in that invisible age. Young people are so disinterested in the elderly that they don’t even see us. Why we could walk into a Cadillac dealership and steal a car and no one would even notice.”

Grace realized the truth in those words. How often did she notice an elderly person? She felt a bit ashamed and was relieved when Walker spoke again.

“Okay, so you and—Severin have been around for a long time. And you can transform humans into—into something—supernatural with your ink. That doesn’t explain why he’s hell-bent on snatching Grace or killing me.”

“True.” Nyah stood and walked to the window. “Many, many years ago, we came to this world. There were one hundred in our expedition, my mate among them. He was of royal blood and leader of our contingency. Life was primitive here, but there were resources we needed.”

“What kind of resources?” Grace asked.

“Primarily herbs that enhanced our abilities.”

“Herbs?”

“Yes. Amazing, isn’t it, that a plant should be so significant? We discovered natural substances here that vastly enhance our abilities, substances not native to our realm. The Persian Gulf was particularly rich in a type of seaweed. We set up an extraction operation. My mate spent little time here, he continued in the search for resources and other realms and left me alone for very long periods of time.”

“What do you mean other realms?” Walker asked.

“Just that. Where we are now is not the only realm of existence. There are many others.”

“Like parallel universes or something?” Walked asked.

“Yes.”

“And you’re from another realm?” Grace asked in a sarcastic tone. “You and your hubs just popped over and then he left you here with whoever was gathering stuff and headed off on his quest? Yeah, that sounds believable.”

Nyah shrugged. “Your belief or disbelief does not change what is. Once when he returned from one of his ventures, he brought with him a female of another species who had garnered his fascination. He took her as a lover. I admit, I was furious. I demanded that he return her to her world and forbade him to enter my chambers until he did. He laughed at my demands and flaunted his affair before me, before all our people. I endured but suffered great jealously and anger. When he finally left to return a shipment of the seaweed to our home-realm, he took his concubine with him. I refused to return with him. Not long after that I heard that he had taken her as his second wife. I had never known such fury. Fury that did not abate over time. And fury that led me to make a terrible mistake.

“I turned to Severin. He is the brother of my mate, and had desired me as long as I could remember. I was ever faithful and so turned a deaf ear and blind eye to his ardor. Until then. In my rage, I took him as my lover.”

Nyah turned to face them. “To my great surprise, I discovered in a short time that I did love him. He worshipped me and treated me with more deference and respect than my mate ever had. Unfortunately, someone reported the infidelity to my mate and he returned to this world, along with his father. Severin and I were condemned, sentenced to die. This led to revolt, as those of my people who were here were steadfastly loyal to me. They stormed the royal quarters and…”

She looked away, staring out of the window.

“And?” Grace couldn’t contain herself.

“And my mate was…dismembered. His body was spirited away in parts, hidden in many realms. Severin and I managed to escape, he to one realm and me to another. I spent centuries searching and finally secured all of my mate’s anatomy. I returned it to our home realm and fell on the mercy of the High Lords—sorcerers of mighty power—to return him to life.

“My bequest was honored, but at it came a price. Upon being resurrected, my husband decreed that Severin and I would not die. And because I had effected his rescue and resurrection, I would not suffer. Severin and I would become the guardians of balance. I would hold sway over Light and Damos over Dark. We would forever be adversaries, fighting to maintain the balance, never to enjoy the love we once shared. And so it was and is.”

She returned to her seat. Grace stared at her for a moment, in complete shock and fascination. “Oh my god. You mean, you…you love Severin?”

“Yes, very much.”

Grace turned her head. She couldn’t look at Nyah, or Walker for that matter. How was she going to tell either of them what had happened with the changeling she’d thought was Walker? Or that she’d spoken with Severin and been told that Nyah was a danger to her and Walker as well?

A Changeling? Did she completely believe it herself? She’d sensed something off and had ignored it. Why? Was she so desperate for Walker’s love that she had stopped listening to herself and ignoring her own instincts?

“Grace?”

Walker’s voice, followed by the touch of his hand on her thigh, forced her to turn her head and look at him.

“What’s wrong?”

She opened her mouth, closed it, shook her head and stood. “I have to tell you something. Both of you and…and, god please don’t hate—”

Walker was on his feet, pulling her into the comfort of his arms before she could finish the sentence. “Grace, whatever it is—”

“Don’t. Please.” She pulled away from him. “Not until you hear. Remember when I got our date night mixed up?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, the reason I did is because I thought you
had
come over Thursday night. I thought I…we… I thought we…”

She couldn’t force herself to say it, but the look on his face told her that already his anger was rising.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying someone else was there. He looked like you. Exactly like you. And he—he said he loved me and and…”

“You had sex with him." Nyah filled in the blank.

“No! But I kissed him. I thought it was you, Walker. I swear on my parents’ graves, I thought it was you.”

“Son of a bitch!”

Walker’s shout had the definite undertones of a dragon threatening to emerge, and his eyes flashed hot and brilliant. “This is the guy—the one with the psycho dog?”

“Yes. No. I don’t know.”

“Son of a bitch!” Walker’s hands tightened into fists. “Did you sleep with him?”

“No. I just kissed him. I told you, I thought—”

“Bullshit!”

Grace saw the scales forming on the side of his face. His anger was prompting the change. Nyah must have seen it too because she rose and hurried to Walker. “Listen to me. Walker. Look at me.”

He finally stopped glowering at Grace and turned his eyes to Nyah.

“Severin has great power.”  She spoke in a placating manner. “I have no doubt that Grace is telling the truth. She thought it was you. She loves you. She would never have willingly betrayed you. She was tricked. Severin sent a changeling to her. Walker? Are you listening to me?”

The room was silent for a long time, the only sound that of his harsh breath. Finally, he nodded and stomped across the room to the window. He stood there with his back to them. Grace looked at Nyah and Nyah shook her head, gesturing to the sofa.

Grace hesitated, cut a look in Walker’s direction, then claimed her seat. She didn’t blame him for being angry. She was angry with herself. She should have seen through the ruse before he kissed her.

Caught up in guilt and grief, she wasn’t aware Walker had moved until she felt his weight settle on the couch beside her. His arm went around her shoulder to pull her against him and she turned toward him.

“I’m sorry. I swear to everything holy, I’d never intentionally betray you, Walker. I just—I just let what he said—that you love me—I’m sorry.”

“I know.” His voice was raspy, but no longer tinted with the rumble of the dragon. She looked up at him and he smiled at her. “Don’t cry baby. I believe you.”

“You do?”

He nodded and gave her another smile. Relief washed over her so strong that it took her remaining strength and she sagged against him. “I love you, Walker. I really do.”

“I love you,” he whispered against her hair then kissed the top of her head. “And I am going to kill Severin.”

Grace jerked upright at the same moment Nyah gasped.

“You cannot,” Nyah said.

“You mean he can’t be killed?”

“No, I mean—”

“Then he can be killed?”

“Well, yes it is possible but he has great power and—”

“How?”

Grace looked from him to Nyah. “Yeah, how?”

Nyah shook her head. “I cannot—
will
not give you the key to his destruction.”

Grace felt Walker tense and hurried to address Nyah. “Okay, but there has to be something we can do. I mean can’t you just… I don’t know, turn him or something? I mean, if you really do care about him, then what if you did get together? How bad could it be? He wouldn’t kill you or anything would he?”

“No, I doubt that he would, but we cannot be certain. Should we abandon our posts, our powers would be unleased upon this world. Every creature prone to Darkness would be imbued with his power, and likewise those prone to Light filled with mine. And there would be war. War such as this world has never seen—war that would not end until there was but one left standing. Life on this world would end.”

Grace fell back against the cushions, her heart hammering. “Oh my god. That’s…”

“Bullshit.” Walker finished her sentence. “Absolutely and completely off the charts crazy. You don’t expect us to believe that, do you?”

Nyah regarded him in silence for a long moment. “Believe as you will. You asked. I answered.”

“How can you know that’s true?” Walked demanded.

Nyah opened her mouth, then closed it.

“Well?"

“To be honest, I don’t know.”

“Ha! See. There is always a way. And if he wants—wait, if he loves you, then why did he—what does he want with Grace?”

“He used her to hurt me.”

“How? I mean sure, you care about her, but how would that hurt you?”

“Because she is my daughter.”

“Say what?”

“No.” Grace shook her head. “That’s not true. I had a mom and she died when I was—”

“Your father told you she died,” Nyah interrupted. “And that she had no family and so you never knew your grandparents or any of her family. He told you she was an orphan, as was he.”

“Yes. Was that all a lie?”

“Yes and no. Your father had a specific genetic code, one compatible with mine. I knew that I could breed with him. So I did. But I did not count on his instability. When I left him, he—”

“Fell apart.” Grace did not try to hide the bitterness. “He lost it. Started drinking and drank himself to death.” She jumped up, suddenly infuriated. “You did that to him. To me! If you are my mother then screw you. You walked out on me and my life was shit and you didn’t care.”