Roxanne Desired (9 page)

“I
hope you have something to eat in there,” I complained, my stomach grumbling.

We were standing outside on Nathan’s porch while he unlocked the door to a modest ranch style home. The house was yellow; I thought the color that Nathan chose to paint his house was unusual and strangely comforting all at the same time. It had been a full day since I had eaten last, and that included not being able to quench my ever mounting thirst for blood as well. The hunger had been steadily building ever since the painful attack I had suffered back at the motel room. My wolf wanted a big slab of meat to sink her teeth into and my vampire side was thirsting for blood.

Nathan gestured for me to precede him into the house and followed me through the door. It took a moment to fully digest what I had walked into. His house was immaculate. I inhaled the thick aroma of lemon cleaner, bleach, and hazelnut as I scanned the living room. The furnishings were sparse; just a couch, coffee table, one chair and a television perched on a stand. What caught me off guard were his decorations. Nestled in a large built-in shelf, there were all sorts of little trinkets and figurines. My eyes focused in on a set of miniature warriors. They were positioned in a way that reflected conflict against each other. They held their swords out before them ready for battle. The figurines resembled Norse Vikings with helmets that molded around the tops of their heads, the protective metal traveling between their eyes and down their nose.

An eye catching glint from a set of crystal eggs stole my attention from the fierce warriors. Nathan walked up behind me and my heart rate instantly quickened when he leaned down to look over my shoulder. He smelled so good. Like clean laundry and hazelnut coffee. All I had to do was turn my head, just a couple inches or so, and my nose and lips would find themselves in a caress against the side of his neck. My fangs ached, throbbing against my gums, wanting to slide out and take a taste of him. Instead, I focused all my attention on the eggs. The crystal spheres were the size of a football, taking up a good portion of the shelf they sat upon.  

“Do you like them?” Nathan asked. He pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around my waist.

I managed to answer him, even though an insistent hunger gnawed at my gut, making me focus more on the blood that flowed through his veins, tempting me to take a sip from him instead.

“I do. What kind of eggs are they?” I questioned. “I’ve never seen anything like them before. They’re so unique, so beautiful.” I said in admiration.

Nathan reached over and ran his fingers gently over the black and blue one. The colors swirled together at his touch, almost becoming one with each other, but somehow the hues managed to remain separate. The second egg was similar to the first; a bit smaller in size, but it was a deep shade of purple that mixed in with black instead of the blue.

“I was told by an elder witch that these were a pair of very old, extinct dragon eggs. She said they weren’t viable, but this set is rumored to hold magical properties for healing and good luck,” Nathan explained.

He shrugged his shoulders then gazed into my eyes. “There must be something to the luck part. I met you soon after I bought these from the wise old gal. Come to think of it, I should hunt her down and thank her.”

“How come every time I see you two nymphos, you are about ten seconds away from screwing each other?”

Nathan and I both turned at the sound of Ariel’s voice. I was getting used to people popping up on me so she hadn’t taken me by surprise this time. I was just irritated by the interruption. I wanted to bitch and moan to her about it, kick her out of Nathan’s house even. However, I was brought up differently than that. My mom had taught me, or more like trained me, to always be gracious to guests. Even if it was a guest that lacked manners of her own.

“Damn it, Nymph. Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?” Nathan grumbled.

I could feel the evidence of his desire for me pushing up against my back. It was also the reason why he wasn’t being as hospitable to our uninvited guest as I was. The poor wolf, all he wanted was to get me alone. I wanted that as well, plus a moment to satiate my hunger.

“I do apologize for my awkward timing, wolf. But I carry news about the vampire Tyson.” She coolly stated.

Ariel walked over to the shelf and picked up one of the crystal eggs. She had chosen the blue one.

“He has been experimenting with vampires and werewolves alike, trying to duplicate the strengths of your alpha by trying to create some Hybrids of his own. He has failed, of course.” She said with a shrug. “Only very strong magic can produce the likes of your alpha she-wolf, and fortunately for us, he doesn’t have access to such a power source.”

Ariel smoothed her pale hands over the crystal egg. She rubbed the top portion of it while she cradled the bottom half in her other hand. Her fingers spread out, moving in small circles slowly, over and over again.

“Where did you get this?” She asked, looking curiously at the egg in her hand. “It’s giving off a strange sensation. It’s almost like the thing is trying to sing to me. I can hear strange notes and vibrations coming off of it.”

Nathan pointed at the blue egg, shaking his head. “It’s just an old dragon egg; I purchased the two of them from a small shop in Woodburn while visiting my grandmother. I was told that they hold magical juju. That’s probably what you’re tuning into.”

Ariel shrugged and set the egg back down next to the smaller one on the shelf.

“You’re most likely right.” she said, wiping her hands together like she was trying to rid them of dust. “The noise has dulled since I set it down. I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”

That was an odd thing to say. Why would we worry? I pondered that for a second, even thought about tossing the eggs out the door. Before I could resort to such drastic measures, I realized we had gotten off the subject of Tyson. I took a few steps away from the eggs, creating a more comfortable distance between me and the blue and purple mystery spheres just in case I did have something to worry about. I was a ‘
better safe than sorry’
kind of girl.

It was almost like Nathan was reading my mind when he asked, “So what has come of Tyson’s experiments? How many causalities have there been, or do you even know?”

“Oh, I know exactly how many hybrids he has attempted to create. There were a total of twelve experiments. I know this because he has a mid-level witch working for him who has been foolishly tapping into my element for a power boost. The witch was even ignorant enough to use Ash Lake, my main power source, so I have felt every attempt she has made.”

Ariel moved closer to the shelf and leaned her elbow on it. Her face shined with amusement and she grinned. “If she were a higher level witch, she would have felt me probing against her. But she isn’t. And as a result of her negligence, I now know where to find Tyson.”

That was incredible news. However, I had no idea why Ariel had decided to gift us with it.

“If you already know where he is why bother coming here to tell us? There is no way you need our help. He can’t defend himself against you.” I remarked.

Ariel chuckled, “No, he doesn’t stand a fair chance against me. I would have handled this already except for one thing. His attempts at making hybrid wolves have resulted in something horrendous. Instead of the species he intended on, he has created a new kind of vile creature instead. These engineered wolves have the capabilities to wipe out all supernatural and humankind both. No one is immune to this new super strain. If you are infected by one of them, you die.”

Ariel rubbed her hands over her face and sighed. It was the most human like gesture I had ever seen her make. She left the shelf and walked over to the both of us. We had somehow ended up halfway across the room from her.

“That goes for all nymphs as well,” she continued. “And that’s not even the worse part.” She huffed, “Tyson, with the help of his witch, has complete control over all twelve of them.”

“Ten.” The number slipped out from between my lips. I looked up into the face of a very confused and worried nymph. “We killed two of them over at the Adelphi compound.”

“Then it’s begun.” Ariel stated. “Tyson has already sent out his first attack. It will only get worse from here.”

“So what you’re saying is Tyson not only plans to try and free the Darkin when the porthole opens between our worlds. He is also planning on unleashing a deadly virus as well?” Nathan groaned.

He began to pace in front of me, worry lines forming between his brows. He was growing more and more agitated by the second and I didn’t blame him one bit.

Ariel walked back over to the bookcase, all but ignoring Nathan. It seemed as though the eggs themselves had beckoned her, drawing her attention to them every couple of minutes. Her body had been slightly shifting toward them the whole time she was speaking to us, not to mention the side glances she kept throwing in their direction.

Ariel nodded at Nathan before scooping up the blue egg. Carrying it, she sauntered over to the sofa and sat down; her body sank into the soft cushions.

“I simply must get myself one of these. The power surrounding this one in particular amuses me. Not to mention the pleasant melody it gives off. Can I have it?” She asked with a distant look at him.

Nathan’s gaze snapped to hers. He took a few steps, stopping in front of the lounging nymph. He held his hand out and shook his head.

“Hand it over,” He said, gesturing at the egg. “We need to figure out what to do about Tyson. I think that’s a little more important than that damn egg you seem to be so charmed by.”

Ariel jerked the egg back and pushed it up against her side. Her eyes swirled silver and she stared daggers at him. I felt a sense of urgency tugging at the back of my mind, a warning of sorts.

“Nathan, back up.” I warned my mate. Placing my hand around his forearm, I pulled him back next to me. “Something’s not right with her.”

One of Nathan’s dark brows lifted into an adorable arch while he gave me a puzzled look. “She is acting like that malformed elf in the Lord of the Rings. The one obsessed with a piece of jewelry,” he whispered.

I glanced back over at Ariel. She was stroking the crystal egg, holding it close to her chest. She did look enamored by the thing. I understood the comparison. I was just happy that she seemed to lose focus on us. I was sure that those silver swirly eyes meant trouble for whoever dare inflame them.

“Gollum is the name you’re looking for and he wasn’t an elf, he was a Stoor Hobbit corrupted by the ring,” I corrected him.

I took my LOTR facts pretty seriously. Nathan was in for a surprise in regard to that. I thought it was pretty sexy that he brought it up in the first place though, used incorrectly or not.

“I stand corrected,” he said, taking my geeky-ness in stride.

“It needs something.” Ariel said, abruptly standing up.

Nathan and I both took a few more steps back. I didn’t feel like I was in any danger, but retreat seemed like the proper thing to do when faced with someone acting certifiable.

Without looking up from the egg, Ariel began to sing.

The air swelled, pressing heavily against me. The thick scent of sulfur filled the room and beads of tiny light began to form around us. I reached out with my finger and tried to touch one of them, but the beads fizzled out before I could. A larger concentration of the odd bubbles of light hovered around Ariel and the egg, popping and reforming, trying hard to hold a substantial form. She began to sing louder, making the pressure in the room increase. Bending forward she placed the blue crystal egg on the floor before her. Her body began to sway and dance to the beat of her own sung melody as she circled around it. The beads of light grew larger, more corporeal, morphing into liquid and melding themselves together until they ultimately became one long stream of liquid. The torrent of water coursed into a circle, dancing with Ariel, weaving around her body like an elemental snake being charmed by its master. Nathan and I just stood there frozen. We watched on as she continued her dance. Within seconds, she had another stream of water twirling around her body, intertwining with the other one. She made a forward thrusting motion with both hands. Lights flashed like a mystical disco all around us with her forward thrust. The scent of water mixed with sulfur as the two streams slinked away from Ariel, moving forward to wrap around the egg instead. An unseen force lifted the blue sphere up until it was floating a few feet in the air. The egg began to spin in time with the nymph’s notes, as she picked up the beat, singing faster, and then it twirled even faster still.