Painfully Ordinary Special Edition (26 page)

“Talon, I
meant it when I said I love you. It has nothing to do with presents or rings. I
want you to understand I loved you from the very first moment we spoke in Geometry.”
I caressed his face with my hand.

His eyes
flashed a quick blue. “Words can’t adequately describe my feelings for you.”

“Then show
me.” I challenged and flashed him a mischievous grin.

“You better
take a couple more vitamins first.” He wagged his eyebrows at me like an
old-time movie villain.

The clerk walked
back over with our rings. “Sir, would you like the boxes as well?”

Talon studied
me thoughtfully. “Yes, I think I would.”

He rang up
all of Talon’s selections, and I tried not to think about the cost. Talon could’ve
bought a car for what he just spent on our rings. The salesman handed the bag
over to Talon. The rings were the most spectacular things I had ever owned.

“Thank you
very much, Mr. Raikaa. Congratulations to you both.”

I walked out
of Tiffany’s feeling
like
I had stepped into a dream. I
was afraid I was going to wake up any moment and find it all gone. Talon took
my hand, intertwining his fingers in mine.

“So where
did Jace and Leah disappear to?” he asked.

“Oh, Leah
asked if I’d mind if they went back to the room to change. According to her,
Jace was going to teach her how to surf.” I chuckled. “They’re so much alike
and I couldn’t have chosen anyone more perfect for her.”

He chuckled.
“I agree. So, will you be upset with me if I refuse to teach you to surf today?
You look so tired and I’m concerned for you
‘tacha
.”

I leaned
into him.
“Not at all.
I’m looking forward to changing
into one of my new bikinis and taking a nap while listening to the
waves
crash on the beach.”

He gave me a
quick squeeze. “Good. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to tell you no. Let’s get
changed and watch those two knuckleheads surf.”

We walked
back to the hotel hand in hand. The clerk who had checked us in the night
before was still at the front desk. “Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Raikaa,” he said.

We waved at
him as we went by. I peeked up at Talon. “You know, I’m starting to get used to
people calling me by that name. I think I like it.”

Talon hugged
me fiercely.
“Good, because I would never gift the name to
another.”

He opened
the door and we went in, dropping all the packages on the floor next to the table
in the living room. I dug through the bags until I found what I was looking
for…a sapphire-colored bikini. I had chosen it because it was the same color as
Talon’s eyes when he was passionate. I wadded the suit up in my hand and dashed
to the bathroom. He hadn’t seen it yet, and I wanted it to be a surprise.

 
Once I had the suit on and
had applied a little makeup,
I assessed my reflection in the mirror. The
color made my hair glow and my eyes were a bright green. I blushed. I really
hoped he would like it. I timidly stepped out of the bedroom into the den.

“You ready?”
Talon called from the kitchen. He came around the corner and sucked in his
breath.
“By the Gods!”

“You don’t
like it? I can change into the other one.” I said quickly.

“No, you
look absolutely amazing, and I love that color on you. I’m just not sure I want
any other man’s eyes on you.” Talon walked back over to the pile of bags. He
found the Tiffany’s bag and pulled out the rings. He took my finger and gently
slid the rings back into place. He simply said “Forever”

I took his
ring from his hand and placed it on his ring finger. I gazed at him lovingly and
said. “I’m for you alone.” An almost painful sense of belonging ran through my
body the moment the ring slid into place. He jumped back slightly.

“Wow!”

“I felt it
too. Talon, does it mean something? Your world is still so new to me.”

His smile
slowly spread across his face until he was beaming. “I believe it was the
Kal’enedral
, the Blood Bond. If so, I
now belong to you. There’ll be no one else for me for the rest of my
existence.”

I studied
him nervously. “I hope you know what you have gotten yourself into.”

He took my
left hand flipping it over, kissing my palm.
“Without a
doubt.”

Suddenly
every muscle in my body locked up and I experienced my first waking vision. I
could see and hear Mom
like
I was watching her on a
home video and she wasn’t particularly happy with me either.

***

“Let me go!” screamed Mom. She struggled
against the two men who held her in place. The lights flashed off and on in
time with her screams and the pan of half-eaten brownies lay strewn at her
feet.

Johr gave a mighty roar, running headlong
through the men who were pouring out of the portal and filling up the den. I
knew he cared for nothing save getting to Mom.

Breeg, drawing power from the ley lines
under the house, was throwing blasts of green flame toward the opening of the
portal.

The portal pulsed with power. A
dark-skinned, well-built man wearing an expensive-looking linen suit slowly
emerged from the mouth of the portal. He brushed back a thick lock of black
hair from his eyes, and casually walked over to Mom. A charming, yet chilling smile
spread across his face.

“Marne.”
He purred. “It’s been far too long.” He put
his finger under her chin and lifted her face to his. “You have no idea how
much I’ve looked forward to seeing you again. We have so much catching up to
do.” His finger trailed up her jaw-line and he stroked her hair with his free
hand.

“Do not touch her!” Johr bellowed,
frantically struggling against the many hands attempting to hold him. No one
dared to touch Breeg. They simply surrounded him on all sides.

“Ciro.”
Mom sneered looking him directly in the
eye. “I’m amazed you had the nerve to come here yourself. What did we do to
earn the tremendous privilege of your personal attention?”

He caressed her hair. “Oh come on, Marne. We
didn’t get to spend enough time together during our last encounter. There’s so
much for us to talk
about
. Perhaps you would care to
join me back at my rooms in
Aanieli
?”

Johr growled.

“I see Johr’s still playing lapdog for you.”
He scoffed. Ciro gestured, and a giant of a man stepped forward and hit Johr on
the back of the head with his meaty fist. Johr went down to his knees, but the
mighty blow
didn’t render him unconscious
.

“Encounter?”
Mom spat. “Is that what you call it? I seem
to remember spending two days locked in a cell within the lower levels of
Aanieli
the last time I saw you. As much as I
appreciate your special brand of hospitality, I can really do without that
experience again.”

Breeg murmured again. Mom twisted to her
left, never taking her eyes off Breeg and nodded. He quickly vanished in a puff
of green smoke, and the men around him gave a collective gasp, taking a step
back.

Ciro gave them a heated look. “Get control
of yourselves! You aren’t untried youths who’ve never seen magic. You’re part
of the
Triada
elite guard. Now act
like it!”

The men immediately snapped to attention.
“Yes, sir!”

Mom laughed.
“Looks like it’s
hard to get good protection these days.
Huh, Ciro?
They seem a little jumpy if you ask me.”

Johr shook his head rapidly, trying to warn
her to keep silent, but she narrowed her eyes at him. He shook his head again,
but this time to himself.

Ciro let a chilling smile slowly spread
across his face. “My dear Marne, I’m really going to enjoy catching up with
you. I’ll make sure you have better accommodations this time. I’ll have you
taken to my personal suite.” He picked up a photo on the table closest to him.
“These are your children.” It was not a question. “I can’t wait to meet them,
especially your daughter. She looks just like you - I would’ve known her
anywhere. She looks nothing like the pathetic
Corpora
you married.
I guess the dominant genes will always
rise to the top, huh?
You know, we’ve been watching her for a while. The
Triada
are very anxious to administer
the
Proelefsi
and see what she can
do.” Mom cringed. Ciro chuckled and continued. “We’ve very high hopes for her.”

“Over my dead body,” snarled Mom.

“I’d never let it come to that my beautiful
pixie.” He strutted through the den into the entryway, and put one expensive
Italian loafer on the first step, looking up at the game room.

“So, where is she?” He sniffed the air.
“Hmm.
Our information only mentioned the portal outside.
Someone opened one here as well. So tell me, Marne…who created
this
portal? Was it you, or is your daughter
already showing off some of the raw potential we were so hoping she would
possess? Would you happen to know where that portal was headed?”

Mom simply stared at him with narrowed eyes.
“As a matter of fact, I don’t, though I wouldn’t have told you if I did.”

Ciro
dismissed her with a wave of his hand. “It’s irrelevant. We’ll figure out where
it went soon enough, as well as who went through.” He motioned to his men.
“Shackle them together and bring them both. They can keep each other company
until the
Triada
can come together
and decide their fate.

The two men restraining Mom brought her over,
snapping a manacle to her wrist and quickly attached the other half to Johr.

Johr touched her cheek. “Are you alright?”

She batted his hand away. “I’m fine,” she
grumbled.

“How touching.” Ciro scoffed. “You’ll have
plenty of time to talk while enjoying my hospitality in
Aanieli
,” he called over his shoulder and stepped
through the swirling light.

Two men immediately followed him through.
Johr and Marne glanced at each other briefly. The giant came up behind them,
put a meaty hand on their backs, and pushed them toward the path Ciro had taken.
Mom struggled and Johr grabbed her by the arm and pulled her close.

“Marne, save your energy.
I think you’ll need it later. Right now we
need to concentrate on your safety, so we can protect the kids.” Johr
whispered.

Mom nodded and stopped struggling and simply
walked through with her head held high.

The light was blinding and warm air raged
all around them. Finally, the wind died down and the light dimmed as they
stepped through to the other side.

“
Aanieli,”
Mom said flatly. She stepped out onto the polished white marble floor
of the large room, and surveyed the hall, which was empty except for Ciro and a
handful of members from his guard. The room was beautiful with its marble
columns and colorful mosaics spread throughout the hall, both on the floors and
the walls. It was a room where time had stood still for thousands of years.

Instinctively, Johr fell into a defensive
crouch beside Mom. Guards immediately stepped out of the shadows, prepared to
strike.

Ciro raised an arm.

“At ease, these are our honored guests.” He
clapped his hands and a small troll-like creature came running.

“A pukwudgie” murmured Mom.

“Puk, please see that a room is made ready for
them and have some food sent up from the kitchen”

Mom put one hand on her hip, jingling the
shackle and raising an eyebrow at Ciro.

“What? You wound me. We would never allow a
guest of ours to
be treated
shabbily. I was concerned
you would get separated going through the portal.” Ciro was all wide-eyed
innocence. “To prove how serious I am, I’ll even have some clothes sent up.” He
stared up and down at her shorts and t-shirt.
“Certainly
something more fitting of your status.”

Mom felt a tug on the hem of her shirt. Puk
was motioning for her to follow him. He touched his finger to the shackles and
they sprang open clattering to the ground. Mom rubbed her wrist where the
shackles had chafed it and Johr put his arm around her waist.

“Are you ok? If you hadn’t done so much
struggling, your wrist would probably be in better shape.” Johr said with a sigh.

She reached behind him and patted him on the
back. “I’m stubborn, you of all people, should know it. It’s not bad, just a
little raw.”

Puk turned to face them again, patiently
waiting for them to follow.

“Sorry” Mom murmured and followed him down a
long hallway to the right.

He stopped at a massive set of intricately
carved wooden doors. He pushed them open and motioned for them to enter. Mom
walked into the room and gasped.

“Oh, wow. As much as I hate to admit it,
this room is absolutely amazing.”

The room was large, featuring a stunning
marble floor flecked with gold. The windows on the far side opened up onto a
terrace that held a shallow bathing pool surrounded by beautiful palm trees.
There were Klines scattered around the pool piled high with cushions in
brilliant colors. In the center of the room was a large bed with four columns.
Each column
was covered
in grapevine with greenery
winding throughout. The bed
was made
in richly colored
silks.

Johr let out a low whistle. “Not exactly
what I was expecting. That’s for sure.” He scratched his head. “What do you
think they are up to?