Untouchable Lover (7 page)

“You can’t walk around in those, sweetie. You need some decent material to wear. I’ll have the tailors make you some new ones, something nice.”

“Please, that’s not necessary. I’m leaving as soon as I’m healed.”

“Oh, I had the impression you’d be here for a while.” Bet took a step back, her eyes narrowing. “Where will you go? Back to your own kind?”

Melissa’s body shook, and her head spun at the prospect of returning home to Demir. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate, but her jumbled thoughts kept any sane, polite response bottled inside. Instead, she blurted out the painful truth. “No, I can’t go home. I won’t.”

Rough, calloused hands touched her arms, spreading warmth into her skin, soothing her ragged nerves. “Tell me about it, dear.”

Melissa’s emotions warred within her. She wanted to tell this strange, pleasant female everything, yet a part of her held back. She settled for something in between. “I can’t go back. There are too many memories. Too much pain.” Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away, determined to remain strong.
 

Bet rubbed Melissa’s hands, the warmth continuing to flow into her body, calming her.
 

“You lost someone, didn’t you?” Bet’s words were a mere whisper.

Melissa nodded, unable to speak.
 

“That’s ok, sweetie, we’ve all lost someone. You can tell me.”

Melissa glanced into Bet’s eyes. They were like warm coffee with a hint of milk. Something in her stomach fluttered, as if butterflies had somehow found their way in. Bet cared.
 

She squeezed Bet’s hands, thankful for the support. It had been so long since she’d shared her feelings with anyone, she’d almost forgotten how.
 

Melissa shook her head and walked over to the nearest bath. She played with the water as it bubbled up to the surface, enjoying the soothing warmth against her palm. The water danced over her hand. The unsynchronized movement captivated her, like watching a fire.
 

“Life with William was wonderful. Such an affectionate, loving mate. He cared for me, and I for him.” Melissa’s chest constricted as memories filtered into her mind. She missed him more than she could say, even after all these months. No one could ever replace him. “He’s gone now; there’s nothing left for me there.”
 

“I’m sorry. You must’ve loved him a great deal. What about friends? Don’t you want to go back to your friends?”

They’d all abandoned her once she’d become pregnant. Their constant taunting and ridicule echoed in her mind.
Freak. Scat. Mutant.
She couldn’t return for more. Even worse was the constant attention from the males. After William died, they’d sniffed around her until Demir put her in his crosshairs. Then, he was the only one she’d had to fend off.
 

She pulled her hand out of the water and turned to face Bet. “There’s no going back for me now. I need to move on.” Raising her chin, she pasted on her best smile, the one she hid behind, the one she used to armor herself.

Bet pressed her lips together, and she blew out a quick breath. “You could stay here.”
 

Melissa’s mask wavered, and she choked back a tear. She couldn’t forget Noeh’s words.
My guards will escort you home.
“Thank you, but I can’t stay.” She wouldn’t stay where she wasn’t welcome.

Chapter Eight

“Noeh, you home?” Ginnia’s voice penetrated through the door to his bedchamber.
 

Noeh wiped his sword and placed the towel back into the well-worn leather bag. The weapon hummed ever so softly, savoring the fresh cleaning. Placing his most trusted companion in his scabbard, he went to the door.

“Knock, knock, Noeh.”

“Who’s there?”

“Orange.”

“Orange who?”

“Orange you gonna let me in?” Ginnia laughed.

 
Noeh opened the door to the one Stiyaha who had him wrapped around her finger. Her scent of ripe pineapple wafted through the entryway. A warmth radiated through his chest, and a soft chuckle built deep within him. He let the chortle out, and the sound reverberated off the walls.
 

“You fall for that every time, silly Noeh.”
 

Ginnia, Gaetan’s beloved younger sister was an adult female, but still acted like a young child. She’d had an accident as a newb and never fully recovered. The tragedy damaged her brain but also endowed her with uncanny foresight. He paid close attention whenever she had a vision.
 

“It’s good to see you today, Ginnia. What brings you here?”

She held up a large burlap bag. “Want to play a game of stones?” She hefted the heavy bag onto Noeh’s desk and opened it. Several sunstones spilled onto the wood surface, the bright gems polished to an immaculate shine.

Noeh tousled her short brown hair. Several stray strands stuck out from her head. He grinned and kissed her on the forehead. “I wish I could, but I’m on my way to see our new guest.”
 

“Awwww.” She stuck out her tongue. “Oh, well, you aren’t ready, anyway.”
 

“Ready for what?” His nerves jolted to life.

“Ummm—I forget.”

For a moment, he’d expected a vision to surface. She was hard to understand at the best of times, so he’d learned over the years how to interpret when one was on its way. Most of the time, he got it right. He laughed and gave her a big hug.
 

“You wanna go for a ride?” She smiled, her childlike eyes sparkling with love and affection for her king.

“Can you be more specific?”
 

“About what? The ride? No, that’s not fair.” She touched one of the sunstones imbedded in the wall and scrunched her eyebrows, as if deep in thought.
 

“We must hurry. Important visitors will be in the Grand Hall very soon.” She peered at him with wide eyes.

A sudden coldness hit him in the chest. She’d had a vision after all. “You’re kidding, right?”

“You know I don’t kid you, silly Noeh. We need to go. You don’t want to be late.” She put her hand in his and pulled him toward the door. “Oh, and we need to get your new female friend, too.” She ran down the hall, leaving Noeh behind.
 

He stared after her, a sense of dread easing its way into his chest. Visitors? The Keep never had visitors.

One minute later, Noeh knocked on the central bath hall’s door. Ginnia had better be right, or he would look like the biggest fool. Why that mattered, he wasn’t sure, but he filed the thought away for further contemplation.
 

Melissa opened the door. A ripple of recognition crossed her face. She tensed her shoulders, and her mouth drew into a thin line. Her adverse reaction hit him in the gut. He stilled, and his thoughts froze. His own reaction confused him, and he clenched his teeth in frustration.
 

When his brain resumed functioning, he spoke, but his words came out sharper than he intended. “You need to come with me.”

“I’ll be ready in a few minutes. Can’t it wait?”

“No, it can’t.” He held out his hand.
 

Eyes as green as emeralds narrowed and her lips pursed together. His gaze focused on her mouth. An overwhelming urge to kiss her ran through his mind.
 

She placed her palm on his hand. “Why now?”

He pulled her close to him. “Something important is happening.”

She stared into his eyes, searching. When she swallowed, his gaze landed on her mouth again.

“Let’s go.” The words came out in a low, demanding growl.

He didn’t want to scare her, but he wouldn’t relent on this. Pulling her away from the bath hall, he ran down the corridors, one after another, Melissa in tow.

Noeh stopped abruptly at the Grand Hall, causing Melissa to crash into him. Her soft body molded to his backside. Heat raced over his shoulders and into his chest.
 

The sound of his pounding heart competed with the pandemonium of voices. Gaetan, Saar, Jax, Mauree, several warriors, and a few council members roamed the room, some in intense conversations, some with agitation on their faces, others with curiosity. All seemed oblivious to the purpose of the gathering.
 

Someone had moved the chairs and tables against the wall, creating an open space in the large room. This accentuated the fine draperies with pictures of long ago battles and scenes of home. Each tapestry was a constant reminder to Noeh of everything lost and everything still at stake.
 

Ginnia sat cross-legged on the floor in the middle of the room. She stared at the ceiling as if waiting for something or someone. The hair on Noeh’s scalp stood on end. A sense of apprehension filtered into his stomach.
 

“What’s going on?” he asked.

Gaetan approached, leaning on his cane more than normal. “Ginnia told us to meet here. Do you know why?”

Noeh didn’t have time to answer. The temperature in the Keep fell thirty degrees. Everyone’s breath froze mid-sentence. All conversation stopped. Goosebumps formed on Noeh’s arms, and an overwhelming sense of dread weighed on his chest.
 

Melissa pressed closer to him, but he didn’t dare turn to look at her.
 

A small, bright light appeared in the middle of the large chamber. It swirled and grew, spinning faster and faster. A strange careening sound filled the room, like a thousand crickets on a warm summer’s night. The light exploded. A rush of air knocked everyone to the floor.
 

Melissa cried out, and Noeh, with instincts as old as time itself, covered her with his own body.

Chapter Nine

Noeh cradled Melissa’s soft body, his arms caging her, protecting her from the worst of the blast. The feel of her skin sent tendrils of electricity over his biceps. A part of him wanted to stay like this, holding her close.
 

Others around him roused, their grunts and exclamations sounding far away, muted from the ringing in his ears. His eyes slowly adjusted from the brilliant light.
 

In the middle of the Grand Hall stood two figures, a male and a female. Adrenaline raced to the pit of his stomach. He scrambled to his feet and helped Melissa off the floor.
 

Ginnia still sat in the middle of the room, untouched, as if the blast never occurred. She peered at the couple then scooted to the side, out of the way.

A gasp rose from warriors and council members alike. Whispers of “Veromé” and “Alora” raced through the crowd. All kneeled in front of the gods.
 

Alora wore a dress that melded to her abundant curves. Her blond hair, pulled into a bun, accentuated her smooth skin and soft features.

Veromé stood in a powerful stance, his legs spread wide. He had brown hair tied in a short queue, and his blue eyes swirled with gold. His gown covered his body from head to toe. The material shimmered as he moved, changing color from yellow to red to purple. When he spoke, his words echoed off the walls. “Greetings.”
 

Noeh bowed in respect. In over five centuries, he’d never met the gods before. Myths spoke of Alora and Veromé visiting Earth long ago, but no one living had ever seen them. For them to arrive now wasn’t a good omen. His scalp prickled as unease wound its way into his mind.

“Our enemy has a new weapon, one that can destroy you.” Veromé’s deep voice carried across the room like crystallized ice during a winter storm.

Alora brushed against Veromé, her hand tracing down the sleeve of his arm. “Easy, love, don’t scare them.” She faced the group, the lines around her eyes tightening. “My children, we are at a crossroads in our war with the god Zedron and his seed, the Gossum.” Her lip curled, revealing a glint of her pointed fangs. “One Gossum, the one called Ram, is an alchemist. He used his knowledge of elixirs to steal this female’s preternatural power, her shield.” She pointed at Melissa.

A loud gasp echoed around the room, and everyone focused on the newest female in the Keep. Melissa tensed and leaned against Noeh. Without thought, he put a protective arm around her waist.
 

“Ram plans to use Melissa’s powers against you, to bring you down.” Alora’s pale blue stare sent a jolt of dread into Noeh’s stomach.
 

Veromé picked up where Alora left off. “The great scourge left you infertile, and with each death, your kind continues to decline.” His eyes darkened. “If you continue to work alone in the fight against the Gossum, you will perish.”

Veromé confirmed what Noeh had suspected. Their species was on the verge of extinction. He inhaled and tried to calm his amped-up nerves. Dark times lay ahead, but he wouldn’t give up. He’d fight until the bitter end.

“Thousands of Earth years ago you lost contact with your brethren, after the great flood when the Lemurian kinds drifted from the sinking homeland to the various continents. We will rectify that now. Alora and I will visit the other Lemurians and tell them about you. The Keep is a vast fortress protected on all sides—the perfect place to unite forces to defeat the Gossum.”
 

Noeh’s throat constricted, and he held his breath. This couldn’t happen. He hadn’t believed the old tales of other Lemurians, and to have them come here, to his Keep, was not what he had in mind. Could he trust them?

Veromé’s glare landed on Noeh. “Step forth.”

Noeh tensed. Blood pounded in his ears, but he held his head high and walked toward the god.

“Noeh, you are honorable, resourceful, confident, and a proven leader among your kind. In my view, you are most qualified to be king of all the Lemurians.”

Noeh’s blood coursed through his system like a raging river. King of the Lemurians? That was an honor. Humbled in front of Veromé, he bowed his head.

“You have a heavy burden to carry. You will face many tests, some you can’t even imagine.” Veromé touched the top of Noeh’s head. A gold crown appeared with a ‘T’ engraved in the front, the symbol of the motherland of Lemuria or ‘Mu.’ “Your duty is to lead the Lemurians. Do not waver. Stay focused and remain true to your kind.”