Jewel of Atlantis

creatures and any one of those creatures could have been my family.'

'Why aren't you still living in that village?'

'A human army marched through, slaughtering everything and everyone in its path.'

'I'm sorry,' he said again, helpless to do anything more.

'Thank you.'

His brow furrowed. 'A human army, did you say?' When she nodded, he said, 'How did they get here?' 'The same way you did: through portals. Most Atlanteans believe the gods sent them.'

'Are we close to a portal now?'

She nodded. 'The dragons now guard them, killing anyone who dares enter.'

Gray remembered the guards that had stood at the ready at the palace he'd entered. They'd been big and strong, but had looked human, not dragon. Not like the winged dragon-creature who attacked him in the forest.

He forced down the rest of his fish, even though it had grown cold and tasted like refrigerated ash. He set his leaf aside. 'I wondered how the people here seemed to know so much about humans, yet I hadn't seen many. What happened to them?'

'For the first time since the creation of Atlantis, every race banded together to fight and destroy the enemy, but even if those humans had not invaded our land, we would have known about humans. As I mentioned before, sometimes the gods send us humans they wish to punish. Those criminals serve as a food source for the demons and vampires.'

'That explains why I've been so hated and on everyone's shit list.' Gray shuddered, recalling all too easily that he himself had been on the menu. 'How did you survive the attack?'

'I'm not sure.' She laughed, but the sound lacked humor. 'I can predict everyone's fate but my own. After the attack, the dragons found me roaming the woods. They raised me for many years before I was stolen by the vampires.'

'And what of your father? Did he die, as well?'

'I never really knew him, and my mother rarely talked about him.'

Sadness colored her voice and gleamed in her eyes. He knew what it was like to miss a parent, to ache for them. His mother had died when he was barely a teenager. It had been a long, painful death as cancer ravaged her body. He'd tried to be a man about it for many years and pretend it hadn't affected him. But at nights, when he'd been alone with his thoughts, he'd remember her voice, the way she'd sung him lullabies, the way she'd read him stories, and he would cry, wishing her soft arms were around him.

He'd weakened once and tried to talk to his dad about it, but his dad had gone on a weekend, drunk. After that he'd never let his dad see his pain, nor had he let his brothers and sister know. He was the oldest child, and he had to be strong. Even if his dad hadn't given him the reminder over and over again, he would have known that he was supposed to be the rock. The man they could lean on and count on to see them through.

To this day, though, he missed his mom with everything inside of him.

'My father will be strong and wonderful,' Jewel said, cutting into his thoughts. 'And he'll be happy to see me.'

Desperate, hollow hope infused her tone. She wanted him to agree, not tell her that the man had wanted nothing to do with her or he would have found her—no matter the obstacles. 'I'm sure you're right.'

Her shoulders relaxed, her facade of faith restored. 'I wonder if I look like him. My mother had pale hair, green eyes, and skin so translucent it glowed.'

'Okay, I honestly hope you look nothing like your dad because that would make your dad one hot babe, and that's just not right.'

A tinkling laugh escaped her.

The sound of that laugh heated his blood and reminded him of the kiss they'd almost shared earlier. 'You mentioned when you saw glimpses of me, you saw me with my women.'

Jewel's expression lost all traces of humor. She pressed her lips together and nodded, her eyes taking on a weary haze.

'What was I doing with them?'

She colored prettily again, and this time the color spread to her neck—and under the collar of her robe. 'You talked with them and laughed. You danced and did, uh, other things.'

He grinned, the corners of his lips slowly inching upward. There was something about that prudish tone of hers that amused him. 'You sound scandalized. Have you never danced before?'

Her back went ramrod straight. 'For your information, no, I have not.'

'Are we talking about dancing or having sex?' He had to smother a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing.

'Both,' she answered on a growl.

His smile disappeared. 'You're telling me you've never danced with a man?' 'That's right.'

'Never been held by a man? Never gotten naked with a man?'

'No.' She looked away.

Possessiveness consumed him, joining ranks with his desire. He knew he shouldn't feel that way, knew he should feel sorry for her. God knows, she'd missed out on a lot of stuff. But he couldn't force pity past the need to be her first. He wanted to be the one to teach her, well, everything. Wanted to be the first man to lick her breasts, the first man to taste the passion between her legs. He wanted to be the first man to hear his name on her lips as she came.

Of course, he wouldn't allow himself to actually sleep with her, no matter how much he might want to, but damn if he wouldn't introduce her to everything else in between. No harm in that.

'On our way to find the Jewel of Dunamis,' he said, the words hoarse, 'will we go into a town?' 'Yes.' She sucked on her bottom lip.

His body hardened at the sight. 'Does this town have a bar? Music?'

'Yes.' This time she drew out the word, letter by letter.

How hesitant she sounded, as if she knew where he was going with this line of questioning but didn't dare hope. He didn't have time for what he was about to suggest, but he could no more shut himself up than he could ignore the ever-persistent General Happy.

At ease, soldier. 'We'll stop at the bar, and I'll teach you.' Blue eyes widening, she said, 'Really?'

'Really. How long will it take us to get to the city?' 'Not long. We are on the edge now.'

'What about the temple?'

'Two days. Maybe three.'

A surge of anticipation nearly electrified him. In a few hours he'd be holding Jewel in his arms, teaching her a few of the naughtier pleasures of the flesh. And in two or three days, he'd be holding Dunamis in his hand. Whether he'd destroy it or take it to his boss, he didn't yet know.

Whichever he chose, it would be mission accomplished—on both fronts.

Gray pushed to his feet, wincing at the sharp ache in each of his wounds.

'What are you doing?' she demanded, standing. She rushed to his side, wafting a gentle breeze of sunshine around him.

'I need to work out the stiffness from my body, then pack up so we can head into town.' 'You haven't healed yet.'

'We need some supplies. Food, more clothing. Weapons.'

'Yes, but—'

'No buts. It's my turn to win. You won the last argument. You were stubborn, remember, and refused to relax against me in the water. It's my turn.'

She waved aside his words. 'We don't have any money. How do you propose we buy those things?' He held up his hands and wiggled his fingers. 'We don't need any money.'

'We can't steal. Those creatures work hard. They need every cent.'

'And we need the nutrition and the protection. I'll do whatever is necessary to keep us fed and strong.'

'I'll fish some more.'

'That will take more time than I have to spare. Stop arguing. It's wasted breath.'