The Nymph King

She was not in the forest.

She was not in the Outer City, either. None of the humans were. He spent all day looking, until dusk fell once again. Seething emotions pulsed through him. Fear. So much fear. Where was she? She was not... dead. He could barely even think the hated word. He would feel it. As her mate, he would know. Just as he'd known when his twin had died, all those years ago. Wouldn't he?

He left Layel and his army in the city with instructions to continue the hunt, then he returned to the palace. When he reached the gates, he dismounted and ran inside without a word. As he ran, he withdrew the dragon medallion from his pocket. The crystal door split apart and closed behind him.

The palace was eerily silent, none of his men anywhere to be seen. 'Broderick,' he called. 'Joachim. Shivawn.' He ground to a halt. The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention, and he encountered the same faint scent he'd smelled in his room. He quickly withdrew his sword from the sheath at his side.

'Your men are otherwise occupied,' a voice said above him.

A dragon voice. Darius's voice.

Lips thinning in a fierce scowl, Valerian looked up. There, circling him from the second floor, was the entire dragon army. 'What did you do with my woman?'

'We sent her home, nymph. We sent her home.'

CHAPTER 28

'WAKE UP, SHAYE.' Shake. 'Wake up.'

Shaye heard the voice from a long, dark tunnel. Yes, she thought. Must. Wake. Up. Trouble was nearby. Trouble for her, for Valerian. Gradually consciousness worked through her mind, chasing away the darkness.

'Wake up.'

Slowly she cracked open her eyelids. Sunlight glared down at her and orange-gold spots danced before her vision. Dry cotton filled her mouth. Sand and salt coated her entire body. Her clothes were stiff, as if they'd soaked and dried right on her. The sound of lulling waves greeted her ears, soothing, familiar. Yet... wrong. The smells weren't right, either. Yes, she smelled salt, but not orchids. Not Valerian.

'Valerian,' she said. Her throat felt raw, scratchy. 'Valerian.'

'No. It's me.'

Her attention veered to the speaker. Her... 'Mom?' She rubbed at her eyes. 'What are you doing here?'

'I've been haunting the beach since you were taken. Are you—' her mother gulped '—okay? Did they hurt you?'

'I'm fine.' From the corner of her eye, she saw Kathleen pass her, dark hair hanging in tangles around her sandy face. 'What's going on?' Shaye demanded of her.

'We were brought back to the surface,' she said, never slowing.

Brought back... Understanding clicked. Yes. The dragons had invaded Valerian's room, had threatened to take her to the surface, then rendered her unconscious. She shoved to her feet. Her equilibrium was off balance, and she swayed. Her mom wrapped an arm around her waist.

'Are you sure you're okay?'

'Yes. I'll be fine,' Shaye said, massaging her temples to ward off the dizziness. When the world righted itself, she catalogued her surroundings. White-gold sand stretched as far as the eyes could see. Waves crested to the beach, leaving sea foam in their wake. The sun shone brightly, no hint of crystal.

There was a group of scuba-clad men sitting nearby, reminiscent of the time Valerian came to the surface. They were gazing around the beach in confusion.

'I wasn't here when they arrived,' her mom explained, realizing the direction of her gaze. 'But I questioned them when they awoke. They can't recall their names, why they're here, or even how they got here.'

Had the dragons wiped their memories, too? Sleep, woman, they'd told her. On the morrow, you will not remember any of this. But she did remember. Everything. Kathleen, too, had seemed to remember.

'There's even a boat docked over there.' Her mom pointed to the right. 'The men inside don't know anything, either, but I saw the initials OBI on some papers, whatever that means.'

'I still don't understand why you're here,' Shaye said, pinning her with a frown.

Tamara's expression became tortured. 'After you disappeared, the police arrived at the tent. They didn't believe us when we told them what had happened. They laughed at us, said you girls had probably gotten bored and taken off. All I could think was that you were gone, I'd never see you again, and the last words between us had been harsh.'

'I—' didn't know what to say, Shaye realized. Her mother had never shown her such a vulnerable, repentant side.

'I haven't been the best mother. I know that,' the distressed woman rushed on. 'And I know things will probably never be comfortable between us. I'm just glad you're okay.'

Tears burned Shaye's eyes as she wrapped her arms around her mom. 'Thank you for that.' She'd wanted closure, and she'd gotten it.

Tamara hugged her back, expelling a shaky breath.

'So you're happy?' Shaye asked her.

'Yes.' Her mom drew back and wiped at her own tears with the back of her wrist. 'I think Conner truly is the love of my life, and Preston seems to like me. They're at opposite ends of the beach, passing out fliers with your picture and asking if anyone's seen you.'

Wow. For the first time in her life, Shaye felt like she had an actual family. An honest-to-God family. But... 'I have to go back, Mom.' She wanted—needed—Valerian. He probably thought she'd left him on purpose. If he wasn't—No! She wouldn't think of him as dead. He was strong, the strongest man she'd ever encountered. He would have gathered his army and defeated the dragons.

'I have to go back,' she repeated.

'Go back where, exactly?'

She didn't have time to explain. 'Just... find Conner and Preston and tell them I'm okay. Tell Preston I'm sorry for the way I acted at the wedding. I'll return if I can. If not, know that I'm happy and that I've found the man of my dreams, too.'

'But—'

'Trust me. Please.' Shaye gave her mom one last hug and moved toward the water. All around her, women in Atlantean robes were awakening. Any beachgoers probably assumed they'd come from a costume party, and had drunk and swum afterward.

'Are you going back?' Kathleen asked, suddenly at her side.

'Yes.'

'I want to go with you.'

The whole world could come if they wanted. She didn't care, as long as she could go back herself. She loved Valerian. There, she'd admitted it. She did. She loved him with all of her heart, a heart she'd once thought too cold to care for anyone. But she couldn't deny her feelings any longer.

Fear had made her do so, she realized that now. When faced with the choice to live without Valerian... there was no greater fear than that. He loved her, too. She wouldn't doubt him any longer. He loved her for exactly who she was; he didn't want her to change.

Water lapped at her ankles, sand squished between her toes. Rising, rising, the cool liquid soon hit her calves, her thighs. If those dragons hurt her man in any way, she'd hunt them down and destroy them.

She swam as far as she could, all the women with her, then dove under the water. When she didn't see the portal, she came back up for air. Hours passed, but they didn't give up their search. Shaye's body tired, her lungs burned.

'Why are we doing this?' Kathleen panted as she treaded water beside her. 'I... I can't remember.'