Jewel Of Atlantis

He sucked in another breath, this one burning his lungs with the force of its sizzle. Her eyes were large, so large they dominated her face, and they were amazingly blue. Startlingly blue. Otherworldly blue. A shade so clear and deep he could easily lose his soul in their depths—and thank her for the loss. They hypnotized him.

“My God,” he said, unable to hold the words inside.

Her buttercup lips lifted in a dazzling smile, and that smile rocked him to the core, nearly laying him flat. Her teeth were straight and white. Perfect.

You’re even more handsome than I realized.

And she was lovelier than he ever could have guessed.

He watched as a scaled, yellow arm reached from behind her and nudged her in the shoulder. Her grin quickly faded. I’m sorry. I must finish my day’s work. She turned her attention to the kneeling man. Her rosy lips moved as she spoke to him, but Gray was too far away to hear what she said.

She closed her eyes, paused for a long, protracted moment, then spoke some more. The man was jerked up and hauled away, sobbing in relief.

Gray’s eyes narrowed, and his temper sparked to life. What was going on here? He forced himself to study the little details he had missed in his haste to see Jewel. A trio of demon guards stood behind her. Two small, sharp horns protruded from each of their scalps. Their noses were beaked, and their skin pulsed with a yellowish, scaly hue. Evil red eyes stared out at the crowd. None of them held a weapon, but then, they didn’t need weapons. Gray knew from experience that demons relied on their superior strength and speed, as well as their razor-sharp teeth to defend and attack.

A wave of shock worked through him as he realized exactly what he was seeing. This is what Jewel had meant when she told him it was only the beginning. She needed him to save her from an army of demons. Sure. No problem. Whatever.

Shit. “How many are there?”

She needed no explanation. More than I can count. I can make an escape plan for us, but I must wait until I’m alone.

Gray wasn’t sure he had enough firepower to beat such a large army. But damn it, he was here, and he wasn’t leaving without Jewel. He also knew he wasn’t going to wait on Jewel to make the escape plan. That happened to be one of his specialties.

A guard cut her ropes, and she sank into a heap on the ground. He yearned to race up the steps and sweep her away, but she was quickly scooped up and carried inside the castle.

“What’s going on? Where are they taking you?”

Silence.

“Jewel!” he shouted, and he didn’t care who heard him. “Answer me.”

Again, silence.

Damn it! He didn’t like this. Didn’t like not knowing. Didn’t like the feeling of helplessness working its way through him.

The crowd began to disperse, and he soon found himself alone, staring up at the black castle through slitted eyes. He released a heated sigh. “Be ready, babe. I’m coming in.”

“WHAT KNOW YOU of a portal that leads from Atlantis to the surface world?”

On her perch at the edge of the bed, Jewel blinked up at Marina, Queen of the Demons, and prayed her expression remained blank. “A portal?” She phrased the words as a question, though she already knew the answer.

“Darius of the Dragons has taken a human bride. I’ve heard the woman came to him through a portal located below the dragon palace.” Marina’s arms were crossed, and she drummed her long, sharp claws against her scaled forearms. The scent of sulfur emanated from her. “You spent several years with the dragons, so you should know if the portal exists. Does it?”

Lying, for Jewel, brought great physical pain. She didn’t know why, she only knew that it did happen. Horrendous, agonizing pain. The information Marina wanted was not information Marina needed. If she told the truth, bad things would happen to the dragons, a race of creatures she adored. But if she lied, bad things would happen to her.

Silence would not work. As always, Marina would threaten to kill an innocent for every minute Jewel remained silent. She would simply have to trick Marina into believing something different.

“Do you truly believe a cold and merciless warrior such as Darius en Kragin, King of the Dragons, would discuss a secret portal with me, knowing I would one day be stolen from him?”

Marina leveled a narrowed glance at her. “I’m onto your ways, girl. Answer with a question and your words are never lies. Not this time. You will answer me with a yes or a no. Understand?”

“What did I lie about?” she said, lifting her hands. “Darius is known throughout the land as a warrior whose only joy is killing. Tales of the deaths he’s inflicted abound. You know that as well as I.”

“That is not the information I wished from you, and well you know it. I’ll ask once more, and do not answer me with generalities and misdirections or you will suffer for it. Did Darius discuss a portal with you? Specifically,” Marina added, “a portal that leads from Atlantis to the surface world.”

Jewel frowned, gauging her next words very carefully. “I can honestly tell you that he never willingly supplied such information to me.”

The queen growled low in her throat, and the sound rippled menacingly from the walls. Marina paced, hands fisted at her sides. Her sheer, transparent robe revealed every outline of her body, every horn protruding from her back. Her green and yellow scales pulsed, and her eyes glowed bright red.

The woman was pure evil.

“You think you are so clever,” she grumbled. “Have you ever seen a portal?”

“I have never seen a portal with my physical eye.”

She paused midstride, catching Jewel’s meaning. Unfortunately. “Does that mean you have seen one in a vision?”

Trying again to lead Marina down a different path, she said, “If I had seen a portal in one of my visions, don’t you think I would have done whatever was necessary to return to the dragons? To find and enter the portal? I am tired of being stolen from one leader to the other. I would love to enter the surface world and lose myself in their masses.”

“Once again you refuse to answer as you were told,” she growled. “Because of your refusal, one of the prisoners that was released today will be found and killed. That will be your punishment. Now, do you care to rephrase your last answer?”

“Please,” Jewel said softly, regret, helplessness, and anger working through her. Of all the ways to be controlled, this was the worst. Knowing other lives, others’ suffering, revolved around her cooperation. “Please, do not do this.”

“I’ll take that as another refusal. Two will die this night. And know this, little slave. You do not have to worry about being stolen again because I plan to keep you for eternity. Whether that eternity feels as if you are in Olympus or Hades is up to you. Think on that, and we’ll speak again in the morning.” Marina stalked from the room, slamming and locking the door behind her.

The threat lingered in the air long after she’d gone, and a shudder racked Jewel. Marina always found a way to get what she wanted. Jewel longed to call her back, but pressed her lips together. The knowledge she possessed had the potential to destroy all of Atlantis.

She leapt to her feet and paced the confines of her chamber. Or rather, prison. A prison fairly bursting with anything and everything a woman could desire. Fluffy pillows spilled from the gold-wrought bed; brilliant sapphire-and-emerald dyed lambs’ fleece carpets adorned the marble floor. A large, heated bathing pool, canvas and paints, and a table piled high with mouth-watering food. All were here to keep her occupied, keep her thoughts away from escape.

She might have luxuriated in the room and its offerings if she were allowed an ounce of freedom. Instead, the queen kept her sealed inside. Jewel was only allowed out to hold court with the queen’s supposed enemies, where Jewel herself judged them friend or foe. Oh, she had tried to escape. Many times. She had always failed miserably—and others had been punished for her efforts. Still, she kept a satchel hidden and ready, just in case an opportunity arose.

“Just in case” might actually be tonight, she thought with a slow grin. Gray had promised to come for her, to save her. She needed to plan their escape route. Should have done it already, but had had no time alone.

There were no windows here, but she knew darkness had already fallen, for sentinels marched outside her door. Their boots thumped against the floor, blending with the sound of her own pacing. Her silky white robe wisped at her ankles, as delicate as clouds.

Be ready, babe, he’d said. I’m coming in.

With every step, Gray’s words echoed through her mind, bringing with them a wealth of emotion: joy, excitement, hope. His arrival almost seemed too wonderful to be true. How long had she waited for this day?

The answer was simple. Forever. She’d waited forever.

He will be hurt.

The warning suddenly echoed through her mind with the force of a tempest, swirling and churning, consuming. Her joy and excitement were instantly replaced by dread. Her eyes widened in horror. Oh my gods, what had she done? Her premonitions were never, never wrong. If Gray entered this palace, he would be hurt. The knowledge now burned inside her as hot as flames, and she covered her mouth with a shaky hand.

What if she’d led him to his death?

If something happened to him, she’d never forgive herself. The demons were a vicious race, always happy to kill and maim. And now, with knowledge of the portals apparently spreading, the demon queen would desperately need Jewel’s aid. She wouldn’t hesitate to kill Gray in the most painful way possible. A tide of apprehension slammed into Jewel.