you out here alone, Ember.
I know...it's okay. Is she allowing you to see her? I asked Collin.
Yeah, I see her. Who is she?
With a graceful stride, a beautiful nymph stalked towards us. She had light brown hair that draped in waves to her knees. Her auburn streaked locks were as dry as a bone, even though she had just emerged from the water. She was cloaked in a sheer ice blue material. The dress molded to her body and fanned out behind her in several mini trains. She was breathtaking; it hurt my eyes to fully take her in. If there were such a thing as too beautiful, Orea would be the embodiment of it.
She is Orea...The Queen of the Hydriads, and she isn't very happy with me, Collin.
I extended my arm behind me and made a pushing gesture for him to stay back.
"She-wolf," Orea said, addressing me in a cool tone. "You have done me and my people a grave dishonor tonight." She clucked her tongue and then slightly tilted her head to the side while her expression remained neutral.
"Does your pack wish to break oath with me?"
Immediately, I began to shake my head no. I then did something that only a few people have ever lived through; I made complete eye contact with her. The queen’s silver orbs swirled hypnotically. I tried to pinpoint an exact color, but every time a flash of green or even brown would surface, a swirl of silver would wash over in its place. I cleared a lump in my throat and measured my words carefully before I answered her.
"No Orea, we do not wish to break oath," I said respectfully. "If it so pleases you, may I ask you a question in turn?"
I went over my words a few times in my head to make sure I addressed her properly. I was already on thin ice, and I hadn't a clue why. I didn't want to fuck things up more by misspeaking.
"I seek only answers here, Wolf," she hissed. In a flash, her face transformed into something serpent like. Her pupils turned to black slits and a thin, forked tongue slashed out of her mouth. I blinked and her beautiful mask was back in place. My inner wolf growled in response but I caught the sound of it in my throat and forced it back down.
Orea stared at me for a moment and then said, "I will allow you one question."
I didn't hesitate. Even though my question was simple, I really needed to know the answer. It was imperative to fix whatever damage I had inadvertently caused.
"What was my offense?" I asked.
From here on out all I could do was answer the queen’s questions. If I didn't answer them to her satisfaction, well then to quote Brando, I'd be ‘sleeping with the fishes’. All of us would be.
"What is the second rule in the oath your pack made to me all those centuries ago, child?"
Well this answer was easy. Those rules had been drilled into every wolf’s head even before they could talk.
"Never bring humans to the island," I said automatically.
"So you are familiar with the rule then, yes?"
"Yes," I answered her. What in the world could she be getting at? I thought.
"Then tell me, She-wolf. Why is there one in our midst?" she asked sternly.
Orea lifted her arm with a grace only a true ruler could deliver and swirled her fingers in three slow circles in the air. She then pointed to the lake. The still water began to ripple and a wave of light flashed over the surface. It was almost blinding. When my vision cleared, I spotted the tops of three heads emerging from the water. Their faces were as white as a porcelain doll’s with lips as blue as a cerulean sky. All of them had hair the lightest of blonde. The nymphs slid out of the water, their naked bodies shined from the light beaming underneath them, and then it began to slowly recede. When they finally stood on dry land, the light was gone.
"Bring me the human," Orea ordered at her subjects, and without hesitation, the three nymphs walked gracefully in the direction of Collin’s truck.
"There aren't any humans with us," I exclaimed.
I felt panic begin to build up inside of me. I took several short
I know...it's okay. Is she allowing you to see her? I asked Collin.
Yeah, I see her. Who is she?
With a graceful stride, a beautiful nymph stalked towards us. She had light brown hair that draped in waves to her knees. Her auburn streaked locks were as dry as a bone, even though she had just emerged from the water. She was cloaked in a sheer ice blue material. The dress molded to her body and fanned out behind her in several mini trains. She was breathtaking; it hurt my eyes to fully take her in. If there were such a thing as too beautiful, Orea would be the embodiment of it.
She is Orea...The Queen of the Hydriads, and she isn't very happy with me, Collin.
I extended my arm behind me and made a pushing gesture for him to stay back.
"She-wolf," Orea said, addressing me in a cool tone. "You have done me and my people a grave dishonor tonight." She clucked her tongue and then slightly tilted her head to the side while her expression remained neutral.
"Does your pack wish to break oath with me?"
Immediately, I began to shake my head no. I then did something that only a few people have ever lived through; I made complete eye contact with her. The queen’s silver orbs swirled hypnotically. I tried to pinpoint an exact color, but every time a flash of green or even brown would surface, a swirl of silver would wash over in its place. I cleared a lump in my throat and measured my words carefully before I answered her.
"No Orea, we do not wish to break oath," I said respectfully. "If it so pleases you, may I ask you a question in turn?"
I went over my words a few times in my head to make sure I addressed her properly. I was already on thin ice, and I hadn't a clue why. I didn't want to fuck things up more by misspeaking.
"I seek only answers here, Wolf," she hissed. In a flash, her face transformed into something serpent like. Her pupils turned to black slits and a thin, forked tongue slashed out of her mouth. I blinked and her beautiful mask was back in place. My inner wolf growled in response but I caught the sound of it in my throat and forced it back down.
Orea stared at me for a moment and then said, "I will allow you one question."
I didn't hesitate. Even though my question was simple, I really needed to know the answer. It was imperative to fix whatever damage I had inadvertently caused.
"What was my offense?" I asked.
From here on out all I could do was answer the queen’s questions. If I didn't answer them to her satisfaction, well then to quote Brando, I'd be ‘sleeping with the fishes’. All of us would be.
"What is the second rule in the oath your pack made to me all those centuries ago, child?"
Well this answer was easy. Those rules had been drilled into every wolf’s head even before they could talk.
"Never bring humans to the island," I said automatically.
"So you are familiar with the rule then, yes?"
"Yes," I answered her. What in the world could she be getting at? I thought.
"Then tell me, She-wolf. Why is there one in our midst?" she asked sternly.
Orea lifted her arm with a grace only a true ruler could deliver and swirled her fingers in three slow circles in the air. She then pointed to the lake. The still water began to ripple and a wave of light flashed over the surface. It was almost blinding. When my vision cleared, I spotted the tops of three heads emerging from the water. Their faces were as white as a porcelain doll’s with lips as blue as a cerulean sky. All of them had hair the lightest of blonde. The nymphs slid out of the water, their naked bodies shined from the light beaming underneath them, and then it began to slowly recede. When they finally stood on dry land, the light was gone.
"Bring me the human," Orea ordered at her subjects, and without hesitation, the three nymphs walked gracefully in the direction of Collin’s truck.
"There aren't any humans with us," I exclaimed.
I felt panic begin to build up inside of me. I took several short
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