Page 118 of Taming the Kraken

“I agree. Something here is messing with all of our senses.” Jasper shook his head. “And I don’t like it.”

“There are shadows coming this way. We can’t see what they are, but something dark is coming.” Bella looked back over her shoulder. “It feels ominous and seems to be heading for Elysia.”

“How long do you think we have before the shadow shows itself?” Ken growled lowly, looking at Brian.

“Three days? Maybe two?” Brian shook his head. “We looked, but it’s like there’s nothing there. We both can sense it, though.”

“It’s a cloaked army,” Ken said between gritted teeth.

“The nycrops,” Mikah snarled as Terra nodded her head.

“This is one of the reasons nycrops are so dangerous.” Terra felt Jasper’s hand rest around her shoulder, and she leaned into him. They still hadn’t marked one another, but they were together now. She trusted him and couldn’t help the feelings that were overflowing for him. Once everything was resolved with Ryker, she would ask for his mark. He was patient with her, gentle, sweet, and caring. He was everything she needed. And he could always make her laugh.

She’d made him wait, and he graciously did so. He was the one meant for her. No matter where that would lead her. She knew Jasper wanted to stay in the vampire kingdom, and she respected that. Her place was with him. Everyone needed a rock … and he was hers.

Alexa pursed her lips. Was the nycrops working for Erebus? Was this a new plan of his? Was there an army marching toward Elysia? It wasn’t like they could enter the barrier anyway, right?

“Alright, let’s keep moving. We need to find Ryker. Now.” Mikah looked up and down the stream. “We’ve been following it up. Let’s go down now.”

“The stream disappears in the south. It doesn’t go much further.” Bella looked up at Brian. “Of course, there’s no pool of water. The water must be going somewhere …”

“We’re going to have to really focus. This place must be magically hidden. Otherwise, we would have found it by now.” Jasper began to make his way along the shore beside the two streams.

Ken gripped Alexa firmly and she looked up at him, smiling. “Ken, I’ll be fine.”

Mikah growled. “I don’t like her being here either.” He was supposed to be keeping her safe, not dragging her into an unknown danger. And with this cloaked army on the move, he felt anxious having his princess out and about.

“Well, you two can comfort each other, because I’m going.” Alexa didn’t even get to take a step before Ken wrapped his arms around her, chuckling.

“You’re glued to me, my love.” Ken grinned down at her, prodding her nose playfully. He looked over at Mikah as they followed the streams. “This all seems strange. Who would have connections to this type of magic?”

“Maybe hybrids? Or someone with witch connections. This isn’t fairy magic, that much I can tell.” Mikah listened to Ken snort.

“A blind baby can tell it isn’t fairy magic.” Ken smirked at Mikah, who rolled his eyes indignantly.

“How was I to know? I thought with a deity we would’ve found Ryker long ago. It turns out deities aren’t all they’re ‘Kracked’ up to be.” Mikah snickered at his joke.

“Alright, children. Let’s focus here.” Alexa clicked her tongue as Ken tickled her side playfully. She giggled and squirmed, elbowing him in the side.

They followed the path through thick trees. The air became heavy and distorted around them.

“There’s something trying to throw us off …” Jasper said as he bent down, keeping his hand in the stream as he followed it to a seemingly dead end. Pushing past the vines, he found a stone wall. He focused and could hear the trickling of water continuing forward. He reached out to touch the rock and his hand went through it. The rock was an illusion. Standing up, he looked back at everyone. “We’ve found what we’re looking for.”

Jasper continued moving forward and beckoned for the others to follow him. They all stood there, trying to take in their surroundings. There was a long tunnel in front of them that led to more darkness. But they weren’t alone. Multiple presences were also there but deeper in the cave.

“I can smell him,” Brian said from the back.

“Me too. Ryker is just up ahead.” Jasper surged forward, with Terra by his side. There was an agile quickness between the two of them as they sprinted ahead through the cave. Then they both froze. Ahead of them, Ryker was chained against a stone wall, hanging and unable to stand, with a strange device around his neck. A group of men were having conversations around him as Ryker groaned unconsciously.

“We can’t let him go like this.”

“He took a mate. He can’t have a mate … now what?”

“Should we erase his memory? And bring him back with us?”

“What if he remembers he has a mate? This has never happened before. Now what?”

The group of men were all looking at a tall, muscular man who had his gaze focused on Ryker. “He needs to stop fighting us so we can get through to him properly.”