He organized his thoughts and concentrated on finding the cave she would seek out for shelter.
A moment later he was there, standing in front of a cave with a jutting rock partially obscuring its entrance. He went inside and though he could see a bit in the d
ark, he knew she might not yet be able to. With a flick of his wrist,
torches were produced and light was everywhere.
He strode towards something that caught his eye. It was covered in dirt, and though it had not been exposed to the weather, it looked seriously aged. He knew this fabric.
His Jazmine Decker had been wearing it when she had jumped into the Portal. Why would it look so aged? Why? What the hell was going on? Just where was she?
The fabric was ragged, as though it had been torn.
It was nearly disintegrating in his hands.
Disintegrating in his hands—from time.
And then just as he realized why and closed his eyes with frustration, he heard his Jazmine Decker scream his name in his mind.
Their link—she had found a way to use their link. Their link could not be stopped by distance, or even time. The sensation this realization gave him made him feel warm with pleasure and helpless all at once.
He had a job on his hands, for not only had the Portal sent her to this dimension—but it had slammed her back in time!
He paced frantically for a moment and then called back to her with his own link. Do you hear me love? Do you hear me, my Jazmine Decker? I’m standing in your cave, so stay there. Don’t go anywhere while I figure out how to jump back in time and get hold of you.
He looked up, put his hand up and called, “Orb of Time, this Royal will not be denied!”
A moment later the Queen’s Orb was in his hand and he frowned as he commanded it. “Orb, speak to me about my mate.”
The Orb sighed, “My Queen released me from her sphere to do just that, because things are about to enter the chaotic state in the Human Realm. She says there is no time to lose—she needs you both now; right now. Catastrophe is in the making and she needs the Fios with her special skills brought to her at once.”
“What has happened?”
“The Royals have been tricked. The Unseelie Princes and their army did not really try to exit the Portal in Ireland. They are hidden from detection but we know they arrived in England at Stonehenge, because they left a trail of blood. Great trouble lies ahead.”
“Trouble eh?” Trevor gritted his teeth. “So be it, just get me to my mate, now.” At that moment, all Trevor wanted was to get to his Jazmine Decker. Everything else faded to the background.
The human world they were sworn to protect was being threatened with the emergence of an Unseelie Army. He needed to fight beside his brother, and Breslyn. He needed to fight with them immediately, but first he had to secure his mate. He had to get her back beside him first.
Never before had they been out-smarted by an Unseelie, not even when the Dark Ones were led by Gaiscioch, a Seelie and one of their own.
He would get his Jazmine Decker safely in his arms and only then would he attend to saving the Universe with his brethren. He had absolutely no doubt that in the end; they would slaughter the Dark Fae—because they must.
As far as he was concerned, this would be the Dark Royals last stand because this time, he would not listen to the Queen or the Dark King. This time, there had to be severe consequences for the Dark Prince’s actions.
And what of the consequences for disobeying the Queen in the end? Consequences for his actions be damned, because this time Pestale would die at his hands!
Chapter Five
FAINTLY AS THOUGH miles away, impossibly too far to be heard, she heard him all the same--Trevor’s voice in her head. He said her name, Jazmine Decker and it sounded like a caress.
How funny that he always called her Jazmine Decker even when they made love. She adored the sound it made in her heart.
Suddenly her thoughts and emotions were interrupted as the earth trembled beneath Jazz’s feet. She got up off of the palm fronds and planted herself against the wall. What now?
Dirt sprayed across the earthen floor.
“Okay…okay, I’m okay…this will be okay,” she told herself out loud and waited as she rubbed her hands down her now abused and dirty jeans.