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  Nasir pulled into Adara’s driveway, looking around for a sign of someone being home. Sliding from the car, he quietly shut the door and approached the house. Feeling foolish that he didn't think of this sooner, he knocked on the door. The door opened. “Adara? I am Nasir. I am sure you know who I am.” He watched her face go white and detected her heartbeat picking up speed. “You have nothing to be worried about, please let me come in.”

  Opening the door for him, she stepped out of the way and walked to the living room. “Is Nikole ok?” Nasir stalked over to her and looked her down, trying to show the seriousness of the situation.

  “Where did she go with him? I have to find her before he kills her.”

  Adara's eyes shot open, fear flashing across her face. “Before who kills her?! What happened?!!?” she yelled out.

  “We know she went to see Derrik. We know you came to see her and were with her at the club. Where did he take her? Don’t fuck with me. His majesty, doesn't want to bury his only okht. Tell me where they are!” He watched the realization hit her, the worry and panic in her eyes.

  “The lake! He made me give her a note; it said they were going to meet at the lake tonight at sunset. I can help look for her. I don’t understand what’s gone wrong.”

  Nasir got his cell phone out and started to text the new information to his men, “Adara, Derrik works for Haydar and he is a mercenary. You and everyone you love need to stay away from him.” Nasir then left. He needed to see how many lakes were in the area…

  Hearing twigs break off in the distance, Nikole looked out of her hiding spot and saw him walking toward the dock, his tall body, shining brown, the way he moved with each step. She sat back, thinking about what to do. He claimed he didn't know who she was. She needed to be cautious and not fall for any tricks. Her stomach churned with confusion. Checking her weapons, she put them back in their holsters and flashed behind him. “Hello Derrik.”

  Turning around at the sound of her voice. He saw she was in her leather, feeling his heart start to pick up the pace. “Princess, you look wonderful.” Moving to give her a kiss, she backed up. “What’s wrong?” he said with a confused look on his face.

  “You told me you worked for a noble family, yes?”

  He nodded at her. “I did, and that's true. I knew you would check up on me.”

  “You failed to mention the 'noble' family was my amm, the one who wants me dead!” Stepping toward him, she felt her body start to warm, her eyes starting to flash between brown and violet. “You were sent to kill Zayn and I, weren’t you? How could you act like you didn't know who I was? You played me for a fool, and now I will kill you for that.”

  “Nikole, you don’t understand. Yes, I was hired and work for your amm, but I was not going to kill you, nor will I. I didn't know you, and I didn't think you were in Colorado Springs. You have to believe me; the other night, it wasn't a trap. I didn't know who you were! I was going to tell you everything tonight, I promise.”

  Walking towards him, she forced Derrik to move back closer to the water, feeling her hands starting to ignite, the flames working up her arms. “You WERE sent to kill us! Say your last prayers now!” Reaching out to him, he grabbed her arms and pushed them over her head.

  “Princess, stop, please. Let me just talk to you. I am not going to kill you or anyone you love, please. Nikole...”

  “Let. Go. Of. My. Okht!” A booming voice erupted from behind them.

  She smirked at Derrik. “Oops, looks like my akh is smarter than you. Time to meet your death.”

  “I am not going to hurt her, Zayn!” Derrik threw her over his shoulder before disappearing with Nikole safe in his arms.

  Throwing back his head, Zayn growled, “Nasir! What the fuck! I thought we were the only family that could teleport? Where did he take her?!”

  “Sire, we will find her. We found this place on limited information. We WILL find her, and she is strong; she can defend herself.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Zayn lay with his head down on his desk, thinking about Nikole and what happened to her. The feeling he’d had while he watched her vanish… Derrik had been so close and within his grasp and now, gone. He needed to find her; he needed to bring her home. He couldn’t lose another person he loved. He had promised to protect her, always. His mind was racing, thinking of all the different things that could be happening to her, the torture, and the possibility of them killing her. He felt the urge to drown himself in whisky. Grabbing up the flask he kept in his desk drawer, he lifted it to his lips, the metal cool against his hot skin. Nikole had given him this flask as a gift, shortly after they moved to Colorado. He knew this because they were on the slopes learning how to ski. She' handed it to him right before she pushed him down a hill backwards on skis. He couldn’t help remembering. She had even had it engraved for him. Written on the front it said, “Akhs, A Girl’s Best Friend.” He ran his fingers over the inscription as he read the scribbled words. Feeling the tears well up, he closed his eyes, trying to hold them in, and thought back to the day she was born.

  “Ikram, you have to push! The baby is almost here, just one more push!” The midwife said to his omm. He could hear her, she was screaming and cursing. The words coming out of her mouth were words he had never heard from her before. His baba was running around frantic, yelling at all the servants.

  “What is Zayn doing in here? This is no place for the boy. Take him away.”

  “No, I’m 115 years old; I can be here! I want to be here to see the birth. Plus, my omm could die!” Refusing to be removed he stood off in the distance, keeping steady watching over her. He’d only heard about childbirth, never witnessed it on his own. Most women died, it was rare that any life, let alone omm and child survive. It was during that thought that he heard it, the piercing sound of a baby crying, then someone saying, “It’s a girl!” He watched them place the baby in his omm’s arms. He saw the tears running down his omm’s face.

  Slowly and with caution, he walked to his omm’s bedside, looking down at the little creature, covered in blood and utterly disgusting.

  “Meet your okht Nikole.” He couldn’t help but feel his body warm at the sight of her, the soft pink skin, and the noises she was making, what this now meant for him. He turned to his baba and knelt before him; he spoke the words passed down from Warrior to Warrior. “I pledge my allegiance to thee, for this child will be protected, with mine own blood and life. No harm shall come to her and no enemy shall covet her. With this I so swear.” Kissing his abb’s ring sealing the oath he pledged to his okht. He meant every word; no harm would come to her.

  He felt his omm’s eyes looking upon him while he was kneeling on the ground. As he looked over to her she extended her hand and grasped his. Zayn slowly squeezed it, not sure of how to act around a babe. “Congratulations Omm, she is perfect.”

  “Come Zayn, hold her. She has your special eyes, I can tell.” He was confused because they were still brown; no color had set in yet. How did she know she had his eyes? He felt his heart start to race when his abb, King Tamman, placed his hand on Zayn’s shoulder. “Give her to Zayn; let him hold his little okht.” His omm looked up at him. Those beautiful green eyes sparkled as she handed Nikole over. Nervously cradling her in his arms, he ran his index finger over her cheek. “Hello Nikole, I’m Zayn, your big akh. I’ll keep you safe. Always.”

  Opening his eyes, he pushed away from the desk. Glancing at the flask, he put it away. He didn’t need to drink. He needed to kill. Picking up the phone, he buzzed Nasir. “I need you, now.” He hung up only to find himself pacing. Everything in this office reminded him of her. Along the wall, their two swords were mounted, their tips touching in the shape of a “V” for victory. He took Nikole's off the wall, palming the handle. She had it commissioned with shades of violet woven into the golden handle. She wanted everyone to know whose sword it was and who would wield death when she gave the final blow. Hearing the door to his office open and putting the sword back on its mount, he
turned to look at Nasir.

  “Do you have any progress on locating this Dominic guy or where Derrik has taken her? Every minute we sit at home we are risking her life. We need to get her and bring her back.” Zayn went back to his desk, reclaiming his seat while Nasir sat.

  “No Zayn, there has been no movement that we can tell. I didn’t know mercenaries could teleport. I thought that trait was only in the royal blood line.”

  Zayn’s eyes widen at that realization. “Haydar must have had kids. That means she is being held by a fucking eben amty! Who knows what lies Haydar has fed his people over the last how many centuries?”

  “Fifteen Sire.”

  “Shut up, you’re not helping me! She has been gone for twenty-four hours, Nasir. How are we supposed to make light at a time like this? Prepare the troops; we are going to cover every inch of Colorado. We know they couldn’t have gotten too far; teleporting gives them a 100 mile head start, maximum. We can’t let her suffer; she needs to be home.”

  “Sire, if I may…”

  Zayn’s eyes start to flash to the eerie yellow. “What, Nasir?!”

  “Nikole is a warrior; we both know this. Whatever is happening, she can defend herself. She isn’t helpless.”

  “I don’t care if she can best every one of my fucking soldiers; she is my OKHT and NEVER should have been taken! GET HER BACK NOW!”

  Nasir rose, bowing his head. “Yes, Sire.” He left Zayn scowling, his own temper frayed.

  He travelled the hallway slowly, uneasy about all of the confusion that just happened. He had worked for this family for over a millennium. How could Zayn treat him like that? He helped raise him, like his own ebn’! He could feel the anger boiling inside. His oath had been broken and the Princess was harmed. He walked into the library, Nikole’s favorite room. There were hundreds of books scattered around. None in order, books opened to certain pages, pencils and paper lay at every desk, notes scribbled down on hundreds of sheets of paper. He turned around, punching the wall, the plaster crumbling. A picture hit him in the head, a sketch she had done of the two of them shortly after her 300th birthday. He saw the lock of hair sealed in the glass frame. He took it, placed his palm on the glass frame, closed his eyes, and remembered a different time.

  “Nikole, come back! You can’t run and fight like that. You have to have precision. See, look, when you take the sword you have to grip it firm. Like this. There you go, now slowly start to move your arm and hips simultaneously to get the full motion.” Nasir watched her learning the lines of cut.

  “Like this, Amm Nasir?” Her body was fluid, taking the sword over her right shoulder and slicing through the air down to her left, her hips moving in rhythm to her strokes. Over her left shoulder and down to the right side, back and forth, she perfected the first two lines.

  “That’s it, Nikole. Now remember, when you are fighting you never charge with your sword while running. You always maintain firm footing. That’s it. Now let’s try some exercises.” Together they repeated the lines of cut, this time towards each other, their swords clanging at each hit.

  “Okay, okay I get it now; I can handle this on my own.”

  Nasir stepped back laughing, to himself. He signalled one of his men to come and face her. Watching as the guard tried to keep up, Nikole ran circles around him. Too bad she hasn’t used the sword once. Out of blue the clang of the weapons chimed and followed by a small squeal. “What happened, Nikole?” He walked over to her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

  “He sliced my hair off! Look!!”

  A strand of her beautiful brown hair is lay on the grass. Nasir looked to his man, “She wasn’t protecting her head, and I just wanted her to see how close I could get.” Nasir motioned the man away, leaning over and picking up the hair. “Here Nikole, keep this so you always remember to protect your head; it’s very valuable. You never want to let your guard down. Now come on, let’s get dinner. All this fighting has me hungry.”

  Nasir let out a deep sigh. Nikole was like a bent to him, and now she was missing. He replaced the framed sketch and strand of hair on the table for safekeeping and returned to his walk down the hall to go speak to his men.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  One moment she was staring into Zayn’s face, the next, darkness. What had happened? Did she flash herself away? That made no sense; why would she do that? Looking for a light of any kind she realized she was in a cell. “Hello?”

  “I see you are awake, good. It’s time for you and me to have a talk.”

  “Derrik is that you?”

  “No, stupid girl, he isn’t here. Now be quiet while I ask my questions.” Panic started to sink into Nikole’s mind. What happened? Why was she being held? Hadn’t Derrik said he wasn’t out for her?

  “Princess Nikole, let me explain who I am, that way, when you speak, you will know how to conduct yourself. You see, your amm, Haydar has employed me to ensure your capture. We knew Derrik would find you, so all we had to do was follow him, and of course he led me right to you. My name is Hamza, and I am Haydar’s lead general.”

  Panic turned to deathly fear as Nikole listened to this man speak. His voice was slow, his words drawn out. “Tell me where your akh is. Tell me how to reach him and I will let you live.”

  “I think you have this wrong, Hamza. If you let me go, I promise my akh and I will kill you swiftly, instead of dragging it out.”

  “Wrong answer, Princess.”

  At that moment she heard the noise of footsteps. The cell opened and guards started coming in, five men, all with knives and swords pointed at her throat. They pulled her by her hair and dragged her out of the cell. She kicked at the men, hit one in the groin. Another came from behind and grabbed her arm. She spun, punching him in the throat. It was at that moment she felt the electricity soar through her body as she fell. She looked at Hamza, seeing the dark look in his eyes. It sent chills down her spine. He ordered her to be secured to a metal table. She glanced around and saw a knife set on the desk to the right and up above a waterspout, dripping drops of brown water.

  She closed her eyes and said a small prayer, hoping to come out of this alive. Nikole felt his rough hands holding her head in place. There was some sort of metal object holding her eyes open her head started to buck back and forth, instinct telling her to fight. “Let go of me now!” She felt her arms starting to heat, the fire taking over her body. The metal started to burn; she could smell it. Out of nowhere, she was soaked in water. She tried to shut her eyes, but it was no use; her head was stuck and her body drenched. The flames were out. She watched as Hamza’s fingers run down her arm. He spoke something in a language she couldn’t understand, but she soon realized it meant, go fetch a knife.

  “One last time, give me your akh, and you won’t get hurt,” Hamza said while placing the cold knife on her skin, slowly pressing the blade in. She could feel her skin slicing and see blood seeping over the blade.

  “Go to hell!!!” Nikole called out, then, without a second thought, she screamed, the blade going deeper into her right arm, her muscles being torn apart and blood starting to pour out over the table. Her tears began to sting her eyes and started to flow over the metal contraption holding her eyes open. “If you cooperate, the pain will stop. Now, Nikole, once more, where is your akh?” Hamza moved the knife to her right shoulder and pressed it into her skin.

  “NEVER!” She cried as he took the knife from the shoulder down to her breastbone, cutting her clothing along with her skin.

  She felt her eyes changing to their violet shading. With the amount of pain she was in, they looked deep purple. Her feet started to flare, the heat from the fire working up her body, engulfing her. It burned her clothes off, the melting material scorching her already aching wounds. She screamed louder as her own body caused her more pain. Hamza turned the faucet on and the water killed her flames.

  Derrik could hear Nikole in the other room, crying out in pain. His head resting in his hands, he was ashamed of what he had done and how he had le
ad them right to her. He didn’t even know she was his eben amty. He had no idea that the infamous Nikole he had been sworn to kill and been polluted with jargon his whole life would turn out to be someone he could connect too. There was of her screaming he could listen bare listening too before he had to do something. He knew his abb; he will be killed for the betrayal. He had to go get help.

  “Nikole, I’m sorry,” Derrik said to her through the mental connection they could establish. He had been blocking her out the way his omm had taught him, but something inside of him needed to apologize.

  He took his phone and opened it while walking outside. They were in such a secluded area no one would ever find them. They were tucked back in the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains, an hour outside of Colorado Springs. Derrik placed a call.

  “Hello?” Adara said franticly into the phone.

  “Adara, don’t say my name, this is Derrik. I swear it’s not what you think, but now it’s gotten worse. Hamza showed up and they are torturing her. I’m going to text you the coordinates. Get that to Zayn. I can’t get her out.” Derrik hung up the phone and then sent her the coordinates. He hoped the conversation was under a minute so it could go undetected by Hamza’s men. He walked back into the cave, trying to think of another way of saving her.

  CHAPTER SIX

  She looked at her phone, shock still in her heart. She had to find Zayn and fast. Running to her car, she got in and sped to the royal home.

  “Zayn, come quick!” She yelled while running into the house.