Slaves of Destiny Read online

  Slaves of Destiny

  Leia Shaw

  Copyright 2013 - Leia Shaw

  First Edition

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form except for the inclusion of brief quotations in review without written permission from the author.

  Chapter 1

  There was nothing like disappearing into the wild to clear the mind.

  Dozens of hikers lost their way in the Gila Wilderness every year, never to be heard from again. Now Bodhi understood why.

  He paused to wipe the sweat from his brow then kept trudging. It felt like he was walking on hot coals. He couldn’t wait to reach the river, take his boots off, and plunge his feet into the coolness. His shirt clung to his skin uncomfortably. Maybe he’d jump in, clothes and all. He’d been daydreaming about it for the last hour, at least. It was easily ninety degrees in this hellhole.

  He had no right to complain. This had been his idea. The solo backpacking trip, the location, the time of year. One of his only breaks from work was in the dead of summer, which made for a terrible time to hike across the small mountains of New Mexico.

  The terrain didn’t look how he’d pictured it. New Mexico brought to mind sand, desert, small shrubs, and rattlesnakes. There were snakes all right, but what he hadn’t expected was evergreens, mountain peaks poking up in the distance, even a marsh he’d trekked through the day before. Versatile and interesting, but also dangerous. If he hadn’t much experience, he might have been one of the many who disappeared for good.

  Through the thin tree line, a murky river appeared. He willed his feet to move faster, but only ended up stumbling. At the edge, he dropped his pack then plopped down onto the rocky ground. He pulled off each hiking boot, hissing when it scraped against his raw blisters. With a deep inhale, he walked through a meditation to center himself.

  Eyes closed, he pictured himself as a rock. The water was his pain and it flowed toward him. The sound of the small river helped the vision. In his mind, the water came to him, but instead of rushing over him, it made a circle around him. On either side of the rock, it rushed past, never touching him. It was a meditation he’d done hundreds of times. It came so easily that in the next breath he exhaled, the raw pain of his feet diminished to just a dull ache.

  He opened his eyes. The river was smaller than he’d thought – only a few yards wide. It was more of a stream, though the guide book called it a river. The dry spell was especially bad this year it seemed. He rose from the ground, breathing through the ache of the stones digging into his soles then walked to the water.

  When the coolness washed over his feet, he exhaled a moan. The chill of the stream snaked up from his toes and worked its way through his body, leaving him covered in goose bumps. He pulled his shirt over his head and threw it onto the shore. A warm breeze came by and tickled his sweaty skin. Using his hands like a cup, he scooped the water and trickled it onto his chest and arms, trying to keep his pants from getting too wet. Hiking in wet clothes was just asking for an infection from chaffing.

  He’d picked the Gila Wilderness on purpose. Getting lost outdoors hadn’t sounded so bad months ago, in the middle of second term, performing monotonous lectures to sleeping students at the University. He’d always enjoyed solo journeys through secluded areas, but this time he’d craved a challenge.

  That’d been his thought then. Now he felt like this particular challenge might kill him. He wanted to lose himself in the peacefulness of nature – not die in a pool of his own sweat.

  When he felt less like a roasted pig, and more like a human being, he stepped out of the water and searched for a comfortable spot to sit and meditate.

  His Indian father was a practicing Buddhist and Bodhi had grown up watching him meditate for hours at a time. He settled down on the grass and slowly, one body part at the time, breathed out his tension.

  In his mind, he was as big as the sea and as small as a bug. He was the wind blowing freely but nothing at the same time. His heartbeat slowed and his body fell into a state of stasis.

  Quiet. Serene. Barely alive.

  A soft splashing sound drew him out of the haze. Slowly, he became aware of himself. His breath, his arms and hands, then to his feet and toes. Finally, he cracked open his eyes. The remnants of day cast an orange glow over a set of trees to the west. He needed to eat and make camp.

  A feminine voice pulled his focus to the river. Humming? He scanned the area, looking for the owner of the sweet singing. Who on earth was out here in this miserable place?

  He caught movement upstream. A naked figure bathing in the water. Long blonde, almost white hair fell down her back, reaching the apex of her backside. What the hell was a woman doing out here, naked and alone?

  He scanned the area near where she bathed, but it was perfectly still. Too still. A sense of serenity settled over him. He half expected a deer to trot to the water and bring her a robe, like some kind of Disney movie.

  As quietly as he could, he stood and crept closer to the girl. Gravel crunched under his feet and she spun around and gasped. Their gazes locked. Her lips parted and she froze with her arms covering her breasts.

  “I won’t hurt you,” he said, hoping she spoke English. “I’m just a hiker, traveling through.” Where did she live? There hadn’t been signs of civilization in days.

  Her eyes darted back and forth, as if she were looking for an escape route. Too enthralled to lose her now, he put his hands out in a peaceful gesture.

  “Please don’t run. I won’t hurt you.” He crept closer. “Are you hungry? I’m going to make camp. I have extra food.”

  Her shoulders relaxed and she dropped her arms at her sides, baring her breasts. Though he knew it was wrong, he couldn’t look away from the pale mounds and rosy nipples. Her small waist flared to wide hips then lower, a small patch of blonde hair showed between her thighs. Well, she wasn’t starving, that was for sure. Fuck, she was sexy.

  Only a few feet from the river bank where she stood, he stopped and forced his gaze to her face then smiled at her. “Hi. I’m Bodhi.”

  She blinked her luminous eyes and something clicked. A fierce sense of protectiveness swept over him. Like one end of a magnet, he felt drawn to her, to save her or to fuck her, he didn’t know. Either way, he was hooked.

  Chapter 2

  The brown man stared at her, friendly, but perhaps confused. Wavy black hair fell over his wrinkled forehead. His chest was naked, though he still wore trousers. He was mad to wear those on a sweltering day like this.

  Who was he? At first glance, he looked human, though a strange mark had been stamped on his chest. Was it witchcraft? He seemed kind and he wasn’t armed that she could see.

  She gazed into his eyes, looking for clues about him. He peered back at her, unblinking. Eyes were windows to the soul. His radiated warmth and honesty. Instinct trusted him, and she generally trusted instinct. Maybe he carried news from the god realm. He didn’t act like other humans. They stomped through her home, oblivious of the damage they left. That she hadn’t noticed him while she bathed meant there was something different about him.

  Curiosity got the better of her and she didn’t flee.

  “Will you tell me your name?” He tilted his head. “Do you understand English?”

  What was the harm is speaking with him? Perhaps he did have food to share. Slowly, she nodded her head. “I speak all languages.”

  He blinked in a look of surprise. “Oh. Okay. What’s your name?”

  “Seraphina.”

  “Seraphina.” His lips curved into a languid smile. “That’s a beautiful name.”

  It’d been given to her by Zeus himself, but she needn’t tell him that. His origins were still a mystery, and she hadn’t survived a
millennium by being reckless. So she nodded as polite company would.

  “Are you here alone? Do you live nearby?”

  “I’ve lived alone since my sisters were captured.”

  “Captured?” His brows arched upward. “How long ago was that?”

  “Well over a century now.” She let out a sigh. Still, she missed them. Visions from that night haunted her sleep, even so long after. Every time she thought she’d finally shed all of her tears for them, she’d wake from a nightmare and cry again. But those were thoughts for another time. Today, she had hope. This warlock was sent to her for a reason. “Tell me, do you bring news from the gods? Is it safe to go home now?”

  “Safe? I… I don’t know. What exactly are you hiding from?”

  She looked left then right then waved him close. Even saying their name could be dangerous.

  The man waded through the water to her side.

  She leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Satyrs.”

  Chapter 3

  Well, that explained that. The girl was certifiably insane. From living out here alone for too long? Or maybe she’d been born with a mental illness and abandoned. It didn’t matter. Bodhi would do the right thing. He’d bring her back to civilization and get her help.

  She stared up at him, biting her bottom lip, looking like she’d just told him some dangerous secret. Her gaze flitted around them and she took a step closer. She was looking to him for protection from the monsters in her mind.

  He never thought of himself as the heroic type. He was an intellectual. Practicing yoga for years had defined his muscles, but he’d never studied martial arts. He didn’t even carry a weapon more deadly than a small knife. He certainly didn’t look like superhero material. Yet he felt a pull to be that man for her. Something about her wide eyes made him want to care for her, shelter her, provide for her.

  Even now, he itched to wrap his arm around her shoulders. He gave his head a shake. The woman wasn’t stable. Why was he having these feelings for her? He didn’t even know her.

  With a sigh, he searched the ground. “Where are your clothes? We’ll set up camp and I’ll make you some dinner.”

  Her lips curled into a wide grin. “Then you will help me?”

  “I’ll help you get to a hospital. They’ll know what to do.”

  The smile faded. “Hospital?”

  He spotted her clothes in a bundle on the shore. Gently, he took her elbow and guided her to the bank of the stream. She went willingly.

  “A hospital is a place for people who are sick or injured.”

  “But I’m not sick or injured.”

  That was yet to be determined, but he didn’t want to scare her. “It’s also a place for people to get other kinds of help.”

  “No.” She shook her head and started to pull away. “I don’t think I want to go to this hospital. They could be there. It could be a trick.”

  “Who could?” He bent down and retrieved her clothes, dismayed to find it was only a light fabric dress. What did she wear in the winter?

  “Who I told you.” She gave him an impatient look.

  “Right. The satyrs.”

  “Hush!” Her gaze darted to the forest. “You never know who’s listening.”

  After fiddling with the fabric of the dress, he motioned for her to lift her arms and she did. He placed the dress over her head and arms and pulled it to cover her body. “Listen, beautiful. There are no satyrs. You’re completely safe with me.”

  Her eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped open. She clasped her hands together. “You mean they’re gone! All of them?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t think they’ve existed in a long, long time.” If ever. Satyrs were creatures of Greek mythology, if he remembered correctly. Half human, half goat.

  “Oh, thank the gods!” She threw her arms around his neck, almost toppling him over. Gentle sobs wracked her body. A wave of pity swept over him and he wrapped one arm around her back.

  Her hair felt like silk under his hand. He’d never felt anything so soft. As she squeezed him tighter, he fingered her long strands. She smelled sweet, like honey. Not like sweat and dirt as he surely did.

  Finally, she let go and backed away. “You’ve come to take me home, haven’t you?”

  “Where is home, Seraphina?” Maybe she’d make this easy and say Cincinnati.

  “The god realm.”

  His heart sank. Poor beautiful girl. He nodded slowly. “We’ll discuss details later.” It was almost dark. They needed a fire. He’d have to give her his sleeping bag. Tomorrow he’d turn around and head home. It would be a long journey sleeping on the ground for five nights, but his mother would tell him to be a gentleman.

  Taking her hand, he walked to his pack on the ground. “I’ll set up camp then we can eat and have a chat.”

  She nodded eagerly.

  He placed his sleeping bag on the ground, between the edge of the trees and the stream. The grassy spot was as flat and soft as he could find. “Sit here. I’ll start dinner.” From in his bag, he pulled out a small camp stove and pot. Digging into the bottom of his pack, he found a package of noodles.

  Seraphina sang quietly as he filled the pot with water from the stream. He didn’t recognize the tune, but her voice was beautiful. Lulling. He felt a sense of peace in the growing dark. He found a log next to where Seraphina sat on his sleeping bag.

  She smiled at him and he found himself grinning back. Living out here alone had obviously kept her innocent, almost child-like. His gaze dropped to her revealing dress. No, not like a child. He chuckled to himself then lit the burner attached to the small canister of gas. A blue flame appeared and he placed the pot on top.

  When he looked up, he found Seraphina watching the flame, eyes wide. “What magic is that, warlock?”

  Warlock? “Um. Well, it’s called a camp stove.”

  “I’ve never seen a warlock make blue fire.” She narrowed her eyes and her body stiffened. “That looks like sorcery.” Her tone was scathing.

  It was clear she didn’t approve of sorcery. Trying not to scare her, he shook his head and explained. “I’m not a sorcerer or a warlock. I’m human, like you. And this isn’t magic. It’s science.”

  “Science,” she repeated, as if in awe. “I like this science. It’s beautiful.” Then she laughed. “But I am not human.”

  Of course not. All this talk of satyrs and warlocks. What would she claim to be? A mermaid?

  “I’m a nymph.”

  A nymph. Right. Close enough. He brushed his hands on his pants and sighed. “I think you’re very confused.”

  “You’re truly human?” Her shoulders drooped. “Not sent here for me?”

  “I…” He hated to disappoint her. She seemed to have had a rough life as it was. Part of him wanted to keep up the charade, for her sake, to make her happy. But he couldn’t lie, even if it was more convenient. He’d lived with the belief that if a person couldn’t be trusted with telling the truth, they couldn’t be trusted with anything.

  “I’m human, Seraphina. And so are you. There is no god realm or satrys or warlocks. Those are things in books and fairy tales. I think you’ve been alone too long.”

  Her face crumpled in what seemed to be resignation. But then she traded the expression for a small smile. Slowly, she rose to her feet. He was about to jump up and stop her from leaving, but she held out her hand.

  “Do you have a small jug? I’ll get us some wine.”

  ***

  “Wine?” He arched a dark eyebrow. “Seraphina, did you hear anything I just said?”

  The blue flame reflected in his eyes, making him appear less human than he claimed. But alas, he was not of the supernatural world. By the gods, she must’ve sounded like a madwoman! Still, some good could come of his presence. The moon was almost full. It cast light on what he was heating on the flame. It didn’t smell like food. It smelled like human chemicals and something they called plastic.

  For now, she’d have to try not to surprise
poor Bodhi with any more tales of home. She smiled down at him. “I’ll just get some water then.”

  Hesitantly, he placed a cup in her hand. It was clear he didn’t trust her, and she was beginning to feel like a small child that needed looking after. Maybe some wine would help him feel better as well.

  As she walked to the river bank, hunger grew. She felt it slide down to her womb first, a warm tingling sensation. Then it moved between her legs. Her thighs rubbed together, awakening each nerve in her sex. Bodhi was a handsome man. It wouldn’t be a hardship to lie with him.

  She dipped the cup into the water and when she lifted it back out, red liquid replaced the water, filling it to the brim. The sweet smell alone made her feel a burst of joy. She sipped at her drink, letting it sit on her tongue before it slipped down her throat. She walked back to Bodhi’s pallet.

  “Would you like some?”

  “No, thank you.”

  Wine dulled the ache that came with hunger. A soothing warmth spread over her as she took another sip. She would lay with Bodhi tonight, but she would have to woo him first. He didn’t seem the type to fall easily into bed. She could give him a little nudge with her magic, but that never felt quite right, especially with such a kind man.

  “Here.” Bodhi scooped the contents of the pot into another cup and held it out to her. “You eat first. I’ll finish what you don’t want.”

  She shook her head fiercely.

  “You have to eat something.”

  “No. The wine will nourish me enough for now. You can help me later if it doesn’t.”

  “Right. The wine.” He snorted. “Well, I guess I do have a granola bar in my bag if you get hungry.”

  She’d be having his body soon. Though the wine quelled the hunger, she needed nourishment. If she couldn’t find another passerby by the full moon… She winced at the memory. She’d avoid that pain if she could.

  Bodhi ate the strange food then leaned back on his arms and looked at her. His brows descended. “You’ll be cold tonight. Don’t you have anything warmer to wear?”