He's a B*****d (W.R.E.C.K. Book 1)

Part 3: Partnership

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Chapter 11: Out of the Fountain, Into the Freezer

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"...so, you and Makith are Idlers," I concluded. While Makith filled Revelin in on the details of their prior attack, I gleaned what information I could from Alexandra. Idlers were rare, as they were essentially Wanderers that chose to stay and protect only a single area or dimension.

"Yeah, since he was raised by the community as an orphan, Maki decided to lend his services to his hometown." Alexandra elaborated. "While I fell in love with the dimension that has the most fabulous footwear I've ever seen in my life. Just look at these!"

I couldn't help but grin as she showed off a pair of high-heeled black boots with red and black lace and ribbons tying up the sides. There were two buckles on the other side and a third at the very top. A part of me had to admit they were an impressive design.

"I'm worried about Verity, though," she admitted, her mood turning more serious. "Itharos, too. He'd have been the first to come over to help Makith. Those two are my OTP."

"Your what?" I asked aloud, confused with the abbreviation.

"They're my favorite couple. Meant for each other, and all that," she responded.

We all then made our way to the town square's fountain as a group. Neither Damien nor Duncan were acquainted with Makith and Alexandra for very long, yet, they appeared to be ready to fight side by side with them. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't bring myself to trust so many new people at once, regardless of how much I secretly wanted to.

When I looked up from the ground, all eyes were on me. The group was already standing in the waters of the fountain and were waiting on me. I carefully stepped over and into the fountain, subconsciously taking hold of Revelin's hand in the process. I felt my mentor's eyes on me and I quickly glanced up at his face. Revelin had a worried expression, but there was a strange look in his deep blue eyes. Before I had a chance to really think about what it could be, we were all transported rather forcefully through the water and onto a small puddle on the other side.

"Damn it," I whispered, the sound of my voice cutting sharp in the still air as we gaped at our surroundings in horror. "Why do such a thing to a peaceful race?"

I could tell, just by the ruins, that the kingdom had once been a beautiful one. Corners of elegant architectural designs were on lamps, panes, and glass. Every broken piece of wood had been carved in intricate patterns, and the pieces of stone had been engraved with symbols that looked to be inspired by nature. I felt my mentor's hand giving my own a squeeze, and it wasn't until he did so that I realized that my body had gone cold, as the weight of it gave me some warmth. My heart went out to Makith. How he had managed to hold himself together for so long to play host was beyond me.

The nymph tried to hide the tremors, but anyone could tell that he was shaking. "Lexie, Lin," He called in a voice that shook just about as much as his body shook. "Help me search. Let us cast a stealth net on everyone."

I was already familiar with the feeling of Vim armor, so the stealth casting felt like nothing to me. Prince Damien and Duncan, on the other hand, seemed to feel uncomfortable. We decided to split up in pairs and search for any more 'signs of activity'. As I surveyed the area, I couldn't help but take in the remains of what was surely an immense kingdom. Besides the dried, caked blood that I saw every once in a while upon objects and stone, everything was vacant of any signs of life. I began to rub my arms as I felt the chill of the stones.

"The sun hasn't even set yet," I commented. "It certainly gets cold fast in this dimension."

Revelin's larger hands took over where my own hands left off in trying to rub some warmth back into my skin. I felt myself tense up, as my body usually did in response to any sudden physical contact, but I was surprised at how quickly I relaxed into the touch. A soft sigh escaped me.