Lottery king 4, p.30
Lottery King 4, page 30
“The goddess was here,” Dinah sighed with complete awe in her voice.
“She was,” I confirmed, and I pulled my Filipino wife into my arms. “And you were incredible today.”
“I am very happy for helping,” Dinah said as she laid her head on my chest.
“Your majesty!” Firo called as he flew back down to the beach.
“Firo!” I shouted as excitement from everything filled my voice. “That was amazing! Your magic… fuck!”
“I’m glad you approve, your majesty,” Firo chuckled as he landed on the sand. “Did I see the goddess arrive on the beach?”
“Yes. Shit.” I shook my head in amazement. “It was amazing!”
My head spun with everything I wished I could have asked the goddess, and all the things I wanted to say to her. She was gorgeous and so warm. It was like standing in paradise being beside her, and I wanted to go back. I wanted to share it with my lovers.
“I had the pleasure of being in her presence once,” Firo murmured, and a wistful smile spread across his usually stern face. “She is unlike anything else.”
We all stood in wonder of the goddess for a moment, and then a far-away crack of thunder drew our attention. We all turned to look out at the much smaller hurricane that was slowly moving south along the shore.
The central vortex of the storm was much slower than it had been before, and only a few bolts of lightning occurred every few minutes.
The greatest dangers of the storm had passed, and I breathed with relief before I turned to address my followers and Rhaiden’s newly-freed victims.
The sirens, merfolk, sprites, and sea nymphs who’d been completely under that asshole’s control looked away from me with shame on their faces.
“Nyxx,” I said in a soft voice.
“Your majesty,” Nyxx replied dutifully as she hurried over, and she leaned in so I didn’t have to raise my voice.
“Get a group of shadow nymphs together,” I instructed. “Have them gather all of Rhaiden’s victims, if they can find them.”
“Yes, your majesty,” Nyxx said.
“They’re going to need a lot of support.” I frowned. “Some of them have been trapped by his influence for years, maybe longer. Help them get in touch with their families, and help them get home. I’ll have Cove look into therapy services. I suspect some of them are more traumatized than others by all of this.”
“Yes, your majesty.” Nyxx nodded. “That is a wise and kind way to handle this, if I may say so.”
“You may,” I murmured, and I saw a glimpse of the sexy woman I knew was beneath the shadowy form in front of me. “There are still more of his followers out there who are probably loyal to him. We’re not done yet, but for now, the day is won, and we have important work to do for those he’s controlled.”
“Yes, your majesty,” the sexy shadow nymph murmured.
Then Nyxx disappeared and returned a moment later with a dozen shadow nymphs in tow. One by one, they moved over to the paranormals who’d been trapped by my devilish relative’s charms.
“Thank you all for your loyalty and help today,” I said to the representatives who’d fought alongside me. “You did amazing work, and I will never forget it. The day is saved, and millions of people owe you their safety.”
“We were only doing what was right, your majesty,” Lady Taylee said, and the others nodded in agreement.
“The storm is passing safely away from shore,” I said with a grateful smile. “Go find your loved ones, go home. Tell everyone we are safe.”
The crowd dispersed slowly over the next several minutes until only Dinah and Firo remained at my side.
“I’ve called Lady Helena,” Firo said as he put a cell phone back into his pocket. “She is safe, as is the entire staff.”
“Good, thank you,” I sighed. “Tell them they can return to the mansion.”
“I did.” Firo nodded. “Shall I call Queen Poppy next?”
“I–” I stopped when my cell phone rang in my pocket.
Firo nodded and waited as I pulled it out, and my sister’s name shone on the screen.
“Hey, Katie,” I answered the phone.
“Oh, my fucking god!” Katie shrieked into the phone. “Michael! What the fuck happened! The storm was raging, and then it was just gone!”
“The storm’s basically over,” I told her with relief. “Did you guys leave Mom and Dad’s house?”
“Yes! Poppy’s here–” Katie gasped, and she lowered her voice significantly. “I can see her teal hair and wings!”
“I’m not surprised,” I sighed with humor. “How’s Mom?”
“Everybody’s fine, Mikey,” Katie reported in a rush. “Sam and Jess and everyone, they’re good, too. But what the actual fuck happened out there? I had the news playing on my phone, and they were showing the storm. It was fucking crazy! And I could see this huge black cloud in it!”
“Katie–” I tried to stop her.
“I showed Mom,” Katie continued without missing a beat. “She couldn’t see it!”
“Katie–” I tried again as the exhaustion and insanity of everything started to weigh on me.
“Poppy looked all shocked when I showed her,” Katie went on. “So it had to be something supernatural or whatever, right? I mean, I know it was! Fuck! This is insane!”
“Katie!” I shouted this time.
“What?” Katie shouted back. “Are you okay? Are you safe?”
“Yes!” I yelled so she would stop talking. “Katie. Stop. Yes, I’m safe. Everyone is safe. The storm is moving along the shore instead of toward land. It’s over.”
“Oh, good,” Katie sighed. “Because I still have so many questions, and I can’t get answers if you’re dead or whatever.”
“Katie,” I muttered. “Look, I promise, I will answer all of your questions. Very soon. But right now, I have some big shit I still need to sort out. Nothing dangerous, but there’s responsibilities I have.”
“Right, of course,” Katie said, and I could almost see her nodding her head. “I’ll call you tomo–”
“I love you, Katie,” I interrupted and hung up the phone before she could drag me into a longer conversation.
I switched the phone to silent and jammed it back into my pocket.
Dinah flung her arms around me and hugged me so tightly, I could feel the relief rolling off her body in waves.
“Michael,” Dinah breathed, and she looked up at me with amazement in her red-brown eyes. “You are amazing. You save many lives today.”
I smiled down at the beautiful black-haired woman, and I felt love rushing out of every pore in my body. We’d faced terrible danger today, and we weren’t even close to the end of all this, so what was I waiting for?
“I love you,” I said before I could talk myself out of telling her at last.
Dinah’s mouth dropped open for a second, and she looked at me with shock. Then a huge, joyful smile spread across her face, and her eyes filled with tears.
“I love you,” Dinah murmured, and she fell into my arms.
I wrapped my arms around the wife who’d come so unexpectedly into my life, and I was bombarded by a flurry of what lay ahead of me.
Helena and I were to be married very soon, Dinah might already be pregnant with my child, and I had a lot to look forward to in getting to know Ivis, Rae, and Gemma.
“Gemma,” I murmured, and I turned to find the mermaid who was speaking with her brother.
“Your majesty,” Gemma said. “Is there more I can do for you?”
“I wanted to say thank you,” I said as I walked over to stand beside the blue-haired beauty. “I’m sure I’ll get more details as the insanity of today wears down, but I know you were probably a huge part of our victory today.”
“I simply did my duty, your majesty,” Gemma said in a humble way. “You were the cause of our victory.”
“I also have a task for you, or perhaps some of your soldiers,” I said as an idea came to me.”
“What can I do, your majesty?” Gemma asked.
“Have someone track the Kraken’s movements,” I said. “Find out where it was going. I have reason to be concerned about the North Atlantic waters, and you mentioned he fled northward…”
“Yes, your majesty,” Gemma said, and she lingered for a moment. “I would also like to formally invite you to our city, if I may. We have space to handle the lost and confused victims of Rhaiden, and I’ve sent my soldiers out to help bring our people home.”
“Good,” I said. “I was already thinking about doing something like that, and since so many of them are ocean paranormals, it makes the most sense to have that run from a mercity.”
“So you will visit, then?” Gemma asked, and there was a tiny touch of hope in her voice.
“I look forward to it,” I assured her. “Coordinate the details with Nyxx, please. For now, I have members of my advisory staff already looking into several issues, and I have to check on my subjects.”
“Yes, your majesty,” Gemma said, and she nodded her head in a respectful way. “I look forward to seeing you again soon.”
“So do I,” I murmured.
Gemma walked out into the ocean until she was deep enough to dip under the water, and she swam a short distance. Then a magnificent tail with shimmering blue scales splashed out of the water, and she was gone from sight.
“Holy shit,” I mumbled.
There was too much to do to sit around daydreaming about the enticing mermaid, though, and I turned my thoughts to the issues that remained.
Rhaiden’s ominous threat about his powerful friends couldn’t be ignored. I knew I had the resources to discover to what extent this was true, and now with all of his victims free, they might be able to fill in some of the missing information we couldn’t dig up ourselves. Besides, I had somewhere to begin my search, and I thought about the mercity in the North Atlantic that Nyxx had mentioned.
The goddess said my reign would be filled with peace and prosperity, but I knew we weren’t there just yet. I also had potentially thousands of lost and mentally tormented subjects to help now thanks to Rhaiden, and I would help them in any way I could. I suspected there were quite a few hardships left between right now and a time of lasting peace.
I was ready, though, and I trusted not only myself now, but the goddess, too.
I was ready for whatever Rhaiden’s shithead co-conspirators could throw at me, and I smirked as I gazed out at the stormy horizon.
This was my kingdom.
And I would do all I could to protect it.
End of Book 4
Cast of Characters
Abby: Human Samantha Ayer’s partner. Brown hair. Brown Eyes. Runs a dance school for kids.
Achilles: Fae The famed Achilles of Greek Legend. 2000 years old. Long gray hair and beard. Pale blue eyes. Translucent wings.
Alexander: Gorgon Deceased. Leader of the Machités gia tin Elefthería. White-and-red snakes. Gray eyes. Possessed the power to turn creatures to stone.
Amy Ayers: Human Michael’s mother. Brown hair. Hazel eyes. Dentist.
Artemis: High fae Convenience store clerk. Neon green hair. Vine tattoos. No wings.
Birch: High fae Valet triplet. Bright green hair. Brown eyes. Dragonfly wings.
Calliope: High fae Lord River’s daughter. Light-brown hair. Green eyes. No wings.
Claude: Vampire Lady Vivianne’s progeny. Jet black hair. Shiny green eyes.
Cove: High fae Advisor to the king. Long, light-blue hair. No wings.
Dinah: Aswang Hepe Kendi’s daughter. Filipino. Long black hair. Red-brown eyes. Round face, full figure.
Doris: Merfolk Housekeeper of the house on Vaeletta Island. Seafoam-green hair. Golden-yellow eyes. Seafoam-green scales.
Emily Williams: Human Michael’s second-oldest sister. Black hair. Bright blue eyes. Calculus professor at UCLA.
Ena: Shadow Nymph Royal guard.
Eva & Ellie: Gorgon Mrs. Baros’ daughters. Blue snakes. Blue eyes. Possess the power to turn creatures to stone.
Finch: High fae Poppy’s father. Dark blue hair. Purple eyes. Bumblebee wings.
Firo: Dragon-folk Head of royal security. Orange-and-blue streaked hair. Slitted eyes. Seven feet tall.
Flint: High fae Poppy’s brother. Wavy, shoulder-length, vivid blue hair. Purple eyes like his sister’s. Bumblebee wings.
Gabe: High fae Rune’s assistant advisor. White hair. Bright green eyes. Dragonfly wings.
Garrett: Werewolf Royal chauffeur and bodyguard. Thick brown hair. Elongated canines.
Gemmaline “Gemma”: Merfolk Lord Finn’s sister and commander in the merfolk armies. Aquamarine hair with curtain bangs. Magenta eyes. Indigo scales around her eyes and wrists.
Gerald: Gnome Head chef of the king. Light-brown hair with a man bun. Four feet tall. Possesses the power to taste lies.
Goddess Raeva: Celestial Creator of all paranormal beings. Source of all magic in the world. Conducts the royal lottery.
Hepe Kendi: Aswang Chief of Bahay Island. Filipino. Long black hair. Red-brown eyes. Large diagonal scar on his chest. Possesses the power to subdue ocean waves and transform into having large bat wings.
Iris: High fae Poppy’s mother. Dark teal hair. Bright green eyes. Iridescent Tinkerbell wings.
Isla: Witch Head housekeeper of the king. Gray hair. Short and round.
Ivis: Half-dryad, half-high fae King Roman’s niece. Green skin. Wavy, dark green hair with oak leaves. Brown eyes.
Jake Roberts: Human Katie’s husband. Sandy hair. Brown eyes. Works in IT.
James: Siren Lady Helena’s driver. White hair. Gray eyes.
Jessica Price: Human Michael’s oldest sister. Dark brown hair. Blue eyes. Runs a clothing company where Michael used to work.
Jet: Shadow Nymph Royal guard.
John Ayers: Human Michael’s father. Salt-and-pepper hair. Blue eyes. Professor of microbiology at UCF (retired).
Kage: Shadow Nymph Royal guard.
Katie Roberts: Human Michael’s closest-in-age sister. Medium brown hair. Hazel eyes. Kindergarten teacher.
King Roman: Dryad Deceased. Former King of the Eternal Realm.
King Vairn: Vampire Deceased. Former King of the Eternal Realm before Michael’s reign.
Kol: Witch Royal finance manager. Gray comb-over. Steely gray eyes.
Kyle: Werewolf Drunken guest at the royal wedding. Shaggy blond hair. Brown eyes. Tall and burly.
Lady Berra: Harpy Deceased. Representative of the South Asian harpies. Auburn hair. Charcoal gray eyes. Ashy gray-feathered wings.
Lady Ellia: Celestial Ears, eyes, and voice of the Goddess. Golden-blonde hair. Soft blue eyes. Glows with sunlight.
Lady Helena: Harpy Representative of the Grecian harpies. Chocolate-brown hair. Caramel eyes. Tawny-feathered wings.
Lady Lo Vampire Representative of Southeastern United States Vampires. Replaced Lady Vivianne. Brown hair. Shiny brown eyes. Plump figure.
Lady Rain: Merfolk Representative of the North Atlantic merfolk. Replaced Lord Crane when he was removed from the position.
Lady Shay: Gnome Representative of the New England gnomes. Thick auburn hair. Golden-brown eyes. Three feet tall.
Lady Tansea: Dryad King Roman’s sister and Ivis’ mother. Dark green oaks leaves. Brown eyes. Nearly seven feet tall.
Lady Taylee: Dryad Representative of the North Carolina dryads. Green leaves. Brown eyes. White and pink magnolia blossoms.
Lady Vivianne: Vampire Deceased. Representative of the South United States vampires. Obsidian-black hair. Dark gray eyes.
Lady Windy: Cyclops Representative of the Canadian cyclopes. Short, dark brown hair. One blue eye. Almost seven feet tall.
Lord Alan: Werewolf Representative of the Southeast United States werewolves. Curly, dark brown hair. Blue eyes. Elongated canines.
Lord Atlas: Merfolk Representative of the Grecian merfolk. Chin length, white hair. Deep blue eyes. Light-yellow scales.
Lord Crane: Merfolk Former representative of the North Atlantic merfolk. Stark white hair. Dark green eyes. Barrel chested.
Lord Finn: Merfolk Representative of the Atlantic Ocean merfolk. Shoulder length, ice-blue hair. Deep blue eyes.
Lord Griff: Harpy Representative of the South Asian Harpies. Replaced Lady Berra. Long brown ponytail. Dark brown eyes. Barrel-chested.
Lord Larry: Witch Representative of the American West Coast Witches. Short, curly brown hair. Brown eyes.
Lord Oba: Harpy Representative of the Grecian harpies. Balding, gray hair. Blue eyes. Light gray-feathered wings.
Lord River: High fae Representative of the European fae. Silver hair. Green eyes. No wings.
Lord Trent: Sea nymph Representative of the North Atlantic sea nymphs. Blue body that can turn into liquid form.
Lord Virgil: Dryad Representative of the Canadian dryads. Dark green, mossy hair. Light-brown eyes. Thick and broad like a redwood.
Maggie: Merfolk Vaeletta Island staff. Short, curly, olive-green hair. Dark green eyes. Muted olive-green scales.
Margot & Shannon: Human Friends of Michael’s sister Katie.
Matis: High fae Valet triplet. Bright pink hair. Silver eyes. Dragonfly wings. Has a passion for boxing.
Michael Ayers: Human King of the Eternal Realm. Short black hair. Bright blue eyes.
Mrs. Baros: Gorgon Lady Helena’s housekeeper. Dark blue snakes. Blue eyes. Possesses the power to turn creatures to stone.
Nira: Shadow Nymph Member of the Grecian reserve guards. Short and petite.
Nymerial: Fawn-fae Kitchen maid. Deer ears, tail, and nose. Brown hair. Wide brown eyes.
Nyxx: Shadow Nymph Commander in the Royal Guard.
Ophelia: Siren Owner of The Odyssey Club.
Pansy: Sprite Garden worker. Bright peacock-blue hair, feathers, and eyes. Three inches tall. Hummingbird wings.
Peter & Philip: Centaur Twin chariot race champions. Peter has dark brown hair. Philip has golden-brown hair.
