Endless Shores (The Ageless Series Book 2) Read online

  Endless Shores

  By

  M.R. Polish

  Copyright © 2014 by M.R. Polish

  Cover created by Jenny Laatsch

  Editing by Bonnie Paulson, Holly Holdcroft, Tammy Crawford

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any names, places, characters, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination and are purely fictitious. Any resemblances to any persons, living or dead, are completely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Timeless Tides Preview

  Other books by M.R. Polish

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Peeking through the hotel curtains, the glow of the rising sun just began to break through the inky sky.

  But the sunrise didn’t have the same feeling. No, this morning Karis felt the weight of the worlds lying heavily on her shoulders as she watched the sun make its debut to the new day. The early light only reminded her it was one more day where her people, and so many others, were forced to live under the reign of Marin. The air conditioner kicked on, creating goosebumps on her bare arms.

  It was just days ago that she fought against Coron and ended his tyranny. Embedded in her mind was the image of his last moments. She’d never killed before, and while it was justified, knowing his life ended at her hands ripped at her heart. With that kind of guilt, it wasn’t hard for her mind to play with her—trick her even. Was she the right person to lead her people to war?

  Snoring from the bed brought her thoughts back to the present. Glancing over her shoulder, Brady slept, entangled in the crisp white sheets on the bed they shared all night. She smiled as she let her gaze linger on his bare chest, watching the steady rise and fall. Not a bad sight to wake up to. She laughed internally. He wasn’t a bad thing to fall asleep next to, either.

  The vivid memory of seeing him in his natural element last night flashed before her. Being a fighter for the underground circuit fit him well.

  She smiled as she recalled how he not only won, but also came out with barely any battle wounds. The fight had wore him out, but not so much that he didn’t show her the love he felt before crashing into a hard sleep. She blushed at the memory. Last night wasn’t their first time, but it was the first time after seeing a glimpse into his life. Well, the life he lived before he found out he was immortal.

  The fight was invigorating, but it also racked her nerves. She loved seeing him in that element and knew that he was well trained, but the feminine side of her hated seeing the brutality of it all.

  She tiptoed closer to the bed. She wanted to touch him, to feel his skin under her fingertips. Mostly, she wanted to heal him. He only had a few scrapes and bruises, but those marred her vision of his perfection.

  Instead, she stopped and let her eyes trail the sparkling green Syrenae tattoo that ran down his torso and all the way up his neck. Involuntarily, she reached up to touch her own pink swirls hidden under the large t-shirt she borrowed from Brady to sleep in. Still ravaging his bare chest with her eyes, she roamed down to his right arm where the tribal tattoo covered most of his skin there. He wasn’t aware when he got it, that it was his destined mark as an Aridam warrior. The matching one under her skin from their bond warmed and she smiled.

  She never thought she’d be connected with someone the way she did with Brady. Being alone on an island for so long doused any hope she had at having a normal life—let alone love. With only one soul mate to share a life with, she was glad it was him. He completed her. He saved her from loneliness and gave her a real reason to live again.

  He stirred and shifted his body so he lay on his side. Fluttering his eyes, he opened them. “Well, good morning beautiful. I must still be dreaming because nothing should look that good this early.”

  “Oh really?” Karis asked as she sauntered the rest of the way to the bed, swinging her hips noticeably. Teasing Brady was in all honesty teasing herself, but it was worth it.

  Half of his mouth curved and lifted into a smile. A smile she knew was only for her. “Why don’t you come over here and make sure I’m awake.”

  A loud knock on the door stopped Karis from proceeding farther.

  “What the…” Brady trailed off as he threw the blankets to one side of the bed, but he was too slow. Karis was at the door, cracking it enough for Azul to push it open.

  “I can’t do this. That woman is insufferable!” Azul roared as he marched past Karis into the room. His long brown hair swung down his back in a braid with each step he took.

  Brady flung the blankets back over his nearly naked body. “Seriously? This is not the wake-up call I asked for.”

  Karis threw her arms in the air. “Excuse me. Don’t you have your own room?”

  Before the door could shut, Atty pushed past Karis, sweeping herself into the room. “Listen, Sunshine, if I could make Captain of the Pirates here understand how this world works, I wouldn’t have to intrude.” She winked at Brady. “Hey, Precious, it’s about time you got up anyway. The sun is beating you to the day.” Her brown hair was up in a messy bun. She no longer donned her work uniform, but instead traded the kakis for tight jeans and a loose, flowing shirt. And boots. But not the girly kind, no, she had on black combat boots. Karis nearly chuckled at the sight.

  Brady grumbled. “That’s the point. No one in their right mind wants to beat the sun up. Except for you and… what did you call Azul? Captain of the Pirates?”

  Karis didn’t try to stifle the small laugh this time. Azul did remind her of the old time pirates with his long hair and attitude that the world was his, he just had to take it. But, Brady referenced him to another pirate before, so she was certain there was more to his looks than she knew. Now, it appeared that Atty must have the same idea.

  The thought that those two shared a common knowledge, something she couldn’t understand because she was banished on an island for nearly a hundred years, pulled at her. She didn’t want to be jealous, and she knew Brady was hers, but that bugged her.

  Azul pointed at Brady. “You watch it.”

  Brady raised his hands. “Hey, I was just repeating what I heard. You came into my room, remember?”

  “Can someone please tell me what is going on?” Karis interrupted.

  “She’s impossible!” Azul said as he gestured toward Atty. “There’s no way we’re bringing her.”

  Atty planted a hand on her hip, thrusting it out and twirling around to meet his glare. “So funny because without me you wouldn’t have a clue were to go next. So who really needs who here?”

  Karis stepped between them. “Okay. Let’s just calm down. What exactly is going on?”

  “She’s not even sure she knows
where she’s going. She only has a guess.” Azul threw his arms in the air.

  “Well, we only had an idea when we came here for her, and we got it right the first time. Maybe it can happen again,” Karis said with a shrug.

  “Sure, just like a woman to take her side. Brady, you can understand my frustration, can’t you?” Azul looked at Brady who held the duvet up over his torso.

  Brady’s eyes widened. “Don’t bring me into this. I’m staying out of it.”

  “So what? You can fight some guy in a hidden underground circuit but you’re afraid of a couple of girls?” Azul smirked. “I always pegged you for a coward.”

  “Watch it, or you’ll be the next guy I beat up.” Brady glowered at Azul. “I’m not afraid of the ladies, but rather I know when not to interfere. I call it common sense. I know it’s a super power you might not have been born with, but trust me, arguing with a woman who has her mind made up is a lost cause.”

  Both Karis and Atty cast doubtful gazes at Brady. “Exactly whose butt are you trying to kiss?” Atty asked.

  Brady hung his head and groaned, then looked at Azul. “See what you started?”

  Karis waved her hands. “Wait. Just everyone wait for a moment. I think we’re all a little too wound up to be having any conversation. Why don’t we get freshened up, possibly wake up a bit more, and then meet down in the lobby to have some breakfast. We can talk some after we’ve all eaten. Azul, you go tell Magnus what the plan is.”

  “At least you have a plan,” he mumbled under his breath as he compliantly ambled to the door. He stopped with his hand on the door handle, and then twisted to look at everyone one more time. He shook his head and grumbled something else as he left the room.

  Atty stood with her arms folded smugly across her chest. “I can’t believe that man. The nerve he has to think he’s in charge of this adventure.”

  “Actually, I’m in charge, so neither of you have anything to fight over,” Karis said as she walked back to the door and opened it. “We’ll see you at breakfast.” She smiled sweetly, so Atty knew she wasn’t upset with her, but inside her nerves shook. This wasn’t going to be as easy as she hoped back in Aridam.

  The door shut and Karis let out an audible sigh. “It’s like we’re babysitting a couple of kids.”

  Brady threw the covers off and joined her by the door. He rubbed her arms as he gazed into her eyes. “They’ll get along sometime. Just give them time. I’ve watched a hundred movies and if they taught me anything, it’s that two people will get along if thrown into the same situation long enough together. Or was it that they would kill each other? Hum. Now I can’t remember.”

  Karis playfully slugged his stomach. “Not funny, Brady. What if they’re like this the entire trip?”

  “Then we just endure it. We can’t have everything we want. If that was the case you’d be in bed with me.” He smiled at her.

  “Well, unfortunately we have a breakfast to get to. So I guess we’ll have to grant wishes later.” She rose on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek. His whiskers from not shaving in days tickled her sensitive lips.

  He wrapped an arm around her middle and pulled her close. “I’m going to hold you to that.” He dipped down and captured her mouth. “That was for the good morning kiss that was stolen by your ex.”

  She grinned. Her mind told her she should be getting ready, but her body refused to listen. “I might need you to do that again, just so I can understand what I missed.”

  Chapter Two

  The sun streaked through the windows of the lobby in yellow hues. Karis stared at the tiny particles floating on the rays.

  “Karis, are you paying attention?” Magnus asked as he poured another cup of coffee. He inhaled the deep aroma and sighed heavily. “I’m in heaven. This is just what I need.”

  Alexis grinned at her husband and shook her head, her long chestnut braid slipped over her shoulder.

  Karis smiled at them. “Yeah, I’m just thinking. We came here looking for others like us to help, but I don’t think we thought it out very well. I’m not saying we weren’t thinking, just that we need something more to go off of than to just find them and go back to fight. We need something more. We need…” she trailed off. She couldn’t place what it was they needed but it was on the tip of her tongue. She could taste it, feel it, but it was only teasing her.

  “We need an army. A real militia that the rulers of all the worlds can rely on,” Azul said over his steaming cup, finishing Karis’s sentence.

  He was right. That was it, but yet it wasn’t. There was still more. Ugh, why couldn’t she figure it out? “Shamike needs me, but you’re right, there are so many other worlds at stake here, and they need help too.” Karis slumped even more. Trying to save her world was already burdensome enough, adding others just made her load heavier. What was she going to do?

  “Precisely. That’s why we need Zeus and everyone else for that matter.” Atty stood up and walked to the coffee pot to refill her cup. “But don’t think for one minute that they are going to come to you. They’ve been hiding for years, and for good reasons. They aren’t going to just come out and show the world that they are still here. But, if we get Zeus, the rest will come. They still follow him.”

  “Even in secret?” Brady asked, leaning back in his seat. The brown faux leather on the chair squeaked as he moved.

  Atty nodded. “Even in secret.”

  “How?” Alexis asked, now leaning forward with her elbows on the small table.

  “What do you mean, how? He’s still like the big kahuna. Have you seen Zeus? I mean, I know you haven’t, but what about pictures, or statues? I’d follow that guy into war.” Atty returned to her seat nonchalantly. “I definitely wouldn’t tell him no if he asked me to.”

  Brady leaned forward, taking Karis’s hand. “I think Alexis means how is he still your leader if you’re all in hiding?”

  Atty’s eyes lit up. “Oh, that’s easy. You see, way back when we were gods, and people revered us, we had to make sure there was a way for us to be safe. We needed a way to communicate if we needed help. We had to stick together to survive. So,” she began rolling up her long sleeve, “Zeus gave us each one of these.”

  Karis leaned in to get a better look. “He gave you a tattoo?” The small swirl on Atty’s wrist reminded her of the swirls in her pendent and she involuntarily reached for it at her neck, but her fingers grazed bare skin.

  Atty laughed. “Sort of. We can’t find each other with them, but we are linked to each other. So, let’s say you all were linked together in the same way. If Brady died, then you all would feel him leave the link, or if Alexis were injured, you’d feel it. So you see, it gave us a way to know how everyone is doing.” She grew quiet.

  Azul placed a hand on her shoulder. “Have you had to feel the loss of anyone yet?”

  She gave him a faint smile. “Yes. Over the years, every now and then I’ve felt the others. I can accept the pain of an injury, but their deaths hurt. Even though we aren’t around each other anymore it doesn’t make it any less real.”

  “But, Zeus, he’s still alive, right?” Magnus asked.

  She nodded vigorously. “Oh yes. He’s alive, and that’s why I think we need to start with him. This link starts with him. So he has a way of pushing out messages with it. Except, he’s the only one who can do that. I think it’s something to do with the power he has and where he came from. Shamike is the most powerful world I know of, so it stands to reason.”

  “So here’s my take on the whole situation,” Azul started. “Marin, Karis’s cousin, is possessed with power, as was Coron, and Tharious. He has some sort of pull in Baratrum, although I’m not sure what that is yet, he also seems to be behind everything. He was behind Coron and his crazy ploy to get Karis, and he is behind Tharious and his sham of becoming king. I’m not sure just how far he is willing to go or how far his obsession will take him. Is it only Shamike? Or does he want the other worlds?” He let out a deep breath and shook his
head.

  “Maybe it’s not him? What if there is someone who’s behind him?” Magnus asked.

  Karis slapped a hand on the table. “This is ridiculous. Just who is behind this? How deep does this go? My father lost his life, and so many in Shamike are now in hiding, not to mention the war it has started between worlds.”

  Brady stood up and placed his hands on her shoulders, massaging them. “It’s okay. We’re going to figure it out. That’s why we’re here, remember? We found Atty. That’s a huge step in the right direction.”

  “I hate saying it, but he’s right,” Azul said. “And Magnus has a good thought. What if it’s not Marin? I know you don’t want to hear it, but what if it’s Tarine? It would be a great disguise. He can come and go as he pleases in the castle, and he’s been there since day one. Think about it.”

  “No,” Karis said, shaking her head. “Tarine would never do that. What you’re saying is blasphemous.”

  Azul held his hands up. “Okay, fine.”

  Atty furrowed her brow. “Karis, you’re the Queen, we all know that and respect you as such, but right now you have to be open to all of our ideas. Even the ones you hate.”

  Karis touched Brady’s hands, stopping his thumbs from making small circles. “I understand that. I just don’t have room for error right now, so chasing after a theory doesn’t settle well with me.”

  “Then let’s make it not a theory. Let’s find the truth and go from there,” Atty said. She glanced at Azul. “What else do you know?”

  He shrugged. “Well, that’s about it, so I guess we’re back at step one.”

  Atty slapped her knee. “Okay, well then, here’s how I see the truth. The one we need to focus on is Marin, until we learn otherwise, he’s the one we know is behind everything. We also know that we need Zeus and the others to go fight with us. Your small army that waits for you back in Aridam is poorly trained, and I can only imagine a bunch of men with pitchforks and torches. That’s not going to matter much when we march against the gates of Baratrum.”

  Magnus and Brady both spit out their coffee. “Charge the gates of Baratrum? Did I hear you right?” Magnus asked.