Achelion, Capital of the Elba Sector, Realm of the Dark...

The muffled music playing in the background of the chattering that was happening around her alerted Sienna that the night had officially begun as she got off her car and made her way down the wet street. The weather was getting warmer but it wasn't enough to wear light clothing. The thigh-length silver pansky fur coat left a lot of males turning her way wondering what she had underneath. Unlike in the Human Realm where fur was either made synthetically or taken from animals, pansky fur came from a panselia tree bark that shed it from its bark. The older the panselia tree was, the silvery the fur and the better quality it was so Sienna knew it wasn't only because of her exposed sexy legs but also because she looked expensive.

It was a Friday night and everyone was looking for the best place to start off the weekend. Though Elba was the smallest sector found in the Realm of the Dark, it had a very lively population. For one, it was at the borders like the Cardinia sector so there was a lot of trade between the Realm of the Dark and the Realm of Spells. That made it also the third richest sector after Cardinia which was the industrial and trade sector of the realm and Suran which was the administrative district. Elba had two districts; Pont Noir, where Achelion was located, and Gild.

Many took to the central street of Achelion that evening because that was where all the best spots were found. One specific place that Sienna had her eyes on was the Jack Wyatt's which happened to be one of the most expensive and exclusive, entrance-by-invitation-only lounges. The lounge had a list of members who paid absurd amounts of money to keep their membership and these were the ones Sienna was after. One thing she learned was that the rich always got bored with what they had and were constantly looking for something new. It wasn't just any club. It was for the rich and Sienna had seen a Noble or two flocking in it, looking for entertainment. She had seen several of her clients as well and that was the best place to collect information about pushers and any underground auctions that were going to happen.

Sienna had an exclusive invitation from one of her many exclusive clients that evening. All she had to do was hang on his crook like an accessory, go around the private party being introduced to his associates and keep the smile plastered on her lips while he sold his ideas to them. It was not the first time she had been asked for such a thing but it was the first time she thoroughly enjoyed herself doing it. So far, he was the best paying client she had and he had several good jobs that he got her doing. So far, all the jobs that he gave her were clean which brought about the question of trust. She got him several items and had to lie about her means of acquiring them because she had yet to understand what he was about.

Sienna smiled sweetly at the guard at the door of the lounge and flashed her golden card. The guard smiled back at her because she knew he was familiar with her and scanned the card. When it beeped, he gave her a short nod before he unhooked the velvet black rope that was keeping uninvited guests out and allowed her to pass. The warmth inside the lounge rushed across Sienna's face and warmed her up as she shed her coat and handed it to the valet who gave her another card.

She swept her curly hair from her face and turned around smiling innocently at the looks of approval she was getting from the males. The dress she chose was fit for the occasion because one of the roles she had to play that evening was her client's magnet to prospecting investors. The short silver dress hugged all the right places with a slit at the back that stopped just below her butt where her waterfall of hair tumbled to. She had matching shoes and matched them with crystal earrings and a bracelet encrusted in nalitone. She also gave a silent prayer to thank the Heavens for her half-Nymph side which only enhanced the allure she had on people. Anyone who saw her for the first time would imagine her part of the Nobles or some rich family she wasn't and she didn't want to be. She knew of all the filth that went around that inner circle and didn't want to be part of it. She just wanted to get paid and hurl tail out of there!

Suddenly an arm went around her waist and she felt the thick and hard chest against hers as the person placed a kiss on her temple. "You look amazing tonight, Sienna." The raspy voice came through and Sienna's lips broke into a grin as she turned to her host, pushing herself closer to him.

"Glad you like the choice of my dress, Ruiz. If I remember correctly, you paid for it." She accepted the champagne flute that he handed her and sipped the bubbly liquid heaven into her mouth. It tasted divine and she knew it was the good stuff with the ridiculous price tags.

Ruiz's eyes glittered with interest as they hungrily roamed around her face and body. He was one person Sienna had known to never hide what he felt. She had known him for about a year thanks to her previous client and she could tell it was sparks from the moment they laid their eyes on each other. Normally, she was never romantically involved with a client because of her nature. She avoided any physical contact with them, not wanting them to obsess over her and the moment she felt that she was alluring her client with her Nymph side, she retreated and worked away from the client until her job was done. However, the moment she met Ruiz, it was different because she felt that he was the one alluring her to him. It was in the way he treated her, the way he spoke to her, and the way to took care of her. He never demanded what he knew she couldn't provide and was always patient with her.

He made her want to settle down with him not to mention that he was filthy rich. It meant she wasn't going to have any money troubles in her life. He had never asked if she wanted to be his but Ruiz was a male of very few words and many actions. She read his actions and knew he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

"I guess I have great taste then." He assured her and then asked. "Did you pass by to see Hert before coming here?"

Sienna didn't understand why he could touch her and not feel the effects of her Nymph. There were a few people who could somehow resist the hypnotic charms of a Nymph and even fewer Jinns. Ruiz was a pure-blood Jinn but he was genuinely smitten by her without the need for her to command him. She knew this because he never turned obsessive and possessive and attempted self-harm when he so much as saw her speaking to another male.

"I never got to see him but he left this for me to give you." She removed the white envelope from her clutch bag and showed it to him. She had met up with Hert earlier that day and the male was in a hurry to get somewhere. All he did was hand the envelope to Sienna and scribbled down the details for her next job before he left.

Ruiz was clean and he thought Sienna worked as a legal broker but she had to lie to him because she knew in the near future she was leaving that place for good and she wasn't going to see him again. Her heart twisted in her ribs when she thought about it but she had no choice.

The truth was that Sienna was a pusher; yes, one of those petty smugglers who greedily did whatever they could to make a profit in the artifact sector. She tracked down rare items for her clients and bought them from the black market and underground auctions for them. It was funny how oblivious some of her clients were, thinking that they could acquire the absurd items legally but some of them knew just how she got them. They had to sign a contract where, if they were caught with the items, they would not mention her. She had never been caught but at that moment she felt as if her identity was dwindling on the cliff. It was only a matter of time until the army caught up with her. Someone in the sector was tracking down the pushers and the pushers seemed to have disappeared from the radar.

Sienna knew of two pushers she shared clients with who just vanished into thin air.

Ruiz took the envelope from her as his thick dark eyebrows came down in a frown. Sienna loved the way his expressions always played around his face. No doubt that he was one of the most attractive males she had seen and--she looked around her and saw how the females stole glimpses of him--he was quite popular among the ladies. Sienna found herself curling her arm around his crook and holding him close. She didn't like to share.

Ruiz looked down at her and smiled before leaning down and placing a kiss on her lips. "My little attention seeker." He teased her, his molten gold eyes sparkling suggestively at her as the long and thick black braid curled around his shoulders writhed softly. An interesting and intrinsic pattern of braids intertwined on either side of his temples and converged towards the larger center braid in the middle before it was woven down and tied together by a series of black bands. Most Jinn males kept their hair that way but females styled it more or like her--left it loosely around her.

One thing she learned was that the Jinns' hair grew exceptionally faster than anything else. She had to constantly trim it because she loved leaving it loose but it always reached below her butt. Unlike the pure-blood Jinns, however, her hair did not react to her emotions and her Jinn tattoos only showed up on her skin when she was experiencing an extremely emotional moment such as pain. She was more of a Nymph than she was a Jinn.

She just shrugged and grinned up at him.

"Hert left you this?" Ruiz frowned in confusion as he read the letter. "Why didn't he tell me anything?"

"I thought you knew." Sienna looked up at him, the grin on her face dissolving.

The moment she received that letter from Hert, Ruiz's business partner, there was something deep in her gut that told her something was wrong. Hert wasn't the male to communicate something without physically being there. He was such a perfectionist that Sienna felt if he was competent to do everything he would do it himself according to his standards...so him writing a letter to explain what Ruiz had to do when he met their clients that evening didn't make sense.

"I didn't." Ruiz reached for his phone and tried to call Hert but his phone was offline.

Sienna saw the way Ruiz's tattoos slid restlessly around his neck under his tux and knew something was terribly wrong.

"Something must have happened. Did he tell you about the item we were interested in?" Ruiz asked as he dialed Hert's number again.

"He gave me coordinates and told me to go here tomorrow night. He told me the seller will meet me at this place tomorrow."

"That's our shipment area." Ruiz looked at the coordinates and sighed. "This is not like him at all and the last time he did something like this, he put us in a lot of mess that took years to clean." He gritted his teeth as his tattoos wailed softly and his braid writhed again on his shoulders. "We had to earn the King's favor all over again and now--now he wants to ruin that."

Sienna could see that Ruiz was agitated that evening and she knew she had no choice but to stick around the whole night, making sure that he was able to talk to his clients. Ruiz and Hert collected rare items from across the lands including the Human Realms. They were collectors but also owned the largest historical archives studio in the Realm of the Dark. They were funded by the King himself to keep the archives functioning and Sienna heard that some of the pieces were actually donated by the King and were for private viewing purposes.

"I doubt that Hert would repeat his mistakes again."

"But that's the thing..." Ruiz growled as his eyes darkened. "He never learns from his mistakes--would you excuse me for a minute?"

Before Sienna could say anything, Ruiz brushed passed her towards a group of males chatting idly together.

Sienna sigh softly to herself as she finished her drink and reached for another flute from the passing waitress.

So much for an exciting night, she thought softly to herself. She shouldn't have shown Ruiz that letter until the end of the night. She was sure she just ruined his concentration because he would be too worried about what Hert was up to.

She looked down at the coordinates that Hert gave her and she didn't want to let Ruiz down so she made a mental note to arrive early tomorrow for the pick-up. She moved to the buffet where the tables were laid with all sorts of food. Two females were standing nearby chattering to themselves and when Sienna approached, they gave her smiles that didn't even reach their eyes before they stepped aside, giving her space to get food. She wasn't there to make friends, she was there to make money so she really didn't care what people thought of her. She wasn't going to be there long enough for people to try and catch up with her. As she reached for a plate and started placing food on it, she caught the sudden intrusion of what looked like army warriors.

From the way people gasped and moved aside Sienna knew it was trouble. She took a quick scan across the room and her eyes widened in shock. Not only were a few Royal Jinn warriors making their way inside but also some Royal Mage warriors. She could tell them apart from the uniforms and had seen them around the border during some of her dealings.

What leached the color from her face was the fact that she identified the Royal Jinn commander standing in front of his troop. It was Seygon and he was far from home. The Suran Sector was down south. She knew him because it was her business to know who to stay away from in her line of work.

She could tell that he stood near the Royal Mage commander because of his attire but she did not know him. However, there was something about him that screamed that he had nothing to lose. It could have been the resolve in his dark eyes as he looked around slowly or the way that he walked that blared power and brutality. She knew for a fact that she didn't want to get caught by him if there ever came a day that her cover was blown.

The fluidity that he walked with reminded her of a beast on the hunt. He was a tall male but he didn't pack enough muscle mass to tell her that he was a beast--but that didn't mean he couldn't take care of business. He was a commander for a reason.

His thick hair was disheveled on his head as if he had just woken up but he was alert. Heat coiled in her stomach as she drank the male in. There was something captivating about him and any other day, Sienna wouldn't have minded a tumble in the sheets with him. Her wishful thinking was devastatingly cut short when he turned in her direction and she ducked into the mass of people avoiding making any eye contact with him.

She could tell they were searching for someone from the way they moved around cautiously taking every face in. Those were exceptional individuals who stood on top among the best. They were hand-selected by the King himself so she knew if they set out to find someone, it would not be long until they found them, dead or alive. What made her worry was if they knew about her. She didn't want to stick around and find out so she quickly made her way to the back of the lounge where the buzzing of gossip was.

"Isn't that the Mage commander Feror? What is he doing here?" Sienna heard someone ask and swallowed hard.

Sienna heard from the other pushers about how commander Feror was rummaging through the pusher groups looking for an unidentified artifact. Could that be the reason why he was at that party? Did he find out that she was a pusher and wanted her to interrogate her? She heard his means of interrogation could drive any sane person delirious with pain. Her heart clapped loudly in her chest and her skin crawled as she pushed further away from him.

She needed to flee!

"Sienna!" Ruiz suddenly called out for her and when she turned around, she saw him making his way toward her, concern masking his face.

"Uhm--Ruiz, I need to go. I have somewhere to be." She assured him when he got close to her and laced his fingers with hers, pulling her close and then placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Why? Is it because of the warriors? They were sent by the King. A precious artifact went missing from the black fortress a few nights ago and they came here to see if we can help. I wanted to introduce you to the commanders because I think if there is anyone who can find it, it is you--Sienna. Not only are you the best broker but you can find anything if you put your mind to it."

Well, it was true. Sienna had a track record of always delivering what she promised. Unfortunately, she couldn't meet with the commanders because she didn't know what they knew about her and she wasn't taking chances. For all she knew, that could be a trap to catch her finally.

Sienna pried her hand from his. "I can't tonight, Ruiz. I am sorry. I--I need to go." Her throat felt as if it were closing when she saw the commanders converging towards them. The expressions on their faces meant business and she had a gut instinct that she shouldn't be there when they got close. "I'll call you later. Bye." She slipped around the people and scurried towards the door before disappearing.

"Sienna!" Ruiz called to her but she was long gone.

Feror watched as the female Ruiz was talking to slipped from him and made her way out. He frowned when she disappeared. She was a petite female with long hair tumbling down her back in shiny curls. The dress she wore was a show-stopper and he wasn't surprised that she had caught the attention of most of the males in that place. She was well curved in the right places and Feror wasn't ashamed to appreciate the sight of her.

She looked exquisite and forbidden, the kind of female that would get a male in trouble just by staring at her. If she was in that lounge with all those people who had nothing better to do with their money other than to find idle entertainment then she was definitely a somebody. He could tell she was Jinn female because he saw the pattern on her tattoos on her bare arms. Another thing he was sure of was that there was something going on between her and Ruiz because of the way he touched her and kissed her cheek.

Sienna...was a pretty name for a female with something to hide. The sudden spurt of her mouthwatering scent told Feror that he and Seygon scared her away for some reason. She smelled of honey and iris; a very calm and soothing scent that was completely different from her personality.

One side of Feror's mouth quirked up in a knowing smile as he turned to Ruiz. "It seems we just ruined your night, Ruiz."

Ruiz sighed and shrugged. "Whatever she has to run to must be important because it's not like Sienna to turn away a job. She is the best artifact tracker and broker I know. She came highly recommended by very influential people in this Realm."

Feror's eyebrows snapped up in surprise that, that little thing was the broker Ruiz told them about earlier the day when the Dark King proposed that they go and talk to Ruiz. He and his partner, Hert, were the founders of the Dark Realm's Artifact Archives and they had records and details about all the artifacts they owned and the ones with private collectors in case somehow the particular artifact came to their attention. Though Feror didn't know exactly what the Dark King lost because he refused to mention it in case they were ambushed and had their minds broken by a sorcerer for the information, he was assured that the Lord Mage was working to locate it using the late king Gregor's guidance. Once they knew where it was, they would send him the coordinates.

It made sense why she would be in that private event. If she was as good and as highly recommended as Ruiz had stated then she must be highly sought after because there were all sorts of things the rich wanted to collect.

"She also happens to be your girlfriend." Feror mused with what he felt was a little--tiny bitsy disappointment.

A smile lingered on Ruiz's lips. "I was planning on making her more than that tonight..." he said wistfully then quickly added "and it has nothing to do with her Nymph half."

"She's a nymph?" And there Feror thought he was being ambitious by fooling around with a Phoenix--a very angry Phoenix at the moment because he tried to break it off with her and it only earned him time at the naughty corner.

Her only reply to him was the sweet sting of her hand on his cheek as she slapped his senses back in place and bruised his ears with a string of colorful curses. He had never seen her that mad but Londyn was so upset that her entire body ignited in a pale green liquid flame. Somehow he expected her to understand their arrangement but who was he kidding, whether he liked it or not, he still needed Londyn very much.

Feror had the blisters to show because she ignited right on the bed while still under him. He was frustrated that he had to leave her in the state that she was because he suddenly received a call to return to the Mage Fortress as soon as possible. When he got there, he was surprised to find the Realm of the Dark's second in command, Zafrina meeting with the Lord Mage and Ruvin. The female was a force to reckon with and by the look on her face when he entered, he was sure she wasn't impressed by him. That did something to his ego and he wanted to remind her that he was the reason why the Dark King wasn't completely lost to the Dark Energy because Feror saved his mate from the thyest arrow that would have pierced her heart and killed her but he just clamped his mouth shut and turned his attention to his King.

'The Black fortress was broken into a few nights ago and a very important artifact has gone missing.' Zafrina had announced.

'What was stolen, his dick?' Ruvin smirked and Zafrina's tattoos hissed and solidified, warning the lycan to respect her king.

'For the safety of the tracker and the artifact, it's better left unmentioned.' Zafrina explained.

'Since you are still looking for the remaining pieces of the map to the Light Sword and you told me that the person who has them has made their way to the Realm of the Dark, I want you to add the Dark King's artifact in your list of lost and found.′ The Lord Mage had told Feror.

'The fuck I would. He has a whole horde of warriors to do that. Besides, the last time we were in that Heavens' forsaken Realm, he threatened to carve our heads off and send them to you.′ Feror tried to object because he didn't want to deal with the Dark King. From the moment he discovered that he was dying thanks to the thyest arrow, he held Rhol responsible for it, and loathing coagulated in his veins because of him.

'It's a command, Feror.' The Lord Mage left no space for arguments. 'With Gregor's guidance, I will be able to give you the coordinates of where it is.'

'The Dark King is responsible for what is happening to me!' Feror gritted his teeth.

'And who told you to play hero?' The Lord Mage shot back.

'The Dark Queen would have died if I hadn't acted the way I did...' and now I am paying for it with my life. The irony of the situation wasn't even funny. Feror thought that knowing that he was dying would have made it better but as reality dawned on him, he realized it was unfair on so many levels that he got to die.

The office went quiet for what felt like an eternity before the Lord Mage's voice softly broke through, the severity of it making Feror's heart twist painfully in his chest.

'And I am forever indebted to you, Feror.' Feror rolled his eyes and banged his fist on the desk. He knew that no matter how much he argued with Lord Mage, it was his duty to fulfill what was asked of him by his king. He gritted his teeth and inclined his head to Tyran. 'I will leave right away.'

The Lord Mage nodded and turned away from him but not before Feror saw the rage and regret the male was feeling.

Ruvin and Zafrina were utterly lost in what was happening between them and Feror wanted it to remain that way.

"Yes, she is," Ruiz answered bringing Feror back to reality. "I never had the opportunity to tell her about the job you wanted her to do but I know she will be interested in it the moment she hears about it."

"The artifact needs to be found as soon as possible," Seygon assured Ruiz. "The last thing we need is to have it smuggled out of the Realm."

Seygon and Zafrina made sure that the borders were secured and everything moving in and out of the Realm was monitored. Even the Dark Queen was trying to spirit walk to find whatever it was that was lost.

Tyran had not yet communicated with them about its location and Feror was getting agitated because he had no idea what he was searching for.

"I will make sure Hert learns of this as well....the moment I get him online." The last part of Ruiz's words came out angrily as he walked the commanders back to their warriors.

Seygon inclined his head to Ruiz. "Please do."

As they left, Feror turned to Seygon. "We need to find Ruiz's girlfriend before she disappears off the radar. I have a feeling she knows more than she let her boyfriend believe."

"I thought I was the only one who thought her brisk escape...curious. It was as if she was running away from us." Seygon remarked.

"And you can't run away from commanders unless you have something to hide. We need to find out her office and what kind of jobs she has done." Feror had a feeling that maybe she might have done an illegal transaction or something.

Since he learned that she was a Nymph, they had to be careful with her. He had a Nymph in his team to know how they work.

Though they had no leads to Taz, Feror was assured that he was somewhere in the Realm of the Dark and if that was the case, he was a popular male and he would soon show up. If he had the parchments then Feror's job would be easier.

"I will send someone to search for her tomorrow morning," Seygon assured Feror as he pulled out his phone from his pockets. "In the meantime, we can start looking at where she lives."

Feror gave the male a nod and they walked out.

Sienna entered her apartment and kicked off her shoes at the door. She needed to leave because she knew exactly how the commanders thought. She knew they would send someone to snoop around her apartment and workplace and the last thing she needed was to get into a confrontation with them. She had a safe place to stay...a place that not even Ruiz knew about in the Gild district. She needed to stay away from him until she completed her task. She didn't want to leave yet until she delivered what was promised to Ruiz. The thought of walking away from such a great male made her heart heave in her chest.

She imagined being with him for the rest of her life. Having him as a partner was more than she could ask for but she had too much baggage. She had a secret life that she didn't want to drag him in. She had done very questionable things that got her results. She dealt with the shadiest and nastiest people in existence and dragging Ruiz, who was nothing but an honest businessman, in her fucked-up life was not fair. He had a long and bright future ahead of him and though she was going to break his heart, it was best for the both of them.

Sienna unzipped her dress and shed it along the way as she made her way to her bedroom. She pulled out her backpack and stuffed it with a few necessities before she went to the bathroom for a quick shower. As she finished dressing up in jeans, a pair of ankle boots, a thick wool turtle neck, and a leather jacket and as she was cleaning all her existence in that apartment, she picked up the quiet muttering outside her door. She quickly placed all the unnecessary things that she owned including that night's outfit, shoes, and clutch, into the tin bin and lit it on fire. The smell of something burning would deter them from her scent because she knew if she was dealing with beasts then tracking her down once they got her scent would be easy.

The loud banging on her door had her scrambling to her bedroom where there was the fire exit. She twirled her large wet braid around her neck and cursed the fact that she couldn't poof away like normal Jinns. She let out a string of foul curses as she stepped out and noticed the few large-bodied individuals loitering around on the ground floor. She didn't know whether they were warriors but she didn't want to stick around and find out. She removed her jacket and felt her skin ripple before a pair of bat-like wings shot out from her back, ripping through her turtleneck. The wings glistened in the moonlight like porcelain and as someone kicked the door in, Sienna took off towards the moon and away from the danger. The distinct screaming of the fire alarm could keep them busy for a while as she escaped.

She felt her phone buzz in her pocket and when she removed it, she found that it was Ruiz looking for her. It seemed that he was losing everyone close to him. Though Hert was a good partner to Ruiz, his way of doing business and what she learned about him from Ruiz, Sienna knew the two were going to part ways in the future if Hert hadn't walked away already.

Oh, how she wanted to answer that phone but the guilt she felt inside her made her place it back in her pocket. She didn't have anything to say to him that would have made what she had done look like it was for the best. She had done it for her own gain and never thought that along the way she would meet someone who she would come to care too much for. That was what happened with Ruiz. She didn't know whether it was because he was immune to her Nymph side or that he never mistreated her in any way.

A message buzzed in:

Where are you, baby? There is something that I wanted to ask you. I have been meaning to ask you for a long time now but I didn't get the chance to with our busy schedules. Please, call me as soon as you can.

"I am sorry, Ruiz." She pursed herself and blinked away the tears that had gathered in her eyes because she knew what it was that he wanted to ask her. She had seen that velvet box in one of his drawers last week. She had been very excited about it but at that moment she was heartbroken as she disappeared behind some clouds and out of sight of the males who were looking for her...