Tainted World: Tainted, #4

By Tarisa Marie

After being sent to a confusing and terrifying new world, Ariella promises herself that she will find a way to get back home. No matter what it takes. After being poisoned, attacked, and lost deep in the forest, the group knows that if they stay in Nargo, none of them will be alive much longer.

Just as things are starting to look up with the help of a new friend, and they think they might have found a lead, Daymon goes missing. When they track him, the tracking spell tells them that Daymon has somehow managed to get back to earth. Not only that, he's human, but how? With a time ratio of ten Earth years for ever one Nargo year that passes, they don't have time to waste. If it takes them a year to get home, a decade will have passed on earth. 

Unbeknownst to anyone, something dark is brewing back home on earth. Old ways are being mixed with new ways. Someone is up to something that threatens all that the group has tried so desperately to prevent. Magic is back, in fact, it never left.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tarisa Marie
• Release date: Feb 5, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386760405

Tarisa Marie

Tarisa Marie loves interacting with fans on her Instagram account @TarisaMarie_Author and encourages them to send her selfies with her books. You will be her favorite person if you review one of her books, she reads every single one and appreciates them all. 

Book preview

Chapter 1

Ariella

D aymon, do you have any idea which way we should go? I ask, looking around. Couldn’t Makro have given us a map or something?

Daymon scratches his head and bites his bottom lip. I don’t know. Pick a direction I guess.

I look around again. Yeah... I have no clue which way to go. I point ahead of us. This way. It’ll have to do.

Daymon shrugs and nods. Sure.

We walk through thick brush for nearly half an hour while on high alert before we hear the first rustle in the trees. We both stop dead in our tracks.

I hear a heartbeat, Daymon whispers quietly, and it’s not human.

I grip the handle of my weapon harshly. I glance around, even though it’s obviously too dark for me to be able to see anything.

Don’t move, Daymon instructs. What is he doing? Can he see it with his night vision? We come in peace, Daymon says awkwardly in his American accent. I stifle a small giggle even though I’m scared out of my mind. It’s not like we’re aliens approaching the human race for the first time or something.

There is another rustle, and I tense up.

"Daymon? Ariella?" a deep male voice asks.

Tyler? Daymon asks, surprised.

I let out a huge breath that I didn’t know I was holding in. Thank god it’s just my brother. They must’ve ended up nearby here too.

Are the others with you? I ask him, surprised that we’ve found him so quickly. The way Makro explained it was that we could all be thrown in different directions throughout different sections of Nargo. Is it a coincidence that we’ve ended up so close together?

"Yeah, not Makro, but Jacob and Baylon are over there a ways through the trees. Baylon is hurt. A poisonous plant cut her leg a couple days ago. I can’t believe we finally found you."

I can’t see Tyler, but I know he can see me. A couple days ago? What is he talking about? We just got here like less than an hour ago.

How long have you been here? In Nargo, I mean, I ask, confused.

I don’t know. At least two weeks. We haven’t found the village yet, have you? Tyler asks, sounding stressed out.

Daymon clears his throat. What the fuck? he asks, catching me a little off guard. "Tyler, we just got here. Like we literally just got to Nargo maybe an hour ago," Daymon explains.

A sharp breath escapes Tyler. Okay, yeah, that is extremely weird, but I’m not about to question it, because I’ve seen a lot of fucking messed up shit since I’ve been here honestly.

What is with their language? I mean I know we’re all adults here, but I’m still not hot on the cussing.

You haven’t seen Makro at all? Daymon asks.

Well, he was with us when we got here. Then this blonde woman showed up, and he took off with her. We should head back to Baylon and Jacob. It’s not safe here or there and we need to stick together. I was just getting some berries to snack on, Tyler explains. How do berries grow under the dark tree canopies?

Daymon places a hand on my back and ushers me forward. We tromp through the brush some more until we stop in front of a fire in a small clearing. I can sort of see now. Well, I can see enough to tell that Baylon lies on her back across the fire from us, sprawled out on the ground. Jacob hovers over her with a bottle of some sort of liquid, likely water.

Look who I found, Tyler muses. Baylon doesn’t even stir, but Jacob jumps up, his eyes widening at the sight of us.

Ariella? he asks in a whisper. Jacob runs up to me and wraps me in a tight hug. Where have you been?

Daymon explains to him about how we just got here. Afterwards, we all sit around the fire while Tyler goes over the last two weeks, and what we’ve missed. Apparently, we haven’t missed much besides some kick ass fights and weird creatures.

We need to get out of here. We can’t stay here, Tyler mutters. "When Makro described this place, I thought he was overreacting, but this place is terrible. You wouldn’t believe the things we’ve seen."

Baylon stirs and Jacob rubs her shoulder softly.

There is no way to get back, I argue. We all knew what we were getting ourselves into when we came here. It’s a little late to turn back now.

No, there is. There has to be. We just have to find it, Tyler replies enthusiastically. Anything is possible here. We’ve seen the strangest things here. I know you can’t understand that because you just got here, but there has to be a way back. If there’s not, we’re all going to die. I can assure you we won’t last long.

Yeah, he’s right. Makro left a lot of shit about this place out. You know, like trees that can steal your soul and bushes that poison you with just a scratch. There’s a place here that’s guarded by a wizard. It’s full of portals to other realms. If we can find the right one, then that’s our ticket home, Jacob agrees.

I sigh with relief. Maybe we won’t be stuck here after all. How do we find the right one?

We don’t know that part yet, Jacob answers, his jaw clenching. We need to find Makro. He must know something about it.

Tyler answers and offers me a few berries. I take them and scarf them down.

There’s something you guys should know. Makro told me just before we left home that he wasn’t going to be around much longer, I tell them, recalling Makro’s words from the moment before we went through the portal.

Everyone is silent. We’re no strangers to loss.

Finally, Jacob speaks up. So he saw his own death then or what?

I guess so, I answer with a shrug. It’s not like the guy gave me any details.

Eventually, Daymon tells me that I should go to sleep so I can be fully energized for tomorrow. I have trouble sleeping. The guys sit around and talk while Baylon and I rest. I’m worried about her. Will she be able to fight the poison and live, or is this what is going to end the ancient Tario woman?

Tomorrow is going to be a long day with a lot of walking so eventually I convince myself to get some shut eye.

In the morning, I wake up to the sun shining through the trees. I was half expecting to be woken up in the middle of the night by some sort of attack on our group, but I sleep soundly.

I sit up from the Daymon’s lap and see Baylon also sitting, looking dazed. She doesn’t even look like she’s awake, though her eyes are open. I cringe. Something is definitely very wrong with her.

Wow, it’s about time you woke up, Tyler teases and hands me some purple leaves.

What are these for? I ask him curiously.

Breakfast. They’re actually not so bad. They’re sweet. Jacob and I are taking the first trip hunting. Then Daymon and Baylon are going to go, Tyler mutters while fixing his hair. "We didn’t want to split up while you were sleeping. We’ve come to notice that the weirdest, scariest shit comes out at nightfall.

I suppose they will all need to eat. They can’t just survive off of stupid leaves like me.

I nod and bite into the leaf. Tyler is right. It tastes sweet, but to my dismay, it also tastes very bitter. I force myself to chew and swallow. Am I going to be eating this kind of stuff for the rest of my life? Hopefully not, because I think I’d rather starve.

Daymon laughs at my expression. "I’m glad I don’t have to eat that."

I’d rather eat this than a vampire honestly, I tell him with an expression of disgust. What I wouldn’t do for a slice of pizza or even some crackers right now.

Daymon rubs some dirt or something from my forehead, giving me a spit bath.

His complexion is white and ghostly. He appears ill.

Are you alright? I ask, praying he didn’t get scratched by some sort of poisonous plant too.

My head is just pounding, he complains, wincing.

It takes me a moment, before I come to the realization of why he looks so pale and sick. You need a drink, don’t you? I ask, my expression surely going dark.

He nods. I can’t function very well without one unfortunately.

How did this happen? I groan in frustration.

You know how it happened.

Where in the hell are we going to find alcohol around these parts? What happens if he doesn’t get any?

You’re shaking. I notice. I pick up his hand and hold it in mine. It’s like he has Parkinson’s. How bad is this going to get? I ask him nervously. I don’t know much about alcoholism, personally. What happens if he just stops and goes cold turkey? Is it dangerous?

I don’t know. It’s hard to say. I never really went long enough without it to know last time I quit. When I was quitting, I still drank some. I got severely sick because of it and I slowly cut it down over time. After a little while, I managed to stop completely. So I don’t know what will happen if I just stop drinking completely.

I gulp. This should be great.

Ariella? Baylon mumbles, turning to me like she’s just noticed me here. You’re okay.

I jump up and run over to her. Are you okay? I ask her.

I think so. I just feel strange. I think I’ve gotten over the poison though. Where did Jacob and Tyler go?

They went hunting, I answer her with a slight smile. She looks groggy.

Oh, how long have I been out? she asks.

I don’t know how to answer her. We just ran into Tyler and Jacob last night, but it sounded like a couple days. You weren’t sleeping though. You were just in a weird daze. Your eyes were open, I tell her. It was kind of creepy actually.

Really? I dreamt. I dreamt about being lost in the dark. It was a terrible dream, she mutters and runs her fingers through her messy hair. Oh my god. You have no idea how much I miss being Tario sometimes.

I suppose such tiresome things would be annoying when she used to be able to do them with a flick of her wrist, if even that much effort.

"Well, what have you guys been doing for the last two weeks? We’ve been looking everywhere for you," Baylon muses.

While I tell her everything, she looks distressed. Well, you better get used to being terrified. There are a lot of creepy things around here. Be careful where you step too. Everything is poisonous. God, I’m starving. She looks around to where she finds a small stack of berries Tyler left beside her in case she woke up.

I see a glint in her eyes that tells me that she is in fact hungry as hell, and not hungry for the berries she shoves in her mouth. I take a couple steps back towards Daymon. I really don’t want to get munched on by a shifter.

Sorry, she whispers apologetically.

I smile kindly and sit next to Daymon who has remained quiet this whole conversation. He looks deep in thought. He’s probably trying not to focus on the fact he’s going through withdrawal that could become worse at any moment.

He wraps his arm around my waist and kisses my neck like Baylon isn’t staring at us. I suck in a breath.

He chuckles.

I see you’re sober for once, Baylon blurts rudely. I don’t really think she’s meant to say it out loud.

Daymon swallows and doesn’t say anything.

Her gaze softens. Sorry. Just edgy. Hungry, you know.

He nods in understanding. Shifters seem to get aggressive and well, just plain old rude when they get hungry. I’ve been around them enough to know that much.

She seems to notice his shaking. She looks apologetic. You need to drink something. You could start having seizures or something. It’s actually probably worse that you’re going cold turkey and not easing out of things.

He doesn’t seem surprised by this. I’m immortal. A seizure is a seizure. I will be fine.

I cringe. A seizure is a seizure? Who says things like that? Immortal or not. If I have to watch him have a seizure, I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle it.

"And when you start hallucinating and attack Ariella by accident?" Baylon argues.

He looks extremely embarrassed. I won’t.

I grip his hand tightly in mine.

You never know. What does a shifter in withdrawal do? I don’t know, but I’m not sure I want to find out either. I’ve seen a few humans in withdrawal in my lifetime. That’s enough for me. We’re getting you some alcohol. If you’re too much of a chicken to let the other two know then fine, but this is ridiculous, Baylon fumes. She’s angrier than I am about this apparently. Why? For all we know, you could die from this. You’re an idiot if you didn’t bring alcohol here, but we’ll find you some. I can’t imagine they don’t have alcohol here. We’ll find the village soon and find you some. I promise.

Chapter 2

Daymon

Igrip Ariella’s hand in mine and stare at Baylon. Is she joking right now? How could she ever even think that I would hurt Ariella? Okay, I’ve hurt her before, so I guess it’s not too unorthodox that she’s making this assumption, but it still really ticks me off.

Ariella stares at Baylon as if thinking exactly what I am. My heart jitters in my chest. I’m not sure if it’s because of the withdrawal or the emotion this is all bringing about in me.

I’m such an idiot. I will never forgive myself for putting Ariella in so much pain. I don’t deserve her. Why she’s still here with me, I have no clue. She’s strong, I’ll give her that much.

Baylon doesn’t look at Ariella, she looks at me. Disdain and disappointment in her piercing gaze. I don’t need her to tell me I’m stupid. I control my anger to the best of my ability. I won’t snap at her. I’m better than that.

Baylon murmurs something unintelligent so quietly that I don’t hear it. My eyebrows merge in confusion. Why is she so angry? Is she that hungry?

I’m about to reply to her silent comment, when she bends over in obvious pain and swears, something Baylon doesn’t do often.

Ariella rushes towards her, but I fling her back. I know it’s not the poison bothering her right now, it’s her hunger. I am all too familiar with the feeling. I hope the others get back here soon, because if they don’t, Baylon’s wolf is going to take over and start raising hell. Hell that I don’t want Ariella anywhere near. If she’s hungry enough, she will try to kill Ariella.

As if on que, Tyler comes into the clearing, eyeing Baylon. You’re awake, he says in relief and the takes in her posture.

His eyes widen, and he glances behind him. Jacob is then in sight too. I’m glad they were fast. If they were this fast, that means that there are vampires around, probably lots of them too.

Tyler nods for the two of us to go and take our turn. I grip Baylon’s forearm and drag her from the clearing quickly, glancing back at Ariella in apology.

When we’re out of the clearing away from Ariella, I release her from my hold so she can do her thing.

I remove my robe, thinking nothing of it. I toss it onto a tree branch neatly and turn, ready to get this over with so I can get back to Ariella. I don’t like not being around her. I hate it. I especially hate leaving her in this crazy new world. I want her at my side at all times, so I know she’s safe.

When I look up as I begin to shift, Baylon stands staring at me. I’m freaking naked, I mean, I know I have a nice body, but she’s seen it all before, she shouldn’t seem so surprised or impressed or entranced or whatever she is right now. It’s common curtesy not to stare at other shifters while they strip naked and shift. I try to tell myself that it’s because she’s new to this, but she’s really not. She’s been in Nargo for two weeks or so. That means she’s been a shifter for weeks. I bet she doesn’t stare at Jacob or Tyler like this. That’d be weird if she stared at Tyler like this, he’s her damn brother. I’d imagine he’d set her straight. What is she doing?

I wave my hand in front of her face to snap her out of it. Earth to Baylon, I mutter humorously, trying not to be an ass.

She blinks and