Chapter 12. Resilient Beauty

ALICIA CHAY

I vanished and appeared on the sand. "Nice meeting you, but I will be on my...”

Midsentence, an eight-foot being with dragon wings landed directly in front of me from a black hole in the sky. The instant his feet of bronze and alabaster formed from swirling atoms and made direct contact with the dust of the earth, King Swan and his pet bird became stone midair. The barren city began to razzle-dazzle, taking my breath away. He leaned into my face as the ground shook with a deafening rumbling that took me by surprise.

Mysteriously, the witch vanished. "As if you have a say in the matter, Alicia," he spewed. His deep baritone register made me weak in the knees. The uncontrollable fire cackled in his hypnotizing eyes. In an instant, my guard went up as his eyes became flames.

"Who are you? I don't answer to you..."

"I am Khovahsh, the Queen Mother's Enforcer."

"That's nice. Now move out of my way."

He ignored me. "This is your offici