by Ivy Carter
“Selene.” She whispers.
Check and mate. Of course, it is. I don’t know how I didn’t recognize her. I mean I was in her bonded mates head when he was fucking her not even a full day ago.
“Of course, it is.” I tell her. And that is when Jessa loses her shit. The bitch is off the leash and on the attack.
She comes flashing across the room getting right up in the blissful couple’s face. I am so flabbergasted by this latest happening that I don’t stop her before she blows their minds.
“You dare to come into her home… Asking her for favors?” Her fangs are bared, eyes completely changed to black, and her claws are about centimeter from being lodged permanently in Jaxx’s throat.
Sweet Selene is cowering behind Jaxx. His palms are laced with his gifts light. Something that I do notice is that his light is no longer laced with the dregs of mine. It is now entwined with a vibrant blue coloring. Sapphire. The color of the shrinking bunny’s eyes.
“Jessa.” I put so much command into her name that she takes a step back. But not before she floors us all. Well everyone but Sebastian. It seems they have been keeping secrets of their own.
“OOO! Pretty lights.” She hisses through her fangs while looking down at Jaxx’s glowing white and blue palms. “I have some too.” She announces with glee. Then all of a sudden, her palms are engulfed in flames. Bright orange flames edged with almost white.
“A thermal. Interesting. But nothing about her surprises me anymore.” Tristan mutters from my side.
Sebastian still hasn’t moved from his perch against the wall. I think he is trying to make me forget he even exists in this moment. He knows that he has messed up. And his mate can obviously take care of her own.
Jessa walks calmly back to where Sebastian is perched. Cuddling into his side. I give Sebastian the evil eye and turn once more back to our guests. I swear if I wasn’t made of stern stuff I would be a weeping puddle on the floor. Seeing the obvious love between these two tears into my soul. I just shake my head and grit my teeth. Time to get this shit over with so I can leave.
“What is the second favor you have come to ask of me?” This time I direct my question toward Jaxx. Selene looks like she is about to faint because of Jessa’s little show. Her eyes are wide and glassy. There is sweat dotting her forehead. I feel almost bad for her. I am not without a heart.
Jaxx bows his head looking at the floor.
“I feel as if we have trespassed somehow by coming here.” He starts to speak in a clear but quiet tone, still not looking up. “When my uncle came to our clans compound asking unnerving questions about my whereabouts over the last six weeks I was confused. I have no memory of this time. Someone has taken that from me. I don’t know if it was my choice or not.” He looks up almost pleadingly with his eyes when they finally meet mine. I just nod for him to continue. “My uncle left the compound without the answers to the questions he was seeking from me. He told me that he was currently residing with the Celios. So, we followed him here. With the hope that you can help us.”
“What do you want from me Jaxxsane?” I ask him using his full name. He looks confused at first but then forges on.
“I would ask your blessing on our Binding. I would also ask you to bestow your blessing upon the child my life-mate currently carries within her.”
Chapter 11.
The word child echoes throughout my mind. Swimming within the recesses of my heart still slightly shredded heart. They are going to have a child. A child that should have been mine.
“A child of the light, my daughter. Don’t forget who you are. This moment will define you.” An exquisitely saddened voice whispers through my mind.
Time to buck up and deal with what Fate has dealt me. Fate is one fickle bitch. I can cry over her deathly accurate blows later.
I look from Jaxx back over to Selene. I watch as she still cowers expecting the situation to worsen. Then I look around the room to see the shocked faces of my family.
“A child of the light.” I whisper out loud. Not speaking to anyone in particular.
I let go of Tristan’s tightly grasping hand and start to move forward toward the still shrinking bunny. The wood floor is still cool upon my bare feet. As I am moving closer to the entwined couple. They watch me warily. When I reach Selene, I kneel in front her of her instinctually.
I feel my palms begin to glow only slightly with power. I raise my hands and place them onto her still flat abdomen. Closing my eyes tightly I send a trickle of my power into Selene. Searching for something…Then I see it behind my closed eye lids. A tiny bundle of life. A barely flickering light. I touch this light with my own strengthening it. As it starts to glow brighter and grow stronger, I feel tears leak from my tightly shut eyes. I have no idea why I am so touched by this unborn child. But just the presence of such innocence in the middle of my very own storm is emotionally overwhelming.
I hear Selene gasp, then my hands are ripped away from her stomach. The force of which Jaxx separated me from his mate and unborn child sends me flying backward landing me flat on my back. I just look up at the man that once owned my heart as he stands over me menacingly. His eyes and palms glowing as if he is about to inflict harm upon me. This startles me more than his use of force against me.
I hear the room come alive behind me as I still stare up into this familiar stranger’s face. Then I finally get it. My Jaxx is dead. This man is not HIM. He doesn’t know me. He has never touched me or whispered of his love for me. All he sees in me is a possible threat to everything he holds dear in this life.
“Jaxx, stop. She wasn’t hurting me. I felt our child. I felt its light growing stronger.” Selene gushes out in excitement. “She was blessing it.” Then Selene drops to her knees kneeling at almost eyelevel with me. “Please, my lady. I beg you for his pardon. He was just trying to protect us. He fears for our safety now that his clan has turned their backs on the Mother Goddess.”
I keep my eyes locked on Jaxx’s. Reading his determination there. He will do anything. Even lose his life if it came down to it to protect this woman and the life she now carries within her. I wave my hand so that everyone behind me stands down.
I leave Selene on her knees as I push myself up from the floor. When I am standing on my two feet once more. I look at Jaxx once more. He has a stubborn set to his jaw that I recognize all too well. He doesn’t regret what he has done. That makes my temper boil to the surface faster than anything else could have.
I feel my power rising within me. I know what I must look like. The glowing green eyes, the pearlescent sheen to my skin, and the wind swirling around me. I look like my mother.
Jaxx finally gets what he has done because I get a perverse satisfaction at watching my one time lover start to cower in front of me. But I am not going to punish him for his trespass. I fully intend to bless this union. As my mother said, this moment in time will define me. As it has also marked me.
I use my gift to pull Selene from her kneeling position back to her feet. She once again attaches herself to Jaxx’s arm as they both face me.
I send tendrils of my light out from my palms once more. This time it entwines around Jaxx and Selene’s wrists.
“I bless this union in the name of my mother, Hekate. I bless your child in the name of my mother. May the life you share be always bountiful. May your child live a full and blessed life.” My voice echoes out inside the room. Bloated with the power my mother has bestowed upon me.
I watch as the light entwined around them grow brighter then disappear altogether. They both gasp out at what it has left behind. Forever marking them. They now both wear scrolling tattoos upon their wrists. The pattern of the tattoos is the same as the exquisitely carved rings both wear to mark their binding to one another.
Feeling the sharp onslaught of power draining out of me leaves me strangely numb. I feel as if I have been awake for weeks without sleep. Sluggish and weak. The emotional diarrhea that has been thrown at me since I first stepped into th
is room has finally taken its toll.
I look once more to the happy couple and they both look elated at the results of my blessings. Their happy shining faces makes me want to retch on their smiling faces. It might be petty of me. But my personal feelings towards these two people are mixed with hatred and spite.
Tristan walks up behind me and wraps his strong thick arms around my waist. I basically fall back into his embrace. I don’t know exactly what I feel for Tristan yet. I know that he is my friend, and that is offering me comfort in the midst of the most heart wrenching moment of my life.
Leaning totally against him. I feel faint. I need to call upon nature again to recharge myself.
Seeing a Reaper being so familiar with a True Witch must be a truly new experience for the couple standing before because Jaxx’s face is screwed up into a mask of disgust.
“Problem?” I ask Jaxx. While bringing my hands up to caress Tristan’s arms that are encircling me.
“Why do you let that being…?” He utters the last word with total disdain. “Touch you as if he has every right to do so. Everyone knows that they are solitary creatures. True Witches have fated mates. We do not entwine our lives with those who are not fated to be ours.”
I just laugh at his ironic statement. If he only knew how fucked up what he just uttered truly was. My Goddess. He is UGH! I want to rip his disgusted head from his smug body and shove it up his uptight ass.
“Who he is…is who I choose to spend my time with!” I get in Jaxx’s face and shout the last two words. “What I do and what I do not do is no business of yours.” I sneer at this self-righteous bastard. Was the man I knew ever truly real? I shake my head in pity for this Jaxx. He has truly lost something within himself that was once exquisite.
“My fated mate is dead.” I speak the statement with sadness in my voice. As soon as I utter the last word I feel a burning pain spread across my back. Spanning from one shoulder to the other. Then moving its searing fiery way down half of my spine. I don’t show that I am feeling anything but anger on my face. But Tristan feels me stiffen in his embrace. Then I alone hear his sharply inhaled breath. He tightens his embrace around my waist and pulls me closer to his body.
I need some food, I move away from the man embracing me and head to the kitchen. Quickly fixing myself a sandwich. I practically hoover it before I start to feel fainter than I already did. There is a shade of grey starting to shadow the edges of my vision. Vertigo surrounds me, making everything sway in place. Strong arms suddenly but gently wrap me up and pull me toward a strong chest before the loss of my balance causes me to hit the floor.
Shadows entwine around and engulf me as I shut my eyes.
Chapter 12.
I wake up lying face down on my bed. The sheets still smell of me and Tristan. Then it hits me. The fiery pain that encompasses my whole back. I let out a squeak of pain. Sounding like an animal whimpering in pain. I try to move but a cool hand touches my naked shoulder right above where I feel as if I have been lit on fire.
“Please stay still.” Tristan whispers to me.
“What is it? Why does my back feel like it has been spit roasted?” I whine out. I know I sound like a little girl on the verge of tears. But this shit hurts something fierce.
“It looks as if someone has branded a symbol into your flesh.”
That makes jerk and try to turn around and see what the fuck he is talking about. Once again I feel him place his cool palm onto my shoulder to hold me in place.
“Stop holding me down, Tristan. I want to see what has been branded onto my back.” I mutter through gritted teeth. I am surprised I can speak at all without screaming. My back feels like someone has laid burning coals on it and left them there to melt the skin from my body.
“If you would let me… I can dull the pain and help with the healing.” That statement momentarily derails my inner torment.
“Huh?” How the hell can he possibly heal me?
“There are healing agents in my saliva. I can help sooth some of your pain. If you would let me, my lady.”
“I told you to stop calling me that.” I snark at him. I hear Tristan chuckle at my tone. I hate when people scrape and bow. It reminds me of how my adoptive parents made me feel so inferior for so long that all I wanted to do is bend just to make them happy.
“So you want to lick my back where the burning is coming from? Is there blood?”
“Yes.” One word responses from a man. So original.
“Yeah you won’t get any enjoyment from that at all.” Damn I am being bitchy. But I can’t help it. I hate being in pain and dependent on anyone else. Tristan just chuckles again.
“How is my being a complete bitch to you so damned funny?” I grip my sheets in tightening fists trying not to scream out in pain from the renewed feeling of being burned alive. “Why the hell is it starting again?” I breathe out in a squealing voice.
“I like your inner fire. It burns so brightly. It intrigues me... I don’t know from one minute or the next whether or not I might get scorched.”
“Weirdo.” I grumble through my still gritting teeth. Which incites yet another chuckle from the weirdo at my back. I am so glad I am such a damn riot right about now.
“Do I have your permission?” Tristan whispers close to my ear.
“Anything... Just please make this retched burning stop.” My teeth are gritted so hard that they feel as if I might chip them. I squeeze my eyes shut and feel tears leaking from the closed lids and trickling down my flushed cheeks.
I feel a cool fingertip touch to my forehead. The Reaper sleeping whammy doesn’t work on me anymore. But it does work to deaden some of the scorching pain ripping up my back. Even though I feel kind of floaty and disconnected I can still tell that the pain is still there burning and shredding through my nerve endings. But then something cool and moist touches my back.
I shudder at the very thought of Tristan’s tongue touching my flesh.
Tristan continues to lick at the bloody raw wounds that are encompassing the entire top part of my back trailing down my spine toward my tail bone. It feels like his very personal kind of healing session lasts forever. I can tell that Tristan is really getting into it. His breathing as sped up and at times I can feel his fangs scrape across my unmarred skin. Burying my face into the sheets, enjoying the mingled scents. I must have fallen asleep because sweetly placed kisses at the nape of my neck
“Done already?” I ask Tristan groggily.
“You have been out for about three hours, angel. But I have to tell you that the finished product is quite enticing.”
“Eh?” I ask in confusion. When I try to turn around this time to look at what has happened to my back no cool hand on my shoulder stops me. I twist and turn but all I can see is thick swirling black lines at the top of my shoulder blades.
I try to climb out of bed, but I am feeling kind of woozy. The extended emotional drama and energy I expended while meeting with Jaxx and his mate has drained me both mentally and physically. I feel as weak as a newborn kitten as I push myself up off the bed. I notice that my top has been removed from me completely. I am still wearing my bra, but I have to hold the front to hide my breasts. The old me would have cringed in mortification at the thought of someone seeing me nude from my capri pants up. But after everything that has happened since last night. It just seems silly.
Tristan must have noticed that I am struggling to do something as simple as climb out of the bed. He moves to assist me, but he simply lifts me up out of the bed and cradles me against his chest as if I weight no more than a feather pillow.
“Where do you think you are going, angel? You are too weak to go anywhere. You need to rest.” He whispers in his delicious rumbly voice. His breath against my ear making me shiver.
“I am not weak.” I tell him indignantly. “Besides you are not the boss of me!” I pout up at him. Bottom lip pushed out for emphasis. He smiles that rare smile. His dark eyes gleaming with laughter. Beautiful. He truly is a beaut
iful man.
“I want to see my back.” I demand in a petulant voice.
“Anything for you.” He smirks as he carries to the huge oval mirror hanging above the dresser.
Tristan sits down in front of the dresser and turns me toward him so that my back is facing the reflecting surface. I turn my head and look over my shoulder and feel weak in the knees all over again. I would have collapsed onto the floor if not for Tristan supporting my weight.
The image that is now etched into the skin on my back looks like a very large scrolling tribal tattoo. It looks to form some kind to intricate symbols entwined with one another that spans the width of my back trailing down toward the black band of my pants.
I turn my head back around to look at Tristan. My face a mask of bewilderment.
“What could it possibly mean?” I ask. My voice is laced with confusion. So many thoughts racing through my head.
“It means Truth and Balance. It is etched out in a long-forgotten language. The last being to wear this symbol was the Goddess Themis. She was destroyed long ago by a very evil demon lord.”
“But why has it been put on me?!?” I practically recoil at being branded with some dead Goddess’s symbol. I quickly will a very loosely fitted tee shirt onto my body.
“I have no idea, angel. But I promise you…We will find out.”
Too many thoughts are running rapidly through my head. I start to feel dizzy and even exerting the minimal energy it takes to remain on my feet is taxing. I can’t dwell on things that I can’t change in this moment.
“Tristan can you take me to the part of the Pine Forest that I destroyed?”
“As you wish it.” He intones. Always respectful this man.
He pulls me tightly against his torso. I feel the icy chill of Tristan ever present shadows encase us. I shiver and close my eyes. Not falling asleep. Just not wanting to see the ghostly faces that are intertwined within the shadows shrouding us.
Chapter 13.
