The Mark of Fate: Book 3 of The Marked series

by Ford, Rinna

  “Not much longer,” I admitted.

  He nodded again and I felt the barrier immediately get stronger. He had reinforced it, giving me a chance to do what I needed to do. I closed my eyes again and this time I reached inward trying to get to Soleil. After several seconds of searching, I felt her sleeping in the furthest recesses of my mind. I needed to wake her and I knew that with magic on my side, I was in good shape to do it.

  “Wake up!” I screamed at my dragon, using magic to enforce it. She slightly stirred but didn’t open her eyes. “Wake up! I need you!” I screamed in my head again and she began to move even more. Her scaly forehead wrinkled as if she were annoyed and I yelled one more time, making her eyes open angrily.

  She was disorientated at first but then I felt the rush of magic associated with my shifter side with a gasp.

  “Never again,” I heard her growl in my head. She didn’t want to be locked away ever again and I wholeheartedly agreed.

  With dragon strength reinforced with magic, I reached up and under the collar of my dress and grasped the metal band that circled my neck. I roared out loud as I pulled on it, breaking it clear off and letting it drop to the floor.

  I wavered on my feet, feeling light headed. For the first time ever, I had three complete souls working together instead of against one another. It was heady and powerful. I needed to find a way to use them as one. Casters, shifters, and vampires were so very different, but they were all similar in some ways too. Magic was what connected them all, and that was what I’d use to unite those parts of me.

  Soliel, my strong, beautiful dragon, was first to calm herself and accept the rest of me. She had accepted all of me long before, so taming her would be the easiest. My wild and free caster side was next, unexpectedly, but it shouldn’t have been. Being a caster meant that magic was at the center of everything. It was magic. Taking in a deep breath, my vampire side bared its fangs possessively but slid into place next to my dragon and caster when it realized how strong it would make me. Vampires craved power as much as they craved blood and them all working together as one would guarantee both. That was it. The feeling of the three parts of myself calmed and I felt… right, for the first time in my entire life.

  I smiled wickedly and my red eyes popped open as my fangs descended.

  “Let them in,” I purred.

  Ronan glanced back, his eyes wide and he nodded his head. In his hand, a long caster’s blade appeared and I felt the barrier drop, but before the casters could unlock it and make their way inside, I burst through the door and into the main part of the room. I had decapitated two casters and was working on another in the time it took Ronan to follow me out of the cell and into the fight.

  Dixon charged at me with his blade raised up over his head and swung down with such strength and speed I almost didn’t dodge it in time. When his sword reached the bottom, he swung back up quickly, missing again and leaving his torso open. I reared back and kicked him square in the gut sending him flying backwards into two other casters and crashing into the wall.

  He shook it off with a glare and got back on his feet, stalking toward me again. I sighed, bored and ready to move onto someone else. I ran behind him and jumped onto his back, latching on the crook of his neck with my fangs. He cried out in pain because I wanted to cause him extreme agony as I drained him. He dropped his weapon and tried to paw me off but there was no way I was letting go until I’d had my fill. It had been days since I’d had any human type blood and I was savoring every single goddamned drop.

  Dixon, realizing I wasn’t going anywhere, backed himself into the concrete wall forcefully, smashing me in between him and it. I had no choice but to release his neck from the sheer force of it and I began clawing at his face and neck, anything to weaken him. He took a step forward to gain momentum enough to smash me again but I dropped down and kicked the back of his knees, making him collapse to the floor.

  I dug my nails into his torso to hold him still while I sank my fangs back in his neck. When I felt the very last beat of his heart, I let go and pushed him to the floor and looked around. The ground was littered with dead bodies and Ronan stood in the middle of them, breathing heavily and bleeding. He’d taken care of at least ten casters while I played with Dixon. My mate was a badass.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  I began to approach my mate when the sounds of more casters running down the stairs made me stop and move back into my fighting position. I called for my caster’s blade, relieved to see it appear in my right hand. My fangs dropped and my senses sharpened while smoke curled from my nostrils and long dragon claws formed on my left hand. All three parts of me were working as one. I was ready.

  The casters filed into the basement with their blades drawn and spells at the ready, but only one or two came in at a time because of the narrow stairway. That made it easier to take them out even though they had us beat with sheer numbers. Ronan fought several feet away from me, killing casters left and right. Not only was he a badass with his blade but he was also an extremely talented caster. He held off multiple opponents at a time with nothing more than his blade and some spells. I wouldn’t have been so impressed if the people he was beating didn’t have the same advantages he did. They were all evenly matched and yet, Ronan killed them all.

  We worked side by side, mowing down our opponents until there was no one left. We stood in silence as we waited for something else to come but there was no one. It was completely silent.

  I needed to end this. I needed to find my mom, kill Ironshot and get the hell out of there. I took a step toward the stairs, but Ronan grabbed my arm, stopping me.

  “Where are you going, love?” He eyed me.

  “You know what I’m doing,” I replied through clenched teeth.

  “Love, we need to go. I promise you’ll get your vengeance, but not today. Please. Let’s get out of here. Together.”

  He was pleading with me as if it were for my own good but I could see how tired he actually was. He’d survived for months on nothing more than water and very little food. He’d just slaughtered a bunch of casters. He was wiped out. Ronan was a badass but even badasses had their limit and he was reaching his.

  “Okay,” I told him and turned my ear toward the stairs, listening and still hearing no one alive in the house but us. “Don’t read too much into this,” I then said and wrapped my arm around his waist, and carried him with vampire speed up the stairs, through the house, and out the front door. I was waiting for someone to stop us but there was no one around. Not a single soul, just as I’d heard. When we reached the sidewalk, I kept my arm around his waist and he put his around my shoulders as we quickly walked away from Ironshot’s house of horrors.

  We walked a couple of blocks before turning down a deep alley. I looked back out onto the street, realizing I was back in Boston, of all places. My gaze shifted to Ronan, who was looking down at me and I smiled, but he didn’t smile back. He looked around cautiously, as if he were waiting for someone to drag us back. It was like they let us go. Ironshot always had a reason for the things he did and I had no doubt he let us go for a reason. It was way too easy. Opening a portal, we stepped out of the dingy Boston alley and into the lush green grass of the California mansion’s backyard.

  * * *

  “Oh shit! Emelia? Is that you?”

  Camille was one of the supes training on the lawn. When she realized it was me, she ran toward me, nearly knocking Ronan and me down in the process.

  “Go! Get Xander and Matias!” she shouted to one of the other supes. My heart skipped a beat and I immediately looked up and around for them, but then Ronan’s legs began to give out and he started to fall.

  “Ronan!” I shrugged out of Camille’s hold and rushed him over to a nearby chair, lowering him into it.

  “I’m fine, lass. I just need to rest, I swear.” He sagged into the chair and I knew he wasn’t fine. He looked exhausted.

  Next thing I knew, I was swept up in Matias’ arms and held tight against
his chest. His nose went to my neck, breathing me in. “You’re okay,” he murmured against my throat. “We couldn’t find you. I couldn’t find you…”

  “Emi!” Xan pulled me from Matias’ grasp and picked me up. “Is it really you?”

  “It’s me. I’m fine, I promise.”

  My words came out as a whisper, the emotion thick in my throat. I was home. I made it home. I tried to wiggle free so I could look at him but he just pulled me in closer.

  “Honey, I will tell you everything, but I need you to put me down. Please.”

  Xan reluctantly lowered me to my feet and let me back away, but he wouldn’t let me go. I looked up at him and saw what my kidnapping had done to him and Matias. Dark circles were prominent under Xan’s eyes as if he’d barely slept, and both men had a look of ferocious desperation about them.

  I touched Matias’ face and he closed his eyes at my touch. I turned back to Xander and touched his face with my other hand. He clenched his jaw then kissed my palm quickly before holding it in place on his face. My men. I missed them so much and I’d put them through hell with my disappearance.

  “Millie…”

  Xander and Matias both cut their eyes to Ronan, who was still sitting in the chair and looking a little uncomfortable with the affection I was showing them.

  “Is that where you were? You went looking for him?” Xander was angry. He thought I left to find Ronan without telling anyone.

  “No, I was kidnapped,” I snapped at him. “I’d never leave either one of you like that.” Xan and Matias’ expressions turned deadly at my procolation.

  “Oh hell, Emelia!” Dev wrapped me in a hug pulling me away from all my mates. “Don’t you ever do that to any of us again or I swear, I’ll kill you.”

  “I’ll try my best, Dev.”

  He sat me down and I could see he suffered while I was gone as well. He’d just lost his boyfriend in the most horrific way and then I disappeared without a clue. No one knew if I was dead or alive.

  “I’m so sorry,” I told them all. “I will tell you everything, I promise. I just need to take care of one thing first. Has anyone seen Alec?”

  Most of the supes who lived in the house were outside and surrounding us by that point. They looked around at each other, confused at my question until one person spoke up.

  “He told me he was going for a swim,” a vampire named Victor said.

  Nodding my thanks, I kissed each of my mates, including an exhausted Ronan and teleported to the doorway of the indoor pool area. I didn’t have to look for long to find Alec. I could see his dark head sticking up out of the pool as he had a woman pushed up against the wall. I could feel the flirting all the way across the room and I rolled my eyes, sickened.

  Holding out my right hand, a small dagger formed in it. Alec stood up, revealing more of his naked back and I immediately took my shot. The blade flew through the air, lodging soundly in his right shoulder. He screamed out in pain and the woman screeched as he fell forward on top of her.

  Using vampire speed, I ran to the edge of the pool and grabbed him by the hair and lifted him up and out of the water. The woman, another caster, backed away in terror as I threw Alec down on the floor. He tried to crawl away but I stepped down on his back, making him collapse. Then using my magic, I suppressed his casting abilities, much like he did to my shifter side. He gasped as he felt the absence of his magic and I smiled evilly.

  That was when Matias came in, stopping right beside me. Xander, Amos, and a few others were not too far behind him.

  “Emelia, what are you doing?” Amos asked, horrified.

  “Giving a traitor what he deserves,” I seethed. “Alec was planted in the detention facility. He pretended to be wounded so we’d take him, then when we all trusted him, he kidnapped me. I was in Ironshot’s house in Boston all this time.”

  “What?!” Xander roared and I saw him begin to change into his dragon.

  “I don’t know what she’s talking about!” Alec cried real tears as he tried to make me seem crazy.

  “He followed me to my beach, took away my dragon, my vampire, and my energy with just a touch, then he took me to our enemy. He works for the Council.” Several of the supes still looked at me like I was delusional. “Can anybody account for his whereabouts just a few hours ago?” Everyone looked around at each other but no one spoke up. “Well, I can. He was at a dinner party where I was the main attraction, weren’t you, pookie?” I pushed him further down onto the floor with my foot. “He kidnapped me, hurt me, and he has been feeding our enemy with information about us. He’s a traitor and he’s mine.”

  Ronan came in at that moment, wearing a shirt and held up by Devlin.

  “What she says is true,” he told them. “He works for Michael Ironshot. I know this because I worked directly for the man as well.”

  Everyone began whispering and I knew that things would get out of hand soon.

  “Enough!” I yelled, making the room ring out in silence.

  I reached down, grabbing Alec by the hair again and snatched the blade from his shoulder forcefully. He cried out again as it dislodged from the bone and in a quick movement, I flipped it around and brought it under his throat.

  Kneeling behind him, I made him rise to his knees and I brought my face to his ear.

  “Please! Please, don’t kill me,” he pleaded pathetically. “I’m sorry...I’m sorry!”

  “I know you are,” I whispered. “I bet it just eats away at your ego that a freak like me is going to be the one to end your pathetic life, doesn’t it?” I chuckled when his blubbering got louder. I then sunk my fangs into his throat, and his sobs turned into screams. Moving the blade from his neck, I pulled it back and stabbed him in the heart as I drank his blood. I didn’t get to drain him dry since he was gone before that could happen, but I was okay with that. Alec was dead, and one more name was checked off my list.

  I pulled the blade from his body once more and let him fall face first onto the floor. I looked down at my hand and watched the blood stained dagger disappear. Matias helped me up and he hugged me tight. I glanced to my right and saw Xander stare down at Alec’s dead body. He was imagining killing the fucker himself. With a free hand, I reached over and touched his arm. He immediately snapped his eyes to mine and they softened. He picked up my hand and kissed it before placing it on his face.

  “Emelia, we need to have a talk,” Amos said, interrupting my reunion.

  Just then a loud bang erupted over the mansion, shaking the building. We were under attack.

  Matias and Xander let me go and I felt all of my predators slip back out. I was ready for the fight and I would fight to the death.

  “No!” Amos grabbed me by the shoulders, making me avert my attention to him. Another loud bang rocked the mansion making bits of plaster fall down around us. “Emelia, you need to get out of here! They’re here for you!”

  “No, they’re here for all of us! We should stay and fight!”

  “I just got you back! Please! I’ll give the order to evacuate, but I need you to go, now!”

  I looked between my grandfather, Xander, Matias, Ronan, and Devlin. Ronan was completely wiped out but I knew he’d fight if I stayed. He’d try to at least. I couldn’t risk it. I couldn’t risk any of them, having just gotten them back. I nodded my head.

  “Okay,” I told Amos. “Promise me I’ll see you again. Promise me.” Flashbacks of leaving Devlin and Ainsley entered my mind and I began to tear up.

  “I’ll take care of him,” Camille shouted over the booms. I could see the determination in her eyes and I nodded my head in her direction. She’d get him out of there and I’d find them again.

  He grabbed me in a tight hug and let me go. “I promise!” He then kissed my forehead and turned to my mates. “Get her out of here now!”

  “I know where we can go,” Maitas said. "No one knows of it. We’ll be safe, I promise.”

  Amos nodded and kissed my forehead one more time before running off into the ma
ylay with Camille to gather as many rebels as he could and get them out. My heart broke a little bit watching him go.

  “Get us as close to the southern border as you can,” my vampire mate said, knowing I couldn’t teleport us somewhere I’d never been. We’d have to take human transportation from there, wherever I took us.

  I nodded and picked out a place Xander and I stopped in Texas when we traveled to California. It was perfect.

  I held out my hand and my family spellbook appeared in it. So very thankful to be able to do that again, I handed it off to Devlin. He took it quickly and shoved it under his arm, knowing we’d need it, wherever we were going.

  Matias slipped his hand into one of mine and Xander put his hand in the other one. Ronan and Devlin put their hands on my shoulders and all four men looked at me. With a loud sigh, I teleported us away.

  Acknowledgments

  My family is everything! Without them, I wouldn't have the courage to write and share my stories with you. The majority of this book was written during the Covid-19 stay-at-home period, so we were together...a lot. It wasn't as easy to write with little eyes looking over my shoulder, but they helped me find new and creative ways to get it done.

  Thank you to my cover designer, Quirah Casey. She's been incredible to work with, and her designs are beyond beautiful! I originally planned for this series to be written in four books, then decided to make it in three, but when I began writing this book, I knew I needed to go back to the four-book series. She didn't hesitate to jump right in!

  I love my beta readers! Thank you to Shannon, Teresa, Kayla, Tiffany, and Karisma. They all give such great feedback, and my books are better because of them!

  Thank you to my friends- those in my personal life and those in the reader/writer community. I never thought I'd be so supported when I started this journey, and I couldn't do it without them! Thank you, Karisma!

  Finally, thank you to the fans. Just remember, there's one more book, so the ending of this story isn't the end.