Ancient One: Paranormal Romance (Protectors of the Veil Book 1)

by Ruby Wilder

  'Maeve, there!' Conri shouted, pointing at the new place.

  'I see it, ' I said, splitting my magic and holding the two spots with each hand.

  When a third pushed up against the veil, I knew we were in trouble. Whatever was trying to get out was strong and it was taking all my power to keep them back. I wasn't sure how many more I could keep in.

  I threw my blue lightning at the third bulge and hoped for the best. It held.

  I could smell the burning earth mixing with the Underworld's sulphur and my magic crackled all around me. It was exhilarating. But I knew I would pay for it later with tiredness and headaches.

  'Something's escaped,' Fiona shouted, pointing to the sky.

  Where had that come from? I didn't see the veil give and I had never taken my eyes from it.

  'Harpies!' Drago shouted and began flickering. Seconds later he was a magnificent teal scaled dragon springing into the skies. Fiona shifted, as she had done before, into a smaller blue dragon, and soared after Drago.

  'I fucking hate Harpies,' Levi growled.

  More and more Harpies poured into the dark night sky, but their shimmering wings made them easy to spot.

  'Where are they coming from?' Conri shouted.

  'I don't know - it's not from the veil - look.' I yelled, over my spitting magic.

  Sure enough, what I said was true - my magic had calmed the veil to a steady blue shimmer. All the pulsing red magic had stopped.

  'There!' Conri shouted, pointing, 'They're coming from over there!'

  I looked at where he was indicating and couldn't believe my eyes. They were coming from behind a hill about three hundred yards away. Too far away to be coming from the veil.

  'They've tricked us!' Adam shouted.

  They had tricked us. They must've gotten out earlier when I felt the pull and hidden behind the hill. Now all of them were coming at us at once instead of one at a time like when they escape through the portal.

  I tried to throw my magic at them, but they were quick, flying and spitting all around us. I counted eight of them, but there may have been more.

  Drago was scorching the night sky with his breath and managed to knock one to the floor. I threw my magic over it and it dissolved back into the underworld.

  'Vig,' Levi shouted, 'throw me up there at one of them.'

  Vig obliged and put his hands together as a step for Levi. Levi ran at Vig, his powerful thigh muscles bunching under his jeans as he moved, and stood on Vig's hands. Vig strained and hurled Levi into the night sky, aiming straight for a flying Harpie.

  Levi hurtled into the air, arms outstretched, and grabbed the twisted claw of a low flying creature. It screeched as he pulled it down to earth with him. Once he was back on his feet, he held its neck and lower torso and cracked the thing over his knee with a powerful thrust.

  I shot my magic over it, sending it to the underworld.

  Conri had transformed, and shouted at Vig, 'Me next.'

  Vig nodded and Conri ran at him, Vig lurched and sent him flying into the air, just as he had with Levi. Conri was either lighter or jumped harder because he flew into the air higher than Levi and crashed straight into a Harpie.

  The noise was horrific, the sharpie screeched in agony as Conri tore it apart with his sharp teeth and strong hands. Pieces of the Harpie fell to the earth as Conri landed in a graceful thud. He stopped a moment and raised his chin, howling into the night sky.

  The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, it was an eerie, mournful sound.

  I sent the bits of the Harpie back through the veil the best I could, but I was sure I'd missed some.

  Another fell to the floor as Drago blasted his fire about. They had a good method going, Fiona herded them towards Drago, and he blasted them.

  It was working well.

  I was busy sending the fallen creatures back to the Underworld when Adam caught my eye. He was covered in blood, making his pale skin and black eyes stand out in the moonlight.

  I stopped, shocked, then realised it wasn't Adam's blood. It was the Harpie's. The look on his face told me so.

  He was a predator at work. Probably the greatest predator here. And he was doing a good job.

  I saw how he did it. He transformed into a bat, flew up to the Harpie and transformed back, grabbing it. He then gracefully dropped to the ground, where he proceeded to rip its throat out with his teeth.

  Very efficient.

  I sent those back to the underworld too. There weren't many of the creatures left now.

  Adam finished another one and Conri got the last, finishing the fight with a final soulful howl.

  It was quiet. Only my magic crackled as I cleaned up.

  I heard Drago and Fiona land behind me, when I turned around the were in their human forms. So was Conri and Adam.

  'Let's go back inside,' I said, looking over the veil. It was calm and blue.

  Once inside, the tension and fear everyone had been holding escaped and there was cheering and back-slapping. Fiona came over to me and hugged me. Girl power.

  The beers were handed around and Vig put some Viking victory music on.

  'Where's Levi?' Adam asked, cleaning himself with a wet towel.

  I looked around - he wasn't there.

  Fear crept up inside me, but I tried to keep it at bay.

  'I haven't seen him since he snapped that Harpies back,' I said.

  'Me neither,' Conri said.

  There were mutters and nods, but the general feeling was that that was the last time anyone had seen him. Fuck.

  I ran outside, the others following.

  'Levi? Levi? Where are you?' I shouted.

  'Wait,' Drago said, 'can we sense him?'

  We all stopped and concentrated - he wasn't there.

  Silence.

  No, wait. I could hear something. It was coming from behind the veil. Oh, no! It couldn't be. Not Levi.

  'Shhh,' I demanded, holding my palm out. I knelt and put my ear to the ground. The wet grass caressed my face as I strained to listen.

  It was faint, but I could hear him. He was in the Underworld.

  'The veil has him,' I said, trying to stand, but my knees were weak, so I remained on the ground.

  'What?' Drago asked.

  'He's in the underworld. I can hear him shouting. The veil has him.'

  I couldn't believe what I was saying myself. But it was true. What I didn't tell the others was the agony he was in. They were torturing him as they dragged him downwards.

  'Levi,' I whispered, touching the grass, but he couldn't hear me.

  Lilith did what she said she'd do. She took back what was hers. I just hadn't known she had meant Levi.

  'He's gone,' I said, heartbroken.

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  Keep reading for a preview of Immortal, book 2 in The Protectors of the Veil series

  Chapter 1

  All hell had broken loose and I'd lost one of my Protectors.

  The magic closing the veil sensed it and began pulsing and spitting.

  What would we do now?

  Drago flickered, transformed into his dragon form and took to the skies. It was too much for him. I wish I could've flown away too.

  Next to go was Adam, he hissed and was gone, too fast to see which direction.

  Vig punched the ground so hard that the earth trembled, he punched it again and again, until Fiona gently stopped him by holding his shoulders. She guided him indoors, tears rolling down his gentle face.

  Only Conri remained.

  We looked at each other. Conri's face, normally full of life and happy, was pale and drained.

  'Wha
t am I going to do, Conri?' I asked, still kneeling.

  'I don't know,' he said, shaking his head and running his hand through his thick brown waves.

  It began to rain. Huge drops of water hurled down on us. The veil responded by spitting back at the water, but Conri and I just stood, not knowing what to do as the rain soaked us through.

  I looked up, the downpour made me feel dizzy as it splattered my face. I just wanted to stay here kneeling in the cold rain until it washed me away.

  My knees sunk into the sodden cold earth. I didn't care. Maybe if they went far enough, the underworld would take me too.

  I began to cry. I couldn't help it. I'd ruined everything and now Levi was gone.

  Big tears fell from my eyes, I couldn't feel them because my face was soaking wet, but I knew.

  'Come on, Maeve, let's go inside,' Conri said, helping me up.

  I let him help me. It would've been easy to scream and shout, blame someone. Blame Conri.

  But I couldn't because I knew there was only me to blame.

  If I'd bonded with them all like I was supposed to do, this wouldn't have happened. He held me around my shoulders and guided me into the cottage.

  Fiona and Vig were on the sofa, Vig's head was in his hands and Fiona was rubbing his back. She looked at me with sadness in her eyes. She didn't blame me - it was a relief.

  'C'mon,' Conri said, 'get these wet clothes off.'

  He guided me to my bedroom and undressed me. I was cold and numb. Grabbing a towel, he tried to wrap up my hair. It was cute, but he was rubbish at it.

  I smiled sadly and wrapped it up securely myself. He took off his top and gave it to me, pulling it over my head. He held me and his werewolf heat soon began to warm me up.

  He stroked the side of my face with his rough hand and guided me to the bed.

  'You are so beautiful,' he said, staring at me intensely. I rested my head on his shoulder.

  Conri was gorgeous and sexy, but right now, all I wanted was Levi.

  I sighed. I felt overwhelmed with grief, felt I couldn't cope, on the verge of hysteria.

  The door opened and in walked Vig with Fiona. Vig looked terrible like he might lose it at any moment. He came over to me and wrapped his huge arms around me, taking Conri into his grasp as well. Fiona came over and squeezed into the middle, her tiny body easily fitting in between us all.

  It's what I needed - the three of them with me - the three I'd bonded with. If only I'd bonded with the other three, maybe Levi would still be here.

  The warmth and the closeness of them calmed my uneasy mind. It was true. The four of us were as one. But it should've been the seven of us.

  Clearly Adam and Drago didn't feel the need to be here with us. And that was my fault because they were unbonded.

  We all felt it and held on to each other tightly.

  Slowly I became calm and my mind found peace again. I summoned my magic and wrapped us in healing blue light.

  I heard Fiona say, 'Cool,' just as I drifted off into peaceful sleep.

  I woke to the sound of a raven cawing.

  Was that bad luck?

  Fiona and I were still huddled up in the duvet, Vig lay across the bottom of the bed and Conri lay across the pillows. My magic had faded, but I felt a lot better than last night.

  Levi.

  Where was he? Was he okay? Were they hurting him?

  I shook my head to try to stop the questions, but it was no good. They kept coming.

  I sat up and noticed Drago sitting in the chair beside my dressing table, fully clothed and asleep. He'd returned to us.

  Relief flooded through me.

  Adam. Where was Adam?

  I panicked, but then I remembered. It was light out. Of course, he wouldn't be there. Vampires couldn't go out in the daylight.

  Drago stirred and woke. I smiled across the room.

  'Adam?' I asked.

  'In room,' Drago said, pointing.

  Adam's room was completely light proof. He'd be safe in there until night.

  So, he'd returned too. Even Adam had forgiven me. Would I have been so understanding?

  I wasn't sure.

  'Trouble coming,' Drago said, interrupting my thoughts.

  'It couldn't be as bad as the trouble last night,' I said, trying to make light of his unnerving statement.

  'Hmph.'

  'Someone's coming,' Conri said, jumping up, 'and they are not happy.'

  I was confused. Who could it be?

  No one knew we were here. No one could see the cottage it was protected by magic.

  No one except...

  The cottage door burst open and my name was called in a deep booming voice.

  'Maeve Pendle - Ancient One. You are summoned by The Circle. The Druid Council requests your presence.'

  Shit.

  Silence.

  I sat on the bed blinking. I felt like I was seven again and at school, and it was the time my teacher caught me putting peanut butter in Harry Johnson's sandwich when I knew he was allergic.

  Except this time, it felt like Harry had actually eaten the sandwich.

  Shit.

  'Ancient One,' the voice boomed. I jumped.

  'C'mon, I'll come with you,' Conri said, getting off the bed.

  'Me too,' Fiona said.

  'And me,' replied Vig.

  Drago nodded at me and stood up.

  We all walked together, like six naughty school children going to the headmaster's office.

  I opened my bedroom door and the sitting room had gone. We were inside the big oak Druid headquarters.

  The last time I had been here was when gran led me through her pantry door in her kitchen a few weeks ago.

  Was that only fourteen days ago? So much had happened. Yet not enough...

  The Druid magic was strong, I could feel it. But I wasn't intimidated by it. Mine was stronger.

  'Sit,' the voice commanded.

  There were six oak chairs in a line in front of the seven oak chairs that formed the semi-circle. The Heads of the Council sat there, majestic in their white flowing robes.

  We all obeyed and sat in a chair. It really felt like school now.

  'Maeve Pendle, you have disobeyed the council. You have three unbonded Protectors. Your magic is weak, your Protectors vulnerable. We are here to make right this situation.'

  Make right the situation.

  What did they mean?

  If they thought I was going to fuck Drago, right here, right now, they had another thing coming.

  'And that is not all,' the voice continued, 'you have lost a Protector - a strong demonic Protector - to the underworld. This is unheard of. In the millennia that the Druids have protected the veil, no one has ever been taken by it.'

  Shit.

  I couldn't even argue, stick up for myself. They were right. I had lost Levi to the underworld.

  'We can correct one of your mistakes, but it's up to you to correct the other.'

  They were going to help me get Levi back, I was overjoyed. They would help me!

  I turned to face the others who were nodding and smiling, and I grinned. It was going to be okay. I could bond with the others, and we would all be strong enough to protect the veil at Samhain.

  It was all working out.

  They all smiled. All except Drago, who stared at me and very slightly shook his head.

  'Here is your replacement Protector,' the voice said.

  What? A replacement? No.

  A very ordinary looking man walked forward, and I heard Fiona hiss, 'Shifter.'

  'No,' I said, standing up. 'No replacements, we are going to get Levi back.'

  Mr Green, Head of the Council, spoke. 'No, Maeve. No one comes back from the underworld,' he said, not without sorrow.

  'There must be a way,' I shouted.

  'No, Maeve,' he repeated, a little louder.

  I stared at him, willing him to back down. Wanting him to tell me a way to get Levi back. But he didn't - he only stared.

&
nbsp; 'I'm not accepting him,' I said, a little cruelly. But it was true. No one was going to replace Levi.

  Mr Green stared at me. He was annoyed, but he didn't say anything. Was I more powerful or important than I thought I was?

  I could feel a ripple of awkwardness run through the other head Druids until someone finally spoke.

  'There is one way, John,' the voice said.

  There were gasps around the room as a beautiful woman descended into the middle of the circle. Mr Green dropped to his knees.

  'Racheal,' he said bowing his head. The other Druids fell quickly to their knees. I didn't know what to do. I'd never met this woman before.

  I turned to my Protectors and saw Vig and Drago also on their knees, with Fiona frowning at them.

  'Get up,' Racheal said, kindly.

  She was staring at me and I felt like she knew my every thought.

  'I do,' she said.

  'Oh.'

  'But that is a good thing, for you. As I see you are kind, brave and honorable. Well done, Maeve Pendle.'

  I saw Mr Green's mouth open in awe. This wasn't a normal appearance, I guessed.

  'I am the Archangel Racheal. The first ancestor to all the Druids. Your many times' great grandmother, if you will,' she smiled.

  I awkwardly nodded a kind of curtsy-bow. Fuck, I was an idiot.

  Racheal must've heard me because her smile widened.

  'I am old - almost as old as Drago here,' she said, nodding to him.

  He blushed. Drago actually blushed!

  'And in all my years,' she continued, 'we have never lost a Protector of the Veil to the Underworld. Many have died. Many have left - their time as Protector complete. But none have been stolen by Legion and Lilith's army.'

  It was my turn to blush now.

  'However, there are some factors to this that were out of your power. Firstly, the veil is very thin because it has been without an Ancient One for twenty-five years, the magic is weak, creatures can break through easily. Secondly, Lilith has never gotten over Levi leaving her to join our side. She has wanted him back for millennia, and this was her chance. Thirdly, you have only been ordained for a very short period of time, the shortest in our history, and therefore do not know all our ways.'