by Dahlia Leigh
The alpha seemed to weigh the pros and cons of what she said. When she noted the hesitation in the alpha’s eyes she added more. “The move will be a bit of a risk, but your desire for information regarding the veil outweighs all else. I’m certain we can get through the dome this way. I also may have secured additional reinforcements to assist in our—your—plan, should we need them, if the worst should happen.”
Alpha Berone laughed deep. “Well done, Rozalind. I knew I could count on you to advance my vision and look out for my son. Your creativity and foresight are what this pack needs, as you also stay true within the lines of tradition, advancing our ways.”
Roz inclined her head in thanks of his words. Inwardly she grimaced, wishing she could advance her own will instead of that of the pack and rub it in his face but, for now, she would take the leeway he granted her.
“It is a bit of a risk, but I give you permission to try out your plan and get some of the Unbound and our people into the borders. This will be a test of their defenses for when we make our big move. Once inside, the shifters must stay in shadow form for the most protection and least amount of notice. I need to know what progress my son has made. I believe he must be putting on a show of some sort to gain favor with the Sentinel. But between you and me,” he leaned closer and whispered to Roz, “You know my son as well as I do, I don’t doubt his intentions but his execution. This way, we would have someone on the inside. I only wish I could have sent you—my most loyal pack member—in his stead. You would have gotten things done by now.”
The alpha leaned back, his volume returned to normal for the rest of everyone present to hear. “Perhaps, once he sees I have made a way for shadow support on the inside, he will turn on the Sentinel and get what we need.” He slammed his fist on his side table. “I need eyes inside that castle!”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ashlynn
Ashlynn had taken the morning for her own training then ended in the high tower for her routine morning meditation. She had so much on her mind between the tremors, Asteroth weakening and his memory challenges, and her body’s traitorous reactions to her close encounters with the three warriors staying under her roof. Ash had known all along having them there would be a bad idea, but at the same time, they had been proving not only useful, but also good company. She needed to get her emotions and physical reactions under better control.
Balancing on one foot with the other tucked behind her knee, her eyes closed and her arms bent at her sides, she found moments of peace in the midst of the turmoil. At least, she found peace until she sensed something out of the ordinary. She stiffened but slowly brought down her leg and prepared to move without alerting the intruder of her awareness. Why Asteroth didn’t warn her of someone approaching her wasn’t something she could wonder. Instead, she needed to focus her breathing, concentrate on where the intruder was in the room, and what her options were. She was not armed, but her dagger was placed on a table only feet away. But the intruder had not yet moved. The presence she sensed stayed by the entryway with the weight of their eyes on her.
Unable to remain patient any longer, Ashlynn jumped off the beam she balanced on and spun to face the intruder in one graceful move.
No one was there.
Ashlynn quickly surveyed the room around her. The tower wasn’t large, and no real hiding places exited except for a patch of darkness in the entryway. An idea came into her head and she thought of her pendant. Since she had worked with Ed to not touch her pendant when accessing the magic there, she could use the magic without being obvious. Focusing her energy into the pendant, she felt the necklace warm at her chest. Instantly, she could see into the patch of darkness in the opening into the hall.
“Darien.” Her voice was quiet yet surprised. “What are you doing here?”
Darien stood in the entry, but not as a human. He had changed into full shadow shifter form. His presence was large and his essence was overbearing, but he stepped back, attempting to not block her in the room. Something about him was different, almost as if he was more shadow than person. Ashlynn noted the conflict evident on his face. Glowing green eyes sought her out and called to her soul.
“Are you all right?” Ashlynn dropped her fighting stance and slowly moved toward him, not wanting to startle him. He tracked her every move.
“Don’t be afraid,” Darien said, his voice strained and controlled. “Shadow needed to be near you. I let it find you.”
“I’m not afraid of you or your shadow beast, Darien. I feel the concern coming from you… concern for me.” She moved in even closer, only feet away from him. The shadow darkness moved around him, reaching tendrils out to her, licking their way onto her skin, touching her. “What can I do, Darien?”
“No. Don’t touch me. As soon as it feels you’re safe, I can regain control.”
Ashlynn didn’t need to hear him say the words to know what the shadow beast needed from her. The price wasn’t too high for her to pay for Darien to regain control. She sought the power from her pendant and the magic reacted even more swift than before. Ash could see Darien in both forms bound together by the ancient magic that was his. She instinctively knew her touch was what his shadow beast craved, what he needed to calm. She reached into the shadows and placed her hand on his forearm, touching him once again even into the realm of the shadows. When her skin made contact with him, she could feel him solid as in human form. Darien sighed relief at the contact. His eyes found hers, and the hope she found there almost undid her.
“Better?” she asked.
Darien nodded both his human and beast side in agreement. She moved her hand up his arm to his bicep. He remained still but watched as she did. Ash placed her other hand against the top of his chest and felt solid muscle bunch under her touch. Her hand remained still as they both settled with the foreign feeling. Taking the reins, Ashlynn slid both hands up connecting them around his neck. The shadows danced and undulated around them both as she moved closer into his body. The movement of the shadow magic against her skin was warm and inviting, the opposite of what she thought before.
In one quick move, Darien’s hands found her waist and turned her around against the wall. Ashlynn wasn’t short, but with Darien she had to stand on her tip toes. The glowing eyes of the beast over Darien’s human pale blue ones poured into her soul. She didn’t fear the shadows or the horns on his head. All of him added to the excitement of the moment; she chose to give in for a brief moment to what her body wanted. Slowly, she pulled down on his neck while she reached up and kissed his lips. She knew he let her take control but took advantage of it, and kissed him again. Darien growled from deep within his chest and deepened the kiss, taking her mouth slow and steady yet with hunger and passion for more of her.
Ashlynn felt the moment Darien’s body shifted from shadow to human once more. She didn’t break the kiss right away though her mind shouted at her body to step away and breathe. Instead, Darien broke the kiss but touched his forehead against hers.
“You anchor me to this world in a way I didn’t know was possible. Thank you.” Darien sped down the hall and out of sight before she could say anything.
Ashlynn leaned her head against the wall and simply breathed. She touched her lips.
“What the fuck just happened?” Ashlynn waited a beat then retrieved her dagger from the table and headed back to her room. “Asteroth, don’t even play with me. I know you’re there.”
“Oh no, I’m not even touching that one. You are a big girl and can’t say ‘the castle made me do it’ anymore.”
“Such an ass.” Ashlynn laughed and shook her head. “I am supposed to meet Taegen. Could you at least let him know I’ll be there in a moment?”
ASHLYNN
Ashlynn wandered the castle, looking for Taegen. When he didn’t show at the place she had scheduled to meet him, she simply asked Asteroth.
“Where might I find the demon you invited to the castle?”
“He is currently in the illusion r
oom.”
“Thank you.”
Ashlynn ventured to the illusion room. When she entered, however, the room was still simply the original stone of the castle and nothing else but the gargoyle statue. Taegen pushed off the wall behind her, catching her slightly off guard she didn’t see him at first. She wouldn’t admit that to him though.
“Are you looking for me?” Taegen asked. He moved in close to her, but stopped just in front of her and examined her face, her hair, everything about her as if he could read all she’d been doing in her face.
“Yes, actually, I was.” Ashlynn had nothing to be ashamed of and nothing she needed to disclose to him and took his study as a challenge to which she closed off all emotion and shut him out. “I came to see if you had free time to spare for some one-on-one time with me.”
Tension filled the room for a brief moment as something flickered across his vision but then his face relaxed with a cocky grin. “Time alone with you? There is nothing I would rather do. Take that however you want.” He winked in her direction then paused for her look of exasperation. “All right then, what did you have in mind?”
“I was thinking we could spar. I have some built up tension and I could use the workout. You in?”
Taegen’s face went slack. “I’m biting my cheek so hard right now. You aren’t making this easy on me, you know that right?” He then released a laugh filled with tension.
“I don’t know what you are talking about.” Ashlynn grinned, bit her lip, then turned to walked toward a rack of weapons. She could feel the whisper of a caress down her back as if Taegen physically touched her though he didn’t. The way he looked at her and the way she could feel his eyes rove over her body, left her off kilter. He affected her more by his presence than she wanted to admit. Because deep down, she didn’t want to admit to herself how much he affected her and how much she liked feeling his gaze upon her. She felt like a real woman, noticed and admired. But that wasn’t the point and she mentally scolded herself then returned to her task.
“I would love to spar with you,” Taegen said from beside her, reaching for a long sword.
“Asteroth, the room if you please?”
“Any requests?” Asteroth asked.
Ashlynn raised her eyebrows in question to Taegen. “You choose.”
Taegen smirked, but a twinkle in his eyes lit them up. “How about the grounds near Amethyst Waters in the Void, are you familiar with the landscape there, Asteroth?”
“I believe I’ve learned of it. See how I do…”
The illusion took root in the center of the room, moving out from there. Where Ash and Taegen stood, they were now on what appeared to be a grassy knoll but instead of green the ground was grayish-brown. The landscape around them was sparse but strangely beautiful, dotted with clusters of trees—most of which were spindly and leafless—with a cavernous background littered with sparkling crystals of white and purples all across. But just off of center was a small lake of purple water.
“Well done, Asteroth.” Taegen glanced around with satisfaction.
“Where is this?” Ashlynn turned in a circle, gazing at the new surrounding, her face lit up with awe at seeing something she had never experienced before.
“This is Amethyst Lake, an area I favor in the Void. Not many frequent the lake because, though the water is beautiful, it gives off an unpleasant odor. Because of that, the area is quiet and I can be by myself.”
Ashlynn tilted her head, watching Taegen. His face relaxed and his demeanor altered at the simple change in surroundings, though it wasn’t even real. “Feel free to enjoy this any time you would like while you are here. And as an added bonus… the water doesn’t smell here.” She smiled and Taegen noticed.
“Thank you for this.” In an instant his face changed and he took a battle stance. “Now are you ready to fight me, because I don’t think you have what it takes.”
Ashlynn took her stance opposite him and appreciated the way he held his sword and the confidence in which he stood. He, too, was an incredibly handsome man. She was cursed to be surrounded by models of the gods. Though Taegen wore a human glamour, he was otherworldly and he couldn’t get around that. At times he looked regal and set apart with an all-seeing agelessness in his eyes. Other times his expression and demeanor countered all else with relaxed playfulness and a devil-may-care attitude that bucked the system.
“Let’s see if your moves can back up your mouth then. Come at me.” Ashlynn taunted him.
Taegen’s grin turned predatory as he stalked forward. Chills shot up Ashlynn’s spine. Not out of fear, but excitement. She was ready.
Metal clanked against metal as their strikes hit true and often. Taegen was relentless in battle, but Ashlynn held her own and even bested him with some of her own moves and strikes he hadn’t expected. Their dance was fierce but beautiful to behold nonetheless as they gracefully moved around the lake, the surroundings became a blur of purples, browns, and grays swirled together.
Relishing in the way Taegen pushed her to fight harder, smarter and faster in the way he moved, she found herself rising to the challenge of fighting against him. She appreciated he didn’t go easy on her because she was a girl, but challenged her instead.
Taegen danced around her only to have her swing up and have her sword meet his with a clash of metal. “You’re good, Ashlynn, real good.”
“As are you.” She took the lead and stepped inside his stance, causing him to back up or find himself off balance. He laughed.
“I hope so. I’ve been fighting a long time.”
“What’s it like where you are from?” she asked.
Taegen didn’t miss a beat, but his face tensed at her line of question. “Much of it is dim and lacking color like this. Trees and plants grow differently down there, as you can see.” He gestured to the illusion around them. Taegen struck his sword toward her leg but she jumped out of the way and blocked him in time.
“What about your family?” Ashlynn was trained well, but even after some time she grew weary and her breathing became labored.
“Need a break, Sentinel?” Taegen smirked.
“Nope. Don’t change the subject.” She smirked in return.
“My family is… complicated. I come from a large family who all work and function together for the family business. Much is expected of me. I have duties… responsibilities too uphold that are not always in my interest, but I have to do them nonetheless.”
Ashlynn paused and stepped back, taking a breather. She studied his face. His expression was still relatively shut down, but his words were genuine and more honest than she had expected of him, albeit still a bit vague though she suspected he had reason for it.
“Why are you here then Taegen? It sounds as if your family would need you to stay.”
Taegen acknowledged her question with a nod. “They felt there would be advantageous opportunity for me being here. I wanted to get top-side to see if I could find a new start. Plus, like I already told you, I’m the best of the best, and I was invited to spend time with a beautiful and fierce woman… who could refuse that?” He winked at her then lunged with a deep strike.
Ashlynn countered his strike with a twist and parry of her own. She sensed something troubled him.
“Now, fight me Sentinel with everything you have!” Taegen shouted as he ran to an illusive rock and flipped himself backwards off it, landing in a stance worthy to be fought.
Her eyes narrowed, but also lit up with the thrill of a good fight she was ready to win. They moved in sync, fighting with intensity for the next moments like she had never been able to fight with a real person before. To her shock, she was intoxicated by the dance and the way the exertion made her feel alive and powerful.
Just as Ashlynn cornered Taegen and brought her sword up to his neck, the illusion in the room flickered. Ashlynn paused but didn’t move. “Everything all right, Asteroth?”
“Just a little tweak. Carry on.”
But the flicker happened again. W
orry clouded Ashlynn’s eyes. Taegen took advantage of the briefest distraction and turned the tables, flipping her around and bringing his own sword to her neck while he cradled her body against his chest with his other hand. Each breathing fast and labored, neither wanted to call the fight, but when the illusion slowly faded with choppy bursts. Ashlynn called it.
“Yield?” she asked him.
Taegen chuckled, his chest vibrating at her back. She couldn’t help but like the way his body felt against her. “Me? The one holding the sword to your throat?”
“Last chance. Do you yield?”
Taegen leaned into her hair and brushed up against her neck as he moved in toward her ear and whispered. “Never.”
Ashlynn smirked. “I was hoping you’d say that.” She jammed her heel into his instep, threw her elbow back into his groin, then flipped him over her head to land on his back. Once down, she pointed the tip of her sword onto his chest just above his heart and said it again. “Yield.”
Taegen laughed, but tapped his hand on the floor next to him and agreed. “Yield.”
“Thank you, Asteroth, we are finished. Preserve your strength and turn off the illusion.” She then reached down and extended her hand, pulling Taegen up. Instead he pulled her down to him. She landed awkwardly on top of him in a huff. Taegen laughed then flipped her onto to her back as he rolled.
“What are you doing?” Ashlynn smacked at his chest.
“Do you yield?” Taegen turned her words against her. A tension-filled, vulnerable moment rose between them. She looked into his face and searched his eyes. In one fluid motion, he pulled her close, his lips brushing hers. Ashlynn’s traitorous body wanted it. It craved him, delighted in his touch, and she found herself leaning into him. As he got closer and closer, she realized she wanted him to kiss her. She waited with baited breath, torn between giving in to her desires and maybe punching him in the face.
