by Shea Balik
Then he glanced over at the Fae who had stopped just shy of the Fae realm, turned around and grinned at Logan and the others as they started to float backwards, to cross over the Veil with the kids in tow.
Pissed that they would so viciously hurt the ones he loved, Logan said, “And if you can, ensure those two are on this side when we seal it.”
It was the one good thing about fighting the more powerful Seelie and Unseelie. Yeah, they were hard, if not impossible to kill, with one exception. Once the Veil closed, any of them still in the human world, instantly died. That was Logan’s plan.
Then Wylie flew him to the Veil and set him down less than a foot from the start of the opening. The Veil was something that was similar to a taut curtain. It stretched from the ground all the way up as far as the eye could see and probably beyond.
It was only when there was a tear in it, or in this case a hole punched into it using Fae magic, that its shimmering threads could be seen and only in the areas where fibers were damaged. Logan wasn’t entirely sure he would be able to see it after he’d begun, but he hoped that so long as he kept his touch in the same spot, it wouldn’t disappear on him, forcing Wylie to push him up into the air in order to continue.
“We call upon our ancestors to come together as we celebrate them and all they have done for us.”
Logan heard at least three of his friends begin. Wind whipped fiercely around him, letting him know Cullen was fighting. When dirt shot upward, it was obvious Teagan was also trying to get the kids back.
Doing his best to ignore all that was happening around him, Logan closed his eyes to begin his master plan and let the energy of the earth flow into his feet and surge through his veins. Then he took that final step that would put him less than an inch from the Veil.
Lifting his hands, Logan reached out and touched the Veil. Shards of electricity crackled along his fingers and palms, warning him away. This was the Fae’s magic and no humans were to touch it.
Soon his whole body felt like it was a live wire as every hair on his body stood on end. His entire being ached in a way that told him his plan wasn’t going to work. For there was no way he was going to be able to withstand the tremendous pain without passing out first.
But then an arm wrapped around him from behind as a familiar scent invaded his senses, pushing out the agony that had been trying to force him away from the Veil. A large, broad body pressed tightly against his back, covering as much of him as possible.
“Brandr,” he breathed out on a sigh.
“I’ve got you, my fated one,” Brandr assured him.
Logan couldn’t explain how the touch of this man easily drove the Fae’s magic away, but it did. Now, with his mind and body free to concentrate, Logan shoved his own magic into the fibers of the Veil.
All around him he could hear the others chanting or shouting to release the kids, but it was nothing more than background noise as he continued to focus on the task at hand. One by one, the threads of the Veil were binding together under the encouragement of his magic.
But it was more than that. For as he continued to fix the broken threads, the Fae’s magic was replaced with his own. In each moment that passed, he could feel more and more of the Veil as it stretched around the world. Most of it was still intact, but that didn’t alter the fact that the enchantment of the Fae who had created this division between the two worlds was being altered.
Instead of the insidious evil that had been used to weave the Veil, a new pattern was put into place. One born of the love Logan had for the man who freely gave Logan his strength, body, heart, and soul.
“No,” he heard someone bellow as the opening before them started to close.
A glance upward showed Omri and Labhcás standing on the edge of the Veil. Omri still held Tess, who was smiling like a Cheshire cat, while Labhcás held onto a pissed off Leith who was still hitting and kicking him with every fiber of his being.
Logan had no idea where the other kids were, but he prayed the fact that they weren’t there meant they were safe. As the last line of the ritual was being spoken, Logan yelled out, “Now.”
It was Cullen who stepped forward with a wicked grin directed at the two Fae. Suddenly, a tornado whipped out of thin air, it’s tail shooting down from the sky, straight into the remaining opening. The Fae were still fixated on Logan, who continued to repair the opening, to have seen what was coming.
A heartbeat later, Omri and Labhcás were yanked from the Fae realm and into the human world. Wylie, who had been prepared, used his magic to move the kids that had been propelled out of the Fae’s arms, safely away.
“Tighter, my love,” Logan whispered.
Without any hesitation, Brandr’s arms held him closer. Using their connection as well as the energy from the world around him, Logan pushed his magic into the Veil.
“Heed our command and seal the Veil,” his friends chanted just as the final threads were fused together.
Omri and Labhcás just managed to shout in horror before turning to dust. Then all was quiet, with the exception of the cracks and snaps coming from the fire.
Mingus waved a hand at it, dousing it with his water magic.
Then they all stood there staring at one another. Each druid was held by the Viking who had claimed him. Sixteen men. All still as statues, unsure what to say or do.
The moment was surreal. Logan wasn’t sure if the others knew their plan had worked, but at the very least Omri and Labhcás were dead. He was sure it would take days for them to come to grips with what had just happened.
“Are they stone?” Gillie whispered loudly.
“Nope,” Lieth said, popping his ‘P.’ “No one could turn Bran to stone,” he said confidently.
“Then what’s wrong with them?” Maisie asked.
“Oh,” Gillie said. “Maybe they playing game.”
It was ever wise Tess who sighed and shook her head. “They’re just in shock that they did it.” Then she went to Wylie’s side. “We just need to hug them.”
As if to prove her words, Tess hugged Wylie’s leg. Like magic, both Wylie and Fritjof bent down and hugged Tess back.
Leith raced to Logan and Brandr’s side to do the same. It wasn’t until he had Leith, Tyree, Maisie, Joffrey, and, of course, Brandr in his arms that Logan felt himself take his first real breath.
So long as he had the people he loved in his arms, everything else could wait.
EPILOGUE
“Trick or treat.”
Logan grinned as he opened the door to the music room he loved to hang out in. Not so much because it was a music room, but because it was the one place he could go that few people bothered him.
“Oh my goodness,” he exclaimed. “What amazing costumes.”
“I have to say,” Brandr said from beside Logan with the bowl of candy in his hands. “Some of you are really scary.”
“I’m not scary,” Maisie said as she proudly showed off her pink princess costume.
“No, you’re not,” Logan told her. “You are as pretty as a princess.”
Leith let out an annoyed breath. “Cause she is a princess. How come no one say anything about my costume?”
Leith puffed out his chest and brandished his sword just as he’d seen Brandr do it. Logan leaned in toward him and whispered, “That’s because you’re the fiercest of them all.”
Leith had insisted on dressing up like Brandr, who happened to be grinning down at the boy proudly. “He’s right, you know?” Brandr told Leith. “You look just like a warrior in that outfit.”
If Leith puffed out his chest any further he’d be doing a backbend. Not wanting anyone to feel like their costumes weren’t good, Logan said, “I think everyone looks amazing. How would you like some candy?”
All the kids cheered as they pushed forward to fill the baskets a few of the adults had bought. Which, considering they hadn’t thought they’d get to celebrate Halloween by trick or treating, even if it was just in the house, it hadn’t been easy
to find as many baskets as they’d needed.
According to Bjorn and Kegan, they’d had to go to six different stores since it was been three days until Halloween when it had been decided they should have a party. The house was decorated with spider webs and black cats and the kids had gotten to pick out their own costumes.
Several had chosen mummies to save the hassle, since they were already covered in bandages from the fight with the Fae a week ago. But others, like Maisie and Leith, had decided to truly dress up.
“Now, don’t eat all of that too quickly,” Brandr told them as they shuffled off to the next room where Eirik and Ryley were waiting. “I don’t want to be up all night because you got sick from all of that candy.”
Logan chuckled at the stern tone in Brandr’s voice. “You know that’s kind of the point on Halloween,” he told the man who somehow he’d been blessed to have as his for all eternity.
Brandr frowned and gave him a look that said he wasn’t buying it. “Not when it’s me who has to stay up and take care of all of them, thank you very much,” Brandr said as he wrapped an arm around Logan’s waist, pulling him close as he shut the door. “I have much more enjoyable things planned for tonight that don’t involve puke.”
Brandr had said that last part just as his lips were about to touch Logan’s. Too grossed out to think about kissing, Logan bend backwards to avoid Brander. “That’s disgusting and don’t even think for a moment you’re going to kiss me after that.”
A wicked gleam appeared in Brandr’s silver eyes as he flicked the lock on the door and pushed Logan against the wood surface. “Oh, my fated one, I have a lot more on my mind than a simple kiss.”
Logan laughed outright but gave into the kiss. Why wouldn’t he? He loved kissing this man. Hell, he loved this man, period.
There were times when he had thought he would never know what love was, especially after his family had been killed and he’d been on the run. All he could see of his future was more running, more people dying, and more Fae attacking them at every turn.
Yet, now, there in Brandr’s arms, Logan saw an entirely different future. One with love, happiness, and lots and lots of sex.
Flipping them, so that Brandr was against the door and Logan was the one pressing against him, he took control of the kiss. Brandr moaned and let him.
This was something Logan never knew he could have, but now that he did, nothing would ever tear him away from Brandr’s arms.
Fists pounded against the other side of the door.
“Bran, Lowan,” Leith yelled as loudly as he could. “It’s time for the party. Come on.”
Okay, so maybe nothing was too finite a word. But Logan didn’t mind waiting. He’d wait forever for Brandr if need be. Thankfully, that wasn’t necessary.
“Come on, my fated one.” Brandr opened the door and took his hand. “It’s time to celebrate.”
Yes, it was. After all they’d been through, it was past time.
They headed out into the living room. Drinks were pressed into their hands, while Eirik stood by the large two story windows that offered sweeping views of the mountains behind them.
“I want to thank everyone for helping to put this together.” Then Eirik lifted his glass. “Happy Samhain.”
Everyone lifted their glasses and said, “Happy Samhain.”
Then the music started and kids began to dance around. Everyone there was happy, safe and relaxed. It had been a hard fight, but they’d won.
“Has anyone ever heard from Fen?” Ryley asked.
Several shook their heads.
“What about Rowan?” Cullen asked, still seething after what the woman had allowed to happen to Kyleigh.
The group that had gone after her when Logan and Brandr found Kyleigh hadn’t been able to find her. Now that the Fae couldn’t cross into their would any longer, she wouldn’t be able to use other druids as offerings to the Fae. That said, she still needed to pay for her crimes.
It was Arne who nodded. “Yeah. She had crossed into Mexico about ten hours before we went looking for her. I found the video footage of her crossing the border a couple of days ago.”
Cullen stood up a little straighter. “Do you know her location now?”
“The morgue,” Arne replied. “Her body was discovered in what is common cartel dumping grounds yesterday. “Once I had found that she was in Mexico I had flagged all hospital and morgues in the country.”
“Thank fuck,” Ulf said as he wrapped his arms around Cullen. “Couldn’t have happened to a better person if you ask me.”
Logan agreed, as did everyone else.
The hairs along his arms stood up and goosebumps broke out along his skin. “What is that?”
But instead of answering, the men gasped just before someone appeared before them. The man was older, maybe in his late sixties, but his face appeared quite haggard, as if he’d suffered a hard life.
“Fen,” Eirik said, instantly putting his body slightly in front of Ryley. It wasn’t until Logan noticed Brandr had done the same thing to him that he looked around to find all the Vikings protecting the men they loved.
“I’m sorry,” Logan said. “Did you say Fen? Like in the Fae who had been helping you? The one you feared was dead?”
Several nods confirmed his words, which weren’t exactly comforting.
“So, you’re telling me that he is a Fae, who is here even though we sealed the Veil?” What if Logan had been wrong? What if the Fae could still get through?
“Not to worry, druid,” Fen said. “I was cursed along with the Vikings. As such, I’m allowed to cross the Veil without any restrictions.”
“Where have you been?” Ryley blurted out. “We thought Omri was going to have you killed.”
Fen nodded. “He did. But Aed apparently made me immortal as well, so I’ve been stuck in a cell this whole time.”
Then Fen turned to Logan. “You did heal the Veil. It is sealed, although as I’m sure you now realize, it isn’t permanent. One day, the fibers will fray again.”
He wasn’t quite sure how he felt about having a Fae who could still cross the Veil, but Logan decided he wasn’t going to worry about it now. If Fen was in fact immortal, there wasn’t anything any of them could do about it anyway.
“I figured that out,” he told Fen. “But as I’ve discovered recently, there isn’t anything we can’t do so long as we stick together.”
Both druids and Vikings converged on him and much to his horror, they gave him a group hug. He hadn’t really thought the moment warranted it, but who was he to complain? They’d been through a lot the past year. If hugging helped, he was all on board.
What he hadn’t expected were tears to well up in his eyes or to get even more sappy. “No matter where life takes us, we’ll always be there for each other. And when the Fae come knocking on our door again, we’ll be ready.”
“Awww,” Wylie sobbed. “That was so sweet.”
A little too sweet but Logan couldn’t seem to stop himself even if his stomach was starting to revolt as if he’d eaten one of those buckets of candy the kids had gotten.
“We were born for this,” Logan said. “It’s time to live our lives to the fullest.”
“And we have all eternity to do it,” Arne proclaimed.
Logan raised up his glass. “Let’s toast, to Mending the Rift.”
As one the others lifted up their glasses and said, “To Mending the Rift.”
Logan smiled as Brandr leaned in to kiss him. This was the life he was meant to have. And he was going to hold onto it with both hands and never let go.
THE END
COMING SOON from SHEA BALIK!
November 2019
Hart Medical Center
MM/MPREG Non-Shifter ABO Romance
December 2019
A New Believe Series story
Coming Soon!
A New Miracle Series story
A New Uncorked Series story
Sign up for Shea’s newsletter to stay
in the loop and get the prequel to the Druid’s Curse Series: The Beginning!!
www.sheabalik.com/newsletter
216
