by N. K. Vir
Marek mocked him with a laugh that betrayed his state of mind. “Boy you forget just who I am!” Kieran felt the kiss of his own fists brush against his cheeks. Defense had never been his strong suit. “I am a coven master!”
Marek pushed more power into his spell. Kieran grit his teeth as he fought the new wave of power Marek was throwing at him. He was using every ounce of power he had to break through Kieran’s shield and it was almost enough…almost.
A firm hand on his back reminded him of who he was. The touch of her hand freed him in a way he did not think was possible. It gently encouraged him to fight back. His control snapped; his vow broke as he shoved back.
“And,” he forced out.
“I am,” his hands inched further away from his face.
“The,” his fists slowly turned; facing the witch that was threatening them.
“Sinclair Witch!” he shouted. The sound of the voice that exploded from him was nearly deafening to his own ears.
He threw his arms to the side, stretching his fingers wide as he allowed the magick to touch his skin briefly. He felt the anger and hate Marek had thrown at him. The magick was laced with an insane amount of jealousy that twisted what had once been a pure form of magick born of Earth. He accepted the hate, the anger and the jealousy. His soul brushed against the rage and transformed back into the light magick that had, at one time, dwelled inside of Marek. All this happened in the instant before he forced the magick Marek had cast upon them to rebound and seek out its original host.
The power of his magick finally having an outlet exploded out of him. The rush of the power escaping his body felt amazing. He fed it; encouraging it to grow and expand and send back just a little extra to reinforce the power behind his words.
The shockwave sent Marek flying through the air. His trajectory of his flight was stopped, suddenly, by the thick trunk of an ancient oak tree. The tree refused to bend and sent his body crashing back down to the ground beneath him. The sound of his spine snapping was barely hidden by tree limbs cracking and then crashing down on top of him burying him under the weight of the very forest he had tried to use against Kieran. He had had his revenge and the giant oak had sanctioned his might.
Kieran stared down at his shaking hands floored by the power that had just rebounded off him. He should be horrified by what he had just done; instead he felt incredible. The power of his magick, re-awakened was thrumming through his blood and the rush was almost too much to bear. His magick wanted more. They weren’t safe; not yet. Until Daisy opened the portal to the Otherside Kane was still coming. He spun in a circle searching the surrounding woods for Kane. He failed to see the attack until it was too late.
The sudden force of the blow from behind knocked him to the ground pinning his arms beneath him. His magick reacted before his brain had time to process what had happened. A gust of enchanted air freed him from the weight that held him captive. The wind lifted him from the ground giving him a cushion of air to rest on, protecting him from the chaos that had erupted below.
Daisy was whispering words the air that surrounded him prevented him from hearing. Tanith’s wolf was pacing protectively in front of her while her eyes flicked between a spot in the woods and Wills struggling to get to her feet. The moon cast eerie shadows that stretched awkwardly over the small clearing below while illuminating the dark stains that had begun to slowly seep through the dirty white tee shirt that clung to Wills’ torso. The air beneath his feet literally evaporated.
He had done it again.
He fell to his knees crawling through the forest debris to get her. Tears stung his eyes and blurred his vision. This was his fault. His shaking hands reached towards her and she met him halfway falling into him. He cradled her in his arms. His hands struggled to push the blood escaping her back into her body. He could hear himself wailing in regret but felt far removed from the horror he had unleashed. His soul seemed to float above the confusion in the clearing. He could smell the sweet aroma of blackberries mingling with the metallic scent of fresh blood. The sound of Daisy whispering in a foreign sounding tongue entwined with the angry snarls and growls of two wolves fighting in the dense undergrowth just out of his sight. Every sense was so far removed from him except for the weight of her in his arms. The world was erupting around him and all he could do was hold her.
“Kieran,” his name exhaled on her pained breath awoke him from the haze he had lost himself in.
A choked sob escaped him as he pressed his lips against the cool surface of her forehead. He clutched her against him willing her life’s blood to retreat from his hands and find its way back into her body. He called on his magick pulling every healing spell that had ever existed into his body as he tried to infuse her with life. No matter what he tried he could still feel her slipping through his fingers.
“I see you Kieran Sinclair,” she whispered against the sensitive skin of his throat. “This is the mark of Kane,” she insisted. “Not the mark of the Sinclair Witch.”
With his magick failing to listen to him he pulled her away, catching her beautiful face in the palms of his hands. “Don’t you leave me,” he ordered his eyes boring deeply into hers. His breath caught in his throat when he realized she was staring back at him.
A smile lifted the pain from her face as a flash of brilliant light ignited the darkness turning day into night. “Daisy did it. Tanith is home.”
Those were the last words she spoke to him.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Death of A God
Last night they had been left with nowhere to run once they entered the clearing; and Daisy knew hell was about to explode before them. Marek had followed them, easily overpowering Kelly and James, and cut off their only real escape route. Daisy needed Tanith to focus; but that was nearly impossible with the chaos that had erupted in the clearing. Kieran was holding off Marek’s magickal assault but it was a set of glowing eyes, hidden, in the bushes that worried her more. Nobody seemed to have eyes on Kane but she feared he was watching; waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The surrounding forest began to creep in on them as root and rock became their new enemy. She had extended her hand gripping a fist full of Tanith’s fur linking her not only to Tanith but to the new stone that hung around her neck. The newly formed stone whispered words that she had never heard before and implored her to repeat them.
Daisy listened.
Her tongue twisted and curled as she pronounced the foreign words. Her left hand was still latched onto Tanith while her right hand extended out pointing at an invisible spot in midair. A light mist, no bigger than a quarter, appeared before her. The more she repeated the words the larger the opaque swirling mist became. Kieran’s pained voice calling out her name distracted her for a moment causing the growing mist to flicker and shrink. She forced her ears to tune out the sounds that surrounded her as she focused on opening the door that would send Tanith home.
She had missed all the good stuff.
Kieran had reignited his magick again. The flare from the spell he deflected shimmered against the gossamer portal she had opened. An awe inspired gasp was drawn from her as she got a glimpse of not only what she had accomplished but of a world she could never imagine existing. A frightening sound caused her to flinch and duck for cover.
A giant dark wolf leapt over her. Time slowed allowing her eyes to track its trajectory; the wolf was not Lucas; it was Kane. Kane’s ultimate target was Kieran. With his back turned, and his attention diverted battling Marek, Kieran was easy prey for Kane. Daisy barely managed to restrain Tanith who was already preparing to launch an attack of her own and defend Kieran.
Instinct kicked in and forced her to stick to her responsibility. She had promised both Kieran and Wills that no matter what happened tonight that she would, if necessary, force Tanith to go home tonight. She shouted Wills’ name as she drew an invisible line connecting Tanith to the doorway she had just opened. She was amazed when her invisible tether began to pull Tanith backwards; drawing h
er towards the hole she had just punched into the Otherside. Tanith dug her claws into the earth beneath her trying to prevent the pull of the world she had left behind so many years ago. Daisy added her own weight to the tug-of-war and began pulling her, begging Tanith to go; promising that they would be okay if she left.
Wills had heard her warning and had not hesitated. Till her dying day Daisy would have no idea how Wills managed to find her way back to Kieran and protect his unguarded back. Wills had saved Kieran from Kane’s cowardly attack; but she had not escaped unharmed. Kane’s long claws raked down her back, shredding her tee shirt and instantly drawing blood. She fell against Kieran, knocking him to the ground; pinning him in place while her blood seeped into the ground beneath them. Daisy was horrified and almost lost her grip on Tanith in favor of running to her friends’ aid. Another monstrous shadow leapt out of the cover of the forest; another wolf had joined the fray. This wolf Daisy recognized; Lucas had entered the battlefield.
She couldn’t swallow her whoop of joy as Lucas made Kane pay. Lucas jaws locked around Kane’s throat and his momentum knocked him off of Wills. The two massive wolves tumbled head over tail until Lucas was on top. He latched onto Kane, forcing a yelp of pain from the king of wolves. Kane’s rear legs kicked, gouging Lucas’ underbelly as he tried to throw off the attack. Lucas refused to let go and dragged Kane off into the forest. She could hear the two massive wolves fighting in the distance; she could feel the tension in Tanith as she strained against her world calling her home.
After that everything happened very fast.
Tanith lost her battle to remain in this world. Wills was lying broken and motionless on the forest floor. Kieran was floating on a cushion of air staring down at all of them and Daisy was uncontrollably sobbing. A few moments later only Lucas emerged from the dense forest that surrounded them; his dark muzzle stained a dark shade of red. Her eyes flicked to the surrounding forest waiting for Kane to reemerge from the hidden cover that surrounded them. Lucas cautiously approached her; dragging his wounded belly against the rough dirt; whining softly.
It was then that she realized Kane was gone. Lucas had managed the impossible. He had killed a god.
“Lucas?” she managed to wail as she threw her arms around him. She had been told that the curse would change him; that it would make him forget everyone he cared about. In reality the curse was much worse. He was trapped in wolf form and he seemed to remember everything.
“Heal her,” Kieran begged.
The fear and pain behind his words brought her to her knees. Kieran was clutching Will; his hands desperately trying to stop the blood from fleeing her body. He was begging, pleading with Adam to save her. Lucas’ whining intensified howling out a wretched sadness that she wished her vocal cords could echo. She dug her hands into his thick pelt and cried along with him.
Adam had finally arrived; too late to help, and judging by the look in his eyes, he had not arrived to offer them hope. Adam knelt down beside Kieran. He brushed his hand over Wills head, his eyes closed in concentration. She watched his head fall in defeat and knew whatever words escaped his mouth would not be good.
“She’s been touched by magick beyond my power to heal.”
Kieran shoved him away. “No!” he shouted in defiance. He scooped Wills up in his arms and Daisy barely stifled her own shriek of pain. Tanith’s escape had come at a very high price.
Morning broke and everything had changed.
Last night she had been so powerful.
This morning she had become completely powerless.
It had rained at some point after their sad parade arrived home. The damp grass and small rainbow that hung in the early morning sky was too cheery for the reality of the dawning day. Tanith was gone. Lucas was pacing the perimeter of the property in wolf form barely tolerating anyone. Both Kelly and James had survived the sudden attack but were not in good shape this morning. Nobody knew where Kieran was; and Wills was dying. She could feel her heart breaking one tiny sliver at a time.
They had won.
Tanith had escaped to safety. Lucas was not the rabid wolf the curse was supposed to turn him into. Marek had not survived the force of his own spell rebounding back onto him and Kane was gone. The victory felt hollow and empty. The world was wrong and it felt like nothing might make it right again.
She wanted to cry but found she had no tears left. All she could do was sit numbly on the porch; a cup of tea cooling in her hands. The surrounding area was quiet as if even the land was silently mourning the tragedy that had happened last night. She had relived that night a thousand times inside her turbulent mind; not finding the sleep she so desperately needed the night before. She retraced their steps mentally in her mind over and over. She remembered everything that had been said. She recalled everything they had done. The plan had been thrown together quickly but they had tried to cover every possible outcome. She forced her mind to review the events of the last few hours with a critical eye trying to find a path they could have taken; a path that would have resulted in a better outcome.
“You are only hurting yourself,” Adam advised as he joined her on the porch.
She had no words for him; because she knew that the only person to blame for the circumstances they currently found themselves in had invited himself to her private pity party. He settled in the seat directly across from her and placed his own steaming mug of tea on the table next to him. She knew the gesture was an empty one; he was looking for one person who wouldn’t readily blame him for last night’s catastrophe.
She found that she was brave enough to meet his eyes. Something she had avoided since discovering who and what he truly was. His station, his power, had terrified her in the past. Before Adam made his history public; before he had admitted to being the father Wills never knew she had she would sneak stolen glances at the devilishly handsome man that had wiggled his way into their lives. Had she bumped into him on the street or in one of the many bars that lined the downtown main strip she would have been in standing in the line along with the many girls that flocked to him. Unfortunately she knew him better.
Sometimes ugly things came wrapped in very pretty packages.
“I guess mind reading is one of the tricks you can perform,” she sniped at him. “Saving your daughter; preventing the death of an innocent; crushing a curse…These are obviously well above your immense powers.” Her emotions were overloaded; that was one excuse. But like Kieran she too had had enough of the overbearing demigod.
Apparently the only good thing that had emerged last night was a new form of courage that had suddenly developed within her. She had just insulted the most powerful member of the Trinity and she had barely batted an eye. She had been told in the past that her fiery Latin temper very rarely got out of control but when it did; she could be terrifying. She wanted to hurt him. She needed to make sure he was injured; that he felt as vacant as she did in that moment. If Wills did not survive this she knew, deep down, neither would Kieran. She was already mourning the loss of her two best friends. With the light of the rising sun she felt no fear; only anger.
Adam’s response was a patient sigh. She felt her eyes drawn back to him and she noticed the subtle differences in his appearance that her angry eyes she had missed. His usually clean shaven chin was sprouting a dark shadow that mirror the dark circles that ringed his unusual amber eyes. His neat slicked back hair stuck out at odd angles like his hand had continuously raked through his dark hair. Even his hand tailored clothes looked disheveled. The prim Adam looked like hell.
“Good,” she silently mumbled to herself. She hoped he felt as terrible as he looked.
He bowed his head in shame. “I may be powerful,” he admitted. “But even my power has its limits.”
“How is that even possible?” she asked slamming her mug on the small table next to her. She jumped to her feet and began pacing the long porch. “She’s your daughter,” she threw at him. “You should be moving heaven and earth to fix her!”
<
br /> “That is the problem,” he exhaled sadly. “The solution does not lie in heaven nor does it exist on Earth.”
He had spent the early morning searching for Kane. It was a useless quest but he had to do something; he had to keep moving. He knew there was a solution out there somewhere. He was trying to do something, anything to keep his mind off the image of Wills lying helpless on her bed. Why he had latched on to Kane he couldn’t explain. Everything just always seemed to fall back on him. He had mauled Wills; peeling the soft skin of her back down to nearly the bone. He was the one who had tortured Tanith into an attack that ultimately led to the accusation that still hovered over her. It had been his shame, his crime, which had forced Lucas to bear the weight of a devastating curse. It seemed like every evil ever invented by man had been inspired by Kane.
His feet had carried him to the clearing. He found the battered oak where Marek had lost his life. He spared no pity for, the man, the witch that had used his power to destroy instead of create. His body had long since been removed but the faint trace of his magick still lingered wrapping itself around the spot of its master’s last resting place. The old oak’s bark bore its own battle scars chipped and marred it spoke of its part in the battle last night. He hoped it would absorb the lingering magick and transform it into something good.
He could smell the blood that had tainted the beautiful spot Tanith had chosen to depart this world and embark on her journey home. The rich scents of the forest had yet to overtake the acrid scent of the human blood that had been spilt just a few hours before. He didn’t know why Tanith had chosen this spot to depart Earth; but whatever her reasons he hoped it was good and that it outweighed the bad.
He ignored the deep pool of blood that he knew was Wills’. He forced his eyes to look anywhere else but there. He couldn’t allow himself to venture down that path. He couldn’t allow himself to remember the sight of her. He shook the image from his mind and focused on what he had come in search of…Kane.
