Chosen: Book 1 in the Ancients of Light series

by Heather Fleener

  Lorcan returned silently a short time later. He watched her from across the room; a bag dangling in one hand and a steaming mug in the other. She was so intent on fussing with the length of her dress that she did not take immediate notice of his arrival. Apparently in her week away, she had taken an interest in current trends. Instead of a full skirted gown as was her norm, she had on a fitted sheath of chiffon with a skirt that ended in a flowing wisp of material around her feet. His female actually wore shoes, more to his shock, though even with the three inch strappy heels she was a tiny bit of fluff.

  Kaitriana’s connection with him had alerted her a few moments before then that she had an audience but she purposefully remained preoccupied with her gown. If she allowed herself to ponder too much over the quickness within which her world had changed – the short period from awakening to now having very intimate knowledge of this incredibly virile Vampire warlord – she could become overwhelmed with the circumstances. More staggering was the intensity of the feelings that she had towards Lorcan. As such, shyness sometimes captured her.

  It was washing over her acutely in a tidal wave this very second; his sudden arrival had triggered a vivid recollection of their time spent prior to his errand. Ratcheting up her anxiety was her decision that it was time that all secrets between them ended. He had shared his magic; she must offer the one last truth he needed about her. For her composure, it was best she focus every bit of her energy on her appearance at present.

  His footsteps echoed as he came her direction and she paused in her movements before the mirror to give a final review of her appearance. She had recreated the dress perfectly with the use of her magic – the flowing chiffon fit well. It was held up by a single strap of fabric encrusted with sparkling blue and white crystals that snaked over one shoulder. The color was the deepest shade of blue at the sweetheart neckline of the bodice and faded down the length into lighter shades. It ran completely white at the bottom, as though the fabric had been dipped in watercolor and allowed to run down the material. Matching blue gems dangled from her ears. Her hair piled high in a mass of loose curls intertwined with strings of crystals in the same hue completed the look.

  Lorcan’s walk ended with his large hand encircling her waist. Her eyes met his in the glass when he tugged her back against his chest. Watching his hand roam lazily over her abdomen in the reflection had her warming for him again, so Kaitriana averted her gaze. Leaning down he brushed his lips over her nape, “You look so perfectly beautiful that I would prefer to keep you to myself and miss the celebration entirely.” Her eyes flew to him and his exaggerated sigh of disappointment followed, “However, your people will want to see you and I would be selfish to not share you with them this night.” Her fingers interlaced with his and she pulled their joined hands to her lips, kissing the back of his with a tiny smile.

  Her eyes remained fixed on his. Lorcan could see anxiety lurking there and frowned over it. His hands settled gently on her shoulders and he turned her to him. Palms splaying over his chest, her voice was barely audible when she tucked her head low and spoke, “There is something you must know..." He tensed automatically in response to the dire thread in her tone. Lorcan let her stand there in silence, collecting herself for minutes before he folded his arms around her.

  His embrace fostered some comfort and courage. She began tracing patterns over his chest with a single finger, “The night I was transitioned...the blood..."

  He interrupted gruffly and there was a hint of irritation in it, “It matters not, Kaitriana. Your origin...it means nothing." His tone betrayed him. She knew that it rubbed on him that he believed his enemy’s blood, Dark blood, flowed in her.

  Lifting her face, she waited patiently for Lorcan to look at her. His eyes were glowing darkly, further evidence that he was bothered more than he would admit. It prodded her to rush on, “Do you remember a battle long ago, when you were nearly slain and Myrrdyn intervened to save you?"

  Lorcan wondered at the quick change in subject. Perhaps she would heed him in this and leave it be. Though it was a thorn in his side that Rhydach was responsible for her existence and ultimately returning the beauty to him, it did not lessen the extent of his feelings for her. It was best to not dwell on the circumstance. He gave a humorless laugh, “That old Sorcerer has been weaving tall tales. I was gravely injured but not in danger of losing my life, love. Rhydach may have thought so and apparently your grandfather did as well. I suppose it would explain why he challenged the Dark one that night. I cannot recall seeing Myrrdyn brandish a sword any other time."

  Her male had disputed the facts as her grandfather had told them to her, perhaps Myrrdyn was mistaken regarding the vial as well. It gave her pause and she fidgeted nervously. Lorcan sensed her upset, but his eyes had humor in them when he grasped her chin and forced her to look at him, “You prefer to think that Myrrdyn saved me, that I owe him a debt?"

  She blurted the question, “Did Rhydach take a sample of your blood that night or not?"

  He was surprised at the voracity of her query and frowned. Was she intentionally trying to raise his ire by bringing up circumstances that displeased him? All traces of humor gone, he explained, “I had a nasty wound. At one point, he had his boot on my neck and took the opportunity to collect my blood in a golden vial. It was meant as an insult - the same as when we Vampire bite the neck of one we have downed in battle - and Rhydach wore it around his neck for centuries as a trophy." The insulting recollection had made his demeanor severe.

  Taking a deep breath, she nodded gravely, “I would venture that you have not seen him sporting his trophy for over five hundred years now, have you?" His eyes narrowed on hers. Lorcan could not understand what her game was in bringing up this particular sore point with him, but she was tenacious. He confirmed with a brusque nod.

  Kaitriana interjected before he could speak, “That is because he no longer has your blood, Lorcan." She could tell from his look he thought her crazy, so she added simply, “I do."

  His mind was reeling, trying to gain her meaning. He had not seen the vial in her belongings, why would she keep it? He voiced his thoughts, “You found it the night you destroyed his holdings, the night of your return."

  She countered softly, “No, it found me five hundred years ago." She saw a glimmer of understanding begin to take hold in his eyes and she grasped at it, “My transition was wrought with merely a few sips from a golden vial. The Darks that night spoke of it containing your blood, when they thought I was unconscious. It was the only bit of peace I had that night, the belief that it was yours rather than Rhydach’s blood."

  His voice was still hard but the black had left his eyes. Lorcan lowered his face to hers and grasped at her chin once more, “It was my blood? Why did you not say so until now?"

  She could not resist the urge to lean up to brush her lips lightly to his, “At first I did not know if they spoke the truth and I did not want to tell you something false. Myrrdyn confirmed the origin of the vial when he told me the story of that battle." Her eyes were full of moisture, her voice full of longing, “I have wanted to tell you. It was your blood, yes. I just need you to know that I am yours, fully yours...there is nothing Dark in me, nothing of Rhydach."

  Kaitriana was trembling and pulled herself free of his hold to wrap her arms around his waist and bury her face in his chest. Her next words were muffled, “Myrrdyn said your blood is the key. If any other had been given to me, I would have perished. You are fully Witch and fully Vampire, a perfect hybrid of both. Only through your blood combined with my strength of magic could I have been turned."

  Her eyes were pleading with him for understanding, “Until you acknowledged that you remained Witch, I could not explain this to you either. You might have rejected my claim, thought I was being deceitful and manipulating you as the Witch have always attempted."

  He did not dispute her claim about his nature. Instead Lorcan tucked her tightly back against him, “My love for you was not diminished because I tho
ught Rhydach had given you this new life. Had I known before that his intent was to turn you and through that you would come to me, I would have gladly offered up any amount of blood to my enemy." His tender smile met her worried expression, “You have always been mine in every way Kaitriana. This revelation means not that I love you more, I could not love you more than I do.”

  With a self-deprecating smile he continued, “I will admit that it soothes my possessive Vampire nature to know that my blood brought you to be the magnificent creature that you now are. Thank you for having the courage to tell me, Kat.”

  She felt the tension ease from him and hers followed. His lips drifted over her cheek and trekked downward. Lorcan gave her throat a nip, without fang, before he pulled her towards the bed. He had a wide grin and she was satisfied that her confession had affected him so positively. Dropping to the edge, he inclined his head towards her goodies on the table at the side. Kaitriana beamed her thanks, skirting his knees as she leaned down to open the bag. Turning back to him, her smile was triumphant as she held the overly large treat in her hand.

  Lorcan had her tumbling into his lap with a sharp tug. He ended up with crumbs on his shirt and a squawking witch in his hold. It was his turn to give her a triumphant smile. Relieving her of the cookie, Lorcan broke a piece and held it to her mouth.

  Eyeing him warily, she parted her lips to accept the morsel. Wariness was forgotten, she rolled her eyes with delight and mumbled through the bite, “Tis good for you I did not grab the drink as well.” His answer was only an indulgent smile as he popped more into her mouth. Kaitriana planted a kiss on his cheek as she chewed, “It is as delicious as Myrrdyn’s memories promised.”

  When he fed her more, she was surprised to see that his expression had taken a decidedly carnal turn. Her pulse jumped rapidly in response. That searing look from him was enough to make her forget the line of her thoughts entirely. Rather than make any move towards her, she was surprised when Lorcan only held up another piece to her mouth. She complied by opening for the offering.

  Nuzzling her ear while waiting for her to finish, he explained the sudden shift in his mood, “I like feeding you." She leaned limply into his chest when he continued in the same tone, “Are you satisfied now?” At her answering nod, he nipped her earlobe sharply, “I am not. Our appearance at tonight’s event shall be brief.” The tone threaded through those words promised hours of rapture and made her shiver in anticipation.

  Lorcan brushed his lips softly against hers and lifted her from his lap. As he stood and put the remainder of the food aside, he handed her the drink and watched while she sipped. Shortly he took it away and returned it to the table. Trailing a finger over the exposed flesh at her neckline, he smiled wickedly when she swayed towards him, “I will feed you the rest later, after I have made you mine a few more times.” He did not give her time to form a reply, pulling her into the tight fold of his arms and shadowing them out to join the others.

  CHAPTER 31

  Their arrival on the steps outside was immediately noticed, bringing forth cheering from some mingled with general calls of greeting and congratulations. Kaitriana noted that the surrounding area was equally full of both Witch and Vampire, and more so that the two factions appeared to be mingling with ease. Her appreciation of it was evident and she gave Lorcan a tight squeeze of happiness before he released her to the waiting arms of her grandfather.

  She was pulled into a bear hug and praised over the loveliness of her appearance before Myrrdyn put his hands on her shoulders and turned her back to her mate. The look he shot Lorcan was disapproving when he grumbled, “She is not yet with an heir for my line, Vampire. Do you know what you are doing?”

  Kaitriana was mortified but Lorcan merely waved the elder off condescendingly, “What I know is that my heir will not be produced on any schedule you devise, even if you proffer some ridiculous premonition of when it must be.”

  To his surprise, the Ancient sorcerer chortled and patted his arm, “Just make certain you do not wait too long Warrior. You are rather aged and you will require no small amount of energy to parent Kaitriana’s offspring. I suppose you recall very well how unruly she was as a child?” The elder had turned and made his way to a group near the bottom of the steps before Kaitriana could finish her objection to that unfair assessment of her temperament.

  A thoughtful frown marred Lorcan’s brow when he interrupted her protest, “You were bossy and tended to wail loudly and at length over any minor upset. You were also a troublesome brat with a penchant for making pets of spiders. I hope the fates are kind and allow us to wait centuries before bringing more females like you into the Realm.”

  Kaitriana’s sharp elbow found his side. She had not been comfortable with him speaking so candidly about their mating with her grandpapa and it was unfair of Lorcan to judge her based upon a single encounter when she was just a toddler, “I was a perfect child and spiders are not difficult to handle unless you are a pansy.”

  At the obvious slur towards him, Lorcan grinned and pulled her into a hard embrace. His promise was sincere, “If you bring any such creatures into my home Kat, I will most certainly retaliate in a manner you will not find enjoyable.”

  Her answering laughter was cut short when her eyes drifted over and she noticed that her grandfather was not engaged with a group of Witch. Myrrdyn was in a circle with three Vampire Coven leaders and a few of the Elite. When her grip tightened instinctively on his forearms, Lorcan followed her gaze to see what had captured her attention. He then explained quietly, “Those are allies, lass. None in that group would incite trouble over our joining. They offer only congratulations and seek to begin restoring our relationship with the Witch faction. Not all Vampire have always agreed with the Council’s mandates.”

  Her grip had eased but she tilted her head in question over his last statement. Lorcan pressed a soothing kiss to her brow, “Two of those males are Ancients and remember when the Light was united and our breeds intermingled. I would not be surprised to see many unmated males looking over some Witch tonight.” He gave her a lecherous look and wiggled his brows at her to make certain she got the true meaning of his words.

  She was still laughing over his playfulness when Lorcan grasped her hand and pulled her down the steps. Kaitriana felt positively miniscule in the company of the oversized warriors. Lorcan made the introductions – Aidan, an Ancient nearly as tall and muscular as Lorcan, hair and eyes were both black giving him a sinister look. His fierce rugged appearance was in stark contrast to Alexandros who was a few inches shorter. Though muscular, this Ancient was lean, sleek muscle rather than hulking like the others. His demeanor was more polished; with his easy smile, warm blue eyes and blond hair he appeared more aristocrat than warrior. The last was Devlin, roughhewn like her mate, she knew from Myrrdyn’s memories that this one had been transitioned from human and had gained leadership of his Coven through his skill and abilities.

  Broderick was also engrossed in conversation with the elders and sharing their camaraderie. The brooding Elite member was slightly older than Lorcan, he too being a first generation Vampire born of an Ancient couple. Myrrdyn appeared completely at ease with the bunch as did Cade. That wicked witch had sauntered up and offered each in the group a hand in greeting. Kaitriana got a wink from him to which she made a face and hid a grin. Quickly growing bored with their conversations of war and weaponry, she directed her attention to their surroundings.

  She was enchanted. Whether Witch, Vampire or a combination of the two was responsible for preparing the night’s festivities, they had created a beautiful setting. The grounds were filled with the soft glow from intricate bronzed lanterns artfully arranged throughout the space, silk-draped tables were piled high with tempting offerings and white tulips were in bloom everywhere. The last touch was definitely magical as the flower was not in season.

  Noting her distraction, Lorcan interrupted his conversation to press a kiss to her hair and murmured, “All is well?” Her smile was ans
wer enough and her heart tumbled further for her vampire. His concern and his ease at displaying his affection, even in the group of mighty warriors, spoke volumes.

  She caught Lilly’s wave from across the space and acknowledged it. Venturing that direction after politely extracting herself, Lorcan’s smile of approval was still with her as she came to her friend. They exchanged pleasantries and compliments over one another’s gowns. After Lilly wrangled a promise from Kaitriana to spend a day conjuring an extraordinary wardrobe for her, Lilly offered, “You look well Kat. The glow of your happiness makes you only more glorious. The Coven is pleased for you both, Lorcan has been too long alone.”

  As Kaitriana reached for a cup from the table, she gave her friend a bemused look, “Why is that, Lilly? It is very uncommon to be so ancient and without a mate, is it not?”

  Lilly’s laughter rang out merrily as she pointedly directed her attention to the group surrounding Lorcan, “None of those elder males have mated; it seems to be an issue with our leadership. Perhaps they are so busy with their duties that they lack the time for the simple pleasure of a mate or perhaps their expectations are so lofty that only one or two acceptable females are born each millennium.”

  The pretty female focused on Lorcan, “Between us alone, I will share with you that he was devastated when he returned after your reported death. Despite his efforts to contain his misery, we were all aware of it. Lorcan remained an empty shell, fulfilling his responsibilities but not experiencing life...until you returned.”

  Kaitriana appreciated the insight and grasp her friend’s hand with an affectionate squeeze, “Why do you share this with me now?”

  Lilly considered for a moment then elaborated, “Because he is a good male Kaitriana and he has finally returned to us fully. You are responsible for that. I wanted you to be aware that while he may be hard at times and he most certainly will clash with you over his expectations, you are obviously his life. Look at him.”