Cimmerian Shade: A Limited Edition Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Collection

by Kiki Howell

  Releasing the tension and control in her arms, she watched with a tinge of sadness as the water died back down to the movement of the jets. She let out an internal whoop and did a victory wiggle until she heard the creek of the floorboards.

  “Aedan?” she called.

  “Yeah?” his voice came, but too faint to be just outside the door.

  “Where are you?”

  “On my way!” his voice shouted back, even as she heard his footsteps.

  “Wait, I’m in the tub!” she exclaimed, and heard his footsteps stop with the sound of her bedroom door cracking off the wall as he slammed his way in.

  “Why’d you yell?” he demanded.

  “Uh...well...it wasn’t fear. I’m fine.”

  “Okay. If you’re okay, then I’ll let you get back to your bath.”

  “I am. Thanks. And, sorry again.”

  “No apologies. Anytime,” he huffed.

  She followed his retreat back into his bedroom by the sounds of the doors opening and closing. Once she’d confirmed his whereabouts, she got out of the tub, dried off, and climbed into her pajamas. The day wore on her. Shaky excitement turned to weighted fatigue. She shuffled to the bed and let herself fall to the soft mattress. Her warm, moist skin quickly heated the blankets as she drifted off to sleep.

  In her dream, rain fell in a mournful patter onto her skin. She sat alone, cold, on the icy ground, tensed for attack. Wind howled past her ears. Her cry, strangled in her constricted throat, came out like the squeals of a small, injured animal. Crazed laughter circled around her, taunted her. Then, something fell at her feet so hard the ground shook. Blood, a ripe tomato red, poured from her aunt’s body, from her head, her chest, and even her legs. The ice beneath her gave a cracking sound.

  Kyna reached for the rocks she could see. She hoped she could save herself from falling through the ice and plummeting into freezing water.

  The laughter grew wild into shrieks that threatened to burst her eardrums. With each deep breath, the cold stung her airways. A scent of muck and death hung in the air, metallic and mossy. Her skin, throbbing and burning from the cold, ached as the sudden frail warmth of her aunt’s blood seeped into her clothes. Another crack gave way to a more human sound of shuffling feet.

  “With her gone, we’ll have you,” the crazed laughter formed words.

  A scream tore from her throat then, ripped out of her tight lungs. She grew horse in seconds, but her body continued the effort. Then, someone grabbed her. She coiled against the assault.

  Without thinking, head still down, she pushed with her palms against the arms around her. She let all the fear inside turn to anger. Pushing her light, she let it flow outside of her body. Her attacker let out a growl of pain as he released her and fell back.

  She jumped to a crouch, on her bed now. Her dream world faded into the present. As reality came into focus, she recognized Aedan sitting on the floor rubbing at his biceps. His bare and bulging muscles bore reddish smudges.

  “What the hell!” he grumbled. “I was just trying to wake you from a bad dream. One damn lesson with Darcaryn and you burn me with your hands. Great! Just fucking great! I deal in reality. I can fight with every weapon known to man, but your damn hands knock me on my ass?”

  He jumped up like a mountain lion, right into a defensive pose.

  “Your arms... I’m so sorry. Shit. I just reacted. I can’t control it yet, and with bad emotions it’s supposed to be more powerful.”

  “Bad what?”

  “Emotions, like fear and anger. In my dream, my aunt died. I...I...” she stammered.

  “What? What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know. It just felt so real... The dream.” She tried to shake off the fear.

  Sorrow overwhelmed her from seeing her aunt covered in blood.

  “It was just a dream. I’m here now. Damaged, but here,” he complained. “Whatever rays of light that came from your hands, they not only blinded me, but they burned. It was all hot and cold at the same time. I guess I can’t explain it other than to say it was painful. And I’ve dealt with my share of pain. Damn, wish I had that kind of weaponry literally at my fingertips.”

  “Can I do anything? Cold washrag? Anything?” she offered as she ignored the ball that formed tight in the pit of her stomach.

  “No, you’ve done enough. Just sit there and calm down. You’re going to pass out if you keep breathing like that.”

  Kyna hadn’t realized how labored her breathing was until Aedan pointed it out. She tried to calm herself, but a tingling in the back of her mind remained.

  Chapter Seven

  THE SOUND OF three sharp raps at the bedroom door made Kyna jump and reach for Aedan. Despite her clinging to his forearm with a death grip, her fingernails firmly embedded in his skin, he half carried and half dragged her over to the door. Pulling it open revealed Darcaryn with a piece of paper in his hand and a sour look on his face.

  “Your aunt has been taken. I’ve no idea how they got into this house as well guarded as it is, both physically and magically, but they did. Her personal servant lady, whatever her name is, found this letter on her bed. Again, no name is on it other than to be signed in the same weird symbols. It threatens that you are next on their list, Kyna. They say with your aunt’s help, they will take you next.”

  “Gone? She’s gone? You’ve searched everywhere?” Kyna yelled.

  “Yes, all here have searched, not only the house but the grounds. There’s no signs of her. I’m sorry,” Darcaryn claimed, though his voice betrayed little to no emotion, let alone remorse.

  “Is anyone still looking for her?” Kyna barked.

  “Yes,” he spat back. “Of course. Her security team, the one she had here long before Aedan was hired. They’re working with the police. I decided to report her missing. I’ll let you know any news as soon as I get it.”

  “I don’t understand why they didn’t just take me?” she grumbled.

  “You don’t understand your powers,” Darcaryn went on as if agitated by her questions. “But they do. They know they were stifled for year. So, they know you being here now, untrained, gives you a wild card, a violent edge, especially with all the negative emotions the news and the journey would cause. They’ll force your aunt to help them gather you.”

  “What do they want from me? I just don’t get it. They don’t know me at all.”

  “No, but they knew your grandfather,” he grumbled. “Did anyone tell you your biological father as well as your father in the States both died in mysterious accidents? I’m sure you were told they were just accidents. They were not. Make no mistake. No one tries to protect you and lives.”

  “What about my mother in the States?” Kyna cried, as abject horror made her vision cloud and her hands rushed up to cover the spot where her heart beat hard in her chest.

  “I’m sure she’s last on their list, especially with you here, away from her. What would they care about her now?” he huffed. “Anyway, revenge for your grandfather’s misdeeds toward them, whatever they were, is a powerful motivator itself. When you add in what they could do with the addition of your powers to their team, especially untrained powers, well, it’s like a white slate to them. You are a force they can mold to their own needs while exacting revenge at the same time. Taking you is a win, win. Your father protected your mother...your aunt, just as your aunt is now trying to protect you.”

  “You sound like you know a lot about this group, Darcaryn,” Aedan accused.

  Kyna felt the muscles in his arm tense further. His whole being seemed to vibrate with rage.

  “No, not them exactly, as I don’t know who they are. But, I know of groups like them. I’ve dealt with these types of situations before. It’s why Saoirse hired me. But, I don’t have to prove my worth to you,” Darcaryn hissed at Aedan. “I have the knowledge and the power. You simply have muscle. Kyna should be safe for tonight as they gear up for their next attack. Just keep watch over her while I tend to other matters. I’ll
be back for her in the morning to further her training, a crash course in how to protect herself without the likes of you, so rasna ort fein!”

  Darcaryn turned and left, slamming the door behind him.

  “What did that mean?” Kyna asked.

  “Irish slang for Go fuck yourself. Nice guy. Ass. So pompous. I know your aunt trusts him, but I don’t. Don’t ask me why, but I don’t at all,” Aedan said as he shook his head.

  “I can’t believe she’s gone... they have her. What’s going to happen to me? How could anyone think I could be protected from them if she couldn’t even protect herself? If her magic didn’t save her, how could mine possibly protect me? Despite what my eyes have seen and my body has felt, my mind still denies its existence at times. I think it’s a game my mind is playing to try to keep a shred of reality or normalcy about me.”

  Tears stung her eyes, but she wouldn’t let them fall. Weakness was the quickest way to failure, and she hadn’t even begun to fight yet. She’d lost the only connection she had to her biological mother just a day after meeting her, before she could get a shred of information from the woman about her mother or her father, or any of her relatives for that matter. She hadn’t even really gotten the chance to know her aunt. Now, she could be hurt, or even dead like in her dream.

  “Look, they’ll keep her alive to get to you. You needn’t worry about your aunt’s safety,” Aedan soothed. “I’m going to learn about this group and keep you safe. I promise. I’ll do whatever it takes. Pull every resource I have. I have many former SEAL friends doing this kind of work who have resources normal people wouldn't even dream of having access to. I won’t let anything happen to you. I—”

  He’d stopped speaking, looked down at his shoes, and took a step back from her. Just moments before he’d inched closer with each sentence. Once he gained some distance, he looked right into her eyes, melting her core where her energy burned warmer in his presence.

  “You what?” she coaxed, taking a tentative step toward him.

  She missed the connection even a few inches had cost her.

  “I won’t let it get personal. I promise you. I won’t let whatever it is...whatever I...” He shook his head. “I will not let anything interfere with protecting you.”

  “Whatever what is? Please tell me. I need to know.” She moved in close, placed her fingers on his chest, and let each tip press against the solid muscle that jumped under touch. “Maybe I’ve felt it, too, since the first time you touched me. Maybe now isn’t the time to be alone. I don’t want to be here without you, not a second. It isn’t just because your presence makes me feel so safe, because it feels dangerous as well.” She granted him a coy smile.

  ‘Kyna, I can’t keep a clear head if you keep touching me.” His husky voice deepened, practically trembled with the words.

  “Would it matter if I was touching you or not? Wouldn’t you feel the same? Look, honestly, I’ve wanted you from the second I laid eyes on you. And, yes, right now, I’m feeling very alone. The only blood relative I know of, even though I’ve only spoken with her twice, is missing. My future looks a bit terrifying. Still, I couldn’t deny this. I’ve never in my life experienced this sort of attraction so quickly.”

  They were so close now their lips almost touched, she could inhale his every exhale, draw the energy of him, a life force, deep within her. It stirred a wild power that raged inside her. Her skin yearned for his touch. Her core wanted for his power, the sheer maleness of him.

  He brushed his lips against hers once, a brief rub of skin over skin, a test.

  She swallowed hard and opened her eyes to find herself the recipient of his intense stare. He stroked the fingers of one hand through her hair and then cupped her cheek. She exhilarated in the pulse of energy there, tilted her head to rest in his palm. Magic or not, the man had his own power over her.

  Aedan hesitated briefly but then moved in again, pulling her face to his, crushing his mouth against hers. He teased his firm, full lips over hers, but with enough force she could feel it in her toes. She slid her hands up his chest and around to the back of his neck, playing in the short strands of silk.

  Breathless, she pulled back and looked into his face. His brows furrowed, questioning her sudden reluctance.

  “No, it’s not like that at all,” she explained. “Kissing you, I feel your power, your energy, your very life, pouring into me. It’s not like I’m stealing it, but it mixes with my own. It not only settles this wildness I don’t understand within me, but it also makes it feel more complete. I can’t explain it any better than that, but look,” she nodded toward her right hand now in the air as far from them both as she could stretch it.

  She didn’t mention her revelation that it was just as Darcaryn had explained, the connection between intimacy and magic. Calling to the fire in her heart this time, she set forth a ball of light from her fingers and let it circle in her palm. It moved, clear and bright with all shades of red and yellow and blue inside it. So pure she could look right into it, she freed all that he’d built in her with one kiss.

  “You learned that today?” he asked.

  “Not exactly. Today I merely got a few sparks, a ball of white light that blinded me then quickly disappeared when I looked at it. But now, being with you, my magic,” she paused and huffed. “First time I’ve called it that. Anyway, my magic feels complete. Call me crazy, but I can feel your energy inside of me when we kiss. I am more powerful and more in control because of you.”

  She continued to let the light burn, to play with the sheer power at her fingertips. She made it change shapes from a circle to an oval and back again. She even moved her palm as if to shoot it, but it bounced off the wall back toward them. He grabbed her and pulled her to him to try to protect her, but failed. The light brushed her hip and filled her with a gasp. This occurrence made her realize she’d not felt empty without it, nor had she needed the energy back. It seemed endless. With love, or lust, or whatever mixture of the two that was happening between them, her magic felt more powerful, but easier to manage.

  “You okay?” he questioned, Rubbing his hand down over her hip and thigh.

  Something completely different stirred inside of her, a heat not related whatsoever to her magic.

  “Perfect. Well, except for everything else in my life being so messed up. Besides that, here with you, I’m perfect.”

  “Me too. For the first time since my injury I feel whole, like I have a purpose. It’s so strange. As a SEAL I never really had relationships, not with so many days on the job a year. I never dreamed this even possible for a guy like me. I will still protect you with my last breath,” he promised.

  “I know you will, but let’s hope it never comes to that.”

  “Your light, no, your magic, it’s amazing. And the thought I had anything to do with it blows my mind.”

  He suddenly bent sliding one arm beneath her knees, the other around her back, and scooped her up, pulling her in tight to his muscular chest. He brushed his mouth over her lips in a lingering kiss as she hung in his arms. He moved fast, but with a steady sureness across the room. Gliding her back onto the bed, he gently removed his hold on her, and the mattress dipped with his weight as he stretched out beside her.

  Trailing his hand down her neck to her shoulder, he caught her bottom lip between his own. After a small, gentle suck, he released her.

  Her lips hung slightly parted, hungry for more. She shook her head back and forth slightly, overwhelmed. She held back as her whole body wanted to jump onto his or to pull him into her. More. More. More, ran the chorus in her head. She smiled, but when he returned it neither did she feel silly or stupid for her reaction.

  He slid his hand down her arm and nudged her hand upward until her fingers splayed and intertwined with his. Tiny sparks flew from each spot where their flesh met.

  “I felt that,” he exclaimed after a deep inhale of breath, making his deep voice hitch.

  “Me too,” she giggled. “I can hardly contain i
t.”

  “You won’t burn me again, will you?”

  Rather than answer, she just stared into the light flickering in his eyes. His long, thick lashes brushed across the tops of his cheek as he blinked once, and he laughed.

  “I don’t think so. I mean, I hope not,”

  “Honestly, I couldn't care less,” he soothed. “You’re worth the risk.”

  She sighed, a weight rising off her chest. “I think burning you had to do with fear, and a lot of pent up anger at that moment that had no real direction other than my aunt. I hope she’s okay. I mean, I don’t know her, but she is my flesh and blood. I miss my mom, too. I mean the one back home who raised me. No matter what she did or didn’t do, or tell me, I know she had her reasons, and each one stemmed from love. She’s the strongest, most dedicated, most loving woman I know. She fought for me, for our life together. No matter how tired she was from a full day’s work, from hard labor, she always had time for me. Exhausted, she’d cuddle up in bed and listen to me, and then provide real advice.”

  “She sounds wonderful. I hope I get to meet her someday. How did she react to the letter your aunt sent?” he asked.

  He played with her hand, ran a fingertip over her palm, and intertwined their fingers again.

  “She was amazing, calm and gentle, with tears in her eyes. I could see the pain it had caused her to lie to me all those years. So, I think in a sense, she felt relief. But, she told me in no uncertain terms, with no beating around the bush, the whole truth. Well, she confirmed what was in the letter. She never added the magic thing to it. But all the same, she owned up to what my aunt said, and told me how much she’d loved me from the first second she’d held me in her arms. She said that even with all the demands of my adoption she’d do again to keep me safe.”

  “You’re lucky to have had that,” he soothed. “Maybe she didn’t know if she could or should mention the magic. She had to be as stunned as you were by the letter.”

  “I’m sure. What about you?” she asked as she trailed a finger from her free hand over his chest. She let it rise and fall over the hills and valleys there, tracing every fiber of each sinewy muscle.