by C. C. Wood
Her body grew rigid when she saw me and I could practically feel her fear and relief even through the shield of magic that surrounded her. The rage that I’d suppressed all day grew, threatening to break free of my control. My fingertips burned as electricity danced between them. Savannah was terrified and I couldn’t reach her.
Ava and I stopped a few feet away from the group. Rhiannon’s face was lit with the scarlet glow, giving her a sinister appearance. It was the only time since the day she came to Savannah’s house, she resembled the sorceress from my nightmares. The carefully crafted, sophisticated facade was gone. In its place was a witch full of bitterness and scorn. Macgrath stood behind her, his face partially shadowed and expression implacable.
For the first time in centuries, I wanted to cause pain and spill blood. I killed Cornelius to escape him, but I hadn’t wanted to do it. Tonight, I craved it.
“I’m glad you two could make it,” Rhiannon greeted us pleasantly.
I bit back the growl that built in my throat, letting Ava do the talking as we had discussed.
“We’re here as you demanded,” Ava replied. “Let Savannah leave.”
Rhiannon smiled. It was cutting and cold, like the sharp steel blade of a battleax. “You and I both know that none of you will leave here tonight.”
“Maybe,” Ava said. “Or maybe you’re wrong.”
The evil bitch laughed, throwing her head back as though Ava’s words were a joke that she found incredibly amusing. “I don’t think so.”
“This is your last chance,” Ava warned. “If you stop now, I might not kill you.”
Rhiannon shook her head, still chuckling. “There is no way you could defeat me.”
Ava’s only answer was to lift her arms. A wind lifted in the field, causing the knee-high grass to shift. The sound of the stalks rubbing together was like a hushed whisper, a thousand voices speaking quietly around us. Power prickled along my flesh, making my hair stand on end. The breeze intensified, the whispers growing louder, as it rushed from the outside edges of the field toward us.
I turned toward Ava, shocked to see the change in her appearance. Her golden hair and skin glowed, gleaming with an inner light. Her eyes were brilliant amethyst, sparking with magic. As the wind swirled around her, becoming a gale, her hair billowed behind her and her feet slowly lifted from the ground. She was more than a mere witch. She was one with the Goddess.
The smile faded from Rhiannon’s face, her dark gaze narrowing. “The Goddess cannot help you here, Aveta of the Glade.”
Behind Rhiannon, Macgrath’s head jerked as she spoke, as though the strange name she used took him by surprise. Then, he stared up at Ava with narrowed eyes.
“I don’t know who you’re talking to, bitch, my name is Ava Amaris and I’m going to kick your ass.” Lifting one arm, Ava turned her palm toward the red shield surrounding Rhiannon, Macgrath, and Savannah. White light streamed from her hand and slammed into the circle. There was a shower of sparks and the crackle of electricity as the spells clashed.
Rhiannon smiled once again as the red circle never wavered. “You can’t break this spell, Ava. You aren’t strong enough.”
Ava tried again, another explosion of sparks shooting up into the night sky.
While Rhiannon was distracted, I inched closer to the circle, looking for a way to break through. I put my fingers against the pulsing light and hissed when they burned. I had never seen a spell like this before and even with my knowledge and power, I instinctively understood that I couldn’t break it.
A movement behind Rhiannon caught my attention. I watched in horror as Savannah stepped closer to the witch, her gaze utterly focused. I recognized that look. I’d seen it often enough after she completed a tarot reading. She was siphoning Rhiannon’s emotions.
The witch was too distracted with Ava to notice, but Macgrath stood next to Savannah, watching her dispassionately. He seemed to comprehend what she was doing, but he made no move to stop her. Suddenly, Rhiannon faltered, her hand lifting to her chest. The light circling her dimmed.
I glanced back at Savannah and clenched my fists when I saw how pale her face had become. She wasn’t just drawing emotions from Rhiannon, but her very life. If she continued, she would end up doing irreparable damage to herself. I wanted to stop Savannah but there was no way I could reach her.
“Ava,” I murmured, desperation rising within me.
“I know,” she replied, lifting her hand again.
Rhiannon turned, looking over her shoulder, and her eyes locked on Savannah. “You think you can harm me?” she cried. “You think you can kill me?”
Macgrath stepped between the witch and the woman I loved. “Enough, Rhiannon. This has gone on for too long. I told you I would no longer obey your orders blindly after I learned what you’ve been doing. I will not stand by and watch you murder an innocent woman.”
“You think you can stop me?” Rhiannon asked, moving closer to Macgrath, her posture threatening.
The red light around them dimmed again and I knew that Savannah was still drawing energy from Rhiannon. I also knew that she wouldn’t last much longer. If Rhiannon didn’t get to her, the stress of what she was doing would make her collapse. Macgrath blocked her from my sight but I knew that this was taking a toll on her.
“Now, Ava.”
This time when the white light erupted from Ava’s palm, the circle broke with a scream. Rhiannon cried out, falling to her knees.
“No!” she shrieked.
I advanced on her, planning to finish the job that Savannah had begun, but she lifted her hands, muttering beneath her breath. Throwing her arms out to the side, she vanished in a flash of red and a wisp of smoke.
“Dammit!” Ava yelled, dropping to the ground and running to the spot where Rhiannon vanished. “Son of a bitch!” She stood over the spot with her eyes closed, muttering to herself. Whatever she was attempting to do didn’t work because she opened her eyes and glared at Macgrath. “I should kill you on the spot, but I need you to find her.”
“I don’t know where she is,” he replied. He whirled in a blur of motion and caught Savannah as she sank to the ground.
My ire at him forgotten for the moment, I rushed to Savannah’s side and crouched down. “Savannah,” I murmured, taking her hand.
“Rhys,” she whispered. “You’re safe.”
I could feel the wild tangle of emotions within her, the boiling anger and bitterness that she had taken from Rhiannon. As I had done before, I let those feelings flow into me, taking them from her. This time I could feel bits and pieces of Rhiannon’s magic buried within them, as though her magic was fueled by the depth of her rage.
As I took it in, I felt my own strength grow. When I was done, I released Savannah’s hand and helped her sit up, pulling her into my lap and holding her close.
“I’m okay,” she murmured into my ear. “I’m fine.”
“Don’t ever do anything like that again,” I commanded her as I held her tighter. “I’ve never been so fucking afraid in my life.”
“Your woman has more courage than wisdom,” Macgrath said from his crouch beside us.
I glanced up at him and blinked rapidly. A shimmering chain of magic seemed to emerge from the center of his chest. The chain was suspended in the air and disappeared into Ava’s torso. Neither of them seemed aware of the magical bond, but it was there all the same.
“I should kill you,” Ava sneered.
“No!” Savannah yelled from my lap. She scrambled to her feet as the vampire straightened from his crouch. “No killing. Macgrath saved me and he didn’t hurt me.”
“He kidnapped you!” Ava argued, her hands glowing as she gathered her magic.
“He also saved me,” Savannah retorted.
“I have to agree with Ava,” I declared as I rose from the ground. “He not only kidnapped you but he’s helped Rhiannon kill other witches, shifters, and vampires.”
Macgrath shook his head. “I’ve done a lot of things I�
�m not proud of, but I never helped Rhiannon kill innocent people. She swore to me that the rumors were just that and I believed her until recently. Since you came to Austin, Rhys, her behavior became more erratic. I realized then that she is an accomplished liar and I’d allowed my desperation to cloud my judgment.”
Ava’s eyes narrowed on him. “That answer is too pat. You’re a vampire. You should have been able to sense her thoughts. Or at least some of them.”
I nodded because it sounded too contrite to be true.
The vampire sighed and his shoulders slumped. “You just saw how powerful she is. Do you think she couldn’t shield her thoughts from me? That she couldn’t hide? She understood my weakness and took advantage of it. I’d been alone in this world for too long and she claimed to have the knowledge I sought. I would have believed anything she said if it meant she could give me what I want.”
“What do you want?” Ava asked skeptically, crossing her arms over her chest.
“To find my maker.”
“Any witch worth her salt could have used his name to find him,” Ava argued.
“I don’t know his name. Or who he is,” Macgrath explained. “I woke on this earth with no memory of my past and I want to know why.”
I could feel the truth of his words. His heart was pure, even if his mind was a seething mass of confusion.
“I still think we should imprison him or turn him into the vampire council,” Ava muttered, her expression dark.
“The vampire council will know what to do with him and where his maker is,” I agreed.
“No!” Savannah argued, moving to stand in front of Macgrath. “Look, do this for me, please. Let him go tonight. If he causes any more trouble, then you can turn him into the council.”
I didn’t want to agree, but I could sense her resolve. She wouldn’t give this up. Ava and I exchanged a glance of mutual frustration. Ava’s jaw clenched and she nodded slightly. Even she understood that Savannah had dug in her heels and there would be no changing her mind.
“Fine,” Ava relented. She moved closer, pointing a finger at Macgrath. “But I will be watching you. If you put so much as a toe out of line, I will make you wish you’d never come to Austin.”
“I already wish that,” he retorted. “But I won’t be staying here.”
Ava glared at him. The closer she stood to him, the brighter the chain between them glowed. I wondered why neither of them seemed to notice it.
Savannah smiled happily at Ava before she turned toward Macgrath. “Thank you for protecting me. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
The vampire’s face softened in a way I didn’t like. “Thank you, Savannah.”
With that, he backed away and melted into the darkness.
After he was gone, Savannah came over to me and wrapped her arms around my waist.
“I’m ready to go home,” she murmured into my chest.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Savannah
On the way back to Austin, I’d looked at Rhys and said, “I’m starving. Want to grab a burger?” Both he and Ava had stared at me in shocked silence for a few seconds. Still, as soon as we reached the city, Rhys steered the SUV into the parking lot of a burger chain and pulled into the drive thru.
I hadn’t spoken at all as I sat on the floor of my living room and devoured my food. Now my burger was gone and the events of the night were crashing down on me. The trash from our late night burger run littered my coffee table and I munched on leftover fries as I told Ava and Rhys about my day with Macgrath.
“He never hurt me. Even when I was kicking him or trying to punch him, he was gentle. He didn’t even leave a bruise on me.”
“That doesn’t matter,” Ava fumed. “He kidnapped you right out of my fucking store!”
“Language!” I chided her. “You know I don’t like it when you curse so much.” I neglected to mention exactly how much I swore when I was fighting Macgrath. It was better if she didn’t know about that.
Ava just glared at me. “I still don’t like it. We should have called the council in Dallas.”
I looked at Rhys, who was reclined on the couch. “What do you think, Rhys? Do you think it was a mistake to let him go?”
He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. “Yes,” he muttered. “Savannah, he took you from me. He threatened you. For that alone, I want to suck the life from him and burn his carcass.”
My nose crinkled at his statement. “Eww.”
Ava snorted. “Yeah, the visual there is kinda gross, Rhys.”
He shrugged. “It’s the truth.” His eyes came to me. “But it’s also the truth that his heart is good. He allowed his desperation for answers to blind him to her true nature.”
I smiled at him. “He’s more like you than you realize.”
Rhys shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
I didn’t respond, merely took a sip of my drink. He was wrong. Rhys had been searching for a home when he moved in across the street. Macgrath wanted the same thing, even if he didn’t understand that yet. He claimed he wanted to find his maker, but I knew it was more. He yearned for the sort of relationship a maker often had with their vampire children. He yearned for home.
Satchel pranced into the living room, straight to me, meowing all the way. She sat down in front of me and grumbled for several seconds.
“Is she talking to you again? What’s she saying?” Ava asked.
I reached out and stroked Satchel’s back. “She’s just letting me know that she didn’t appreciate being left alone for so long today.” The cat purred as she walked forward and butted her head against my waist. “And that she’s glad I’m home.”
Ava shook her head. “You two are so weird.” She drank down the rest of her wine. “And I still think it was stupid to let that damn vampire go.”
I rolled my eyes. “Speaking of letting things go, why don’t you free that thought? You’re driving me nuts.”
“Savannah,” Ava began.
“No, I don’t want to hear it,” I stated, lifting a hand. “You and Rhys have made your feelings on the matter clear enough. You aren’t going to change my mind and I’m not going to change yours.”
“Fine,” Ava relented. “What happened after you tried to climb out of the bathroom window?”
“Well, he made mushroom risotto and roasted asparagus for dinner. I didn’t eat much but it was good.”
Ava groaned and let her head fall back on the couch. “Okay, maybe not that much information. I don’t care if he can cook.”
“Okay, how about this? Rhiannon helped Gaius make Cornelius and Rhys, but with an ulterior motive in mind. She never said what that was, but I’m pretty sure I’ve figured it out.”
“To increase her power,” Rhys stated.
I nodded, sipping my drink again as I petted Satchel. “I think so.”
“The legends,” Ava murmured.
“I don’t think they’re legends, Ava,” I replied. “I think that Rhiannon wanted Gaius to create the animavore with that intent in mind. Their purpose was to increase her power. What she didn’t count on was how strong they would be in their own right. I think Cornelius was too strong for her and that he was going to turn the tables on her. She had to run for her life. Just like she did tonight.”
Rhys cocked his head to the side. “I’ve always been weaker than Cornelius. Why didn’t she come after me?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think she knew about you until Cornelius was dead. I think that’s why Gaius made you after he turned Cornelius. He didn’t want her to know that he had two test subjects. That would certainly explain how you escaped her notice for so long.”
Rhys didn’t look convinced, but I couldn’t think of another explanation. “She’s still out there,” he commented.
Ava nodded. “Yes, but what Savannah did…it depleted Rhiannon’s power. She’s not as strong as she was before. It will take time for her to rebuild her strength.”
“And she doesn’t have Mac
grath to help her any longer,” I pointed out.
Ava rolled her eyes. “She might. For all you know, he went straight to her when he left us in the field tonight.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. He’s done with her. We’ll be okay.”
“We’ll see,” Rhys replied. He rose from the floor. “I’m going to take a shower and get ready for bed.”
I was grateful that he was giving me time alone with Ava. There were things I wanted to discuss with her.
He leaned over and gave me a kiss before disappearing down the hall to my bedroom. Satchel jumped off my lap and darted out of the living room after him.
Unconcerned with my pet’s abandonment, I turned toward Ava.
“What?” she asked defensively.
“When were you going to tell me?”
“Tell you what?” She wouldn’t meet my gaze.
“That you’ve been touched by the Goddess.” I’d known as soon as I saw her floating there above Rhiannon’s protection circle that she was more than a witch. Her hair was longer and brighter and her eyes had changed to an intense purple. I could see the glow of the goddess emanating from within her, a light that hurt to look at even though it was no brighter than a candle.
Being touched by the god or goddess meant they shared a piece of their power with you, that they acknowledged you as their child. Being touched by the deities should offer you protection. Witches and warlocks, both light and dark, acknowledged the deities. Most wouldn’t risk incurring the wrath of the god or goddess and avoided those who had been touched.
Ava rubbed her hand over her forehead. “I don’t remember much about it. Just that the goddess gave me power when I needed it. I can’t even remember why. Then one night I woke up on the ground next to a stream. I couldn’t remember how I got there or where I had been before. Small parts of my past have come back to me over the centuries, but there is so much that is still a blur.”
“Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?” I asked, feeling hurt. Ava and I had been friends for a decade.
