Reigning Hearts

by Candace Osmond

  Serena now possessed the ability to conjure a single wish.

  She could wish for Ashlynn to die. Or Cian. She could send Ashlynn back to the past. And, worse, if Serena were to discover the existence of the baby, there was no telling what she’d do.

  Ashlynn shivered and tightened her arms across her torso.

  “You ready?” Faith asked as she suddenly appeared by her side. “We’re all set up. Everyone’s waiting.”

  She inhaled deeply and plastered on a smile. “Yes, of course. I’m ready.”

  Faith led her a few yards deeper into the forest where an intimate group of women waited. Eadlyn, Ruth, and a clan elder named Esther held their arms out as they formed a semi-circle around the mouth of a pond. Dozens of candles illuminated the area, mixing the silver rays of the moon. Faith joined them and stretched out her arms to length the circle, leaving an opening for Ashlynn to stand at the water’s edge.

  Faith pulled a fresh candle from a leather satchel that hung from her side and lit it. “Ladies, daughters of the ultimate mother, we’re gathered here on this eve to give blessings to Ashlynn Kavanaugh. Our ancient princess, the last to unite the clans, the bringer of peace.”

  Faith paused and looked at Ashlynn. “Do you accept the blessings we’re about to bestow upon you?”

  Ashlynn swallowed nervously and nodded. “Yes, with great responsibility and gratitude.”

  Eadlyn broke free of the circle and strolled toward her with a proud look on her face. “Ashlynn, daughter you will be, daughter you are, I bless you and the coming union with this crown of leaves made from the sacred tree of our people. Do you accept?”

  “I do,” Ashlynn replied and dipped her head gently as Eadlyn placed the crown atop her curls.

  Cian’s mother returned to her place in the circle just as Ruth took her turn and made a few strides toward Ashlynn. The old fortune teller held a bowl of ash in her hands. “Princess, with the ash of our elders, I bless your soul and that of the precious life you carry inside. Do you accept?”

  Ashlynn nodded once again. “I do.”

  She closed her eyes as Ruth smeared her thumb over Ashlynn’s forehead, smearing an ashy symbol across it before returning to her place in the circle of strong Traveller women. Ashlynn opened her eyes to find Esther at her side; she hadn’t even heard the crunch of forest beneath the woman’s feet as she approached.

  She held an empty bowl and a small dagger. “Ashlynn, I bless you and your body, to open up and embrace the power we’re about to bestow upon you. The ancient magic that runs through every Traveller’s veins, the power and knowledge of our ancestors. Do you accept this great gift?”

  Ashlynn knew she would gain Traveller magic once she and Cian wed, but this was where it started. This would be her first taste, and she suddenly worried how it would mix with her natural born Celtic magic and the strange, foreign power that flowed through her from the baby. But she quickly washed away those fears and nodded.

  “I do.”

  Esther took Ashlynn’s hand and sliced the palm. She winced as blood oozed to the surface and the elder women held the wooden bowl underneath it to catch the drops that bled from the wound. Esther then sliced her own palm and added her life force to the bowl before Faith and Eadlyn joined them and did the same.

  Faith took the bowl of blood and held it up to the moonlight.

  “Goddess Selene!” the Seer shouted. “I call to you on this eve to bless she who is called Ashlynn Kavanaugh; our princess from the past, the mother to our savior, and the holder of our prince’s heart.”

  “Blessed be,” the three women said in unison.

  Faith lowered the bowl and added a vial of oil. The scent of various flowers and herbs wafted through the air. Eadlyn gently pinched the collar of Ashlynn’s silken robe and waited for her to proceed. Ashlynn untied the sash and Cian’s mother slipped it from her naked body. The crisp night air tickled her skin as Faith stepped forward and traced the ashy symbol on her forehead with the blood mixture. Then the Seer slowly poured the rest over Ashlynn’s body and a slight gasp squeezed from her chest.

  The women took Ashlynn’s hands and led her to the water’s edge. She dipped both feet inside the water and allowed the circle to lower her down slowly. Step by step, Ashlynn could feel the power of the water cover her body, pressing from all sides. She took one last deep breath right before the pond’s surface covered her head.

  From above, she could hear the muffled chants of the women who stood there. Magic formed in her stomach and spread throughout her body, igniting the ancient power already there. The two mixed and tightened, stretching and searching for a way to co-exist. Ashlynn’s limbs spread out in the dark water and she closed her eyes, letting the warmth take over.

  Suddenly, the warmth began to burn, then quickly changed to a painful sear as it flooded her. Ashlynn’s eyes flew open in the murky water and was shocked to find everything illuminated around her. Magic filled her veins and they glowed with the same amber light of a hot coal.

  Panic pressed on her lungs and Ashlynn desperately wanted out, but her body wouldn’t respond. She was held in place by the chaos that consumed her insides as the three forces of magic fought for a piece of her.

  A scream escaped her throat just as cold hands reached down and ripped her from the water. She broke the surface and gasped for air as Eadlyn covered her wet, naked body with the robe. Faith helped Ashlynn to her feet and looked at her worriedly.

  “Are you alright?” she asked and gripped Ashlynn’s upper arms.

  Shaking, Ashlynn’s trembling chin nodded as she tightened the sash around her waist.

  “Are you sure?” Faith pried.

  “Y-yes, I’m fine,” Ashlynn replied. “I just – it was more than I had expected.”

  Ruth grinned wildly. “Of course, dear. You’re Romani now.” She threw Ashlynn a wink. “We’re a lot to handle.”

  Eadlyn rubbed Ashlynn’s back, the wetness long soaked through the robe. “Well, nearly Romani. We still have the wedding to look forward to. Then you’ll be a true Romani and all the power that comes with being a Traveller.”

  The two older women were obviously delighted with the ancient ritual they had just performed, but Ashlynn was overwrought with a new worry, one that Faith seemed to mirror in her silent expression. Witches have been mixing life forces and magic for centuries. Her Celtic power should blend well with the new Romani magic given to her.

  But what about the unknown magic that lived inside her? They had no idea if it was even coming from her. What if this new power was coming from the baby? It was unprecedented, but they were facing a lot of firsts. All she knew was that the magicks inside her now were too big, too wild, and only growing stronger. She couldn’t trust it, not in her own hands.

  Faith lowered her head and whispered, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  Ashlynn pursed her lips and assured her friend with a nod. She didn’t trust her words any more than she trusted the unknown power growing inside her. But one thing was for certain now.

  She could never let the news of the baby get back to Serena. Until now, she’d worried the crazy woman would kill the child. But now she knew…

  Serena could wish for her child’s power and that could destroy them all.

  Chapter Three

  Cian wiped sweat from his forehead and leaned his head back against the wall of his parent’s guesthouse basement. They’d taken Connor there rather than to the main house with the others they’d captured for interrogation at Cian’s insistence.

  He still couldn’t wrap his head around it. Connor had been a mate for as long as he could remember, a good guy with a good head on his shoulders. He’d been there through most of Cian’s childhood… right alongside Serena.

  Cian closed his eyes and tried to bring the past back to life in his memories. He’d razzed Connor more than once about the way he looked at Serena when she wasn’t looking, especially that time they’d gone swimming at her parents’ house after midnight. They�
��d been no more than sixteen at the time and well aware of the eventual marriage that would join their two houses. Cian had dismissed it as innocent flirting at the time but now, now that the friend he remembered fondly was supporting the most dangerous woman he knew, Cian knew he’d been wrong. They’d checked Connor from head to toe for any sign of the dark curse, praying the entire time to find an inky spiderweb because it would explain his animalistic behavior, but they’d found nothing. His body was covered in intricate Celtic designed tattoos and piercings now, but no dark curse.

  A door opened and closed with a loud bang a few feet away from where Cian stood. He cracked open an eye and arched a brow at Jared who just shook his head and leaned back next to him.

  “It’s like talking to the fucking wall, man,” Jared finally said with a loud sigh. “I don’t have kids, but I assume that’s what it feels like to try to reason with an idiot teenager. Except this one’s built like a brick shithouse and works for the Queen of darkness.”

  Cian chuckled. He was exhausted. They’d been interrogating Connor for hours and had gotten almost nothing from him other than the fact that he through the sun shone straight out of Serena’s arse. He was loyal to her and her alone, and not even the memory of their friendship could shake that bond.

  “Queen of darkness,” he repeated with a wry grin, “I like that one. It’s certainly apt.” Cian rubbed absently at his chest where the soul-stealing curse had once marked him. Even though they’d been able to cleanse it completely from his body using the grimoire Serena had stolen to create it, he still felt a shadow of it, like a phantom limb. It kept him focused on the mission, though, so he hadn’t said anything about it to Ashlynn or Faith. “So, how the hell are we going to get him to talk?” Frustration pumped through his veins.

  “He’s your friend, man.” Jared shrugged. “If I were you, I’d take him back, get him reliving old memories. He used to trust you, so maybe there’s a way to make him regress while still remembering what he’s been doing now.”

  Cian clapped a hand to Jared’s shoulder and grinned. “You’re a freaking genius!” He strode away with determined steps and renewed hope. He knew just the sorceress to talk to about getting what he needed.

  ***

  Eadlyn opened her eyes and nodded at Cian. “It’s done. He should trust you now.” She stepped back to join Patrick at a safe distance. To help with the trust issue, they’d undone Connor’s cuffs and were maintaining control over his magic with a perimeter spell like the one they’d used at the warehouse. Still, Cian approached his old friend turned muscle-bound traitor slowly and carefully, knowing that Serena could have done something that would make him immune to their magics.

  Cian dragged a chair forward and placed it a few feet in front of where Connor sat with a vacant look on his face. He sat backwards and folded his arms, then dove right in. “Hey, buddy.”

  Connor’s face split in a boyish grin that belied the ruggedness of his features as he recognized Cian. “Hey! What’s happening?” He glanced past Cian and nodded respectfully. “Hi Mr. Boswells. Mrs. Boswells. You look beautiful today.”

  The lump that had already formed in Cian’s gut twisted painfully. Connor had always liked his mom, since his own mother had been a bit neglectful. He’d always had a compliment and a smile for Eadlyn. Cian heard the regret in his mother’s voice when she returned his greeting.

  Connor’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Where’s Serena? I was thinking we should take some of the horses out and go to the pond. It’s gonna be a scorcher today. That’s what dad says.”

  Again, Cian’s stomach knotted. Connor’s father had passed away when they’d been sixteen from a particularly nasty cancer that had taken him quickly. The loss had changed Connor. He’d become sullen and distant, and nothing Cian had done to reach out to him had worked. Their friendship had faded, especially once Cian had started training with his father to take over the mantle of leadership. He’d grieved the loss of his best friend but had moved on, rationalizing that he had responsibilities that required all his focus and attention.

  Cian hated himself now for that decision.

  He cleared his throat and continued, knowing he’d hate himself even more when this conversation was over. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with her, huh?” Cian decided to probe gently. His mother had explained that, while Connor would feel and act as if he were fifteen years old again, he would still have memories of the present. He just wouldn’t hold the resentment and anger his present self had, which meant he might spill the beans on Serena’s plans.

  Connor shrugged. “She’s pretty cool. I was thinking about asking her to the summer solstice dance.” He blushed and ducked his head. “Think she’ll say yes?”

  Cian closed his eyes for a moment and wished he could be fifteen again, when they’d all been innocent and happy. “Yeah, man. Of course.” He scrubbed a hand over his chin and probed a bit deeper. “So, you’ve been getting into some pretty heavy stuff lately, huh? I heard you were using magic to fight.”

  Connor grinned. “Yeah, and it’s so freaking cool, man! You should come sometime. Serena says it's good for us to stretch our magical muscles. She says we shouldn’t have to hide our magic anymore,” he said, then winced and rubbed a hand over his bicep.

  “Oh yeah?” Cian glanced over at his father who was watching intently. There were getting somewhere now. “That’s so cool. What about the laws, though? Aren’t you afraid of getting caught?”

  “Nah.” Connor shook his head. “We’re pretty safe. Like, we move locations a lot and put up wards against raids, that kind of thing. Plus, there’s a lot of us, so even if we got raided,” he smacked a fist into his palm and grinned. “Bam! We’d fight our way out.”

  Cian gritted his teeth. Connor wasn’t wrong about fighting back. Plenty magic users had fought back the night before, but they’d been vastly outnumbered and shut down quickly. He was glad Connor didn’t seem to remember that.

  “So, does Serena fight, too?” Cian pushed. They didn’t know how long the spell would last so he had to get to the point fairly quickly.

  Connor shook his head. “Not really. I’m in charge of the fights.” His face contorted. Connor lifted his arm and rotated it at the shoulder, then rubbed his bicep. Cian frowned, noticing the repetitive motion. He wondered if the guards had been too rough the night before. He’d get his mother to look after they finished up.

  “She fought once, though, and it was deadly!” Connor shook his head as he remembered. “Her magic is insane, man. She went up against this huge dude, too. We all thought she was nuts but her magic,” his eyes went wide, “it’s not like anything I’ve ever seen before. It kind of moved into him, you know, like smoke or something. But when it came back out, he just collapsed.” Connor leaned forward and whispered, “He was dead, Cian. Like, dead, dead.” Wonder traced with fear lit his eyes.

  Cian shuddered, knowing exactly how powerful Serena’s new magic was. With the grimoire, she’d been able to access magics that hadn’t been used in centuries. Dark magics that no one in their right mind would want to us for fear of losing themselves to the darkness. She’d already lost herself, he knew, and had tried to take him down with her.

  They’d gotten the grimoire back but far too late. Serena had taken what she needed from it, including the most powerful spell in existence, the spell for a single wish.

  Magic had limitations like anything else in life. But that spell, Cian blew out a breath, that spell had almost none. With it, Serena could end life, create life, restructure reality, she could do almost anything. The truth was, they weren’t sure what the limitations of the spell were, if there were any.

  The whole thing terrified him.

  He refocused on Connor, knowing it was futile to obsess over things he had no ability to control when he could be focusing on things he could handle. Like this interrogation, despite the fact that it felt like an assault against an old friend.

  “Serena hasn’t been around a whole lot lat
ely,” Cian said flatly, hoping beyond hope that his next question would yield some real answers. “Have you seen her? Do you know where she’s been hanging out?” He held his breath.

  Connor frowned as if he knew the answer but just couldn’t grasp the finite details. Cian leaned forward. They’d suspected Serena would have used some kind of spell to protect her location.

  Connor opened his mouth to speak then snapped it shut and grabbed his arm with a shout of pain. His face contorted and he leapt from the chair, unable to stay still as he ripped his shirt, trying to free his shoulder. “Get it out!” he shouted, clapping his hand over his skin repeatedly. “Help, Cian!”

  The terror and pain in Connor’s voice ripped into Cian. He hadn’t been able to help his best friend when he’d been in emotional pain from his father’s death but he could help him now. He raised his hands and murmured an incantation powerful enough to put an elephant to sleep then caught the large man in his arms and lowered him to the floor, propping him up against the wall.

  “What the hell was that?” Patrick stepped forward and crouched next to Cian to stare at Connor’s unconscious body. In sleep, his face smoothed out and the little boy Cian had known was once again lost.

  “His physical pain seems to have been focused on his shoulder,” Eadlyn said thoughtfully from behind them. “Put him on the table, please. I need to examine him.”

  Cian and Jared lifted Connor onto the table and stepped back to give Eadlyn room to work. She reached for the hem of Connor’s shirt and began tugging it up over his head. Tattoos covered almost every inch of skin she revealed.

  When she’d gotten the shirt off, Eadlyn leaned closer to examine the ink and the skin on his shoulder. She traced a finger over one tattoo in particular and frowned, then closed her eyes and magic flowed through her fingertips. “This isn’t natural,” she murmured, pouring more magic into the tattoo.