by Franca Storm
He heard Orion’s disgruntled cries coming from the next room. He could feel his father’s anxiety. As he climbed off the bed to go to him, he knocked something off the bed. He reached down to pick it up. It was a note with his name on it. Cora’s handwriting. He opened it and read: There’s something I had to do. I will return before morning. Nothing to worry about. Don’t follow me, Ryan. Love, Cora.
“Like fuck I’m not gonna follow you, woman.”
He tossed the note back on the bed and snatched up his cell before hurrying out of the bedroom to Orion’s room. He crossed to his crib and lifted him out. Holding him in the crook of his left arm, he murmured softly, “It’s okay, Orion. Sorry I woke you. Everything is fine. Go back to sleep, my boy.”
As he rocked him back and forth, he dialed with his free hand.
“Ry?” Josh’s voice came. “It’s 2am,” he complained.
“Cora is gone.”
“What? Where?”
“I don’t know. On some sort of mission. She left a note but it didn’t tell me much.”
He heard Josh’s hesitation down the line and Shaye’s hushed voice in the background. He thought he heard a familiar name. He has wolf hearing, Shaye, he heard Josh chastising her.
“Josh, tell me,” Ryan said as calmly as possible.
“You sound too calm,” Josh pointed out.
“My son is upset. I am calm for him.”
“Right, well, try to maintain that after what I’m about to tell you.”
There was a pause and Ryan realized he was waiting for his response. “Yes. Just say it.”
“We think Cora has gone after Oriana.”
“What?”
“The other night at the party she was talking about her, how she hadn’t forgiven her for what she did to your marriage and taking Orion and everything. It was pretty clear that she wanted vengeance. I guess she managed to find her somehow.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Ryan asked.
“Because you were already torn up about what happened with your marriage thanks to Oriana. I didn’t want to bring it up again. Plus, Shaye and I never thought Cora would be able to find Oriana. She must have enlisted some help.”
“I need you to come here now and watch Orion.”
“Ryan, I think you should stay out of this,” Josh cautioned. “She’s so powerful now that she can kill Oriana with a flick of her wrist.”
“A lot of her power is being redirected elsewhere right now.”
“What are you talking about?”
“She’s pregnant,” Ryan revealed.
“What? Really?”
“Yes. A girl.”
“Wow!”
“Josh, focus!” Ryan said. “Get over here. I need to go after her. She’s in danger, as is my daughter now.”
“All right. I’m on my way. You’re sure you can track her? What if she’s blocking you?”
“She can only block magickal trackers like Nathanial. She can’t block my wolf sense. I can find her anywhere. Now, hurry.”
Ryan hung up and gazed at Orion. “Your mother is trying my patience again, son. Let’s hope that your sister doesn’t inherit her stubborn streak.” He blew out a heavy sigh. “Boys are much easier than girls, huh?”
Orion growled in response.
“Yeah, you know it too.”
Shit, I can’t believe she did this. Wait—of course I can—she’s always pulling shit like this. Fucking hell, Cora! I can’t lose you again!
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
Cora stood before the farmhouse with apprehension. It had been years since she’d set foot anywhere near it. It was the place where she’d watched her mother die. She’d known that her mother would die young. She’d been a Seeker like Cora. All Seekers died at a young age. But Cora just hadn’t expected it that afternoon. She didn’t even know what had taken her life—a vampire, perhaps? It had happened so quickly. Her mother had a lot of enemies because of her job. She’d crossed a lot of people. Standing here now brought it all back to her and she had to fight to keep her emotions at bay.
She knew why Oriana had chosen to hide out here. It was the absolute last place that she would have expected Cora to ever search for her. To Cora it was a place of pain; a place that held memories that she’d locked away years ago.
She adjusted her biker jacket and winced at the pressure that her leather pants were putting on her stomach. Her baby bump was growing too quickly. She needed to wear looser clothing. But her leathers were good for battle—they were tough and resistant should she have to take a fall or something. And, normally, they were incredibly comfortable. She glanced down at her white tank and her eyes widened when she saw the size of her breasts now. They were straining against the thin fabric. Shit, everyday she got a little bigger everywhere. But to the outside world she appeared the same as she had been. No one apart from Ryan—and now Nathanial--could see any signs of her pregnancy. She pulled out the pendant hanging from the golden chain around her neck that possessed Davidas’ faerie magick designed to prevent Oriana from teleporting away.
She eyed the barn a few feet to the left of the house. It was dilapidated now, the wood rotting away. Was Oriana in there? Her gaze shifted back to the brick building of the farmhouse. And that was when she noticed that the doorknob was shimmering with silver magick. Oriana had placed a magickal lock over it. A dead giveaway that she was inside the house somewhere.
Before she could do anything, the door flew open and Oriana sauntered through it towards her.
Cora noticed the bandages across her right side. What looked like black blood had seeped through the middle of it. The wound that Nathanial had inflicted. Damn, it must have been brutal. It’s been weeks and she still hasn’t recovered. He’s damned good; that’s for sure.
“How did you find me?” she asked.
“I had help,” Cora said.
Oriana stopped a few feet away and scrutinized her.
“You came here to kill me? Your husband’s mother?”
Cora scoffed. “Please, he no longer considers you his mother. Ryan wants this as much as me—as much as all of us. You’re dangerous and you need to be put down. For good.”
Oriana smirked at her. “You’re taking a big risk. You should have waited.”
What is she talking about? “What?” Cora snapped.
“You’re pregnant. Did you think I wouldn’t see it? There is only one spell that can conceal a pregnancy and I’ve used it myself. That baby bump is as clear as day to me, Cora. You’re a fool. Your power is compromised. You won’t be able to beat me. I’ve been practicing magick for centuries, my girl. Your extreme power was the only advantage you had.”
Cora watched Oriana discreetly move her right palm. She reacted instantly, throwing a ball of silver magick at her. It hit her in the chest and she stumbled back. But just a little. Shit. Before this pregnancy it would have sent her right through the other side of the house. Uh oh. She looked down at her pendant and saw that it was glowing. Good, the magick had worked. Oriana wouldn’t be able to teleport away now. She was bound to the area.
The pendant distracted her and by the time she looked up, a bolt of black lightning was headed towards her. It was too near for her to counter it. It slammed into her side with such force that it propelled her several feet across the grounds towards the barn, blasting her through the wall into the barn itself. She hit the floor hard and rolled to minimize some of the damage. Given the awful state of the barn, the roof creaked. Moments later it came crashing down around her. She threw out her hands and cast a shimmering silver shield. It deflected the falling debris just in time. She breathed a sigh of relief as it bounced right off the shield as she lay there. She groaned as she forced herself to her feet. Shit, that fall had reverberated through her entire body. She lifted the shield—she couldn’t attack with it up—and walked towards the barn doors. They flew open just before she reached them and Oriana stood there, a murderous look on her face.
“I’m glad you came
. You’re helping me to further my agenda without even realizing it. After I rip you apart, Nathanial will be forced to send Marella to kill me—the only white witch strong enough to take me down, outside of you. And when he does I will kill her, his mate. He will suffer for eternity just like I have.”
“It was your deception that led to Cornelius’ death in the first place,” Cora told her. “You misled Nathanial to save your own ass. That’s why he killed Cornelius. It should have been you. It’s why you are like this now—you know it was your fault that Cornelius died. Your guilt has twisted you, because you couldn’t accept it.”
Oriana screamed and thrust bolts of black lightning at her. Cora was ready this time and countered with balls of silver light. They ripped right through Oriana’s magick, shredding through the lightning and disintegrating it before it reached her.”
And then Cora ran at her, driving her to the floor. Her old Seeker training took over as she pinned her to the ground with her knees and her nails pressed roughly into her wrists. She smashed her fist into her face. “You took my life!” she screamed. “You spelled Ryan to fuck another woman! You took my son, you bitch!”
“And you killed your own father without a second thought,” Oriana spat.
“It’s not going to work. You can’t distract me,” Cora said as she thrust her fist into her face again.
Oriana choked and spat out the blood filling her mouth. Cora wrapped her hands around her neck, choking her. She’d incapacitate her by choking the life out of her and then she’d seal her death with white fire—the only true way to kill a white sorceress.
“Your mother died here. Do you want to know who killed her?” Oriana choked out.
“Shut up!” Cora snapped.
“It was Vazra.”
Cora froze. What? My father had killed my mother? His wife? Oh my God!
Oriana took advantage of Cora’s distracted state and wrenched one of her hands free. She pressed it tightly to Cora’s belly.
Cora cried out as a burning sensation ripped through her. She tried to ignore it and focus on choking her, but it became searing. She jumped back in shock. She heard Oriana sputtering out a laugh. A sudden wave of nausea gripped her and she fell to her knees as she vomited all over the asphalt. Fuck, what is happening? She heard Oriana struggling to her feet, but she couldn’t focus on anything other than trying to stop herself from retching.
“I broke your protection spell around the baby—in the most unpleasant way possible of course, hence your current discomfort.”
Shit. Cora could feel her approaching. Her energy levels rose and she knew she was about to strike her.
But then she felt a sudden rush of dark energy—great power. The trees surrounding the farmhouse rustled violently against an ice-cold wind. And then a bolt of red fire exploded around her. Oriana screamed and she heard a thud over by the house.
“Hold her off!” Luca’s voice thundered to someone.
And then he was down on his knees beside her. He brushed her hair out of her face and pressed his hand gently to her belly. “Hold on, sweetheart,” he whispered softly.
She choked as another wave of nausea hit her and she lurched forward, vomiting violently again. Luca held her steady with his free hand so that she didn’t smack her head on the ground. His other on her belly emanated a cooling sensation that was soothing. She knew he was casting another protection spell over her baby. He knew that her magick was weaker then and that it would cost her too much power to do it again herself. And he also knew about the baby. Clearly, Nathanial had told him everything.
The wave of nausea and weakness that had consumed her dissipated suddenly and she eased herself to her feet. Luca let go of her and asked, “Better, princess?”
“Yes,” she breathed. “Thank you. Nathanial sent you?”
“Yes. He couldn’t come himself. Marella is giving birth to their child.”
Wow. “And Ryan?”
“Relax. We didn’t tell him.”
Cora turned her attention to the farmhouse. And that was when she saw who we was. Kristoff. He was locked in a vicious battle of black magick with Oriana. She watched as Oriana summoned a black chain and hooked it around Kristoff’s neck. He roared in agony.
“Shit, it’s fused with sunlight,” Cora gasped as she watched smoke encircle Kristoff’s neck as it melted into his flesh.
“It’ll kill him,” Luca said.
Both of them fired their magick at Oriana—white and dark balls of energy. Oriana fended off their attack by summoning a shimmering black shield with her right palm. But it split her magick and she was forced to retract the chain around Kristoff’s neck. Kristoff fell to his knees, choking and grasping his neck.
Incensed that this battle was going in Oriana’s favor, Cora bolted forward, her upturned palms firing silver energy at the black shield. Oriana threw her chain at Cora, using her magick to wrap it around her neck. To Cora’s shock it actually burned her.
Oriana laughed. “Silver. You may not be wolf, but your child is. Hurts, doesn’t it?”
Luca swept his hand at the chain, shattering it with his power.
Oriana screamed in fury and summoned a ball of fire. “You dare to strike your own mother? You think this is fire, Luca? It’s pure sunlight,” she seethed.
She threw it. Luca glanced at Cora and swallowed hard. He couldn’t move or it would hit her. The ball was moving too fast for him to be able to move her out of the way even with vampire speed on his side. He heard Kristoff yelling over to him, instructing him to conjure a shield. But there wasn’t enough time.
The ball of sunlight was barely a few inches out when he was suddenly shoved roughly from the side. He heard a familiar roar and turned to see Ryan standing there in front of Cora, protecting her. The ball hit him square in the chest and the agony that ripped through him forced him to his knees. He choked for a few seconds, but then he climbed to his feet and let out a ferocious growl that reverberated through the area. Luca was amazed. Even though sunlight couldn’t kill a wolf, a ball of fire made from the actual sun itself had the power to rip through any being. It should have knocked Ryan out at the very least and torn a hole right through his chest where it had hit. But it had barely done a thing to him.
“Holy fuck,” Luca exclaimed. “Very impressive,” he said, as he quickly erected a protective barrier around the four of them. Kristoff moved to his side and assisted as Oriana continued to pound against it with wave after wave of magick.
Ryan shrugged. “A perk of being Wolf King.”
Before anyone could react, Ryan leapt through the air several feet as though he were in wolf form. The three of them gasped as he summoned his claws and swiped it at Oriana’s shield as he careened into it. He sliced through it and then swept his claws at her neck, ripping through her flesh. She staggered back. In a burst of vampire speed, Luca stood behind her and gripped her neck. He jerked it to the side, snapping it with a satisfying crack. She crumpled to the ground.
The two of them looked at Cora as they stood over Oriana’s limp body.
“All yours, my love,” Ryan said.
Cora’s eyes were wide with shock as she approached them. “Damn, if this is what it’s like when you two work together, you should do it more often.”
Kristoff joined the three of them. He glared at Oriana, taking a moment to appreciate her defeat. He spat on her with disgust. “That’s for my wife,” he seethed. He took a moment to calm himself before addressing Cora, “She’ll rise again unless you finish it with white fire.”
“I know,” Cora said. She looked at Ryan. “Don’t stop me. This will weaken me, but I will be fine as will the baby, okay?”
He nodded his understanding. “I won’t interfere. I know you’ve got this.”
“All right,” Cora said as she moved her feet shoulder width apart and held her palms over Oriana. “Let’s finish this.”
A moment later white fire coursed from her palms, washing over Oriana’s body at her feet. The fire grew qui
ckly, the flames rising and engulfing her entirely until they could no longer see her at all.
“Shit,” Cora exclaimed through gritted teeth as she struggled to call more power forth to finish the job. Because she was using so much to sustain the baby, she had to call it forth from her essence and that hurt like a bitch. It actually burned through her. She glanced at Ryan, worried that he would try to stop her now that it was clear she was in a significant amount of pain. He met her gaze and shook his head at her, letting her know that he wouldn’t interfere as promised.
A wolf growl escaped her as she pushed harder with her magick. She saw Ryan’s surprise. Where the hell had that come from?
Her final push was enough and she watched as the flames fanned out and then disappeared in the next second, leaving nothing but a scorch mark on the ground where Oriana had been.
“She’s dead in the absolute-never-coming-back sense,” Cora announced with a heavy breath. “She’s gone. It’s over.” A sharp pain ripped through her. She looked at Ryan in shock, “And I’m going into labor.”
“What?” Ryan exclaimed, hurrying to her and pressing his hand to her belly. “Oh shit. That must be what the growl was about.”
Luca joined them. “May I?” he asked Ryan.
Ryan nodded and moved his hand so Luca could touch her. Like Nathanial could, Ryan knew Luca would be able to sense how close the birth was.
“Now,” he said, eyeing Ryan worriedly.
“You mean now as in tonight, right?” Ryan asked hopefully.
“No, I mean now. Right now.”
Cora shook her head. “No, I need help. It’s a wolf. She’ll rip me apart. Ryan!” she cried, afraid. Another searing pain ripped through her and she screamed. “Ryan!”
Ryan swept her up in his arms. “Teleport us, Luca.”
“No,” Kristoff said, joining them. “It’s too dangerous. I will assist with the birth.”
“With black magick?” Ryan asked.
“Yes, but it won’t hurt the child or Cora in any way. I promise. I will stop the child from shredding her, Ryan. Black magick is the best for that. She won’t feel any pain. Luca, you will use your dark energy to call the baby forth. And, Ryan, you will stop Cora from trying to kill either of us with her magick.”
