Chapter Two
Cian stepped through the front door of his parents’ house and stopped dead in his tracks.
“Serena,” he said in a half growl, unable to stop himself from reacting to the sight of her face. The last time he’d seen her, she’d been trying to kill Ashlynn and had nearly succeeded. If he’d distrusted and disliked her before, he loathed her now. He drew himself up and looked down at her with utter contempt. “What are you doing here?”
Her smile was sly and more than a little twisted with what Cian read as insanity. It showed in her eyes too, that glittery sheen that unsettled anyone who dared to stare her straight in the eye. Cian dared to look, he refused to blink away and give her the satisfaction.
“I was invited, dear Cian,” she purred, lifting a hand with sharp, brightly painted red nails to his chest. He cringed away from her touch, not trusting that she hadn’t laced those talons with poison. He wouldn’t put anything beyond her.
She arched an eyebrow at him and giggled. “Now, now. You aren’t afraid of little ol’ me, are you?” Serena tapped her nails against her matching red lips and smiled again, obviously pleased with herself. She slithered toward him, turning her body at the last moment so she slid by him instead of into his arms, and when she was almost pressed up against him, she whispered, “I guess you’re smarter than I gave you credit for.” Then she was gone, sauntering toward the parlor where the meeting was to be held. Cian felt frozen in place as her words replayed in his mind. It had been a threat; he was sure of it. She had something planned and wanted him to know it.
Fucking witch.
Unwilling to let Serena think for a moment that she had the upper hand; Cian forced his body to breathe normally and move toward the parlor with long strides. He walked through the double doors with his shoulders squared and his mouth set in a welcoming smile for his parents and their guests, minus Serena.
“Mr. and Mrs. Cineal, welcome.” He extended a hand to the man and woman who would have been his in-laws if Ashlynn hadn’t appeared out of the past and saved his life and sanity. She’d been ripped from her time in what she’d thought to be a spell gone wrong, but he saw it differently. Fate had connected them, brought them together through time and space because they were linked so completely. She was his and he was hers and together they would bring peace to the clans.
“Cian.” James Cineal gripped his hand firmly and shook it once. “So good to see you. How is your new place? Your father told me you purchased a loft in the city?” He glanced quickly across the room to where Serena stood in front of the window sipping brown liquid from a crystal glass.
Cian couldn’t help but feel sorry for him and Vivian, who stood stiffly, refusing to look at their daughter. They’d done their best by Serena, giving her everything a child could want in this world, including their love and attention. She’d never been spoiled, never neglected, never abused, yet she’d turned out wrong somehow, rotten from the inside out and greedy for power that wasn’t hers.
He’d never been blessed with a child but since meeting Ashlynn, thoughts of the future, their future, together had started to bubble up into his subconscious and he couldn’t imagine creating a life with the woman he loved only to have it turn out like Serena.
Vivian stepped into Cian’s arms to kiss both his cheeks in a warm greeting. She grasped his hands in hers and smiled warmly at him. “And how is Ashlynn doing? It must still be so overwhelming for her.”
“She’s doing better, thank you for asking.” Cian squeezed her hands back gently and wondered again how anyone so horrid could have come from such lovely parents. He opened his mouth to tell her about how the travelers had welcomed Ashlynn, then closed it again when he remembered whose ears were listening. The less Serena knew about their daily lives, the better.
“Can I get anyone a drink before we begin?” Eadlyn stepped up to give Cian a kiss on the cheek before taking Vivian’s arm and steering her toward the liquor cabinet.
Cian smiled after his mother and turned to meet his father with a handshake. “Hi, Dad,” he said, slapping his free hand on his father’s bicep. “Looks like you’ve been keeping up your workouts without me.” His father grinned and flexed, showing off solid muscle beneath the fine fabric of his custom-made Italian suit.
“It’s not as fun without you,” Robert Boswells admitted, feigning a punch to Cian’s abdomen. “You should come by some morning for a sparring session.”
“This weekend would work.” Cian made a mental note to talk his mother into arranging brunch for Saturday so he and Ashlynn could spend the morning with his parents.
When they all had a glass in hand, the group moved to the long couches that faced each other and sat. Serena, stubborn as always, choose to stay near the window and no one addressed the rudeness.
Robert took a sip from his glass then cleared his throat. “I think we’re all aware of the need for this meeting.” His gaze flickered toward Serena then back to her parents who sat now with stiff spines and looks of chagrin on their faces. Cian wanted to demand Serena leave but he knew that would solve nothing. She was the source of their current strife and therefore needed to be present.
James nodded curtly and spoke through thinned lips. “It’s getting worse out there. We’ve gotten reports of underground fights between our clans. Organized battles like,” he seemed to struggle for a word, “that movie Fight Club, except they’re using magic.” His face twisted in anger and betrayal. “Magic, Robert. Our people are jeopardizing everything we’ve fought to keep safe for centuries!”
“We’re hearing the same,” Robert replied with a heavy sigh. “Our best men and women are run ragged, trying to track down these groups but they’re not leaving much to track. They’re being shielded somehow.”
Cian accepted a piece of paper from his father with the latest numbers detailed in devastating clarity. Their youth were rebelling in unprecedented numbers, balking the traditions of their ancestors and threatening to reveal their hidden society. He laid the sheet on the coffee table, knowing that if he held it much longer, he’d crumple it in sheer frustration. They were facing magical theft, destruction of property through magical means, physical attacks every day for months, and now underground fight clubs. Where would this all end?
“Our union was supposed to unite the clans,” Cian ground out through a clenched jaw, glancing momentarily at Serena. “We’ve established Ashlynn as the rightful heir, our two peoples know this to be true. So, why are they still at odds? Surely a rushed wedding just for the sake of a wedding isn’t necessary to bring us together?” He hoped he was right.
Eadlyn shook her head. “A wedding is just a moment in time, Cian. That’s not what would bring our clans together. It’s the union itself, the pairing of two parts of a whole. The clans need to see you and Ashlynn, together. They need to know they have a future with you two at the helm.”
Serena’s laughter filled the air, sending shivers of unease over Cian’s skin. She turned away from the window now to look at them with narrowed eyes. “Gods, you’re all so out of touch that you have no idea what they want.” She threw her hand out, sloshing her drink onto the marble floor.
“And you do?” Cian heard the derision in his tone but didn’t care.
Serena’s slow smile didn’t make it to her eyes, which glared flatly at everyone in the room. “Of course I do,” she purred, sauntering across the room toward him, eyes locked the entire time. “I’ve listened to them. I’ve sat with them. I’ve shown them what it means to wield an ounce of real power and they want more.” She set her glass down and lifted a hand, crackling with raw power, into the air. Red bolts of electricity skittered over her fingers, trailing its way down her forearm and over her body. Cian pushed to his feet and summoned his power, keeping it pulsing just beneath the surface, in case she attacked.
But she was too preoccupied with her own voice to attack. Cian thought of stopping her, of kicking her out of his parents’ home, but what was the point? Like any cartoon v
illainess, she was happy to reveal too much about her plans and he could use the heads up to keep Ashlynn safe. So, he stood back and listened while she raved.
“Who do you think they want as their new leader? Someone who will demand they follow the antiquated laws of our people or someone who has promised them freedom and power they could never have under your rule?” Serena lifted a finger and pointed straight at Cian.
James surged to his feet and reared on his daughter. “Serena, you’ve gone too far this time!” His voice hitched with pain and frustration. “Our laws are there for the protection of all our people, not just a few idiots willing to follow you and your promises of power. Don’t you think we’ve dealt with unrest before? You’re not the first child to get greedy and reach for the crown.” He sighed heavily and scrubbed a hand through his beard. “Why couldn’t you just be happy, Serena?”
Her power crackled louder and shot, like lightning, down her body until she was awash in red. “Happy about what, father?” She ground out the question. “About having to keep my power hidden so the delicate humans can feel comfortable in their mundane lives, never knowing what exists beyond their simple existence? We belong at the top of the food chain.” She cocked her head to the side and grinned. “I belong at the top of the food chain.”
“Don’t you hear yourself?” Vivian covered her mouth with her hand and tried to bite back a sob that was all the more heartbreaking for her attempt.
Serena just arched a brow and stared defiantly at her mother. “Of course I hear myself, and so does the rest of the clan.” She held up a hand and formed a ball of red flame. She let it dance across her fingers like a street magician would a shiny coin. Cian tore his gaze from the trick and watched her eyes, instead. “They’re crying out for change.” She grinned wildly and shouted maniacally, “can’t you hear them?”
“Serena.” James took a step forward with his hands palms up, then froze when she sent the ball of magic careening towards him. He managed to deflect it at the last moment, sending it smashing into an antique table near the bar.
Cian called to his magic, pulling it from his blood to hover, like air, above his skin. His wasn’t like Serena’s magic; it was rooted in the earth, made for healing, unlike hers, which was born for war. Still, he loosened it from deep inside him, drawing on every ounce of power he had, and wished they were in his element.
“Stop this, right now!” He growled, using a wisp of power to make his voice fill the room.
Serena turned her head slowly, calculatingly, over her shoulder and flashed him a smile that didn’t reflect in her eyes. Those were dark with magic and glinting with madness. She turned her back on her father and stalked toward him like a lion, running down its prey.
Cian raised his hands and prepared for her attack, calling his magic and gathering it between his hands. He was so intent on watching her eyes for a tell that he almost missed her move.
Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Cian glanced down in time to see the tiny dark orb Serena slipped out of her pocket explode, sending out a cloud of vapor that spread like wildfire through the room. He shouted to his father to get out of the way and shot out a bolt of earth magic to contain and defuse the gas and, in doing so, dropped his guard.
Fiery pain seared him. Cian roared and twisted to see Serena grinning up at him with her nails buried to the tips of her fingers in his chest. Her lips moved quickly, focusing her magic with ancient words he couldn’t hear clearly through the pain, much less understand. He moved to yank himself free of her grip but couldn’t move a single muscle.
Fear and rage flooded his mind, sending him careening too close to the edge of panic for logic to be a tenable defense. He struggled to get free, pushing against her magic while his parents and hers succumbed to the dark fog that enveloped the room. Cian screamed and pushed outward with everything he had but nothing worked. He was at her mercy and all he could think about was Ashlynn’s safety.
“Don’t…” he ground out painfully as she sunk her claws even deeper into his muscle. “Don’t… hurt… her.” But he knew his words had no sway with Serena anymore.
Her giggle would have been sweet on an innocent little girl, but on her, it sounded maniacal. “Hurt who? Ashlynn? The royal usurper? Why would I ever hurt her when all I want is you?” She tugged on his chest, losing a scream of agony from the depths of his soul, and pulled him down to her level. Cian squeezed his eyes shut as she laid her red stained lips on his and took what he didn’t offer. It filled him with a different kind of pain, mixed with shame that he wasn’t strong enough to push her away.
When he was finished, she grazed a knuckle over his lips and whispered just loud enough for him to hear, “See you soon, lover.” Then she pulled herself free and sashayed out of the house, leaving him frozen in place as the dark fog curled in and sucked him under.
Chapter Three
The gravel of the backroads crunched beneath Ashlynn’s leather boots as she walked toward the gathering in the woods. Faith had insisted she take a taxi, but the Seer’s cottage wasn’t far from the gathering place and she needed the time and fresh air to think about the potentially detrimental news the Seer had laid down on her.
Serena was searching for black magick and a spell to kill a soul.
But whose soul?
It made sense for Serena to want to kill her with no possibility of reincarnation. She had swooped in and completely turned the woman’s life upside down, after all. Ashlynn would never blame Serena for hating her, that much was to be expected. But to kill her soul? The very thing that ensures the continuation of all witches, of all magick…the power to perform such a spell would surely corrupt Serena’s very being.
But, as much as Ashlynn wanted to disbelieve it, she knew deep in her gut that Serena was capable. The potential for darkness had been evident in the woman’s eyes the night she’d nearly killed Ashlynn. And if she’d gone to Faith in search of ancient dark magicks, then they all had more than just the war hungry factions to worry about.
A cold shudder ran through her body at the thought just as she turned the corner and came to a stop in the flat area where Cian usually parked his car. Ashlynn had expected to find him there, waiting, but the space was empty. With a sigh, she plunked down on a large rock, not wanting to enter the woods without him.
Her hands were balls of nervous jitters as the silence echoed around her and before long, it was too much to handle. She could wait no longer, she needed a distraction. Cian would just have to meet her there. She trekked the short distance through the thin birch trees until the murmur of voices could be heard and the glow of a small fire lit the rest of the way.
“Ashlynn!” called a familiar voice.
She scanned the firelit gathering and found Troy trotting toward her, smiling and waving. He was the first of the rogue travelers she’d met and had since become a close friend of hers and Cian’s. Always happy, never a bore, Ashlynn enjoyed the time she spent in his presence. She smiled and waved back as she neared him.
“Evening, Troy,” she greeted, and he brought her close for an unexpected bear-like hug. A gasp squeezed from her chest.
“Sorry,” Troy replied as he released her. “You know how I get at these things. I’d live up here if Cian would allow it.” He laughed but seemed more anxious than usual as he peered over her shoulder. “Where is he, anyway?”
“Cian had a meeting earlier, he should be here soon,” Ashlynn assured him. “Is there something wrong?”
“No, no. I just had some news to tell you both. Guess it’ll just have to wait.” Troy’s smile never wavered. “Well, since you’re here, want to help get things set up? We’ve got the fire going, but the food just arrived, and we’ve got three bags of potatoes.” His brows raised as he seemed to realize the error in his words, who he was asking to peel potatoes. “I mean, if you don’t mind…”
Ashlynn smiled wide. “Of course, I don’t mind. I love helping with the gatherings. Lead the way.”
An hour passed swiftly as Ashlynn worked her way through two bags of potatoes, a task she’d been punished with every other day as a child for being what her mother had called “unruly.” She could skin a potato with her eyes closed, which didn’t really help her from obsessing over the fact that Cian had yet to show up.
She smiled and exchanged friendly banter with passerbys, some whose names she was beginning to remember. Stranger’s words had now become friendly voices. The gatherings were easily one of Ashlynn’s favorite things about this foreign world. Something she looked forward to. The fresh air, the fire roasted food. Singing and dancing. Laying under the stars as Cian wrapped his fingers around hers.
It felt like home.
“Can I help you peel?” a little girl asked as she plopped down on the seat across from Ashlynn, breaking her from a trance.
She looked about eight years old. Ten at the most. Messy, copper colored locks fell from her head, pooling down her back. She was beautiful underneath the smudges of dirt across her freckled nose and the rips in her blue jeans. The kid’s loosely tied sneakers toed the sand beneath them as big green eyes blinked up at her and Ashlynn’s heart thrummed in her chest.
There was no real likeness in the features, aside from the shiny, red hair, but there was something about the child that struck a familiar chord in Ashlynn’s heart. Her eyes glazed over for a moment before she blinked away the wetness. “Yes, that would be nice.” She handed the little girl a paring knife and a pile of potatoes. “What’s your name?”
“Masilda,” the girl replied.
Even the way her cheeks moved when she spoke…it was like reliving a distant memory of her own reflection. The strange likeness was more than curious. Ashlynn found herself staring as her hands mindlessly peeled the spuds. The girl was sweet and quiet as she concentrated on her task.
Dark Magicks Page 2
