by ML Guida
“Drink son. The tea will do you good.”
Fergus lifted up the tea. “You put whiskey in it?”
Mirren nodded. “You look a little pinkish and need something stronger than just tea.”
He smiled. “You’re the doctor.”
Elspeth noticed when he smiled he had a dimple on his right cheek that made him even more dashing. She rubbed her palm, remembering how he’d kissed her wrist like a knight in shining armor. Tingles had swept up her arms. A strange sensation of being pulled out of darkness into the light had lifted her spirits.
Mirren hmphed, but snuggled into her chair.
He reached over and patted his mother’s hand. “I do appreciate it, Mom. You know I do.”
His mother’s eyes brightened.
Arya put down her mug. “This is really good, Mirren.”
Elspeth nodded. “Aye, it’s delicious.”
“My mom’s the best cook in the world.”
Mirren blushed. “Fergus.”
He winked. “Well, you are.”
“Elspeth!”
Elspeth looked up to see Faye running toward her. A tall man with blond hair looked at Elspeth curiously as if she were an insect.
Elspeth ignored him and stood up. “Faye.”
Faye wrapped her in a sisterly hug that stole her breath. “I’m so glad yer finally awake. I’ve missed ye so much.”
Elspeth clutched her tightly. “I missed ye, too. After I was captured…” Her throat closed up.
Faye put her palms against the side of her head. “I know, honey. I know. Yer safe now.”
Someone cleared their throat. Faye slowly put down her hands and turned around. “Elspeth, I’d like ye to meet my mate, Lauchlan.” She winked and leaned closer. “He’s a black dragon.”
Elspeth’s brows furrowed. “So like Arya, ye’ve mated too? Without any thought of the consequences.” She moved her hand over the hilt of her sword. “Were ye both put under a spell?”
Faye tilted her head back and laughed. “No, dear sister. Neither one of us are under an evil incantation.”
“She’s not the trusting type,” Fergus murmured.
Elspeth narrowed her eyes, but didn’t comment.
Lauchlan gripped the back of Fergus’s shoulders. “Do you know what this man has done for us?”
Elspeth crossed her arms. “Aye. The healer of yer people.”
“That includes your sisters,” Lauchlan said. “Without him, Ian and his co-conspirators would have killed all of us.”
“Ian?” Elspeth stilled. “I remember him. Isn’t he an evil spirit?”
Faye shook her head. “No. Madame Mthunzi put a spell on him, allowing him to take a spirit form.”
Elspeth looked at each of them. “Who is Madame Mthunzi? I donna remember her.”
“No, ye wouldna,” Arya said. “She was na back in the eighteenth century.”
The hair on the back of Elspeth’s neck quivered. “What are ye talking about?”
Faye clasped her arm. “Ye mean ye donna know?”
Elspeth’s arms broke out in goosebumps. “Know what?”
“We’re na in the eighteenth century,” Faye said. “We’re in the twenty-first century.”
“No.” Elspeth shook her head. She could feel the blood drain from her face. The room started to spin and her legs shook. “That canna be true.”
Someone clutched her arm. “Here take my chair. You look like you’re about to pass out.” She recognized Fergus’s husky voice. She didn’t argue and allowed him to escort her to her chair. Tingles zipped up her arm. The room stopped spiraling. His firm grip had surprisingly given her strength.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
“The poor dear,” Mirren said. “She needs to eat something. This has been too much.”
“I’ll be fine.” Elspeth rested her forehead in her hands. “Just give me a minute.”
“Here, sis. Drink some water.” Arya rubbed her back.
A cup was pressed against Elspeth’s lips, and she greedily drank the cool water. Her eyes focused and the first person she saw was Fergus who looked at her intently. The water had helped, but Elspeth wasn’t a fool.
“Ye really do have a special power, donna ye?”
“Yeah, I do,” he murmured.
Two tall dark-haired men rushed into the Great Hall.
“Ian’s coming.”
Fergus stood. “Of course, he is.” He tilted his head toward Elspeth. “The last mate is awake.”
The other man scowled. “I’m afraid it’s much, much worse.”
Arya jumped out of her chair and rushed over toward one of them. “Rory, what’s wrong?”
Rory gripped Arya’s arms. “Jon’s torturer, Marduk, is here.”
Fergus unsheathed his sword. “But how? Kamtrinian ships can’t penetrate the Zalarians’ forcefield.”
The other man scowled. Hatred flared in his golden eyes. “He didn’t come here on a Kamtrinian ship.”
Elspeth’s head felt like it was about to explode. “Will someone tell me what’s going on?”
Faye sat in Arya’s vacated chair and clasped her hand. “I know this is a lot to take in, but I’m going to give ye the fast version. The Kamtrinians and Zalarians are aliens.” She pointed her finger toward the ceiling. “From outer space.”
Her sister must be mad. Elspeth reached for her Irish whiskey and drained the rest in one gulp. Cold, coffee and whiskey gushed down her throat, but she needed something stronger than water. “Yer saying these people are from the Heavens? They’re angels?”
Faye sighed. “I know this insa easy, but they’re na angels. They come from different planets. Planets look like stars from the Earth. The Kamtrinians wants to enslave and destroy Earth while the Zalarians–dragon shifters––want to protect Earth.”
“And ye people are dragon shifters from Zalarain.”
“Zalara,” Fergus said. “Yes, all of the men here are from Zalara.” He wrapped his arm around his mother and hugged her. “But like you, Mirren is human.”
“So, ye didna answer my question,” Arya said. “How did this Marduk get here?”
“Apparently, Ian transported him here,” Rory said. “But that’s not the worst of it. They have captured another Zalarian.”
“Who?” Fergus unwound his arm from his mother.
“Captain Topaz of the S.A. Orion.” Jon’s voice shook with anger.
“How can this be?” Mirren put her hand on her heart.
“It was a trap.” Jon ran his hand through his shaggy hair. “Ian sent out a distress call in a stolen Zalarian shuttle craft.”
Fergus frowned. “How do you know this?”
Jon dropped his arm. “We intercepted a communication between Ian and Marduk.”
Faye drummed her fingers on the table. “Do ye think they were telling the truth?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Jon said. “We were able to contact the Orion and Hoss, the security officer, confirmed that Captain Topaz is missing.”
The sparkle in Mirren’s faded to wariness. “I fear there is another reason why the Kamtrinians would want Captain Topaz.”
“Agreed,” Rory said. “Whatever it is, it isn’t good. We need to prepared for another treacherous act.”
“We need to find out their plan,” Arya said.
“And how do you propose we do this?” Rory grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him.
Arya raised her head. “We have a secret weapon.”
Elspeth wasn’t sure she could handle another outlandish announcement, but her curiosity got the better of her. “Ye do?”
Arya released Rory’s hand.
“Arya,” Rory growled, but she turned her back on him.
She put her hands on Elspeth’s shoulders. Elspeth tensed and clenched her fists.
“Don’t.” Fergus shook his head.
“Elspeth is our secret weapon.”
Elspeth cringed at her sister’s proud voice and jerked her shoulders free. “No, I’m na.�
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“Aye, ye are, sister, even if ye donna want to admit it.”
Faye stared at Elspeth as if she’d grown two heads. “What are ye talking about Arya?”
Arya put her hands on the table. “Elspeth has the ability to turn invisible. She can sneak into Ian’s castle and find out what his plan is.”
Fergus turned red and his eyes glowed. He practically had steam streaming out of his ears and looked madder than a charging bull. “Are you crazy?” He held up one finger. “She did it once, just once. And I bet dollars to donuts she can’t do it again.”
Elspeth stiffened and wanted to argue he was wrong, but it would be a lie. She didn’t even know she had been invisible until Arya told her to look at her hands.
“Is that true?” Jon raced over to Elspeth. “Can you do it again?”
Elspeth shrugged. “I donna know.”
“Can you try?” He urged. “Captain Topaz’s life may depend on it.”
Fergus glared. “She’s not going into Ian’s hiding place. She could be captured or worse––killed.”
“There may be a way for her to gain control of her powers,” Mirren said.
A vein in Fergus’s cheek twinged. “Mom.”
“She needs to know, Fergus,” Mirren said.
“Know what?” Elspeth crossed her arms.
“If you mate with him, you’ll powers will become stronger, my dear.” She gripped Elspeth’s shoulder gently. “I know you didn’t want to hear that, but I’m afraid it’s your destiny. The Fates have ordained it.”
Anger boiled in Elspeth’s blood. She wanted to scream at Mirren. Being in a forced marriage wasn’t part of her plan. She’d no intention of having her freedom stripped from her again.
Chapter 3
Fergus took one look at Elspeth’s stormy face and had enough with trying to win her stubborn heart. His brothers and mother looked at him as if he were to take a stand. The heat from the fireplace made the fever within him even hotter.
He needed cool air.
“You’re like your sisters and have a mind of your own. I’ve no intention of forcing you to mate with me. Not my style.”
“Fergus,” his mother gasped.
“If you’ll excuse me…” He wiped his sleek brow with his arm. “I need some air.”
He brushed past Jon who grabbed his arm.
“Fergus, are you all right? You don’t look well.”
Fergus broke his grip. “Just need some air.” He hurried out of the Great Hall, but his vision blurred, and he wasn’t sure he walked in a straight line.
He reached the main door and headed out onto the practice fields. The gray sky matched his dour mood. His fingers and toes grew numb. The heaviness of his draining power beat down on him. He didn’t know how much longer he could heal his people and survive.
He headed for the giant oak and plopped down underneath its brittle branches. He sucked in air as fast as he could. His older brother Rory had burned it with his laser eyes, but with his mother’s gentle care the tree had greenery.
The clouds grumbled overhead. He leaned his head against the tree’s trunk. Rain drops slipped through the leaves and water splashed onto his face and plastered his hair to his head cheeks. Wind blew around him, freezing his sweat, but he didn’t care.
Lightning flashed overhead, and he groaned. Was this a storm or was Ian here?
A piercing screech sent chills down his back. He shielded his eyes. Something flew in between the clouds.
The door main flung open, and Arya and Rory rushed out into the courtyard. Rory shifted into a blue dragon.
Fergus forced himself to stand. He was a weak, but he wasn’t a coward. He stepped out from underneath the large tree.
He drew on his power to shift into a dragon.
Sptak
A streak of sizzling white light crackled down from the sky and hit Arya. She whizzed through the air and smashed into the wall. Rain pelted down on her smoking form.
Rory bent his head back and screeched. Red beams streamed out of his eyes, disappearing clouds. Only evil laughter answered him, then faded away.
Fergus ran as fast as wobbly legs would move, pumping his arms. He skidded next to Arya and grimaced. Her red hair stuck straight out around her head. Her fingernails had turned black and her face was much too pale.
He put his shaking hand over her chest to see if he could feel a heartbeat, but nothing pulsed beneath his palm. He moved his hand up to her nose and only rain sputtered down on him.
“Please, save her.” A soft feminine voice cracked.
He looked up into Elspeth’s pleading green eyes. She faded away and then reappeared, but disappeared. He didn’t want to tell her. She was obviously filled with grief and fear, and didn’t need to be consumed with panic.
Hoping he was looking at her face, he murmured, “I’ll do what I can.”
Luckily, Rory wasn’t looking at Elspeth and hadn’t seen her disappear. He was too consumed with Arya.
Fergus closed his eyes and drew on his power. His heart pumped harder, sending a flutter sensation through him like wildfire. His fingers tingled. The hair on his arms and head crackled. Something burned in the middle of his chest. He squeezed Arya’s hand, sending all of his healing power toward her.
Arya gasped.
Fergus opened his eyes. Her chest rose up and down.
But then the burning in his chest turned to agony as if sharp claws shredded his heart. Tingling pain raced over his skin as if a million fire ants stung him.
Rory had shifted back into a man and knelt next to her. “Arya, wake up.” He pushed her wet hair off her pale face. “Please don’t leave me.”
“She’s breathing, Rory,” Fergus said, his voice labored to get the words out. “And she’s got a heartbeat.”
Elspeth knelt next to him. She was visible again. “Then why doesn’t she wake up?”
He hadn’t even heard her move. He sighed miserably. “I’m not…strong enough to heal her.”
Elspeth rubbed the top of her forehead. “Will she die?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Rory scooped Arya in his arms. “He’s been growing weaker by the minute.” He gave Elspeth a hard look. “Only his mate can help him. Without Fergus, Ian will knock us out one-by-one.”
Elspeth hung her head.
Fergus clasped her hand. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, Elspeth.”
Elspeth looked at him. “But Rory’s right, isna he?”
“Ian’s plan is to kill of each us and strip us of our powers. I’ve been the one standing in his way. Once my healing ability is gone, he’ll be free to come after each of my brothers and then your sisters. He’ll absorb our power and be strong enough to defeat King Greum of Zalara.”
“He sounds like a mad man.”
“Most men who are obsessed with domination are crazy, but what makes Ian so dangerous, is he’s desperate. Desperate men are willing to sell their soul to get what they want.”
She drew her slender brows together. “Why are your powers growing weaker?”
“Come on. Let’s get out of the rain.” He clasped her arm and helped her to her feet. “No telling when Ian will strike again.”
“Please answer me.” She gently broke his grasp.
He met her wary gaze. “Each time I heal someone, a little piece of me is used up. I can’t replenish the healing power.”
“Because ye donna have a mate.”
“It’s not just any mate, Elspeth. My real mother is a Fate. Fates are the goddess of Zalara. Her name is Avenor. She’s the one who gave me the healing power and chose my designated mate. I can mate with no other.”
Elspeth crossed her arms tight around her waist and looked away from him.
The rain pelted harder and the wind howled as if wolves were storming the castle.
“You don’t have to worry, Elspeth. I’m not a monster. I won’t force you to be with me. In fact, none of my family will either. It’s not our w
ay.” He gestured toward the door. “Please come inside.”
She nodded silently.
Fergus shut the door to the wailing storm. “You’re soaking wet. We better get you into some dry clothes before you freeze to death.”
She clasped his arm tightly. “Answer me this, if I slept with ye, would yer powers become stronger?” Her low voice rang in his ears.
“What?” He blinked. Not sure if he heard her correctly.
“Would ye be strong enough to save Arya?”
He ran his stiff fingers through his hair. “In theory––yes.”
The burning traveled from his chest down to his gut. His breath was labored. He needed to lie down before he passed out.
“What does that mean?” She dug her nails into his flesh.
He grimaced. “It means what I said. When I kissed your wrist in the tower, I did grow stronger. Mating is altogether different. You need to know if you mate with me, you can never be another. You’ll be marked and belong to me and I to you.”
She dropped her hand.
Mirren hurried toward them, tears glistening in her eyes. “Fergus.”
“Elspeth, my mother will see that you get some dry clothes. Then go to Arya. Both of your sisters need you.”
Mirren reached them. “Fergus, Arya’s getting worse.”
“I’ve done what I can Mom.” He tilted his head toward Elspeth. “Get her some dry clothes and take her to her sisters.” He walked away. “I’m sorry. I wish I could do more.”
The hallway went in and out of focus and he prayed to the Fates that he made it to his room. He grabbed the railing that led up to their sleeping chambers. Arya’s and Rory’s door was opened. He glanced inside to see his brothers and Faye huddled around Arya. Arya was breathing but remained unconscious. Faye wiped tears off her cheeks.
Fergus gritted his teeth. Guilt ate at his soul for not being able to fully heal her. He wished he was stronger.
He stumbled down the hall to his bedroom and into bed. He put his arm over his forehead and lay perfectly still. Moving only made the agony worse. Hopefully in an hour or so, he’d regain a little strength and be ready to try and heal Arya. He didn’t understand why neither Rory nor Lauchlan weakened when they used their powers. What the hell was wrong with him? He always wondered if it was due to Avenor. She wasn’t as strong as the other two Fates Rillo or Ythei. Or at least, he’d always believed that.
