by Vella Day
“Did it work?”
“What do you think?”
She pressed her cheek against his chest, and that one little action soothed the beast that clearly didn’t want to come out.
Tory leaned back. “We’ll start with something smaller. Try this.”
She stepped back and held out her arms. A second later, her elbow down to her fingertips turned into a giant claw, and she shot fire out of the end.
“Wow,” he exclaimed.
Her arms and hands transformed back to human. “If I can send a man hurtling fifty feet, you can shoot fire. This should be easy for you.”
He inhaled. Not wanting to disappoint her, Kenton extended his hands, and concentrated on what her arms looked like. Seconds later, fire shot out of his fingertips—make that his still very Fey fingertips—and his pulse soared. “I can’t believe it.”
When he lowered his arms, he forgot about turning off the fire, and it was only when the grass sent up a puff of smoke that he mentally turned it off. Kenton grinned but Tory didn’t look happy.
She touched his forearm. “Your arms didn’t change into scales.” She checked his palms and then ran a finger across it. “They’re not even hot.”
That was true. “I think my body adapted. I guess I’ll have to be content to be a hybrid. That’s okay. I have enough power without being able to fly.”
She ran a hand down his chest. “Let’s not give up. It might just take time.”
Kenton stroked her face. “I mean it. It’s okay, love. I’ll let you be the one in the family to fly.”
“It would have been fun if we both could have flown together, but when I learn to teleport, we can do that instead.”
He loved her attitude. Correction—he loved everything about her. “That’s true, but I think we’ve had enough magic for today. It’s not like we can’t return anytime we want. We need to deal with the demons, and I don’t want Bevon to fight that battle alone.”
“I know.”
“We’re finished with the magic ball,” Fay telepathed. “Meena and I are heading back to Tarradon. No telling if Bevon might need it first.”
Tory’s eyes widened and then a grin spread across her face. She must have heard them. “We’ll be back soon, too. Thank you.”
Once he mentally shut off that connection, he faced Tory. “You heard?”
“I did. I guess we are all linked. It’s strange and almost creepy at the same time. Can they read my thoughts?”
“Not really. Even if they could, they wouldn’t. It’s not who the Fairies are.”
“Good to know,” she said.
“We should head back to Tarradon.”
“I thought we were going to stay here a few days,” she said. While it didn’t come as a whine, he could sense her disappointment. Part of him was thrilled she enjoyed Feyrion so much. Not giving Tory what she wanted, hurt him.
“Like I said, I don’t want to leave Bevon to defend the portal in case the demons return.”
“Why did we come here then? Your sisters and mother could have made the magic ball without you.”
She was smart. “True, but we came because our magic is stronger on Feyrion. I thought it would be easier for you to learn to cloak yourself and easier for me to shift if we were here.” He smiled. “One out of two isn’t bad.”
Tory rubbed his arm. “You can create fire. That’s a start.”
“You’re right. Ready to go back?”
“I am.”
With a hand on her, he teleported them to the portal where two guards were standing watch. They opened the portal, allowing them to step into Tarradon. Always in need of changing the exit location, they landed closer to the eternal flame than before.
“This is different,” Tory said as she looked around.
“Makes it harder for the unwelcomed ones to find us. Would you prefer walking or teleporting?” he asked.
She inhaled deeply. “I’d love to hold your hand and walk. While Feyrion is amazing, this forest is enchanted in a different way.”
He laughed. “I think you are right.”
Instead of going to his house, he stopped at his sisters’ place first. He needed that magic ball. Out of politeness, he knocked first. Meena answered and her brows rose. “Such formality. Do come in.”
“May I see our object of destruction?” he asked, putting some cheer in his voice.
Meena disappeared and then reappeared carrying what could best be described as a very small sun about a foot in diameter. He ran his hand over the surface. “It’s not even hot.”
“No, but with the right speed and aim, it will kill a demon. At least Mom said it would.”
“May I?” Tory asked.
“By all means.”
Very carefully she reached out and was able to stick her hand right through the light. “How can that hurt anyone if it has no substance?”
He loved her naiveté. “That’s where the magic comes in. I’ll say a few words before I toss it. That is what will give it it’s deadly power.”
“Could it kill a dragon?” she asked.
Kenton looked over at his sisters. When they didn’t answer, he lifted a shoulder. “Never tried it on one.”
“So now what?” she asked.
“It won’t do me any good if it’s in here. I’ll carry it outside, place it in a convenient spot, and then cloak it. When the time comes, I will use it to destroy the demon.”
“How can you be so sure you’ll have the chance?” she asked. “The last time he teleported close enough to touch you.”
Kenton stroked her face. “Then I will have to be sure to throw it at him before he has the chance to do that. Come on.”
Handling the magic ball with care, Kenton carried it outside. “I need to let Bevon know where it is should he be the one to need it.”
She looked around. “Where is your brother, anyway?”
“Good question. I’ll ask him.” Kenton focused on Bevon. “What are you up to?” he telepathed. “Tory and I just returned from Feyrion. I have the magic ball and am ready to take down Kai.”
“Great. I’m with a couple of our guys looking for the Treniam.”
“Good. We need to have that stuff eradicated.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
Kenton turned back to Tory, but she’d disappeared. “Trying to practice disappearing on me?”
“Yes,” she telepathed back. “Can’t see me, can you?”
“Nope.” He could if he wanted to though, but he wanted her to think she was invincible. In time, she’d have that same talent of detecting another cloaked family member as they all did.
With a smile, Kenton placed the ball along the path and cloaked it. He was just about to suggest he teach her about the portals when a man appeared. The fact Kenton’s body was vibrating implied this was another demon. Well, fuck.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Tory froze. From the way Kenton’s body had stiffened, this newcomer was not someone friendly, and she hoped like hell it wasn’t a demon. It wasn’t Kai, which for some reason scared her even more. If he was a demon, how many of them were there on Tarradon?
Her body started to vibrate, causing one of her hands to appear and then disappear. Crap. The last thing she needed was for her cloaking abilities to up and leave. Being on Tarradon might be affecting her.
As quietly as she could, Tory hid behind a tree. Since she was now hidden, she mentally allowed the cloak to release its hold. Immediately, energy trickled back into her body. She shouldn’t be surprised to learn it took work to hold the cloaking. It was the same as when she was in her dragon form.
“What do you want?” Kenton asked the stranger.
“Just came to chat. We have a friend in common. Malakai Gromley.”
Tory almost let out a gasp. Kenton glanced over to the spot where he’d cloaked the magic ball, and Tory prayed he’d get it in time before this other monster attacked. What Kenton needed was a distraction. About the only thing she’d ever don
e was hold out her hands and somehow force some magical power out of her fingertips that could hurl a person backward. She now believed her ability to do this must have been an extension of her shooting fire out of her arms, since the same movement was involved.
“Kenton, I can distract him,” she said.
“That would be great. Anytime, love.”
Tory cloaked herself once more and as quietly as possible moved toward the man’s back. If she sent him hurtling away from her though, he might fly into Kenton, so Tory moved to the side. Once she was situated, she held out her arms and mentally told this demon to stop.
Nothing happened.
Damn it.
The last time she’d succeeded, she’d been terribly angry and afraid. The man pulled some of those terribly poisonous weeds out of his pocket and waved the sprig at Kenton. Fear, panic, anger, and a host of other emotions all slammed into her at once. Her body heated. Her heart raced. Full of anguish, she grit her teeth and pictured the man hurtling through the air. She held out her hands once more. As if her wish was her command, the man tumbled to the side and doing two somersaults before landing on his hands and knees. While she hadn’t done much damage, it gave Kenton enough time to retrieve the ball. He lifted it over his head and threw it at the downed man. The demon did nothing to stop it. It was as if the light either mesmerized or paralyzed him.
One minute the demon’s eyes were wide open, and the next the light from the ball faded, leaving a shell of a demon behind.
“What the hell?” said a voice from off to the side.
She spun around. Oh, no. It was Kai! Fearing her ability to remain cloaked wouldn’t hold, she searched for the nearest tree to hide behind. All she found was a bush. “Distract him while I hide,” she telepathed.
“Go.”
Tory moved softly but quickly. Her heart was still in her throat when she reached the tree. Not wanting to use too much energy, she materialized. Thankfully, Kai’s back was to her or he might have caught a glimpse of her. She could only hope he couldn’t sense her, especially since she was now mated to a Fey.
“What do you want this time, Kai?” Kenton asked, acting bored, though she could sense he was anything but.
“I wasn’t prepared the last time.” From out of nowhere, he pulled a sword from his side. “I’ve come to make your demise final.”
No, no, no. Kenton didn’t stand a chance, or did he? Could a Fey die if Kai cut off his head? That thought sent chills down her body.
Think. There had to be something she could do. Before Tory came up with a plan though, Kenton lifted his arm and produced a sword of his own. Her pulse skyrocketed. That was amazing. Kenton charged. There went her plan to use force to send him on his way. She might have hurled Kenton instead.
She watched in awe as the two men dueled. It was an ancient art, but both men looked as if they practiced often. Whether Kenton became distracted or Kai got lucky she couldn’t decide, but somehow the demon’s blade sliced Kenton’s arm. He swore and then stumbled backward. There wasn’t much blood, but his pain bombarded her, like Kaleena’s pain had nearly toppled her when she was giving birth.
Kenton lifted his sword, seemingly having his bearings. He attacked and cut Kai too. To her dismay, Kai seemed unfazed. That was so not good. Was it true that the only way to kill a demon was by using the magic ball of light or by cutting off its head? The ball no longer existed. That meant Kenton had to cut off this ass’ head.
She wanted to shout encouragement, but she didn’t want to give away her position. Kai struck again. This time the blade pierced Kenton’s torso. Acid burned in her stomach at the inflicted injury. Tory was a Guardian, damn it. She should be able to help. While the trees were too low to shift, she could shoot fire at the bastard. The problem with that was she might burn Kenton in the process. She also wondered if fire would even harm Kai?
If only she had a sword, she’d cut off the jerk’s head. As if she’d willed it, a sword appeared in her hand. She was so surprised, she almost dropped it.
Only then did a viable plan form. She would cloak herself, sneak up behind Kai, and swing the sword as hard as she could. Killing another dragon in battle had never been too hard, but to cut off a person’s head would take all of her willpower.
Kai approached Kenton, swinging the blade over his head. Determination drove her. She was not going to let this…this freak of nature kill the man she loved.
Tory cloaked herself, and thankfully the sword disappeared from view too. Just as she stepped around the tree, someone else appeared. Only this time, the man had a red glowing head. He too was holding a sword.
Her dragon roared. When this newcomer demon rubbed the plant Treniam along the blade’s edge, Tory just reacted. She didn’t even care if she lost her cloaking. Nothing was going to stop her from killing this new demon.
The red-headed monster dropped the sprig of poison he’d just used and then lifted his sword. Oh, no you don’t. With every ounce of her being, she went on the offensive. Sword held high over her head, she ran as fast as she could, her vision tunneling. To her shock, she teleported right behind him. Not allowing herself to even think, she took one hard swing, and the blade connected with the man’s neck. Her sword must have been imbued with magic, because it went right through the skin and bones without any resistance.
The shock of seeing his head fly sickened her, which caused her to lose concentration. Tory’s body appeared, and only then did she notice the crimson covered sword.
Kai stopped his attack. Kenton was already on his knees. From the way he was wincing, Kai’s blade must have been covered in Treniam too.
Kai smiled. “Well, well. We meet again. I underestimated you.”
Tory tightened her grip on the sword, ready to take his head also. Before she even was able to respond though, the light in Kai’s face dimmed, and he disappeared.
“Tory,” said a voice behind her.
She spun around. When she realized it was Bevon, she almost threw her arms around his neck, but Kenton needed her more. “Kenton’s hurt.”
“I know.” He closed his eyes for a moment. A few seconds later, Meena and Fay appeared by Kenton’s side.
Crap. She should have telepathed them, but she’d totally forgotten about her new abilities. Tory ran to Kenton and knelt in front of him. His smile came out weak, and then he passed out.
“Do something.” She’d practically yelled at his sisters.
Bevon, who was with two strangers, rushed over to his brother and picked him up. All of them then disappeared.
She hoped they were either in Kenton and Bevon’s cabin or with Meena and Fay. After a quick search, Tory finally found them in Fay and Meena’s cabin.
Since they were in the middle of some kind of spell, she merely watched as they once more tried to save her mate.
“How is he?” she telepathed to Bevon, not having any idea if she could communicate with him at will.
“It doesn’t look good. The Treniam is taking its toll.” From the way his hands were fisted, he wasn’t hopeful.
“Kenton said your mother was all powerful. Can’t she help?”
“She can under most circumstances. Before we call her, let’s give my sisters a chance to do their magic.”
This was terrible. “What if Kai returns?”
Bevon finally dragged his focus away from Kenton and motioned they go outside. Because he had placed a hand on her shoulder, they were on the porch in a flash. “Tell me what happened, so I can come up with a plan.” Bevon said.
She explained the best she could. “Kai was good with a sword. When that other demon arrived, I cloaked myself and charged, sword swinging.”
His mouth opened. “You cut off his head?”
He didn’t have to act so surprised. She was a Guardian. “Yes.”
“Where did you get the sword?”
“Does it matter?”
“I guess not. Then what?”
“Right before I attacked, I saw that beast rub Treniam
on his sword. I figured that was why Kenton was struggling so much.”
“Damn.”
“Where have you been?” she asked, trying to keep the bitterness from her voice but failing. If Bevon had been there, they could have fought Kai and the other demon together.
One eyebrow rose. “Doing what Kenton wanted me to do. We located the Treniam crop and destroyed it. I knew the demon was here, but Kenton told me he had everything under control.”
“Don’t listen to him the next time.” Kenton was too stubborn for his own good.
A very slight smile stole across Bevon’s face. He then suddenly sobered. “Meena and Fay want us inside.”
A second later, they were leaning over a very pale Kenton. Fay looked up. “We need to take him to Feyrion. We think the second dosage has overpowered his body. We’ve done all we can.”
Tory refused to ask if he would die. She couldn’t handle it if he did. “What can I do?” she asked.
“Be by my brother’s side. He will be able to sense you.”
“Of course.”
Bevon once more lifted Kenton and then disappeared.
“Can you teleport?” Meena asked.
“Not reliably.”
Meena reached out and clasped her hand. They were behind Bevon and Kenton in a flash. One of them must have created the portal because it appeared out of nowhere. Two steps later, they were in Feyrion, and pulses of hope shot through her. Their mother was very powerful. She had to be able to save her own son.
Tory ran up to Kenton and placed her hand on his forehead. One step later, they were inside the palace entranceway. His mother appeared before them. This teleporting stuff still unnerved her, but it was a miracle when time was of the essence.
“Let’s go into the living room,” their mother said. “I can treat him there.”
