Stealing My Heart

by Stephani Hecht, Jambrea Jo Jones, A. J. Llewellyn, Carol Lynne, D. J. Manly, Jaime Samms, Serena Yates

  “Anything.” Kaythan moved behind Elryk and slid his arms around his mate’s chest and belly for maximum protection without being in his way.

  “Thank you.” Elryk had barely murmured the words when the first bolt of lightning flashed across the room.

  Elryk raised his arms and made a defensive motion, deflecting the crackling electricity into the wall. Rhunnyt screeched and threw bolt after bolt at them, almost faster than Kaythan could follow with his eyes.

  Elryk did what he could, even got the occasional bolt of his own thrown at the evil wizard. For a long while they appeared pretty evenly matched but then Elryk slumped a little. Kaythan tightened his grip and the battle continued. When Rhunnyt started spitting strange sounding words, adding colour to his lightning bolts Kaythan knew something was wrong.

  “Shit.” Elryk panted with the effort. “Somehow he’s using the fragments of the Shield to help him, even though they’re almost useless. I have no idea how to stop him.”

  Cackling in glee, Rhunnyt drew a circle around himself with one of the green bolts and a shimmering energy shield sprang up around him. Elryk’s attacks were completely deflected after that and Rhunnyt visibly gained strength.

  “I’ve got you now!” Rhunnyt pulled back, took a deep breath and flung a multicoloured ball of lightning into the air. The colours spread out, coating the walls, ceiling and even the floor in hues of shimmering energy. Another ball of multicoloured lightning formed and was thrown in their direction.

  “Fuck!” Elryk panted, sweat running down his temples. “I can’t stop that ball of lightning, I can only try and save our lives.”

  Elryk leant his head back against Kaythan’s shoulder and closed his eyes. A wall of wet mud surrounded them and started growing into a dome above their heads. Little flames danced on the walls, helping to deflect the multicoloured lightning bolts from the outside and adding a little light on the inside as the walls around them rose. It all happened almost too quickly for the eye to follow. When the dome was completed there was a loud bang, probably the ball of lightning hitting their protective shell. But nothing more happened. It was suddenly very quiet. The crackling attacks had stopped.

  “Enjoy your imprisonment.” The grating voice was loud enough to penetrate the layers of mud around them. “It should only last for the next five thousand years or so. Enough time for me to get Tah’Nut into shape.”

  There was a loud roar and the floor shook. Then there was silence. The evil wizard had apparently left.

  “I am so sorry.” Elryk shook in his arms. “I’ve failed utterly. We’re stuck in this chamber. There’s no way out.”

  Kaythan turned Elryk around so they were facing each other in the dim light of the little magic flames.

  “There is always a way out.” He brushed his mate’s sweat soaked hair out of his face. “We only have to find it.”

  Chapter Ten

  “I like your optimism.” Elryk smiled at Kaythan who hadn’t let go of him. “The problem is that Rhunnyt is stronger than I am. So while I was able to protect us from the second ball of lightning killing us, I don’t see how we could possibly break through the first ball of lightning that he’s used to seal this whole chamber.”

  “We won’t know that until we’ve tried. “ Kaythan pulled him closer for a moment, squeezing him for reassurance. “So, why don’t we get out of this earthen igloo you’ve built for us and have a look around?”

  Elryk nodded. He really didn’t want to spend the rest of his life in here. And it wouldn’t hurt to check their options. Who knew? Maybe the broken pieces of the Muyd’Othar would be good for something.

  With a sigh he waved their protective shell back into the magical realm. They were immediately bathed in the eerie glow of the multicoloured ball of lightning that had spread out to seal them in. With Kaythan’s words in his ears he tried all five types of magic on it.

  “Nothing.” Elryk felt so tense he thought he’d burst. “It only reflects my magic back at me. It’s as though the lightning acts as a mirror.”

  “And there’s no hole anywhere that you could use as leverage?” Kaythan stood next to the pedestal and examined the chamber with narrowed eyes.

  “No, it’s solid all around us. It goes underground as well, I’ve followed it all the way.” Elryk stared at the dimly flickering shards on the pedestal. Something about the Magic Shield and its properties was nagging him but he couldn’t figure out what.

  “Okay, so how do you destroy a mirror?” Kaythan tilted his head in thought.

  “Huh?” Elryk looked up from his contemplation. “You do ask the weirdest questions.”

  “Not weird.” Kaythan grinned. “I just don’t think like a wizard, I guess.”

  “Hm, that may actually be the key to getting us out of here.” Elryk nodded. “Keep thinking. There’s something about that Magic Shield that’s bugging me, but I can’t figure out what it is exactly.”

  “All right, so we’ve got a ball of lightning magic surrounding us which acts like a mirror to other kinds of magic.” Kaythan started pacing. “To answer my earlier question, the way to destroy a mirror is to shatter it with physical force. Would that work on this—thing?”

  “That’s a good idea except we don’t have anything here that we could use to throw at it with enough force, right?” Elryk glanced at Kaythan.

  “Unless we can use our bodies?” Kaythan looked ready to jump.

  “Not a good idea.” Elryk shook his head. “We’d be killed on impact.”

  “Okay, what else have we got?” Kaythan stared at the heap of shards. “What about them? Would it hurt us to touch them?”

  “Probably not, they seem pretty much extinguished to me.” Elryk wasn’t going to risk his mate trying. “Here, let me go first. I can use my magic to protect me.”

  “Just be careful.” Kaythan reached out for him, cupping his jaw before withdrawing.

  “Always.” Elryk grinned. His mate in protective mode was even sexier than normal.

  Elryk turned his attention to the heap of shards, hoping to find one that was a little bigger, maybe with smoother edges. Most of them were either tiny pieces or dull and lifeless. Preparing to pull away quickly if needed, he touched one of the dead-looking ones. Other than a tiny tingle there was nothing.

  “Anything?” Kaythan sounded anxious. He stood close enough so Elryk sensed his mate’s body heat.

  “Just a little tingle, as though it’s trying to come back to life.” Elryk put it into the upturned palm of his left hand and searched for a second shard. “Maybe it needs company?”

  Kaythan laughed but didn’t relax his watchful stance.

  More tingling, but nothing happened.

  “You want me to try it?” Kaythan looked hopeful to be doing something.

  “Sure, just pick one up and see what happens.” It couldn’t hurt to see if a non-magical person had a different effect.

  Kaythan picked up a dimly flickering one before Elryk could stop him.

  “You were supposed to pick a dull one!” He watched carefully, ready to jump to his mate’s rescue.

  “Was I?” Kaythan grinned as he watched the little shard flicker in his hand. “But these are prettier. And it’s just sitting there, making me itch a little.”

  Elryk just shook his head.

  Kaythan put the first shard on the palm of his right hand, then picked another one and put it right next to it. More flickering ensued, but that was it.

  “Something is definitely going on with these.” Elryk dry-washed his face with his free hand. “I wonder what would happen if we combined the dull and the flickering ones?”

  “Good idea.” Kaythan reached out to offer his to Elryk but as soon as their fingers touched a low humming sound came from all four shards and they started to glow with a warm golden radiance that stopped both men in their tracks.

  The two shards on Elryk’s hand moved closer together and melded into a teardrop-shaped crystal. It immediately started moving towards Elryk’s wri
st and sank into the skin until only its top half was visible. There was no pain, only a deep sense of happiness.

  “What the hell?” Kaythan stared at his own hand where his crystal was behaving in exactly the same way.

  Kaythan let go of Elryk’s hand to touch the embedded teardrop in his own wrist and the crystals stopped glowing.

  “Okay, that’s officially weird.” Elryk blinked and reached out for Kaythan’s hand.

  As soon as they touched the crystals started glowing again. Elryk felt an irresistible urge to link hands with Kaythan. His left hand pulsed with it.

  “You feel it too?” Kaythan’s eyes were wide, shocked. “This thing wants me to link hands with you. It’s as if a magnet is drawing my right hand to you.”

  “Yeah, I can feel it as well.” Elryk thought for a moment. “It’s a warm feeling though, nice. My magic can’t detect anything dangerous.”

  “You want to give in?” Kaythan smiled. “It feels like my crystal wants its little mate.”

  “That’s exactly it!” Elryk was elated. “It’s got something to do with the mate bond. Maybe that’s what activated these pieces?”

  “Who knows what they can do when we let them work together?” Kaythan’s eyes were bright with excitement.

  “Only one way to find out.” Elryk grinned at Kaythan’s surprised laugh when his mate heard his own favourite mantra quoted back at him.

  They stood next to each other and let their hands link, fingers entwined. It brought their wrists together and as soon as the two crystals touched the low humming started up and the golden radiance was back. It surrounded their hands in a small pulsing sphere.

  “All right, this is interesting. It makes me feel nice, but I wonder what it can do? I’m sure it’s not just meant to sit there and make us feel happy, is it?” Kaythan frowned.

  “Hardly.” Elryk looked at the multicoloured chamber wall. “I wonder whether whatever it is might help us break through that lightning magic?”

  “You know the answer to that.” Kaythan grinned. “What do you think we need to do?”

  “I think we need to focus our thoughts on wanting the Shield to open up for us.” Elryk figured it might work just like magic.

  “Okay, let’s focus away.” Kaythan winked at him and turned his attention onto the lightning-covered wall.

  “Open for us.” Elryk was sure speaking the words would help Kaythan focus. So he kept repeating the simple sentence again and again.

  When Kaythan started speaking it with him the small golden sphere started to grow. Kaythan stopped speaking and the sphere shrank back to its original size.

  “Okay, got it. Don’t stop the focus.” Kaythan smiled sheepishly and concentrated on the wall and their words again.

  When the golden sphere reached the chamber wall there was a crackle and a hiss, but nothing happened.

  “More pressure.” Elryk willed himself to help the golden sphere push outward. “Focus on it pushing against the walls.”

  Kaythan nodded and closed his eyes.

  The golden sphere started pulsing until the multicoloured lights vanished with a surprisingly soft plopping sound. They were free!

  Chapter Eleven

  Kaythan had never been as relieved in his life as when they escaped that chamber. Leaving the broken Muyd’Othar behind had been hard. Those shards might be useful for other bonded mates. The shards were too valuable to fall into the wrong hands. Elryk put a concealing spell on it, but you never knew what prying wizards might be able to find out.

  They’d transported back to the safe house in the countryside to get some sleep. He grinned. It wasn’t all they’d gotten. Elryk had been too sexy for him to resist. Taking his mate again had made Kaythan realise how much he was beginning to love his wizard. He hadn’t said anything, and neither had Elryk. Kaythan had seen his own feelings mirrored in Elryk’s eyes though, had felt it in his touch and had almost heard it in his soft sighs and moans.

  Tah’— he needed this mess with the Xoh’kas, the magic thieves and now Rhunnyt to be over. All he wanted was a peaceful life with his mate.

  Instead, they were getting ready to transport into the Magic Council’s meeting chamber where Rhunnyt was probably about to take over. If he hadn’t already.

  “Ready?” Elryk looked like he was ready to do battle. Well, he had personal reasons enough to want to defeat the assorted evil wizards, politicians and magic thieves.

  “Sure, whenever you are.” Kaythan smiled and took his mate’s right hand with his left. “Ready to make the connection anytime we need it.”

  “I’m sure that’ll be soon.” Elryk frowned. “In fact, I think it might be best if we went in there already linked. We don’t know what they’ll throw at us.”

  Kaythan nodded and shifted his hand so their wrists and the little crystals inside them connected. The small golden sphere formed instantly, much faster than the first time.

  “Hm, this might work better with practice.” Elryk stared down at their linked hands. “I really want to know what it is, though. It’s amazing because it gives you some magical ability and I can feel your strength and support flow into me.”

  “Let’s just be grateful that it works.” Kaythan wanted to get this over with.

  “I am.” Elryk looked up at him with that brilliant smile of his.

  Kaythan bent down and kissed his mate on the mouth.

  “Let’s go.” He pulled back, forcing himself to focus on the upcoming fight rather than his mate’s tempting lips.

  Elryk closed his eyes, there was a light tingle in their link and they stood inside the Magic Council’s meeting chamber. Nine very pale and slightly crumpled wizards in purple robes sat around the round table. The tenth wizard stood, his black robe hung in loose folds, and his grey hair was held back by a black leather strip. Rhunnyt, as expected.

  “What—how dare you enter here.” The evil wizard’s voice was shrill and many of the other wizards cringed.

  “We dare with the right of those wanting justice.” Elryk stood tall and proud. “You wronged Tah’Nut two hundred years ago by selling out to the Xoh’kas. You’re about to do so again by taking over a Magic Council too weak from continuous theft of their power to fight you. We will not allow this.”

  “You will not allow…” Rhunnyt turned beet red and sputtered with rage. “You have no say here.”

  “Neither do you.” Elryk smiled. “I will ask you once to step back and leave. If you refuse, I will let the golden magic decide for all of us.”

  The golden magic? Kaythan almost laughed. His mate sure made it sound like he knew what he was talking about. He’d had no idea Elryk was this clever a bluffer.

  “Golden magic?” Rhunnyt’s laughter was a nauseating mix between a screech and a shriek. “Don’t be ridiculous, there is no such thing as golden magic.”

  “Will you yield and leave the Magic Council never to return?” Elryk stared into the blood red eyes of the evil wizard.

  His mate showed no outward sign of weakness but Kaythan felt his hand shake. He gripped Elryk’s fingers more tightly and the shaking stopped.

  “Never.” Rhunnyt lifted his hands, electricity crackling between his bony fingers. “I’ll destroy you this time, since I have the entire Magic Council’s strength to support me.”

  Elryk lifted their hands so everyone could see the small golden sphere.

  “You have been warned.” Elryk’s voice was heavy with authority. “We banish you from all worlds and dimensions containing life. Be gone.”

  The golden sphere expanded quickly as they both repeated ‘be gone’ under their breaths. The sphere reflected Rhunnyt’s bolts of lightning back at him and hit him in the heart. Eyes widening in horror, a black hole in his chest, Rhunnyt made a gurgling sound and sank to his knees before toppling onto his face.

  Elryk was shocked at how easy it had turned out to be to defeat Rhunnyt. With his own weapons as it were.

  The silence following the battle was deafening.

&nb
sp; The nine wizards around the table could have been made of stone, they were so still. It was as if all life had been drained from them. Elryk felt their heartbeats but they were much too slow, as if they were all asleep.

  “I think it’s time for some healing.” Elryk turned towards the table, taking a willing Kaythan with him.

  When they lifted their joined hands, the golden sphere, which had returned to its small original size once Rhunnyt was dead, started pulsing and expanding again. It had a slightly red hue this time. Was that due to a link to the healing and cleansing powers of fire magic?

  Whatever it was, as the sphere’s surface reached each wizard there was a brief flash, a small sigh and the wizard’s head dropped onto the table. When it reached the fire wizard who was the current head of the Council he shuddered, his entire body stiffened and he dropped to the floor.

  “I guess it was too late to save him.” Elryk shrugged. “He’s always been too much in line with what the Xoh’kas wanted. Not a real loss, I’m afraid.”

  Speaking of the Xoh’kas—at that moment the heavy double door to the outside world burst open and a large group of Xoh’kas entered, flanked by armed members of the Law Forces. At the head of the group was the current head of the Xoh’kas family, Trolar.

  “What in the divine spirit’s name is going on here?” Trolar looked around the chamber, his eyes widening when he discovered the two dead bodies.

  “Justice has been served.” Elryk lowered their hands but maintained the sphere around the still sleeping wizards. No reason to endanger their lives now that there was hope for a recovery of both their power and their common sense.

  “Jus-justice?” Trolar took a step further into the room. “And who are you to be handing out justice? That’s the Ruling Assembly’s job. And since I’m its head, I get to decide what justice needs to be done.”

  “You are wrong.” Kaythan’s voice was quiet but clear. “Handing out justice used to be the Law Force’s job. Until the Xoh’kas family disbanded all the judges and took matters into its own hands. This will no longer be tolerated.”