by Julia Mills
Piece of cake! Not!
“Now don’t sell yourself short there, loverboy.”
The sound of Royce’s voice boomed in Liam’s head. The young Guardsman was so shocked that for the first time since waking up he was glad to be tied to the cement slab, otherwise he would’ve landed flat on his ass from surprise.
“Royce?”
“You were expecting the jolly green giant?”
“No, Roy, he was expecting me. Everyone knows it’s the older, more handsome brother that saves the day,” Rian, the leader of the Blue Thunder Clan, who also just happened to be Royce’s older brother, chimed in.
“I thought it was the younger more dashing brother…” Rory, Royce’s younger brother, added.
“Y’all need to get the hell out of the way and let the little white witch work her magic or none of you will be taking another step and your family line will end with a boom,” Kyra teased, but Liam could hear the underlying stress in the tiny witch’s voice.
“How the…?” Liam was so overwhelmed that his brethren had somehow heard his distress calls that words escaped him.
“We heard you loud and clear, Li, you just couldn’t hear us,” Jace answered his almost-asked question. “Kyra and Melanie were able to get a lock on the black magic while Royce and I followed your call. I’m guessing our old friend, Cleland, is in there with you?”
“You got it in one,” Liam answered. “Bastard’s got a low level demon resting inside of Hannah, but he really wants it inside of me. They’re getting ready to make the switch right now.”
“We’re not going to let that happen, Liam. Is Hannah okay?” Melanie, who until that moment had been silent, asked.
“She’s fine. I was trying an old spell my mom taught me to get her to wake up. It seems to be working, but it’s taking forever.”
“That’s because Cleland has the whole building you’re in doused with serious amounts of black magic. Anything we do with white or dragon magic is gonna take at least twice as much power to work,” Kyra answered, but he could tell she was distracted by whatever she was setting up. “But don’t you worry, I got the terrible threesome, who as much as it pains me to admit are stronger than any other dragons I’ve ever come across. Not to mention Melanie and Jace.”
“Kyra…” Her mate and his brothers growled in unison.
Their complaining went unanswered. All Liam could hear was the little witch’s occasional mumbling. He knew from experience she’d jumped headlong into whatever spell she needed to work to free both him and his mate and blocked out the rest of the world.
Returning his focus to Hannah and his attempt to wake her, Liam recited his mother’s spell over again in his head while listening to the progress of his friends and keeping tabs on the Draoi and his minions. From what he could hear, it was only Cleland and three, maybe four of the Dorcha. They would be no match for the sheer size and power of the Guardsmen about to break through their defenses, but first the dragon shifters needed to get inside the building.
Minutes ticked by, each seeming to stretch longer than the one before. The chanting of the black magic practitioners grew in intensity as did the voices of his brethren and their mates just outside his prison. Liam could feel dragon magic combined with powerful white magic building just beyond his reach and was pleasantly surprised that the Grand Draoi was giving no indication he even knew the dragons were there.
“Get ready, Li, we can’t pinpoint your exact location, so Kyra has no way of knowing how close to you the explosion will happen. She’s tried unraveling Cleland’s protection, but it’s taking too long, so we’re going with plan B.” Jace sounded tense but confident, giving Liam the push he needed to finally free his right hand from its binding. The silver had torn his skin almost to the bone, but it didn’t matter. He could now grab Hannah and roll away from whatever was coming at them.
“Do what ya gotta do. Just get Hannah out of here before they do anything else to her. We can get the demon out of her when we get her back to the lair. Right now she’s protected by the slab they have me laid out on and a half-wall made of stone.”
“Gotcha. Here we come.” Jace sounded almost giddy.
Royce began the countdown. “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three…” The rest of the countdown was drowned out by the most blood-curdling, inhuman screech Liam had ever heard. It shook the foundation of the building and sent the Dorcha and their leader scurrying from the room right before the wall beyond Liam’s feet exploded in a shower of dust and rock.
Quicker than his eyes could track, Royce and Rory had him untied and standing near the huge hole in the wall while Rian had Hannah over his shoulder and was leading the way out of the rubble. Moving as the well-trained unit they were, the Guardsmen made it to where Kyra and Melanie were waiting. It took mere seconds before the white witches were collected and together, the group made their way back to the lair.
Liam’s wounds were attended by Brenna, another of Hannah’s sisters. He grimaced and promised extra pain to Cleland and his followers, because had there not been bits of silver embedded in the rope, he would’ve already healed. As it was, as soon as Brenna removed a piece of silver, the skin it had evacuated began to knit itself back together. He listened intently as Kyra, Melanie, Sarah Beth, and two of her older sisters prepared for Hannah’s exorcism in the basement of Rian’s home. Liam wondered why the eldest O’Reilly brother had a Devil’s trap under his living room, but decided to save that conversation for another day.
More than once, all in attendance assured him the demon residing within his mate was little more than one of Hell’s whipping boys with barely enough power to keep himself awake. Liam knew he should feel better just knowing the evil spirit would be easy to remove and banish back to where it came from, but for some reason neither his nerves nor his dragon would be calmed. There was still a demon squatting inside his mate that had been put there on his watch, while he’d been clueless. It was his job as her mate to protect, not stand idly by while some dickhead dark wizard played ‘hide the evil spirit’ with his mate’s soul. Liam just wanted his Hannah back, whole and healthy, and would do everything in his considerable power to make it happen.
The last piece of silver hit the basin beside him right as Kyra called out, “Get your ass down here, Liam. We’re ready to banish this bastard back to Hell.”
He had to laugh at the tiny white witch. She may be only five foot nothing, but Kyra was a powerhouse in every way, the perfect match for his grumpy old mentor. Stepping off the steps, Liam made his way to where Kyra pointed and picked up the white candle like the others in attendance had already done. Brenna explained while administering his first aid that they would be using the power of twelve, along with a very old Banishment spell, to get rid of the demon. As Liam looked around the room he counted thirteen in attendance, but realized Rian was standing at the far corner and didn’t have a candle.
I definitely need to find out more about the Blue Thunder leader. There’s a story there, I can feel it.
Kyra joined the circle and used her magic to light the herbs in the copper pot sitting in the center. Liam recognized the scent of Angelica Root, Hyacinth, and Oak, as well as other herbs used for protection, luck, and strength. The tiny witch looked around the Sacred Circle, stopping for a just second to smile and nod at each person. He could feel the reassurance and power she let flow from her soul to theirs. It was a gift she freely gave to each in attendance to assure success with the ritual.
When she locked eyes with Royce, the last in the circle and the one closest to her right, Kyra began to chant,
I pray to the Universe around us, the Mother Goddess that protects us, and to Fate that divines our futures for protection, strength, and complete safety from the enemy, take this demon out of the body of our sister. Send it to the fiery depths of Hell, where it can be grounded in jail, never to return topside.
Guide us even through the darkness, take all evil from within our Hannah and around us, cleanse her bo
dy and soul through your ever divine healing, and free her from all evil and wickedness. Aid us in removing this demon from her bod, and help us banish this being to the place it belongs…the depths of Hell.
Blessed be. Blessed be.
Now, sa’oire d’uinn!
With the utterance of her last command to leave them, a gust of wind burst through the basement, blowing out all the candles and causing the flame in the cauldron to leap to the ceiling, followed by a thick pillar of smoke that filled the room before immediately dissipating. Through the entire rite, Liam’s eyes stayed glued to his mate as she lay on the cot in the center of the circle mere feet from the copper pot of herbs. He worked hard to stay in place when every one of his instincts and his dragon pushed him to go to his mate, to protect her from the forces, seen and unseen, that wanted to take her from him.
From one breath to the next, Hannah went from unconscious to wailing and thrashing about. Thankfully, Kyra had warned him this would happen, had told him to stay still and not to enter the Circle until the demon presented itself, but he still took a step forward. The longer his mate cried out, the more she threw herself from side to side fighting against her restraints, the weaker his resolve became, forcing him to take another step. It seemed to go on forever, when in actuality, it was less than a minute…a gut-wrenchingly painful minute for both he and his mate. One where he was sure he would lose his mind and vowed to lock Hannah far away from the world so she would never get hurt or suffer again.
Liam was just about to say the hell with it when Hannah stopped screaming and flailing and lay perfectly still, back bowed off the cot, eyes open wide, mouth stretched in a silent scream. It should have been better than her shrieks but it was so much worse. Unable to take one more second of her torment, Liam took another step forward, stopping in his tracks as a deep black pillar of smoke spewed from Hannah’s open mouth. It went on and on until the ceiling was covered, resembling the sky before an especially violent thunderstorm. For several beats of his heart, nothing happened, and then Hannah collapsed in a boneless heap.
Kyra and the other witches chanted with a conviction he could feel to his core in both English and the language of the Ancient Dragons…
S’aoire d’uimm. Dul as ais I gea’a tu’ bhaineann. Leave us. Go back where you belong. Riamh ar ais. Never return.
Sarah Beth threw a large burlap sachet into the cauldron and yelled, “Srutha’n!”
Fire shot to the ceiling, igniting the black smoke. A screech, reminiscent of the sound he’d heard as he and Hannah were being rescued from the Dorcha, echoed off the stone walls, filling every inch with an unbearable pain and torment. A flash of light like hundreds of fireworks exploding all at once in the night sky filled the basement, and then in the blink of an eye, they were bathed in total darkness and complete silence.
“E’adrom,” the witches all spoke in unison. Every candle lit, filling the eerie space with a bright, clean light. Liam rushed to Hannah, bundled her in his arms, and raced up the stairs. He’d had enough of demons and rituals and darkness for one night. All he wanted was to hear his mate’s melodic voice and to look into her loving eyes.
Making his way to the couch, Liam carefully sat in the corner, positioning Hannah with her head on his chest and legs stretched across the cushions. He stroked her hair, rubbed tiny circles of comfort up and down her spine, and whispered promises of a boring demon-free life together, as one by one, each of the others appeared. It wasn’t long before the rest of Rory’s Force arrived and everyone was in the kitchen preparing what Liam could only imagine was a feast. Every few minutes, either Sarah Beth or one of Hannah’s sisters came out to check on them and reassure him that she would soon wake.
All in attendance ate, talked, and laughed until the wee hours of the morning, and still Hannah slept. Not willing to let her go, Liam remained on the couch with his mate in his lap, finally falling asleep as the Grandfather clock chimed four in the morning.
He dreamt of Hannah as she’d been when he first saw her and remembered their first kiss. The memory so powerful Liam was helpless to do anything but give himself over to the miraculous sensation of the moment. The dream continued, growing more realistic, more passionate, until his dragon purred in his head, reveling in the fact that their mate was wrapped in his arms, showing him the same love he felt for her.
His dream took on a life of its own, going far beyond the chaste kiss they’d shared that first day under the Cherry blossoms. He could feel her passion rising through their mating bond, which until that moment had remained dormant. Fighting to regain consciousness, but fearing if he did the connection he’d reestablished with his mate would be lost, Liam finally opened his eyes to find Hannah very much alive and kissing him like she never wanted it to end.
CHAPTER FOUR
Hannah had been awake and out from under the influence of the demon and the Grand Draoi for almost forty-eight hours. All she wanted to do was make her mating with Liam official. He’d already asked. She’d said yes. Her mother, all six of her sisters, Royce, Rian, Rory, the Spiritual Elder of the Blue Thunder Clan, Royce’s Uncle Stefan, and even the Commander of Liam’s Force back at the Golden Fire Clan, Rayne MacLendon, had given their blessing to the union. All that remained was for Liam to set the date, something her contrary mate had been teasing her with all day.
Not willing to wait a moment longer, Hannah snuck out of the house and made her way to Jace and Melanie’s.
WOW! That was easier than it’s ever been.
She knew Liam had been staying with them since her exorcism and was sure the only way she was going to get what she wanted was to blindside the goofy dragon. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to make their mating official; the incredible feelings he let flow unchecked through their mating bond were confirmation of his love and commitment to her. He was just as excited and anxious as she was. What was driving her utterly mad was the fact that her mate was up to something and she wanted to know what it was.
Hannah made it as far as Melanie’s front porch when the door burst open and not only her best friend, but also three of her sisters and her mother greeted her.
“So, that’s how I got out of the house so easily. Y’all weren’t even there.”
The entire room erupted into laughter as Melanie took her hand and pulled her across the threshold. “Get in here. What the hell took you so long? When we were kids you could sneak out faster than all of us put together.” Her best friend pretended to be put out with her, but Hannah could see the twinkle in Melanie’s eyes and the grin she was trying to hide. Melanie’s next statement explained it all.
“We have exactly three hours to get you ready for your mating ceremony or there will be one very pissed off purple dragon. Not something you want to deal with, trust me.”
“Dragons in general or just the purple ones?” Hannah snickered.
“Smart ass.” They all laughed as Hannah was escorted down the hall and plopped in front of Melanie’s three way mirror.
Two hours into the process, her hair had been piled atop of her head in a beautiful style of loose curls and braids adorned with tiny flowers from the heather plants that grew in the meadow behind the lair. Her makeup had been applied with such perfection she barely recognized herself, and even her fingernails and toenails had been painted a shimmery light pink.
Sarah Beth made lunch and they were all sitting around the dining room table chatting when a knock at the front door silenced the group. With a knowing look, Melanie ran from the room, only to return moments later carrying a huge white box tied with a deep purple satin ribbon. Laying the box in the middle of the bed, she turned, and grinned. “Get over here and open it. I’m dying to see what’s inside.”
Standing, Hannah tried to feign annoyance and teased her friend by saying, “I bet you already know.”
Melanie batted her eyes and giggled like a schoolgirl. “Maybe I do. Maybe I don’t.”
Unable to hold out any longer, Hannah burst out laughing, careful not to
smudge her makeup or mess up her hair, and made her way to the bed. Like a child at Christmas, she tore the ribbon from the box, threw the lid to the side, and tore through the tissue paper. Lying atop what she guessed to be her mating gown was a small white note with her name beautifully adorning the front.
Carefully lifting the envelope from the box and removing the card, she had to sigh. The words expertly penned on the linen stationary brought tears to her eyes. You are my soul, Hannah McKennon. My reason for being. My everything. Today you become truly mine for all time. All my love, Liam.
Taking a deep breath, she lifted the most gorgeous gown ever made from the box. Fashioned from a deep amethyst gossamer, the material glistened as the garment unfolded before her. Hannah held it against her chest and gazed into the mirror, marveling at the way the tiny crystals, which had been expertly woven into the fabric, looked like stars in the night sky. It was obviously handmade by an expert seamstress. Slipping the dress over her head, she was amazed at the perfect fit.
Chuckling to herself, she made a mental note to compliment her mate on his fashion sense. Although she’d never seen him in anything but a T-shirt and jeans, she knew from what Melanie had told her that each Guardsman designed his mate’s dress, and hers had done an impeccable job. One shoulder was covered with the silken material while the other remained bare. The bodice was fitted to perfection, making her more than ample bosom the focal point, a feature she was sure Liam would appreciate. She wondered when he’d found the time to order it and then remembered all the times he’d disappeared without explanation since her recovery.
