by Brenda Trim
*****
Elsie bristled as she was forced to watch the chaos unfold on the front lawn of Zeum and she knew it was even worse for Zander and his siblings. They were born vampires and had spent seven hundred plus years fighting demons. To sit by and do nothing went completely against the grain.
Elsie had insisted that Cailyn take Isobel to the basement figuring that would be the safest place for the baby and was glad when Shae and Illianna had joined them. The other females may not be warriors, but were more than capable of kicking ass when demanded.
None of these new demon’s actions made any sense to her. She couldn’t believe they had ambushed her and Zander, had found where they lived and were now attacking in the middle of the day. They seemed to grow bolder with each encounter and she worried what they would do next. It was bad enough they wanted her daughter, but she also feared for humans who were unaware of the danger out there.
She was torn. On one hand she wanted more than anything to be outside fighting alongside her family and friends. On the other she wanted to be in the basement with her baby, ensuring her safety. What she was feeling paled in comparison to her mate. Zander was a wreck, pacing back and forth in front of the window. She could only hope that this was a quick victory or he was liable to lose his patience and join the battle regardless of the sun blazing outside.
Ever since the night Dalton had been killed and her world had been ripped out from underneath her feet, she had been a part of and seen countless fights, but what she was witnessing at that moment was beyond anything so far. Everyone she loved most was in danger and she didn’t know how to save them.
Orlando was first on the scene, his snow leopard attacking with a brutal savagery that belied his easy-going personality. Elsie’s eyes bulged when she witnessed Hayden shed his clothes before shifting into the biggest bear she’d ever seen. His paws had to be the size of hubcaps and were tipped by knife-sized claws. In one easy swipe, he severed head from neck as if cutting through butter.
A loud undulating shout told Elsie that Jace had joined the fight. Jace was a healer by nature, but that didn’t stop him from being one of the most ruthless warriors in the group. Goosebumps rose across her flesh as his battle cry echoed and his sword found purpose, removing the reptilian heads one after another. Blood and gore covered their lawn and the battle was far from over.
Watching the events unfold, it was Mack who impressed Elsie the most. The female was fearless as she sifted through the group, agile and quick, avoiding the Shetis’ razor-sharp teeth and long claws.
“That’s my mate,” Kyran said with pride, but Elsie could see the slight tremble to his clenched jaw and knew he was nervous and worried about his mate.
Elsie recalled how angry and recalcitrant Kyran had been when she’d first met him. Mack brought joy and smiles to a male who hadn’t done it often. Now, he may still be grumpy and go his own way most of the time, but he was devoted to his mate. She brought out the tenderness and love in Kyran and he had shown her she could trust a vampire.
Their group had formed a line, blocking the enemy about a hundred feet from the house. Too close for Elsie’s comfort, but better than on the doorstep she reminded herself. She expected to see more magical bombs being lobbed at the enemy. Where were the Rowan sisters and the other sorcerers?
Before the question barely formed in her mind, a blue ball of fire flew from the left side of the group and hit a pair of Sheti right in the chest. It was a relief to see Gerrick and Evzen team alongside the witches, their blasts of magic targeting the larger clusters of the demons.
Rhys raced through the melee and weapons left his hands and flew into chests and eye sockets then the weapons flew right back into Rhys’ hands. It was a disgusting sight, but she couldn’t help but be envious of his powers. She wished he’d been able to give her blood when the warriors had saved her life because then she would have inherited his telekinetic ability, too. Not that her powers weren’t impressive, but that was just awesome.
In watching him she chuckled and didn’t need to hear what he was saying to know he was taunting the demons. His body language screamed that loud and clear. Obviously enraged, the Sheti charged him. With impressive skill, he ducked and sliced and diced.
Magnificent red wings caught her attention. The angels were a sight to see in action. Rami and Illianna’s brothers called swords of Light to their hand and wielded them with a skill that told Elsie they spent a lot of time practicing. Each of them had their wings fully extended. She wondered if they did that for balance or to be ready to take flight. She gasped when Ayil slipped on the ground that was slick with blood and gore. His wings fluttered and he hovered for a second before he landed without falling.
It was easier for Elsie to think of Dalton as Ramiel as she watched him fight. Dalton never would have been so comfortable removing heads. It seemed to Elsie as if Rami was consumed with the need to destroy every demon out there. His anger was tangible as it pulsed in waves, causing tears to well up for what had been done to him, but she couldn’t deny she was awed by the elegance of his angelic body in motion. He was even more striking as an angel than he’d been as a human man.
Nate wasn’t going to enjoy arranging for this cleanup, Elsie mused as the bodies continued to pile up.
“Shite, I canna stand here much longer. They seem to be multiplying. How many of these fuckers are there?” Zander yelled, raking a hand through his hair.
“If anything happens to Mack, I will personally hunt down Kadir and rip him a new asshole. How much longer before the sun sets?” Kyran spat.
“Too long, brathair,” Breslin replied. “My guess is this will be over before dusk.”
Turning back to the scene outside, her fear for her loved ones multiplied and panic set in when she couldn’t see Ramiel. Illianna’s brothers stepped together and their weapons of Light came together to form a larger weapon. When they shifted position, Elsie saw Ramiel was beside the warrior angels. They continued to fight in harmony, eliminating the masses that surrounded them.
Elsie gasped when a new herd of Sheti charged through the gates. Zander was right, it seemed never-ending and she clutched Zander’s arm. “I know, a ghra, I see. I willna stand here and watch our home be invaded,” he added.
Just then, the ground rumbled. And rumbled again and then again, reminding Elsie of the movie with the dinosaur in the theme park. Searching for the source of the impact tremors, she shouted her excitement when she saw a massive dragon stomping its way to the front lawn. It was Nate. He had come to help in the fight. She sent a silent prayer of thanks to Angus, their previous Majordomo, for leaving Nate with them.
He was magnificent, easily the size of a helicopter, twice as wide if the wingspan was included. He had a slate grey body and ruby-red eyes Elsie could easily see from her vantage point. He took a stance in front of the house, blasting flames in sheets of fire. It was a scene more spectacular than fireworks on the fourth of July. Nothing was getting through him.
Nate took out dozens of Sheti with each burst. The ones that managed to escape met their fate in his massive jaws. Elsie felt the tide shift and knew victory was theirs. With the exception a few injuries here and there, the warriors were intact, allowing her a sigh of relief.
Commotion out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Three Sheti had surrounded Jace and he was struggling to fight them off. His blade found purpose and sliced the head from one of the beasts, but the second one pounced on him from behind. Claws wrapped around his throat and the demon’s jaws opened, moving towards his neck. Elsie looked around, but none of the others that were near Jace saw the altercation.
An idea sparked, but she didn’t have time to waste. Sun or no sun, she couldn’t allow anything to happen to Jace, and she rushed out the front door then sifted.
CHAPTER SIX
The moment the sun hit Elsie’s skin she realized she hadn’t thought this through. She deduced that with her sifting ability, she could reach Jace, kill the demon then get
back to the safety of the house before the sun did too much damage. No such luck as scorching heat blazed across her arms and face. But Jace wasn’t far and there was no way she was turning back now. Gritting through the pain, she couldn’t help but wonder where the Seattle rain was when she needed it most.
Reaching for her blade, she cursed herself, realizing she was weaponless. Unable to do anything else, she started screaming in an effort to divert the Sheti’s attention, but the demon had its jaws clamped around the warrior’s throat. As soon as she reached Jace, she jumped on the Sheti’s back and yanked, trying to free him from its grip, but the demon was too strong. The second Sheti swiped out, scraping claws along her back and she fell to the ground.
In the next second, Zander appeared out of nowhere and wrestled the beast to the ground, wrapping his arm around its neck in a chokehold and squeezing until its head popped off.
Strong arms encased her as Ayil’s weapon of Light removed the head of the Sheti attacking Jace. “What the hell are you doing out here,” Ramiel spat. “Are you trying to get killed?” Her feet left the ground as he swept her into his arms, his large brown wings forming a canopy over their bodies.
“No, help Jace, he needs it more!” Elsie yelled. She looked down at her blister-covered arms and knew her face was the same. The burn was bad, but she would heal. She glanced to Zander who was just as scorched, the sun taking its toll on his exposed flesh.
“Ayil has Jace and the others are helping Zander. I’m getting you to safety,” Rami declared, his tone softening. She couldn’t help but notice how strong he was, carrying her with little effort. “You wanna explain to me why your skin looks like you just spent a week in the desert,” he half-smiled, but she saw the underlying concern in his eyes.
“Yeah, about that. I’m a vampire now,” she grimaced against the scalding pain, thinking she may just pass out from it. Ramiel tensed but said nothing as he quickened his pace to the house.
“I was kidnapped and tortured by a demon and vampire,” she continued, watching his reaction closely. She didn’t know how he was going to take this, but given what had happened to him she somehow didn’t think he was going to like what had happened to her.
“And, in order to save my life, Zander and his siblings gave me blood, a lot of blood. The end result was my transformation,” Elsie finished, pain wracking her body.
His body hardened and his wings fluttered. She imagined that was an uncontrollable reflex given his clear anger. Allowing the quiet to settle between them, she wondered if he was going to say anything at all or simply abandon her and Isobel when they needed him most.
After what seemed like an eternity he finally broke the silence, “Lots of changes for the both of us, I guess. Who would’ve thought it would end…” Ramiel trailed off as he carried Elsie into the house. She had been watching his face closely and noted the others over his shoulder. Ayil followed them carrying Jace and Abraxos and Araton were helping Zander through the doors of Zeum.
“This male needs medical attention, immediately,” Ayil boomed, his voice echoing in the open space.
“Shite, follow me downstairs to the medical room,” Zander gritted through clenched teeth, clearly in pain. “I can carry Elsie,” he barked, practically snatching her from Rami’s arms.
“Zander, I can walk, you need help, too,” Elsie stated.
“I’ll be fine, I’m carrying you,” he muttered, leaning to pick her up. “What were you thinking, a ghra?”
“Question is, Zander, what the hell are you thinking? This woman should be cherished, not rushing into battle to fight your wars,” Ramiel interjected before Elsie could say anything.
Their group tensed at Rami’s words as they shuffled down the flight of stairs and into the medical facility. She’d given birth in that very room only weeks ago and it seemed Jace had found time in his busy schedule to return the room to its normal layout with the small gurneys and lack of machines.
“Can we please have this discussion later, Jace needs immediate attention,” Elsie implored, wanting to avoid a bigger battle than the one they’d had with the Sheti. Ayil carried Jace over to one of the tables and laid him down and that’s when Elsie got a better look at his injuries. The wound at his neck had almost decapitated him and blood was pouring out of the open wound. He was pale and Elsie couldn’t tell if he was breathing, or even, alive.
Zander rushed over, “Goddess, he’s losing blood way too fast. Gerrick, is there a spell or something you can do? We’ve got to stop this blood,” he shouted.
“Liege, I can’t. This is Jace’s department,” the warrior responded, his ice-blue eyes locked on his fellow sorcerer. Jace was the healer and had always been in charge of serious injuries to the Dark Warriors. No one else held the power to heal with a touch.
At that moment, Cailyn came rushing into the room, eyes wide with fear. “Where is he? Breslin said Jace was hurt!” Cailyn cried out. She spotted him and rushed to his side. “No!” she screamed, “Somebody do something!” she yelled.
Elsie ran to her sister, taking her in her arms, holding tightly. “Cailyn, we need to stop the blood, his body isn’t healing fast enough,” Elsie murmured, rubbing her sister’s back. If anything happened to Jace she didn’t know if her sister would survive. He was her entire world, not just her Fated Mate. The sound of sobs at her ear had Elsie holding back her own tears.
Suddenly, Cailyn stepped towards Jace and leaned over, placing her palms on his neck, “I have no idea what I’m doing, but I’ve got to try,” she said half-aloud. Elsie stood next to her confused about what her sister was saying until she realized what Cailyn was doing. When couples mated they shared powers. Elsie watched as Cailyn tried to tap into Jace’s ability to heal. Unfortunately, Cailyn had never attempted anything like this and clearly was unsure of how or what to do.
Breath trapped in her lungs and Elsie couldn’t move. No one in the room moved as the sight transfixed them. Praying to the Goddess in the interim seconds, she asked for her to give Cailyn the strength to heal her mate. At first it seemed as if nothing was happening, but then underneath Cailyn’s palm, Elsie could see the gaping wound slowly start to close. Within minutes, the injury was sealed shut and Elsie let out the breath she’d been holding and wrapped her arm around her sister’s waist.
“Cailyn, you did it, you saved him!” she exclaimed. Elsie looked towards Jace and saw his chest slightly rise, taking in air. His eyes cracked opened only to slam shut as Cailyn pounced on him, smothering him with hugs and kisses.
Zander came to Elsie’s side, pulling her into his arms. “Doona ever pull a stunt like that again, understand? My heart can’t take that kind of an attack again. As soon as I take care of a few things here, I will give you blood,” he whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine, despite the excruciating pain.
*****
“Let’s adjourn to the war room for a brief meeting before we reset the protections around Zeum,” Zander ordered, walking towards Jace as the others filed out of the room. He was anxious to get Elsie alone because they both needed blood, but first things first.
“Shite, you gave us all a scare. Lucky for you your mate followed her instinct. Otherwise, I’m no’ sure you’d still be with us. She was verra impressive, you should have seen her,” Zander pointed out to the warrior on the hospital bed.
“The Goddess knew what she was doing when she sent Cailyn to me,” Jace croaked through a hoarse voice. He would be in pain until his throat healed completely, but he already looked better and color was returning to his skin. Cailyn returned to his side, rubbing ointment on Jace’s neck. From the scent of it, Zander assumed it was one of Jace’s Native American herbal concoctions.
“You two stay here, we’ll take care of things and check on you in a bit,” Zander instructed.
“Where’s Isobel?” growled Ramiel, snaring Zander’s attention. He hadn’t realized the angel was still in the room.
“She was with Breslin when I came in,” Cailyn responded.<
br />
“Yes, Rami, why doona you check on my nighean, you know, the one you need to worry aboot protecting instead of my mate,” Zander challenged.
He knew he shouldn’t confront the male. Not, if he wanted him to act as Isobel’s Guardian Angel, and it was clear to Zander that after this event, his daughter needed him now more than ever, but his patience was wearing thin. Jealousy ate at Zander knowing this male had been married to his mate. Had shared intimate moments and to make it all worse, Elsie had loved the angel so much she had been devastated by his death.
Zander had always accepted that his mate had loved Dalton, had a life before she’d met Zander, but being faced with the living, breathing proof of that life when he knew how much Elsie still cared for the male was eating away at his insides. The sooner Rami was out of his sight, the better. Zander needed to get out of range before he did something he’d regret.
“I need to speak to you privately first,” Ramiel countered, pinning Zander with his glare.
