by Donica Covey
Fire gathered in the air and now she saw him standing, palms facing forward as the flame ball grew larger. He studied the room. Across from them was a fireplace. He pushed the flames into it.
The light made the dungrats come running from all over and Keely couldn't contain the shrieks that welled inside. She bounced from foot to foot to stay away from them.
A stream of fire brushed past her and she watched as Xavier burned every one of the vile animals that came into view. They made horrible noises, sounds filled with pain while they roasted where they stood. She hated to see anything die but that didn't stop the flood of relief when they were gone. Hopefully there weren't any more. She still wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
Xavier's stomach growled and she moved to his side. “What sounds good?"
"Steak, fries, chocolate cake. I don't know, the list is long."
"Pick something and I'll make it for you."
"Steak medium well, baked potato with all the trimmings, and large beer.” He grinned.
She pictured the items in her mind but they didn't come. She turned to the Seer. “What happened? I thought I could pull stuff out of the air."
"Those things are of your world. Not of this one."
Keely turned back to Xavier. He had taken care of her, been her protector and didn't seem to be going anywhere. She could feel that his heart was warming to her. It was almost as if he thought the whole being lifemates thing was going to happen.
"Xavier wants a steak and potato and he's going to get it.” She concentrated hard trying to bring the food into existence. Her head began to ache and throb but she still didn't give up.
"You did it!” the Seer sounded shocked.
"Why are you surprised? You said I could do it."
"But no one has ever been powerful enough to bring things from the other world."
Keely grinned. “Gee, guess I'm better than you thought."
"So it seems,” she thought the Seer muttered. “Did I hear her right?"
Xavier nodded. “She almost seems threatened by you. We're going to have to stick close together."
"Don't worry, I'm going to be all over you."
"Promise?"
"Even in this situation you can be a horn dog."
"When this is over you'll find out how much of a horn dog I can be."
She shook her head. “Why is it men can only think with one part of their anatomy at a time?"
The Seer cleared her throat. “You should get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. We've got to get you in touch with people who are more than ready to rise up against Montrose."
Keely imagined three soft beds and they popped into the room. She sat down on one and sank into the deep mattress. “Might as well be comfortable.” She lay back. How in the world was she supposed to get any rest with someone who could read her mind, a room where dungrats could appear at any second, and Xavier, who was beginning to make her blood heat up?
"I knew you wanted me,” his teasing voice floated into her mind.
"Go to sleep before I imagine a mallet and knock you out with it."
"Night Keely,” he said.
The fire crackled and popped. Any other time the sound would've soothed her but as the night stretched on she wasn't able to even close her eyes.
Xavier was sleeping soundly and the Seer seemed to be as well. Keely was restless and frustrated that sleep was so elusive. She stood from the bed and walked over to the fire. She searched around and found a large dried piece of wood and touched one end to the fire and, using it as a torch, lit the way as she wandered down the hallway.
What had the Gryphineos been like? If there was Draco, who were dragons, Alicornos who were unicorns then it would stand to reason that Gryphineos would be the mythical gryphons right?
The dark hallway had high ceilings and seemed never ending. She walked on; the light landed on the base of a staircase. She followed the steps up to the next floor and looked into the first doorway. It was a huge room, vines grew in through the broken windows, and cracks in the stone, but at one time it had been quite opulent. Faded carpet spread across the floor and, where the rats hadn't chewed it, she made out details of gryphons woven into the design.
Beneath the vines she saw the edge of a frame. She pulled the growth away to reveal the picture beneath. It was a faded painting of a family. A man and whom she assumed was his wife. They were surrounded by children: a teenage boy and girl behind them, two small girls in the forefront and a baby on the mother's lap. The outline of a gryphon could be made out just inside the frame.
Sadness filled Keely. The happy family that had once existed was no longer there because some tyrant became overly greedy for power. If the tales the Seer told happened to be true, as they seemed to be, Keely wouldn't rest until she'd helped avenge the senseless deaths.
"Aldmakeelia,” she heard whispered.
A sweet perfume filled the air and an apparition formed before her. The woman had deep purple eyes, silver blonde hair and pale skin. Around her neck she wore a silver unicorn suspended from a thin chain. The eye of the unicorn was an amethyst stone.
"My daughter, you're home!” The ghost reached out and hugged her.
Keely jerked away and darted across the room. Things were getting freaky for her again. Just when she was beginning to come to grips with her situation something new popped up and threw it all into chaos, again.
The sadness in the woman's eyes tugged at Keely's heart. “Mother?"
"I am. I've missed you so much, but now you are here at last. You've discovered some of your powers already. Beware of the dangers that are ahead of you.” She reached out once more and this time Keely allowed herself to be wrapped in the translucent arms. “Now please, daughter, you must be careful. The man who is with you is indeed your lifemate, a Blacdrake. Trust him. He will guard and defend you. You will fight by his side. Gathering an army will not be an easy task but you can do it."
"How will I know whom to trust, mother?"
"One of your gifts is the ability to read a person's aura. Those who are willing to fight beside you will have shades of golden yellow, blue, green and red auras. Those who wish you ill will be surrounded by a halo of the deepest black. You enemies will have eyes that burn a bright red when angry and have a red halo around the pupil in normal state.
"But people who are loyal to the Silverhorn house will have purple or blue eyes. The ones who are loyal to the house of Blacdrake will have green or yellow eyes. Trust yourself, Aldmakeelia. It is in you, all you must do is listen. Beware of the one who even now is planning on how to destroy you. Beware of the witch."
"How do I know who the witch is?"
"Beware the witch,” the ghost said again before she faded away.
"Mother!” Keely cried. “Please come back."
She was a little girl running through the park, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Please Mother, come back. I'm afraid. I need you. Don't leave me."
Pain shattered her heart. Once again her mother had abandoned her.
* * * *
Keely's anguish pulled Xavier out of sleep. He sat up in bed, frowning. Where was she? He peered into the flickering firelight. Her bed was empty. He flung his feet over the edge, stood and went in search of her. “Keely? Keely! Answer me."
He rushed up the steps taking two at a time. He passed two rooms without even pausing. Thanks to their ever-growing connection he knew where she'd gone. He flung open a door at the end of the hall and in the dim light he found her on the floor, knees drawn up to her chest, arms wrapped around them. She rocked back and forth as tears streamed down her face.
He ran to her and knelt on the stone floor. “Keely, baby, what is it? What happened? Who hurt you?"
He reached for her but as his fingers made contact with the skin on her arms, she froze. “How can I help you if I don't know what's wrong?"
She finally sagged against him. He stroked her hair while holding her shivering body close. “Tell me."
; She nodded against his chest. “My mother. She came to see me. She told me things, and then she left me. Just like she did when I was little, she simply turned her back and disappeared."
Her mother? Her dead mother? In a strange place, middle of the night it was most likely she'd seen shadows that made her think her mother had come. She didn't need to hear his rationalizations. She needed comfort, in the cool light of morning they could be rational. “She had to leave you Keely, to protect you. Just like my mother had to leave me."
"Don't you think I understand that? In my head I know it, but it still hurts. Her perfume filled the room and I recognized it even before I saw her. When she held me in her arms I realized how much I really missed her."
He held her closer and poured what he could into her. “We'll avenge them. Make Montrose pay for all he took from us, from everyone."
She sniffled and pressed her face against his chest. “She warned me to beware of the witch."
"What witch?"
She shrugged. “She didn't say, but she did tell me something I didn't know. Something that the Seer didn't mention. I can read auras."
"Read what?"
"Auras. Colors of light that surround a person's body. She said that anyone who is friend will be yellow, blue or red, their aura, I mean. But our enemies will have black auras. She also said that people we can trust would be identifiable by their eyes."
"How?"
"Purple, green, blue and yellow eyes mean friends. Those with red eyes are evil.” She sat back. “That guy and the woman with him had eyes that glowed red."
"That monster is gone and I won't let anyone else get close to you."
"I know.” She looked up at him in contemplation. “The Seer has purple colored eyes. So that makes her friend."
"That's what your mother said, right?"
Keely nodded. “But I'm interested in seeing what color her aura is."
Xavier kept her close to him as they descended the steps slowly and quietly. If he could telepathically communicate, could he also have the ability to read minds the way the Seer did? Surely he could, that wouldn't be major leap. The first one he'd try it on would be the Seer.
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Ten
The Seer awoke the minute he disappeared upstairs. They were together. Something had happened. She strained but wasn't able to see what they were doing.
Light descended the steps and when they came into view she could finally read their minds. The girl had learned she could read auras. How had she figured it out? Seer had to remember the aura-cloaking spell quickly.
She didn't move and kept her eyes closed. If they believed she was asleep then the aura cloak would work. Asleep, a person's true self could be read and it wouldn't take Keely long to figure that out.
The spell came to mind and she mentally chanted it. “Cleanatre, desginatia, aurolus.” She felt the girl's careful study of her body and waited. If the spell hadn't worked they would know what she really was and Blacdrake would incinerate her.
"It's blue,” Keely's silent communication came through.
"Good, at least we know she is on our side."
She felt Blacdrake trying to probe her mind. She formed a vision of the battle and showed her standing beside them aiding them in war. He hadn't fully developed the ability to mind probe so her ruse would work, at least for the time being. Once he left her mind she allowed her breathing to relax. She would have to move her plan along faster than originally thought. They were learning things far too quickly for her taste.
He had Keely's hand in his. “Come and lay down with me. I'll be a good boy, promise."
The sound of them crawling into his bed made her angry. If Blacdrake fell in love with Aldmakeelia there would be no separating them. Time to set them against each other.
* * * *
Keely nestled down into Xavier's arms. It made her feel complete, at home. She inhaled his scent. It was masculine, woodsy, with a hint of musk buried there.
If she had to be a lifemate to someone she could do far worse than Xavier Blake. Or was it Xiuhcoatl Blacdrake? By either name he was the man lying beside her. The gentle brush of his hand against her cheek left a feeling of heat in its wake. His touch was intimate but not sexual. It made her feel cherished, something she wasn't used to. Sure her parents had made her sense how much they cared for her but parental affection was so different from the love of a man.
She placed her arm across his chest and pressed closer to him. She could definitely get used to this. He kissed the top of her head and she snuggled even closer. Maybe he was falling in love her. She was already more than halfway there. It would be disappointing if she were the only one who fell.
She felt him reaching into her mind and she pulled away slightly. Was he trying to read her mind? How could she stop him? A thought occurred to her: if she could practice on blocking his mind then maybe it would develop her ability to block the Seer.
"Xavier?"
"Yes?"
"Are you trying to read my mind?"
"Guilty. I was able to read the Seer's and I wanted to see if I could read yours."
She nodded. “Then we can work together. Practicing I mean. You can try to read my thoughts and I can try blocking yours.” She moved back into place against him. “Wait. You read the Seer's mind? What did you find?"
"She seems to be telling the truth. I saw the image of her fighting along beside us, helping us defeat this king."
"That clicks, I suppose. I mean, her eyes are purple
and her aura blue.” She pursed her lips. “I still don't completely trust her. It's just a nagging feeling."
"Until she proves that she is on our side, we'll watch her. Now try and get some sleep. We can worry about the rest later."
Keely closed her eyes and settled. It was all so overwhelming. Being attacked twice in less than twenty-four hours, the fear, the sudden abduction from her life to a world she didn't know all jumbled and confused her.
Had her parents realized she was missing? Were they eaten with worry? She shouldn't have been alone. Then again, if she had her friends would've been in danger.
When the man, Vrono, had her in that cavern she knew what he was capable of. His hands tearing her shirt, roaming all over her, his mouth claiming hers. She had felt his hand as it slid into the waistband of her pants.
"Be grateful I want you so much. She's vowed to kill you, only my lust for you is keeping you alive. For now.” He'd grunted as he pried her legs apart.
She squirmed and kicked, trying to get away from him. It had been so futile to fight. He was so strong. He grasped her wrists into one of his hands and she felt his hand just above her ... She cried out and jerked. No one was coming for her! He was going to rape her and then the woman was going to kill her. “Oh God!” she screamed. “Help me. Please someone help me."
Then Xavier was there. He had his arms around her, holding her. “It's all right baby, you're safe."
* * * *
Keely's pain once again tore him from sleep. He knew what she was dreaming, reliving the terror of the attack again. If the bastard weren't already dead Xavier would take great pleasure in killing him. Only this time it wouldn't be so easy and would be far more painful.
He pulled Keely close, stroking her hair. “It's all right baby, you're safe now. No one is ever going to hurt you again."
She cried out still in the grip of the nightmare. His visions showed her fear being acted upon. He saw the man ripping Keely's pants from her body and forcing his way into her. When the man looked up, it was him and not the kidnapper who was violating her.
"Keely!” He shook her. “Keely baby, wake up. It's just a nightmare baby, come on wake up."
Her eyes flew open and her face drained of all color. She twisted and pulled struggling for release. “Leave me alone. Let me go.” She frantically clawed at his arms and pulled so hard she fell from the bed, hitting the floor with an impact that forced the breath from her body.
H
e formed flame in his hands and hung it over their heads. He saw Keely dragging herself away from him. “I'd never hurt you, Keely. You have to know that."
She shook her head, her already pale skin blanched making her eyes appear a deeper purple. “Don't touch me."
"Look at me, closely. You will see that it was only a nightmare. It wasn't real, will never be real."
The Seer, roused by the commotion, hurried to his side.
He looked up at her. “Help me calm her,” he barked.
The Seer plucked a golden cup from the air and sprinkled herbs into the water. She moved to Keely's side crooning words he didn't know but could sense the calm she was trying to convey.
"Hush now, child. It's going to be all right. Drink this. It will chase away the fright and make you see that it was only a terror in the night. Not reality but a dream."
He watched Keely drink from the cup. As she swallowed the soothing liquid, her color returned and the haunted look in her eyes slowly abated.
"Are you all right now?"
"Get out of my head!” she shouted and smothered her face into the Seer's robes.
She was scared of him, and there was nothing he could do to assure her he was no threat. She still wouldn't let him near her. “Keely. My eyes, they are green, right?"
She wouldn't look at him, not at first. Finally she faced him. He felt her trying to read his soul. Her eyes shot open and she jumped to her feet. “Oh my God. To think I trusted you."
She tripped over something near the door, but pushed herself up and disappeared into the dark.
"Keely.” He ran after her. She was absolutely terrified,
of him. He knew that in the dream he was the one who was attacking her. He'd seen it too. He had to show her he would never do something so evil.
As the sun rose, the dull blue of the sky became painted with an orange and pink mixture. Maybe the light would make it easier to find her. He tried to sense her, but the feeling was dissipating. Suddenly it was gone. “Keely,” he shouted again.
"You'll alert the entire country side of your presence,” the Seer hissed from behind him.
