Winning the Legend

by B. Kristin McMichael

  “You were right in that by drinking the blood of the clans, I could choose who I wanted to love. And by drinking my blood they all got the freedom to decide who they want to follow. They preferred me,” Arianna replied to the nodding of the people around her.

  “And him?” Rhys nodded to Andrew, who was standing beside her. “How did he do it? He did things baku can’t do. He didn’t seem affected by my sidhe magic, and he had strange abilities.”

  “Because we are no longer baku, or dearg-dul or anything else.” Arianna looked around to the people who had fought with Rhys. She needed them, more than anyone, to understand and spread the word. “My blood doesn’t just merge the baku and dearg-dul inside me. My blood merged all the night humans into a new race. Anyone who now drinks my blood will be given new powers, a combination of all night humans.” The contestants, who were divided once the fighting began, were shocked at her words.

  “We are no longer clans, separated and fighting. We are all one race,” she said, and the night humans who had drunk her blood nodded. “We can use the magic of the sidhe, fire of the loogaroo, power of the draugur, and much more. It’s different for each person, but it’s the same in that we can use all the power of all the races. We are now all one race. No more divisions.”

  “Not possible,” Rhys whispered.

  “It is, Brother,” Nessa said, standing behind him. “That’s what grandfather was talking about. It wasn’t that she could be the mate for as many people as she wanted. It was that she would be the key to making a new race. She’s the fusion of night humans. She has created something new, and has brought us all back together.”

  Loan moved to the front of the men and dropped to his knees before Arianna. “I pledge my devotion to you,” he said, bowing his head. “You will be our one, true queen from this time forth.”

  Arianna smiled as Andrew huffed. “I don’t want pledges. I want the night human world to be free. Free of leaders who hold safety and life over the heads of others. Free of the fighting. Free of the forced marriages. The world I want is one of freedom. Those willing to follow new rules of freedom between the clans will be welcomed to join us.”

  More of the competitors looked around each other. They were all leaders and elite families. They had never lived in a world of freedom. Most had held their clans for centuries or longer. Jan Larsen was the first to step up behind Loan.

  “The draugur will follow your new rules,” Jan announced, and nodded his head to the few men standing behind him who were also draugurs.

  “And so will the Loogaroo, as my impulsive grandson has already declared,” the older keeper for Loan moved and pulled his grandson upright.

  Arianna smiled at them. “I’m not asking for a decision now. I know that some of you aren’t even in the place of power to join us. Go home. Tell your fathers and grandfathers,” Arianna replied. “Talk about it in your clans. Reach a decision that everyone agrees to. The offer is good for as long as I am alive; so there is no rush now.”

  “You think you can just get rid of a system and traditions that have been in place as long as there have been night humans?” Nik spat out. He was bitter at the thought of losing power. “Tell me then how will you keep the masses healthy and protected?”

  Arianna turned to Nik and smiled. She wasn’t going to let his hate ruin her victory. Even if no one else wanted to join her, they had her clans along with two new clans, and with that she had the support of almost half the clans. All of the lower clans supported her fully also.

  “Protection will be the same way as the day humans do it. Protect your own family and volunteers protect the masses. That seems to work for them, why wouldn’t it work for us?” Arianna looked to Nik, and he couldn’t argue that point. A volunteer protective force was the system most even used now; they just had standards of who could volunteer.

  “And the health? The strongest always leads, and heals those that need it,” Nik smirked, thinking he had a valid point.

  “Not an issue either,” she answered. “Hospitals. They seem to work for day humans just fine.”

  Nik laughed. “You expect a day human to be able to treat us?” A few of the men still undecided laughed with Nik.

  “Sure why not? If the right medicine is used, anyone can heal,” Arianna replied. The men still stared at her like she was speaking another language. Some even scoffed at her reply. She seemed to talk about dreams that would never be reality in the night human world.

  “I think you’ve been a day human too long. Let me educate you a bit.” Nik took a haughty tone with Arianna that brought a growl out of Andrew. Arianna placed a hand on his arm and physically calmed his growing anger. “That’s not the way it works for night humans. We are a bit different, if you couldn’t already tell. We don’t go to hospitals, as there is nothing they can do for us. We don’t need medicine to heal, we need blood.”

  “Maybe you do, but we don’t.” Arianna motioned for Gabriel and Turner to come near. Turner was fairly undamaged by the fight, but still had a swelled eye from a good punch he took. Gabriel held out the vial of clear liquid to Arianna. She carefully opened it and dropped a drop into Turner’s mouth. Instantly his eye went back to normal, and all the minor cuts and scrapes pulled together. The men standing around were all shocked, including Nik Katsulas, who never lacked for something to say.

  “We’ve modified what it is in my blood that heals people, and now can heal just about anything. Severe wounds take a bit more than a drop, but for everything else a drop is enough. I’d call this medicine.” No one had anything left to argue with her. Awe settled over the crowd.

  “So, as I was saying,” Arianna broke the silence. The people standing around that fought beside her already were in awe of her, and now so were the rest of the people. “No need to decide anything now. Go home and talk with your people about my offer. I ask that those present who are not leaders talk as well. A world free of all this conflict would benefit not only leaders, but the people they protect, too.” Arianna doubted that many of the families would be so willing to give up power, but her demonstration was more for the followers that they brought with today. They would see the truth and demand change.

  Arianna reached over to Andrew, who pulled her in close to him. He would never lose her. The battle was done and they were still together. They were connected, and no one would take her away. She would be his forever. Arianna smiled up at him, and then nuzzled into his hug. Together they found true happiness. Arianna didn’t sense the change in Rhys behind her before Devin had already moved to absorb the slash meant for her back.

  Chapter 32

  Nessa didn’t hesitate as she struck back, landing a fatal blow on her brother. He had just tried to kill Arianna by attacking from behind, after she granted him his life. Quickly, without looking at what she had just done, she kneeled beside Arianna over Devin’s body. Arianna stared in horror at the slash across Devin’s chest and midsection that cut through muscle. He was bleeding heavily all over the ground as the blood continued to seep out of him.

  “Save him,” Nessa demanded.

  “I can’t,” Arianna said, still staring in shock at him. Devin smiled weakly up at Arianna and Andrew standing behind her, giving her hand one last squeeze.

  “What do you mean you can’t? You just made Turner’s wounds instantly disappear. Where is that vial? Give it to me, and I’ll save him,” Nessa ordered.

  Arianna didn’t look up from Devin’s face. He was dying, but not even mad for it being so. In fact he was actually at peace. He didn’t fear death like everyone else did. He had expected to die years ago, and this had all been a great adventure.

  “The medicine was made from my blood. I can’t use my blood because I promised him,” Arianna said through tears.

  “You let him save your life, and now won’t save his?” Nessa was angry, yet ready to beg if needed.

  “Devin doesn’t want to be one of us,” Andrew replied as Arianna could no longer talk.

  “What do you mea
n?” Nessa knew precious moments were fading away. Soon Devin would be dead. It didn’t take much to kill a day human, even one as strong as Devin.

  “Arianna is a pureblood and pureblood dearg-dul can create another by feeding on a day human and then giving them their blood. If Arianna gives her blood to Devin now, he will turn into a dearg-dul. He asked us never to allow that,” Andrew replied, watching only Arianna now.

  “Then you save him. You did it before,” Nessa replied. She wanted to slap sense into Arianna and Andrew to save Devin. How could they just let him die?

  “None of us can,” Turner said from Nessa’s other side. “We all took Arianna’s blood to defend her today. We all carry her blood within us. Any of our blood will turn him into a night human now.” Turner spoke the truth they all knew. No one Arianna loved could save Devin, and all the night humans not changed around her didn’t have the power to save someone from such a wound.

  “So that’s it? You’ll just let him die?” Nessa was shocked. She stood up and wanted to scream, but did not. They were doing what Devin wanted, yet it seemed wrong. His life was slowly fading. She had to be able to do something. Nessa wanted to run, jump up and down, or just fly away. It was too unreal to comprehend. Even as all-powerful as Arianna was, she couldn’t save Devin.

  “It’s okay,” Arianna whispered. Nessa couldn’t tell if her words were meant for her or for Devin. “He’s says to tell you he will be fine. He’s been waiting for this day for over ten years.” Andrew’s hands tightened on Arianna’s shoulders.

  Devin looked up to Nessa briefly before closing his eyes. He didn’t even acknowledge the pain he was in. It had to be tremendous, but then again, Devin was tough. He was a warrior; he wouldn’t show pain. Nessa knew warriors. The elite sidhe families were always warriors. She was raised as a warrior. A warrior would not fail in the end. And Devin didn’t fail. He saved Arianna. Nessa looked back down at him. It wouldn’t be long now before he was dead. Her tears were already forming. Devin didn’t fail, but she did. She told Arianna she would keep everyone safe from Rhys. She told everyone she could handle him. She was complacent and let Rhys attack. This was her fault.

  Devin rested like he was sleeping as his life slowly slid away. For once in her life, Nessa cursed her sidhe blood. It wasn’t strong enough to save someone. Devin deserved to be saved. Nessa never really cared what happened in the night human world she was raised in, and couldn’t wait to get out. But Devin cared about this world and he wasn’t even one of them. He deserved to live long enough to see Arianna change it into a place that even Nessa would be happy to be part of. One of the sidhe warriors who had come with Rhys moved from Rhys’ dead body to Nessa.

  “Can you bear to be with him forever?” the older man asked.

  “What?” Nessa asked.

  “If you bind a human, you will bear the weight of the wound with him. Together, you can both survive, but alone he will die,” the man replied before moving back to Rhys’ body. Nessa looked up at the man. She remembered him from her childhood, but could not recall his name. She searched his face. Was he telling the truth? Could Nessa deal with Devin forever? Forever was a long time.

  Nessa knelt at his side. It wasn’t much of a choice if the man was correct. She could bind her life to Devin’s forever, and he would live. Or choose not to and watch him die. Devin could be a bit hard to deal with, but he deserved to live. He deserved to watch the world change. He was still needed here.

  “Devin,” Nessa said quietly, and looked to Arianna for a response. “You need to be willing for this to work.”

  ‘Tell her I’m fine with dying,’ Devin told Arianna.

  ‘But I’m not fine with it,’ Arianna replied.

  ‘You have Andrew. He will take care of you. You don’t need me.’ The weight of death was calling to him. It wouldn’t be long now.

  ‘And you deserve to get your life back. You can’t just be the hero and expect us to not care when you die. Suck it up and bind to her or I will never forgive you,’ Arianna threatened, feeling death call for him.

  Devin paused for a moment. It was peaceful in the dark. Death wasn’t as scary as everyone made it out to be. He really was fine dying.

  ‘I can’t let you die,’ Arianna replied. ‘We will do this with or without your consent. You can’t stop us anyway.’

  Devin laughed mentally. That was the stubborn Arianna he knew from his childhood. She was back. She was strong enough to protect herself and everyone else. She didn’t need him around anymore.

  ‘I do too need you,’ Arianna replied, reading his thoughts now. ‘You’re my keeper. I am begging you. Please just bind to Nessa and get better.’

  ‘And you can’t just let me go?’ Devin couldn’t fight her on this. He would, and always did, do exactly what Arianna wanted, especially when she begged.

  ‘Fine,’ he answered, hoping the darkness would take him swiftly as the alternative wasn’t going to be pleasant.

  “He agrees,” Arianna told Nessa, who immediately swiped the fresh blood off his chest before feeding him her own.

  The deep cut began to close on Devin as a matching cut broke open on Nessa. She gritted her teeth as her own night human blood began to knit the skin back together. It was way more painful than she had been expecting. The cut was deep, and tissue and muscle were torn. Pain filled her. She gaped in awe of Devin. He was much stronger than she ever expected.

  Chapter 33

  Arianna looked up from her book as she sat in her own, poison-free bedroom back at her Aunt Lilly and Uncle Dean’s apartment that had been thoroughly clean since she ran away from the night human world a month ago after her guard Molina had been poisoning her everywhere they lived. Devin was standing in the doorway with a packed bag.

  “We will only be gone two weeks,” he said with Nessa pouting behind him.

  “I told you that I can do this myself,” Nessa replied. It had been one week since the tournament ended and Devin was back to full health. Several night humans had died in the fight, but none were Arianna’s own. Everyone she had transformed fared better than the rest. They even healed quicker from the cuts and bruises they got.

  “You’re not going home to your parents alone to tell them that you killed your brother and bound yourself to a day human,” Devin answered, not looking behind himself at Nessa. “Everything is in order for the next two weeks. You should be fine. Gabriel has said he’ll be around to check on you and will travel to the Randolph estate with you when you head back.”

  Nessa tapped her foot impatiently. Arianna smiled. Devin was going to have his hands full keeping track of her. Arianna hopped up from her comfortable spot, and ran over to hug him as he turned to leave.

  “Thank you for saying yes to living,” she said quietly. It was easier now to hug him. There were no lingering feelings between them. Arianna knew that the bindings changed everything. The door that he voluntarily kept locked was now permanently closed in his mind. Devin patted her back and nodded to Andrew behind her, who was still lying on her bed.

  “I already regret it,” he teased as he nodded to Nessa by the door, who was growing more and more impatient.

  “Have a fun trip.” Arianna winked.

  “Like having teeth pulled,” he replied, opening the door and motioning for Nessa to move through it. She balked at his offer to hold the door and waited for him to go first. Devin sighed and passed through the door. Nessa turned as she shut the door and smiled sweetly at Arianna.

  “Don’t drive him too nuts now; I still need his help getting everything organized for elections,” Arianna replied.

  “Ahh, but then there would be no fun in this trip.” Nessa grinned at Arianna as Devin stood below on the stairs, waiting for her. Nessa winked at Arianna and turned to sulk as she walked down the stairs.

  Arianna walked back to her bed and laid back down, using Andrew as a pillow.

  “Do you think they’ll both survive this?” Arianna asked. Nessa and Devin had done nothing but fight the whole time
they were supposed to be recovering.

  “Oh, I think they’ll be fine,” Andrew replied. Behind all the anger and temper tantrums, there was so much more. He’d seen it back at the competition. Nessa was just the type of girl Devin needed. Andrew brushed back Arianna’s hair and kissed her forehead. Arianna was just the type of girl he needed.

  “What was that for?” Arianna asked. Andrew had been silently watching her.

  “For being you,” Andrew replied.

  The world needed Arianna and the change she would bring. Now that it was happening, soon Andrew could have Arianna all to himself. It would take a few more weeks to arrange everything after Devin returned, but thanks to Arianna, the night human world was shifting. She was bringing night humans together physically and mentally. Two more clans already decided to join her, bringing the clans up to eight of thirteen. Two more were voting that week to decide whether they wanted to join or not. All the lesser clans had joined immediately. There was peace now, and freedom. Night humans were joining together and making their own way in the world. Soon Arianna could be just a normal teenager again. She could go back to school with her friends for her senior year. She could go to movies and hang out at the mall. She no longer needed to the blue-eyed legend. Her role in changing the world was almost over. They might never know the exact words behind the legend, but that was the best part. They didn’t need to know. She was making her own fate now.

  Author note:

  Thank you for reading Winning the Legend! If you enjoyed this book, please leave me a good review on Amazon.com. You can do this even if you didn’t buy the book from that site, and it’s one of the best things that you can do to help me out so that I can continue writing and publishing. If you aren’t sure how to post a review there, send me an email at bk@bkristinmcmichael.com. I’ll be more than happy to help you with the process. If you’ve already left a review, thank you so much! Look for updates on my website on my current two works I am working on and planning to release in the winter, a new series about a time-traveling college student and a spin-off of The Legend of the Blue Eyes that follows Devin on his journey with Nessa.