by Danica Avet
“What do you plan to do about the Oculum-se?” Bretina’s quiet voice spoke next to her.
Ruby jumped a bit, having forgotten the others were in the car with her. She turned to see Ocean and Bretina watching her with careful concern. Her heart ached and she smiled at them, though she knew it was sad and not in the least bit reassuring. “I’m going to let him go.”
Ocean nibbled on her bottom lip and turned to look out the windshield. “It is possible to have both worlds, Ruby.” She turned back, her face glowing. “Did you know that I’m married?” Ruby shook her head. “Yes, I married a werewolf about fifteen years ago. He can’t live with us because he’s an Alpha, and I can’t live with him because I’m one of the Queen’s bodyguards, but we see each other as often as we can, and each time is sweeter than the last.” Her face softened, showing a beautiful woman in the prime of her life. “My husband knows I can’t live among his people as I know he can’t live among mine, but we love each other enough to compromise, to…rest, I guess you could say, in each other’s world. It works for us. This is possible for you and Lucian.”
Though she smiled at the beatific expression on Ocean’s face, Ruby shook her head. “Lucian doesn’t love me. He wants to own me mind, body, and soul. There will be no compromise, even if I were willing. No, I’ll let him go and, eventually, we’ll forget this whole farce ever happened.”
The other three women wisely refrained from laughing, though Ruby detected humor in Bretina’s face. “Why don’t you decide where you want to go and we’ll arrange round the clock protection for you?” she asked Ruby calmly.
Ruby whipped her head around. “I can’t live with you?” she asked in shock.
“Of course you could, Ruby, but if you’re determined to shoulder your duties, you will need to be somewhere centralized and available to the people of the Veil.”
“Oh,” Ruby murmured softly, frowning into space. She hadn’t realized that, she thought with dismay. Would fulfilling her destiny mean she had to say good-bye to her family too?
Bretina patted her hand soothingly. “One of us will count among the guards except for Albreda. There’s no need to feel abandoned, child.”
Blushing, Ruby squeezed Bretina’s hand, keeping hold of it as they sped north. If she couldn’t have Lucian, then she would make herself content to have some of her family around and the powers she’d been gifted with because she knew Lucian would never compromise on his principles.
* * * *
The chosen spot for the duel was in a secluded wood north of St. Francisville. Nestled in the Tunica Hills, the duel site was a small clearing with a ravine on one side and hills on the other.
When they arrived, it was a little past three and Ruby wanted to be on her way before dusk. She’d need to put serious distance between Lucian and herself so she could think about her options.
Ocean and Bretina made Ruby change into a new pair of leather pants even though Ruby insisted she wasn’t going to a fashion show, just probably her death.
Her levity wasn’t appreciated, and she got a few cuffs from them, but finally let them lace her into the pants and felt awed by what she saw. They were black, of course, but up one leg was a familiar pattern of curves and swirls in the same colors of her tattoos.
Bretina beamed at Ruby. “We stayed up late last night embroidering these for you. You’ve brought joy and honor to us, Ruby,” she stated, wrapping her strong arms around her granddaughter.
Ocean hugged both of them, and they stayed like that for several minutes before Sheena delicately cleared her throat. When they looked, Bianca and her entourage had arrived.
With her shoulders back and chin held high, Ruby approached the Oculum, determined to conduct herself with the dignity and strength her family believed she had.
“Oculum,” Ruby acknowledged Bianca with an inclined head. Today Bianca was dressed in leather as well, though hers was more revealing. Her perfect body was displayed to its best advantage, and her short hair was slicked back with gel.
“Chieftain, how lovely to see you again,” she purred, her eyes flicking over Ruby with disdain. “I see you found some overgrown carpet munchers to befriend.”
The men in Bianca’s group laughed uproariously, and Ruby spared them a single glance, taking them in. Two of them were most likely mages since she couldn’t detect anything obvious in their appearances to suggest otherwise. The man who approached the dueling circle with Bianca had to be a giant.
He was well over seven feet tall with greasy blonde hair and a brutish face. He studied Ruby cautiously and hovered over Bianca protectively. He’s in love with her, Ruby realized with surprise. She wouldn’t have expected Bianca to inspire anything but lust in people, but this giant obviously felt otherwise.
“Childish, Bianca, but I’m not really surprised that your IQ hasn’t surpassed your height,” Ruby answered Bianca’s taunt with one of her own. “Maybe one day you’ll grow up big and strong too,” she said in a sickeningly sweet voice.
Seething, her eyes blazing with hatred, Bianca uncoiled the whip she held in her hand. “You’re going to pay for that, you stupid bitch.”
Having taken her potion an exact hour before the meeting, Ruby was as ready as she’d ever be. Uncoiling her own whip, which had been wrapped around her waist, Ruby took a fighting stance.
Bianca was predictable, throwing out a spell almost immediately. Ruby managed to withstand it and snapped out the whip, catching Bianca on the arm. The witch’s eyes widened in alarm and shock, and then narrowed with determination.
Their whips snaked back and forth across the circle, snarls and cracks the only sounds other than Bianca’s continued muttering. She cast spell after spell, never seeming to require a rest between castings, and Ruby’s body soon felt the magical damage. Ruby was wearing down faster than Mangus and Sheena had predicted. Neither of them seemed to have guessed Bianca had seemingly endless reservoirs of power because they hadn’t prepped her for this.
One particular spell caught Ruby by surprise, blinding her momentarily, which Bianca took immediate advantage of by lashing at her and catching her on the thigh. The pain was immediate and Ruby hissed. She couldn’t take time to grab at the wound, though, instead snapping her own wrist and striking Bianca across her torso.
Sweat trickled down Ruby’s face, the salty fluid making the scrapes and cuts burn like fire. There was no chance to wipe away the droplets, no opportunity to catch her breath. Ruby fought purely on instinct.
Bianca screeched out another spell and, this time, Ruby flew back from the force of the incantation, her whip falling from her hand. She landed hard on the ground, the air knocked out of her lungs. Black dots danced before her eyes, and she felt the lash of the whip like fire across her chest. Gurgling out a cry of pain, Ruby’s body stiffened in agony.
Squinting through tears, Ruby saw Bianca approach, flush with victory. She knew if Bianca got off another spell, it would finish her. She felt around for her whip.
Malevolent pleasure lit Bianca’s face. “I’m going to kill you just like I did the other Chieftains, and you’re going to give me your powers, bitch. I’ll finally have what I’ve been waiting on for years,” she hissed as she edged closer. “You can also kiss your friends goodbye because none of you are walking out of here alive.”
Yes! She closed her hand around her whip. Praying she didn’t miss her mark, Ruby snapped out her whip from her prone position. The leather struck true, wrapping around Bianca’s throat, cutting off her air and spell.
Her eyes widening in shock and fear, Bianca dropped her whip, clawing at the one wrapped around her neck. Ruby struggled to her feet and used the whip to pull Bianca closer. Once she was within striking distance, Ruby laid Bianca out with a right hook. Eyes rolling to the back of her head, the petite witch sank to the ground. Ruby stood over her, her hands on her knees as she fought to catch her breath again.
Blood pounded in her ears, rushing by her eardrums so loudly she couldn’t hear anything but the t
hud of her heart pounding. She lifted her head and squinted into the sunlight.
Sheena, Ocean, and Bretina were in combat with Bianca’s seconds. The giant battled against Bretina like a madman, trying to reach the witch, while Sheena and Ocean easily defeated the other two.
In a matter of minutes, Bretina fell beneath a massive fist as the giant lurched towards Ruby and Bianca. Fear and fury rekindled Ruby’s bloodlust. She went after the giant herself.
They met in the center of the clearing, and his hands latched around her throat as he roared, his spittle spraying over her face. Ruby twisted in his hold, letting gravity take her body down. When he adjusted his hands on her neck, Ruby punched him in the throat and kicked him in the groin with all her strength.
The giant fell to the ground with a loud crash, hands clutching his privates as he gagged and tried to breathe. Sheena rushed over to perform a binding spell on him before Ocean clocked him in the jaw hard enough to knock him out.
“That won’t hold someone his size for long,” she said as she wiped her hand over her forehead.
“Did you guys hear what Bianca said about the other Chieftains?” Ruby asked, still unable to wrap her mind around Bianca’s insane boasting.
Ocean and Sheena nodded. “These guys weren’t going to let us go either. The minute you two began fighting, the wizards start casting spells. This was a planned battle,” Ocean said in disgust.
Bretina was slow to get up, but she dragged herself off the ground, her mouth bleeding and smiling. “I knew you could do it! We just had to put your ass through the ringer first.”
Ruby chuckled tiredly, binding Bianca’s wrists with a piece of rope and gagging her for good measure. “We need to get out of here. I want to drop her off to the other Councilors and start my new life.”
Chapter Thirty-One
“Dammit! Wake up, Lucian!” a voice shouted from a distance.
Groaning and rolling over to pull Ruby back to his side, Lucian ignored the voice, only waking up when he realized Ruby wasn’t in bed. Blinking his eyes open, Lucian looked at the empty pillow next to him.
Lucian jackknifed to his feet, momentarily ignoring Malachi. She was gone. Her boots were gone, and so were her clothes. The only thing remaining was her dog with its legs cocked out and crossed.
“Where is she?” Lucian rasped, fury and worry flooding his system. God help him, if she’d run away again he was going to paddle her ass.
Malachi looked ill at ease and looked away from Lucian’s intense gaze. “She’s dueling with Bianca,” he said softly, his eyes rising to meet Lucian’s again. “They left hours ago and haven’t returned.”
“What!” Lucian roared, his fangs springing forth with the intensity of his rage and terror. Instantly, images of Ruby torn apart or blinded by a spell as Bianca ripped her to shreds danced before his eyes. “Why didn’t you come get me when they left?” he demanded from his brother, picking the shorter man up with one hand and lifting him off the ground.
Instant fury lit Malachi’s face, and he hissed a spell that made Lucian cry out in pain and drop him. “Don’t ever assume because I’ve decided to call you brother means you rule me, Lucian. I was imprisoned in a Watching Wall until just now; otherwise, I would have come to let you know that your hardheaded mate was leaving to fight the wicked bitch of the South.” Malachi was growling by the time he finished, frustration lighting his face.
“They locked you up? Where’s Fallon?” Lucian asked absently, taking a minute to look through the tent flap. It was still daylight, though dusk was approaching.
“The queen made him leave last night. Seems there’s a taboo against incubi entering an Amazon camp and, yes, they locked me up! Three of those women grabbed me and tossed me through the Wall!” his brother answered indignantly.
“Three?” Lucian asked, beginning to plot how he was going to locate his woman and defeat Bianca. He couldn’t believe the crazy Amazon thought she could take on a witch of Council powers by herself. He paced.
“Yeah,” Malachi said huskily. His eyes were unfocused, and it was then Lucian noticed Malachi’s clothes were wrinkled and his hair ruffled.
He stopped, somewhat in awe of his brother. If Ruby was anything to go by, Amazons had voracious sexual appetites. He’d lost count of how many times she’d managed to inflame him the night before. For his brother to have bedded three Amazons was simply…awesome. Lucian shook his head. He needed to concentrate on Ruby, not Malachi’s apparent boundless sexual abilities. Although, Lucian thought, it wouldn’t be bad to learn what his secret was.
“When’s the duel?”
Malachi looked at his watch. “They left several hours ago. She went with Sheena, her grandmother, and one of her aunts. No one seems concerned and, in fact, they’re out there preparing a shield and totem for the hall bearing Ruby’s name and exploits.” He laughed loudly. “I think there might even be a spot on them detailing her capture of a vampire male in his prime who is so enamored of Ruby Blue that he would enter an Amazon camp unarmed.”
Lucian punched Malachi in the chest to hide the blush in his cheeks. “Shut up. Where’s the duel? Wait, why is Ruby fighting a duel with Bianca?” he suddenly asked, his mind trying to work out how Ruby knew who the corrupt councilor was.
Malachi shrugged, shaking off Lucian’s blow. “Not sure exactly, but I think Bianca confronted the Chieftain when she was imprisoned and began bragging. Bianca isn’t always the brightest bulb in the pack, you know.”
Ruby had known Bianca was planning to kill her, and she’d formed a preemptive strike by calling the Oculum out in a duel. It was a brilliant move, he grudgingly decided. If Ruby could defeat Bianca, then she would clean up a mess most of Council hadn’t realized existed. But Lucian was more concerned with what would happen if Ruby lost. Bianca was determined to take Ruby’s powers and the only way to do that was to kill her.
His hands clenched in frustrated fear. He needed to find his mate.
“Where's the duel?”
“Somewhere in the Tunica Hills,” Malachi said absently as he pulled open his shirt and looked at his chest.
He was covered in bite and fingernail marks. Lucian couldn’t help the chortle that escaped as it helped release some of his anger and frustration.
Malachi blushed and hurriedly closed his shirt. “Does your mate, you know…” he trailed off.
Lucian pulled the hair away from his neck, showing Malachi the heavy bruising around a perfect set of his mate’s teeth. “What can I say? My mate thinks I’m delicious.”
They both laughed, though neither of them could shake the feeling that they might’ve missed out on something important.
Just then, Lucian’s phone suddenly blared “Highway to Hell” and he picked up, knowing it was Nila. “What happened?” he barked into the cell as he hurriedly threw on his clothes.
The demon sniffed. “We just had a phone call from the Chieftain. She said she bagged some baddies and wants to give them to us since she doesn’t have room on her trophy wall for all the heads. What does that mean?”
Lucian sank onto the bed, his body depleted of strength. Malachi hurried forward, his face going white until Lucian waved his hand reassuringly. God, she’d lived. His mate had taken on the Oculum all by herself and was trying to dump her burden off to Council.
“I meant to call one of you guys yesterday, but time, uh, got away from me,” Lucian admitted sheepishly, thinking about just how time had gotten away from him. His life-mate had taken care of her own problem without interference from him.
Something began to creep into his mind then. Doubt. Doubt that he was strong enough to take care of her. Doubt that she needed him as much as he needed her. She’d climbed from their bed strong enough to fight Bianca and defeat her while he slept like a baby. Nausea churned in his stomach. His mate didn’t need him. She was her own woman and always had been. He’d simply been too blind to see it.
* * * *
Malachi took the phone from Lucian, noting his pa
le face and stunned expression. Putting it to his ear, he calmly explained the situation to Nila. Something was wrong with Lucian, and he wanted to get off the phone to find out what it was.
“I cannot believe you two went off without first clearing it with us!” Nila was screeching at him, her fury just as potent as it’d been when they were cadets at the Guild Academy. She’d had a chip on her shoulder since day one, and it looked like that hadn’t changed. “And you,” she continued scathingly. “You’re his brother? I’m calling the other councilors to let them know about the Oculum’s activities and I expect you both to be there when she’s presented. We’ll send a portal.”
“Nila,” Malachi began soothingly only to hear the phone click. Well, that hadn’t gone as well he could’ve hoped. She was probably still pissed about him scoring higher than her on the Demonology Defense final, not to mention his little stint as the Eturian general.
He turned to his brother, who sat staring into space, his expression dead. “Lucian, what happened?” he asked as gently as he could. Gah, he thought disgustedly, who would’ve ever thought he even knew how to be gentle?
Lucian’s eyes flickered briefly as they met his own. “She doesn’t need me, Malachi. She’s never needed me, and now that the real threat against her is over, she’ll leave me.”
Malachi ran a hand over his face, sighing tiredly. “She isn’t like most of the women in your circle, Lucian. She’s an Amazon Chieftain. She was born to be independent, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t care about you.” He felt like such a sap talking about feelings and stuff, but he couldn’t bear the hurt on his brother’s face.
