by India Kells
Valeria woke up with a start when she felt the wolf gently pulling out of her. His arm was still around her waist, and she didn’t dare to breathe in fear of breaking the moment. Unfortunately, it didn’t last as she heard hurried footsteps down the hall followed by frantic knocks on the bedroom door.
“Are you in there? Damn it!! Come quick, Ian has escaped.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
It took a moment for Valeria to react when her jailer bolted quickly out of the room. And from what she could understand, Ian had been the dark predator who attacked her earlier. As there was nothing she could do about the situation, she decided to jump into the shower before stealing another shirt and retrieving her pants, and cleaning up the room. The moon was high when she finally sat down in the leather chair and retrieved her book. The tray was still there, but the tea and broth were cold. For one moment, she extended her hand, ready to heat the food, but stopped herself just as she willed her power into her hand. What the hell was she doing?
Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the cold cup and a few crackers. Surprisingly, her tummy grumbled. She took one bite, then another, and a sip of cold black tea, which didn’t taste so bad, before taking another cracker. After the tea, she finished the cold broth and sighed. Her head was clearer, the hunger and lust had left the building, and she fully realized what had happened in the last hour. She had sex with her captor. A handsome, sexy and blonde god, but her captor nonetheless. Was it what they called Stockholm syndrome? What a weird mess. Why did she do it? Why did her body betray her?
Valeria grabbed her book from the table and settled back in the chair when someone knocked on the door. She hesitated. Was she supposed to answer? Wasn’t the door supposed to be locked from the outside?
She waited for another knock, but the door quietly opened. Ellen peeked inside.
“May we come in?”
Valeria frowned at the strange question.
Without waiting for her answer, Ellen came in, followed by … what’s her name? The fae she had seen just minutes before the attack. Genevieve, right? The fae woman hesitated before floating into the room as Ellen closed the door behind them.
“We don’t have a lot of time, witch. The guard at your door will come back soon.”
Valeria looked at both women beside her chair, both standing, and both hesitating.
“Hello. May I help you?”
Ellen beamed. “Precisely what I wanted to hear.” She sat on the bed and grabbed Genevieve’s hand, pulling her beside her. “Genevieve had come to see you. We need your help.”
“Ellen, I’m so sorry, but I can’t help Genevieve. She’s already requested my help. I know all about her daughter, and I’m very sorry. If I could…”
“But you haven’t seen her! You cannot know if you can help or not!”
Genevieve, pale as a ghost, her gaze so dark and filled with pain, came to her and touched her hand. “Please, come and see Maya. I’m not lying to you. Our healers couldn’t find anything wrong with her. She’s fading away, and I cannot do anything about it.” Tears started to roll down her cheeks, her voice shaking.
Shit. Valeria didn’t know if it was a trick or a trap, but she couldn’t do nothing. “How can you even trust me? You don’t know me. And let me remind you that your leader won’t allow me to leave this room. You’ll get into big trouble. And me too!”
Genevieve’s face dropped, and Valeria got to her feet. “But you’re lucky, I’m ready for some trouble.”
Ellen clapped her hands in glee and Genevieve grasped Valeria’s hand to the point of pain. There was so much hope in their eyes, she had to warn them. “Ladies, I can’t promise anything.”
“That’s all we ask.” Ellen caught her other hand and pulled them both out of the room. She took a quick glance, before silently walking down the hall. Valeria hadn’t seen that part of the house. It appeared huge and quite old, with lots of dark wood and thick carpets. They went up one flight of stairs to another corridor, other doors, until they reached the end of the hall, facing double doors. Ellen made a sign to keep quiet as she peeped inside, before ushering them all in.
The room was large, filled with tiny twirling lights on the ceiling. The walls were adorned with painted mythical creatures frolicking on green hills and woods. And on the end wall, a bed. And on the bed, a little fae girl, sleeping. Pale as a ghost. But the more she came closer, the more Valeria doubted her own eyes. The little girl lying on the frilly pink bed was translucent. Exactly like a ghost. But unlike a spirit, she was still solid, the sheets and blanket following the contours of her fragile form.
“What happened to her?” Valeria murmured her question in a low voice, trying to avoid waking the little girl.
Genevieve came around her and sat on the bed beside her daughter. The little girl didn’t even stir.
“We don’t know. When she was born, she was like any other child. The more she grew and aged, though, something seemed off. She had terrible nightmares and grew tired very quickly. None of our healers know what ailed her. Then, I tried to reach out to others. I heard that wizards have great healing powers, but none wanted to help me.”
“Why?”
Genevieve turned her head and smiled sadly. “It has always been like that, apart from within a sanctuary, our people do not mix.”
Valeria crossed her arms and refrained from commenting. She knew too well how each clan barely tolerated each other. Of course, they talked during the High Council, but trade secrets were not shared. Helping other species of the realm was considered as weakening their own.
As she stared at little Maya, Valeria yearned for her own mother. Ann knew so much more about healing than her. And especially now, as she couldn’t even use her powers, how could she be of any help?
Valeria came closer to Maya and sensed a strange vibe coming from her small body. Something was amiss. Not a curse, it wasn’t that dark. Not an illness, it didn’t feel like it. It was more like an internal battle. Something, some sort of energy was playing tug of war inside her. Carefully, she sat on the other side of the bed. Another thing Valeria found strange was how her own magic didn’t read fae. Well, not completely. It was like she had a fae inside her, but also something else.
“Genevieve … you’re her mother. Who is her father?”
Ellen gasped behind them, but Valeria kept her gaze on Genevieve. The fae hesitated and then stared up at her. Fear poured out of the woman; fear and incredible determination.
“Her father is not fae.” The voice was small, but she was telling the truth.
“What was he, Genevieve?” Valeria hated pushing, but if her suspicion was right, it could change what she could actually do or not do.
“If I tell you…” Her voice broke, and Ellen came to her, laying a hand on her shoulder.
“Tell her, Genni. It’s our last chance.” When the fae sobbed some more, it was Ellen who finally answered her question. “He was a wizard.”
Wizard blood. No wonder the little girl was suffering. Two very different and very powerful types of magic were battling for her control. Not that interspecies children were impossible, but it required concrete actions to protect their development. Her mother had told her many stories from her time in a gypsy community. Many times, away from official covens, children were born to humans and even magical species. They were shunned from society and often left to die. Her mother didn’t approve and helped them out, saving as many as she could.
“Okay, here is what we can do…”
But before she could say another word, the door crashed open, flying into the room. Valeria’s heart stopped when she saw the dark man who had attacked her earlier. The same caramel eyes and dark beard, the same murderous stare. He stood in the doorway, breathing hard, hunched for the assault. From the corner of her eye, Valeria saw Genevieve shielding Maya, who was now awake. The shifter, Ian, took two steps in her direction, growling. She saw Ellen silently flee the room, hopefully, to get help. Valeria was trapped, unable to use her power
s here. It was too dangerous with the fae so close. She moved back, in time with each of his steps forward until she was flat against the wall, as far away from the bed as she could possibly be. The predator moved fast, grabbing her throat with a single hand, squeezing.
“I’ve found you, witch. You will pay for the others. You will pay for all the suffering you’ve inflicted and those of your ancestors.”
His roar echoed through her body. She could barely breathe, tears streaming down her cheeks. Over her attacker’s shoulder, she saw Ellen and the ginger-haired man, she assumed this was Robert, running into the room with the blonde werewolf. All three crouched, but Ian yelled at them to stop.
“Come closer, and I rip her throat out!”
The blonde wolf took another step, and Ian growled menacingly.
“That includes you, Asher.”
Asher. Fighting through waves of unconsciousness, Valeria was glad to finally know his name. The knowledge made her almost giddy, or was it the lack of oxygen?
She was close to giving up when she felt someone move closer. Maya. Maya, with an ethereal smile on her face, came to stand beside Ian and pulled his shirt, beckoning him to look down at her. Valeria risked a glance to Genevieve who nodded.
Ian gaped down at the little girl and blinked. “Maya?”
The little fae giggled. “You sound like a bear when you say my name like that, Ian.”
“Go away, Maya. Go to your mother and leave.”
Maya pulled again on his shirt. “No Ian, you can’t kill her. She knows how to cure me. Don’t kill her, Mommy will be so sad.”
Valeria wasn’t sure what happened. One moment, she was seeing white dots in her vision, the next, she was on her knees, trying to gulp air through her raw windpipe. Coughing and wheezing, it took her a moment to register the fight happening beside her. When she could finally look, she saw Asher and Robert taking Ian out of the room.
“Wait! Let him go!” Whoa, was that her voice? She sounded as if she had smoked nonstop for the last two years. “Please, let him stay.”
Asher stopped, staring at her in disbelief. “You do realize he tried to kill you, twice. And worst of all, he disobeyed my direct order. He’s going in a cage until I decide what to do with him.”
Ellen helped Valeria to stand up. “I know. But he feared for Maya and listened to her. I want him to stay while I help her. That way, he’ll calm down, won’t you, Ian?”
Ian turned to her and then looked at Maya, now sitting on her mother’s lap on the bed.
“You care about Maya, don’t you, Ian? I just want to prove to you that I won’t hurt her.”
“Witches are liars.” The words came out of his mouth, half spit, half snarl, but Valeria wasn’t deterred.
“Not all of us. And I’m going to prove it to you.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
If she had wanted to, Valeria could have cut the tension in the room with a knife.
Asher made a growling sound at Ian who hunched his shoulders, definitely in submission mode. If she had any doubts now, she had proof of the Alpha in front of her, his blue eyes like laser beams ready to slice her into pieces. “You can help Maya? Are you sure of that?” His question was laced with doubt and menace. And she couldn’t blame him.
“I think I have a solution, which is danger-free for Maya. In fact, Maya is the one who has the power in this particular case.”
Genevieve squinted at her as if she had spoken nonsense. Maya’s focus was solely on her. Valeria sat on the other side of the bed.
“Maya, I think there are two types of magic fighting inside you, each of them wanting to take control. You have to relinquish one of them.”
The little girl blinked several times in curiosity, her big dark eyes, much like her mother’s. She was so adorable, it made Valeria smile. “How do I do that?”
“Well, you choose, and you focus, and when you’re ready, you pour the magic out, into me. I’ll absorb what you reject, so it won’t try to come back inside you.”
Maya turned to her mother. “Will it hurt, Mommy?”
It was Genevieve’s turn to blink and Valeria saw the fae in front of her processing the information. When she finally understood the repercussions, her eyes widened, and Valeria made a discreet sign for her to stay silent. It was improbable that the shifters in this room would understand the implications of magic transfers. One way or another, Maya would survive, her body embracing either the fae or witch magic inside her. The actual danger was only for Valeria. If she absorbed the witch power, she would be able to manage it. If it was the fae, her body wouldn’t be able to survive. Genevieve clearly understood the risk.
“Are you sure?” Genevieve’s voice held the mother of all understatements.
Valeria nodded and smiled. “Maya is worth the effort, whatever the outcome. And I’m glad to be of service.”
“Mommy, you haven’t answered me! Answer me, Mommy.” Valeria grinned at the young girl’s impatience.
“No, my flower, it won’t hurt you.” Genevieve’s gaze never left Valeria, seeking reassurance.
Valeria winked at the little girl. “The next step is easy, Maya. You come closer, you place your hands on both sides of my face, and you close your eyes. When they’re closed, you concentrate very hard and release the magic you don’t want, the one that makes you sick inside, as you exhale. I will inhale it, and you will be healed. Do you understand?”
The little girl nodded and scooted closer to her on the bed. Valeria didn’t risk a glance at the four shifters, silent as statues in the room. The tension was thick as stone, and she feared she would betray herself or frighten Maya if she only but turned her head.
The little girl smiled brightly and cupped her cheeks, staring deep into her eyes. Her little hands were cold. Genevieve was right; she would die soon without help. As Maya inhaled and concentrated, Valeria prayed to her mother and all her ancestors for the little girl to be alright.
As Maya exhaled, Valeria parted her lips and inhaled. It had been a while since magic flowed into her and swirled into her veins like that. The magic was potent and vigorous, and it started to burn like the fires of Hell. She concentrated and kept the connection, letting Maya empty herself completely. When it was done, Valeria felt as if she was on fire, being consumed from the inside. Valeria heard Maya’s cry of joy, saw the smile on Genevieve’s face and the surprised expression of Ian before she doubled over, holding her stomach. Arms were on her, and she pushed them away, screaming to be left alone.
Was it over? Did Maya pour Fae magic inside her? Time passed, and she prayed in silence for it to end quickly. It felt as if the power swirling in her veins was trying to find its place within her own already full cells. Then, it settled, stretching and receding before it made itself known. Witch magic. Thank heavens! Even stranger was that she recognized this magic. It was someone she knew but couldn’t quite remember as the magic was diluted with Genevieve and Maya’s energy. The pain ebbed at an excruciatingly slow pace. When she could finally draw a full breath, and the heat left her body, Valeria realized she was on her knees on the floor, holding her middle and slowly rocking back and forth. She let herself fall on her side and closed her eyes in silent thanks for a moment. When she opened them up again, she was surrounded by worried faces. The shifters were unsure, looking down at her with waiting expressions.
“How is Maya?”
At the sound of her raw voice, the little girl jumped out of bed and crawled to her. She was opaque when Valeria gathered her in her arms. She hugged her tight before the little girl pulled back. “Are you alright?” Her whisper made her smile.
“Yeah, I’m okay now. You pack quite a punch, little lady, I didn’t see you coming.”
Maya winked. “I kept the fairy magic. Is that okay with you?”
Valeria nodded. “Oh yeah.” The little girl laughed and jumped back on the bed and into her mother’s arms.
A hand came in her line of vision. Asher’s. “Can you stand up?”
V
aleria couldn’t detect his mood but took his hand, unsure how her legs would fare. “Care to explain what that was all about?”
She wobbled to her feet and peeked at Genevieve holding her daughter tightly against her chest, tears running down in an endless flow.
“I can explain, but maybe we should do it somewhere else.”
Asher nodded and grabbed her arm, leading her out of the room. The five of them headed downstairs, and she thought they would go back to Asher’s room. The hold of the Alpha was almost bruising, and she suspected he was holding back his temper for later. Just for her.
At the bottom of the staircase, they rounded the corner, and it opened up into a large kitchen with a wide wooden table and huge windows, overlooking a clearing illuminated by moonlight. It was empty for the time being, but it could welcome a lot of people comfortably. She compared it to the Lancaster dinner table that was just as big and gleamed with polished wood but was always empty and cold.
Asher stopped in the open space between the kitchen island and the window, turning to her. “Now witch, speak. What did you do to Maya up there? Is she really healed?”
Ian remained silent, Robert hovering nearby. Ellen just stood by her mate’s side.
“I didn’t do anything. I only guided Maya. It was a possibility that worked, that’s all.”
