Masters of the Hunt: Fated and Forbidden

by Sarra Cannon

  “Do you know how long she waited for me?”

  “Not exactly. From the sound of the tale she told us, at least a couple hundred years.”

  Aislinn sucked in a surprised breath and blew it out in a whoosh. “That’s a hell of a long time before the last Surge—”

  “I keep trying to tell you. The Convergence and Surges are a really small part of what’s happening right now. Think bigger, Aislinn.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “The key to survival is focusing on the right things. Never forget that. Now come on. We have work to do.”

  Chapter 21

  “Got it!” Aislinn exclaimed. “Damn. I finally hit something.”

  Dewi chortled, banked, and suggested, “Try another. We want to make sure it wasn’t just a stroke of luck.”

  The dragon had returned hours ago. They’d been in the air for most of that time. So long that light was fading from the day. Aislinn pressed her legs into the dragon’s sides. She’d gotten better at balancing without having to hang onto Dewi’s horns, but it wasn’t easy lobbing magic at a target when you were on the move. If it weren’t for the marksmanship inherent in the Hunter gift, she didn’t think she’d be able to hit the broad side of a barn.

  As the dragon circled, getting ready for another pass, Aislinn’s thoughts drifted. After she and Fionn made love, he’d joined his magic to hers. Sex seemed to fuel the linkage, because they’d accomplished even more than with their first round of warning visits. Aislinn was coming to appreciate the Seer gift. It was by far the most powerful of the five, because if the wielder was strong enough, they could truly turn back time.

  She lost count of how many humans they reached before Fionn called her back. Body and soul reunited in the bedroom, she’d been so weary she stumbled and had to grab onto a chair so she wouldn’t fall. She’d looked longingly at her bed, but Gwydion stood in the bedroom doorway, beckoning her.

  “What? Is the dragon back already?”

  “Spent a wee spot of time in that bed, did ye?” the warrior magician had inquired archly. “Ye needn’t answer that, lass. I smell sex in the air.”

  She colored. “That happened hours ago. I was looking at the bed because I’m tired.”

  “Doesna matter. I have a sharp nose. And eyes, too. Come. Dewi is many things, but patient isna one of them.”

  “Gwydion said that, did he?” Dewi’s voice was sharp.

  Jerked back to the present, Aislinn muttered, “If you don’t like what you find in my head, stay out of it.”

  The dragon snorted. “I see what is in your mind. All of it. Fionn is a comely thing. Maybe I will invite him to my bed.”

  Aislinn was shocked at the pang of jealousy that shot through her. Fionn was hers. No other woman—

  “We could share,” Dewi suggested roguishly.

  “Over my dead body. There, I hit the target again. Look.”

  “I have always shared what the MacLochlainn values,” the dragon went on smoothly.

  “Not this time.” Aislinn ground her teeth together. She lobbed another jolt of magic. It hit home, dead center on one of the targets the men had set for her.

  “Do it one more time,” Dewi challenged, “and I might reconsider.”

  “There.” Aislinn loosed magic. “Twice. See, I hit that one and the one right next to it.”

  “Very good, Daughter. Now listen to me. Anger is the key. Not too much. But the right amount fires your magic, makes it potent. I don’t really want your man.” Dewi huffed laughter into the air, blowing smoke so thick Aislinn could barely see. “But I made you angry, and your aim improved.”

  Aislinn gripped the dragon’s horns and tried shaking them. Her aim had gotten better before the dragon baited her. If Dewi wanted anger, she’d... “Oh my God, look.” Argument forgotten, she pointed. Humans poured into the yard, popping out from jumps from God only knew where. “Put me down, Dewi. I need to greet them. And reassure them, too.”

  “Do you truly believe arriving on a dragon’s back will reassure anyone?”

  Aislinn chuckled. Her giggles morphed into a deep belly laugh. “Now that you mention it, probably not. But it’s one more reason to get me on the ground.”

  “You have half an hour. Then we will have another practice round.” Dewi began the tight circles that would return them to Earth. “Remember, this will be much harder when the enemy is spread beneath us, trying to shoot me out of the air and you off my back.”

  She’d been spotted. Humans queued in knots, pointing at the sky, hands raised to call magic. Though it was nearly full dark, Dewi glowed, shedding enough light for Aislinn to see clearly. Fionn, Bran, Gwydion, and Arawn moved among the people, probably trying to calm them. Somehow, Aislinn didn’t think the Celts would engender much more in the way of comfort than Dewi.

  The dragon touched down. Reaching back, she helped Aislinn dismount and then folded her wings behind her and shut her whirling eyes. “I shall rest. See that I’m not disturbed.”

  “Did you really mobilize others to join the fight against the dark?”

  Dewi opened one eye. “Of course. Now leave me be.”

  Aislinn wanted to ask where the other Celts were. It would be good information to share with the humans flooding Marta’s yard. She considered telling Dewi she could find better places for a nap than a yard teeming with new arrivals, but she bit her tongue. After a final, pleased glance at targets she’d hit dead center every time, she moved toward one corner of what was rapidly becoming a crowd.

  Probably should’ve sat with the men and come up with a strategy… Aislinn realized they hadn’t done so because none of them truly believed her frantic call to arms would yield more than a few stragglers. Enough humans crowded into the yard to really make a difference, and more were arriving every minute. Hundreds milled about, spilling onto the country road bordering Marta’s house.

  “Aislinn.”

  She spun, hearing her name. Travis loped to her, civet at his heels. She hugged him and said, “I’m so glad you’re still alive.”

  “I thought it was you when I heard the message to assemble here. The Hunter who told me said your sending was pretty insubstantial, but he got the red hair and golden eyes right. You’re the only one I know who looks like that.” He gestured toward Dewi’s bulk. “What’s with the dragon? Are you a Hunter now, too?”

  If you only knew the half of it…

  “She is, and I am her bondmate.” Rune emerged from the shadows under the back porch steps and trotted over. “Not that reptile over there.”

  The civet hissed. Rune growled back.

  Travis rolled his eyes and clucked to the civet. “She doesn’t like me to talk to other bond animals.” He shifted his gaze to Aislinn, his brown eyes glowing with pleasure. “I’d been hoping I’d run into you again...”

  Fionn materialized at her other side, with Bella perched on his shoulder. “Aislinn, ye need to be coming with me, lass. Gwydion is trying to organize them so ye can talk to small groups.”

  “Who’s this joker?” Travis stepped between them.

  “And I might be asking you the same thing.” Fionn’s blue eyes snapped dangerously.

  Oh, crap. I do not need this.

  Fionn’s penetrating gaze shifted to her. “Friend of yours?”

  “Yes,” she said. “Travis was, ah is, a friend.”

  “Should I be leaving the two of you alone, then?” Fionn inquired much too smoothly.

  Aislinn grimaced at the loaded question. Fionn was trolling for information.

  “Great idea.” Travis smiled, showing lots of teeth.

  The civet hissed again. Bella shrieked and batted the air with her wings.

  “No,” Aislinn cried and stepped back from all of them. She was so tired her eyes ached in their sockets. Inhaling sharply, she watched both men. They circled one another, practically dripping testosterone.

  “I’ve found out lots of things about myself.” She aimed her words at Travis. “One of those things is I have a centuries-old bond
with Fionn Mac—” She bit her tongue. “Uh, never mind.”

  “You don’t even know his damn name,” Travis sneered, “and you haven’t been around for centuries. Give it a break, Aislinn. If you decided fucking me was a mistake, just tell me and be done with it.” Hurt ran beneath his words.

  She felt terrible. She’d never wanted to hurt him or anyone else. “I...” she started, but words wouldn’t come. What could she say? Yeah, I liked you fine, but now there’s someone I like a whole lot more?

  Travis stalked off, civet in tow.

  Fionn tipped her chin up with a forefinger and forced her to look at him. “If ye are wanting to follow him, best get on it afore he’s lost in the crowd.”

  Anger brimmed and spilled over. “God damn it! He was just a man I fucked once. I liked him. Okay. But it’s nothing compared with what I feel for you. Pull in your horns. You just carved mine all over me.”

  Shock bloomed on his face, and then Fionn threw back his head and roared. “So I did, lass,” he managed to choke out when he could talk again. “Glad ye recognized it. Follow me.”

  Staggering from weariness, she struggled to keep up. “What would you have done if I’d said Travis was really special?”

  “Killed him.”

  Good to know. She shook her head, sorry she’d asked. Fionn was talking to her, and she’d missed most of it. “Could you repeat that, please? I’m about done in. Wasn’t listening, sorry.”

  He turned to her and scanned her face. With a curt nod, he put a hand on either side of her head. Energy flowed into her. She suckled him like a starving child.

  “Better?” He took his hands away.

  “Much. Thanks. Now, what were you trying to tell me?”

  “What I should have before I got into such a snit seeing you with that Hunter. All of us, Dewi included, drafted a plan while you were riding her—”

  Annoyance surfaced. “Why wasn’t I included?”

  “Because you had enough to think about between flying and target practice.”

  “Hmph.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “What’d you decide without me?”

  He eyed her, but didn’t rise to the bait. “We believe it best to begin with the lesser dark gods, leaving Perrikus and his mother for last. They will be most difficult. Actually, we’re hoping they’ll leave if we can vanquish the other four.”

  “What about the Bal’ta, the wargs—”

  “Not sure.” He cut her off. “’Tis possible they may alter in some way so they’re no longer a threat, once the dark magic fueling them leaves.”

  “How about human hybrids like Marta?”

  He tossed his hands in the air, palms upward. “It’s frustrating because there are many unknowns. Same answer, lass. They’re even more nebulous, since none of us know if there are any more of them.”

  She nodded. It truly was amazing how much better she felt. “What did you do to me back there when you put your hands on my head?”

  A corner of his mouth turned upward. “Fed you. And I will do it again. All ye need. I fear ’twill be a verra long time afore either of us can rest again. Or find comfort in one another’s bodies.”

  Arawn took her arm. “This way. Think carefully afore ye speak. We need their help. None of us had any idea so many would heed the call.”

  Aislinn drew into herself, thinking. She was the one who’d started this particular train down the tracks. It was up to her to keep it from derailing.

  “Do ye want me by your side?” Fionn asked.

  “Always.” The smile she gave him came from her heart.

  Fionn clasped her hand and squeezed.

  Aislinn stood tall. She knew how young she was. She’d have to do something to make them respect her, to gain and hold their attention. Suddenly, she knew what to say. Gwydion had them arranged in groups of about a hundred. Doing a quick nose count, she realized close to a thousand people had come. Her heart soared. They were going to win this war. Earth would be theirs again. She just knew it.

  “Thank you for trusting me enough to come,” she began. “My name is Aislinn Lenear. My father was killed the night of the last globally synchronized Surge. My mother went mad and was herded into the vortex. Over the last three years, nearly everyone I’ve cared about has been killed. When the Old Ones convinced me I was special, that I had magic, I was told I had Mage and Seeker gifts, with Seeker being the weaker of the two.

  “About a month ago, I was ordered to Taltos under the guise that my gifts had come to the attention of the dark and I needed special training. Along the way, I found I had Hunter and Healer gifts as well.” She whistled. Rune walked to her side and stared at the crowd. “This wolf taught me I was a Hunter. He was gravely wounded within the first twenty-four hours after I met him. Desperation helped me discover my Healer gift.

  “Then I met the man standing beside me.” She took a breath. She hadn’t asked Fionn about this part and hoped it would be all right with him. “Against hope and reason, he is Fionn MacCumhaill, the Celtic god of wisdom, creation, protection, and knowledge. Somewhere in the crowd tonight are Gwydion, Bran, and Arawn, more Celtic gods here to offer help. According to the dragon, still more Celts are on their way. Because they live so long, they measure time differently than we do. They were waiting to see what would happen after the dark gods showed up. Well, they’re not waiting any longer.”

  A muted roar rose from the crowd. Aislinn waited for it to die down.

  “According to the Celts, the Lemurians are a dying race. Long before the last Surge, they plotted to overrun Earth, but knew they couldn’t do it alone. They allied themselves with the dark gods and figured out a way to mate with humans. Results from that mating are in the house standing over there. Thank God they’re protected by an enchantment. There may be more Lemurian-human hybrids. Now that we know they exist, we can watch out for them.”

  “How?” someone called.

  “They’re very tall. Like the Old Ones. According to my bond wolf, they smell different.”

  “So our best bet is to team with a Hunter and trust their animals?” a different voice asked.

  “That’s a good start,” Aislinn agreed. “Besides, they’ll stick out like sore thumbs. Not many of us are six-and-a-half feet tall.”

  “Go on,” someone shouted.

  “Yes, tell us more.”

  Aislinn threw her hair back over her shoulders. She blew out a breath. This was working, truly working. She had their interest. They believed her. She’d been so worried they’d turn away.

  “The Celts think we should target D’Chel, Tokhots, Slototh, or Adva.” Her stomach roiled. The names of evil rolling off her tongue sickened her. Fionn grabbed her hand. His touch calmed her, and the nausea subsided. “Sorry,” she said. “Their names make me feel like I’ve eaten poison.”

  A sympathetic murmur rose from the crowd.

  “What about their minions?” a voice called.

  “The truth is, we don’t know,” Aislinn answered, aiming for absolute accuracy. “Without their dark masters, they may lose enough power that they’re no longer a threat. Or they may leave.”

  “What about Perrikus and that mother of his?” It sounded like the same voice.

  Aislinn peered into the crowd, but couldn’t see who’d spoken.

  “We save them for last.”

  “But if we killed them first,” the voice argued, “the others might pack up and go. There are only two of them and four of the others.”

  A low murmur swept through the group, rising in intensity. The crowd seemed of two minds.

  Fionn raised his hands. “Quiet.” His American voice was back. “In the first place, killing the dark gods will be very difficult. They have a nasty habit of not staying dead, even when you’ve driven a stake through their heart.”

  “How do you know?” someone asked.

  “Did you do that?” another chimed in.

  “The short answer is yes. When I was certain the bastard was dead, I made the mistake of retracti
ng my wards.” Fionn shrugged. “I have a hell of a scar. Would anyone like to see?”

  Aislinn visualized the thick white line traveling from the midpoint of Fionn’s chest down to his pubis. She’d wondered how he’d gotten it. Good God, it was a miracle he hadn’t faded away to the Dreaming or wherever the Celtic gods went once they’d been gravely wounded.

  Once the laughter and ribald commentary—mostly from the women—that followed Fionn’s question died down, Aislinn started talking again. “What I haven’t told you yet is that my mother was descended from Irish kings. Apparently, she was supposed to remain in Ireland and produce an heir for the MacLochlainn line. Instead, she fell in love with my father and skipped across the Atlantic.” She spread her hands in front of her. “My fate found me anyway. And that fate includes the dragon napping over there. She will battle the dark for us with me on her back.”

  A cheer obliterated her next words. Aislinn’s heart thudded against her chest. She’d always been an intensely private person. To share so much was harder than she’d ever imagined it would be.

  “Ye’re doing fine,” Fionn whispered against her ear. “In fact, ye may be done.”

  Aislinn recognized wisdom in his words. She’d sat through lots of speeches that had gone on far too long. When the crowd settled, she said, “That’s really about all. We will decide where to strike first, travel there in small groups to maintain the advantage of surprise for as long as possible, and do our damnedest to get our planet back.”

  The applause was thunderous. Aislinn wondered who hadn’t heard her and how many times she’d have to go over the same ground. Gwydion led her to another group, and she began anew. It wasn’t as bad as she feared. Anxious to hear, people crowded together. In all, she only had to deliver her message five times. Rune stuck to her through the hours she stood on her feet talking. She could tell he was tired, but he never sat down. During a lull, she asked how he was. He licked her face and told her he was proud of her.