Maven Warrior: Dark Warrior Alliance Book 20

by Brenda Trim

  A snapping jaw was a scant inch from her face. The Batolf’s breath smelled like day-old meat and made her gag. Needing fresh air, she pushed it with all her might and jumped to her feet at the same time.

  Donovan rushed by her and tackled the Batolf before she could make another move. Knights were swooping down from the air and lifting dead Buggane almost as soon as they were downed. A quick glance to her right told her there were no more enemies coming through the treeline. They were winning the battle, and she wouldn’t need to summon Ramiel.

  As she got to her feet, her senses were assailed by a horrible stench. Piles of Buggane poo were everywhere. It was disgusting, and her skin shuddered as she imagined it all over her body. Ew! If she had to guess the reason for the dead plant life in that area, she’d say Angus couldn’t heal the land because these creatures continued to defecate the surface. This place was being used as their dumping ground, literally. She made a mental note to share her theory with Angus.

  They should’ve expected something like that given the Unseelie’s obsessive need to destroy all life. Angus told her that Cyril created each creature for the purpose of taking everything he could from Angus. As the Unseelie King, Cyril was capable of magic that none of them truly understood. Of course, he could program his beasts to destroy that which fueled Cuelebre dragons. As land Dragons, the Cuelebre had a tight bond with the earth.

  Panting, Donovan kicked the dead Batolf with a snarl. There was definitely fire in his heart. He was going to be a fierce warrior one day, and she couldn’t take her eyes off him. The sight of Donovan covered in blood and bruises while baring his teeth and kicking his enemy did something to Izzy that she didn’t fully comprehend.

  Lately, she’d been changing and feeling things that made no sense to her. She noticed things like Troy’s muscled chest and Blaze’s smile and Donovan’s backside. There was even a time when she had the urge to kiss Troy. But, the second Donovan entered the room she felt as if she’d done something wrong and lowered her head in shame.

  Tears filled her eyes as she once again wished her mother was there with them so she could ask her what was happening. Izzy wasn’t close enough to ask Keira, and she had so many questions. Maybe she could ask Isis. Then again, she was Donovan’s stepmom and might tell him what they discussed.

  “Are you okay?” Blaze asked.

  Taking a deep breath, Izzy ran her hands down her face, wiping away any evidence of her emotions before looking up at Blaze. “I’m good. I think the reason the land won’t heal is that the Buggane are using it as their toilet,” she divulged and pointed to the heaping mounds of smelly dung.

  “Fuck,” Angus blurted from right behind her. The loud curse made her jump and turn around to face the king. “You know, Isobel. I hadna considered that before, but I think you’re right.”

  One of the Máahes swooped so close to them to grab an enemy and carry it away that it blew Izzy’s shirt up. She didn’t miss the way Troy’s gaze widened or the fact that Donovan stepped in front of her to prevent Troy from seeing more. She quickly stuffed her t-shirt into the waistband of her jeans as heat diffused her cheeks.

  She ignored the embarrassing situation and turned to Angus. “I had to push my energy deep into the planet to find any sign of life, and then call it to the surface.”

  Clearly, the king was oblivious to the whole thing as he scanned the barren earth. “My connection to Gaia doesna work that way. I would never wish the danger demons in your realm pose to you, lass, but Fate brought you to us for a reason. I believe it was to help me restore Khoth, and I am beyond thankful to the Gods and your Goddess for their intervention.”

  “My parents would agree with you. They’ve always said that higher powers are directing our lives. If we work together, I think the two of us can heal the land and prevent the Buggane from poisoning it further,” she said to Angus.

  Izzy and the king pooled their powers and worked on the soil while the knights blew their fire across the piles of feces, turning it to ash. Before long, grass and tiny flowers covered an area that only minutes ago was dry, cracked dirt. Her heart swelled with pride at their progress, and the fact that she helped to restore the land.

  As they headed back to the castle, Izzy wondered if it would be awful to ask her mom to come for a brief visit. She imagined her belly getting bigger as the baby grew. Plus, she wanted to tell her about her premonition. And, ask her why she was feeling different toward her male friends. Her mind was all over the place, and she didn’t know where to turn.

  Izzy had tried her best to ignore how sad she was without her parents, but she was close to the breaking point, and wouldn’t last much longer without seeing her mother.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “How can I protect my mate if there’s no way to break the compulsion?” Killian asked the council members sitting around the table. He and Teagan were getting closer, and it was going to be impossible to deny his desire to complete the mating for much longer.

  “Shite, Kill. This situation is fucked. We canna find a way to overcome it, and no one wants to resort to Dark magic,” Zander replied.

  Evzen sat forward and clasped his hands on the table. “I don’t know all the ins and outs of compulsion, but I keep thinking about how we can use this connection Teagan has with Crocell.”

  Killian shot to his feet so fast his chair slammed into the wall behind him. “No,” he barked. “I will not use my mate as bait, so get that out of your fucking head right now.”

  Evzen held up his hands and held Killian’s gaze. Anger coursed through his veins, and he knew his eyes were pitch black. “I wasn’t suggesting that we use her, but that doesn’t mean we can’t set a trap.”

  “We talked aboot this before,” Zander blurted. “I think it could work to our advantage.”

  Evzen nodded his agreement. “We can plant false information, and make sure Teagan hears it.”

  “And, have a trap in place when Crocell shows up,” Zander finished.

  “I’m on board as long as my mate isn’t directly involved,” Killian added.

  “She won’t be. All we need to do is have her pass the information along to Crocell,” Evzen explained.

  Killian shook his head. “I see a couple problems with that idea. How do we ensure she doesn’t order Teagan to meet her? And, how do we set a trap when she senses our presence?”

  “Those are the details I haven’t fleshed out yet, but I saw a spell in the Mystik Grimoire to hide supernaturals. We need to make sure that Crocell won’t be able to detect Suvi’s magic in the area.”

  “That doesn’t do anything to keep Teagan safe,” Killian protested.

  “We willna do anything until we can ensure Crocell won’t force Teagan to go with her. Our priority is protecting your mate, Kill. None of us would ever want her placed in danger,” Zander declared, and Killian took several deep breaths to calm his frayed nerves.

  He hoped they could not only free Teagan of Crocell’s influence but also manage to capture and kill the archdemon. They needed to eliminate the biggest threat to their people so families could be reunited, and warriors could sleep better at night.

  “Okay, but we don’t make a move until every contingency is planned for, and I am assured Teagan will be protected.” He prayed that this decision didn’t come back and bite him in the ass.

  “Let’s set up a test to see if Crocell will buy the information Teagan gives her first,” Zander suggested. “There might no’ be a need to go to the trouble of developing an elaborate plan if she refuses to believe your mate.”

  “Crocell has hunted Izzy for years now. We can drop a hint that she’s returning and see what the archdemon does with that,” Killian added, feeling much better about starting here. It gave him time to accept they might need to place Teagan in more danger, he thought as they discussed what they would tell Teagan.

  Teagan watched Killian as he spoke with his friends. Their dinner with Kari was fantastic, and it didn’t bother Teagan one bit that they had t
o keep Kill’s true identity a secret from her best friend. It was kinda like keeping the intimate details to herself. But once they completed the mating and Teagan’s DNA changed, she would no longer age.

  Keeping hidden would not last forever. They either needed to come clean and tell Kari who and what he was, or Teagan had to cut her out of her life forever. The thought made her stomach twist painfully.

  Despite the odds against them with her being under an archdemon’s compulsion, Tea allowed herself to believe they could make it work as long as he and his friends never mentioned anything important around her. She could live with never truly being part of their close-knit group because she would have Kilian, but then she realized how agonizing it would be if she lost Kari.

  Eventually, Killian would pull away from his friends and spend less and less time with them. This was his family. It was never going to work as long as she posed a risk to every supernatural out there.

  “Hey, Teagan,” Mack called out. “I have a present for you.”

  Killian wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her close to him. “What did you make her? Please tell me it’s low-cut. No, wait a minute. I don’t want any other males looking at my mate.”

  Shaking her head, Mack laughed and handed her a sparkly black gift bag. “I hope you don’t mind possessive jackasses. All these alpha males drag their knuckles on the ground, beating their chests while dragging us to their bedrooms.”

  “Hey now,” Killian objected.

  “It’s true, and I love it. It shows me how much you care about me,” Teagan told him. Lifting the bag, she took the tissue paper out. Teal fabric sat neatly folded. Killian took the bag while she reached for the shirt.

  “I have never cared about someone more. You were made for me, Dimples.”

  “I think you have it backwards, Maven. You were made for me,” Teagan replied and held up the shirt. A huge smile spread across her face. It was the shirt Mack spoke of before. In sparkly black letters, it read, Shut Your Blowhole. “Thank you, Mack. I love it.”

  “Now that you have a shirt, you’re one of us,” Elsie added.

  “You’re welcome, Teagan. Welcome to our family of misfits that fit perfectly together,” Mack expressed with a wide grin.

  Teagan laughed with them and excused herself when she saw Suvi enter the kitchen. “Hey there. I was hoping there was something I could commission you to make for me,” she asked the powerful witch.

  “What are you thinking?” Killian asked as he joined them.

  “I was hoping you could give me a spell or potion or something that can make me immune to further compulsion. Is that possible? I know you can’t undo what has already been done, but I don’t want her to make me do anything else.”

  The room had gone silent while she talked to Suvi and tension filled the previously jovial space. “I never considered using a protection charm to block compulsion. The charm acts like a bubble around you, so it would make sense that the archdemon’s orders wouldn’t penetrate past the shield around you.”

  Killian’s hands tightened on her shoulders as he moved behind her. “You’d have to make her think she managed to magic you into doing her bidding. We don’t know what she previously told you. She might’ve already ordered you to jump off a bridge or something.”

  “I can do that,” Teagan promised. She could tell the demon she would do as told.

  “Let me go and enchant a bracelet I have in my car really quick, and I’ll bring it back to you,” Suvi offered.

  “Thank you for your help. What do I owe you?”

  Suvi waved her hand and twined her fingers with her mate’s. It was then that Teagan was able to get a good look at the precious stone embedded in her palm. It was still very odd to think that this stunning female was a witch. “You don’t owe me any money. I’m sure there will come a day that I need a favor.”

  “I’m not sure what I will ever be able to help you with. I’m just a regular human who has a knack for planning parties.”

  “You’re not a regular anything,” Suvi protested. “Besides, being on Killian’s good side can’t hurt. Plus, I like throwing parties, but hate planning them, so I know there will be something I can call on you for.”

  “You’ve got it,” Teagan promised.

  “If we can block her, then Izzy can come home,” Zander murmured after Suvi and her mate headed out of the kitchen. “I want her here before the baby is born. My mate assures me that Izzy needs her as she is entering puberty.”

  Teagan’s head snapped around. “When is she coming home? Will she be moving back here?” Her hands flew to her mouth as soon as the questions were out of her mouth. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she swore she was going to have a stroke if she didn’t get the answers to her questions. Any doubt she had about whether or not she was under compulsion vanished. She didn’t even know Izzy, so why would she care when the girl was returning and where she’d be staying?

  Shaking her head to dispel the need running through her, Teagan forced herself to go against the force driving her actions. “Ignore me. I’m going to leave now.”

  Killian wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his hard chest. “Don’t go yet. We haven’t had dessert yet. Elsie made her famous puddin’ stuff.”

  “It’s best if I don’t hear anything else. I don’t want to be the reason kids are kidnapped and killed,” Teagan told him honestly, trying hard to ignore the pounding in her head. “I’ll call you later.”

  After a quick kiss, Teagan hurried through the door to the kitchen and paused before she threw up on the hardwood floors. Nate wouldn’t like that very much. Neither would the cleaning staff.

  Swallowing down the bile, she stood up and started to head out when she heard Killian’s voice. Tiptoeing back to the portal, she paused and pressed her ear to the wood. Immediately the throbbing and queasiness lifted, and she could think straight.

  “I’m sorry, Kill. We didn’t mean to drive Teagan off,” Elsie murmured. Teagan knew she should turn around and leave, but she couldn’t make her feet move.

  “It’s not your fault. It’s Crocell’s. I hate that such a vile creature can control my mate like that. And, what’s worse is there isn’t anything I can do to help her. I have all this power, yet I’m helpless to keep her safe.” Teagan’s eyes filled with tears when she felt his heartache through their bond. It was the first time in her life someone was genuinely worried for her well-being, and it made her more determined to overcome this somehow.

  “Enough of my problems,” Killian continued. “When did you make arrangements to bring Izzy home? And, do you think that’s the wisest idea?”

  Excitement made Teagan shake as she crouched close to the door, praying they said something else. Biting her tongue to keep from demanding answers, Teagan tried to stand up and leave. She managed to straighten, but Zander’s next words stopped her cold.

  “I called Lachlan yesterday and asked him to make arrangements to have her brought back. I told him we couldna stand to be away from her any longer. Rami said he would talk with the archangels and find out if there was some way to hide her power signature. That’s what signals the archdemons she’s on the planet.”

  Sweat beaded on Teagan’s forehead and poured down her face. It took a significant amount of effort to slide one foot back. A loud bang startled her. While her heart raced in her chest, she took advantage and took off toward the front door before she heard anything else.

  Looking back over her shoulder, she yelped when she bumped into someone. As she started to fall backwards, hands grabbed onto her shoulders and stopped her. Turning her head, she saw that it was Suvi. “Where are you going in such a hurry?”

  “Oh, sorry. I have to get out of here. They started talking about bringing Izzy home, and the demon really wants that information, so I figured it was better if I didn’t listen in.”

  Suvi let go of her and lifted one of her hands then waved a silver necklace in the air. A pink crystal dangled from the chain. “
I won’t keep you then, but wear this at all times. It will protect you.”

  “Will do. Thanks again. I owe you,” Teagan called over her shoulder as she skipped through the double doors. Teagan spotted her car parked to the left and headed toward it while she slipped the necklace over her head.

  Cranking the engine, Teagan headed home. The entire twenty-minute drive she told herself over and over that she would not call Crocell and tell her what she learned. It helped that she tossed her cell phone in the backseat, so she wasn’t able to follow through with the order.

  As soon as she was away from the Dark Warriors, she knew she had to pick up her phone and call the demon. The idea that she was supposed to call an actual archdemon from Hell baffled her. It was like something out of a bad horror movie. If only it were make-believe and she didn’t hold tiny lives in her hand.

  Pulling up to the curb in front of her apartment, she put the car in park, shut it off, then rushed to her front door. All without thinking about the fact that her phone was not in her hand. She made it into her house before she turned around and went back out to her car.

  Cursing under her breath, she grabbed her phone and dialed the number as she walked back into her house. After one ring, a man answered. “Sterling here.”

  “I have information regarding Isobel Tarakesh,” she spouted as if on autopilot. She heard the words coming from her mouth, but it seemed as if someone else was speaking.

  “Hold on,” the guy responded. The sound of a snap startled her. Swiveling around, Teagan checked the night for any danger. Not seeing anything, she hurried back into her apartment and locked the door.

  “Hello, Teagan,” intruded a raspy female voice. The sound grated on her nerves like a tree branch rubbing against a window during a storm.

  “I think you’ll be pleased,” she replied automatically. She wanted to hang up the phone, but her body refused her commands.

  “I’m sure I will, my pet. What did you learn?” The last words were a heavy weight in her head, and words tumbled out of her mouth.