The Seduced

by Cheyenne McCray

  Hawk barely regained his footing before he was forced to face one of the Fomorii, a red beast with at least six arms.

  Keir tore into the fray with the roar of a madman. His dark eyes were like a falcon’s as he ripped through one Fomorii after another.

  That fiery-headed woman-creature continued to watch the scene from a rock. It was as if the being were waiting for something. Waiting to attack?

  Tiernan darted back to Junga, his sword high. As he prepared to swing, a one-eyed purple demon joined the queen, and Tiernan now fought two beasts. Sweat poured down his face and his veins roared with the lust for battle.

  As he took the two demons on, he was grateful Copper and Silver were behind a protective shield.

  He glanced their way. His heart nearly stopped and he almost faltered when he saw their shield vanish.

  The two witches began to fight the demons with their magic.

  * * *

  From behind the shield, Copper and Silver had looked at one another as the battle raged. As one they nodded, raised their hands, and faced the demons.

  They dropped the shield.

  Immediately, blue ropes of power whipped from Silver’s fingers to wrap around a red demon charging Hawk. She jerked the demon off its hind feet.

  Hawk took the opportunity to slice the beast’s head from its shoulders. The demon’s head and body turned to silt.

  Silver wasted no time in snaking her witchcraft around another demon.

  Copper had a difficult time keeping her balance on one foot. She focused intently on her witchcraft. Her confidence rose and she knew she could perform hand magic with the strength of her belief and the power that had grown within her.

  She gathered some of the golden bubbles that floated from her body and formed them into a large ball. Winding her arm, she prepared to use her best softball pitch. She released the spellfire ball.

  It bulleted toward one of the two demons attacking Tiernan and struck one of them. The purple demon’s head burst into fire. With the skill of the finest swordsman, Tiernan beheaded it

  The stench of burning flesh joined the malodor of rotten fish. Copper tasted blood in her mouth and realized she was biting the inside of her cheek.

  No sooner had she released the first pitch than she flung another one, this time straight at the demon queen.

  Junga saw it coming. She leaped through the air, the spellfire barely grazing her back.

  Tiernan pumped his wings and started to go after her, but a great Basilisk rose between them.

  The Basilisk looked like a giant snake, but the thing had a fan of bone and skin like a crown at the back of its head. It was so damned tall—at least two times the height of one of the D’Danann, and as thick around as the circle of runes that Copper still stood in the middle of.

  Tiernan’s sword bounced off the Basilisk’s armor-like scales. Copper’s heart pounded when she saw the green poison dripping from the beast’s fangs as it gnashed them at Tiernan. Copper didn’t know if the poison was deadly to the Fae, but she wasn’t taking any chances.

  Nearly without thought, she had another ball of spellfire in her hands. Gray magic threatened to consume her. She couldn’t let the beast hurt Tiernan.

  At the same time, she couldn’t let the gray magic turn her to the dark. How could she have so carelessly used gray in the past? How could she have been so cocky? She needed to be more careful. To not use it so blindly.

  With all the white magic she could muster, and keeping a tight rein on her gray witchcraft, she pitched the spellfire straight at the Basilisk’s mouth.

  A tremendous flash blinded the beast, giving Tiernan the opportunity to lop off the Basilisk’s head.

  That was the second time she’d saved Tiernan’s ass. But who was counting?

  A green demon roared and leaped at her, diverting her attention. The Fomorii’s several eyes flashed with the red glow in the cavern. Shit. She pitched a spellfire ball at it, but this one bounced off.

  The demon was close now. Too close. Still she drew back to pitch—

  A blade sliced the demon’s head from its body. As the Fomorii fell to the cavern floor in a pile of silt, she saw Tiernan standing on the other side of it, his blade covered in blood. Their eyes met for just a fraction of time before they turned back to the battle.

  Copper pitched again and again. Her magic slammed into two hounds of the Underworld, and she saw Zephyr attacking the hounds, as well. They howled at her magic and his powerful stings. The beasts snapped their jaws at him, but he easily dodged their mouths and stung them again on their faces, their eyelids, their snouts. He traveled from one to the other like a tiny whirlwind. The hounds howled continuously and rubbed at their heads with their paws. They were distracted just enough that two of the D’Danann were able to kill them with ease.

  With two more pitches, Copper brought down another Fomorii that was immediately beheaded by a D’Danann warrior.

  She whirled to fight another demon and came nearly face to snout with Junga. The demon lunged at Copper.

  Copper dropped, rolled, and screamed as she wrenched her ankle again. The pain caused stars to burst behind her eyes.

  Copper didn’t let the agony slow her down. She continued to roll away from Junga at the same time she gathered a spellfire ball in her hands. Her heart slammed against her breastbone as the demon leaped into the air.

  She wasn’t going to have enough space to throw the spellfire ball. Her magic would consume them both. She’d be damned if she’d die without taking the demon out. Resolution filled her and she held the ball in front of her, prepared to die.

  Just as the queen demon made her descent over Copper, an arrow caught Junga in the shoulder. The impact and resulting explosion was so powerful it flung the demon away in mid-leap. She slammed into a stalagmite.

  Instantly Copper recognized the shaft. A Drow arrow.

  In the next moment she was yanked to her feet by a strong hand. Again, she almost passed out from the pain of the pressure on her ankle. Before she had time to process the pain or the hand on her arm, she was flung over a great naked shoulder. Whoever had taken her had the bluish-gray skin of the Dark Elves.

  In no time the Drow warrior deposited Copper on her backside off to the side of the battle. Her gaze shot to her protector. Garran.

  She tried to push herself to her feet, but he put his hand on her shoulder and forced her back down. He gave her an intense look. “I never meant to jeopardize your life, Copper.”

  His features were grim. “This evil—we thought only to release Balor to allow the Drow to walk in daylight once again. Not this. We never wanted to free such creatures.”

  His long silvery-blue hair was wild about his shoulders and his gem-studded metal and leather straps that crisscrossed his broad bare chest glinted in what red light was now in the cavern. He turned away from her and faced Junga.

  She saw the other Drow had joined in the melee against the beasts. Drow arrows pierced demon flesh, the arrows’ diamond-heads exploding.

  Where the arrows ripped the flesh, the wound immediately healed in the Fomorii—unless the arrowhead reached the demon’s heart. Then the diamond-head exploded within that pulsing organ and killed the demon.

  The Sara-creature scowled and began pacing back and forth, glancing at the closed door with fury on her features. Drow arrows exploded in the air around her, not a single one reaching her flesh. The D’Danann who tried to attack her simply rebounded backward as if the being had shielded herself.

  Copper took this all in within a moment. Much of what she realized came from her witch’s intuition.

  When her attention snapped back to Garran, his jaw was clenched as he turned, nocked another arrow in his bow, and aimed it at Junga.

  The demon leaped into the air again, this time directly for Garran. Standing firm, no emotion on his face, he shot his arrow straight toward her chest. Junga twisted her body while in flight. The arrow entered the flesh beneath her forearm and blood splattered as the ti
p exploded in her flesh.

  But it had missed her heart.

  Junga pounced on Garran.

  Slammed him to the floor.

  His head struck with such power that Copper heard a crack. His head fell to the side.

  Junga raised her claws to dig into his flesh.

  A Drow arrow exploded in her hip.

  Naal!

  Garran’s brother stood behind Junga.

  Junga screamed and toppled off Garran. She was to her feet in a fraction of a moment.

  She whirled on Naal and flung him to the cavern floor, his head hitting a huge cone of stalagmite. Before Naal could react, Junga raised her powerful arm.

  Dug her claws into his chest.

  Ripped his heart out.

  And ate it as it still pulsed in her claws.

  Naal’s body disappeared like sparkles of obsidian.

  Horror widened Copper’s eyes and she screamed, “Nooo!” Such fury raged through her, hot and molten, that she gathered the biggest spellfire ball yet.

  She poured all the magic she could into that ball without tipping too close to the dark, wound her arm, and flung it at the demon.

  From her position on the floor she wasn’t able to pitch accurately. The spellfire hit Junga on her side, but it was powerful enough to knock her a good twenty feet away from where Naal had died.

  The demon slammed into a large stalagmite. This one cracked and a huge chunk of it fell onto Junga, striking her temple.

  Junga shook her head as she rose and stumbled as if dizzy.

  Copper pushed herself up and balanced on her left foot. She readied another ball of spellfire.

  The demon glanced from Copper, toward the battle. With one more look of demon hatred at Copper, Junga leaped toward Darkwolf.

  27

  Intent on retrieving his prize, the witch who belonged to him, Darkwolf dropped his shield a second after Silver and Copper released theirs.

  The pain in his broken nose was forgotten as he focused on Silver. Despite the smell of blood, Fomorii, and other stenches, he could swear he caught Silver’s sweet lily scent.

  Her power snaked around a demon and she saved her lover, and then she wrapped another Fomorii with her power.

  Her lover. Darkwolf ground his teeth so hard his jaw hurt. By Balor, how Darkwolf wanted to destroy the D’Danann bastard.

  As she battled, Darkwolf had no doubt Silver’s consciousness was partly focused on him. He reveled in the fact she had to keep giving a part of her attention to him, even if it was to keep her guard up. She knew what he could do to her.

  He glanced to the being that had once been Sara. The creature watched. Waited.

  Its flaming red eyes met Darkwolf’s. Fear slammed into his chest as the eye hanging around his neck told him who or what the being was. The pain in his head grew so intense he almost dropped to his knees.

  The being was Ceithlenn. Balor’s wife.

  No more were Ceithlenn or Sara simply seers. They had united and joined with some evil essence from Underworld. They had become something fierce.

  Dangerous. Deadly.

  Just how dangerous and deadly? And to whom?

  One thing he was certain of, one thing he felt in waves from across the room—Ceithlenn was furious that Balor’s body and soul had not been released from Underworld.

  The battle was going awry. He would have to leave the demons to fend for themselves.

  The Ceithlenn-Sara creature remained untouched by Drow arrows, witches’ magic, or D’Danann swords.

  When he ripped his gaze away from Ceithlenn’s, he focused on his target.

  He would have Silver for his own.

  For the moment, not harried by any of the D’Danann or the Drow traitors who had joined against him, Darkwolf stalked Silver, who was a good fifty feet away. He raised his hands. The power of Balor filled him as he prepared to destroy all that stood in his way.

  Silver whirled to face him. Her features were a mask of hatred. No fear whatsoever.

  Jaw clenched, she gathered a huge ball of spellfire and flung it at him.

  He waved his hand, casually causing the ball to flick to the side. It bounded toward a stalagmite. The cone of minerals exploded on contact.

  Shock flickered across Silver’s face, immediately replaced by determination.

  Junga bounded toward Darkwolf, drool and blood dripping from her fangs.

  “Prepare for transference!” he commanded Junga as she joined him.

  Just as Junga transformed into Elizabeth’s shell, a ball of Copper’s golden spellfire came straight for Junga.

  “You bitch!” Copper shouted as she flung the spellfire.

  The demon-woman dodged, but the magic grazed her cheek, cutting her open like a knife. With a scream she dropped to her knees.

  Copper gathered another ball of spellfire, but held up when Silver shouted something Darkwolf couldn’t hear.

  Darkwolf readied his ropes of magic to once more bind Silver so that he could use the power of transference to take her away with him.

  Instead she stunned him into a momentary stupor.

  She flung up a bluish-purple net of power.

  A net.

  It looked like a fisherman’s net, thick strands crisscrossing one another like a checkerboard.

  He barely had time to throw a shield of protection around Junga and himself before the net encompassed the shield.

  He and Junga—now Elizabeth—were trapped.

  If he released his shield, they would be covered by the net—captured by a witch’s inferior power.

  Darkwolf growled, the sound pouring from his chest like one of the demons. He had no options left. Not this time.

  He glanced at Elizabeth, who was on her knees. She held her hand to her bloody human cheek. His own broken nose ached and blood began pouring down his face again.

  Darkwolf grabbed Elizabeth’s upper arm and prepared himself for transference as he said, “Balor bahamenor.”

  The last thing he saw was the glow of Ceithlenn’s narrowed eyes.

  28

  Copper’s heart ached at Naal’s death, and fury rocked her as Junga and Darkwolf disappeared.

  As soon as they vanished, she hobbled to Garran, who lay still. Her heart stuttered until she saw him move and groan. The bloodied warrior shook his head before he seemed to come to his senses.

  With a shout he pushed himself to his feet at the same time he grasped his bow from the cavern floor.

  Relief poured through Copper. She started to turn back to the battle.

  “Stop!” A tremendous voice boomed through the cavern loud enough to cut through the growls, shrieks, and shouts. The voice shook the room so that rocks and chunks of stalactites rained from the ceiling.

  Copper whipped her head in the direction of the red-eyed, bat-winged, fire-haired being where it had been perched or pacing during the entire battle.

  “I am Ceithlenn, wife and soul of Balor.” Her voice filled the cavern in a tremendous roar. “When the time comes, you will all be extinguished.”

  Due to the power and loudness of the booming voice, more rocks and silt fell from above, one rock grazing Copper’s shoulder.

  The being had everyone’s attention, but the Drow and D’Danann didn’t falter in their attacks. The consummate warriors.

  “Come, my children,” Ceithlenn said. “We will destroy these beings when the time is right. And that will be very soon.”

  With that, the creature held out her arms. Red lightning crackled from her fingertips, creating an arc over everyone.

  A flash like fire engulfed the cavern and Copper flung one of her arms up to protect her eyes. To her surprise there was no heat.

  The red glow dimmed but did not completely leave the cavern.

  When she lowered her arm, the D’Danann, Drow, and witches were staring at one another. All the living Fomorii, Basilisks, creatures she hadn’t recognized, and a three-headed dog had vanished, along with Ceithlenn.

  Garran shouted somet
hing. What the Drow said, Copper wasn’t sure because it was in some strange language, but it sounded pretty much the way she felt.

  Fucking demons.

  Her gut churned. That creature—the being that called itself Ceithlenn—what the hell had been unleashed?

  Copper grimaced as she skip-hopped back to where her sister stood.

  Darkwolf, Junga, and that Ceithlenn creature had fled. The battle was over. For now.

  Silver’s eyes widened as Copper hobbled up to her and she looked at Copper’s ankle. “It’s twice the size of a softball.” Her gaze shot back up to meet Copper’s. “What happened?”

  “I broke it way back in one of the tunnels,” Copper managed to get out through gritted teeth. “Long story.”

  Zephyr buzzed around and around the two of them as Silver knelt at Copper’s feet and held her hands to either side of the swollen ankle.

  She closed her eyes and blue magic began to flow from her palms, sparkling in the air as it moved toward Copper’s ankle and then seeped through her jeans and into her skin.

  Copper’s relief was so great she sagged. She might have fallen if Tiernan hadn’t grabbed her arms from behind and then folded her into his embrace.

  She immediately caught his scent of leather and wind. It was mixed with the added smells of blood and sweat. She recognized the strength of his embrace and the way he held her.

  She wanted to melt against him, but instead she pulled herself away. Her heart ached too much to let him hold her. The movement caused more pain to rip through her ankle and she saw a few stars again.

  “Be still.” Silver frowned at Copper then went back to pouring her healing magic into Copper’s ankle. Silver wouldn’t be able to repair broken bones, but she could ease the pain.

  And that was enough relief that Copper felt she could manage until the bones could be set.

  Copper was completely aware of the man who held her, as Silver addressed her ankle.

  Tiernan rubbed her upper arms in a soothing manner. He spoke soft words in Gaelic, but she didn’t even care what he was saying. She had to shield her heart from him.