by Sasha Parker
The men had gone out to patrol the grounds while the women all hung out at the pool. They listened to music and talked about life. They avoided all things magick and about the upcoming battles they had been warned about. They just enjoyed each other's company and had a good time.
Later that afternoon, they decided they wanted to picnic near the stream where they received their powers. For some reason, being there was like being in a sacred place to them now. They could feel the power pulse there and they were drawn to it.
They packed a big picnic lunch and headed out. They assumed the guys were still out patrolling and would come upon them at some time so they didn't try to find them to tell them where they were going.
When they arrived at the big tree and the stream, they laid out a big blanket and set up an iPod Calli brought. It began to play soothing music, the women all poured themselves a glass of Merlo.
Ari raised her glass in a toast. "To us and our family. May we always find happiness."
All the sisters raised their glasses and clinked them together. They sat back and munched on the cheeses they had brought. They all sat silent and soaked in the day. They could all feel the power around them, being close to the circle.
Kira began to tease Erin about the two new Guardians when Ari felt the wind shift. She glanced across the stream and began to feel a cold feeling seep into her. Her tattoo began to tingle and burn. She knew he was here, evil had found them. She stood quickly and ended up knocking over her wine glass.
"Hey!" Calli yelled as she was the closest to Ari and the wine almost splashed her.
Ari jerked her head to her sisters. "Go now, go to the castle. Get the Guardians."
None of her sisters questioned her when they heard the tone in her voice. They jumped up and began to look around, trying to see what she had seen. There was nothing to see and they seemed confused.
Erin said, "No, we stay with you."
Ari shook her head. "I need to know you are safe. Go."
Kira looked at Calli. "Go, find the men. We will stay with Ari."
Calli nodded and hurried off to find the Guardians. She knew she didn't have active powers like her sisters and knew that they would need help.
As they watched Calli make it down to the castle, a man stepped out on the other side of the stream. He was tall with jet-black hair. He had on tailored pants and a white button down shirt. He held out his hands in a non-offensive manner.
"Come now, no welcome?"
Ari held her ground. She could feel his power. "Who are you? What do you want?"
"You, of course," he said calmly.
"You need to go now. Get off our land," Ari said forcefully.
He threw his head back and laughed. "He wants to see you, you will come with me."
With that comment, he threw up his hand and Erin was knocked on her ass. Ari saw Kira go to help her up and kept her attention on the man across the stream. She raised her hand palm out and a blast of wind knocked the man back, but he stayed on his feet.
He started speaking softly and when Kira went to step up alongside Ari, she froze in place. Ari turned slightly and could see that her sisters all seemed frozen in place.
"That fuckhead has us frozen, we can't move," Sheela told her angrily.
Ari turned fully to the man and began to chant. "Time and space, open the door, allow them to move as before."
Her sisters were immediately set free from the spell. The man had moved closer to them and she held her palm out again. Before she could send him flying, he sent a bolt of electricity toward her. She dove out of the way, barely missing her.
Ari knew in that moment that this was a powerful man in his own right. She yelled at her sisters to go. They refused to leave her, shaking their heads. They stepped up beside her to join hands with her.
The man was muttering again and then all of a sudden Erin, Kira, and Sheela all dropped to the ground. They looked like they had passed out. She knelt down beside them and tried to wake them. They were breathing, but she couldn't wake them.
Before she could try a spell to wake them, the man came across the stream. She had to fight him alone and she knew it. She put her hand up again and blasted him. He fell back a few steps and then she spun her finger, which stirred up the dirt around him, blinding him for a few moments. She took that time to sprint away from him, drawing his attention to her and off her sisters.
He began to run after her. She took off for the meadow, knowing he would follow. She prayed the Guardians would be able to help her sisters as she ran. She only got to the edge of the meadow before he caught up to her.
Chapter Nineteen
Reilly and Lachlan rounded the corner of the caretaker's cottage and smiled at each other. They were done with their section of the patrol and wanted to go find Ari. They were hungry for a taste of their woman. Aedan and Myles were on the south side, securing that section. They had agreed to meet up in the back garden when they were done and they saw the two new Guardians approaching.
They spoke for a short time about the different sections and how to split up the patrolling for the time being. Reilly filled them in on other information on the town and its inhabitants. It seems that Aedan and Myles had met Mrs. O'Leary in town and she had tried to set them up with one of her daughters. The men were sharing a laugh when Reilly and Lachlan's medallions started to heat on their skins. They were turning toward the forest when they heard Calli screaming for them.
They took off in a full run and met her in the back section of the caretaker's cottage. She was sobbing and terrified, she jumped in Lachlan's arms. He wrapped her in his arms and tried to calm her down.
"Easy, honey. What's happened?" he asked.
"There's a man. He's attacking them. Help them," she wailed.
Reilly reigned in his sudden fear. "Where, Calli? Where are they?" The women were supposed to be in the pool house. Obviously, they had gone elsewhere. He was going to spank Ari's ass raw for not obeying them.
"At the tree, w-we were having a picnic. H-he came out of nowhere." Calli sobbed. "You h-have to hurry. They are battling him."
Fear for their woman seized Reilly and Lachlan. They tamped it down as their Guardian personas took over. At that moment, Coni came rushing out of the back garden.
"There is evil here." She saw Calli and held out her arms to her. The young woman ran to her. "Go, I will protect us here."
Calli pulled out of her arms. "N-no, I need to show you where. I need to go with you."
The men knew she was determined, and knew the Blessed Five would be stronger together. Lachlan nodded and then took off with the other men behind Calli as she led the way.
They came upon the sisters as they heard Calli scream and run to where Kira, Erin, and Sheela were all on the ground near the picnic. They checked them and saw they were still breathing, then they saw that Calli had gotten still, too still.
She sat up straight and stiff, her eyes were wide open but she had a faraway look in them. Then she snapped out of it and said, "The spirits told me what to do. Get back."
The men stepped back away from the fallen women and Reilly looked around with Lachlan for clues as to what happened to Ari. They found her tracks, which led toward the meadow.
Calli began to speak, "Spirit be with me, hear me now, wake my sisters, let them fulfill their vow."
In an instant, the women were all waking and asking where Ari was. The men filled them in that they had found her tracks to the meadow and the women took off to find their sister.
It took everything Reilly and Lachlan had to contain their fury that someone would attack Ari. They just hoped they arrived in time.
He grabbed her from behind and wrapped an arm around her neck. "Oh, sugar, he is going to love you. You are full of grit and fight, just what he likes."
"Who is he?" Ari asked.
The man laughed evilly in her ear. "You will find out soon enough. Come, we have some distance to travel."
He started to move and she let her b
ody go pliant as if she would go with him. Then when he relaxed his arm around her throat, she stepped back into him and tossed him over her shoulder. He was so heavy that when she flipped him, she fell over with him although he released his hold.
She rolled back and jumped to her feet just as he did. She raised her hands toward him and a blast of air knocked him back. Then he raised his hand and moved it from side to side. Ari began to feel dizzy and confused.
She stumbled back and then lifted her hands. "God and goddess, hear my cry, block this man from within this space and knock him back by several pace." With that spell, the man flew back about fifty feet and landed hard on his back. She could tell she had knocked the wind out of him.
She took off further away from him, heading toward the tree line. All of a sudden, she felt a searing pain in her side and cried out. She fell hard on the ground, scraping her hands and legs. She put a hand to her side and it came away with blood on it. She turned and saw the man held out his hand in her direction.
"Ari!" She heard Reilly shout her name as he sent a blast of power toward the man with the gun.
She turned her head to the trees and saw her men coming toward her. Her sisters were with them as were the other Guardians. After seeing the man was struggling on the ground, she somehow managed to get to her feet to stumble toward her loved ones. She wiped her bloodied hand on her shorts and grabbed Erin's hand. Her sisters were already holding hands and they began to chant the one spell to rid them of the intruder.
Each sister called on her power as they said, "Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit. Come to us and hear our words. Remove this man, make him food for the birds."
The man had gotten to his feet and was coming straight for them. Suddenly, he dropped to his knees. There was a bright, blue light and then the man was gone. He just vanished. The sisters all looked at one another. This would change them for all time. This made them true witches and protectors of their family.
They all hugged each other as Ari stepped toward where the man had been. She saw nothing but a black scorch mark on the ground where he had been. She turned back to look at her sisters and men.
Lachlan frowned and began to step toward her. "Ari? You okay?"
She grimaced and said, "I don't think so." That said, she felt herself falling and the blackness took her over and she lost consciousness. The last thing she heard was Reilly calling her name.
Chapter Twenty
Ari woke slowly, moving gingerly on the bed to see what injuries she had. Her side felt like it was on fire and her throat seemed sore. She opened her eyes and looked around the room. She saw Erin standing with Kira by her window and Reilly by the other. As she glanced around, she saw Sheela sitting in her chair by her bed. Then her eyes fell on Lachlan as he stood by her door.
His eyes bored into hers as she looked at him. He smiled a slow smile and said, "Welcome back."
When he spoke, all the others rushed to her side. The questions came firing at her from all sides.
"How are you feeling?" Erin asked.
"Are you okay?" Kira sounded worried.
Reilly knelt down by her and took her hand. "You scared us, luv."
She could see the worry in all their eyes and said, "I'm okay. Just a little sore."
Lachlan pushed away from the door and said, "Okay, you have all seen she is awake and fine. Tell your grandmother she is awake and she can treat her better now." When her sisters were about to protest, he added, "She also needs food. Can you make sure she has something to eat?"
That comment sent the sisters hurrying to get her something to eat and to get their grandmother. When they were gone, Lachlan went over and sat on her other side, opposite Reilly.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
She grimaced and said, "My side burns. What was that?"
"He hit you with a bolt. It's like an electrical charge. Only a few powerful warlocks have that type of power," Lachlan answered.
"Is he..." she paused for a second, "dead?"
"Yes, luv, he's gone for good," Reilly told her.
She felt guilt swamp her that they had killed someone. Lachlan saw it in her eyes and said, "You can't let the guilt eat you. You all did what you had to do to protect your family."
"Remember, Aine told all of you that there are many battles ahead. You and your sisters must face them. This is your destiny." Reilly reminded her.
She understood what they were telling her, she just hadn't thought about the fact that she might have to take a life. She wasn't a killer. None of them were, but they would do whatever it took to protect the family.
"Enough," Lachlan said when he saw her emotions rolling over her face. "We are here for you, sweet. You worried us there for a moment. Here's your grandmother, let her tend to your wound."
They stood and moved to the end of the bed as her grandmother approached with Calli behind her. They had all sorts of towels, bandages, and some gooey stuff in a bowl.
"Mo cheann cróga, my brave one, how are you feeling?" her grandmother asked.
"I'm okay, Mamo," Ari told her and tried to sit up.
"You stay there, laying down. I need to see your wound," Coni said.
Her grandmother pulled the covers back and raised her nightshirt they had dressed her in. She pulled off the old bandage and began to gently clean the wound. Ari sucked in a breath as she felt the pain more sharply and Reilly came to her other side to hold her hand. She squeezed it as her grandmother continued.
Once her wound had been cleaned and dressed in a new bandage, her grandmother told her. "I also added a little extra in the medicine I placed on the wound to help with the pain. Don't worry, honey, there will be no scarring from it." She patted Ari's hand and gathered her things.
Calli had hung back the entire time, not saying a word. Ari looked at her youngest sister. She seemed very upset and Ari had to find out why. "You okay, squirt?"
Calli finally looked at her and said softly, "I'm fine, it's you I'm worried about."
Ari reached out a hand to her and beckoned her to come to her. When she did, she took her hand and said, "I am fine, really. It's just a scratch."
"Uh huh, sure," Calli said then she got tears in her eyes. "You scared me. I thought I was going to lose you, too."
Ari pulled her down into a hug and told her, "I'm sorry, honey, I promise you I am fine. It's all okay now. I am never going to leave you."
Calli gripped her tight and Ari flinched at the pain in her side. Then Calli sat up and gave her a little smile. "I am glad you are okay. Don't do that again. Remember what Mamo said, we are stronger together."
Ari nodded. "I promise to remember. Now, go make sure sis doesn't forget to cut the crust off my sandwich," she said with a wink. Ever since the girls were young, when they were sick, their mother would cut the crust off their sandwiches and the girls thought that was a treat.
Calli smiled a big smile and nodded. She headed out to see her sisters. Reilly squeezed her hand from his side and Lachlan sat in the spot Calli had vacated. They both rubbed their hands up and down her arms, not saying anything. She closed her eyes and just soaked up their love.
Chapter Twenty-One
It had been a week since the attack and things had settled almost back to normal. Ari had recovered and as her grandmother had predicted, she didn't have any scars. She and her sisters had many conversations about what had happened and what they could have done differently.
Reilly, Lachlan, Aedan, and Myles had worked with them, going over what had happened and working with them on the different outcomes. Their grandmother had also given them advice and worked with them to come to terms with killing a man. The women all seemed okay with it now, knowing it was the only outcome where it saved their lives.
All the sisters had also decided to give up their jobs for now, as they needed to be together until the evil was gone. The Guardians had spoken to the Council and filled them in on what had happened. The Council was sending more Guardians, but it was going to take a while as th
ey were all on other assignments. They were also looking into who it could be that was after the Blessed Five.
They had finished dinner, Aedan and Myles were helping the sisters clean up, much to Erin's consternation. Reilly grabbed Ari around her waist and pulled her into the hallway where he could kiss her.
When he pulled away he said, "Come, let's go upstairs. Your sisters can handle this with Aedan and Myles. Lach and I need you tonight."
Ari felt hot all over with that one statement. They hadn't made love since before the attack. She wanted them and with Reilly's roaming hands, she didn't know if they would make it upstairs. She turned and ran from him as he gave chase, running all the way to her room, where Lachlan was waiting for them.
They grabbed her and stripped her of her clothes. Then they carried her to the bed and laid her down gently. Stepping back, they quickly took off their own clothes. She smiled up at them, held out her arms and they both fell into her embrace. She smiled and kissed them both on the neck.
They both lightly traced her tattoo; it seemed to be one of their favorite things to do when they lay down with her. Then they would each kiss her there reverently. She caressed them both on the tops of their heads.
Reilly began to palm her breasts and Lachlan reached lower. He leaned down and kissed her hip. Then he kissed his way back up her body and took over for Reilly who did the same thing on the other side. She writhed under their hands, feeling the need to move a little fast.
“Oh, no you don’t. We are in charge. You just lay here,” Lachlan said and then kissed her deeply. Reilly kissed her toes slowly as he positioned himself between her legs.
