Kamali's Courage [Sisters of the Circle] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Cam Gallagher

  Kamali just laughed, patted him on the cheek, and walked out the door toward the main part of the club.

  Stepping through the door that led back into the club, Kamali took a look around at everything that was happening. The place was even more crowded since she got here earlier, and suddenly all she wanted to do was join the group of dances that were grinding against each other out on the dance floor. Feeling an incredible pull for a bout of fun, and a need to prove to herself that even though she was now mated she could still have fun, Kamali smoothly glided toward the crowd and slipped in between a couple of dancers, moving toward the center of the crowd.

  The music picked up, and suddenly she lost herself in the moment of enjoyment, moving her body in a way that drew all eyes to her. Her body was still so aroused from Ezekiel but she refused to search him out. She was an independent woman, and dammit to hell, even independent women have to use their five friendly fingers now and then.

  The crush of bodies on the dance floor gave her a high of expectation that was seeming to seep into everyone else, too.

  Kamali felt an arm wrap around her and she shivered at the feel of the mating pull. There was nothing in this world that compared to the feeling of a mate’s touch. Turning around in the set of arms that held her, Kamali lifted her face to a pair of most beautiful green eyes she had ever seen.

  Shit, this isn’t Ezekiel!

  Her eyes widened in comprehension of who this man was, and not only that, but what this man meant for her already quickly-changing life.

  Kamali tried to stay on her feet, but it was a lost cause. Losing whatever strength that she had in her body, she muttered the only two words that quickly summed up her life in that instant, before she slipped onto the floor and fell into darkness.

  “Fucking hell.”

  Chapter 7

  Kamali was floating, everything was dark, and it was cold as hell. Nothing but blackness surrounded her, and she realized that she must just be dreaming. Unless she had done something wrong and somehow gotten struck down into an early grave and was given a first class ticket for an early trip to the Underworld to visit the king of Hell himself. If that had happened then...well, someone was going to pay big time.

  Suddenly, as if in a dream, which it was by the way, or at least she hoped it was, Kamali remembered how she had gotten into the predicament she currently resided in.

  Green eyes, so green they looked eerily inhuman in his pale skin.

  “Shit, what the hell is with my luck! Come on, one mate was bad enough, but now I have to have two?” she screamed to the darkness.

  Kamali couldn’t get those eyes out of her head. They reminded her of her sister Kaia’s birthstone, emeralds. Most people, well, just humans really, assigned certain stones for certain months of the year. For example, if Kamali was going from the human perspective and used her birth month, which is in July, then she would use a ruby as her birthstone. However, the sisters, like their ancestors before them, use the element chart as a way to decide birthstones.

  Kamali, the oldest and the carrier of the element of spirit, represents the stone diamond, for clarity and pureness. Diamonds are one of the strongest substances on Earth, and it was decided that the carrier of spirit, the leader, must form themselves as diamonds. They must be strong and unyielding under the strongest pressure and force.

  Her younger sisters all had stones that represented them and their elements.

  Her sister Kaia, carrier of the element earth, was the second oldest of the five sisters and was the peaceful one that kept everyone calm and controlled. If you put five sisters together in a room growing up, there would undoubtedly be problems, but think how bad it gets when those sisters can control elements, and their tempers match their elements.

  The third oldest sister was Makani, who controlled the element wind. Her stone was represented by the sapphire. Kamali always thought that really connected with Makani because in the Middle Ages, people thought sapphires would protect their loved ones so they gave them out as gifts and offerings. Makani always tried to protect her sisters from harm, whether it was physical, mental, or emotional.

  Kamali remembered once when someone from school had called their youngest sister Nirveli mean names and Makani had heard. Makani had conjured up a mini-tornado in the girls’ locker room that had quickly gotten out of control. Needless to say, that same girl had quietly transferred schools, never to be heard about from the sisters again.

  Pyralis, or Pyra for short, was the hotheaded one who would get into a fight just to quench her boredom. She was the fourth sister and the carrier of the element of fire, hence the hotheadedness. Even though she wasn’t’ the youngest, Pyra was the most trouble of all the sisters controlling her element. Fire, an unpredictable, deadly, and dangerous companion, was even worse when combined with strong emotions and ill intent. Pyra’s element stone was the ruby, red like the flames that surround her mind and body.

  The youngest of the sisters, but by far no less powerful, was Nirveli. Everyone just calls her Eli though, because in all honesty, her mother picked out some pretty...unique names. Each girl was named after her element or position in the circle. Eli’s birthstone was the beautiful aquamarine stone. That particular stone was perfect in regards to her sister because it allowed the bearer to remain calm and keep a cool, levelheaded perspective on different concepts and problems that arise concerning the circle.

  Eli was the epitome of a perfect student, hardworking, a good listener, and complacent. Most people mistook her as a doormat but in reality, she allowed that perception to unfold. Kamali had heard her say before that it was better to let people believe she was quiet and let them talk in front of so that if someone eventually crossed her meant with ill intent, they would, to their deterrent, underestimate her and her power.

  Kamali had once seen her sister make a guy who was hitting his wife around on the sidewalk start to drown and suffocate in water that Eli had somehow collected from the man’s own body.

  It had both freaked Kamali out and also given her a new respect for her baby sister.

  Suddenly a voice surrounded her and she heard a voice booming in the darkness. “Kamali! Kamali wake up!”

  She felt an unexplained power overcome her body and it felt like something had grabbed her and started pulling her further into the darkness.

  “Meus amor, please wake up. I haven’t even gotten to speak with you. Open those beautiful eyes for me, ma belle.”

  It was the love in that voice that finally allowed her to open her eyes. Blinking against the bright light, Kamali couldn’t suppress the groan that left her, before she unexpectedly threw up all over the handsome man with gorgeous green eyes.

  Chapter 8

  “I am so, so, so sorry!” Kamali apologized for what felt like the hundredth time. Leaning back against Ezekiel’s headboard, she was comfortably resting inside the coven house that was about fifteen minutes from the Club.

  “Ma belle, you can stop apologizing. I know it was an accident. I’m just glad that you are finally awake and doing better.”

  Gazing up at the handsome man that she had come to know as Mikel, Ezekiel’s second-in-command and best friend, she still couldn’t believe that Fate had given her two mates.

  After she had gotten sick, her mates about had a total breakdown. They insisted on calling in a private physician and after he had arrived and taken a look at her, she had been put on bed rest for the rest of the night and told by both her mates and the quack physician, who had been introduced as Dr. Kober, to take it easy for a couple of days.

  Haven’t these guys ever seen someone pass out? It’s not that uncommon, especially if the person lying on the floor unconscious is under a lot of unnecessary stress. She sighed and closed her eyes, loving the feel of Ezekiel’s soft-as-a-cloud mattress and pillows.

  Love, can you blame us? I come through the door of the club to see that you were dancing in the crowd and suddenly, the next thing I know, you were passed out in my friend’s arms.


  Kamali jumped when she heard Ezekiel’s voice flowing into her mind.

  “Stop doing that!” she yelled.

  He at least had decency to blush and look away, muttering an apology under his breath.

  Everything fell into silence then. Kamali wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say or do. Finally, after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, she had to ask the one question that kept plaguing her mind since she found out that she had two mates.

  “So, since both of you are my mates, does that make you both mates as well? You know, as in the sexual sense of the word.”

  Mikel let out a snort of a laugh before he quickly shook his head. “No love, that doesn’t make us lovers. We are bond mates, brought together through one sole link, you. Without you, well, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

  Kamali looked at the two men closely and had to ask the other question she had been worried about. “So, you both do not mind sharing me? You won’t get jealous or angry about me loving another?”

  With their vampire speed, they were suddenly on the bed beside her, one on each side of her body.

  “Love, as long as it is only Mikel and no other, I couldn’t be happier. I know that if something were to ever happen to me, he would protect you with his life,” Ezekiel said.

  She looked at Mikel and saw that he was nodding his head in agreement. “I feel the same, ma belle.”

  “You keep calling me that, ma belle. What does it mean Mikel?”

  He smiled and Kamali’s breath caught at the sight. “Ma belle is an endearment in French. It means ‘my beautiful’ or ‘my beauty’. Is it okay that I call you that?”

  She looked down at her hands and said quietly, “It’s okay. You don’t have to say that just because we’re mated, though. I know how I really look, especially to good-looking men who could have their pick of any woman they meet.”

  Kamali raised her head and looked at one, then the other. “I know I’m probably not the mate that you would have chosen, but I promise that you won’t regret it.” She broke eye contact once again and under her breath she muttered so low that the two vampires barely caught it. “I’ll do anything so you won’t regret having me as your mate.”

  The guys cast a quick glance at each other, silently communicating with each other what must happen next. Taking Kamali’s hand into his own, Ezekiel asked gently, “Why would you think that we would regret mating with you? Don’t you realize how beautiful you are?”

  Mikel was watching silently as his friend tried to talk to their mate. Suddenly, it became clear what she was thinking. He had seen this type of behavior over the years. Whether ten years in the future, or 100 years in the past, people who had been hurt all had the same look in their eyes.

  “Ma belle, has someone hurt you in the past? Someone you trusted that let you down and treated you badly?”

  She looked up at him sadly and, unable to hold his gaze, turned away completely.

  “It’s in the past Mikel. It happened a long time ago and honestly nothing good will happen by dragging up old memories.”

  The guys shared another one of those looks that spoke volumes. After a couple of seconds, in which Kamali was able to work herself into a panic by worrying that the guys would force the issue, they turned toward her and Ezekiel announced that it was time for bed.

  Stunned, and not just a little taken aback that they had let the topic drop, she watched in awe as the men undressed and climbed into bed. Mikel was on her left and after shutting off the ceiling light, Ezekiel came and climbed in on her right side.

  They each wrapped an arm around her and she snuggled underneath the soft comforter, feeling warm, protected, and loved for the first time in a long time as she drifted off to sleep.

  * * * *

  Mikel listened as Kamali’s breathing evened out, signaling sleep had finally overcome his beautiful mate. He couldn’t believe all that had happened in the last few hours. Having just come back from visiting one of the other covens, he decided to stop by the club for a drink and to check in with Ezekiel. He never expected he would meet his mate, or that he would even share his mate with his closest friend. When he had walked into the club, he had gone in with a strange feeling of expectation and forecast. As soon as he had entered, Mikel had caught the most amazing scent he had ever had the pleasure of smelling. Just one whiff had his pants becoming instantly uncomfortable, and he let out a low growl. He knew it was his mate immediately, and like a moth to a flame, she drew him to her from the dance floor that was overflowing with people grinding against each other, moving as one to the beat of the music playing overhead. He sighed and turned toward his friend in the dark.

  “I can’t believe this happened. I never expected to find her now, in this time of our lives.”

  “Yeah me either. And just think, Mikel, she is the future leader of the circle. I’m honestly kind of surprised that fate paired her with vampires since her element is spirit. There are so many people who disbelieve that we have souls. I’m sure there are going to be many opposing opinions on our mating,” Ezekiel said. He let out a tired sigh and said, “We’ll just have to take it day to day. Did you hear her when she said that she would make sure that we didn’t regret mating her?”

  “Yeah I heard that. What do you think that meant? No mate worth their salt would ever regret finding and mating their true mate.”

  “I don’t know, Mikel. She honestly sounded like she expected us to leave her. We’ll just have to watch what we do and say and reassure her that we love her and will love her forever.”

  Wrapping his arms around their sleeping mate, Mikel closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him.

  Chapter 9

  Kamali was floating, totally weightless, and a feeling peacefulness and belonging washed over her. Looking around, she was surrounded on all sides by a beautiful white light that let off waves of comfort and warmth. She glanced down and gasped when she realized she was floating in the air. Taking a deep breath to calm down, she started to reevaluate her surroundings.

  She looked to her side and noticed something coming toward her that resembled a pearly-colored mist. It floated buoyantly in the air until finally coming to a halt in front of her. Kamali watched in amazement when the mist started taking shape, becoming a beautiful woman right in front of her eyes.

  She was the most beautiful woman that Kamali had ever seen, which was saying something because of how beautiful her younger sisters were. The woman had long silver hair that had a gentle wave to it and Kamali saw a slight glittery sparkle as well. Her eyes were the bluest she had ever seen on a person, as if they were dipped in a tropical ocean and the color was adopted from that. She was tall and thin, like what Kamali believed fairies to look like. What caught her attention the most was the almost ethereal glow that surrounded her body.

  The woman raised her hands without a word and suddenly they were in a forest. Kamali looked around and noticed quickly that this was no normal forest. They were standing in a clearing, and on all sides they were surrounded by huge trees that had different color petals and blooms. Purples, blues, pinks, greens, there were too many to count. The clearing had one massive, ancient-looking great oak tree. It was to that tree that Kamali’s eyes were drawn. It was the biggest tree she had ever seen, with limbs that looked like they reached all the way to heaven. The roots of the tree looked like a barrier, surrounding and protecting the tree. The leaves of the tree looked like a creation out of a fairy tale. Instead of plain greens and reds and yellows, the tree had leaves that looked like iridescent crystal.

  It was so beautiful that Kamali couldn’t help the tears that came to her eyes. The entire tree was surrounded by a small lake of water standing on a small piece of land. It looked as if the tree was on an island, alone and magnificent. The water that was surrounding it was so clear and pure that one could see the different colored fish swimming and the different colored stones that rested on the sandy floor of the lake. She saw what looked like a path of stepping sto
nes rise from the water that led to the tree.

  Turning to the mysterious woman, she finally asked, “Um sorry, but who are you? Where are we? “

  Amusement danced in her eyes and she said, “Welcome, my daughter, to Templum. This is a safe place, a refuge that many seek but only few find. I am Karina, guardian of the garden and keeper of the memories. I have been assigned as you and your sisters’ guardian of the circle.”

  “Guardian of the circle? Oh, right, I remember my mom talking about that a long time ago.”

  Taking a deep breath, Kamali finally asked, “Okay, Karina, why am I here? The last thing I remember is falling asleep in my mates’ arms and then you appeared. No offense, I’m sure you’re a lovely person and all, but I have enough going on without trying to figure in weird dreams and wandering spirits into the equation.”

  Karina lets out an amused laugh and even the sound of that was beautiful. It was like tiny silver bells tinkling on Christmas morning.

  “Kamali, I’m not some ‘wandering spirit’ as you put it. I was a real person, in real time, and this is basically just my after-death job. I lived my life on Earth doing my duty for my family, my people. This was my reward. When the new circle came of age and started their journeys to find their true mates, I was tasked with the responsibility of being your circle guardian. Your mother’s guardian has already moved on to the other side of the veil to make room for me in the circle’s position.

  “As for your mates, it is true that you are dreaming this and still wrapped in their arms, asleep. I needed you to finally come here so we could meet. Kamali, you are the future of our line. The circle will continue through you and your sisters. I am merely a vessel for all of our ancestors who have passed from this world before us.”

  Kamali looked at the woman strangely and replied “I have never heard about this place, or this responsibility from anyone. That includes my overprotective mother and meddling aunts. My mother mentioned a guardian of the circle, but like I said, it was years ago. “