by Nikki Landis
“Ancestors, I beseech you, cease and unravel all harmful power. So mote it be.” I hoped the words had a healing effect as I cast them, but I wasn’t convinced. The last twenty-four hours had shaken my confidence and proved the evil presence in Mystic Hallows was out for blood.
* * *
“Mom, we’re in danger,” I admitted as I gazed at my mother’s celestial form. “The presence here is pure evil.”
“I know, Cassie,” she admitted with a frown. “The ancestors are seeking the source but until we find it, all of you must be on your guard.” My mother’s expression was one of concern as she turned to my aunt. “Warn the others, Gwen. All thirteen must know. Prepare the coven.”
“I will, Liz,” Aunt Gwen promised, her arm around Gypsy. “I’m afraid for the girls.”
“Elizabeth.” Gabriel fell to his knees next to my side and addressed my mother with reverence. “Forgive my late arrival. I’ll uphold my promise and keep Cassandra safe.”
“Yes, you will, Gabe.” The smile on her face was one of affection but not the love I would have thought. She cared for Gabe, but I could clearly see it was only friendship. “I trust you with the life of my little girl.”
His hand reached out and grasped mine as he nodded. “I know.”
“Don’t fail me. We made a pact long ago and you agreed, Gabe. Cassie needs you.”
He answered with conviction. “I swear.”
“Your oath is binding. Don’t forget. The ancestors extend a further blessing this night. Hold up your palms, Lycan.”
Gabriel followed my mother’s instructions while a humming sound filled the air until it increased in volume, as loud as a thousand wings flapping in the air. His palms slowly began to glow and appeared red hot as he sharply inhaled. I wondered if they were burning but he didn’t seem to be in pain. His expression was one of awe.
A moment later the light was gone, and his hands dropped as he turned them over in the air. Full of wonder, he gazed up at my mother.
“Lycan can usually only shift with the moon but this night transformation has been gifted to you. You will now be able to shift into your beast at will. Use this ability to crush and destroy the enemy and keep harm from the innocent.”
“I will,” he promised, “thank you.”
My mother moved closer as her fingers caressed my cheek. No longer shocked I could feel her touch after so many years, I didn’t question her ability to transfer the warmth of her soul into mine. She was no longer flesh and blood, but her presence was as real as any physical person. “Be careful, Cassie. This entity wants you and I have a feeling this evil will hunt you down until it’s stopped.”
“I know, Mom. I’ll be careful.”
She seemed satisfied with my answer as she straightened up and looked over my head. “Protect her, Cosan. You must fulfill your oath.”
When I turned around, I found Damian and Ryder, their heads bowed as they nodded in unison.
“As spoken aloud, so shall it be.”
The candles flickered as the ancestors departed, my mother the last to leave, her hand over her heart as she whispered, “I love you.”
My own heart was heavy with her departure. This was one time I wished she was still alive. I was too vulnerable, and I hated the loss of control that dominated my thoughts.
I needed answers, starting with the three men in my life who became so vital. They followed me into the house as I walked into the living room, determined to gain knowledge, one way or another. I wouldn’t be deterred. The threat against my life demanded total transparency. If I were to trust them, I needed to know everything about why they were here.
“Just what in the world are the three of you and don’t lie,” I added, staring at each in turn.
Gabriel swallowed hard. He was about to answer when my Aunt Gwen walked into the room.
“Your Cosan.”
Chapter 10
“Cosan?” I blinked, never hearing the term before now. “What’s that?”
“An old Irish/Celtic word meaning ‘defender’. In your case, protector. Three, to be precise. Possibly four.”
I sat down hard on the couch and shook my head. “How is that possible? I’ve never been told about this before.”
“It was decided by Liz and your father that you wouldn’t know until your twenty-first birthday. It’s an old custom, but not always a welcome one.” Aunt Gwen looked apologetic but no one in the room appeared surprised but me.
“Why didn’t you say something sooner? My birthday is only a few weeks away.” This didn’t make sense. Was it that important to hide such a secret my entire life? My aunt knew I hated secrets. I was pissed.
“Sweetie, I made a promise to your mother I had to keep. I know you’re angry –”
“Damn straight,” I blurted, cutting her off. “You promised me, Aunt Gwen. You promised not to keep things from me after my parents . . .” my voice broke and I couldn’t continue.
“Cas,” Gabriel began. “This is the reason I’m here now.”
Damian sat next to me but didn’t speak aloud. ‘You need us, pet.’
Ryder was suspiciously quiet.
“Did all of you know?” All three immortals nodded. Dammit. I was right. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It wasn’t allowed,” Aunt Gwen answered, her smile sad. “They’re restricted from mentioning it to anyone by the ancestors. Magic prevented them from saying the words aloud. This protects you and the Howe family and conceals the Cosan’s identity from those who would exploit such knowledge.”
“They should be able to tell me. That’s dumb,” I grumbled with attitude, “and it doesn’t make sense to keep it from the person you’re protecting.”
‘I agree, little Raven. That’s why you saw me in the sunshine. I was hoping it would make you curious enough to seek answers.’
“Damian,” I sighed aloud, “being in the sunlight didn’t help me learn about you being some kind of protector at all.”
‘You’re wrong.’ He winked as I frowned. ‘We’re more than protectors, pet.’
“Please stop calling me your pet.”
“How are you communicating with Cassie?” Gabriel appeared in front of Damian, his shoulders tense. They stared each other down as he shoved Damian in the chest.
Damian shrugged, baring his teeth. “She ingested some of my blood.” His expression was far too innocent.
“What!?” Gabriel exploded as Ryder jumped between them.
“Enough. This isn’t helpful.”
“You don’t understand,” Gabriel huffed, his gaze hardening. “The first bond was to be mine.”
“Bond?” Crossing my arms over my chest, I demanded answers. “Explain.”
“He’s pissed that you and I formed the first bond. Together.” Damian didn’t look sorry. In fact, he appeared to gloat.
I wasn’t sure I understood what he was saying. Damn vampire. “What does that mean?”
‘I heard that, my pet.’
Obviously, I didn’t respond to the bloodsucker.
“You’re forever linked. It’s a crucial detail of the Cosan bond.” Gabriel’s fists clenched at his sides. “The honor was to be mine. He’s stolen it from me.”
Wait a minute. “Did you just say that Damian’s voice in my head is permanent?”
Damian grinned so wide that I felt a blush as it rose into my cheeks. It wasn’t embarrassment. Full blazing anger bubbled under the surface of my skin. I stood and crossed the room, lifting my hand to smack the self-satisfied look off his face. The second my palm connected with his smooth cheek Damian pulled me in for a kiss.
It was so sudden that I was stunned.
Fireworks exploded behind my eyes and I was transported somewhere in the distant future. For a brief moment I glimpsed Damian and I in bed, locked in a passionate embrace, his hips plunging into my own as I moaned in ecstasy. It was erotic. Intense. Full of pleasure.
When I opened my eyes, Damian was staring at me, his green irises glowing with hu
nger and need. Fangs appeared as his lips parted, licking blood from his fuller bottom lip. It wasn’t his blood. It was mine.
It had to be.
‘You taste divine.’
That bloodsucking devil. Damian cut me during the kiss on purpose to steal my blood, but I couldn’t feel a puncture mark. Did he heal me somehow? What the hell was that a moment ago? A vision?
‘Most definitely. I can’t wait to have you in my bed, pet.’
“Don’t talk to me,” I seethed, holding up a hand. My palm stung from the contact. His cheek was harder than it looked.
“Hit me all you like, my pet. It turns me on.”
Ugh. “Shut up!”
The arrogant vampire just smiled, completely pleased with himself.
Gabriel growled as he lunged forward, but Ryder managed to stop him. Barely. The Lycan was furious. He snarled at Damian as his body started to shake. I watched his fingernails lengthen before my eyes. An amber glow grew brighter in his eyes as they took on an inhuman zeal.
“Enough!” Aunt Gwen called out and everyone in the room froze. I knew the spell she spoke under her breath. She used the same one on Gypsy and me when we were little and disagreed with one another. ‘Sacred flames carry these energies away. Let no argument control the day. So mote it be.’
The way Gabriel froze reminded me of the cemetery but that felt different. Both were intense magic. One cast from light. The other from darkness.
A quick glance confirmed the white candle burning with a blue flame by the front bay window. Mini terracotta pots full of herbs and flowers filled the space. Aunt Gwen didn’t mess around. She probably lit the candle as soon as she entered the room.
Sneaky. My aunt could still move in and out of a room without a sound.
The energies around us balanced out and Gabriel sighed as he sat on the couch. Ryder dropped down next to Aunt Gwen and I sank into the cushion beside Gabriel. Damian remained standing. Wise choice.
His chuckle echoed in my head.
“So, this Cosan. What are you exactly?”
Aunt Gwen opened her mouth to speak but Gabriel answered first.
“You know you’re the Howe, right?” Gabriel asked as he placed his hand over mine. His bright blue eyes were beseeching. “The most powerful of the bloodline. A sorceress of great importance.”
“I always believed that honor was my mother’s,” I admitted.
Gabriel intertwined our fingers. “As did I, once. In my clan it’s been foretold that a great love would unite the witch and Lycan bloodlines. I thought your mother was the one I should seek but I was wrong.” His eyes shimmered with warmth as his gaze held mine. “It’s you, Cassie. I’ve known since your birth.”
My birth? “Then you dated my mother . . .” I paused as realization dawned.
“Because I thought she was the witch I needed but we were never really more than close friends. When she married your father, I was happy for them both. At the hour of your birth Liz placed you in my arms and asked if I felt it.” He lifted my hand and pressed a kiss on the top. “I did. I knew. You’re the one I was always supposed to seek.”
His revelation wasn’t as shocking as I would have thought. The connection I felt to Gabriel since the moment we met was intense and consuming. He was still an arrogant ass at times but at least I knew where he was coming from now. I’d misjudged him.
Damian laughed. ‘You’re attracted to his arrogance . . . and mine.’
The glare I sent in his direction increased his humor.
“Then why didn’t you know who I was when we first met, Gabriel?”
“I was caught off guard. In my head, I pictured a younger girl in pigtails, her mother always chasing her and calling out, ‘Cassandra!’.” He laughed with the memory. “I didn’t realize the feisty beauty in front of me who went by Cassie was the same girl.” His gaze softened. “Not until we reached Howe Manor. The years are swift to immortals. I lost track of time with my clan.”
“I guess that makes sense, Gabriel,” I admitted. “Thank you for explaining.”
“You’re not angry with me anymore?” His expression was hopeful.
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly.
Ryder took this moment to interject. “Angel, we’re all here because we’ve been chosen by the ancestors. Each bloodline is beholden to the Howe family. We’re here to protect you as long as needed.”
Beholden? “What do you mean?”
“At some point in the past one of our ancestors, or us,” Damian divulged, “owed the Howe family a debt. We accepted this agreement as payment.”
“It’s not wise to piss off generations of witches,” Ryder joked. “Anyway, we’re all here to make sure you’re safe.”
“For how long?” I asked, certain the answer was one I wouldn’t like.
Ryder didn’t answer but looked away.
Gabriel cleared his throat awkwardly. “For as long as we’re needed.”
“Which is?”
The damn vampire was the one that spoke up, a little too much vehemence in his voice. “Until the contract expires, pet.” His eyes glowed a deep emerald. ‘If I’m stuck with you forever, little Raven, I want all the perks and I’ll have them.’
Just in case I was uncertain about what he meant Damian’s hand lowered over his crotch and moved away so quickly I was the only one who noticed. “So, that’s your motivation?”
He nodded, a leer on his lips. ‘Oh yes, my pet.’
Damian acted as if he wanted to use me and nothing more, but I remembered his tears when he thought I was dying. He wanted me to live.
‘I needed you to live to ensure my own survival. Nothing more.’
His words upset me. What he thought or wanted shouldn’t matter to me as much as it did. Damian meant nothing to me. I barely knew him.
‘Exactly. I have permission to enter your home now. You’re all mine, pet.’
“Leave her alone,” Gabriel roared, noticing my discomfort. “You’re upsetting Cassie.”
Damian looked pleased. I swear he got off on putting people at odds. He was such a jerk.
‘Careful, pet.’
“Angel, we’re all here because we want to be. There was a choice whether or not to become a member of your Cosan. I chose it as an honor.” At least Ryder was honest.
Damian sneered. “The choice was different for each of us. Don’t act heroic. I wanted to survive. This was the only way.”
Ryder frowned. “You still had a choice.”
“Or maybe your past caught up to you,” Gabriel surmised, “and you didn’t have a choice.”
The venom in Damian’s gaze would have intimidated a lesser man.
Aunt Gwen glanced between the three. “You were each presented with knowledge and choices based on your individual path. The ancestors used divination to see into your future. From this moment on, your behavior and choices affect each one of you collectively and apart.”
“Wonderful,” Damian spat as he moved to the far corner of the room.
“I understand,” Ryder answered quietly, glancing at the vampire.
“We all know what to do,” Gabriel assured her.
Sighing aloud, I sank back against the cushions of the plush couch. “So, this Cosan is a bond between these three men and me?”
Aunt Gwen nodded. “Yes.”
“Why do I need it?”
“You know the danger to the Salem witch families. Our duty to protect the veil and maintain balance is important to the survival of both immortals and humans.” This wasn’t new information and it didn’t explain why I had to hang out with a bunch of guys all the time and endure their constant shadow. “The Howe legacy is important. We’re first among the thirteen. The strongest of the bloodlines. Because of this, we’re also the most vulnerable.”
“And me, specifically?”
“You’re a Howe, but . . . more.”
Hmmm. “And my mother?”
“Liz was the most powerful Howe witch to ever live. When she died
, the balance between humans and immortals shifted. Your father was an additional cost we didn’t expect. As a result, the ancestors sought to restore that balance by gifting you further.”
“And that means?”
“Only time will tell. The ancestors don’t share all their secrets.”
Chapter 11
“What the hell are you wearing?”
Damian leaned against my doorjamb and smiled in that slow seductive way that ate at my composure whenever he was near. “I’m dressed up for Samhain.”
I glanced over the tall black top hat and skull makeup that made his green eyes pop. They were swimming in sinful thoughts, and I didn’t have to guess where his mind lingered as he dropped his gaze to the cleavage spilling out of the top of my ebony corset. My eyes narrowed when he didn’t look away. “Stop roaming over my body like it belongs to you.”
‘Doesn’t it, my pet?’
“No,” I blurted loudly, covering up my chest. “Get out.”
Gabriel barreled through Damian on the way in and the two stared at one another with cold calculation. Their rivalry was obvious, but Damian made it worse with the stunt he pulled. I wasn’t so sure I needed that blood to survive now. Damian narrowed his eyes as Gabriel growled. They’d probably enjoy ripping each other apart.
Damian laughed and broke the silence. “She thinks we’ll rip each other apart like animals.”
Gabriel grinned widely and I could tell he thought of it more than once. He still seemed irritated but something else was on his mind. “We can’t as long as we’re Cosan.”
Whew. I didn’t know why that relieved me, but it did. “That’s good.”
Damian leaned against the wall as Gabriel sauntered closer. I was suddenly reminded of circling sharks who were attracted by blood in the water. Gabriel’s gaze was full of heat. He leaned in as I sat at my vanity, finishing the last of my makeup for tonight. “You look beautiful as always.” He pressed a soft kiss to the top of my head, his strong scent lingering in the air. “I love the wings on your back.”
