The Wicked

by Cheyenne McCray

  Rhiannon propped her hands on her hips. “Maybe the idiot finally understands what he’s done. What he’s turned loose on our city.”

  “Perhaps.” The Guardian studied Rhiannon. “Go now. You will need to regroup and seek your answers with your Coven sisters and the D’Danann. And in your heart.”

  “Yes, my lady,” Rhiannon murmured, and Keir bowed.

  They straightened and moved to the center of the transference stone. Spirit bounded into Rhiannon’s arms.

  Immediately, all that surrounded them whirled around Rhiannon and Keir—the sky, grass, trees, flowers, the waning sunlight. It was like colors of an oil painting spilling and merging together.

  Until everything disappeared from sight, including the Great Guardian.

  39

  Dizzy, Rhiannon clung to Keir and Spirit. In moments the whirling came to a stop and they stood outside of his cabin’s front door. It was Otherworld, so instead of dawn, the sun peeked low over the horizon.

  The spinning in her head eased, too, but she leaned against him. Spirit bounded from her arms and immediately started stalking something in the grass. Probably a Faerie.

  Rhiannon breathed in Keir’s pure male scent that mixed with the forest smells of pine and loam that surrounded them. “I love you,” she murmured against his leather shirt and meant it with all her heart.

  He pressed his lips to the top of her head. “As I love you.”

  She sighed as he drew away and she looked up into his deep, dark eyes. She still felt the man had mysteries yet to be discovered.

  “What Lise said has come to be,” he said, his expression serious.

  “Lise?” She scrunched up her nose. “Who’s that? What did she say?”

  “So many questions.” He caressed her cheek with his knuckles. “Lise said, ‘I wonder what kind of woman it would take to tame you?’ And she added that one day a woman would bring me to my knees.”

  Rhiannon’s heart thudded as he bent with one knee on the ground and took her hands in his. Those dark eyes never left hers.

  “Will you bond with me, Rhiannon Castle?”

  Rhiannon wasn’t sure she’d heard right, even though Keir was down on one knee.

  His voice was clear and strong as he repeated, “Will you bond with me? Come sunset tomorrow?”

  Her mind spun. “Do you mean marry you?”

  “Through all that has yet to come, I want to know you are mine.” He gently squeezed her hands. “And for you to know I am yours.”

  Rhiannon’s legs trembled and her thoughts whirled until she came to a decision. She lowered herself so that she was facing Keir, and felt the soft pine needles and dark earth beneath her knees.

  “If the world as we know it was to end tomorrow, I would want it to happen as your—your mate. Your wife.” When a smile began to curve the corner of his mouth she said, “I belong to you.” It felt right, it felt good. Her voice was stronger when she said with her own smile. “And you are mine.”

  Keir grinned. He actually grinned. Goddess, he looked sexy. “Perhaps we should do so this eve.”

  “I—I. Wow.” Rhiannon almost couldn’t talk. “Tomorrow—we can wait one more night. I can’t believe we’re really going to do it.” Sunlight barely peeked through forest branches. She kissed him then drew away.

  He grasped her hand and brought her to the cabin. “There is little daylight and I have matters to attend to.”

  “I’ll go with you. I need to talk with my Coven sisters.” Rhiannon looked over her shoulder to see Spirit cleaning his whiskers, and hoped he hadn’t eaten a Faerie. “I need to get Spirit settled.”

  “Aye.” Keir opened the door to his cabin and let them in. He located some hard sausage and cheese, and cut them into chunks before putting it into a wooden bowl for Spirit. Then he put out a bowl of water, too.

  Rhiannon smiled up at Keir as he drew her to the door and out into the twilight. His strides were so long she had to walk double-time to keep up with him. Butterflies went berserk in her belly and she felt giddy and scared all at once.

  When they reached the village he stopped at a beautiful two-story building made of white marble. “First I would like to invite someone special to witness our bonding. Wait for me.”

  Rhiannon rubbed her arms with her hands as she stood outside the building. She didn’t question for a minute that she was doing the right thing. Keir was her soul mate in every sense of the words.

  He came out moments later, following a beautiful woman with blonde hair and fair, perfect skin. She was scantily clad, just enough to hide her, er, perfect assets. Her clothing reminded Rhiannon somewhat of a skimpy harem outfit.

  “Rhiannon, this is Lise,” Keir said as he took his place next to Rhiannon.

  “So you are the one.” Lise gave a delighted smile as she grasped Rhiannon’s hands and kissed both of her cheeks. The woman smelled of warm vanilla. She gave Keir a teasing glance. “As I told you.”

  Keir bowed from his shoulders. “As you did, Madame Lise.” He took Rhiannon’s hand. “I wish for you to witness our bonding.”

  “I will summon others,” Lise said with another smile and released Rhiannon’s hands. “So many hearts will be broken.”

  Great wings spread from Lise’s back, wings that matched the golden color of her hair. She took to the air with a graceful flutter and Rhiannon heard her bubbling laughter that sounded like she was taking extreme pleasure in Keir having found a mate.

  Rhiannon would have liked to have questioned the woman more about Keir, but she disappeared into the trees.

  Keir practically dragged her through the village.

  “Where are my Coven sisters?” Rhiannon asked. “They’re going to think I’ve lost my mind.”

  Galia flew up to them so fast that Rhiannon stumbled back in surprise.

  The Faerie clasped her hands, her eyes wide. “Is it true? You two are to be mated tomorrow?”

  Rhiannon blinked. “News travel fast here.”

  Galia grinned and fluttered around in circles, her lilac scent following in her wake. “I knew it. I bet the witch Hannah that it would be so. She thought he would only ‘get in your pants,’ as she said, but I knew you would fall in love.”

  Rhiannon narrowed her gaze. “Get in my pants?” She was going to kill Hannah.

  “I will let the witches and others know at once to meet you in the village.” The Faerie giggled and zipped away.

  Keir took her to stand in front of what appeared to be a tavern. It looked far more quiet than the one he had taken her to the first time she was here.

  “One moment.” Keir brushed his lips over hers. “I must speak with the tavern keeper.”

  Rhiannon’s heart wouldn’t stop pounding as she waited for him. Wow. She was getting married. Her mouth quirked into a grin. And to the guy whose nuts she’d zapped the first time she met him.

  People walked the streets of the village, some casting curious glances her way. Funny how normal everything looked—if one could consider standing in an Otherworld medieval-like village normal.

  A horse pulling a load of hay trundled by and the clip-clop of the horse’s hooves rang through the dusky evening. The smell of the hay mingled with smoke from chimneys and warm scents of roasted meats and baked breads.

  In only moments Keir returned. “Wait for your Coven sisters here. I will be back soon.”

  As she watched Keir walk away, Rhiannon knew then that she’d lost her mind. If she was feeling like she’d seen Copper and Silver acting, she’d truly gone and lost it.

  She smiled. And she loved it.

  Silver was the first to come running up from around a corner and straight to Rhiannon.

  “Oh, my goddess!” Silver flung her arms around Rhiannon. “I can’t believe it. You’re marrying Keir!” She leaned back, tears glistening in her eyes as she smiled. “And to think that makes us sisters-in-law since Keir is Hawk’s half-brother.”

  Silver hugged Rhiannon again before backing away and it was Sydney’s tu
rn to hug Rhiannon. “Congratulations, Rhi.” Sydney leaned back and smiled. “I think you two make the perfect match.”

  “Unbelievable,” Copper said with a grin when Sydney moved out of the way. “If you and Keir can settle down and bond with somebody, that’s proof that miracles can happen.”

  “The bonding ceremony is wonderful.” Silver wiped a tear from her cheek. “I wish you and our Coven sisters could have attended mine and Copper’s bondings to our men. Now with all of us in Otherworld, every one of our Coven sisters will be able to share in the celebration.”

  One by one the rest of the Coven sisters converged, along with Galia. Everyone hugged Rhiannon, although she felt a little stiff with Cassia. She and Cassia—they had to talk, after what Garran had told her about Cassia’s involvement in the decision to keep her in San Francisco.

  The half-Elvin witch had a look in her eyes that said she knew there was unfinished business between them.

  When Hannah was the only one who remained, she and Rhiannon looked at each other. Everyone else went quiet. The corner of Hannah’s mouth curved into an amused smile. “You finally let someone into that little box of yours. About time.”

  Rhiannon rolled her eyes then grinned when her gaze met Hannah’s. “Guess so.”

  Laughing and giggling, the eight of them pushed into the tavern. They found a long table with benches and took their seats. To a one they were wearing T-shirts and jeans—even the normally always elegantly tailored Hannah and Sydney. Fleeing from one’s own world kind of put a damper on dressing up.

  When they were seated, two women started putting food in front of them along with mugs filled with something that smelled of apples.

  Before Rhiannon could tell the servers they had no way of paying for this, one of the tavern women said, “Master Keir has ordered up a fine meal for you ladies.”

  Rhiannon’s belly rumbled. She couldn’t argue with that.

  The drink was an apple-flavored ale that went down well with the fresh-baked fish that had an unusual paste of wine, saffron, cinnamon, and cloves. Only Copper refused to drink the ale—she said she’d had more than enough apples when she was trapped in Otherworld.

  Heavy wheat bread, peas, and baked pears were served with the fish, and the meal was topped off with egg custard.

  The conversation went from chatter about the wedding, to the seriousness of the situation they were in.

  When it started to get a little depressing, Mackenzie lightened things up by bringing the conversation around to the gorgeous D’Danann warriors they’d been seeing around the village.

  Mackenzie said, “I don’t think I’ve seen even one who isn’t hot.”

  When the topic moved on to when Silver’s baby was due, Rhiannon’s eyes met Cassia’s across the table. By silent agreement they got up and moved to a table a distance away from their Coven sisters.

  “You have questions,” Cassia stated as soon as they were seated.

  “You’re damned right I have questions.” Rhiannon studied Cassia, who had changed so much since the battle on Samhain. “It’s all been an act from the start. You played the bumbling apprentice witch until Silver started realizing you’re not who you appeared to be. And Hawk knew it right away.”

  Cassia smiled. “This is true.” She looked so different now. Long, blonde curls, clear blue eyes, and a delicate quality to her features that gave away her Elvin heritage.

  “Why?” Rhiannon asked. “Why the act?”

  “I was sent to protect Copper, Silver, and you. All of Elvin blood. Copper and Silver were the last of their line. And you—you had no awareness of your heritage and no one to watch after you.”

  Rhiannon scowled. “It was you who brought my mother across from San Francisco to meet my—my father, wasn’t it? And you decided not to bring me back to live with him once my mother died.” Rhiannon’s voice rose with her anger. “What right did you have to make that kind of choice for my life?”

  Cassia simply studied Rhiannon. “Are you embracing your Drow heritage now? Do you wish that you had not been raised D’Anu and had grown up among the Dark Elves?”

  Rhiannon shoved her fingers through her auburn hair. When she drew her hand away, the ends tickled her cheeks as they swung forward. “Goddess. I—”

  She swallowed hard and clenched her teeth before speaking in a voice that was almost a whisper. “I don’t know. Life with Aunt Aga—would being raised by my father have been worse than her?”

  “Would it?” Cassia asked softly.

  Rhiannon rubbed her hand against her chest. “After meeting him, inside me I do think with Garran that maybe I would have known a father’s love. But I would be a different person than I am now.”

  She glanced at her Coven sisters, who still chatted, and placed her palm on the table. “I wouldn’t have the people in my life I do love. And I would have been raised to embrace what I now believe is wrong.”

  Cassia put her hand over one of Rhiannon’s. “What is wrong with your father’s way of life?”

  Rhiannon felt the warmth of Cassia’s touch, a calming warmth, almost like the Great Guardian. “He’s one of the Dark Elves, Cassia.” Duh. “He’s Drow. That means he’s evil.”

  Rhiannon felt resignation to her toes. What was she even arguing about? “You’re right, I wouldn’t have wanted to be raised that way. As much as I hated her, Aga was the only choice.”

  “I never said your father is evil.” Cassia folded her other hand over Rhiannon’s and squeezed. “Garran is what he is. He’s Drow. But he is not evil. Few of the Dark Elves truly are.”

  Rhiannon drew her hand away. “Then why were they banished and forced to live beneath the ground?”

  “The Drow simply chose a darker path.” Cassia straightened herself on the bench. “They choose to use dark magic their kinfolk refuse to. The Drow made their choice. Now you must make yours—will you or won’t you accept that part of you?”

  Rhiannon couldn’t think of anything else to say. Cassia gave her a soft smile, then got up and returned to mingle with their sister witches.

  For a long time Rhiannon sat in the same spot, alone, staring into space as her thoughts churned.

  What would be her choice?

  Keir strode to the only home he had known as a child. When the D’Danann had been forced to leave Ireland for their own Sidhe, everything they possessed had gone with them.

  So perhaps he had not grown up here, but he still felt that little boy in him cower at the thought of going up those imposing stairs to his father’s home.

  Keir let out a low growl at his weakness. He had not been a youth for centuries. Why did the memories cling so tightly to him? Or did he cling to the memories?

  He growled again.

  A horse whinnied as he passed the barn he had slept in and he walked up to the great door of the house. It was a magnificent place, but he had only been allowed inside to do chores. His meals had been brought out to him in the barn by the one servant other than himself. He’d always eaten alone. He was used to being alone.

  But Rhiannon, by the gods he never wanted to be without her.

  He pounded the great door knocker against the door. It was with some satisfaction that he did so—he had never been allowed to as a child, and as an adult he never bothered. The imposing door opened, its hinges creaking.

  He stood face-to-face with his father, Niall.

  Keir paused as they studied each other. Keir and Hawk had Niall’s dark looks, but Niall’s face was more seasoned with lines around his mouth and a touch of gray at his temples.

  Even gods aged when not in Otherworld, and the Tuatha D’Danann had been gods for more than two millennia in Ireland. Niall had aged during his years in Ireland, but had stopped once they came to Otherworld.

  “So, you are to take a half-Drow bride.” Niall’s expression was one of superiority and disdain as he looked at his son.

  “Rhiannon,” Keir said as he fought to rein in his temper, “my mate’s name is Rhiannon.”

>   With a slight wave of his hand, Niall brushed his words aside like one might a fly. “I understand you have met your Mystwalker mother, Keaira.”

  “Why did you keep her from seeing me all these centuries?” Keir’s voice came out low and harsh. “Why did you tell me she didn’t wish to know me? And that she willingly went to serve as a pleasure slave to the Shanai?”

  Niall shrugged as though it was of no concern. “It was in your best interest. There is no living between worlds. One is either D’Danann or Mystwalker.”

  Keir ground his teeth and the heat in his gut grew. “I should have been the judge of that. At the very least when I came of age.”

  “It is of no matter now.”

  “Niall?” came Keir’s stepmother’s reed-thin, high-pitched voice. “Who is at the door?”

  “I must get back to your stepmother.” Niall cast a glance over his shoulder before turning back to Keir. “She would not be pleased to see you.”

  Keir struggled to keep his anger in check and said nothing.

  “Well wishes,” Niall said, then turned and slammed the door in Keir’s face.

  He sucked in his breath. He wanted to rage, to beat down the door. To go back to the San Francisco Otherworld and fight every demon single-handedly.

  Niall wasn’t worth his fury. Keir clenched and unclenched his fists at his sides. He let out the breath of air he’d been holding and tried to calm his mind and his body. No, his father wasn’t worth the anger that Keir should have released long ago.

  When Keir turned, Hawk was standing at the bottom of the stairs.

  Keir’s body immediately tightened, wary of his foe. Aye, at this moment he would be happy to take his half-brother on in a fight.

  In just a few steps, Keir stood before Hawk and glared.

  Hawk was frowning, but did not look angry as he usually did.

  “I never truly realized until this moment how badly our father treated you,” Hawk said. “It is not a wonder you hate me as you do.”

  Keir spat on the ground to get the sour taste out of his mouth. “How could you not know? For the gods’ sake, we are twenty centuries of age.”