by Bianca D'Arc
“I will always serve the side of strength and power. The Destroyer knows how to deal with mortals and mongrels.” She sneered at the shifters who had formed a semi-circle behind her.
The knight sighed heavily, resting on the hilt of his sword. “Judgment was passed against you millennia ago Gretel, for crimes against humans, shifters and immortals alike. Crimes against the Light. The Lady Herself witnessed your evil and laid down the penalty. I thought it carried out long ago, but I see that I must do it now. Prepare yourself.”
Fear entered Gretchen’s eyes. She looked around the room as if seeking some way out. If she made a break for it, Miranda would be ready. It sounded like Gretchen had done a lot more than Miranda knew about, but the knight seemed to have her number…and her punishment.
Light began to emanate from the knight. Brilliant, golden-white light that caused the room to vibrate and the sword to chime. Lovely, lilting notes that filled the air with their magic. For this was true magic—the highest form of it. The magic of other realms brought to earth. Something Miranda had heard about in fairytales, but had never thought she’d ever see in person.
“Do you repent of your evil ways?” the knight asked in a booming voice as the light grew in intensity. Gretchen cowered in fear, a kind of paralysis seeming to have taken her ability to move.
“I hate you! I hate you all!” Gretchen cried out in defiance. “Elspeth will get you and then I will be reborn. She will bring me back as my comrades will bring her back…” Her words trailed off as the light nearly blinded everyone in the room.
Miranda blinked, but watched as best she could. She saw Gretchen…dematerialize…if that was the right word. As the light engulfed her, she became particles of darkness within it, bathed in the golden glow until they dissipated into the ether. Until finally, Gretchen was gone. Completely just…gone.
And then the light pulled back, dimming and retreating to wherever it had come from. The knight had a hard expression on his face, but he seemed at peace with what he had done.
“Wow.” Bob uttered, closer than Miranda to the strange knight. “All the bodies,” he pointed out. “They’re gone too.”
“As is Boris,” Joe reported from the bar, holding up the empty, still-locked restraints. “Just like the woman. Dissipated by the light.”
“And your cuts are healed,” Mag said from beside her, stroking her arm with his hand. She looked down and realized that all the damage she’d sustained in the fight was gone. Healed by the light.
She looked around, taking stock of everyone, starting with Mag. “We’re all healed,” she marveled. She knew who had caused this phenomenon. She turned back to the man in the glowing armor and bowed her head slightly. Respectfully. “Thank you, sir knight.”
“You don’t need to thank me. It was the Lady’s will. She whom I serve determined the course her power would take. It was She who answered your prayer and allowed me to appear here and do Her bidding.” He bowed slightly and Miranda realized something.
“You’re the Chevalier de la Lumiere the Master was talking about.”
“Guilty as charged. And you are the youngster who has found her One in an unlikely place. From the way he looks at you, and the energy around your spirits, I take it this is your mate?” The knight inclined his head toward Mag.
Mag nodded. “Magnus Redstone. And these are my brothers, Bob and Matt. And the Alpha of our Clan’s fliers, Joseph Nightwing.” He introduced all the shifters in the room.
“And I’m Duncan le Fey. I’ve been meaning to get in touch with you two.”
Tony turned to the knight and shook his hand. “Thank you for coming, Duncan.”
“Anytime, brother.” They shook hands and clapped each other on the back as they shared a manly, half-hug.
Chapter Fifteen
“Your timely arrival was much appreciated,” Tony said formally to them all. Duncan stood quietly by his side once the dust settled.
“Looked like your friend there had things well in hand.” Joe smiled as he spoke, his respect for Duncan’s power clear in his dark eyes.
“Yes, but the fact that you came to my aid speaks well for your people, and our alliance.” Mag knew Tony was a diplomat, but sometimes things needed to be stated unequivocally. Apparently this was one of those times. “Please carry my thanks to the Alpha. Tell Grif I’ll be calling him as soon as I have my house in order. Things are going to change in the city, so it might be best to have your people keep clear for a little while, until things settle down.”
All four shifters frowned. The fey knight noticed and joined the conversation.
“What my colleague is trying to say is that he’s about to come down hard on the side of Light. Events have been building up to this declaration for a while, and it can no longer be avoided. Basically, he’s going to give any immortal who refuses to declare themselves to the Light, their walking papers. They either leave his domain or suffer the consequences. We’re making a stand here, gentlemen. It would be best if your people weren’t put in the path of any unscrupulous immortals who are on their way out of town.”
“You said that during the fight,” Miranda said into the silence. “You told them they had to choose.”
“And the dozen we fought chose the wrong side,” Tony confirmed in a no-nonsense tone.
“The next logical step is to take the ultimatum to the wider audience. When he makes his stand, there are going to be a few unhappy vampires in this city. Warn your people,” Duncan reiterated.
“We’ll do that, but we can also be of help. This alliance is real now. We’re in this together,” Mag assured the knight and the Master both.
“In fact,” Joe drew their attention, “if I may, I’ll go along with you two tonight. I’ll provide air cover, if you like. Or some shifter muscle at your side. We birds of prey have our own set of skills and duties. I’d like to offer you my services, to make sure this goes down the way you want it to.”
The Master seemed a little taken aback, but the fey knight was all smiles. Tony appeared to take his cue from Duncan and welcomed Joe’s help.
It didn’t take much longer before the Master vampire, fey knight, and owl shifter were on their way, no doubt heading to Tony’s lair in the city. The Redstone brothers got to work while they waited for a ride, sorting through the rubble that was all that was left of the once-elegant wine bar.
“Melissa’s going to have a cow when she sees this,” Miranda said, looking at the devastation.
“Don’t worry.” Mag’s arms came around her from behind, already making her feel better. “It just so happens I know a really good construction company that will work for cheap.”
“Really?” Miranda turned in his arms, excited by the idea that his family would help hers. “I didn’t think Redstone Construction took on such small jobs.”
“You’d be surprised.” Bob smiled as he intruded on their conversation. He walked past them holding a giant section of the broken bar over his head to put on the growing pile of debris in the center of the room.
“We do all kinds of construction from home remodels to office towers and everything in between,” Mag replied, pulling her closer in his arms and smiling in a mischievous way. “Of course, usually, you have to know somebody to get on our short list. People have been known to wait a year or more for one of our specialty crews to become available.”
“Oh…” Miranda understood his game. It felt good to be able to laugh with him now that the danger had passed. “I think I do know somebody who could help. Imagine that.”
They didn’t get to say anything more because Steve arrived, jingling keys in his hand. He crept carefully through what was left of the glass door and whistled.
“Damn,” he commented. “You guys sure made a mess in here.” Steve looked around, casting his gaze on each one of his brothers and Miranda. “Everybody all right?”
“We’re good,” Bob answered quickly. “But you missed all the action. You’re not going to believe what happened here.”
“Tell me on the way home. The outer door looks solid enough to secure the place for the night. We’ll organize a crew to come back tomorrow and start cleaning this place up.” He looked around, his gaze critical. “Or finish tearing it down,” he added. “We might have to start from scratch here.”
“Is Melissa okay?” Miranda moved toward Steve, Mag at her side.
“Safe and sound. Currently drinking hot toddies with Lindsey at Grif’s place. She’s handling herself well. Took Joe’s shapeshifting fine, all things considered.”
“I figured she’d seen that,” Mag added. “And she saw a hell of a lot over at Raintree’s, Miranda.” The other men gathered by the door and started heading out to the big SUV Steve had brought with him, but Miranda and Mag stopped for a moment.
“What exactly happened there?” Miranda asked, her gaze worried.
“Nothing bad happened to Mel,” Mag was quick to say. “She was tied up in one of the back rooms. They vamp with her was having dinner. A half-naked human chick from the club. Mel saw him bite her. And then I rushed in and knocked him out. The girl fled and I was able to free Melissa. We were on our way out when Raintree blocked our path.”
“And Mag was a blur when he staked the bastard,” Bob put in rather loudly from the doorway. “Come on, you two. You can talk on the way.”
Mag laughed and Miranda went along with him as he led her out the door. Bob locked up, turning the bottom latch before closing the door. There was a better lock, but it needed a key and really, there was nothing worth stealing inside anymore. It would have to do until repairs could be made.
“You killed Raintree?” Miranda asked once they were in the dark embrace of the SUV’s large cabin.
“Yep.” Mag would not apologize for ending that low life bastard. He had deserved what he’d gotten. The minute he’d messed with Miranda’s family, he was toast as far as Mag was concerned.
“You should have seen him, Miranda,” Bob added, ever the loquacious brother. “He was so fast! I’ve never seen anyone move like that before. Raintree didn’t know what hit him. It was merciful, in a way. One minute he was there, threatening all of us. The next, he was staked to a cinder block wall, no threat to anyone ever again.”
“Forgive him,” Mag sent his thoughts soundlessly to his mate. “Bob can be a bit of a pain in the ass sometimes, but we love him anyway.”
Miranda sent amusement through their connection. “It’s okay. I’m just glad none of you were hurt. Have I thanked you for saving my grandniece yet?” She moved closer to him on the bench seat they shared, snuggling into his arms.
“I think you just did. But if you want to do it some more, I’ll be happy to entertain your thanks…the minute we’re alone.” He squeezed her, the cat inside him reveling at the feel of his mate in his arms.
“Done,” she quipped, reaching up to give him a peck on the cheek.
Steve drove them to Grif’s house where Miranda was reunited with a slightly tipsy Melissa. They hugged and Mel cried a bit, but she soon recovered. Mag watched over the reunion with a patient gaze while he passed on the Master vampire’s words of warning to Grif. He let his brothers fill Grif in on Duncan’s appearance and how the battle in the bar had gone.
The men were gathered in the kitchen while the women had retreated to the living room. Mag kept watch from the hallway, adding his thoughts to his brothers’ report when necessary, but otherwise keeping tabs on the ladies. His lady in particular.
He liked that. His lady.
“And you’re my guy.” Miranda’s thought sounded in his mind.
Damn. He loved their ability to speak silently, but it still caught him off-guard.
“You’ll get used to it in time,” she offered.
“I guess so,” he agreed. “How’s Mel taking all this?”
“A lot better than I thought she would. She knows I’m a bloodletter and I’m about to tell her she’s my niece. Wish me luck.”
Mag watched as Miranda took a deep breath and forged on. The revelation went well, he could see, when Mel launched herself into Miranda’s arms for a giant, teary hug. Smiles all around told him that things were going to be okay with Miranda’s family.
In fact, things were looking up everywhere. No shifters had been harmed in the evening’s action and a few very bad apples had been eliminated permanently from the bloodletters’ ranks. All in all, a good outcome. Especially since the biggest threat to his mate had been forever neutralized. Cassie was gone, and with her, the vindictiveness that had made her target Miranda for so very long.
Miranda was finally free of the burden of how she’d been made immortal. Free of the specter that had haunted her path for so long. It was a new beginning for her—and for them as a couple.
They spent an hour or so at Grif’s house before it came time to leave. They had to get home to their light-proofed house in the desert before the sun rose for Miranda’s safety. Otherwise, he was certain the women would have talked for several more hours.
They left with promises to get together the next evening at the bar. Mag had talked with his brothers about getting a work crew out there early the next morning so the place was at least a little cleaned up before the women got there. Grif had agreed. His mate, Lindsey, had invited Melissa to stay with them so she could rest a bit before heading back into the city, and Mel had taken them up on the offer.
Everybody was safe, and when Mag pulled the borrowed car into his drive, he was glad to see the raptor on the roof who hooted the all clear. His house was secure. He was never more glad to lock the doors, arm the security system, and head for the bedroom with his mate.
They’d been through the wringer that night, but they stopped in the master bath for a quick shower before laying down. Mag pulled his sleepy vampiress into his arms, and they both fell asleep.
Mag woke only a few hours later. It was about noon. Miranda would sleep the rest of the day, but shifters didn’t require much sleep. He went into his office and started making plans…and calls.
One of the guys who was cleaning up at the bar did some measuring, and Mag started laying out a drawing of the bar’s dimensions. From there, he started creating a new design for the interior layout and sourcing different finish options. He’d leave the froufrou work up to the ladies in picking colors and linens and such, but he could show them options for different types of stone or millwork at least. It wasn’t his usual kind of project, but he enjoyed the hours he spent on it, knowing it just might make his mate smile.
That night when Miranda woke, they made love, long and slow. He wanted to savor his time with his mate, and she seemed to feel the same. They rolled around on the big bed, first with him on top, then her, then back to him. The one constant was the fact that they were joined—body and soul. Their minds were linked and they could anticipate each other’s desires and wishes.
It was a hell of a way to make love. And, Mag realized, he only had this with Miranda. He had only ever had this with Miranda. Without her, he would never have this again. It would be his honor and duty to keep her safe for the rest of their days.
“That goes both ways,” she reminded him, picking up on his thoughts again as they came down from the highest peak yet.
“I love you, Miranda.” He kissed her gently.
“And I love you, Magnus Redstone. My One.”
Epilogue
Miranda handed over her notes to the Alpha sometime later. She hadn’t forgotten her promise to do so in all the tumult, but it had taken her some time to organize her thoughts into a format other people could understand. She’d taken pains to remember everything she could about her time as a captive of the mage. She’d written it all down and organized what she could of the things he’d said about the Venifucus and their plans.
Handing it over to Grif was a big step. She’d made copies, of course. She kept one for herself and gave the other to the Master. Duncan had asked for a copy as well, so she’d made another for the fey knight.
In fact, all
three powerful men gathered in Grif’s kitchen so she could go over her notes with them. She answered their questions as best she could, but a lot of what the mage had said still didn’t make any sense to her. She left the meeting feeling glad that she’d been able to give them something. Maybe it wouldn’t be useful after all, but at least she’d tried.
Mag took her home after the meeting and they made love, helping her erase the memories of the evil mage and her time in captivity.
The meeting of minds at Grif’s house went on for a while after Miranda and Mag left, though. All three men wore troubled gazes as they went over her notes.
“Miranda did a good job of organizing this,” Tony offered at last, when he’d finished reading through it all for the third time.
“She did,” Duncan agreed. “But that still doesn’t make this information any easier to read. I fear it indicates the worst is yet to come.”
“Yeah.” Grif sat back in his chair and stretched, rubbing his eyes. “That’s what I get from it too. Not good news at all.”
“We’ll have to redouble our efforts,” Duncan said finally, his voice grim. “We’ll have to be ready when the shit hits the fan.”
Grif almost laughed at the ancient fey warrior using modern slang. It sounded funny coming out of his mouth when most of the time, the guy sounded like a living antique. But this was no laughing matter. The Venifucus were on the move, and it could be a big problem for every living being in the mortal realm. Grif’s duty was clear.
“We’ll prepare, but we should talk to the Lords. They’ve been gathering intel on the Venifucus for a lot longer than we have here in Las Vegas. They’ve got a farther reach even than Redstone Construction. If I’m going to put my resources at their disposal, I think I’m going to have to send someone up there to be our on-the-spot liaison.”
