by Anya Bast
“Serena, get back,” Cole said.
“Reform the circle,” called Serena. “Reform it, now! Build the power.”
Most the witches did what Serena had ordered. A few ran out of the room. The chanting, though now done in very shaky voices, started again. Cole added his own rising Cernunnos power. The wind started up once more.
Behind him, Serena started chanting something else, a different spell. It took a moment for him to recognize it as the one they’d used last night, though this one was slightly different.
It was the correct translation of the ritual to send Ashmodai back.
He should’ve known Serena would find a way.
Ashmodai roared and made an enraged lunge for Serena. Cole thrust her behind him and bodychecked Ashmodai. They rolled together across the floor like they had at Millicent’s the first time they’d summoned the demon.
But this time, Ashmodai wasn’t playing around.
Cole felt claws rip his back open and hot blood welled. He yelled out in pain as both he and Ashmodai slammed hard against some invisible wall of power right in front of the coven witches. Pain exploded in just about every part of his body.
“Cole!” Serena cried.
He grabbed Ashmodai before he could scramble across the floor toward Serena and snap her neck. Serena was on the wrong side of that invisible barrier. “Keep chanting, baby. Keep chanting,” he ground out.
Serena renewed her efforts with gusto and he felt her power reach out and touch him. Ashmodai felt it, too and roared in rage. They tussled on the floor. Cole punched Ashmodai hard in the cheek and thought he felt all the bones in his knuckles break. He hoped Serena had some success soon.
Ashmodai caught him under the eye in a mind-numbingly hard punch. Cole’s head snapped back and the breath oofed out of him as he fell hard on his side. Pain exploded through his head.
But above him, a sliver of light glimmered.
The doorway.
Cole forced himself up and grabbed Ashmodai. Cernunnos rose within him, hard and hot. For the first time since the beginning of the entire ordeal, Cole let him take over. Ancient words poured from his mouth as he felt himself gain muscle and height as Cernunnos took over. Magick poured through him. He grabbed the demon by the upper arms and tossed him through the slit of light.
Ashmodai screamed as he was swallowed whole and the doorway snapped shut.
Cole went down on all fours, breathing hard. Slowly, Cernunnos retreated. Sated. Happy. For once, he wasn’t gripped with the all-consuming need to drag his mate into the other room and fuck her until she couldn’t see straight.
Well, okay. He wanted to, but he didn’t have to with a capital “H”.
With that thought, he collapsed straight to the floor and the world went dark.
Chapter Twelve
“Serena?”
Serena laid a hand to Cole’s cheek. “Shh, take it easy.”
The coven had all pitched in and helped Serena get him to her house. It had taken pretty much all of them to lift him, but they’d managed it. Now he was lying in her bed. She’d gotten most the mud off him and dressed his wounds. Though he was still wearing the filthy pair of jeans he’d been trekking through the bog in.
Ashmodai had roughed him up pretty good. Besides the slash across his back, he had some cuts and bruises on his face.
Cole’s eyes opened to slits. He smiled and then winced. “Serena,” he breathed.
“Hey, baby.”
“You did it,” he rasped.
“We did it, yeah.”
“You found the right translation.”
Her smile faded. “Cole, I need to tell you something about the professor.”
“Ashmodai killed him, didn’t he?”
“I’m sorry. Reading the paper today makes me think he killed at least four people. There have been a rash of unexplained deaths by rapid aging around Newville. The medical community is stumped.”
“That’s horrible.” He reached up, twined a hand to her nape and pulled her face down for a kiss. “But he’s gone now.”
She shivered. “Let’s hope no one ever brings him back.” She took a glass of water from the bedside table and pressed it into his hand. “Drink this. It’ll help you sleep.”
“I don’t want to—”
“Drink. You need to sleep. Your body is healing really rapidly. Just the way you’d think a god would. Still, you need to rest. That drink is made with herbs to hasten the healing process.”
He smelled it and grimaced.
“Yeah, I know. It tastes just as bad. Drink it anyway, okay?”
“Only if it’ll get me back with you quicker.” He grinned rapaciously at her and waggled his eyebrows.
She smiled. “Drink.”
He held his nose and drank it down. Almost immediately, his eyelids started to droop. Soon, he was asleep. When she was satisfied he was in a deep healing sleep, she got up and headed to the oak grove.
She had a little unfinished business with the Elders.
Once there, she knelt on the rock and entered the Elders awareness, pushing through the layers of their trapped memories until she reached the heart of their collected consciousness.
An image of her mother floated in her mind’s eye. Mom? I don’t understand, Serena said. I don’t understand any of it. I mean, I’m not complaining, but it all happened so fast and—
My daughter Serena, her mother said. Always so logical. Always ruled by her head when her sister is always ruled by her heart. Cole is yours in the most fundamental of ways, Serena. Enjoy him and let your fears go. He loves you.
Is that why you told Morgan I was supposed to keep him?
We knew that Cole had been your companion through many lifetimes. He needed you to defeat the demon, as you needed him to save you from your fears and doubts and memories of the past. Together, you two fit. You’ll see this is true more and more as the years pass.
I can see it now.
Good, her mother replied in a warm, loving voice. Go to him. Love him. Allow him to love you, Serena. Know we are always here.
Her mother’s image faded from her mind’s eye, and Serena floated up from the depths of consciousness she’d reached and opened her eyes. Cole stood before her.
She got to her feet and brushed off her jeans. “I thought you were sleeping.”
“I was, for a little while. But I wanted to find you because I have something to say, and I feel like if I don’t say it now something bad will happen and I will never get to do it.” He pushed a hand through his hand. “I’m babbling.”
“What’s wrong, Cole?”
He walked toward her and pulled something out of his pocket. She reached out and accepted a package of bubble gum flavored lip balm. “Been carrying that around with me for a while. It’s been through hell and back, uh, literally. I bought it at the store a couple days ago and forgot to give it to you. I saw it and thought of you.”
She examined the mud-smeared container of lip balm and laughed. “Thanks, Cole. But why do I have a feeling that’s not really what you’re so fidgety about right now?”
He dropped to one knee on the stone and reached into his other pocket. He held up a small…ring…it looked like, made from something brown. “I can’t imagine life without you. I know this is fast. I know we haven’t known each other very long. But I made a promise that if I ever got back from hell, I’d do this. Serena?”
She swallowed hard. “Yes?”
“Will you marry me?”
She took the ring. “You made this for me…in hell?”
Cole stood and paced away, pushing his hand through his hair. “I knew I should’ve waited and bought you a diamond. I just couldn’t—”
She stalked to him, turned him around, went up on her tiptoes and pulled him down to kiss her. “Of course, I will,” she said against his mouth. “God, Cole. I love you so much.”
He gathered her into his arms and kissed her. “I love you, too, Serena. I promise, we’ll get you a non-hell p
roduced ring, okay? You can have anything you want. Anything. Your choice.”
“Aw, baby. I already have what I want.”
About the author:
Anya Bast writes erotic fantasy and paranormal romance. Primarily, she writes happily-ever-afters with lots of steamy sex. After all, how can you have a happily-ever-after WITHOUT lots of sex?
Anya welcomes mail from readers. You can write to her c/o Ellora’s Cave Publishing at 1337 Commerce Drive, #13, Stow, OH 44224.
Also by Anya Bast:
Blood of the Raven
Blood of The Rose
Autumn Pleasures: The Union
Spring Pleasures: The Transformation
Summer Pleasures: The Capture
Winter Pleasures: The Training
Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.
www.ellorascave.com
