The Dark

by Cheyenne McCray

  He shifted on the chair. He wasn’t sure “pleased” was the right word, or even “happy,” but Daire was perhaps glad that Cassia had found someone who meant so much to her.

  A man willing to sacrifice his life to be with her.

  He sighed. Humans.

  But when Kat walked from a hallway into the room, his groin tightened at the erotic sight of her.

  Goddess bless humans.

  No, erotic did not begin to express the way she looked. Her hips swayed gently as she moved toward him. Her short hair gleamed beneath the lights, and her lips were glossy and red.

  But that wasn’t what had his full attention. It was what she was wearing. Something black, silky, and lacy, like nothing he had ever seen on any Elvin woman.

  She was bared from her shoulders down to the material that barely covered her breasts. His mouth watered at the hint of a rosy areola, and even more as his gaze traveled from her breasts, drinking in how the fabric clung to her waist, only went as far as the top of her thighs, and barely covered her sex.

  “It’s a merry widow,” she said as she reached the chair he sat upon. “Do you like it?”

  Daire swallowed and nodded, unable to talk because his tongue was now too big for his mouth.

  She smiled, a glint in her dark eyes. “Cat got your tongue?”

  A Kat, yes. She had stolen his words.

  Her smile was seductive as she straddled his lap and eased herself down so that her barely covered sex rested on his enormous ridge.

  He had wanted her from the moment he met her, and now she presented herself, wrapped like a gift.

  Kat tipped her head back and rocked her hips against his, her sex grinding against him.

  Daire groaned and decided to unwrap his gift—immediately.

  She made a sound between a gasp and a moan as he tugged the top of her “merry widow” down and released her small, firm, beautiful breasts.

  Kat uttered little mewling sounds as he sucked each tight peak and grabbed her ass. He thrust his hips up, willing to bet he was hard enough to punch through his breeches and the fabric covering the place he wanted most to be at this very moment.

  “Come on, Daire.” She reached between them, untied his breeches, and had him in her small, warm hand before he had a chance to breathe. He had not known a human could be that fast. “I refuse to wait.”

  “Far be it for me to argue,” he said in a voice so deep he hardly recognized it as his own.

  She laughed and rose up just enough to pull the thin material covering her to reveal what he wanted so very much at that moment.

  And she gifted it to him.

  Kat gave a throaty cry of pleasure as she sank onto him. She began riding him, her hands in his hair while her fingers traced the ridges and points of his ears.

  Daire thrust up in time with the movements of her hips.

  The way she touched the tips of his ears sent another thrill of lust through him.

  They moved at a steady rhythm, Kat’s breasts bouncing enticingly above the black-lace-and-silk creation. He had to suck them again and again, and then kiss her over and over. She was no innocent, and he loved the way she knew how to give pleasure at the same time she took pleasure.

  An odd roaring grew in his ears and he charged toward his orgasm.

  Kat climaxed before he did, and she let out sharp cries as she squirmed on his lap.

  Daire gave a fierce smile, for some reason feeling a sense of triumph at making her wriggle and moan as he continued to thrust in and out of her.

  When he allowed himself to climax, a storm of sensations blasted through him. His vision darkened, like traveling through the veil from Otherworld at blinding speed. Darkness, then light. But incredible energy accompanied his orgasm and he did not want to stop.

  He wanted to be inside her forever. To move inside her forever.

  When Kat sank against him with a long, soft moan, he slowed then stopped, his seed completely spent.

  He nudged her face with his own and took her mouth with his.

  Humans. He would never underestimate their power again, magic or no.

  35

  Killing has a way of making one feel powerful. Murder even more so.

  I take dried yew leaves and grind them to a fine powder with a pestle in a small stone mortar. This will work perfectly.

  Yes, there’s a difference between “killing” and “murder.”

  When no one has been looking, I have killed during the battles with Darkwolf, mostly people on the Alliance’s side. But killing during battle isn’t the same as murder because it’s not personal. It’s a part of war.

  Actually committing murder, doing it out of passion or anger on a personal level—now that’s power.

  I smile as I take the finely ground yew powder and carefully tamp it into one of Silver’s handmade teabags with her favorite ingredients, including cinnamon sticks and other spices. Silver is so predictable when it comes to her tea. She has a cup or two every morning.

  That will make this easy.

  When it comes to murder, I felt the difference when I strangled Mackenzie. Now, as I make my plans to kill Silver and her baby, I feel almost giddy.

  It’s exhilarating, a rush like no other.

  I haven’t told Darkwolf. Will he be pleased when I tell him of her death? Or does he still have a stupid obsession for her?

  The thought that he would feel any regret for her death burns my insides. I am even more determined than ever to make her my next victim.

  Oh-so-perfect Silver Ashcroft. The bitch.

  I grind my teeth as I close the handmade teabag and tie it off the way Silver always does.

  To witness the emotional devastation of her filthy D’Danann husband, Hawk, and her blood sister, Copper, will be the ultimate high.

  I had considered hemlock to poison her, but decided on yew. Long ago pregnant women wanting an abortion took yew, and not only aborted their babies, but the women died, too.

  At first Silver will feel nauseated. Then she’ll start vomiting, go into convulsions, and lose the baby. Within an hour or so she’ll begin hallucinating before going into shock and then a coma. Then her poor little heart will give out.

  This should be fun to watch.

  36

  Incredible joy swirled through Cassia as she and Jake finished dressing. She couldn’t stop smiling, and he didn’t seem to be able to stop either.

  After he shook the sand out of his clothing and brushed it off the back of her robe, he kissed her with such sweet languor that he stole her very breath.

  When he finished kissing her, she sighed and snuggled against his chest. “I don’t suppose we can stay here and pretend it’s just the two of us on some Otherworld.”

  “I wish.” Jake pressed his lips to her hair. “How long have we been gone?”

  Concern spread through her like cold heat for the Alliance and the city—never mind what could happen on a broader scope if they didn’t stop Darkwolf. And soon. “Two days.”

  He shook his head. “Too long.” Then he twisted strands of her hair around his finger. “But every minute of it was precious.”

  “We’d better get back to headquarters.” Cassia took both of Jake’s hands. “I’ll get us as close to the showers as I can.”

  Cassia gripped his hands tighter as they moved through the darkness of the transference, and he squeezed her fingers hard. When they arrived, it was on the cool concrete floor in front of the bathroom to the showers.

  They nearly bumped into Rhiannon and the PSF officer she’d been teamed with. Rhiannon kept her gaze averted, and some of the happiness that had been inside Cassia faded. It felt like her heart was being shredded to see her Coven sisters come to this.

  She swallowed back the pain as Rhiannon and the officer brushed past. Rhiannon’s Shadows reached for Cassia as they parted, their ghostly hands sliding over her skin.

  Her heart thundered, and she watched until Rhiannon and the officer rounded a corner and vanished.

/>   Cassia shuddered. Could Rhiannon?

  “What’s wrong?” Jake asked as they entered the bathroom and shut the door behind them.

  “You mean beyond Darkwolf trying to wipe out the Alliance, as well as destroy and take over our city? And one of my Coven sisters being a murderer?” Cassia shook out more sand from her robe. “Nothing.”

  “Hey.” Jake caught her by the chin and brushed his lips over hers. “I have more confidence than ever that we’ll make it. Together.”

  She let herself forget about reality again as she and Jake shared a long, luxurious shower, where they washed each other’s bodies before he took her yet another time under the warm water pounding down on them.

  Cassia sighed with pure happiness as she felt the cool tile against her back and his throbbing inside her core. He was firmly between her thighs, her legs hooked around his hips.

  She’d never been so happy in all her centuries of living.

  A smile lit her mouth as he slid out of her and settled her onto her feet.

  Jake turned off the water and they both stepped out of the shower. Cassia dried them both with her magic before she spoke the Elvin word for “clean” and vanished all the sand from their Elvin clothing.

  When they were dressed, Jake started to kiss her.

  Sheer agony cramping her belly. She ripped herself away from Jake’s embrace and doubled over.

  Her sight blurred and she saw the kitchen around her.

  Silver’s teacup—her favorite porcelain one with the colorful sprigs of wildflowers—crashed to the floor, the sound ringing through the room. Shards scattered across the concrete and tea splattered everywhere.

  Cassia screamed and flung herself through the transference.

  At once she arrived in the kitchen, and terror nearly suffocated her as she saw Silver on her knees. Silver threw up before she dropped onto her back on the floor. She writhed and screamed, clutching her hands to her belly.

  Cassia dove to her knees beside Silver. Porcelain shards sliced into her skin through the robe, but she barely noticed.

  Tears flowed down Cassia’s cheeks as she focused entirely on Silver. Cassia raised her hands above Silver and sent all the magic she could into her friend, to ease her pain and to find out what was happening.

  The scent of yew came to Cassia over the powerful acidic smell of Silver’s vomit.

  Yew. She had been poisoned with yew.

  Dear goddess.

  Silver’s face paled to deathly white and sweat covered her forehead. She screamed and clutched her belly as she began crying out things that didn’t make sense. She was already hallucinating.

  Vaguely Cassia was aware that Silver’s husband, Hawk, was now on the floor holding her head and upper shoulders in his lap. The big warrior cried, tears rolling down his harsh face as he begged Cassia to save his wife and his baby.

  The baby. Dear Anu, please be with Silver and her baby, and guide me through what I must do.

  Cassia called forth all the power she now controlled as a fully ascended Guardian. The transition had given her so much power she vibrated with it, even glowed with it.

  “Hold her feet.” Cassia’s own voice sounded far away as she spoke to someone close by. “Keep her still.”

  She had to get the poison out of Silver and the baby’s bodies.

  Cassia held one hand over Silver’s chest and another over her abdomen.

  She closed her eyes and let silence envelop her. Cries and shouts in the kitchen vanished. She began drawing the poison from Silver’s body, siphoning it out of her. Cassia captured the poison into herself, caging it in a magical vial with her powers.

  Silver fell silent. Pain like knives stabbing Cassia’s heart nearly sent her reeling as she felt Silver’s lifeforce slipping away.

  “No!” Cassia screamed, and opened her eyes. Silver barely moved any longer, her eyes glazing over.

  With all the power Cassia had, with one tremendous swell of energy, she sucked every bit of the remaining yew poison out of Silver and into her own body.

  Cassia didn’t bother to contain the poison with magic. No time. She drew every last taint of yew into herself.

  Not a single drop of the poison remained in Silver.

  Nothing.

  But was it too late?

  Cassia struggled against the pain of the poison now in her own system as she sent healing energy into Silver.

  Cassia grasped Silver’s fading lifeforce and thrust it back into her. The same for the baby. The unborn infant’s tiny lifeforce had also almost been depleted, but Cassia captured it and returned it to the baby.

  Cassia’s gaze wavered and she clutched her own abdomen as she tried to focus on Silver’s face. Silver’s color was slowly returning to her cheeks and her eyes no longer looked glazed. She now held her hands to her belly, over her baby, as if protecting the infant, not like she was in pain.

  Hawk stroked Silver’s face with his large hands, saying something and still crying. Whatever it was sounded garbled as Cassia’s world started to tip.

  The urge to throw up became overwhelming, and Cassia turned her head to the side and retched.

  Pain, unbelievable pain, wrenched Cassia’s body in two and she dropped to her side. Somewhere in the distance she heard herself scream and Jake’s frantic voice calling her name.

  Images started appearing behind Cassia’s eyelids, but she barely saw them through the haze of pain.

  A mortar and a pestle. Dried yew leaves being ground into fine powder.

  Pale, delicate fingers wrapped around the pestle, and the thoughts in her head shifted from angry to amused and back again.

  Rage. Hatred. Blackness.

  Painful thoughts of a past haunted her every act. Drove her to prove she wasn’t weak.

  That she had power.

  Cassia saw her tortured memories and flinched. Memories of a young girl with her skirt up, her panties down, and someone with a rough stick beating her buttocks as the girl screamed for forgiveness.

  Thoughts flashed back to the present.

  The delicate hands in Cassia’s vision tamped the yew powder into a handmade teabag and Cassia heard a familiar laugh.

  Then she saw the traitor’s face.

  Shock numbed Cassia’s entire body, paralyzing her.

  No. No!

  Cassia had known that witch was as suspect as any, but to see it for herself—

  She threw up again. The acidic smell and taste somehow eased her back to the kitchen.

  Perspiration coated her beneath her robe as well as her face, and her whole body shook.

  All of the witches except Silver surrounded Cassia. Their combined healing energy vanquished the remnants of the yew poisoning.

  Except one of the witches. The traitor. She wasn’t trying at all, just pretending.

  Cassia opened her eyes and realized Jake was holding her, murmuring to her.

  But Cassia could only focus on one thing. One person.

  Her name came out in a choked gasp.

  “Alyssa.”

  Everyone turned to look at Alyssa, who paled.

  “It’s Alyssa.” Cassia coughed again before saying as loudly as she could, “Alyssa murdered Mackenzie and just tried to kill Silver. She’s the traitor.”

  For a moment stunned silence filled the room, as if no one could digest Cassia’s words.

  Cassia raised one of her hands and tried to use her power to capture Alyssa.

  Too weak.

  Alyssa scowled and said, “Bitch,” as Cassia threw out another burst of power, this time stronger.

  But the murdering traitor vanished.

  “Alyssa?” Copper whispered as she turned to the other witches. She shook her head as if she was hallucinating.

  No one seemed to be able to find any words for a long, almost endless moment.

  “I thought it had to be a mistake.” Copper spoke again. “I kept telling myself Darkwolf really did find his way in here and killed Mackenzie.” Tears filled her eyes and start
ed trickling down her face when she blinked. “I never did believe it could be any one of us.”

  Copper hugged Sydney and, to Cassia’s surprise, Rhiannon hugged Hannah, whom she’d barely tolerated until recently. Then everyone hugged and cried, including the very weak Silver and Cassia.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever get over this.” Sydney took off her glasses and wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands.

  “I know I won’t.” Copper looked at her blood sister, Silver. “And I’ll never forgive Alyssa.”

  “She must be possessed or something.” Rhiannon dabbed at her nose with a tissue from a box that was now being passed around the kitchen. “How else can it be explained?”

  Jake helped Cassia to a sitting position and she leaned her back against him. She had a hard time focusing on anything but Alyssa, but noticed someone had used magic to clean all the vomit off the floor.

  “I saw into her mind.” Cassia took a tissue from the box and clenched it in her fist. Alyssa’s feelings whirled through Cassia, making her want to vomit again.

  “Hatred, jealousy, darkness.” Cassia tried not to cry as she continued. “It’s all been balled up inside Alyssa for a long time. Maybe forever. The blackness in her soul has grown and grown until it finally peaked.”

  “She must be destroyed,” Hawk said in a fierce voice, causing Cassia to cut her gaze to him.

  For a moment she’d forgotten anyone but the witches and Jake were in the room, but Keir, Tiernan, and Conlan had joined them.

  Hawk still held Silver’s head in his lap, and he stroked her hair from her face as his tears dried. “That witch cannot be allowed to live after what she has done.”

  The absolute quiet in the room pressed down on Cassia. “Kill her?” Silver shook her head as she looked up at her husband. “We’re not like her, Hawk. We can’t forgive Alyssa, at least I can’t. But I won’t see her killed.”

  “What would you see done with her?” Keir said in a growl as his wife, Rhiannon, stood and embraced him.

  “I don’t know. Jail?” Silver stared at Cassia with a beseeching expression. “Or can she be moved to some Otherworld as a punishment? Not anything inhumane, but something that would suit her crimes?”