by L. Rose
Kiered patted his cheek gently. “That’ll do.” He faced me. “Now, how are we going to get back in there and kick some mage ass?”
“Get me through the shield and I will get us in,” Xi ordered.
Nodding, I faced toward Nate, who was looking at the destruction near the house. Bodies littered the ground. My pulse raced, my insides cooled, and I prayed none of them were my mates, but I didn’t want to risk checking in on them in case I was a distraction.
A hand touched to my back, and Kiered whispered into my ear, “They’ll be okay. They’re tough, strong, and would do anything to make sure they stay safe for you.”
Smiling, I held up my hands in front of me. “Take hold of me. A hip or arm. But make sure you’re touching skin. Then pray this works.” Kiered placed his hand on my upper arm while Xi’s cupped the back of my neck. Stepping forward, my hands were the first thing to hum. “Okay?”
“Yep,” Kiered said, but his voice was rough. His hand on me tightened and I felt it shake. I glanced over my shoulder to find him clenching his jaw and his body quivering a little. It was the same with Xi. I dropped my hands.
“It’s shocking the both of you?”
“Just a little,” Kiered said. When I turned to him, my eyes widened in surprise. His hair looked like it had been blow-waved by a hairdresser who didn’t know what they were doing. I couldn’t tell with Xi since his head was shaved, but his face was tight, lips thin, and brow pinched. His hands were fisted down at his sides.
“Don’t lie to me,” I pleaded. “Look, I’ll go through, help them, and then we’ll get you both in there.”
“No,” Xi barked. He looked to his mate. “Stay out here.”
Kiered glared, his hands slapping down on his hips. “Like hell. We’re doing this together.” His eyes blazed into mine. “Just be quick with it and we’ll be fine.”
“Xi has to break the gates. How long is that going to take while you’re both being zapped?”
Xi sighed. “It won’t take long. Let’s do this so I can beat someone senseless.”
“But—” When they both stared me down, I knew I didn’t have a chance in stopping them, and now I wished I hadn’t even come out to get them. Only the image of all the bodies pushed back into my mind and having Xi, hell, both of them in there would be an advantage. Sighing, I nodded once. “Fine.”
Turning around again, they placed a hand on me once more. This time I didn’t prepare with my hands out. I stepped right in and reached back, wrapping an arm around each man to try and help. Their bodies still convulsed, but Xi managed to grip the bars, and with a roar that shook the ground, he didn’t just bend them to fit through, he broke them apart and threw the poles to the ground. Kiered stumbled forward, away from the shield, and gasped for breath. Xi, even with his body still shaking, took one step away, crouched on all fours and shifted with another roar of fury.
I took the chance to look around and noticed the mages were no longer behind their own barrier but fighting either hand to hand or magic to vampire strengths and gifts with others. They were separated at least. It could mean we had a better chance of taking them out one by one.
Xi’s shifted form aimed all of his heads toward his mate. He took a step to Kiered, who didn’t look scared at all. I was even fearful of what Xi in this form could do. Kiered stood his ground as the heads leaned in and sniffed him. The snake swept out it’s tongue and licked him. I took a breath when their attention moved to the fighting. It let out another roar, and I caught people stop what they were doing to look our way. What I should have been doing was paying attention to Xi still, because I then felt hot breath on the back of my neck.
I froze.
Nate grumbled out a warning, and I hoped he didn’t do anything else.
I got a sniff, and then he bounded forward, his eyes set on a mage off to the left. Shaking my body out, I called my own powers forward and felt the change instantly.
“He’s amazing, isn’t he?” Kiered sighed with awe as he watched his mate dodge a spell right before he opened his mouth and bit the mage in half. I was sure I could still hear the mage’s cry of agony as Xi chewed.
I shuddered but pushed it all to the back of my mind when I caught Anthony advancing on Alex, who had his back to him while he fought another foe.
I lifted my head and let out an ear-piercing scream, then raced right for him.
Nate, in wolf form, landed at my side as we ran with all our strength. My attention never strayed from Anthony. A need to kill him flared inside me. Nate snarled and dropped behind me. A snap of bones followed, then someone cried out in pain. Still, I stayed on track.
Just as I was closing in, Anthony turned and threw a spell out at me. My body lit with fire burning over it, only it didn’t hurt, nor sting like I expected it would. I lifted my gaze to a stunned Anthony.
“How?” he breathed. His gaze shifted to his side, and Alex had turned. His lavender eyes glowed more vibrant.
“Did you not think I would protect my mate?”
“But she, you….” He shook his head. “A protection spell? I should have cut through that.”
“Because you used black magic?” Alex laughed, but it wasn’t his normal light one. It was sinister. His hand rose, and the fire surrounding my body evaporated, leaving me naked. With a click of his fingers, I was dressed in fighting leathers. “You underestimated me and mine, Father. Look around. It has cost you your precious coven.”
“I still have people,” Anthony yelled, and he was right. Ten or so mages still battled against my mates and Cynthia’s vampires.
“It won’t last. Look, look into the future you have given your coven.” Cedrick appeared behind Anthony and placed his hands on the man’s head. Anthony screamed over and over. He dropped to his knees even as Cedrick never took away his hands. My mate was showing him his future, even if it was an illusion.
“Paige.” My name was bellowed. I twisted and dove to the ground before rolling and popping back up into a crouch. A woman stood not far away with her hands out at her sides. Her lips moved, and I knew she was conjuring another spell. Instantly, I rushed right for her. A flash of red shot out of each of her hands. That time I managed to dodge the balls of light before I jumped into the air and landed on her. In the fall, I gripped her head and twisted swiftly to the right. Her neck snapped before her back even hit the ground. Someone screamed, and then I was tackled to the ground with another woman on top of me. She slapped at my face, pulled my hair, and yelled at me. I punched up. The force behind it had my hand sailing right through her stomach. Her eyes widened above me, and blood spurted from her mouth before she collapsed dead to the side. I pushed her all the way off and lifted my gaze.
Silence.
There was utter silence for one peaceful moment.
Did it mean the fighting was done or more was to come?
I stood and looked around; my mates and our people were doing the same. We all noticed the others watching me. I straightened and said loudly, “It didn’t have to come to this. All we want is to live in our world in peace.” I shook my head and waved a hand toward Anthony who blankly stared up at the sky at Cedrick’s feet. “Did Anthony speak for you all? Did he bring death into your lives because he worked with a corrupt council who kill and steal innocent people in their greed to be stronger and more powerful than the rest? Why can’t we all live together without fearing others? Why can’t we all get along and not worry if someone has an extra boost in strength or power than the others? I want a world where even those who are stronger will help those who aren’t. They will stand with anyone no matter who or what they are. I’m here because the council threatened my people, my family, and I’m in need of people to stand with us to stop the killings and kidnappings.”
“Who will govern us all if the council isn’t around to do it?” someone called.
“I will help find the right people to do the job. Until then, I will step in along with my mates. My mates who are from different factions in this community. But I want you
all to know, I’m not after anything by doing this. I want harmony between us all. I want to live with my family in happiness and not worry or fear.” I threw my hands out, waving them around. “Is this how you want to go on? Fighting? For what? Money, power? It isn’t everything in the world.”
“Mages, witches, will you stand down today?” Alex called. “You have heard my mate. All we want is to find peace, and in doing so we know it isn’t under people who are cruel, who kill over meaningless things.”
“Who says we’ll allow them to stand down?” a red-haired male vampire stepped forward. “They came into our territory to fight, to bring war by killing Cynthia, our master. They deserve to die.”
“We only followed our leader here when he sent us an SOS call. For all we know, it was you vampires who started this.”
“Anthony killed Cynthia,” Asher snarled. “I know she wasn’t an innocent body in this matter. She conspired with the mage to trap us here because they want our mate, our queen, to drain her powers and life source to extend and grow their own. This is how the council have been working for years. Cynthia made a mistake. We all knew she regretted it in the end, but it never had to come to murdering her. There is no point fighting one another when all the blame falls onto the council. They also killed your former master. We have proof to show you. Then, through Anthony, they killed Cynthia. The mage also offered up his own son, his own flesh and blood, to be drained like he was nothing. It’s people like this we allow to govern us. Will you let it continue? Or are you willing to stand with us and fight who is really at fault, not each other?”
Murmurs started up around us all. We watched and waited to see what the outcome would be. I just prayed it wouldn’t end in more bloodshed.
A woman moved into my view. She dipped her head just a tiny bit. “If the vampires are willing to let this go, we will leave peacefully. I will put it to the other covens and see if we will offer our own help against the council. We also offer the vampires Anthony Smith for the misunderstanding today.”
She was giving up their coven leader to be tortured and killed. I respected that choice because Anthony deserved it. However, would Alex be able to live with letting it happen? I glanced to him and found him already looking at me. He gave me a small, sad smile but nodded.
Even if the choice came back to bite him in the butt, I would be there to help him get through it.
Nodding, I turned back to the woman and said, “That’s all we can ask for. Please give one of my mates your details and we’ll speak. But know we see the council in a week’s time.”
“Alex has my details.”
“I do, Mother.”
Mother? That was Alex’s mother? She offered up her own husband without a care or tear over him? My gut burned in anger. But it wasn’t because of that. No, it was the way she looked to her son, a man who was honorable, sweet, and amazing, without warmth or love. Instead, she turned and started to walk away.
“Wait,” I called.
She faced me once more.
“I need you to understand it’s fine if none of you stand with us. If no mage or witch comes to our aid or wishes to witness the proof the council will give when we see them. However, I will warn you to stay away, far away from me and what’s mine. Especially Alex. If anyone causes any trouble for any of us, I will hunt you down and kill you myself.”
She smirked. “And you say you want peace, yet there you are threatening us.”
“I have a right to threaten the mother of my mate since it was your husband to cause all this in the first place. It was your husband who stood with the council in draining people, and it was your husband who treated my mate like he was nothing because he has a heart. So yes, I think I have a right to threaten you because I stand by what I say. I protect people from bullies, from people who think they’re better than others.”
She studied me before glaring, turning, and walking toward the gates. We all sensed the shield drop before the rest of the mages and witches followed Alex’s mother out.
“Vampires, what say you?” Asher called.
The red-haired one moved closer to me until a certain wolf stomped to my side and growled. The vampire smirked but dipped his head. “I am Finnegan McGregor, now master to the clan, and I speak on behalf of my people. We stand with you, Paige Alice. You seek what we are after. From the recording today, we will contact other clans we trust and show them what has occurred, as well as the proof you have over the council murdering our former master.”
I wasn’t sure I liked that the whole thing had been filmed, but it could be good for us in the end. We didn’t act out of turn. It showed exactly what we were about. “Thank you, Finnegan. We appreciate it. Alex will leave the files with you. However, be sure you trust the other clans completely and also that you destroy the footage after you have shown them.”
“I will, Queen of ghouls.” He bowed once more before ordering a man to take Anthony inside and then moving over to Alex.
“Can we leave now?” I asked, suddenly drained from everything that happened. Though I was still pissed at Alex’s family. Killing Anthony over and over would be good. Maybe someone knew a necromancer and we could make that happen.
“I vote for leaving,” Nate answered first, from his wolf form. “They keep looking at Paige like they want to fuck or suck on her for hours after witnessing the way she fought.”
“I second that vote,” Ezra agreed. He was now back in his human form.
“Paige isn’t the only one being admired,” Thorn fumed. I glanced over to see him watching a couple of vampire women approaching Asher.
Actually, it was happening everywhere. Some stood close to Thorn—not that he noticed—and others eyed Cedrick. One even reached out as if to touch his hair. I waggled my finger at him when he saw me looking.
“Can I pat your wolf?” a guy asked and then licked his lips.
I was about to tell him where he could go—straight to hell—when there was a commotion in the house. Five people appeared in the doorway. They looked crazed with their wild, frantic, glowing green eyes searching for something. They lifted their heads and drew in a deep breath.
My stomach bottomed out.
“Alex!” I yelled. “Get Ezra out of here now,” I ordered.
Alex disappeared from where he stood, appeared behind Ezra, and then both of them vanished out of sight.
The fledglings flashed down the stairs and sniffed the air again. A disgruntled man and woman appeared at the top of the stairs. “They broke out. Just broke out because they could smell something.”
“Maybe it was all the blood,” I suggested. I would have crossed my fingers for them to believe me, but I didn’t want to make it obvious.
Though Finnegan knew I was full of shit since I’d yelled to Alex and then his sudden action to get Ezra out. Worry seeped into my veins. Would he question it?
I relaxed a little when he said, “Yes, must have been.” He moved over to them. “Children, feel the new bond. Do you sense it?”
They hesitated, and I worried we hadn’t gotten Ezra away fast enough or that the smell of his blood still lingered.
“I can’t scent his blood anywhere. It must have been on him,” Asher told me, as if he knew my worries already, which he probably did.
A guy, who looked no older than sixteen, finally answered Finnegan, “Yes, master.”
“Good, please go back into the safe rooms. It’s nearly time for your feeding.” They shuffled away without another word, and I relaxed even more.
If it would come down to it, I’d think of something to say to Finnegan to explain about getting Ezra out of there. I hoped he was smart enough to leave it alone though.
“Xi, pull the guards out and have them head back to the hotel we’re staying at,” Asher ordered. Xi grunted but got to work with Kiered at his side. “Finnegan, we’ll be in touch. However, I would like to attend the send-off for Cynthia, if you’ll allow me?”
I ground my teeth together in jealousy, and then I want
ed to punch myself in the face, maybe even stab myself, because feeling jealousy was so wrong. Asher lost someone he cared about. I wanted him to be able to do what he wanted and needed to, for himself and her. For closure.
“Of course, Asher. You are always welcome here. We’ll have a burial for Cynthia in a few hours.”
“Thank you.” He nodded and walked the rest of the way to me. “We’re staying close to rest for a few days as I thought this would take longer. That’s where Alex would have taken Ezra.”
I took his hand and we made our way to the car. “Rest sounds good, but I would like to pop home tomorrow, even if it’s just for a few hours.”
“I would love to see it,” Cedrick said from my other side.
“And I would love to show you.”
“We’ll make it happen, sweetheart.” Thorn smiled from where he walked beside Cedrick. Nate was on Thorn’s other side, and he bumped his head into Thorn until Thorn threaded his fingers into his fur. “You big baby,” Thorn teased. Nate growled low in a playful warning.
Another meeting slash battle down, where the outcome was promising. Now all we had was one more to go.
The worst one.
Or, if everything fell into place, it could be the easiest.
Please let it be the easiest.
“I still can’t believe Lucifer contacted Ezra after the fight to inform him that if Ezra was in his hellhound form, the fledglings wouldn’t have gone crazy,” I complained as we walked through my castle.
Cedrick chuckled. “I think he’ll be sure to find out all information straightaway from now on, especially after your phone call to yell at him.” He shook his head, smiling. “Only you would scold the devil.”
I harrumphed. “He deserved it.”
His smile grew. “Yes, beautiful, he did.”
At least, I thought he had. Okay, maybe I had gone too far when I threatened his balls a few too many times. I rolled my eyes. “Anyway, this is my sister’s suite.” I pointed to the door. “Well, the kids should be here probably, with the bear shifters or their father, Eric. Yasmin is still dealing with being changed over to a vampire.”
