Bound (Legacy Series Book 4)

by Ellendale, Max

  "We have to stop her." I sniffled, wiping my eyes with my sleeve. "She can do a lot worse."

  "I know." Xany pet my hair, cradling me to her chest. "But you need to be okay before we can do anything."

  "I really…" Sobs choked me up, squelching my words. I gripped my hair and tugged but Xany pried my hands away.

  "Really what, Nee?"

  "Really want a drink. I really do." Shame flooded me, tightening my throat even worse than my sobs.

  "A drink?”

  "Beer or something, anything."

  “No beer. You know better than that. Maybe a glass of water or some of Kat’s Irish coffee?” Xany's soft voice cooed in a parental way. She would do anything to comfort me, even offer something I shouldn't have.

  "Irish coffee has alcohol." I sniffled again as my sobs subsided.

  “Not enough to get you drunk but maybe enough to take the edge off.”

  "I can't. Even a taste. I won't be able to stop. It's been a year, I think. I can't. Vanessa…" I started crying again with even the thought of putting Vanessa through that again.

  “Okay, warm milk?” Xany stroked my hair as she began to rock.

  "We should kill him. We should kill him, too." I gripped on to Xany as all the awful thoughts continued to pour from my mouth.

  “Kill who? Your mom’s mate?”

  "Yes, I hate him. I hate…" Everything, I hate everything.

  “You don’t even know him, Nee. He can't be so bad if he’s mated to meanie, she wouldn’t put up with that," Xany reassured me.

  "I'm going crazy. I've lost it." My breathing picked up but as soon as it did, Xany stroked my cheek and a rush of soothing heat brushed over my skin. It radiated down my body, over my shoulders, settling in the pit of my chest as if she sent a defense missile to kill the anxiety.

  “No you haven't. If you can say you've lost it, you have it. But even if you did, we'll find it.”

  "Wait…" I paused as a sudden wave of clarity struck me. "This is what she wanted." I sat up, looking at Xany. "That's why she attacked Robbie, sent my mother's mate. She knew it would derail me when nothing else would. Like… another siege."

  “You make her sound like some warrior captain in an army.”

  "That's it!" I slammed my hand down on my knee. "Maybe you're right. The whole end of the Byzantine Empire ended because of the Ottoman army invasion. What if Ileana was a descendant of warrior or saw the whole thing? What if she was some sort of strategist? She's treating this like war. 'My army is much stronger than yours.'"

  “Women didn’t fight back then did they? Weren’t they mainly whores that followed the armies around? Besides, she’s too girly for that. Maybe a soldier’s wife?"

  "That's mainly stereotypes. It was a patriarchal society as a whole but there was an Empress Irene who ruled as Emperor, not empress, for five years. Eventually she got tossed out but she did lead and some stories say she was a military commander. Women's roles in ancient times were squashed down or their advice was hidden under the guise of male leadership. Even if she were a soldier's wife, she would see the things that went on. Irene allegedly died in Lesbos in 803. But what if, just what if, Irene was an ancient vampire. Or, what if, her offspring were ancients." I found myself relaxing against Xany, the rigidity left my body as she rubbed my arm. "I feel less crazy."

  “Good. Sometimes just sitting down and taking a deep breath helps clear out the cobwebs.”

  "I think it had more to do with you than cobwebs or breathing. Can't you feel it?" I looked up at her. "When you heal?"

  “Heal.” Xany tilted her head as if she never thought of it in that way. “I feel you. I’m not sure how to explain it. With you, it comes naturally. When you're upset, I want to make you feel better and it happens. You know what I mean? With others I have to work on it so I don't get caught up”

  "Yeah. I understand." I turned and hugged her fully.

  “So anyways, you're thinking that maybe fang-face is Irene or maybe some relative of hers?”

  "Yeah, I think so. The fall of the Byzantine Empire seems to mean a lot to her. I bet it would've meant even more if she was there for the entirety of it." I sat up now, cross-legged facing Xany. The craziness and the cravings escaped me for now. Gratitude for Xany's existence had me humbled and happy that she was my best friend.

  “Damn she’s old.”

  "That's what I'm thinking. Some of the stuff I read in Coaghan's office was in history books, others were myths and legends. Either way, all point to the fall of the Empire after the siege. And I really think it has meaning to Ileana. We have to get to Istanbul somehow."

  “How we gonna do that?”

  "I have no idea."

  ***

  Adia joined us when we returned to Utah. I told her my theory about Ileana and she didn't seem opposed to it. One after the other, she placed strands of leather with a single wooden bead, over our heads. Vanessa hissed at the necklace and frowned.

  "I don't like it," she said.

  "It's a totem. Ileana's blood soaks these beads with other things Dia did. It'll repel her and her kin so don't be a fuss about it." Adia waved Vanessa off.

  "Her magic is on it," Vanessa said, continuing to look down on it.

  "You can sense the voodoo magic on that thing?" Mal asked.

  "Yes. And Adia's magic." Vanessa looked at the young wolf. "I don't like it."

  "Don't fuss," Adia repeated.

  "Brown magic?" Xany asked Vanessa who nodded.

  "How are we getting to Istanbul?" I looked between them though I couldn't help wondering why my mother wasn't here. Was she with her mate? At Imogene's? Angry about this whole situation?

  "We're not going right away, Nee. We've got to plan," Caden said, adjusting the leather bead. After he grunted, it disappeared from his chest.

  "What…did that just?" I stared at him.

  "Yeah yeah, like you haven't seen us do that before," Caden scoffed.

  "I haven't, I swear." I turned to watch Mal and the same thing happened to his necklace. He grinned proudly.

  "Show off." I elbowed him lightly.

  "Well, Dia better hurry. You coming?" She looked at Vanessa.

  "Where?" Vanessa narrowed her eyes at Adia.

  "Istanbul! Let's go already." Adia huffed.

  "Hang on a minute here. You can bend to Istanbul?" Caden cocked a brow at Adia.

  "Sure. It's not hard. I'll fit in." She shrugged. "Smart one over there said it's in a museum. It'll be in there and the cat can sense the voodoo magic."

  "Are you kidding? Vanessa will not blend in. She's the least blendy of any of us." Xany eyed Adia with suspicion.

  "I'm blendy." Vanessa frowned.

  "You're so not blendy, baby." I laughed softly and she smacked my arm.

  "I have to agree." Mal chuckled and dodged the blow aimed at him.

  "Adia, you go first. Find a safe place in the museum to memorize then come back for Vanessa," Caden suggested, though I knew it wasn't really a suggestion.

  "Oh. That's a better plan," said Adia, and she disappeared beside the window.

  "That was almost a Xany plan," Mal said.

  "Hey, bub, watch it. My plans work out just fine thank you." Xany glowered at her brother.

  "What do we do in the meantime?" I asked. Honestly, my level of fatigue mounted and all I wanted to do was sleep.

  “Have lots of hot sex.” Xany squirmed around in her seat.

  "All right with me." Caden picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, toting her off down the hall. "G'night people."

  "Well, there goes that," I said, glancing between my mates.

  "Are you really all right? Our mate bond nearly strangled me." Mal placed his hands on my shoulder and kissed my forehead.

  "I'm okay. I almost wasn't." I leaned into his touch. "But Xany helped and then I realized that Ileana wanted me to lose it. She's waging war on my psyche. Even though my mind is fractured at times, I'm stronger for it. I've been through way worse than an echo of m
y father's voice and a man who looks like him. I'm more concerned for my mom."

  Vanessa seemed to breathe at my words, as if she'd been holding on to something terrible in her torso. Her shoulders relaxed and so did our mate bond. I looked over at her and she offered me a subtle nod of understanding. She still didn't trust my reactions to things, but her faith grew daily. That's what our connection told me. I smiled and held my hand to her. She took it and my bonds gave a hefty flutter when my skin met both of my mates.

  "She feels fine in the pack bonds. A little more vibrant than usual. What do you sense?" Mal asked.

  "The same. I'm curious about the story of her and Dakota. He's my father's brother and she's mated to him yet her marriage was still arranged to my father. I couldn't imagine if I had bonds with each of you and was forced to be with someone else." I shook my head. My mother and I shared more than just our looks. Secrets haunted us it seemed. "She told me that Dakota doesn't know anything. At all. Like not even about her being with the Andrus. Or my father."

  "How is that possible?" Mal asked.

  "She sent him away or he left the old pack before everything went down, I think," I said.

  "She said something about a deal to stay away from each other," Mal added.

  "I didn't understand what they were saying," Vanessa commented.

  "I think that was the point, at least for the most part. To keep as many of us in the dark as possible," said Mal.

  "I really don't want Vanessa disappearing off to Istanbul," I told Mal as I tugged Vanessa closer to me. She wrapped her arms around my middle and I hugged her.

  "It's generally safe. There's lots of Changers all over that area. Many of them are different breeds of cats," Mal said, which was both comforting and not.

  "Are you okay with going, baby?" I asked, placing my hand on her belly. An image flashed in my mind. The baby, a girl, swirling in a sea of reds and yellows. Finally, the sharp image of a tiny kicking leg startled me as I felt the kick against the palm of my hand. A smile met my lips and I looked up at her. "The baby is doing well."

  "I'm okay with it. You can tell?" Her eyes widened and Mal stared at me, open-mouthed.

  "I think you just sent me a picture," his voice raised a pitch. "Of a leg? How?"

  "Mom taught me how. I wasn't thinking of it just now. It was spontaneous but yeah. I'll get an image sometimes. It's diagnostic Mom said. Though I've only had it a few times, twice on purpose."

  "Are all wolf cubs like Ariel? I could barely keep up," Vanessa asked suddenly.

  "Some are, yeah. Not all. She's a spitfire and probably a lot more dominant than most because of her parentage." I laughed softly at how quickly our conversation turned from murderous vampires to kids.

  A thundering bang and shout echoed from down the hall. A grin slipped across Vanessa's lips and Mal shook his head.

  "Do we sound like that?" he asked me.

  "Probably." I chuckled which made him smile.

  "You do. Only with the noise, not with shouting. Xany's ridiculously loud," Vanessa said.

  "You would know, wouldn't you, baby?" I grinned and she nodded.

  "Do we sound like that?" I asked Mal, gesturing between Vanessa and myself.

  "Not at all. The two of you are nearly silent, like you're stealing pleasure instead of indulging in it," Mal said, rather eloquently.

  "Hmm. We're pleasure thieves, Ness." I smiled up at her and she ran her finger over my bottom lip.

  "You're worth stealing." A soft purr erupted from her chest and I rested my forehead against hers.

  Adia appeared by the kitchen table a moment later. In addition to casual outfit, she now wore a headscarf. She waved Vanessa over to her.

  "C'mon, we have to hurry," she said.

  "I'll be back." Vanessa pressed a soft kiss to my lips.

  "Be careful. I love you," I said as she stepped away to grab Adia's hand.

  "I love you," she said and they disappeared.

  "Was this a bad idea, Mal?" I wrapped my arms around him, lacing my fingers behind his neck.

  "Your instincts are usually right, love. Vanessa and Adia, as dominant and magic as they are, make a great team to head off for a quest in another country. They can escape pretty much undetected if they need to. Us bumbling regular wolves aren't nearly as elegant as a cat and a Shaman." His hands fell to my waist, pulling me closer. "No one's around now. Just you and me. Are you truly okay?"

  "I have you. How could I not be okay?" I pressed up on my tiptoes and kissed him firmly. He held me in it as he squeezed my rear. In his presence, my father's echoing voice rarely snuck up on me. After meeting my mother's mate, I expected his haunting to return. It didn't.

  "You feel okay to me and I know you're telling the truth. Is there anything you're worried about?" His words ended the kiss.

  "I'm worried about having another freak out over Dakota's voice. And about why my mom hasn't reappeared. And about Ileana killing everyone I love just to spite me. But other than that, not much." I smiled when he swatted my hip.

  "So nothing at all then." He chuckled and led me toward the sofa.

  "Nope. Nothing." I joined him in laughter as we settled down together. He pulled me into his arms, draping a blanket over both of us as we lay together on the sofa awaiting Vanessa's return. "Why do you think Ileana didn't just thrall me to get me to name a childe for her?"

  "Good question. Maybe she's just enjoying this game. Did you ever happen to look in her eyes?" he asked.

  "Just once, briefly when she first showed up at the hospital. Her eyes were purplish gray but almost translucent, like sea glass. That's how I knew she was a leech. I was able to look away quick enough," I said, drawing circles with my nail along his chest.

  "She could've thralled you right there. I'm glad she didn't." He kissed my forehead.

  "Xany gets thralled really easily. It worries me."

  "Me too. Vampires are drawn to her in a way. I think she's drawn to them too but won't admit it," he said.

  "Vanessa is too at times. I think it's her attraction to magic. Xany had no chance against Ileana. I turned my back for a few seconds and the leech had her." A wave of guilt churned my stomach. Mal caressed me in the exact spot.

  "It isn't your fault, love. None of this is." He kissed my cheek as I melted into him.

  "Sometimes it seems like everything is my fault. Except for getting kidnapped by the hoarders. That was all Xany." I laughed softly, nipping his chin.

  "We all share responsibility for different events that happen. Except the time where you went off on your own to take on that disgusting Andrus doctor. That was all you." He grinned and tickled me, which brought on a bout of Xany-style squealing.

  "Mal!" I gasped for breath as I cracked up and squirmed. My feeble attempts to get him back ended in ungraceful flailing. Eventually his laughter grew louder than mine did and he abandoned tickling for hugging.

  "Gv-ge-yu-hi," he breathed against my neck.

  "I love you, too." I smiled and snuggled up against him. He knew how to play, how to brighten every day. Gratitude flooded me and I settled into the warmth of his overheated body.

  We must've dozed off after a while because Vanessa's gentle caress on my cheek was the next thing I remembered. Crouched in front of me, she held what looked like a large flask with a gorged belly, long neck, and curved stopper. The bumpy exterior and tiny handle made it seem like nothing more than an item meant to hold a drink. In the other hand, she gripped a circular piece of bread that looked like a large bagel. She'd taken a few bites out of it already. She held out the flask to me.

  "This is it?" I sat up. Mal stirred behind me and I heard him yawn.

  "Mhmm," she said, and offered me a bite of the bread. I shook my head but accepted the flask, setting it in my lap. The metal, although cool to the touch, purred with the vibrations of a living being. Mal leaned over my shoulder and tore a bite from the bread right out of Vanessa's hand. She didn't bat a lash.

  "Whap amf I eaping?" his words gar
bled around the food.

  "Simit," Vanessa answered simply. She handed him the rest of it and watched me with the flask.

  "So I was right?" I looked up at Vanessa. The fact that I held Ileana's heart in my hand hadn't quite hit me yet. The power to destroy this ancient leech only an inch away.

  "You were right," she said.

  "Where was it?" Mal asked.

  "In the museum. Down in a storage basement with some other magic things," Vanessa answered.

  "You're now an international smuggler, Red," Mal joked but I sensed his relief.

  "Let's go examine it," I said, breaking away from them to stand. My mates followed me into the clinic. "Where's Adia?"

  "She's gone to get your mother," Vanessa answered.

  "What's the magic look like to you?" Mal asked her as I set the flask down on the counter.

  "Yellow," she said.

  "Yes, but how can you tell?" he pressed.

  "It's around it. Like a halo or an aura." She moved her hands in the air as if tracing an hourglass.

  "Can you sense it in other ways too like smell or hear?" Mal asked.

  I listened as they spoke while I poked around the flask. It seemed like an ordinary object to me. I set the flask down on the counter with a towel beneath it to prevent damage. My mates stood on either side of me, looking over my shoulder.

  "Yeah, I can smell it or see it. I've heard it before but that's a bad sign. If you hear magic, it's usually demonic or satanic. It whispers to you." A shudder pulsed through my bond with Vanessa as she divulged some facts about her ability to sense magic.

  "That's awful," Mal commented.

  With as much caution as I could muster, I examined the flask. Poking at the stopper with the tip of a tweezer. Some of the sealant fell away. I slipped on a pair of exam gloves in effort to avoid touching the ancient materials.

  "What are you doing?" Mal asked, nodding at the gloves.

  "It's old and I'm not sure if it's corrosive," I said before setting the flask down. From the drawer of the table, I grabbed pliers and fastened them around the stopper, bracing the flask on the table.

  "Shawnee!" Vanessa shouted, slapping my hand a bit harder than I think she intended. The flask shot out of my hand and Mal caught it in a haphazard fumble just before it hit the floor.