by C. D. Hersh
Alexi nodded. “I’m fine, really.”
The dewy-eyed expression she gave him made him want to jump her. Instead, he held her close, mindful of her injuries. “There have to be some new rules now, Lexi, if I’m going to do this.”
“What if? You just committed.”
“No more running off on your own,” he said with a smile. “We’re a team. Professionally, magically, and personally, as soon as you’re well. Got it, Mrs. Temple?”
Alexi’s smiled broadly. “You might want to save that last part for a while. You won’t have much time for anything but training once you’ve got your Turning Stone ring.” She glanced at the clock over the door. “Oh, my gosh! It’s almost midnight, Eli. He has to read the incantation before midnight.”
Rhys gaze swiveled between Alexi and Eli. “What’s she talking about?”
Eli removed Baron’s Turning Stone ring from his pocket. “Tae get the most powerful magic from the ring, ye have tae bind it tae ye before the end o’ Samhain.” He handed Rhys the ring.
Rhys rolled it in his hand. He’d promised to help, but now that the ring lay in his hand, heavy and cold, a dark foreboding chill ran down his spine. He held the ring out. “Can’t we wait until Alexi’s better before we do this?”
“Nay. Ye havetae do it now, and quick. Sylvia knows who ye are for certain, and she’ll not waste a minute trying tae get tae ye. We need yer full power, whatever that might be, tae keep her at bay. Ye canna get that without yer own ring. Ye dinna have another choice, laddie.” He moved the chair by the bedside and tucked it behind Rhys’ knees. “Sit down, read the inscription inside the ring, and then put the ring on.”
“Sit?”
“Aye. The first time isnae an easy one. Ye’ll need to be sitting else ye’ll be on the floor.”
“Sitting? Why?”
Alexi laid her hand on his arm. “Do what he asks, Rhys. The first time you experience the ring’s power, you’ll think you’re having a heart attack.”
Eli moved to the room door and closed it. “And try not tae yell, laddie. We dinna want the whole nursing staff running in.”
“Yell?” What the heck had he gotten into?
“Don’t be so worried,” Alexi said. “It gets easier with time.”
“Hurry, laddie. Ye’ve less than a minute. Read the inscription in the ring then slip it on yer left hand.”
Rhys sat down on the chair. “Fear bean beathach tri an aon.” He slipped the ring onto his middle finger. The metal warmed instantly. “What does it mean?”
“Ye’ll learn soon enough, laddie. Now try tae relax.”
The words were no sooner out of Eli’s mouth before his left hand started tingling, the feeling concentrated around his middle finger. The red lines swirled in the green stone. He blinked to clear his vision, certain he was seeing things. The lines swirled faster. The tingling grew stronger. Then it shot from his arm straight into his chest, hitting him like a semi. He clutched the left side of his chest, the pain knotting every muscle in his torso. He stifled a groan. Concern etched Alexi’s face.
“You sure this isn’t for real?” He gasped for breath.
“‘Tis real, but not what ye think,” Eli said. “Hang on, twill be over soon.”
Rhys watched the second hand on the clock tick the seconds by. Each one an eternity as the pain continued to rip through him.
“I thought this shifting thing was more like what happened with us,” he whispered between gritted teeth. “This is hell.” The pain doubled him over. Sweat dripped into his eyes. Alexi wiped it away.
“You okay?” she asked.
He gave her a weak smile. “Sure. I like having a heart attack.” He checked the clock. “How much longer?”
“Soon. Show me yer ring,” Eli said.
Rhys held out his hand. The red lines continued swirling. As he watched, their motion slowed, along with the waves of pain surfing through him. Seconds before the minute hand on the clock ticked midnight, the swirling lines curved into three entwined circles.
“‘Tis done,” Eli said.
Rhys unfolded his body and rose. He felt strong. The pain was gone, replaced with something he recognized from his Army days in Iraq—acute awareness. He looked at Alexi, then at Eli, then he turned away from them. He could sense their presence. Knew exactly how close they were to him. He faced them and frowned. “I can sense you, both of you. It’s like you’re touching my skin.”
“‘Tis the shifter sense,” Eli said. “But ye usually dinna have it right off the bat, and ye usually havetae be shifted tae feel it.” He studied Rhys. “We’ve a lot of work tae do, laddie. And we havetae start right away.”
“Right after the wedding,” Rhys said. “I’m not letting her get away again.”
Alexi held his hand. “Ditto.”
“I suppose if I dinna let ye have yer way, I’ll get nowhere with either o’ ye. But we need tae make it small and secret.”
“I’ve always wanted a big wedding,” Alexi protested.
“Small is safer,” Eli said.
“Doesn’t matter to me,” Rhys said. “We will be together either way.” He squeezed Alexi’s hand. “And we will, in more ways than one.”
She blushed at his veiled reference to sexual shifting. “Guess it means we are soul mates, after all.”
He sat down on the edge of the bed and drew her to him. “That’s all I ever wanted, Lexi.”
Also coming from Soul Mate Publishing,
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The Turning Stone Chronicles
Blood Brothers
Sylvia winced as Falhman dug in her shoulder and extracted the bullet. He dropped the slug into the trash and swabbed the wound.
“You want to tell me how you got this?” he asked, using a needle to stitch the gaping hole.
“Chasing Promised Ones.”
“I hope it was worth this.”
“It was. I’ve found someone who shifted with me by pulling the power from my ring.”
Falhman stopped stitching and stared intently at Sylvia.
“There’s only one problem,” Sylvia said. “He’s in love with Baron Jordan’s niece, Alexi.”
“I thought that whole family was dead.”
“She’s the last one left, and I think she’s on track as a Promised One, too.”
Falhman went back to stitching Sylvia’s skin with practiced ease. “Get rid of her and get him. If we can control someone with that kind of power, we can control the world.”
