by Thawer, Tish
Aryiah threw herself in his arms and buried her head in the crook of his neck, It's okay, she thought. I'm at peace with what transpired, but it's the thought of losing you that has my heart feeling as if it's being torn to shreds.
Using their mated mind bond to communicate only helped solidify that they were meant to be together.
Their hug quickly turned into a kiss, and Damarius figured if Aryiah wasn't confused about who she was, then he wouldn't be confused by it either.
After breaking their embrace, he led her to the couch. "How did things go with the Goddess?" he asked, letting go of his previous questions and anger.
"Good. We discussed the rituals and rites for when I take my place with The Witches on the Winter Solstice."
"The people will be happy to know you've returned and will be taking your place as Queen of The Witches." The stunned look on Aryiah's face stopped him cold. He watched as panic filled her eyes and her chest started to heave.
"I didn't think about that. I'm not sure I want everyone to know I'm Aradia reincarnated. What if things are different this time? What if I don't live up to what they remember?" She shook her head and continued. "I don't think I can handle some grand ceremony."
Damarius took her hands in his and tried to think of something reassuring to say. But honestly, he wasn't sure what it meant to have Aradia return. His initial thought was that it must be a bad sign she'd been awakened after all this time. The thought of his Goddess' earlier words drifted through his mind: Darklings, vampire assassins, another Great Rift. How was he supposed to sooth his beloved mate when he was filled with concern himself?
He started to speak, hoping the Goddess would guide his words, when suddenly their reunion came to an abrupt halt.
* * * * *
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Devin woke slowly, stretching like a cat rising from the dead. Her skin was stretched tight over what felt like brittle bones. She opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by complete darkness. But after a quick blink she was able to focus on her surroundings––her strange surroundings––with perfect clarity.
She instantly recalled what had happened at the bar and smiled as ran her tongue across the tip of her fangs. She knew what she was and what she'd done and reveled in the thought. The only thing currently confusing her was not knowing where she was.
She was in what looked like a studio apartment. The floor she was currently sprawled out on was covered in smooth black tile, and the low lying bed next to her was nothing more than a mattress thrown on the floor, covered with black and gray sheets. The surrounding surfaces looked like slabs of black onyx. Everything was high quality and black upon black: the kitchen counters, the cabinets, the satin wallpaper, everything. So much black...she liked it.
After looking around the open space she knew she was alone. She stood and felt a surge of strength flow through her entire body as she walked towards the window. Peering out, she sucked in a sharp breath. The sky was a swath of inky blackness, lit only by two blood red moons. But Devin didn't have time to contemplate her odd surroundings because the overwhelming desire to flee was so strong, it felt as if a magnet was pulling her into the night. She opened the door and raced into the darkness, her instincts her only guide. Using her vampire speed, she flew down paved streets, between tall concrete buildings, and ended up in what looked like the center of town.
There was a large circle of grass surrounded by a knee-high stone wall, with openings every four feet. There were people lined up in rows, waiting to enter at each opening.
Devin walked up to the closest line and took her place at the back while staring wide-eyed at a shimmering portal floating in the middle of the grass circle.
She quickly realized that all the people surrounding her were vampires, as a group exited the portal with blood still dripping from their fangs. Devin watched, trying to learn the system. One vampire would return and then another would move forward from a line, enter the portal, and simply disappear. As her line began to move, Devin reached out and tapped the small female vampire in front of her on the shoulder. "Excuse me. How exactly do the portals work? This is my first time."
The woman turned, and scanned Devin from head to toe with her beady eyes. Devin tried to plaster what she hoped was a friendly smile on her face, but the woman's chuckle only confirmed her failure.
"You just think of where you want to go and the portal will transport you there."
Well, shit. Devin didn't have a clue where she wanted to go. Only an overwhelming desire to reach...somewhere. "Thank you," she responded in a dead-pan tone.
A few seconds later it was Devin's turn. She walked forward towards the silver glowing liquid that reminded her of mercury. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be encased in some sort of metal circle which hovered just above the ground, waiting to engulf her.
Standing within inches of the device, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and cleared her mind. Almost immediately a name drifted into her head...Gage! She stepped through the portal with his face etched in her mind and excitement charging her blood.
As soon as she felt a change in temperature, Devin opened her eyes. She was standing in an open space, the portal now at her back. The green grass was lush, and the tall trees surrounding her created only one way out. The stone path that led away from the portal was lit every few feet with tall elegant torches burning with what she mysteriously recognized as eternal flames.
Hit with the sudden realization that vampires weren't usually permitted in Upper World, Devin quickly flew from the path and wound her way through the thick evergreens instead. Despite her newfound sense of panic, she tried not to worry about being caught in the Goddess' realm.
After only minutes of racing through the forest, Devin could sense she was close to her destination. Slowing, she crept to the edge of the trees, looking for the stone path once again. But what she found instead had her gasping for breath.
A castle so glorious she found herself gaping at the sight. It was simply the most awe inspiring structure she'd ever seen. Pure white marble with shades of pink and silver threaded through the walls like veins of a spider's web. Spires so tall they blocked out portions of the moon-lit lavender sky. White crystal domes topped multiple towers, and walls with repeating arches reminded her of the aqueducts of ancient Rome.
Devin squatted close to the ground as she tried to process the fantasy-like scene. As beautiful as the castle was, she had a feeling if she continued down this path, the fantasy could quickly turn into a nightmare. But unfortunately the pull she felt towards the stone palace was unrelenting. She somehow knew she'd find Gage within, and the knowledge had her practically flying towards a side entrance she spotted at the far end of the closest wall.
She reached the small wooden door within seconds and yanked it open, completely pulling it from its hinges. Prepared for an attack, Devin bared her teeth and waited, but was pleasantly surprised when she found the dark hall empty.
The desire to reach Gage was like a beacon in the night which guided her through hallways, around twists and turns, and finally down a massive set of stairs which led to a candlelit tunnel made of cold stone.
As Devin crept forward through the dark tunnel, she noticed sigils etched into the walls every few feet. The sense of déjà vu slammed into her gut as she rounded the corner at the end of the hall. She spotted Gage standing with his head down and his arms behind his back in the all too familiar cell.
"I've been waiting for you."
* * * * *
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Gage rubbed his hands up and down his arms as he tried to alleviate the buzzing sensation coursing through his veins. He could almost sense Devin's every move, and the closer she got to the castle, the more intense the tingling became.
The connection of a Sire to their created vampires was always strong, but when emotions such as lust or love were involved, the supernatural link that bound them together was even more powerful.
Gage sho
ok his head at the ridiculous thought. Love? No way. He could admit lust was definitely an emotion currently plaguing his head and cock, but love...make that no fucking way.
He rose from the hard bunk and stood in the middle of the cell, his hands behind his back and his head bowed. He couldn't wait to be free of this place, but the idea of seeing his first sired vampire definitely had him on edge.
He felt Devin round the corner and come to a stop in front of the cell. "I've been waiting for you," he said.
"You've drawn me here. How?"
"I think you know the answer to that, Devin. I am your Sire. The one who turned you into a vampire. That bond is what drew you to my side, as you are now my responsibility."
"Your responsibility? Why do I get the feeling that pisses you off?"
He slowly raised his head, planning to pierce her with a hard stare and explain that creating a vampire was a burden he never wanted. But upon seeing her here in the flesh, his composure quickly crumbled.
"Damn it, woman. Take a look around," he said gesturing to the cell. "I'm locked in the Goddess' dungeon, so can we please get the hell out of here before we start the vampire Q and A?"
Devin planted her hands on her hips and cocked her head and smiled, revealing her fangs to him for the first time. He swallowed hard as the bulge in his pants started to grow. She was even sexier than before and the thought of answering her questions suddenly became the last thing on his mind.
Memories of their shared passion had him running his hands up and down the cold metal bars of the cell. She must have been following his train of thought because she watched his hands stroke up and down, sucking in a breath as though the image stung her.
"What do I have to do?" she asked.
Regardless of what her motivating factors were––sex, answers, whatever––Gage was pleased with her willingness to help him escape.
"Turn around and look at the symbols on the wall. I'll tell you which ones to touch and when," he answered.
While his magickal training with the Darkling had definitely been intense, he was currently pretty damn happy he was taught to read sigils. Deciphering them to make his escape would be easy, but since these sigils were wards as well, he needed Devin to actually touch them in a specific order, therefore activating their magick to release the cell doors.
"Alright. First, touch the one above you to the left that looks like a backwards 'P' with waves around it. Then touch the one below it that looks like a waning crescent moon, but don't remove your finger. You have to keep pressing that one while you reach for the final one. It's above you on the right and looks like a big 'O' with lines in the middle."
Devin took a moment to locate each symbol, then reached out, touching each one as Gage had instructed. At the sound of the cell doors unlatching, she spun around and came face to face with her maker.
* * * * *
Aryiah stiffened and pulled her hands from Damarius'. The electric current running through her veins and the sudden awareness flooding her mind had her racing for the door. "Devin is here!"
She didn't need to turn to know Damarius was hot on her heels as they fled his room. "What? Aryiah, wait!"
Waiting wasn't an option. Aryiah ran down the hallway, trying to understand why Devin would be in Ovialell, let alone in the Goddess' castle. At first, she thought maybe Devin too had been triggered to become a Witch, but the thought left her just as quickly as it had come, as she was struck with knowledge that broke her heart.
With Aradia's omnipotent magick flowing through her, Aryiah knew something terrible had happened. Devin was now a vampire. And if that wasn't devastating enough, things were about to get much, much worse.
As they reached the stairs which led to the dungeon, Damarius caught up with Aryiah, grabbing her arm. "Tell me what's going on," he demanded.
Aryiah gazed into her mate's concerned eyes and shared what she knew with him via their mind bond.
The deep creases that pulled at his brow were enough to communicate he understood the severity of the situation.
Gage is in the dungeon. He is obviously the reason Devin's here, Aryiah...he's her Sire.
Damarius' words hit Aryiah like a punch to the gut delivered by a prize fighter. She knew Gage was in the dungeon, and they had talked about how he had special powers that other vampires didn't, but this...changing her best friend into a creature of death and destruction...this was the last straw. She was going to end him, right now.
With Aradia's memories flooding her mind, Aryiah knew exactly how to banish Gage. With a hard set to her jaw, she prepared the spell in her head as they descended the stairs. But as soon as she rounded the corner, Aryiah was brought up short by the sight of Devin embracing Gage outside the iron cell.
Aryiah stood frozen in a state of denial as she stared at her best friend wrapped in the arms of the man who'd been sent to kill her. Her chest constricted as she was struck with Devin's emotions and reality set in. Devin was reveling in being a vampire...she actually liked it.
The spark of light that Devin always seemed to carry within her was gone, replaced by a dark, twisted desire to lose herself in this new life. Aryiah felt a tear run down her cheek as Devin smiled at her over Gage's shoulder––a smile full of fang and menace.
Aryiah's emotions and resulting hesitation cost them the element of surprise. In the blink of an eye, Gage pushed Devin behind him, protecting her with his own body. "We'll be back for you, Witch," he said, taunting them before they raced down the hall and out of sight.
Aryiah dropped to her knees as Damarius wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Aryiah, come on, we can stop them at the portal. Vampires can't shade, and it's their only way out of Upper World."
Damarius may have been in a hurry to stop Gage, but the idea of killing or banishing her best friend left Aryiah motionless on the cold dungeon floor.
* * * * *
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Damarius gently shook Aryiah again, hoping to jostle her out of her shocked state. But as he looked at her face the shock quickly became his instead.
Tears of thick silver now ran down her cheeks, leaving a glowing trail upon her skin. He shot to his feet and cried, "Goddess, please hurry! I need your help."
The Goddess appeared in a flash and quickly took in the scene: Aryiah crying silver tears on the floor, her arms wrapped tight around her middle; the cell door standing wide, the prisoner missing from within; and Damarius pacing as he worked his hand through his hair over and over. "What happened?" Diana asked as she knelt next to Aryiah's shaking form.
"The vampire somehow turned Aryiah's best friend from behind his prison cell. She was apparently drawn here to save her Sire. They just made their escape."
He stalked back and forth, itching to shift and go after the vampires, but the thought of leaving his mate in this torn state was something he could never do.
The Goddess knelt beside Aryiah and placed one hand on her forehead and the other on her heart. After several excruciating seconds, the Goddess gently guided Aryiah's back down to the floor, then rose to face Damarius. "Aradia's power is leaking out through Aryiah's emotions. I've put her in a light magickal coma until she can level out the two parts of her soul. Basically, Aryiah needs to learn how to control Aradia's magic, because right now, her emotions are getting in the way."
Damarius' anger flared as he stared at his beautiful mate now lying on the cold stone floor.
"Please take her to my room. I'll be there once I've stopped the vampires." The abrupt tone of his voice couldn't compare to the violence he was getting ready to unleash on Gage and his now-accomplice Devin. As he began to shift into his wolf, he heard his Goddess' voice once more.
"I'll take care of Aryiah, but you need to be mindful of your actions and do the same."
The feel of the cold concrete on his paws matched the cold feeling the Goddess' words caused within. He knew exactly what she meant. Aryiah just lost her best friend, and if he were to kill Devin now, before she had a chan
ce to process everything, he'd run the risk of losing her too.
He shook the thought from his head and shaded directly to the portal, on high alert as he waited for the vamps to show themselves. Within seconds, Damarius caught sight of movement in the trees. Scanning the forest, he looked between the thick evergreen trunks, trying to pinpoint the location of the approaching threat. Suddenly, a flash of color drew his eyes to the skyline. A streak of red raced from one tree-top to the next. Damarius tracked Devin through the branches, and wasn't surprised when she and Gage landed directly in front of him.
The three began their predatory dance. Stalking each other while constantly shifting their positions in an effort to gauge which of them would make the first move. Damarius angled himself in front of the portal in an effort to block their exit.
"One wolf? You think you alone can stop us?" Gage mocked.
The low growl that resonated from Damarius' chest was the only warning he gave before launching himself directly at Gage. He may be only one wolf, but he was the Leader of the Wild Hunt, and that gave him a few special abilities Gage was fortunately unaware of.
Before the vampire could pivot out of his way, Damarius summoned the magick he used on the hunt, becoming nothing more than a ghostly apparition of his wolf form, twice his normal size.
The shocked expression on Gage's face was satisfying as Damarius sank his phantom teeth into the vampire's upper thigh, but even more satisfying was the scream that tore from Gage's throat. "Impossible!"
Damarius and his wolves were the only ones with this ability. This misted, yet solid form was the state they took when racing in the night sky beside the Goddess on every full moon. Riding the lunar beams in their non-corporeal state while ensnaring their prey was a high they all looked forward to each month. Being their leader afforded Damarius with yet another special privilege: calling on his phantom state any time he chose.
