By the time the Coven finished discussing the subject, Rhiannon’s heart had lightened. She should have trusted her Coven sisters all along.
The witches helped Cassia straighten up the kitchen and helped her make more food for the D’Danann. The way Cassia managed to keep up with the warriors’ appetites was beyond magical.
Rhiannon’s Coven sisters insisted that she leave and get some rest since she’d had a long day. Even though she was tired, she argued, but lost when Keir steered her out of the kitchen. Galia stayed behind with the other witches.
When Rhiannon and Keir reached her second-floor apartment, she used a brief flare of her magic to unlock the door and let them inside. A pair of lamps brightened the room as soon as she flipped the switch by the door. The rooms normally looked so cheerful to her and made her feel better sometimes when she was down, but did nothing to change the way she felt right now as her thoughts turned to her father again.
Spirit appeared out of nowhere and started rubbing himself against her jeans and gave meows that told her that he sensed her pain and was trying to support her. And that he was hungry.
“Sorry, guy.” She dropped her duffel on one of her kitchen table chairs as she eased out of Keir’s hold. “I’ll get something for you to eat, Spirit.”
She made her way to the kitchenette side of the apartment. Her arms ached—for some reason her whole body ached—as she drew a can of tuna out of a cabinet and a can opener and a spoon from a drawer. After she finished plopping the tuna into a bright blue bowl, she set it down at her feet. Spirit mewled, his gaze fixing on hers, before he turned his attention to the tuna and began eating it.
Rhiannon looked at Keir and gestured toward the fridge. “I’m not up to entertaining right now so you’ll have to fend for yourself.”
After dropping his pack on the floor with a thump, he shrugged out of his long coat and laid it over the back of a chair. Instead of heading for the fridge, he came up to her and surprised her by taking her into his arms.
He pressed her head against his chest with one hand while wrapping his other arm around her waist. At first Rhiannon felt stiff, the disappointment and pain of the day almost too much to bear. But then she allowed herself to sink into him, to enjoy the feel of being in his embrace and letting him comfort her.
“One thing after another.” Rhiannon’s voice was tight as she spoke. “First the Chieftains, and now my—the Drow King—telling us that he won’t help us either. Who do we have left to go to?”
Keir pressed his lips to her hair and just held her close.
“I didn’t know what to expect when I met my father.” Rhiannon swallowed, hard. “I didn’t expect it to hurt so much. Especially when he said no.” The backs of her eyes stung. “It feels like he abandoned me as a child, and he’s abandoning me now.”
“I believe he hurts, as well,” Keir said, his voice soft and low. “I believe he reacted from that pain.”
“Damn it, Keir.” Rhiannon drew away from his embrace. “He’s the one who left me. I’ve done nothing to him.”
“I know, a stór.” He grasped her upper shoulders and massaged them as she looked up at him. “His decision regarding helping our cause was impulsive. He did not give time for thought.”
“Because I rejected him,” Rhiannon said and rubbed her hand over her eyes. “He expected me to just forgive and forget and to embrace being part Drow. Well, it wasn’t that easy!”
But … now that she’d talked it over with her Coven sisters, could she find it in her heart to accept who her father was, to forgive him, and to ask his forgiveness for the way she acted? Could she accept that part of her that was Drow?
Rhiannon took a deep breath. “I didn’t even ask you how you felt about meeting your mother.”
A pang gripped Keir’s chest as he let his hands slide away from Rhiannon’s shoulders. His thoughts turned back to the blond woman with the beautiful grayish blue eyes. Keaira. His mother’s name was Keaira.
“I am not certain how I feel.” He stared over Rhiannon’s head at the brightly colored kitchen wall. “If what Keaira says is true, then she had no choice. I do not doubt her words, as there is no love lost between my father and me. He is powerfully controlling, and he treats concubines like cast-off towels.”
Free Mystwalkers. His mother, forced to stay away from him. His father being the dark curtain between him and the other half of his own heritage.
One myth he had heard time and again, was that a man or woman should never kiss a Mystwalker. Fuck them, yes, kiss them, no. Legend had it the Mystwalker kiss could be deadly, yet his father had taken a Mystwalker as a bed partner.
Keir brought his thoughts to the present, and to Rhiannon, who had pressed herself into his arms again.
“It must have been hard for you, too,” she was saying. “Yet you did what I couldn’t. You accepted your mother and I rejected my father.”
“I do not think it is as simple as that.” Keir cradled Rhiannon’s face. “Let us speak of this no more tonight.” Rhiannon sighed again, this time a deep, heavy sigh. “You are tired and need rest.”
She nodded and he pressed his lips to her forehead. He brushed her hair from her face before taking her hand and leading her to her bedroom. Her hand felt small in his and her body had been so soft in his embrace. No matter what might be happening around them, her mere presence made him want her in every sense of the word with a fierce ache in his heart and in his loins.
When they reached the bedroom, Rhiannon switched on a pair of lamps to either side of the bed. She let go of his hand and began stripping out of her clothing, starting by kicking off her shoes and tugging off her socks.
With fascination he watched her pull her T-shirt over her head and toss it aside. It had ruffled her hair and he held back a smile at how adorable she looked.
His gaze dropped to the burn on her chest from Ceithlenn’s magic and he tamped down the fury that rose up in him.
Instead he focused on her breasts as she reached around her back and unclasped her bra, freeing her soft white mounds and baring her taut berry-red nipples.
He should let her rest, but gods how he needed to be inside her and to have her wrapped around him. He needed to possess her, to brand her again and again. Fierce pride rose within him. Rhiannon was his woman. His.
The low rumble in his chest caught her attention and she raised her gaze to meet his as she dropped her undergarment on the floor. A spark lit her eyes and she continued to watch him as she unfastened her pants and pushed them down along with her panties.
His mouth salivated as she stepped out of the rest of her clothing and kicked it aside. When nothing remained but the pentagrams at her ears, throat, and finger, she walked toward him. The goddess Anu could have been no more beautiful than Rhiannon.
Golden light from the bedside lamps highlighted her mussed auburn hair. The sprinkling of freckles across her nose made him want to kiss each and every one of them. The auburn curls between her thighs hid the treasure his tongue and fingers ached to find.
To his surprise his entire body trembled, his need for her was so great.
When she reached him she tilted her face and studied him, her eyes searching his as if asking a question he did not know the answer to.
It took great pains not to take her now, like this. It would be so simple to lay her on the bed, free his erection from its bindings, and drive his cock into her.
He toed off each of his boots and they thumped on the wood flooring as he kicked them out of the way, then he shrugged out of his tunic and tossed it aside. While she watched she moistened her lips and brought her gaze to his hands as he undid the ties on his breeches, pushed them down to his feet, and stepped out of them and toward her.
They were now so close he could feel the heat of her body join with his. His nostrils flared at the scent of her musk and the clean citrus smell of her skin.
For some reason he waited. As if knowing Rhiannon wanted him to let her take control. Right this moment
he was certain she truly needed him as much as he needed her.
She melded her body flush against his, wrapped her arms around his neck, and brought her lips to his. Keir groaned as his erection pressed against her belly and her tongue darted into his mouth.
Her kiss was filled with sweetness and a sense of longing. He returned her kiss, keeping his slow and deliberate.
She drew away. “Lie on your back, Keir.”
He took the few steps to the bed and settled onto his backside, his gaze never leaving the beautiful woman who was nothing short of a goddess.
Rhiannon’s belly flipped a little at the way Keir was looking at her. She tried not to tremble as she moved closer to him and climbed onto the bed.
A sigh rose up within her as she straddled his hips and her folds settled on his thick cock. She bent forward and braced her hands to either side of his chest before brushing her lips over his. He nipped at her lower lip and another sigh slipped from her as he grasped her hips in his big hands and his tongue delved into her mouth.
It was a long sweet kiss, but she needed more. Needed to soothe the ache inside her. And she needed Keir.
She reached between them and wrapped her fingers around his thick cock before rising up and breaking their kiss. She raised herself just enough that she could plant the head of his cock at the entrance to her core.
She slammed herself down, driving his cock deep inside her. She shouted out at the sudden shock of him filling her so fully and deeply. Keir groaned and grasped her hips tighter.
Rhiannon began to ride Keir. She was so wet and slick, and he was so big. She tilted her head back and brought her hands to her breasts and pinched her nipples. The sensations traveled from her breasts to her belly button to her pussy.
She closed her eyes, seeing only Keir in her mind, feeling only him between her thighs and inside her. He felt so good, so good, so very good.
A storm rose within her and she rode him harder until the clouds burst open. Lightning sparked behind her eyelids and thunder rumbled in her ears.
Her body jerked and trembled and her cry sounded distant as if not her own. She shuddered with every strike of her orgasm, as if lightning bolted through her time after time.
Finally she collapsed on Keir’s chest and heard his pounding heart beneath her ear. Her skin was sticky with perspiration and her own heart was beating like crazy.
He eased them both over so that she was on her back and he was on top. Her head spun a little with the movement. She looked up at him as he began to drive himself to his own climax. His gaze fixed on hers, his long black hair tickling her cheeks.
Every thrust of his cock made her core spasm, forcing her closer and closer to another orgasm. Tears came to her eyes and she cried out when she climaxed again.
Keir shouted and she felt his cock throb inside her as he dropped and held himself tight to her. He was so heavy she could barely breathe, but it felt so good as he continued to pump his hips until he came to a shuddering stop.
He rolled so that she was half on him and he trapped her upper leg with his thigh. He seemed to enjoy holding her like this, and she loved how it felt to be in his arms.
Goddess, how she had needed this. Needed to feel a part of something special and that she was wanted.
Sleep came easily and a smile was on her lips as she thought about Keir.
Chapter 31
Late the following afternoon, Rhiannon fixed sandwiches for herself and Keir in her kitchenette. The bright colors in her apartment almost always had a calming effect on her. Her sanctuary was something in her life that remained constant and made her feel good.
Sometimes it was the small things that mattered when one’s world was falling apart.
She felt little sense of accomplishment as she and Keir fixed a late lunch. All morning, the leaders of the D’Danann, the PSF, and all of the witches—not to mention Galia—had met in the common room.
For several hours they had discussed their best battle strategies. No matter the sheer size of the goddess’s army of demons and other creatures, they had to figure out a way to strike first, and strike hard.
A big problem was that they knew some Fomorii had infiltrated areas of law enforcement, which caused some serious problems—like who could they trust? If they asked for help, and it happened to be a Fomorii that had taken over a human’s body, they’d tip their hand.
Rhiannon sighed as she drew a pitcher of iced herbal tea out of the refrigerator. The team was also beginning to worry that the witches’ additional magical wardings weren’t going to hold up much longer against Ceithlenn. If the goddess became strong enough, all hell could break loose. Ceithlenn could attack again—worse than when the demons had been transported through all the prior wardings and battled the witches.
Through their divinations, the witches knew Ceithlenn had used a great deal of power to transport that host of demons. It had sucked out her magical strength, leaving her weak until she was able to steal the souls of more humans.
Would she waste that soul-sucking power on attacking the headquarters of those who battled her? Or would she concentrate on bringing Balor to this world?
Rhiannon and the rest of the team were betting on Balor.
As she and Keir set the table with the mountain of sandwiches—most of which Keir would eat—Rhiannon couldn’t help but churn over what the team had finally decided. The witches, D’Danann, and PSF officers needed to find a way to attack all of the demons in their lair beneath Alcatraz.
The team couldn’t trust anyone in the city. They were going to need help from Otherworld to do it.
Keir and Hawk actually agreed on this point. Strange, but true. Representatives for the witches and D’Danann needed to go back to Otherworld and see what weapons the Mystwalkers could provide, to see if the Drow would change their minds and fight with them.
Rhiannon managed to smile at Keir as they started to sit down at the table, but that quickly vanished as intense pain made her head feel like it was going to explode. She felt as if worms were crawling beneath her skin.
Something was going to happen today.
Something horribly, horribly wrong.
A vision hit Rhiannon hard and fast before she could take her seat at the table.
She stumbled backward and landed on one hip on the hard floor. The vision spun through her head as if she were on a merry-go-round. Vaguely she heard Keir calling her name and felt his heat as he moved close.
Her eyesight swam and her heart pounded like it was going to come out of her chest. She held her hands between her breasts and struggled to breathe.
Keir’s voice was urgent, concerned. “What is wrong, a stór?”
Rhiannon’s heart continued to pound beneath her hands as she held them tighter against her chest. Her eyes were wide and dry and she couldn’t blink. She saw only the images in front of her and couldn’t answer him.
Keir murmured soft words in Gaelic, and Rhiannon slowly came back to the present.
“I had a vision,” she managed to get out.
He held her closer. “What did you see?”
Rhiannon took a deep breath. “Something really bad.”
“Tell me.” Keir’s voice was edged with concern.
Rhiannon took another deep breath and then another. Some of the images were vivid in her mind while others were hazy.
“Ceithlenn.” A very familiar shard of pain jabbed her mind. “There were so many people around her.” Rhiannon squeezed her eyes shut, trying to get a better grasp on the vision. “It was all a blur but there were thousands of people. I couldn’t tell if they were near or far. They wavered in and out. But I saw bright colors—pennants or banners. From what little I could hear, people were shouting and cheering.”
Keir wrapped his other arm around her so that she was surrounded in his embrace.
“The goddess spread her arms and wings wide.” Rhiannon’s scars burned like crazy and she rubbed them with her fingertips. “Souls started shooting toward her l
ike pale missiles. Hundreds. Maybe thousands. Some like white puffs of clouds and others as dark as thunderheads.”
Rhiannon tried to fight down a sense of rising panic. “The goddess sucked them all into her body. They came to her so easily—all she did was utter a command and it was done.
“And the corpses.” Tears burned behind her closed eyelids. “Dead. Everyone was dead. Bodies littered the ground all around her. As far as I could see with my vision eyes. But I couldn’t tell where she was. Or how many people.”
Keir’s body tensed next to hers, steel beneath hard flesh, and she opened her eyes. “We had best tell the others,” he said.
Rhiannon’s eyesight swam but she finally regained her focus.
“When do you believe this will happen?” Keir gripped her upper arms and started to stand.
“Today.” A sense of panic kept Rhiannon’s heart beating fast. “I don’t think we have much time. But I have no idea where it’s going to happen!”
“I will summon my brethren through our mind-link, and they will gather the others.” Keir said. Only a moment later he said, “It is done.”
When Rhiannon and Keir reached the apartments’ common room for the second time that day, most of the witches had arrived, along with Galia, as well as representatives of the D’Danann. Several of those present asked Rhiannon what was going on, but she said she’d explain when everyone else arrived.
It took a while before Jake and a few of his key PSF officers jogged into the room. A few minutes later, Sydney followed by Hannah made it back to the apartment buildings from their homes.
Cassia was the only person not in the room when Rhiannon was prepared to speak, and she wondered where the half-Elvin witch was.
“I had a vision.” As Rhiannon spoke, she stroked Spirit, who was nestled in her lap. “It was a vision subject to interpretation, but I believe what I saw will happen today. It is what will come to pass unless we find a way to prevent it.
“It happened in a huge crowd. I couldn’t tell if the people were right beside her, or far away. But there were thousands of them.”
Wicked Magic Page 27
