Broken Dove

by Kristen Ashley

  I ran across the library in order to run out.

  Stephan caught me with an arm around my waist and I struggled against his hold as the room darkened further, the missiles hitting the enchanted dome so furiously, the clouds of protective magic blotted out the sun.

  “You must stay together!” Stephan demanded, controlling my struggles with irritating ease.

  I stopped suddenly and turned in his arm.

  “Élan and Chris,” was all I said.

  “We are all safe in this palace,” Stephan replied.

  That might be so.

  But I didn’t fucking care.

  “Until their father returns, I want them with me!” I snapped.

  Stephan looked in my eyes and saw what I meant him to see. I knew this when he looked over my head. I twisted my neck to look at Gunnar.

  He jerked up his chin and moved swiftly out the doors.

  I could feel the growing panic and confusion drifting in from the others of the palace when I saw Alek and Remi appear in the doors.

  They looked to Stephan and Remi ordered, “Close the drapes,” before he grabbed one doorknob, Alek the other and they closed us in.

  Stephan let me go and prowled to the windows.

  “What should we do?” one of Finnie’s friends asked.

  “Nothing,” Finnie answered. “Just stay calm.”

  I didn’t stay calm bit I did it unmoving. I stood in the dark room, staring at the doors while Cora and Circe moved around lighting the lamps.

  Seconds slid by and my panic escalated.

  “Come on, get them here,” I said to the door. “Get them here.”

  Cora got close, touched her hand to mine and urged, “Come and sit, Maddie.”

  I didn’t take my eyes from the doors.

  “Sit, Maddie,” Finnie said from my other side. “Gunnar will get them here.”

  I didn’t move.

  The doors opened and my heart leaped, but only for an instant.

  Meeta was coming through.

  I dashed to her.

  “Élan and Chris,” I said the instant I made it to her.

  She looked into my eyes and replied, “I will go get them.”

  She turned to the doors that Alek and Remi had closed behind her only to find Stephan standing there.

  “Stay here with your woman,” Stephan ordered.

  “My Maddie wants the children,” Meeta replied.

  “Stay—” Stephan started but didn’t finish.

  The doors opened again and Hans all but shoved Loretta through.

  I was happy to see Loretta but, God!

  Where were the kids?

  Loretta rushed to Meeta and me. Her eyes were wild and when she grabbed my hand, I felt hers shaking.

  Feeling her fear, it cut through me. Belatedly but it did it.

  I had survived bad shit. A terrible family. An abusive, criminal husband. Transportation to a whole different world.

  And I was Captain Kirk. Kirk didn’t freak. Kirk kept his shit together.

  I needed to get my shit together.

  So I grabbed both Loretta and Meeta’s hands and held tight.

  “Just waiting for the kids to get here and all will be well,” I told them. “We’re protected.”

  “Yes,” Meeta said on a squeeze of my hand and I knew she squeezed Loretta’s too. “Good magic will prevail.”

  Loretta licked her lips and held on tight.

  I glanced around the room to see the others were holding their shit and I took a deep breath to hold mine.

  That worked some.

  So I did it again.

  Not great.

  But better.

  The doors opened and Élan and Chris were ushered in by Gunnar. I saw Laures and Draven out with Alek and Remi.

  Laures caught my eyes and nodded.

  Okay, the kids were here, the guys were out there, Laures seemed calm.

  I was even better.

  I nodded back.

  Gunnar closed the doors, joining us on our side.

  Élan ran to me.

  I let my girls go and crouched down just in time for her little body to hit mine.

  I wrapped my arms tight around her.

  “It’s dark outside, Miss Maddie!” she cried, her little voice trembling with fear.

  And we could just say the sensation was extreme when the ice in my blood immediately ran hot when fear washed out and anger washed in.

  My eyes went to Chris, and I held his sister tight to me as I said, “Everything’s going to be fine. Your papa has made us safe. No one will get us.”

  Chris came our way, his eyes locked to mine, and he stopped close, putting his hand on his sister’s back.

  “It will be fine, Élan,” he muttered, his gaze still on mine.

  I gave him a trembling smile.

  His return smile was not trembling.

  So like his dad.

  Unfortunately, the next moment, we heard shrieks coming from the hall.

  Élan pressed deeper and made a noise of fear from low in her throat.

  At hearing her fear, I swallowed my growl and felt the women pressing closer around us.

  “Perhaps we should go to the nursery.” I heard Cora say quietly. “I’m not sure my Hayden will sleep through this and I don’t want him to wake frightened.”

  “I agree,” Finnie replied, but her voice was uncertain and worried and her eyes were on Stephan. “The nursery is higher ground and we should all be together.”

  “You stay here,” Stephan replied. “It’s a mistake to move you and Zahnin, Bain, Oleg, Quincy, Balthazar, Max, Annar, Ruben and Thad are guarding the children.”

  That was a lot of protection.

  I just hoped it was enough.

  One look at Finnie’s face, which was still worried but no longer uncertain, I knew it was enough.

  There was a thud that sounded like a body hitting the wall outside.

  Damn it!

  I jumped. Élan jumped in my arms. Murmurs filtered through the women around me. And Chris jerked to look at the door.

  “We’re safe,” I whispered to Élan, smoothing my hand over her hair, hoping to God the boys outside were as well.

  She pushed deep, whining, “I want Papa.”

  I did too.

  “We’ll be okay, honey bunch,” I told her. “He’ll be here soon.”

  I pulled her even closer as more shrieks came.

  These were close and another body thumped. This time against the door.

  Chris whirled to me, his eyes wide. The little boy coming out, he couldn’t hide his fear.

  And at that, fire burned through me.

  Those fucking witch bitches.

  The women got even closer, Cora putting a hand to Chris’s shoulder and guiding him into our huddle.

  “Miss Maddie,” Meeta whispered.

  “We’re safe,” I stated.

  “Miss Maddie, give me the child.” Meeta was still whispering.

  Oh crap.

  I tipped my head back to look at her.

  I didn’t like what I saw.

  “No,” I said softly.

  She stared into my eyes.

  “They blocked me,” she said softly. “Their power directed on other things, I am no longer blocked.”

  She had been blocked.

  She was no longer blocked.

  She knew what was going to happen.

  And she wanted Élan.

  Okay.

  Shit.

  No.

  Apollo’s words pounded through my brain.

  Do you not think all this says that it is time we set the sadness and tragedy where it belongs and look ahead to a future that could do nothing but beam bright?

  I stared into Meeta’s eyes.

  Apparently, he was wrong.

  Making my decision, I surged up, pushing Élan her way. “Go!” I cried and turned to Loretta. “Take Chris!”

  Loretta instantly grabbed Chris.

  “Maddie, it’s
oh—” Finnie started.

  At the same time, Chris shouted, “I stay with Miss Maddie!”

  It was then there came a deafening explosion, the force of which blew the windows and curtains in, shattered glass and shards of velvet blasting through the air.

  I reached for Chris and shoved him to the floor as we all hit the deck.

  When the glass settled, I lifted my head and my eyes found Meeta’s.

  “Take them now!” I yelled, rolling off Chris, coming to my feet and pulling him up with me, pure instinct prompting me to finish. “Take them to the wolves!”

  Meeta rose, coming off of Élan who she’d thrown herself on, dragging the weight of the girl up in her arms and starting to run.

  “I stay with Miss Maddie!” Chris shouted, and I looked to see Loretta was pulling him to the doors, but he was resisting her.

  “Go with Loretta, Chris, please!” I shouted as the room started filling with mist.

  Red mist.

  Blue mist.

  Black mist.

  Bad mist.

  All of it swirling around me, Cora, Finnie and Circe.

  The men outside surged in and I saw all of Apollo’s men there and some of Frey’s.

  Shit!

  “Miss Maddie!” Élan shrieked and I saw her stretching her arms my way as she and Meeta disappeared around the door.

  In her place, another Circe raced in, trailed by Valentine.

  They lifted their hands and gold and green sparks filled the room.

  I felt my hand tagged and I looked right.

  Cora had me.

  I felt my other had tagged and I looked left.

  Circe had me.

  I looked in front of me.

  Circe and Cora had Finnie.

  “Shit, shit, shit,” Finnie whispered right when the room faded away.

  * * * * *

  Apollo

  Apollo followed Lahn into the stone room in the bowels of the Winter Palace, a room full of men.

  And one woman.

  The moment they hit it, Lahn turned to look over his shoulder at Apollo.

  “Is this her?’ he growled.

  Apollo had no idea what was asking and didn’t care.

  Maddie was gone. Knowing his children were under heavy guard of soldiers, witches and wolves, getting her back was the only thing on his mind.

  Lahn decided to take his non-answer as answer and stalked directly to Franka Drakkar, who was cowering in the corner under Oleg and Laures.

  He shoved the men aside and Apollo watched as he lifted the woman by her throat and threw her across the room.

  She didn’t even have time to scream.

  Lahn followed her where she landed against the stone with a thud and he bent over, his face an inch from hers.

  “Betrayal,” he barked, “carries harsh punishment.”

  Frey, already in the room, got close to Lahn.

  “For now, we need her alive,” Frey said quietly, but his voice was tight, controlled. There was anger in his frame making it stiff and he was avoiding looking at Franka, likely for fear of what he himself would do if he looked at her.

  “I did as you asked,” Franka whispered, and Apollo forced his eyes to her.

  Her gaze shifted from Lahn to Frey.

  “I did as you asked!” she cried.

  “Bring her to me.”

  All the men turned to see the other Circe and Valentine in the room, Tor having come in behind them.

  Apollo moved until he was toe-to-toe, nose-to-nose with the witch, and he clipped, “You said they were safe.”

  “Bring the woman to me,” she demanded then stepped leisurely to the side and turned her eyes to Frey. “Call your elves. We meet on Specter Isle.”

  Tor moved to her side, ordering, “Send us there now.”

  Valentine turned to him. “With the triad intact, their magic is too strong. I can’t get you there. I can’t get me there. And Lavinia has fallen to Helda.”

  Apollo’s gut twisted at this news and Valentine kept talking.

  “We will have to be clever. For the elves to do their work against our foes and for Lavinia, we will have to be swift. And we will have to have hope.”

  Apollo opened his mouth to speak but Valentine continued before he could utter a word.

  “As I suspected, this is a battle of sisters and magic. Just sisters and magic. Both the same thing. Not all good. Not all evil. We shall see which side prevails. But you must trust in good for our side knows allies whose bonds are formed in ways that cannot be broken.”

  Apollo felt something unpleasant shift inside him and whispered, “You knew. You knew our plan would fail.”

  She looked to him. “I told you, mon loup, I do not have the sight.”

  He leaned into her and thundered, “You knew!”

  She didn’t respond to that.

  She said, “Keep your wolves at the ready around the palace and bring the woman to me.” Her eyes stayed locked to his. “Bring her to me, Apollo. To win, we need our own evil. There is only one thing more powerful than vengeance and if you bring her to me, we will have both on our side.”

  Apollo held her gaze and clenched his jaw.

  Then he stepped to the side and turned to Frey and Lahn.

  “Give her Franka.”

  Frey didn’t move. Lahn only moved to straighten away from the woman still on her back on the floor.

  It was Achilles who shifted forward, helped Franka from the stone, and escorted her as any gentleman would do, as only Achilles would now do, to Valentine.

  “Take hold of my arm,” Valentine ordered her.

  “I don’t—” Franka started, shrinking away.

  Valentine pinned her with her gaze.

  “Do you seek vengeance?” she asked.

  Franka hesitated before lifting her chin and answering, “Yes.”

  “Then take my arm,” Valentine bid.

  Franka wrapped her fingers around Valentine’s arm.

  Valentine looked to the other Circe. “Gather the children. If the choice is to be made, you know the only protection that will keep them safe. Your life for theirs.”

  The mood in the room, already dark, turned pitch.

  Circe nodded.

  Valentine lifted her hands.

  Frey, Lahn and Tor gathered around Apollo.

  “Bring them back,” Apollo growled.

  Valentine smiled a cat’s smile.

  “Oh chéri, have faith.”

  Gods, the woman was bloody infuriating.

  The green mist formed.

  Franka and Valentine disappeared.

  But Valentine’s final words could still be hard.

  “Remember, love is everything.”

  * * * * *

  Maddie

  Holding tight, we’d been falling but we landed with a thud that buckled our knees, each and every one of us.

  Recovering, I jerked my hands, pulling Cora and Circe closer. Obviously, they did the same for Finnie was just as close, we four forming a tight huddle.

  “All right?” Finnie asked.

  “All right,” Cora whispered.

  “Yeah,” Circe said.

  “Okay,” I replied.

  We looked at each other then we looked around.

  “Fuck,” Circe breathed.

  She had that right.

  We were in a mammoth room that had to be at least the size of a football field. It was entirely made of grayish-white blocks of stone.

  There were two gigantic wooden doors behind Finnie. They were at least two stories tall and made of grayish-white wood with what looked like pewter hinges. It also looked like it’d take half a dozen men to open them.

  And last, they were closed.

  But that wasn’t the bad part.

  No.

  The bad part was that we could see this beyond the glimmering, flickering, ethereal blue bars that formed a cage.

  I looked up, seeing the bars curved in at the top, making an enormous, magical birdcage.
/>
  Well, one thing was certain, Minerva had a thing for birds.

  Cora shuffled closer and I looked her way to see she was looking over her shoulder.

  “Not good,” she mumbled.

  I looked that way and went stone-still.

  This was because the cage was situated close to some steps leading up to a dais.

  And on that dais was a large throne that looked to be made of gray-ish white branches that swept out and up, ending in lethal-looking thorns.

  Sitting on that throne was Pol.

  And last, snuggled in his lap was Cora, the Nasty.

  Fuck.

  We all turned toward them in unison, letting each other’s hands go but tightening our huddle.

  Cora, the Nasty was grinning down at us.

  Pol was scowling down at me.

  Fuck.

  “Looks like those two found their perfect match,” Cora muttered under her breath.

  It was funny.

  It was also true.

  No one laughed.

  We all just stayed close and watched the couple watching us.

  Unfortunately, Pol moved.

  He rose from the throne, lifting Cora with him. He put her to her feet and slung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her tight to his side.

  She cuddled tighter, wrapping an arm around his waist.

  And in that position, they moved down the steps toward our cage.

  We all stood still and watched them.

  They kept coming.

  I fought my teeth worrying my lip as Pol continued to approach, every move he made he did it with his eyes glued to me.

  They came to the glistening blue bars of the cage and I held my breath.

  My stomach dropped when they walked right through.

  The women shifted and did it shifting me so they could surround me.

  But Pol didn’t stop close.

  He stopped five feet away and the instant he did, Cora, the Nasty turned into him and curled both her arms around his middle.

  Her eyes were aimed at Cora, the Awesome.

  After I noticed this, I aimed my eyes back to Pol.

  When I did, he lifted the arm that was around Cora’s shoulders and waved his hand in the air.

  I hadn’t noticed it.

  Then I did.

  And I felt my lips part in terrified awe.

  “Nice,” he said low, his voice sinking into my skin and not in a good way. “Steel,” he went on and my eyes darted to the shining molten silver hand that moved like a normal hand but was absolutely not. “It’s heavy,” he continued then finished, “But it works.”

  The women pressed in closer around me.