He cupped the back of her neck, dragged her in closer to him. “We grieve differently, my love. I can’t explain it here.”
Her gaze circled the gathered wizards, sifting through the arc of magic until her eyes fell on Braeden’s prisoner. She climbed to her feet, needing her height to strengthen her. “In my world, we practice an eye for an eye.”
Athena smiled, more a sarcastic slant of wine-colored lips. “If that’s the case, then consider this an eye for Arista.”
“Andion didn’t kill Arista,” Tess pointed out in an emotionless voice.
Athena shrugged. “If you kill a wizard, you maim the whole lot of them. There’s no one to take his place now. They’re one wizard short, which, in my book, makes them even easier to defeat.”
Tess’ eyes glowed. “I think you need a recount.” She lifted her arm, curled her fist and hurled a fiery red ball directly at the center of Athena’s chest. The witch barely had enough time to jump back before the swirling mass of flames reached the spot she’d stood seconds before.
All eyes turned in Tess’ direction but Jaxon was the first to speak. “Tess, let me handle this. I can take care of Athena.”
“She doesn’t deserve to live.” Tess didn’t understand the fury that swirled inside her nor her thirst for revenge. Darkness clouded reason and she wanted to strike out, to inflict the same amount of pain Andion had endured on the woman responsible.
Athena brushed a hand down the front of her dress and lifted her shoulders. “That was a close call. Good thing for you my reflexes are so quick. Now if I could just have that globe, Jaxon, I’ll be on my way.”
Jaxon snatched Tess’ arm and shoved her back behind him. “The magic belonged to Andion and with his demise it belongs in the hands of another wizard.” He took a threatening step forward and Braeden matched his stance. “Do you seek to protect the witch who killed one of our own, brother?”
Braeden’s defense rang weak. “She is powerless against you.”
All tenderness had disappeared from Jaxon’s eyes. It would be difficult to reason with the powerful side of his nature. “That has not seemed to stop her today,” Jaxon said.
Braeden’s muscles flexed, his face hardened and though Tess didn’t know him well, she recognized the light of battle. She’d seen it one too many times in Jaxon’s eyes. “Your anger runs strong through you. No one will be able to best you today. How is killing Athena going to make you feel any better?” Braeden’s demand made Jaxon’s eyes narrow.
Tess stepped forward and touched Jaxon’s arm. “He will intervene, Jaxon. He won’t allow you to kill her. He loves her.” Her words settled around the wizards like a dark, ominous fog. No one breathed. No one dared to speak as an impossible love pitted brother against brother.
“Does my wife speak the truth?” Jaxon demanded.
“It is none of your business,” Braeden returned, shoving Athena a few steps back behind him and raising his hands. “I will not let you harm her. Your grief will not be appeased by taking her life.”
“You speak of my grief, and what of your own? Do you not grieve for Andion as well?”
“I grieve in my own way but the spikes were not meant for him. His sacrifice was his own.”
“Andion ended his life to save Tess’. Do you not believe I should seek retribution against this witch?” Jaxon’s lips curled into a sneer. “Love has made you soft.”
“And it has made you blind.”
“Stop this!” Tess lunged forward to step in between the two men. “What’s this going to solve? Athena is the one to blame, not either one of you. You both know the rules. And if I understand them right, you can’t harm one another. So pocket your egos and focus the blame where it really belongs.”
Braeden looked down and Tess felt the brush of ice from his gaze. The wizard didn’t approve of her words but he wouldn’t challenge them. She saw the swift upturn of his lips seconds before he backed off.
“Your wife is wise to remind us of our duties to the Assembly. We will solve nothing by turning our anger toward one another.”
“I agree. My anger is not with you.” Jaxon advanced forward, feinted to the left before arching back toward the right, arm extended. A laser-sharp claw descended from his palm and connected with Athena’s throat. Talons dug into her tender skin as he dragged her forward.
“Release her!” Braeden roared. He ran toward his brother, head lowered but Jaxon was too quick. He leaped out of the way, shot into the air with Athena dangling from his hand. “You’re going to kill her.” Rage simmered in Braeden’s voice.
Jaxon lifted one eyebrow. “That was always my intention.”
“Jaxon, please.” Tess reached up for her husband with her soft, insistent voice. “Don’t do this,” she pleaded, praying Jaxon would relinquish his hold on the witch long enough for Braeden to act. Though she cared little for the witch’s safety, she felt the rage emanating from her husband and knew it could destroy him if he allowed it.
“I wish I could grant you this wish but I cannot. I must avenge Andion’s death. That is my duty.” The inflection in Jaxon’s voice saddened her.
She stood tall. “He didn’t ask for vengeance.”
Jaxon met her gaze and held it for a long second. “He does not have to ask for it. It is ours to seek. He was one of us.”
Tess glared up at her husband. “And he died for me. Don’t I get a say in all of this?”
Athena gurgled. “Do you mind my asking why you’re trying to save my life?” Her voice was a raspy whisper.
Tess shot a disgusted look up at her. “I’m not trying to save your life. I’m trying to save his. Ours. I don’t want your blood on my husband’s hands.”
Athena’s face lit up. “For once, we agree on something. Well, I guess that settles it then, Jaxon, old boy. If you kill me, things aren’t going to be happy on the home front. So if you want to keep the little woman happy—”
Jaxon switched hands on her neck and sheathed the talons. “Shut up.”
Braeden’s breath came out in a loud, long growl. “I am not asking you to release her, Jaxon. I am telling you. Release her now.” He singed the ground at his brother’s feet with fire from his fingertips.
Jaxon didn’t even blink from the threat. “Your magic does not impress me, brother. You are limited in what you can do.”
Braeden circled the air, his feet inches from the ground. “As you can see, Tess, Jaxon is not going to listen. His mind hears only the sound of his angry heart. He will kill Athena.”
The witch’s feet kicked the air. “And he’ll take his sweet time about it.”
Jaxon’s eyes were rimmed with hatred. “Give me one good reason why I should not kill her, Braeden. You should want her dead as well as I do. She has killed Andion.”
Braeden contradicted his brother. “No, she did not. Andion chose to sacrifice himself.”
“Andion died because he felt he had no choice. He knew I would have done the same to save Tess.”
Braeden’s hard eyes flicked once toward Tess before spinning back to his brother. “And would you still make that same choice if faced with it again?”
“I am not facing that choice. Tess is safe.”
Braeden took a step backward and caught Tess around the waist, hauling her against his chest. “I would not be too sure of that.” His hand circled her neck, an exact duplication of Jaxon’s hold on Athena.
“Braeden!” Charlemaine’s voice was a horrified whisper while the male wizards roared their disapproval.
“You will release her at once.” Jaxon’s fury snarled the clouds into a bitter twist. Blackness shrouded the magical remnants of the Assembly as the rage boiled over, spilled onto the ground at their feet. Thunder rolled in the distance and flashes of lightning illuminated the circle of wizards.
“Of course I will release her.” Braeden’s voice held no concern for his own safety. “The exact moment you release Athena.”
“You weak, simple-minded fool.” Jaxon’s voice ros
e above the rumble of the winds. “You would risk your own life for the life of a witch, one who has done nothing but endanger our lives and the lives of those we love.”
“Unfortunately I can do no other. Release her.”
Jaxon kept his hard stare on his brother’s face as his hand slowly opened. “You will pay for this, my brother.”
“Of that, I have no doubt.”
Chapter Sixteen
Athena fell to the ground, her hands clasping her throat as she gasped for breath. Her face blue from lack of oxygen, she struggled to expand her lungs.
Braeden lifted her in his arms and cradled her against his chest. “You almost killed her.”
Jaxon secured Tess by his side, assuring himself that she was safe. “I would have killed her had you not stood behind the body of my wife. Do not make the mistake of believing this is over. I will come for her. I will come for you both.”
Braeden’s lips twisted with wry humor. “You cannot use your magic against me.”
“You might want to recheck those rules, Braeden. Should a wizard turn against one of his own, it is the duty of the higher wizard to ensure the safety of the Assembly. You have turned against me. As of this day, you are banished from the guild.”
Gasps drowned out Charlemaine’s outcry of fear. Falcon lifted a hand for silence. “No. I will not allow this.”
Jaxon spun, pushing Tess to a safe distance behind him. “You do not get a say in this, Falcon. It is my decision.”
One bushy, white eyebrow arched. “I do not get a say? Very humorous, Jaxon, but I am still the leader of the Assembly. As such, my word is still law.” His voice hardened on the final syllable, leaving no doubt in the minds of those around him he meant business.
Jaxon felt the challenge. It crawled over him, swept him back to a time three hundred years in the past when Falcon had made the same type of challenge. He’d backed down then. He’d been younger, hadn’t trusted his powers enough to know the outcome of a battle with such a phenomenal wizard. Now he knew. His strength was as much a part of him as was Tess. He would protect her at all costs and to do so he had to cast his brother out of the Assembly, even if it meant incurring Falcon’s wrath.
He positioned his body directly in front of Falcon, planted his feet firmly apart, hands clenched into fists at his sides. “Why do you protect my brother knowing what he has done?”
Falcon appeared the picture of calm. His hands dangled at his sides, his posture relaxed but Jaxon knew the leader’s poise was deceptive. “I would protect any wizard who is a member of this Assembly. Braeden is still a member.”
Jaxon took a daring step forward. “I say he is not.”
Charlemaine attempted to intervene. “Jaxon, Braeden was only doing what he thought was right.”
Jaxon didn’t take his eyes off Falcon’s face. “He was wrong. And I say he does not belong here anymore.”
Falcon raised one finger and scratched his nose. “You would challenge me? Here? Now? In front of your family?”
Jaxon knew what his mentor was asking. Was he willing to accept the chances of defeat in front of his family? Pride warred with his thirst for vengeance, retribution against the one man who’d threatened the woman he loved. He raised his head, thrust out his chest as his eyes blazed with fury. “I would, even though my fight is not with you. My brother could have killed Tess. For that, he is not welcome in my home. No one here should welcome him.”
“You are asking us to choose between our sons.” Charlemaine’s voice was thick with tears.
Jaxon’s anger coursed through his veins, leaving little room for reason. “I am asking you to choose between right and wrong.”
Nexon offered his view of the situation, startling the others. The wizard wasn’t known for his outspokenness, often choosing to remain silent in the face of danger or dissension. “There is no right and wrong here. Both of you were faced with impossible choices.”
Jaxon swung his gaze around to rest on the thin wizard’s face. “Braeden was not faced with anything. Athena had not tried to kill his wife.”
Nexon took a step forward, held out one hand. “But you were trying to kill the woman he loves. Prolonging this will only serve to continue the pain both of you must feel. Two brothers should not be on opposite sides.”
Disgust coated Braeden’s voice. “My brother does not have a reasonable bone in his body. Everything is black and white to him, right or wrong. No gray areas, right, brother?”
Jaxon felt a small hand brush against his forearm even as his muscles tensed in the face of his brother’s disdain. He looked down into Tess’ tearful, blue eyes.
“Please don’t do this. We’ve been through enough today. Let’s just go home.” Her voice was soft with the plea.
He covered her hand with his. “And what of my brother? Where should he go? Should we allow him to join us in the citadel like nothing has happened here today?”
“He wouldn’t have harmed me.”
“You do not know that.” The words shot out of him, wrapped in fury.
Tess reached up and placed her palms on his cheeks. “I do know that. I was the one he was holding. His hand was gentle at my throat. He was only trying to save the life of the woman he loves. You would have done no differently had the tables been turned. Listen to me. Please.”
“She speaks the truth, Jaxon. I would never have hurt her,” Braeden ground out.
“And I’m supposed to believe you now simply because you didn’t harm her?”
Falcon inserted his authority once more. “It does not matter what you believe. I am telling you this ends here and now. As long as I am the leader of this Assembly, you will abide by my rules.”
Jaxon didn’t bother to hide his contempt. “I was not aware you had made any rules before now. Is this a new one?”
“The ice is getting thinner under your feet.” The warning in the elderly wizard’s voice came through loud and clear. Falcon would only tolerate so much. He was reaching his limit.
Tess’ hand made an imprint on her husband’s arm. “Don’t make this worse by challenging Falcon.” She lowered her voice, her words meant for his ears only. “You’ve told me yourself his magic is extraordinary.”
Jaxon squeezed her fingers, acknowledging the truth. Falcon’s abilities far outweighed his. To challenge him would be to invite his own downfall. He drew in a deep breath, felt the pull of Tess’ gaze. He smiled down into her upturned face. “You are right, my love. My anger spoke louder than my common sense. Please allow my mother to take you back to the citadel now.”
She shook off Charlemaine’s hand even as the female wizard attempted to steer her away. “I’m not going anywhere without you. Stop trying to get rid of me.”
He made a derogatory comment about stubborn women and focused his attention on his mentor once more. “I will not challenge you, Falcon, but I will not reside in the same house with my brother as long as his heart beats for this woman. As such, I can see only one solution.” He opened his palm, dancing a fireball against his fingertips. “Did you really think I would let her live, Braeden?” His voice was a tempest, a maelstrom of violent emotions. With a hard, sharp toss of his hand, he shot the compact circle of flames directly toward the stunned witch.
Athena shrieked with agony as the conflagration enveloped her. Cursing and virulent shouting dipped into the melee and as the air sparked with a combination of the witch’s draining energy and Braeden’s distress, a vortex swirled, a product of a desperate wizard’s attempt to save the woman he loved. Gathering Athena into his arms, Braeden looked back over his shoulder before stepping through the whirling mass and into the unknown.
A hush fell over the wizards as shared glances segued into shared fears.
“Is she…is she dead?” Tess wondered aloud.
“No,” Jaxon bit out.
“Where did he take her?”
“No one knows the destination of a vortex,” Falcon offered, sliding an arm around her shoulder. “Unfortunately not ev
en the wizard who creates it.”
Tess’ eyes widened. “You mean they could end up somewhere more dangerous than here?”
Jaxon’s jaw clenched. “Braeden knew the ramifications of such a decision.” His eyes sparked. “Foolish wizard.”
Rane came to stand behind his brother. “You did not give him too many choices.”
Jaxon rounded. “Is that a criticism?”
Rane shrugged. “Take it however you would like, brother.” He held his hands out in front of him. “But know this first. I would have done no differently. Braeden forced your hand by using your wife. I am amazed you did not include him in the fireball.”
“Rane!” Charlemaine censured her youngest son. “Talking of such serves no useful purpose.”
Indigo Spell Page 35
