by ML Guida
Footprints appeared in the sand. Hungry waves slowly washed them away, and he cursed the sea for betraying him. He prayed that if he followed the outline of the beach he’d find Mariah.
Two set of footprints appeared in the sand. Lark?
Mariah had fulfilled her promise and brought him to this place. Why the hell had they been separated?
“If you would have told her your true feelings,” Drakon said. “You’d be by her side.”
William’s heart raced, and he nearly choked on his fear. “I don’t want to hear it.”
“Love is the strongest magic,” Drakon said. “And if—”
“Silence.”
’Twas true that his feelings for Mariah ran deep and if she died she’d leave an empty shell. Was this love? Could he be in love with a witch?
Another scream propelled him to change into the dragon and fly across the sandy beach.
Aye, damn it. He very well could be in love with a witch, a witch that could be dying because of his foolish pride.
Below, he spotted Mariah running. Relief flooded him that she was alive. He transformed into a man, and Mariah raced toward him, her violet eyes huge. Blood sullied her dainty feet. “William, Mon Dieu!”
A man with no face, only a ghastly skull rushed toward them. Fire flamed in his eye sockets, and darkness engulfed him. The power radiating from him smashed into William. He exhaled, and fire blazed over the man. Running around in circles, the man screamed.
William choked on the stench of burnt flesh. Fiery heat blazed. William wrapped his arms around Mariah and turned his back toward Lark to shield her. She collapsed in his arms.
The fog blanketed them, and William fell into blackness. “Mariah!”
***
He woke with a start. “Mariah.” Softness and warmth was cradled beneath him. Mariah breathed onto his face. Her brows were knotted, and her lips tight. He was still embedded inside her. His heart pounding, he stroked her pale cheek. But she did not move. He swallowed hard, rolled off her, and pulled her into his arms.
She wore a diamond choker around her neck. The yari. “God, no!”
He tried to remove the yari, but it refused to budge. Damn it!
How could her bloody brother bind her powers? To enslave his own flesh and blood? His heart thundered. She’d be in pain, and there wasn’t a bloody thing he could do to thwart it.
Chapter Twenty-Six
William caressed her cheek. “Mariah, sweet witch, wake up.”
Her eyes fluttered, and she moaned. He gripped her shoulders tighter. “Mariah, come back to me.” His voice was more of a whisper and tears slipped down his face. God, he had failed again. Failed to save the woman he loved.
“There you admitted it.”
“William,” she whispered. She flung her arms around his neck. “My brother. He is gone.”
He held her tight, not knowing what to say. Her brother looked like a walking corpse and was in league with the devil.
“Shh, you’re safe now.”
“You do not understand,” she whimpered. “I will be forced to kill my own brother.”
He kissed the top of her head and cradled her in his arms, relieved they were back aboard the Phoenix. This was the last time he’d let her visit her brother in a dream.
Mariah suddenly pulled away and her hand flew to her throat. “Mon Dieu, William, do you know what this is?”
The fear in her eyes could crucify him. If he only he had the power to destroy the damn thing. “’Tis the yari.”
“I cannot utilize my powers. He’s bound me.”
He clasped her hands. “Your Grand-mère said you would be able to defeat a warlock. You’ll find a way to break the spell.”
“No, I cannot. It binds my magic. I have failed. Grand-mère said that we would be able to defeat a warlock. In my foolishness, I have condemned us all.”
“Mariah, we are not defeated yet.” He kissed her shaking hand. “We need to pull together. Hope is what helps us continue the fight. Without it, we will be defeated.”
She glanced at the canvas door and leaned closer to him. She whispered into his ear. “Hannah is dead. He killed her.”
William’s heart stopped beating, and acid boiled in his gut. It couldn’t be true. Not Hannah. The old pain rushed over him. The anguish, the lust for revenge. The hate. He refused to have Kane experience the same despair. Not until he was sure Hannah was gone. He grabbed Mariah’s shoulders and stared into her wide eyes. “Are you sure?”
Her lips trembled and she lowered her head, her hair falling around her. “I saw her, William. Her neck was slashed.”
“But it was a dream. ’Twasn’t real.”
She raised her head. “No, you do not understand. Warlocks have the power to show what happens outside the dream. He told me he killed her.”
How would he tell Kane that the woman he loved was dead? Could he tell him? “Why? Why would he kill her?”
“Because she kept telling him that he had a sister.”
“That’s nonsense.”
“He showed me his soul. No part of the brother I knew was there. He is pure evil. Bent on destroying all of us. Hannah was his first victim.”
“I can’t believe she is dead.”
“We have to tell the capitaine.”
He gripped her shoulders tight. “No.”
“But—”
“I’ll not put my brother in such agony until I’m sure that she is dead. That I have proof. You do not understand the grief he will endure. It will murder his spirit.”
She cupped his cheek. “Is that what you went through with Sharon?”
“Aye.” He leaned against her palm and turned and kissed it. “Promise me you’ll not tell him.”
She lowered her hand. “William, he’ll never forgive you.”
“I’m willing to risk it.” He took her hands and pulled her off the floor as he stood. “Will you do this for me?”
Doubt filled her eyes, and she bit her lip.
“We need to discover whether she’s alive before we rip out my brother’s heart.” He held his breath, willing her to see it his way.
She sighed and released his hands. “Oui, I will wait until we have proof.” She picked up her dress and held it close to her, covering her nakedness. “You are gambling with losing your brother.”
“Hannah is his whole life.” He smiled. “She almost tore us apart.”
“Why?”
He put on his trousers. “We were both vying for her attention.”
She cocked her eyebrow. “Like you and Ronan are with me?”
“Aye.” He rubbed his chin. “You saw Hannah dead on the beach?”
“Oui, why?”
He pulled on his shirt. “Zuto’s island?”
“I presume so. Why?”
She slipped into the dress and struggled to lace the back, but her arms flailed, and she wiggled those sexy hips as if doing so would help her tie the laces. Desire surged through him, but he fought it down. There was not time for any coupling. He had to find out about Hannah. Alone.
“Let me.” He quickly helped her dress. “I must go there and see if she is dead. Then, and only then, will I bring the news of her death to Kane.”
She furrowed her brow. “You?”
He pushed her hair away and stared at the dreaded choker around her neck. What other horrors could happen to her? “Aye, you are not going anywhere near that island.”
Mariah shivered and clasped William’s hand. “I made a mistake and tried to take on Lark by myself. If you go alone to Zuto’s island, the same will happen to you. Grand-mère said we had to combine our powers together to save Lark and defeat Natasa.”
“The yari will not allow you to perform magic.”
“Oui.” She bit her lower lip. “Maybe I cannot use my magic, but maybe I can use Lark’s magic.”
Every blood vessel inside him threatened to burst at such foolishness. “What?”
“I have his wand.”
Willia
m twirled his finger into her hair. “’Tis evil. He used it to conjure the yari.”
“You do not understand. Natasa’s wand can only channel black magic. My father gave Lark his wand. ’Tis a Fey wand and enchanted. ’Tis based on goodness and filled with white magic.”
“If you are wrong, the yari will punish you. We do not know what it will do.”
“You are lying to protect me. I will be in extreme pain. ’Tis a possibility I am willing to try.”
He stopped twirling her hair. “I am not. Where is his wand?”
“Why?”
“Give it to me.”
She put her hand on her hips. “No.”
“This is not a game. I want you safe. Out of harm’s way.”
“I am already in harm’s way, William.”
He stepped around her and headed for her chest.
“No.” She gripped his arm with both hands, but it was like trying to stop a runaway horse.
He shook her off and yanked open the trunk. Both hers and Lark’s wands lay on top. Luckily, hers was still here and not imprisoned in Lark’s dream world. It should have been. Had he allowed her to keep it? Why?
William seized both of them. “Which one is Lark’s?”
She clamped her mouth shut and avoided looking at her wand, afraid he would guess which one was hers.
“Fine, I will keep them both.” He headed for the doorway.
“If you do not let me go with you, I will tell le capitaine.”
He whirled around, his face grim. “You would not dare.”
She ignored the disbelief and horror in his tone. She put her hand on her chest and met his fierce glare, although her legs turned to seaweed and wobbled beneath her. She hated playing dirty and toying with William’s emotions, but she was desperate to keep him from going to that island without her. “Oui, I would. We must do this together.”
He stormed over to her and seized her wrist. “You are trying my patience. I could have Kane lock you in the brig.”
She tilted her chin. “Locking me in the brig will not prevent me from telling him what happened to Hannah.”
“I will not give you the wands.”
Hating to play her spade card, she whispered, “Then your brother’s heart will be broken.”
“You would do this to Kane?”
She stared into his hurt eyes and wished she had not had to resort to this wicked behavior. Her victory weighed heavy in her heart. It lay hollow, choking out her breath. “I would do this to protect you.”
He dragged her out of the cabin and up onto the deck.
“William, will you release me?” She tried to pry away his fingers that bit into her flesh. “You are hurting my wrist.”
Ronan blocked William’s way and reached for Mariah. “Release her, O’Brien.”
William growled, the dragon’s anger rumbling inside him.
“Stop it. Both of you,” Mariah ordered.
“Land ho,” Amadi called from the eagle’s nest.
’Twas Zuto’s island. It looked like any uncharted island with palm trees and sandy beaches. But it was not just any island. A faint black aura fluttered around it.
William released her wrist. “How did we get here so fast?”
“I donna know,” Ronan said. “The Phoenix moved faster than she ever has.”
Cold chills rippled across her skin. Nausea swirled in her stomach, and she swallowed down the vomit. A wave of power struck her, and she gripped William’s arm tight.
“Mariah, are you well?” Ronan’s brow bunched in concern.
“I…can…feel the power,” she panted. “’Tis evil. And they are waiting for us.”
Ronan brushed her hair away from her throat. “What the devil is that around your neck?”
“We were in Lark’s dream, and I—”
“Bloody hell, O’Brien. Ye couldna protect her?” Ronan said. “Do you know what Lark went through when that damn thing was around his neck?”
William’s face blanched. “I do.”
Mariah winced at Ronan’s accusatory tone and William’s strained look.
The yari tightened around her neck, and she gasped for breath. “Take me to see le capitaine,” she whispered. Every word was a struggle to utter.
“Mariah,” William warned.
“We must form a plan. They want us to storm the island. I can feel it. Where is he?”
“At the helm with Sean,” Ronan answered.
William wrapped his arm around Mariah and pulled her close. She did not know if it was to protect her or silence her from telling le capitaine the truth.
Kane paced back and forth at the helm. “We will dock in the cove and search for Hannah.”
“Capitaine,” Mariah said.
He stopped pacing. “What’s that around your neck?”
“’Tis a yari.”
“How did that get around your neck?” he asked.
A stream of red light soared from the island toward the Phoenix.
“Capt’n,” Ronan pointed. “Somethin’ is comin’ from the island. They’re firin’ on us.”
Kane unsheathed his sword. “Prepare for trouble, men. Be ready to fire at my command!”
Each man knew his job, crouched by their cannons, ready to unleash hell.
Evil permeated the light. Mariah raised her arms to conjure a spell to stop it.
“The diamonds,” Ronan said. “They’ve changed to rubies.”
With each word she chanted, her neck stung. The sensation grew stronger as the light grew closer. “’Tis not a weapon.” Pain bore into her neck, and she winced. “Black magic.” The red light grew closer then splintered into yellows rays like shooting stars. Agony stabbed her flesh. She grabbed the choker and pulled, but it would not move. Her vision blurred, and her knees weakened. She tilted her head back, and all she could see was the Phoenix’s sails flapping overhead. Muscles betrayed her, and she arched her back and collapsed.
William scooped her up before she hit the deck. “Mariah?”
The shimmering lights slammed into the Phoenix, then the ship tilted back and forth. Men swore and yelled as they frantically hung onto anything around them to keep from being dumped into the ocean. Mariah shut her eyes to block out the pain and light, and sloshing ship. Nausea stirred in her stomach.
The ship steadied, and she forced her eyes to open. Men returned to their cannons and readied for war.
“Capt’n, on the bow,” Amadi yelled.
Mariah fought her fear. Natasa stood on the bow and smirked. “Not so powerful are you, witch?”
Pirates swarmed around Natasa with swords and guns drawn.
Natasa flickered her hand at the men. “Your weapons can’t hurt me.”
“I would like to test that claim,” Kane said.
Mariah pushed against William’s chest and wiggled. “Put me down, William.”
He tightened his hold. “But—”
“Now,” she said.
William slowly glided her onto her feet, his arm wrapped around her waist.
Mariah forced her wobbly legs to stand. “Take this yari off me, and I will show you, demon.”
“Even if I wanted to, I could not,” Natasa said. She clasped a diamond pendant hanging around her neck and caressed it with her thumb. “I did not put it around your neck. Your dear brother did.”
“Where is Hannah?” Kane demanded.
Natasa raised her eyebrow and focused on Mariah. “You didn’t tell him, witch?”
Mariah held Natasa’s gaze and refused to cower or look at William.
Kane aimed his pistol between Natasa’s eyes. “Tell me what, demon?”
She tapped Kane’s pistol with her finger. “Your little whore is dead.”
Quiet murmurs broke out around the crewmen.
One man raised his sword. “Tis a trick.”
Another glared at Mariah. “Aye, ’tis true. The traitor has cursed us.”
“You lie,” Kane said as he cocked his pistol.
Natasa l
aughed. “Ask her.”
Kane glanced at Mariah with fear and denial gleaming in his eyes. “Well?”
“Je suis désolé,” she said, her voice filled with sorrow.
His face paled, and the blood drained from his tight lips. His powerful shoulders slumped, and he slowly lowered his weapon, his hand shaking. “No, ’tis not true.”
William grabbed Kane’s shoulders. “Kane, listen to me,” he said, his voice desperate. “We don’t know this is true. You can’t lose faith.”
Mariah bit her lip. Kane was a fierce captain and had fought gallantly to save his crew. He did not deserve this. Natasa hankered to have an anchor chained to her neck and be thrown overboard, never to be seen again.
“Don’t worry, Captain,” Natasa said. “You’ll join your little bitch. I will see you both soon.” She snapped her fingers, and smoke swirled around her.
Tears glistened in Kane’s eyes. He screamed and shoved William, knocking him to the ground, then fired his pistol at the dissolving smoke.
Natasa’s red eyes peered through the smoke. “I have a proposition for you, Captain. Bring Justin Knight to me, and I can resurrect your dead whore. She dies, and he lives, or he dies, and she lives. Your choice.”
The smoke faded along with the eyes. Kane whisked out his sword and stabbed at the mist repeatedly. “Hannah, you killed my Hannah. You’re dead, bitch. I’ll gut you and cut your heart.” His loud voice was full of hate, and he was as terrifying as when Mariah had first seen him with the prostitute.
Mariah tried to think of a spell that would show whether or not Hannah was dead. The yari tightened around her neck, blocking out her air. She grabbed the choker and tried to rip it off her neck, but ’twas as if the choker had melted into her flesh.
Kane violently shook Mariah. He then slapped her across the face. The impact of his palm sent her falling to the deck. Pain exploded across her cheek, bringing tears to her eyes.
“’Tis your fault she’s dead,” Kane said, his voice trembled.
William snarled and sprung forward, diving low. He tackled Kane, and they crashed into the bulkhead. William slammed his fist into Kane’s chin, and Kane’s head snapped backward.
