Ella’s voice echoed through the great hall. Heedless of Lorcan’s warning, she was beginning her tirade just as they shadowed in. Now she stamped her foot against the stone floor, “Do not make me fight you Lorcan. Release them…now.” She stamped her foot again, and then a third time while she gazed upward at Lorcan’s unrelenting expression. With a curse, she jerked free of his hold on her arm.
The Elite and their two captives had already appeared in the hall. Colm had both Vampire on their knees near the center of the hall. Lorcan leaned down and taunted Ella, “Looks to me like you could not route my weakest warrior at the moment. Where did your magic go?”
She made move to kick him and Lorcan merely side stepped her and laughed, “So predictable, Witchling. I am going to…speak…with Nicholas. Depending upon how cooperative he is, we may then discuss his life expectancy.”
Ella was so furious she barely paid heed to Kat and Myrrdyn standing near the hearth. She did collect herself enough then to turn and demand of Kat, “You had better deal with your mate or I will roast him, Kat…I swear I will.”
Kat had started to walk to Ella, shifting an uneasy look between her friend and her male, but her gaze swung swiftly back to Ella in alarm, “Red, you are incredibly pale, you need to…” Before she could finish, Ella dropped, kept only from cracking her skull by Lorcan’s quick catch.
Nicholas began struggling anew at his bonds, only to have Colm press his blade more firmly to his throat and hiss, “Give me a reason Dark, any reason…”
Ella, held tightly upright against Lorcan’s side, raised her hand limply in their direction. The shimmering veil took her eyes, for just a second, as flames flickered in her palm and then died, “I will…kill you…Colm.”
Myrrdyn strode into the center of them all and ordered brusquely, “Release him, Lorcan. Ella needs his blood.”
Lorcan returned with a stony expression, “When I am done with him, I will release him.”
Myrrdyn raised a glowing hand of his own, an unusual threat of magic from the Ancient, “You will release him to tend to Ella or I will release him.” The Sorcerer of Light surveyed the hall dispassionately, “And your home will not be quite so lovely when I am through, if I have to do it myself.”
Lorcan pushed the still limp Ella into the elder’s arms and growled, “If she needs tending, do it yourself, Myrrdyn.” Lorcan crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to honor the demand from the Ancient.
Ella reached over to pull on his arm, “Lorcan, please. I just want him to take me home. Nicholas is not a threat to you.”
He looked down at her, his mind unchanged, “You belong in the Realm. You are the Fire Queen and Nicholas is my enemy until I say otherwise.” Lorcan’s expression was unreadable as he studied her pale visage and trembling form. His eyes narrowed and swung back to Myrrdyn, the Ancient’s words finally registering through his anger, “She needs his blood?” His eyes raked over her face, pissed as hell at the implication and ground out hotly, “Damn it! We only just regained the first Queen; we cannot have her sidelined for months.”
Myrrdyn’s eyes glittered with his answer, “I said what I meant, Lorcan, and I do not intend to repeat myself.”
Kat looked from her grandfather to her mate and back, trying to discern the unspoken conversation between the two until Lorcan finally nodded to Colm, not bothering to hide his upset, “Release him. Ella needs his blood.”
Nicholas drawled sarcastically once Colm had sheathed his sword, “I am glad the two of you understood what the hell that convoluted conversation meant. Why don’t you clue the rest of us in?”
Ella’s gaze was hazy, unfocused, and she looked at Lorcan and then to Kat. Both she and Kat demanded simultaneously, “Why?”
Lorcan rolled his eyes, he hated the Sorcerer’s theatrics, “Yes Myrrdyn, please enlighten everyone.”
Nicholas was more impatient, growling while Colm unhappily worked to free him, “She has been taking my blood since she was injured, but it should not be harming her, and it cannot be transitioning her.” He looked worriedly at his mate, she was nearly asleep.
Myrrdyn answered evenly, “She is carrying your heir, Nicholas.”
The shock on Nicholas’s face was echoed in his words, “How? Ella is a Witch.”
Myrrdyn cackled and rubbed his hands together delightedly, “Perhaps I need to talk to both you and Lorcan about how babes are produced?” Dunkirk guffawed as did a couple of the Elite, but both Vampire warriors turned on him with murder in their eyes. Myrrdyn laughed exuberantly once more before explaining, “Well, lad, yes, Ella would have required your help…your blood, shared during mating.”
Nicholas eyed him suspiciously, “You know there is more to it than that. She is Witch and I am Vampire. There are special remedies needed to make a Witch fertile to my breed.” Snatching free with annoyance of the last of his bindings, he rose quickly. Nicholas strode to Myrrdyn, ignoring the discomfort the movement caused, and jerked Ella into the cradle of his arms.
He wounded his wrist and dropped it to her lips, thinking back. Understanding came quickly and he turned an incredulous look on Myrrdyn, “The medicines you had me give her to help with her healing when she was injured.”
Myrrdyn acted completely innocent of any wrongdoing, “She needed the treatments and yes, some are the same as those used for breeding between our species. How was I to know you were going to take her to your bed, Nicholas? The two of you seemed to be at great odds with one another at the time.”
Lorcan and Nicholas gave him the same disbelieving look. His explanation did not seem to be easing the Vampires’ ire, but Myrrdyn could not control his own glee, “The child is Vampire and you will need to feed her throughout this. She cannot nourish the babe’s needs on her own. You have left her now for four days without nourishment. It is a wonder that she was able to perform any magic at all and save you tonight.”
Nicholas hugged Ella tightly against his chest. Her color was already beginning to rebound and she looked up at him with a smile, “Shhh….do not be angry with him Nicholas. Myrrdyn is desperate for another grandchild.”
It was Myrrdyn’s turn to look dumbfounded, along with everyone else in the room. Kat interrupted the silence with a cackle of her own, “Oh…Grandpapa has been the naughty one…”
Myrrdyn shot Kat a furiously disapproving look before he stepped closer to the pair, “Did Nicholas tell you?”
He had already turned a glare on Nicholas before Ella answered, “No, I have known since my injury, my visions came in strong at that time.” Studying his face carefully, as if seeing it truly for the first time, she whispered, “I have the same magic as you, the powers from the same five Castes.”
She did not need his acknowledgement and was not looking at Myrrdyn in anger, but only with unanswered questions. The Ancient grasped at her hand, “I never thought after my first mate was murdered that I would find another. Moya was beautiful, amazing, and I loved her dearly. We exchanged our vows privately, as you did with Nicholas. It was not for the Realm to know, not when she would have been targeted because of me. Once she realized she was carrying you, dear, she would not have me near her. She feared that you would be in constant danger, if it became known that you were of my line.” He gave Nicholas a nasty look then, “And she was not wrong, now was she?”
Ella sighed, feeling much better, glancing between the two males, “Nicholas believed I was your daughter, so he watched me all these years.” At Nicholas’s nod, she continued, “And you had to know that he was, Myrrdyn. Moreover, you left me in his care when I was injured, and gave him the means to cure me, even though you could have easily taken me from him. You have always known that Nicholas would not harm me.”
At Myrrdyn’s nod, she issued an exaggerated sigh, “Well then, that is settled. You two boys need to kiss and make up. It has turned out as it was meant, has it not?”
Kat clapped her hands delightedly, “Oh Red, you are my dear old auntie.” She continued happily, despite Ella’s fr
own, “…and you have a sandwich in the oven!”
Lorcan corrected her while Nicholas looked at Kat like she was insane, “Bun.”
Kat merely waved her hand at them dismissively, “A bun is part of a sandwich.”
Placing her hand on Ella’s abdomen, she smiled sweetly up at Nicholas, “I hope you have a red-haired little female that bites your ankles. Chomp chomp chomp, Vampire.” Kat winked at Ella before making her next statement to Nicholas, “You are my uncle. Aren’t you just thrilled? We will do the holidays at Laverock this year and maybe if Lorcan decides to give Carrowmere back to you – since you are his Uncle-in-law, after all – maybe you can host them next year.” Since Nicholas looked like he was wavering between vomiting and throttling her, Kaitriana stepped back.
She gave Ella a grin that revealed her immense pleasure and then made exit towards the stairs, calling back to Lorcan “Come dear, you may interrogate my uncle another night. Since Nicholas has already given his mate a babe, you must be doing something wrong. Make certain to ask him that tomorrow, too.”
At Dunkirk’s guffaw, Lorcan shot him a quelling look before turning to gaze at Myrrdyn, “Count your blessings that I love that brat of yours, otherwise I would have no choice but to beat her regularly.” He leaned over to ruffle Ella’s hair, smiling fondly at her for a moment before returning a hard look to Nicholas, his voice turning gruff, “You and I will talk tomorrow. Stay in Ella’s rooms at Laverock tonight.”
Lorcan had one last end to tie up before he joined his mate. Turning to face his brother, his tone was easier than any expected, “You will join Nicholas and I tomorrow evening to discuss this female that seems to possess a rabid hatred of you, since you seem hell bent on protecting her. This is the second time that you have faltered in your duties because of her. I do not expect there to be a third.” He did not wait for an answer before shadowing away.
Sayer turned towards the Elite’s chamber, only to be confronted by Broderick, “Who is she, Sayer? And how the hell would she know anything about Maeve?”
Sayer looked sick and shook his head at Broderick, as confused as any, “I have no idea.” He shadowed away before Broderick could interrogate him further.
Ella reached up and stroked Nicholas’s cheek, “You may put me down now. I will show you upstairs, love.”
Nicholas held her protectively for a moment longer, “You are certain you are recovering?” At her nod, he let her slide to her feet. Ella placed her palm in his and started tugging him towards the stairs, “You need time to heal as well, your back is absolutely miserable.”
Nicholas shrugged then winced at pain it caused to his back, “Perhaps.” He waved to indicate his bare chest, “But I would prefer a bath and a change of clothing and maybe a kiss or two to go with your explanation as to why I should not thrash you right this instant for the stunt you pulled tonight, Princess.”
His eyes had narrowed on hers and she scampered a few steps ahead of him. Pulling free of his hand, she laughed back at him merrily, “Because I saved your unappreciative neck, this time…” When his eyes darkened, she rushed a few steps further ahead, “And because I carry your child. No thrashing, hmmm?”
Ella winked and jumped up to the landing when he grabbed for her. His eyes remained dark, but his voice dropped low, just for her, as she watched him ascend, “Then, Ella, I guess I must remind you what kind of rewards I give you when you do behave yourself.”
Nodding, Ella dragged her teeth over her bottom lip before she gave him a sensuous smile, “I have found that positive reinforcement is always the best course, Vamp.” Nicholas snatched her up in his arms, laughing, “Then point me in the right direction, you wicked little witch.”
Their laughter floated downward. Myrrdyn had a satisfied smile on his face as he turned to face Dunkirk, “I guess we did quite well for ourselves, did we not? I have a bottle of fine Scots whiskey that has been waiting for just such an occasion as this. Shall we?” Dunkirk inclined his head in agreement and disappeared immediately after the Sorcerer.
CHAPTER 47
The moon had risen high by the time that Nicholas roused the next eve. The night before, after indulging his thirst, a hot shower, and allowing Ella to tend his wounds, he had taken her to his bed and kept her awake until a few hours after the sun had begun its climb. His body had kept him in a deep slumber until now, requiring the additional rest to fully recover from the wounds inflicted by Rhydach. He could now hear raised voices in the courtyard below, accompanied by the sound of clashing metal, and the occasional laughter of each Kat and Ella.
Pushing quickly off the bed, he moved to the window that provided him with a perfect view of the gathering below. Nicholas felt his temper rising. He would definitely take her to task and tear into Lorcan if Ella were involved in the weapon practice below. Both would need to understand that she was no longer an Elite and that there would be no discussion on the matter. Ella was carrying his child; there was no room for war in her life at this time.
His anger was immediately defused upon taking in the scene below. Ella and Kaitriana stood on the steps together, whispering in hushed tones as they looked on at the warriors practicing. Dunkirk stood beside Lorcan and his Elite, supervising as they put Nicholas’s own men through the paces. He grinned arrogantly as one of his took down one of Lorcan’s just then.
His gaze swung back to see Lorcan’s reaction, only to realize that most of the Elite as well as Dunkirk had not even seen it. Those mighty warriors were frowning fiercely at his friend. Dunkirk had been engaged by a tiny little vampire female. She had pale blond hair drifting about her shoulders, lavender eyes, and at that moment a cup of brew extended to the giant. Dunkirk seemed to be enjoying the attentions of the lass immensely and that brought a chuckle of pleasure to Nicholas’s lips.
His female’s laughter drew his gaze once more. Ella and Kat had been joined by a few others, and he witnessed Ella’s hand sweep lovingly across her stomach, smiling happily to her friends as she related some tale. The thought that after eight hundred years he was finally being gifted with a child caused him to grin like an idiot. The need to join her and the rest of her family on those steps settled in to him.
Nicholas closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, only then consciously realizing that he could no longer drag forth any of the rage he had held towards the Light for all those centuries. He was overcome by the feelings of contentment and peace and had no room left for bitterness or anger. Without hesitation he turned back to the bed and dropped to his knees, his head bowed low. For the first time in over eight hundred years, he found himself in prayer, thanking God for every moment along the path that had brought him to this day.
Want more Nicholas & Ella?
Go to the Ancients of Light website to read a bonus Epilogue.
FROM THE AUTHOR
Thank you for reading the second book in the Ancients of Light series. There are so many more great stories to be told before we reach the ultimate conclusion of Myrrdyn’s Prophecy. I hope you will join us for them all.
Heather
Please connect with me online for information on the latest happenings with the Ancients.
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Missed Chosen? Find Book 1 in the Ancients of Light series here:
Chosen, Ancients of Light #1
Forsaken (Ancients of Light #1) Page 32
