Truce: Book 1 in the Aftermath Series

by Alainna MacPherson

  The frown he’d already worn from pain and exhaustion, deepened. “By whom?”

  “We can’t answer that right now. First, we need to stop it. Do you know how?”

  He shook his head. I didn’t blame him though, he was Seelie, he didn’t deal much in spells. That was druid territory. Though Seelie could cast spells, they rarely needed to with the magic they welded. Why waste time with spells if you could simply wave your hand and make it happen.

  Druid magic relied on intricate weaving of words and bindings.

  I looked to Dad, but he shook his head. “Maybe if it were on one person, but a spell this extensive, to take over the will of so many others… I don’t have that sort of power.”

  Deflated and at a loss, I hung my head. All those people, vampire, Seelie and lycan alike, were innocents. Even in self-defense, the vampires didn’t deserve to die if they weren’t aware of what they were doing.

  Lugh’s face came into view, having bent at the knees to get my attention, signing. “But you do.”

  Not following, I cocked my head.

  “You have the power to break the spell,” he explained.

  “I don’t know how. I—” I started to argue.

  He shook his head, stopping me. “Your father can start the spell; you can tap into it.”

  “Is that even possible?” I asked, turning to look at Dad.

  He considered it for a moment, rubbing a hand along his chin before he dropped it. “We can certainly try.”

  “Whatever you’re all planning up there, you need to hurry. There are more. We can’t hold them back much longer and the Seelie have nowhere to go,” Gearden chimed in my mind, cutting out just as suddenly as he’d come in.

  “Let’s do it.”

  Not wasting any time at all, Dad took my hands in his, linking us, as his mouth began to move rapidly, weaving the spell that, hopefully, would do the trick.

  A few seconds later, he nodded to me, still chanting. My turn.

  Using all the training I’d had so far, I envisioned what I wanted, what I needed. I’d gone into Weis as pure energy, I remembered that, but nothing else. Holding onto that thought, I searched out the threads that illuminated from Dad’s spell work. Sending myself outside, an essence apart from my body, I saw the glow, dozens of them, a bright red, pulling me to each of them as I glided through the compound.

  Seeing them all, I focused on their lines. Though they were all linked, I saw how Dad’s spell plucked at the main line, thrumming in a sort of vibration that only my magic could hear, drawing me like a moth to a flame.

  “Pull it, weave it with your own,” I heard someone instruct me. Dad?

  “Pull it,” he repeated, keeping me focused.

  Doing as he said, I reached out with a hand that didn’t look like my own any longer and unwound the thicker thread from the others.

  “Now what?” I asked him, suddenly finding it hard to keep in the form I was in. However, it was happening, it was fading quickly.

  “Make it your own,” was all he said. From the panting between his words, I got the feeling that he, too, was having trouble holding on to the magic.

  Desperate, I called out, “How?” But he didn’t answer.

  Shit.

  Make it your own, I repeated to myself. Taking the strand, I pulled again, realizing that whatever slack it had, had gone taut. Using the small amount I’d gained, I wrapped it around my wrist. Vaguely, I was aware of some of the vampires below jolting when I did, only to continue their onslaught a moment later.

  It wasn’t enough. Then, pulling again, demanding more, I looped one more time, the line biting into my skin, cutting in. Though my hand was numb, I still felt the skin split under the pressure, blood coating the red glow of the cord. It sizzled and popped, like grease on a skillet, and, as it did, it began to lose its color. As the blood seemed to cool and settle on the rope tied to the vampires, it began to change. Soon, they all did.

  Glowing iridescent blue now, I felt it ease around my wrist at the same time it seemed that the tail of it broke away, severing from its original owner. The second it did, I concentrated on the direction, remembering to keep it simple. And, with Danu’s creek in the back of my mind after seeing her again earlier this afternoon, I commanded them all to, “Stop.”

  It was instantaneous. All at once and without any delay, the moment the word left my mouth and mind, the vampires ceased their fighting. The only movements remaining below me were Lycan, Druid and Seelie subduing their attackers, even though they’d stopped. Confusion from all followed a few heartbeats later.

  Yanked back to my body, still standing between Lugh and Dad, I panted to catch my breath, feeling even weaker than when I’d started. Whatever Lugh had given me wouldn’t be enough to last long.

  Gearden rushed in the room just then, coming to a halt at the sight of me standing. I didn’t hesitate to open my arms to him as he rushed to gather me to him.

  “Was that you?” he asked, and I nodded, my mind still too tired to even communicate through our psychic connection.

  Behind me, I felt Lugh edge closer. Dropping a hand to reach back, I smiled when he gripped it, squeezing it tight.

  Together, we walked through the house, down the hall and back into the living room. We were met by Jeaon standing ominously over a motionless Reshan, whose all black outfit was completed by the evil-looking short sword strapped at her hip, her hand resting on the pommel.

  Mouth open on a silent gasp, I gazed down at the still vampire.

  “She’s not dead,” Gearden informed me.

  Surprise didn’t completely cover how I felt just then. I snapped my head up to look shockingly at the assassin, who just shrugged indifferently. “She lives. I only kill on the queen’s orders.”

  More than pleased by this, I nodded to her in appreciation, to which she bowed her head graciously.

  She moved to the side to allow us to step through the back door. Outside, we made quick work down the steps to the compound and tents. All around us, vampires were standing around dumbfounded. I wondered if they even remembered what had happened, what they’d done while under the spell.

  “Where’s your dad?” I asked Gearden, looking around frantically for all the familiar faces.

  Bri and Ro, check. They came jogging from the direction of the tents, looking like they’d been through hell, but otherwise alive. Cuts, bruises, but they’d be okay, thank Goddess.

  Gearden craned his neck to look around for more of our people. “There!” He pointed to a line of trees where Liam and Danny were emerging from.

  Slowly, others began to come out, even more when we walked down the main aisle of tents. A small group of people stood over someone though, near Weis’ body. Contrary to what I knew his insides resembled, he only had a few marks on the outside of him.

  “Julie,” I thought out loud, suddenly recalling what had happened before things had gone dark.

  Together, we raced over, pushing through the crowd. It was too late though. It was all too late. She must have succumbed to her injuries when she’d hit the tree after being thrown.

  “And Thorn,” Lugh had recalled, signing and pointing down the ways to another body, a life ended too early.

  “Where are Italia, Pierce and James?” Ro asked, coming to stand beside me as we stepped back from the Cearer Druid’s body while Bri knelt down beside her old friend.

  Dom and Tomos stepped up to our group, seeming to come from out of nowhere. “The wolf and Unseelie were taken by hunters,” came Dom’s answer.

  “What about James, the vampire?” I asked, worried that he’d been spelled with the rest of them and killed, but the guard shook his head.

  “Find out if anyone says anything,” I instructed the two. “Maybe someone saw something. He could have been taken as well.” As one, they turned to begin inquiring to the masses.

  Bri, who’d stood up and was wiping the remnants of tears from her cheeks, had come back in the game, at least for now. “Will you please cal
l the healers? Maybe get with Liam and your dad, see what they can get started to help the injured.”

  Already, I noticed, people were dragging the dead to the center of the compound, lining them up neatly by the fire pit, both Unseelie and vampire alike. All were victims that night.

  For a while I wondered if we’d lost anyone else, any wolves, and I was thankful that the majority of the McIntire pack wasn’t there that night. They were still at home when the vampires had been spelled and started attacking. Now, some were on their way to come help. To help clean up the aftermath.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Maeleigh

  The quarter moon hung high in the sky by the time all the injured had been attended to and most everyone had returned to their tents. I didn’t expect any of them to actually sleep though, not after what had just happened.

  The rest of us stood by the firepit as Ro and Bobby built up the flames, piling wood until it roared, flames spearing over our heads. Giving it the space it demanded, I stared at the orange glow from a few feet away. Reshan touched my arm, drawing me out of my trance.

  Getting my attention and, with eyes heavy with regret, I stopped her from saying anything. “It wasn’t your fault. None of it was,” I said out loud, making sure the rest of the group heard me. When I looked around, I saw that Liam and Danny were nodding their agreement to the vampire. Thankful, she gave a small bow of the head. It would be a while before this left her, or any of us. I imagined the amount of lives lost that night would weigh heavy on all of us for a long time to come.

  “Do you remember what happened to you?” I asked Reshan, but she only shook her head as a faraway look came over her beautiful features

  “No. I wish I did so I would know who to kill next. But it’s just a blank. We were just here, going about our day. Visiting old friends, then…nothing.” I squeezed her hand and let her be. Strong as she might act around others, I knew feeling this vulnerable would be harder for her.

  Ten vampires, fifteen Seelie and one druid had lost their lives, including Thorn, who’d had his throat cut rather gruesomely. James was still MIA, presumed taken by the hunters as well.

  Lugh, Dad and Trune slowly trudged over from the tents, having made sure everyone was settled.

  Dad dropped onto a large stump used as a seat, shoulders slumped and head low. Lugh moved to stand on my left, Trune beside him, as Gearden came up to my right.

  On the picnic table bench, Marshall sat with his sister, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. We looked broken, I thought.

  “What happened?” I asked Liam. Everyone stilled and watched the alpha as he readied to tell the tale.

  Only, he didn’t have one. “I was in the house when I heard screaming. Once I got here, there was already chaos: people running, vampires attacking…” he gave an apologetic look in Reshan’s direction.

  “Damn,” I cursed. “Did anyone see something else, something more?” I looked around to room, hoping someone would speak up, but only got regretful shaking of heads.

  “Julie had said Weis killed Thorn,” I relayed, earning a collection of shocked looks from the group.

  “Did he kill Zerena, too?” Bri asked, signing from beside her father. The gash on her cheek looked angry even after being cleaned by the McIntire healer.

  For a moment, I considered it, but it didn’t add up. “I don’t think so. At least, not alone.”

  “What makes you think that?” Dad signed for Marshall.

  “I still can’t feel her, my mother,” I explained. “She’s…distant.” Heavily, I took in a deep breath, letting it out. “She said someone was keeping her from me, making it difficult to reach me. Someone just as strong as Amergin.” I looked down at Weis’ body that laid apart from the rest of the dead. Shunned, even in death.

  “If he’d been the one to do that, his death would have broken the barrier between us, but I can still feel it. Like something’s missing.” I rubbed at the dull ache that had settled into my heart, unsure if it was my imagination or if I really was feeling the separation from my birth mother.

  An ominous silence washed over us all as we drew on the thoughts of what that meant. There was someone else out there killing people. A very powerful someone.

  Ro sided up to me, signing, “It’s ready.” He meant the fire. It was ready to burn the dead.

  My throat seemed to choke on the sudden dryness that came over me. I nodded and turned to Lugh.

  “It’s customary for those worthy to be moved with magic onto the fire,” he told me with a regretful expression. He was still drained from having revived me.

  “Together,” I told him, taking his hand. Reaching out with the other, I felt for Gearden’s. When he gave it to me, I placed it on my shoulder where he gripped it, offering strength.

  As one, Lugh and I moved our hands to gently levitate the first body: Thorn, a fellow Seelie. As Cearer, he was able to keep from changing like the Unseelie had after his brethren had been locked beneath the earth’s surface, making him still a subject of Lugh’s.

  Gently, we laid him on the fire. The moment the flames surrounded him, they changed from orange and red, to a sparking green and teal color. Unlike when the hunters – humans – were burned, faerie returned to the elements, the Sidhe, rather quickly. Julie was next.

  One by one, we sent the lost back to the source, hoping that Danu was there on the other side to greet them, to show them the way.

  My heart cracked with each body. By the time it was finished, the fire returning to its original red and orange hue, I was numb inside. Reshan gave me an unexpected hug, leaving me feeling even more confused when she pulled back and walked away. I turned to Lugh and Gearden, tears, dried and new, on my cheeks.

  “What do we do now? We can’t go home. Not with all these people here. It’s obvious they were after the Seelie.” The McIntires would be safe, I thought. Whatever had occurred that night, the targets weren’t of lycan kind.

  “We can fit everyone at Westboro,” Gearden suggested. His beta, Bri, approached us then, nodding in agreement. “It will be a tight squeeze, but it you want to keep them safe; it would be better to defend them there and keep them—” she gestured to their dads, “—safe.”

  As much as I didn’t like the idea of separating from Liam’s pack, Luna agreed that it was best. Between starting the fire, I’d asked where Jolleen, Rowen and Senior were. Apparently, they’d gone to a movie. I wondered if whoever had orchestrated the attack did it knowing the pup was away. Still, if it meant keeping Rowen away from any other future attacks, it was better to move the Seelie.

  She saw from my expression that I’d already made up my mind. “We’ll do it in the morning though. We all need some rest right now,” she said, rubbing my arm. Just then, Bobby came in for a hug. It was the most awkward yet completely normal thing to happen that night. At some point between this morning and now, he’d really begun to feel like pack, complete with rights of touch.

  “Come on,” Lugh coaxed, tugging on my hand. “We can stay in Weis’ tent. It’s empty now.” His sorrowful eyes told me I didn’t have to guess as to why it was vacant. And, though it was possible we slept in cots belonging to those whose bodies we’d just burned, it didn’t feel wrong. Instead, it felt right, somehow. As we laid down, sleep taking us all nearly instantly from exhaustion, I dreamed of them, the dead. But, in my dreams, they were alive. I got a vision of each of their lives, living above and below. Their joy in returning and seeing the sun again. I decided to hold onto that. That, at least they’d gotten to see it one last time before they passed.

  The next day, everyone pitched in to help move people and tents. Portals were used for the majority of the people and the large equipment was hauled with a moving truck we’d rented. It was a swift and quiet endeavor. The shock of it all instilled an urgency in everyone, hurrying to get the Seelie to their new home. Though, I couldn’t tell if it was because the Lycans didn’t want the trouble near them or if they really were trying to keep their new neighbors safe
.

  “Do you want me to stay?” Danny had asked me, as the last of the tents were being set up that afternoon. A small smile brushed my lips as I glanced over to see Liam a few feet away, watching us. Danny wouldn’t have offered if Liam hadn’t suggested it.

  “No,” I answered. “You’re needed at home.”

  He understood too, but still, I saw the reluctancy in the way he hesitated, as if he wanted to say something else, but stopped himself. Finally, he settled for a hug and later left with Liam, Shawn, Caleb, Senior, Freya and Kennedy. A piece of my heart ached for them to come back or to go with them. My pack was complicated, I thought. It wasn’t just one group of people; it was all of them. When they left, they took a part of me with them, leaving me incomplete until they returned.

  “Come on,” Gearden said, interrupting my melancholy thoughts. “He probably won’t admit it, but Lugh needs a break. He’s not doing too good.”

  Concerned, I turned, searching for Lugh with my eyes. There, beside Gearden who looked at me knowingly before frowning at Lugh. Though he stood chatting animatedly with someone about positions of the porta potties among the groups of tents, I saw the lines of strain around his eyes, as well as the dark circles there. His skin looked all paler as well, if that were possible. With the way the Westboro property was spread out, there were three different sections of tents instead of the large gathering of them on the McIntire land.

  Looking back to Gearden, I nodded and walked over, taking Lugh’s hand and surprising him. He tried to tug back, holding a finger up to indicate “just one more moment,” but I shook my head. The toilets would be sorted out with or without him well enough. Outvoted, he let me pull him to the house. Inside, we both kicked off our shoes, aware that Gearden was close behind. As we headed up the stairs, I saw him walk in, toeing off his own shoes before ascending behind us.

  Even though we’d changed clothes when we came home that morning, we didn’t take time to shower, leaving us covered in the same grime and blood from the night.

  I didn’t stop walking until we were in our ensuite bathroom. Gearden stepped in, shutting the door as I started the water in the shower. As it warmed, I pulled my shirt over my head, tipping my chin to Lugh to tell him to do the same. Naked, I stepped into the shower and tipped my head back in the spray, wetting my hair. Lugh’s arm came up to wrap around my middle, pulling my back to his front, letting me feel his arousal, at the same time tipping my head to the side to ravish my mouth with his. I felt him hum in pleasure or maybe that was me, I wasn’t entirely sure. Instantly, my body craved his. It called out to him, knowing what he needed, what his magic needed. Dad had explained it more this morning. When done during intimacy, the magic was recharged mutually. One might be a little depleted but it would rebuild with rest and sustenance. However, if taken or given the way Lugh had done for me, it was harder to replenish without a full charging…from me. I didn’t realize how soon he’d need it though.