by Aidy Award
Inside the building that looked like it was meant to house aircraft he found it filled with boxes and other items for storage. It wasn’t lit, but he used his cat’s vision to scan the room. He knew this was the right place, he could feel it.
Yes. There, near some barrels he spotted a grate in the floor where there should be none. A hidden entrance. He moved the metal bars and found a ladder leading into an underground tunnel. Before he even made it to the floor the malevolent presence of the spectrals pricked at him.
Good. He was getting close.
The tunnels were vast, and he easily hid in the shadows stalking quietly, exploring and noting the layout.
“Please. I can’t. I need rest.” The soft voice of a woman floated from somewhere nearby.
Fed’s lion shimmered near the surface when it heard her. It wanted to take over and find her. Now.
He took several long, slow breaths to calm the beast. If he revealed himself now because of some base instinct this reconnoiter mission he’d set himself on would be over and the kill and maiming part of the op would begin.
He couldn’t do that without back-up. Because the woman wasn’t alone. Fed took a quick peek around the corner. The woman was out of site, blocked by the form of a group of six men.
“She wants you back in there now. So, it’s either our neck or ours, and I like my neck exactly where it is.”
Cowards, the lot of them.
“You don’t understand. If I go back in there, it will endanger everyone on the base.” There was a tired plea to her voice. But he could also hear the ring of truth. She had no doubt that what they were asking her to do was going to turn out badly for them all.
Not only were they cowards, they were willfully stupid. Not a smart combination for the military of Earth to have in their ranks.
Fed had the element of surprise on his side. He could easily take out all of the men by shifting into his lion. The beast continued to push to get out anyway. Maybe he should let it have a little fun.
He dropped to all fours and shifted. He very quietly stalked his prey from the shadow of the tunnel. The area the men were loitering in looked more like a cement hallway and had industrial lights running above. Their backs were to him and their attention all focused on one point.
That’s where the woman would be. He’d be careful to strike so that she wasn’t injured.
The man nearest to a door yanked it open. “Get in there before we have to call her down here. None of us want that.”
The group shifted, and Fed caught his first glance at the woman.
Light from soul ember shot through the room, illuminating even the darkest corners. Zips and zings and zongs of energy strafed his body, awakening his soul until all he could feel and see was her. An uncontrollable roar erupted from his throat and lungs filling the space with his claim.
Mine.
The soldiers ducked for cover, narrowly avoiding Fed’s claws as he pounced. In the midst of their flight and the melee of men scattering, the woman stood, her hair blowing, her eyes closed, and her arms lifted to the side as if she were basking in a warm summer storm.
Fed rushed toward her needing to protect her, take her away from this place. She opened her eyes and swirls of golden light passed through them. The same light as from his soul ember, but inside of her.
She stared directly at him, her eyes going wide and then as if she’d been struck down by something, she collapsed to the floor.
Oh, Fates above. Was it the spectrals?
One of the soldiers collected himself enough to raise a weapon and fire it at Fed. A fiery metal projectile grazed his shoulder, then another, and another.
The weapon was no match for his lion’s inherent healing ability and the wounds quickly closed. Fed took a swipe at the man with his paw and sliced his throat open. He was dead within seconds.
He was less than a meter from the woman and it didn’t appear she’d been attacked by a spectral soul stealer. She looked like she was asleep. The only thing he wanted to do was curl his body around hers and snuggle her until she was rested. When she was, then he would mark her, claim her, and mate her.
By the Fates, this woman was his.
One of the other stupid soldiers decided to get between him and his mate. Bad move. The others all ran off screaming when Fed tackled the guy, gripped his skull in his bare teeth and spat the decapitated head at them.
They wouldn’t be bothering his mate any longer.
He carefully approached her and inhaled her scent. Under a layer of sunshine and sweets he detected death and decay. Was his mate ill?
He quickly cleaned his muzzle with his paw and then gently snuffled her face, trying to rouse her. It was too risky to shift into his honese form until he was sure the soldiers weren’t coming back.
Wake up, little mate.
She was clearly human, and Fed had no idea if she could hear his lion’s voice in her head. He’d only ever communicated with other shifters telepathically.
Her eyes fluttered and when she opened them a smile tipped up at him. “I guess I let you catch me this time, huh?”
He didn’t understand what she meant but didn’t care. She was okay. Now to get her out of here.
Can you hear me?
“Of course.”
Okay. Good. He kept his voice calm since she was dazed, and he didn’t want to alarm her. Can you get up? We need to leave.
“Why? I’m still tired and Kelebek isn’t trying to wake me up yet. Let’s stay a little longer.”
Who the fuck was Kelebek? Her lover? He’d sort that out as soon as they were safe. He would not be sharing his mate with anyone.
I’ll explain along the way. Come with me now.
She rubbed her eyes and glanced around. “I’ve never dreamed I was still at Omega before. I don’t like this. I’m going to wake up now.”
Uh-oh. Quickly, mate. Come with me now.
“Mate?” She abruptly sat up and scooted away from him until she hit the wall.
Don’t fear me. I’m here to protect you.
“You’re not even real. You’re—”
A very loud screeching alarm blared, echoing off the stone-like walls and a red light flashed over their heads.
“Level one breach. Level one breach. This is not a drill.”
The sound of boots clamored from the direction the soldiers had retreated. They were coming back in full force. Either they fled now, or Fed was going to have a serious battle on his hands trying to protect his mate.
He would defeat the humans. His only worry was that his mate might get hurt in the crossfire.
That is until he heard the screeching coming from behind the steel door his mate sat next to.
Spectrals.
Mate, we have to go right now.
She looked at him not in fear, but with great sadness in her eyes. “I don’t understand how you are here, but I know that I can’t lose you. I can keep them from capturing you. Please forgive me for what I do. I never thought you’d see this.”
No. You’re coming with me.
“I can’t.” The woman closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She raised her hands, one pointed toward him and the other toward the door.
Between them a cold rush of air pushed him back and the steel door creaked opened. From around the corner a team of soldiers ran at them, weapons raised. They fired at him, but their fiery projectiles slammed against an invisible wall.
His mate flinched as if the barrage of weapons fire was causing her pain even though it was not aimed at her. When she opened her eyes, they’d gone from the lovely golden glow he’d seen there before to a cold, deep blue as dark as her pupils.
Fed threw himself against the invisible wall to get to her and it burned him with its iciness where he touched it.
Woman. You lower your magic. Do you hear me? The soul stealers will break through your shield.
Just like they had broken through his mother’s.
His beautiful, powerful mate ignored hi
m.
The soldiers moved closer and before the first one could approach her, the steel door swung fully open and the screeching coming from inside pierced Fed’s ears.
No. Mate. Please, no.
Not when he’d only found her.
The wall between them shimmered. If he’d thought the cold touch of her shield had burned him, it was nothing compared to the absolute zero chill that extinguished every cell in his body from the inside out at the site before him now.
Ghostlike figures floated out into the hallway, hung in the air for a heartbeat, and then attacked the soldiers. He could see them as clear as he saw his mate and the humans.
The spectral warriors struck fast and hard, smashing through each and every one of the men like a sword running them through. Instead of blood and guts, the spectrals ripped the souls straight out of their bodies and one by one, the soldiers dropped to the floor. They still breathed, their eyes were open, but they were unseeing husks of their former selves.
His mate had done that.
She’d called the spectrals to her side and not only used them as her weapons, but in doing so created new soldiers for her army.
She was one who’d caused the destruction of his family, more than decimated the people on his planet, and create hate, anger and chaos across the galaxy.
His mate was the witch.
He was sworn to destroy her.
Three: Sanctuary
Nope.
Nope.
No way.
She must have finally broken, gone crazy, totally bonkers. The exhaustion, the loneliness, and the heartbreaking labor forced upon her had taken its toll and her mind had said –that’s enough. I give up.
It was the only explanation for being able to see, touch, smell, and feel her lion.
He was her sanctuary and had come to life, killed two Omega guards and turned his back on her as she released the soul stealers onto those who would come to capture him.
Obviously, she was batshit crazeballs and the last hour was all one giant hallucination her brain gave her to cope with her life.
Except if that was true, her lion wouldn’t have showed fear and revulsion in his eyes when she’d unleashed the soul stealers. He wouldn’t have walked away from her even though they’d both been safe behind her shields.
He would have taken her away from all of this.
“Well, well, well. All your whining and complaining was simply that, I see. You’ve created a dozen new spectrals in less time that it took me to come find you.” The Red Witch walked into the chaos smiling. “We simply needed to find the right motivation for you.”
Had the witch conjured her lion? Acid rose up the back of Tia’s throat. It couldn’t be.
“I will happily create breach after breach if that’s all it takes. I should have thought of it before. Your loved ones can easily be put in to jeopardy just as mine are.”
Wait. What? The soft caress of knowledge soothed Tia’s worries. The Red Witch had just revealed some very interesting things.
She had loved ones.
She didn’t know about Tia’s lion.
Tia would unwrap the information about the loved one later. For now, she needed to make sure the witch continued to believe her error.
Tia slumped back against the wall and let every bit of her exhaustion overcome her. “Please, no. I’ve only gotten them back in the cave. My power is completely depleted. You can’t put Magic in jeopardy that way.”
Literal fire blazed in the witch’s eyes. “I will do whatever it takes. Don’t ever presume to think you know what I will and will not do.” She banked the flames and folded her arms. “Now get yourself back to your quarters. Your new guards are waiting to escort you there. I’ve got work to do.”
Tia’s fell asleep almost instantly on the little steel cot in her cell. She didn’t have the energy to conjure even a pillow.
This time she did not dream of her lion. She had hoped she would, tried to bring him into her mind. Instead she saw her sisters, her family and the night that had ended her childhood.
Her father was huge in his giant bear form and had put himself between the attackers and his family. His roars made Tia cover hear ears. She’d never heard him be so loud or angry before.
Her soft and sweet mother tried to push Tia and her sisters away but was distracted lending her powerful soul magic to their father. The light was so pretty dancing between them.
She handed the baby over to the pretty purple-haired woman and whispered something in the little one’s ear. Wisps of magic sparkled around her tiny newborn sister. Mother knelt and took Tia, Kaden, and Ashmiza in her arms. “Listen my mici vrăjitoare. You must go with Auntie Topper.”
“Maică, no. We want to stay with you and Ayi.” Tia knew she should try to be brave and strong, but she couldn’t.
“I know, Tia. I want you to stay. But we all have a fate and yours and mine are not to be together. I give you each a gift so that part of me will always be with you, okay?”
No. None of this was okay.
Her mother kissed Kaden on the cheek first and some of her magic swirled over Kady’s skin. “I give you my gift of light, Warrior Bear’s Daughter.”
Then it was Ashmiza’s turn. A kiss to Ash’s cheek and another swirl of magic settled into her sister. “I give you my gift of time, Joyful Bear’s Heart.”
What gift would Tia get? Her mother brushed her lips across Tia’s cheek and whispered, “I give you my gift of harmony, Lioness with a Bear’s Spirit.
Hot and then cold tickled Tia’s skin and settled somewhere deep inside of her.
Another roar sounded from their father and something crashed hard against him. “Vrăjitoarea, hurry, my love.”
Their mother stood and pushed Tia and her sisters to the purple-haired woman. “Please hide them well, Topper. You know their fates if they are discovered.”
The woman gathered them into her magic like a warm blanket. “I will, I swear it.”
This was the part of the dream when Tia always woke up. This time was no different. It was like Kelebek knew what was coming next and always made sure to wake her before things got worse.
Tia blinked her eyes and felt the wash of her little familiar’s simple magic calm her mind. “What time is it? Are they coming for me again?”
She conjured the cuckoo clock that had hung in her childhood home. Strange. The guards rarely let her sleep this late.
Even stranger, they didn’t come for her for three whole days. Gods, how she needed the rest, but it worried her that something else was going on. On the third day the walls shook and there was some kind of explosion on the level below her.
Her heart practically beat out of her chest as she waited for the soul stealers to rise up through the levels. She wouldn’t be able to protect anyone if she was still locked in this stupid cell.
The soul stealers never came. What Tia sensed instead filled her heart to overflowing with more joy and a shining new fear.
Kaden. Light from her soul magic seeped into Tia’s cell up through the floor. It was as beautiful as her mother’s.
She only prayed it didn’t mean the Red Witch had captured little Kady too.
Weeks went by without anyone coming for her. Tia was well past rested and on to restless now. Even Kelebek fluttered around not know what to do with himself.
An alarm and an announcement for an evacuation came and went without anyone evacuating her. If a guard didn’t deliver her some food every day, she’d absolutely believe Omega had abandoned her, or even better, forgotten about her. Maybe they finally had enough spectrals that they didn’t need her anymore.
Not that Omega taking over the world was a good thing.
Gods above. She almost wished something would happen. Like her lion coming for her again.
Nah. She still wasn’t even sure that whole thing had been real. She hadn’t seen him again in her dreams since though.
Her nights were often spent now dreaming of flying and being in the bli
ssful silence of outer space. Sometimes she dreamed of Magic, New Mexico. The town was as vivid in her memory as it had been the one single day she’d spent there. The last day she’d spent with her sisters.
Tia almost welcomed the clang of the lock being opened. Almost.
“Dammit, I know what I have to do. Fuck off and let me do it my way.” The Red Witch punched at some sort of device in her ear. “Come with me. I’m out of time and you’re going to buy me some more.”
A man dressed in a black suit with a white shirt, black tie, dark sunglasses, and a sour expression grabbed her by the arm. This man in black was not one of her usual type of guards.
They led her all the way up to the surface and she couldn’t believe how blue the sky was or how brightly the sun shone. It had been so long since she’d been outside, and she slowed just so she could bask in the fresh air.
She wasn’t allowed to dawdle long before she was dragged into an aircraft of some sort. It wasn’t like any airplane she’d ever seen though. Looked more like a spaceship to her.
One step into the dark hull and her stomach churned at what she found inside.
Rows and rows of men in black with soul stealers floating above them outfitted in combat gear filled the cargo bay area. She recognized too many faces as the ones she’d had a hand in turning into mindless automatons.
The man took her through the rows, showing no fear himself for being only feet away from the kind of army that could destroy life on Earth as they knew it. He escorted her to a seat near the cockpit where the Red Witch was giving the pilot orders. When she was finished, she sat in the seat next to Tia.
“Listen closely. I only have one shot at this and if you screw it up because you try to save your sisters not only will the town of Magic be destroyed; an all-out war is going to break out across the galaxy.” The Red Witch pointed out a small window. “Earth isn’t technologically advanced enough to defend itself from the Terrians, Honese, and especially not the Learians. So, not only will you be condemning your family, you’ll be party to obliterating every soul on this planet. And just so you can remember every day of those horrors I will imprison you in a Tridbarrian mining camp for the rest of your miserable life. Do you understand?”
