by Quinn Loftis
Everything from henceforth shall not be as it seems or as it once was. You shall not know the past from present, nor present from future. Until my will straightens the timeline, your mind shall shift like shadows and flicker like flames.
The words filled her mind unbidden. They were Lyra’s words, but she just knew they were what had to be said. Myanin felt the power flow out of her. It worked. Thad wouldn’t be recording history, at least not as it was actually occurring. Part of her wanted to laugh because she knew he was going to figure out what was happening. He’d no doubt already received the history of her crime and more. But now? Now he would get nothing but chaos. She was going to have to eat some more cotton candy to celebrate her newfound ability.
She opened her eyes and told the males what she’d discovered from the record, but not about her ability to alter history. That little tidbit was only for her.
“The male who gave the order was Vasile Lupei.” She was realizing something else interesting about the power she’d gained from Lyra. Whatever memories she accessed, she knew immediately who was in them, despite the fact that she might never have met them before. History keeper secret number 02. Jumble power was 01.
“We could use that strategy against them,” Sincaro suggested. “We have the numbers.”
“You will have to draw them away from the stronghold. And even then, it will be difficult to remain concealed if we manage to get behind them, between them and their Keep,” Alston said.
“Or we could go up,” Ludcarab said. “Above them but not visible to them.”
“We have to attack at night, so the cover of darkness would be easy,” Sincaro said.
The elf king nodded. “But we will aid the night with more darkness.” He glanced at Alston. “Are you prepared to do it?”
The high fae glared at Ludcarab, his lips thinned tightly across his severe face. “I’ve used blood magic before.”
“And the fae who’ve followed you here? Will they use blood magic?”
Myanin could hear the challenge in the elf king’s tone. It was a miracle that the two supernaturals hadn’t killed each other yet, or at least tried.
“They will do as they are told, or they will suffer the consequences,” Alston said through clenched teeth.
“Perfect.” Ludcarab’s slick grin made Myanin feel as if she’d just signed up to work for the devil himself.
“The time difference from here to Romania is ten hours.” Alston glanced at his watch. “It’s 8:00 p.m. which means it’s six in the morning there.”
“So we attack tomorrow at midnight their time, which would be 2:00 p.m. here,” Ludcarab said. “Sincaro”—he looked at the vampire king—“would you and Cain take care of getting all the supernaturals, other than the fae, ready?”
Sincaro nodded. “Of course.”
Apparently, once they were all on the same page, they suddenly could get along. Fascinating. When they no longer had a common enemy to focus their attention on, they would be at each other’s throats. She and her cotton candy would be long gone by then.
“I will choose the fae who will be joining the battle,” Alston said. “And make them aware of the spell to be used.”
Myanin’s gut twisted at the mention of the use of blood magic. There wasn’t a supernatural alive who didn’t know that blood magic was dark, very dark. Once you've crossed that line, you’ve passed the point of no return.
“Very well.” Ludcarab looked at her. “I will show you to your private sleeping quarters, and then if you would be so inclined, you can spar with some of our warriors. From what I understand, you are an accomplished warrior.” He didn’t sound impressed. It was more like he wanted her to prove what he’d apparently been told, no doubt by the vampire who’d showed up at Thadrick’s home.
“I’d love to,” she said, her lips turning up slightly. She’d have to remember to restrain herself or she’d wind up killing their army, and Myanin had a feeling that would probably not go over well. Don’t picture Thadrick’s face on any of my opponents. She followed Ludcarab from the room, not bothering to say anything more to the others. She wasn’t there to make friends. She was there for one reason and one reason only: find Thadrick and end him. He was a history keeper, which meant he was well aware of what was going on. Typically, the djinn did not get involved, no matter what they recorded, but Thadrick, as eccentric and selfish as he could be, had a few soft spots. Like Vasile, Thadrick didn’t like innocent people getting hurt in the crossfire of supernatural feuds. And considering the Order was wanting to enslave the human race, that was a lot of innocent people being put straight in the line of fire. He would be fighting with Vasile’s warriors. Her best chance of encountering him would be to work with the Order. Once it was done, she could move on. To what? She had no idea. Maybe she’d go find Wendy and see how she was handling the whole “supernaturals coming out” thing. That might be fun. Okay, it will definitely be fun. She smiled.
Alston flashed into the room where Sally was still sitting in the syphoning chair. She’d been there four days and somehow she’d managed to hold on to every single drop of her magic. That or his theory was completely wrong, which it wasn’t. He’d never met a female with such an iron will. If he could recruit her she would be a powerful ally simply because she seemed unbreakable. Even after what he’d done to her mind, she was strong.
Her eyes were closed tight, her lips drawn in a thin line across her pale face. There was sweat running down the sides of her face, and her neck glistened as well. He could see her body visibly shaking as she fought against the spell he’d put on the syphoning machine attached to her hands. Alston had actually gotten the idea from a witch’s book. Stealing the powers of gypsy healers was not a new business. There were some things in the world that were just so pure that even evil things gravitated toward them. Or perhaps it was because they were so pure that evil things gravitated toward them. Whatever the reason, healer magic was unique in a world full of unique beings. But even as special as it was, the Order needed more than just Sally’s magic. She was simply a piece to the puzzle that they needed to solve. But it was a piece that was going to have to be put on pause. They had a battle to prepare for.
“Lucky you, little healer.” Alston walked over to her and began to remove the machine. “We’ve got important plans to make, and you’re going to get a break. Perhaps spending some time with your mate and child will remind you what is at stake if you continue to defy me.” The restraints fell away at his command, and he’d been ready to catch her, figuring she would be too exhausted to even stand. But instead, Alston found himself fending off a screaming banshee as she lunged for him.
“I’m going to kill you!” she roared as she clawed at his face.
He was so caught off guard that she managed to push him all the way against the back wall where she continued to slap, scratch, and even attempt to bite him when he pushed her arms away. Apparently, gypsy healer wasn’t the only thing she was. Hellcat needed to be added to her title. Once he’d finally regained his faculties, Alston spoke in his language, binding her immediately, and she froze with her arms reaching out toward him, her eyes wild with fury and her lips pulled back in a furious growl. “And here I thought you would be weak from all the fighting you were doing against my will.” He tsked her and then smiled. “I guess I’ll have to turn the power up a bit once we get back to it.”
He grabbed her arm and flashed them to the corridor just outside the door to the room where her mate and child were waiting. “I’m going to unbind you. If you do not want any harm to come to that mut of a child then I suggest you behave.” Alston released the binding spell and could see the visible restraint in Sally’s eyes. She really did want to kill him.
“I will be back. You need to think about what is most important to you. The human race or that man and child in there.” He pointed to the door. Then he used his power to unlock it. Without a word, she clutched the handle, pushed it open, then closed it quickly behind her. Alston immediately locke
d it and checked the wards that were around all of the rooms holding their prisoners.
Satisfied that things were as they should be, he headed for the building the fae warriors had claimed as their own. Now he would find out who was really loyal to him. Blood magic was not for the weak, and it left a mark on your soul that could never be washed clean.
Chapter 10
“When I think there is nothing left they could possibly take from me, I realize they can have absolutely anything they want. If they want my light, then I am damn well going to give it to them.” ~Sally
Sally was on her knees. The second the door closed behind her, all the strength she’d managed to muster fled. A heartbeat later, little arms wrapped around her and then larger arms wrapped around them. She was completely surrounded by love, and slowly it began to warm the cold that had filled her body. For a while, they simply knelt there on the floor as a family, soaking up the fact that they were back together. Four days had felt like four months. Sally hadn’t had any idea how much time had passed until Alston had told her. She’d kept the bond locked down tight for fear of what Costin might do if he realized what was happening to her. She knew he was going to be hurt by that action, but he was going to feel pain regardless. She had to choose what pain she let him experience at this point. Enduring her suffering along with her wasn’t something she was going to allow him.
Finally, his voice broke the silence. “I’m going to ask a dumb question, but I have no idea what else to say. Are you alright?”
Sally could feel his breath on her neck where he’d tucked his head. Then his lips pressed against her skin in a gentle, reverent kiss. She opened the bond enough so they could feel one another, but she kept the memories completely shielded.
“I’m better,” she said honestly. “I won’t lie. I’m in pain. But I’m here now, and that makes everything better.”
Ten minutes passed before Costin finally released her. Then Titus let go and sat down on his bottom, legs crossed, and looked up at her. His little face was so innocent, but his eyes were filled with knowledge that no child should have.
“Are you okay, little man?” she asked him as she reached out a hand and brushed his hair back from his forehead.
“I was worried about you,” Titus said. “But I knew you would be back. The angel said she’s not done with you yet and that you have much to do in this world.”
Sally wasn’t sure she felt happy about that. She was tired. Costin must have caught that thought because his head snapped up, and his glowing eyes bored into hers.
“I’m just tired,” she said, hoping to reassure him. “And yes, I will tell you what happened, but you have to understand that as much as you want to protect me, I want to protect you just as much.”
“I know,” he answered out loud. “And I do understand that. But please, talk to me. Don’t have those thoughts and not share them with me. We bear this together. That’s how true mates are meant to be.”
She nodded and willed herself not to shed any tears. Not yet. There was too much to figure out to give in to an emotional breakdown right now. There was no way in any version of hell that she was going back to that room and allow them to stick that sadistic machine back on her. They were going to get out of this compound, come hell or highwater.
Sally looked back at Titus. “I love you, and I’m proud of you. You’ve been so strong through all of this.”
“I cried,” Titus admitted, and her heart broke a little more. “I missed you.”
“Awe, baby.” Sally pulled him into her arms. “I missed you, too. Always.”
She held him as her eyes met Costin’s, and she saw that the glow had faded a bit. He simply stared at her, as though he was afraid if he looked away, she would disappear. It reminded her of the way he’d stared at her when she’d first come home from Ocean Side, and it made her stomach turn. Sally didn’t want to retain any memories from that time, but she also knew she would be a fool to attempt to forget the past. The past was something that should be learned from, no matter how horrific, rather than erased. It was a part of her. It made her stronger, even as it made her feel vulnerable.
There was a knock on the wall, a patterned knock, and she couldn’t help but smile. Titus scurried from her arms and over to the wall and began knocking back. Sally’s eyes widened as she looked at her mate. “You taught him morse code?”
Costin shrugged as he reached out and ran a finger down her cheek. “It kept us both occupied. Jen is a good friend.”
Sally smiled. She realized from the emotions coming through their bond that Jen was a big reason Costin was sitting across from her, sane instead of feral. “She’s a damn good friend.”
“Aunt Jen said someone better tell her what the hell is going on,” Titus said in his sternest voice, as if he felt the need to speak on her behalf rather than just relay her message.
Costin grabbed Sally’s hand as he stood and pulled her up. He walked over to the wall, with her in tow, and began knocking a response. “I’m telling her you’re back, safe and sound.” He paused and stared down at her. “Relatively safe and sound,” he corrected.
There was more knocking from the other side, and Titus gasped. He shook his little head. “I can’t repeat that. I already got in trouble for using those words.”
Sally smiled, and it felt so freaking good. “It’s probably best to never repeat anything Aunt Jen says.”
Titus grinned. “That’s the same thing daddy said.”
“What did she say?” Sally asked. “And censor it, please.”
Costin pulled her closer to him. She knew he wasn’t going to be able to stop touching her. It was his wolf’s way of reconnecting and reassuring itself that she was truly safe. Sally would not complain. “She said she’s going to barbeque Alston’s aaas—er, butt, on a spit and then watch as the vultures eat his bal—uh, I mean … male reproductive organs.”
Sally’s eyes widened. “Wow, just when I don’t think she can get any more creative.”
“Oh, she’s been quite creative lately,” Costin assured her.
“Tell her that we’re getting out of this joint,” Sally said. “There’s no way I’m letting Alston take me from you two again,” she finished through their bond.
“It was bad, wasn’t it?” His voice sounded so broken but also full of rage.
“We will deal with it, but right now we have to put our heads together and figure out how to escape. We’re freaking supernatural beings. There has to be a way for us to get out.”
Costin nodded, his jaw tight with determination. “You’re right, Sally mine. We’re going to figure this out.” He began knocking a message to Jen, and a moment later they heard a scream, but not one of terror. This was a victory cry and then an ear-piercing howl.
Titus threw his head back and let out his own wolf howl. Though it was definitely puppy-like, it was not a little boy’s voice making the sound. It was a beast. Costin joined the cry, and then Sally heard another howl that she knew to be Jacque’s.
Hope flared inside of Sally. They could do this. They’d overcome impossible odds again and again. And they would do it one more time.
“I’ve tried contacting her, but there’s something blocking me.”
Vasile kept his wolf’s need to growl his frustration in check as he nodded to Cyn. She had been checking in with Vasile daily for the past five days while they tried to gather more information on the Order before meeting with all their other allies in the sprite realm. “It’s not your fault. Sometimes, as supernaturals, we forget that we aren’t all powerful. We have limitations. That doesn’t make us weak,” Vasile said.
“But what does it mean?” Wadim asked. Their pack historian, usually levelheaded, was irritable and short tempered. Vasile understood why. Wadim felt like he was letting their pack down because he couldn’t find the information they needed, and he was frustrated. Even after reaching out to the other packs to check their archives they still hadn’t found anything that might give them an inkling as
to why the Order needed a gypsy healer or why they wanted to enslave the human population. Power, yes, that was a strong motivator to a select few with that kind of evil inside of them. But the Order was proving itself to be much larger than Vasile had realized. It had somehow been secretly thriving for all this time, and for some reason, the Order had decided now was the time to come out of hiding and take over the world. There had to be something they were missing.
“It means we need to trust that Peri is fine and doing what she needs to do,” Vasile explained, keeping his tone even. “Volcan is a threat, and she has been given charge over the five new healers that he’s attempting to capture. She told me she might have to leave. Did I expect it to be in the middle of a battle? No. But that is likely not something she could control. As for not being able to contact her…” He shook his head. “I don’t think something has happened to her. Remember she’s mated to my brother. He would come to me, and if she died, he would also, and I would know.”
Wadim appeared to calm slightly after Vasile’s explanation. Alina walked over to Wadim and wrapped her arms around him. It was a motherly hug, one he knew she needed to give because she saw all of their younger pack members as her own children. She felt responsible for their emotional well-being in the same way Vasile felt responsible for their physical well-being.
“How much longer are you going to wait before meeting in the sprite realm, Vasile?” Gavril asked.
The group Vasile had called together was smaller than usual because their other top members were captured or still in the United States. Gavril, Rachel, Wadim, Zara, Drake, Bethany, and Alina sat in the gathering hall around a table while the rest of the pack slept.
