by R. A. Boyd
“I forgive you.” Audra’s voice broke through the semi-circle that Willow, Cass, Jax, Paige, and Aiden made in front of him. “There is no way I can even begin to imagine what it was like down there. Zeke has told me how horrible it was, and for your already fading mind to have to endure that… I forgive you, brother. Just as long as you don’t die and are completely yourself, I’m going to bake you cookies tomorrow.”
A dam of emotions welled up inside Ronin as Audra’s words sank in. Her words were breaking him in the most wonderful of ways. She forgave him for what he’d done to her. He had to fight to stay upright or he would fall over from the relief of her forgiveness. It would still be a long time before he forgave himself, but to know Audra absolved him took away much of the pain he’d taken on to himself.
“Thank you, Audra.” Pinpricks of tears stung the backs of his eyes, but he held it in. There would be time for tears later. “Bottoms up,” he said.
He switched his gaze to Willow and brought the cup to his lips. She nodded and lifted her hand to call Paige closer, and the determination in her eyes let him know that he would be fine. Probably.
The thick, silvery, churning liquid coated his tongue and throat as it slowly climbed down his throat. It was cold and hot at the same time. He’d expected it to burn him, but it didn’t. It was like taking a shot of whiskey. A welcomed heat seared deep into his belly, making him lightheaded. Cold shivers ran up his spine as he hoped and prayed his muscles would indeed not be burned from his body.
A low string of words fell from Willow’s mouth as she circled Paige, who stood silent, taking deep breaths and looking down into a bucked of Heaven’s Flame. The spell was a mix of Latin, Babylonian, and Atlantian. The Atlantians had a way of controlling liquids, and when Paige bent down and put her hands in the Heaven’s Flame, it began to crawl up her arms, coating her like a second skin.
The shining, volatile substance covered her from the tips of her fingers to her waist. Ronin could see the Flame undulating beneath the fabric of Paige’s shirt.
How the hell had Willow thought for one moment she would have been able to pull this off?
Ronin watched in awe as Willow and Paige worked together, staying far enough away from each other to keep Willow safe, but close enough so that Willow could move around her while still speaking the words of the spell. Their voices began to trail away from one another, both breaking into different languages but still speaking as one.
As if someone had punched him in the gut with a lightning rod, Ronin doubled over as fire seared him from the inside out. A burn as if from the pit of Hell itself lit inside of Ronin’s stomach. It moved through him, pumping through his veins and arteries and organs, taking up residence in every part of him.
It hurt like a son of a bitch. Ronin groaned and gritted his teeth. He fought to keep the potion from rising from his gut and spewing onto the ground. The beat of his heart echoed and thumped through his entire body, making him feel like he was one big nerve that someone kept fucking stomping on.
He fell down to his knees and grabbed his head, trying to keep his brain inside his skull. God-damn, it hurt like a bastard. Ronin could hear screaming, and when he looked up to see where the sound was coming from, he was surprised to find his own mouth open and shouting. The sound of his beast roared in his head. Most importantly, the sound of Samiyah screaming was all the encouragement he needed to hold on and ride out the pain. He didn’t have much of a choice.
Paige and Willow kept chanting, their voices getting higher and higher with a powerful cadence that called for the expulsion of the unwanted soul.
Willow. He just needed to look at Willow to keep fighting.
Ronin battled his way through the excruciating agony that threatened to take him under just so he could make eye-contact with his mate. The pain was worth it if he could be with her for the rest of his life.
Willow.
The only being powerful enough to be his mate.
Willow locked eyes with him, but when a scream tore its way through his lips, she faltered and took a step toward him. Damn-it, she almost walked right into Paige who was covered in Heaven’s Flame.
“I’m fine,” Ronin pushed through his teeth, grinding them so hard he feared he would crack every single tooth in his mouth.
Paige took a step toward the salt circle he now laid inside of. “Willow,” she said, voice low and measured. Beads of sweat collected on her forehead, and each step she took looked like she was being weighed down. “Keep going.”
The sight of him suffering looked to be too much for Willow, but she needed to keep going if they were going to free him of Samiyah. He wished like hell he could tell her how much he appreciated what she was doing. He wished he could tell her right this minute how strong he was trying to be. How strong he knew she was being by doing this to him. But every time he tried to speak, a fresh wave of burning nausea hit him as if he were being pulled under the upsurge of the ocean during a hurricane.
With tears streaming down her face, Willow kept chanting and circled to the other side of the salt barrier. When Paige stepped inside, all the hatred Samiyah felt for her rushed to the front of his thoughts and threatened to take over.
“You half-breed bitch,” Samiyah spat through Ronin’s mouth. “I should have killed you when I killed your mother and father. You were never what I taught you to be.” If Ronin’s body wasn’t writhing on the ground as he struggled to take in the next breath, he knew Samiyah would have taken over and attacked her. The urge to wrap his hands around Paige’s throat and watch the life drain from her body pulsed through him. “You are nothing but the whore of a Ghost shifter. An abomination. I will kill you.”
The smile that appeared on Paige’s face as she stood over him brought Ronin relief and fear. She was going to touch him, cover him in Heaven’s Flame. He knew that her satisfaction lay in the knowledge that she was going to finally get rid of Samiyah, but Ronin still dreaded what he knew the Flame could do to him.
Samiyah continued to rage as Paige came closer and closer. “You may eject me from his body, but I will find another to possess. Someone just as strong to destroy you all.”
The taste of blood eased up the back of his throat as Samiyah fired threats at Paige. Fire and ice filled out Ronin’s body, but he fought to keep quiet.
Keep still. It hurt his mate to see him like this. He had to control himself. This was his body, and damn-it, he was in fucking control.
Paige’s eyes glowed bright as the half-moon now shining above them, the thought of payback bringing her Shikra bird to the surface. A wicked grin lifted the corners of her lips as her hands were almost to his face. “I’m so sorry, Ronin,” she said, regret pulling worry lines around her eyes. “Samiyah’s soul is going straight to Hell where he belongs. We made sure to put that in the spell. He shouldn’t have done this to you. But don’t worry.” She winked and slapped her hands to either side of his face. “I’m here to give my Uncle Sam exactly what he needs.”
The shock of pure agony from the Heaven’s Flame that coated her skin brought a deafening yell that broke through Ronin’s lips. His body struggled to get away from her, but her hands were like titanium vice grips that refused to let him go.
He became immobile as the Flame moved from her body to his, covering his skin. Paige chanted alone now, her voice powerful as she recited the words of the spell, melodic and haunting as he listened through the pain. He could feel Samiyah being sealed in a tight cocoon inside his body, trapped inside the layers of the spell.
Samiyah fought and cursed and promised vengeance, but the only one who could hear him was Ronin. He was too weak to move his lips, to move his body. Samiyah was slowly dying, and Ronin had the notion that he was going to die right along with that smug bastard.
It would be worth it. As long as Samiyah was no longer in the world wreaking havoc, Ronin could die in peace.
As his entire body was being swathed in Heaven’s Flame, Ronin realized he was no longer in pain. Every no
ise in the world disappeared.
He watched from above as his body thrashed, but he couldn’t feel a thing.
I’m dead, he thought. He took a deep breath and watched as Paige took a little too much pleasure in making him suffer. Making Samiyah suffer.
“I didn’t think I’d die like this,” Ronin said. His mate didn’t hear him. His brethren didn’t hear him. “I’m fucking dead.”
“You’re not,” said a voice off to his left. “I pulled you out to spare you the suffering. Samiyah can have all that. It’s what he deserves. But it’s nothing compared to what he has coming.”
“Samael,” Ronin muttered, looking over to see his brother, the Angel of Death, standing next to him. “You’re not here to collect my soul?”
Samael’s lavender gaze settled on him. Waggling his eyebrows, Samael pursed his lips and shrugged. “No. It’s not your time. Willow put a nice little line in the spell that summoned me to take Samiyah’s soul, lest he possess another body and causes more trouble. I would have sent another reaper, but I do so enjoy seeing you all. And it’s good to see you, Ronin.”
“Yeah,” Ronin said, taking a step forward and pulling his brother into a hug. “It’s good to see you. It’s good to be myself again. Well, almost. Cass still has to drain me of my saber-tooth cat’s rage.”
This was going to be a long and painful night. But it was worth it.
Ronin looked down at his body. Even though all was silent, he could tell Paige was now screaming the spell at him, forcing the magic to take hold of Samiyah and drag him from his body. She was brave. Paige had been timid since the moment he met her, but she shoved that reluctance to the side when it came down to performing magic. Her eyes glowed, and the presence of the Shikra bird inside of her rippled around her. It looked as if steam rushed from her pores.
“You do know,” Samael muttered as he watched Willow, “all of the mates for the Ghost shifters are vastly important in some way. Cass is a conduit, Zeke is a Watcher who possesses powers he doesn’t yet know how to tap into, and Willow is the most powerful witch walking the face of this planet. Every single mate of this clan was intended for each of you.”
Ronin nodded and crossed his arms across his chest. “I know. It makes sense. But why does all this shit have to come along with it?”
“Everything worth something needs to be earned.” Samael took in a deep breath and raked his fingers through is blond-grey curls. “That’s just how it is.”
They stood in silence for a few moments. Ronin could see a cloud of red dust being gathered from his body and encased in the Heaven’s Flame. The dust puffed and moved, trying desperately to find a way out of the spell.
“That’s Samiyah,” Samael said, moving closer to Ronin’s prone physical body. “He’s fighting like hell to get away. He won’t. I’m going to shove you back in and then extract Samiyah. It will be painful. I can’t help that. Tell Cass that she won’t have to perform her part of the cleansing. Heaven’s Flame is enough to calm your beast. But I need you to remember something. Remus is just as bad as the Watchers who are still imprisoned. He is much crueler and nefarious than Samiyah could ever hope to be. He will cause you trouble.”
Ronin had the notion to ask why Samael didn’t just put a stop to everything that troubled the Ghost shifters, but he already knew the answer.
They’d chosen to shift into saber-tooth cats. They’d chosen to sit out the Great War. Every action has a consequence. Every single thing they’d been through pushed them to be stronger. Better. The Ghost shifters, the Coven of the Fallen, and the Deva were some of the most powerful beings to walk this planet. They had lessons to learn, and those lessons made them better. Made them compassionate. Made them a clan.
Free will was a beautiful bitch that adored and scolded you at the same time.
Ronin nodded, eyes still glued to the dust that was Samiyah.
“Also,” Samael said, reaching down and moving his hand in a back and forth motion. The particles now hovering above Ronin’s body were being drawn out by Samael. “You all are going to need to keep an eye on Cass.”
Ronin’s eyes snapped up and away from his mate. “Is she in danger?”
He liked Cass. She fought for this clan and seemed to be the glue that kept them together. He’d only seen her interact with the Ghosts for a short time, but he could tell she was special.
“She’s not in danger in the way you think. The man you saw today. Louis Erin. He’s the man that killed Cass before her mates had a chance to claim her. She may not voice it, but there is a storm brewing inside her. She’s been lusting for Louis Erin’s blood. It’s not healthy.”
Samael glanced to where Cass kneeled. She had her arms around Willow as if holding her back from where Paige crouched over Ronin’s body in the salt circle. Etched over Cass’s face was just as much pain and sorrow as Willow’s.
“Should one of us kill Louis Erin?” Ronin asked. He knew what killing someone could do to an innocent person. “If killing him will put her soul in jeopardy, I’ll do it myself.”
“No,” Samael replied quickly. “She has to do it herself. What happens after she does it is still up in the air. Well, at least where I’m concerned. Cass is the conduit by which all the Ghost shifters are receiving their mates and their grace. Do you know what happens when a conduit chooses the wrong path? Chooses to fall prey to the madness of the world?”
Ronin didn’t know exactly, but he could damn well guess. “Her madness will take us all under.”
“Yes. And if that happens, the Ghost shifters will be everything the Rogue clan fears they can become.” He turned toward Ronin and gestured to his body, letting him know it was time to reclaim his form. “Not only is she a beacon for the Ghosts, but you are all a beacon for her. Bring her out of the rain once the storm hits. The lives and well-being of many depend on it.”
Before Ronin could assure Samael that he’d do everything he could to help Cass, a forceful tug yanked him back into his body.
Chapter 11
They had to stop. He was dying.
Willow fought like hell to get to Ronin, but Cass held tight to her, whispering stupid words of comfort in her ear. Cass had about three point one seconds to let go, or Willow was going to blast her ass clear across the clearing and into the woods.
“Oh,” Cass drawled, tightening her grip on Willow’s arms. “You must really be part of this clan now. I can feel you. You’re thinking about using your magic on me.” Cass gave a low chuckle, and her eyes lightened to bright gold. “I love you dearly, Willow. But if you try to hit me with an energy ball, I will break both of your arms.”
If she thought for one fucking minute that Willow would let her do that…
“He’s pleading with you,” Cass said, letting go of Willow and pulling her into a gentle embrace. She rested her head on Willow’s shoulder. The hug was tight enough to let Willow know she meant business but loose enough to let her know she trusted her not to use her magic. “I can feel it. He wants you to be strong. He needs to be free. Not just for you. But for him.”
Willow’s eyes burned as she tried to force herself to stop crying. Watching her mate tremble and scream gutted her. She knew what it felt like to be touched by Heaven’s Flame. A kindling fire that seeped into your skin, heating you from the inside out. Not even the coldest water or soothing salve could calm the raging burn of the Flame. And Ronin was covered in it.
Bile crested in the back of her throat as she watched the flame fill in his mouth and eyes.
The smooth liquid looked like boiling mercury bubbling over his skin. His body writhed as Samiyah screamed curses and threats to them all. Fuck him. He wouldn’t get away. His plans of coming back to hunt them were frivolous. A reaper would come to collect him and put him exactly where he belonged.
Paige’s voice thundered through the clearing as she now spoke Atlantian, binding Samiyah’s spirit and will to the cleansing Heaven’s Flame. Her body was free of the Flame now. She raised her hands and made three q
uick motions: a triangle to represent the Sacred Three of Creation, an ‘X’ to push Samiyah out of Ronin’s body, and then she thrust her hands down to hover above Ronin’s thrashing form to force out the invading spirit.
Over and over, she did the motions, repeating the spell. Binding Samiyah. Encasing his spirit. Compelling him to leave Ronin.
Ronin’s body began to calm as the Flame rose from his body. When the volatile mixture of Heaven’s Flame and Samiyah’s life force floated out of Ronin’s body, Paige switched the spell to Samarian and Enochian. The words drifted together and called on a reaper to collect the evil that had inhabited Ronin.
His body was still now, eyes closed as he lay on his back.
Was he breathing? He had to be alive. He’d gone through too much not to make it out of this. She would blame herself if he didn’t survive. The spell had been too harsh.
Willow panted. Her throat hurt from screaming and crying, begging Paige to stop the spell, threatening Cass to let go so she could get to her mate. Her face and the collar of her shirt were soaked from her tears. And, God, her body ached so badly. Her eyes, her shoulders, her stomach. Everything fucking hurt.
Paige neared the end of the spell, and every rational part of Willow stood at attention. This was the moment they would know if the spell worked.
Willow’s eyebrows drew up as she waited for Ronin to move.
“Ronin,” Willow whispered, so low she barely heard her own voice. She inched closer to the circle. Her eyes darted from Ronin’s still body to the shimmering ball of Samiyah’s soul encased in the Heaven’s Flame. “Please. Say something.”
No, no, no. He should be awake by now.
She’d balanced the spell, done everything she could to keep him safe. Magic like this didn’t come with a guarantee. Oh, God. What if Ronin’s soul was floating right along with Samiyah’s? What if she’d made it too powerful?
“He’ll be fine. He just needs a moment to come back to himself.”
Willow looked up to see Samael standing next to her. The light of Heaven’s Flame danced in his lavender eyes. His soft, blond curls shifted against his ear when he turned to look at her. The black, knee-length coat he wore truly made him look like a beautiful angel heralding someone’s death.