by J L Lawrence
How would Nikki move on with her life if Storm disappeared forever? His last stunt nearly sent her over the edge. She watched him constantly, so afraid of what else he might try to find his way back to her. One more unwanted distraction to handle. With all the shit piling up, maybe they weren’t meant to win this one.
He immediately shook the dark thoughts from his mind. He trusted Kate to find the way. He had to keep his own faith that she’d be able to win it all. The alternative couldn’t happen.
As they lay in the darkened room, she released some of the emotions swirling inside.
He wiped away her tears. “Kate, all you have to do is look at what you’ve accomplished so far.” He shared memories of all they’d been through. She’d moved entire cities and charged the Hell Realm for love and so many other spectacular feats. “You’re an inspiration to me, to everyone. The entire Council has chosen to follow your will. That’s a miracle in itself. But you did it. You didn’t create the rip in the magic of Mystics, but I believe only you can repair it. Your compassion, intelligence, and integrity are unparalleled. You’ll make it through these trials because you have to, and you never accept failure. From the moment we met, I knew you were a force of nature. That belief hasn’t changed, and I’ll stay by your side through it all.”
Tears flowed down her cheeks, but her emotions switched from doubt to love. She stripped their clothes and showed him with actions what she couldn’t describe in words. He didn’t mind a bit and let her take charge. Their essences intertwined and their souls became one. His body erupted in flames of desire as she matched his demands. After the air shimmered and lights exploded, their hearts slowed. He found an inner peace that brought him hope.
He stroked the tattoo across her chest, then bent down to kiss the center. The feeling of a feather caressed his face. He jerked back. She’d fallen asleep but the wings painted across her chest rippled like a caged animal trying to break free. He started to wake her, but they settled.
What the hell?
Chapter 8
“Wow, this country is stunning!” Angie’s exhilaration radiated from her eyes. “Other than cities like Dublin, you don’t see much modernization. Everything moves at its own pace. The meadows, cliffs, streams, they’re all amazing. Pictures didn’t do it justice. It feels surreal to be here among all the ancient relics.”
Angie hadn’t stopped gushing since they’d left bright and early that morning. Driving to the location had seemed like the touristy thing to do, but Kate wasn’t so sure anymore. So far, Angie had convinced them to stop at every roadside pullover or parking area for pictures. She’d never traveled outside the U.S., so Kate tried to understand her excitement.
Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to enjoy the scenery. Her mind wouldn’t give her a break. She took pictures when they stopped, but couldn’t control the dread building inside herself. Each mile forward meant one step closer to starting the trials. What would she have to do? How much pain would be involved? She hadn’t finished any task yet, without a considerable amount of torture.
“Stop it, Kate. Enjoy the moment. Open your eyes to all the beauty and peace surrounding us. After this is over, we’re coming back and exploring every inch of this land. For now, embrace the fact you’re in the land of ancient battles and indescribable power. Calm your mind and let it speak to you.” Angie snapped her picture and turned her phone, so she could see the image. Mountains soared, covered in green grass, and fragrant flowers added color to the landscape. In the middle flowed a small river.
The crisp, clean air lifted her hair, fanning it around her shoulders. She didn’t know how to fight the overwhelming trepidation within her, and regardless of her beautiful surroundings, she couldn’t smile.
“I’d love to feel peppier, but my impending doom keeps drowning it out.” A poor excuse and Angie knew it. She simply raised an eyebrow and shook her head. Then, she turned to Xavier and began taking more pictures.
Kate decided to raise her own camera and capture some memories of the two of them. Who was she to question fate’s design? The miracle of their love served as her reminder to keep moving forward. She’d grown weary from the responsibility of saving the world, but she couldn’t quit.
She’d have to suck it up. No time for whining.
Her breath caught when they arrived at the next castle. It wasn’t open to the public, but its majesty could be seen from a distance. What would it have been like to have lived so long ago? She missed the Meadows and the support system she’d built over the last several months.
Night came quickly. They’d already walked to the stones, Poulnabrone Dolmen. A tomb and ritualistic site dating back to 2500 B.C. Over the years, humans had caused degrading, so ropes had been added to protect the boundaries. Powerful magic converted this once peaceful place to a dangerous portal for those who knew how to activate it. The sickly-sweet backlash of energy turned her stomach. Someone powerful had tampered with its purpose.
Guess it’s my job to find out the who, what, and why.
Security became scarce after dark, but Xander placed shields around them in case any human stragglers came along. She didn’t need anyone else to protect or an incident to explain. They hovered to the mouth of the stones to avoid any disturbance. Once they moved inside, a chill ran down her spine.
She took a step forward and a portal appeared. Above the entrance read, All who enter will have all their dreams fulfilled. Yep, something evil going on.
“Here goes nothing.”
They held hands, in case the portal tried to separate them. She closed her eyes and pulled them with her.
Before she exited, Cass popped into her mind. “Be careful, Kate. Trust no one. Illusions are dangerous. Nothing is as it seems. This is no longer sacred ground.” Then he disappeared, and she landed on her backside. Not her most graceful departure from a portal. What had Cass meant?
A warm glow welcomed them to a wondrous castle. Blue flags with assorted Celtic symbols flew high above the white stone walls. Even the drawbridge and chains were in pristine condition. Giant doors opened, and they moved inside. She’d never seen anything this splendid. Most of the art pieces were made from pure gold and lined with rare gemstones.
The paintings along the wall caught her attention. They chronicled her journey over the last several months. She kept moving forward, mesmerized by the scenes unfolding, even more so when the paintings changed to what she assumed to be the future. In one, she held Braxus’ heart. The next one showed the scene from Roxy’s vision.
Kate held her breath and reached out to touch their faces. Her three children danced around the yard, while she watched them from the porch of her home in the Meadows. Her heart’s deepest desire stood in front of her. Was this her true future?
“It could be yours.” Kate whirled around and a petite, frail lady walking with a cane approached her. Her eyes were almost black, but she had a kind smile. She motioned for Kate to follow. “Welcome to our home. I can help you achieve your desires.”
“Who are you and why would I trust you?” The children in the painting called out to her, and she struggled to keep her focus. Did I come alone? Where had Xander and… And…? Who had entered this place with her?
“Several witches, wizards, and sorcerers came together to create this secret realm. We archive the past and protect the future. Why wouldn’t you trust me? Were you not sent here to find us?”
Kate had come for a reason, but couldn’t put her finger on it at the moment. She continued to follow the old woman, who appeared to be getting younger. Kate’s imagination had to be working overtime. Things were a little fuzzy, and she couldn’t remember what she’d been thinking about.
“Here, my child. Drink this tea and everything will become clearer.”
Kate reached for the cup, but the sound of a phoenix screeched in her mind and screamed at her to refuse. Cass’s words came back to her. Trust no one. Illusions were dangerous, and she’d walked right into this one.
Her b
rain began to clear. “Lady, I don’t know who or what the hell you are, but only a fool tries to deceive the Mystic. You speak all lies. Everything is fake.” Pulling energy to her, she aimed her hands toward the woman. “Show me what lies beneath.”
The old woman screamed but couldn’t compete with Kate’s power. She transformed into a creature full of evil energy. Kate forced the witch to reveal her true nature, so her appearance shifted to one of decay and death.
Kate stared deep into her eyes, holding her frozen. Let’s see more of what lies beneath. She scrolled through the wicked witch’s mind. Angora was her name. When the power of the Shadow Warriors splintered, this bitch had found the sacred place of archives and recognized its powerful potential. She overwhelmed them with deceit and lies. To keep her power strong, she’d trapped unsuspecting magical beings in the portal. She slowly drained their powers and increased her own. If anyone opposed her, she’d kill them in a gruesome fashion to make sure no one else dared to challenge her. One of her strongest abilities allowed her to see hopes and dreams of those around her. She’d use them to create an illusion, then she’d strip their powers and ability to leave, using the potion she’d offered Kate as tea.
“You will no longer torment these people.” Kate crippled the hag’s powers, breaking all the mental illusions to set the prisoners free. “I will transport you to the Council to await your punishment, which will probably be death, since I’m the deciding vote. Hope you enjoy the picture of your future.” Kate fashioned a painting that showed her bowing before the Council and Tristan raising a sword to behead her.
Free from the illusions, Xander, Angie, and Xavier joined her.
Xavier stepped forward. “I’ll hold her until we’re done here. Then take her to the Council. Rowena will be pleased to meet her.”
Angora wrenched free from Kate’s hold, turned her hand into a crossbow, and launched an arrow into Xavier’s heart.
Angie’s scream pierced her own heart as she watched him fall to the ground. Xander caught his head and tried to heal him. It didn’t work. Kate hurried over to help, but couldn’t remove the arrow. The weapon lodged in place kept them from closing the wound. Why wouldn’t this thing budge?
Xavier’s breathing came in short gasps while they struggled to find the answer. Angie sobbed as Xavier’s eyes drifted close. If she didn’t figure this out soon, both Xander and Angie would be destroyed.
Trying to clear her head, Kate looked away, but another wave of Angie’s pain hit her. She tied into her thoughts and found Xavier saying his goodbyes. His energy faded fast. Angie tried to hold him, but didn’t have enough to sustain him. Xander reached for him only to be blocked. How could anyone or anything block their twin bond? They could share a body, so how could he not hold his spirit to him?
In all the confusion, Angora tried to slip away. Illusions. Master of illusions. Cass’s words repeated in Kate’s mind. She froze Angora in place, then reached out for the arrow. It came, because she didn’t believe it existed.
Xavier returned to normal.
The arrow hovered in the air. Angora tried aiming it at her for another distraction, but Kate quickly deflected it. “You want to play with weapons, I’ll show you how.” She solidified the arrow and launched it into the evil witch’s chest. “Mine’s real.”
Blood soaked Angora’s solid white dress, and she quickly aged until only dust remained. Suddenly, all sorts of elderly witches and wizards popped out of the paintings and came out to greet them. The true creators of this realm.
“Thank you for freeing us, Mystic. She imprisoned us in the portraits to create realistic scenes of the past. She needed us to maintain her deception. Most of our power was used to create the special realm. We’ve been trapped for over four hundred years. We are forbidden to share secrets of the past. We only collect the information. However, we will grant you two questions to achieve your mission. While you discuss with your friends, we will assemble in the back chamber for a great feast. We’re quite hungry after so many years.” Each one stepped forward to bow and kiss her hand. Then, they exited.
Angie still had tears flowing down her cheeks. Until that moment, she’d always seen Xavier as invincible.
Xander laced his fingers through Kate’s and squeezed. “The two questions are your reward, Kate. If we get this right, you’ll complete the first trial. What are you thinking?”
“Something Angie said earlier about the whole story for the Shadow Warriors. Too many issues keep leading back to that period of time. That is definitely one of my questions. We need the truth behind what happened to crush the amulet beyond repair. Also, I feel there’s another missing piece. Things tend to happen in threes in your world. We know Cass’s story. We’ll ask for their story. So, what are we missing?” She gazed around, but no one seemed to have an idea. She couldn’t screw this up.
“What else could it be?” Xander wrapped his arms around her.
“I don’t know. But they won’t wait forever, and I’m afraid they won’t answer a vague question like, what are we missing.”
Angie paced. Xavier followed. No help there.
Xander brought over a piece of paper and motioned everyone to join him. “What about this?” He drew the broken amulet, then pointed to the splintered tree trunk. “Cass’s deception.” He gestured to the disintegrated tree branches with missing jewels. “Shadow Warriors broke the covenant.”
Kate nodded. “I’m following so far, but not sure how this leads us to the next question.”
“Who is on the mission to restore what has been lost? You.”
“And? My life’s been an open book.”
He rolled his eyes and tapped on the paper. “What if we don’t know everything? It would complete the trifecta.”
True. She’d been born human, so what could be hiding in her past? “That’s a great theory but what do we ask? We’re back in the vague question territory.”
Angie ran over and grabbed her hands. “Your mom knew, Kate.”
“What?”
“At your wedding, when you told your mom what you were. She knew. It broke her heart, but she wasn’t surprised. I read that in your mind, but you didn’t think anything else of it. What if you weren’t quite born a full human? What if you could have been either or they had some kind of choice in your future? That could have been one more reason for you to prove what you’re made of.”
A whole lot of ands, ifs, and buts. They only had two chances and this seemed like a long shot. Her mom hadn’t been surprised, but she’d also watched her grow up and struggle with her abilities. She’d been incredibly sad that day. And she’d known her chances of surviving the Rising without knowing all the details. How? In retrospect, her mom had shown a great deal of guilt. Why? Maybe Angie was on to something.
“In one of my dreams with Cass, he mentioned my beauty since birth. What if I did have a choice at a different childhood, or at least some training?”
Xander kissed her softly. “You’ll only know if you ask. I know deep inside that the third piece is you. There’s a reason for all of this. Maybe you can word it in a way that will address any time in your past. It’s our best bet. The longer we stay here could affect the other trials. Write down the questions, and we’ll learn the truth.”
Her hand shook as she wrote and rewrote the questions trying to make them perfect. The first one flowed easy enough. But she didn’t know what to say in the second one. Cass had been her guide and he’d mentioned her birth. Maybe he’d given her a clue. Time to trust her instincts.
1. How did Laxus break the covenant between the Shadow Warriors and the Mystic amulet?
2. Did Cassius warn my parents or try to help at my birth to guide me toward being the Mystic?
Opening the wide oak doors, they stepped inside the chamber room. A long banquet table stretched across the center of the room. Three crystal chandeliers provided light. She found it curious no windows existed. Twenty hand-carved chairs surrounded the table. On one side sat twelve magical being
s. She recognized a witch, faery, seeker, and many other species. An ancient collective of knowledge. No wonder they’d been so heavily protected until Angora had forced her way in with deception and betrayal.
A tall, thin man with a white beard down to his waist stood to greet them. He wore beautiful navy and gray flowing robes. His glasses stood on the tip of his nose, so he constantly pushed them back into place. In some ways, he reminded her of her grandfather. When he motioned them into the seats across from him, his warm smile put her at ease. He introduced himself as Cillian and accepted her questions.
The paper passed to each individual. They gave a nod of assent. Cillian folded the questions and laid them in front of him. “We have agreed to answer what you’ve asked. We speak only the truth and ask for no interruptions. Once the answer has been given, no more questions may be asked. Do you accept?”
Did she really have a choice? “Yes, we accept.”
Cillian leaned forward. “Laxus and Ari were a powerful couple and ruled with grace and dignity for centuries. They had nine sons and two daughters. Each had special gifts and a strong sense of duty and honor. Shortly, before the last Rising, Laxus heard rumors that his people were ready for a new leader. His eldest son had become an outstanding warrior, and they believed he would lead them into a successful future. Laxus had stopped leading the battles by that point, so they all looked to his son. The remaining brothers did, too. Instead of feeling honored they were ready for the next generation, jealousy consumed him.
“He sought more power to impress his realm, but his eldest son held their loyalty. A striking man with a generous heart. Zane reminds me very much of him. The more Laxus tried, the more he failed. Then, he turned to darker types of magic and began seeking knowledge to separate from the humans. He believed they had changed his people and perceptions of their purpose. It didn’t help that both of his daughters chose humans to marry. He needed something to blame for his failure.
“In his search for power, he ran across the stones you recently entered. Angora intercepted him. She didn’t have much access to us then, but she wanted to control us. She showed him his greatest desires, which included an eternal post as the leader of his realm. His greed overwhelmed his sense. He allowed evil to take hold.