by Holly Evans
"Ahem."
My breathing came in short bursts, my heart was pounding. I slowly looked at the person who stood over us. Her pale hair was almost white; she wore white clothes that hung just so. I frowned and peered up, trying to pick out features in the light. Lysander caressed my hip and stroked my neck, eager for us to continue where we left off.
"Elise...?"
She crouched next to us, a grin on her face. "My lady has given me some useful tricks."
"You were the other wolf?"
She smiled. I realised I was still shivering. The pain of my injuries tore at the edge of the adrenaline, dulling the pleasure and replacing it with something far less fun.
"You saved me,” Lysander whispered in my ear, his breath hot against my neck.
I kissed him tenderly. "You're welcome."
He made a growling, purring sound but gently pushed me away. "You're injured, Evelyn, we need to heal you."
I gave him a hopeful look; he laughed. "I'm afraid I can't heal you the way you did me."
I stood slowly, my legs wobbly beneath me. "That was an ice wolf. Lysander's fire stopped it from killing you outright, but you're still human. We need to get you to Kadrix. I've already told him we're on our way."
Lysander held me close to him as we walked to the waiting taxi. I had to wonder just how long we’d been screwing around in the park. I decided it was better not to ask.
I pressed myself against Lysander's chest, revelling in the warmth I found there as he carried me into the elf's workshop. He lay me down on something hard and warm. Kadrix's face swam before me.
"Evelyn, you do like getting into trouble. I hear your mating rituals saved Lysander, although I expected you to conduct them somewhere a little classier than a park."
I gave him my darkest glare. Quin appeared next to him; he squeezed my hand. I frowned, trying to think.
"What's an ice wolf? Why don't I know them?"
"They're very old, and very rare. Only powerful Nordic witches can control them."
I groaned. "Fucking witches."
Quin smiled at me. "We're going to patch you up. We need to push out the ice with fire,” he said in a calm tone.
I glared at him. "Why are you so worried?"
His smile wavered. "I'm not."
"I"m your twin, I know when you're lying."
The smile never reached his eyes.
"Your injuries are deep. They've had time to take hold,” Kadrix said.
"I'm not giving up that easily,” I replied.
Suddenly it felt as if my entire body caught fire. My skin flickered with flames, yet my core remained icy cold. The two collided somewhere in my shallow tissue, a war that stormed within me. Agony crashed against intense pleasure. The world went black.
"Evelyn." A familiar voice whispered.
I tried to move, but I was bound. Panic flooded my system. My eyes flew open.
"Sshh, you're ok," the voice said.
Warm breath on my cheek. The scent of hot metal and petrichor, I recognised that.
"Lysander?"
"Always, mistress."
My senses returned to me for me to realise I wasn't bound at all. I was bundled up in numerous blankets, with Lysander's arms around me holding me close to him. I relaxed against him and allowed the panic to subside while I looked around. A stack of books was precariously close to my head. A vial of something swirling purple and green bubbled away not far from my feet.
"Evelyn, excellent. Tell me, what did the treatment feel like?"
"Hell,” I muttered.
"Interesting!" The elf replied and scribbled something down on his notepad.
I wriggled back against Lysander and ran my foot up his calf while I slowly came to. "On a scale of ‘never happening’ to ‘we'll start today,’ what are my chances of removing all witches from existence? I'm growing tired of their shit."
Lysander and Elise chuckled. Quin's face appeared before me, a frown sat on his lips.
"How're you feeling, Evie?"
I scowled at him. "You didn't answer my question."
The frown lifted. "You must be feeling more yourself then. We were worried. You were out for two days."
"So... killing the witches? Is that a yes?"
He laughed. "Afraid not, the balance is too delicate."
I sighed melodramatically.
I became aware of my lack of clothing when Lysander's hand stroked up over my naked abdomen. I put my hand on his when he reached my upper ribs, his desires and hopes clearly pressed against me.
"Not now, not here,” I whispered.
I couldn't do anything, not with Quin and everyone else right there. He nibbled my earlobe.
"Shame, my previous master rather enjoyed an audience."
I stiffened against him. "I am not him."
He nuzzled my neck. "Sorry."
I stroked the back of his hand that rested on my ribs. "It's ok."
It had certainly removed the temptation to take him up on his offer. Elise came over with some fresh clothing.
"Sorry, the clothes you came in with were ruined."
"My jacket...?" I asked.
I'd tear every ice wolf and cursed witch apart if they'd ruined my leather jacket. It was more precious to me than about everything I owned. Elise handed me a crisp new jacket with a hopeful expression. I buried my face in the blankets. I could heal injuries, but that jacket was irreplaceable. It sat perfectly, I'd worn it in just so, we'd been through so much together.
I took the clothes from Elise and set about trying to get dressed while maintaining the final scraps of dignity I had left. I squeezed my eyes shut when I realised Kadrix had likely seen me in my underwear. "Did the elf poke and prod me while I was out?" I asked Elise.
"He tried..."
"She threatened to make his testicles shrivel up if he tried any experiments on you,” Lysander said.
I sputtered and laughed. Elise grinned at me. Kadrix ignored us both while he studiously stirred something in a pot. I wriggled out from the blankets in fresh clothes; at least my boots hadn't been damaged. The jacket didn't fit right. It was too stiff. I wriggled and rolled my shoulders trying to get it to sit better. It'd take me months to get it just right.
"Thanks, Elise,” I said.
There was no point in being ungrateful, the damn thing couldn't have been cheap.
Lysander had some jeans on and was tugging on a shirt when they appeared. They came in with their hands up; even Tiel looked wary. He looked between the make-shift bed and Lysander, before his eyes settled on me. An eyebrow quirked upwards.
"You finally claimed it?"
I glared at him. "Why are you here?"
Zair nervously looked around and took a step back before he said. "There was another shiver from hell, something made it through."
I ground my teeth together. "You are the shittiest trackers."
Ioel gave me a dark look; I spun my blades in my hands. He looked away. Lysander stood behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist. Tiel smirked, no doubt thinking it a territorial display. I felt the tremble that ran through him, the fear that threatened to overwhelm him. I ran my fingers over the back of his hands to soothe and ease him. We weren't going to give the arrogant assholes the satisfaction of seeing anything but confidence.
"How did this happen?" Elise snapped.
"We're unsure. There was a lot of interference,” Zair said.
"Interference...?" Elise said.
He cleared his throat.
Tiel stepped forward, that smarmy smile on his face. "Something big and powerful blocked our view of things. We suspect an alliance has been made, but we can't do anything, as it's not our plane. So it looks like you'll be having some more fun."
"Get out," Elise growled.
"Not just yet,” Ioel retorted.
All eyes turned to him. He puffed up his chest and glared at Kadrix.
"We need to speak to the elf."
"Tough shit,” Quin spat.
We formed
a barrier between the elf and the celestials. The celestials glared at us. "You do not know what you're protecting."
"We're protecting our friend,” I said.
"He is hiding things from you,” Zair said.
"We all have secrets,” I replied.
He waved us off and vanished, Ioel was hot on his heels. Tiel remained, his hands in his pockets as he looked us all over.
"Why do you do it?"
"Do what?" Elise said.
"Protect him."
"He's our friend."
"But you know barely anything about him."
"I know my twin loves him. I know he's saved our asses. I know he stood at our side when we defeated the demons. What more do we need?" I said.
He tilted his head to one side. "You're an odd species. I'd like to explore those oddities."
He vanished before anyone could punch him.
"I despise those creatures," Elise snarled.
"Just don't break anything,” Kadrix said.
I had to laugh. The elf knew what his priorities were. I just hoped they included my brother.
Elise didn’t break anything. She gave a beaker the glaring of a lifetime, but she didn’t break anything. Once everyone had calmed down a little, the topic of conversation returned to the ice wolves. Kadrix pulled out books from varying heaps and piles around the room. Quin followed behind him, rebalancing the books so they didn't collide with the piles next to them and begin the domino effect. Elise watched with fascination.
"Do you really know where everything is in here?" she asked.
The elf didn't look at her; he was too busy gathering more books. "Yes. There's a system in place, albeit a complicated one."
That sounded like code for chaos to me, but I didn't say anything. Kadrix took a deep breath and prepared to give a lecture. I sat down and readied myself to try and listen. Lysander picked me up and placed me back down in his lap. I raised an eyebrow at him and his presumptions. He grinned at me and held me close. I let him go with it; I could still feel the shivers of fear that he was desperately trying to hide.
"Ice wolves are an ancient and wild breed. Only the strongest of the old Nordic bloodlines managed to tame them. Those that did forged loyalty of a depth that was unheard of elsewhere. They haven't been seen in over a century, perhaps longer." He flicked a page. "Their magic is unique to them and absolutely fascinating. Their ability to use the network and collect the ice energies from thousands of miles away is just astounding. If I could capture one and see how exactly it worked, I could make major breakthroughs in other areas."
"Focus, Kadrix,” Elise said sweetly.
He huffed and continued. "Only an old and powerful Nordic witch can control a wolf, so it stands to reason that that is what we're looking for. The dead witch mentioned an Icelandic witch, did he not?"
"You could have a little tact, Kadrix,” I replied.
Lysander nuzzled my neck as I remembered the mess that been left once the celestial had finished with Lucien. Kadrix made some hand gesture at me. I glared at him. Elise cleared her throat to bring everyone back on track.
"Yes. Lucien made mention of an Icelandic witch,” I said.
"Well that gives me something to look into, once I've finished with this celestial puzzle. If you could capture one of those, I have a cage out back that would hold it. I'd only really need twenty-four hours,” Kadrix said idly.
We all glared at him.
"You're welcome to stuff Zair into that cage,” Elise said.
He grinned at her. "I'll see what I can do next time he appears."
"I don't want to know what you'll do to him do I?" I asked.
His grin only widened.
Kadrix and the others were soon lost to their books as they discussed the inner workings of celestials, or something along those lines. I slipped outside with Lysander. Emotions swirled within me. I needed to clear my head and deal with a few things. We stood outside in the pale sunlight, leaning against the cool stone as we looked around the square. The grand building opposite us bustled with people. I wasn't entirely sure why. Lysander's lips brushed my cheek, his breath hot against my skin.
"I'm scared, Evelyn."
I ran my fingers over his collar, the smooth metal a reminder of his place with me. He leaned into me, his hands on my waist as his strong chest began to press me back against the wall. His breath caught in his throat, lust warred with fear between us as his mouth crept closer to mine.
"I'll keep you safe,” I whispered.
His eyes softened, yet he paused, his lips barely millimeters from mine. The decision was mine. I dug my fingers into his hair and grazed my teeth over his bottom lip. He was a beast. I kissed him tenderly, barely a kiss as our lips caressed each other’s. He was an infernal hound. He kissed me harder, caution slipping away. He was a marrok. I pulled him tight against me. His heart beat against mine, his mouth opened just enough for me to explore with my tongue. Our kiss was fierce. Passionate. Fueled by lust. I pulled back slowly. No, there was more than lust there. His eyes met mine. Far more than lust.
Panic began to thread its way through me. I couldn't do it. It was just the bond. A wrinkle formed between his eyebrows, the corners of his mouth tugged downwards. Pain started to unfurl in his chest. Against my best judgement I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close, breathing in the scent of hot metal and petrichor. Like it or not, he was my hound. His rich blue eyes danced with promises of deep pleasures. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing being bound to him. He relaxed and nuzzled my neck.
“What if it’s my old master, Evelyn?"
I stroked his hair and nuzzled against him. "Then we'll face him together. We dealt with the others, didn't we?"
He took a long deep breath, his muscles flexed and tensed before they relaxed once more.
"We did,” he admitted.
Light kisses fluttered down my jawline. I stole a glance over his shoulder to see a pair of young women watching raptly, passing hushed comments between them.
"I've waited a long time for this,” he murmured.
I kissed his cheek and waited for him to continue.
"Freedom. Love,” he whispered.
A shiver ran down my spine. Panic threatened to well up once more. His tender touches soothed the edges away. I'd sooner take on demons than love.
"Do you deny it, Evelyn?"
A playful smirk sat on his lips, challenging me. I shook my head and looked away. He kissed my temple.
"You have all the time in the world."
His hands slid down to my hips, but he eased away from me, giving me a little breathing room. I was disappointed, but Quin soon snapped my mind back to its proper place.
"Kadrix has figured out how to trap the celestials,” Quin said.
Kadrix was scribbling down in one of his many notebooks when we walked in. Lysander kept his arm around my waist; the warmth of his happiness brought a smile to my face. A smile that Elise smirked at.
"Quin said you'd made progress, Kadrix."
The elf looked up at me. "Hm? Oh. The celestials. Yes, yes. I have created a net, to put it in simple terms.” I glared at him. "That will stop him from being able to teleport away."
"And how do we use this net?" I asked.
He blinked and looked at Quin with a look of mild confusion. "You throw it at him..."
I sighed and bit my tongue. He didn't mean to be a condescending asshole, it was just part of who he was. I smiled as sweetly as I could muster.
"Can I see this net?"
He held up a small golden ball. I raised an eyebrow.
"That's a rather odd-looking net."
He pursed his lips and muttered something under his breath. Quin coughed trying to hide laughter. My temper was fraying.
"It's not a net in the traditional sense. It's an energy net. Throw the ball at him, or close to him, and it'll activate,” Quin said.
I gave a small nod. "Now we just need to find him. I assume we can kill celestials in the usual mann
er?"
Kadrix's mouth dropped open a little, his tongue twisting around some unspoken words before he said, "I have a dagger, an infernal dagger."
His eyes flitted to Lysander.
"What wrong with this dagger?" I asked.
"It's made from the bones of a hellhound…” he said quietly, refusing to look at me or my hound.
Lysander's hand tightened on my waist.
"Such is life,” I said. "And there's only one? Can he be harmed with our usual weapons?"
"Yes, but it'll be far easier with the dagger. Oh yes, only one."
I looked to Quin, trying to decide who would be better with it. He smiled and handed me a delicate black dagger, with a leather hilt.
"It's more your style."
Lysander tensed against me. I stroked the back of his hand trying to soothe him while Quin tucked the dagger away in a sheath for me. We were prepared; we just needed to find the damn thing now.
The others were soon lost in their own worlds again, flitting through books and poking at potions.
I took Lysander to the far side of the workshop and said in quiet tones, "Would you rather I didn't use this dagger?"
He took a long breath. "No. We do what we must. The hound can't be brought back now."
I stroked the side of his face, trying to smooth away the worry that caught around his eyes and tugged at his mouth.
"Do not fear, dear hound, I will keep you safe."
His eyes met mine and he relinquished a smile. "I trust you, mistress."
Quin's phone rang. The colour faded from his face before he tried to calm whomever was on the other end.
"We'll be there in five minutes,” he said, hanging up the phone. To us, he added gravely, "The celestial has another pack hostage.”