by Amy Manemann
“Going so soon? I had hoped we could discuss a few things while you were out and about.” Lucian gestured towards my empty chair with a slight frown.
“Willa, sit down,” Braeden said in a low voice, noticing we were drawing attention from the nearby tables. Biting my lower lip, I slid back into my seat.
Lucian smirked, dark eyes laughing at me as he took his own seat, his knee rubbing against mine beneath the table. My body instantly reacted to his nearness, an aching heat searing through me at the light contact. Carefully, I moved my body away from his to put a measure of space between us.
“You’re looking lovely this evening, Willa. It appears Braeden has been keeping you well,” Lucian purred, picking up my water glass to take a drink.
Eyes narrowed, I folded my arms across my chest. “What do you want, Lucian?”
Lucian set the water glass down, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Only to offer you my services since it appears your Guardian is being remiss with your safety.”
“Willa is perfectly safe, a White Witch concealed her before we left the Council,” Braeden snapped, his dislike of the Warlock pouring off him in waves.
Lucian shrugged. “Shields have an interesting way of wearing off when used on Lightkeepers, especially ones as powerful as Willa. Have you noticed the increase in traffic beyond the restaurant door since you’ve come inside, or were you too busy gazing into each other’s eyes?”
Ignoring the jab, I peered beyond the restaurant patrons to the front windows. The amount of foot traffic moving past the windows looked the same as it had when we had arrived, and I frowned, turning back to Lucian’s.
“I don’t understand,” I said, though Braeden had stiffened in his seat.
“Allora cast a spell before we left…,” he began.
“…which has already nearly faded, leaving Willa’s growing powers to spill around the edges. The Underworlders have felt her presence. How else do you think I knew where to find you?” Lucian snapped, cutting him off.
And that’s when I felt it, a soft pulse of power radiating through me like a warning signal a split-second before the front windows exploded. Before I could react, Lucian threw me to the floor, covering my body with his as shards of glass rained down upon us. All around us were screams from the restaurant patrons as I cowered half under the table, half under Lucian’s warm body. His arms were like solid bands of steel surrounding me, keeping me rooted in place with my back firmly pressed against his broad chest.
Dark laughter reached our ears, and I tried to turn in Lucian’s embrace to locate the source. Lucian held me steadfast, refusing to let me move an inch.
“Trust me, Love. You don’t want to look,” he whispered in my ear, his lips brushing the tender lobe. I shivered, sparing him a glare.
“They’ve got the front locked down. Our only hope is to escape through the back.” Braeden appeared under the table next to me, his scowl making it clear he didn’t approve of finding me in Lucian's arms.
“Search the tables and find the Lightkeeper. Bring her to me,” an ominous voice boomed. The hairs on my arms stood on end.
“As much as I hate to agree with you, you may have a point there, Mathieson. I suggest you lead the way. Sooner, rather than later,” Lucian said pointedly.
Not wasting a minute, Braeden grasped my hand and tugged me free. We made a train along the floor with Braeden in the lead and Lucian covering the rear. I tried not to think about Lucian's silvery gaze apprising my backside as we made our way into the kitchen, too fearful about what was coming for me.
I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until the kitchen door closed noiselessly behind us and Braeden was helping me to my feet.
“I’ll check the back entrance and make sure it’s not blocked,” he said, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze before crossing the kitchen to the back door.
“You need to let my magic shield Willa. My power is strong enough to cover her powers until you can reach your portal,” Lucian insisted, eyes assessing.
I shivered under his gaze, crossing my arms over my chest. My knees were sore from crawling across the glass-covered floor, and I knew without looking they were pretty scraped up. That was the least of my worries. Letting Lucian use his Warlock magic on me? Yeah, that didn’t give me any warm fuzzy feelings.
Braeden cursed softly, shoving away from the back door to rejoin us. “The back door is clear, but I can see Underworlders blocking the end of the alley. Even if we make it out, the minute we step into the alley they’ll know she’s there.”
“Which is why you must let me shield her,” Lucian smoothly replied.
Braeden growled, eyes flashing dangerously. “And how do I know you didn’t set this whole thing up from the beginning just so you could put us in this position? I’m not stupid, Lucian, and I sure as hell don’t trust you.”
Lucian smirked. “If I set this up, then why did I just help you escape captivity? Why did I offer my services? Don’t be foolish, Braeden. Let’s be honest here, shall we? You know I’m the only one who can save her right now and that’s really busting your balls.”
Braeden curled his hand into the front of Lucian’s silk shirt, bunching the material in a tight fist. “By the Goddess, I swear if you harm a single hair on her head, I will rip you apart piece by piece.”
While my knees trembled with fear, Lucian merely grinned, enjoying the havoc he was wreaking. The idiot.
I curled a hand around Braeden’s tense bicep, giving it a gentle squeeze. “We’re running out of time. If Lucian can shield me, we need to let him try. I know you don’t trust him, Braeden, but I do. And you can trust in me.”
Both men stared at me in shock, and I bit my lower lip, waiting for someone to say something. For reasons unknown, something told me I could trust Lucian, and that he wasn’t lying when he said he could shield my powers. I don't know what his story is, or what he's planning for that matter, but instincts told me I could trust him.
Braeden let go of Lucian’s shirt, giving him a small shove in the process that rocked Lucian slightly back on his heels. He knew I was right, and our time was running out. Whoever, or whatever, was in the main dining hall wouldn’t be out there much longer before they figured out I wasn’t in the room. It was only a matter of time before they came looking for us.
“Do it. But remember, I’m watching you,” Braeden snapped, folding his arms stiffly across his chest.
Lucian inclined his head in acceptance before capturing my arm, drawing me to him. I stiffened as his arms encircled me, and he smiled, leaning down to brush my ear with his lips. “This kind of power requires more of a hands-on approach.”
Braeden’s scowl deepened, but he remained silent, instead focusing his attention on keeping our small perimeter safe.
“I need you to relax and open your mind to me, Willa. Allow me inside so I can put up the protective shields,” Lucian continued, his hands warm on my back.
A shuffling of footsteps grew closer to the kitchen door, and I stiffened, fear racing through me.
Lucian didn’t flinch, instead drew me closer in his embrace. “Look at me, Willa. Open your mind. Block everything out.”
Raising my gaze to his, I sucked in a deep breath and did as he asked, shocked when his eyes devoured mine. My head fell back as he penetrated my mind, and a swirl of hot emotions flooded through me. Without asking, I knew he was quickly working on putting the protective walls in place, and I tried to hold still while he worked, but it was near impossible. He was everywhere - around me, inside of me, in the most intimate places of my mind and body until I was hot and flushed from head to toe. Just when I thought I couldn’t take anymore without bursting into flames, he drew back, his abrupt absence leaving me feeling oddly cold and bereft.
“It's done,” he said quietly, sparing Braeden a glance over my shoulder.
Braeden quickly withdrew me from Lucian’s embrace, tucking me under the safety of his shoulder and steering me to the back door. For a moment my eyes connected
with Lucian’s, and I was surprised at the tender smile touching his lips. Without a doubt, he knew my confused feelings for both him and Braeden, and I didn’t know whether to be outraged or curious. Then again, curiosity did kill the cat, and we were still a far cry from being home free. Better steer clear of that thought altogether.
Braeden hesitated at the back door to withdraw a small blade from the inside of his jacket. Running his finger along the edge of the blade, he whispered words in a language I’d never heard before. As the last word fell from his lips, the blade lengthened, producing the wicked-looking sword he’d used to cut down the vampires in Salem. I realized I hadn’t thought to ask about the disappearance of his weapons after he’d fought the vampires. “Huh, I wondered where that went.”
“Children’s toys,” Lucian interjected in a bored tone, wiggling his fingers to produce a glowing psi ball in the palm of his hand before waving his hand and snuffing out the glowing blue light. Okay, even I had to admit that was impressive.
“Parlor tricks,” Braeden grumbled, cautiously pushing open the back door to step into the alley.
I entered the alley close behind him with Lucian, again, drawing up the rear. As I stepped onto the cement, my heel made a tapping noise that made me freeze.
“Stupid shoes,” I whispered, reaching down to tug first one, then the other strappy heel from my feet.
Lucian waved a hand, and my feet instantly warmed, despite the cold cement beneath them.
“Now you can walk without marring that beautiful skin of yours. I’ll heal the scrapes on your legs when we’re in better light.” He shrugged, as if it were something he did every day.
His thoughtfulness floored me, even as it made me wary. Warlocks rarely did anything without expecting something in return. Why did I feel his help tonight would come with a price?
“Thank you.” Voice husky, I averted my eyes when his gaze lingered too long on mine.
An ear-splitting scream echoed from the front of the restaurant, raising the hairs on the back of my neck. The people in the restaurant. How could I have forgotten?! We could escape, but what would happen to them?
“We have to help them.” I took a stumbling step towards the back door, halted by Braeden’s hand on my arm.
“We can’t go back, Willa. You’ll be captured.” His face was grim. I knew he was right, but that didn’t stop me from trying to twist out of his grasp.
“We can’t just leave those innocent people there, Braeden. It’s not right, especially when the Underworlders were there for me. We have to go back and help them.”
Braeden hesitated, looking torn. He knew I was right, yet his sense of duty told him my safety came first. Men. I was really beginning to resent being helpless all the time. For the first time since arriving in London, I looked forward to getting my full powers. At least then I could help in a fight.
“As much as I enjoy a good disagreement, Willa’s right.” Lucian interjected dryly. “We can’t very well leave innocents in there with Underworlders. Who knows what sort of hybrids they will breed.” I shuddered to imagine the meaning of that statement.
Braeden’s eyes narrowed. “Since when do Warlocks have a sense of humanity?”
Lucian’s gaze flickered to mine, resting on me for a heartbeat before shifting back to Braeden. “I have my reasons, none of which are any of your concern. Get her out of here, Mathieson. I’ll dispense with these rogues.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice.” With my hand gripped in his, we tore off down the alley. I stumbled to keep up, throwing an uneasy glance over my shoulder at Lucian. Silhouetted by the light from the kitchen, he stood in the doorway, calmly watching us leave.
“If you need me, you need only call,” his voice whispered through my mind, and I nearly stumbled, shocked at the intimate brush of words in my head.
Braeden glanced down at me worriedly, squeezing my hand. “Are you okay?”
I nodded, jerking my gaze forward.
“I don’t know what you did, Lucian, but this is not cool. Get out of my head,” I thought back, hoping I was sending the message loud and clear to Lucian’s thick skull.
His response was silent laughter that echoed through my mind, and I gritted my teeth, refusing to glance back a second time. Fine. Let him get himself killed. See if I cared.
“But you do care.” His silky whisper caressed my senses before it slipped away. This time when I looked back, he was gone, and I swallowed against the lump in my throat. He’d gone back inside to face Goddess knew what because I had asked. Why? Who did that?
Silence was my only answer.
Chapter 22
By the time we reached the end of the ally, the two Underworlders had disappeared from sight. I held my breath as Braeden peered around the corner, afraid of what might wait there, ready to jump out at us. Finally, he shortened his sword, slipping it back into his jacket pocket. “Looks like the Warlock held good to his word.”
We stepped out of the ally and into the crowd, moving with the flow of foot traffic on the sidewalk. Braeden kept me tucked into his side, eyes darting around warily. Thanks to Lucian’s power, I didn’t feel the cold, wet pavement slapping under my feet as we hurried to reach the portal. With Braeden’s arm wrapped tightly around my shoulders, we appeared as any other normal couple out for a late night stroll on London’s busy streets, and I was thankful when we reached the portal without incident.
My relief was short-lived when we came through the portal to find a small group of people waiting for us. Caught like two teenagers sneaking back into the house, I knew from the grim faces that this would not go over well.
“Did you enjoy your little outing?” Lord Lancaster was the first to sputter, following by Kensington, “Do you realize how dangerous it was to take her beyond Council walls?”
“I'm well aware of the dangers,” Braeden returned tightly. “It was my idea to take Willa beyond Council walls. She shouldn't be punished for my mistake.”
My fingers curled into Braeden’s jacket, drawing comfort from his strength. How he could appear to calm when my knees were shaking was beyond me. The man was a pillar of strength.
“You know better than this, Braeden,” Lancaster continued, his voice heavy with disappointment.
I felt Braeden stiffen under the weight of the man’s disapproval, though his face remained impassive.
“The fault is mine, Sir, and I will take full responsibility for my actions. I had thought Allora’s power would be strong enough to shield Willa beyond the walls for a short-time and had only thought to let her enjoy an evening out.”
“What do you mean you thought Allora’s power would be strong enough?” Evanore asked, concerned. “Did you encounter any trouble?”
Braeden hesitated, and I could feel the tension rolling off him in waves.
“Allora’s shield failed, and Underworlder's attacked us at supper. Thankfully, Lucian got to us and used his magic to shield me so we could escape.” I drew the fire away from Braeden, slipping my hand in his and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Whether Braeden liked it or not, we were in this together, and I wasn't about to stand here and let them berate him like this.
Evanore started in surprise. “Lucian? How in the Goddess did he know where to find you?”
I could almost hear Braeden’s teeth grind at the question. “He said Allora’s shield had faded enough to where Willa’s powers were spilling beyond the edges. He already knew her trail and got to us before they attacked.”
Kensington shifted uneasily. “He used dark magic to shield the Lightkeeper? How do we know he didn’t do something more devious when he had the chance?”
I could hardly disagree. Lucian, using our brief interaction to connect us telepathically, has already proved just how devious a Warlock could be. Still, it irritated me to hear Kensington speak of him so poorly. “Because Lucian wouldn’t do that. What’s done is done, and the fact of the matter is, if it weren’t for Lucian’s interference Braeden and I wouldn’t be standi
ng here right now.”
“And none of this would have happened had you stayed behind Council walls. Do not think for an instant such a thing will go unpunished,” Kensington quipped, eyes boring into mine.
“Punished? As in grounded for a week without television?”
“Council law dictates that when a Guardian uses blatant disregard for the law, they face punishment Since this is Braeden’s first offense,” Lancaster glared at me, “then five days of solitary confinement will begin upon leaving this room. He'll be taken beyond Council walls to serve out his confinement.”
My jaw dropped, stunned. They were taking Braeden away before I gained my powers? I needed him; there was no way I would survive tomorrow’s ordeal without him there.
“You can't do this.” Tears welled up in my eyes, and my jaw trembled. “Tomorrow I come into my full powers, and I need Braeden to be there.” Five long days without Braeden by my side? I wouldn’t make it.
Thankfully, Evanore came to our defense. “Willa is right, my Lords. Because of the circumstances, I think it prudent to put a delay on Braeden’s punishment.”
Her suggestion ignited a heated argument between the three, and Braeden and I stood back to watch.
“Perhaps we could slip out the side door while they’re occupied,” Braeden murmured from the corner of his mouth.
My lips pursed into a thin line. How could he joke at a time like this? I opened my mouth to say as much when I felt it; a sharp pulse of power that beat in my veins. It was stronger than the one I’d felt at the restaurant, and I gasped, dropping my shoes on the floor.
Braeden immediately grasped my arms. “Willa? What is it?”
Before I could respond, we heard a low rumble, then something slammed into the building, shaking the room we stood in and putting an end to the heated argument.
“By the Goddess, what was that?” Evanore exclaimed, her face pale.