by Char Webster
“How did you know one of those was for you?” Julie asked with a smile.
“You always add a red stirrer to my cup so you don’t mix them up. You hate my double French Vanilla.”
Markos scowled. “Where’s mine?”
“You already drank it.” Julie turned her back on him. “Ar, are you ready to go to the Council? Do you think we’ll get into trouble?”
“I don’t. I’m sure they’re just concerned because he disappeared, and they don’t have a body to assure that he’s really gone.” Aria was a little nervous now that she thought about it. Pravus vanishing like that didn’t make complete sense. She had assumed, with all of the mystics around, it was a magical overload. But now that she thought about it, she didn’t feel that pulse of power.
Maybe she was just thinking too much. In the last twenty-four hours, her life changed completely. Aria was captured twice and almost killed. Pravus attempted to drain her magic. She was wounded. And she sort of got back together with her ex. Did she really just get back together with him?
Aria was saved from her thoughts by Damian, Aedan, and Derrek coming through a portal.
“We’re leaving now. Let’s go,” Derrek announced.
~*~*~
Legacy headquarters was nestled in a highly secure realm pocket that could be accessed from several different doorway rifts around the world. They were hidden in plain sight but could only be accessed with the correct magical signature. Only authorized supernaturals could enter.
Markos began pacing outside the chamber doors. “Something must be going on for them to summon us and then keep us waiting this long.”
Aria agreed. “Something is definitely up. Did you see all the elders going inside?” She began to pick at a loose thread on the cushion next to her. She hated waiting. Damian looked relaxed sitting beside her, and she wanted to kick him for being so calm.
Aedan was lying on one of the benches, throwing his container of surfboard wax in the air and catching it while Julie was trying to snatch it out of the air from him. “We should have gotten some snacks for this wait.” He snapped his fingers. “I know. We could open a quick portal to Termini Bros Bakery in South Philly to get cannoli. They are the best! Mmmm, and their other pastries are really good too.”
Everyone seemed to ignore Aedan, but Julie watched him to make sure he didn’t make any unscheduled stops.
Julie scanned the area. “I guess Derrek got tired of waiting and took off.”
Aria stood and walked toward the side door. “No. He was speaking with an elder around the corner.”
Three more high-ranking legacy officials rushed into the room, closing the doors behind them. Markos kicked the wall. “I want to know what’s going on.”
“Markos, if you make a hole in that wall, I will make sure you not only fix it but will clean these halls for a month.” Maxine strode into the waiting area, stopping in front of them. Aria, Damian, Julie and Aedan gathered around her.
“Can you tell us what’s going on?” Aria asked her mentor.
Maxine always appeared elegant, even when fighting, with her close-fitting tan pants that never wrinkled, perfectly styled long brown hair, and an almost glow to her skin. Aria always wondered how she could wield a sword and never mess up her hair. Today, her complexion was a little dull, and her hair appeared as though she’d been running her hands through it more than once. “The Council is going to adjourn and reassemble in a few days.”
Damian reached out to touch Maxine’s arm in comfort. “What’s wrong?”
Maxine took a shaky breath. “An entire clan of shapeshifters have been killed. It was one of the last clans to have remained together. Now, the only remaining shapeshifters are scattered, and most are in hiding.”
Chapter Fourteen
Aria stumbled and nearly fell to the floor. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. The shapeshifters had gone through so much and now this.
Once again her magic reared up violently. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Too much had been happening in such a short time. She hadn’t had the opportunity to relax or pull her scattered emotions together.
Hundreds of years ago, Roarik, the evilest supernatural to ever walk the earth, had decimated the shapeshifter population. He had tried to steal their ability to shift into anything they wanted but was never able to obtain that power. He had continued to kill off as many as he could find.
Damian rubbed that back of his neck. “How long ago were they killed?”
“We are still trying to determine what happened.” Maxine blew out a frustrated breath. “It looks like the scene could be a few days old, but they were all bound with a spell, so it was difficult to tell exactly when it occurred,
Maxine turned to leave but stopped and gestured to Aria. “Walk with me.”
Aria walked distraughtly by Maxine’s side to the end of the hallway which opened up into a section of the common room that was normally reserved for higher ranking legacy personnel. “Aria, I need you to keep vigilant. Something’s not right, and I need you to promise me you will be careful.”
Aria grasped her hand. “Of course, I will.” Aria paused. “Are the Enforcers going to investigate?”
Maxine sighed. “You want to help, don’t you?”
She didn’t hesitate. “Yes. You know I’m one of the best guardians with the most investigation training.” Aria faced Maxine, determined.
“If I say okay, you need to work with the team we’re sending in.” Maxine squeezed her hand. “No going off on your own.”
“They picked Damian, didn’t they?” Aria’s eyes narrowed. She knew her brother would be involved too. She hated being left out.
Maxine nodded. “Yes. Damian, Aedan, Markos, and a couple of others. If I allow you and Julie to go along too, you need to promise me that you will work together as a team.”
“I promise.” Aria was already planning what they needed to do next. “Did they kill everyone in the village?”
Maxine closed her eyes briefly. “Yes. Everyone.”
Aria knew what that meant. Someone killed all of the children and elderly too. A tear escaped her eye as she thought about all of the lost lives. “Did-did they kill…”
Maxine nodded sadly. “Yes, Ednah is gone.”
Tears fell from Aria’s eyes. The shapeshifter clan’s matriarch, Ednah, was like a mother to her.
“We are going to hold a memorial service for all of those who lost their lives. I know you all will want to attend,” Maxine said gently before walking off.
Aria felt strong arms encircle her. “It’s going to be okay.” Damian held her tightly as she cried, holding back tears of his own. “Come with me. We need to get out of here for a little while.”
He tried to guide her toward the others, but she stopped in front of a shiny surface and checked her appearance. She didn’t want anyone else to see her crying. Aria was tougher than this, and she needed to get it together. She wiped at her eyes and squared her shoulders. “Too bad there isn’t a spell for a red face.” She took deep breaths to center herself.
Aria faced her brother and friends with a brave expression. “I have a couple of things to take care of. I’ll be back in a little while so we can go to the memorial service.”
Julie called after her. “Make sure you are on time!”
She had every intention of ditching Damian, but he was not about to let her go off by herself. “I’m coming with you.”
Without looking at him, she shook her head. “Not necessary.” She made a portal and began to step through it, but he grabbed onto her arm and guided her into a portal he created to his favorite place in La Jolla, California.
~*~*~
A surge of life force and magic rushed through his veins as he absorbed the last of it before his victim stopped struggling. He watched the body fall to the ground with an echoing thud that bounced off of the walls of the alleyway. He needed the infusion of magic almost as much as humans craved coffee in the mornings. Cracking his neck b
ack and forth, he strolled out of the darkness of the alley and onto the busy street of New Orleans. The magic of this city was intoxicating, making a return trip very appealing.
The siren the night before had taken the edge off his magical craving, but it hadn’t been enough. He needed more. Pravus strutted down the street, smiling at all of the women who were admiring him. Several even turned to watch him walk by. He could have his pick of entertainment later, but he needed to take care of something first. Actually, he needed to take care of two things. Revenge would be sweet.
~*~*~
Once they arrived on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Aria turned to face Damian with eyes blazing with fury. “You had no right to do that! I wanted to be alone!”
He wasn’t bothered by her anger. He knew she was using it to cover her pain, and Damian was determined to get her to open up to him so she could let out her real emotions. “You don’t have to be alone.”
“I was fine by myself!” She paced along the cliff’s edge but paused to stare out at the crashing waves. The ocean had a way of making her feel better, so she never strayed too far away from a shoreline.
“I know you were fine in the past. You could always take care of yourself, but you don’t have to do that anymore. I want to be there for you, and I want you here for me.” Damian approached her cautiously. “You’ve always wanted to handle everything on your own, and I respect that, but times like this should be spent with someone who loves you.”
Aria turned to face him. “I can’t do this right now.”
“I’ve seen you cry before.” Damian reached out and touched her cheek lightly. “I won’t tell anyone you aren’t the tough girl you want everyone to think you are.” He internally winced when fire returned to her eyes. He had thought to tease her into relaxing enough to trust him.
Aria leaned away from his hand and pulled out her portal blade.
“Ari, don’t leave.” He had to get her to stay. “I brought you here because I wanted to share one of my favorite places with you. It reminds me of the cliffs by our old village, and when I’m stressed or upset, I come here because it’s almost as if I was back home with you. We had made so many plans and had so many dreams as we looked out at the ocean. Being here always reminds me of you.”
His heartfelt honest words penetrated the shield she had created to protect her heart, stopping her from leaving. She could feel her chest tightening, and it suddenly became hard to swallow. “I was so sad when our cliff was destroyed in an earthquake. There was almost nothing left there that we would even recognize. The land around it is now covered in buildings.”
Damian took a chance and brushed a few strands of her curly, strawberry blond hair from her face. The wind was blowing lightly but enough to give it an untamed look. He wanted to yell in triumph when he felt her lean into his hand. “I know. It still bothers me that it’s gone.”
Aria scanned the area. “It does feel like our spot. Even that tree reminds me of the tree we would lean against.”
“Come see.” Damian grasped her hand and led her over to it.
She gasped when she saw her name in ancient Greek carved into the bark just under his. The tree was huge but couldn’t be more than a hundred years old. “When did you do this?”
He smiled sheepishly. “A long time ago. Our tree was destroyed in the quake, and when I found this place, it just seemed right.” Damian gazed into her eyes. “You have to know. I never stopped loving you, Ari.”
Aria gave in to the uncontrollable urge to kiss him senseless. Throwing her arms around his neck, she held onto him as her emotions completely gave way. He met her halfway as they both pressed together, desperate to connect on a deeper level.
Damian pulled away slightly when he tasted her tears, needing to check on her. He wiped the wetness away with his thumbs but didn’t say a word. He just held her closely as she released everything she had been holding inside.
When Aria’s eyes dried, she smiled at him bashfully.
“Thank you,” Damian whispered.
“Why are you thanking me?” Aria scrunched up her forehead in confusion.
“For trusting me.”
Aria took his hand and led him to the well-worn walking path. “I bet the sunsets are incredible.”
“They are. I’ll bring you back here again another time. I would love to share that with you like we used to.”
They walked in silence for a while, enjoying each other and the warm spring air. The ocean was much more calm than usual, so the sound of the waves rolling in still managed to bring them both peace.
Damian knew they were going to have to go back and face the tragedy that they were both struggling to comprehend, but he was reluctant to end their reprieve. “We have to go back.”
Sighing, Aria stopped and took one last, long look at the dancing waves. “I’m ready.” She hugged him close. “Thanks for this.”
He gave her a dazzling smile. “Anything for you.”
“Really? Anything?”
“I probably shouldn’t have said that.”
“Can’t take it back now,” Aria teased.
“What do you want?” Damian asked cautiously
“I need to go back to my place before we head to the service at Legacy headquarters,” Aria stalled.
“I know. We both need to get changed. What aren’t you asking me?”
She hesitated. “Will you go with me and wait while I get changed? I don’t want to be alone.” There. She said it. She admitted to him that she needed him.
“There is nowhere else I would rather be.” He draped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her close. He couldn’t resist placing a kiss on her head. This was what he remembered and what he had missed all these years.
Aria quickly made a portal and stepped into her condo in Florida. Damian followed behind her closely. “I’ll just be a second. I wanted to grab something.” She dashed into her den and headed straight for her desk. Tears threatened to leak from her eyes as she gently lifted a small golden dragon figurine.
She twisted it in her palm, letting the light reflect off of its shiny scales. It had been a gift from an elf who had thought Aria would go on a date with him if he made her enough trinkets. She had gotten rid of everything he had given her except for the dragon. There was always something about it that she loved.
Ednah, the matriarch of the shapeshifter clan, had always loved it as well and had hinted on more than one occasion that she would like to have it.
“What’s that?” Damian asked quietly.
Aria hadn’t heard him come up behind her. “Something Ednah had loved, and I want her to have it. That’s silly, isn’t it?” She wrapped her arm around him.
“Not at all.” He tightened his hold before letting go. “She would love it.”
Aria took a deep breath to settle her emotions before flying up the steps to her bedroom. She paused at her door. “You don’t need to watch me get dressed.” She tried to close the door, but he was in the way.
“It would be much more fun that way.” He needed to distract her again.
“We would be late, and you know it.” Aria tried to push him out of her closet, but he wouldn’t budge.
“Don’t you need help with zippers or something?” Damian ran his hands down her arms.
“Nice try, but no.” Aria shivered. She was imagining what he could do with those hands.
“We can be real quick,” Damian leaned in and nipped at her ear.
Aria’s body broke out in tingles, and she wanted nothing more than to spend some quality time under the sheets, but they had something important to do. “You’ve got to get out of here.”
“Did it work?” Damian’s tongue darted out and traced her ear.
“Hmmmm?” Coherent thought was gone.
“My distraction. Is it working?” Damian tugged her ear with his teeth.
Aria groaned and stepped away from him with her hands out so he wouldn’t come any closer. “Stop that!”
&n
bsp; Damian chuckled. “I wanted to see you smile before we had to face the memorial service. Now, you’ll be thinking about what I want to do to you and not the tragedy.”
“You need to go in the other room!” Aria pushed at him, and this time he let her move him.
Damian moped. “I’ll be just this side of the door. Don’t miss me too much.”
A few minutes later, he could only stand there and stare when she opened the door to her bedroom. “Wow. You look incredible.” She was absolutely beautiful, and she was his. She selected a long white maxi dress with pale pink flowers. The dress hugged her curves perfectly. Supernaturals never wore black to honor the deceased; they always wore white.
She smiled shyly. “Thanks.”
He took her hand, leading her to the portal opened to his bedroom. “You can stay while I change. I don’t mind at all. You can even help.” He winked at her.
“I’ll wait in the hallway,” Aria said with a blush.
~*~*~
“We were just about ready to go without you,” Markos admonished.
Aria ignored her brother and approached Julie. “So many people are here. They had to have disabled the security in the rifts to allow all these supernaturals.”
Julie nodded. “We need to be careful. Anyone could have slipped through.” She smoothed down her short white and light blue one shoulder sheath that flowed around her legs elegantly.
“Are you two done whispering?” Markos mocked. “We need to leave.”
Frowning at her brother, Aria wondered why he was extra grumpy. They were all upset about what had happened, but he seemed much more so. “What’s up with you?”
“Nothing. Let’s go.” Markos walked ahead to where a large group of people were mingling in front of the main meeting hall.
Aedan had been unusually quiet, but Aria noticed that his attention had been consumed with Julie. Maybe they might make it after all. Aria watched as Aedan offered Julie his arm, and they moved ahead to catch up with Markos.