by Ruby Wilder
Conri sat playing on his phone, tongue out, concentrating. Every few minutes he would grumble or look up to the ceiling and sigh, then look back to his phone. Whatever he was playing, I guessed he was losing.
Vig sat, hands on knees, eyes shut and very still. It looked like he was meditating. Maybe he was, or maybe he was asleep.
I was starting to get restless when the door opened and the most dangerous-looking man I had ever seen entered.
He oozed sex appeal but terrified me. Fair-haired, shaved at the back and sides, but long on top, with blonde stubble. He wore a scowl on his hard, chiseled face. He was tall, taller than Conri, but not quite as muscular. He glowered, his heavy brows almost hiding his grey eyes. He was frightening, but I couldn't look away as he walked menacingly into the middle of the room.
I was distracted by Conri appearing at my side.
'Be careful of this one - he's Levi,' he said nodding towards him, 'he's a demon. Very powerful. But very dangerous. He's unpredictable and cruel. Only been a protector for about ten years. No one knows where he was before that.'
'I can hear you, you stinking wolf,' Levi growled, interrupting Conri.
'I know you can,' Conri retaliated.
'I won't hurt the Ancient One, will I darlin?' Levi drawled, coming very close to me. His breath caressed my cheek and I shivered.
'No,' I said, with a confidence I didn't feel.
No one gave Levi a very warm welcome.
Vig and Drago did not even acknowledge him. Something must've gone on in the past. I'd have to find out. I needed to know as much as I could about every one of the protectors.
Last, but not least entered Adam. He smiled at me and Conri and stared at Levi.
It wasn't that long ago that Adam triggered my fight or flight instinct. But now he seemed like an old, loyal friend, compared to Levi.
'Demon,' Adam said, almost spitting the words.
'Now, now, there are much more repulsive creatures in here. Can't you smell that dog?' he asked Adam, looking over towards Conri and smirking.
I felt Conri stiffen up, and a low growl came from him. I put my hand on his arm and it seemed to calm him slightly.
Adam stared at him and I wondered who would win if this kicked off.
Conri answered me telepathically, 'Levi's kind is the strongest, but Adam is a new vampire, he’s only about one hundred years old, so he still has The Rage. Levi is old. No one knows how old. He's very powerful - and cruel. Oh, and when you touch me I can read your mind. But that's just a werewolf thing.'
I jerked my hand away, I didn't want Conri in my head -not when he was looking so gorgeous. And I was having impure thoughts about the other dangerous, sexy guys in the room too. What was wrong with me?
Conri laughed at me and it broke the tension between Adam and Levi.
'Ah, I see the puppy has the hots for the Ancient One,' Levi said, grinning.
Adam stared at Conri with anger in his eyes.
'Oh,' Levi continued, looking at Adam, 'I see the bat is jealous! The wolf and the bat both have exclusive designs on the Ancient One.' He burst out laughing.
He looked even more terrifying when he laughed.
Adam was hissing at him. Hissing! I was surprised when Conri growled, but hissing? This was even stranger.
Levi stopped laughing and hissed back, circling around Adam.
The tension in the room was building. It was going to kick off and I didn't know what to do.
Fiona stopped pacing and shifted into an enormous lion. She stood there growling at them both, saliva dropping from her giant fangs.
Vig stood up to his full height, legs apart, and roared.
Drago began to flicker and shake, he would be a fire breathing dragon in seconds.
Shockingly, I saw Conri begin to transform too. It looked painful - not like the others. His face contorted and he shrieked and howled.
'Stop it,' I shouted. If I was the leader of this motley crew, I was going to have to bloody start and act like it.
I willed the magic from the Ley Lines below my feet. It was strong here, around the stone circle, it crackled and sparked around me almost instantly, obeying my command.
I rose above the ground - just because I could - and held the blue lightning in both hands. I felt my hair begin to charge with electricity and it stood off my shoulders and neck.
'All of you stop it, right now.' I demanded. I was angry and it showed in my voice.
Everyone looked at me. Adam and Levi stopped growling at each other. Fiona shifted back. Drago stopped flickering, Vig sat down and Conri stopped howling.
They looked shocked and hurt.
'Wow,' Conri said, 'there's no need to get so angry at us. We were only playing.'
'Yeah, chill out sister,' Fiona joined in.
'I don't like being shouted at,' Vig said. Was he going to cry?
Drago sat down and folded his arms, looking away from me.
'Spoilsport,' Levi said, petulantly.
Adam nodded in agreement with him.
What just happened? I slowly dropped to the floor, releasing the magic back into the earth. I thought they were going to tear each other apart. I thought I was doing the right thing!
Shit. They looked like a bunch of school kids that just got told off by headmistress! Still, I should push my advantage. They were powerful Fae. My powerful Fae...
'I'm the Ancient One, leader of the Protectors, and I run a tight ship. Rule number one: No fighting with each other. Got it?'
I looked at each one of them until they all nodded in agreement.
'Good. More rules to follow,' I said, as I stormed out of the room.
I shut the door to the conference room and leaned my back against it. My head spun and my knees were weak. I sunk to the floor, the fear still acrid in the back of my throat.
I had just faced down a werewolf, shapeshifter, giant, dragon, demon and a vampire, brandishing some blue stuff in my hands that I didn't know how to use.
And they had backed down.
8
Adam followed me out of the centre. He caught me up, but I didn't want to talk to him.
'Go away. I want to be alone,' I said.
'I want to talk to you about Conri,'
'What about Conri?' I said, instantly worried.
'He's not doing so good.'
'What do you mean?'
'With the Ancient One and The Protectors shit.'
I shook my head, confused.
'I don't understand,' I said.
'Walk with me.'
I followed Adam as he made his way towards the standing stones. They were quiet today, the voices. It was a relief now that I knew what they were.
He sat on the big headstone and patted a spot next to him. I could feel the power of the ley lines here.
The magic crackled beneath me.
'Can you feel that?' I asked.
He shook his head. 'Feel what?'
'The magic?'
More head shaking.
'You can't feel the power beneath us?'
'No, Maeve. It's your magic. Your power. I can't feel anything.'
I found it hard to believe. The ground was throbbing beneath me, calling me to use the energy. Urging me to throw blue lightning at something, anything.
I felt powerful.
'What's wrong with Conri?'
Adam sighed and looked at me. His dark eyes stared, his face expressionless. He made me feel naked, exposed. It was as if he was looking into my soul.
I was the first to look away.
'He is struggling with us all being bound to you.'
He said it like I should understand.
'I don't know what you mean, Adam.'
Another sigh. 'I'm going to have to spell it out to you, aren't I?' he said.
I nodded and looked at up at him.
He gently took one of my hands in his strong, cold hand and kissed it.
'You don't know how we feel about you. All of us.'
His
stare was intense, uncomfortable, dangerous.
'We are bound to you. We cannot leave. We must do as you say and cannot deny you. It's the Druid magic. You are everything to us.'
'Wait a minute...'
But his cold sensual lips pressed against mine stopping me mid-sentence.
I wanted to resist, I really did, but his kiss was divine.
I closed my eyes and gave in to those deadly vampire lips. His breath was icy against my cheek. I could feel his cold nose touching mine. He wrapped his strong arms around me and held me tight in a deadly frozen grip.
He could've taken my life there and then and I wouldn't have cared - all I wanted was him. I wanted him to consume me, use me and never stop.
When I opened my eyes he was staring at me, his eyes as black as coal and filled with need.
I gasped at the intensity and he let me go.
'Are you okay?' he said, concerned.
'Yes,' I breathed. I couldn't really speak. I was filled with a hot burning desire that was tinged with fear.
He shook his head. 'I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. I came to tell you about Conri.'
I couldn't answer, afraid if I spoke I would let myself down and tell him how much I wanted him.
He must've taken my silence as confirmation that he'd upset me because he punched the stone next to him sending pieces of rubble and dust flying into the air.
'Fuck,' he said.
'It's okay, Adam. Tell me what you were going to say.' I managed to croak. My throat still thick with desire.
He took a moment and began.
'Conri was going to ask you to date him. He knows how much you fancied him and had it all planned. He was hoping things would go somewhere and you two would be an item soon. He wanted marriage, house, baby werepups, basically the whole package. He was only waiting because he's a werewolf - he didn't know how to tell you. But he found out that you are the Ancient One and, well... all his plans got shot to shit.'
'I don't understand. How?' I asked.
'He loves you, Maeve. Without any magic. He doesn't want to share you with the rest of us. He was going to give up being a Protector to be with you. The old you.'
'What do you mean share me?'
Adam sighed, he really was going to have to spell it out.
'That what happened between us earlier?' he questioned.
I nodded.
'Well, that will happen with all six of us. We are bound to you. And you to us. It's the Druid magic. It makes sure none of us could ever leave you, Maeve. Never leave you alone to fight the Fae. You are the only one who can close the Portclava, you need us to fight with you, so the Druids cast a spell. The protectors are bound to the Ancient One with their hearts, bodies and soul. We all love you Maeve. It cannot be undone.'
My head was spinning.
All of them? Even Fiona? That was weird.
Did I want this? Did I have a choice?
'I need to speak to my gran. Can you take me, Adam?'
He nodded and scooped me up. His dark brooding eyes bore down at me and I felt myself quiver with desire. He smiled, but we were at gran's house before anything else developed.
I was sorry he was so fast. Adam was delicious. And dangerous. He set me on fire.
'Thanks,' I said, my cheeks still flushed from our kiss earlier.
'Gran? Granny?' I shouted as I pushed open the front door.
I heard her say something - she was in the kitchen. I hesitated outside the kitchen door - I never knew what to expect since the old forest-in-the-pantry episode.
But it was just a normal kitchen. Gran was washing dishes at the sink.
'Hello, my love. Good day?' she asked, brightly.
'Not really,' I said, plonking myself down at the kitchen table.
I put my head in my hands and felt like crying.
I felt bad for Conri. It's what I had wanted - dreamed of a few days ago - being his girlfriend. But now they were all mine and Conri was jealous.
But what made things worse was I was pleased they were all mine.
'Oh, Gran, how did you cope with the bonding?'
Gran burst out laughing.
'That's what's bothering you?' She squealed and slapped her hands into the bubbles.
She turned and looked at me. 'Maeve, in a couple of weeks there will be an ungodly battle. The most terrible creatures you can imagine will try to escape from the portal. Creatures so evil even Hell won't take them. Not all of you may make it. There could be a huge loss of human life. You will never be the same again, scarred by battle and knowledge,' she paused and shook her head, 'and you are worried about casual sex with six extremely attractive people?'
'But gran...'
'They are bonded to you to protect you, Maeve. I don't think you realise how important you are. Only you can seal the portal.' she emphasised.
'They will lie down and die for you. They are your army, and you must look after them - any way you can. The magic is strong and cannot be denied. They are yours until you pass the pendant on.'
'How did you do it?'
Gran laughed and looked a little embarrassed. 'Well, it was a long time ago. But I had eight Protectors to look after. I was a busy lady!’ she said with a grin.
'Gran!'
'Oh, come on Maeve, don't be like your mother. She wouldn't embrace it either. She loved your dad too much, wouldn't cheat on him - or, so she called it. I think that's how she didn't make it. Her Protectors weren't really hers.'
'How did they die gran? It wasn't a car crash like you always told me. Was it?'
Gran sighed, it still hurt her to talk about my mum.
'No, it wasn't, Maeve.'
She turned to face me and put the tea towel she had been holding neatly back on its hanger.
'She had sealed the portal, and was walking away. She didn't know a banshee had escaped. There was cheering and celebrating - the battle had gone well with minimum loss of life. No one heard the banshee approach. She twisted your mother's neck like it was soft toffee. I saw her drop, but before she hit the floor - the banshee was fast - she had murdered two more people, including your dad. Vig got to her, killing her with a single blow before she could hurt anyone else.'
'Was my dad human?'
'No, he was one of us. I think that is why you are so strong. You have Druid blood from both sides.'
'How did you make the whole...' I trailed off. What could I call it? A harem?
'Oh, Maeve, you are young and single. Just enjoy it. I did! I looked after my Protectors very well. And look! I'm still here!' she giggled.
There was a lot to think about.
And a lot not to think about - including the image of my gran in a nine-way orgy with vampires and werewolves.
I had to ask. Couldn't keep it in.
'Gran? Are any of your Protectors now mine?'
'Drago,' she said, with a faraway look on her face.
Okay, that was enough for me.
'I'm off to bed. Night.'
I woke to the sound of scratching on my window.
At first I thought I was dreaming, but no, I wasn't. I opened my curtains and Adam was floating at my window, face serious.
I opened my window and hissed, 'Shush! You'll wake Gran!'
He just stared at me, hovering.
'Are you okay?'
'You have to ask me in.'
'What?'
'You have to invite me in. I can't cross your threshold uninvited.'
I smiled. This could be fun.
'If I invite you in and change my mind, do you have to leave?'
'If you tell me, yes,' Adam nodded.
'Well, come in then,' I said cheerfully, pulling the curtain back.
He entered through my window and slowly walked towards me, his eyes full of desire.
'Nah,' I said, 'changed my mind. Not welcome.'
I did not expect what happened next.
Adam shot backwards towards my window as if pulled by an invisible string attached to his waist. He s
mashed through the glass and wooden window frame and disappeared into the night.
Oh, my God, what had I done? Bloody idiot.
'Adam, Adam, are you okay?' I shouted out of the window.
He was okay. I saw him pick himself up off the floor, dust off the bits of broken glass and wood and straighten his jacket.
Gran knocked at my door. 'Can I come in?' she asked.
'Erm...'
But the door opened to a tutting gran,
'You shouldn't mess with that poor vampire like that, it’s cruel, Maeve. I didn't bring you up to be cruel.'
She walked over to the window and shouted, 'Come in sweetheart, if I've invited you she can't toy with you.'
Adam entered through the hole where my window used to be and glared at me.
She tutted once more and looked at the mess, then she raised her arms in the air.
I felt it first - the energy she pulled from the earth. It was different from mine, more controlled, older, wiser.
She pulled a ball of it into her hands - it was purple. Her lightning was purple! She said something that sounded like 'repair' and threw it at the window.
All the broken pieces from the floor and from outside came back and placed themselves where they used to be, and just like that, the window was mended.
I looked at gran, she threw purple shit!
'How did...'
'It never leaves us, Maeve, we can still help in the fight. We just can't close the Portclava.'
'What colour was mum's magic?' I asked.
'Yellow.'
And with that she was gone, leaving me and Adam alone.
'I'm sorry, I didn't think that would happen,' I said to him, lamely.
'It has never done before. I just normally have to leave really quickly. I've never been dragged out backwards. What a ride!' he said, smiling.
I smiled back. I had never seen him smile, he was always so solemn. His teeth were brilliantly white and perfectly straight. I wanted to touch them.
His smile faded and he walked towards me.
'I could do anything I want to you now. You can't uninvite me because your gran invited me,' he said, menacingly.
He was close.
So close that I could feel the chill coming from his body. My heart began to race in my chest and I felt the heat between my legs turned wet. He licked his lips and tilted his head, staring at my neck. He was going to bite me, going to drain my blood and I wanted it. I wanted his pain, his feral rage, wanted him inside me, sucking the lifeblood from my neck. I would die happy.