by Winter Rose
“We know at the very least, she has been without one of her Ousias for twenty years—her entire lifespan; she shouldn’t be alive.” I mused aloud.
“Not even we are strong enough to live twenty years without drinking blood. Maybe she doesn’t have magic,” murmured Ehre.
I looked up over to Ehre’s disbelieving face and back to Luna. Her lips slightly parted, the color of rose petals, her breathing was deep and even. She was so small and beautiful, a porcelain doll. I paused, just gazing upon her face.
“Or maybe she is just that powerful,” I whispered.
Chapter Seventeen
My stiff body and dry throat indicated that I had been asleep for a long time. I squinted my eyes to make out shapes in a vaguely familiar room. I bolted upright instantly, my stomach rolling.
“Easy there, Luna,” a voice sounded from the shadows. I reached for my weapon under my pillow and realized that I was not in my room. Eros appeared from the shadows.
“Why am I in Magnar’s chambers?” I asked as he walked toward the bed.
His hair was wet; beads of water dripped from its ends and followed the hard planes of his abs toward the linen that was wrapped low around his hips.
“You hit your head and fainted.” Right, Luna, concentrate. “We brought you here so that we could keep an eye on your concussion.” Instinctively, I raised a hand to feel for the cut, but all that greeted me was soft, unmarked skin. Eros gave me a shy smile. “My blood healed you.”
My skin flushed at the memory, and I was suddenly very aware of what I was, or should I say was not, wearing. As if he could hear my thoughts, Eros’ eyes traveled down my body.
“Where are my clothes?” I asked, looking down at the tunic that grazed the tops of my thighs. It was white, and someone had rolled the extremely long sleeves up; the laces across my breasts were pulled tight. His eyes shifted to my face.
“Don’t worry, Luna; your handmaid May was able to dress you. My shirt was the closest thing; I hope you don’t mind …” He ran his hand nervously through his hair, which looked completely strange on the confident Siren. “You were freezing and covered in blood. The nightdress you wore was in tatters. None of us saw anything. We tried to let you bathe alone, but erm … you wanted us to stay.”
A sad smile was on his face.
“Things didn’t go exactly how we planned they would yesterday, and I was hoping you would allow us to explain everything?” He asked, obviously nervous I was about to run again. “I’m sure you are hungry. Some of your clothes are here. I will leave so you can change, and one of the guys will come to collect you.” He was nervously babbling; my fear melted away. I was safe here.
“Thanks.” My voice was hoarse, and my throat burned. I was completely famished, “I’m actually starving.”
“That’s normal after the amount of blood loss you have experienced.” He paused, looking like he wanted to say more. “I will see you soon, Luna.” He sighed.
I paced the lavish throws in Magnar’s living quarters as I mulled over the past twenty-four hours. Apart from a burning in my throat and hunger pangs, I felt great. It was hard to pinpoint what was different, but something inside of me had settled. I also had so much energy; I itched to train. After a dreamless sleep, I felt a renewed sense of calm.
Yesterday, I ran because it all seemed like an elaborate plot, most things that seem too good to be true usually are. Running is not in my nature, and I wanted to be a part of the Elites to fight for the good of the realms. This was a little more than I bargained for, but it was time to woman up.
My skin itched with nervous energy, and I couldn’t remember if Eros had told me to wait here or in my room. I walked toward the door and pulled it open. I was shocked to find Ehre standing there with his arm raised. His emerald eyes widened with surprise and relief maybe? Ehre’s signature arsehole snarl soon replaced it.
“Last night was proof that you need to learn control. At the moment your defenses are weak, and without tapping into your true potential, you are a mere mortal. He turned on his heel and began to retreat down the hallway. “Your visions were a warning from the goddesses, which you need to heed. Starting now, we will be training you every second of the day. You will need to push yourself because I will push you.”
He was dressed in soft brown animal skin trousers tucked into leather lace-up boots. His brown tunic had laces either side, and not a hair was out of place in his thick silver braids.
“The fact that stairs nearly defeated you shows how much you need to learn,” he spat.
What an arsehole.
“Good morning, Ehre. Why yes, I am feeling better, thanks for asking. I slipped. In case you didn’t realize, the circumstances weren’t exactly normal. I was in my nightdress, without shoes, and I was running for my life.” He stopped dead in the hallway, and I nearly collided into his back.
“Do you think your enemies will wait for you to be in full armor before trying to take you? Do you think that your life will never be in jeopardy again or that you will never be in another stressful situation?” He halted, closing his eyes, taking a deep breath before once again adorning his cold indifferent mask and continued. Looks like the Elf does feel.
“The world nearly lost you before you could even serve your purpose.” Shocked at the intensity that filled the Elf’s normally stoic glare, the witty comment that was my retort died on my lips. After looking over my face with his piercing green eyes, his mouth twitched down. With a puff, he pushed away from the wall and continued to walk satisfied with my silence. For now.
Ehre swore in Elvish as he stepped through the door, something on the other side obviously displeased him. I followed him through and was greeted by the strangest sight. A large table that looked set for a royal banquet stood in a lavish dining room. The stone walls were decorated with the clan’s tartan and gold-framed pictures.
“How did you sleep, Luna”? Eros asked me as he untucked a plush mahogany and satin chair at the head of the table. I looked across at the three Elites that stood as soon as I entered the room.
“Ridiculous,” Ehre muttered under his breath before taking a seat and biting into a bread roll. I nervously swallowed and walked around the table, forcing a smile as I sat into the chair. After Eros pushed my chair in, which was kind of awkward because I had to do a weird shuffle, the three men sat down.
Like it was rehearsed, smartly dressed servers entered the room carrying silver trays laden with freshly-baked bread and pastries. It smelled amazing.
“Is there any food that you do not eat, little thief?” Magnar gave me a dazzling smile.
“Oh no … I’ll eat anything,” I replied, and Eros chuckled.
“Ouch!” Eros pulled out his chair to rub his shin as he glowered at Vulcan.
“Good,” Magnar said, ignoring Eros.
“Thank you.” I smiled at a server who had just filled the goblet before me with wine. He had red hair and a crooked smile. His deep green eyes twinkled as he returned my smile.
“My pleasure, milady.” The sun had kissed his face leaving behind freckles; he was extremely handsome. I realized that he was still standing over me, staring.
A growl stole my attention away from the server and to the four men around the table. They were each practically vibrating with the dominant energy they were throwing off.
“You may leave,” Magnar’s voice dripped with warning. The server physically winced at the power that was pressing against him before bowing and leaving.
“What in the worlds was that about?” I whipped around, completely confused as I watched the four men attempted to get themselves under control. The server didn’t seem like a threat.
Steam was practically coming from Vulcan’s ears.
“I told you I could sense emotions. And his were not respectable.” He closed his eyes and deepened his breathing.
“You did that because he was looking at me?” I asked incredulously. “Let me make this perfectly clear. I am my own woman, and just because
we all happen to be magically connected, it does not give you the right to control who can talk to me!”
“Luna, he was giving off powerful mating signals,” Vulcan argued.
“He could have gotten on the floor and proposed for us to have a mating ceremony, and it wouldn’t give you the right to frighten him away,” I chastised the glowering giant.
“We are your Guardians, Luna. Our sole purpose is to keep you safe,” Magnar tried to reason.
“Did he mean to endanger my life?” I looked across the four morons and found Ehre with his signature smirk. Nobody replied. “I don’t need your help telling men I am not interested in mating with them. I can do that myself.” Something seemed to satisfy the men, and the energy in the room eased considerably.
“So, you finally believe we are connected, and you are what we said you were?” Magnar’s eyes lit up.
“It is hard to wrap my head around it all, but yes, I do believe you are telling me the truth.” The king visibly relaxed before he nodded to the remaining servers to leave the room.
“Did throwing yourself down five flights of stairs finally knock some sense into you?” Ehre lifted a goblet to his lips.
“I had another … vision.”
Magnar raised his hand to stop the onslaught questions that were about to follow.
“Let us eat. Luna needs her strength; we can talk about everything when our bellies are full.”
I looked over the different foods and lifted a brow.
“You eat like this every morning?”
Ehre snorted, “Not in all of the years that I have known these fools.” A thump sounded under the table, and Ehre glowered at Magnar.
“We thought that you would prefer to eat here; we normally break our fast on the move, but you are our m—erm, guest, and we shall honor you as one.” Magnar smiled, and thousands of butterflies took flight within me.
“Why isn’t anybody eating?” I shifted under their gaze.
Ehre snorted once more before he tore into another piece of bread.
“They are waiting for you to begin, being a lady, of course.” My hand twitched as I held back the urge to throw a fork at his head.
Sighing, I picked up a hunk of bread and slathered it in butter. Eyes never left my movements as I popped the fresh bread into my mouth. A tut from Ehre seemed to snap them out of a trance, and they also began eating. I let out a breath that I forgot I was holding. Touchy, stupid alpha males.
Sitting at the head of the table, I could see each one of the men’s faces, and I lowered my eyes when they caught Vulcan’s unwavering gaze.
“So, Luna, have you thought of any questions that you would like to ask of us?” Eros thankfully cut the tension. I had a million questions, but now with four sets of eyes on me, I couldn’t think of a single one.
“Can I have water?” I blurted out, gaining several confused looks.
“Is the wine not to your taste, Luna?” Eros arched his brow.
“I don’t normally drink, especially not in the morning. Besides, I’m sure that Magnar spiked my wine with his blood yesterday.” My face flamed as I remembered my body’s reaction to the wine I drank to toast. It was not too dissimilar to the way I reacted when I had drunk from Eros. I realized that it must have been spiked with wine this morning.
Eros nearly spat out his drink, laughing, “Nothing gets past this one.” I looked over at Magnar, who was currently smirking,
“Wait, you did?” I squeaked.
“It was just a matter of security, little thief; I do this with all my new and graduating Recruits.” Magnar took a long slow gulp of his drink that filled a golden goblet. “Once my blood enters another’s body, I can feel their emotions. Happiness, sadness, anger, excitement.” He took another sip. “This means that I can detect where their loyalties lie, and if they are spies for the Rebels.”
“Wait, so you can feel everything that I am feeling right this second”? I looked across at their faces in panic.
After a few painstaking seconds, Vulcan’s deep voice filled the air, “Vampire’s blood doesn’t work like that Luna. When the blood is fresh in your system, Magnar can feel your emotions. The effects will wear off after a few hours.”
“That is how you knew about the dream?” My voice broke at the end of the sentence as a chill crept down my spine.
“Yes. Please do not think that I was prying into your emotions. They were just so strong; I was out of my door before I realized,” Magnar said.
Breathing out a shaky breath, I looked over the rest of their faces.
“But how did you all know? I didn’t drink your blood too, did I? Was it in the mead?” Gods, they all knew what I was thinking when I danced with them!
Eros laughed, “No, Luna. We all felt Magnar’s concern.” He looked over at the group, and a silent agreement was made. “We are always able to hear and feel one another. We are bonded. We were made a unit, to fight and protect the goddesses’ last Vessel.” Nobody spoke; they were allowing me to absorb the information and ask questions.
“When I bond with you all, will you be able to read my mind?” I asked. Everyone stopped eating. I lifted my head to find each one of the men frozen, the intent way they looked at me made my skin prickle.
“We do not know what will happen when we bond with you exactly. According to the prophecy, once we bond with you, we will be more powerful than ever. We will also awaken your own power,” replied Eros.
It was so silent. You could hear other signs of life within the castle, birds cheeping on the other side of the frosted glass window. But in here, everyone was holding their breath, waiting for me to run again.
“That’s what she said. Aphrodite, I mean. She said that each of you would awaken a channel of power within me, but how …what?”
Each of them looked dumbfounded.
“Did our girl just say, Aphrodite? As in the goddess Aphrodite?” Everyone looked from Eros back to me.
“Care to explain?” Ehre deadpanned.
“When I fell, I died.” They all shouted questions, and I waited for them to halt so that I could continue. I retold the vision; my voice stayed surprisingly strong. The four stony gazes hung on my every word until I had finished.
“Balhar is alive?” Ehre’s voice cracked with emotion, his expression a dagger to my heart.
“He was strung up and bloodied, and it looked like they were torturing him but yes...he is alive.” A tear ran down my face as I remembered the scene.
“Where was he?” Ehre asked, a mad panic filling his eyes.
“I … I do not know,” I whispered.
“You mean you didn’t think to ask where he was?” He looked desperate. “Who held him captive then?” I looked down at my full plate. “You don’t know anything?” he asked incredulously. “How are we supposed to rescue him if you tell us nothing?” He was shouting now; his knuckles whitened at his sides.
Magnar banged his hand down on the table, making everything on it shake. Ehre shut his mouth.
“Luna,” His voice was calm and strong. He touched the flesh on my wrist with his rough fingers. “What can you remember of where he was held? Was he in a cell?” I sighed, unable to recall any vivid details.
“A dungeon, maybe?” I said hesitantly.
Ehre stood knocking his chair forcefully against the wall.
“There must be more! What are you not telling us? You need to think, dammit!”
“I told you all I could remember.” I knew I sounded pathetic.
He began to walk toward me with a crazed look in his eye.
“You can’t remember?” I stood, my hand on a butter knife. “Our brother is being held prisoner and all you can tell us it may be in a dungeon! You will think before I …” Vulcan’s hand lashed out, stopping Ehre from approaching further.
“Vulcan,” Ehre hissed as the Dragon’s hand wrapped around his throat. “It is because of her he is in this mess!” Ehre tried to move toward me once more, but Vulcan’s grip tightened.
&nbs
p; “Sit. Down.” Each word that was forced from the Dragon’s lips came out in a ragged command. I could feel his energy signal crash against Ehre like an avenging wave. Ehre whispered something in Elvish, and a green mist surrounded him. The room seemed fit to burst containing the pair’s powers.
“He will not harm her, Vulcan; will you, Ehre?” Magnar placed his hand on Vulcan’s shoulder and his head twisted around so that I could now see his eyes. I tried to suppress a cry. Where Vulcan’s normally obsidian eyes were, two reptilian slits had replaced them, surrounded by the color of fire.
The black tattoos on his skin danced, moving up his neck and arms. When I looked closer, I could see they looked like scales—Dragon scales. They moved to cover every inch of his skin but as soon as they covered a surface, they receded.
Eros stepped in front of me, shielding me with his body. Vulcan’s beast growled, unable to define who in the room was a threat. The scale tattoos reached his jawline.
“Easy brother, I am just protecting her.” Eros kept his voice pitched low. Vulcan’s eyes glowered, but he made no move forward, and the tattoos receded a little.
“Let him go, brother,” Magnar’s voice was soft.
“He will not touch my mate!” Vulcan’s heaving voice sounded nothing like his own.
“Tell him your fine.” Magnar sounded worried. It was like everything had stopped.
“Did he just say I was his …”
“Just do it, Luna, before he kills his brother and regrets it for the rest of his existence.” Magnar was extremely concerned. I looked over to Ehre, who didn’t seem the slightest bit fazed until you reached his eyes.
“Luna, Ehre will not use his powers against Vulcan, if he does his Dragon will see him as more of a threat. You need to show him that you’re fine!” Eros said.
I stepped forward, and both heads turned toward me.
“Vulcan,” my voice croaked weakly. “He won’t harm me, Vulcan. I’m fine, just look.” I opened my arms. He looked back down at Ehre before letting go of his throat. I didn’t move an inch while he walked around the table to stand behind me, my back burned at his nearness. He then bent down so that his chin touched my neck.