Chosen Destiny

by Rebecca Airies

  Chosen Destiny

  Rebecca Airies

  Meagan’s village is under attack and she’s been accused of being a spy. Refusing to let her home fall to the Dark Sorcerer, she has no choice but to take up the weapons of her ancestors. Dealing with the two gorgeous men who come to aid her in the fight is another matter.

  Samiel and Jaeson came to fight, but finding the woman whose magic matches theirs surprises them, as does her reaction. She’s so focused on the battle that she barely seems to notice the pair. With kisses and sensual caresses, they turn her attention to the desire building between all three of them.

  Meagan’s tempted by their seductive touch, but defining her place in their life is difficult and time’s running out. The Dark Sorcerer has to be stopped before Meagan is free to discover if Samiel and Jaeson are offering forever…or a moment in time.

  An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

  www.ellorascave.com

  Chosen Destiny

  ISBN 9781419928079

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Chosen Destiny Copyright © 2010 Rebecca Airies

  Edited by Helen Woodall

  Cover art by Syneca

  Electronic book publication June 2010

  The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

  Chosen Destiny

  Rebecca Airies

  Dedication

  For those who make the hard choices and push through in spite of the odds. Thank you.

  Chapter One

  Meagan Danae panted as she sprinted down the street. Her feet slipped on the stone paving as she rounded the corner and she skidded, nearly falling. Her heartbeat jumped up another notch and fear lurched through her. She couldn’t fall. They’d kill her. She’d never thought she’d have to flee Apolin like this.

  Her black hair whipped across her face. She didn’t take time to brush the thick strand out of her way. She had to keep moving. Hurt, betrayal and confusion mixed inside her. She dashed down the street, dodging carts and people. The only good thing about an occupied street was that they wouldn’t hurl any energy bolts here. Her shields wouldn’t take too much more battering. She had to get out of here. She jumped forward creating a tunnel right in front of her.

  Landing on her feet in a soft grassy meadow, Meagan turned and waited a few moments until she could be certain they hadn’t followed her. She grimaced. She’d left the village because she knew they probably wouldn’t follow. They’d been zealous and she really didn’t want to have to start taking the offensive. They were her sect sisters. She didn’t want to hurt any of them.

  Her stomach felt heavy and her jaw ached. She couldn’t understand how this had happened. After returning from a scouting mission, she’d been practically accused of being a spy or a Dark Sorceress by the elders of the Hanir sect. Before she’d even had a chance to defend herself a group of younger witches had burst into the room and started trying to kill her. Not wanting to hurt anyone, she’d run. Sadness and pain weighed heavily in her chest. She hadn’t done anything to deserve that kind of suspicion.

  Thrusting her hand through her hair, she looked around the area. Trees fronted two sides of the meadow giving it an air of security. A small stream cut across the grassy expanse. Drawing the sharp tang of sap and spring air into her lungs, she tried to calm down and push away the hurt. She had to think. No matter if they couldn’t follow her here, she had to move. There were things she had to do.

  Sometimes life makes the choices. Meagan could practically hear her older sister’s voice. She just wished she could talk to her sister or her brothers right now, but she had no idea where exactly any of them were at the moment. She’d have to do this on her own and she couldn’t waste time. More merdanons were coming. She had managed to tell them that, but since they doubted her loyalty they probably hadn’t believed her. There was little hope that any of the dragons or vampires would show to help tonight. They hadn’t answered any of the other calls for aid and there hadn’t been any sightings of the dragons in the air.

  Meagan licked her lips and raised her hand to the amulet at her neck. She didn’t know if she was the one meant to take up the weapons, but she had to try. In spite of what had happened she couldn’t just let the merdanons and Dark Sorcerers destroy the village. She had to try to help save the people from the attack.

  She looked around the grassy meadow. This wasn’t where she needed to be if she was going to try to take up the weapons of her ancestors. She took a deep breath and formed another tunnel. She stepped into it and felt the dizzying disorientation.

  She was hurled into bright sunlight a moment later. As she exited the tunnel, she took a few steps trying to deal with the momentum. Her toe caught on a rock. She stumbled and fell to one knee on the rocky ground. Standing, she grimaced as her knee stung and she saw the torn gray cloth. She ignored it. She had more important things to worry about right now. Looking around, she chose the path that seemed to be heading upward. She had only ever read of the old temple and looked at old maps of this region. This wasn’t a region where the Hanir sect held power.

  Huge trees grew alongside the rough, rocky path. The leaves formed an almost solid canopy overhead, giving the path a shadowed, closed-in feel. She wished the cover wasn’t quite so thick but at least she could still see. She just hoped she was on the right path. This could take some time and that was something she wasn’t sure she had.

  When the trail became steeper she was fairly sure she’d chosen he right direction. She kept climbing and kept her eye out for wild animals. A volk or a necalot could do a lot of damage before she managed a spell to stop them if she didn’t see them first. She had no desire to be bitten or clawed. The chatter of trimoks in the trees was a little reassuring. She saw one of the small feathered animals swoop down and snatch an insect off the branches. They wouldn’t be so noisy or relaxed if there was a predator in the area.

  The air was heavy with the crisp scent of the dicanan trees and the moisture of a building storm. Her shirt clung to her skin, dampened by her sweat. She followed the curving path up until it finally stopped near the entrance to a cave. She smiled and relaxed a little as relief flowed through her. This was where she needed to be.

  Two columns had been carved out of the stone and stood one each side of the opening. She created an orb of light and tossed it into the air. The light bobbed and then floated in front of her as she started into the dark opening. The dark gray rock tunnel narrowed a bit and then opened into a large cavern. It was obvious the temple was still used by the local sect of witches.

  The rock walls had been carved into scenes and images from floor to ceiling. Some of the reliefs still bore the paint of a r
ecent ceremony. The statues placed around the room were draped in the finest cloth. Bowls of flowers and fruit rested on a marbled rock altar in front of a huge stone warrior. She walked past the altar to the giant statue behind it. Placing her hands on the large pedestal beneath the great warrior’s feet, she sent a surge of power into the stone. The stone moved beneath the statue’s feet. She waited as the stone block moved backward.

  The dark square opening in the floor loomed in front of her. Waiting only for the bobbing ball of light to float into the gap, she stepped down into the hole. The dark gray walls showed etched scenes of battle and everyday life in the age of the ancient kings. She continued down the long hallway to the door covered with painted scenes. She slipped her family seal off her necklace. She took a deep breath and placed the seal in the small depression in the center of the door. This was the test. Was she the one meant to take the weapons? If she wasn’t, she wouldn’t even be able to open the door.

  The symbol slowly began to glow and the door swung open. She let out a slow breath. She didn’t know what she would have done if it hadn’t opened. Somehow, she’d have had to find a way to help the other witches defend the small town. She couldn’t just walk away from the village.

  She stepped forward and gazed in awe at the weapons covering the walls and the large stone table in the center of the room. There were so many of them. How was she ever supposed to know which one to pick? She walked around the room slowly. Her eyes ran over the weapons on the table, but she didn’t see anything that caught her eye. She moved to the back wall and looked at the blades there. A sword caught her eye. The blade was straight and shone in the white light. It wasn’t silver like many of the other weapons. The blade was golden with silver etching. She reached for it and the matching knife. Power pulsed from the sword leaving her hands tingling as it raced up her arm. The energy rolled through her straight to the core of her power. Her own magic swelled and responded. Energy surged through her to the sword. She stood there feeling the mingling of the two distinct powers. That had been strange but nothing had ever felt so right.

  She kept the weapons in her hands, not wanting to lose the feel of their weight just yet. At the door, she awkwardly pulled her seal free of the door using the tips of two fingers to nudge it loose and stepped out into the hallway as the door swung slowly shut. There was a slight creaking noise, but the door moved smoothly. She began walking down the tunnel to the stairs. Her mind was already racing ahead to the battle. Going up the stairs, she sent a pulse into the stone base and stepped back as it slid over the opening to the vault.

  Now she had to get back to the village. She really didn’t expect to have to hide. Although the witches who’d chased her probably hadn’t realized the truth yet, merdanons would probably be attacking the town before the sun fully set. The village was small and made the perfect target for the dark sorcerer and his merdanons. It was isolated from the large cities and the aid the people needed. There was another small village nearby, but it had also been trying to withstand the attacks of the Dark Sorcerer and couldn’t offer any help. After the battle was finished, she knew she’d have some decisions to make. She didn’t know if she’d be staying at the village, but part of her had to know why the elders had questioned her loyalty.

  Meagan formed a tunnel and stepped into it. Beams of silver and white streaked through the blackness surrounding her. The ride felt dizzyingly fast and she had to take two extra steps to catch herself. A scream rippled through the air, startling her. She stepped forward leaving the alley without hesitation. Time to face the merdanons.

  Meagan didn’t have to go far to find one of the Dark Sorcerer’s minions. Pale gray skin gleamed in the dim light from the moon. She didn’t need to see the vacant black eyes or the sharp blades at the huge beast’s hands and feet to know what she was facing. It was impossible to mistake a merdanon for anything else. The Dark Sorcerer’s creations were unique.

  She saw the merdanon pressing forward, cornering a woman. From her position, she couldn’t see the woman, but she did see the glow of a light orb. She wasn’t quite sure what she was supposed to do, but knew she had to help. There hadn’t been any instructions on how to tap into the power. She tried summoning an energy orb and directing it through the sword, but the orb just flared around the pommel of the sword and went into the walls of the building. She tapped the sword against her thigh.

  How, by the Lady’s robes, am I supposed to do this? Power stirred inside her. She froze. Experimentally she moved the sword from side to side. The energy built traveling through her to the sword. As she swung the sword, the energy coalesced near the tip and flew off. The mass of magic hit the merdanon. It howled and spun to face her. She exhaled, a little thankful for the Dark Sorcerer’s lack of effort. It wasn’t shielded. She whipped the sword back and forth, gathering power. A sizzling white orb flew down the street and hit the merdanon. It toppled to the ground.

  Meagan’s eyes met the wide, astonished gaze of Talia Sarash, elder of the sect. Dressed in a flowing white shirt and gray pants, the elder seemed comfortable in the casual clothes. The woman’s gray-and-black hair hung wildly about her face. The elder looked relieved and astonished.

  “I wondered where you’d gone. I knew you wouldn’t just leave the village. Even after the way what should have been a few questions turned into a disaster.” Talia slowly walked forward.

  “My family has defended this village for generations. After it’s safe, I’ll decide what I’m going to do.” Meagan dropped to a knee and following the pull of the blades, drove the dagger into the arm of the fallen merdanon. The large armor-skinned beast dissolved into a fine dust as power flowed into her. Her heart raced and she took a few breaths just trying to get used to the feeling. That was strange and she’d never expected anything like that.

  “We just had some questions, Meagan. There were coincidences and some gossip.” Talia edged forward. “No one but the elders and you were ever supposed to know about it.”

  “Rumors. I don’t know how I was supposed to have time to contact others, much less opportunity. I was always scouting and seldom alone.” Meagan shook her head and rose.

  “Well that question is settled now. There’s no way you could hold those weapons and be in any way evil,” Talia offered with a conciliatory smile.

  Meagan just raised an eyebrow. That was small comfort after being chased by that mob. She looked down the street, trying to decide which way to go. It probably didn’t matter much. There’d be merdanons on the street no matter which way she went. It was early in the fight.

  “Do you mind if I go with you? I don’t want another incident like what happened earlier.” Talia met her eyes.

  Meagan took a deep breath. As angry as she was, she could still see the sense of the suggestion. The presence of the elder would stop another attack. Clearing the village would be hard enough. She didn’t need the hassle of fighting other witches. She nodded.

  “Has there been any sign of dragons or vampires coming to aid in the fight?” Meagan began to walk slowly down the street.

  Talia fell into step beside her. “No, nothing. There hasn’t been any message of any kind. You didn’t expect there to be any help. You’d have never taken up the weapons if you had.”

  The elder was right. Meagan had held little hope that the vampires or dragons might make an appearance. She knew that the village was too small, too isolated and too far away from the dragon and vampire protection to warrant even yearly visits. It was their absence in the face of the repeated requests for help that concerned her. If nothing had gotten through the passes, then there should at least be a check by one of the larger Hanir sects in the city of Amaes.

  “Are all the villagers safe?” Meagan asked.

  “Yes they’re safe.” Talia’s voice held relief. “When the merdanons were spotted, we began moving the villagers out.”

  Meagan felt a little relief, but she didn’t have time to let the feeling settle. Rounding a corner, she saw two merdanons lum
bering down the street. Behind them, gaping holes and crumbling walls marked the beasts’ path.

  She took a deep breath. The strange power inside her seemed to swirl inside her, not building, but staying the same. Her hands tightened around the hilts of her weapons. A bit of nervousness skimmed through her and her stomach lurched. She didn’t know how she’d handle two of them. The weapons were so new to her and she had no idea exactly what she’d be able to do with them. Or how much power she’d be able to take. The details of her abilities as a Tiria were a mystery. She’d never thought she’d be called to take the weapons or that she’d be able to get to them. She’d always known that it took more than the right bloodlines to get into one of those chambers. Fate played a huge part in it.

  The merdanons advanced closer. She shifted her stance a little wider and pushed more power into her shields. She didn’t want to chance them coming down when the merdanons battered them. Licking her lips, she swung her sword. An orb of light flew off the tip of the sword. The glowing white-silver ball raced down the street. It flared as it hit the gray-skinned creation. Both beasts roared and moved toward her. She was just glad that there wasn’t a Dark Sorcerer behind them. They’d be much more difficult to defeat if there were.

  If this attack followed the pattern of the other assaults on the small town, there would be plenty of merdanons, but the Dark Sorcerer wouldn’t enter the village walls. Meagan wondered why the attacks kept happening. The Dark Sorcerer might not have a reason for one attack, but five meant that this wasn’t random. He had to want something even if it was just to make them leave the area. The village didn’t have great wealth and wasn’t well-known as many cities and towns were. Some reason was behind all of this effort.