by Amy Sumida
“This person will undoubtedly strike again,” Ava finally spoke. “When they do, I will be here, and that will prove my innocence.”
“Hardly,” I scoffed. “We already assumed that you had an accomplice who was stronger than you. They could keep this going without your help.”
Ava swallowed visibly, and then sighed. “What do you want me to do?”
“Nothing too nefarious,” Declan promised gleefully. “In fact, if Galen is innocent, you'll do nothing at all; just spend a few days with him.”
“And if he isn't?” She asked.
“While you're there, you will search his environment,” Declan ordered. “We will be conducting our own investigation and surveillance. If any of us uncover proof of Galen's involvement, or if his cohorts show up, we will apprehend him and anyone involved.”
“Apprehend?” She asked hopefully.
“And imprison them until we're sure they are guilty,” Declan left the fatal implication hanging unsaid.
“Okay,” Ava whispered. “I'll do it.”
“I'll make the preparations.” Declan ushered Gage and me out the door, not giving Ava the chance to change her mind.
Declan locked the cell with an ominous click, passed the key ring back to the guard, and then herded us upstairs. Once Declan has a direction plotted, he likes to get moving right away.
“We're going to kill them, right?” Gage asked Declan. “We're not just going to lock them in one of your pretty prisons?”
“If Galen and his possible ally are guilty, then yes”—Declan shot Gage a ferocious look—“we're going to kill them.”
“That's all I needed to hear,” Gage declared with just as much ferocity.
Chapter Forty-One
As smarmy as he was, Duke Kieran was also competent, so I had left him in charge of Kyanite in my absence. He'd been handling things before I took control, so I figured he was the best choice for the job. I couldn't fault the guy for hitting on me in the hopes of keeping his position. He was a fairy, after all; he probably thought the sex would be a bonus. I'd let Kieran continue as he was for now, but if he messed with me, things would go badly for him.
I should have gone to check on Kieran in person, but I ended up being strapped for time. So, I contacted him via charm and got a report on how things were going. He sounded pleased as punch and sweetly informed me that Kyanite was running smoothly and he intended to keep it that way. I knew he was trying to become my right-hand man since he'd struck out at becoming my third lover, but again, I couldn't fault him for it. No one wanted to give up a high position. So, I praised Kieran for a job well done and asked him to keep up the good work. He verbally preened.
I sighed as I let the contact charm slip back down on its chain.
“You sounded like a general manager in a department store,” Banning observed.
We were in Lawrence again. When Cerberus had first sent me to Kansas, I'd been reluctant to go. Now, I looked forward to it. Oh, the irony. The purpose of this trip was for me to check in with Banning and spend some time with Gage and him together. Banning and Declan thought it might help Gage if he got to know them individually with me as a buffer. So, Declan had stayed in Alexandrite to monitor Ava's mission while I headed over to the Crouching Lion with Gage.
“That was Kieran, the guy I left in charge of Kyanite,” I explained.
“That pretty boy who wants to get into your panties?” Banning teased as he handed Gage a beer.
“There's a pretty boy who wants to have sex with you?” Gage growled with narrowed eyes.
We were sitting on Banning's private balcony, on the third floor of the country club; the third floor above ground, that is. Not only did Banning have a suite to himself below ground, but he also had the top floor of the building for his personal use. He had a great view of the golf course, the surrounding woods, and the city in the distance.
“I think he's more concerned with getting on my throne than in my underwear,” I corrected Banning as I waved down Gage. “Or the king's throne, at least.”
“Politics,” Gage muttered, then took a sip of his beer. “This is good,” he said in surprise and then read the bottle's label. “Ale?”
“That's right.” Banning chuckled and took the seat beside Gage instead of the one next to me.
I lifted a brow at Banning.
“I already know you, Ellie,” Banning said. “You're both here so I can get to know Gage better. Besides, your throat is looking too tempting at the moment.”
“Should I not have let you drink from me?” I asked with concern.
“I can control myself,” Banning said gently. “I'm not newly blooded.”
“You drank from her?” Gage asked casually.
“Once,” Banning said, “and it was the most decadent blood I've ever tasted.”
“Aw, thanks, sweetie.” I smiled.
“But now you crave it?” Gage lifted a thick brow at Banning.
“I crave blood anyway.” Banning shrugged. “I'm a blooder; that's our thing. But yes; Elaria's blood was... intoxicating. I think it may have made me stronger.”
“Well, she is a powerful beneather,” Gage offered. “Have you drunk from a supernatural before?”
“Just my blood-sire,” Banning said thoughtfully.
“Will my blood change you?” I asked in shock. “We never considered that possibility.”
“Of course it will change him,” Gage huffed. “Blood is life and magic. You essentially gave Banning an injection of immortality and power.”
“A magical transfusion,” I murmured as I stared at Banning pensively.
“Whatever will be, will be,” Banning said suddenly, with more gaiety than was warranted.
Banning was shaken, but he didn't want to show it in front of Gage, so I let it go.
“We're here for me to get to know you, not discuss a possible change in my life,” Banning said to Gage.
Gage's eyes widened as he warily asked, “You really want to get to know me?”
“This relationship we have with Elaria is unusual,” Banning said. “But as soon as Declan and I decided that Elaria was more important to us than our pride, then the spell united us. Declan and I are good now; we have a bond through Elaria. He's become a brother to me, perhaps more than that even; we are kindred spirits with the same purpose driving us. But you are different, Gage; you don't love Elaria yet, so your acceptance of this didn't bring you into the fold, as it were.”
“Her and I need to love each other to save her.” Gage nodded. “I know this already.”
“That's not my point,” Banning protested. “What I'm trying to say is that Declan and I were at odds with each other before the spell, but we both loved Elaria. The spell is what got us over our differences. You, on the other hand, are in the middle of your romance, and so we have an opportunity to become closer than even Declan and I. We can become friends before the spell bonds us.”
Gage started to smile and then lifted his bottle to Banning. “Here's to new friendships.”
“New friendships.” Banning clicked Gage's bottle and then winked at me. “You and Kyanite aren't going to be the only legendary team.”
“Legendary,” Gage whispered and then angled a look my way. “The more time I spend with you, Ela, the more I like how our future looks.”
“Ela?” I asked.
“I'm just trying out a nickname,” he teased me with my own words. “I'll let you know when I decide on one.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Ava spent five days with Galen in San Jose, California. We had a team of shining ones watching Galen and the area, but the Coven sent in witches to assist us after I informed them of our plan. There was no way anyone could have slipped past all of those magical watchers. And no one did; no one interrupted Ava and Galen's long visit. I was told that most of it was spent in the bedroom.
So, it was especially shocking when I received a call on my contact charm, early in the morning, to inform me that monsters were invading E
arth yet again.
I was in Kyanite with my men. Yes; I'd finally made time to return to my kingdom. Gage was in bed with me while Banning and Declan were in their own tower rooms. We had spent the last two days in Kyanite, and it had gone well. The men had hung out together, doing whatever it is males do to bond in Tír na nÓg, while I handled kingdom business. I no longer wondered what kept Torin and Declan occupied all day; I experienced the intricacies of running a shining one court firsthand. There were endless decisions to be made, support sent and received from our villages, and payments made to our troops and castle staff. On and on it went, filling my days until I wanted to cry “Uncle” and run for the shelter of my lovers.
The men weren't always off without me; they helped when they could. Declan was the biggest help, of course. He was able to guide me through the worst of court politics and recommend changes that might make Kyanite run even smoother than Kieran thought it did. The changes were small at first; guard schedules, storage implementation, and household expenditures—things like that. But they were stepping blocks to get me accustomed to the process of running the kingdom on my own. Declan was an excellent teacher, and I was dearly grateful for his guidance. But despite his assistance, I was still exhausted at the end of every day—mainly mentally—and by the time I had a little bedtime relaxation with my chosen companion for the evening, I was ready to fall into deep, dreamless slumber.
The chime woke me out of such a state, and I fumbled wildly on the bedside table for it. Gage came awake more quickly and reached across me to grab the charm. He pulled me into the curve of his body and then slid the charm in my ear. I sighed into the sexy feel of his manhood coming awake as well, rolling my ass against him. Gage growled as I answered the call.
“What the hell was that?” Vivian asked.
“Huh? Oh, nothing.” I held a finger to my lips to quiet Gage.
He smiled wickedly and rolled me onto my back, then started sucking ardently on my breast. I wrapped my legs around him and sighed.
“Uh-huh,” Vivian huffed. “Well, maybe you could stop doing Mr. Nothing and hop over to Coven Cay to help us deal with a basilisk.”
“A basilisk!” I shouted as I sat up straight, dislodging Gage.
“Yes; it's rather tenacious.” Vivian shouted something to someone else, and a roar of sound erupted. “If you could help us deal with the creature, we would appreciate it.”
“I'm on my way.”
I jumped out of bed and started yanking on some clothes; underwear, jeans, and a T-shirt. This wasn't the time to make pretty. Gage ran across the bridges to tell the others what was up, and they were back within minutes. As soon as everyone was ready to go, I grabbed Banning to take him with me while the other men used their own devices to travel to Coven Cay.
It looked a lot like the Sapphire War; fire and magic flared across the early morning sky as mini tornadoes swirled, and the earth shook. Witch magic may be slightly different than that of the Shining Ones, but the effects were similar, and they were equally lethal. The men and I went racing across the trembling terrain toward the center of the storm. All the witches of Coven Cay were in the main courtyard, making a concerted effort to drive back a beast that was nearly invincible.
A basilisk.
How anyone had managed to move this monster from Torr-Chathair to Coven Cay was beyond me. Getting him home again would be equally daunting. This wasn't a creature to sympathize with. This was a monster in every sense of the word; a beast born purely evil—even more evil than demons. The witches had tried long ago to wipe out the basilisks, but it proved to be an impossible task. The best you could hope for with basilisks was that they left you alone. Getting them to Torr-Chathair in the first place had been a nightmare. It had required the help of all the races of the Beneath; including the gods and the Shining Ones. Even with only one basilisk to deal with, I had my doubts that we'd be able to manage such a move today. It would be far easier to kill the beast. But how do you kill something covered in armor-like scales, with a gaze that can paralyze an immortal and kill a human?
I spotted Vivian and ran over to her. The basilisk's long, snake tail lashed out, obliterating stone walls as a horrible screech erupted from its beak. The spell inside me perked up in recognition; one rooster acknowledging another. Indeed, the basilisk had a rooster's head, but it was the most massive bird that had ever been birthed. Crimson eyes glowed with deadly power amid the thick, oily flesh of their lids. The basilisk's feathers were razor-sharp, fanning down its back around a blood-red crown of leathery flesh. Feathers met scale at the base of its neck, and the reptilian body flowed down to several pairs of short legs which moved the beast as fast as a centipede. A single glance was enough to chill your bones, and if you dared to stare longer, you ran the risk of those eyes focusing on you and literally scaring you stiff.
“There!” Vivian pointed to a balcony that overlooked the courtyard. “It's the library. Go and sing, Elaria. I don't care what song you choose, just do something. And take your men with you; I want you guarded.”
I nodded, not even bothering to waste time on words, and ran into the fortress. The men and I pounded up the steps, and with every thud of my feet, I discarded a possible song. I needed something to fight the un-fightable. Something strong enough to stand up to a basilisk. I inhaled sharply as it came to me, and a spark of hope ignited in my chest. Maybe this would work.
I rushed through the library as the men scanned the enormous room, just in case more monsters lurked within the book stacks. Being thorough was never a bad thing, but there were no enemies in the library; there was no one there at all besides us. It was eerily quiet; the only sounds were coming in through the closed French doors ahead of me. I ran towards them as I pulled my iPod out, but then I remembered that I didn't need it anymore... maybe. I got the song ready just in case the music-making magic of Kyanite wasn't able to cross the distance.
I shouldn't have worried. Kyanite may not be as strong on Earth as it was in Tír na nÓg, but it had gems here, and I was its queen. There were deposits of the stone within the earth and pieces of it strewn all over the surface. Being in my kingdom made me more powerful, but being out of it didn't cut me off. I just needed to ask for Kyanite to join me, and it did... eagerly.
The power of Kyanite surged into my body through the stone in my throat and mixed with my spellsinger magic as it rose in my chest. The two combined as they had in Tír na nÓg; with the ease of long-time lovers. They became one as they surged from my mouth, and music burst into life around me. The entire courtyard vibrated with the first pulsing notes of Ms Mr's “Bones,” and every living being turned their eyes to me.
Even the basilisk.
I focused my stare on the horizon as the ticking sound of tapped drums drew me forward into the beat of the music. The lyrics were haunting, going straight into the words that I needed most. I settled my eyes on my target and drove my power there; into the earth, deep into the arms of death.
The witches' graveyard.
I wove my magic around the old bones inside those ancient graves, and even the dust of bones long gone. I pulled them back together and fused them into solidity—those powerful witches whose magic lingered on in their dried-up remains. The souls were gone, but I didn't want them. The song called only to the bones; the remnants of the elders—some of the very witches who had crafted the relic. I felt them shiver—those old bones—and they rattled in their coffins.
The basilisk shrieked as earth exploded all over the graveyard, covering the sky with a fine film of dust for a moment. As the soil settled, the bones of my ancestors climbed from their graves like a macabre army; shredded clothes and rotting flesh still clinging to some of them. Others were just bare bones, clattering together as they moved to my magic.
The witches drew back in awe as their ancestors came to their defense. My voice echoed off the stone walls, drawing the noble dead closer, as the basilisk thrashed and lashed out. Its powerful claws thudded on the earth, and poison spewe
d from its mouth. It knew death was coming for it; the impossible was about to happen, and it faltered in confusion.
“Retreat!” Declan shouted to the witches. “Get your asses inside now!”
The witches looked from Declan to the dead and decided that the fairy king made a lot of sense. They ran for the safety of the fortress. Suddenly alone, the basilisk grew even more furious. His tail whipped at the building, smashing glass and stone with equal ease. Its screeching was climbing to an unbearable level, but it couldn't drown out my voice.
My vocals vibrated through the air, and the music was everywhere. The dead reached the courtyard and swarmed over the basilisk like fire ants. Bones dug deep, clinging to the crevices around the basilisk's scales to pull them free. The beast thrashed in pain, and I saw Gage grip the railing beside me anxiously. It was hard to watch an animal die, even an evil one. A beast is a beast; they know not our reason, and so you can never be certain what their motives are. And without motive, it's difficult to condemn anything.