by Leilani Love
The man in front laughed. “You’re a woman, it doesn’t matter if you welcome us or not.”
Her mother pulled out a sword from a slit in her dress, and Aithne’s heart swelled with pride. “Woman or not, you will lose blood if you don’t leave here now.”
The men chuckled and her sisters both pulled out swords as well. They were smaller and lighter than their mother’s, and made for a woman’s hand. As if on silent command, the men quickly surrounded her mother and sisters. The sound of metal hitting metal echoed off the walls and made her small body shake. Covering her mouth to keep from crying out as she watched the battle play out before her, Aithne knew what was going to happen. The men kept pouring in, and there was no way her family could win.
Unable to find anything based on just her name, Viktor tried one more time before going to check on his prisoner. His dragon close to the surface, he heard whimpering coming from behind the door that led to her cell. Opening the main door that lead down to the cells carefully, he used his dragon to help him see better in the dark. He noticed Aithne tossing in her sleep and motioned for the guard to stay up at the top of the stairs and close the door.
Mindful not to wake her as he walked down the staircase, he carefully unlocked the door and entered her cell. The words she spoke in her sleep were a mixture of very old Gaelic and broken English. Sitting next to her, he gently brushed her hair back and heard her cry for her mother and sisters in Gaelic.
Wanting to learn more about her, he encouraged her to talk, whispering soft words of comfort. When she curled up in a tight a ball next to him, his heart clenched in sympathy. Listening, he heard, “Please Goddess, help my mother and sisters, those men are hurting them, please help. The men are on top of them. Please, oh please make it stop.”
The words were very childlike and he knew whatever dream she was currently having, was most likely a recollection from her past. “Shh, Aithne, it’s okay. You’re fine.” Her long red hair felt like silk under his hand and he continued to gently brush it back as he tried to wake her up.
Aithne’s bright green eyes flew open, and she sat up quickly, looking disoriented and confused. Viktor saw the tears still running down her face and wrapped his arm around her as he continued to stroke her hair, making comforting noises. For a brief moment her body relaxed, but he could tell when she finally recalled where she was, because she stiffened in his arms. Pulling back, Aithne ran her fingers through her hair. Viktor and his dragon, instantly found themselves missing the feeling of her in his arms.
“What’re you doing?” Aithne asked, watching him wearily, her eyes going to the door that he forgot to lock when he came in.
Viktor growled, letting her know he knew what she was thinking. “Even if you get past me, there are several guards at the top of the stairs. Not to mention the ones both in and out of my house.” He almost smiled when he heard her sigh loudly.
“You didn’t answer my question, what are you doing here? Can’t a girl sleep in peace?”
Rubbing the back of his neck, he smiled. Finding her annoyance rather amusing, he was glad she was no longer reliving her past. “It sucks when you ask someone a simple question and they don’t answer you.”
Aithne huffed, and he threw back his head laughing at her reaction. When he stopped laughing, Aithne’s eyes were shooting sparks at him and the look on her face let him know she didn’t appreciate being laughed at. “You speak Gaelic very well, my fiery one. Should I ask you how you learned?”
Viktor leaned toward her, bringing his face close to hers. Aithne’s beautiful green eyes widened in surprise, and he could feel her breath on his lips. “I can’t help you, if you don’t tell me what’s going on.”
Aithne ran her tongue over her lips, coming so close to Viktor’s mouth, he felt his body respond as if she had actually licked him. When Viktor saw her pulse quicken, he knew she had noticed his reaction to her simple movement.
“Whoever said I needed your help? I’m not some weak girl who needs to be saved.”
Viktor felt his lips curl in a smile at her words and he glanced around the cell as if to remind her of where she was. “Well, if you don’t need any help, I’ll just let you be then.”
Viktor got up and headed to the door, locking it behind him. Turning, he looked at her as she sat in the middle of the bed. Aithne rolled her eyes and laid back down, her back to him as she pulled the covers up over her shoulders. Taking that as a sign he had been dismissed, Viktor walked back up the stairs. Viktor headed back toward his wing to think about the things she’d said in her sleep, and to try to figure out what he was going to do with this stubborn girl.
Chapter 27
Aithne kept her back to him, pulling the blanket up and over her shoulder, hoping he would just get a clue. When she finally heard the door close, she closed her eyes taking a slow deep breath. When he woke her from her dream, it took a moment to realize she was not under the floorboards, witnessing her mother and sisters’ rape. She was so grateful that she could lean on him.
Every part of her wanted to stay in his arms. She had never felt so safe in her entire life. She had lived such a long time, and no man had ever made her feel so protected. But she couldn’t let him, or anyone else see her weakness, and she forced herself to pull back.
She knew she would have to figure out what to do soon. Lazzaro would be waiting to hear from her. What was she supposed to do? Could she trust them? She had seen the bond between Violca and her sisters. She thought they would surely understand. Aithne had forgotten how her sisters had saved her. Not once, but twice. She would need to talk to Violca and maybe she would help. If not, she would have to escape and come up with a plan on her own.
Having decided that talking to Violca , but making sure she had a backup plan was the best course of action, she went over what she knew about the house and grounds. She had years of training. Escaping wouldn’t be easy, but she could and would if Violca turned her down. Her mind worked quickly, putting a plan together. She didn’t want to kill anyone, but she would do what was necessary to protect her family. With all these thoughts roaming through her mind, her eyes began closing, and she slowly drifted off back sleep.
Viktor headed to his suites, taking the stairs two at a time. The image of Aithne curled up asleep and the sound of her voice played over and over in his head. She was speaking a very old form of Gaelic that no one had spoken in a few hundred years. If she was human, there was no way she could have been alive that long.
From the words she was saying, her mother and sisters protected her from something horrible. She sounded like a young girl who had witnessed things her mind didn’t totally comprehend, but he as a grown man, did. Viktor’s heart ached, and he understood better why she would do anything for her sister.
Stripping off his clothes, he climbed into his bed. His dragon nudged him, wanting him to go back downstairs to her. It had felt good when she relaxed in his arms, but she had quickly recovered and pulled back. For a moment, he thought she was going to open up to him, but instead she surprised him and fought him at every turn. He loved that she stood up to him. Aithne knew who he was, and she wasn’t scared of him.
Rolling to his side, he let out a frustrated breath. He should be asleep, but instead he lay there wondering about the girl locked away downstairs. Wondering who she was and what exactly had brought her into their lives. Was it that capturing Chase would be the surest way to get the sisters out of the house? Nothing would keep them apart, and the sisters would do anything for each other. He was a little curious how it came to be that Aithne was chosen to kidnap Chase. The fact that they all had thought she was human, and obviously a woman, had led them into a false sense of security.
There was more to her than she let on. She was definitely a skilled fighter, and knew things about them that a human would not. He didn’t think she was a hunter. Even now, she didn’t act like she hated them or was superior to them. He was finally getting his mind calm enough to fall asleep, thinking maybe there wa
s hope. While in the depths of his mind, his dragon simply growled the word: Mine.
Violca stretched and smiled when she felt Chase’s arms tighten around her. His breath on the back of her neck caused a small shiver to run up her spine. Her eyes opened and she was surprised to see that the room was still dark. Chase had made love to her slowly when they got back to their room. She suspected it was partly to prove he was okay, and also because they both knew that as long as Viktor’s brother was running lose, they always had to be careful.
Getting out of bed carefully, so as not to wake him, Violca grabbed her robe from the foot of the bed. Chase had decided early on, they were not to wear clothes to bed and quickly taught Sari and Angyalka to not just barge in.
Wondering what woke her, she stepped into the hall. Seeing a light coming from the spare room that Viktor had turned into a little studio for Kati, Violca decided to check on her sister. She knew her sister had fallen asleep more than once in that room.
Knocking softly before entering, she smiled seeing Kati on the couch asleep, her sketch pad in her lap. Violca looked around the room. Her sister had amazing talent. Some of the pictures were of things she had seen, others were from her imagination. Every once in a while Violca thought her sister might have drawn a single moment from the future. She didn’t think Kati was able to see the future like Angyalka, but was able to see a single moment in the future or past.
Picking up the sketch pad she looked to see what her sister was working on. The picture looked to be of Amy, no, Aithne, with a blade in her hand as she stood before a tall man. Behind her on the floor was a girl cowering, and she looked to be protecting her. Was Eva right? Was Aithne a victim just trying to save her sister? If so, was there a way they could help her?
Grabbing a blanket from the back of the couch, she carefully covered her sister. Kissing her on the forehead, she smiled. Kati had grown so much since they had left California and moved out here. Her confidence was growing slowly and Violca was loving the changes in her.
Taking the sketch book with her, she turned off the light and headed to her room. Flipping through it, she saw a picture of a girl standing near a lake with a big black panther by her side. She smiled again, wondering if that was Kati and Scott in the future. Seeing a picture of Stonehenge she stopped and frowned. This was why Viktor’s friend looked so familiar. She had seen her sister drawing him.
Deciding to worry about one thing at a time, she put the book on her dresser and crawled back into bed with Chase. His low growl let her know his dragon missed her, as he pulled her close and nuzzled her hair. Chase’s lips brush against the back of her neck, reacting to her even in his sleep. Smiling, her hips naturally pushed against him, and when he tightened his hold on her, she knew he was waking up. Feeling his hand slide up her body to cup her breast, she let out a small moan as she felt him rock against her.
Chapter 28
Aithne stretched out on the bed. If she was honest about it, she had to admit, this bed was nicer than the bed she had at the hotel. Even keeping her locked away, Viktor was considerate. She still remembered how good it felt when he was holding her after she woke up from that old nightmare.
Hearing a noise coming from the door, she rolled back over, thinking Viktor was coming back down to try and ask her more questions. When Violca appeared she sat up. Still in the clothes from the day before, she felt a little uncomfortable.
Violca looked comfortable in a pair of denim shorts and a scoop neck black t-shirt that hugged her curves. Her long, dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her violet eyes were bright as she looked Aithne over. Noticing a sketch book in Violca’s hand, Aithne tilted her head wondering what it was for. “Good morning.” Aithne said, trying to pretend everything was normal.
Violca watched her intently, and Aithne knew she was trying to read her. “Aithne is more fitting of a name for you than Amy. Viktor told me it’s Gaelic for fire.” Violca smiled. “I know you know what Chase is, so I’m assuming you know what I am and what my sisters are. Did you know that we each have our own special gifts?”
Aithne smiled. “To be honest, I think everyone is still trying to figure you guys out.”
Violca flipped through the book until she got to a certain page. “Kati’s talents are still forming, but she’s an amazing artist. She can draw anything she sees, but she also draws things that I think are meant to give us glimpses and help us make decisions. For instance, she drew this picture of you, and I think it means you need help.”
Getting up to look at the picture, Aithne frowned. The detail was amazing. She was holding one of her favorite daggers that had a distinct handle and engraving on the blade. Aithne almost couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw her sister behind her and what looked like Lazzaro in front of her. “Kati did a good job capturing my sister’s likeness.”
Aithne noticed her lack of surprise. The edge of Violca’s lips curve in a smile. “Eva is a bit of a telepath. She has a hard time reading other supernatural’s minds but there were a few words that filtered through yours that she was able to pick up.” Violca chewed on her lower lip a moment, pausing before she continued. “You know what I am. I think it’s only fair you come clean and tell us what you are and who has your sister.”
“I agree.”
Aithne jumped at the sound of Viktor’s deep voice. “I’m guessing you’re running out of time.”
Aithne watched him walk down the stairs. He was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a black button down shirt. His hair looked like he’d just run his hand through it, still wavy and a little unruly. HIs eyes darkened when they met hers. “It’s funny, you still think you’re just going to walk down here and I’m going to tell you everything without you even saying please.”
Viktor smirked, and Aithne was surprised when she felt her own lips curling up in response. Viktor pulled out a set of keys and walked to the door. “Okay, how about this, we go upstairs and you tell us exactly why you’re here.” Viktor smiled when she raised an eyebrow. “Please.”
Folding her arms, Aithne looked between Viktor and Violca. She knew her options were limited, but giving in was not in her nature. “You trust me not to try to escape or…”
Viktor shook his head, and unlocking the door, he grabbed her arm and pulled her upstairs. “I have a funny feeling you’re smart enough to know your only chance now, is us helping you.”
Aithne bit her lip, angry and frustrated that he was right. Her choices were limited. She had a funny feeling, if she tried to escape, he might just let her go, but she had zero chance of taking Chase with her. She no longer had the element of surprise on her side.
Viktor led her past the guards, and she saluted them and fought a grin when they gave her a funny look. When he led her into the house, she jerked her arm and was surprised when he released her. She felt his breath on her ear as he whispered, “If you run, I’ll chase you again.” She felt him step closer to her, and her entire body was aware of him. “I enjoy the chase.”
Aithne felt a shudder run down her spine. Pretending indifference, she looked over her shoulder. “So, where are we going, your majesty?”
Smirking a bit, he put his hand on her back. “Let’s go to my office. Chase is already waiting for us.”
Violca walked in front of them, leading the way, and Aithne could feel Viktor behind her. As she looked around, she noticed a lack of guards. Behind her, Viktor made a ‘tsking’ sound, “Go ahead, try and escape. How long will your sister last if you leave here empty handed?”
Not answering him, she kept her head held high as they continued to his office. Violca opened the door, stepping in. Following her, Aithne saw Chase, Scott, and Eryk all sitting inside. Violca walked over to Chase, who pulled her into his lap before he looked at Aithne. His normally golden brown eyes, flashed gold, and she heard a low growl rumbling from his chest. Aithne was surprised when she heard Viktor’s answering growl behind her before he stepped in front of her.
Violca put her hand on Chase an
d the growling stopped. As soon as Chase stopped, Viktor stopped as well and she noticed a small smirk on Scott’s lips. Not sure what she had missed, she felt Viktor’s hand on her back as he led her to his desk. Pulling out his chair, he gestured for her to sit. Aware of him standing behind her, she sat as straight as she could, feeling more nervous about how close he was, rather than being in the room with all of them.
Violca cleared her throat. “So Viktor, I’m assuming you have a plan.”
Chapter 29
Viktor put his hands on the back of Aithne’s chair and he noticed all eyes were on him, except for Aithne’s. She sat rigid in his chair, her face forward. “Not yet, but I’m sure once our guest here enlightens us as to what we need to know, we’ll be able to come up with one. Let’s start with the basics, like, who has your sister?”
Aithne leaned her head back, and he looked down at her. Viktor watched as she took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. “Well your highness,” she said and Viktor tried not to smirk at her tone. “It seems Chase and your witches have gotten the attention of more than just your brother.” Viktor noticed everyone had their eyes on her. “It seems they have attracted the attention of the Vampire King.”
Chase and Scott both muttered the name ‘Lazzaro’ under their breath while Viktor tightened his hold on the chair. He noticed the look of confusion on Violca’s face, but she waited, listening to them, as she tried to learn as much as possible from the discussion.
“Why would the vampires send you to kidnap Chase? What makes you so special? From your scent, I know you’re human, yet you know who and what we are, and Lazzaro actually sent you to kidnap a dragon.” Viktor asked curiously. The vampires and the dragons had never been friends, but he saw no reason why the vampires would suddenly want to throw themselves into this war.