I was practically jumping out of my skin at this point. “C’mon slow poke. Let’s go at it.”
He stopped walking and shook his head. “On second thought I’m saying no. We can use wooden swords instead.”
“Forget that.” And I thrust at him before he was even prepared. He darted away, but the shock on his face was awesome. Gotcha!
“Jackie. Put the weapon on the ground.” The intensity of his gaze would have struck fear in the soul of a normal student, but there was absolutely nothing normal about me.
“C’mon, Sash. You chicken?” I slashed the sword around in the air enjoying the weight of it, imagining what it could do to skin and bone and muscle. Blood would flow on the ground around my enemy, and I would celebrate my victory with feasting.
This small blond male with the sword in his hand was my enemy, wasn’t he? He must be if he faced me armed. I’d dropped my small weapon to the ground, but I didn’t need it any longer. I’d grown claws and fangs and height. Seven feet… Eight.
The light skinned male raced behind me, slashing my hamstring and drawing first blood. I liked that he challenged me so. I slashed out with a claw as I sank to the floor, cutting through his shoulder as if it were entrails. It would be a good fight, but I was demon and he would die.
Chapter Seventeen
Isaiah looked me over and scowled. “What happened?”
I was stretched out on my own couch in my own living room where Sasha had deposited me after I’d returned to normal size. Garrett was at a Vampire Council meeting but I was sure Sash had sent word and that he’d be back any minute. Jeez.
“Nothing happened. Not really.” Isaiah scowled and I sighed a tortured sigh. “One of the students got hurt accidentally and the scent of her blood got me all antsy. I convinced Sash to spar with me, only I got enthusiastic and, um, started to grow. He hamstrung me and I accidentally slashed his shoulder with my…” I held up my hands, which had returned to normal, “…I slashed him with my claws. They’d been huge. Like little individual daggers.” I wiggled my fingers and smiled. “After that I was…I wasn’t really thinking like myself. The smell of his blood was the most delicious scent ever.
I grinned and relaxed back on the couch, basking in the memory. I guess I went all demon warrior on him. He hamstrung my other leg to bring me down, then Rick and Farrell jumped me.” My grin grew wider.. “It took all three of them.”
I frowned again. “They threw me in the unheated pool, which shrunk me like a Shrinky Dink. Farrell helped Sasha bring me back here. I think he’s still in the kitchen guarding me until you or Garrett show up.” I leaned closer. “He seemed a little…um…riled up.”
“It’s in his blood to kill demons in warrior form. You’re lucky you aren’t being served up as sashimi.” He huffed in exasperation. “Since you saw me a few days ago, have you worked once on controlling your magic using the exercises I taught you in the DR?”
“Been waiting for my Demon Realm Sensei to arrive.” I took a clementine from a nearby platter and peeled it. “That’s you. Figured you’d come up with something easier.” I popped a section in my mouth.
“You’re not taking this situation seriously.”
“I’m going to tear out your mom’s heart for killing my dad and taking away my cheetah. That serious enough for you?”
“I am most sorry for the loss of a good male, but can you imagine why Naberia took away your cheetah?”
“Because she’s a bitch?”
Isaiah’s expression turned stony. “In addition to losing your filter, you lost control completely while sparring in a room full of females who would not have been able to defend themselves. If you continue on this downward spiral, I will have no choice but to take you home with me. Here you are a danger to your family and your friends.”
“That’s total BS. I couldn’t possibly hurt the people I loved. I was just playing around with Sash. Anyway, you promised Garrett you wouldn’t take me to the DR. It was part of the deal.”
“Unless you became a danger.”
“I don’t remember that part.”
“There’s much you don’t remember.”
“Fuck you.”
I was against the wall with an angry uncle holding me there, his hands on both my shoulders. “You won’t like this,” was all the warning I got before he was past my defenses and into my mind. My lost memories were fast forwarded with a cruel efficiency. Isaiah was not the most patient of trainers. I cried out and Farrell came in, but a look from Isaiah had him halting just inside the archway.
I was in the trunk of a car. Hogtied and freezing. A torc around my neck.
I walked. Pain. Beatings. I fell.
A cell. So cold.
Strangling. Dying.
A female suffering.
A male screaming.
The sound of a shot and my father collapsing.
The cell again.
Naberia.
“There she is,” Isaiah whispered, his voice hoarse with hatred.
He loosened his hold on me as we listened together to the conversation where she convinced me to give my blood for the lives of my rescuers. When I saw the blood dripping from my wrist and Naberia smearing it on my forehead, I cried out. “No!” Was this the forgetting spell? But when she mixed our blood on the ancient dagger and plunged it into my heart, I screamed, almost missing her whispered words.
“Now you are demon. Embrace it.”
I threw my sickened body into Isaiah’s sturdy arms and sobbed. My legs were trembling so badly I couldn’t hold my own weight, and although Isaiah’s soft words were having a calming effect, the visual had just about done me in. Garrett arrived a few seconds later and wrenched me away. “What did you do to her?”
I was moaning, gasping for breath, shaking uncontrollably. Garrett whisked me into the bathroom and helped me as I vomited up the clementine and the coffee I’d had earlier. As he handed me a wet washcloth, his eyes sparkled with silver. “I’m tossing him out of here on his demonic ass.”
“Not his fault,” I muttered hoarsely. I clutched at Garrett, tears clouding my vision. “I gave Naberia blood. Five drops. Took my cheetah. She made me forget. Stabbed me.” I was choking between words, hardly able to draw in another breath.
Garrett scooped me up and walked through the bedroom door. We sat on the bed together, his muscled arm wrapped around my shoulders. I placed his hand on my chest. “She stabbed me here. Why am I still alive?”
“Because she did not wish to kill you.” Isaiah spoke from the doorway. “I believe we discussed this when you first returned.”
“But did you see her face? She was wild with power. What does she want from me?”
“To use you.”
“To what purpose?” I growled. The familiar tingling sensation in my eyes that warned of a change in iris color was not a surprise.
“This is only conjecture, but I believe she has spelled you to perform some act that will disrupt the fae,. To put them at a disadvantage.”
“And then she’ll kill me?”
“You heard the conversation. Your grandmother spoke the truth. She does not feel you are…relevant. You present no obstacle to her or her plans. We can change that, however.” His voice had lowered, turning dangerous.
“How?” I’d risen to my knees on the bed, demon energy pumping through my body, excited by the delicious idea of getting revenge.
“First, you will learn control, in warrior form and common form.” His tone was firm. I hung my head sheepishly. He was right. I’d messed up during training. I’d have to apologize to Sasha and the rest. “When that is accomplished to my satisfaction, you will learn to channel your urges toward violence into productive magic.”
A slow smile spread across Isaiah’s face. “In her passion for vengeance she has made a pivotal mistake. In her heart she must believe you will choose to switch sides, turn against your allies now that you are full demon. But by the mixing of her blood with yours to work the spell, I believe it may b
e possible for you to now resist her magic. The process will be painful and exhausting, and during your time of training you must not allow yourself to be distracted by other issues. It could be fatal.” He met Garrett’s angry gaze. “I wish to take her home with me.”
“No. Not negotiable. She’ll be more vulnerable to attack in the DR.”
Isaiah paced to the window and back as he mulled over his next option. “Then you must find a secure location on the mortal plain where we will not be disturbed. She cannot stay near a houseful of vulnerable fae or even your vampires. When her demon goes online in warrior form, she will see only enemies and she will kill—even with you and Charlie. Once she is in control again, you may visit for short periods.”
Fury rolled off Garrett in waves. “I don’t agree. She stays here.”
“Speak to Sasha. It will only get worse. Much worse. She will kill someone, against her desires, against her true nature. And it will break her.” He stepped closer; the two of them bare inches apart. “Do you love your mate or do you simply own her?”
Garrett’s speed was too fast to track, as he closed his hands around Isaiah’s neck. Isaiah allowed it, for now. “You have no idea how close I am to divesting you of your head.” Garrett growled.
“As close as I am of divesting you of yours, no doubt. But what would that accomplish? Jackie would still be unstable and people would still get hurt at her hands. You must allow me to help her. There is no one else.”
Garrett stepped away. “Charlie—”
“Do you wish him to see his mother suffering like this? To try to help her and fail? To live with those consequences?”
I grasped my mate’s arm and leaned against him. “Please don’t involve Charlie.”
“How do I know you won’t hurt her? That you won’t kill her or worse, use her in one of your own schemes?” Garrett was just talking at this point. It was obvious to all of us that he’d have to agree. But his protective instincts were fighting tooth and nail.
Isaiah conjured up a box and placed it on the bed next to Garrett. “The training will hurt her. There is nothing I can do to prevent it. But the training will also make her stronger, more capable and confident on a battlefield. Almost forty years ago I swore to the female I loved to protect her bloodline. I failed with Bridgett, but I never will with Jacqueline or Charles. I swear this to both of you on my honor.”
He pointed toward the box and met Garrett’s gaze. “This is a gift for you. Khent gave it to me for an important service I performed over a century ago. It is valuable beyond measure, yet I have no need of it. I can think of no one else I feel should have it. Open it, Garrett.”
Garrett scowled. “A bribe of some kind?”
“Open it.”
He hesitated for only a moment, his curiosity piqued by the elaborate carvings on the box. Inside on a pillow of burgundy velvet lay a dagger, but not simply a dagger. Garrett’s eyes grew enormous as he moved his hand gingerly toward the weapon and lifted it off the soft pillow. A moment later his bright blue aura lit up the hilt, traveling over each intricate design and nestling into every groove.
“It’s one of the ancient unseelie daggers. Khent has one, as does Zerian. You hold the third in your hands.”
“I’m vampire, not unseelie.” He held it up, keeping it horizontal, examining every nuance of the amazing craftsmanship that went into creating this weapon, as well as the other eight.
“The first vampires were unseelie and your line is one of the most ancient. It’s evident in your strength and speed—in your ability to tolerate more than two hours in the sun and to teleport at such a young age. I know you well enough to trust that you will use this weapon with intelligence and honor. I only ask that you trust me in return.”
“A rather elaborate bribe.” Garrett finally took his gaze from the blade, meeting Isaiah’s with coolness.
“It is a gift I will not take back, no matter what your decision.” Isaiah shrugged. “If you choose to give it away, lock it away or toss it into the depths of the ocean, I will not argue with your decision. But know that in the wrong hands it can bring about much devastation.”
“You could have given it to the Kelpie King.”
Isaiah laughed. “And how would he wield it in his steed form?”
“Many other unseelie are worthy, I’m sure.” Garrett whispered, entranced by the dagger’s power and beauty, his longing to keep the blade battling against his dread at owing Isaiah a favor.
I’d scooted closer to get a better look. It was quite beautiful, not as lovely as mine but still exquisite. I was itching to grab it away from him and see if it would respond to me. Of course, if I tried it might attack me. These ancient daggers were ornery and usually only allowed their chosen wielders to touch them.
Isaiah slid me a sideways glance. “Your first lesson in control begins now.”
“Hmph.”
Garrett placed the dagger back in the box and closed the lid. He turned and cradled my face in his palms. “Will you go with Isaiah, my love? Is this what you wish to do?”
“Yes. He’s right. I can’t control my stronger impulses. If it gets worse, who knows what will happen? I hurt Sasha.” I was mortified and furious with myself. “I could have hurt others.”
“Take her to the Carmel Villa,” Garrett said, reaching out to wrap me in his arms. “I’ll come tomorrow night.”
“No, you must stay away.”
“I will be there every night. This is also not negotiable. You say the training is difficult. She’ll need me.” Isaiah frowned, so he turned to me. “If you take my blood at night, your body and mind will be stronger, better able to cope with the training regimen.” Isaiah twisted his mouth in irritation, but he knew his hands were tied. Garrett was not going to budge on this point, and for me, the relief was enormous.
“I’ll work hard, so I can come home as fast as I can.” I rubbed my eyes. “The fae girls…” I began, not knowing what to say. “I wanted to help them. Now I’ve ruined it all.”
“Farrell said he’d continue to help Sash and Rick, so there are plenty of trainers. Kellaine said she’d stop by too, in case they need another female to talk to,” Garrett reassured me.
“So you’ve already spoken to Sash about what happened?”
“Everyone is concerned, my love. No one blames you.”
Isaiah slid his dagger from its sheath. His was one of the three ancient demon blades. I had one and Naberia carried the third. “Do you wish to swear a blood oath to ensure my treatment of Jacqueline will be as I’ve described?”
Garrett glanced at the blade and then Isaiah, shaking his head and twisting his mouth into a wry smile. “No. Despite my better judgment, I find I do trust you, and have for quite a few years, perhaps even longer. It’s impossible for me to think logically in these situations and I apologize if I was out of line earlier.”
Isaiah grinned, looking relieved. “Accepted.”
“For a long time I was furious with you when I believed you forced Jackie into that deal to work for you in the DR in exchange for Charlie’s training. But Jackie never blamed you and has always trusted you.”
“I summoned him to help me back then. He didn’t force me to do anything.”
Garrett sighed, his ironic smile one I didn’t see often. “I suppose I must face facts. During the course of our acquaintance your training and actions saved the lives of the two people who mean the most to me. I can’t say we will ever be friends, but I trust you with the lives of my family, a statement I could make to only a few. You say you’ve chosen to support and protect them because of a promise you gave Adele, but no matter the reason, you’ve proven yourself to be a loyal friend. I respect you for your honesty and I thank you for everything you’ve done for Jacqueline and Charlie.” He extended his hand. “This will be sufficient as an oath of honor.”
Isaiah was beaming as he shook Garrett’s hand. “You are also my family, Nephew, although you may balk at the idea.”
Garrett chuckled. “S
urprisingly, I don’t.”
Isaiah pointed to the box that held the dagger. “Use it well.”
“Thank you.” Garrett’s eye’s shone with power. He and his ancient dagger had already synced in a way only another owner could understand.
“Before I leave, I wondered if it would be possible to speak to the male who was rescued at the witches’ house,” Isaiah asked.
“I would like to speak with him myself, but he’s still in a coma.” Garrett said. “It doesn’t look good.”
“I may be able to wake him up. Is he spelled or injured?”
“It looks like a bad head wound, and being imprisoned in the cold earth and left to suffocate certainly didn’t help.”
The office phone rang and Garrett excused himself to answer it. When he returned, his expression was grim. “They’ve found Simon’s body.”
“Where?” I asked. I’d assumed it must have burned up in the house.
“A second field behind the first.”
Chapter Eighteen
The funeral was well attended. Rob and Maya had kindly taken care of most of the arrangements, sending out announcements to the organizations and people who had been a part of Simon’s mostly solitary life. He’d never married or had children, other than Bridgett and myself. Our mother, Adele, had never told him she was pregnant and he’d once confessed to me it was one of the great regrets of his life that he hadn’t been there to see that we were placed in a decent home with a loving shifter family, rather than being split up. Bridgett was adopted by a family of wolves who’d ended up using her and her cheetah skills to keep a group of fae imprisoned. My own experiences hopping from foster family to foster family didn’t bear thinking about.
Strangely, Simon had continued to hold a torch for my mother Adele, and couldn’t seem to allow himself to make a life with anyone else. It was highly unlikely that he hadn’t taken lovers over the years—he was a bright, personable and handsome man—but to him, no one could ever compare to Adele.
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