by Julia Mills
“Yes.”
He breathed a quick sigh of relief at her response and continued, “When the Elders had the sculpture built they placed a very special saying at the base. The words are beautiful in both languages, but I truly never understood their meaning until you came into my life. It says ‘Light to his soul. Love to his heart. Hope to his future.’” He paused and swallowed past the lump that was growing in his throat. “You are all of that and more. There are times that I think I only learned how to breathe after I met you.”
He heard movement on the other side of the door and felt the emotions his words had stirred within his mate flowing through their bond. When she didn’t speak, he went on, “I know you think I try to control you or keep you from things, and I guess you’re right to a certain extent, but it’s only because I love you more than I ever thought possible. I literally cannot imagine my life without you in it, and for a guy that’s been alive for a hundred and twenty years…that’s saying something.”
He heard her move closer to the door and pressed on, “I want to make you happy. I want you to have everything you ever wanted and things you never knew possible. I’ll spend every day of our lives together doing everything in my considerable power to see you smile, and when you do…so will I, because I’ll know that I put that look on your face.”
He felt her hand against the door and put his opposite hers. “So when I freak out because you’re involved in a ritual when I’m not around, or I throw you over my shoulder because I want to be alone with you, it’s not because I want to control you. It’s because I simply adore you and the very thought of you doing anything that could result in you getting hurt stops my heart in my chest. All I can think of is getting you away from anyone or anything that may even remotely cause you harm. And if you think I’m being an overbearing Neanderthal, you should know that my dragon is a hundred times worse and about a thousand pounds bigger.”
The lock clicked and the door opened just enough for him to see Anya’s beautiful face. Her first words should’ve surprised him, but made sense the more he got to know her. “Even when your mom is involved?”
“Yes, mo ghra’, even when Siobhan is involved.”
“But…I mean…” She stopped and shook her head.
He pushed the door and was overjoyed when she stepped back to let it open all the way, but disappointed that she was wearing a robe. Pushing his errant thoughts and those of his beast’s to the side, he said the only thing that came to mind. “Without you, there is no me. It’s as simple as that. Devon Walsh as a single being ceased to exist the moment my soul recognized yours as its mate.”
The need to hold his mate was a physical ache in his chest but he wasn’t sure she was ready for his touch. Always full of surprises, his mate reached out and entwined her fingers with his. Devon welcomed the electric shock that always accompanied her touch; his soul literally singing as she closed the space between them and snuggled into his chest. Their hands still clasped between them, he wound his free arm around her waist and let his hand rest on her hip.
Lost to the feeling of Anya in his arms, she surprised him when she said, “It’s weird how much you mean to me in such a short period of time, but I was taught not to question such things. We all have a path and I know in my heart that you are mine but…” She lifted her head and looked as fierce as she could while cuddled against him. Her raised voice let him know she meant business, “You cannot go all caveman on me just to get your way.”
Not waiting for his response, she laid her head back on his chest and once again snuggled close. He decided to enjoy holding her in his arms and to let her think she had won…this time. He loved her fire and spunk, but it was the way she turned him inside out with just a look that made him feel like he could fly without his wings. Even his dragon chuffed in agreement.
“So are you gonna tell me what happened out there? What blew up?” Her muffled words reached his ears.
“I am,” he said as he pulled back. “Stand right there. I need a shower. The smell of smoke and ash is horrible. I’m sorry if I got any on you but I just couldn’t keep my hands to myself.” He winked and then said, “Don’t move. Two minutes tops.”
He didn’t wait for her reply; he simply used his enhanced speed to race to the tub, strip, shower, and pull on the pair of clean boxers he always kept in the drawer in case he couldn’t get to his house.
Returning to his mate, who still stood where he had asked, he gently lifted her into his arms, carrying her to his favorite chair in the corner. Devon answered her question once he was comfortable and had her settled on his lap. “The werepanthers found a forgotten entrance into the mansion. It was covered with dirt and overgrown with weeds. After looking at the blueprints in the county records, Rian found that it led to a tunnel under the mansion, so it was decided that Lennox would use a small amount of explosives to clear the way. All was going as planned until he was discovered by an overzealous wizard. Just as Lenn set the charge to blow, the wizard fired off a spell. The two combined, causing a chain reaction that blew the back of the mansion and most of its inhabitants all to hell.”
“Thank goodness none of you were hurt,” she murmured.
“Nothing serious. Lennox was knocked on his ass and Rian got a nick on the arm from flying debris, but the worst part was having our mental communication knocked out.”
“Are you sure Andrew was even there?”
“Yeah, Rian sensed him when we breached the perimeter and then once after the blast, but that was really faint. He’s sure the traitor is trapped somewhere beneath the structure but when I left, they still had no clue where, and that place is huge. Not to mention that now about seventy percent of it’s just a big pile of rock and ash.”
The longer they talked, the more the exhaustion he had felt before their disagreement returned, until instead of the words he planned to say coming from his mouth, he yawned long and loud. Anya giggled as she pushed off his lap and held out her hand to him. “Come on, big guy, let’s get you tucked in. You need to rest, before the craziness resumes.”
Having a hard time keeping his eyes open, he took her hand and followed her into bed. How did I ever sleep without her in my arms was Devon’s last thought as he kissed the top of Anya’s head and drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sometime in the wee hours of their second or third night in captivity, John drew his last breath. Time was irrelevant when only his intermittent dragon senses let him know if it was day or night. Andrew had gone from his first deep sleep since the explosion to completely awake the second his assistant’s heart beat for the last time. The traitor had knelt beside the only person he had dared to trust in over seven years and let the pain of loss wash over him. He had known the man was in bad shape and tried everything he could to keep him alive while attempting to dig through the debris that kept them trapped. Getting his second the proper medical attention had been his first concern, but he had failed.
He shed no tears, nor did he beg the Heavens to return John to life. Andrew only vowed retribution in a reverent whisper. An oath made to his fallen comrade assuring John’s spirit that he would make every fucking piece of shit dragon pay for the man’s suffering and death.
Several hours later, Andrew walked out into what was left of the tunnel he had been attempting to clear since the blast, but instead of turning towards the exit, he turned back towards the mansion and walked the hundred feet of partially cleared concrete to the wall of fallen rock. He bent over and began digging into the mountain of debris, not stopping until he had cleared a six foot by four foot section almost two feet deep and then collected the smoothest rocks he could find, setting them aside.
After making sure everything was like he wanted, he returned to his makeshift abode and rifled through the cabinets that had fallen off the walls until he found a clean sheet. Kneeling next to the body of his assistant, Andrew wrapped John in the white cloth, picked up his lifeless body, and carried him to the crypt he had just built. Carefully he placed
the body inside, and then covered it with the stones he had set aside.
Standing in silence for several long minutes, Andrew then did something he had thought long forgotten. He prayed to the Heavens and spoke the words of the Dragon Burial Rite. Elders of Olde, Heavens above, and the Universe that controls it all, receive this soul into your keeping. Protect him on his journey to the other side. Prepare him for what is to come in the afterlife. He is ‘kin fole eile’ and is deserving of my gratitude.
It was the only way he knew to assure John’s soul was not stuck in the ether, roaming the Earth as a specter. They had never spoken of religion or faith and Andrew had no knowledge other than the little he had been exposed to of the coven in which John had practiced his wizardry, or their beliefs regarding death, so he had drawn upon the only thing he knew. He had recited the words from his mother and father’s sochraide.
Returning to the hidden room, unable to settle his tumultuous thoughts of revenge, Andrew tested the integrity of the brace that secured the large punching bag to the ceiling. Finding it lacking, he dug the boxing dummy he rarely used out of the closet and proceeded to punch and kick until sweat wet his hair and ran down his back. With every strike he imagined the face of a different Dragon Guardsman. The one that came most often was the one that had betrayed him and left him for dead and was now responsible for the death of his comrade. They would all pay, but it would Aidan, the ultimate coward, that would suffer the most.
Andrew had gotten a fleeting impression that his brother was near a few nights ago. It stood to reason that the assholes would be searching for him in the debris of the mansion, but they had no knowledge of his hidden tunnels, and because the mansion had belonged to a former drug lord, the passages were not on any blueprint or map of the property. As he continued to rain blows down on the mannequin a plan formed in his mind. If he could dig out, he might be able to surprise them while they worked, and with any luck at all, at least one of his loser brothers would be in attendance.
Deciding to put his plan into action after a bottle of water and one of the few protein bars he had left, Andrew delivered one last blow that had the dummy slamming against the opposite wall and falling in pieces on the floor. The sinister grin he felt cross his lips was nothing compared to the dark thoughts invading his mind. He promised John that every last one of the Dragon Guard would lose their life by his hand, leaving their mates as nothing more than grieving widows and their children fatherless. If the rumors were true, he was to be an uncle, and what a pity those babies would never know their father. What a pity indeed…
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Three crazy days went by with no sign of Andrew. Devon stayed at the lair all day, even though Anya barely saw him, between him planning their mating ceremony and meeting with the other men. Every time he came back she would try to get details about their wedding, but he would smile his panty-dropping smile and tell her to be patient. Patience was not something Anya had ever been good at, and it seemed that nothing had changed.
They had talked about returning to her farm to pick up some of her stuff, especially the heirloom hair combs that had been worn by every woman in her mom’s family on their wedding day for the last two hundred years. Anya knew Devon would do everything possible to get her there, but he was so busy she felt bad about asking. She had even suggested pushing the date of the ceremony back a few days until things settled down, but Devon shook his head so hard she thought it might fly off. Then he told her in no uncertain terms that they would be officially mated by the end of the week. After that she decided never to broach the subject again.
The search for Andrew seemed to be taking its toll on everyone. All the girls talked about their mates being worn out and grumpy. Earlier, she had watched Devon walk in just as the sun was making its daily appearance after a long night of searching for the traitor, covered in soot and the smell of smoke and looking so tired her heart ached for him. He tried to hide his exhaustion as he made his way to the bathroom, jumped in and out of the shower, and then came to lie down beside her. Bone-deep exhaustion poured off of him in waves as he fit his hard, warm body behind hers and held her tight. Anya prayed she was giving him as much comfort as he gave her and vowed she would make her own way out to her farm. There was no way she was going to ask Devon for one more thing–he had enough on his plate. She could handle one little day trip to her own old home.
The soft sounds of Devon’s snoring reached her ears and she smiled, glad her man would at least get a few hours rest. Resigned that she would ask one of the girls to accompany her to the farm, she settled into Devon’s arms and followed him to sleep.
The few hours they slept seemed to recharge Devon’s battery. He left whistling after a huge breakfast and several cups of coffee. When he kissed her goodbye she could feel how happy he was and giggled at the silly images of him dancing down the street that he placed in her mind.
Convincing Kyra to go with her to the farm had been easier than she’d expected. The Earth witch was extremely interested in going through her mom’s notebooks and seeing the other witch’s greenhouse. When Anya told her she could keep anything she liked, Kyra’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and they were out the door in five minutes flat.
“I’m figuring we’ll be back before Dev and Roy, so I just left a note on the kitchen table at our house and Siobhan knows where we are if anyone is looking for us,” Kyra assured her as they buckled into her little blue Mini convertible the witch called her ‘broom’.
“I left one in our room, too,” Anya added.
“Kyndel and Grace know where we are and Sam is at the hospital…” Kyra chuckled, “Damn, it’s almost more trouble than it’s worth just to take a little ride, huh?”
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Anya agreed.
The rest of the trip was filled with chatter of her mating ceremony and Kyra talked about her mom, Calysta. Anya listened intently to the description of the magic the younger witch had felt while looking for the Grand Priestess. The more Kyra told her, the more she was certain her mom had talked about something similar.
“That sounds an awful lot like something Mom and her coven dealt with when I was younger. I don’t remember the specifics, but I’m sure it’s in one of her notebooks.” She stopped and thought for a second before adding, “All I really remember is Mom and Pops talking about making sure ‘nothing followed them home’. I was young so I kept looking out the window for a puppy or something, but now I have to wonder what they were really talking about.”
“Yeah, there’s some scary shit out there, and the stuff I felt when we were traipsing over the countryside and through the caves on the coast of Royce’s homeland made me shiver. It was dark and evil. Mom’s a tough old bitch and I’m sure she can handle it, but… ” Anya watched her shudder at the memory and figured whatever it was had to be more than scary if the incredibly powerful white witch and her huge mate were worried.
Changing the subject, Anya asked about Kyra’s mating ceremony and listened intently as her friend painted a romantic picture of one of the happiest days of her life. It wasn’t long before they were turning onto the long, two-lane dirt road that led to the only home she ever remembered. Pulling into the gravel driveway, Kyra went on and on about the fields of wild flowers on either side of the lane and the herbs whose fragrance decorated the cool breeze.
No sooner had they parked the car than Jedidiah, Pop’s oldest friend and the caretaker of the farm came strolling out of the barn. Smiling and waving, Anya called to him, “Just here to pick up some clothes and stuff. Everything okay?”
“Sure is, Little One. Everything okay with you?”
She had called earlier in the week to let Jed and his wife, Dot, know where she was and had explained about her ‘accident’. Jed and Dot were witches in her mom’s coven and still practiced the craft; something Anya was thankful for given the changes in her life since they had last seen each other.
“Yes, sir. Couldn’t be better. Dot around?”
>
“No. She’s over at the house. Grandkids are coming in later today and she’s cookin’ up a storm.”
“Jed, this is Kyra. She’s…”
Her introduction was cut short when Jed cut in, “One powerful little witch.” He extended his hand to shake and went on, “Nice to meet ya’. Who’s your kin?”
Anya and Kyra both laughed out loud before Kyra responded while shaking Jed’s hand. “Nice to meet you, too, sir. My mom is Grand Priestess Calysta St. Croix and my auntie is Della St. Croix.”
“Well, hell. It really is a small world. My Dottie was friends with a Della St. Croix when I met her about a hundred years ago. Wonder if it’s the same one?”
“I would imagine so. To the best of my knowledge, they broke the mold when they made her,” Kyra and Jed both laughed at her joke.
“Tell her we asked about her and let her know to come on out any time.” Jed walked over and gave Anya a one-armed hug then said, “I’ll let you girls get to it. I still have chores to get done and I’m sure Dot’s got a list a mile long for me when I get home.”
“Thanks, Jed. Give Dottie my love,” Anya called after the tall, thin man as he ambled back towards the barn.
“I sure will. Take care of yourself, Little One.”
“Little One?” Kyra asked, and Anya saw the glint in her eye, assuring her Devon was going to hear about her nickname.
“Yeah, that’s pretty much what everyone has called me for as long as I can remember. The story goes that when I came to live with Mom and Pops I was wrapped in so many blankets that it took forever to find the baby in the bundle, and Pops said he didn’t know they made ‘em that little. Somehow that became ‘little one’ and it stuck.”
She shrugged and quickly changed the subject. “The greenhouse is out back if you wanna check it out while I gather up my stuff. There should be bags and boxes out there in case you find anything you want to keep. Jed and Dottie already took what they wanted, so anything still there is fair game.”