Ashlynn turned to look at him with wide-eyed confusion. “What’s wrong?”
“I sexed the magic right back into you.” He said it completely deadpan.
Ashlynn’s eyebrow quirked up. “You “sexed” the magic back into me?” she repeated slowly. Her mouth twitched.
Cian nodded with as much solemnity as he could muster while his stomach muscles tightened in mirth. “I sexed you so spectacularly that all the magic you dumped in the orb was restored by your orgasm.” He shook his head and said quietly, “I’m so sorry,” then ducked as one of the pillows they’d packed smacked into the side of his head.
He caught Ashlynn as she leapt onto him, all fingers and giggles, tickling and laughing as she attacked. Tears ran freely over Cian’s cheeks as he laughed as he hadn’t in longer than he could remember. Then he flipped his wife over onto her back in one smooth move and laid his lips on hers.
The kiss cut off her giggles and had her fingers delving into his hair, pulling him in for more.
A shock of foreign and undoubtedly dark magic shot up Cian’s spine, tearing him from Ashlynn’s embrace. He threw his arms up and pulled his magic violently from every pocket of his being and the earth around him. It stung, hot in his veins, ready to defend those that were his to protect.
He felt Ashlynn pull her power, too, and the way her entire body shook from the magnitude of all five magics swimming through her.
“They can’t see it,” she whispered huskily, hugging her stomach with trembling hands. “I don’t know if I can control it. Cian, help me.” Her voice broke with the plea.
Cian closed his eyes and concentrated through the screams and blasts of magic raining down all around them. He breathed slowly, forcing his body and mind to focus, and pictured the orb of Thessula, sitting securely in their safe.
At the loft.
They were sitting ducks. The tent he’d erected with such joy and playfulness, remembering his youthful outings, was like a wisp of air between them and imminent danger. Cian opened his eyes and swore.
“We need to get you to cover. Don’t,” he pressed a palm to her face, imploring her with words and eyes, “touch your stomach or let the magic loose.”
Ashlynn’s eyes misted and her eyelid twitched but she forced her hands to drop from their protective stance. She nodded. “I can do this.”
Cian pulled her to her feet and took a moment to wrap his arms around her, tucking her head against his chest, where he was sure she could hear his thundering heart. With resignation, he pulled away and gathered their clothes. They swiftly pulled on pants and shirts in silence. Cian grabbed the woolen cap he’d thrown into his bag at the last minute. He pulled it over Ashlynn’s head and tucked her vivid red hair beneath. The less recognizable they were, the better. Cian twined his fingers through hers and turned to lead them out.
Chaos surrounded them. The thick coppery scent of blood filled the air, assaulting his nostrils as they stepped clear of the tent. He shut it out, all of it, knowing that if he allowed himself to remember, even for an instant, that the blood he smelled was from those he loved, he wouldn’t be able to get his wife and child to safety.
Cian ducked low, pulling Ashlynn with him to avoid a blast of sizzling magic that shot through the air, exploding into an ancient maple tree that shattered under its force. Wood chips alight with flame rained down around them, catching the grass on fire.
They raced through the smoke and confusion, ducking behind blazing tents and fallen branches. Cian’s pulse leapt when he saw the dark outline of the forest no more than a hundred yards in the distance. He pulled harder, pushing his legs to move, willing Ashlynn to stay on her feet. Every cell in his body pulsed with the need to get to those shadows.
He felt the blast an instant before it connected with the side of his head, whipping him around like a ragdoll. He saw a flash of white light that blinded him, obscuring Ashlynn from view, as he fell to the
Cian pushed through searing pain, reaching for Ashlynn. His fingers somehow found hers, curling around them, trying to keep the connection as his brain misfired and groped for meaning. He knew he was hurt and that he needed to find Ashlynn, to hold her, but he couldn’t remember why.
Soothing magic flowed through the faint connection, the barest touch of fingers to his, and sucked away the worst of the confusion. Cian blinked rapidly, trying to clear his eyes of the lights that flared and faded over and over.
He understood the moment she was pulled away from him. The loss of her, of that small physical link between them was like a blow. He clutched at his head and moaned.
Through the haze of lights, he saw her and the man that dragged her away from him. Cian shoved at the pain, fighting through it, and crawled forward, dragging himself over the bloodied grass.
The man’s scream ripped through the night air, renting the already overwhelming chaos. Cian strained forward, begging his magic to sear away the fog, and raised his gaze in time to see Ashlynn yank away from her abductor with a look of wild panic on her beautiful face.
The man’s face was a picture in agony. He began tearing at his clothes, ripping away the shirt from his arms.
At first, Cian couldn’t understand what he was doing. The frenetic movement and loud shrieks jumbled his tender mind. Then he saw it. The man’s skin was burning.
From the inside out.
Cracks formed along his forearms, like rocks splitting under the sheer force of magma. It seemed to pulse, faster and faster, as he threw himself to the ground, trying to douse the fire that wouldn’t be doused.
Cian barely noticed the cool hands that touched him or Faith murmuring, “It’s going to be alright” as her magic poured into him. He couldn’t take his eyes off Ashlynn.
Her gaze was locked on the man as he flailed and burned. Fear of what she’d done, what she was capable of, was written all over her face, tearing her apart. Cian saw pity and grief wash away the horror, then Ashlynn was falling to her knees before the trembling mass of man.
Faith’s magic stirred his soul, caught up his own magic, and began mending the damage done. Cian squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as something in his brain forcibly clicked back into place. The relief was instant. He opened his eyes to find Faith smiling down at him. “Help her,” she whispered, lifting her head to look at Ashlynn.
Cian climbed to his feet, still unsteady but functional. Ashlynn was crying now and kneeling before the man who’d tried to hurt her, to abduct her and deliver her to Serena. Her hands were on his bare flesh, if you could still call it flesh. Raw, undulating nerves, spasmed under her touch, then stilled as sweet soft light poured from Ashlynn’s fingers.
The burning stopped immediately, as if the life had been sucked out of a volcano. Cian felt the warmth of the magic and the power of it, the insistent pulse of life being pushed into the fallen man.
The fissures closed, almost too quickly for most to notice, not unless you’d been watching closely to begin with. Cian felt his heart thud hard then skip a beat as the man’s body became whole once more, under the powerful touch of Ashlynn’s magic.
When it was done and he lied untouched on the grass, she looked up and caught Cian’s gaze with wonder flaring in her eyes. She was too distracted to notice the long rip in her sleeve or the way the symbol she’d tried to hide was lit up like a beacon.
She never saw the narrow-eyed look of shock on the face of the woman that stopped nearby with hate and purpose written all over her sharp features.
For a moment, time slowed and Cian’s gaze met the woman’s. He saw indecision and fury splayed across her face, in her eyes, then it was gone. She turned and fled into the forest.
Panic spliced through him. She knew. She’d tell Serena. He looked back at Ashlynn, at the symbol that had betrayed them.
Ashlynn followed his gaze and Cian heard the gasp through the buzzing in his brain. She slapped a hand over the glowing symbol and climbed to her feet, fury burning away the calm that had come as she’d healed what she’d hu
rt. She turned her head towards the forest and saw the woman.
“No!” Cian screamed the word but couldn’t be sure if she heard him, because Ashlynn was running, her feet pounding against the grass as she tore away from him and straight into danger.
Chapter Ten
Ashlynn ran at full speed, giving chase to the woman. The shock on her face, the undoubted knowledge of what the mark Ashlynn carried meant, told her the woman would convincingly reveal the secret to Serena, if the woman was able to reach her in time. It was vital that they capture her before that. It was too big a risk to let her get away.
Air rushed past her ears, the only other sounds those of her own breath as she panted, blending with the crunch of the fallen foliage under her feet and the distant sound of the woman’s footfalls. She ran heavily, seemingly unconcerned that she’d be caught. But Ashlynn had greater speed, and she intended to catch up to the woman.
Of course, she didn’t know what to do when she captured the woman, and should she not be quick enough, she didn’t know how to stop her or slow her down. After the damage she had just caused and the way her body was fueled as she chased the woman, giving her paranormal speed and strength, she was terrified to wield her power against the woman. Ashlynn had nearly killed the man she’d struck, his body singed to black. Thankfully, her healing powers were still strong and within her ability to wield. But she didn’t dare test its limits.
She didn’t want to hurt anyone else.
So, she couldn’t lash out at the woman in her state of mind. She had to focus and stay on the trail, driving herself onward to catch up. It was the only hope she had, Cian still in the midst of battle back at the campsite.
“Ashlynn!” Cian’s voice sounded close on her heels, and she felt relieved that she wasn’t alone. The battle must have ended, in their favor no less, and her heart soared for a moment that Cian’s first reaction was to follow her and catch up. “We’re close! I can sense her.”
She barely nodded, determined to maintain this speed. Her magic fought to escape, but she simply would not take the risk. She could send a bolt of it straight at this woman right now, certain of her location as she followed the path. But Ashlynn couldn’t guarantee the blast wouldn’t come out wrong and kill her pursuant.
Ashlynn ducked and screamed as a bright orange bolt flew at her, striking a tree that had been just behind them as she rolled to the ground and back to her feet. Her first glance was back at Cian, assuring that he hadn’t been hit, the tree splintering in her vision. This woman was powerful, likely infused with some of Serena’s magic or abilities stolen from the ancient Seers grimoire.
Another shot had Cian jumping, leaping out of the way as the bolt smacked into a boulder, shattering it into a million little rocks. Ashlynn had to do something. She couldn’t let this woman continue to attack without retaliation. She would eventually cause real damage to one of them.
Trying to draw on her own birth-given magic, something she knew could harness and control, Ashlynn gave a battle cry and outstretched both arms, spinning a silver arrowlike charm, aiming to freeze the woman in place. But when she tried to pull back, that erratic, harsh lightning in her blood refused, gripping her and taking control.
“No!” Ashlynn cried.
She tried desperately to stop it as the arrow trailed a long fiery thread, catching the woman in the heart and creating a bonfire of flames to erupt from her body. Suddenly, Cian lunged for her, knocking her to the ground and breaking the focus.
He released Ashlynn, and she immediately felt it building again, heavy and thick in her blood. An explosion from her palms caused a rumbling in the earth, bouncing her and Cian where they lay. Cian’s body moved away with the vibration of the earthquake-like motion, and Ashlynn panicked.
She rolled to her hands and knees, intent on getting to her feet, but she couldn’t leverage her body with the trembling of the ground and the spasms of magic coursing through her veins. She closed her eyes, tried to take a deep breath and center herself. The rumbling settled, and she stood, but a jolt of power surged through her, doubling her over in pain.
The wind kicked up, swirling around her, and dust and debris from the forest floor churned with it, whipping her hair around her head as it rose and twisted into a cyclone. Animals in the forest around them screeched, and she saw the woman, her skin seared, attempt to stand.
Ashlynn gazed around, frantic for some way to help the woman, to stop her raging power from tearing the entire forest down around them. Tears poured down her face. Her magic had never been fatal, had never harmed someone. In that moment, she hated herself, filled with guilt over what was happening and her inability to stop it. If she hadn’t been carrying a child, a very important one, she would have wished her own death to save everyone else.
As it was, she needed to get it under control. At this point, she feared more than anything, that she’d harm her husband. Cian was dodging twigs and debris, trying to crash through the circling wall of wind to get to her. Barely able to hold his footing. She wanted him at her side, wanted to see if he could help her douse the frantic magic. But she didn’t want him hurt, didn’t want to kill him, in his attempt to get here.
She sobbed and, as her chest convulsed, the wind surged harder, and a crevice opened in the earth at her feet. Cian sidestepped, barely avoiding sinking into the gap, and she sobbed harder. Bursts of fire flew from her palms, each convulsing sob producing another burst with the same strength of a flame thrower.
Ashlynn squeezed her fists, willing it to stop, and held her breath. The wind eased up, slowing, and she watched in horror as the woman’s body fell to the ground, still limp, and right next the chasm she’d created. She wept softly, and a light rain began to fall, her grief profound. She hadn’t just hurt this woman, she’d killed her.
She had never murdered anyone before, and she had never intended to harm this woman, only to stop her. Ashlynn hated violence, was an advocate for peace. And now, she had turned into everything she hated, due to her untamed power.
She slid to the ground, dizzy and aching from head to toe, and she worried that her exhaustion would harm her unborn child. She cradled her arms around the small bump of her belly, seeking something that could reassure her the growing babe was alright.
Ashlynn’s overwhelming fear blinded her to her surroundings, and she barely noticed the calming of the storm, the rain halting and the crevice closing. She might have stayed there forever, frozen in time and muttering protective incantations over the life inside her, had Cian not made it to her and wrapped her in his embrace. His arms were comforting to her soul, their partnership and connection helping her to reel her mind back in and let her body rest. But it did nothing to help her reconcile the sins she’d committed.
“It was necessary, Ashlynn,” he cooed at her, as if he could read her thoughts. And at times, she thought he could. More often than not, he knew the right thing to say to help her mood and convince her to stop fretting about something. “You didn’t kill her on purpose, but it would have needed to be done, anyway. We could never have risked her taking her knowledge back to Serena.”
Sniffling, Ashlynn nodded, staring into the distance as if she would find answers and solace on the horizon. “She saw the mark, Cian. And the moment she realized what it meant, she ran. I had to follow her. But I didn’t want to hurt her. I only wanted to stop her.”
The words gushed out, but Cian quieted her with a gentle, brief kiss. “I know you feel guilty, but you need to let it go. We have enough worries. Your power is far beyond your control still. In this case, it turned out to be for the best, but—”
“How can you say that?” she cut him off, fighting the need to explode again. She could not let her magic hurt Cian. He’d been through enough already because of her. “I don’t even know how you can love me. All I do is bring trouble to your life, right from the start.”
He scowled. “I don’t ever want you to question my love for you again,” he chastised. “My love is unconditional a
nd without limits, and you should always remember that. It’s my love for you that makes me worry.”
“And what about you? Even now, I’m terrified I’ll unleash this monstrous power and hurt you.” She desperately needed him to understand her plight.
He sighed, brushing a lock of wild hair back from her forehead and crooking a finger under her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “You have not harmed anyone who wasn’t a threat. Not me, not our family, not that child of ours growing inside you. I’m not frightened of you. I’m frightened for you. We both know Serena is capable of terrible things, and I don’t want those things to fall on you. It’s so important that she not find out about the baby, or about you.”
Deep down, Ashlynn knew that, and she knew she should accept it, regardless of what part she took in ending that woman’s life, the death was inevitable. She understood what was at stake more than anyone. But to have the blood on her hands, and literally because she could not hold back, was such a burden.
One she wasn’t sure she could live with.
Trying to connect with some part of her that would allow her to accept her actions, Ashlynn reached out to the earth, the calmest and more grounding of the elements in her eyes, seeking acknowledgement or absolution. She clung to Cian but let her mind clear, pushing out as much negative energy as she could manage without calling up that monstrous need to lash out.
Cian could feel her power. She knew by the way he held her tightly but gave her space, in case she needed to move or breathe deeply to draw in the healing. The man was an absolute rock in her life. If she had lost him to the curse, she would have been lost herself. In a time she still knew very little about.
“Ashlynn!” Cian said with a gasp and he shifted away to crawl toward the woman’s body. “I think she’s alive.”
“What? That’s imp -” Ashlynn’s eyes widened as she witnessed the woman’s chest rise and fall with weak breaths. “Oh…”
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