by Lynn Landes
In my mind, yet out of sight.
Guardian protectors take flight.
Wrap your wings around my charge,
Warm and loving, strong and large.
Keep her safe for me. As I will, so it will be.
The water begins to spin and glow. Inside the bowl, he can clearly see a red car racing down a dark road. An explosion fills the night sky behind the car, and Reese hears her moan of pain. He feels her thoughts.
The throbbing is worse; Ariana knows if they find her this time, she will not survive. With her foot on the pedal, she drives at breakneck speed. When the explosion occurs from the house, she knows they have arrived. She smiles; the web spell will delay them. She purposely placed it inside of the body and the moment they touched her, it detonated. The spell creates a web of light, trapping any darkness inside. The roar of outrage echoes through the night and another wave of pain assaults her.
Her body is covered in sweat, and she is trembling, but she can’t stop. Ariana realizes her vision is blurry. Reese watches as her car begins to sway on the road. When the form appears in the middle of the road, she screams and jerks the car to the right, causing it to flip multiple times before coming to a stop. The Dark Fae runs to the car and rips open the door to find it is empty.
Reese watches and smiles as he beats on the car in frustration. Reese knows where she is now. He picks up the bowl and dumps the water. Wiping it clean, he makes sure to leave no trace of his vision. Time to go see the Queen, he thinks with a grim smile. Reese is so intent on his destination that he does not notice the shadow following him.
Chapter 9
Katie closed her cafe to take a few days off after her visit with the Fae. When she was a little girl, her Granny used to tell her stories of the Fae. When she was five, she believed totally in the little people. She would leave small offerings for them, in hope that she would see one. They never showed themselves, but they loved her sweets, and anything sparkly. Granny taught her how to bake bread from scratch and it was at her Granny’s side that she learned to love the art of baking.
When she grew older, she discovered that her Granny was considered odd. She would often wear her jacket backwards, “to ward off the naughty fairies.” She would make Katie and Anya carry something iron in their pockets, a safety pin or nail. “The iron is the best way to protect yourself,” she would say. Sometimes she would slip a piece of day-old bread in her pocket, “So ya don’t get carted off, my dearies,” she would reassure them. As a teenager, she helped work in the garden and spent many afternoons tending the herb garden. Now as she sinks her hands into the soil to plant the daisies she bought, she feels closer to her Grandmother again.
Katie pushes the spade deep into the rich black soil and turns the dirt when she feels the steel blade hit something hard. “Rocks, always, more rocks,” she whispers and shoves her hand into the hole and feels something metallic and flat. “What could that be?” she asks and starts to dig it up. When a breeze blows her hair back from her face, Katie’s senses begin tingling. Pausing she listens to the sound of the birds and the wind, but she knows that things are always more than they appear. Her hands begin shaking and she holds tightly to the spade. She drops the daisy into the hole and makes a mental note to find out what it is buried here; later.
Rising slowly, she dusts her pants off and puts the spade into her back pocket. She looks around her garden, smiling in satisfaction and she starts to clean up her mess. She lifts the water sprinkler and begins to give each flower a drink.
“Isn’t it a bit early for planting flowers, Katie?” Anya asks walking around the corner of the house.
Katie squeals, “Anya! Oh, my Jesus, you scared me!”
Anya holds up her hands, and laughs, “Sorry, Katie. You have nothing to fear from me.”
Katie snatches the watering can, and hurries to the house to turn on the water. “I know that, Anya. It makes me feel closer to Granny to work in this garden. She loved it so.” When Katie turns, she finds Anya right behind her. Face to face now, Katie whispers, “Lord, you move fast!”
Anya leans in and traces a finger down her cheek and her eyes drop to Katie’s mouth. Her lips curl into a smile, “You have dirt on your face, pretty Katie.” Her stomach drops and she knows, she is found.
“Gardening is dirty work, Anya,” Katie says as she stabs her friend in the chest, with the iron spade.
Anya’s scream of rage turns to a roar of hatred, as he is forced to drop the glamour spell. Katie runs to the house and flies through the door just as Colin finishes healing his chest wound.
He lunges for Katie, but she makes it safely inside and slams the door. “Oh, God. He shouldn’t be able to get inside?” Katie tells herself as she races to the small hole in the front wall of the house. A braided rope goes down the wall on the front porch and traces to a small iron bell. “But just in case,” Katie pulls the bell and is rewarded with a scream of pain!
With a powerful kick, Colin smashes the door open and tries to walk through. Katie screams and backs to the far wall, as her eyes are drawn to the metal cross hanging above the door. He can’t enter with the iron above the door!
“You will suffer now, pretty Katie!” He snarls as he tries to enter the house. A bright flash of white light blocks his entrance. Colin uses his magic to rip the cross off the door. Katie uses her gift and reads his mind. She sees how he plans to torture her, and she falls to the ground in terror, seizing her head with both hands. He stands in the doorway laughing and shows her all the horrific ways he will use her body before he takes her essence. He holds tightly to her mind, pouring all his demented thoughts into her.
In his mind, she hears a frantic call for help, a woman’s voice.
He releases Katie’s mind, “Don’t worry, we will play some more, later!” then he is gone.
Chapter 10
Stepping out on top of the Black Mountain, Reese looks to the night sky and leaps straight up in an explosion of stardust. As the Shadow King, he has untold magic. He follows the path in his mind and lands outside a castle wall. The castle is roughly eight hundred years old and surrounded by a moat. It is called the Water Castle because of the lake that it is built upon. Reese spreads out his senses and searches for the light that drew him here. He turns with his back to the graceful columns and tall towers finding he is drawn towards the lush forest. The moment he steps into the forest, he feels peace. Inhaling deep, he moves deeper and allows his spirit to savor. “Follow the light,” he hears in his mind. His eyes open and he begins to run, following the sunbeam that is directing him. Five miles deep into the forest, he comes to a stop in front of a two story, stone house.
Reese senses her inside the stone structure and his heart begins to pound. He takes a step towards the house but finds an invisible barrier bars the way. Reese smiles when the angel, Morgan steps outside.
“Morgan, thank you for your assistance,” Reese says as he steps forward to greet his friend. He is reminded once again of the size of Archangels. Morgan stands well over seven and a half feet tall. He has long brown hair and coffee color eyes with large bronze wings.
“Do not thank me yet, my friend. She is ill and angry. The wound she carries is poisoning her slowly and she is fading fast. Ariana needs to be healed by your people. Not mine,” he tells him. “The castle is closed now for repairs, and with the winter coming not many people will venture here. You should be safe for a while, but keep your magic close, Shadow King.”
“Thank you, again.” Reese watches as he turns and flies away. When he steps through the doorway into the small room, he finds a roaring fire, and hears her puttering in the kitchen. She walks in carrying a tray with coffee and creamer with cups. The cups rattle on the tray when she sees him. Her beauty stuns him, her hair is a riot of red curls to her waist and her eyes are the color of violets. She wears a long navy dress that accentuates her breasts. He can see the poison has moved further up her chest. She is pale, sweaty, and struggles to breathe.
“
My Queen, I am Reese…” he starts to say but she interrupts him.
“You may call me, Ariana, I am no longer your Queen,” She responds in a husky voice. She walks toward the fireplace and sets the tray on the coffee table. Ariana looks around for Morgan. “Is my captor gone, now?” she asks.
“Morgan saved your life, Ariana. A little gratitude should not be too much to ask.” He tells her.
Her eyes darken for a moment when his eyes glance at the wound on her chest. “I must keep moving, Reese. It is not safe for you, for anyone to stay with me,” she tells him coughing loudly. She turns towards the fireplace and takes a deep breath willing the coughing spell away, “I am thankful to you both for saving me, but that is all you will do. I am leaving in the morning.”
Reese listens and walks up behind her. She smells of lavender and his body reacts. Unable to resist he reaches out to touch her but stops when she turns around. She looks up at the beautiful Fae in front of her and wishes for a moment that things were different. Ariana knows she has to get away from him. Her body is growing weaker by the second. She will not be responsible for his death.
He reaches up and strokes her cheek with the back of his hand, “Perhaps my Queen, it is time for you to stop running and put your faith in someone else. I am not so easily killed,” he says softly reading her mind.
Ariana’s eyes widen for a moment and she whispers, “Who are you?” backing away from him in fear.
“Much has happened since you left our people, and things are not as they once were. I will ask that you listen to me and if you still wish to go, I will not stop you.”
Ariana is confused, and the pain is back. It hits with a vengeance, doubling her over and she clutches his arm for support. Reese sweeps her up into his arms and heads down a hall. He kicks open a door and lays her on a large bed. He lights the room with a wave of his hand and starts a fire with only a thought. She is dizzy, shaking and confused, taking a breath she says, “They are close Reese. You must go!” she says pushing at his chest.
“Forgive me, my Queen,” he says, and he pulls his dagger. With one swipe of his blade, the bodice of her dress is opened. The beauty of her body stuns him; her pale skin and large breasts make his mouth water until he sees the vicious wound. The scar is about six inches long, rippled and red. With black streaks that snake outwards and upwards over her chest down her rib cage and up towards her collarbones.
Ariana freezes when he pulls the knife, she ignores the pain and watches his eyes as he sees the wound. Her tears flow freely down her face and into her red hair.
“Tell me how this happened,” he says in a hoarse voice.
“I was betrayed by a Fae who turned dark named, Colin. He stabbed me thinking to use my body to enter the Vale and kill my brother, Drake. A human saved me, Reese. You know her as Queen Caderyn.” Her breathing becomes labored and she grabs his arm, “This is important because I will be gone soon. She thought I was dead, but I drew on her power to escape the shop and I ran. I knew she was the one! His Mate.” Falling back to the pillows she gasps in pain, “You should go before they come,” she says trying to cover her shame. Her arms cover her breast and she trembles as the pain eases. He covers her with a blanket and moves away from the bed.
“You will not die, my Queen. I will not allow it!” Reese snarls pacing by the bed.
Ariana starts to laugh, “You will not allow it! Who do you think you are?” she asks scooting higher up in the bed.
His blue eyes meet hers and he stops moving, “Ariana, I am the Shadow King.”
Ariana loses all her color and the room starts to spin. His voice echoes in her ear, Shadow King! “Oh no….” she whimpers and leaps from the bed. With the last of her strength, she slams a barrier around herself and calls upon her element. She reaches into the fireplace and whips the flame at him.
Reese snarls, “Culla Laoch!” blocking the flames he catches her before she hits the ground. The sleeping spell should give him time to heal her, or at least buy them some more time. Once more, he lifts her in his arms except this time, he finds he does not want to let her go. He kneels on the floor with her and pushes the hair away from her face. Again, he is in awe of her beauty. When he looks at the wound, he becomes enraged.
“I will find the Shadow that did this, and he will be judged. You will be free my Queen.” He places a hand on top of the wound and closes his eyes. He tries to use his magic to heal the wound, but Ariana begins to cough, struggling to breathe as the poison moves further up her chest towards her neck.
A wolf howls, followed by another. Reese hears what sounds like scratching at the front door. An answering howl sounds outside the bedroom window, and more respond as the house is surrounded by a pack of wolves. The scratching at the door intensifies and Reese picks up Ariana in his arms and leaps through the roof of the house, looking down upon the pack.
At the front door, a large white wolf looks up and stares at Reese with a flash of silver eyes. It howls and runs into the forest followed by its pack. Reese knows those eyes, they are Fairy! Excitement flows. Holding Ariana in his arms, he decides to trust his instincts. He follows the pack into the woods. As they run deep, he follows from above, soon he is forced to drop through the thick trees and follow on foot. He holds his Queen tight stopping only when a coughing fit overtakes her. Her pulse is growing erratic, her skin is pale and clammy, and her breathing is strained. The wolves surround him as he places her on a bed of green moss.
“Ariana,” he whispers. He is afraid. Afraid he will have to watch her die, as he did his wife, Wynn. One by one, the wolves shift in a brilliant flash of white light. Reese finds he is surrounded by Forest Fairies. They are cousin to the Fae. All have white hair and silver eyes surrounded by white eyelashes and beautiful silver wings. They are protectors of the forest and all living creatures.
“Do not fear, brother. We are close, bring her.” The leader calls and she helps him stand and urges him through some brush into a clearing.
Reese cradles Ariana in his arms and runs, following his cousins. He soon finds himself standing in a clearing, with a hot spring. The moon illuminates the spring, and each fairy takes their place on a stone until they circle the spring.
“Hurry, healing flows into this spring. It flows from the sacred well,” she reassures him.
He steps forward carrying Ariana, and the pack leader walks over and touches her forehead. Ariana opens her eyes; too weak to fight she simply stares in wonder. “Reese?” she questions.
“It is okay, Ariana, they want to help,” he promises her.
“My Queen,” the forest fairy says, “it is time for you to heal, and rest. You must not fight the healing; do you understand?” The white fairy smiles at Ariana’s nod, and tells Reese, “Carry her into the spring and hold her tight.” Her smile fades and her silver eyes flash, “Don’t let go, he will fight to keep her.”
“Very well.” He starts to step into the spring, but Ariana stops him.
“Wait, Reese, you do not have to do this. You owe me nothing,” she says struggling to get away.
He squeezes her and says fiercely, “I will not lose anyone else to the shadows!” He needs no more urging and he sheds their clothes and steps into the hot water.
It is deeper than it looks, and the water flows up over the couple as he sinks deep into the steaming pool. He finds a rocky ledge to sit on.
Ariana lies back against his muscular chest, held tightly in the Shadow Kings arms, she thinks how good and right it feels. “If I have to die then let it be like this, held safely in his arms.”
As the pack begins to chant. Reese pulls her tightly against his chest and whispers in her ear, “You will not escape me that easily, my Queen.” Ariana smiles as the hot water ripples and bubbles over her and soothes the pain, and the leader of the Forest Fairies chants:
“I call forth light in the dark of the night,
Seize the shadow lurking deep
Send her to a healing sleep
Judge the dark
and sear his soul
Give him back his gift of ole!”
Ariana coughs as the pain strikes again, stronger and she feels her throat start to close. A tear slips free as she thinks, “What a cruel fate is this, to find my mate and die in his arms?” Ariana falls into a healing sleep.
Reese stares at her in wonder, Mate? He holds her tight as a scream breaks loose. The demon roars as a clawed hand of holy light sinks into the wound on Ariana’s chest. It fights to keep its grasp, as it is ripped free. A flash of white light leaps across the heavens dragging the demon spirit back to its dark master. Far away, the spirit wails in agony as it is slammed into its creator. Fury has him burning the demon because of his failure to kill the Queen.
Ariana is free.
“What now?” Reese asks looking up at the forest fairies. They drop back to the earth, wolves once more, and the leader speaks to his mind. “Stay in the healing water until the sun breaks and your mate will be free.”
“Fae are fated to have only one mate. How can I have another?” He asks in wonder.
“There has never been another like you, Shadow King. Reese your gift of faith in those who could not defend themselves, has been rewarded. Those who are innocent will find their mate within or outside of the vale.” She drops back to the ground and they run back into the woods.
“Mate?!” Reese calls out shocked. “Mate,” he whispers in wonder holding her tightly.
Reese pulls Ariana back against his chest, holding her body tight to his. He can think of worse ways to watch the sunrise. She fits against his body as if she was custom made for him. He leans his head back on the rocks and holds her against his hard body. He thinks of his wife, for a moment, Wynn. They were childhood sweethearts and he loved her. Five hundred years is a long time to be alone, and he knows she would want him to be happy. He is strongly attracted to Ariana. “It is good to feel alive again.” He smiles as he feels her stir at the sound of his voice.