Destroy growled and took several steps toward the direction of the storm.
“‘Stroy?” Carnage called.
Destroy didn’t look back, but said, “Stay with your family, Carnage, watch over them. I’ve got this.” As he took to the sky, his growl turned into a roar, a few flaps of his wings, and he was gone.
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>
Enthrall sat in the kitchen of Clara’s House, sipping a cup of coffee, wishing it was his sarsaparilla tea. He’d been back for only a few hours and couldn’t sleep. He’d gotten up and gone to the kitchen completely lost in his thoughts when a slight cough drew his attention.
He looked up from his coffee to find Felicity standing there.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I couldn’t sleep and thought I’d have a snack,” she told him.
“You’re not interrupting at all. Have a seat, I’ll get you something,” Enthrall said, rising to his feet.
“Oh, no, I can do it,” Felicity said.
“I insist!” he said, pulling out a chair for her to sit.
She really wasn’t feeling her best, so she agreed, “Okay, thank you.”
Enthrall took out two apples and sliced them, then scooped out a large spoonful of peanut butter and plopped it right in the middle of a bowl, placing the apple slices around the peanut butter. He placed it in front of her. “Oh! I love peanut butter!” she said, dipping an apple slice into the middle of the peanut butter.
“I’ve recently discovered it. Someone that’s very important to me loves it. So I decided to try it. It’s not bad,” he said.
“You should try it with jelly,” she said, crunching on another apple slice.
“Peanut butter? With jelly?” he asked, with a horrified look on his face.
Felicity laughed, and he fell in love with her there in that moment. She had a beautiful laugh. “Trust me, it’s one of my favorites!”
“Then I shall have to try it,” he said.
Finishing up her snack, Felicity rose from the table, “Thank you for the snack.”
“You’re very welcome. Thank you for the company. I wasn’t able to sleep either,” Enthrall told her. “Here, let me take that dish for you.”
Felicity knew that he’d not allow her to wash it, so she just handed it over, “I’ll see you in the morning?” she asked.
“You will, sleep well,” he said, bowing to her as she left the room. He stood at the sink washing the bowl when movement outside caught his eye. He focused on the outside lawn and realized that the mist above the ground was no longer just mist, it was purple. “Lore,” he whispered under his breath.
He turned to go outside and ran right into Mamaie.
“She is a lovely girl,” Mamaie said.
“Who, Felicity?” Enthrall asked.
“Yes. She is kind, very smart, and she has a good heart,” Mamaie told him.
“Yes, she is. Mamaie, could we continue this a little later?” Enthrall asked, fearing what Lore would do if he grew tired of waiting.
Mamaie waved him away, “Go, tend to the things you must.”
Enthrall hurried through the door and outside into the darkness.
He didn’t see Mamaie shake her head or hear her when she said, “It is a shame she is dying,” as she left the kitchen.
Enthrall kept walking until he was a fair distance from the house, “Lore! Is there a problem?”
“Possibly,” his voice came from all around.
“What? What is the problem?” Enthrall asked, frustratedly.
“You no longer have a Windigo,” Lore explained.
“I never did have a Windigo,” Enthrall said.
“Of course you did. You gave him sanctuary,”
“He’s not mine. And so he’s left. He doesn’t have to stay, and it’s best anyway. He was paying too much attention to Rowan,” Enthrall explained. “You came all this way to tell me that the Windigo left?”
“No. I came all this way to tell you that the Windigo stole Destroy’s Witch from her very bed. Then she killed the Windigo, but not the man. You know, I believe that perhaps banished is a better word. I believe she banished the Windigo. But the man remains. And now Destroy still wants to kill the Windigo. Only now he’s a man, instead of a Windigo, so I’m not sure that it would be a problem or not. And now that he’s human, can he be allowed to stay, or would you need to kill him? Or perhaps since he was once a creature, maybe he can choose to stay or leave. Or mayhap we just allow Destroy to smash him and be done with it. Either way, I suggest you come quickly while Destroy is still enamored of his love. Because I do believe that as soon as he gets the chance, Destroy will end him, no matter that his female said not to,” Lore rambled, then paused to wait for Enthrall’s response with a completely unnerving smile on his face.
Enthrall listened to Lore, his eyes beginning to squint, and the heels of his hands pressed to the headache growing behind his forehead, reminding himself that from time-to-time the insanity that kept Lore company would rear its ugly head again. And when it did, he often sought out Enthrall in an effort to keep himself grounded. And since he wasn’t home, perhaps that was what this was.
With the heels of his hands now pressed to his eyes, he said, “How are you feeling, Lore?”
“Hungry,” came Lore’s answer.
“Hungry?” Enthrall asked.
“Yes. And now we have the human. Perhaps I’ll eat him!” Lore said enthusiastically. Then, “I did tell you you needed to relax that rule didn’t I? The one about humans. At any rate — either Destroy will kill him when his ladylove goes to sleep, or I shall eat him.”
“You’re telling me that the Windigo is no longer a Windigo and is human?!”
Lore looked at him as though he’d grown three heads, “I believe that is what I just spent countless seconds that I’ll never get back trying to relay to you. Did you not listen?”
“Yes, unfortunately, I did,” Enthrall said, rubbing both his eyes at the same time.
Lore waited but a second more, “Well, I’m off! The lightning and rain should be finished by now. Would you care to make a wager? Will it be me or Destroy who finishes the new human off?” Lore’s laughter filled the space all around him as his mists swirled, then disappeared.
“Neither!” Enthrall shouted, to the now empty yard around him. “Damnit!” he cursed out loud.
He glanced around, determined that he was still alone and ghosted to Whispers. How the hell he’d ever find time to court Felicity between Destroy and Lore, he wondered. But if it was the last thing he did, he’d make her his.
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>
Destroy followed the storm and found it led him right back to his own home, though he had to land and run the last several hundred yards toward his home. The lightning was far too active for him to take a chance. He needed to be alive to save Rowan. As he cleared the tree line and got a good look at what was happening, his heart filled with pride. The Windigo was kneeling in the middle of the clearing, both arms up toward the heavens, a lightning bolt electrifying both arms and shooting down his body, nailing him to the spot he knelt in. His body was convulsing, and he could see the skeletal appearance of the Windigo; then, the lightning would flash, and he could see the figure of a man writhing in pain on his knees. Rowan stood before the male, her arms raised to the sky, her beautiful face turned into the driving rain, commanding the lightning bolts as they shot through the Windigo. Almost in slow motion the lightning returned to the sky after it seemed to caress her face. The thunder went with it, leaving only the rain behind. Destroy ran toward Rowan at the same time the Windigo dropped face first onto the ground; no, that wasn’t right. He was no longer a Windigo, he was a man.
Rowan stood there, panting, trying to catch her breath. Destroy ran straight for her, grabbed her from behind and ran his hands over her, checking her to make sure she was okay.
“I’m okay,” she said.
Now that he knew that Rowan was unharmed, Destroy snarled and turned for the Windigo-man-
person-thing, now lying face down in the grass.
Rowan rushed to get around Destroy and place herself between them, “No!” she yelled at him, holding her hands up.
“He stole you! He took you from our bed! And you tell me no?!” Destroy shouted on a growl.
“Yes. I do. And he did. But he only wanted help. He didn’t hurt me, and he brought me right back when I told him to,” she explained.
“He took mine!” Destroy bellowed.
“He was tricked. He wasn’t made a Windigo as punishment for his own actions, his love tricked him, and he just wanted to be released from the curse. He didn’t deserve it, Destroy!” she said.
“I don’t care!” Destroy yelled.
“Well, I do,” she yelled back.
Destroy moved to go around her toward the man lying unconscious on the ground, and Rowan yelled, “I just made a man out of a Windigo. I used my magic of my own free will, intentionally, for the first time, to reverse a wrong that was done. And if you kill him, I’m not going to be happy with you!”
Destroy snarled at her and picked up the man from the ground. He was unconscious, and the rain still poured around them. Destroy stomped through the rain over to Enthrall’s home and dropped the man on the porch. Destroy came marching back toward her.
“What are you doing?” she demanded.
“Putting your new human on Enthrall’s porch.”
“You just dropped him on the porch! You could have hurt him!” Rowan accused.
“He’s been a Windigo for godsakes, I don’t think the porch is going to kill him,” Destroy said sarcastically.
Rowan hurried to the man lying on Enthrall’s porch and turned him over, looking at him closely. “Is he alive?” she asked Destroy.
“I hope so, because I’m gonna kill him when he wakes up,” Destroy answered.
“You are not!” she yelled at him.
Rowan smoothed the hair from his face, “I hope I didn’t kill him.”
“You didn’t,” a voice answered just before mists began swirling on the porch.
“Hello, Lore,” Destroy drawled.
“Hello, Destroy,” Lore returned, mimicking Destroy’s unamused drawl. “You didn’t kill him, Rowan. You freed him. I’ve never seen it done before.”
“How did you know to come?” Rowan asked.
“Your storms. They attracted me,” he answered.
Rowan nodded, then said, “What do we do with him?” she looked down at the obviously Native American man. He was a very handsome man.
“You do nothing! You are coming home with me. You’ve done enough!” Destroy announced.
“He’s right. Go home with your mate, I’ve already let Enthrall know he’s needed. He shan’t be long,” Lore said.
“Are you sure?”
“Quite,” Lore answered.
Destroy snatched Rowan off the porch and threw her over his shoulder, “We need to have a talk about you and your magic, woman!” he told her as he marched back toward their house.
“I’m not letting it go, I just got it back!” she said, her voice raising. Then she yelled, “And don’t eat my new person!” across the clearing, to Lore.
“We shall see, perhaps; perhaps not,” Lore answered.
“No!” Rowan told him, as she hung over Destroy’s back, shaking her finger at Lore as though he were a naughty child. Then she saw Enthrall ghost into being right next to the Windigo-man and Lore and knew it would be okay.
She returned her attention to Destroy, “I think I’m pretty good at this magic thing. Do not even think I’m going to stop using it now.”
“I know, and I’m so damn proud of you,” he told her pulling her over his shoulder to cradle in his arms as he carried her.
“You are?” she asked.
“I am. So proud, Rowan. So proud,” he said as he rubbed his nose against hers. “But let’s talk about it before you go traipsing off to work your magic on creatures again. Okay? He could have hurt you,” Destroy told her, snuggling her close.
“No, I’d have zapped him,” Rowan said, snuggling Destroy back.
“Rowan…” Destroy warned, with a hint of impatience in his voice, as he stepped inside their home and closed the door behind them.
“Okay. I promise, I’ll tell you before I go anywhere. But for the record, I didn’t plan on going anywhere — it just kind of happened.”
Destroy rumbled a bit, but didn’t offer any further objections.
He stomped through their home to the bedroom where he’d left their food. “You didn’t even eat!”
“Well, let’s eat then. Can we warm it up?” Rowan asked.
“Yes, but this time you’re coming into the kitchen with me. I’m afraid to even leave you alone in our own home,” he grumbled.
Together they went into the kitchen. He returned the food to the skillet and again started a flame in the wood burning stove. He waited while it heated up and stirred it around a bit. Then re-plated it and they sat quietly at their table, eating in silence.
“I can make you feel better,” she said.
“I doubt it,” Destroy snapped, the reality of what could have happened making his stomach do flips.
“I could put a protection spell on the house. Make it so that no one can enter if their hearts intend harm. Kind of like the one that Lily put on me when you first brought me home.”
“You can do that?” he asked, perking up.
“I think so. Want me to try?” she asked.
“Yes! Right now!” he answered, taking their now empty plates and placing them in the kitchen sink.
He took her hand and together they went outside to see if she could manage the protection spell. She had a lot to learn, she’d ignored her magic for a long, long time.
Chapter 33
Destroy followed Rowan outside where she walked all around their home on the wraparound porch. She smiled as she walked, “I love this porch, Destroy,” she said as her fingertips trailed along the backs of rocking chairs and swings he’d placed strategically on different areas of the porch.
“I’m glad you like it, Row,” he answered.
When she looked back at him, she could see that he was smiling. He was very proud that he’d built her such a nice home. “Let’s go out into the yard,” she said.
Standing in the grass outside their home, Rowan raised her hands above her head, “Come stand with me, Ribbons, but not too close,” she told Destroy.
He stepped up behind her, pressing his front to her back.
She turned her face to see him better over her shoulder as she said, “I’m going to call the elements, you might want to not be touching me when I call the lightning.”
“Hurry up about it, I have things to tend to,” he said suggestively while palming her bottom. Destroy kissed her lips and took a step back.
Rowan lifted her hands even higher and closed her eyes, lifting her face to the sky. In only a matter of moments the winds started, only not as strong as before. Silent lightning streaked in slender bolts high up across the night sky. Rowan closed her hands into fists, calling the lightning to her — it seemed to just touch her hands. Then she opened her hands and moved her fingers fluidly as though caressing a lover. The lightning flowed from her hands and enveloped their home as though a slightly glowing blanket had been draped over it, top to bottom, roof to ground. Slowly Rowan pressed her palms together, and the glow gradually faded.
“It’s done,” she said smiling. “It’s a wondrous thing,” she murmured.
“What is?” Destroy asked.
“I think of what I want to do, and the magic leads me. I just seem to know what to do in order to achieve my desire. Basically, anyway,” she explained.
Destroy stepped up to her again, pressing his front to her back once more, “I see something wondrous myself.”
“You do?” she asked coyly.
“I do,” he answered. “And I’m going to make sure that this wondrous creature never, ever has reason to leave me or look away fro
m me.”
Rowan turned to Destroy, “That will never happen. I love you. I’ll never leave you, Destroy.”
For just a moment an unfamiliar expression crossed Destroy’s face, “Are you sure? You are so beautiful, and you are becoming so powerful. You could have any male you want, Row.”
Rowan reached up and took Destroy’s face in her hands, the lack of confidence on his face a new thing. One she didn’t like. Looking up into his eyes, she said, “I have absolutely no doubt. You are the only male I want. And I’m so proud to belong to you. You’re strong, handsome, intelligent, funny. And you help run Whispers. Enthrall would never have trusted you to oversee Whispers when he was away if he wasn’t sure of your integrity, your strength of character, and your ability to protect all who live here. I’m so proud of you, Destroy.”
“You are?” he said, grinning from ear-to-ear.
“I am,” she answered.
He raised his eyes to the sky as though thinking, “You only said handsome one time. And you didn’t say beautiful at all. My woman should know that all this beauty is hers,” he teased.
“Well, I’m not your woman yet,” she teased back.
“I can fix that!” he said enthusiastically before snatching her up and running for the house.
“Destroy!” she shrieked with laughter as he ran full speed for their bedroom.
Destroy didn’t pause as he ran through their house. He ran straight for their bedroom, stopping only when he stood in front of their bed.
Destroy kissed her passionately and placed her on the bed. She got to her knees and reached for him, pulling his face to hers for more of his kisses. He kissed her deeply, hungrily, while his hands pulled her shirt over her head.
Her hands moved to his shirt, pulling it high to remove it as well, though he had to help because she wasn’t used to maneuvering around horns.
His hands went to her skirt and made quick business of unfastening and shoving it down her thighs.
Destroy, Book 2, Whispers From the Bayou Page 26