Mother of Shadows (The Chosen Book 1)

by Meg Anne

  “I could serve you for that alone, but for the happiness that you have brought my brother, I will love you for the rest of my life.” He tipped his head and pressed a rough kiss to the back of her hand.

  Helena blushed and Von let out a low snarl, “Step away from my mate you silver-tongued sack of shit, or I’ll have to knock you on your ass again.”

  Ronan winked at Helena, but stepped back and turned to address Von, “So territorial, Brother. You must not be assured of your performance in the bedroom if you’re worried about something as innocent as a kiss.”

  Von’s eyes flashed and Helena could have sworn she recognized the iridescent shimmer of her own power reflected in his gray eyes. Before she could be certain, it was gone.

  Von huffed out a breath, “You have a habit of taking things that aren’t yours.”

  Helena chuckled at the aggrieved tone of his voice. Stepping beside him she placed a sweet kiss on his dirty cheek. “Lucky for you I am not so easily swayed, Mate.”

  His eyes smoldered as he looked down at her, “That I am.”

  Cheeks pink now for another reason, Helena changed the subject and asked in a slightly breathy voice, “Brothers?”

  “Brothers of the Blade,” Ronan offered, at the same time Von said, “Brother of my soul.”

  “In that case, I must insist you call me Helena.”

  Something in those ice blue eyes shifted; warmed. “You do me a great honor, Kiri.”

  She raised a sculpted brow.

  “Helena,” he amended with a laugh.

  She shrugged, “My Mate’s family is my family, and I don’t believe in such formality amongst friends anyway.” Leaning closer, she lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “Unless, of course, I want to put a certain smart-assed Rasmirin in his place.”

  “I heard that,” Darrin called dryly.

  “I meant for you to,” Helena replied in a voice dripping with sugary sweetness.

  “Does that also apply to certain heartless black-haired bastards?” Kragen asked, eyes crinkled in delight.

  Helena nodded, “Most definitely.”

  “If you want to talk about titles, Mate, we can start with the ones you’ve given me when you’re moaning in our bed.” He purred down the bond.

  Helena’s eyes widened and her blush bloomed a fierce red across her cheeks.

  Looking between Von and Helena, Ronan let out a booming laugh that was more of a roar. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”

  The group was seated in the shade of a nearby tree, the morning giving way to the heat of the afternoon. Kragen and Ronan had each spent a few moments assessing each other before they launched into a verbal contest to determine which of them was the bigger bad ass.

  Helena felt like she could easily declare a winner, but had a feeling neither would be willing to accept her choice.

  “I appreciate the vote of confidence,” Von’s voice rumbled.

  Helena offered him a small smile. “I saw how easily you bested him this morning.”

  “Neither of us were using weapons or our magic-”

  Her mental voice interrupted his, “Exactly.”

  She felt the eye-roll in her mind. “Ronan is my second in command for a reason, love.”

  “Exactly,” she repeated for emphasis. “A commander would never have the respect or loyalty of such a strong warrior unless his own skills were equal or above his men.”

  Von shook his head in exasperation, but she could feel the pride her words of belief had caused to radiate out of him.

  “Ronan?” Helena asked suddenly.

  Four sets of male eyes all turned to look at her. It was a conscious effort not to let herself shrink under the intensity of their combined gaze.

  “Yes Kir-Helena?” he asked with a raise of his brow.

  “Do you think you could train me?”

  The other three men bristled.

  “You want me to train you?” he asked softly.

  Helena nodded, “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble.”

  “Do you mind if I ask why, my lady?”

  “Why you instead of one of these lot?” Helena gestured to the disgruntled males around her.

  Ronan dipped his head in acknowledgment.

  “I don’t trust them to--” she stopped as the men sputtered in affronted male pride. Holding up a hand she rolled her eyes, “Let me finish you bunch of babies. I don’t trust the three of them to push me as hard as I would need to be pushed to really learn. I think all three of them would struggle with the idea of putting me in a situation where I might get hurt.”

  “And I think I would be too hesitant to do anything that might hurt you,” she added for Von alone.

  He squeezed her hand in answer.

  “Hellion,” Darrin admonished, “That is what I am for. I am here to protect you, there is no reason you would need to learn to fight.”

  “But what if something happens to you? What if I am ever in a situation where I am cut off from all of you, would you really want me so handicapped that I could not defend myself?”

  “You have your magic,” he protested.

  “Magic that I can barely control, who knows what would happen?” Her words came faster and were more clearly laced with her growing panic as she continued her list, “Would I be able to even access it in a moment of fear? Or what if I get spent; use too much too fast and cannot withstand a prolonged assault? Or what if—”

  It was her turn to be cut-off. “She is right,” Von said quietly at her side.

  “She should have every possible tool at her disposal, even if we never anticipate a need for her to use it,” Kragen agreed.

  “It would be my honor to help train you, Helena,” Ronan said seriously, “But I think that you should take turns training with all of us. We have different fighting styles; different strengths. If you really want to have every available tool, then you would benefit from learning all styles. As you said, you never know when a certain maneuver will come in handy.”

  “I promise not to take it easy on you,” Darrin muttered bitterly.

  Helena stuck her tongue out in response.

  “We will start in the morning. You will come down before the other men begin their drills.”

  “At least that means I will be waking up with you, instead of to an empty bed.”

  “Darling, you have no idea what you’ve just gotten yourself into.”

  Von at least had the decency to laugh only in her mind.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Training the next morning was a misery. She had known that it would be since the heaviest weapon she’d ever held was a garden rake. Even so, she had thought she was mentally prepared for what to expect, but she had not anticipated the bone-deep weariness that she now felt. Helena’s muscles were protesting even as she sat in the steaming hot water.

  Ronan had been relentless, he warned her when they began that morning that he was not going to speak to her as his friend or ruler; she was just another recruit and he was now her commander.

  He slid his right foot back into the crouching stance he and Von had used in the sparring ring the day before. Motioning for her to imitate him, he had taken one look at her stance and sent her to run laps around the field. After that he had her carry his armor across the field, all the while lifting it up over her head before setting it down to pick it up and do it again.

  Through it all, she hadn’t complained, just panted and asked if she might stop for a moment to drink some water. She felt Ronan’s approval even though he never said anything kind to her. Just continued to push her and complain about her overall lack of strength.

  When she’d mistakenly asked when she might train with a weapon or learn some of the movements she had seen the others work through he had laughed at her.

  “Little girl, when you are strong enough to hold a weapon correctly, without shaking or dropping it, I will let you train with one. Until then, build up your strength and stamina, now run!”

  Even now, hours l
ater soaking in the tub with the oils Tanya had promised would help ease the ache of her muscles, Helena wasn’t sure where the certainty had come from that she needed to train.

  Seeing the men yesterday, it was as if something that had been at the edge of her vision finally came into focus. Instinct had driven her to ask Ronan to train her, but she knew that it was her magic that had put the idea in her mind. If only she understood why.

  “How are you feeling, my love,” Von asked softly as he leaned against the doorway, arms folded across his chest.

  She gave him a dirty look and slid deeper into the water.

  “That well, huh?” he asked kindly, before walking over to her.

  He dropped to his knees slowly, grabbing a cloth and some soap before turning that gray gaze upon her.

  Helena just watched him above the rim of the water, heart beginning to race at the sight of him fully clothed and on his knees beside her, while she was laying there completely exposed under the water.

  As if he could sense her reaction, which of course, he could, she realized, Von smiled softly and shook his head.

  “I’m not here for that, not right now anyway,” his teeth flashed as he gave her a feral grin, “I don’t want to push your muscles any further than they already have been.”

  He motioned for her to sit forward, and moaning in protest she shifted until her back was facing him. She could feel the tingle of his magic as he ran the now soapy cloth in gentle circles along her back. With each swipe, she could feel some of the pain ease away.

  She groaned her thanks and moved to provide him with more access.

  Once he was done with the cloth, he swept the wet strands of hair over her shoulder and began to gently rub and press into the muscles of her back and shoulders. His fingers working to help release the tension.

  Helena winced as he reached a particularly tight knot between her shoulders, and then whimpered in relief as his skilled hands worked it out.

  “How are you feeling now, Mira?” he asked softly.

  She shifted again in the tub, surprised and relieved to note that the movement barely caused any ache.

  Her aqua eyes were thankful when they met his.

  Reaching down he scooped her into his arms, disregarding the water that was sloshing onto his clothes, and carried her into their bedroom.

  The curtains were closed cutting off the morning sun, and the few candles that were lit guttered out softly as they walked past.

  Laying her against the pillows, he crawled in beside her and pulled her back to his chest, curling himself around her.

  He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, “Rest, Mira. I will stay here with you.”

  “But it’s the middle of the morning,” she started before a large yawn took over.

  Chuckling he snuggled her closer. “Rest now, so that I can reenact all those wonderful things that had your cheeks so pink when I knelt beside you.”

  Smiling to herself, Helena closed her eyes and wondered how anyone could think Von was heartless.

  “Because I was until I found you.” He replied down their bond, only to realize she was already asleep.

  Von propped himself up on an elbow and watched her sleep. As deep breaths caused her chest to rise and fall softly, he let his fingers trace lazy patterns down her arm, enjoying the feel of her soft skin.

  There was no doubt that knowing her had already changed him in numerous and inexplicable ways. He had felt it instantly that first night during the ceremony when their eyes met. There was a moment when everything in him had gone silent and dim before bursting back into sharp focus. As though his soul had recognized itself in hers and came out of hiding to say: I’ve been waiting for you. I am here.

  Ever since then, every interaction had only sharpened that awareness. It had disturbed him at first, that connection. It countered every instinct the years of strategy and battle had drilled into him; pulled him towards her light and out of the darkness he’d resided in these past years. He had been helpless to resist it. So, he’d surrendered, to her. To his mate.

  He shook his head ruefully, still awed that the Mother saw fit to bless his tarnished soul with such a rare gift. He had been driven for so long with only one goal in mind: punish the self-righteous nobles who saw fit to let thousands of innocents suffer and die. Let their bowels turn to water and their hearts race in fear when they were called to answer for their cruel disregard.

  He had been single-minded in that pursuit, willing to sacrifice anything, including himself if it meant that he could save the people he loved. It was that setting aside of pride that brought him to her, he realized. His willingness to beg, if need be, to open the border and get a healer to his brother.

  He felt a thousand years old as he brought his eyes back to her beautiful face; the weight of all that death sitting heavy inside him, even while her presence within him continued to soothe the jagged and broken edges he had lived with for so long.

  She looked so innocent, so gentle, in her sleep, but he had felt her in those moments when her magic took over. The way that her wrath had been a twin to his own. She was a warrior, every bit as much as he was, although she hadn’t realized it yet, or at least not consciously.

  A knock sounded gently on the door, startling Von from his thoughts and giving him just enough time to hastily wrap a blanket around his mate before it opened a crack; the warm light of the hallway spilling in behind it.

  Alina kept her eyes down as she poked her head in.

  “What is it?” Von asked, trying to keep his voice low so as not to wake the woman in his arms.

  “There has been news, my lord, from Daejara. The Circle is meeting in the Chambers,” she replied, equally as soft.

  Von looked to Helena, noting her mouth which had fallen open as she sank deeper into sleep.

  “You are going to have to tell them to wait. While I cannot dispute the importance of the conversation they would like to have, their Kiri needs to rest. I do not want to wake her unless I have to.”

  He noted the small smile playing on Alina’s lips as she nodded her head, “Very well, sir. I will inform them that she will be down once she has woken.”

  With that, she stepped back and closed the door with a whisper of a click. The golden light went with her, leaving the two of them wrapped in shadows.

  Helena woke with a sigh, her body feeling heavy and warm. She stretched and rolled towards the center of the bed, meeting little resistance from the limbs that had been quaking with exhaustion before her bath.

  Von’s scent still lingered on the pillows and she buried her face to drink it in.

  As she became more coherent she sensed a delicate fluttering within the boundaries of her mind. As she focused on the sensation of that flickering presence it came closer, as though it had been politely waiting for her attention before disturbing her.

  She reached out a mental hand towards it, beckoning it closer. As it floated to the center of her mind she felt it expand until it finally released the warm sensual voice she knew so well. The voice resonating in her mind was a mere echo; a diluted version of the deep growl she was used to hearing speak in her mind.

  “I hope that you slept well, my love, and that you are feeling better. Word has arrived from Daejara; we will be waiting for you in the Chamber. There is no need to rush, we will be ready whenever you are.”

  Surprise warred with delight over the discovery. Yet another facet of the bond had been uncovered. She was curious how he thought to try that bit of magic and how he had achieved that little thought bubble that waited for her so patiently. She sent a gentle tug on the bond to let him know that she was awake.

  In response, he sent her what felt like a smile, its warmth causing little ripples of pleasure along their mating bond.

  The combination of his voice and presence in her mind, along with his scent surrounding her, gave her a sweet ache low in her belly.

  “Missing me already, darling?” came the purr.

  She sent him an im
age of her stretching on the bed.

  “Wicked girl,” he growled, “Teasing me so shamelessly when you know I’m surrounded by a bunch of men. What will they say if they notice my reaction to those lovely curves?”

  She giggled at the thought of Timmins or Joquil noticing the evidence of his arousal and took pity on him.

  “Thank you for letting me sleep,” she replied sweetly.

  “Of course, Mira. You needed the rest.”

  “Will you let the others know that I am on my way and will be there shortly?”

  “Already done.”

  She stood with a small grin, feeling more content than she had since her mother passed away. Her life had become so small before coming to the capital. There was no surprise and very little excitement; just the simple pleasure found in the quiet moments in her garden or sitting before the fire, curled up with a book she had read countless times before.

  There had been happiness in that, certainly, but not this sense of completion and purpose. She hadn’t realized how lonely she had been, living on her own. She had laughter again, now that she had found her new family, for that’s what the Circle had become to her.

  Kragen and Darrin were like older brothers, as likely to tease her as to protect her. Timmins the father, providing both caution and comfort for all of them as needed, while Joquil was an uncle that was often away on grand adventures and who would come visit to share stories of the wonders he had witnessed. At least, that’s what she assumed they were like, she had never had any of those things before.

  And then there was Von...

  I’ll never be alone again, she thought. Heart full to bursting, Helena dressed quickly, throwing on a simple dress of light purple and braiding her hair.

  Her smile was radiant as she stepped swiftly out of the room and towards the men that had become so dear to her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Rounding the corner, Helena saw Gillian standing close to Darrin. Their voices were hushed, so she could not hear what they were saying, but Gillian had her hand resting on his chest and they were both laughing as she stepped closer.