by Bonnie Vanak
Gabriel turned to Lana. “Mother, do not do this. You are inflicting this on Sienna because she violated her vow with me. We are lovers and I won’t see her hurt because I seduced her.”
Sienna stared at Gabriel, suddenly understanding everything. Why Gabriel felt apart from other shifters. Why he mocked the Elven Royal Court and disdained those she longed to emulate.
Because Gabriel had been rejected by them as well.
“You’re hybrid,” she said softly. “Your father is panther and your mother is a pure light Elf.”
His jaw tightened. “I wanted to tell you, pixie. It’s why I brought you here. Knew I had to level with you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before?”
The glare he directed at the Enforcer was filled with venom. “I was going to tell you after you met Dave, my dad. I’ve always hated my Elven origins and I wanted to deny them as my own mother denied me, as her people denied me. I’m the product of a planned breeding. My mother saw the number of panther shifters were dwindling and thought it was her role to save us.” His voice held a mocking edge, but Sienna saw the shadows in his eyes.
Oh gods, she knew that kind of pain, the type that twisted your insides and wrung you dry, and made you put up a mask for all the world to see.
“Your father understood. My intentions were noble, Gabriel. I loved you from the moment you were born. I only wished to breed a perfect son who had the pureblood panther shifter genes,” Lana told him.
“Perfect son, Mother? I was nothing more than a science experiment to you. You might as well have cultivated me in a petri dish with my father’s sperm.”
“I did care. Gabriel, I love you.” Lana protested.
“No, you never did. You left me with my father soon as you gave birth. Caring isn’t mouthing tributes. Caring is action. Which is why I’m doing this…”
Gabriel squeezed Sienna’s hand and she went cold all over, knowing what he intended.
“No, Gabriel…”
“I will take her punishment.” His gaze narrowed as he turned to the Crimson Wizard. “If is permitted among the Elven to have a substitute take her punishment, then take me.”
Her heart leapt with joy, even as horror filled her. Gabriel would do this for her? Emotion clogged her throat. All her life she’d sought to be loved unconditionally for who she was. And this brave panther had proven his love. I love you.
“It is permitted,” the Crimson Wizard agreed.
Now it was Lana’s turn to turn bloodless. “No, you cannot allow this.”
“I can.” Gideon looked hard at Sienna. “Sienna, you will face punishment unless you leave the Elven for good and never return to your people. Then your vows are negated and all charges are dropped.”
Blood drained from Sienna’s face. “I cannot. As an Elf, I belong with the Elven.”
“You could stay with us,” Gabriel told her. “We accept you, and my people will love you as I do. Have faith in us.”
In me, his gaze pleaded.
Her chest tightened. “But I’m Elven and Elves belong with Elves and shifters belong to shifters.”
“I am half Elven.”
“But your home is here. Mine is with my people. They’re all I’ve ever known. I can’t cut off all my ties to them! I’m sorry. I can’t stay. My place is with other Elven. But I won’t let you take my punishment for me.”
Gabriel turned from her and held out his hands to Gideon. “I will take her punishment. Call it a parting gift from a lowly beast shifter.”
Mockery rang in his tone.
No one had ever offered to sacrifice anything for her, until Gabriel. He loved her, she realized. Loved her enough to suffer for her. She wanted to fling her arms around him and never let go. Her heart melted as she regarded his solemn expression. “Don’t do this,” she whispered to him.
Lana turned to Gideon. “How can you ask me to hurt my only son?”
“You never deliver the punishment, Enforcer. It is my task. As the lady of Light, you always remain unsullied.” Mockery rang in Gideon’s tone. Then he turned to Gabriel.
“Take off your shirt. I have glamoured the area. No Skins will see us.”
As Gabriel shrugged out of his shirt, accompanied by Lana’s loud, protesting wails, Sienna put a hand on his arm. “Don’t do this. Please. Not for me. I’m not worth it.”
He cupped her face with a warm palm. “But you are. That’s what I’ve tried to tell you all this time. You are worth it, and much more. You’ve been more than a healing agent for the shifters wounded by the dark enchantment. You’ve been my salvation from loneliness. All these years I’ve kept your memory alive. I’ve tried being with other women, but they were stale and shallow and never brought me to life the way you did. I’ve tried being alone and alone was better because the memory of you warmed me inside, knowing there was someone out there for me.”
The Crimson Wizard waved a hand and a vine dropped from the tree branch, wrapping around Gabriel’s wrists and jerking him upright until his body was stretched tight.
Torment swirled in Gabriel’s eyes. “Please, Sienna. Leave. I don’t want you to see this,” his words echoing what she’d said earlier.
Waving a hand, the Crimson Wizard sliced off a thin tree branch. “Stop it,” Sienna shouted.
Dangling from the tree limb, his toes barely brushing the grass, Gabriel looked at her solemnly. “It’s okay, darling. I’ll take a beating from all the wizards in the Brehon, if it means keeping you safe. You don’t deserve to be punished for having the courage to love me.”
This brave panther, who had dared to point out the truth of her life, was sacrificing himself for her. She darted forward to stop this madness.
And found herself frozen to the ground.
Helpless, she looked at Dave, growling in fury. He and Lana were both immobilized.
The air compressed and expanded and in a brilliant flash, Tristan appeared. He immediately strode up to Gideon.
“What the hell are you doing? He is my subject. You cannot touch him.”
Gideon gave the Silver Wizard a cool look. “Gabriel is half Elven. Glythen come under my rule.”
“He is half panther shifter. Wyldings are under my rule.”
The Crimson Wizard dropped the switch. “You are correct. We are at an impasse.”
“Perhaps we should divide him into half,” Tristan said mockingly. “Cut him up. I will get the half that has the power to breed, and you may have his sarcastic mouth.”
“Hey,” Gabriel protested.
Gideon waved a hand and a golden sword appeared in his right hand. “Shall I do the cutting?”
“It’s your sword. Be my guest. Make it a clean cut right at the waist. Fifty percent of him is mine,” Tristan told him.
Horrified, Sienna pulled hard at her feet and finally broke free. She rushed forward and flung her arms around Gabriel’s sweating waist, facing the two powerful wizards.
“You won’t touch him. You’ll have to go through me,” she snapped. “You can’t divide him in half! He’s a whole person.”
“But his shifter half belongs to me,” Tristan said.
“And his Elven side belongs to me. We are using your logic, Sienna.” Gideon gave her a pointed look. “You say you are Elf and the Elven only belong to the Elven, and shifters to shifters.”
“Why are you protesting our actions when we honor your philosophy? Warped as it is,” Tristan put in, his dark gaze glittering.
The wisdom of their words hit her like a sledgehammer. She eased her grip from Gabriel and looked up at him, the cords of his arms straining as he dangled from the rope.
“Pixie, I love you enough to make it work for us. I’m not saying this only because my arms hurt like a bitch and I don’t want these guys to turn me into chopped panther.” His gaze was tender. “Stay with me. You have a home here, always, with people who love you and will always make you welcome.”
Oh, how she longed to stay. But her sense of honor and duty tugged at her h
ead, while his pleading eyes tugged at her heart.
“How can I make it work? How can I be certain this is where I belong, if I can do any good here?” she asked Gideon, her voice breaking.
The Crimson Wizard’s expression turned dark. “You need a demonstration? Fine.”
Turning, he gathered a glowing ball of pure red energy into his palms. And then he flung it.
Directly at Gabriel’s father.
Dave screamed and collapsed to the pathway.
Chapter 12
“You fucking bastards! He did nothing!” Gabriel yelled. With a mighty roar, he yanked hard at his restraints, breaking the vines. Gabriel raced over to his father’s side.
Dave was gasping for air, his eyes rolling backwards.
With a shriek Lana ran to her former lover, dropped her knees and touched the horrible, jagged wound in his chest. The ice cold Enforcer stared wildly at the Crimson Wizard. “Heal him!” Lana pleaded. “Please, he’s dying!”
“That was a bit extreme,” Tristan told Gideon.
Gideon shrugged. “She has no faith in her usefulness and needed a test.”
A test? A freaking test? These wizards played with lives like a child kicked at his blocks. Rage filled her as she gathered her powers, wanting to turn them into dust, not caring they could fry her to ash. The darkness within her swirled and gathered.
And then she heard Dave’s cries grow feeble.
“Sienna,” Gabriel whispered. “Help me. We’ve got to save him.”
Fury vanished, replaced with grief. Sienna went to Gabriel and knelt by Dave, whose chest rose and fell rapidly.
She looked at Tristan, begging with her eyes. The Silver Wizard crouched down.
He touched her hand and warm, good power flowed from his skin. “It is within you, little one. You have the power within you. Light and dark. Gabriel will show you.”
She reached for her lover’s hand and clasped it. Gabriel kissed her knuckles. “Feel my love for you, pixie. Gather all your power, both dark and light.”
Sienna thought of Gabriel, his sunny smile, his wicked sarcasm and sense of humor, his hands, so gentle upon her skin.
A warm glow pulsed through her. She reached inside herself for the power, both light and dark, and forced them together into a ball as a baker kneaded flour into dough. Sienna opened her eyes and clasped Gabriel’s hand.
White light rippled across their hands. Gabriel pulled away, the ball of pure light energy dancing in his palm.
Slowly Gabriel smoothed the light over Dave’s tortured flesh, chanting the sacred words. The light hovered over his skin and then sank into it.
The bloodied scorch mark on his chest slowly vanished. Dave opened his eyes.
“There’s no more pain,” he marveled. “What happened? Did you heal me?”
Tears blurred Sienna’s vision. She wiped them away. “It was your son and me, working together.”
Gideon smiled ruefully. “You see your purpose now, Elf?”
With a shaky hand, she helped Dave sit up. “That’s why we were able to defeat the dark enchantment. Gabriel’s Elven half is pure Light, same as his mother’s. His white light was empowered when we became lovers and his Elven half was awakened.”
“But it didn’t fully emerge until she returned to me, and my heart woke up, too,” Gabriel said softly.
As they stood, Lana hugged Dave. The Enforcer’s expression turned soft. Sienna felt sheer amazement. The cold-hearted bitch truly did love Gabriel’s father.
“Is it over?” Gabriel asked wearily. “Are you two great and powerful bastards done fucking with our lives yet?”
“Perhaps not.” Tristan arched a brow. “I can still carve you like a Thanksgiving turkey, if you do not shut that trap of yours.”
Then he gave Sienna a gentle smile. “As long as you both work together, you will be able to balance each other’s powers. Alone you are nothing. Together you can accomplish much.”
His gaze hardened as he studied the ashen Lana. Her frail beauty appeared to crumble and she looked deeply shaken for the first time since Sienna had known her.
“The next time you wish to experiment with one of my Wyldings, Lana, it is best to ask permission. I approve of breeding to keep a species from dying out, but your manipulations have hurt others. You fucked his father simply to become pregnant, not out of love.”
“That’s not true.” Dave leaned against Lana. “I saw her here, in the forest many times before we became lovers. I fell in love with her and I knew what I was doing.”
“So did I,” Lana said.
He kissed Lana deeply and to Sienna’s shock, the Enforcer melted in Dave’s arms. They seemed to shut away the world.
Gabriel’s jaw slackened. “Sheesh. She cares about him.”
At least she cares about someone. She never cared about me. “It’s a good thing the Enforcer never had a vow of celibacy like me. Otherwise, you’d never have been conceived,” she told Gabriel, unable to keep the sarcasm from her voice.
“And that would have been a true tragedy, because then I’d never have met you.” He nuzzled her hair. “For bringing me into this world, I guess I can forgive the bitch for wanting to punish you.”
He slid his arms around Sienna, his embrace comforting. “I think we need alone time, pixie.” Gabriel brushed his mouth against hers in a light kiss.
“Great. Everyone’s going to get laid tonight except me,” Tristan muttered. “Time to rent another porno.”
The Silver Wizard wandered down the path, whistling. Gideon remained, and she tensed, wondering what he wanted.
“You still have an obligation to King Cael,” he told her. “If he releases you from your duties, I will release you from my judgment. There will be no consequences. Is this what your heart desires?”
She nodded.
“I will be back.” Gideon waved a hand and vanished.
Tension knotted her stomach as she rested against Gabriel, waiting for the Fae King to appear. Gabriel pushed a hand through her hair, his touch comforting. “Forget what the mighty king says. Resign. It’s not a job for life.”
“And what do you expect me to do with my life? Stay here and make love with you all day long?” she teased.
“That’s a nice option.” He smoothed back a lock of hair from her face, his gaze tender. “You will be the guardian of the Everglades, helping me protect it from bad juju and pollution. With your touch, we will keep this environment safe for our children.”
Her eyes widened. “Children? That’s a lot to think about.”
“Don’t you want a family?”
She nodded fiercely. “I’ve always wanted a family of my own. Two children would be great.”
He gave a wicked grin. “How about six?”
“I thought your people weren’t that fertile.”
“No reason to keep from trying.”
Sienna laughed, loving his wicked humor, loving how damn good he made her feel.
Light shimmered before them, iridescent sparks in a brilliant wash of rainbow colors. When it faded, a tall, silver-haired Elf stood there, clad in a brilliant scarlet robe embroidered with silver filigree, his hair falling down to his breastbone. Clutched in his right hand was a long crimson staff topped with an intricate twist of leaves. His ears were pointed and his eyes a deep violet.
Cael. Rightful King and ruler of the Fae of the Northern Light.
She pulled away from Gabriel, and bowed low.
“The Crimson Wizard has asked me to release you from your vows and your duties as my Shadow Guard. Gideon said he owed you a favor for nearly killing Gabriel’s father,” Cael said.
“Perhaps he’s not as much of a bastard as I’d thought,” Gabriel muttered.
The Fae king’s expression remained impassive. “But Gideon left the decision up to me. I am not releasing you, Sienna.”
A cold shiver raced down her spine. Gabriel growled low, and she touched his hand to calm him.
“Why not? I wish to live among Gabrie
l and his people.”
“Live here, among the beast shifters?” Cael sniffed. “Your place is at my side, vanquishing evil from the earth. You will accompany me back to our home.”
“Even if it means I’m miserable, because I can never be with Gabriel? I have a real home here and finally have a chance to be happy. I love him.” She softened her voice, hoping to reason with him. “Don’t you wish for me to be happy?”
“My wish is for you to attend to your duties and return to court.”
Searching his face, she saw no trace of the tender love he’d accorded his daughter, Samantha. Not one ounce of compassion.
“You never formally acknowledged me among your court. Do I have any hope you might do so if I return with you?” Sienna asked.
Cael’s expression tightened. “I never acknowledged you because you were half dark Elf. Your place is beside me as my Shadow Guard. Only I can tame the darkness inside you.”
“Not quite.” Gabriel smiled coldly. “She has me now. I can help her. She no longer needs you.”
A crimson aura pulsed around the king. She sensed his gathering power, but did not fear him.
“Release me, Cael. I can no longer serve you if my heart remains here.”
“You will do as I command. Return with me or face my wrath.” Cael raised his staff.
Power hummed inside her, a great ball of darkness that wanted to smash Cael to the ground and make him helpless. She reached deep inside herself for the love Gabriel showed her, and threaded the white magick through the dark. Then she summoned the power, bouncing the ball of dark magick in her palms, the white light a tight net around it.
“I’m staying here. I don’t wish to fight you, but if I will if you force me. And I daresay I can put up a good fight now.”
Shock made the king’s jaw slacken. He lowered his staff. “You have learned to control your black magick.”
“And if she returns with you, who knows how much more powerful she’ll become if you keep sending her out to cleanse the earth of evil?” Gabriel slid an arm around Sienna’s waist. “All that black majick inside her, growing and growing. She might even become more powerful than you.”