by Quinn Loftis
Vasile took a deep breath as he pulled Alina closer as she sat in front of him, between his bent legs.
“Come now, Alpha.” Alina patted his leg. “We can still be diligent and listen to you speak.”
Alina, obviously knowing her mate better than the others, knew that he was debating the wisdom of distracting everyone with a story.
“Alright,” he said with a slight smile as he looked down at his mate. He looked back up at Jacque and began.
“There was a time when the supernaturals were united. Not necessarily best friends, but comrades in arms, if you will. Had there ever been a need for us to join together, then we would not have hesitated to do so. There was a balance between good and evil in the world. Over time, however, the balance began to shift. As you know, the witches began to grow in number and their magic began to corrupt those who once stood for good. The witches wanted power, always more power. It was never enough. They learned ways to take that power from other supernaturals, and that was the beginning of the disintegration of the cooperation among us.
“Everyone became suspicious of each other, not trusting whether the witches had corrupted them or not. It got so bad that, not only were different races at odds with each other, but each race began to fight amongst itself. The Canis lupis became divided, the warlocks, the trolls, pixies, even the witches began to fight within their own ranks. From there everything just fell apart. No one trusted, no one believed in the good of another being.
“The supernatural races began to slip into seclusion from one another and the magic that came with their unity is fading still. The Fae’s exit from this realm caused the biggest decline in magical power. Desdemona might not realize it, but even though what she is doing is horrible and could quite possibly kill us all, she is also uniting us.”
“The enemy of my enemy,” Jacque murmured.
“Exactly,” Vasile confirmed. “The Great Luna and her decision to join two races has pushed it one step further. We might just have a chance if we can get the Fae to come out from behind their veil.”
The fire crackled in the silence, the orange light dancing across their faces, giving off an eerie glow. The night was quiet. No animals scurried, the wind didn’t howl through the trees. All was still in the Carpathian Mountains.
Then the silence was broken – there was a soft humming, followed by words:
“As i went down to the river to pray
Studyin about that good ol' way and who shall wear the starry crown?
Good Lord show me the way!
O sisters let's go down
Lets go down, Come on down
O sisters lets go down
Down in the river to pray
As I went down in the river to pray
Studyin about that good ol way
And who shall wear the robe & crown
Good Lord show me the way
O brothers lets go down
Let's go down, Come on down
O brothers lets go down
Down in the river to pray
As I went down in the river to pray
Studyin about that good ol way
And who shall wear the star and crown?
Good lord show me the way
O fathers lets go down
Let's go down, Come on down
O fathers lets go down
Down in the river to pray
As I went down in the river to pray studying about that good ol way
And who shall wear th robe and crown
Good Lord show me the way
O mothers lets go down
Come on down, don't you wanna go down?
O Mothers lets go down
Down in the river to pray
As I went down in the river to pray
Studin about that good ol' way
And who shall wear the star and crown?
Good Lord show me the way
O sinners lets go down
Lets go down, come on down
O sinners lets go down
Down in the river to pray
As I went down in the river to pray
Studyin about that good ol way
And who shall wear the Robe and crown?
Good Lord show me the way
If the silence was deafening before, now it was all-encompassing as the group stared at Crina. She sat in silence, observing the dancing flames, not acknowledging that she had just sung so beautifully that the others were speechless. Adam looked at his newfound mate in awe and enjoyed the blush that he saw creep up in her cheeks.
Rachel recovered first.
“That was amazing, Crina. You never told us you had such an amazing voice.”
Crina smiled as she looked at the healer. “It never came up.”
Jacque snorted. “That isn’t a good enough excuse. That was just, I mean, just wow.”
“Will you sing it again?” Alina asked with a smile.
As if anyone could deny a request from Alina.
Crina nodded. “Sure.” And she did. As she sung, her voice danced around them, the tune entrancing them as the words poured over them. Jacque felt like a fog was being wrapped around her brain, her eyes growing unfocused. She didn’t know if it was happening to the others; she didn’t really care. She just knew that she needed to get going. She needed to stand up and walk into the forest. Crina’s voice carried over the crackling fire and the wind that had begun to blow. Jacque felt the air blowing all around her, moving through her hair like the fingers of a lover’s gentle touch.
She kept walking, even as the light of the fire faded behind her. The trees towered over her, looming in their haunted grace, leaves rustling and branches swaying. Part of her knew that she should turn around and go back, but she couldn’t, she had to go. And even though she could no longer see the light from the fire, she could still hear Crina’s voice just as clearly as if she were sitting right next to her.
Jacque didn’t know how long she had been wandering through the forest, but she now saw a pond up ahead. The moonlight shone over the surface as it rippled, the wind disturbing the appearance of glass. The water called to her, or something in the water. She knew it would be refreshing, it would cleanse her. Surely she was dirty from all the trekking and running in the forest. Crina’s voice still carried over.
“O sisters let's go down
Lets go down, Come on down
O sisters lets go down
Down in the river to pray.”
Jacque found herself humming the tune. She continued to walk slowly toward the peaceful pond. A serene smile touched her lips as she thought of the peace that she would find in the water’s arms. Her feet came to the edge and, though she faltered briefly, she thought how silly it was for her to question the water. The water wouldn’t hurt her; it would wash her. She took a step into the pond and the soft mud sunk in between her toes. At first the water felt cold, but then warmth rushed through her as she continued in. She heard her name being called but didn’t react until she was neck deep.
Just before her head was fully submerged, she turned and saw glowing blue eyes moving swiftly through the darkness. Her last thought was how beautiful those eyes were.
Chapter 15
“When you live in a world where you know other things exist, things that are not human, you become vigilant. You constantly look over your shoulder and peer into the shadows to see what lurks. Supernaturals rarely reveal themselves, however. Eventually, as time passes, you grow complacent and go back to living in your bubble, just like those who know nothing beyond what their eyes tell them. Then a single phone call, one you think is bringing good news, tears through the security you had built into your bubble. And now you’re exposed, no longer shielded, no longer safe.” ~ Lilly
Mona stood in the crowded airport, waiting for her prey to exit the plane. She loathed such a place, which was filled with the sound of human chatter and the stench that they carried with them. Even in their ignorance they picked up on the threat Mona represented – they p
icked up on her “otherness”, though it was likely subconscious. Like any predator, being in the midst of prey simply made her want to attack. She smiled to herself as she thought about the havoc she could wreak in this place where mortals scurried like little ants. She could crush them with a simple twist of her hand. But then, where would the fun in that be?
Turning her attention from those around her, she zeroed in on the exit sign above the hallway where Lilly Pierce should emerge at any moment. She had rehearsed being nice in the mirror. Now that was sad, she had told herself, actually having to practice being nice. Her smile looked more like a sneer and her laugh could curl the toes of even the toughest men. She would just have to hope that Lilly wasn’t easily intimidated. And if she was, then she would have to do something to keep her calm until she was able to deliver her to the warlock King.
Yes, she thought, this promises to be an interesting day.
~
Lilly gathered her belongings, moving as slowly as possible. She thought back to the day she received the phone call. She knew it wasn’t Alina on the other end of that line, which was why she was standing on a plane that had just landed in Romania. Something was wrong. It had been a while since the sixth sense, as she called it, had made an appearance. But she could feel deep inside her that something was going on. She had made the decision not to call Jacque or anyone else in the Romanian pack until she knew more information. Lilly could sense the “individual” she'd spoken with was extremely dangerous She didn’t want to call in the wolves before she knew if doing so would put Jacque in danger.
She had simply packed her things, arranged for her manager to take care of the store while she was gone, and driven herself to the airport. It had been a long flight, with her laboriously speculating about what could be wrong. She had sent a text to Jacque just to make sure she was okay, but didn’t mention that she was on her way to Romania.
Now here she was, stalling. The flight attendant stuck her head in and smiled.
“Everything alright?” she asked sweetly.
“Um, yeah, everything’s fine. I was just making sure that I had all of my things,” Lilly told her as she put her bag over her shoulder and headed for the exit. She followed the long corridor that attached the plane to the airport. She had been told that the lady picking her up would be “different”. Lilly wasn’t sure what to expect, but when she looked up as she exited the corridor, the woman waiting for her was definitely not it.
Tall, with long black hair that had a strip of white in the front, she had two different colored eyes, one blue and one green. She was beautiful in a very odd, but striking way. Her lips were full and red and when she broke into a smile it made Lilly’s skin crawl. The closer Lilly got to the woman, the more she realized that it was the evil emanating off of the woman that was causing her discomfort.
The woman was wearing a red cloak which was odd in and of itself, as it looked like something someone would have worn a very long time ago. The air around grew thin and, like an invisible barrier, people in the airport gave her a wide berth. They seemed to sense what Lilly did, that this was not one to be trifled with.
“Lilly?”
The woman’s voice raked over Lilly and it took everything in her not to take a step back. She pasted a smile on her face and nodded. “That’s correct. And you are?” she asked, trying to draw on her Southern upbringing to be cordial, no matter how badly she wanted to turn and run as far as she could from the evil standing in front of her.
“I’m Mona. Alina sent me to pick you up.”
Right, Lilly thought, and if I say Beetlejuice three times a creepy, albino dude with bad hair will show up.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you.” Lilly reached out her hand to shake Mona’s.
Mona looked at the offered hand and Lilly saw a look of disgust quickly pass over the woman’s face before it was masked with what could only be described as mild dislike. She took Lilly’s hand, grasping it lightly as if she might catch something from the mere touch. After a single shake she quickly pulled her hand away. Lilly discreetly wiped her palm on her jeans, trying to rid herself of the cold wrongness of Mona’s touch.
“Shall we?” Mona motioned in the direction she wanted Lilly to follow. “The pack is waiting for you and I know Jacque will be surprised that you are here.”
“I bet she will.” Lilly smiled as she followed Mona. “Shocked out of her ever-loving mind is more like it,” she muttered under her breath.
It was clear by the way that Mona walked briskly through the airport that she already knew where she was going. Lilly nearly had to run to keep up with the long legs of the woman in front of her. And as they walked, she was amazed as she watched people move quickly out of Mona’s way. She walked straight, never having to walk around someone. People just moved, like the parting of the Red Sea before her. Lilly wanted to be impressed, but, frankly, it was a little more than creepy.
The pair finally made it to the entrance of the airport. When they exited, Lilly saw that there was a black car waiting. Why is the car always black when you're being abducted? she thought grimly. How cliché.
A driver briskly walked around the car and opened the back door. Mona entered the car first and Lilly climbed in after. Before she knew it, they were off. The windows were tinted so darkly that Lilly could barely make out the landscape around her. She was pulled from her attempt to see where they were going when Mona spoke.
“How was your flight?”
“It was good. Long, but good.” Lilly smiled.
The smile Mona returned looked like it could double as the mask used in the Scream movies.
“So how are Jacque and the others?” Lilly asked, looking for any crack in the persona that Mona seemed to have adopted.
“They are doing well,” was the only answer Mona gave. The tight look on her face told Lilly that any further questions would be ignored. They continued the drive in silence, with Mona looking out her passenger window and Lilly mirroring her on the other side.
Finally the car turned onto a dirt road, which soon began to wind up a mountain. Trees grew over the road, their branches stretching, reaching for each other across the expanse. Darkness had begun to descend as they continued higher into the mountains. Lilly was about to ask how much longer it was going to be when a large house came into view. The driver turned into the long driveway.
They stopped in the circle drive in front of what Lilly could now see wasn’t a large house, but rather a small mansion. She climbed out of the car and looked up, and up, and up, to the very top of the house, which was at least three stories high, if not more.
She watched as Mona climbed out of the car. This time the smile on Lilly’s face was the wolfish one.
“Now would be a good time to cut the crap, don’t you think? We both know you aren’t a member of the Romanian pack. You didn’t bring me here to see my daughter and you could give a rat’s ass how my flight was. So who are you and what do you want?”
Mona threw her head back and let out a loud laugh.
“Oh, man, I can see where Jacque gets her spunk. You are definitely going to give him a run for his money.”
“Give who a run for his money?” Lilly asked, not hiding the impatience she was feeling.
“Personally, I don’t make it a habit to stand out in the fresh air. Call me what you will, but I like my air stale and stagnate.” Mona motioned to the steps that lead to the double door entry. “Why don’t we go in and I will explain everything to you.”
Lilly decided things would move along a little more quickly if she didn’t argue at this point. There would be plenty of time for that later. She walked up the steps with Mona right behind her. The door opened before they reached it. Lilly stepped back and made it clear that she wanted Mona to enter first. She followed Mona over the threshold of the door and as she did she felt a shift in the air and a shift inside her. Her life had just changed and would never be the same.
The feeling was exacerbated by a tall figure that
stepped out of the shadows. The first thing she noticed was his height; he was very tall and very built, and he had very pointed ears.
That’s a new one, Lilly thought. His eyes glowed yellow like a cat's and he had a sharp straight nose and thin lips. Even with his obviously inhuman qualities, he was more than handsome. Lilly felt herself drawn to the stranger, and something in her told her that her future had always had him in it.
“King Cypher.” Mona stepped out of the way and pulled Lilly forward. “I have brought her just as I said I would – your mate.”
Oh, snap, Lilly thought. Didn’t see that one coming.
~
Cypher watched the reaction of the human female who stood next to the witch. He was taken aback by her beauty. She was petite compared to his 6 foot 4 inch frame. Her hair was a deep brown and looked so soft that he itched to run his fingers through it. When her eyes met his, he felt it in his soul. She had eyes the color of butterscotch and every emotion she was feeling was written in those rich, golden eyes. She licked her lips and he followed the motion like an addict would follow a drug held in the palm of a dealer. He took several steps toward them but stopped when he was an arm’s length away.
“What is your name?” he asked her in his deep voice. He smiled and had to give her credit when she didn’t flinch under his scrutiny.
“Lilly,” she answered confidently. “And you are a king? King of who, or should I say what?”
Cypher laughed. “You have spirit, little one,” he said. “Yes I am a king, King of the warlocks.”
Lilly coughed and sputtered, then swallowed. “I’m sorry,” she started, having to clear her throat again before she could go on. “Did you just say warlocks?”
Mona rolled her eyes at the human. “Please tell me you didn’t think the only thing not human in this world were werewolves.”