by Brenda Trim
Marie scrutinized him for what seemed forever. He feared she would reject his offer and not help them. Before he went to his knees to begin begging, she looked to Zander and responded. “Me tinks dat I will be akseptin’ dis offer of alliance, Zander. Wit conditions o’course. I spect my kin ta be on dat council. One of my Mambos, Tia, me tinks.” Marie gave Zander a knowing smile. It seemed Zander’s premonition wasn’t wrong after all. “I spect there are bad things to come, and we bes’ join forces.” She turned those intense eyes back to Jace and he shuddered at the power emanating from them.
“You, Jace need ta be careful of wha’ you offer. Your Fated Mate needs you ta be der for her. And, before you go forsakin’ fate and make da biggest mistake of your life, stop and tink. I know Morrigan well, and dat old bat never does anytin’ wit’out considerin’ ev’ry angle. When you find your mate, remember, you are wha’ she needs, especially wit’ dat sorcery.”
The tension clearly left Zander’s shoulders and he let out a breath he had been holding. “’Tis an honor to have you and yours join us. We are facing an archdemon unlike any we have ever experienced. The expertise and knowledge that you and your Mambos bring will be invaluable. Tia will be welcomed into the position. Thank you for helping.”
Still reeling from Marie’s words, Jace barely heard Zander’s response. He should have expected that this powerful demi-Goddess knew the Goddess, but he was still stunned. He had a Fated Mate out there somewhere, when he never believed he would be blessed with one. The idea both frightened and elated him. He knew how much he needed his Fated Mate, but he couldn’t believe that she needed him. He believed whoever she was, that she was best off without him. He dipped his head to Marie in acknowledgement, and stumbled forward when she hit him upside his head. His gaze shot back to her in confusion.
Her bracelets clanked together as she lowered her arm back to her side. “Stop dat negative tinkin’. Dat sentiment goes bot’ ways, you idgit. Der are many trials still before you,” she said as she crossed to the kitchen. She may have only been five and a half feet tall but her power was evident in her every pore. Everyone was staring at him in shock over her words.
It was disturbing that she had apparently read his mind. There was no time to ponder that as she gestured for them to follow her. Not missing a beat, Bhric walked up to the stove and peaked into the pot while Marie approached the shelves and began selecting various ingredients.
“Och, you really do have headless chickens in there. I thought you were joking,” Bhric chuckled and picked up a wooden spoon to poke the contents of the pot.
Marie turned around and set the bottles down on the counter then smacked Bhric on the shoulder. She re-adjusted her gold shawl around her shoulders in a way that showcased her ample bosom even more. Apparently, she could read vampire minds too, and had Bhric’s number. “Leave dem alone. Dey are zombie chickens who eat vampire flesh,” she laughed and went back to grab the mortar and pestle.
Bhric laughed with Marie as if they were long lost friends. How did the male do that? Jace had never made friends so easily. He didn’t open up with anyone, not even the warriors he had lived with for centuries. There were too many skeletons he wanted to remain hidden, too much shame. He didn’t want to look weak and pathetic if they learned he was powerless to stop his own torture for over a century.
“It smells good. What is it?” Bhric asked, obviously dismissing her position that they were vampire-eating chickens.
Marie moved gracefully and worked quickly to concoct the antidote. She emptied small amounts from the bottles into the mortar, eyeing it as she went. Occasionally she muttered a foreign word, binding the ingredients. “Dat will be a Cajun chicken and rice soup when I’m done,” she glanced at the warrior with a twinkle in her eye. She grabbed a small glass vial that she had set on the counter and poured the iridescent liquid into the container then replaced the cork stopper.
She handed Jace the ampoule and he was shocked at how warm the liquid was in his palm. “Put dat in her IV and it will release the magic. Now, be gone wit’ you all.” She shooed them toward the door and opened the portal with a wave of her hand.
Zander took her hand and held it for a moment. “Thank you for your help. I look forward to hearing from Tia.”
Gerrick cleared his throat. “What about that wraith of yours? How do we get past it? We have no more agates.”
Marie’s eyes took on a glow as she met Gerrick’s gaze. “Fate, Gerrick Haele, is not done wit’ you.” Marie waved him off when he opened his mouth to respond. “I won’t answer dos questions simmerin’ in dat brain. Now, I will control da wraith so you can clear da dock with ease, and I won’t replace my Wendigos until you leave da swamp. But dat only gives you thirty seconds ta get da boat moving. Leave, your time is running out.” With that, a force pushed them across the threshold and the door slammed shut.
It took the blink of an eye to get everyone, except Gerrick, moving the short distance to the boat. Jace glanced back and realized the warrior was standing there staring at the closed door. He raced back and grabbed his arm. “Come on. No time to think now, we have to go. Get that crystal out, and be ready,” he urged.
Within seconds, they joined Bhric and Zander in the small boat and were crossing the swamp. Bhric broke the silence. “I don’t know aboot you guys, but I kinda liked her. I’d go back there and see her, but I doona care if I ever see another croc or Wendigo again in my life. Och, now I’m hungry. Whatever she was making smelled good.”
Jace tuned out Zander’s reply and the rest of the banter as he considered the advice she had given him. She had said he and his Fated Mate needed each other, and that he shouldn’t deny fate. He wanted her to be right about that, but six centuries of believing you didn’t deserve something wasn’t easy to override. Part of him wanted his mate to be Cailyn, and more than anything, he wanted to be the male she needed.
CHAPTER TEN
Cailyn listened to Elsie and Jessie talk about the Tehrex Realm. Cailyn listened raptly as Elsie gave a crash course in the realm’s mystical inhabitants, going over creature like the Harpies, nymphs, Valkyries, shifters, sirens, and demons, and how things worked in the realm.
She scarcely believed what she was hearing. She was familiar with the myths about harpies being Satan’s offspring, but was shocked to hear they were actually beautiful, had wings, and that they partially shape shift.
“Harpies exist, too,” Jessie murmured shaking her head. “I can’t imagine being half bird, half woman,” Jessie voiced, her disbelief evident in her tone. This was a lot to take in and Cailyn prayed that her friend came around and embraced the new world she was now a part of.
Elsie laughed and squeezed Cailyn’s hand. “Yeah, they aren’t very attractive when they shift, but they are beautiful in their human form and beneficial to have as your ally. Zander has been searching for centuries for a way to get them on his side.” As her sister spoke, Cailyn heard several people bounding up the stairs. She didn’t have to wonder who it was, as Elsie stood up in anticipation before Zander bellowed loudly through the house.
“A ghra, I’m home. The journey was successful,” Zander announced as he burst into the room, grabbing Elsie into his arms. Her sister’s squeal made Cailyn smile.
“Thank God,” Elsie declared as she pressed her lips to Zander’s.
Cailyn turned away when Zander deepened the kiss, and met Jace’s glowing purple eyes. Relief flooded her that he was alive, and she tingled from the intensity in his gaze. They stared at each other for several seconds. She wanted the extraordinary kind of love she saw between her sister and Zander. She knew too many people where the passion and fire had faded, and they were in a place of comfortable complacency. That wasn’t enough for her, she wanted more. Life was full of too much mediocrity, and love should never be subpar.
“How are you feeling?” Jace asked, breaking the silence. The sound of his voice sent shivers down her spine. The sexy sorcerer did things to her she had never experienced. She und
oubtedly wanted Jace, and was eager to explore what they could have, but she couldn’t discount her feelings for John either. Her conflict begged the question whether or not an all-consuming love was possible for her.
He crossed the room to her side and picked up her hand. Electricity raced from her hand, igniting her body as her heart began to race and her stomach clenched with need. To keep from fantasizing further about Jace, she forced herself to focus his question.
“I’m still here,” she whispered as she smiled up at him. His glower made her smile widen. He did feel something for her, and wasn’t able to hide it completely. It was a warming thought.
“I told you that I wouldn’t allow you to die. You will be healed in no time. I have the cure right here,” Jace murmured as he held up a small vial. Cailyn watched as he injected the iridescent liquid into her IV.
A bitter taste, like rubbing alcohol, built at the back of her throat and she wanted to gag when she felt something thick, cold, and painful run through her arm. She jerked her hand away from him involuntarily and her muscles tensed. Jace reclaimed her hand and sat down next to her. “It’s okay, Cailyn that’s the antidote. I’m sorry you have to go through this,” Jace cooed in her ear, comforting her amongst the raging storm. Convulsions shook her body, and she felt a blazing trail of heat across her brow and down her neck to her shoulders. Jace ran his fingers over her skin, and it felt as if he was branding her as his. It elicited a fire that spread from her stomach to her core.
Time stood still as Jace sat there soothing her shaking limbs and provoking arousal at a time she shouldn’t be feeling anything but pain. It was unnerving, yet she was unable to escape his soul-deep care and concern for her in his every caress.
“I’m going to try and heal your injuries now,” he murmured. His anxiety was evident, and she understood that he feared he’d trigger another spell. There was no choice but to try, and she nodded her head, giving him a small smile of encouragement. He held her gaze as she felt heat spread from his hands to her injured leg and throughout her body. It was like stepping into a hot bath after being out in a snow storm. Within moments, she began feeling better.
A smile crept across his lips, transforming his face and relaying his relief. She’d never seen a more majestic sight. “There’s that sparkle. It’s good to see you with your golden glow back, Shijéí.”
She knew the room was full of people, her worried sister included, but she was unable to avert her gaze and smiled back, curious about his comment. “What does she-jay mean?”
*****
Overcome with relief, Jace gathered Cailyn up in his arms and the knot that had tied his gut up from the moment he awoke to Elsie’s panic unraveled when she slid her arms around his neck. The pounding of her heart against his chest calmed his anxiety while it inflamed his ardor. “It means my heart in Navajo, my mother’s native tongue.”
She pulled back, and he was trapped by her stunning hazel eyes. He loved the pink that tinged her cheeks, how it told him she liked the endearment, as well as the fact that she was once again healthy. He saw her need matched his, and for the first time he wasn’t afraid of his desire.
Elsie jumped onto the other side of the bed, jarring him and interrupting the moment before Cailyn was able to respond. Jace nearly snarled at the vampire queen for pulling Cailyn from his arms. “Cai, oh my God. How are you feeling? I told you they’d come back with a cure.”
Jessie climbed onto the bed behind Elsie and stuck her head between Jace and Elsie’s, trying to get Cailyn’s attention. With the clamoring and activity in the room, he expected Cailyn’s attention to be elsewhere, but she stayed focused on him. That didn’t deter Jessie from jumping right in. “Girl, you had me scared shitless. I could hear your heart struggling to beat. I don’t know what I would have done if we’d lost you. Likely gone on that killing rampage everyone’s been worried about, only I’d have Fae and demons on the menu.”
Cailyn responded, but her eyes never left his. “Don’t do anything to put yourself at risk. I’m okay now. Glad to be out of pain, that’s for sure,” Cailyn told her friend, shifting her eyes in Jessie’s direction.
Jace felt the loss of her regard keenly. She smiled at her friend and sister then scanned the room. He followed her gaze to Zander, Bhric and Gerrick. “Thank you guys for what you risked to help me, but you can’t ever put yourself in such danger again, Zander. My sister needs you.”
Zander laughed and gripped Elsie’s shoulders. “You of all people know what you risk for family. I would do it again, puithar.”
Jace saw tears mist Cailyn’s eyes. Clearly, she was moved by Zander considering her a sister. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. She crawled to him eagerly, surprising him as she sat across his lap. The long t-shirt she wore did nothing to mask the heat emanating from her sex.
He held back a groan, well aware of their audience, as his shaft filled with blood and hardened beneath her. She had an effect on him that both terrified and exhilarated him. He had long lost hope that he could react to a female like a normal male.
Her eyes became saucers and her mouth fell open. As her eyes became glassy with her desire, the world around them melted away. Something inside his chest reached out to her. Without a thought, he traced her lower lip, pausing at the mole on the right side of her mouth. Her tongue darted out, and the tip touched his thumb as she wiggled on his lap, teasing his erection. He couldn’t hold back the groan that escaped then.
“Okaaay,” Elsie said, shock clear in her voice. “Cai?”
Zander cleared his throat. “I think they want some privacy. Come on, a ghra.” He pulled Elsie off the bed. Jace hated that Cailyn’s attention was snagged by the movement, and he tightened his fingers on her hips. Cailyn looked to her sister and nodded before she met Jace’s gaze again.
“I’ll check in later Cai,” Elsie called as Zander pulled her out of the room and the others followed suit, but if Cailyn heard she gave no sign. Her breathing increased and her face flushed with desire.
“This is your chance, Cai. Treat her right or I will kick your ass, Jace. I can do it now, too,” Jessie threatened. Jace would have smiled at the threat, and reassured her that he wasn’t going to do anything with Cailyn, but he couldn’t, because he hoped to do things to this female he hadn’t dared let himself want in too many years.
“Goodbye, Jess,” she sassed as she smirked at her friend.
As the others filed out of the room he heard Bhric’s fading voice. “Hey El, can you make me some shrimp creole? These arseholes wouldn’t let me have any booze or beignets.”
When he heard the door click closed, he panicked. He had made out with countless females over the centuries, but it had never gone beyond kissing, and even that hadn’t gone well. He wasn’t technically a virgin given the unspeakable acts Lady Angelica had magically forced him to do, but he’d never had sexual intercourse with a female of his own accord.
Her pupils dilated as he traced her cheekbone, erasing some of his anxiety. She had flawless skin and her round face and hazel eyes were bright with color. “How are you feeling? Any trouble breathing? Chest pain?” It was easier for him to play the doctor since this was uncharted territory for him. He had no idea how to seduce a female, and he wanted Cailyn fiercely. For once in his life, he wasn’t going to allow anything to stand in his way, not even his body’s reaction.
“I ache, but it’s not from the spell,” she murmured as she leaned her cheek against his palm. She turned her head and kissed his palm, leaving no doubt what she was talking about. “I have wanted you since the moment I saw you months ago,” she confessed.
He had felt the same level of attraction to her. “You are the most beautiful female ever created,” he breathed as he leaned closer to her lips. He paused, giving her enough time to stop things.
She leaned into him and he gave in with a groan. He cupped her cheeks and closed the gap. Electricity sparked between their lips the moment they met. He pressed his l
ips to hers and slid them across her mouth gently. He pulled back and licked his lips. She tasted divine and he wanted more. His nausea started, but he shoved it down to his toes, refusing to allow it to ruin this moment. He was determined to have this female, right here, right now.
He brought his mouth back to hers and pressed their lips together again. A soft gasp left her and he took full advantage, sliding his tongue inside. Tentatively, he moved his tongue against hers. A kiss had never rocked him to his toes like this. Queasiness was there, but it paled in comparison to the way his body ignited, and his desire exploded. The kiss quickly turned urgent and they tangled. Each tasting, teasing, exploring.
He grazed his hands down her neck and the sides of her breasts to rest at her back. She began grinding herself against his groin and he lost control. He thrust his tongue into her mouth hungrily as he grabbed her ass and pulled her against his erection.
He broke the kiss and realized they were both panting. Her lips were red and swollen from his attention, and he loved it. He prayed for strength to hold back the bile because he didn’t want to stop what was quickly escalating between them.
He took her mouth once again, sliding his lips against hers and exploring her depths, mimicking what he wanted to do to her intimate flesh. He licked, nibbled, and suckled her tongue. “I want to taste you Cai. I need to,” he whispered. He closed his eyes, hiding his vulnerability. This felt good, and right. This was what sexual relations were meant to be, and he didn’t want her to see any hint of his shame.
“Oh God, Jace. I need you too. I hurt for you,” she mumbled against his lips. He grabbed her and gently laid her back, careful of her IV and monitors. He didn’t have the patience to stop and remove them from her body. His need was too great. He’d be lucky to get their clothes off, never mind the medical apparatus. She clawed at his back as his hand snuck under her shirt and teased her belly. She made pleading sounds driving her hips up, seeking relief.