by Brenda Trim
“The only victim we saw was a young human female. She will be found in the park where we encountered them. An anonymous call was placed to the SPD, so she won’t be found by innocents. Don’t worry, it will be attributed to an animal attack and the realm won’t be exposed. Also, I personally notified her family and offered the assistance of Elsie’s Hope,” Orlando assured her sister. Cailyn had seen Orlando’s attraction to her sister many times, but this was the first where she saw his respect for her as the Queen.
Elsie acknowledged with a nod. “Thank you for that. The families are often the forgotten victims in these cases.”
Killian cleared his throat and interrupted, “From what I see here, we are facing fury demons. Now, keep in mind that most of this information is based on lore that has been passed down from generation to generation. The information indicates anger and fury only makes them stronger. If this is what we are facing, we could be screwed. There is no way to block rage while fighting.”
Elsie dropped the taquitos into the deep fryer and the room was filled with the sound of crackling and popping. Soon the aroma of chili sauce, enchiladas and fried food filled the room. More than one stomach rumbled in response. Angus bustled about the kitchen and Cailyn had the feeling he wanted to join the conversation, and it was difficult for him to hold back.
Zander came up behind Elsie and placed his hand on her shoulders. “We need to increase patrols. Killian, send oot a bulletin from the council, informing citizens to keep an eye out for the new threat. I will notify Hayden, and have Nikko bring in Dark Warriors from Vancouver, Portland and San Francisco. We will plan more about the battle in the days to come, but for now, let’s eat.”
Cailyn was starving, but with the talk about demons, death and war, she didn’t know if she could eat. “Rhys, do you have any of that hey juice?” she asked, needing a strong drink.
*****
Cailyn stood in the grand entry way of Zeum having a stare down with Jace. It had been a crazy week of Dark Warriors coming to help with the battle. The house was full to bursting.
The visiting warriors stayed in the quarters that were located in the basement. Thane and Jax came from San Francisco, while Kellen and Mikael came from Portland and Caleb and Phineas flew in from Vancouver. The new warriors fit in seamlessly, and the house was focused on getting ready for the battle.
She was surrounded by gorgeous men with hard muscled bodies, so she wasn’t complaining. Testosterone was abundant around the compound, and Jessie was in heaven. Cailyn was certain her best friend had hooked up with at least one of the new Dark Warriors. The warriors helped Jessie learn control of her new abilities, and it was good to see her settling into her new life.
Cailyn had been busy making changes to her life as well. She wasn’t going back to San Francisco anytime soon, so she called her boss and tendered her resignation before calling her insurance company and handling the car accident. Putting her home up for sale was a difficult decision, but she knew it was for the best. The decision had come down to one of necessity. She wasn’t able to pay her mortgage without her job. She refused to allow her sister to pay her bills. It had always been Cailyn’s job to take care of Elsie, not the other way around.
She had tried to call John numerous times with no luck. He had checked out of the hotel and wasn’t answering his cell. Countless text messages went unanswered, and most disturbing was that he hadn’t been to work since leaving for Seattle. She recalled the hurt in his eyes when she called off the wedding, but she didn’t think he would ignore her so completely.
And then there was Jace. She had been walking on eggshells with him. They hadn’t been intimate again since the night they broke his spell. She suspected that he was waiting until she came to him, ready to accept his claim.
Jace had been busy preparing for the battle to come, but that didn’t stop him from seeking her out every chance he had. They talked all hours of the day and night, and she realized they had more in common than she would have guessed. She was coming to love everything about him. Their connection deepened daily, and she was choked by fear for him every time he left for his patrols.
Tonight wasn’t just any night when he went to the hospital or was on patrol. Tonight was the night of the Red Moon, and they were all headed to Woodland Park to face demons. She didn’t want him to go. Hell, she didn’t want any of them to go. They had all come to mean too much to her, even the new guys. At the same time, she understood that they were all that stood between evil and humans.
“I don’t want you to go,” she whispered to him, her lips trembling with her emotions.
Jace cupped her cheeks with his warm hands and looked deeply into her eyes, letting his love for her show. “I have to go, but I will come back to you. I have too much to live for now. We have a mating ceremony to plan, Shijéí.” He smiled that smile of his that melted her heart before kissing her deeply. When their lips finally parted, she saw her sister and Zander in a similar embrace. Before she could respond, Jace had walked out the front doors.
Trembling with fear she turned to her sister and grabbed hold. For as long as she could remember they had been a team. She couldn’t have faced this night without Elsie. “How can we just let them go?” she asked her, as an overwhelming feeling that she needed to be at this battle refused to leave her.
Her sister smiled a mischievous half smile. “We aren’t, I had one of my premonitions. We all need to be there. I have no idea what we will face, or if we will all come back. I don’t understand all of the changes to my ability, and this time I didn’t get as many details, but it was clear that the three of us have to be there. Angus!” Elsie called.
The elegant and handsome majordomo of the house came in and bowed. “Your Highness.”
“Are you ready to take us to the park?” her sister asked the servant, shocking her. What the hell?
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
“Yes, your Highness. But first, follow me, lasses. We must get you into battle leathers and ootfitted with weapons,” Angus replied before he turned on his heel and headed down the stairs to the basement.
“There aren’t going to be leathers that fit us, Angus. We are all short compared to the warriors, even Breslin. Somehow I don’t think it will work to roll them up. Jeans will be the sturdiest we can manage,” Elsie replied as she and Jessie easily kept pace behind Angus. Cailyn was practically running to stay close to the trio. She might not be a marathon runner, but she thought herself fit. It was a poignant reminder that the two people she loved most in the world were no longer human.
For a second, Cailyn envied their supernatural status. She wanted to have super speed, be able to see a tick on a horse’s ass from a mile away, and be strong enough to take on Lady Angelica. The fact of the matter was that she was only a human, with human strength and speed, and she would be killed if she attempted to go after Angelica.
Angus’ voice shook Cailyn out of herself. “I have taken care of what you will need, your Highness,” he turned and his smile was full of mischief and affection. “I knew from the second you walked in the front doors of Zeum that they’d be needed. You are no’ one to sit idly by.”
Elsie’s laughter was sharp and quick. “You are right about that, Angus. I cannot sit here in safety while my mate is in danger.”
Elsie’s mention of the danger had Cailyn’s palms sweating. She’d be a liability during the battle. She didn’t have the fighting skills her sister had, or Jessie’s newfound strength. “I don’t think I should go with you guys, no matter how much I want to. I’ll just be in the way. You will be distracted by worrying about me and Jace will too if he sees me.” The thought of everyone she loved being at risk had her anxiety skyrocketing. But she wanted desperately to be there so she could protect them, as crazy as the idea was.
“You are going, Cai. Yes we will worry about you, but you have to be there. You were part of my premonition. The four of us were there. Besides, Angus is going to remain glued to your side, no matter what, so you will be p
rotected,” Elsie looked straight at the dragon-shifting majordomo while she said the last. Her sister’s insistence that she be there both frightened and reassured Cailyn.
She refused to think about the last battle she had been in the middle of, otherwise, she would be frozen by fear. “Okay,” she responded weakly then tried again, “okay, I trust you guys.”
Jessie grabbed her hand as they entered a room Cailyn had never been in. The room was filled with shelves upon shelves of weapons of every kind. The smell of oil and gunpowder assaulted her nose. She wasn’t surprised to see so many medieval weapons as much as she was to see so many automatic rifles. Somehow, the rudimentary arsenal fit more with the Dark Warriors.
“Oh my God, you guys could outfit an entire army,” Jessie blurted as she picked up a large sword from the wall.
“That is exactly what we do,” Angus responded matter-of-factly. “His Highness leads the realm’s forces. At any given time we have Dark Warriors from all over the globe visiting, in addition to a great many weapons being lost in battle.” Angus walked into a small closet and came back loaded with black leather garments. He laid them out on a table and the three of them approached.
The smell of new leather was potent and she inhaled deeply. She loved the smell of leather. She reached out and was shocked at how soft it was. This wasn’t the cheap stuff that held a degree of stiffness. This was like butter, and she couldn’t wait to feel it against her skin.
“You guys don’t skimp on anything, do you?” Jessie asked.
“I wouldna buy anything but the best for our weapons and armor. This is all that stands between you and the enemy. You are no’ familiar with our world yet, but there are demons whose saliva is like acid. These will protect you from that, as well as minor blows from blades. Now, I’ll leave you to get dressed.”
The moment Angus was out the door, Cailyn had her shirt over her head and was slipping into one of the shirts. By the time Cailyn was slipping on her pants, Jessie and Elsie were already changed and putting on their boots. “This feels amazing on, and is surprisingly easy to move in,” Elsie commented as she stepped back and tried some maneuvers. “Let’s grab some weapons.”
Unease shot through Cailyn. “I have never used a gun and don’t have the first idea about what I will need. Maybe I shouldn’t go.”
“We aren’t going over that again, Cai. You are going. Here, you will need some of the titanium sgian dubhs. They are small and the titanium will turn any skirm you face to ash. Angus will try and protect you from everything, but I don’t want you unarmed,” Elsie said, placing several small blades in various places on Cailyn’s body.
“Thank God one of us knows what they are doing,” Jessie remarked.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Elsie replied. “I may have fought skirm, but this is only my second big battle.” Those words had Cailyn’s heart racing as her anxiety flew out of control. She hoped she didn’t have a panic attack.
*****
Jace walked across the large grassy field next to Rhys, wondering if they had the wrong location. The night was quiet and the mist changed to light rain as the Dark Warriors and council stood looking around.
“Do you suppose we are wrong about the prophecy?” Rhys asked.
Zander spun around and pinned him with a glare. “Nay, we were no’. The battle will occur tonight. Question is, when?”
Jace went rigid. “You feel that?” he asked Evzen before black and red lights flashed in the middle of the clearing. All heads turned in that direction and they watched as fury demons and hellhounds poured out of the portal like black lava oozing down the side of a volcano. There were already too many to count and they were still coming.
“How the hell are they doing a portal without going through the Cave of Cruachan? I thought that was the only place where the veil between earth and hell was thin enough to allow passage between the realms.” Gerrick inquired as he withdrew his claymore from the sheath on his back.
Every warrior followed suit and silver glinted in the night off the dozens of weapons. “I don’t give a shit about how. We need to block this portal or earth will be lost,” Evzen yelled back.
Jace called his staff to his free hand and looked over, seeing that Gerrick, Killian and Evzen were at the ready. As one, they began chanting in the old language, using the red moon to power their spell. Jace held his love for his mate close, using its power as well. Between that and the red moon, the surge of energy almost knocked Jace off his feet. It was as if billions of tiny bubbles fizzed through his veins. With a loud blast, the portal snapped closed on a dozen demons. Torsos and heads fell to the ground, emitting a foul odor of brimstone.
No time to wonder if their spell would hold, the demons were upon them and the others were already engaged. Jace released his staff and began swinging his sword.
“Watch out, Jace,” Rhys called out before he threw his sgian dubh. Jace ducked and spun around to see a hellhound choking. Knowing that wouldn’t kill the beast, Jace delivered the final blow, lopping its head off in one slice.
Jace rushed to Zander’s side when he noticed the focus of the battle was on him. “Fight back to back,” Zander ordered. They fell into a familiar fighting stance, managing to keep those around them at bay.
Kyran flashed to their side and joined them. The Vampire Prince was merciless in his attack. Movement in the corner of his eye caught Jace’s attention. Kadir and Azazel appeared at the edge of the clearing, and they held at least twenty skirm between them.
“Skirm,” Jace called out, pointing to where the archdemons were. He began racing that way, eyes blazing with the need for vengeance. The bastards would pay for what they’d done to his mate.
Jace didn’t make it ten feet before he was once again surrounded. His arms never slowed as he swung his sword. He couldn’t let these creatures win this battle or his mate would become one of their victims, not to mention the countless humans they would kill.
Jace glanced around quickly, noticing that each of the warriors were in a similar predicament of being outnumbered. He sent up a prayer to the Goddess for help. They would need a miracle to turn the tides of this battle. He fought harder, refusing to give up. He had yet to win his mate’s heart, and he wasn’t dying before that happened.
*****
The rain fell lightly as Cailyn stood on the back lawn gaping at Angus. He stripped revealing an exquisite body. She knew the guy was gorgeous and no cream puff, but having always seen him in suits belied that he was so large and muscular. As Angus stood there with his short black hair blowing in the wind, naked as a jay bird, Cailyn marveled how unselfconscious supernaturals were. For good reason, they were all perfect tens.
He flexed his muscles and seemed to tense, then relax, and suddenly his entire body shimmered, and colored light enveloped him. Cailyn shielded her eyes and when she blinked to clear her vision, she was looking at an enormous dragon. He took up the entire lawn in their backyard, and had to be the size of an airplane. His scales were as black as his hair, and had an iridescent quality. His pale-green eyes were set wide apart in the long, reptilian face, and were bigger than basketballs. She marveled at the magnificent creature before her.
Jessie stood next to her, clearly in as much shock. They had told Jessie about shifters, but she had not seen the transformation, so this was new to her. Cailyn had seen Orlando and Santiago both shift during the battle outside Confetti, and that had been surreal, but that experience was nothing compared to watching the enigmatic Angus become a dragon - the largest, most magnificent creature of myth, in Cailyn’s opinion. Orlando as his snow leopard and Santi as his wolf were both larger than normal, but they were still animals she was familiar with, animals she could visit in a zoo. But this dragon simply took her breath away.
“Incredible, isn’t he?” her sister voiced as she approached the black dragon.
“What, can you read minds now too?” Cailyn joked with Elsie, shivering in the cool night air. “Yes, he is exceptional. Have you thoug
ht about how mad Zander is going to be?”
Elsie stroked the dragon’s snout as he lay on the lawn resting his head on his huge paws and looked back over her shoulder. The dragon’s head was a good two feet taller than her sister. It was simply enormous.
“Yes, I have, but you should know better than anyone that I cannot stand the thought of my mate facing danger. It’s a good thing Angus here,” she patted the beast, eliciting a snort and a puff of smoke on his exhale, “feels the same way about his Liege. He has been with Zander for centuries and refuses to stand by and not use his strength and fire to help fight the demons. I know my mate thought it best to leave him here to protect us…he will soon realize he didn’t mate a wilting flower.”
Cailyn couldn’t help but smile at her sister’s vehemence, and knew the on-going battle she’d had with Zander’s overbearing, caveman attitude, and how he wanted to shelter her from the world. That vampire had no idea what he had bit off.
“I’m surprised Angus is willing to take you. I mean, he could leave without us and help the guys,” Jessie pointed out.
“Angus and I have become close since I joined the household, and he has come to trust my premonitions as much as I do. He knows the Goddess has a hand in them and that they shouldn’t be ignored. Besides, I bribed him with his favorite meal,” Elsie added and the dragon seemed to smile, baring the largest incisors she’d ever seen.
Jessie eyed Angus dubiously. “So, are we riding or rather flying on him? Cause I have to say, that idea doesn’t appeal to me. I was granted immortality and don’t plan to die one week into it,” she stammered, as his huge, leathery wings extended. Both she and Jessie jumped when lighting flashed the moment his wings arched into the air, and thunder boomed.
Elsie laughed and leaned against the dragon’s side, showing her comfort. Cailyn loved her sister even more for trying to put her best friend at ease. “Yes, we are flying on Angus to the park, and no, we can’t take a car and meet him there. He’s our best chance at safety while still being close to the fight until we are needed. I don’t plan to take any unnecessary risks with myself or you guys.”