by Brenda Trim
“So we’re not going home then?” Lorne asked, forlornly.
Angus glanced over and patted his Máahes on the shoulder. “Nay, but I can send you home before we begin the last search if you’d like. I doona want to keep you when you are needed on Khoth.”
Lorne turned wide eyes at him and shook his head. “Never, Sire. I don’t go home until you do. If I return without you, Legette will have my head. I am by your side no matter what. I swore to serve you and that is what I will do until the day I die,” Lorne vowed.
Emotion clogged Angus’s throat. All this time, he had worried his people hated him for abandoning them, but that wasn’t the case. It was Lorne and Nate who had explained to him why the portal wouldn’t open. His one-time friend, Cyril, was behind it all.
Seemed the Unseelie King placed a spell prohibiting all travel from Khoth. The key Cyril placed on the portal was an impossible combination to unlock. Thankfully, the male had underestimated the Gods and Fate because they found a way around what he had done.
The Goddess Morrigan had sent Kyran, a vampire prince, and Mack, a human female, through a one-time portal to Khoth. Once there, the couple had to join forces, battle Unseelie Creatures, discover Keira’s tablet and perform a mating to open the portal again, but they overcame each obstacle and ultimately discovered the hex.
All spells require a counter measure and Cyril thought a nightwalker mating a human would never surface because neither existed on Khoth. After all, how could a vampire mate a human and use their blood to break the spell when there were none in the realm? The Unseelie King had made the fatal error of underestimating Fate and the power of the Gods and Goddesses.
Thinking of Cyril and his wicked ways only added to Angus’s determination find Keira. Given the events that had occurred, he was certain Cyril was behind Keira’s disappearance and was likely the culprit blocking her from Angus. No doubt the powerful king felt when Mack broke the spell and took immediate action in hiding Keira. He’d be damned if he allowed the male to take anymore from him or the dragons of Khoth.
“Your loyalty humbles me,” Angus murmured with a nod. “I promise when we get back I will bring the mighty Cuelebre back and restore Khoth to its former splendor.”
“I know you will, Sire. But first, let’s find your queen,” Lorne stated.
“Our last hope is this potion Marie gave us,” Angus said, holding up a glass container with glowing blue liquid inside. “It should remove any lingering spells and reveal what was being hidden.”
Their trek to the Louisiana bayou had been harrowing, but not as bad as it could have been thanks to Jace and Zander. The vampire king and the Dark Warriors had been forced to visit the voodoo queen a year ago to save Cailyn, Elsie’s sister and Jace’s Fated Mate. They shared their experience along with tips and tricks, which helped Angus and Lorne avoid the worst of the traps.
“I mean no disrespect, Sire, but why are you so convinced there is anything there? We’ve gone over that area so much I could tell you the placement of every stone,” Lorne asked curiously.
As they drove along, the magic of Khoth called to Angus the closer they got to Calanais and the stone circle. It woke his dragon, invigorating the beast. He had been half asleep for so long he forgot what it felt like.
“Instinct, Lorne. This is where her presence has been strongest. I just hope we will find something that can help us.”
“Or, at least something the witches could use to cast a spell,” Lorne added thoughtfully.
“Aye,” Angus agreed as he found a spot to park on the hillside.
Stepping out of the vehicle, he was awed again by the large stones that dated back to the Bronze Age. Placed in upright position, the dozen or so pillars of rock were a mysterious wonderment surrounded by majestic beauty.
“Stand back here while I dispatch the potion in case something goes wrong,” Angus ordered as Lorne came up beside him.
“Not going to happen, Sire,” Lorne quipped then suddenly grabbed the small glass bottle before Angus could react.
On swift feet, Lorne ran towards the stone circle where their portal was located and tossed the vial into the middle. Immediately upon hitting the rocky ground, the small container shattered and sent shock waves exploding through the area. The force of the spell threw them both into the air and Angus lost site of his knight as he sailed over the car and landed awkwardly on his arm.
Barely managing to stifle the shout of pain from his broken arm, Angus stood to shaky legs and was pleased to see Lorne standing with his hands on his hips none the worse for wear.
Cradling his arm, Angus made his way to Lorne’s side. “You’re injured, Sire. You need to shift,” Lorne observed.
Angus glanced down and saw the odd angle to his forearm and knew Lorne was right. As much as Angus didn’t want to take the time, he had to or his injury would slow them down.
“Och, you’re right. Give me a minute,” Angus said as he stripped off his clothing and shifted into his dragon.
The instant his reptilian beast took over, Angus felt his arm mend and the call of his home realm reach through the portal, feeding his animal energy.
He had been away far too long and a sudden longing to return had Angus flying toward the portal. He opened his snout and let out a loud roar as a flame of fire shot forty feet in front of him. It had been over a thousand years since he had felt this whole and complete. He knew once he was back on Khoth it would be more intense and he couldn’t wait to return.
A small amount of clarity returned and he could hear Lorne cursing behind him. Angus glanced back to see the Máahes gathering his clothes and following towards the portal.
“Keep up, pup,” Angus taunted in Lorne’s mind. “I smell her.”
“I hope to all Gods she is in the cave where you are headed. I am tired of the chase,” Lorne griped in return.
The male wasn’t annoyed by having to chase after Angus. It was the continual disappointment of coming up empty-handed.
Angus flew through the portal and landed outside a cave then changed back to his human form with Lorne following suit.
As Lorne handed him his clothes, Angus carefully scanned the area and stated, “I don’t scent any danger here, but I sense a presence I haven’t felt for thousands of years.”
“Unseelie,” Lorne growled, claws extending from his fingertips.
Angus understood his hatred. The Unseelie had turned on them and were destroying their planet. Angus had been relieved to learn that Legette and his Máahes had been able to hold off the Buggane, although they were losing more and more of the lush forests as the Unseelie robbed Khoth of its natural resources.
Angus recalled a time long ago when he and Cyril had been friends. They’d roamed Khoth together hunting treasure and bedding females. Their easy camaraderie had ended when Angus discovered Cyril was responsible for creating the Buggane, as well as, the death of Angus’s parents. Cyril believed he could control Angus through their friendship after he became king.
Refocusing on Keira before he got lost in his rage, Angus slowly crept into the small cave. The ceiling was low at the entrance, but about fifty feet in, he noticed it had been manually raised and altered, opening into a larger space where runes were carved into the walls. He detected the strong scent of Unseelie along with Keira’s tangy salt and sand, reminding him of the ocean.
“She was held somewhere close,” Angus muttered excitedly at having found the epicenter for the spell.
Lorne lifted his hand to a rune, but paused and looked around. “Yeah, but where. I don’t see another opening and there is no evidence there was anyone here.”
“Och, keep looking around. There’s another room or path somewhere,” Angus ordered as he searched the outer walls.
“Here,” Lorne called out seconds later. Peeking his blond head around a large stalactite he waved his arms frantically. “There’s an opening over here. Come on.”
Angus was at his side and rushing through the opening before Lorne could
stop him. “Fuck,” Angus snarled as he stepped inside a smaller chamber and was greeted by a giant serpent, Suddenly, the creature turned into a vision of Keira lying dead on the floor.
“Watch oot!” Angus yelled to Lorne. “It’s an uabhas.” The Unseelie creature snarled and snapped to attention and turned back into the large serpent then reared up to tower over them. “It turns into what you fear most.”
The room was too small for either of them to shift into their dragon. An empty stone table off to one side took up most of the space and another table was topped with some of the same implements they’d seen in the outer chamber.
“Why does it have to turn into a viper? I hate those wankers,” Lorne muttered. Having drawn the snake’s attention, Lorne danced out of the way as Angus searched for a weapon.
The small titanium sgian dubh they both carried would do little against the serpent’s razor fins and dagger-sized fangs. Without warning, Angus suddenly found himself sailing through the air as blades sliced into his side. Grunting in pain, he braced himself to hit the stone wall as he tried to track the beast’s movements.
He rolled to the floor and noticed that Lorne had partially shifted and was using his talons to slice away the numerous fins from the snake’s head. It had been one of those fins along its tail that had cut Angus’s side open.
The uabhas was one of Cyril’s nastier creations. Angus recalled how the Unseelie King created it from jealousy against Angus. It was shortly after his first encounter with the uabhas that his greatest fear had come true and his parents had been brutally slain in their beds.
Another swipe of the powerful tail had Angus jumping to his feet. His side was bleeding badly, but he couldn’t let that stop him. He climbed onto the creature’s back while Lorne distracted it. Glancing down, Angus noted how shimmery blue fins riddled the floor.
Ducking under the largest fins on its back, Angus withdrew his titanium blade and buried it in the creature’s skull. The leathery hide didn’t afford the beast enough protection and the weapon slid in easily and met its target. Rearing up, Angus was dislodged from the viper and fell to the stone bed with a hard thud.
He lay there panting for breath and holding his side while Lorne rushed to his side. The knight was scratched and cut, but whole and walking. They both looked on as the viper disappeared and a man-sized white worm took shape.
“Its not dead yet,” Angus shouted to Lorne. “Kill it before it burrows underground.”
“Of course its not. That would’ve been too easy,” the male grumbled as he rushed to the worm and used his claws to slice through its middle.
It was a thing of beauty as the male chopped and diced the slimy creature to bits. Pieces fell and flopped on the ground for several seconds before going still.
“Did you see that shit? I’m the fucking snake-master!” Lorne boasted with a grin as he did a victory dance, fist-pumping the air.
“Och, I hate those things. You definitely have skills, my friend. I’m quite certain it’s dead now,” Angus relayed as he stood to shaky legs.
“You need to shift and heal,” Lorne observed as he stopped and pointed to Angus’s injured side.
“I know, but first we need to see if there is anything of Keira’s here,” he ordered as he hobbled into the small chamber. Angus made his way to the overturned table and searched the contents scattered on the dirt floor. “She was here. And for a very long time by the strength of her scent, but she isna here now.”
“I found something, Sire. I think we finally have something to take to the Rowan sisters,” Lorne said, holding up a small piece of fabric that had been stuck under the corner of the bed.
Angus’s heart raced as he recognized the pattern as the last dress he’d seen Keira wearing. After a thousand years of suppressing his hope he set it free to spread its wings and fly.
His queen would soon be in his arms again.
*****
Ember stood rigid while her Omega paced in circles around her. She’d asked for a private meeting after the C.L.A.W. and Orlando had left the lodge. “You don’t have to allow them to remain at Zeum, Sire. You can force them to come home,” Ember insisted for the tenth time. “Pack comes first.”
Hayden stopped and glared at her. “You would have me force Zander to relieve all shifters worldwide from their obligation as Dark Warriors to come and help find who is stalking and killing our people? What about the innocent humans? What about the vow they pledged not only to Zander, but the Goddess? They cannot simply walk away from that,” he explained.
Ember tried to hide her annoyance. Hayden was a stubborn male at times and was not seeing how the pack needed protection just as much as the humans, if not more. Ember felt the Goddess would agree with her.
“Sire, the pack is in grave danger. Our children and females are being killed. We need to find the demon responsible for this before we lose more,” she insisted.
Hayden crossed to the bar and grabbed his crystal glass and poured another healthy dose of brandy. She loved the earthy scent of the liquor even if she hated to drink it.
“I have thought about the same thing but you must consider the bigger picture, Ember. This is one reason you would not make a good C.L.A.W.” The comment stung and made Ember wince at the reminder he continually denied her.
“Yes, the pack is in danger, but perhaps the demon is attacking us on purpose. Shifters have played a major role in the fight against the archdemons, especially in locating lairs, and if we pull the shifter Dark Warriors we leave the vampire royal family at a disadvantage. This is what the enemy wants. Us chasing our tails and depleting Zander’s protection. Their goal is to get to Princess Isobel,” Hayden said but Ember could see the wheels turning. He was questioning his decisions.
“I understand that and I don’t want her hurt, but we are trading many lives for one. That hardly seems right,” she added, hoping to sway him.
Hayden took a gulp of his drink before shaking his head. “No one possesses the power this young vampire does. She can teleport, kill demons with a touch, and talk directly to the Goddess. And, that’s what she can do at less than a year old. Who knows what she will be able to do when she matures. We are on the same side as the Dark Warriors, Ember. We fight the same enemy. They are looking for this female and she needs protection, too,” he finished and Ember saw his resolve and knew she couldn’t change his mind.
“If you won’t call Orlando and Santiago back then I wish you would reconsider making me a C.L.A.W. I can help with more than simple patrols. I’m ready, Sire,” Ember informed him, holding her head high.
“No you’re not, Ember. I had been denying you because you are female, but now I see your impatience and that could endanger far more than fellow shifters. This conversation is over. I entertained your objections, but my decision is firm,” Hayden barked, his tone layered with the power of his animals.
Ember nodded her head. “Yes, Sire. Thank you,” she mumbled before she walked out the door.
Her Omega’s words reverberating through her head. She understood the danger the demons posed to every being on the planet, but pack was everything. She had to protect them first or everyone weakened, including her Omega.
And she would die before she allowed that to happen.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Orlando gagged as he pulled the tabs on Brantley’s diaper. “How can something so sweet smell so foul? Are you sure you won’t change him while I play with my Princess?” he asked the vampire queen as he looked over to Elsie who was playing a game with Isobel in the corner of the nursery.
“Not on your life,” Elsie replied and laughed. “You’re his father now which means you get the good, the bad, and the stinky.”
“I’m sure you didn’t make Zander change Izzy’s diapers,” Orlando grumbled as he pulled one side open.
The smell intensified and he saw the disaster had exploded up his back. When Orlando reached up and pinched his nose to dull the stench, Brantley tried to crawl away.
�
�No, don’t let him get away,” Elsie cried out as she jumped to her feet. The instant the queen was in motion, five gnomes appeared by Izzy’s side, watching the events unfold.
Orlando reacted on instinct and caught Brantley’s leg before he managed to wiggle away and was rewarded with a dirty palm. “Ugh, that is disgusting. I’d rather fight skirm and be covered in black blood than this mess.” The baby rolled over and giggled and Orlando couldn’t help but laugh, as well.
He was glad Brantley didn’t seem impacted by the death of his parents and circumstance of his birth. Not to mention he was growing like a weed. Supernaturals’ growth rates were expedited and he recalled Elsie’s shock over how rapidly Izzy had grown. She had only been a few months old, yet was walking and talking. Brantley was just a couple weeks old and crawling everywhere.
Every milestone Brantley made lifted a weight off Orlando’s chest while making him sad at the same time. The baby would never know his mother. How beautiful and strong she was. How she loved him enough to put his life ahead of her own. Orlando vowed Brantley would know as much information as possible about his mother even though he’d only known her for a short time.
“Stop being a baby, O. Grab his legs and take off the old diaper and clean up the mess,” Elsie ordered, bringing him out of his thoughts.
“There’s so much of it. Can you guys do this?” Orlando asked the gnomes hopefully.
Izzy laughed and tossed a ball to Pepper, or maybe it was Dipple. He could never keep their names straight. They all looked so similar with their black trousers and green and blue striped shirts. Izzy loved their pointy shoes and had asked her mom for her own pair, adding that she wanted hers to sparkle.
“We will be back after we clean this mess, Princess,” the gnome cooed at Izzy.
“Pepper play. Dipple is Mr. Poopy man,” Izzy insisted to the gnome sitting next to her.
“You heard the Princess, Mr. Poopy man,” Pepper said to Dipple.
Dipple didn’t appear happy about the comment, but didn’t argue or show Izzy his displeasure. Instead, he walked over and took charge of the diaper disaster.