The Wild Rites Saga Omnibus 01 to 04

by Anna McIlwraith

  She backed straight off, turning to face him. “Red?”

  He turned his head to speak to her, but she got the sense he was still looking out the window. “You said that you trust me.”

  Emma shifted her weight to her back foot. “I did, but you saying that makes me think you’re about to do something to change my mind, so…”

  “No.” He let go of the sink, looking at her for sure now. “And yes. But no. Keep trusting me, flower,” he finished in a strained voice.

  Then he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, bent down, and kissed her.

  Emma had been kissed by shapechangers, gods, and figments of her own imagination enough times to know that a kiss was almost never just a kiss, and that had never been more true than when she kissed Red Sun.

  However — a kiss was still a kiss, and as far as they went, Red Sun’s was mindblowing. The shock of his power humming against her mouth, igniting her body, short circuited thoughts and doubts and hesitations; it wasn’t sexual and it wasn’t romantic, but she closed her eyes and opened her mouth anyway because his energy called her.

  His tongue moved against hers and she lost the ability to think; then she felt herself falling as images rushed at her.

  Red Sun with blond hair down to his shoulders, in a different time; both arms intact, his face so young and clear, his brown eyes suffused with the light of adventure and desire.

  Red’s strong smooth limbs tangled with another’s, a woman with fiery hair and eyes so blue they were purple, beautiful, beautiful, she glittered like crystal, laughing and crying out as Red plunged into her, driving her pleasure higher and higher.

  Then, Red slipping from the sleeping furs where she lay boneless, sated and breathing deep in sleep; then, cloaked head to toe and face hidden behind a dark wrap, Red Sun padding through strange underground passageways where gemstones flashed fire from the earthen walls and shining eyes watched from the shadows. Then, in a cavern full of crystals and treasures, Red seized a rough amulet bound with cord.

  A terrible howl rang out, and Red was running, back through caverns and passageways, no gemstones now but hands and claws and teeth surging out of the walls and the breath of something huge and hungry at his back.

  He almost made it out unscathed — almost. Red could see forest beyond the door out of the fairy mound, feel the wind on his face, and then something the size of a dragon with the face of a dog and row after row of shark teeth caught up to him.

  The guardian’s breath was so hot, it cauterized the stump of Red’s right shoulder when it bit his arm clean off.

  Knowledge came with the images, and then more, the information rushing through Emma’s blood: it was over three thousand years ago, and Red was a mighty bear warrior who had drawn the eye of the fairy queen. He was also an exceptional lover, and the queen fell for him, hard. She favored him so greatly that she took him to Underhill and gave him a choice of any treasure he desired, save one — the plain amulet. He told her she had already given him the greatest treasure any man could desire — her heart — and later he stole back with her sweat still drying on his skin, and took the amulet for himself. The amulet was all that an adventurer could wish for — the power to go anywhere, to Travel in the blink of an eye — but he didn’t know that when he coveted it. It didn’t matter. It only mattered that he conquer it, conquer her, because that was what he was made for.

  She’d loved him. Enraged and heartbroken that Red had faked his affection in order to steal from her, she cursed him ever to suffer from what he inflicted upon her — false love. The power of the curse had cracked the amulet, fusing its magic to Red forever so that he could never forget why he had abused her so.

  But he had loved her. He was a vain, arrogant bastard, but he’d loved her, which was why the curse couldn’t be broken.

  Lips still locked to his, the final piece of info-dump hit her: not only was he cursed to have the attraction of anyone capable of wanting him, so that he’d never know real, true love again, but the moment he touched his lips to someone else’s, they’d know exactly why he was cursed — in other words, they’d know he was a total scumbag and that their feelings weren’t even real.

  That is one helluva multitasking curse, she thought.

  Yeah, he answered mind to mind, and deepened the kiss, doing something to her upper lip with his tongue that made her moan and stop breathing at the same time. But the kiss also forges a telepathic link that’s gonna save our lives in a minute. Hopefully. Put your mental shields in place, Em, he said quickly as she drew in a breath that tasted like Red Sun and lust and electricity. Because I can’t shield us both once I take my mouth off yours.

  A kiss was never just a kiss: a kiss could be magic. Literally.

  Emma opened her eyes to find Red’s eyes glowing gold like lanterns in the dark. Save our lives? She was still wrapping her head around the telepathic link.

  Minutes, Em, he sent back on a growl that went straight through her, tightened things low in her body and loosened her knees.

  Okay. Mental shields. She breathed in, drew them down, remembered to go gently so she didn’t wake Fern via their bond.

  Red Sun felt it and broke the kiss, then caught her as she buckled. Jesus, she thought. Then, at Red Sun: Tell me.

  He set her on her feet, arm still around her, breathing hard. The serpent priesthood is here. They have the ranch surrounded, and the moment they even suspect we know they’re there, they’ll attack. One or two of the guards could probably shield their minds, but not the whole lot of them. We cannot raise the alarm.

  Emma went cold with horror. Questions like how did they find the ranch and how did Red know weren’t helpful, so Emma cast them aside in favor of the only two questions that mattered. How long do we have and what do we do? She interrupted his reply as the next thought that came to her made her dig her fingernails into Red’s bare arm. We have to get the kids out!

  I know. I can Travel with them, get them to safety, but the serpent priests will feel the energy spike. Through the link, Emma felt Red Sun hesitate, choosing his words. After I take the cubs, you’ll have less than a minute before the serpent priests are here. You must get to Fern and stay with him, do you understand?

  Emma thought she did. If she and Fern were separated, one of them taken — like in Russia — or worse, killed, the other would either go slowly mad or die, and Fern was already weakened. He might not survive another ordeal like that. She knew she wouldn’t survive his death. Besides, she sent. We can fight better together. She looked up into Red’s face. There are a lot of guards here. How many of the priesthood are out there?

  Red shook his head. It doesn’t matter. They wield power, not weapons. Then he shook her, just a little. They aren’t like Alexi, Em.

  I know that. Nobody was like Alexi.

  Red swore under his breath. Kinda wish the fucker was here though. Come on.

  Emma stopped him with a hand on his chest. There are two guards in the hall outside my room.

  Red’s hand closed over hers. I forgot. Okay. Hang onto me.

  She did; he crouched, scooped his arm under her rump, and lifted her up onto his hip. Cradled by him, she looped her arms either side of his and linked her hands atop his shoulder.

  Now pretend to be asleep, and make it good.

  Head resting on Red’s bicep and hair covering her face, Emma breathed deep and slow, slowing her heartrate and letting her shaking limbs loosen up as much as possible as Red walked them out of the kitchen and down the hall. Both guards stood to attention this time — Emma heard them move.

  “Bit crowded in there for her,” Red said softly, and Emma felt him tilt his head in the direction of her bedroom. “Thought I’d tuck her in upstairs with the kids for now.” The guards must have stepped aside; Red continued on up the hall, and then they were climbing the stairs.

  What do I do when I have to race back down there in a minute to get to Fern? The guards will know something’s wrong.

  Red turned his head; she fe
lt his breath against her hair, a shaky exhalation. Use the bond to wake Fern. Pull rank with the guards to get past them. When you have Fern’s hand in yours, tell the guards we’re under attack, and then do not leave your room.

  Red, I’m not letting the guards fight alone —

  He growled. It is what they were born to do, Emma. You will let them.

  She knew better than to argue — especially when she intended to do as she damn well pleased anyhow.

  Red cleared the stairs and Emma lifted her head. A second later they were outside Rain’s room. Katenka didn’t have a room; she liked to sleep in the shape of her wolf, so she curled up wherever, but usually near Rain.

  Red let Emma slide her feet to the floor. A soft growl greeted them as Emma pushed the door open.

  “Em?” Katenka said softly as she recognized Emma’s scent. “Red Sun?” Rain made a pained noise. Emma didn’t have to tell Red to hang back.

  “Can you turn on the night light?” Emma pitched her whisper so quietly that a human standing three feet from her wouldn’t have been able to hear; the guards had good hearing, but not that good. Soft light filled the room and revealed Rain and Katenka curled up on Rain’s sofa bed, both of them sitting up in human shape, with Bruce stretched on the ground at their feet. He lifted his head, dark eyes calm.

  I can take Bruce with me, Red spoke in Em’s mind. Dogs are different, they aren’t as heavy. Because of the telepathic connection, Emma understood that he was talking about magical weight, not the physical kind. Ordinarily Red could only Travel with two passengers, but if he said he could take the dog too, she believed him. This was better.

  The kids were turned toward each other and their knees touched; Katenka’s wild white curls were tucked back in a neat French braid, while Rain’s salt and pepper hair was a slept-on mess, and Emma was struck with terror at how young and small and vulnerable they looked.

  Rain’s eyes went wide and Katenka straightened — they both heard Emma’s pulse accelerate. Emma went to her knees in front of the bed and looked into Rain’s amber-green eyes.

  He blinked at her, nostrils flaring, taking her scent. “Why is Red Sun here?” His voice even smaller than usual.

  Emma heard Red close the door behind him as he stepped into the room. Now, Em.

  “To protect you,” she answered Rain. “I promised Zach we’d protect you when he’s not here.”

  Katenka came to her feet. “What —”

  Red crouched down in front of Katenka. “Princess, put your arms around my neck. I promise I’ll explain when we get where we’re going.”

  Nostrils flaring as Red’s scent — and curse — hit her, Katenka nonetheless tossed her head in defiance. “I don’t need to be carried just because I’m royal. I’m fast, we —”

  “No, you don’t, and yes, you are, but I need to make sure I can’t lose either of you and I need to take Rain’s hand, unless you think he’ll let me carry him, and I’ve only got one hand. C’mon, climb on.”

  The princess blushed and put her arms around Red’s neck, straddling his leg, and looked at Emma over the top of his head. This wasn’t the princess’s first emergency evacuation, so she was calm — especially so for Rain’s sake — and she probably thought Red was going to lead them to a bunker or a panic room or something. Emma’s guilt couldn’t quite drown out the desire to get the kids as far away as possible.

  Red reached for Rain’s hand.

  “It’s okay,” Emma said.

  Rain looked at Katenka, who nodded. He placed his hand in Red’s and stepped closer to Katenka. She lifted her chin and looked at Emma. “We’ll see you when you’ve rallied your guard?”

  “Yes,” Emma lied straight to the princess’s face.

  Get a head start, Emma, Red Sun sent, catching her gaze as he pressed a knee against the dog’s side. And when you get to Fern, do not leave that fucking room.

  Emma swallowed. Oh Jesus.

  Red’s eyes flashed gold, and the next thing he said was a blinding command: GO!

  Emma sprang out of her crouch and ran, heard Katenka’s confused cry as she cleared the bedroom door, and made it to the head of the stairs before the link to Red’s mind disappeared.

  He was gone.

  Minutes, she thought, and flew down the stairs, barely touching every third step. There was no way to be quiet and no time; she heard the guards in the living room stirring, then her bare feet hit the hallway carpet and she quickened her strides, tucking her arms, because she was going to have to vault the two jaguars coming to their feet ahead of her.

  A flash of white light filled the hall and Emma slammed into Raul’s naked chest. He grabbed her by the arms to stop her from sprawling on her ass, and she looked up into eyes so dark brown they were black. No time — she twisted out of his grip, dropped, scrambled past and got her bedroom door open before the other jag knew what to do.

  Dim light from the hall; no Fern. Shit! Maidens rolled off the bed and up from the floor, and Emma heard Felani cry out but she was already running toward the kitchen. She thought she could sense Fern through what little of the bond was still open, just a trickle of awareness, but she’d already wasted time they didn’t have. Guards filled the other end of the hall. Emma burst through the kitchen, knocked over a chair, and tore the flywire off the door to the porch as she shoved it open.

  Snow hit her in the face and stung the soles of her feet, but she didn’t feel it, because Fern was nowhere in sight. Too much time wasted already. She had to use the bond.

  FERN!

  She felt her call shatter his shields, felt his reflexive response touch her mind with alarm and fear and blinding focus, and oh God it felt so good it almost brought her to her knees. She stumbled down the porch steps and was suddenly ankle deep in snow, with more of it swirling all around her and the wind blasting straight through her cardigan to freeze her bones.

  Now their minds were touching, Emma knew where he was: in the barn with the horses. Her pulse kicked into overdrive — he was out there, exposed, and what the hell was going to happen to the horses if —

  No time, she told herself again. And to Fern: The serpent priests are here!

  She heard the barn door slam and saw his dark shape sprinting at her through the white. She stopped trying to get to him; the snow hindered her but not him, apparently. In seconds he reached her, which was still enough time for her feet to go numb.

  Fern closed his hands around her shoulders and questions crowded their mental link, but Emma spoke before he could ask any of them, shouting to be heard over the wind. “Red wants us in the house! Come on!” She turned, stumbled again, and Fern caught her arm to stop her from sprawling in the snow. Then the maidens boiled out over the porch steps, all in ocelot shape except for Felani. Surrounded by small snarling cats, her coppery hair whipping in all directions and her eyes glowing molten cherry red, Felani looked like a primal goddess — a short and terrified one.

  She grabbed Emma’s hand and dragged her up the porch steps, hissing. “Where is Red Sun?”

  “The kids,” Emma said. “He’s taken them to safety.” She didn’t know where, but had her ideas. “He’ll be back, but I don’t know how much time we —”

  Something on the other side of the ranch exploded and suddenly the night was red.

  8

  Was it the house?

  A series of softer explosions like giant gas burners igniting followed, and Fern answered Emma’s thought: Not the house. The cars. The sky over the house brightened to bonfire orange.

  Dragged by Felani and shoved by Fern, Emma staggered back through the kitchen and into the strange battlefield hush of the house, red light filling the kitchen and bleeding through gaps in the dining room curtains. The hallway was darker. Emma heard the guards in the front room, deep voices and urgent commands, and then Leah and Ricky stepped into the hall.

  Leah looked relieved and angry and addressed Emma without preamble. “You’re shielding your mind, yeah?” A look in Fern’s direction. “An
d his?” At Emma’s nod, Leah turned to Ricky. “If you want to guard her you have to change, the priesthood can read your mind too easily otherwise, got it?”

  Ricky’s answer was a burst of white light and a pile of disintegrated clothing. His jaguar, pale gold, paced to Emma’s side and uttered a low roar. She wanted to argue with him, but she also wanted him by her side, so she said nothing. Three more jags entered the hallway with tails thrashing and heads low; Emma recognized Anton, the same pale gold as Ricky, and Raul back in beast form, but not the third reddish gold. Too many people in the hallway, too many animals, but it didn’t feel like enough — where was everyone, and were they safe?

  Leah swung her gun around on its strap and looked around. “Where’s Red?”

  Emma didn’t have to repeat herself and answer Leah because the kitchen exploded with a deafening roar and belched flames into the dining room behind them. Windows burst and the sound of falling glass rained down. Heat seared their backs as they ducked down instinctively. Leah screamed at them to get upstairs, which Emma thought was a terrible idea — if the house was on fire they should get outside —

  And then none of that mattered, because a wall of cold power hit them all and crashed over them in a suffocating wave.

  The serpent priests had arrived.

  Emma had felt the force of a serpent priest’s power before, felt like she was trapped beneath ice and drowning, like fear itself had taken solid form and wrapped around her throat, cutting off air and life and hope. This was so much worse. That had been one serpent priest — this was more. A lot more. There was no sense of any individual mind assaulting her, just a vast weight, a ringing in her ears, her pulse a sickening thud in her own throat and her skin a blanket of freezing cold agony. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, wanted to close her eyes and didn’t dare.