Ceva's Chance

by Lilli Carlisle

  “I’m getting images in my head that I don’t think are mine,” Lothar admitted to everyone in the room.

  “What did you see?” King Leonidas asked.

  “I see her struggling and a bright light. She’s in pain.” Lothar’s voice lowered with the last few words.

  “Keep trying to sense her,” the King encouraged. “Maybe you can get an image of where she’s being held. Now that you are mated, you are the other half of her soul. You might be able to give us some clues as to where she is.”

  They were inside the estate on the first floor, having disarmed all traps set. It was a good building to organize search parties and a coven of witches, who would soon be arriving. The battle had gone well, but there were casualties, but none from their team. The Omegas had been a godsend given the amount of people they’d healed. Many were recuperating with their Alphas.

  Dedric, Joseph, Rowl, and Karli sat in the room waiting for orders, but there were none to give. Other than searching the immediate area, any excursion would be no more than a wild-goose chase.

  Lothar sat down and buried his head in his hands. His mate, his love, was taken from him. The pain he was feeling was excruciating, and he wondered if it was his alone. It felt like his heart was being ripped out of his body, and he was trying his damnedest to concentrate on Ceva, but nothing else was coming through.

  “They could be on the other side of the world. How will we be able to get to her in time?” Lothar asked.

  “That’s what we’re for, dear,” a woman spoke from behind him.

  Lothar spun around to find the five white witches they were expecting from Ceva’s coven standing in the double doorway. Two looked ethereal in dresses while the others were like Ceva, decked out in various colors of leather, ready for a fight. And they would get one when they went to get Ceva back from Koen.

  “High Priestess Farrow, it’s good to see you again,” King Leonidas said as he walked over and took one of the leather-clad witch’s hands in greeting.

  “I’m sorry the circumstances are so grim, but we will see what we can do to rectify this situation,” she spoke in a clear and calming voice.

  “This isn’t just a ‘situation.’ This is my mate we’re talking about.” Lothar knew he was being rude, but he needed people to move faster, forget the pleasantries.

  Before the King could say anything, High Priestess Farrow spoke. “Yes, young one, we will find your mate. It must be horrible having to be separated from her, but you will be the one leading us to Ceva. You’re her greatest asset.”

  “Me? How am I supposed to do that? I don’t know where she is.”

  “True, but you are her other half. With help, we might be able to find her through your visions. Of course, we will try to sense her on our own as well, but in truth, you are the best chance we have.”

  “I’ll do whatever it takes to get my mate back. So far I have Ceva struggling, a white light, and her pain. That’s all I’ve picked up. It isn’t much.”

  “Not in and of itself, but could you tell us everything about what he said or did before he took her? Did he have or say anything special?”

  “Yes. He has a yellow stone that he said amplifies his powers, enough so he could drain the lives out of countless shifters to create ogres.”

  Before Farrow could answer, two people tried to barge their way into the room shouting, “That’s our daughter. We have a right to see her.”

  Lothar watched as Karli cringed and sank farther back into Rowl’s and Joseph’s embrace. The parents. Well at least they are alive.

  “Karli, you get over here this instant and way from those boys, do you hear me?” a woman yelled from the doorway. The sentries weren’t moving an inch to let them in.

  “Karli, do you wish to see these people?” Lothar asked, because if she said no, they’d be gone. The little Omega had told him and Ceva about her controlling parents taking her away from Rowl and Joseph.

  “I might as well get this over with. I’m so sorry for the interruption.”

  King Leonidas ordered the sentries to allow Karli’s parents in. Both stormed straight up to Karli and tried to physically pull her from the couch as her men held on strong. Lothar crossed the room in a fraction of a second and grabbed the father around the throat. How dare they come in here and try to rip a triad apart. He didn’t care who they were. No one was losing another mate today.

  “You will release Karli or I’ll keep on squeezing, understand me?” Lothar bared his fangs and growled at the older man.

  The man let go, and Lothar looked up to see High Priestess Farrow holding the older woman back.

  “What is this all about? I demand an answer,” King Leonidas roared, and every shifter in the room bowed.

  “Our daughter is an Omega and she shouldn’t be with these two,” Karli’s mother spat at Rowl and Joseph.

  “These two men are two of the finest warriors I have. I can vouch for both,” Alpha Aldric said in a commanding voice.

  “She’s an Omega. She deserves an Alpha, not them.”

  “Is that for my benefit or yours, Mother? As parent to the Omega of a pack, you would get preferential treatment,” Karli said in a calm voice.

  “Don’t you talk to me that way, young lady, or—”

  “Or what? I’m not a child any longer.”

  “But you haven’t bothered to go to a celebration to meet the suitable Alphas,” her mother whined.

  “This is my choice, and I will make it. I choose Rowl and Joseph.”

  King Leonidas stepped up close, his powers falling freely, causing everyone to remain silent. “Now, what reason can you produce that this Omega cannot choose her own mates? It is the highest piece of law written, the ‘Omega’s Choice.’ Why should that be interfered with?”

  “Your Majesty, she has not attended one celebration. As the law clearly states, there has to be an attempt to find a suitable Alpha mate before she can choose whomever she wishes.”

  “I will not wait a whole year to attend a celebration that I won’t be choosing an Alpha from,” Karli said while crossing her arms.

  “That rule is archaic and never used,” Lothar chimed in.

  “We petition to use it in these circumstances,” Karli’s mother demanded.

  King Leonidas thought about it for a moment. “Alpha Aldric, will Karli be returning to Black Ridge with you and your men?”

  “That was the plan. She was to stay with me and Helena until the mating ceremony.”

  “I will provide a compromise. Karli will return to Black Ridge and stay with Aldric and Helena. Her parents will be given a place to stay on the property as long as they treat everyone respectfully. Over the next six months, you will be allowed to bring three Alphas as possible suitors for Karli to meet. She must give each gentleman a shot, and if she truly wishes to mate with Rowl and Joseph, then I will perform the ceremony myself.”

  Both Rowl and Joseph were growling low, clearly not on board with the King’s order. “It’s okay, you two. I’m coming back to you two, ’cause you hold my heart.” She turned to the King. “I agree. Now can we get back to saving Ceva?”

  Karli’s parents smiled before leaving the room. Lothar knew they were going to be trouble and looked at Aldric to see if they were on the same page. They were. Now that the distraction was dealt with, they could focus on Ceva.

  “We need a private room where we can concentrate and work with Lothar so that he can hone in on Ceva,” Farrow ordered. “Also, we need to discuss the yellow stone you saw that Koen has.”

  “There’s a private room through those doors off to the right side of the hall. We’ll make sure you’re not disturbed,” Alpha Aldric offered.

  “Perfect, lead the way.”

  Lothar did as she asked.

  It had been almost a whole day, and still Ceva was fighting the stone’s power. She’d been trying to send a mental image to her mate all day, but the stone made that difficult. She hadn’t taught him how to send or receive telepathic messages
or images. There hadn’t been enough time. To teach him everything properly would take years.

  Koen hadn’t returned yet, but she guessed he wasn’t far away, just waiting for Ceva to surrender. He’d be waiting a long time. She took stock of her surroundings, trying to get a better feeling for where she was. She was sure it was an old mine somewhere, but where? They could be anywhere. They could even be in a different realm entirely. The more she thought about it, the heavier her heart and the more the stone pushed. She had to fight. Lothar would find her.

  She kept that mantra strong in her head. He would find her. There were no other options. At least the stinging had stopped. She was more numb now than anything, never a good sign. As she continued to inspect the walls, she saw veins of copper running through the stone. It wasn’t a coalmine but a copper mine not far from the surface.

  She tried to push the information through to Lothar, but nothing happened. It was quiet on the other end, and Ceva regretted not teaching him the basics of communication. She’d keep trying until her power was drained. But she’d never give up. Ever.

  She heard his shuffling footsteps before he even appeared. Koen. Sure enough, he came into view with a sick smile on his face. “How are you feeling, dear?” Yep, still insane.

  “Go to hell, Koen,” Ceva growled.

  “Growling like your mate now. I wonder how long it will be before he dies after I suck the life out of you. I’m sure it will be horrendously painful for him.”

  Ceva wished she could leap the ten feet and grab Koen by his throat, but the stone and chains kept her in place.

  “I have an offer for you, Ceva. You surrender to me, and I’ll break the bond between you and the fleabag wolf. Then he won’t suffer or die because of you.”

  “Never.” The thought of breaking her mating bond infuriated her.

  “Think about my offer. You still have time to save him,” Koen said before he walked back into the dark recesses of the cave.

  It took Ceva a long time to calm down. No one willingly broke a mating bond. Until now, she wasn’t even aware it was possible, but the fact that Adela was dead and Koen was alive seemed to have proven it was. A little voice inside her head told her to consider the offer. If there wasn’t a chance of escape and she was killed, would she be able to condemn her wolf to death as well?

  She didn’t want to find out and began pushing more and more images to Lothar. All he had to do was hold the image and pull himself and the cavalry to her. If only she could get through. Her heart ached to be near Lothar again. She needed her mate, but she would never want him in this situation.

  Her only choice, if she couldn’t get through, was to consider Koen’s offer.

  “Nothing. I’m getting little snippets but not a strong enough image to hold on to.” Lothar paced in the private room. All five coven members had tried reaching out to Ceva, but according to the High Priestess, the yellow stone was blocking their attempts.

  As it turned out, the yellow stone Koen was using was ancient and had belonged to a family of white witches until it was stolen centuries ago and hadn’t been seen since. In fact, it was an ancient power, and that was what he was using to raise the ogres. As far as Lothar was concerned, the damn thing needed to be destroyed once and for all. No one needed that kind of power.

  “You’ll get it. We have to keep trying,” a witch named Rachelle said.

  They’d been helping him focus and teaching him how to use his powers to reach out to Ceva. So far nothing had happened, and he was running out of time, he knew it. Now he understood better than ever why if one mate died the other one soon followed. He didn’t want to go on without her.

  “I need some fresh air and peace for a moment to concentrate,” Lothar said as he headed for the door. “I won’t be long.”

  He walked into the main control room, which was a hive of activity. Everyone stopped when he came in, waiting expectantly, but he had nothing to tell them. He had no idea where his mate was. Lothar shook his head and walked to the open garden doors in search of the peace he craved. He walked for a little bit, clearing his mind and picturing Ceva’s smiling face. He looked at his mating tattoo, at the four children they were to have, and prayed the gods weren’t about to take everything away from him.

  This was his fault. He was supposed to be able to reach his mate, and he was failing her. His body was wracked with pain, and he knew it wasn’t his own. The guilt was suffocating.

  “So, you give up so easily on your mate?” a feminine voice said from behind him. He turned, expecting one of the five witches he’d already met, but this one was new and was definitely a witch. He could tell by the glowing eyes.

  “I would never give up on my mate. She means everything to me.” How dare someone accuse him of not working hard enough? His damn head was going to explode with all the concentrating he’d been doing.

  “Then why do you doubt yourself?”

  “Because I haven’t been able to reach her. Who are you?” At this point, he didn’t care if he was being rude. He was beyond caring.

  “High Priestess Juliel. I helped raise and train Ceva in our coven. She is quite dear to me.”

  Lothar froze. He and Ceva had talked about her childhood and the powerful High Priestess who had taken Ceva under her wing. The same woman who died in battle many years ago and now stood before him.

  “Nice try. Juliel died long ago.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “And now I’m to believe you risen from the dead to aid me in my search for Ceva.”

  “Well, risen might not be the right word. I simply returned to this plane of existence. You don’t honestly believe, after all you’ve seen, that death is an ending. Now let’s get our girl back, shall we?”

  Lothar had to accept she could be telling the truth, and then another part of him wondered if she was just a nice older lady wandering through the gardens. But then how would she know Ceva? Besides he’d do just about anything at the moment to get Ceva back. “Okay, what do you need me to do?”

  “The yellow stone Koen possesses is blocking any attempts to reach Ceva. I must amplify your mate bond to get through the barrier. We’re lucky you mated, or we’d have no chance at finding her.”

  “Juliel? How are you here? You were lost centuries ago.” High Priestess Farrow spoke in stunned awe, staring along with the four other witches.

  “Hello, Farrow, we must help this young man find his mate.”

  “We’re being blocked, Juliel.”

  “And that is why I’m here. Join hands in a circle around Lothar. I will stand with him. Give me your hands, Lothar.” Juliel held out her hands, waiting.

  As requested, the coven surrounded them and he gave his hands to Juliel. She held them palms upward. The moon bathed the area in its glow and the witches began to chant.

  “Now concentrate on Ceva. Picture her in front of you.”

  Lothar slowed his breathing and let the sounds around him slip away. He thought of his mate, her midnight black hair and golden eyes shining, them flying through the air, laughing, or better yet, them lying together in bed. All of these pictures of his brave, selfless, incredibly kind woman flowed into his mind. That he might never see her again made him furious. But he took a breath and realized the anger wasn’t his own. He could feel her struggling to hold her shield against a great power, and she didn’t have much time left. Her strength was leaving her.

  Then it came to him, Ceva chained to a wall with the yellow stone attacking her shield. She was in a cave of some sort. But all that didn’t matter. He had an image to pull on and teleport to. He opened his eyes and Juliel was smiling brightly at him.

  She released one of his hands and joined it to the coven’s before saying, “Let’s go get her.”

  Chapter Ten

  Ceva had never felt such pain, and was at risk of passing out, leaving herself open to attack by Koen. This had been what Juliel meant by controlling one’s powers or die. But Ceva knew it wouldn’t be much longer now. She was alr
eady well past what her powers could take and was now holding on by will alone or by someone else’s will.

  Ceva finally realized what it was Juliel had given her the day on the battlefield: the extra strength to hold on well past what she was naturally capable of. Juliel had given her strength and Ceva now had the chance of surviving this hell. Her mind blurred with images of Lothar, but they were fading fast.

  If she did manage to get herself out of this, she wouldn’t be able to take one step. She doubted she would be walking for weeks. Hell, it wouldn’t matter either way. By then she’d be an ogre, or at least her body’s life force would be used to make one. Either way, it would all end badly. She wished they could have made that addition to the house and filled it with children That wouldn’t be happening now. She glanced down at her boot and the hidden dagger inside. She’d have one chance, and she intended to inflict as much damage as she could.

  Koen came around the corner wall and up to the yellow stone, stopping short of touching it. “Have you had enough time to think about surrendering and saving yourself more pain?”

  “Yes…I surrender,” Ceva groaned.

  “Smart girl, you can’t stop the inevitable.” Koen took the stone off the idol and placed it in his right pocket. The relief was instantaneous. He produced a key and undid the lock on her hanging handcuffs. As soon as she was released, she collapsed onto the floor, her strength almost gone, but she had one more thing to do. Koen came over, lifted her by her one arm, and dragged her down the stone walkway. He took her into a larger cave where he had tables set up. Ceva reached her free arm down and clutched the dagger in her hand. Just as she was about to strike, the cave exploded into chaos.

  White witches from her coven teleported into the room, and at their center was Lothar and Juliel. Okay, now I know I’m hallucinating. Juliel’s dead. Koen lifted her higher, using her like a shield. Was he seeing the hallucination as well?

  “Let her go,” Lothar roared.

  Koen held on even tighter. Enough of this bullshit. Time to go. Ceva hid what she’d lifted from her father’s pocket, then raised the dagger, aiming it at Koen’s stomach. The moment she pierced skin, he released her and she slid down the sloped stones and toward Lothar. Her mate grabbed her and pulled her to safety behind a wall of white witches.