“She made you watch?” Jayde asked in horror.
“Oh, she did plenty to scar my psyche.” He turned toward her and she saw the self-disgust on his face.
“Hey, it’s in the past. We have the future.”
“We do.” One corner of his mouth tugged up as he met her gaze. “After Thursday, we may no longer have an issue. Right now, I can’t resist the urge to look over my shoulder.”
“Do you think she could find your cabin? I noticed it was set back on a non-descript gravel road. I could have sworn wards protected the property when we drove over the barrier.”
“Lonny did them. Unless she chooses to burn down all of the woods surrounding the property, she cannot find it.”
“Saressa’s been known to raze whole cities to find a single individual. She doesn’t care who she kills in order to obtain those she wants,” Toryn explained.
“Anything else you can tell us?” Scotty asked.
Jayde shook her head. “He said he would do what he can to get us more information. I’ll pass on the message that Alenathos was doing as directed. Nothing more.”
“Thank you,” Isa answered.
Jayde nodded and pulled Scotty out the door. “The two of us need to get away for a bit.”
Toryn spoke up. “I redirected today’s projects to the rest of the crew. In fact, I cleared Lonny’s, yours, and my schedule for the next week.”
Scotty grinned. “Thank you. As always, you know what I need better than I seem to.”
Toryn chuckled. “Sometimes we’re too focused on everything going on around us.”
Laughing, Scotty said, “Yeah. You and Isa are a prime example of that.” He looked to Jayde. “It took them ten years to finally get together. Neither believed they were what the other wanted.”
“Sometimes the best things are worth the wait,” Isa replied.
“Indeed.” Toryn pulled Isa into his arms. “If there is nothing else, I suppose I should let Isa get back to work.”
“Already sent a text to James, asking him to come in early. He’s probably here by now.”
“Aw, you’re actually going to leave early for me?” Toryn teased.
“Hmm, I am. Maybe we can get something to eat.”
Chapter 34
Midnight Falls rushed passed Saressa as she stood on the mountain’s edge. She had bound the second most powerful water dragon to her centuries ago.
Aquila had been her prized ally until Alenathos nearly killed her and Jayde was asked to heal the dragon. When the Paineater took the wounds, she also took her control of water, in all its forms, leaving the dragon weak.
Shortly after, Saressa bound Alenathos to her. She needed a fully functional dragon. Now, finally, she had a use for Aquila.
The dragon had no way to take her power back, but she could gain revenge. As Aeremaius proved, she didn’t need magic to kill a Paineater. Though Jayde’s death wouldn’t be nearly as slow or agonizing.
All Saressa cared about was Jayde being dead and gone so she could bring Endiscott back and mend what she’d broken. Aquila was the perfect solution.
“Aquila,” she called, “come to me.”
Glittering blue wings rose up over the cliff. Her body long and lithe, covered in scales. “Saressa,” she hissed, floating out of reach. “What do you want from the dragon you threw away?”
“To offer you revenge on a platter.”
“Revenge for what?”
“The one who stole what made you a water dragon.”
“Oh, I’m still a water dragon. I don’t need extra magic to hunt and kill.”
“Very true. I suppose you aren’t interested in finding Jayde, making her pay for what she ripped from you.”
“I’m listening.”
“You’ll find her in Seattle. I want her dead. You must leave Endiscott alive though.”
“The nymph? You still want a man who was never yours?”
“He was mine, and he’ll be mine again. He worshipped me, but someone stood in his way of fully accepting his place beneath me.”
An evil glint danced through her eyes. “I’ll kill Jayde.”
Saressa opened a portal. “Enjoy your hunt.”
Aquila slipped through the gateway and it shut.
Hands curled over Saressa’s hips as warm lips brushed her ear. “You don’t need a nymph to worship you. You need me to challenge you,” Damha murmured.
“I’ll never let you in, Damha. I won’t be controlled by a man.”
“Who said anything about controlling? I want you as you are.”
“You want my power because no one would accept you as a king over the realms. Have you learned nothing? I don’t share power with anyone.”
“Not yet, but you were meant for me. It’s only a matter of time before you give in to temptation. You can’t resist my dark seduction for long.”
“I can resist better than you believe. I never had a reason before.”
“We shall see,” he whispered before disappearing, leaving her aching for a man inside her body. The only man she wanted at this point was Endiscott. Until his bond was resealed, she would live without a man’s touch.
Chapter 35
Reance walked up the steps to Toryn and Isadora’s home. He missed Earth. Watching Isadora grow and prosper, despite the horrible situation she was dealt, had been a pleasure and a heartache.
Heartache for knowing he could never truly give her the childhood she deserved, but pleasure in her strength, and resiliency. She’d turned into a wonderful person. Compulsive at times, but she was a smart woman with a big heart.
Unfortunately, Earth had been the safest choice. Aeryana managed to keep the Air and Earth Realms safe, and at peace, once the Great War between Fire and Water was over. However, her late husband, Henroyld, would have warped Isadora’s perspective. Not to mention how Aeremaius would have destroyed her moral compass.
Darling, Reance, I don’t like you out there alone, Aeryana spoke directly into his head.
Aye, but Toryn and Isa need news, and Isa requires guidance. I didn’t get to visit her the last two times I came to Earth. She’s starting to wonder if we truly love her.
We do. And that is why we both should have gone. I want to be there for my daughter as well.
And you will. The wedding planning will commence soon after Saressa is dealt with.
I hope you are right. Though, who will run the Fire and Water Realms if you are with me? I’m not sure I can survive another thirty years without you.
You won’t. There are others suitable to lead. My place is with you, now and always.
Send our daughter my love. Tell her I wish I was there.
I will.
Isa opened the door with a frown. “Just going to stand out there and not ring the bell?”
“Sorry.” He blushed. “Your mother and I were talking.” He pointed to his head. “Something we can do, no matter where we are. It’s made the years easier.”
Isa smiled, dipping her head. “I wonder if Toryn and I could, not that we’re ever apart long.”
“I do not know. Your mother is upset I didn’t bring her, but she will be at this party in a couple days. She sends her love.”
“Wish she had come.”
“Blame me, Isadora. I want her safe, and she is dealing with Saressa’s new proposals to push boundaries. A tactic to distract from her true plans.”
“Those would be?”
“Is Toryn here?”
“He’s coming. Scotty and Jayde too. I assumed this has to do with all of us.”
He nodded. “Yes, it does. We can catch up in the meantime.”
Crossing her arms over her chest she shook her head.
Reance couldn’t contain a laugh at her defiant posture. “It will be easier to tell all of you at once. That is the only reason I am waiting.”
“Fair enough.” Her arms dropped. “Thirsty? Maybe hungry? I can get us something.”
“I could use a drink.” He followed her into the kitchen.
; She turned back. “What would you like?”
“Surprise me.”
Taking two glasses, she filled them with iced tea. “Sweetener? Lemon? Anything you’d like in it?”
“No, thanks.”
Isa slid his glass over and leaned against the counter. She looked down a moment before meeting his gaze. “I understand you told Toryn he could trust Kellan. Why is that?”
“With the right encouragement, he could be a good man. He isn’t a bad one now, even with his mother’s influence.”
“Have you met him?”
“Aye, I have. Though he doesn’t realize it was me he spent time with when he first arrived on Earth. I helped him find his own path, but I’m not reason enough to keep him on it.”
“Jayde isn’t the one to keep him on the path. She’s mated to Scotty. Finally. Took long enough for that to happen.”
He nodded. “I agree. But no, I believe the woman for him is fae but has never stepped foot in Faerie. In fact, Scotty met her not long ago.”
“Zoe? The blond he hooked up with after I… uh… yeah, never mind,” she sputtered.
He laughed. “You did what only you could do for him. Don’t doubt yourself.”
“You’re also my father, and I don’t know anyone, besides maybe Toryn, who is comfortable discussing their sex life with their parents. You’ve got to admit it’s weird you probably got a glimpse or two of what we were doing.”
A chuckle escaped. “You gave Endiscott his freedom. You enjoyed yourselves. I can’t fault anything you have done. And no, I didn’t look for the vision, but I felt the magic unravel. I’ve been searching for a solution for years.”
Isa’s head tipped to the side. “You didn’t know I would resolve it?”
“I did.” He took a sip of tea before elaborating. “He spent more than a century with a woman who twisted a true mate bond, and kept him from the other half of his soul. She abused him, tortured him, and attempted to tear apart everything that makes him Endiscott, so she could remake him into what she wanted. Saressa truly loves him, but her love is twisted and wrong.”
“If that’s love, I don’t want to know what she does to those she hates.” Isa snorted, then shook her head. “Do you not consider her your sister?”
Drawing a slow breath, he decided on the best way to answer. “She is blood, yes. I’m not sure what happened to turn her against her family. Her intention is to destroy all of Faerie. I can’t allow that.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Nothing you can do to change Saressa. Now, your mother would be disappointed if I didn’t at least bring up wedding preparations. Are you okay with having the ceremony in Faerie?”
She smiled. “I have to go back sometime, right? As long as this isn’t permanent yet, I’m fine with a visit.”
“Aeryana can’t wait to have you home for a few days.”
Her nose wrinkled as she looked away.
He sighed. “I know, I know, not your home, but she wants a chance to spend real time with you.”
“I’m nervous about that,” Isa admitted. “You’re easier. I grew up seeing you around. I want to forgive my mother for sending me away.” She sighed and looked out the window. “It’s harder. But I think time with her will make things easier.”
“It will. You understand the logic of sending you away, but it hasn’t sunk into your heart. Neither of us made those decisions lightly.”
She let out a heavy sigh. “I’ve seen the conversations and debates between you through ancestral memories. You both searched for another solution. I get it.”
He reached over and squeezed her shoulder. “I wish I could have done more for you growing up.”
“You did enough. You kept me safe. I knew I was watched over.”
“An angel.” He laughed. “They truly exist. Though I’m no angel.”
“Close enough.”
* * * *
Scotty and Jayde followed Toryn into the house. Reance’s warm laugh pulled a smile to his lips. He looked over to find Jayde’s happy expression.
“Seems he’s always known we would come back together.”
“Because we were meant to be.”
They stepped into the kitchen. Toryn already had his arms around Isa who sat on a stool, but leaned into him. “There’s my knight,” she cooed.
He bent to whisper in her ear and she grinned.
“Hello, Reance. I understand you brought news.” Scotty wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
He dipped his head, crimson hair falling over his shoulder. “Unfortunately, Saressa has offered an old ally the one thing she wants beyond all else.”
“Aquila,” Jayde guessed.
Scotty turned to Jayde with a frown. “What would Aquila want with you?”
She swallowed hard, and took in a breath. “Alenathos nearly killed her over a territory dispute. Aquila wanted my mother to heal her, but she insisted I be the one. Only my third time healing another and I didn’t have much control. I wound up taking her abilities with water. All of it. She has her natural resistance, but no control over the element.”
Scotty’s mouth fell open. “Oh. She wants you dead.”
“My mother prevented her from harming me while she lived. Then I was in Reance’s lands where Aquila, being bound to Saressa, cannot travel, so that offered me protection. She can’t come to Earth without being sent.”
Reance nodded. “Saressa refused to call the defective dragon once most of her magic was taken, until now. I believe Alenathos may take pity on Aquila and redirect her.”
Isa shook her head. “No more dragons bound to me. Alenathos is already a pain in my ass.”
Toryn chuckled. “There’s someone else who could break the bond and take on a dragon. Kellan.”
Isa nodded slowly. “I’ve seen Kellan with her in a vision. Maybe that’s the answer.”
“You have?” Reance asked.
Looking away, she nodded. “Yeah. I think. I mean, I never had visions before my awakening, but I’ve been having them since. It’s starting to weird me out.”
Reance squeezed her hand. “They do at first. You’ll get used to them. Though I doubt you’ll ever have them like I do.”
Toryn shook his head. “Why didn’t you tell me, Princess?”
“At first I thought I was crazy. In denial, hoping they would go away. They haven’t.”
“Well, that’s three of us to confirm things will wind up in our favor at the party,” Toryn said.
She nodded, but Scotty saw the doubt in her eyes. “What is it, Isa? You don’t look so confident.”
“It’s nothing.” A smile appeared on her lips but never made it to her eyes.
Scotty chose to hold his tongue. Worrying about the future was never wise. It’s why Reance rarely spoke about what he’d seen. Toryn only did if someone was in imminent danger and he had an opportunity to fix it. And now Isa.
Toryn gave Reance a meaningful look. “Did you block her ability when she was born?”
Reance nodded slowly. “Aeryana did. Isa couldn’t know about our world until it was time.”
Isa walked out of the room.
“Shit,” Toryn whispered, and went to follow.
Reance caught his arm. “You can’t expect her to accept the hard truths. The decisions were not easy to make. That doesn’t change the outcome.”
Shaking his head, Scotty followed Isa. He moved in front of her before she could reach the door. “Hey. He’s right. You couldn’t know back then.”
She stopped, her head bobbed but she didn’t look up.
“Want to talk?”
“What about Jayde? Go back to her. I need a minute.”
“She understands. Come sit outside with me.” He glanced over her shoulder and Jayde nodded to him.
Scotty put his arm around Isa’s shoulders and pulled her outside. He led her over to the porch swing and sat with her, rocking in silence for several minutes.
Isa sighed. “Everything I thought I knew was a lie. Everything.”
“Would you prefer not to have the gift of sight?”
“It’s one more thing kept from me. Now I have all of this magic, and these gifts, and I don’t know what to do with them. Sometimes, when I’m not careful, I do stuff. I froze a dress the other day, when the new girl dropped a tray of glasses. I jumped, brushed past her skirt, and it froze solid.”
“Toryn took care of that. She doesn’t remember. No one saw.”
“Yeah, but now I need a babysitter to keep my power under control.” She looked over. “What happens if I really lose it and can’t regulate an outburst?”
“You won’t. Small flares are common when learning, and Isa, you’re learning faster than anyone I know. Especially since you didn’t have the same training most of us get when we’re toddlers.”
She rolled her eyes. “What kind of flares did you have?”
One corner of his mouth pulled up. “I’m not as awesome as you are. Plants respond to me. When I was young, and I’d get mad, the forest would come alive around me. Trees would grow, branches would knock people away if I didn’t want them close. Vines would tangle around hands or feet and hoist intruders into the air.”
Her brow arched. “Really?”
He nodded. “Really. You could ask Toryn. He’s seen it a few times.”
Isa leaned her head against his shoulder. “Thank you.”
Scotty settled his arm around her. “You can always talk to me.”
“Thanks. And ditto. You have no idea how much easier this topic is with you. You don’t treat me differently.”
“Toryn loves you.”
She nodded. “Yeah. But sometimes he doesn’t get it. He forgets I didn’t grow up with all this magic shit. So he looks at me like I’m overreacting when things get crazy. I’m learning to cope with a whole new set of rules, and it’s not easy. He thinks I can handle anything.”
“You can. You’re worrying too much.”
“I’ve been having visions, and some of them… I don’t know what to think. My head is swimming with images I can’t process. I have no reference to time placement. Some are from the past. Some the future. Nothing makes sense.”
Changing Destiny Page 19