Changing Destiny

by Rivers, Brandy L

  The door opened, and in came Jackie and Eddie. Jackie grinned and came to join them on the couch. “Looks like you don’t have to bring me. I’m coming. Whatever Scotty said to Eddie mellowed him out.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “Hey, I would have mellowed his ass out,” Isa promised.

  Jackie grinned. “Yeah, but you’ve been busy with Toryn, and until last night, Eddie didn’t know Scotty had a woman. He’s the one who called for a second opinion, not me.”

  “I came because I was with Scotty and figured I could get to know more of his friends.”

  “We’ll be bringing you along wherever we can. You’ll meet everyone before long.”

  “I may have met more of them than you think,” Jayde pointed out with a grin. “I’ve met most of the fae, at least the ones who got their start in Faerie.”

  “Benefit of being a Paineater?”

  She nodded. “Something like that. Though I’m not always sure it’s a blessing.”

  “Paineater?” Jackie asked.

  “I can take someone’s wounds. Sometimes I also take bits of their magic. I try to avoid that most of the time now, but it depends on the situation.”

  Jackie frowned. “You mean you take their injuries on yourself?”

  Isa grimaced. “Yeah, I saw her with the same wound Scotty had a moment before she healed him.” Isa turned to Jayde. “By the way, thank you for saving my friend.”

  “Same to you. Without what you did, well, I’m not sure we could have ever fixed our broken relationship as long as the bond with Saressa remained intact.”

  Isa glanced away. “I don’t know. You may have convinced him if you saw him before I found a solution. He was bad off. I wish I had come up with the fix sooner.”

  Jayde didn’t have a clue what to say. Luckily, Toryn took the mic as Eddie started the beat, and music enveloped her. She lost herself in the rhythm.

  A couple songs later, Isa nudged her. “Your phone.”

  Frowning, she fished it out of her pocket. Kellan’s name flashed at her. “I’ll be right back.” She walked out the door to better hear and answered. “Hey, what’s up?”

  “You have one less person after you. I bound Aquila to me last night. Seems she understands you weren’t to blame for taking her magic.”

  A smirk played on her lips. “Sure you can trust the dragon?”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, she’s bound. I ordered her never to harm you. After some thought, she realizes it’s not even Alenathos’ fault. Strictly Saressa for forcing her to do something she thought better of, but had no way to ignore the compulsion.”

  “Interesting. Hey, are you coming to the party?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

  “It would be okay if you didn’t.”

  “I need to go. Need to see an end to her reign.”

  “Kellan, if you ever want to talk, call me.”

  “Scotty won’t mind?”

  “Nah. As long as you know where we stand.”

  “Yeah, as friends.” He sounded happy, with only a hint of sadness. “You two complete each other.”

  “You’ll find your woman. I have no doubt.”

  “Maybe. Go on. I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Tonight,” Jayde replied and hung up. She stepped back in and found Scotty’s gaze locked on her. The concern melted away, his expression warming.

  She forced herself to take a seat again.

  Isa leaned over. “Kellan?”

  Laughing, she nodded. “Apparently Aquila is bound to him. He commanded her not to hurt me.”

  “And he’s not being a dick?”

  “Nah. He’s getting over it. It’s not like we were ever real close.”

  “Yeah, my friend Mike, well, we’re better friends now than while we were fucking.”

  Jayde blinked slowly, not expecting Isa to put it so bluntly.

  She shrugged. “We were fuck buddies. Somewhere along the way he started to fall for me. Around that time, I began having trouble lying to myself about Toryn.”

  “And he accepted the booty call was over?”

  Isa nodded. “Yeah. Thing was, he knew Toryn and I were going to wind up together. I doubt Kellan had that perspective, but Mike came in after Toryn and I were already best buds. He saw it before I did. Hell, everyone saw it before I did.”

  “And he’ll be there tonight?”

  “Yeah, Mike’s coming. He’s one of the enforcers for the Silver Council. His girlfriend, too. Gwen’s my kind of woman. It’s not even awkward when we all get together.”

  “One day.”

  “Sooner than you think.” Isa hopped up and headed for the restroom.

  Chapter 39

  “Are you going to bring me with you?” Damha asked, as Saressa stepped into her room.

  “You, on Earth? Ha!”

  “Bring me through the portal and I can help you.”

  “No. The people of Earth aren’t ready for you. You’d cause panic. The siren and Aquila will be plenty.”

  “Don’t want to scare your precious nymph? He’s not even a real man. You saw how he froze when I attempted to mount him.”

  “You won’t harm Endiscott, and your days of touching me are over.”

  “That won’t last. You can never resist me for long.”

  “Don’t test me, Damha. I’ll send you through a one-way portal to Mount Flame.”

  “You’ll change your mind. You always do,” he whispered, before scurrying out the window. The urge to call him back and complete their bond flitted through her. She wanted to scream, to rage. The twisted beast couldn’t be her mate. Endiscott had been perfect, and she tore him apart. Perhaps her longing for Damha was punishment for her treatment of the man she still loved.

  She went to the closet. One of her siren had brought clothes from Earth. Lots of them. She chose a short, stretchy black dress. Similar to something she’d seen on her wretched niece in a vision.

  Isadora seemed to be collecting the men Saressa had claimed. Toryn, whom she wanted for his power. With Alenathos firmly under Isadora’s control, Saressa resorted to Aquila. She’d expected to hear from her already. Kellan, her own son, had gone to Isadora’s side. And Endiscott’s freedom resulted from his tryst with Isadora and Toryn.

  Her hatred for her niece boiled as she dressed, and coiled her braided hair. She couldn’t decide who to go after first. Isadora, the one who kept stripping away her men, or Jayde, for what she had yet to do. Jayde would be the one who would eventually kill her, but she wasn’t dying tonight. Instead she’d focus on her niece. Isadora would rip her power away and leave her a peasant. It had already begun. Her borders were crumbling.

  Time to watch Shenanigans and see what she could learn before making her appearance at Endiscott and Jayde’s celebration.

  * * * *

  After practice, Lonny pulled Scotty aside before he could make his way to Jayde. His oldest friend practically buzzed from excitement. “So, do I get to marry you two?”

  Scotty nodded. “You aren’t thinking tonight, are you?”

  He grinned, his eyes sparkling with a thousand colors bursting in his irises. “Might be the best cosmic joke on Saressa I can ever come up with.”

  “Sure, enrage her more than she’ll already be.” Scotty let out a sigh. “The more I think about the setup, the more I worry. I can’t lose Jayde. I can’t go back to the bitch. And so many people will be there who have pissed Saressa off, one way or another. Hell, most of us came to Earth to escape her wrath.”

  “I’ve learned one thing over the years. No sense in worrying. What will be, will be. Even when someone tries to dick it up, the flow goes where it’s meant to go.”

  “You’re too easygoing. I couldn’t survive if the past repeated itself.”

  Lonny nudged him. “I said flow, not circle back.”

  “No ceremony tonight, Lonny, but soon after. Okay?”

  “All right. I suppose that’s for the best. Saressa might steal the show.”

 
“Neither Jayde, nor I, want anything big. We want it official. The whole court wedding fiasco would have been for my parents and her mother. From the second I set eyes on her, I chose Jayde.”

  Lonny nodded, looking away.

  “You could say something to Lana tonight,” Scotty whispered. Lonny had been intrigued by Isa’s business partner since the first time he stepped into Shenanigans. However, Lana generally had a man in her life, though they changed often.

  “She’s been with Reese for months.” Lonny shrugged. “Besides, she doesn’t seem all that interested in fae. Never seen her with one. Always humans.”

  “She flirts with you. Sits there for hours talking to you when you come in. Maybe she doesn’t think you’re all that interested, seeing as how you never make a move.”

  “Maybe.” He sighed. “Look, while she’s with Reese, I’m not going there. I don’t feel the same kind of pull you did to Jayde. It wasn’t instant fireworks and shit.”

  “If you say so. Just don’t wait forever to explore what’s there.”

  “Go, be with your woman before the party. Later we can plan your ceremony.”

  Jayde slid an arm around Scotty. “Small, simple, close friends. We don’t need a spectacle.”

  “You two have a lot of friends.”

  “Simple,” Scotty reiterated. “You, Toryn, Isa. I’m guessing Kellan.” He looked to Jayde. “Anyone else you want there?”

  She shrugged. “We can figure it out later. Right now, I’m hungry.”

  “Then food we’ll get.” He waved to everyone before scooping Jayde into his arms and trotting for the door. Once outside, he put her down.

  She giggled. “I’m hungry for food, then you can feast on me all you want.”

  “Food, I said food.” He chuckled, pulling her down the street. “What sounds good?”

  “Pizza.”

  “Then we’re close.”

  * * * *

  Aeryana gave the dress a dubious look. “This is what you expect me to wear, Reance? It’s so revealing.”

  He smiled, imagining her in the dress. She was quite old-fashioned when it came to clothing, and he loved it. Still, he longed to see her in modern attire. “No, it covers everything considered indecent on Earth. Even here, it’s not considered too skimpy. You simply prefer gowns of old.”

  She looked down at the dress with a sigh. “Perhaps. I suppose I’m old, huh?”

  He laughed, he couldn’t help it. “Darling, we’ve been old a long time. A thousand years is old by all but dragon standards. Though, you are as lovely as the day we met. Lovelier even, if that is possible. Please, I chose the dress especially for you.”

  The shimmery gold was Aeryana’s favorite color, and the dress would be exquisite on her. “Please, my darling, wear the dress.”

  She turned, her eyes softening. “For you, of course.” She stripped out of her gown, and he groaned. “Tsk, tsk, we don’t have time if we’re to be punctual.”

  “Tonight is too important to be late,” Reance mumbled, turning away to control his hands. “The fate of so many rests on the results.”

  “When you put it like that, I begin to have my doubts.”

  “All will be well. Saressa’s rein will end. Our daughter and Toryn will be safe. Jayde and Endiscott will finally have their happiness. And I believe Elondril may finally make a step in the right direction.”

  “The Hyter Sprite? I thought he died with his family.”

  Reance shook his head. “Oh, no. I kept him hidden until Endiscott was ready to leave Faerie.”

  “Good. I wish I could have done more for their families. They were outside of my territories, and Henroyld was never good at protecting his people.”

  Her hands curled around his shoulders as she leaned into him.

  He took her hands, looking over his shoulder. “May I see?”

  Aeryana closed her eyes and nodded, taking a step back.

  As expected, she was glorious, even with the pout on her full lips. “Darling, all eyes will be on you. Come, we must go.”

  “Are you absolutely positive I won’t be out of place?”

  “You’ll appear a goddess among them. That is a very good thing.”

  “Only one I want worshiping me is you, and that’s in bed,” she teased.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone touch my queen.”

  * * * *

  Toryn paced their room. Isa watched him from the door, her arms crossed over her chest while amusement danced through her eyes. “She’s your mother. She can handle herself. Though I hope she doesn’t bring Snookie. Health code only allows for service animals,” she teased.

  “Got that,” he muttered. “I don’t like the fact you’ll be there any better. Saressa’s going to go after you. Regardless of the fact you’ll wipe the floor with her, I don’t want you in danger.”

  Her brow arched, a laugh escaping. “Did you just tell me my future?”

  “Shit, see, I’m a wreck.” He stalked to her, took her face in his hands and laid a kiss on her full of fiery determination. When it ended, he vowed, “I won’t lose you.”

  “Nothing will keep us apart.”

  “Never,” he whispered against her lips, before taking another kiss. His hands went to her thighs, pushing her dress up, then shifting the thong aside before freeing his straining cock. “Need you. Can’t wait for the night to be over.”

  “Don’t wait.” She hooked her thigh over his hip, pulling him into her. “Show me how bad you need me.”

  His hands curved around her ass, and her arms locked behind his neck, as he drove into her in a frantic rhythm. She nipped his lip before sucking it into her mouth.

  Need, love, both so strong he wanted to whisk Isa away, and protect her from any and all threats. His mouth meshed with hers, their breaths traded as the passion ignited.

  Her magic flowed with his as her climax pulled him over the edge. Two more short thrusts and he buried himself in her, pressing his forehead to hers.

  A smile pulled at his lips. “Need to fix your lipstick, Princess.”

  Panting, she nodded. “You need to wash it off.”

  He sighed. “Wish we didn’t have to go.”

  “Saressa won’t stop unless we stop her.”

  “We will.” He looked down at her mussed dress with a grin. “Finish getting ready before you tempt me further.”

  “You’re the one who couldn’t keep your hands to yourself.” She slipped past him as he stepped back, going to the bathroom. The latch clicked into place. Toryn couldn’t help the sigh that escaped.

  His visions didn’t add up. He couldn’t help worrying. Nothing was set in stone. What-ifs floated through his head as he righted himself and wiped the scarlet lipstick from his face.

  Chapter 40

  “Can I ask you something, Scotty?” Jayde murmured, as he pulled into a parking spot on the street.

  He looked over, a soft smile on his lips, but dread filled him. “Anything,” he whispered.

  “Can you stand against Saressa without feeling some sort of guilt?”

  He nodded, the ominous weight slipping away. “The only thing I can’t handle is something happening to you.”

  “Okay.”

  “Whatever desire I felt wasn’t real. As soon as the bond snapped, it all drained away. The hate was real. I loathe her, and everything she did to me. Everything I watched her do to others. Nothing she can say or do will ever make anything she did right. No matter how she perceives her actions, I don’t understand her version of love. I want no part of it.”

  “That’s a relief.”

  “I wish I could take away all the doubt. The past was stolen from us, but we have a bright future ahead.”

  “This is our party. We should get in there. Hopefully she won’t wreck it early.”

  “She’ll want to make a grand entrance. It won’t be right away.” He climbed out and hurried around the car to get her door.

  She stepped out with a grin. “Have I mentioned you look am
azing? I hardly miss the leather.”

  “Oh, I can wear leather for you.”

  “Mmm, please, but you’re not changing tonight. I like the way those slacks feel against my skin. Though, your body is better.”

  He groaned. “You’re going to kill me, Jayde. I didn’t get enough of you this afternoon.”

  “You never have enough. This is a good trait, in my opinion.”

  He wrapped his arm around her and led her into Shenanigans. Music thumped, familiar faces, old and new, already filled the place. The support of his friends, some of whom he considered family, overwhelmed Scotty.

  Reance walked over, Aeryana at his side. “Finally, destiny has righted itself.”

  A tendril of fear flipped through him, even with Reance’s version of a guarantee. Scotty nodded, unsure what to say.

  Jayde looked to Aeryana and then back to Reance. “All thanks to your guidance.”

  Toryn put an arm around Scotty, handing him two simple chain bracelets. “Reance always knows what he’s talking about.”

  Reance offered a smile. “Let’s hope.”

  Worry rose again. He and Jayde helped each other latch the lobster clasps, securing the magical party “favors” around their wrists.

  Jayde pulled him to the dance floor. “Stop. Reance would never agree to this, or bring Aeryana, if he had any hint something might go sideways.”

  “Isa’s worried. Toryn doesn’t want her here, or his mother.”

  “His mother?” Jayde shook her head. “She’s supposed to be dead.”

  Scotty closed his eyes briefly and leaned in to whisper in her ear. “Morrigan is here. Very much alive.”

  “Toryn always worries over those he cares about.”

  “True. As do I. I can’t help it, Jayde.”

  “Kiss me, and forget about the worry.”

  He threaded his fingers into her hair and leaned down to brush his lips over hers. The world stopped, everyone fell away.