by Bonnie Vanak
“You’re not the wicked queen trying to poison Sleeping Beauty, are you? It tastes funny.”
The joke fell flat as Niki looked at the apple again. Several white worms began to crawl out of it. Suddenly her stomach muscles tightened and her heart began racing.
Too fast.
“It’s a bad apple,” she whispered.
“Like you are,” Nia agreed cheerfully.
She wondered why her twin looked so mirthful. And then her stomach clenched hard again and a bout of dizziness seized her.
Nia’s face became a blur as her twin released a malevolent laugh.
“What did you do to me, Nia?” she whispered.
And then weakness overtook her as she struggled to stand. Niki tumbled to the floor, unable to move.
He had a score to settle with Gideon’s sister.
Tristan materialized inside the enormous living room of Gideon’s Irish castle.
On Earth, the Crimson Wizard had created a castle as a home, but it held no warmth. Gideon lived in the past more so than any other of the Brehon.
Until Tristan knew Mara had been dealt with, he could not rest easy. The Fae could destroy Niki, and the babe inside her.
The heavy door opened and Gideon walked inside, his lovely sister on his arm. Tristan whirled, his temper rising.
“You could have knocked,” Gideon said mildly.
Tristan ignored him and looked directly at the Fae who had caused so much grief, the woman whom he now suspected of killing Nikita in her former life. Not that he had proof.
“Mara. I asked Gideon to bring you here. You sent those wraiths after her in the Shadow Lands.”
The Fae’s blue eyes widened. “Tristan, darling, I have no power there.”
“Do not lie,” he warned. “You sent the worm after her before she entered the Shadow Lands and you sent your wraiths to harm her once she was there.”
Gideon narrowed his eyes. “Only an evil Fae, one who’s sold his soul, can command such power from beyond. And such a Fae would carry a mark on his hands, a pointed star on his palm. Mara, show him your palms.”
She did, opening her hands. No mark. It could be Fae glamour, but still…
“It is not my glamour,” Mara said, sighing. “I shall drop all my glamour so you can see.”
Suddenly her face began to change and then the full ripe, red mouth became thin and tight. Pink scar tissue marred one perfect cheek. Mara opened her palms.
They remained unmarked.
Tristan stared as Mara assumed her glamour once more. “I am hundreds of years old, wizard, and I have seen much. I choose not to share my scars with the world.”
He could almost feel pity for Mara, but for one daunting fact.
“That does not excuse the evil you did to my Nikita. It was you who hurt her. I saw this in my visions…you brought her the potion that killed her in her past life. You are the one who found the dragon eggs and when I refused you in my bed, you sought your vengeance and betrayed me to Emer!”
Gideon stiffened. “Are you accusing my sister of Nikita’s murder?”
Tristan looked at Mara’s velvet-clad feet. “If the pointed shoe fits…”
A snarl came from Gideon, but Mara shook her head. “Brother, please. Hold your temper.”
“You wanted to seduce me. And after all these years, you expect me to trust you are my ally, and bear no ill will toward me? You are Fae, Mara. Your people hated mine,” Tristan said.
“Wait a minute,” Gideon began.
But Mara held up a hand, silencing her brother.
Mara looked at him, and for the first time, Tristan noticed how sad she appeared. “I had no ill will for you or your mate, or even for your people, wizard. My brother asked a favor of me, and I agreed, for not all Fae bore shifters the same ill will as Emer. I did not give you the dragon eggs because I wanted you in my bed.”
Arms folded, he waited.
“Oh I teased you, because you were so serious.” A twinkle lit her gaze, reminding him of her impish streak. “You still are. But I had enough lovers. I helped you because you needed an edge in the war, an edge to win over Emer’s forces. Many of us had tired of Emer’s dictates, and saw shifters as friends, not slaves. Gideon could not aid you directly.”
The Crimson Wizard rested a hand upon his sister’s shoulder. “But I chose not to heed the call of Emer as well, when he cried out for justice to me while fighting your forces.”
A shadow crossed his friend’s face. “As their judge and guardian, I could do nothing but ignore the cry of my people because I knew their fate. They had brought this upon themselves. I, the guardian and judge of Fae, was helpless to prevent their own downfall. All I could do was issue warnings, warnings Emer chose to ignore.”
And then Tristan knew that his friend had been a true guardian of justice, and how deeply he had hurt during the Drakon War, listening to the constant screams of the Fae as the shifters defeated them, and doing nothing. Because Gideon knew it was for the best, even though he felt grieved and anguished. Gideon had suffered, much as his sister had suffered.
“I am sorry, Mara,” he said stiffly. “Will you forgive my accusations?”
Mara looked sly. “The mighty Tristan, at my power. Oh, I don’t know what to do.”
“Mara,” Gideon warned. “Play nice.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Maybe if you make it up to me with a chocolate ice cream cone. I do adore chocolate. More than I like sex.”
I don’t care if you like eating cockroaches as long as you stay away from me and mine. He waved a hand and two chocolate ice cream cones appeared in her hands.
Mara blinked at him. “Two cones?”
“Enough to keep you busy for a while.” He gave her a stern look. “And a warning—stay away from Nikita.”
She waved a hand, chocolate dripping over her fingers. “I have no intention of getting near her. Wolves bore me. You’re forgiven, Tristan. Enjoy your bride. Ta! I’m off now.”
Then Gideon’s sister gave him a critical look. “Tristan, you must know that all Fae are not your enemy. But watch out for those who are. Looks can be deceiving.”
Then the Fae vanished, leaving Gideon and Tristan alone. He looked at his friend, deeply troubled. “If Mara did not poison Nikita, and neither did Drust, who did?”
“I know not.” Gideon paced the room. “It means whoever hurt your Nikita in the past, and tried to hurt her in this life, is still out there.”
Tristan searched his memories. As usual, they were clouded with images of Nikita. He concentrated, and the images cleared. The Fae were powerful and clever.
Looks can be deceiving.
Horror pulsed through him. “Gideon, all Fae have the ability to employ glamour…and can disguise themselves.”
At once his friend looked stunned. “Someone imitated Mara, to implicate her in poisoning Nikita. Another Fae. But who would have cause to injure Nikita? Even King Emer saw her as no threat.”
But who? He wanted to rush down to the Mitchell Ranch and check on Nikita. Tristan went to the mirror hanging on the wall and waved his hand, conjuring a window to Nikita’s present.
As always with anyone he loved, the vision was watery and indistinct. But he could see through the opaque veil enough to know Nikita was in the kitchen with her twin, Nia.
He waved his hand again and conjured the past. Again, it was fogged. Yet one face did come more sharply into focus.
And then it was as if the cloud cleared entirely from his mind and he could see miles down a foggy road, into the past and into his former life.
Fae. Fae could glamour, and imitate anyone.
Even a beloved twin.
Nikita was in real trouble.
Tristan turned on his heel. “I know who it is. And she’s with Nikita now.”
“Wait,” Gideon cried out. “Tristan, you cannot interfere in Nikita’s fate!”
Tristan ignored him. He dematerialized into time and space, knowing his mate faced her killer from the pa
st.
He prayed he was not too late to save her.
Chapter 21
She was dying, killed by someone looking like her beloved twin.
Nia’s body suddenly rippled like water, or a mirage. Her twin no longer stood over her, laughing.
Instead, a stranger with ash brown hair, a long nose and a thin mouth regarded her with a cold smile. “The apple tastes good, does it not?”
Her throat constricted. “Who…where is Nia?”
“I have no fucking clue, you bitch wolf. But I know where you are headed. Straight to hell, where you belong. Where you should have gone the first time I killed you.”
And then a long black gown appeared on the woman’s body, and her hair was twisted up in a silver snood.
“Camilla? Drust’s wife?” She struggled to breathe. “You were my friend.”
“Friend? I pretended to be your friend so I could get close to you. I have been waiting for this moment ever since I discovered you would finally be freed from that silver bastard’s protective grip.”
“Why?” Niki gasped. “I did nothing to you.”
“You did nine hundred years ago! I would have been the rightful would-be queen of the shifters, if not for your damned mate leading the shifter army. He made Drust second-in-command when Drust should have been the leader! All the riches and glory and power would have been mine! I vowed Tristan would never be the ruler of the shifters. It was I who told Emer of the dragon eggs and betrayed Tristan. But he had to die without issue, so his son would never seize power. You had to die as well.”
“It was Mara…” Oh gods, … Air, she needed air.
“It was me, glamoured to look like Mara. I am Fae. I mated with Drust to watch over his children. I agreed to aid him in the war, and in exchange he kept my secret and told everyone I was dragon. It was easy enough to cloak myself as a dragon, even easier to mask myself as Gideon’s sister and make you think I gave you the potion that took your life. Drust won the war and then he settled for peace with my people. But then he found out I was sleeping with my former lover, and banished me. I was left with nothing!”
“Tristan,” Nikita moaned. “Help me…”
Camilla kicked her in the side and Niki screamed with pain. “Your powerful wizard can’t help you now, just as he could not back then. Nor could he aid you in the Shadow Lands. I had my spies in Drust’s cavern—blowflies—to alert me so I could summon the Shadow Eaters to the Dark Gate.” She snorted. “Alas, I failed to consider Tristan’s damned nobility. He just had to sacrifice himself for you.”
With all her might, Nikita began crawling across the kitchen floor, forcing her weakened limbs to move. Niki drew upon the flickering life inside her, willing herself to the counter where the butcher knives were kept. A sudden burst of strength filled her, and she pulled herself upward and grabbed a knife.
Turning, she flung it at Camilla. Camilla looked down as it landed in her stomach. Then the Fae laughed and pulled out the knife. No blood coated the blade.
Camilla turned over her palms. On the left one was a black pointed star. “No one can kill me. Not even your wizard. I gave my soul to the Dark One, and in becoming his servant, I am now indestructible.”
“Please,” Niki moaned, sliding back to the floor, her limbs growing paralyzed once more. I can’t die again, not like this…not when I have so much to live for…all this time I’ve longed to be free and experience life. Have great adventures. Climbing mountains, waltzing at a formal ball. Tristan gave me all that.
He gave me the freedom to be myself.
And the greatest adventure of all was falling in love with Tristan all over again, and recapturing the passion we once shared.
A flash of brilliant silver smoke filled the air. Tristan stepped out of the haze.
He tossed a ball of energy at Camilla. But she dodged it and laughed. The energy globe hit the wall and destroyed part of it.
“You can’t destroy me, wizard. Your mate will die in agony, just as she did all those centuries ago. And with her death, the second time I killed her and this time a sacrifice to the Dark Lord, I will have power second to none, even you, Tristan! No one can control me ever again!”
Tristan threw another energy ball. This time it hit Camilla in the neck. She screeched and writhed, and changed, no longer an attractive young woman.
Gasping for air, her windpipe constricting, she struggled to remain conscious. The back kitchen door opened and Aiden and Nia rushed inside. Aiden took one look at Camilla, her hair now turned to a mass of writhing snakes, her eyes dark pits, and ugly gouges on her face.
“Son of a bitch! What the hell is THAT?” the alpha yelled.
“Stay back, Mitchell,” Tristan warned, lobbing another energy ball. It smashed into Camilla’s chest, making her stagger backward.
Nia rushed to her side. “Honey, don’t leave us, please.” Her twin held her tight and began breathing slowly. “Don’t panic. Listen to my voice, Niki. Conserve your air. Remember how we once swam in the pond and you taught me to hold my breath. Slow. Easy.”
Nia’s calming voice and her touch grounded Niki. She struggled to keep at bay the panic now consuming her oxygen, making an effort to draw in short breaths.
Her sister’s mate looked at her and his expression grew infuriated. Then Aiden looked at Camilla.
“No one messes with my family, bitch!”
Aiden, dear feckless Aiden, ignored the wizard’s warning. He shifted into wolf and the alpha rushed the demon, but she flicked a bolt of black energy at him. Aiden the wolf yelped as he crashed into the table.
“Aiden,” Nia screamed.
The wolf bounded to his feet and shook his mighty head. Tristan raised his hands skyward. “Caedryn, Gideon, Xavier, to me NOW!”
Xavier and Gideon, and another man she did not recognize appeared in the kitchen. Camilla threw a stream of black energy at Xavier. It slammed into his arm. He looked down at his burnt shirt sleeve in amazement.
Snarling, he flung out a hand and a crystalline net, spiked with shards of quartz, encased Camilla. She froze in time.
“That will hold her, but only for a little while,” said the wizard she did not recognize, the one with long hair the color of gold, the tips dipped in gray.
As Xavier went to fling an energy ball at the demon, Tristan stayed his hand.
“No! Use all your powers to maintain the netting, Xavier.” He turned to the wizard she did not recognize. “Cadeyrn, you’re the strongest and the eldest. Destroy her, and Gideon and I will aid you. Now!”
All three of them conjured glowing balls of energy. Silver for Tristan, red for Gideon, gray for Caderyn. The wizards chanted and the deep notes of their ancient spell lifted some of the terrible pressure off Niki’s chest. It was like listening to an ancient choir, she thought in a daze.
The magick net around Camilla began to crack and she struggled to escape, poking one arm through. Xavier growled and more crystals appeared on the net, but the demon cackled and poked another arm through. Strain showed on Xavier’s face.
“Hurry,” Xavier urged. “She is freeing herself and I can’t hold her much longer!”
“Now,” Tristan roared. “Aim for the heart!”
Tristan, Gideon and Cadeyrn threw scores of energy balls at Camilla, hitting her square in the chest. As the good, powerful magick of the wizards consumed her, she writhed and screamed. And then she exploded into a shower of black ash.
Tristan, breathing heavily, leaned over and braced his hands on his knees.
“That was one tough demon to kill,” Xavier said solemnly. “You have always been able to kill them on your own, Tristan.”
“A very bad omen,” Cadeyrn said. “We have never had to fight such evil.”
“We may have to do so again,” Gideon warned.
“Forget about that,” Nia screamed. “Save my sister.”
The four wizards became a hazy blur as Niki struggled against the ensuing grayness pushing at the edges of her vision. Gasping, she
tried to draw in precious air. Tristan, her beloved wizard, dropped to the floor beside her.
“Niki.” Panic flared in Tristan’s dark eyes as he gathered her close. “No, goddess, no, you can’t leave me. Not again.”
She could not speak, for her throat closed up and the grayness pushed at the edges of her vision. With all her might she touched his face one last time. “I…sorry.”
And then she closed her eyes and the darkness rushed up to greet her at last.
Chapter 22
Nikita was dying, just as she had nine hundred years ago. And he, the immortal, powerful Silver Wizard, could not stop it.
Do not interfere with her fate, Tristan.
The goddess Danu’s warning rang in his mind, but he ignored it, staring at Nikita’s pale face and her mouth, opening and closing like that of a fish, as she tried to suck in air.
His three fellow wizards crouched down beside him.
“I am sorry, Tristan,” Gideon said gently. “I am so sorry, my friend.”
“No.” He rocked her back and forth in his arms, placing a palm on her belly, and with his powers, felt the tiny flutter of life inside her struggling to remain alive.
Xavier squeezed his shoulder. “I am so sorry, Tristan.”
The trio stood, but not before Caderyn, the oldest of them and the most powerful, flashed a warning with his gray gaze turning to pure white. “Do not interfere in her destiny and do not give her your powers.”
With a wave of their hands, they vanished.
Kneeling beside him, her cheeks wet with tears, Nia sobbed. “Niki, not again, please, I can’t lose you again.”
Then she pointed a shaking finger at him. “You bastard wizard, the prophecy was right! You killed her! You found her, made her your lover and your bride and you killed her!”
He could not meet her gaze, for she was right. He spoke to Aiden. “Mitchell, get out of here and take your mate with you. I need a moment alone.”
Aiden shifted back from wolf and went to his mate. “Come, my love. Give Tristan time to say his good-byes.”