by Sarra Cannon
“Can’t carry any more.”
He turned toward her, taking in the mixture of growing things draped over both arms. “I’ve always just gotten watercress or onions. What are all those things?”
She pointed with her nose. “These are Fairy Bells. This one is False Mermaid. Here’s Burdock. And these are Mariposa Lilies.” She plucked a small plant from underneath the others. “Mint.”
“Even I know that one, but not the others. How’d you learn about them?”
“My father. He was interested in things like that and took me into the backcountry with him—a lot.” Fionn seemed relaxed, so she took a chance, infusing a smidgeon of calming magic into her next words. “What did you mean about being surprised your bird left us to ourselves?”
He shifted from foot to foot, but held her gaze. “Oh, that. Ah, I’ve had a couple female partners. Bella didn’t like either of them.”
“What’d she do?”
He bent and pulled a bunch of wild onions out of the ground. “Why do you want to know?”
“So I can be ready if she tries the same thing with me.”
“She likes you.”
“How can you tell?”
“She wouldn’t have left us otherwise. And she likes your wolf.” He spoke matter-of-factly. “The other problem was she hated the wolverine and the owl.”
“How could anyone hate an owl?” Aislinn was mystified. “They’re so beautiful.”
He shrugged. “If you ask Bella, I’m sure she’ll tell you her reasons. I think we have enough. Let’s head back.”
Curiosity burned a hole in her guts. He still hadn’t told her very much. What the hell could a bird do that would run a human woman off?
“She has a sharp beak. And a sharper tongue,” Fionn muttered.
“You can read my thoughts?” Aislinn stopped walking, thunderstruck.
He nodded. “Uh-huh. It’s my second gift. A variant of the Healer magic. It’s why I knew how, uh…never mind.”
She understood. It was why he’d known how desperate her body was earlier. “It’s okay.” Walking close, she stood on tiptoe and kissed his stubble-covered cheek. “When Rune told me he knew my mind, it was a shock. Like my privacy had been violated. Guess I’ve had a chance to get used to the idea.” Stepping back, she turned and headed the way they’d come. He fell in next to her.
“Both my Hunter partners really tried to make peace with Bella, but that bird is intransigent. Once she makes up her mind, there’s no reasoning with her. And…” He paused for a beat. “I suppose they weren’t all that important to me. Bella knows me better than I know myself sometimes.”
“Well, thank God she’s taken a shine to me.” The fine hairs on the back of her neck prickled. Aislinn froze, pulling invisibility about herself. “Don’t say anything, but we’re not alone.”
“I know. Trust yourself to me. I won’t hurt you.”
He closed his arms around her. She felt the shift and knew he was moving them. In seconds, the walls of his home shimmered into being. “What was out there?” She dumped her armload of plants on a rough counter. His impromptu embrace when he’d transported her had crushed the greens. The front of her shirt was sticky with aromatic plant juices.
“Not sure.” His brows knit together. Then his frown deepened. She felt him pull earth magic, lots of it. “Stay here,” he barked. “Bella’s under attack. She needs me.”
“Not a chance.” Aislinn locked her hands around his arms. “Either I’m coming with you, or neither of us goes. Rune is out there, too.”
Chapter 7
The stink of dark magic thickened the air. What had been a mere hint a few moments before turned into a positive stench.
“What’s your strongest suit?” she hissed as soon as they were back in the forest.
“Earth. Then water.”
“Okay. You draw earth. I’ll mix in fire and stoke it with air if we need more.” Using a dollop of magic to partially mask her presence, Aislinn started off at a fast trot.
Fionn made a grab for her arm. “Not so fast. You could be running right into a trap. Mind speech only from here on.”
She stopped, spun to face him, and jabbed an impatient finger into his chest. “If you have a better idea, let’s hear it.”
“I don’t recognize what this feels like. Do you?”
Reaching out with tendrils of her Seeker sense, she realized with a shock that she didn’t either. “No.”
“Since neither of us knows what we’re facing, we go really slow. And I go first.”
She fumed, but didn’t want to jeopardize them by arguing, so she followed him, her senses hyper alert. What the hell was out there that felt so putrid? And why couldn’t she sense Rune?
She heard the bird squawking long before they found her. Either Rune wasn’t with her, or he was already dead. A cold edge of fear knifed into her gut. She fanned magic around herself, less concerned about invisibility than having power at hand if she needed it.
“Good that you’re ready,” Fionn said approvingly.
A bat dive-bombed them. She swatted it away and then stopped dead. Bats. Were they the same ones she’d seen earlier? Half running, she caught up to Fionn. “I think it’s the bats I was worried about.”
“I don’t. Hurry. Bella’s dying.”
The bird’s life force was weakening. Aislinn felt it flicker, flare up, and pulse and knew the bird was waiting for Fionn. Trepidation chilled her. She’d seen it happen often enough in battles. People waited for those special to them, only to die in their arms. She wondered what it would do to Fionn to lose his bondmate. It would tear his heart out, but would it sap his will to go on?
Aislinn swallowed hard. She knew. She’d struggled against just packing it in—and more than once. It would’ve been easy enough to toss herself in front of the enemy dozens of times. But something inside—maybe a misplaced preservation instinct—kept her fighting to stay alive. Damned if she was going to simply hand her world over to the invaders.
Lost in her thoughts, she wasn’t paying attention and ran right into Fionn. She heard his sharp intake of breath and peered around him.
Fuck. Aislinn lunged forward, but Fionn snagged one of her arms and held on tight. Something that morphed from form to form held Bella suspended by her wings. One moment, it appeared as a man, then a large, growling cat that looked like a cheetah, then an impossibly tall bird. Realization slammed into Aislinn: it had to be D’Chel, the dark god who controlled illusion. Blood dripped from the raven. Was she truly mortally wounded, or was her appearance another of D’Chel’s trickeries?
At least I know why the evil didn’t feel familiar. D’Chel must’ve twisted it somehow.
A tortured sound burst from Fionn. Letting go of Aislinn, he raced into the clearing. “Loose my bird,” he snarled. “If you want to fight someone, fight me.”
Maniacal laughter with an ice-cold edge filled the air. “It would scarcely be a fair contest, Celt.”
Aislinn groaned. They were supposed to be in this together. Fionn had stormed into the fray as if he’d forgotten she existed. Rustling sounded behind her. Worried it might be D’Chel’s minions, she pivoted in the direction of the noise.
Rune charged past at the head of a pack of at least a dozen forest wolves. Quick as a thought, they launched themselves at D’Chel in a blur of gray and black—and were tossed through the air like a gaggle of rag dolls. Rune screamed his disapproval. She heard him encourage the others with a mix of snaps and snarls. Regrouping, they charged again. “Lend your magic,” sounded in her mind.
Using her Mage skill, Aislinn cast a protective net over the pack, begging the Old Ones for strength.
D’Chel dropped Bella and twisted to give the wolves his full attention. Still laughing, he matched their form, making himself into a wolf, but one three times as large as any of them, with glittering copper eyes. Aislinn moved closer so she had a clear view of the impromptu battlefield and upped the ante on her spell. She still didn’t underst
and why she hadn’t been able to sense Rune until he flashed past her.
I’ll have to ask Fionn about that later.
The bird lay as if dead. Fionn scooped her up, held her close for one heartbreaking moment, and then cried to Aislinn to come take her. Grief etched in the hard line of his jaw, and his blue gaze flashed fury.
She couldn’t protect the injured animal and help fight. Rune needed her. So did Fionn and Bella. Aislinn edged forward, holding out her hands for the bird while trying to maintain the spell helping Rune and the wolves. Blood ran warm down her fingers.
The raven croaked weakly, “Put me somewhere safe. Help my bondmate.”
She truly is dying. Hoping it would stem what felt like the inevitable, Aislinn sent as much energy into Bella as she thought she could without shorting out something important. She cursed her lack of Healing knowledge. When she’d worked on Rune, it had been guesswork. She’d had an opportunity to experiment then, but time was in short supply right now.
Fionn charged into the battle. His magic collided with D’Chel’s, creating a series of sparks so bright spots swam before her eyes. She laid Bella in the shadows between two large fir trees. The bird folded her wings around herself. “Don’t you dare give up,” Aislinn hissed.
Back in the clearing, a quick assessment told her things were deteriorating. One of Fionn’s arms seemed broken. When had that happened? Somehow, he was still calling magic, lobbing jolts one-handed at the dark god. Two wolves lay dead. Rune danced just beyond D’Chel’s reach, but she sensed his energy fading. The other wolves were nowhere to be seen. She didn’t blame them. No point in getting killed in someone else’s war. She made a mental note to tell Metae they had to involve all the animals, not just Hunter bondmates, in this fight. After all, it really was everyone’s battle. If they lost Earth, no one would have a place to live.
I need to make this work.
Gritting her teeth, she strode forward and placed herself dead center in front of D’Chel. He’d shucked the wolf form and looked like a man again. He turned slowly to face her. The same lambent sexuality she’d felt from Perrikus oozed from him. Strange she hadn’t felt it before. Maybe when he was working illusion, it muted his charismatic qualities. Long hair so black that it had a bluish cast was braided close against a finely-boned head. Clear coppery eyes shone out of a perfect face with chiseled features. He wore hunting leathers that encased his muscled shoulders and slim hips like a glove, leaving little to the imagination. She let her gaze roam appreciatively over him, hoping to draw his attention away from Fionn and Rune.
“Hey, pretty man,” she cooed, hoping against hope he was as susceptible to lust as Perrikus. He sure had the same effect on her. She planted her feet shoulder width apart so her thighs wouldn’t rub together and ignored the heat in her loins.
His gaze shifted. He looked at her appraisingly just before his eyes turned a delectable shade of pale blue. “Do you know who I am?”
Should I tell him?
She inhaled sharply to buy herself a moment to think. Because she couldn’t come up with a better strategy, Aislinn turned a brilliant smile his way and purred, “Of course I do.”
Eyes hooded, he said, “Tell me.”
“D’Chel, god of illusion.”
“You do not have to do this,” Rune’s voice sounded in her head. “We can find a way that does not involve you sacrificing yourself.”
Fionn limped to her side. He tried to take her arm, but Aislinn shook him off. “Let me do this my way.”
“No,” Fionn muttered. “It will be his way or no way. He’ll fuck you and turn you to their side. Christ, didn’t they teach you anything?”
“Believe in me,” she sent, focusing her mind voice only for Fionn. “Please don’t make this harder.”
A cunning smile graced D’Chel’s face. “Your bond animal?” He gestured toward Rune. “And your mate?”
“Well, you got one right.”
The god’s eyes flickered dangerously. Apparently, he wasn’t used to making errors—or having them pointed out.
“Let them leave,” Aislinn continued, holding his gaze. In a sudden flash of insight, she deployed a risky gambit and added, “I was visiting with Perrikus the other day, but one of the Old Ones showed up. Ruined our fun.”
Surprise fluttered across his far-from-human features. Good. Let him try to figure out which side I’m on. Lots of humans, starting with the ones who’d helped open the gateway during the globally synchronized surge, fueled the dark ones’ powers by their adoration—and lots of sex.
Fionn clamped a hand around her wrist in a viselike grip and tugged. “Come on,” he snarled. “We’re leaving. Now.”
“I’ll find you later,” she murmured. “Bella needs you. Take Rune.” She held her breath. Would D’Chel let them go if she stayed? She hoped he’d find her interesting enough to release the others. After all, most humans who followed the dark didn’t have much power. Perrikus had wanted children with her.
“I am staying with you,” Rune growled.
Aislinn clamped her teeth together so hard, she was surprised they didn’t shatter. It went against the grain to force Rune, but she had to see him out of harm’s way. “You will go with Fionn and Bella.”
Anger, disappointment, and betrayal flashed from the wolf’s eyes.
Fionn’s gaze moved from her to D’Chel. Giving her a terse nod, he moved toward where she’d left the bird. Rune followed him, refusing to meet her gaze.
“Nicely done, human.” A lascivious smile lit D’Chel’s face as he drank her in. His hand snaked out, stroked her face, and then moved familiarly down her body. “Your loved ones are out of harm’s way—for the moment. What will you barter for their continued safety?”
“I am under the Old Ones’ protection.”
He drew his full lips back in a sneer. “So what? Besides, I don’t see them racing to your defense.”
His unnerving gaze shaded back to coppery-green and bored into her. A jolt of lust so hot it made her come where she stood turned her knees to jelly. At least the sexual tension ratcheted down a notch or two, but not for long.
His gaze never left her face. He smiled knowingly. “We could have a lot of fun, you and me. You’re a ripe one.”
He pulled her to him. Close up like that, she saw flecks of silver in his ever-changing eyes. She also saw how alien they were. Despite his humanoid form, he was anything but. His perfect body felt cool against hers when he slashed his mouth atop hers. He drew heat from her until she started to shiver and pulled away from his mouth and his roaming hands. Away from the length of him pressed against her crotch.
“Would you take me against my will?” Her teeth chattered. All the heat leached out of the world. Holy shit! He’s going to drain the life right out of me.
“I am a god. I take what I want.”
He reached for her again. A feral gleam shone from the depths of his eyes, desperation for something to warm him. She wondered how many thousands of years old he was.
I have to do something before I freeze to death. She hadn’t understood before that if he entered her, he’d steal everything warm and living. What would be left? Not very fucking much.
Sudden terror energized her. Because it burned inside her all the time, Aislinn drew fire. She made the surface of her body hot, so hot D’Chel yanked his hands away. She stumbled and nearly fell.
“What are you doing?” he demanded. “Stop that at once.”
“You’re cold. I’m hot.” She panted with the effort of holding her magic. So long as she kept it within and didn’t turn it to energy for spells or fighting, it would heat her. Apparently, he couldn’t touch her when she was like this.
He tried again, laying a cold hand against her breast, but he snatched it away at once. Barely contained rage built. She saw it in the set of his jaw and his narrowed eyes.
“Let’s just agree we made a mistake,” she suggested smoothly.
“I could blast you out of this world with a though
t.”
“I don’t think so,” she replied evenly. If he could, I’d be dead now.
His man-form wavered. A cobra stood before her, weaving its dance of death. Before it could strike, Aislinn mobilized the magic simmering inside her. First, she called invisibility, and then she jumped, ameliorating all traces of her destination.
The journey buffeted her and was far harder than she thought it should’ve been for such a short jump. Something subverted her magic—from both sides. Fear clotted in her throat, and sweat ran down her sides. When she finally came out in Fionn’s grotto, she was unbelievably relieved to find all three of them there. Fionn cradled Bella against him. Rune turned his back on her.
“This place is a whole lot deeper than I thought,” she said, eying Fionn. “I had a hell of a time getting here.” She sucked in a shuddery breath. Jump spells weren’t reversible. Either you came out the other end at the planned destination—or you didn’t. “For a while there, I was afraid I’d be trapped in my own working.”
He drew his brows together. “Sorry. I had to release my warding to let you in. It took me a while once I sensed you outside. I hope you covered your tracks.” He stumbled to his feet, Bella still in his arms, and glanced about, as if expecting D’Chel any moment.
“I did. I also understand why you used magic to ferry me in and out of here.” Tension whooshed out of her, and she shot him an impressed smile. “Nicely done. No one could ever blunder into this place by accident.”
He looked surprised. “Thanks. I don’t get many compliments.”
Aislinn strode to her wolf and crouched next to him. “I apologize for forcing you. I wanted you safe. You need to know I’d do the same again if it meant your life.” Rune’s fur rippled beneath her touch, but he ignored her.
Coming to her feet, she made her way to Fionn and Bella. “How is she?”
Fionn shook his head and sat back down. “Weak. She’s lost a lot of blood. I was just getting ready to see what I could do for her when I had to stop to dismantle my wards for you.” He looked at Aislinn. “We only beat you here by a few minutes.”
“I healed Rune. Would you like me to try to help?”