Maven Warrior: Dark Warrior Alliance Book 20

by Brenda Trim

  “I love you, my blood-thirsty Mate,” Killian professed.

  “I love you, too, Maven.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Are there any more decorations we need to put up?’ Donovan asked as they finished moving an ornate lamppost. It wasn’t anything like the streetlights on earth, yet it wasn’t a candle either. The pole was made from the wood of the trees, and a glass ball covered the dragon flame that was cast in runes by Finn as she and Donovan anchored them into the ground.

  Izzy scanned the area. Aside from the lanterns, there were flowers, trees, and shrubs. There were no ribbons, balloons, or streamers that Donovan was likely associating with celebrations. “No, that’s all. The protective lanterns keep the gathering safe.”

  “Now, this is my kind of party. I just hope my mom doesn’t convince Angus and Keira they need to have balloon arches or something. My fingers have enjoyed the reprieve,” Donovan voiced as he wiggled his fingers.

  Izzy giggled and looked over at Isis who was chasing Callum and telling Braeden that she was shocked at the simplicity of such an important event. “You might be making balloon arches next time,” Izzy teased Donovan. “And for this space, it would have to be made of about five hundred, and that would only cover the entrance.”

  “Ugh,” Donovan groaned. “Please don’t tell me that.”

  “Don’t worry, Van,” Blaze interjected as he passed them. “Your mom already tried to convince mine to spruce up the area. I’ll tell you what my mom told yours. The ceremony is about the Gods and their blessings. An elaborate setting is counter-productive. The connection to the elements is crucial.”

  “That makes sense. This land is suffused with the power of the Gods,” Izzy added.

  Troy joined their group and smiled at Izzy but addressed Donovan. “Are you hoping your girlfriend is marked as Tuya?”

  Donovan lunged toward Troy but stopped himself before he attacked. “I don’t have a girlfriend, but if I did, I wouldn’t want her to be selected. It’s a big deal to be picked, right? I’m not a dragon, so mating a Tuya would take one away from the Cuelebre.”

  Izzy didn’t understand why males were so combative and had no idea why Troy and Donovan argued so much. They seldom got along, and it made training with them awkward.

  “Dad’s about to start. Let’s head closer,” Blaze murmured before that conversation escalated.

  Izzy thought about how much she loved the Civappu ceremony as she followed Blaze. She’d attended several times during her time on Khoth. She couldn’t describe the way the energy was filtered through her body, twining with the Goddess’s power to make her euphoric.

  They stopped a few feet from Blaze’s parents and watched as he nodded to a contingent of knights. A second later they broke away and took up positions around the edge of the clearing. Izzy blushed when she watched Blaine take his shirt off.

  “The shift into a dragon is just like any of the shifters in the Tehrex Realm,” Donovan observed.

  Keeping her gaze focused on her friend, she nodded her head. “That’s what I thought the first time I saw it.”

  Donovan cocked his head to the side and glanced upward like he did when he was thinking about something. She smiled at the familiar sight. It was comforting, especially given how much he’d grown and changed. There were times Izzy wondered if they’d eventually grow apart and stop being friends.

  “I wonder if the Goddess helped create the Cuelebre,” Donovan finally murmured.

  Izzy considered his words. For a second, she was tempted to reach out and ask the Goddess but figured the silly question might irritate her. “It’s possible. Someday I’ll ask her.”

  Donovan’s head jerked toward then he nodded. “I sometimes forget that you have an inside track.”

  Troy stepped closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I never forget how special you are Iz.” The smile on Troy’s face made her stomach do flips. He was good looking, but when he smiled like that, he was gorgeous.

  Needing a distraction, Izzy looked over at the wall of dragons surrounding Heqet. The Máahes protected the sacred grounds during each ceremony after the Unseelie King, Cyril, attacked the Civappu and tried to derail the ceremony. Fortunately, the dragon knights were as good at fighting as the Dark Warriors back home. After three failed attempts, Cyril stopped sending his destructive offspring.

  Angus lifted his hands, drawing everyone’s attention. Izzy eyed the ceremonial clothing Angus wore during the Civappu. Her dad, the Vampire King, wore a formal kilt at mating ceremonies, but nothing like the elaborate, jewel-encrusted and embroidered shirt Angus wore. She knew he did it to signify his status as king but didn’t feel the clothing was necessary. Angus’s inherent power filled the clearing with a warm orange glow, and that was enough to denote his authority.

  She recalled her dad’s power did the same thing but looked red to Izzy while Phineas’s, the ruler of the sea dragons, was a soothing bluish-green. She wondered about the colors and what that represented.

  Izzy’s focus turned to Angus when his deep voice echoed through the clearing. “We are once again gathered under a full moon to call upon the blessings of the Gods.”

  Angus tilted his head back, exhaling dragon smoke. The white cloud filled the sky, reminding Izzy of a foggy night back home in Seattle. Angus lifted a hand, and his index finger traced the blessing rune in the smoke. A pulse of power rippled throughout the area, making Izzy shiver as tingles raced through her bloodstream.

  “As King of Khoth, the Gods have blessed me with the power to welcome elementals of the East, of Air. I ask that you bring your gifts of wisdom, intellect, perception, and inspiration to this circle,” Angus chanted as he drew an air rune in his dragon smoke. The hair on Izzy’s arm lifted. She felt poised on the edge of something but couldn’t say precisely what. She looked over to see how the ceremony was affecting Donovan and caught Troy smiling at her. She smiled back then her gaze returned to Angus and the ritual.

  A stiff breeze blew through the clearing, blowing her long brown hair against her face. Fighting with the strands, Isobel was startled to see that the dragon smoke was still thick in the air despite the wind.

  “I welcome the elementals of the North, of Earth. I ask that you bring your gifts of patience, endurance, stability, and prosperity to this circle,” Angus recited as he drew an earth rune and waved a hand overhead.

  Izzy’s excitement built when the earth responded, and the ground rumbled and moved beneath her feet. Elation erupted when the land rose and created a canopy over their heads. Smiling, she looked over at Donovan whose eyebrows were furrowed. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered to him. He nodded in agreement while keeping his gaze on the veil above them with the purple moon shining through the grains.

  “Next, I welcome elementals of the South, of Fire. I ask that you bring your gifts of passion, strength, energy, and willpower to this circle,” Angus drew a fire rune making the ground groan and begin to shake violently.

  “Watch Mount Batia,” she told Donovan.

  “What the…holy crap,” Donovan responded as he watched the ceremony unfold. Izzy turned her head to see Mount Batia swell at the sides right before it erupted. Donovan gasped then ducked for cover.

  “It’s okay,” Izzy assured her friend as they watched the volcano spew fire and lava into the sky before it poured down its sides, racing towards the ocean.

  The river of orange illuminated the area and heated Izzy’s skin and lungs with each intake of breath. It was hot enough to roast torc, she acknowledged, and her stomach rumbled for the delicious meat indigenous to Khoth. There would be plenty of that after the ceremony, she reminded herself and pushed her hunger aside.

  The lava flowed directly into deep grooves burned into the ground, which kept it from causing more damage to the land. Nothing grew in those narrow channels, but right up to the edge foliage flourished. Any damage done to the surrounding greenery was temporary because Angus explained that the ceremony cleansed the area, and the
green power behind it was a rebirth and rejuvenation.

  “Finally, I welcome elementals of the West, of Water. I ask that you bring your gifts of emotion, pleasure, fertility, and receptivity to this circle. Welcome elementals of the Centre, of Spirit. I ask that you bring guidance to this circle,” Angus finished before rain thundered and soaked the dirt canopy above them, as well as, everyone below it.

  Angus closed his eyes and cast several runes in dragon smoke before his gaze fixed on the sky. With a smile, Angus drew another rune in smoke that remained above him.

  Power jolted Izzy’s body, like a streak of lightning racing through her veins. This had never happened to her before. What the heck was going on? It was an intense mixture of feeling right, along with pain. Suddenly every muscle in her body clamped down. The only part she could move was her eyes. Her heart raced in her chest. Something was happening but she had no idea what. She wanted to call out for help but could only grunt.

  Like the ceremonies she’d watched before, Angus opened his mouth and spewed fire into the sky. The heat from the volcanic explosion had dried the dirt canopy, and it looked like a tree of sand.

  Everyone was so focused on the ceremony that no one noticed something was wrong with her. Her mind raced from trying to reach out to the Goddess, to contacting Rami, to trying to teleport out. Unfortunately, she couldn’t concentrate enough to do anything but stand there.

  When Angus’s fire reached the grains, the sand immediately exploded into a brilliant display of colored glass which then rained down and fell into a glass bowl that was at her feet. What was going on? She had a suspicion but had to look down and confirm there was a bowl at her feet. She was beyond relieved that the pain receded, and she was able to move.

  No way. This had to be a mistake. It couldn’t be, her mind objected.

  Energy filled her body then condensed and collected in her right shoulder. Troy and Blaze were at her side when she gasped. Both of their faces held the same astonishment she was feeling.

  “How did this happen?” she asked as she met Blaze’s shocked gaze.

  “I have no idea. It’s never happened before,” Blaze stammered as he stared at Izzy in disbelief.

  “You’ve been blessed, Iz,” Troy informed her as he laid his palm on her shoulder.

  Izzy was relieved that he wasn’t looking at her like she was an alien from another planet, but still, she couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact she’d been chosen as Tuya.

  That meant she could birth dragon babies. Izzy assumed the Gods only picked female dragons for this honor. Her mind reeled while she tried to grasp the importance of the blessing bestowed on her.

  She planned to return to the Tehrex Realm as soon as it was safe for her. Why would the Gods choose her? Did that mean her mate was somewhere on Khoth?

  “What the fuck is this?” Isis suddenly shouted.

  Izzy shook off her thoughts and looked at Donovan’s stepmom and dad and noticed that Isis was trembling. The powerful witch had tears in her eyes as she held Callum. Another shock of the evening was that there was a bowl of colored glass at Isis’s feet. The bowl matched Izzy’s, although the colorful mixture inside differed from hers.

  “I believe your son might be Tuya,” Angus informed Isis as he walked over. “Check his shoulder for the mark.

  Izzy pulled the collar of her shirt aside and revealed the black tattoo on her shoulder. “This is the marking that indicates you are a Tuya. Seems the Cuelebre Gods have blessed Callum and me tonight,” she mumbled.

  Isis tugged the boy’s shirt over his head. The tribal design of a dragon spanned Callum’s entire shoulder blade. “I don’t understand. How did this happen?” she asked as she stared at the Tuya marking on her son.

  “I doona know,” Angus replied. “We’ve never had a male Tuya chosen. I’m no’ entirely sure what it means, other than the obvious. He can impregnate a female dragon.”

  “I knew you were special,” Troy interjected and distracted Izzy as Angus discussed what the revelation meant for his people.

  It was then that she realized he was holding her shoulders. When she looked up at him, Troy lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers.

  Izzy froze, and couldn’t move. Troy was kissing her. His lips were soft against hers, and for a brief moment, Izzy allowed it. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t thought about him kissing her. But then she remembered they had an audience.

  Izzy snapped out of her daze and pushed him away. It was all too much. When she turned her head, she saw Donovan glaring at them. His blue eyes had darkened to midnight, and he looked like he was about to explode with rage.

  How the heck had her life taken such a major left turn? Tears welled in her eyes. She had no idea how to deal with any of this. Goddess, she needed her mom.

  Chapter Twenty

  “My powers turned on. Starting right now I'll be strong. I'll play my fight song. And I don't really care,” Abraxos crooned as they waited in the middle of the lawn at Gas Works Park for night to fall.

  There was something seriously wrong with that warrior angel, Killian thought. He was singing while they were all waiting for a battle they might not survive. Although, Killian had to admit he liked Abraxos’s version of Fight Song better than the original that was sung by the human female.

  Hayden paced the two feet they had to remain under the protection of Abraxos’s invisibility spell. “Has anyone seen any sign of Crocell?”

  His singing stopped, and Abraxos smiled at them. “No, we haven’t seen any sign of her. It’s daylight, and we haven’t gone anywhere near the shadows. But, she’s here. Just under that massive bulk of rusting metal pipes.” Killian had to admit the structure looked like something out of steampunk fiction. He’d bet she was holed up in one of the rusted silos. They were massive and would keep them safe from the setting sun.

  Killian turned back to the distinctive feature, and reason behind the park’s name. “She’s not in the building?”

  “No, she’s not in the building. Araton and his group are close to it, and his sense of demonic energy is too far away for her to be there,” Abraxos explained.

  “Good. Let’s have that group head this way. Where’s Ayil? We need to wait for the archdemon and her minions to enter the open area before we attack,” Hayden instructed.

  Araton pointed to an area across the way. When Killian considered all of their locations, he realized the angels had positioned themselves in a triangle around the open space of the park. “Ayil is on the other side of the lawn, waiting for Zander and the other warriors to arrive. When the demon shows herself, then we’ll close in and take them out.”

  Killian and Hayden nodded their heads and looked around the group. Rhys was with them, as well as, Santi and Orlando and several other lieutenants. The warriors were bouncing on the balls of their feet, ready to spring into action.

  Killian understood the need to kill something for the first time in his seven hundred sixty years. While he’d always been a part of the Dark Warrior Alliance, he was content overseeing internet searches or running his club until now. He was blessed with his Fated Mate, and Crocell tried to mess with that. He was prepared to slaughter an entire lot of demons by himself if that’s what it took.

  His body still thrummed with fear for his Fated Mate, and it was near impossible to keep from marching across the lawn and ripping Crocell’s head from her shoulders. No one fucked with Teagan and lived.

  A hand landed on his shoulder, and he looked back to see Abraxos standing there with his red wings arched over his back. “Let’s not fuck this mission up, yeah?”

  Killian narrowed his eyes at the irreverent angel. He considered Abraxos a friend and welcomed him at Confetti Too, but he was now reconsidering that invitation until Killian realized how close he was to stepping out from the invisibility. The sun was setting, and the last few rays spread colors of purple, orange, and pink across the horizon.

  “Fuck,” Killian cursed with a shake of his head. Pulling his ph
one from his back pocket, he typed out a text to Teagan who responded immediately that she was safe at Zeum with Evzen and most of the mates. The tightness in his chest eased, and a smile spread over his face. He couldn’t wait to be done with Crocell and back in bed with his sexy mate.

  “Get ready,” Hayden barked as the sky darkened considerably. “Twenty minutes and Zander will be here.”

  The group retrieved their sgian dubhs from various holsters strapped to their bodies and stood at the ready. Killian called his staff to his hand and gripped the alder wood tightly. Unlike Gerrick, who was most comfortable wielding a blade, Killian preferred using his magic.

  A human couple, walking their dog, entered the area and the group panicked. Last thing they needed was to have innocents in the mix. Calling the power in the atmosphere to his staff, Killian incanted, “Seachain.”

  Immediately, the dog headed in the opposite direction, pulling the couple with it. Killian should have thought of that before. At least now all humans would steer clear of the danger.

  What seemed like several hours later, but was less than twenty minutes, the sound of a motor reached the group. “Zander’s here,” Killian announced as he watched the Vampire King step out of the SUV after Bhric parked it at the curb. Kyran and Mack jumped out of the back.

  As Zander headed toward the water, movement caught in the corner of Killian’s eye. Skirm and lower demons were sneaking out of the silo to their left. “Get ready,” he whispered before realizing Abraxos had them completely hidden.

  The vampire royal family looked around with narrowed eyes, on noticeable alert. The demons stopped just out of their line of sight. Killian had to fight the urge to call out a warning. He had no way of knowing if the other groups were heading toward Zander or not, but they were closer to the demons, so they stayed put for the moment.

  “Och, I’m calling Ramiel to let him know to bring Izzy,” Zander informed his brothers.