by Leela Ash
“I did,” Rex admitted, wary of a trap.
“Then you saw the image of the Fifth. You know that it was no living being.”
All of the blood drained from the Bear’s face. “That skeletal figure. Oh, hell, it’s right.”
“Who will give his life?” Mockery and contempt dripped from the demon’s words. “Does any dare make such a sacrifice?”
Before anyone could answer, Maddie shouted back, “I bet you’d love to watch us kill ourselves, one by one, because we believed some silly lie. Well that’s not happening. Not today. No one here trusts a word you say.”
As a Witch though, she quailed inside. Human sacrifice was a common requirement of dark magic. They’d all assumed the Aegis was good, a cleanly crafted item.
What if they were wrong? What if it wouldn’t fully work until they gave it blood?
Silence fell over their little group, a quiet tinged with despair.
Griffin finally sighed. “Looks like we’re here for the long haul, then. Hares, you keep trying to figure out… well, something. How the Aegis works. How we can move the light. Guys? I’ll take first nap. Let’s start conserving our strength.”
He released the Aegis then and stepped away, towards the back of the circle. The shield’s warding light stayed strong and no one gave much thought to the Chimera.
Except Maddie.
How can he be tired? He just woke up!
He took a seat on the ground at the very edge of the light. Their eyes met, and then he mouthed three words at her.
I love you.
And suddenly he was shrinking, melting, dissolving… into a black puddle of goo.
Shock coursed through Maddie.
A Darkborn. He’s Shifted into a Darkborn!
No matter what he looked like, though, he was still a Chimera and the fierce light of the Aegis did him no harm. Quickly, before any of the demons could spot that ‘mistake’, he slithered outside of the protective ring and quickly began to worm his way around the rocks and boulders that littered the Cauldron.
Heart hammering, she winced as his oily form slid past one of the possessed Wolves.
He’s not a demon! Surely they’ll know that? One touch and he belongs to them.
The Wolf simply raised its foot and let him slip by. Blobs and Wolves milled about – and not a one of them paid the Chimera any mind.
Nemagorix wouldn’t be so careless, though. Of that she was sure!
The Hare slipped to where Finn stood staring at his broken hand with grouchy disappointment. On her tiptoes, whispered in his ear. “Distraction. Left side of pool. Now.”
That was all she needed to say. The big man didn’t ask why or what to do. Delight lit his face and he stomped over to the edge of the circle. “Screw this! I think it’s time we taught this ink stain that Dragons are the true masters of this world!”
He leaped up, Shifting as he rose. Scarred white wings spread wide, nearly knocking the other Shifters out of the Aegis’ protection.
“Donnelly you fool!” Casey howled. “Get back down here!”
All of them began to shout as the Dragon sailed towards Nemagorix. Maddie added her voice. Though, unlike her, the others seemed genuinely worried.
Finn’s got a reputation for being a ‘punch first, think second’ kind of guy.
Which made this ruse all too believable.
Nemagorix drifted towards the advancing Dragon, closing as far as its magical tether would allow. Wolves and Darkborn teemed around it and threw themselves into the air, vainly seeking to touch Finn.
With a Dragon’s natural disdain, he ignored the minions and snapped at their master’s looming form. Like Casey, his fangs found no body, nothing solid to rend. Yet unlike his horned cousin, the white Dragon refused to give up. Over and over he chomped at the demon, roaring with frustration as the creature mocked him.
With each bite, Maddie noticed, Nemagorix shrank. It grew smaller, shorter, luring the Dragon closer to its frothing minions.
One Wolf hurled himself skyward, almost brushing the Dragon’s tail. Maddie hissed in alarm. Finn couldn’t keep this up. If he wasn’t careful, if he made a mistake…
Then, behind the demon lord, one of the Darkborn exploded. It erupted into the air, as high as a man stood. Its surface glittered with dull lights…
And Griffin stood there in the midst of their enemies.
Holding an elaborate runic box.
Too late, Nemagorix saw its error. Shrieking commands in some strange, eldritch tongue it spun towards the Chimera. From all sides the Darkborn poured in. As they closed, Griffin drew his arm back.
And threw the box into the center of the Cauldron.
Screaming and gibbering, Nemagorix was pulled after it. Tentacles flailed wildly, seeking anything – a person, a rock – to which they could cling. The prison box was an anchor, dragging the Dark Lord inexorably down until, with a wail of disbelief, Nemagorix slid into the pool and vanished.
Around Maddie, the Shifters broke into cheers. She, too, shrieked with delight…
…until she realized that the Darkborn had not shared their master’s fate. They remained, and they still fought to fulfill Nemagorix’s final command. One twined itself around Griffin’s knee. The Chimera stiffened, gasped…
And his beautiful, golden eyes turned black as night.
Cheers turned to gasps of horror.
Broken by Lucas Clay’s wild laughter. “Don’t worry, guys. I’ve got this. Just don’t let anyone leave the Cauldron.”
Chapter 20.
One hour later, everything was perfect.
Except Griffin’s mood. That was foul.
“I can’t believe that bastard Clay bit me,” he grumbled.
The Chimera glowered at his bandaged hand with such annoyance that Maddie giggled. “You ought to thank him. He drove that Darkborn out of you.”
“By biting me.” Her Mate shook his head in disbelief.
She still found it hard to believe, too. Turned out that Lucas Clay and his sister Lily King weren’t normal Wolves. Their mother was an Adanai, some kind of spirit from the Other Side. Her children’s bite could evict a Darkborn from its ‘clothes’ – and destroy one in its liquid form.
So after the battle at the Cauldron, Lucas Clay had literally run around and bitten every possessed Shifter.
A Wolf’s dream come true! Bite everything!
Dawn stained the eastern sky with pale pink light. The moon’s ghostly outline hung in the sky, opposite the rising sun, and the last stars winked out in the west. Around them, Stillwater hummed with revelry. Wolves tossed back beers, fighting to wash away the taste of Darkborn. Hares and Bears lounged about, too exhausted to keep working. Finn and Bree Donnelly joined the Hares around the campfire. The Dragon kept glaring at his bandaged hand, as if a couple of broken fingers was a mortal insult to his dignity. Meanwhile Casey and his Mate Lily had headed back to their RV for a little private time.
Personally, Maddie thought they’d made the best choice. “Want to go for a walk? Get away from everyone?”
“Sure.” Griffin jumped to his feet a little too quickly. A man used to solitude, being surrounded by so many Shifters gave him heartburn.
He’ll get used to it in time. I hope…
Arm in arm they strolled off into the desert. With every step, the sounds of celebration grew fainter. Gradually the soft noises of the wilderness surrounded them, a balm for the Chimera’s bruised soul.
Maddie said nothing. Just let the desert work its magic until, at last, her Mate sighed with contentment.
“This is more like it.”
“Not one for crowds, huh?” She took a seat on a large boulder, gazing out at the brilliant red sky that marked the sun’s arrival.
“I half expect them to lynch me.”
Maybe that was a joke, but it wasn’t one she could laugh at. “Do you still want to leave…?”
…with me?
She left that last bit unspoken.
A gentle breez
e ruffled his hair, a rakish look that made her heart flutter. “I don’t know. I guess I’m willing to give your ‘Shifter community’ a shot.”
“Good. Thank you for not forcing me to choose between you and my Warren.” She rested her chin on his shoulder and inhaled the scent of him. Raw and masculine. Powerful.
Hers.
Yet he tensed suddenly under her touch. “Does that mean you still want me?”
“Griffin Davis, I always wanted you,” she said with a laugh. “You were the one who insisted on that silly ‘Rite of Parting’.”
“Which didn’t work. So much for ‘Ancient Chimera Lore’, eh?”
“Did you want it to work?”
He hesitated, then stroked her cheek. “Maybe I didn’t. Maybe that’s why it failed.”
No matter how awful things got, in the end neither of them wished to be ‘free’ from the other.
Strangely shy, the Chimera stole a glance at her. “So we’re Mates again?”
“We always were. No matter what you said.”
“Sure, rub it in,” he grumbled, with a teasing smile. “So what now?”
“Now we get to know each other.”
Now they let their love grow. Together they would explore the bounds of passion and test how high desire could lift them. They would learn each other’s quirks and foibles, come to love each other fully, flaws and all. And, in time, the seeds love planted would bloom into something wonderful. A wedding… a home… children.
In time. Right now, her wild Chimera was too skittish for such pleasures. Time would teach him to trust and show him the simple pleasures of friends and community.
One step at a time.
His arm slipped around her waist, pulling her close. Warm lips kissed hers, then traced a path down the curve of her throat. That touch lit a spark inside her, one that blazed hotter as his breath whispered across her skin. “The only thing I need to know is if you want me, right now.”
Did she want him? Ha! What a silly question. But…
“Yes, but not right now.”
Puzzled, Griffin paused in his exploration of her body. “Not now? Why?”
“Griffin!” Maddie waved at the wilderness around them. “Look at where we are!”
“No one will see us. We’re in the middle of nowhere.”
“Well, nowhere happens to be full of dirt and rocks.”
He scowled down at the barren ground and its sharp stones. “I’ll lay my shirt down.”
“On the rocks. Seriously?” She cocked an eyebrow at him. “You know scorpions come out at night, right?”
“It’s dawn! I’m sure they’ve all gone to bed.”
She shuddered and didn’t deign to respond.
“Who cares about a few bugs?” he grumbled.
“I care! I care about scorpions!”
“Picky, picky,” he teased, unmoved by her outrage. “How about this, then?”
He pounced on her, pinning her to the stone. The heat of his body pressed against her, a delicious prison. “How about I toss you over my shoulder and carry you, kicking and screaming, back to town? Then I throw you in the car, lock the doors… and drag you off to a resort. A really fancy one with a Jacuzzi and full bar.”
“Now that’s the right way to kidnap a lady,” she laughed.
“I’m getting better at it. Just need a little more practice.”
True to his word he caught her up and slung her over his shoulder. As she shrieked with laughter and pounded his shoulder, he headed towards town.
And towards their future together.
***
Keep your eyes peeled for the conclusion of the Shifter’s of Aegis series…
In the meantime we think you will enjoy this series…
***
Burning Falls Shifters Preview
Her Keeper Bear
Cynthia Wilde
Copyright ©2019 by Cynthia Wilde. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic of mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Chapter One
The image in her rear-view mirror reflected the jagged New York skyline fading into the distance. The dim, gray color of the sky mirrored Cindy’s mood, drizzling large spattering rain drops onto her windshield.
“Good riddance, New York,” she muttered as she sped down the two-lane highway. Her time in the city had done her no favors outside of her professional life. More specifically, Reginald Anderson, though he preferred Reggie.
Cindy had fallen for his smooth demeanor, and the fact that he was a co-worker did not deter her from a series of toe-curling dalliances after hours. The affair ended badly. As it turned out, smooth-talking Reggie was having a clandestine romance with another colleague as well.
She found out one night after leaving one of her files in her office, necessary for her first meeting the following day. When she returned to the office, she spotted his light on down the hall and opted for a surprise pop-in.
“Hi, Reggie,” Cindy had purred as she opened his door. She found him between the thighs of his personal assistant, her bare backside perched on the shelf of his bookcase which was rattling against the wall as his hips thrust into her with great gusto.
He had not even tried to pretend an apology. “We never said we were exclusive,” he called out between gritted teeth, not even pausing his machinations. Cindy absorbed the scene in silence, watching them for a few seconds before she spoke.
“That’s okay,” she demurred. “I wanted to let you know I’d like to submit my resignation, effective at once. Goodbye Reg.”
In three days’ time, she managed to pare down her belongings enough to fit the remainder into the back of her Prius. What she could not cram into her car, she had dropped, without ceremony, to the nearest thrift store. She could not stop herself from chuckling as she drove past the sign indicating the edge of the small town she had once called home.
‘The City of Burning Falls Welcomes You!’ followed by a small clip art picture of a flame beneath a waterfall. The waterfall itself was far more poetic than the sign would show and the only thing which held any sentimental memories for her from her hometown.
“You are always welcome,” her grandmother said. “For as long as you like.”
“You might be right, Nan,” she had replied. “New York is wonderful, but the city is so fast paced. I think I need a break.”
“What aren’t you telling me?” Nan replied with a wry tone.
“Why do you ask?” Cindy said, trying to evade the second sense her grandmother always had about her.
“It’s that boy, isn’t it?”
“Well, Reggie’s thirty-five, so I wouldn’t call him a boy.”
“I knew he was trouble, being so much older than you. It was not a good match.”
“Only ten years, Nan. That’s not that much older than me. And besides, I wasn’t looking for a match. Maybe just a flame.”
“I’d like you to come,” her grandmother said. “I’m not as young as I used to be, you know.”
“Oh, Nan. You’re only as young as you feel, as you always point out.”
“That’s the problem. I don’t feel as young as I once did. I’m getting tired more often, these days. It might be nice to have someone else here for a little while. Just in case.”
“Okay, fine. If only for a little while.”
Cindy and Nan had always had a unique relationship, much to the chagrin of Cindy’s parents. Nan had encouraged Cindy’s creative endeavors, always asking to see her latest designs, even when she was a child. After high school, she had skipped town as quick as she could blink, taking a job as an intern in New York, which led to a full-time position in the fashion industry. Cindy felt that much of her success came because of Nan’s encouragement.
A few minutes after passing the welcome sign, houses began to appear at the edge
of the two-lane road. Farm houses placed back from the road with large, sweeping yards, gravel drives, and cute little flower gardens adorning the porches.
“Ah, home,” Cindy said, not without some irony in her tone. “New York, this is not,” she murmured. Soon, she arrived at Nan’s house. The nearest neighbor being about a quarter of a mile away, still visible, but from a distance. Cindy smiled as she pulled into the driveway.
Her grandmother’s house had always had a certain element of character, compared to the other homes. Besides the lavender hydrangeas planted around the base of the raised porch, she also kept a collection of wind chimes, birdhouses, and painted gourds all over the porch. The house reflected her grandmother’s eclectic personality.
Cindy exited the car, hearing the light tinkling sounds as the breeze drifted through the décor, the sounds of childhood. She had not even made it to the front step before the door flung open.
“There you are!” Nan stepped out with arms wide, rushed into the yard and scooped her up into a huge bear hug. “I thought you’d never get here!”
“Hi, Nan,” Cindy said.
Nan shuffled her inside before grabbing her suitcase, carrying it as if it were light as a feather, her long flowered skirt swishing around her sandals. Cindy could not keep from smiling as the woman dragged them both into the house.
“Come in, come in! I’ve got soup in the crock pot waiting for you. It won’t be ready for another hour though. I’ve got tea. Would you like tea? I can put on the kettle in no time at all.” She fluttered around the house, picking and adjusting the already pristine home.
“Tea would be nice.” Cindy took a seat at the kitchen table, a relic from a bygone era, made of lime green Formica. The room filled with cheery welcoming scents of the rich chicken broth bubbling in the corner. Within moments, the tea kettle hummed on the stove. Nan poured two cups of hot water over the spiced tea satchels.
“Cream, sugar?” she asked, peering over her shoulder.
“Oh, both please,” Cindy replied.
“Ah, it is a ‘both’ sort of day. Isn’t it?” Nan turned and sat down across from her, placing the steaming mug before the young woman. “So, tell me about New York. Is it as glamorous as everyone says?”