Conquest

by A L Fogerty

  “Until I wasn’t.” She felt the sting of the months she’d spent wrapped up in dark thoughts and deeds. She could barely comprehend the problems she had caused and the devastation that she had planned.

  “That’s all in the past now,” Myrtle said. “You need to think about the future and taking care of that sweet baby of yours.”

  “I am. Believe me. It’s all I think about.”

  Myrtle nodded. “Quinn keeps going on about saving the world. But nothing is more important than your own children.”

  “I’m beginning to understand that those two things may be one and the same,” Kayla said.

  “Maybe it is, love. Maybe it is.” Myrtle patted her hands with a sigh and turned to leave.

  “Myrtle,” Kayla said.

  The older woman turned back to her with a questioning smile.

  “Could you send the others up here?”

  “I sure can,” she said, slipping out of the bedroom.

  A few moments later, the witches and the Blackfangs entered the bedroom.

  “I’ve given it a lot of thought,” Kayla said, “and I’m willing to let you try the ritual. But the minute you sense it is harming Oksana, I want you to stop.”

  “I can’t approve of this,” Riddick said.

  “It sounds dangerous,” Sid added.

  “We have to at least try.” Kayla held Oksana close, tears welling in her eyes.

  “I don’t believe for a second there is anything wrong with our daughter.” Riddick gripped his daggers.

  “Yeah, the baby seems fine,” Sid added.

  “I told you before that I can see it. I can perform a spell to show all of you for yourselves.”

  “That might help,” Kayla said.

  “I don’t want you trying anything dangerous.” Riddick crossed his arms defensively.

  “This isn’t a dangerous spell.”

  “Please begin,” Kayla said.

  “Place the child in the bassinet. Everyone, stand back.”

  Mackenzie stepped forward. Waving her magic wand over the child, she began to speak the words of her spell. Willa joined in, and the two of them invoked a droning, repetitive incantation that brought everyone in the room into a kind of trance. Willa snapped her fingers, and Kayla blinked repeatedly, astonished by what she saw. Her beautiful, perfect child had an aura around her and permeating her little body, but it wasn’t made of crystalline rainbow colors, as should have appeared in one so innocent and pure. All she saw was an inky, oozing darkness, the deepest void of black. It was a color absent of color, absent of light. The blackness radiated from her eyes, from her heart, and from her lips. It was an evil so deep that Kayla had to look away.

  “It’s a trick,” Riddick said.

  “Willa and Mackenzie have been with us since Dark Haven. You know as well as anyone how loyal they are to us,” Quinn said.

  “It’s the truth,” Kayla whispered. “We can’t deny it any longer. The evidence is right in front of us.”

  “She did seem awfully testy.” Sid scratched his chin, looking up to the side as if deep in his bank of memories.

  “I was so happy that we were together, I ignored what I saw and felt. I wanted to believe everything was fine. That you were finally mine. That you were carrying my child…” Riddick’s shoulders slumped, a deep frown etched on his face.

  It hurt so deeply to see Riddick in pain and to know that her own pride was what had hurt him. Maybe if she had said something all those months before, when they first returned home from the City of Ghosts, Quinn and the witches could have done something. They could have driven the darkness from inside her and prevented the entire mess. But instead, she’d kept it to herself. She’d let it consume her. And she had only herself to blame. “I did this.”

  “Kayla, you were possessed,” Quinn said.

  “There were several days when I could think through both sides, and the good side did not win. What does that say about me?”

  “It says that you were influenced by dark magic. I don’t want to hear you blaming yourself ever again,” Quinn said.

  He took her hand and squeezed it. It was a tiny comfort in the sea of tumultuous chaos that raged inside her heart. She let out a small sigh and squeezed her eyes closed.

  “We must try the ritual. It’s our only hope.”

  “All right,” Riddick said. “I’ll agree to it, but the second it seems as if it might harm her, you will stop.” He drew his daggers. Sid grunted and fondled the handle of his hammer. Everyone in the room knew exactly what they meant by it.

  “Let us begin,” Mackenzie said.

  She and Willa began the same ritual while Quinn wrapped Oksana in a protective bubble. Kayla remembered the pain of having the darkness ripped from inside her, the pain that had caused her to go into labor. Oksana screamed in torment, her little body writhing in the bed.

  “You have to stop!” Riddick screamed, moving toward the witches, his daggers gripped in his palms.

  “No. Wait,” Quinn barked.

  The witches’ voices rose, high and fast, the words of the spell pulsing as Oksana screamed. Myrtle burst through the door, her eyes wide and worried. “What’s happening?”

  “Wait. Everyone, stand back,” Quinn said.

  “It’s tearing her apart,” Riddick growled.

  Blood began to stream from the baby’s mouth, and Kayla could take it no more. Her heart, her breasts, and her womb ached with love and pain and torment. She had to stop it. She flew from the bad and grabbed Mackenzie’s wand. Mackenzie stopped, the words of her spell growing silent on her lips. She closed her eyes then nodded in acquiescence. Willa lowered her hands quietly.

  “It’s just too deep,” Mackenzie said.

  Kayla’s legs went out, and she fell onto the bed. Shivering, she grasped her arms, and Quinn threw a blanket over her shoulders.

  “At least we tried,” he said.

  “What can we do now?” Kayla asked, feeling broken and empty.

  “The only thing left to do. We must remove darkness from the world,” Willa said.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The next day, they prepared outside Myrtle’s house for the trip home. Kayla cradled her daughter in the sling she’d brought from Mist Valley.

  Myrtle fussed about in the wagon, making sure it was properly padded for the mother and child. “Are you sure you won’t stay longer?”

  “We have to get back. There’s much to prepare.”

  Kayla climbed into the wagon with the help of Riddick and Sid.

  Daniel stood at the end of the wagon, looking at his cousin and her new baby. He reached out to her with gratitude shining in his eyes. “Thank you for everything you’ve done, Kayla. There would have been a much different outcome if you hadn’t been here. I’m sure of it.”

  “You would have beat him yourself, Daniel. Don’t underestimate your skill.”

  But Quinn knew the truth. Kayla had used her alpha magic to somehow give Irontooth a heart attack. He and the witches had seen it very clearly, but he wasn’t going to reveal that to her cousin. No one needed to know what had happened—he intended to keep her secret for the rest of his life.

  They packed their supplies onto their horses and into the wagon, which had a sturdy horse attached to the front, with Quinn at the reins. Artemis and Lightning were roped to the rear, and he hoped that Lightning wouldn’t give his mare too much fuss. The witches, Sid, and Riddick rode on ahead as Quinn took his seat. He released the brake and slapped the horse with the reins, starting out of Smoke Mountain Village.

  Myrtle, Daniel, and Jenny stood on the porch, waving their goodbyes. He’d seen the growing attachment between Daniel and Jenny, and he knew that in time, the two would most likely be mated. He was happy for them and their simple lives. With Irontooth out of the way, Daniel could lead the pack and continue the prosperity that Kayla’s father had started.

  But for him and his mate and the child, it was a much different story. His heart hurt with the knowledge, bu
t that was the price of greatness.

  They made it to the edge of the shields and slipped through to the other side, suddenly vulnerable to the dangers that lay beyond. They had many miles to go before they could rest, and he looked behind him to check on Kayla and Oksana. Kayla and the baby were both dozing under the canopy, and he was overcome by a sense of relief. He hoped the rest of the trip would be as peaceful and uneventful.

  The road outside of Smoke Mountain was rocky and steep, and navigating the wagon was a challenge. There were times when Kayla had to walk on foot or ride with Riddick while Quinn carefully walked the pack horse and the wagon down a steep and dangerous section. But by the time the sun was setting, they had made it to the valley at the base of the mountain.

  “We’ll need to find a place to sleep for the night,” he told Riddick.

  “There is a farmhouse I’ve already cleared not far from here. We can stay there tonight,” Kayla said.

  “I’ll go scout it out and make sure it’s safe,” Riddick said.

  Quinn nodded at his brother, who trotted his horse to the end of the road. It was familiar land for them, and there were many well-known waypoints between Smoke Mountain and Mist Valley, but one could never be too sure. There were monsters and bandits and witches and vampires. Anything could change from day to day.

  Riddick returned less than an hour later and said the farmhouse was clear. When they arrived, Quinn opened the door and found skeletal remains lying in the hallway. They had been dead and decayed for so long that there was no biological matter left on the corpses. He used a broom to scoop them onto a sheet and took them outside. The horses were watered at a pond and let into a pasture with wild grass and reasonably intact fence lines. Kayla could instruct Lightning to keep the others in line if they found a weak spot. It was always better to let the horses loose to graze and stretch their legs as they needed.

  Inside, Kayla found a spot on the bed in one of the rooms, and her wolf curled up at her feet. Bane seemed happy that Kayla was back to her old self. The wolf had taken on a depressive look over the last nine months, and Quinn was pleased to see her next to Kayla again.

  As he sat by the fire, cooking several rabbits that Bane had caught during the journey, he wondered how Jagger would take the news of what had happened. Willa and Mackenzie came to sit by him and poured cups of tea.

  “Where is Riddick?” he asked.

  “He’s checking on Kayla,” Mackenzie said.

  “She’s awfully tired,” Willa added.

  He nodded. Riddick emerged from the house and grabbed a large serving of rabbits, claiming that Kayla had requested them, and hurried back inside.

  “I worry about her,” Quinn said. “But I’m relieved she’s back.”

  “We all are,” Willa added. “I missed the girl who would do anything for the people she cared about.”

  There was a sharp cry in the distance that sounded like the howl of a wolf. Quinn stood.

  “What was that?” Mackenzie asked.

  “I don’t know, but it didn’t sound good,” Quinn said.

  A pack of hellhounds charged through the trees and descended with ferocious speed. Mackenzie shot to her feet, quickly animating the three skeletons that Quinn had removed from the house. Willa tried to weave an illusion around them, but the hellhounds were too close. Quinn yelled for Riddick and began his prayer for Wolf Mother.

  His brothers bolted from the house, drawing their weapons. The red smoldering beasts stood head and shoulders above them. The hounds launched at his brothers before Mackenzie’s skeletons could intervene.

  Willa screamed, trying to use her magic to confuse the hounds. Mackenzie’s skeletons were of little use, and as the hounds bit Riddick’s arm, Quinn cast a protective bubble around his brother, preventing the teeth from finding purchase. The other four hounds were already circling and preparing to strike. Sid swung his hammer, smashing one in the leg.

  Then an arrow shot through the air, slicing an attacking hound right between the eyes. Quinn looked up and found his beautiful queen standing in the doorway, nocking another arrow.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Kayla aimed her arrow, directing her magic through the weapon. She instructed Bane to distract the enemy, and the small red wolf shot into the fray, nipping and growling at the much-larger hounds.

  Mackenzie’s skeletons picked up rocks and stones and began throwing them at the hounds. Another hound launched at Willa, but a skeleton flew in the way, blocking its attack. The hound took out the flimsy animated skeleton with one bite, charging at Mackenzie. Quinn was distracted, focused on his brother. A hound lunged at Willa, knocking her off her feet. She tried to cast herself in an illusion to disappear but was too slow. She scuttled backward, trying to evade the hound’s teeth. Sid jumped in front of the witch, growling and swinging his heavy hammer. The hound charged at him.

  Kayla aimed her arrow at the attacking hound, pulled back the bowstring, and launched the arrow. It sank deep into the hound’s shoulder. The creature howled with pain but didn’t stop its attack. It smashed past Sid, throwing him to the side. Its teeth came snapping at Willa as she crab walked backward.

  Kayla dropped her bow and lifted her free hand. She concentrated on the hound’s heart, finding the beating essence of the creature with her mind, just as she had with Colton Irontooth.

  The hound snapped at Willa, narrowly missing the tiny witch’s leg. Sid scrambled up and charged back into the fray. Kayla concentrated, focusing all her strength. She made a fist and squeezed the hound’s heart. It let out a loud, screeching whimper then fell in a heap. Willa gasped, finally rising to her feet. She completed an illusion barrier, blocking them all from the view of the hellhounds.

  Quinn ran to Willa and inspected the scrape on her leg. He immediately began to heal it with the help of his goddess. Kayla looked at the hounds, moving in a tight circle as she used her mind to find their inner weaknesses. One after the next, she squeezed off their life forces, and one after the next, they dropped to the ground as Sid finished them off. When it was done, everyone stared at Kayla and then at the dead beasts on the other side of Willa’s barrier. All at once, exhaustion overtook her, and she sat in a heap on the ground.

  “Where’s the baby?” Riddick asked, rushing to Kayla’s side.

  “She’s sleeping in her bassinet,” she said, her voice distant and quiet. “She’s okay.”

  Riddick and Sid helped her inside and back into bed. She felt as weak as a newborn foal. Using her power like that had taken too much of her strength.

  “We’ll never be safe,” Kayla whispered.

  “You need to rest,” Riddick said. “You’re exhausted from the fight. All we have to do is get back to Mist Valley, and everything will be fine. Everything is going to be okay.”

  She could hear the panic in Riddick’s voice. He wanted to believe his words. But they all knew they weren’t true. She wanted to slip into the illusion of safety and believe she could go home and be a mother and a mate without another care in the world, everyone continuing with their lives as if nothing had happened. But she knew it was impossible.

  Kayla slept heavily that night, waking with a start at the sound of Oksana crying. Once she’d fed the baby and put her back to sleep, she didn’t wake again until morning. The sharp sunlight pierced through the windowpane and crossed her vision, waking her from restless dreams.

  She sat up and checked on her child, who had kicked off her blanket and soaked a diaper in the night. Kayla carefully changed her baby into a fresh diaper and fed her.

  After breakfast, the others gathered up the horses and packed the wagon. She climbed inside with Oksana and prepared for another day on the road. As they grew closer to Mist Valley, she felt a looming sense of dread filling her stomach. She would have to explain everything to Jagger soon.

  They finally entered Mist Valley territory, her heart filling with relief at the sight of home. When they pulled into the village, Jagger came running from the pack lodge, his ey
es huge. He gingerly helped Kayla from the wagon. His excited exclamations and amazed expressions at the sight of the baby made her giggle and smile. Quinn carried Oksana in her bassinet back to the house while Riddick and Sid helped her walk inside. She had been weak since the birth. Defeating the hellhounds had drained her even further. Stopping hearts took a great deal of power.

  Upstairs, she collapsed into the bed. Quinn tucked Oksana into the crib. Jagger sat on the bed beside her while Quinn went to fetch her of bowl of hot broth.

  “How have things been here?” she asked.

  “Largely uneventful,” he said. “It’s you that has the big news. How did everything go in Smoke Mountain? Did Daniel’s succession go off successfully?”

  “Colton Irontooth was there. He tried to question Daniel’s inheritance. He challenged him to a duel to the death, but Daniel won.”

  Quinn gave her a side-eyed glance as he walked back into the room with her broth. She knew he knew the truth, but it was okay. She was back. She was herself again. Quinn stood beside the bed, expectantly looking from her to Jagger and back again. She could tell that Quinn wanted to tell Jagger the whole story, but she didn’t want to break the spell of his happiness.

  “We need to tell him,” Quinn said. “It’s important to get it out in the open.”

  “Tell me what? Is the baby okay?”

  She turned to Jagger. It was the hardest thing she’d ever done. “You know how I was acting strangely since I returned with the spirit box?”

  “You’ve been a little more demanding, but I assumed that was because you were pregnant.”

  Kayla laughed. “If only it were so simple.”

  “I can tell him,” Quinn said.

  “Someone just explain what’s going on,” Jagger said.

  “I can’t find the words. Please tell him, Quinn,” she said, resting back against the pillows. She was exhausted. Jagger needed to know the truth, but she felt like telling him would break her.

  “When Kayla was scratched by the ghost, she was infected with the spirit of darkness.”