by Caris Roane
“It would be cramped, but I don’t think I care. Until the Invictus are gone from our world, wraiths ought to be policed to keep Margetta from adding to her army. And having them in one place would make our job easier, that’s for sure.”
“Zane, they’re people.”
“Who become killers if Margetta gets hold of them.”
Malik knew he wouldn’t change Zane’s opinions, not with the Invictus still attacking innocent folk in every realm.
Zane turned to leave, then pivoted back and punched a finger in Malik’s chest. “Do you want to know what I think?”
“Sure.”
“I think the Ancient Fae is the one making these charms that keep disrupting Willow’s shield, and I think Axton is in league with her. I’ll bet you my last lay that they’ve been allies for the past two centuries. And somehow she found out about your wraiths and she wants them for her army.”
“But Axton hates wraiths with a passion.”
“That’s true. But he wants Ashleaf back even more, which means he’d use Margetta if he thought it would help.”
Malik had the worst feeling that Zane had called it right. All this time, he’d been thinking the source was one of the more powerful fae in his realm looking to make a buck by selling illegal charms. But it made a lot of sense that Margetta would be backing Axton. “If you’re right, then we’re in for it.”
Zane glanced around once more, and swore under his breath as two wraith children, chasing each other, swooped in front of Zane, then darted away. “Damn, brats. Get me out of here before I do something I’ll regret.”
Willow led the way once more, and when Malik stepped out of the short tunnel, he saw that not only had the five fae women arrived, but a few of his Guardsmen were chatting up a couple of the younger ones who happened to be unattached.
Some things never changed.
Alexandra called to them sharply until all five were grouped around Malik. Willow greeted each of them with a kiss on the cheek.
If each woman glanced at the stripes of blood on Malik’s hands and throat, no one said a word.
He called out to Evan and asked for a report. His response that all was quiet didn’t surprise Malik. He felt certain that if Axton and one of his charms had gotten within even a mile of the colony, Willow would already have known.
Willow then led the leaders of the Guild back through the tunnel.
Alexandra the Bad walked closest to her. “The shield you’ve created is quite astonishing. I had no idea this was the path your powers had taken.”
“I was well-instructed. The previous Protector trained me for five years before finally relinquishing her post.”
When they moved into the town square, Malik was surprised to find that both Illiandra and Gervassay had arrived to greet the women. They hadn’t shown the same courtesy to Zane, but then perhaps they knew his profound dislike of wraiths generally and chose to avoid him, at least for now.
All five fae immediately dropped to their knees and bowed their heads.
Malik leaned close to Willow. “What’s going on?”
Willow turned to meet his gaze, but chose to path. Remember that these women are the most powerful fae in your realm. They’re feeling the heartbeat even now. They also understand that in the same way that I have protected the colony, Illiandra and Gervassay have guarded this central part of Ashleaf.
Illiandra and Gervassay approached each of the women and laid hands on their foreheads. More blessings, maybe. Afterward, the fae rose and spoke quietly with the Elder wraiths.
Alexandra broke away and drew close to Willow once more, shaking a finger at her. “All this time I thought ill of you because you refused to attend meetings and to serve in the Guild. Instead, you were performing this critical service. I beg your pardon, Willow, for harboring uncharitable thoughts about you.”
“But you couldn’t have known, and I couldn’t tell you.”
Alexandra’s bushy brows drew together. “But you were right to call me, my dear.” She turned to Malik. “And you! Try not to be stupid, I beg of you. For as long as you are with Willow, you must treat her with the deepest respect. You have no idea what she’s done for all of us.”
“I do respect Willow. Tremendously.”
She looked from one to the other. “So it’s the blood rose phenomenon here, is it?”
Malik nodded.
“It is,” Willow said.
But it was to Malik that Alexandra spoke, slapping his chest. “You need to wake up. You lack true understanding of what’s needed in this situation.”
Malik bristled. “I’m here, and I will protect Willow with my life. What more can I possibly do than that?”
Alexandra shook her head and this time placed a gentle hand on his chest. “Protect her, here. Here is what is important.” She made a disgusted sound at the back of her throat. “Goddess save me from stupid men.”
Willow intervened and shifted the subject. “Mistress, we’re expecting an attack at any time. We should get you back through that you might return to your homes.”
Alexandra pressed her lips together and shook her head. “If you think I would leave you now, when you’ve told me that you’ve reached a crisis in your ability to support the shield, you are greatly mistaken.” She gestured behind her to the other women. “We will all stay and do what’s required. This is the least we can do for you and for your wraiths.”
~ ~ ~
Willow had never felt so relieved in her entire life. She was used to going it alone, and she couldn’t believe Alexandra would respond so quickly and with a clear intent to help her.
“Thank you.”
Alexandra nodded.
Suddenly, she felt Axton’s presence but knew that he and a number of his private Guard were hidden behind a fae spell. She grabbed Malik’s arm. “He’s here.”
Malik straightened his shoulders, a furrow between his brows. “Axton?”
Willow nodded. “With his Guard. But I doubt Zane or any of the others will be able to see any of them.”
“I’ll contact Zane.” She watched Malik draw his cell from his leathers and make his call. He spoke quietly and laid out the situation, adding, “Yes, Willow’s sure he’s there with his men, but they’re hidden.” After a moment, he added, “Stay alert. This is it. We’ll do what we can from this end to break the spell that’s hiding him.” He ended the call and put his cell away.
Willow weaved on her feet. “Malik, this one is going to be bad. I can feel the spell. Axton is winding up. Dear, sweet Goddess.”
Despite the fact the night sky above the colony was perfectly clear, thunder rolled over the town and kept rolling.
“Axton,” she said in a strong voice so that no one misinterpreted.
In response, Illiandra issued the now-familiar warning. The light that suffused the colony dimmed in gradual stages, and the same soft whistling sounded down the high street. All the wraiths, as they’d done the night before, disappeared swiftly into their shops and homes.
Willow could smell the smoke now. And the same acrid smell that came from the tunnel also streamed down from the sky above.
She trembled as she focused on her Protector power, but she felt as though her spell now contained a thousand rifts that would soon shatter the entire shielding frequency.
“Malik, this is more powerful than anything I’ve imagined. I need help. I can’t hold this together.”
Another crack of thunder and each fissure deepened, threatening to tear the shield apart.
From a distance she heard Malik’s voice call to her. “Turn toward me. Face me. Open your eyes and look at me!”
When had she closed her eyes?
She forced them open and found that Malik had taken both her shoulders in hand and was inches away from her face, but she hadn’t been aware of it. “Look at me!”
She glanced at his arms, but this time the power from the earth didn’t flow as though blocked. She recalled that the intruder had taken her brush and she k
new what had happened; she could feel a spell working against her.
She trembled now and sweat flowed. “Malik, there’s a spell on me so that you can’t channel the power through me like you did last night. Axton is going to break through any moment now. I don’t know what to do.”
“Use your fae-sisters. They’re here to help.” He turned to the Guild leaders. “Alexandra, you and the other fae surround Willow and touch her, connect with her. Willow’s right. A charm is in place, blocking my ability to help funnel the earth’s power. And if we’re to save the colony, you have to find a way to add your power to hers, to us.”
Willow could feel a third assault ready to strike and she knew it would destroy the shield. But at the same moment, Alexandra and the fae leadership touched her.
An arc of power caused her back to arch. She’d never felt anything like it before. She opened up quickly and let it flow. And just as another horrifying blast rocked the skies above, the power that she shared with the five women and with the heart of the Nine Realms below her feet, surged through her.
Countering the fae spell, the shared power burst heavily skyward and sealed up the damaged fissures. She felt every single breach refill and form a new, more powerful shell above the original shield.
“Stay with me,” she called out.
She felt the answering response in the vibrations where each hand touched her as well as the power from the earth.
“Zane just pathed,” Malik said. “He told me that the moment the shield rebuilt, Axton and his men became visible. They’re battling right now just beyond the monolith and well into the forest.”
“Thank the Goddess,” Alexandra whispered.
Willow continued to stream their joint power and now that the protective shield was solid once more, she turned her attention to the vine entrance.
Focusing on the destroyed vines, she began rebuilding them and never had they reformed so quickly.
After a moment, she breathed a sigh of relief. “Everything is as it should be. The colony is safe. You can release me now.”
Alexandra and the four remaining fae removed their hands. Willow tested the shield and found that it held, stronger than ever.
Malik let go of Willow as well, and the earth’s vibration faded, returning to its usual soft humming sound.
She was left standing alone, her energy streaming to the shield. She felt both renewed and drained. A very odd sensation, but she smiled.
Malik addressed all the women. “Zane reported in again. Axton fled with his force after losing two of his bodyguards and eight regular troops.” He then smiled. “My Vampire Guard and Zane’s suffered only minor injuries.”
Willow smiled at this news as well and all five fae gave a shout of rejoicing.
“Thank you,” she said, holding Malik’s gaze. “Thank you.” She then turned and said the same thing to Alexandra and each of the fae.
“Of course,” Alexandra said, frowning.
“Is something wrong?” Willow asked.
“Not sure why you’re thanking us? You’re the one that saved the wraith colony just now.”
“No, that’s not true. I almost lost it. If I hadn’t had all of you with me, as well as the frequency that came from the realm heartbeat, the shield would have been destroyed.”
Alexandra shook her head and leaned in to place a kiss on Willow’s cheek. Her gaze then slid to Malik. “You’d be a fool to let this one go. Mark my words, stupid man.”
Illiandra and Gervassay approached them and celebrated by also offering a round of hugs and cheek-kissing. Illiandra then invited everyone to their villa for a celebratory dinner.
Willow agreed readily and was grateful that the fae leadership would be joining them. Though everyone seemed so certain that the new level of power that had been added to the protective shield wouldn’t readily be pierced, Willow wasn’t so sure.
Malik, however, needed to speak with Zane and the combined troops and asked if Willow would take him through to the entrance.
Malik would want to be with his men. “Of course.”
She left him there with the understanding that she would return to fetch him when he was ready.
~ ~ ~
Malik listened to Zane’s recounting of the battle, frustrated that again they had seen nothing of Axton and his men until the new charm’s spell had been repulsed.
“He’d brought a hundred men,” Zane said, his voice low. “But we never saw any of them or Axton who was busy trying to destroy the vines at the entrance. I’m still stunned that I couldn’t see a damn thing.”
Malik frowned. He was grateful they’d thwarted this attack, especially without losing any of his men or Zane’s. But if Zane was right and Margetta was behind Axton, what else would she throw at them?
A clean-up crew had arrived to remove the corpses to a morgue. Malik didn’t recognize any of the deceased, so they’d probably been with Axton for the last couple of centuries.
Zane shook his head. “Axton was thrown to the ground when the spell reversed, as though a wave of power hit him. I almost had him, but his bodyguards rushed in. Two of them died.” He waved a hand in the direction of the stretchers.
Malik still felt an echo of the power that had traveled among the fae and from the earth. He glanced at the corpses, at the vines now healed at the entrance, at the combined force of his men and Zane’s together.
This was where he belonged, in command of his men, in support of his fellow realm ruler, in charge of keeping Ashleaf safe. He didn’t want to lose sight of that. The all-encompassing feelings of what existed between Willow and himself, of what the bond would require of him, gave him serious pause. How much would he risk if he completed the bond with Willow?
“How do you want to handle this?” Zane asked. “I think you need to arrest Axton. You have cause. Insurrection, for one thing.”
Malik knew another hard truth about the situation. Because Axton had already shown his cards, he wouldn’t be easy to find.
Switching to telepathy, he tapped Zane’s frequency.
Zane pathed, Telepathy. Probably a good idea. He glanced around at the night sky and the surrounding forest. Who the hell knows if we’re being observed or listened to?
Malik turned toward Zane, facing him fully. I want you to send a black-ops team to try to find Axton. That way he won’t be on the alert that we’re on his heels. But yeah, I need to arrest him, no matter what the fall-out is in Ashleaf.
You think whatever charm hid him here will also protect him in his home?
I do. You’ll have to catch him, if possible, when he’s not using a spell.
He’s smart, that asshole, but I’ll get on it. Zane gestured to the fall of vines. So, what happened in the colony?
Malik told him everything.
Shit. Your woman has so much power. What are you going to do? Are you going to bond with her?
Malik shrugged, but held Zane’s gaze. I don’t know. Neither of us wants this.
Zane frowned at him. I’ve heard about the resistance to the bond over and over. Why is that?
But Malik could only laugh and finally spoke aloud. “I think the biggest reality is that it’s so damn permanent. To my knowledge, it can’t be broken. Try that on for size when it hits you with whatever woman happens to have the gift. In this case, I haven’t really spoken to Willow in decades and suddenly, she’s a blood rose.”
Zane kicked at the dirt, his arms tight over his chest. “Is it true about the blood-starvation? Gone, just like that?”
“It’s true.”
“Shit.”
“Yep.”
“Well, you’d better decide fast. Even I was drawn to her, which means Axton has to be thinking about her all the time.”
Malik grimaced. “No doubt.”
“Then stick close to her, because it would be a tragedy if he somehow got hold of her and forced a bond.”
Malik nodded. But because the thought was so distressing, he found a compartment within his brain, shov
ed it in there, then locked the door tight.
He changed the subject. “We’re having an informal celebration dinner inside the colony. Why don’t you come?”
At that, a haunted look entered Zane’s eye. “I know you mean well, but you know how I feel about wraiths.”
“Yeah. I do.” He wanted to encourage Zane to explore the colony, but Zane had been hard hit by the Invictus in his realm and didn’t have a lot of sympathy for wraiths.
Zane glanced around. “Besides, I can take care of things here, with both brigades, while you’re doing your thing inside the colony.”
Malik had never felt more grateful. “Thanks, Zane. Your help tonight has been tremendous on every front.”
Zane almost cracked a smile. He tugged at his diamond stud instead and told Malik to fuck off.
Malik laughed, then contacted Willow. Within a few minutes, she reappeared at the vine entrance. He went to her quickly and disappeared within, taking her hand as she waved the vines away repeatedly.
When he emerged in the town square, the light was back and many realm-folk once more stood on the street cheering them as before. Again, he was overwhelmed by such a strong outpouring of love and gratitude. He wished Zane was here to see this, to feel how different the people in the colony were from the Invictus wraith-pairs.
As he walked along, however, he became acutely aware of Willow. Zane had planted a seed about Axton trying to get his hands on Willow, and the roots had gone deep. He felt a profound need to stick close just as Zane had suggested.
He released her hand, offering his arm.
She seemed a little surprised, but when she took it, wrapping her arm around his, he caught her rain-in-the-forest scent and his desire for her rose swiftly. He also realized he needed to feed from her vein, and that his part in restoring the shield had drained him.
I can feel your hunger, she pathed, waving to a group of wraith children clustered at an upper story window.
I want to be with you again, Willow. Would that be acceptable to you?
She shifted and met his gaze, searching his eyes. Very. You have to know I want you as well. My wraith fangs have been vibrating softly from the moment I returned to the vine entrance. Her gaze fell to his throat where the protective lines of her blood still remained visible on his skin.