by Trina Bates
“I, I don’t know what just happened. Mira, please! You have to believe me. I couldn’t control it, I swear!” I plead to her, tears running warm and fast down my face.
I just let her down, all of them. I fucking hurt them. The ones I love the most.
Mira’s eyes are filled with her own unshed tears, the hurt behind them, tearing at me until I can feel something within myself snap. My heart breaking from what I’ve just done. Because of this, thing, inside me, that I don’t know a thing about, I have just lost my brothers, my daughter, and my love. Something completely out of my control, but still here nonetheless, just cost me everything.
Now, instead of having the chance to figure it out, I have to leave and find my way... On my own. This is what fucking happens when you keep shit to yourself. You lose everything you hold dear.
“You need to go, Rhett. I don’t know what happened to you, I believe you when you say you don’t either. But you’re putting us all at risk. You’re powerful, and with the emotions we all have, you become even more so when you feed off of the things we are carrying inside. You need to figure out what’s going on, before someone really does get hurt. I’m sorry,” she whispers, the tears now streaming down her face. “I love you,” she says, and turns and flees. I slump back down on the floor, heaving out a breath as I let my own tears form a small puddle beneath me. None of my brothers make a move, but I can feel their regret, grief, and concern.
I pull myself from the floor and walk past them all. We don’t say a word, and I take the stairs two at a time and walk into my room and gently shut the door behind me. I start packing my things, and when I’m done, with my pack thrown over my shoulder, I turn off the lights, shut the door and portal away.
Mira:
I can’t breathe, my breaths come short and fast, and my chest is aching as I lay on my bed crying loudly into the pillow beneath me.
I just told one of my loves that I would kill him if he ever did what he just did. He hurt Merrick, and I knew he was going to come after me when I saw the pure, unadulterated hatred seething behind his eyes. His teeth, grinding and his face red with the anger inside of him. His gorgeous almond shaped, jade eyes, mere slits as he smiled at me like I was about to meet my death from his own hands.
I lay alone for a few more moments and hear the lock of Rhett’s door click. I know he’s packing and I’m trying not to jump up, fling myself into his arms and tell him everything will be okay. But we all know it’s not okay. There’s something sinister within him that he needs to figure out. I can’t do it with him. Not with Alyria still growing inside of me. I can’t risk her.
After a few more seconds, I hear my own door open and three sets of feet sliding across the floor. My bed dips and hard bodies surround me from each side. When I look up, they aren’t who I thought they were going to be. Torunn is dressed comfortably. She’s wearing a pair of my sweats that someone must have gotten for her when I was in the study and has on a light smock. Her kind eyes worried and looking me over, making sure I’m okay. I give her a small smile and look to my other side.
I know I was supposed to see Lyra, but that isn’t an option now. We can’t venture by car, it would take too long. I was informed I couldn’t teleport since we don’t know if the Conclave can sense my use of magic, and I’m doing everything I can to keep thoughts of seeing my little girl on screen, and hearing her little heartbeat to myself, for now.
Blue is there in her own leggings and tight tank top. She crosses her arms, making her ample chest push out and up more and I shake my head, feeling a bit lighter with just them here. When I turn around, at the bottom of my feet is my overgrown big brother. He’s wearing one of my guys’ pair of gym shorts with a way too small tank of his own. His bare arms are bigger than what I remember and when he shifts on the bed, the corded muscle beneath his skin shifts and jumps, making me giggle.
“What are you all doing here?” I ask, feeling bad that I’m not downstairs trying to find a spell to help fix Blue’s men.
Blue looks at me sadly and says, “Because, we all know what happened. The guys are going over the books right now, so don’t even go there. We all know there’s sometimes when you will need more than them to help you, to make you smile. We’re all family and I know what he did is tearing you apart right now. Just like what I did. I don’t know how to tell you how sorry I am, but I am. I really hope you know that, and believe it. I could feel the sadness, the pain, and the darkness inside me taking over, but I thought I could control for just a little longer. When you tore into me, and fixed part of it, and then my mates all came back, I feel like my old self. Renewed and so perfectly happy. Even if they are strange twisted little beasts right now,” she says with her own laugh, mine following quickly behind.
“I know you are. Cynide and Grun both told me something wasn't right. I didn’t listen, obviously. If you’re sure, then I don’t care what happens now. Stay or go get your freak on with… your little freaks.” When I say that the four of us all laugh and I my heart starts to mend slightly. I can feel Rhett still there, that comfort I can always count on when I go searching for his mind. He’s still with me, us. I know we all need time. I really don’t want him to leave, but this has to happen. He has to get help. I want to ask any of them to go with him, but I can’t. For one, I know they’ll say no. Two, I think this is a journey he needs to go on alone.
-Do you think Siv would go with him? Help him?- I pose the question to my remaining guys, sadness gripping my heart, having to exclude Rhett, shutting him off from our bonded way of communicating.
-You could ask her. Though I don’t think that’s a good idea, love. I know where he’s going, he’ll be safe there and get the help he needs. I’ve already made sure of it. He might not like it, but it’s what needs to happen. Plus, all of our homes are set up on a linked feed so we can monitor them. I made sure he will be okay already. Don’t worry, love,- Merrick’s voice is lined with sadness and resignation, but he does help to ease my fears, that he’s already thought ahead and is still looking out for his brother.
-Thanks, handsome. I have a feeling I’m going to be spending a lot of time watching the monitors and seeing how he’s doing.- I tell them all honestly. I don’t like Rhett being away from me, us, but I know it has to happen. It was my own request after all.
Turning back to my family that’s here with me now, I break out laughing when Torunn pulls out a bar of chocolate for baking. She might actually do better with the bitterness of it. Gor pulls out the marshmallows and Blue has my favorite TV show in hand. It’s one about this guy that can run at superhuman speeds, flashing around the city and saving people. It’s the first season and one I haven’t gotten to watch in a long time. I love it.
“You all know just how to cheer me up. But, before I do any of this, Blue, I want to fix your loves. I know you’re like, eons old,” at that she punches my arm lightly and we both giggle. “Hey! All I’m trying to say is that, maybe your guys would get a kick out of all of this as well!” I finish. Seeing the tears in her eyes, I know I said the right thing, and that seals it for me. I jump off the bed, race out and find myself looking through the shelves of books looking for ancient curses. Since they were under my father’s rule, I know I need to keep it demon based, so I start pulling every demon book I can find off the shelves and start tearing through the pages.
Flipping through all of the books and not finding anything after an hour, I turn to Blue, who is the only one left since Gor and Torunn can’t read the languages of the other books, I am left to only one that even I can. I handed the rest over to Blue a while ago. “Do you think we are going to have any luck? I think I can take just you and me back to Hell, and maybe search. The guys won’t like it, but the less people the better, or I can teleport you and your men and let you have at it?” I wonder to her and she looks to me, but not directly, more like she’s looking through me. I can tell she’s deep in thought, trying to figure out if its a good idea.
“No. I’m not risking
you. We need to see what we can find here first. If that doesn’t work, then we start thinking about all the other avenues and go from there,” she tells me with a small smile. I put my nose back into the ancient looking book and honestly can’t concentrate. The words are there, but they just blur together. My mind is on Rhett. I felt it when he left and a little part of me died when I felt that familiar eager urge inside of me that wants and needs Rhett, disappear.
“I found something!” Blue exclaims, thankfully taking me out of my own sad thoughts. I turn hastily around and rush to her side. Though I can’t read what’s on the pages, I still sit by her side with rapt attention and wait for her to say something, anything about what the pages hold.
“It’s an old text obviously, but one of a time long ago when Death Demons would take protectors. They would make them into shadows of their former selves and make them hold the souls the demons reaped and they would have to watch over the Demon as they slumbered. It says how to do it, but not how to reverse it…” Her shoulders drop and her face is crestfallen. I put my hand on her shoulder and lightly squeeze. I know this isn’t what she wants to hear, but it means we’re on the right path.
“Keep going, if that’s in there, then we’re on the right track. Maybe further in, and if not, we have a new way to search knowing the spell they used to turn them in the first place. Is it magic, like spells, or what I can do?” I ask her hoping it’s the latter. That way if it is, I know my magic is deeper, more than hers but I can pull off of everyone else to help feed the magic within me to make sure it gets done right.
“It’s both. The power you carry can do good or bad, it’s not specific to what you want like mine has to be. You can make yours do what mine can, but for certain incantations, the words need to be said and sometimes you even need other objects. Candles, personal belongings, things like that,” she explains absentmindedly as she keeps flipping through the pages, her hopes up once more, now that we’re getting somewhere.
I walk back to my own desk and pull down yet another book and sift through the never-ending pages. I finally come on something that looks like it might help, but I’m out of my element on this one and need to ask Blue.
“Hey, what does it mean when a shifter is ‘Bedevilled?’ Is that what you were talking about?” I ask her. I hear her set her own book down and come to my side. When I look up at her, her eyes are wide and her smile mischievous.
“This is it! You found it!” she exclaims proudly, jumping up and down with the book in her hands.
“Okay, so what do we have to do then?” I wonder to her, looking at her like she’s a tad bit nuts, but also excited for her. I try to hide the smile, but it’s infectious. She smiles back and opens to the first page.
“So, it looks like it will have to be you. It needs the blood of the kind of demon that cursed them, and a sacrifice. One of the heart. I don’t know what that means, those are always really tricky. That could mean anything from something like an object that means everything to you, a literal heart, or to kill someone you love. Let me read on,” she says, her words sending chills through me. I’m not fucking killing anyone I love for her men. I might love her, and want nothing more than to see her happy, but that’s not happening.
“It’s something of theirs. Something they can’t live without, and as much as it’s going to hurt, I know just what it is that they will need,” her voice is a whisper and laced with sadness.
I look to her quizzically and cock my head to the side, waiting for her to tell me. She blows out a breath and says, “It’s their weapons. I kept them all when they disappeared. They are an extension of themselves. Something they love, almost as much as me. An axe for Hakon, a long sword for Vali, Calders bow, Brandt’s hammer, and Arvid’s pike.”
“What the hell, Blue? Seriously, those are all weapons from like, serious ancient times. How the fuck old are you, really?” I ask shaking my head in befuddlement.
“A couple thousand years old…” she draws out, her voice low and sheepish.
“WHAT?!” I explode. Not out of anger, but surprise. “What timeline, Blue?”
“When my people, the Northmen, ruled the oceans and lands alike,” she says turning away from me, her face turning pink and her red eyes shifting away from me.
“Wait, wait, fucking hold on. So you’re like, a real life fucking Viking? So you believed in the gods that are essentially where I come from?” I ask her, trying to hold back the joke that’s about to come.
“Yes.” She squirms.
“So, I’m technically a god to you? Aren't you supposed to bow to me or some shit?” I choke out, barely able to contain the laughter that’s threatening to bubble out of me.
“Wow, technically, yes, but you can bet that sweet little ass of yours that will NEVER, happen.” With a push of my shoulder I look up at her and see the smile on her face and give her my own back.
“I’m so glad you finally told me. I know you hate questions, but there are so many that I have! You’re so going to answer them too,” I tell her, giving her a hug when I stand and see her roll her eyes.
“Deal, but after all of this is done,” she agrees, shaking her head. “Okay, now that we have a course of action, I need to go gather their weapons and also, you need to go tell the guys what’s going to need to be done. I’m gonna have to have you teleport me home, I’ll also need two others with us to help bring it all back,” she says ticking things off on her fingers, staring off into the distance thinking of everything else she might need as I stare down at the book, seeing what all I’m going to have to do to make this successful.
-Guys, I have to teleport Blue to her apartment. I’m gonna need two of you to come with me so you can help us bring some things back.-
“Love, you need to bring Ebbin and Rhydian. When you’re done there, I want you to teleport us to Lyra. We are already late and she’s not happy. I know you shouldn’t, the Conclave watches her really closely, but we are just going to have to chance it now that Rhett’s not here,”- Merrick gets out. My heart dropping into my stomach when he says Rhett’s name.
-Okay,- I tell them and hear two sets of steps walking closer to us from down the hall.
Ebbin and Rhydian walk in with sad smiles and come to hold onto my hands as I whisk us away to Blue’s house.
The guys whistle at how pristine her house is when I teleport us into the living room, I smile and follow Blue hurriedly though her house. She takes us all to her back room and rushes to the closet grabbing out the most breathtaking and medieval weapons I have ever seen. I wish we had the time to sit and oogle them, but I know we need to hurry back so I can go see Lyra.
With all of our arms full, lustful looks in my guys’ eyes, my own as well, staring at the gorgeous metals in our hands, we all touch with our shoulders since our hands are full and I take us away once more, placing us in the living room of the cabin.
“Okay, what do we do with all of this stuff?” Ebbin asks Blue with awe in his voice as he runs his hand gently over the blade of the long sword he’s carrying.
“I don’t know. They have to be placed before each of my mates, Mira in the center with a drop of her blood on each of their hearts as she pushes her own magic into each of them, willing for the curse to be lifted and their former selves to come forth. That’s, at least, what the book said that we found the information in,” she explains, her voice wistful, her red eyes eyeing each weapon with longing. “Calder, Vali, Brandt, Arvid, Hakon!” she yells, and numerous sets of thundering paws, clicking on the hardwood floors rings through the somewhat quiet house.
“I know I already told you what was going to happen, what we are going to have to do, but I left out the fact, the book didn’t say anything about what will happen to your weapons. I don’t know if they will disappear, or if they will stay,” she pauses, listening to the thoughts flowing into her from them. “I’m so sorry, but we can get more made, more powerful from the two Metal Faes we have here. I know what they represent, but those times are over. It
’s time for a new beginning for us. That means moving forward and letting go of something of the things from our past,” Blue whispers out, looking at each of her mates pointedly as she says each word. Her hands clasped tightly in front of her and wringing with worry. I feel bad they are losing something so important to them, but excited that she and they will once again be in the arms of the ones they love.
I pull on the shoulders of my own mates, and walk away with a smile thrown to her over my shoulder as we go in search of Merrick so we can go to Lyra. He might have said I couldn’t teleport, but it’s our only option right now, and I’m taking it. If we feel anything, wrong, I will get us out of there as soon as possible and be back to our mountain home in seconds.
Mira:
“You sure took your sweet time in getting here. I almost put the wards back up. You’re lucky I owe you this.” Lyra’s high pitched, annoying voice rings out, through the little room. I open my eyes and roll them at her. When I look over to the guys, Merrick’s sneering at the little fae. Ebbin is grinding his teeth, his jaw ticking and I can almost hear the cracks in his teeth that he’s making. Rhydian is shaking his head with his massive arms crossed at his chest.
“Well, lay down, I want to get this over with. It’s nice to smell the Death Demon and Valkyrie sides of you coming out.” The way she says it makes my face pucker in disgust and I shake it off, laying on the bed like she suggested.
“Lift your shirt. I’ll need to take some pictures and look in to see how you are faring, the little one as well,” she tells me, lifting my shirt up before I even have the chance. Her eyes go wide, as do the rest of my guys.