Daeton's Journey (Wiccan-Were-Bear Book 10)

by R. E. Butler

  “It’s already morning,” she said, pushing their hands away. She rose to her feet slowly. The branch that had hit her had torn her skin and bruised her deeply, but it would heal. She couldn’t waste any more time lying in bed when there was so much to do.

  “Pregnant?” Perseus asked.

  Straightening, Daeton closed her eyes as a swell of nausea filled her and then passed. Opening her eyes, she smiled up at her husband. “I had a vision. Are there pregnancy tests in this realm?”

  Elektra said, “I’ll get you one.” She and the girls disappeared from the room.

  “Why does it matter that it’s morning?” Ekho asked.

  “Because whoever is trying to hurt us is coming tonight. I had a vision and–” she rubbed at her temple and then shook her head. “I need to talk to Papan.”

  “He’s talking to the elders, I’ll send for him,” Perseus said, leaving the room.

  She leaned into Ekho and he wrapped his arms around her. Kissing the top of her head, he said, “I’m sorry, honey kitten.”

  “Why are you sorry? I’m the reason our lives are in danger.”

  He curled a finger under her chin and tilted her face up. “You’re not responsible for someone trying to harm you or anyone else. I’m sorry I got knocked out and couldn’t protect you.”

  She hadn’t realized he’d been hurt. It had all happened so fast. Stepping back, she let her eyes roam over him. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine now, just angry that I got caught off guard.”

  He kissed her and then hugged her, minding the bruise on her back. “I love you, Ekho,” she said as she slid her arms around him and pulled him close.

  “I love you, too, Daeton.”

  Elektra came back into the room at the same time as Perseus, and handed Daeton a strip of white bark. Daeton raised a brow at her mother-in-law, who smiled broadly. “When you pee on it, the broswa bark will turn purple if you’re pregnant. If it remains white then you’re not.”

  Daeton looked down at the bark and ran her thumb along the rough edges. Then she told them about her vision.

  “I believe that if we wait here, whoever is trying to get me is going to kill you both,” she said as she looked between her husbands, who wore identical looks of shock. “I think that waiting means the fight will come here, and you’ll lose your lives. I’ll end up in Dran on the slave market and the Centaur, whoever he is, will rescue me and become my new mate. He said he’d save me if I waited.”

  Perseus growled, his eyes flashing with jealousy. “Do you know the Centaur?”

  “No, I said I don’t know him. His body was blond and he had a lot of scars. Whoever he is, he’s used to fighting. And there’s something else. On the path where he stood, there were flowers. They’re the same flowers that grow at the base of the hills. I asked you about them once, Elektra,” Daeton looked at her mother-in-law.

  Elektra nodded. “The fresiala only grow at the foot of the hills and nowhere else in the realm.”

  “So that tells me if we wait here in the settlement, then whoever is trying to kidnap me is going to bring the fight here. That ends in blood and death.”

  “But you said where we were was darkness,” Perseus pointed out.

  “I know, but it also showed us in the future. The path under both of your feet was the cobblestones of Cholas. And our son,” she picked up both of her husbands’ hands, “and our daughter were with you. That means what was said on the dark path is the future, but only if we go on the offensive. Like my dad always used to say, there’s no better defense than a good offense.”

  Ekho made a face. “You want us to attack? We don’t know when or where.”

  “I do,” she said confidently. “Whoever the bad guy is, he’s going to be in Cholas at sunset tonight. Which is why I need to talk to your dad.”

  “He’s on the way.”

  “Great. I’m going to pee.” She slipped between her husbands to the bathroom, shutting the wooden door and leaning against it. She could hear her husbands and her mother-in-law speaking quietly about what she had shared. As she pushed the sleep shorts off and sat on the toilet, putting the thick strip of bark between her legs, she chuckled to herself. Peeing on tree bark was about as primitive as it could get. If she were back in the Mortal Realm, she would be using a plastic pregnancy test in a bathroom with electricity and modern touches. But if she were in the Mortal Realm, then she wouldn’t be with Perseus and Ekho, and she wouldn’t have set Draya and Fontaine free, or have Perri as a best friend. There were things she missed from her old life, especially her family, but she wouldn’t change her life now if it meant she couldn’t have her husbands.

  She carefully laid the bark in the sink as she finished cleaning up then called for her husbands. Ekho opened the door and they joined her. Perseus shut the door for privacy and they watched as the white bark turned a vibrant purple color.

  There was stunned silence for only a heartbeat, and then her husbands cheered loudly and tears blurred her vision.

  “Oh, honey kitten,” Ekho purred, “are those happy tears?”

  “Yeah,” she sniffled, hugging him. “Very happy.”

  Perseus hugged her from behind and the two males caught her between them in a tight embrace. Perseus kissed her neck. “You’re going to be a great mother.”

  “And you’re both going to be great dads.”

  Elektra called from the bedroom. “Well? Am I going to be a grandmoman or what?”

  They all laughed. Ekho opened the door as Perseus lifted the purple tinted bark from the sink and held it up. “Yes!”

  Elektra whooped a happy cheer and Cosmo, who had just come into the bedroom, laughed and joined in the cheering. Hugs and happy wishes were exchanged. Draya and Fontaine moved to Daeton and hugged her. “We’re happy for you, Miss.”

  “Thanks, girls, I’m glad you’re here to share this day with us.”

  The group walked out to the front room to talk in more comfortable surroundings. Rysk and Tyrant joined them. After everyone was seated on the couches, Daeton stood before them and explained the vision once more. Then she told them why she wanted to talk to Cosmo. “A few weeks ago, I was sitting with Perri and some of the young kids were taking turns sharing fairy tales. Finn and Odin joined us, and Finn told a story about a young Centaur who took on a demon with a blade made of bone. At first the blade didn’t work, but when the Centaur’s blood splashed on it, the blade was imbued with magical properties and the Centaur was able to destroy the demon.”

  There was silence in the room. Daeton continued, “In my vision, Perseus said ‘bone and blood’ twice. The Centaur in the story says, ‘I send you to oblivion with the bone and blood of my people.’”

  Perseus said, “A vision is one thing, Daeton, but you’re talking about folklore. We don’t really have a bone blade made from our ancestors, and you’re certainly not taking one of your own bones for the job. I don’t see the relation between the fairy tale and the reality of our situation.”

  She moved to the couch and knelt in front of him. “I know you’re worried, Pers, but there’s truth in the stories of your people, I know it.” Glancing at Cosmo she said, “I’m right, aren’t I?”

  Cosmo nodded. “There is a blade made of bone, but it’s buried at the bottom of the lake.”

  “What the Hades for?” Ekho demanded.

  “Because the warrior knew it was too dangerous a tool to be kept within easy reach of those who might use it for harm. It was believed that the blade was carved from the bone of a Centaur who had been magically gifted. The blade by itself is simply a blade, but when it is covered in blood, it becomes a tool of unimaginable power.” Cosmo stood quickly. “If you need it, then you’ll have it, daughter.”

  Cosmo strode out of the house quickly and Daeton stood with Perseus and Ekho. “I don’t understand how a blade made of bone is going to help,” Perseus said.

  “I don’t know either, but I know enough about visions to trust what was said. If we’re in
Cholas at sunset with the blade, we’ll survive to hold our children.” Daeton pressed her hand to her still-flat stomach. She hadn’t even had a chance to think about the pregnancy yet. If they survived the battle that loomed ahead, then she’d take the time to revel in it.

  She and her husbands headed out of the house and walked toward the lake. She could feel that Perseus was still skeptical. He argued over her head with Ekho about their options, wanting to leave and find a place to hide. She knew that no matter where they went, whoever was after her was going to keep coming. If she didn’t face him or her head-on, then she’d lose everything precious to her, and she’d rather die fighting than face such loss.

  Cosmo stripped and dove into the lake. A small crowd gathered as Daeton and her husbands stood and watched as Cosmo surfaced, inhaled deeply, and dove again, repeating the actions several times. Each time he surfaced, he moved closer to the center of the lake. When he finally reached the center, he inhaled loudly and deeply and disappeared under the surface.

  It seemed like ages that he was underwater. The crowd grew uneasy, many of the Centaurs voicing concerns that Cosmo had been under too long, that the lake was too deep in the center for anyone to reach it. Several males had begun to remove their clothes to go hunt for him when Cosmo burst from under the water with a great gasping breath and lifted a long, pale object above his head.

  “Holy Hades, he found it,” a Centaur named Hylis said with awe in his voice, “he found the Blade of Aster.”

  Chapter 5

  Perseus watched as his papan swam from the lake, his face red with exertion. When he stood up in the shallow water, Perseus and Ekho moved quickly to him and helped him onto dry land. He fell to his knees with the object clutched in one hand, as he gulped in big breaths and shuddered from head to toe. Perseus’s moman laid a blanket around his shoulders.

  “I didn’t think I would be able to find it, the water is so murky at the bottom,” his papan said. “But then there was a faint red glow and I knew it was lighting the way for me to find it.”

  Cosmo lifted the object and Daeton knelt before him to take it in her hands. It was a crudely carved blade about eight inches long with a thick handle. Perseus knelt next to his wife and looked at the blade. It was grayish-white with dark lines and grooves along the surface.

  “We can leave this realm, sweetheart,” he said, trying once more to shake her from the desire to listen to her vision.

  She looked up at him, her brown eyes narrow with accusation. “You don’t believe me?”

  “What?”

  “If you think I’m lying about the vision, or I’m insane, then say it. But don’t tell me that running and hiding is the best option.”

  “Of course I believe you, Daeton.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair in frustration. “I just don’t want anyone to die. Not today. Not any other day.”

  She cupped his face with one hand and said, “Then trust me. I was meant to find this blade and face whoever is coming for us at sunset. I can’t do that without you and Ekho by my side.”

  Ekho dropped down next to them and put his hand on Daeton’s shoulder. “We do believe you, honey kitten. It’s just frightening to consider the possibilities of facing whoever this menace is head-on.”

  She smiled at them both. “I want all of us to live to see the sunrise, the threat of danger gone from our lives for good.”

  Perseus pulled Daeton into his arms and looked at Ekho over her head. Ekho’s eyes were dark and his face was troubled. Perseus knew he must look the same way as well. But their bride was determined to follow the vision and if he’d learned anything about her since they’d met, it was that when she set her mind to something, she did it.

  He stood and helped Daeton to her feet. Looking up at the sky, he said, “The morning is already wasting away. Let’s eat and then train.”

  “Train?” she asked.

  “You need to know how the blade feels in your hand. Bone is not the same as metal.”

  She nodded and they headed back home. While his father cleaned the blade and wrapped the handle with strips of leather, Daeton helped his mother and the girls with breakfast. Perseus gathered his swords and sat down on the sofa to sharpen and clean them.

  Ekho came to stand before him. “If it gets dicey, you should grab her and head the Hades out of danger.”

  “I wouldn’t leave you behind,” Perseus argued, his hand pausing on the blade he was polishing.

  “Daeton is the most important woman in both our lives. I’d rather die and let you both live, than for both of us to die and leave her alone. Promise me.”

  Perseus growled internally, but knew that Ekho was right. In his half-shifted form, Perseus was much faster than Ekho, and if Daeton was in trouble, Perseus was the best option for a quick retreat.

  Perseus reached his hand out, and he and Ekho grasped each other’s forearms. “I swear it.”

  * * * * *

  Daeton’s nerves were jangling like bells at Christmas. Each hour that passed drew them closer to sunset. Closer to facing whatever was coming for her. It didn’t really matter to her who was coming. The bear in her wanted justice for the person who planned to kill her mates, and that meant facing the danger head on. She had spent most of the day practicing with the blade. It was well balanced but oddly shaped, and although wrapped in leather, the handle was hard to hold and made her hand ache. But she powered through and continued to train with Finn and Odin, who were the best in the herd with blades.

  Perseus had practiced all day with his own swords, working nearby as she practiced fighting with the blade. Ekho was a hand-to-hand fighter and didn’t use weapons because of the claws on his fingertips. He, Rysk, and Tyrant trained together. Although the bears used enormous swords that they swung as if they weighed nothing, they were also adept at hand-to-hand combat and grappled with Ekho in training. Any other day – when their lives weren’t in danger – she’d think about how sexy her mates were, their brows furrowed in concentration, their bodies slick with sweat from hard work.

  Daeton wiped the sweat from her brow and put the blade in a makeshift sheath on her hip. She flexed her hands, wiggling her fingers.

  “I have no doubt that you will do well, my daughter,” Cosmo said. He’d been overseeing everyone’s training, including hers.

  “I don’t have a choice. If I fail, I’ll lose my whole family.” The son she’d seen in her vision was haunting her. If she believed her vision – and she did – she was carrying that son right now. “Adriel.”

  “Excuse me?” Cosmo said.

  “I think I’d like to name the baby Adriel, after my dad. I just…sorry, I know I’m supposed to be concentrating, but the vision has stuck with me.”

  “They tend to do that,” he said, smiling gently.

  She focused on Finn and Odin, gripping the bone blade. As they attacked her, she tried to remember everything she’d been taught. Her brother Axe had taught her about blade fighting when she was young, but she knew that unless fate was on her side – and she sure hoped the fickle bitch was – that she wouldn’t succeed.

  * * * * *

  Ekho stood with Daeton and Perseus on the streets of Cholas. The sun was setting and the streets were clear. Rysk and Tyrant stood on either side of their trio, and the Centaurs stood behind them, ready to fight.

  The Centaurs had cleared the streets, urging the shop owners and residents to stay indoors and out of harm’s way. Some other species that called Cholas home had volunteered to fight and Daeton welcomed their help. In reality, Ekho knew that the real battle – the true life-and-death match – would be between Daeton and whoever was coming for her. He wished to Hades he knew who it was, and could stop them before they ever reached Daeton. He’d gladly give up his life to save her.

  The sun set and Daeton tensed beside him, softly growling. He flexed his claw-tipped fingers, and Perseus, in his half-shifted form, stamped his hooves, his swords flashing in the dying light.

  The scent of sulfur filled the air
and a chilly wind began to blow. Lightning flashed in the sky, but there were no clouds, so he knew it wasn’t a natural storm but one born of magic. His fur stood on end and he snarled as thick, dark smoke billowed down the main street.

  “Brace yourselves,” Perseus warned. “Watch each other’s backs.”

  Out of the clouds poured the creatures that had already attacked the Centaur settlement – the Vehsi and the Urtals. Ekho tensed and bared his fangs and the creatures raced toward them.

  Rysk and Tyrant surged ahead with the Centaurs, fighting the coming throng and keeping them at bay. Ekho knew it wouldn’t last. Eventually some of the creatures would get through the fighters and come for them.

  He grabbed Daeton around her waist. “Up!” he shouted above the din. “We have to get past the fighters.”

  He lifted her onto Perseus’s back. Daeton shouted as Perseus bounded away and Ekho felt a creature bearing down on him. He twisted to the side, skidding on the cobblestone, as two Urtals swung heavy clubs, narrowly missing him. He saw Perseus and Daeton fighting their way past the creatures to where the smoke seemed to be most concentrated, and he trusted that they would reach their target, whoever, or whatever, it was.

  Ekho’s claws scraped on the cobblestone as he moved around the larger creatures. They were strong but slow, their bodies too bulky to move quickly. He ducked one club and thrust his claws into the fleshy belly of one of the creatures, ripping and tearing at its flesh. It bellowed in pain, falling to its knees as Ekho rolled on the ground, avoiding the second creature’s club. He leapt to his feet, slashing at the creature with both hands.

  At the sound of hoof beats drawing near, he looked up and saw Casper coming toward him, one hand outstretched. Ekho grabbed his forearm and swung up onto his back. As Casper wheeled in the street, he shouted over his shoulder, “Let’s go help your mate!”

  They fought their way toward the smoke where Perseus and Daeton had disappeared. Sending up a silent prayer to whichever deity kept were-bears safe, Ekho took out two Vehsi and knocked a club from an Urtal’s hand as Rysk and Tyrant raced behind him and Casper, heading for the smoke.