The Changer Complete Box Set

by A C Wilds

  “I want it to look like we went for a midnight ride if we get caught. Us being together is the lesser of the two evils,” Cass says, as he leads Storm out of the building. The rest of the horses are curious, and all have their heads popped out. Hurricane is actually getting a bit agitated and begins to paw at her stall making a bit of a ruckus. I pause briefly to see what’s the matter.

  She wants to come with us. She has a bad feeling about tonight and thinks it’s wise if we have someone watching our backs, Red tells me.

  “You can speak to the other horses?” I ask him.

  Yes, that is how I calm them all down. Even though they aren’t as high functioning as I am, they are still quite smart. I think it’s best if we bring her.

  “Red thinks we should bring Hurricane for back up. I’m inclined to agree with him. His instincts are better than mine,” I tell Cass.

  “I don’t think that is a good idea. She is a bit aggressive toward the other horses and might make too much noise,” Cass says, concern written all over his face.

  “Don’t worry, I have her. Red doesn’t need to walk on the lead, so I can keep Hurri with me.”

  I clip on her halter and lead, and we make our way out of the stable. The moon is still high in the sky. We leave through the course area, so we aren’t visible to the palace. There are no guards here, and we make good time getting to the stream. There is a big tree located next to it, and two figures pop out. My heart sinks into my stomach, and I freeze. Cass seems ready to defend, because his lightning is crackling in one hand. Storm does a rock back and throws his head in response to the tension. Red swings his head around toward him, and this seems to quiet Storm. They must be communicating.

  “Cass, what do we do?” I ask, with a tremble in my voice. I don’t want to get caught, but at the same time we need to do this ceremony.

  “We proceed. I can’t make out who it is, but we need to see what they want. Maybe I can convince them to go back inside,” he says, and then begins to walk forward.

  As we near, the silhouettes begin to get clearer. One is shorter and thinner than the other. The taller man is broad chested and muscular. Once the moon hits at the right angle, I see it is Grey and Logan. A huge sigh of relief leaves me, and I quicken my pace.

  “What are you doing here?” I ask, when we get close enough to not require yelling.

  “We are coming with you.” Grey states. He looks determined and angry, but what else is new?

  “Coming with us where?” I say, puzzled. I thought we were only coming to the stream.

  Cass looks to me then and says, “I was going to wait ‘till after the ceremony to tell you. Tonight, we leave this place, and go into hiding. I have a plan. Do you trust me?” He looks so vulnerable in this moment.

  “I trust you, but are you sure? This is your home. I know what we have is real, but are you really willing to give it all up for me?”

  He comes toward me, then drops Storms lead and walks right into my personal space. “I would follow you anywhere; give up all that I am for you. You are my mate, and my everything. Never doubt it.” He places a chaste kiss on my lips, and smiles at me.

  “Ok. We leave then.”

  I turn to Grey. He seems determined. There is so much anger and hate pulsing from him. I don’t begin to understand all of the reasons he feels this way, but I know he needs to ditch this place. A part of me is drawn to him. I feel the need to protect him and Logan.

  “This is going to be dangerous. You’re positive this is what you want?” I ask Grey. Flicking my eyes over to Logan, who at this point is just standing there looking as fierce as his brother. I love this kid so hard in this moment.

  “I can’t stay here another day,” he says. “We have been tortured long enough. Logan deserves a better life, and I can’t steal people from their lives anymore. I won’t continue on like this.” His resolute attitude convinces me. I don’t know how I can tell, but he is serious.

  “Let’s start the ceremony. The three of you prepare to leave as soon as we are finished. If we are taking the horses with us, we will need their tack. Can one of you go back and get it?” I ask them.

  “No need,” Cass says. He waves his hands, and a shimmer appears in the air. Once it is gone, all the tack needed for two horses appears in its place. I look over to Cass in awe. “I’m a weather Fae, remember? I just had to bend the air around me to hide them. Our only problem is we don’t have tack for Hurricane,” he says, looking at Greyson.

  “I brought tack for her. I overheard you before in the barn. That’s how we knew to meet you here. I was going to run back and get a horse when you were done, but you brought her to me,” Greyson states. He goes behind the huge tree and unveils his own treasure.

  Red looks to me and says into my mind, We are going to start now, tell everyone to stay here and grab the supplies from Cassiel. He takes off in a trot toward the water.

  I take the bag that Cass has held out to me and prepare to follow my steed, “Red wants you to stay here,” I say to them, as I turn to leave.

  Looking back once, I see both males standing by their mounts looking so serious. I am a bit scared, and a chill runs through my body. What if this doesn’t work? What if we get caught? I take a deep breath and try to relax. No sense in getting worked up.

  Red is standing in the water, and I wade in to meet him. I need you to sprinkle the herbs around us in a clockwise rotation. After that is complete, brush the paste on both of our foreheads from the hair line down to between the eyes. This is going to burn a bit, so be careful not to get it too close. Then, we will need to cut ourselves, mix it into the chicken blood, and smear that on our chests and arms. The herbs will connect our minds, and the blood, our hearts. The chicken blood acts as a carrier, but our blood will hold the magic. In ages past, both Arion and Fae would bleed into a ceremonial bowl until there was enough. We don’t have that kind of time, so animal blood in any form will do.

  I make a gulping noise in my throat. I have never been a fan of self-mutilation, but this is important. I can sense the urgency in Red’s thoughts. I reach into the bag and grab the container of the herbs. I hand Red the bag to hold in his teeth while I make the circle. As soon as the herbs hit the water, they make a hissing sound. Even though there is a gentle current, the herbs stay in place. I can begin to feel the air around us getting thicker and more charged. Once the circle is complete, a blue wall of energy engulfs us, making a barrier between us and the world. The paste smells like dirt and mint. I rub it on Red’s head first, and then on my own. A sharp pain hits me in the head, and I bend over waiting for it to subside. It feels like someone punched me in the head. When it clears, I look up at Red.

  “Where do I cut you?” I ask, as I pull the knife from the bag.

  Along my neck. Be careful to avoid my artery though. Not too deep.

  “Well that’s just great. Now, all I’m going to think about is doing it wrong,” I say to him, with a scowl on my face. He just laughs in my head.

  I bring the knife up to his neck and put pressure until the blood wells. It’s so dark that it’s hard to see. I move the knife in a horizontal line, and I feel it trickle onto my fingers. It’s hot and sticky. The smell is so strong, like pennies and rust. I bring the bowl with the chicken blood up to the cut and let Red’s blood ooze into it. The blood slows, and I move the bowl away.

  Rub some of the paste on the cut, Red says.

  “Isn’t that going to burn?” I say, but I do as he asks, rubbing a generous amount onto the cut. The bleeding stops instantly, and the cut line disappears. “Whoa! That’s so cool!”

  Give me your arm, Azra. I’m going to bite down with one of my sharpened teeth and make the cut that way. It won’t sting as much because of the properties in my saliva. Hold the bowl underneath your arm to catch the blood.

  I hold out my arm and pull up the sleeve of my shirt. My pale skin glows in the moonlight and is such a stark contrast from Red’s dark rippled coat. His eyes get super black, and small whi
te veins pop up below both of his eyes. He bears his teeth to me, and two long dagger like fangs drop down from his mouth. “Holy fuck! What the hell are those?” I screech.

  They are my fangs. How else do you think I kill my prey? With these useless chiclets?

  I’m pretty sure a family of flies could land in my mouth and make a home right now. “Are you a vampire horse?”

  He laughs at me. It’s the equivalent of a belly laugh. It’s loud and deep in my mind. It makes me smile, and I forget where we are for a second. No, I’m not a vampire. I am however a carnivore and an Arion. We aren’t regular horses. You need to stop comparing me to one.

  With that he bites down. It’s like a thousand drops of acid are on my skin. The burn is so bright that I’m afraid my skin is going to peel off. Then, a wash of cool sensation runs over the wound, and I feel dazzling. It’s like a million little diamonds are shooting stars behind my eyes. I nearly forget to bring the bowl up to catch the blood. I have never felt so relaxed and euphoric in my life. I could stay in this moment forever.

  When Red pulls away, the bowl is almost full. I have no wound where he bit, and I feel a thousand times better than before. All my anxiety has left, and I feel an instant connection to him. His heartbeat is my heartbeat. His strength is mine. I can see everything so much clearer, and at a much further distance than before; I can see all the way to the palace with no problem.

  Our blue wall is still around us, but now I can see that it is actually tendrils of energy weaving in and out of each other. It’s a moving entity that is feeding the energy of the bonding. It’s beautiful.

  Now that we have the blood connection, we have to bathe ourselves in the combined blood. Pour half from my head down my back and let it drape over the sides. Do the same with yourself starting from your crown and going along your arms and legs. When the bowl is empty smear it all over us and make sure to massage it in, he tells me.

  I take my shirt and pants off and leave myself in my underwear. The energy wall around us offers me a hook to place my clothes on. Very convenient. I pour the blood over Red first, and then myself. It smells really bad; raw chicken, pennies, and something else sulfury. Once it has seeped into our skin, the blue energy wall turns a vibrant purple. The air around us gets hot and stifling.

  Red starts to chant in another language, and before I know it, the energy wall plunges into both of us. The pain and sharpness of it knocks me over. I fall backward into the water and am submerged in an instant. The water wasn’t deep when we waded in, but now I am floating in the depths of it. Red is next to me wriggling in pain. We both are so close to each other, but I can’t reach out for him. My lungs start to hurt, and there are black spots forming around my eyes. I’m scared that we did something wrong. I can still feel Red inside of me. It’s like we are one person, so my panic is starting to increase his. There is an unseen weight on my chest preventing me from swimming to the surface. I struggle, but the more I do, the more it feels like I am being pushed down. Why didn’t Cass warn me about this?

  Let go. It’s the only way, Red says to me in a strangled cry. I listen, and just go limp. The weight on my chest eases, but I am still trapped. I trust Red, so I just close my eyes and give in. I give in to this new life, and everything it has brought me. I give in to all the trials we are going to face in the future. I give in to the fact that I will have to go into battle to correct all the wrong, and I give in to the love I am starting to feel, for Red, and for Cass. I know deep down it’s not reached its full potential yet, but it is a start.

  As soon as my thoughts end, I am being pulled up by strong arms. We break the water’s surface, and I gasp a huge lung full of air. My breathing is heavy as it tries to regulate itself. I look around and see both Cass and Grey standing next to us in the water. It has returned to its original depth. I look up at Red and see a horsey smile.

  “We did it,” he says out loud, which earns him quite a few strange looks.

  We sure did. I project to him through my mind.

  Chapter 17

  The Great Escape

  Azra

  After getting out of the stream, Cass helps us both dry off with his wind magic. It’s pretty handy having a mate that can instantly blow dry your hair. It makes me think of what else he could do with all that hot air.

  “We need to move. You took too long during your weird Fae show. The guards are going to be patrolling this area in less than 20 minutes,” Grey says, with his usual irritated voice.

  “Lead the way then, O’ Grumpy One,” I say to him, with my arm outstretched in invitation.

  He stomps away from us toward the other horses near the big tree. Both are tacked already and grazing on the grass. He picks up Logan and places him on Hurri. I move up to Red’s tack and get it ready. We don’t need to speak to one another now. His movements have become an extension of my own, and he anticipates where I need him to be to dress him properly. It all takes less than 5 minutes.

  We are all mounted up and riding toward the dome barrier that surrounds this whole compound. Now that we have bonded, I can see things I couldn’t before. The tendrils of energy are just like the ones from our blue wall. You can see where they fit together and where there are weaknesses. There is a seam along one portion that can be ripped up so we can squeeze through. I have no idea how I know that, but Red instinctively heads that direction without any prompting from me. I hop off and walk towards it. I can hear the hum and see the energy trying to jump out at me. It makes me hesitate a little.

  “This is portal magic. It is fueled by the changeling sacrifices. It keeps the Fae and slaves in and keeps other humans out. It is said that the only ones that can wield it are the King and his heir. I wonder what it would do if the Changer tries?” Red says. It’s going to take me a bit to get used to hearing him out loud. I was just getting used to his voice in my head. Not that it isn’t a good voice. It is clear, thick, and hypnotic — a horse version of Morgan Freeman.

  “That’s creepy as fuck,” Grey says, as he hops off Hurri. “A lot of freaky shit happens here, but I would never have imagined I’d hear a talking horse.”

  “I am not a horse. I am an Arion. You should look it up, human,” Red retorts. I guess he is miffed at being compared to a horse. Oops.

  “What do you think would happen if I touch it?” I ask Cass. “I can see the tendrils of magic, and just right here is a seam. I think if I lift it, we should be able to get the horses through it.”

  “You can see the magic?” Cass asks, a little in awe.

  “Can’t you?” I ask him.

  “No, I can feel it, and if I outstretch my hand it will respond to me, but I cannot see it.”

  “Let’s just add that to all the other shit I can do that no one else can.” I roll my eyes because really, why can’t I be fucking ordinary.

  “If I touch it, I will set off the alarm. We will have about 20 minutes to get far enough away from here, so they don’t catch us,” Cass tells the group. I didn’t think it was like that. How are we going to get three horses away from here without alerting anyone? If any of the humans see us, they will remember people riding through the streets. It’s not like this is the Wild West.

  “I want to try,” I tell them. “If it doesn’t work, then Cass can do it, and we can make a run for it.”

  They all agree. Grey gets back up on Hurri, and Red stands next to me at the seam. The magic jumps out to me again, and I grab it this time. It feels tacky and cold in my hand. It is malleable enough to shape, so I begin to form a doorway. I pull up the magic and create a big opening. The energy sticks to itself and reforms to accommodate the shape I want. Looking through the barrier, I see a forest, but no other signs of life. I take this as a good thing. It takes me all of five minutes to make our door, and I gesture for Grey to go first. He walks Hurri through with no problem. We all stand with bated breath, waiting for a magic alarm to go off, but none does.

  Cass trots Storm up to the entrance but then stops. “Let’s go together. I
don’t like leaving my mate to go last, and I can’t hold the portal as you can,” he pleads with me.

  “Ok, but we need to make sure we go at the same time. I don’t know what will happen if I walk through and you don’t,” I tell him, as I hop back onto Red.

  There is a shout from behind us. We both whip our heads around and see a small army charging toward us. There is a man on a horse standing above all the rest. I know without asking that it is Michael. We make eye contact, and at that moment war is declared. His expression is savage. If we were in front of one another, I know he would destroy me regardless of his son’s safety. I stare at him a few seconds more. I want him to see me at this moment; to know that he hasn’t won, and that I won’t be behaving like a good little Changer.

  Next to him, an image moves, and I see a body floating in the air. She is dressed in a flowy skirt with her chestnut braid hanging limply in the air. She is in a horizontal position, but I’d know that figure from anywhere. Noli. He has her. My breathing picks up, and my heart is banging in my rib cage. Before I know what, I am doing, I jump down off of Red and make a beeline toward them. “NOLI!” I scream. I get about two feet before Cass grabs me around the middle.

  “We have to go,” he says into my ear. The soldiers are still running at us and will be here any minute. I can hear them — they sound like thunder in the sky.

  “I can’t leave her! She’s my best friend, my only friend! He’ll kill her!” I yell at him. I can feel my powers coming to life. It starts in my chest this time, and a burning sensation travels down my arms. I pick up my arms and point at the nearest soldiers. Lightning comes out of my hands, and it hits them directly. Three fall instantly and turn to ash — the fourth screams in agony rolling around on the floor.

  “There is no choice here, Azra. We need to leave, or we won’t live, and you can never make anything change. We will all suffer, and it will be for nothing,” Cass says to me, as he is pulling me away. I can see Michael tense, and I feel the atmosphere change. A storm is coming, and I know we will lose if we stay.