by Blue Saffire
She straightens and tosses a bolt of energy at me. The force of it rips through the ground as it heads for me. Debris flies from the path it makes.
This time I release both of my blades. The make a singing sound as they tear through the air. They crisscross as they cut through the force heading for me. Crossing each other again, they slice the sides of Helenier’s torso before they return to my waiting hands.
I tighten my grips on the handles and pull, dragging Helenier toward me. She tries to dig her feet into the ground, but she’s no match for my power. However, the invisible tethers pop and she tumbles to the ground.
My gaze shifts and I find a trembling Coralo. Her face turns pale as I lock my eyes on her. Before I can send a blade for her, she flies back and lands a few feet from the spot she stood in.
“I told you to stay out of my way,” Helenier hisses at her own daughter.
Hooves click against the ground behind me and I want to sag in relief. Blaise is alive, but I can feel that she’s weakened. I want to turn to her and wrap her in my arms.
Instead, I turn my attention back to Helenier as she floats into the air. Her lips are moving as she chants. Sparks of light start to surround her.
She makes her next attack. I throw up a shield and a forcefield of fire surrounds it. I give a grin. My little warrior is protecting me as she did that night in the forest.
We both lower our shields, but much to my annoyance, Blaise has to engage the warriors that have surrounded the castle. I stay forced on Helenier. I have every confidence in Blaise even if my spirit reflection weren’t there to help her.
“You’re in over your head,” I warn Helenier.
“I will not be defeated.”
Bringing my hands together, joining my blades as one. I release the weapon as it glows brighter and hotter. Helenier doesn’t move fast enough. Her right arm is severed from her body.
“Mother,” Coralo screams.
Everything from this very moment moves so fast, I don’t know what has happened until the smoke settles and everything blurs before me as my throat turns raw with the anguish that leaves my lips.
Blaise
I bring my sword across the body of my last enemy. Panting with the exertion. I need to heal from that blow I took, but there’s no time.
The warrior I’ve just slashed falls to the ground as the magic leaves her body. This Helenier woman has been feeding these warriors with dark magic. It’s taking more energy than I’d like to spare to get through them.
Argon’s dragon moves from shielding me as I turn to help Argon. The dragon places his head to my back as if to lend me its strength. “Good boy,” I coo and reach behind me to pet his head. It’s then that I allow the truth to sink in.
Argon is fighting with me, for me. He didn’t betray me as I thought he did. My heart swells. We will finish this together and I will tell him how I feel.
“Mother,” the woman that came from hiding in the woods cries out as Argon cuts off the floating woman’s arm.
The woman from the woods pales. Her hands spark with magic and I know what she plans to do before she does it. Argon’s focus isn’t on her, it’s on the woman she called mother. I move as fast as I can to cover Argon. I’m too weak to throw up another force field.
Instead, I throw my body in front of his. The bolt of magic she has sent toward Argon transforms as it builds power. It becomes an arrow, a glowing yellow arrowhead sparking with white light at the fletching.
I have to make a choice. Mother or daughter. As I make the split decision, my memory clicks. Helenier. She’s the one that called me from the party to meet the enchantress that cursed me and sent me here.
Decision made, with my last bit of energy I hurl my sword and it ignites with a flame. My body is in motion, moving through the air to block Argon from the arrow still headed for him.
“No,” Helenier cries out a moment before my blade pierces right through her chest.
I turn my gaze to the tip of the arrow headed for me. It’s so close and I can’t turn it to ashes. I try, I truly do. I close my eyes as it enters my chest and pierces my back.
I have no regrets. I feel the last petal fall just as I do. It’s too late for me away. The least I can do is save the man I love.
Argon
I silence the screams of Coralo with my blade without turning to look at her. Dropping to my knees, I draw Blaise’s body into my arms. My voice is hoarse as I cry her name.
“Blaise, wake up for me.” I reach beneath her to snap the end of the arrow. I pull it out of her chest even as it sears my palm. I’m numb. I feel nothing. “Come on, please wake up. I want to see those eyes.”
She remains lifeless in my arms. I tug her into my chest and bury her face into my neck. I try to send my spirit into her to bring her back. Nothing is working.
“My Blaise, don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me. I just found you,” I sob as I rock with her in my embrace.
My spirit reflection wraps around us both as it whines as if wounded. I understand the feeling. I hurt within my soul. He throws his head back and releases a cry that pierces the air and shakes the ground.
It’s too much. My spirit reflection retreats within me. The ache inside growing as we become one.
“Blaise,” I roar as more tears flow. “I gave you the rose, remember? You said if I gave it to someone I cared for it would give them eternal life. I gave it to you.”
Still nothing as her blood spills out on the ground beneath us. I’m losing my mate. I don’t much care what this means for me. I finally understand my father and why he made that blood decree.
I will go with my soul match happily because I know I don’t want this life without her. Images of her smile and the sound of her laugh float through my mind. I’ve failed. With all the power I have, I don’t have enough to bring her back.
Something occurs to me deep within. I care for Blaise deeper than our spirit link could ever reach. This is more than her being my soul match. I fell in love with her. Her smile, her eyes, her laughter. The core of her, not the beast everyone sees.
I’m in love with Blaise.
“I love you,” I whisper into her hair.
Suddenly, her body starts to rise from out of my arms. I release her as she floats above my head. Blue, yellow, and orange light surround her and the blood stain at her back begins to heal.
She slowly starts to spin as she lifts upright and the light dances around her. The wound in her chest disappears. Her hair is the first thing that I notice transform. From there her face becomes just as I saw in the hologram in my realm.
Her smooth silky legs are next to change, all ending with her hooves turning to cute little stiletto-covered feet. When she lands, standing before me that smile on her face is breathtaking. I lift to my feet and she stares up at me with shining amber colored eyes.
I rush forward and cup her face. Crushing my lips to hers, I show all of the feelings I have inside. She smiles against my lips. I break the kiss and place my forehead to hers.
“I love you,” I breathe.
“I love you too. What took you so long?” she says with that gorgeous smile.
“Now that is a long story, princess. Let’s get you back home first.”
Epilogue
Family Magic
Blaise
“Again, mama,” Ayrilesse cries out as I pop the bubble I placed her in.
She floats down to her pink covered bed giggling. My daughter is adorable with her reddish brown and blonde locks and her father and grandfather’s eyes. She has dimples in each of her cheeks that charm the treats out of Ms. Posh’s kitchen every day and get her out of music lessons with Dinesh anytime she wants to run the castle instead.
Everyone in the castle is wrapped around her little finger. Her grandfather’s home isn’t any better. She’s brought new life to the king.
“Okay, one more time,” I relent, shaking my head.
Argon growls at me, placing an arm around my waist. He has been
trying to get me to put our daughter to bed so that we can go to our own. I tip my head back against his chest and look into his lust filled eyes.
I purse my lips to keep from laughing at him. He narrows his eyes at me, causing me to lift to my toes to kiss him. Meanwhile, I place Ayrilesse into a bubble and lift her in the air as her father is distracted. Or at least, I thought he was distracted until Ayrilesse starts to squeal.
“Pretty! Again, Daddy, again.”
I turn to see Argon has been changing the bubble’s color. Our daughter’s eyes are huge as she watches the orb turn from blue to pink to purple to yellow. I sag into Argon’s warmth and watch our baby play happily.
“I wish we could keep her safe inside one of those forever,” I say.
Argon wraps both arms around me and tightens his embrace. He kisses the top of my head. I will never grow tired of this.
“She will always be protected. I will put my life on that,” he murmurs to me. He then says to our daughter. “Time for bed, little princess.”
“Aww, daddy, no.” She pouts, her brown cheeks are so freaking adorable.
“Yes, sweetheart. We will play tomorrow. Tonight, we sleep.”
“Okay,” she whines as I burst the bubble and gently float her down to her bed.
“Sweet dreams, little one,” I say and kiss her forehead.
“Sweat dreams,” she repeats. “Night, night, Daddy.”
“Night, night.”
I hesitate to turn and leave, but Argon has lost his patience. He lifts me and tosses me over his shoulder. Ayrilesse giggles and snuggles into her bed.
“Put me down,” I say when we get outside her bedroom and he pulls the door shut.
“Why? So you can find something else to keep me from my wife. You have been busy all day. You’ve felt our spirit link. I need you,” he replies.
“Our reflections have been together all day. We can hold out a little longer.”
His answer is a rumbling growl as he kicks our bedroom door closed. I laugh as my husband takes me to the bed and drops me onto it gently. Both of our clothes are gone before I hit the mattress.
He places a knee on the bed and looks at me lovingly. “I love your laugh,” he says with a smile.
“I love you,” I say as I look at him through my lashes.
“Gods, you know I adore you, woman. My Blaise, my soul match, my princess.”
“My Argon, my soul match, my wicked prince,” I purr back.
Our spirit dragons roar in the distance somewhere and I laugh again. We both can feel what they’re up to. Argon gives me a heated look.
“It seems we need to play catch up.”
I bite my lip and squeeze my breasts. “Maybe you’re right.”
“I’m always right,” he says proudly.
“Ha, whatever,” I laugh some more.
His eyes sparkle as he cups the back of my neck to draw me to him for a heated kiss. I moan into his mouth. I whimper and pout when he breaks the kiss and backs away.
“Blaise.”
“Yes?”
“You’re pregnant with my son. I can’t keep it to myself anymore,” he says with a wicked grin.
I sit up and wrap my hand around his hard length. I lock eyes with him as I look up into his face. I take a long lick under his shaft as a warning of what’s to come before I return his naughty smile.
“Tell me something I don’t know, love.”
He drops his head back and roars with laughter. My mouth opens in awe. This is my husband. He’s so gorgeous. That laugh is damn wicked. Priceless in fact.
Although I want to relish in the sight, I know a look that he has that’s even more beautiful. I cover his length with my mouth and silence his laugh. He looks at me with heated eyes.
Yes, I love that look. Priceless indeed. You can’t put a price on happily ever after. I sure couldn’t ask for a better ending.
Acknowledgments
I freaking loved writing this one! If I had it my way, I would write a lot more paranormal romance. I’ve been wanting to publish something PNR for a while and was bummed when I had to hold off on a project, but this!!!! This right here, I think they are so stinking adorable and funny and the fight scene was so lit in my head. Love, Love, Loved this one.
Thank you to everyone for your support. This project was a labor of love. Thank you to my readers and my authors for taking a chance on me. We did it. We finished what we started. Thanks to the beta readers on this. I normally don’t use betas, but you guys warmed my girls’ hearts with your feedback and we appreciate it. Thank you in advance for the reviews, the post, comments, shares, and emails.
Once again! Thank you to my husband! Man, you the best. Thanks so much for the support and bobbing your head when I come up with crazy ideas. LOL. Sometimes I need to laugh at myself and you make sure I do.
To God be ALL the Glory. It’s not what the darkness that creates you looks like, it’s what you look like when you step from the darkness. This year has challenged us to a T. However, God has continued to remind me HE is there and HE’s got me, every single step of the way. ON GOD!
Next! Well, that’s all for this collections. Did someone say Blacks? LOL. Be back soon!
About the Author
Blue Saffire, award-winning, bestselling author of over thirty contemporary romance novels and novellas, writes with the intention to touch the heart and the mind. Blue hooks, weaves, and loops multiple series, keeping you engaged in her worlds. Blue is a hybrid author, writing her for Sourcebooks as well as own publishing company Perceptive Illusions as Blue Saffire and Royal Blue.
Blue and her husband live in a house filled with laughter and creativity, in Long Island, NY. Both working hard to build the Blue brand and cultivate their love for the artists. Creative is their family affair.
Blue holds an MBA in Marketing and Project Management, as well as a MED in Instructional Technology and Curriculum Design. She is also an NLP Master Practitioner.
Thank You
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Other books by Blue Saffire
Placed in Best Reading Order
Also available….
Legally Bound
Legally Bound 2: Against the Law
Legally Bound 3: His Law
Perfect for Me
Hush 1: Family Secrets
Ballers: His Game
Brothers Black1: Wyatt the Heartbreaker
Legally Bound 4: Allegations of Love
Hush 2: Slow Burn
Legally Bound 5.0: Sam
Yours: Losing My Innocence 1
Yours 2: Experience Gained
Yours 3: Life Mastered
Ballers 2: His Final Play
Legally Bound 5.1: Tasha Illegal Dealings
Brothers Black 2: Noah
Legally Bound 5.2: Camille
Legally Bound 5.3 & 5.4 Special Edition
Where the Pieces Fall
Legally Bound 5.5: Legally Unbound
Brothers Black 4: Braxton the Charmer
My Funny Valentine
Broken Soldier
Remember Me
Brothers Black 5: Felix the Brain
A Home for Christmas
Be My Valentine
Coming Soon…
Ballers 3: His Team
Brothers Black 6: Ryan the Joker
Brothers Black 7: Johnathan the Fixer
Blue Saffire Exclusive on the
BlueSaffire.com Site
The Lost Souls M
C Series
Forever
Never
Always
The A Million to Blow Series
A Million to Blow
A Million to Stay
A Million Blown Coming soon…
Other books from Evei Lattimore Collection Books by Blue Saffire
Black Bella 1
Destiny 1: Life Decisions
Destiny 2: Decisions of the Next Generation
Destiny 3 coming soon…
Star
Other books from Royal Blue Gay Romance Collection written by Blue Saffire
Kyle’s Reveal
Beau’s Redemption
More to come from Blue Saffire in 2020
Want to keep up with Perceptive Illusions Publishing authors and releases sign up to the newsletter for updates HERE.
Blue’s Queens’, Divas’, and Readers’ Retreat 2020
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Come join us in South Carolina for
Blue’s Queen’s Readers and Diva’s Retreat 2020.
July 16th -July 20th
Join Blue and the ladies for Blue Saffire’s birthday weekend at the luxury Wild Dunes Resort.
Tentative Itinerary for Event
Thursday July 16th
4:00-5:30pm Check-in and Registration