Forevermore

by C. C. Wood

  Her magic cut him a third time and he could no longer fight what rose inside his body and soul. He threw his head back and roared, more animal than man, as heat exploded in his chest and spread to his limbs.

  When he could contain no more, it burst forth from him like a tempest, destroying everything in its path. The cottage shook and the stone walls began to crumble. Rhiannon was thrown back, landing ten feet away from the cottage door, flat on her back in the garden.

  Alaunus strode to where she lay, moaning and writhing from the pain of broken limbs. As he stared down at her with cold detachment, she choked and coughed, a small trickle of blood escaping from her lips.

  Kneeling, he fisted her hair in his hand, lifting her face towards his. “Where is Aveta?” he asked. “Tell me and I will end your suffering quickly.”

  “And if I do not?” she scoffed.

  He placed the point of his dagger just beneath her eye. “You will live long enough for me to make you beg for a quick death.”

  The dark witch studied him silently for a long moment. “You carry more of the warrior in your blood than I thought, Alaunus.” Then she chuckled, the sound little more than a thick gasp. “As much as I admire your resolve, I will never tell you where she is.” Her mouth formed a horrifying gape, the rictus of a smile from the dying woman.

  Her blood.

  Alaunus’ head lifted at the whispered words, looking around him for the woman who spoke so softly in his ear. The garden was empty. He inhaled deeply but smelled no one else, only the scent of fresh spring water.

  Drink from her and find what you seek.

  Alaunus looked down and hesitated. He did not want to bite this sorceress. He wanted none of her essence inside him, insidious and invading.

  But he wanted to find Aveta more.

  He felt his fangs lengthen and sharpen as he stared down into the defiant eyes of the dark witch. As he lifted her, angling her head back to expose her throat, Rhiannon emptied a clay jar over his head.

  “Life everlasting, yet forever alone. Your beloved forgotten and your heart of stone. By my will, so shall it be,” she gasped. “Enjoy eternity without your beloved, Alaunus.”

  He roared in rage as the magic began to burn and bite his skin. He tried to lunge forward, to sink his fangs into her throat, but she was torn from his arms by an unseen force. A black hole opened up before him, pulling him down and away from the earth beneath his feet.

  As he fell into the abyss that yawned before him, he heard her choking laughter.

  Then he knew no more.

  Epilogue

  When I opened my eyes, the early morning light was still thin, as though the sun had just risen. It appeared we had only been gone a short time rather than days.

  I turned my head to look at Finn, who was still asleep. Concerned, I reached out and touched his chest, but relaxed when I realized he was fine. Sleeping, but unharmed.

  He sucked in a deep breath and his eyes opened. His head twisted toward me and I found myself gazing into the same eyes that I’d seen staring out of Aveta’s face. I wondered if Finn had inherited his beautiful purple eyes from Aveta. His dark brown hair held hints of red as the morning sun pierced the windows and fell on us both.

  “You have her eyes,” I murmured, trailing my index finger over his eyebrow. “And his hair.”

  “Do you think that they’re my ancestors?” he asked, immediately understanding my question.

  I shook my head. “I’m not sure, but it seems possible. You look too much like them both for it to be a coincidence.” As part of my training, my mother taught me that coincidence was rare in magic. I would not be surprised to discover that the man I loved was a direct descendent of Alaunus and Aveta. “But I think that Alaunus is your ancestor regardless.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I think we just witnessed the creation of the first vampire,” I replied.

  Finn’s brows lifted. “You think that vampires were created by witches?” He sounded shocked.

  “Yes. Rhiannon spoke of creating more beings such as Alaunus and he had all the physical characteristics of modern day vampires. His eyes and fangs. And the connection he and Aveta shared…” I trailed off. “I believe it’s the same connection you and I share, the same bond that all vampires share with their mates.”

  “But they were not of this earth,” Finn responded. “The land where all this happened, it no longer exists. How would they find their way here?”

  “I can’t be certain, but I believe that Rhiannon thought she was imprisoning them when she cast her final spells. Only the place where they were imprisoned was actually another plane of existence. Our plane of existence.”

  “Dear Goddess,” Finn whispered. “It explains so much about vampire history.”

  I sat up slowly and reached for the book, hoping to find some sort of explanation within its pages.

  As I smoothed my hand over the thick vellum, my mother’s handwriting appeared once again, an elegant scrawl moving across the page as if her ghostly hand held the pen at this moment.

  My dearest Kerry, I am sorry to leave you with yet another enemy to face. Unfortunately, we cannot choose when the past will come back to haunt us.

  I’m sure you’re wondering, just as I did the first time I cast this spell, what happened to Aveta and Alaunus. While most of their history after this is lost, it is known that Aveta and her child survived. Many, including me, believe that Alaunus is still alive as well.

  But these two are not the reason this book called to you, no matter how much you might wish to help them.

  Rhiannon, the dark witch who coveted their power and sought to destroy them all, is the true peril here. She worked to heal the damage that Alaunus wrought on her form. And once she was able to return to her full abilities, she strove tirelessly to gain power and leverage as discreetly as possible.

  I don’t know when Rhiannon crossed the veil, but she is here now and has been for centuries. What she did not count on was the animavore. Cornelius was quite taken with her when their paths crossed. I believe he intended to make her his consort. She denied him and disappeared.

  When Cornelius has been defeated, Rhiannon will emerge from hiding. When she does, this book will reach out to you. I cannot be sure of her motives or desires, but, after thousands of years of building her strength, I have no doubt she will be a formidable opponent should you find yourself faced with her.

  If you discover that Rhiannon intends to wreak havoc in this world, I want you to find Aveta, and Alaunus if possible. They have faced the dark witch before and may be able to help you.

  I know you are strong, my darling daughter, and I have every confidence you will prevail if you are challenged. But you will need help.

  I love you always.

  I understood why my mother left me such a message. Magic had a long tradition. First, knowledge had been passed down orally. Later, rituals, spells, and information were shared through the written word.

  In our time together, my mother taught me everything she could, but even a century wouldn’t have been enough to show me all that I needed to know now. Her words also confirmed my suspicions. Aveta, Alaunus, and Rhiannon were not of our world, but from a land that created mythology, gods, and goddesses.

  Finn read the words over my shoulder, his hand coming up to rest on the side of my neck, squeezing gently. The simple, supportive gesture brought the tears I’d been holding back to my eyes.

  “It doesn’t say whether or not you’re a blood descendent of Alaunus and Aveta,” I muttered, “But I imagine it would be easy to discover if we have a chance to speak to them.”

  Finn kneaded my neck again. “That’s not important right now.”

  I sniffed, wiping away the few tears that threatened to fall. “It might be. If you’re a descendent, I can use your blood to track them down.”

  He turned me towards him, wrapping his arms around me. I pressed my forehead into his throat and hugged him back. “You don’t need to worry
about that right now,” he insisted. “I know it hurts you when you find letters from her.”

  I sniffled again. “A little, but mostly it makes me miss her. When I see her handwriting and read her words, I can almost hear her voice speaking to me. Even after all these years, I miss that. I miss talking to her, even when she was giving me shit for not behaving appropriately as the future High Priestess of the coven.”

  Finn ran his hand over my spine, up and down. The soothing motion actually calmed me. He definitely had the magic touch because I would have pushed any other man away in the past. “Okay.”

  I pulled myself together. “I need to get started,” I stated. “I’m going into all of this blind. Hell, I’ve never even heard of this Rhiannon witch. Have you?”

  He shook his head. “You need to rest. Right now, you’re riding on adrenaline from the spell and the vision, but you’re going to crash soon. This will all be waiting for you after you take a nap.”

  “I can’t nap now!” I cried. “This could be a matter of life or death!”

  Finn cupped my face in his large hands. “Focus, Kerry. Use your abilities. Do you feel any danger?”

  I wanted to argue with him, but he had a valid point. Damn the man and his ability to be logical.

  Finn grinned at me as though he could read my thoughts and I realized I’d likely broadcasted them quite loudly all on my own. Another indication I was as tired and stretched thin as he thought.

  Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and did as he suggested. I sensed no peril or threat in my city. When I lifted my eyelids, Finn was smiling down at me.

  “Feel better?” he asked.

  I frowned at him. “Yes,” I mumbled. “But there’s no way I can sleep yet.”

  “Then we’ll talk for a bit until you get sleepy.”

  I sighed, but gave in. Finn was right. I wouldn’t be effective if I was working from a state of exhaustion.

  “Come on. We’ll lie in bed and you can tell me all about your plan,” he invited.

  I stared at him in bemusement. “I just found out about all of this. I don’t have a plan.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “Of course you do. I know how your mind works, Kerry. You’ve already begun thinking about what your first five steps should be.”

  He swept me up in his arms and headed toward the door. Over his shoulder, I flicked my hand and the book floated back to the shelf, sliding into its spot without hesitation.

  Finn knew me too well. I had already begun formulating how to learn more about Rhiannon. My mother’s letter had mentioned Cornelius and how Rhiannon had hidden from him. Cornelius had a twin–Rhys. Though I didn’t know him well, I believed he might be able to supply me with vital information.

  When Cornelius had begun his campaign to gain control, my friends and I had been taken by surprise. I was determined to learn everything I could about Rhiannon, Aveta, and Alaunus because I couldn’t allow that to happen again.

  Rhiannon had already torn apart the lives of two people who loved each other. I had no intention of allowing her to do the same to me.

  And, maybe, I would be able to bring Aveta and Alaunus together again. After witnessing their past, I believed they deserved a chance at happiness. Together.

  Part Two

  Bound by Blood

  Chapter One

  Ava

  The crystal swung from the end of the silver chain in my hand, hovering over the map as it moved in circles that never grew smaller. There was no gradual slowing of the motion, no indication that the spell was working.

  “Fuck,” I muttered beneath my breath, letting the crystal fall onto the map.

  Rhiannon Temple, powerful dark witch and all around bitch, had vanished from the face of the earth.

  Three months ago, she appeared without warning, threatening everything I held dear. She kidnapped my best friend, Savannah, and used her as leverage against Rhys, the man who loved her. Oh, and she tried to kill me.

  Yeah, she was definitely a piece of work.

  Then she disappeared without a trace. No spell, no amount of scrying, could track her. And I wasn’t exactly weak. I had yet to meet another witch with the same touch of the Goddess. For whatever reason, I’d been blessed beyond measure.

  Yet even with this power, Rhiannon eluded me and it was pissing me off.

  With a sigh, I put away the crystal and the map. The mirror I attempted to use in scrying earlier joined them in my desk drawer. The spelled glass gleamed with inner light as I shut the door, taunting me with my inability to see what I wanted to see. I leaned back in my office chair and pondered my options.

  Rhiannon Temple couldn’t be left to wreak havoc on the unsuspecting people of the world. Nor could I let her go unpunished for her crimes against me and the people I loved. There had to be a way I could get around her cloaking spell or whatever power she was using to hide.

  Inevitably, my thoughts turned to Macgrath. When Rhiannon appeared in my life, so had he. He was her servant. Or he had been until he betrayed her to protect my best friend, Savannah.

  Even though Savannah had forgiven the tall, mysterious vampire, I had not. I couldn’t. If I softened my attitude toward him in any way, then I would have to deal with my third problem—the fact that I found him insanely attractive.

  As though my wandering thoughts had summoned him, I felt the small, firm tug on my subconscious that accompanied his proximity. Any time he was near, his presence seemed to resonate like a deep vibration that only affected me.

  Heaving an agitated sigh, I got to my feet. This was the third time this week he’d shown up at my coffee shop, The Magic Bean. Over the past few months, he appeared without warning in close proximity to wherever I was. The coffee shop, my house, even my favorite haunts. He never approached me or anyone else, never came inside, but I could feel him all the same.

  What was he doing? Spying for Rhiannon? Protecting me from her?

  I scoffed at my thoughts. No, whatever Macgrath was doing, it couldn’t be for protection. Why would he?

  Don’t lie to yourself. He feels you too.

  I ignored the little voice that whispered in the back of my mind. Now wasn’t the time to overthink. No matter what I suspected about Macgrath’s presence, or felt for him, my focus needed to be on finding Rhiannon and neutralizing her.

  When I pushed through the doors that separated the back of the shop from the front, Savannah’s head twisted toward me and she grinned.

  “You have that look,” she commented.

  “What look?” I asked.

  “The vampire look. I’m guessing he’s hanging out down the street again.”

  I blinked at her. I hadn’t mentioned Macgrath’s actions to her at all. In fact, I’d gone to great pains to hide what he was doing and how it affected me.

  Savannah laughed lightly. “The expression on your face is priceless.”

  “How did you know?”

  Still smiling, she went back to cleaning the espresso machine. “Your aura changes when he’s around.” Her eyes flicked back to me, the dark depths sparkling with mischief. “There’s more pink.”

  I rolled my eyes. “That’s not an answer.”

  She averted her eyes and sighed. “Okay, fine. It’s not just your aura. It’s your emotions. Usually, you keep yourself locked down. I can’t feel more than a few echoes from you. But when Macgrath is near, you broadcast your feelings much more clearly. Almost like a normal human.” When her gaze skated back to me, she winced. “I’m sorry. I try to block you out, I really do, but sometimes I can’t.”

  I wiped my expression clean. I wasn’t upset that she could sense my emotions, just surprised in addiction to being irritated that I had so little control where Macgrath was concerned. “It’s okay, Savannah,” I replied.

  She glanced at me again. “I really am sorry.”

  “I’m not upset with you, sweetie,” I stated again. “If you stop feeling so guilty for a second, you’ll be able to sense it yourself. I’m just…a little u
pset that my control isn’t what it should be.”

  Her dark eyes locked on me, suddenly intent and strong. “You’re allowed to be vulnerable sometimes, Ava Amaris. I know that everyone, including me, sees you as superhuman, but it’s okay that you’re not. No one is strong all of the time.”

  Though she was right, I didn’t have to like it. When I grumbled something to that effect beneath my breath, her face lightened and she laughed.

  “What was that?”

  “Stay out of my brain!” I barked, only half serious.

  After ten years, Savannah knew that I wasn’t sincerely angry and her laughter grew louder.

  The bell over the door chimed and we both turned to greet the customer. Only it wasn’t a customer, it was Harrison, the new manager I’d hired a couple of months ago.

  The warmth drained from Savannah’s face, though she still smiled at him. “Hi, Harrison.”

  He nodded toward her. “Good afternoon, Savannah.”

  “Hey, Harrison. How are you today?”

  “I’m well.”

  Without another word, he went around the counter and set about washing his hands. Savannah looked at me and widened her eyes. I stifled a sigh. For some reason she didn’t like Harrison. I hadn’t yet talked to her about it, but since Harrison was early for his shift, I decided that now was the perfect time. I might as well take advantage of his punctuality and have a chat with Savannah to see what was bothering her about the new manager.

  “Harrison, I know it’s ten minutes before your shift, but do you mind clocking in early? I need to speak to Savannah privately.”

  “No problem,” he replied, his tone utterly neutral. He immediately moved to the computer to clock in.

  Savannah’s eyes grew even wider as I gestured for her to follow me back through the storage area to my office. She loosened the strings on her apron and hung the garment up before scurrying around the counter.

  Once we were in the privacy of my office, I closed the door, pressed my palm to it, and muttered a single word. All the windows and exterior doors were spelled to make it impossible for anyone outside to eavesdrop. I’d also drawn wards on all of the interior doors, though I rarely activated them. However, since Harrison was a wolf shifter, I knew he would be able to hear our conversation, even with all the walls between us. Once I felt the incantation click into place, I turned toward my friend.