The Keepers: Declan
Page 29
But Kate was rigid, pulling away, pointing across the room as his brothers fought the remaining warriors.
“Jenna!”
A blonde woman had shed her mask and stood beside his brothers, attacking their enemies with a power and skill as vicious as they were impressive.
A woman he recognised.
Another two warriors erupted from the portal and his brothers lunged for them.
“Declan!” Sienna screamed from across the room. “The portal is like a door and they’ll keep coming.”
Declan struggled to his feet, bringing Kate with him. “How do we close it?”
“We can’t! Only Hazel can do that.” She motioned to him and he joined her. Taking his hand, she faced the portal, ignoring the fighting warriors. “But we can sure as hell force her to.”
Flames sprang across the room, ignited by Sienna’s energy. They crept along the low roof, flaring brightly as they chased toward the portal.
Declan felt their connection immediately, the rage of his energy blasting through him, strengthened by their combined force.
Holding hands, they faced the portal and released a surge of fury.
The blaze chased through the portal, triggering a chorus of screams as it singed everything along the way.
Together, they kept the flow of energy steady, focused on channelling more power, more fire.
Ethan turned and joined them, sending a blast of air to fan the flames.
Finally, Kate took her place beside Sienna, reaching out for the dark fibres of magic that had woven the portal. Sensing Hazel’s energy, she baulked, but steeled herself, reaching for Sienna’s hand. And just like that, on a rush of air, the portal closed. The remaining fire blasted around the room and sizzled before vanishing completely, plunging them into darkness.
An eerie silence enveloped them.
There was a shift of movement, followed by a flicker of light that relieved the blackness.
Kate stood in the middle of the room, her face a shimmer of white light. Her eyes were wide, her body trembling, and clutched within her hand was the torch Declan had given her.
He glanced around, relieved to see that his brothers were there. And Jenna. Surrounded by the lifeless bodies of their enemies, they were panting, bloody, charged with adrenaline.
But safe.
Declan turned to Sienna, their joint energy rush fading away. Their gazes locked, an exchange of emotion passing between them, words unnecessary.
Releasing Sienna’s hand, he sidestepped her with a low growl and wrapped his arms around Kate in a hug so fierce that he felt the air slam from her lungs in response.
He didn’t care. She was alive. Breathing. Home.
Thank God.
“I thought I’d lost you. God, Kate … ” he murmured, pressing his face into her neck. “Are you okay?” He pulled back to examine the cut on her cheek. It was bleeding and swollen. Her eyes were wild and her body trembled, the sight igniting a fresh wave of anger.
“I’m fine,” she whispered breathlessly, her frown easing as a smile broke free. God, she was beautiful. “But I’m so glad to see you.”
Exhaling loudly, he pulled her into his arms. He kissed her temple, tucking her head beneath his chin, and looked at his brothers. Their relief was immense, but he felt their worry. They all knew their victory would be short-lived – they’d won this battle, but not the war.
Tugging off Kate’s hood, he pressed his face into her hair, and inhaled.
For now, she was his victory and that’s all that mattered.
CHAPTER FORTY SIX
Two days later
Rapid Falls
The annual harvest festival was in full swing, the streets crawling with locals and tourists.
The Blue Moon had peaked, its peaceful beauty belying its former threat. The centre of town had been transformed into a magical street decorated with fairy lights and Chinese lanterns. Groups of people huddled around drums of fire, offering warmth against the cold air. The stores were open, restaurants packed to capacity, and food vendors decked the sidewalks, tasty aromas spicing the air.
The garden in the centre of town was decked with tables and chairs. A stage hosted a four-man band, whose music drifted through the festival, lending a nostalgic feel to the atmosphere.
Kate sat on a bench, watching the movement of people, trying to reconcile the light hearted fun with the violence in the cemetery two nights before.
A cemetery that had been ruined thanks to the wrath of one very angry witch.
The destruction had been headlined by the press as a natural disaster.
And it probably wouldn’t be the last.
Kate bit back the sting that came with the memory of a woman she’d once called a friend. She shuddered, but put it to the back of her mind when Lora approached. A woolly hat masked her white hair and she was bundled in a thick coat with grey fur cuffs. She looked elegant, her eyes dancing with childish delight as she eyed the men setting up for the fireworks display.
“You’re looking a little glum, Katie.” Clutching two paper cups, Lora sat beside her, the aroma of coffee an instant welcome.
Kate’s smile was genuine as she pushed away all thoughts of Hazel. She was at her first Rapid Falls festival and she intended to relish it. She reached for the coffee.
“Exciting, isn’t it?” Lora asked, nodding at the crowd of people settling around them.
“It’s wonderful.”
“Wait until the fireworks start. It was your mother’s favourite part when she was younger. That, and the candy floss,” Lora added, smiling as three giggling girls passed by, wearing matching snow boots and nibbling on pink candy floss.
“She always did like her sugar,” Kate said, savouring a memory of her own.
Sienna and Jenna arrived, followed by the Bennett brothers, loaded with pizza and beer.
Lora eyed the neatly-stacked boxes in Archer’s arms and laughed. “You planning to feed an army?”
Sienna gave a snort. “These guys are the army! Have you seen how much food they consume?”
Jenna took a seat beside Kate, tugging a beanie over her head. Blonde streaks of hair stuck out from beneath the wool and her blue eyes glistened from the lights of nearby lamp posts. Dressed in a jacket with a furry hood, jeans and knee length boots, she looked so feminine but Kate now knew her capabilities.
Her Keeper. Sent by The Circle, a bunch of dead witches who were looking out for her.
Fancy that.
Keeping her identity hidden, Jenna had spent almost two years lurking amongst the darker forces, biding her time, gathering information. She hadn’t been willing to discuss the details of her time with Harper’s warriors, but if her tight expression was anything to go by every time it came up, Kate figured it had been difficult. With Hazel on the loose, they would need Jenna’s help more than ever.
But that was tomorrow’s worry.
“Remind me again why you do this every year?” Jenna said, blowing into her gloved hands before rubbing them together.
“We’re celebrating the end of our harvest. It’s tradition,” Declan answered, unloading the beer. He moved around the table, scooting up behind Kate, one leg on either side of the bench. He put his arms around her, his warmth instant and welcome, and she sidled up to him with a smile.
Jenna glanced around. “Everyone looks so happy.”
“We know how to throw a party.”
“And hopefully everyone’s forgotten what you and Sarah got up to the last time you were in town,” Ethan added, handing her a beer.
Jenna’s gaze connected with Ethan’s and something passed between them that Kate couldn’t quite decipher. Ethan’s eyes clouded and he turned away.
“What happened?” Kate asked, but Sienna’s reply was snatched away by the sound of exploding fireworks as the sky erupted into a spray of colours.
A murmur of excitement and claps spread across the crowd and everyone watched the fireworks display in awe.
Kate shifte
d her gaze to the six people seated around her, absorbing everything about them, her heart swelling with emotion.
She had a family, friends, a Keeper who’d vowed to protect her.
Declan.
A man she loved with every part of her being.
She tilted her head to look up at him, surprised to find him staring at her.
“Everything okay?” he asked, his words a gentle murmur against her ear.
She nodded, smiling. “Everything’s wonderful. I love it.”
“And I love you,” he whispered, a rare smile taking her breath away. Dipping his head, he kissed her.
An explosion of fireworks startled her and she jumped, laughing as the sky flared with colour. He kissed her again, his mouth gentle but firm, lingering with promises of later.
The butterflies in her belly took flight and she grinned. Moving so she could watch the fireworks, she leaned against him, revelling in the feel of his arms.
The End
Don’t miss the first book in this exciting new trilogy from Rae Rivers,
The Keepers: Archer
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The Keepers: Sienna
Acknowledgements
I once thought that it takes one person to write a book but since publishing my first book in my Keepers series, I’ve come to realise that it takes an army.
This series wouldn’t be what it is today without the help of my army:
My lovely editor, Emily – you’re like my own editing ninja that lights up my manuscript with your enthusiastic red marker magic during edits, taking my stories to a new level! Thank you for all your encouragement, notes, chats and ideas – and for helping me to tell my stories in the best way possible. (And thanks to Genevieve for your input in Declan too!)
The rest of my editors at HarperImpulse – Kim, Charlotte and Katie – you are such a dynamic group and I’m thrilled to be working with you. Thank you for always listening and for everything you do for me!
My author friends that I chat to daily via social media. We’ve never met but you all make me smile and I treasure your continuous input and support.
My parents, family and friends – thank you for being so patient and still loving me even when I miss your messages or don’t pay attention when working under a deadline. A special thanks to Lisa for always being my sounding board for ideas and helping me to put things into perspective! I love you all so much.
The wonderful book bloggers who have been so enthusiastic and supportive of my series – and me! Thank you!
And of course, my amazing readers across the world. Wow, your daily messages mean so much to me. A huge thank you for reading my books and for sharing your enthusiasm! I can’t wait to share more stories with you!
About HarperImpulse
HarperImpulse is an exciting new range of romance fiction brought to you from the women’s fiction team at HarperCollins. Our aim is to break new talent from debut authors and import the hottest trends from the US, bringing you the very best in romance. Whether that is through short reads for your mobile phone or epic sagas that span the generations we want to proudly publish romance fiction that gets everybody talking.
Romance readers, come and meet the team at our website www.harperimpulseromance.com, our Facebook page www.facebook.com/HarperImpulse or follow us @HarperImpulse!
Writers, we are simply looking for good stories! So, what are you waiting for? To submit, e-mail us at romance@harpercollins.co.uk.
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First published in Great Britain by HarperImpulse 2014
Copyright © Rae Rivers 2014
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