by JL Madore
"This is the Dens, right? Bruin's home when his father was king?" I ran my fingers along the honed stone walls as I climbed. The natural strength of the surroundings still tingled with the magic of his race. Their pain and suffering was there too, saturating the space. Sorrow and agony. It was suffocating. I sent up a silent prayer and called on my gift.
Shavandra winced when Earth Mother's power rushed to me, but Abaddon seemed too distracted to notice. As he had on each of the other landings, he searched. He swiped his hand in front of a wall cabinet and the hutch below. When nothing happened, he moved onward and upward. "Bruin swears his father wore the ring when he returned to defend his race. So, if no one found it, it must be here."
He stopped our group when we reached the main floor and I slid in close to Bruin.
Earth Mother's aid allowed me to see Abaddon's evil. Like he had in the Hearthstone that day at lunch, the sorcerer oozed his funky evil mojo and puke-green strings of magic stretched from him to Bruin. This time though, there was also a beautiful cord woven from grass, leather, reed and willow connecting us.
Abaddon snapped his fingers in Bruin's face. "Tell me, where would your father hide his ring if he were under attack?"
Bruin's jaw clenched as he strained against Abaddon's bond.
"Don't fight me, Bruin. You won't like the result." In a move so swift I almost missed it, Abaddon slashed at me with his knife.
I hissed as a scarlet line bloodied my brand new, white Grecian top.
Bruin growled as his words tore from his throat. "In his library safe."
Abaddon pressed the tip of the knife into the hollow of my throat and narrowed his cold, black eyes. "Try harder, Bear. We've searched all the obvious places."
He scowled. "The compartment under the billiards table."
Abaddon sheathed his knife and raised his hand. And off we went again.
We moved through a great eating hall and past the library Bruin mentioned, passing three more of Abaddon's soulless soldiers standing sentinel.
Consumed with the search, Abaddon took the lead and Shavandra took the rear. That left Bruin and I walking close enough that I laced my fingers with his and pressed our brands together. His fingers remained straight and stiff.
Bruin, fight him, big guy. I need you. I can only stall him so long.
Nothing came back to me but fog and the anger of Bruin being locked behind it. I sighed and turned back to Abaddon. "How do you think you can rule the Weres? The ring is symbolic, not magical. It doesn't hold the Weres enthralled to obey their king. It's a symbol of trust."
Abaddon laughed, taking a left through a golden corridor and leading us into an open space littered with overturned sofas, broken barstools and shattered games tables. The entire space was lit with a magical light. We found what was left of the billiards table under a shredded tapestry and he crouched over the mess. "All symbols hold power, especially when given noble purpose. The Were ring was a gift, kissed and blessed by every Prime in the race. It will enslave its members and add to my noble army. Wait and see."
"Noble army?" I turned to look at the Scourge soldier guarding the doorway—the rotting flesh, the stringy, patches of hair, the violent sneer. "What's noble about it? You align yourself with the honorless men who trade power and longevity for their soul. Filthy mercenaries, the lot of you."
"I didn't align myself with the Scourge, little girl. I created them. If you're planning a mutiny you need an army. The Scourge are mine. They are strong and loyal. The Weres will add to that power. Bruin set his people adrift a decade ago. The Weres are vulnerable and when I hold the power of the ring, they will heel to my command."
"Heel? They aren't pets. They're people."
I'm not sure what my expression gave away, but he seemed amused by my reaction. "Weres are nothing more than animals, Miss Silverbrook. Strong, trainable mindless beasts. And all beasts need a master."
"So, who's yours, crazy man?"
Lethal fury flared in his eyes, but as quickly as it came, it extinguished. Okaaay, the man didn't like to be called crazy. He stalked forward and Bruin stiffened beside me.
"Just this once," Abaddon hissed, "I'll forgive your insolence and educate rather than eviscerate. No. I'm not crazy. I'm inspired. I am reinstating the Queen of our realm and I will stand by her side, eliminating the weaker races, ruling over the Realm of the Fair with my—"
The keening of metal on metal rang through the stone corridors of the cave. The sound of weapons colliding preceded an explosion of angry voices.
The Talon. The cavalry had arrived.
Abaddon scowled and the glint of silver gleamed between us. I flailed my good arm to block, but it was a weak attempt at defense. Scarlet heat flowed. I toppled backward. I landed with an unceremonious thud on the stone floor.
Bruin's roar echoed in my head and in the room as he caught Abaddon by the throat and slammed him to the wall. Bruin's mahogany claws extended and sliced at Abaddon's flesh.
When Shavandra aimed her wand at Bruin, my bear instinct unleashed. It wasn't neat of course, but in a frenzy of hands, elbows and knees, I threw myself at the witch, scrabbling for the shaft of her wand, growling, screaming, raging. "You don't harm what is mine, bitch."
I fisted her hair as tightly as I could and slammed her head into the stone wall. She started spouting off some kind of spell and I grabbed her mouth, dug my fingers into her cheeks and shut her up with every ounce of strength I had. Her serrated teeth sliced my palm, but I held on.
The fighting beyond the room grew closer. A rising cacophony of grunts and growls and chinking steel. The room cartwheeled as Shavandra rolled backwards and we collided into another heap of broken furniture.
My hand ached and when I couldn't hold on any longer, Bruin's strength filled me. In a flood of energy, his strength fed my muscles and solidified my hold. He was there, or at least his bear was. Without realizing what I was doing, I grabbed Shavandra's chin and the top of her head and twisted with a force beyond my capability.
Crack. Ding dong the witch was dead.
Her blank stare reminded me of the horror I'd felt that day in the Vancouver parking garage when Bruin had snapped that pony tailed Jackal's neck to protect me. I got it now. I would do anything to protect my mate.
Scrambling to my knees, I saw Bruin thrown over the remains of the billiards table.
Abaddon staggered forward hand extended. The power of the spell amassing had the hair on my neck standing on end. The buzzing built to a deafening hiss, the sound of a swarm of killer bees gunning right for us. Bruin wasn't moving.
Just as Abaddon's spell let loose, Talon warriors stormed into the fray.
"Duck and cover people."
I screamed and threw myself over Bruin.
In the aftermath of the explosion, I lay in darkness, my head throbbing, something large and furry lying over of me. My eyes opened but I couldn't see anything beyond darkness. Dust rained down on my face like hazy mist. Dry grains of sediment crunched in my teeth and stuck to my tongue. Licking my lips did nothing to alleviate the cotton mouth.
"Bruin!" My hamster got back in its wheel and my synapses fired. Struggling out from underneath the dead weight, I ran my hands over Bruin's body. His clothes were torn, his skin slick and warm and coated with moisture. "Bruin, are you all right, big guy?"
He wasn't. His energy surged and he shifted to bear. Unconscious. Not being able to see him made my panic worse. I sunk my fingers deep into his fur and reached for our bond. I sobbed . . . our connection was . . . solid.
Bruin and his bear were there, weary but strong. Unconscious but alive. Thank you, Creator.
"Mika, we are coming, neelan."
"Aust?" The dark space filled with the sounds of stone shifting, metal clanging and growls of frustration. "Be careful of Abaddon."
"Abaddon is gone, neelan. You are safe."
I struggled awkwardly to make it to my knees just as the debris around me shifted. As I slid backwards strong hands caught my fa
ll and I was scooped into a hug that crushed my breath from my lungs. I hissed and braced my good hand against his chest.
"Apologies, Mika, are you well?" Aust lessened his hold, his fingers brushing my hair away from my face and gently probing some of my more serious gashes and abrasions. It took me a moment to remember Elves had night vision. Handy.
A whine came from beside my thigh and the muzzle of a large wolf rucked my shirt and pressed against my stomach. I ran my fingers through Faolan's coat and stroked her ears, comforted by the solid warmth Aust's wolf. She nuzzled me again.
Voices, grunts and low grumbling curses of men excavating grew louder from moment to moment. "Let's hear it, Alpha. Is everyone okay?"
"Bruin's unconscious," I answered, "but I think he's all right."
"What about Samuel and Cowboy?" Jade's voice was sharp and tight. "They Flashed in right before the explosion."
Aust shifted his footing a bit, but kept a hold on me. "Cowboy is guarding his Ursa and is well. I cannot see Samuel though. Samuel?"
Nothing.
I stroked the long ears of the wolf before me and realized Aust was right. Cowboy's wolf was much larger than Faolan. It never occurred to me that he'd show me any kind of love. I leaned closer and he licked my face.
"Jade," Aust said, "could you send us in some light? Cowboy can smell Samuel but if he climbs on the debris in here, he worries he might crush him."
A moment later, a shuffle of bodies edged inside the room and someone clapped their hands. A second clap lit the room with the glow of fire. The fire ignited between Jade's palms and as she spread her hands wide, the blaze arched and danced brighter. Blues, reds and oranges burned bright within the flame and as they grew, sparks broke away from her palms and leapt to the few extinguished torches mounted on the walls.
Blaze. Again, Bruin's sister left me speechless.
Kobi retrieved a torch and waved it over the mound of rock, steel and rubble that filled the room.
Jade frowned. "I don't see Samuel. Does anyone see him?"
Cowboy shifted, sniffing, his tri-coloured coat glowing caramel in the torchlight. He seemed to smell something, but then hesitated, studied my face, then looked at Bruin's bear and at Shavandra's blue corpse.
"She's dead," I said. "We'll be fine. Help find Samuel."
Without disturbing the rocks, Aust followed Cowboy's wolf as they bounded over a mound of debris and landed soundlessly near the back wall.
"Got him." Kobi dropped to his knees where Cowboy indicated and started shoveling bits of steel and stone to the side. Aust joined in and, within seconds, uncovered a tall, dark-haired warrior in a long, leather slicker. I was no doctor, but even I could see the man was messed up.
Cowboy changed forms and cursed. "Jade, we're gonna need you, darlin'. Your boy here's in a bit of a fix."
"What's wrong," I asked, trying to see around the mass of men.
"Well, I'm thinkin it's a bad thing if I can see his knee and the heel of his shitkicker at the same time. That is unless he's part flamingo."
Kobi cursed as he and Cowboy grabbed under Samuel's shoulders and Jade secured the leg. When they cleared the pile of rubble, they set him down on the floor and Jade went to work. "Hang in there Samuel, I've got you."
"Wouldn't it be better if ye could see what yer doing, luv?" Samuel asked through gritted teeth. "I've got all the faith in yer abilities, but ye need light to heal, no?"
Jade stopped humming then waved for Kobi to bring a torch closer. "Samuel," she said, passing her hand in front of his face, "what happened during the explosion?"
"Well, it was a fair bit chaotic . . . Abaddon was about to let loose on Bruin . . . I blocked the spell the best I could." He probed the side of his head with his fingers and hissed. "It had more kick than I expected. Why? What's wrong?"
Cowboy straightened and stepped back, scrubbing his hand over his chin and I saw the problem. Samuel's eyes were white and blank. The man was blind.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
I hit SEND on the article I wrote for Paige and lifted my eyes from the glow of my laptop screen. Life had a strange way of dragging you through knot holes just to get you to the other side. Officially, as far as Paige and my girls knew, I was in witness protection until the Nimithic Trial was over. It was the easiest explanation for my disappearance considering they knew about the attack at Spankz and what happened to Meg at the office.
They'd all been sworn to secrecy for my safety which would keep them from snooping around and getting themselves into trouble. In the meantime, I was free to continue to write and send my stories via email. Julian had my IP address bouncing all over the world and back, so no one would be any the wiser.
An ice cream sandwich dangled in front of my face and I spun my desk chair. Mmm, tasty treats offered by the sexiest man alive.
"A chocolate treat for my Ursa."
I sat back to read the slogan-T clinging to his landscape and laughed. You are free to bask in my glow. Peeling back the wrapper, I moved to the couch to lounge with my bear. "Any change with Samuel?"
Bruin flopped onto the couch beside me and shook his head. "Nothing yet. His leg healed well enough, but his eyes still aren't tracking. Jade's convinced it's some kind of black magic in Abaddon's spell that's blocking her ability."
I set the wrapper on the coffee table and slid my tongue between the layers of chocolate cookie, gathering the melting ice cream. "They're not giving up, are they?"
"Nah, Reign has Savage and a few other guys trying to find a sorcerer or dark wizard who can help. So far, no luck." He tucked me against his side, his heavy arm squeezing me close.
I glanced up at his profile and sighed. "That flat out sucks."
"Yep. I'm not sure what Samuel did to piss off the Fates, but he's been getting his ass kicked the last few months: he lost Jade, his home and now his sight. I'm praying he can still use magic. I know the guy. If magic is out too, he won't come back from it."
My brain spun at an uncomfortable churn. Samuel was in this condition because of us. "What about Abaddon? Has Julian had any luck tracking him down?"
"He's in the wind. We got some of his men and Reign will interrogate them himself. If they know anything, they'll spill it."
Yeah, Reign was intimidating when dressed in a power suit at the dinner table, I couldn't imagine how frightening Bruin's father would be interrogating the enemy. I shivered. "Hey, what's with Julian's tattoo? One day he's got one on his arm, another day it's gone."
Bruin shrugged. "That's his story to tell, but he likes you. I'd bet he'll trust you enough to let you in on his secrets soon enough. As long as you promise not to do write an article about it."
I slapped his chest. "And what about you? How are you doing?"
Bruin kissed the side of my head and sighed. "Abaddon stirred up a lot of my demons. My father. Gemma's death. Me being the Were-King."
"And?"
"And Bear is right. The Weres needed a King after my father was killed. I should have stepped up. I need to lead my race. No, we need to lead them."
I savoured the vanilla ice cream melting in my mouth and smiled. "Partners?"
"Yep. Partners." Bruin inhaled his treat in two bites and licked the chocolate off his fingers with a sinful grin. Finished, he leaned over, attempting to take a bite of mine. I squirmed, defending my chocolate yumminess and took a huge bite so I wouldn't have to share.
When the giggling ended and Bruin had sucked my fingers clean, I asked him the question that had been bouncing around in my head for days. "You enjoyed living in those caves as a young bear, right?"
"The Dens. Yes. I'm sorry you didn't see it when it was filled with life and love. After the Scourge attack, I couldn't bring myself to go back there, but I think one day, I'd like to go see what we can salvage. Did you know the mountain it's built into is actually called Mount Bear."
"You're kidding."
His chest bounced and jiggled us both. "Nope. Honest. It's in Alaska, just a few miles away fro
m the Yukon border."
"Do you miss it? Living like that?"
Bruin shrugged and flicked his bangs out of his sparkling turquoise eyes. "Never really thought about it. Why?"
"Well, I was thinking about us, and the orphaned cubs, and Weres in general. I wondered if you wanted to make a place like that our home. Our own Dens. I always loved hanging out in the caverns on the reservation. And I'm sorry, but I can't imagine living here with your sisters and building our own lives."
Bruin licked his lips. "I hadn't really thought about it. Sure, we can look into it."
"Um . . . I kind of already did."
His graceful brow arched until it disappeared behind his bangs. "Well, well, my beautiful Ursa, spill it. What have you done?"
"Castian came by with Grandfather while I was resting and we talked about the future and you being the true Were-King. I thought you should have a place where other Weres could stay, if they needed a home or somewhere to regroup."
I wriggled off the couch and pulled him behind me through the sliding glass door. August was over and the smell of autumn filled the air. When we emerged onto the balcony, I pointed up the gold and crimson slope of the mountain. "See that cave mouth past the plateau on that peak?"
He squinted off into the distance. "Yes?"
"If you agree, Castian will make that our new Dens. We can come up with the plans and he'll create a network of rooms and facilities. He said we could start moving within a few weeks. We'd be able to take in the orphans, hold formal meetings with the Primes . . . Bree could even have a lab to continue with her research. It could really strengthen the Weres as a whole."
Bruin's shoulders grew rigid and I stopped rambling. He hadn't said he wanted any of this. Maybe he loved living with his family. The look on his face was completely unreadable.
"Oh man. You hate the idea, don't you? I'm sorry. If you want to live here, we—"
His tongue in my mouth silenced my rant as did his erection pressed against my belly. Greedy hands lifted my skirt and hoisted me by my butt and my legs locked around his waist. I giggled as the balcony flew past in a blur. Just inside our suite, he propped me on the window ledge and pushed my skirt up and out of his way completely.