“Nothing…yet. I need to know about the curse if we have any chance of reversing it.” She glanced back at the others. “I will get you all out of here, I promise.”
She hoped that was a promise she could keep.
Chapter 5
Ronan skirted the boundary of the glowing ward as the others joined him. Lola, Josh, Caleb and some of the other outsiders: Madoc, Sarah and Nathan all joined him.
“What’s the plan?” asked Josh.
Plan? What plan? Without Christy there, whatever plans he’d had had gone out the window. They were still no closer to figuring out what Oren had planned and time wasn’t on their side.
“Ronan?” Josh said again when he didn’t answer.
Ronan flexed his fingers. Now his wolf had come back, he felt stronger, faster than he’d ever felt before. An alpha thanks to Christy. Strange, there had never been two alphas that he knew of, only one. Even if the alpha’s mate had been stronger too.
“The Imperious took down the Stargaza because of their numbers,” he mused.
“Yeah, and?” Caleb remarked. “There are a lot of outsiders scattered over the island and on the mainland, but that won’t do us much good. The Imperious have magic on their side thanks to Oren.”
“Yeah, and so do I.” A ball of flaming red fire formed in his palm. “It’s not enough though. We need more people. First, we need to find out what Oren has in store for the blue moon.”
“Other than making Christy Alec’s mate?” Lola said, tying her long blonde hair into a ponytail.
Ronan scowled, shook his head. “There’s more to it than that. The engagement was just a cover, a way of getting in. Oren wants more and we’re going to find out what. First, let’s show the Imperious we’re still a clan too.”
Ronan’s heart pounded in his chest as he raced to the border of the Imperious clan’s side of the island. He hadn’t set foot there in years. No outsider or guest of the Stargaza clan would ever be invited there. The houses were small with tin roofs and grey stone walls. Primitive compared to the cottages and houses on the Stargaza’s side of the island.
He hesitated. These people were innocent just like his clan and the Stargaza had been.
I’m ready to sink my teeth into some Imperious necks. Caleb ran up beside him in his cream coloured wolf form, scratching his ears with his hind leg.
Don’t hurt anyone, Ronan reminded them. Get to work.
The other outsiders swarmed into the houses; cries of alarm rang out as bursts of light flashed.
Ronan silently thanked Magda for the illusion spell as he hurried off towards Alec’s mansion. Although much smaller than the alpha’s seat of power, Alec’s house with its dark stained spires and looming glass windows looked imposing compared to the white majesty of the Stargaza mansion.
No wonder he moved into Henric’s house. This place is ugly!
Ronan, the people are trying to fight back, Josh said.
Hold them off for as long as you can. I need time to look around. Ronan muttered words of power as he shifted into human form and sent energy out to his clan. His clan. What a strange feeling. He’d been clanless for so long with only Christy and Magda as his real family. Yet he felt them now at the edge of his mind, thanks to the alpha’s power. Ronan shook his head with a faint smile. Me, an alpha, holy crap!
Not that it mattered unless he got Christy back.
He hurried inside the open back door, sensed no one around. That didn’t surprise him. Alec had all of his men up at the Stargaza mansion.
Darting down the hall, Ronan sniffed. So many scents came to him, it was impossible to figure out what led where. He searched his memory banks for Magda’s knowledge. It shocked him how much shifter and witch magic were so alike. Both drew power from nature. He muttered a spell, watching the glowing trail of gold light lead straight up the stairs.
He followed it, feeling a pang of sadness. His mother Una had witch blood too – although not a full-bloodied witch like Olivia had been – she’d still had magic and been stuck between the shifter and witch communities.
Trailing down the corridor full of fancy artwork and marble statues of Roman gods and goddesses, Ronan caught the scent of magic, wood smoke and the tang of metal – Oren’s scent.
Doors blurred past as Ronan shot towards the source of the smell. Static charged his skin when he reached for the door handle. He said a disarming spell, watched the door flash but didn’t open it. Instead, he waited. Light exploded, shattering the door in a silent explosion as the splinters of wood hit the floor and sent him staggering backwards. “Nice try, Oren,” he muttered.
The room had books, crystals and other artefacts scattered over every surface, some stacked in corners and others covering every nook and cranny. Red zig-zagged wallpaper covered the small portions of walls that he could see, and the old brown carpet had seen better days.
Jesus! It could take days to find anything in here! He didn’t know what to look for.
Instead, Ronan started rummaging through the piles of books on everything from alchemy to potions. Damn it, there had to be something here what Oren had planned.
A locator spell came into his mind, yet he knew it wouldn’t work. He didn’t know what he needed to find.
Picking up another book, Ronan saw something fall onto the floor. A black-and-white photo of a woman. Her hair looked white so he guessed she’d been blonde. She stood next to a tall dark-haired man dressed in an old-fashioned suit and cravat, who had an arm wrapped around her shoulders. The woman wore a long gown with a high laced collar.
The man looked familiar. Ronan frowned as he stared at the photo. He’d seen the man somewhere before.
Christy? He closed his eyes as his mind reached for her.
Ronan. She sighed. He felt anger through the bond which mixed with pain and guilt. We can’t stay connected long, she told him. Oren is stronger than we thought. I’m afraid he will listen in on us to find out where we are.
He can’t. This is our bond, our link.
I wouldn’t put it past him. Are you okay? The concern in her voice made him smile.
Yeah, do you know who this is? He showed her a mental image of the photograph. Who is that man?
Yeah, that’s my great-grandfather, Adrian. He was the alpha two hundred years ago. Why?
Any idea who the woman is?
Yeah, that’s his wife, Liliana. My great-grandmother. He heard the confusion in her voice.
What do you know about them? He felt her mind whirling with memories.
Not much. Papa never told me much of anything about the clan or about our family. I was just going to be the one who gave the next alpha children. That’s all women are good for, remember?
Ronan sighed. I wish he could have seen you as the strong beautiful woman you are.
It doesn’t matter now. All that matters is stopping Oren and saving the future of all the clans, Christy said. Why are you asking about the photo? I thought you were looking for leads?
Ronan glanced around, spotted the book the picture had fallen out of and flipped it open. He gasped.
What’s wrong? Christy asked in alarm. I can feel your shock.
This book is filled with dozens of pictures of Liliana. He scanned the images that showed Liliana as a pretty young girl then as a grown woman. Why would Oren have photos of her?
Well, we know witches can live just as long as shifters thanks to the magic here on the island which slows down aging. So he could have been around when the curse first started.
Ronan glanced at the photos again. Liliana hadn’t been posing for them, she looked like she hadn’t known anyone was watching. He thought of the photo he’d kept of Christy in his shirt pocket for years, and the ones he’d kept in his room back at their London flat.
He loved her, Ronan realised.
Christy snorted. I doubt that very much! Oren is…
He still a man, Chris. We don’t know what drove him to become what he is now. He loved her. I can see it. Hell, I can rela
te to forbidden love. I loved you for years, but Liliana married an alpha.
But Oren hates shifters. He uses us for his own gain, she protested.
Do we know she was a shifter?
Chapter 6
Christy glanced around the corner, listening for signs of any guards but hearing nothing. She crept along the hallway, stopping in front of several portraits.
Her father had kept portraits of every alpha over the past five hundred years – at least of alphas he’d been related to. The clans didn’t often challenge an alpha’s right to rule but it did happen. She glanced up at the portrait of Adrian. Next to it was a smaller one of his wife, Liliana. She looked petite and pretty. Could Oren have really loved a shifter? That seemed impossible given his disdain towards her people.
She wished Magda or even Henric was still there. They would be able to answer all her questions. But her father was dead and Magda unreachable. She’d have to find the truth on her own.
Instead, she headed to the library. To her relief, this was one part of the house the invaders hadn’t touched. The floor to ceiling bookcases, comfy plush cream armchairs and mahogany tables all sat untouched. Her father had kept meticulous records on everything from clan lore, genealogy to taxes. There had to be a mention of Liliana in there somewhere, and maybe on the curse too.
Christy pulled down several books, flipped through them and poured over page after page of scrawled handwriting. She took down more books down, using her shifter speed to skim over them. Twenty books later, she found the date of Adrian and Liliana’s marriage.
Not much to go on. She pulled down another book, this time a journal belonging to Adrian himself.
Today Liliana and I became mated. We had a formal ceremony too as she requested. She has never looked more beautiful. I hope my clan will love her as much as I do. Christy frowned. Why wouldn’t the clan accept her? Which clan had she been from?
She read through the next pages.
Liliana is expecting our first child. Unease is growing between the clans, more shifters and witches come here to find sanctuary as they flee the persecutions from the humans. Many are not happy over our joyous news. The clan says we need to have a true born shifter to lead after me, not a mixed-race half-breed. This angers me. Witches and shifters have lived on this island for centuries. Our union was meant to bring peace, now I fear war will break out between both races.
Christy gasped. That must mean Liliana was a witch too – my mother wasn’t the first witch to marry an alpha. She poured over more journals, searching for any clue about the curse and how it had started. She read more about the clan wars and how witches had been drawn into the mess.
A few months later another journal entry revealed more. The ink was smudged in places, but the words were still decipherable.
My beloved Liliana is dead. She died giving birth to our son. The witches are furious and she was kin to their high priestess. They blame me for her death. The clans are at each other’s throats, many challenge my right to rule. What am I to do? I can’t lead my people without my little witch by my side. But I must move forward, I must protect my son.
First, I must deal with the witches’ anger. I fear I may have more than the clans to battle now.
Christy put the books back into place. Now she had part of the answer, but it still left a lot of unanswered questions about the curse. She had no idea what her mother had used to almost reverse it.
Henric had removed everything the reminded him of Olivia after her death. Christy hadn’t seen a picture of her mother until she was seven when Henric had adopted Malic, his five-year-old illegitimate son from a clanswoman.
Christy turned the corner and saw Oren blocking the way to the doors of Magda’s chamber. “I hear you’ve been stirring up trouble,” he remarked, crossing his arms.
“Have I?” She put her hands on her hips. “Let me past.”
“Your movements are restricted to your room. Go back there before I–”
Her eyes flashed with anger and her lips tightened. “This is my home, not yours. I’ll come and go as I please.” She tried to push past him, but a wall of invisible energy blocked her way.
She narrowed her eyes. Energy shook the air as the ward broke.
“How did you do that?” Oren’s dark eyes narrowed.
“You’re not the only experienced spell caster on the island now,” Christy spat as power flared in her hand. “Plus, I have witch blood.”
He laughed. “The old crone can’t teach you anything other than a few parlour tricks,” he snapped. “You’re an abomination!”
“You won’t kill me though, will you?” She arched an eyebrow. “You need me for whatever it is you’re planning for the full moon.”
“You think you’re so clever, don’t you?” Oren leaned closer, glaring down at her. “You won’t defeat me. I’ve worked too long to make this work. You think you can save everyone by being the alpha, but you’re nothing, girl.”
Christy folded her arms. “Did you say that to Liliana too?” she asked. “Did you reject you because she found the alpha more of a man than you are?”
Oren turned so pale she thought he’d faint from shock.
Damn, maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned her. She backed away, afraid she’d gone too far this time.
Oren grabbed her by the throat. “Don’t you dare speak her name,” he hissed. “If your ancestor hadn’t raped and killed her, you never would have been born.” His grip tightened so much she felt darkness threatening to consume her.
You can’t kill me – you need me, she said him.
Oren seemed beyond reason as he continued to strangle her.
Seeing the advantage, Christy grabbed hold of his forehead, muttered words of power. Images flashed through her mind, bits of the past, watching Liliana die, shifters dying and being forced to turn.
Oren shoved her away, vanishing in a puff of smoke.
Still struggling for breath, Christy pushed the door to Magda’s room open. Next time she’d take the secret passageway. Oren’s memories made no sense to her, they were just jumbled bits and pieces.
She locked the door behind her, but it wouldn’t do much good in keeping any shifter or warlock away from her. She dropped her bag onto Magda’s bed, it contained the journals and photos she’d managed to recover so far.
Now to get to work on finding out more about curse.
Chapter 7
Ronan shoved the photos into his pack, did another scan of the room to see if he’d missed anything useful. His eyes landed on a lump of glowing rock. It hummed with energy as he reached for it. He didn’t know what it did but maybe it would be another clue. He slipped it into his bag.
A whirl of smoke transformed into a red-faced Oren. “Thought I’d find you here,” he sneered. A fireball formed in his hand.
Ronan blurred to dodge it, the lamp behind him exploded as he shot into the hallway. He made it down the hall when something pulled him back mid-blur. An invisible force lifted him off his feet and into the air.
“You’re a fool for coming into my domain, trying to steal my possessions,” Oren snarled. “I might need Christy alive, but I don’t need a mongrel like you.”
Ronan struggled, felt his wolf trying to get out but his body refused to change. Damn it, he had the power of an alpha now. He flung out his arm, the walls around him trembled as he used his own power to fight back.
He hit the ground, raised his hand. He felt the power flowing through him, yet most of it felt just beyond reach. Damned curse!
Mating with Christy hadn’t saved him from it. He could only use a little of the power inside him. An alpha had no power over a warlock either. Instead, he decided to run for it. Whatever that stone was Oren wanted it back which meant it must be important.
Ronan shot down the next hallway, straight through the nearest window. Glass shattered as he broke through, grunting as he hit the ground our run and took off towards the woods.
Guys, we need to get out of here. Now! he
told the others.
Two grey wolves were hot on his heels, more followed as members of the Imperious clan hurried after him.
Ronan halted, just metres from the border to the Outland. “Stop!” he bellowed, eyes flashing deep amber.
The dozen wolves pursuing him came to an abrupt halt, dark eyes staring at him in confusion.
Power rolled off him in waves, the power of an alpha. He felt his new ability pulsating through his veins, rolling off him and expanding outwards to every shifter on the island. Christy was right. This wasn’t about the Stargaza or any one clan. An alpha ruled over all of them. They had complete control over all shifters.
“Back off,” he warned. “You won’t dare go after or harm outsiders again. We’re not your enemy, we’re shifters just like you. We don’t deserve to be treated as inferior. No clan is greater than the other.”
“Ronan?” Josh appeared at his side, followed by Lola.
They watched as the Imperious wolves all backed off, some turning tail and heading back towards Alec’s house.
One wolf shifted into a dark-haired man, who trembled as he rose to his full height. “We’re just following orders.”
“Whose orders?” Ronan demanded, folding his arms. “Oren’s? Since when do shifters answer to a warlock?”
A woman shifted next, cowering as she grabbed the man’s hand. “We don’t have a choice. Alec is–”
“He’s not the alpha, I am, so is my mate, Christy. If you had any real strength you’d fight back,” he said. “I walked away from my own clan once, I won’t do that again. Come full moon night, everything on this island will change. You’d all better decide who’s side you’re on.”
Ronan blurred away back towards camp. As he approached he noticed more people trailing into the camp, carrying bags with them. “What the hell?” he muttered. He turned to Josh as his friend appeared beside him. “Who are these people?”
“Looks like other outsiders.” Josh clapped a hand on his shoulder. “They felt the presence of an alpha so they’re coming to join us.”
The Alpha's Curse: Shifter Clans Series Book 3 Page 3