Mystical Mayhem

by Kiki Howell

  “Tonight, Chimera, you can watch her die first,” the Hawk-man hissed, rubbing his hands together so hard Xander swore flames would soon burst from them if the flesh didn’t just fall off first.

  Energy, raw, untamed, moved through his body on full power. Balls of powerful magick were crashing into each other inside him, as if unable to find a proper channel in the darkness that was the spell over his muscles. He couldn’t speak either, though everything in him pleaded, screamed for her safety, until even the voice inside his head was hoarse. She stood strong against them, head up, body stiff. Her only frailty seemed to be the tears welling in her eyes. Although, he could feel she shed them for him; each drop that fell from her lids might as well have been a knife into his heart.

  He had to look away, his body shutting down from the turmoil raging inside of him. Several super sized Birds, which resembled pterodactyls, stood at the entrance to the cave, which must’ve been how the other shifters had made it up here. He knew what each man holding him was; he could sense each of their animals close to the surface of their beings. Xander sensed Aiyanna’s Dragon too, but it had also been stifled by magick.

  Calming himself, knowing it was their last chance, he tried to put out a distress signal through the atmosphere, imagining it melting the snowflakes falling outside as it went, in the hope that anyone who could help them would pick it up. He wasn’t sure exactly what time of day it was, if the special ops team had left the area or not. Some of them were gifted like him to sense danger; well actually, others’ fears.

  With the witch’s spells in place over them, Xander and Aiyanna sat helpless against their opposing walls, still naked, the cold air from the outside overwhelming the dying fire in the hearth. He knew each time she shivered, felt it match his own, but neither of their bodies moved. Covered in a cold sweat, even swallowing seemed difficult with every tense muscle unable to move. Through the legs of the shifters inside his cave, he could barely catch a glimpse of her. Wishing he could move his neck to see around the commotion, his breathing increased, made his head throb in time with his accelerated heartbeat. At least his lungs and heart still were able to move. There was that.

  As time ticked by in slow motion, the rogue shifters ironed out their plans for their ritual tonight. Xander was still trying to feel his fears, let them wash over him, drown him with their harsh waves, to get some attention, someone to come fight this battle for him. Ego be damned now. She was all that mattered. It was a hell of a position to find himself in so soon after claiming Aiyanna. Yet, if he wasn’t careful, his fevered anger would override any angst he could find. He focused on his Mate, and let the sensations of his very real terror, come for her.

  When he moved his eyes, thankful he still could, trying to see her face, the ancient Bird-like creatures outside started to screech, their wings creating a blizzard of the snow that had collected at their feet. Soon, they came rushing into the cave like a great gust of wind had blown them. They sought purchase with the ground, nearly trampling him as they fought, a few stepping on his legs as they tumbled into the others. From what he could make out, his DC guys had come. The initial commotion seemed to end with leaps into fighting stances and all manner of animal noises, each threatening. The cave was literally wall-to-wall, floor to ceiling, fur and claws and teeth. He couldn’t hear or see Aiyanna now with the havoc going on around them.

  A were fell onto his lap, struggling then limp as a vampire ripped its neck out. Luckily, the vamp he knew. It was Brandon. He smiled coyly as he threw the now dead man from Xander’s lap. Xander marveled that the sun, brighter with the fallen snow, sparkled off the vamp’s skin. When they had come last night it had been still dark. How the hell was this vamp out in the sun now? How this was possible, he had no idea, and no time to give it further thought at the moment. The man was not a ball of flames, so who was he to question it? How the hell would he, anyway, now that he couldn’t speak?

  Brandon yelled over the turmoil, of course, probably realizing Xander’s predicament since he hadn’t moved, spoken or shifted. Brandon’s own lover, Alexx, appeared. Being a hereditary witch, she was able to manipulate energies.

  “He’s spelled, I can feel it. Can you help him?” Brandon asked Alexx.

  “I’ll try. The magick is old, but also tainted with something else. I’m not sure I can fully discern it or break it.”

  Xander waited. Being unable to even ask about Aiyanna was driving him mad. The noise, the total disorder and obvious destruction, blood and howls of pain, were making him even more tense. His shoulders were hunched up by his ears – he guessed out of instinct, because he had no way to raise or lower them intentionally. His arms and legs cramped from the internal struggle to move. The invisible weight that prevented his movements twisted, curled around him like a vice as Alexx spoke in a different language and moved her hands. A dark, blackish cloud, as thick as dense smog, surrounded him; became a visible, living entity, a monster in and of itself. He sensed the smoke threatening his life and Alexx’s as her body began to have spasms or seizures. Brandon was at her side, his hands clenched, jaw tight, obviously trying not to intervene. He had to give the guy props for this, but he and Alexx had been together a lot longer than himself and Aiyanna. Brandon had to know Alexx’s limits by now.

  The commotion in the cave was starting to thin as each shifter was wounded and had turned back into a man. The DC team was relentless, piling their victims’ bodies up at the mouth of the cave. It was no longer cold in there; that was for damn sure. What he could now see through a clearing in the smog around him, was the tiny witch who had spelled him in some kind of battle with the CIA’s sorcerer. Different colored balls and streams of light moved between them, cutting through the air with a sizzle like lightning. The words of their chants clashed as well as their magick.

  “Ardescat Lux.”

  “Deflexio.”

  It was then he saw Aiyanna again, her body crushed up against the cave wall, but protected by the Hawk-man, the damnable ringleader of all of this chaos in his cave. The sick bastard was keeping her safe only so he could later kill her himself. Whatever the reason, Xander’s emotions tore through him, causing pain where his body responded to it physically and then it was stifled completely by the impure magick restraining him. His body became a magnet for the residual magick in the room. He was being shocked repeatedly, his heart and lungs barely functioning. The ominous language floated around him, luring him into a trance despite the violent nature he could sense in the words. He became a barely conscious observer, the fight surreal, the madness over his Mate’s plight making everything feel a dream; like he was no longer in touch with any sort of reality.

  “Dispelsatio.”

  “Hexagramma et Pentagramma, Malos Spiritus Sigilent!”

  All who were left gathered ’round the witch and sorcerer. All fighting stopped as their magickal battle started to affect everyone. Enemies suddenly took cover beside each other, knowing they would not live to fight another minute if zapped by the mystical lightshow. As consciousness started to elude him, Xander pondered how the mayhem was no longer just in the town, but at his front door, inside his own cave. Messes such as these were his responsibility to stifle, and he was failing miserably. Yet, he couldn’t welcome death with Aiyanna still alive and suffering.

  "Numerus spiritus elementis."

  "Ex Somno Exsistat Exurens Salamandra Inimicum Involvat Igne! Captus Flammeus!"

  "Coèuntes, sagittent inimicum meam. Sagitta Magicka, Convergentia Series elementis. Vinculum facti inimicum capient. Sagitta Magicka, Aer capturae.”

  The wind picked up as ropes of flames blew in the breeze around the sorcerer. There were several more successive sizzles and a cry from the old sorcerer who fell at the tiny witch’s feet. Whatever she’d gotten herself into, the magick was strong, dark, almost oily feeling, coating the old man’s skin. He wanted to tell Alexx to stop trying to save him as she was looking bad, sweat covering her now pale face, her body contorted into an obscene posi
tion, down on the ground, curled over her stomach, arms and legs pulled in tight to her body, but rigid and bent. Yet, she continued to fight what held him. He remembered her telling Aiyanna just last night that each of them would lay down their life for the other.

  Aiden, got up, going to his witch, a sneer of triumph making his eyes squinty; more sinister. Aiyanna was on her side. He’d covered her in a blanket, from head to toe, but Xander could still see her form. Aiden went quickly to the witch, grabbing her arm and pulling her aside as he spoke to her. His voice was drowned out by the others, from both sides of this battle, emerging from where they’d hidden from the sinister light and fire show. The enemies circled each other, a primitive dance like a game of truth or dare, each showing the truth of their strength in their stance while daring the other to take them on.

  The lead asshole, Aiden, along with the witch, uncovered Aiyanna’s face and spoke quickly. But, he was interrupted by the tiny woman’s cry. Everything was. All he could do was hold his breath and watch, as the witch took hold of Aiyanna’s hair with one hand, flicking her wrist toward Aiden with the other. The Hawk-man cowered to the side like the witch had hit him with something. Xander knew only too well the force of her power, as he watched Aiden scream and squirm on the ground. He didn’t seem so tough now. Maybe that had been the witch’s intent, something strong and painful. He couldn’t say he felt bad for the guy.

  “Your father was a great man. He once did me a great kindness, one I never thought I’d get the chance to repay,” was all the witch said. Then she turned in the cave, scanning its occupants. Her boss, clenching his stomach, gurgling noises coming from his throat, the fact that he had no air stopping his terror filled cries of anguish. Aiden stood enough to stumble backwards. His eyes first on Selene, then on Aiyanna, he grasped at his throat. As his face turned red then bluish, his body morphed into his Hawk. For whatever reason, and who the hell cared at this point, Xander found it harder to watch the large Bird suffer.

  With cries like that of a strangled woman, the tiny witch shot white light from her fingertips, zapping and killing the man who’d been giving the orders. The same man he had seen her ritually fucking less than forty-eight hours ago, she was currently burning to a crisp in front of everyone. Then finally the Hawk died, its wings stopping their fluttering fight. People started to run again, but with deft precision, the witch shot at many who’d come to this cave to kill him and Aiyanna. One shifter he was sure perished on his way out of the cave in such a hurry. The drop from the cliff no one without wings could survive.

  Those left in the room started to clash again. He assumed this time it was more a fight of preservation, no more alliances, just the will of those few of Aiden’s shifters left hoping to live long enough to flee the cave. Even as fists hit bodies and bites were taken, some of those left in human form, some not, the special ops group herded the outsiders toward the mouth of the cave.

  When the last of that twisted coven was gone, leaving only the CIA standing, the witch’s body crumpled to the ground. In an instant, he was released, running to Aiyanna, taking her in his arms, daring anyone to stop him as he turned to the room.

  “We are all on the same side here now, man.” Brandon spoke as he went to Alexx. “The others are all gone in one way or another thanks to that dead witch. We lost a vampire though, off our side. He got caught in with one of the witch’s bolts of light when she was fighting the sorcerer.”

  “Is he okay?” Xander asked, turning his attention a brief moment to where the sorcerer who had fought for him and Aiyanna still laid.

  The man over him, a shifter himself, called to Alexx for help ensuring the sorcerer was still breathing.

  Xander let out a breath of relief as he looked over Aiyanna, covering her nakedness as he went. Kissing her face, his own tears fell, ones of relief, of connection; their bodies and Spirits coming together, meshing like the bolts of the dead witch’s lights, only making the world a more brilliant, more white place, much like the snow covering it.

  “I love you, Aiyanna,” Xander breathed into her ear. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

  “Neither do we, man.” Brandon spoke again, standing over Alexx who was already tending to the wounded sorcerer. “If tonight proves nothing else, it proves our team needs you, Xander, you and Aiyanna. We need more people to help us. Together we can be a stronger force against enemies like those we faced tonight. Rogue groups of shifters and fairies and witches and vampires are uniting each day with only mayhem in mind. We are all so glad you have both decided to join us.”

  “How are you here, man?” Xander finally asked, once he was satisfied that Aiyanna was fine. “You’re a vampire! The sun? Why are you not keeping us all warm as you burst into flames?”

  “Something Alexx and I have been working on, a spell that lets me and…” Brandon left off looking over to a spot on the floor where there was nothing, not even a trace of a vampire having been there. “Sorry… he will be missed. Anyway, the spell lets a vamp be in the sun without frying. For you, brother, we gave it a test run today.”

  “We can’t thank you all enough,” Aiyanna finally spoke. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “You would think it would get easier as much as we see of it, but it doesn’t and that is why we keep fighting as hard as we do, in hopes of granting this world a bit more peace each day.”

  Xander looked at Aiyanna, his gorgeous Mate, her dark curls in disarray around her face making her look even more fiercely beautiful. A moment’s panic of what could have been, what could have happened to her took his breath away, and he let it. Together they were stronger. Yet, she had a strength within her all her own, a Spirit as fierce and dangerous and determined as her Dragon. Still, he would protect her with his last breath, and felt lucky to now have others who would do the same for both of them.

  “You don’t even have to say it, babe. We’re alive. We’re together. And, we’re going where we are needed.” Aiyanna turned to Brandon then. “Do I have time to gather a few things and say goodbye to my people?”

  “Sure,” Brandon nodded as well. “We can meet you at the plane in a few hours. It’s a private government jet. It rules the skies.”

  “Help me get him up,” Alexx said to those around her, nodding her head toward the sorcerer who was thankfully moving again.

  Once the team was gone, he watched as Aiyanna went to the witch’s dead body. No one had disposed of her with their concern over the sorcerer. Letting her go even a few steps away from him was hard at the moment, like ripping off his own arm and giving it away, but he knew she needed to say whatever was on her heart.

  Kneeling by the witch, holding the blanket around her, she looked to Xander instead.

  “She knew my father. I didn’t need anyone to tell me he was a great man, but all these years after his death, it was nice to hear. She finally saved us to pay him back. I mean I knew of her, but there was something else about her that called to me. I just didn’t know what it was. I guess now I can see her younger, see her on the reservation. Such a waste of a life, of gifts.”

  Xander went to her as her tears fell.

  “This is why we have to work with the special ops group. We can’t let this continue to happen.”

  “I know, and we are going. But, we better get a move on if you want to say a proper goodbye to your people.”

  “First, I want to take a proper moment, to say a proper good morning – well, good day now – to my Mate.”

  Aiyanna took his face in her hands, pulling his mouth to hers, a crushing kiss letting him know how alive she was. She pushed against his body with her own. Her blanket having fallen away, she moved so she was naked on top of him. Her soft pussy lips gave way to the hardness of his erection. The wetness between her thighs, rubbed over his cock, bathing the ache he felt, massaging his desire with the proof of her hot passion.

  She moved her mouth to his neck, her kisses more bites, making the animals in him growl, want for dominance, but she overpo
wered them with the fierceness of her own needs, the power in her letting her hands bind his wrists to the ground over his head. Xander gave into it, the holding back igniting a juxtaposition to supremacy, just as powerful a high, within him.

  It was a blessed miracle too, he found, as she sat up, crawled over him still on her knees, until she had her center, her sex, open in invitation, above his face. A sexy circle of her hips was all he could take, although he wanted to stare at the beauty of her dark, glistening folds forever. Letting his tongue move in between them, taking in the scent of her, the taste of her, both spicy and sweet, both completely woman.

  Above him she writhed as his tongue darted inside her, flicked over her clit, lapped at her folds. Her ecstasy shot through him, building upon his own, the sudden feeling of being able to move mountains if she was near bringing his hands up to her thighs, lifting her above him until he could slide his tongue to rim her ass.

  With his strength at an all time high, he turned her, setting her down in a straddle over his chest and moving her down to his cock. With a lift of her hips now, he settled her over his erection. Her inner walls immediately gripped him tight. Grabbing her ass, which was a beautiful sight facing him, he took her juices, used them to slide a finger easily into her ass. Her body jerked, a turbulent motion, revving his own engines to high-speed. As she shattered around him, he exploded into her.

  They made their own earthquake shake the cave, one that rattled everything in their wake. Still trembling, still feeling aftershocks of their dual orgasms, he lifted her, turned her again, placed her back on the blanket. He fell onto her, wrapped his arms around her full curves, pulled her softness into his hard body, With limbs in a tangle, he rolled them, kissing her, claiming her again.