by Alice Wade
“True, but what you described dictates he has already given them enough.” She challenged. “I was thinking to bring Faelwen and her four strongest warriors. She has honed her skills to be able to manipulate the environment, like you.” Cuilwen walked slowly around the path wrapping the pond, careful to not linger near their favorite spot. “Helinion brings with him the mastery and skills of many weapons. He has developed the ability to manipulate metal and minerals. He has four men under him.”
Talon followed behind and just let her talk. “Rodwen can control the elements,” she looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Brilliantly too. He has six men who follow him now.”
“Impressive,” Talon replied, realizing she wasn’t through rattling off names.
“Nethlhindomien has the largest troop. He now commands fifteen warriors of varying skills and mastery. I’m not thrilled with all, but together they are almost unstoppable.” She paused, “Not to mention he hails from the Oystercatcher clan and is demanding to be involved. He arrived this afternoon.”
That explains the change in attention to reaching an agreement, Talon commented to himself. “That makes too many warriors, unless,” he jogged to catch up to her, “unless my father agrees to send them all. In that case, we would be more than equipped to locate the missing elf.”
“Hmm. True.” Cuilwen finally felt once more in control of her emotions, turning to finally face him, “I’m inclined to bring them all. I don’t know which ones to leave out of this.”
“Then don’t.” He smiled and matched her pace as they both continued their stroll.
She bumped him, sending him skidding to the side. “I won’t.”
* * * *
Just as the last dish was removed from their table in the garden, Talon finally allowed himself to feel hope. He looked around the table at his guests, meeting each of their eyes and returning their excited stares with one of pride. Cuilwen had selected well for he found not one thing to criticism about any one of them.
“Now,” he turned to Cuilwen and whispered, “Get my father to agree and we’ll leave immediately.”
“In time, my friend,” she replied just as she caught the eyes of Nethlhindornien watching them closely and smiled. Her soft brown eyes rose to meet Talon’s cold blue ones, “It’s a matter of patience. Nethlhindornien here wants to leave as quickly as you, but we must let Daerwen think he came up with the idea. Patience.”
Talon made a sound in his throat close to a snarl, dipping his head in agreement. “I know. It’s just frustrating. I want to do something, not just sit around enjoying the night when Kailani is in distress.”
No sooner had Talon said those words when a fuzzy sensation clouded his mind. He lurched forward, leaning on the table sending dishes flying in all directions. He finally collapsed with his face pressed flat on the table.
“Talon!” Cuilwen screamed out loud while she leaned over his back, trying to see his face. A growing panic destroyed her inner calm as she frantically tried to roll him over.
He didn’t hear her. He only felt searing pain and despair as it ripped through his soul and shattered his mind. Kailani was in mortal distress and he felt every blow, every pinch of that pain. She thought him dead and was contemplating dying herself to end her suffering.
He reached out and tried to stretch his essence through their bond to comfort her, but met only resistance. This was clearly a one-way connection and overwhelmed him. He ushered a moan, feeling the despair continue to roll through his mind, battering as his ability to comprehend anything but her pain.
“Talon!” Cuilwen continued to scream, struggling to turn him over, leaving his arms sprawled out on the table to either side.
“Kailani!” He screamed in his head. “I’m alive!”
Nothing.
New warmth seeped into his mind just then, easing the pain to a mere throb. Talon whimpered softly until he could move.
“Talon, answer me!” He registered Cuilwen’s voice but remained single-mindedly focused on the emotions transmitted through the link. He realized what this warmth was and knew that Kai was now feeding. Kailani was feeding and he felt it! How could this be? He was in a completely different plane and he was feeling her through their bond!
Wait. Talon snarled a vicious sound as the reality of the situation birthed in his awareness. If she was feeding, she’d…he didn’t want to think about what she’d need to do after. He slapped his palm down hard on the table, causing more glasses to jump and topple over sending the wine to splash across the covered surface.
“Prince Talon, answer me now!” Cuilwen hollered, slapping his cheek to snap him out of his stupor. “Answer me now!” The sound of another slap sounded in the garden as she continued to deliver stinging slaps to his cheek, trying desperately to get a response.
He was lost within his turbulent thoughts. The panic had turned to blinding jealously at the thought of his mate feeding without him. A sting jolted him enough to send him mentally reeling but not enough to shatter the fixation. When it stung him again, he cursed silently for the second one hurt. Mentally, he shoved the sensation away focusing on what his mate could be doing at this moment when the next sting jostled him with enough force to snap him out of it.
He finally blinked, “Stop slapping me,” he whispered.
“Then answer me,” she hissed. “What just happened?” Her tone sounded demanding and firm.
“My mate is desperate, that is what happened.” He slowly sat up and rubbed his face in his long fingered hands, trying to scrub feeling back into his skin. He still felt the sting from where Cuilwen slapped him. “She was just thinking about killing herself because she thinks me dead.” He was helpless in this moment and all he wanted to do was return to Kai. “I have to get home.”
* * * *
The occupants within the inn were up and moving when Warwick and Igor arrived midmorning. They cloaked themselves in shadows and waited, watching the passersby to see who was coming and going. So far, it was only occupants leaving for their day at the market, with very few returning. This was good for it meant the building was fairly empty.
Warwick watched one window in particular closely, looking for any sign that the woman inside was awake. The scar recently received on his face twitched as he thought he saw movement.
Igor noticed his partner’s attention wasn’t on counting the departing occupants. “Who is in that window, Warwick?” Igor asked. He ducked quickly when a woman walked too close to their secluded location but she just sauntered by without seeing them. Igor chuckled, realizing they were cloaked. He relaxed and looked back down at Warwick. The intensity in which Warwick continued to stare at the building got his attention and he sobered immediately.
“The one whom we seek.” Those words burned coming out. He had chosen Igor because he wasn’t intelligent in the least bit. He specifically told the lower ranking vampire very little about this assignment for he had no intentions of letting him complete it. “Take out the ward.”
Igor turned to look at the hunched down vampire with confusion. “What?”
“Take it out,” Warwick barked. “Be ready.”
“But, I thought I was to keep it in my vest?” Stupefied by the order, Igor kept looking at Warwick while he touched his chest where the disc lay concealed.
“Take it out,” Warwick said with deadly calm. “Be ready,” he repeated.
“I am ready,” he snapped in annoyance but complied by reaching into his vest. The moment the disc was visible, Warwick struck.
Igor didn’t know what hit him. The force from the larger vampire suddenly knocking into him, stunned him for a split second. He didn’t have time to think about it. Warwick had him in a headlock. Igor’s carotid artery was choked, blocking the blood flow to his brain and knocking him senseless in seconds.
Warwick caught Igor’s body as he cru
mpled towards the ground and cradled him so he would not be injured. He didn’t intend to actually hurt the man, just didn’t want him entering that building. Warwick sighed. He finished laying out Igor and sketched a glyph that burned a brilliant red. It quickly faded covering Igor with a heavy shield of concealment. That would keep him safe until he returned.
“Stay safe, my friend. This job is mine, not yours—so rest.” He patted Igor’s face before looking out into the front yard of the inn. No one had heard the commotion, but it didn’t hurt to look around anyway. In both directions, the way was clear, with most of the occupants already departed for the market. He remembered that damn dog and reached out with his senses, feeling the beast sound asleep in his dog house off to the right, so he could hopefully make it across the yard without detection.
“Now for the fun stuff.” He reached down and collected the disc from Igor’s relaxed hand, amazed he’d not dropped it when he passed out. He tucked it under his jerkin before standing up to his full height.
Warwick allowed his vampire essence to come to the surface, turning him from a stout looking man to a sinister killer in a matter of moments. His eyes burned amber yellow, flaring with a light that announced his menace and his nails extended to razor sharp points.
He ruffled his short ash colored hair before scrubbing his goatee and scar to try and shake off his nerves. This was it. After 150 years, he’d finally found his chance to get at Kai again. Casting another look down at Igor, Warwick stepped forth and crossed the wards. Immediately he felt a tingling along his skin that sent the hair over his entire body to stand on end. Within moments, magic enveloped him as it swarmed over his muscular frame.
He halted his steps and counted to ten while the sensation raced across his body and encountered the disc. When the magic of the ward touched it, the sensation was like a draft blew the dangerous electricity away from him and rustled his hair. One moment he was consumed with the dangerous magic, and the next it was just…gone. Warwick chuckled in relief and looked down at his body in amazement and disbelief. He checked body parts, making sure nothing was damaged, “I beat you Talon. I’m across your damn tricks.” He whispered, “I finally beat you.”
Inside the building, Kailani whimpered in her sleep. On some level, she felt the breach and shuddered. It had been hours since she fed from Omar and still felt the insistent sexual desires simmering under the surface, but she rolled over and ignored it. She wasn’t ready to stray from her mate just yet, even if he was dead.
That pressure on her mind continued until she was finally awake and staring at the wall of her room. Kailani stifled the sob that threatened to escape, choosing to inhale instead to catch her breath and froze. The scent that filled her nose wasn’t right and put her immediately on alert.
“Dace!” She half-yelled and half-hissed. “Dace!”
Her panic rose as she flew off the bed. She crawled over the fallen blankets that she’d kicked off when she exploded from sleep and frantically tried to locate something to dress in. After discarding three large shirts belonging to Talon, she gave up. Slipping one of them over her head she let the shirt fall below her knees.
Dace crashed through the door ready to defend her and found Kailani crouched near the window scenting the air in a purely animalistic and feral fashion, fangs dropped. When her molten eyes met his, Dace instinctively took a step back. “Someone has breached the wards.”
“Impossible. Talon set those himself.” He was amazed at the power and life she suddenly presented. The change was slightly unnerving for hours before she was ready to die.
“Someone has breached the wards,” she said again annoyed that he was just staring at her. “Protect Lainey, you idiot!”
“What about you?” His loyalties were torn as he thought of the woman asleep in their bed and turned to look at the crouching vampire near the window.
“I don’t care about me anymore. She, on the other hand, deserves to live. Go!” she ordered, then snarled towards him sending him stumbling backwards from the room. He’d never seen her in full form. It was just a little frightening.
Kailani sensed the intruder now, on the stairs. He was making his way directly towards their room slowly, so she knew they’d been found. She looked frantically around the room. Her eyes settled on Talon’s bow resting against the wall. She searched under the dresser and chairs for the arrows that she knew had to be somewhere nearby, as Talon never kept the two separated in the event he needed to use it.
“Where are they?” She growled, “Where the bugger are they?” She found the arrows in the closet, buried under a few of Talon’s pants. She quickly notched one bolt into the weapon and crouched towards the door, point aimed at heart level of whoever was breaking into their home.
Dace was in the main room with a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. His position protectively guarded Lainey who was now up and just inside the door peering out. The room was silent except for their heavy breathing. When Lainey met Kailani’s eyes, she froze. Kailani was a killer stalking her prey and there wasn’t much humanity left in her at the moment.
“Stay back.” Kailani’s voice snarled in Lainey’s head.
Lainey nodded and leaned back into the bedroom, out of sight.
“Who is it?” Dace asked.
“Warwick. I can smell him now.” She sniffed loudly to catch his excited scent again, turning to look at Dace, “I never thought Kaen would send his favorite knowing he’d be slaughtered if caught.”
“Hmm.” So Kaen was making an attempt on his woman. In Dace’s mind a cold fire smoldered, because that didn’t sit well with him. He returned his eyes to watch the door, trembling with fury as he waited for the vampire to enter their room.
“He will come for me first. He knows I’m the threat, so pay attention. Strike when his attention is on me.” She eyed the sword he carried, smelled Talon’s magic on it, and grinned. That just gave Dace a chance. “You still carry Talon’s weapon. Good. That is the only weapon which will kill him.”
Dace looked at her in horror. “You can’t be serious. You’re going to bait him aren’t you?”
“Just pay attention. I don’t have time for this.” Kailani then hissed as the doorknob turned and ever so slightly the door pushed open.
* * * *
Warwick knew she was there even before he opened the door. He could sense her through the walls and shook with restrained need to claim her—his obsession that strong. He would not be thwarted this time and knew his chance of success was now or never for Talon wasn’t on the premises. The more he stepped into the room, the more he could feel the his need for her pulse in his veins. It really was all consuming. He forced himself to take a few deep breaths before continuing his search. She was too near and the calming deep breaths only sucked in more of her scent, making his need worse, not better.
“Nice to see you again, Warwick. Come to finish what you started so long ago?” Kailani implied her interrupted rape that had sent him fleeing from their coven.
His lip curled in a snarl as he entered and stood before her at his full height. She was impressive, in perfect form with Talon’s bow pointed straight at his heart. Oh, Warwick knew those arrows were tainted with more of Talon’s magic and hoped she’d not become a better marksman since he last saw her.
“Miss me Kai?” Dace was all but forgotten at the moment as the vampire focused unerringly on Kailani, just as she’d predicted.
“Can’t say that I have. You’ve left quite the foul taste in my mouth. I’m still waiting for it to be washed out.”
“Tsk, such mean words from such a beautiful woman. Really Kai, where are your manners?” He took a step forward and balanced on his front foot, ready to whirl away if she released that arrow.
“What are you doing here?” He hadn’t changed a bit since she last saw him. With the exception of the nasty scar that marred his ch
eek from Talon’s blade, he was the same.
He looked around and finally saw Dace on defense. He pinned the human with his amber stare. His smoldering eyes didn’t leave Dace’s face.”You’re next.” He then returned to Kailani, smiling. “Since Talon is not here, I thought I would drop in for a visit. How have you been?” he asked conversationally as he moved closer, tilting his head towards Dace. “I see you have new friends?”
“Yes, we’ve upped our standards a bit. Sorry.”
“No offense taken, my dear.” Warwick watched Dace out of the corner of his eye as he moved closer yet again. He noted the elven blade in his hand and made a mental note to be careful. He once more balanced on his front foot to respond to any attack. The human had not moved an inch, not even a quiver, impressive.
“If I cared to offend you, I’d be hurt.” She bantered dangerously back, pulling the string tighter causing an eerie creaking sound as Warwick approached. The tip of the arrow never left his heart.
Once Warwick was in the center of the room he stopped. Dace was to his left, Kailani directly before him but blocked by a couch and two smaller tables. He’d need to time this right or she’d skewer him with that arrow.
With the speed only a vampire could pull off and with stolen spells he claimed from their ‘elven guest’, Warwick released a powerful spell. The power sent a shock wave out and through the room, pushing the furniture to either side clearing a path straight to Kailani.
When it connected with her, Kailani’s hand slipped from the arrow and the bolt sailed through the room, lodging into the molding along the ceiling above Warwick’s head. This eliminated her one weapon, because she’d been thrown from the pile of arrows that was previously at her feet.
Dace slammed back into the wall, momentarily stunning him. He shook his head to clear the fog before he gathered himself back up and hurriedly looked around for Kailani. She was similarly stunned and recovering as the force of the blast was directed at her. Their eyes met over the rubble of the room and he caught the slight inclination of gaze which had Dace moving quickly to the side. When he did a dagger whizzed past his ear to embed into the wall where his head previously was.