Summoned (Black Sorcery Trilogy Book 2)

by Lisa E Parry

  He stood up from beside the fire and strode over to me. “I won’t. I swear I won’t.” I slapped him square in the face. “For God’s sake, Melissa! I thought we were past the smacking!”

  “Think again,” I raised my hand, but he caught it and yanked me to him. He still managed to intimidate me when he towered over me like that. We were practically nose to nose.

  “When I was Cheri’s lackey I did exactly as I was told because of my oath, no questions asked. I had an opinion, sure, but that was as far as it went. To Cheri I was disposable meat if needs be. She never implied it, but I knew.” He lowered my hand, “But I didn’t want to protect her like I do you. I have the choice of taking action to save you, even if you don’t like it. I know I’m not disposable to you; I have never been that important to anyone. Someone with so much love and acceptance in their heart should not be taken from the world. You are a precious thing. What would the world be without you? What would my world be without you? It doesn’t bear thinking about. I go crazy when I think about it.”

  I stared at him. There were even tears lining those glassy grey eyes. To think I used to call him ‘the machine’ before I knew him. While working for Cheri, he’d had all that locked up inside him. He’d felt worthless.

  What could I possibly say to all that? I responded by lacing my fingers behind his neck and pulling him down to my lips. He circled my waist with his hands and held onto me as though I might blow away on the wind. Just as we were getting handsy and our kiss more intense he fumbled with the back of my dress only to find it heavily laced up.

  “Forget it,” I said in a haggard breath, running my hands through his hair. Either way, his chainmail, sword and daggers came off to reveal a light linen shirt tucked into brown breaches. He tried to undo my dress again, but finally yielded.

  “Damn these old-fashioned clothes,” he growled.

  “Yeah, I’m beginning to think they’re flawed,” I giggled. Dorian sat with his back against the stones, and I snuggled into him as we watched the food cook.

  It was midday by the time the others joined us. I was shocked to see Warwick had been thrown over his horse’s back. I ran to his side and touched his face. He looked ashen, his eyes sunken into his head. He was unconscious.

  The others laid him down on the floor and I felt incredibly guilty for not saving the blood from the deer for him. Why didn’t I think?

  After a quick embrace with Dorian, Aidan asked, “Where did you find the deer?”

  “Dargon.”

  Cheri stepped forwards and looked Dorian over. “You are unhurt?”

  “Yes, and save the third degree. I’ve had it off Melissa already, along with a good slapping.” Cheri looked appeased at that. “I have information,” Dorian added. My head snapped to attention.

  “You didn’t tell me,” I complained. What else hasn’t he told me?

  “I didn’t want to have to reiterate it all when everyone joined us,” he explained. I bit back an angry retort.

  “What did you learn?” Aidan asked intently.

  “Anarch’s army is mounting at his castle. He has creatures, humans and shades amongst them.”

  “Shades? Impossible. They haven’t been seen for over a hundred years. Are you sure you heard correctly?” Adhelm asked, pulling at his long white beard. Aidan agreed with him.

  “He has a small army of them.” Dorian pushed a hand through his hair. He looked uneasy, then cleared his throat. “One visited Etheldreda whilst I was there.” Shocked silence froze the king and his sorcerer. “It is very … unpleasant to be in the presence of one.”

  “What’s a shade?” I asked, not entirely sure I wanted to know. The way Aidan and Adhelm reacted made my stomach churn.

  “They are dark elves,” Adhelm broke the oppressive silence. “Elves who have given their souls over to black magic.” I swallowed. Oh God. Regular elves looked beautiful and entrancing while giving off an aura of nobility and purity. What vibes would a dark elf with black magic emanate? I shuddered at the thought.

  “Are they mentally unstable?” I asked. “What black magic do they know?” That earned me troubled looks from a few people. I supposed I reminded them of what was harbouring inside me - what I had been forced to become. For a moment, I thought I saw black shadows dance across my vision. A blink and they were gone.

  “Battle magic, naturally,” Adhelm answered.

  “Okay, that’s not good. So, we could be facing an army of elves who have the ability to turn us to mud, should it take their fancy?” I noticed Cheri visibly cringe. Viola had informed me that she met Cheri by saving her life doing just that. It entailed breaking down a person’s genetics.

  To those with clueless faces I went on. “Do you remember us telling you we can undo a person’s genes by sensing their magical residue? It can be broken down.” All faces before me paled.

  Chapter 15

  Dorian meticulously recounted any strategic plans he had overheard whilst in captivity. It helped a little, but none of it answered the one infuriating question that so vexed me. What were Anarch’s intentions with me? While I ate up the features of my warrior’s face and committed them to memory yet again, I toyed with my filigree bracelet. What does he want with me? A million scenarios flew through my head. None of them was good. Of course they wouldn’t be good …

  I averted my eyes whilst Neil hacked the deer to pieces, then we ate in a sombre silence. While Dorian’s information was useful, we could only speculate how much of it was real. The possibility of them having fed Dorian with false information plagued us with doubt.

  We journeyed on in pensive silence. I glanced sideways at Cheri. The crease of her brow told me her mind was working overtime. I gripped Daisy’s reins and decided to question Cheri later. Meanwhile, I squinted towards the horizon - our destination lay ahead. The rocky outcrops of the plains petered out and blended into the brown and green landscape. It was almost like a large basin bordered distantly by mountains that a glacier had cut through and smoothed out over millennia. With assurances from Aidan that we would find safe lodgings - the queen of the small nation was an ally of his - we made for the stronghold. Our primary objective was to win over the ruler to our cause.

  Travelling south, the temperature had noticeably risen. We had paused at the merciful sound of running water and made directly for it. A babbling brook cut through a shallow rocky ridge. The horses drank thirstily, and we refilled our skins with water. That’s when I discovered that Dorian had not made it through his ordeal unscathed.

  Dorian removed his shirt in a stiff, jerky motion - raising my suspicions - and splashed water over his back. Normally I would have relished the sight - but his back was a patchwork of welts, bruises and shallow scrapes. I was by his side in an instant. “Why didn’t you tell me about those?” I demanded with concern, and gently touched his back. An ugly black bruise disfigured his beautiful phoenix tattoo and I ached for him.

  “I suppose when I saw you, I forgot all about them.” How could he possibly forget wounds like that? I wanted to weep. What had that woman done to him? A hatred, deep down, began to pool in my stomach. Breathing became shallow as anger rocketed through me like a lightning strike. Dark shadows flitted across my vision and I tried to blink them away. I took a step back when I realised what was happening. Power thrummed through me with a wicked delight of darkness that harboured a great intent for retribution. Vengeance, you need vengeance for this …

  “Melissa …?” Dorian slowly rose from the ground and watched me as though I were a predator.

  “Don’t come near me!” I had to wait for it pass. I closed my eyes and jerked my head to try and shove those sentiments aside. Darkness clawed at my insides and fed on my anger. That darkness … It had reared its ugly head. Calm ...

  I took a ragged breath and clutched at my skirts. “What did she do?” I asked in a small voice, my eyes averted to the floor.

  Cautious, stony eyes regarded me carefully. Through his guarded expression, I could see him con
sidering his next words – as though choosing the incorrect ones would set off a bomb. Maybe they would. He opened his mouth to speak then shut it again. He glanced surreptitiously behind me and I followed his fleeting look. Our group had gathered behind me.

  “Turn,” I ordered.

  “I …”

  “Turn,” I ordered again. Turning one’s back on a sorceress with great power, who was a little unhinged, would take a great deal of trust. A sigh of relief escaped me when he revealed his back to me. I had to release that dam of power in some shape or form before it ate me up. Taking a deep breath, I released it over his wounds, the air cooling as I blew. Dorian groaned at the cooling sensation. Hovering my hands over him, I healed what I saw and then sent the magic coursing through his body to find anything out of view.

  Dorian’s breathing became easier, “Thank you.”

  Crisis averted, I heard a moan behind me. I beheld Adhelm hovering a dead duck over Warwick’s face. Blood dripped from the bird into his mouth and he roused a little. I gave Dorian’s shoulder a squeeze and joined the sorcerer and vampire. Our group parted a little as I drew near, and I decided to ignore its implications.

  On closer inspection, I was shocked to see Warwick’s skin had begun cracking and now took on an unearthly hue of blue. “Is he going to be okay?” I asked in a shaky voice, but Adhelm had no answer. “How far are we from the citadel?”

  “We should be there by tomorrow nightfall.” Blue eyes met mine. “It will be a struggle for him.” The old man threw the duck aside only to pick up another. He looked seriously at me, white eyebrows furrowing together. “The following night is the full moon. Do you have a plan?”

  Like I needed reminding. His words left my heart heavy and a ball of ice sank into my stomach as it fluttered with nerves. I broke away from that crystalline blue gaze and let my eyes sweep over the landscape. The sun-bathed fields of long grass swayed in rippling, colour-changing waves as a breeze descended upon it. Shadows of clouds ghosted over the plains and unknown birds screeched in the sky above us. Did I have a plan? Of course not.

  “I’ll just have to fight against him when I can. The moment I fulfil our bargain I will turn on him. I’m sure he knows it and I’m positive he knows how to deal with me - but I have to try.” I also thought that Oliver would be a constant presence, but where was he? “Have you seen Oliver?”

  “I’m afraid not. He needs to be alone, I think.”

  “Right,” I solemnly nodded, remembering our last encounter. Being a ghost must be difficult. Getting hung up over it was understandable. Maybe he was missing the House of Haunting and having a place in the world …

  “More!” Warwick startled us both. His eyes opened, and those beautiful green eyes caught sight of me hovering over him. He gripped my sleeve, “Please help me!”

  “I can’t. I don’t have anything for you. I’m sorry.” Could he manage until tomorrow night? I looked at him in his current state and realised I hoped in vain. Shit, possibly not. I saw desperation cloud his eyes just before he closed them and lay back down. I worried desperately for him. What if he doesn’t make it? Biting my lip at the prospect, I knew I would help him anyway I could.

  “Leave me!” He whispered harshly and snatched the duck from Adhelm’s hands to suck it dry. The display made me wince.

  I backed off. “What’s wrong? What did I do?” I asked no one in particular. I looked from Warwick to Adhelm for an answer. Warwick looked murderously at me then scrambled across the floor away from me. Dorian was at my side in an instant. Warwick threw the carcass away and pressed his hands against his ears.

  “It’s your heartbeat,” Dorian whispered from behind me, his breath weaving through my hair. “You need to stay away from him until your heartbeat returns to normal.” I leaned into Dorian’s arms feeling protected and he steered me away. A fast heartbeat was far too enticing for a vampire. They liked to play with their food so human heartbeats would quicken from fear. They thrived on it.

  I touched my neck where Dorian’s breath had caressed it a moment ago, with a developing thought. Adhelm’s head snapped up to look at me and he shook his head slowly. That was the second time he may have read my mind, but I ignored him. I have made up my mind.

  Throughout the day, Warwick’s condition rapidly deteriorated and by nightfall he had become violent. Dorian and Aidan knocked him unconscious and loosely tied him to a tree. If he became too enraged, he would use his magic against us. Considering his thorough training in battle magic, the consequences could be dire.

  It was pitch black and the steady rumble of snoring filled the air. Neil was currently on watch and Warwick lay slumped on the floor under the dead tree that looked like a gnarled hand reaching for the starry sky. I had curled into a ball and waited for everyone to fall asleep in order to carry out my plan. Cheri was the last for her breathing to become even. I had done worse things in my time so this would be easy. All I had to do was open a vein - my own vein. It would save his life.

  With a cautious glance at Neil’s back, I gently peeled off my blankets and began crawling across the dirt to my friend. I cursed under my breath as my dress made crawling nigh on impossible. God, I miss my jeans! It was also difficult to see where I was going with cloud cover beginning to obscure the moonlight. Sharp twigs pricked my fingers and stones grazed my hands. I only had the dying firelight behind me to see by, but that was fading and behind me so it shadowed the way ahead. Bloody unhelpful thing!

  Finally, after a god-damned eternity, I made it to Warwick. If I had told anyone what I was going to do, they probably would have tied me to a tree as well. Warwick and I had gone through too much together. I couldn’t lose him. I grabbed his shoulder and shook him gently. No response. I tried again a bit harder, but he still didn’t rouse. Panic began to set in, so I rolled him over onto his back, shook both his shoulders then slapped him in the face as I became frantic. Don’t be gone, don’t be gone! I screamed into his head. Dread that he wouldn’t last the night constricted my throat. I slapped him again and birds broke into flight in response. Neil cast a glance my way so I threw myself down beside Warwick’s body. I peeked over Warwick to find our sentry had turned his back once again.

  Half crawling over Warwick’s chest, I laced my hands through his unruly hair and repeatedly struck his head against the floor. I knew it was bad, but hey, it wouldn’t kill him. He tried weakly to push me off then opened his eyes. They widened when he saw I was lying on top of him. Instant relief flooded through me and I held a finger to my lips to keep him quiet.

  Looking around again to make sure I hadn’t alerted anyone, I brushed my hair away from my neck and lowered myself down to his mouth. My heart raced at the prospect of a vampire feeding from me and the attack at the nightclub came crashing back. My breathing quickened, but Warwick tried pushing me away. I pulled back and angrily mouthed, “What?”

  Warwick looked appalled and glanced around. It told him I was doing this without anyone’s knowledge. “Not you,” he mouthed back.

  I smacked his face to get this over with and whispered into his ear, “Yes me, I am all you’ve got. I know you won’t kill me so do it!” I pulled back again, and his eyes slowly made their way down to my neck. His face gave way to untamed hunger and he desperately tried to lift his head, but he was too weak. I bent down and felt his lips on my neck then they parted, and his fangs scraped the skin before they sank in. I suppressed a groan at the pain, but when he began drinking it actually felt magnificent. Warmth coursed through my body and my rapid heartbeat made it easy for him to suck in a mouthful at a time. I slumped and sighed.

  He became stronger by the second. He grabbed me by my arms and rolled me onto my back as he couched over me then slid a hand under my back and lifted my upper body up to him. It felt so good, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders to try and get closer to him.

  I noticed my heart was slowing down; he was taking too much. My arms fell away, my head lolled back. He wasn’t stopping. No. He’s not supposed to kill
me, he’s my friend. I reached for power only to find it was far too distant.

  Suddenly he was wrenched off me and my throat tore. My scream turned into a gurgle as blood filled my throat.

  “Cheri! Heal her quickly!” I heard Dorian shout. Through a mist I saw Dorian throw Warwick back against the tree he was pathetically tied to and his sword coursed an arc through the air before making a killing blow. Warwick ducked with lightning speed. Instead of taking off the vampire’s head, his sword cut into the tree and he had to yank it free.

  Warwick used magic to free his binds, “I will not fight you. I wasn’t going to kill her! She came to me!” He growled and nervously glanced at me on the floor. “You did more damage yanking me off of her!”

  “Stay back!” Dorian yelled, now with Aidan and Neil flanking him, both with swords drawn. Cheri began healing me before I passed out.

  “Stop!” I gurgled.

  “Shush, you stupid girl,” Cheri admonished and my anger began to rise. After a few more seconds I felt the wound at my neck knit together. I pushed Cheri off me and stood up. I drew in a little energy to help keep me standing.

  Placing myself in front of Warwick, I stared the three men down. “Stop this ridiculous act now! It was my idea, I went to him! He wouldn’t have made it through the night and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let anyone die - especially if it’s within my power to help.” I stared straight at Dorian, “Whatever the method may be.”

  “He was killing you,” Dorian said incredulously, clearly wanting Warwick’s head on a pike. Of course, he would have felt my strong emotions through our connection.

  I swayed, too weak to hold onto magic, and spots danced in my vision. Warwick steadied me from behind, “I’m pretty sure I’m gonna faint now, but if I find Warwick dead when I wake up then whoever did it will have their balls wrenched…” I passed out before I could finish my creative threat.