“Thanks, guys. I’ve never really looked at it like that. It’s so much easier to be self-critical than it is to be critical of others.”
“Oh really? Doesn’t seem to stop you with me,” Declan bit out and Sasha shot him a cheeky grin.
“You must bring out my bitchy side.”
“I’ll take any side you’ll give me, my heart,” Declan said, and Sasha felt heat lance through her, just before the sky exploded above them.
“Attack!” Bianca shrieked.
Chapter Thirty-four
The Domnua dropped from the sky in hordes, riding winged beasts from mythological tales that caused Sasha’s heart to skip a beat. Those sitting by the fire were separated instantly in a blur of silvery fae and Sasha screamed as she found herself launching into the air, thrown over the back of one of the beasts and being flown to the tower.
She twisted, trying to throw herself free before they enclosed her in the lighthouse, but the grip on her arm was so strong that she felt her shoulder begin to wrench out of the socket. Crying out in pain, she stopped struggling and dropped her head, assessing every detail and every movement as she waited for what would come next.
They’d entered the top room of the old lighthouse, where the wind whipped fiercely through the cracks in the stone and the walls were damp with ocean spray. Tossing Sasha on the floor, the Domnua stood above her and commenced to argue long and low, though Sasha caught a few words.
“Goddess Domnu says to take her alive,” one of the Domnua argued, while the other two paced. Sasha barely moved, her eyes tracking them, as she inched her hand closer to where she hopped the dagger was still at her waist.
“But if we kill her, the curse is done. There is no other Seeker for the sword. We’ll be heroes!” another hissed, this one long and lean and snakelike as he slipped across the floor, tossing evil looks her way.
Sasha almost let out an exclamation of happiness when her hand found the hilt of her dagger. It hadn’t fallen in the flight to the tower. Her necklace remained on, humming warmth through her core, and she ordered herself to think, pausing to assess the situation as a warrior would.
The Domnua were clearly dismissing her as any threat; they often turned their backs on her as they paced and argued. She could take the one on the left out quickly, before he had a chance to turn, but the other two were wild cards. However, if she charged up her dagger with some of that newfound magickal fire power – maybe, just maybe, she could get to the other two quickly enough. Reminding herself of the fae’s unnatural speed, she shifted just a bit so that she was able to bring herself to a squat, but kept herself in a ball as though she was still huddled and scared.
When the one closest to her turned his back to argue some more, she launched herself up, her dagger spearing through his back directly where his heart was. As silvery liquid rained everywhere, before the other two fae had time to react, Sasha called upon the heat in her core to lash out with a bolt of fire so bright it made her cry out in surprise as she obliterated the other two in one fell swoop.
But not before she felt a lance of pain in her side. Looking down, she saw that one of them – the snake-like one – had managed to slice her with his dagger.
“Damn it,” Sasha swore. Without thinking she pulled her shirt off and wrapped it tightly around her midsection, doing her best to stop the flow of blood. It looked like a fairly minor wound, but with fae magick in play, she had no idea what the outcome of such an injury might be.
Hearing shouts from outside, she raced to one of the open slots in the stone and pressed an eye to it to try and see. Unlike a traditional lighthouse, the windows were mere inches-wide openings in the stone, which Sasha imagined was to keep the flame of the fire going and protect it from the wind. But for now, it only provided annoyance as she tried to see what was happening far below her at the ruin.
The darkness was too impenetrable for her to see much other than flashes of purple and silver, but the purple glow made her feel better. The Danula had arrived and they were not alone down there. Now all she had to do was find a way out of this lighthouse. Sasha paused for a moment and looked at her dagger, considering if she could use the magick through the window. But since she couldn’t get a good read on what she was aiming at, she decided it was best not to. The last thing she needed to do was injure or kill one of her friends.
Her friends. The ones who were risking her lives for her. Because they thought she was worth it. That thought alone filled her with a love and a hope for the future that she hadn’t felt in a very long time.
Sasha trailed her hand along the cool stone, circling in the darkness, trying to find a doorway out. There had to be a way out. Someone needed to climb the tower and light the flame, right?
She paused and looked toward the structure she could see just dimly in the middle of the room. Crossing to the structure she felt around almost blindly until she felt some sort of papery material, almost braided. Maybe a rope? Unsure of herself, but deciding to trust her instincts, she stepped back and aimed her dagger at it. She briefly wondered if her fire power would work when there was no immediate danger, but then pushed the thought away and summoned the same feeling in her core. In seconds, fire shot from her blade and ignited what indeed looked like a wick. The fire sputtered for a moment and then took life, filling the room with enough of a glow that Sasha could finally get her bearings.
“You know what? This is a very useful tool,” Sasha said, looking down at her little dagger before studying the room around her.
She almost shouted in joy when she saw the door. Then she cursed again when she found it to be made of metal, and long since rusted over. The hinges, the lock, and the door itself were so covered with rust and salt that it had warped to the point of being unable to budge. Not matter how many times Sasha threw her weight against it, she was stuck.
Briefly considering whether she could blast through it with her fire power, she decided against that. She had no idea what was on the other side and if one of her friends saw the light in the tower and tried to rescue her, she’d damn near take their head off.
Resigning herself to waiting, she went back to the window, wrapped the blanket around her and pressed a hand to her wound while the battle raged below.
And prayed to the Goddess Danu that none would be hurt this evening.
Chapter Thirty-five
Declan whirled, mad with terror for Sasha, as he drove his sword through yet another Domnua. They’d been blessed with the warrior Danula arriving in time to stave off the majority of Domnua, but they were weakening and he’d yet to see where they’d taken Sasha.
His eyes scanned as he loped across the hill, slashing his way through Domnua after Domnua, not once looking back. He’d find her. It was his destiny to protect her, and the fact that she’d been taken before his very eyes was something he would never forget.
Nor forgive, he thought, as he neatly sliced the head off another Domnua.
Where was she?
A flicker of light, high on the horizon, caught his eye and he stilled. Was that flame in the lighthouse?
Where the light always shines...
Declan swore, but understood immediately what was being asked of him. He worked his way through the crowd of Domnua, stepping up his already inhuman speed to change the course of the battle. In a matter of moments, the tide had turned in their favor. Surveying the few Domnua left, Declan turned to yell to Maddox.
“She’s in the tower. I’m going for her.”
“Aye, we’ll hold the ground. Go get our girl,” Maddox shouted back, then leapt once more into the fray, his bracelets jingling madly from his arm as he fought. Declan found himself smiling – he had to admire a man who could dress for dinner and a battle in the same outfit.
Crossing the hill at a loping run, Declan reached the tower and circled it until he found the small door at the base. Putting his weight into it, he tried to push it open.
“No? Not going to let me in? Doubtful,” Declan bit out. With o
ne kick he slammed the door from its hinges, bursting the rusted metal into fragments. In seconds, he crouched through the opening and entered the dark stairwell, his sword drawn. When no Domnua immediately jumped him, he began his ascent, treading carefully on the worn stairs. With each step, the wood groaned beneath his weight and Declan slowed. Though he didn’t want to sheath his weapon, he knew it would be foolhardy to not grasp the railing that was lodged into the stone. Narrowing his eyes so he could use his extra senses to see more clearly, he carefully ascended each step, praying he would find Sasha alive.
A musty damp scent clung to the walls and cobwebs brushed his face as he climbed, ever so slowly, the forced caution making him want to scream with rage. Sasha could be dead or dying, and it would be all his fault.
He would have failed his people.
And lost the love of his life.
Chapter Thirty-six
“Sasha!”
Sasha jumped as she heard a muffled shout from behind the door. She choked out a sob, beyond grateful that someone had come for her. They’d found her.
“I’m here! I’m safe!”
“Stand back from the door,” Declan ordered and Sasha ran to the other side of the room, crouching behind where the flame still burned brightly in its stone holder in the middle of the room. She winced a bit at the pain in her side.
“I’m clear.”
Even though she was prepared for it, the force with which the door shattered still caused her to jump.
“Where are you?” Declan raged, striding into the room, his eyes wild. She popped up from behind the wall, suddenly feeling shy when she saw the fierceness of his gaze.
“I’m here. Is everyone okay? Is anyone hurt?” Sasha said, her hand automatically going to her side. She shivered when his gaze sliced over her, suddenly realizing that her shirt was off and tied around the wound in her side. Which meant she stood before him in her black lace bralette – one of her favorites, as it was pretty but serviceable, as she didn’t need much support.
“You’re hurt,” Declan said, striding to her and immediately dropping to his knees in front of her to untie the shirt and examine the wound in her side.
“Um, well, yeah, I think just a slice. It stings, but nothing too bad, I’m sure.”
“Fae wounds are tricky,” Declan said, his hands tracing over her stomach and side, making her shiver.
“I know. But I think it will be fine. It just bled more than most to start. It’s already closing.” Sasha shrugged, keeping her eyes trained on the wall across the room. She was not going to look down. Not while he was kneeling at her feet with his hands at her waist. Nope. She bit her lip and kept her eyes straight ahead.
The silence dragged out between them. It seemed as though his hands warmed even more on her skin, digging gently into her waist, and she could feel his breath, coming out in soft little puffs just at her waist. Damn the man for being so tall, she thought, and kept her mind schooled on the battle that raged on the grounds below them.
And not the one that raged in her heart.
“Look at me.”
It was a command, and one that she couldn’t ignore. Sasha looked down to see Declan gazing at her, almost reverently, the fire in his eyes promising her everything she ached for.
“Declan, we can’t...” Sasha was surprised to find her voice shaky, matching the tremor that now shook her legs.
“Choose me,” Declan ordered, his voice hoarse, his eyes desperate with longing.
Sasha forced herself to look away, thinking of their conversation earlier and how he’d called her out for choosing the wrong man before. Could she trust herself to make this choice again?
“I thought I wasn’t capable of making good choices,” Sasha bit out, looking away from him. She gasped when he lifted her, slamming her against the wall so that her legs wrapped naturally around his waist. Her heart clenched and something tugged low and deep in her core as she pressed against his hardness.
“You chose wrong before. You learned your lesson. But you have to choose,” Declan said, his voice husky at her throat.
Sasha bit back a moan as he trailed his lips down her ear, nibbling softly at the lobe before continuing his slow perusal of her neck, his lips trailing heat and slickness as he nipped and licked. She shivered against him, wanting to push him away and yet dying to pull him closer.
Sasha gasped as his mouth found her nipple through the thin layer of lace. Despite herself, she arched into his mouth, the cool stone of the wall pressing against her back, the heat of his mouth on her almost driving her crazy with need. Despite herself, she found her hips moving against him, her legs tightening to pull him closer.
“Choose.” Declan’s head reared up, his eyes fierce with anger and something more – both a challenge and a promise.
“Yes, Declan,” Sasha gasped, and ran her hands through his hair to pull his mouth to hers. “I choose you.”
“Mine,” Declan declared against her mouth and then spoke no more as his tongue dipped in her mouth, dancing with hers, teasing and pulling back, mimicking the primal thrust of what her hips were currently doing against his hard length.
Declan broke away and dropped to his knees, and Sasha was again startled by their difference in height. Even on his knees, his mouth easily captured her nipple again. She moaned against him and threaded her hands through his hair, arching back as he made short work of removing her pants. Her legs trembled as his arms came around her, tenderly this time, tugging her gently forward until his mouth found the one place she ached for him most.
Lost, Sasha bowed back, riding the wave of pleasure as his tongue expertly took her up and over, her body breaking in waves of pleasure. He continued his even rhythm, his hands gripping her bottom as he continued his relentless pursuit of her body. It was only after she’d crested the sharp wave of pleasure once more that he pulled away and met her eyes.
“I need you,” Declan said, his voice savage, and Sasha could only nod her assent before, once more, he picked her up, pinned her to the cool wall, and entered her in one smooth stroke.
It could have been minutes or hours. The flame in the middle of the room flickered softly, and Sasha, caught between the hard stone of the room and the hard wall of man holding her up, lost herself to him.
“My destiny,” Declan breathed against her lips, over and over until she cried out, releasing herself, and her heart, for him to hold – no matter what battles lay ahead.
She’d been lost since the moment she’d seen him, anyway.
Chapter Thirty-seven
Sasha allowed Declan to carry her down the staircase, though it made her feel slightly like the damsel in distress being rescued from the tower. But she couldn’t deny that his vision was far better than hers and the stairs leading down were about to crumble beneath them.
She didn’t exactly allow herself to snuggle into his arms, but she didn’t hold herself stiff or away from him either. There was something distressingly vulnerable about being carried places, and yet part of her – dare she say, the damsel part – kind of liked it. She sighed and closed her eyes for a second, savoring the moment but also berating herself for enjoying this too much.
She was a trained martial artist, after all. It wasn’t as though she wouldn’t have figured out a way to get down the stairs. But her mind was still reeling from what they’d just done and how he had claimed her in a way that made her realize everything had changed. And that there was no going back.
“Sasha!” Bianca shouted as soon as they squeezed through the door. Sasha waited for Declan to put her down as Bianca and the others raced across the field, empty now except for the faint puddles of silvery blood, dimly reflecting the light of the moon.
“Put me down,” Sasha hissed when Declan made no move to do so as she had expected.
“Are you wounded?,” Bianca asked as she skidded to a halt in front of them, Maddox and Seamus close behind. “Oh, you’re all flushed. If you’re hurt, I hope a fever hasn’t set in.” Bianca beg
an to cluck over her as Declan let Sasha to her feet. where Bianca could bend over and assess the wound. Her cool fingertips pressed the skin of Sasha’s abdomen as she looked for any other injuries.
“I’m going to do a perimeter check,” Declan said, his tone gruff as he took off at his inhuman speed to check the wards and add other protection spells.
Maddox sized up Sasha briefly and then a huge grin split his face.
“Methinks her being flushed is not from a fever, my pet,” Maddox told Bianca in a stage whisper, and Seamus chuckled. Bianca, blonde head bobbing up in confusion, looked between them all and then took a long look at Sasha’s face.
“You did it with him!” Bianca squealed and Sasha slapped a hand to her face. Was there no privacy with this group?
“Could we not do this right now? I’m standing here in my bra and it’s freezing out. Plus, I have been injured and I do think there is a wee bit of fae magick in this wound, so if one of you two could perhaps put something on it? It burns more than it did an hour ago,” Sasha said.
Seamus and Maddox sprang into action. Maddox dragged his coat off and tossed it around Sasha’s shoulders while Seamus ran for the keep.
“He’s got a great bag full of magickal bits and whatnots,” Bianca said, looping her arm through Sasha’s as they hurried across the dark hill. “I’ve been dying to dig around in there and ask what everything is for, but he refuses to let me. I will get in there someday, though.”
“I’m sure you only have to withhold sex and he’ll hand it over in an instant. The man is besotted with you,” Sasha said.
Bianca let out a peal of laughter that tinkled across the hilltops. “I would, but then I’d just be punishing myself as well. No sense in that, is there? He’ll show me when he’s ready to show me.”
Sasha’s teeth began to chatter as the wind grew colder, blowing up beneath the coat, and whatever fae magick had been on the dagger slowly seeped into her blood. Now she did feel as though a fever was overtaking her, and it wasn’t a normal one.
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