by CJ England
"Yes,” he answered warily.
"Well then ... while you're thinking, I'm going to be doing my level best to make sure you see just what you'd be giving up if you turn away from me."
He couldn't help tightening his arms around her. “I don't think I could ever turn from you, Brianna."
"I mean to see you don't.” She ran her hand down his chest to trace the swirls of hair just below his belly button. His cock went rock hard in an instant. “And I'll do it any way I can think of."
Danolas cleared his throat and grabbed her hand as it encircled his throbbing shaft. “I ... I'm liking your strategy so far, but I don't know if this is the proper place."
She sighed. “Aye ... you're probably right.” Her hand squeezed his penis. “Though, I could take care of you right here and now and no one would be the wiser."
Tempted beyond measure, he rolled and took her mouth in a long, drugging kiss. Then resting his forehead against hers, he groaned. “We must keep our wits about us, Brianna. I don't want to be caught with the proverbial pants down."
Brianna giggled. “'Tis a sight I'd still like to see."
"Behave,” he warned sternly, softening his words with another kiss. “Let me hold you tonight. I need to know you'll be safe."
She was silent then, staring at him with those soft violet eyes. “You'd worry if you didn't, is that what you're saying?"
He nodded.
"Then as long as you are holding me, I'll sleep like a babe."
Danolas let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He was half-pleased, half-disappointed she'd given in, and if his aching body was any sign, he'd not sleep as well as she would. But he pulled her close and kissed her again. “Thank you."
"You'd be thanking me more if you'd let me do what I want."
He laughed aloud and kissed her again. “Go to sleep, leannan ... before I change my mind and I wind up fighting a battle with my pants around my ankles."
* * * *
It was the wailing that awoke them. The sudden, blood-curdling keening that made them all grab their ears in agony. It was so loud; they could barely hear the guards sounding the alarm.
Danolas cursed as he fought to free himself from the sleeping bag. He and Brianna were wrapped so tightly in it and each other, it was impossible to know whose limbs were whose. After a few seconds of fruitless struggle, he snarled at her. “Be still!” She froze, and he was able to spell the bag away.
Shooting to his feet, he grabbed his staff and looked towards the unearthly noise. He felt, rather than saw, Brianna join him.
"'Tis the banshee,” she whispered. “She's come back with me."
The faerie spirit floated, just outside the camp, her long hair waving like grasses in the wind. Her glowing scarlet eyes were rimmed in black and tears poured from them as she beckoned frantically toward Danolas and Brianna. The weeping grew in volume so much, several of the protectors dropped to their knees in pain.
"Stop it!” Brianna shouted, stepping forward. “Sure, and you're doing more harm than good, here."
Danolas stepped in front of her. “Don't! If you anger her, she may become even more unpredictable.” He shook his head in pain and tried again to ward off the banshee noise, with no success. “She's here to warn us ... we must keep a sharp—"
They'd half expected it, but the suddenness of the attack still took them by surprise. But who was attacked was even more surprising. They heard the thundering sound of hooves and out of the night, raced a sleek dark horse, with sulphurous yellow eyes and a long wild mane. On its back was a man ... but not a man. The being was small, with a long pointed nose, overlarge ears and wide gaping mouth. Its legs wrapped around the horse and it swung a barbed chain around its head like a rodeo cowboy would use a lasso. It gave a shrill laugh and charged at the banshee.
The chain screamed through the air and wrapped around the floating woman. Agony of a different kind flared in the banshee's eyes as it wailed again, this time in pain. The little man gave a jerk and the banshee's song was cut off, leaving only the maniacal laughter of the creature and the pounding of horse's hooves, as it wheeled around and raced back the way it came, dragging the washerwoman with it.
"No!” cried Brianna. “We must help her!” She readied a flare of power, but it was too late.
"Enough!” Danolas grabbed her arm. “You can't use your magick!"
"Let go of me!” She struggled away from him. “How can you be so heartless?"
"Brianna—"
"Look out!” The howling roar of a male werewolf stopped the argument. Instinctively, they stood back to back and looked towards Lucas.
"More are coming!” shouted Patrick, as he popped into the middle of the group. “More horses and more of the little men!"
"Those aren't horses,” Brianna shouted, her hands at the ready. “They are pookas. The worst of the evil faerie in my country!"
Koran shot her a look. “Those horses are faerie? I've never seen—"
"Later,” Gallegar growled as he took his place between Kira and the threat. “What are the others?"
Brianna's heart almost stopped when she saw the dozens of pookas bearing down on the encampment. Behind them marched more of the little misshapen men. “They are the little people. You call them leprechauns, but if they are evil, they are rightly known as cluricauns."
"I don't give a damn what their real names are,” snarled Lucas. “Any tricks to killing them?"
Her eyes began to glow a pale purple. “I've never fought one in battle. I don't know anything."
"There are a lot of them.” Benjamin morphed into super-strength mode and stood at the ready. “Too many to count."
Kira stepped up, her own eyes shining with power. “Then we will fight as we always do ... together."
"What I want to know is how did they find us?” Koran muttered.
They had no more time for questions. The Irish monsters attacked the camp in a wave of animals and men that was almost overwhelming. Witches and faerie protectors used magick to stop the foul beasts. The swaths of power cut through pooka and cluricaun alike. Suprahumans and shapeshifters worked together to pull the little men off the horses and then rip them apart. The shades moved in and out of the company, confusing the creatures, while Gallegar's human protectors stood at the ready, waiting with pale faces for any creature who had the misfortune to come their way. The screams of the dying filled the glade. Still, the enemy came closer to the Chosen, Brianna and Kira.
Danolas used his staff to bat away a foul smelling cluricaun. He pushed Brianna behind him. “Don't use your power.” He watched as Gallegar grabbed a pooka and tossed it away from Kira like it was made of air. Turning back to Brianna, he met her gaze, his own fierce with the light of battle. “Do you understand me? Don't. Use. Your. Power."
Her mouth dropped open. All around her the Chosen and Kira were fighting, but he wanted her to bury her head? Not bloody likely. She started to argue, but he had already turned away, sending out his own sapphire magick as he kept himself between her and the enemy.
She watched, as at the outskirts of the camp a pair of pookas and their riders bore down on Patrick, and his two shade protectors. She lifted her hands to help, but then gaped as Patrick swung around and sent a brown stream of power right at the first pooka. The horse faerie screamed in rage and reared back, sending its rider tumbling to the ground. The unlucky cluricaun was trampled by the pooka following, its rider cursing loudly in its own tongue. The two shade protectors then disappeared, leaving Patrick alone with the enemy. Again, Brianna moved to help, but she saw it was unnecessary when Buck and Jon, the two shades, reappeared above the cluricaun's head. They both reached down and grabbed up the creature, lifting it high into the air before dropping it to its death on the hard ground below. While they were otherwise occupied, Patrick destroyed the two pookas, sending them both screaming into oblivion with a simple spell that looked remarkably like a witch's incantation.
A shout sounded behind her and she was knoc
ked to her knees. A strong hand jerked her back upwards and she turned to look into Lucas’ half-shifted face. His silver eyes glowed and her heart bumped once in fear at the rage she saw in him. “Are you all right?” he growled around elongated fangs.
She nodded and then ducked as he grabbed a cluricaun by the legs and tossed it into the nearby forest. The creature hit a tree with a sharp crack as its spine snapped in two. “Stay down,” he snarled as he hit a pooka so hard, the face caved in. Her stomach rolled. It was the first time Brianna had seen werewolves fight, and the carnage Lucas and his men, Wade and Sam, were racking up, was impressive.
But she didn't understand why they kept pushing her behind them. She stood cautiously and saw Benjamin and Koran fighting back to back. The Suprahuman would grab at the enemy with lightning speed, then toss it to Koran who would vaporize it with a single burst of amber power. The protectors, Bart and Robbie did the same; working together to imprison the creature so the faeries, Tamblith and Marnor, could use their ancient spells to finish the job.
Gallegar and Kira fought at the center of the circle. Gold and emerald power ribboned through the group, sending pookas and cluricauns flying. Brianna stood in awe. Together, they were a sight to see, more powerful that any supernaturals she'd ever encountered. Her heart twinged as she wondered fleetingly if it was because of their joining, their love, or a combination of both.
The thought had her looking for Danolas, and her eyes widened at the sight of him. He stood barefoot, a glorious warrior, his arms outstretched and his long hair flying as he directed the magick from his staff at the enemy. He was enveloped in an aura of sapphire power that made the whole glade glow a pale blue. His witch protectors, Tobias, and the ever present Jorad, fought at his side, their wands waving frantically as they sent their own magick against the intruders.
Instantly, she knew she should be with Danolas. She belonged to him. She would be his mate. She wouldn't hide behind him, like some human female might do. Walking forward, she raised her hands and a violet glow appeared around them. Brianna let the power fill her. She was the strongest of her generation ... now it was time to prove it.
A trio of pookas attacked the witches at the same time. Tobias was overrun and the yellow-eyed beasts turned on Danolas and Jorad with a triumphant scream. They reared up, distracting the witches from the dozen cluricauns crawling on the ground below them. The little men leaped up to strike, their pointed teeth and fingernails both as sharp as kitchen knifes.
A wave of purple power hit them so hard; it tumbled them back against the pookas. Jorad and Danolas were caught in the stream, and they were both thrown to the ground as well. The violet magick made one of the pookas roll over the top of the First Acolyte and the sound of bones breaking was audible.
Danolas jerked around to see Brianna, standing strong and proud behind him. Her eyes were like purple flames in her head, and the power surrounding her was visible throughout the glade. As one, the pookas and cluricauns all turned her way and the satisfied, blazing hate in their eyes needed no explanation.
They had found their quarry.
Chapter 12
"No!” Danolas screamed as the enemy moved en masse towards her. He sent out a shockwave of power, targeting his foes as he battled his way back to Brianna. He was furious, his rage snapping the line on his self-control like it had never been. Pooka and cluricaun alike were tossed aside like leaves in the storm of his anger. He felt, rather than saw, his brothers move to help. Their concerned mind-thoughts barely penetrated his wrath.
"Danolas ... stop!” Kira's mind-voice was the only one that made it though. “Control, my seer ... control, or all is lost."
He gave a snarl of fury that was as close to an apology as he could make. Striding up to Brianna, he grabbed her arms. “You fool! Do you know what you've done?"
Her eyes widened and the glow dimmed momentarily, before she fired up again. “What I've done? Why I've saved your bloody hide, that's what I've done!"
Danolas deflected a fiery-eyed pooka, then shook the irritating witch so hard her hair fell down around her shoulders. “Idiot! How can I protect you if you won't obey my orders?"
She glared at him and sent a sharp shaft of violet through a group of cluricaun behind him. They toppled to the ground and lay still. “I don't need your protection!” Another blast of her power incinerated a pooka to her left, but sent Benjamin stumbling. “And I'm going to use my magick, you bleedin’ ass. I'm as strong as you."
Controlling his anger with an effort, Danolas said nothing more. He stayed close by and methodically killed all the creatures that came at his stubborn lover. Tobias had dragged Jorad out of the way, and the other Chosen, as well as their protectors, now encircled the remaining monsters. Kira's gold power flashed in the clearing, and the other magicks ... green, brown, amber and red also sparked and swirled in a rainbow of colorful strength. It seemed like hours, yet was in fact, only minutes, when they finally overwhelmed the evil faerie folk. A few cluricauns escaped, grabbing the pookas by their tangled manes and riding off into the night, their screams of anger and defiance still ringing in the company's ears.
There was a long silence that was finally broken by Jorad's pained moan. Danolas whirled around and went over to the injured witch. “My friend, how are you?"
Tobias answered. “He has a couple cracked ribs, but his leg is badly broken."
Danolas felt Brianna come up beside him. He whirled on her, his fury full blown all over again. “Do you see what you did?” He jerked her closer so she could look down into Jorad's bruised face. “You almost killed him with that little stunt. Why didn't you obey me?"
Brianna flinched, but rallied quickly. “I'm sorry he was hurt. ‘Twasn't my intention. I saw you needed help, so I did. I just...” She paused, embarrassed. “I've never been in battle before. Was the first time, you see. I didn't know how to control it."
"I told you not to use your power,” he growled at her. “They were after you! Using it showed them exactly who they needed to kill!
She tossed her head, her own anger warring with embarrassment. “But you didn't tell me why, did you now? Don't you think I needed to know?"
"I shouldn't have to explain myself!” Danolas shouted. “You are under my command! You should obey me! But you never do. Why do you think you can't control your power? Because you never took the time to learn. You ignored your lessons and now others are paying for it. If nothing else, I am your High Priest. You are to do what I say!"
Giving a snarl that made even hearty Lucas flinch, Brianna poked the High Priest in the chest. “I'm not a bloody servant, you black-hearted son of the devil! I'm your equal and though I can't imagine why I've been chosen for the likes of you, I'm to be your mate! I'm thinking its time you start trusting me!"
Danolas grabbed the offending finger. “Trust you?” he roared. “Hell! How can I trust you? You don't listen and you always go off on your own. I tell you to do something and you do the opposite. I never know what you're going to do or say next. Tonight is a perfect example. I'm constantly trying to figure out ways to keep you in control. Your lack of training could have cost lives, Brianna. And you act as if you don't care! You could have killed one of my best men because you refused to do what I asked. Because, you don't even really know what you're doing. Trust you? Why should I?"
Because you love me. The thought made it to her lips, but was never uttered. Realization shot through Brianna like the cutting edge of a sword. Finally, she understood and the knowledge was almost unbearable. He didn't trust her ... which meant ... he didn't love her. She looked up at Danolas and now there were tears in her eyes. “That's it, isn't it? ‘Tisn't about my language, or my clothes, or whether I am freer with my words than you might be. Those you could work with, as you said ... even get used to. But at the heart of this, is you don't trust me, and you never have."
"Brianna—” Kira began, but Brianna put up a slim hand.
"Please, Peacekeeper. This has nothing to do with the compa
ny, or the war. It's between Danolas and me.” She turned back to the silently fuming witch. “At the beginning, I thought it was because you just didn't know me. I thought time would show you the difference, but it hasn't. You think because you don't know what might next come out of my mouth, you can't trust me with your heart. I always thought that with love came trust ... but for you, ‘tis the other way around, isn't it?"
"YES!” The words burst out of him and Danolas felt the surge of relief that came with it. The truth was suddenly, simply there. “I do need to trust you. And I've tried. Goddess knows, I've tried. Perhaps for you it is easy, but I am not you, Brianna. I have a Society to lead and people who depend on me. I have Kira to protect and a war to win. I cannot trust without reason.
He stepped closer to her. “You say with love comes trust. If this is so ... why don't you trust me?"
Her purple eyes flashed. “Don't turn this on me. I do trust you! I love you, don't I?"
Danolas shook his head. “I wanted to believe you did, but I'm not sure any more. I knew the enemy would hone in on your power. They've been after you from the beginning. But I didn't have time to explain all that, so I just told you not to use your magick. Yet, you did as you always do. You ignored my wishes and did it anyway.” He reached for her, then curled his fingers into a fist to stop himself. His azure eyes met hers.
"Why didn't you trust me enough to obey me?"
Brianna froze, and her lips trembled. Confusion was all over her face. “That's not fair. I didn't know."
"Isn't that where trust lies? In the unknowing? You expect me to trust you, yet you refuse to give me the same gift.” He stepped away and his voice grew stronger. “I have wanted to trust you ... to love you, even. I tried, from the very beginning. Even with all that swirled around us, my focus was on my feelings for you. But Brianna, being with you is like riding a rollercoaster. We are loving one moment and fighting the next. I no longer know up from down, and I'm not the type of man who enjoys that feeling. I want peace. I am surrounded by war, and I long for the sanctuary of quiet understanding. Serenity is what I seek and that ... I won't find with you."