by Julia Mills
Rian continued and the story he told was like a dagger to her heart. She simply couldn’t imagine the loss they had suffered and that it came at the hands of someone they loved and trusted made it all the worse. The pain and anguish rolling off the man before her was overwhelming, even though she was about the most untouchy- feely person in the world, she was helpless to do anything but close the distance between them and hug him for all she was worth. His hands landed on her shoulders and gripped just shy of the point of pain. Untold minutes later, he urged her back a step and they locked eyes, “I have yet to tell you the most important part. Ilsa was a white witch and she was sacrificing our mother and sister to a demon to gain power. So you see, Kyra, its Royce’s prejudice that keeps him from your side, not you. Fate has given you the task to drag him out of the past and into the future that awaits both of you.”
Kyra felt as if she had been punched in the gut. She wanted to simultaneously laugh and cry. Fate had not only flipped her off, but now She was laughing about it. When Kyra was alone, she was definitely going to ask the Goddess what it was she had done to deserve this steaming pile of shit that was her life. Never one to mince words, she said what she was thinking, “What the hell am I supposed to do? I can’t change the fact that I’m a witch. I’m sure it doesn’t help that I’m also one of the strongest around and I helped Andrew hurt the people he loves, even though I didn’t know what the piece of shit was up to.”
She stepped around him and started to pace while she spoke, “I mean seriously, what do you want me to do? He hated me before he even knew me. He hates what I am at a cellular level and is unwilling to see past that to find out who I am. You think I can change that?”
She threw her hands in the air as she continued to pace, not caring that every dragon shifter in the vicinity could hear what she was saying. “And…and if all that wasn’t enough, Fate in Her infinite wisdom, decided to tie us together. Did you know that now that we have…?” She stuttered to a stop and took a breath as she felt the telltale heat of a blush on her cheeks.
There was no way she was going to tell Rian that she had made out with Royce like a cheerleader on Homecoming with the quarterback, and had for the first time in her life climaxed. She had no idea how much these dragon guys actually knew about witches, but was sure they didn’t know that only a witch’s one true mate could bring her to completion and as soon as that happened, there would never be another. Not even a little kissing under the bleachers with someone that wasn’t him. Since their ‘trip to the mountain top’ had led to just that, the rest of Kyra’s very long life, at least where love was concerned, had been decided. She figured she should’ve been upset, but it was just confirmation of what she had known from the first moment she had laid eyes on the gentle giant with caring eyes and curly red hair…she was truly and rightly screwed.
Realizing she and Rian were just standing there, staring at one another, she hurried on, “There’s no changing his mind. Hell, he ran across an ocean and is sleeping in a cave to be rid of me! He’s had longer than I’ve been alive to feed and nurture his hate of witches. There’s nothing I can do. I’m going to help catch Andrew and then I’m going to disappear. Let your brother live his life cause I’m damn sure gonna live mine. I won’t give him the opportunity to shame me again!”
The second the words left her mouth, she knew she had said too much. Damn her temper and damn her inability to keep her mouth shut. Not wanting to deal with Rian any longer, she tried to step around him in the hopes of hiding in her tent, but he was having none of her avoidance. He stuck his arm in front of her and refused to move it until she acknowledged him. Holding her position, she turned her head and glared, waiting for him to speak.
Her heart beat in her chest while she waited, and she wondered if witches could have heart attacks. When he spoke, it was the voice of the Elder of the clan, not the voice of a brother, he used, “You are right, he will not shame you again. I won’t allow it. But neither will I allow you to run and hide like he has done. I tried to be patient, but you two are your own worst enemies.
“I do not know what occurred between you two earlier and it’s none of my business. I can however, assume, and whether you know it or not, your actions have doomed you both to a life of utter loneliness.”
She felt her eyes widen…he knew. Well, hell, he’s definitely more than just a pretty face, she mused in her head.
“Just like witches, dragon shifters also will have no other after they have found their mate. The details are a little different.” He winked and then immediately resumed his command of the situation, “But the results are the same and that is something I could never allow for my brother, or for you now that I’ve met you.”
“While I appreciate your stance on the subject, I’m not sure what you or I, for that fact, can do about it. Royce has made up his mind and now I agree. There’s no way in the world he and I belong together.”
Rian was just about to speak when a tall, younger version of the man standing before her appeared over his shoulder. “What’s up, Brother. Holding Royce’s mate hostage? You know, you’re gonna get your ass kicked for it, right?
Rian closed his eyes for a split second and took a deep breath. She watched as he put a patient smile on his face, lowered his arm, and turned to look at his doppelganger. He looked back to her and she saw affection shining through the myriad of other emotions in his eyes. “Kyra, let me introduce Rory, the youngest of the O’Reilly family and biggest pain in the ass you will ever meet. Rory…this is Kyra.”
“Now that was not nice, Bro,” Rory chuckled as he slapped Rian on the back and then turned his hundred watt smile on Kyra. “Hey there.”
He reached around his brother and threw out his hand for her to shake. She laid hers in his and he squeezed slightly before letting go. “You really are a little bit of a thing aren’t you? And have more power than witches twice your size.” He looked at his hand and flexed his fingers, as if he could still feel her power. “Really glad to meet you. Have you dragged Roy outta that cave and given him a good whack to the head yet?”
“Rory, now’s not the time,” Rian interrupted. “Kyra needs to work her magic so we can see exactly where Andrew and the other miscreants are located before it’s too late. Go see Rayne or Aidan, I’m sure they have something useful you could be doing. I’ll be right behind you.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” Rory saluted and smirked. He looked at Kyra again, “Great to meet you. Look forward to getting to know you better, Sis.” He winked and headed over to where the warriors were preparing for battle.
“Sorry about that,” Rian apologized. “Rory takes the title of ‘little brother’ to a whole new level.”
“But you love him,” Kyra added.
“Yes, I do. I love both my brothers and will do whatever it takes, including beating the shit out of them, to see them happy.” She tried to interrupt, but again he put his hand up to stop her. One day she was going to smack that hand down, but not today. She was tired and hungry and needed to scry for the asshole before it got any later.
Aidan called from the other side of the camp for Rian, so whatever conversation they were about to continue was thankfully cut short. He did, however, leave her with a parting promise she could’ve lived without, “We’ll talk later. Do what you need to do and grab a little rest. I think dinner will be ready soon and if all goes well, we’ll have the traitor captured before he’s able to hurt anyone else.” Not waiting for her answer, he turned and headed towards the men, walking like the leader she was now sure he was.
Kyra climbed into her tent and found all her belongings, along with an air mattress, sleeping bag, table and two chairs, and a little vanity. They had obviously taken great pains to make up a tent that was feminine while still useful, and she appreciated their efforts. At the thought of all that needed to be done, a weariness soaked into her bones. It was then that she realized it had been almost thirty-two hours since she’d last slept and she opted for a little siesta before g
etting to work.
Finally settled and ready to sleep, her eyes refused to close. Figures, she thought. Staring at the roof of her tent, she ran through the conversation she’d had with Rian. First of all, she thought of Rory. How freaky was it that there was another brother she knew nothing about and what on the earth did they feed them that made them so damn big? The youngest of the brothers was a carbon copy of Rian. If they hadn’t told her any differently, she would have sworn they were twins; both muscular and strong, but long and lean, where Royce was quite the opposite. The differences didn’t end with their body types but she really wasn’t into thinking about anything that could lead her to obsess over Royce…not tonight, not ever again, if she could help it.
She planned what to do to locate and stop Andrew from the shit storm he was planning while trying to bring to the forefront whatever had been trying to stay buried since Rian told her what their family suffered at the hands of a witch gone mad. Sleep came over her while she was thinking about all she had learned. With her defenses down, she began to remember the story that was passed from the Elders of her coven to each witch, right before she was taught the Siphoning spell.
Kyra dreamt of the Circle of Witches with her mother at the head, the ceremonial fire burning in the center and all the faces of those that had trained with her waiting eagerly to hear what Grand Priestess Calysta had to say. Her mother explained exactly what the Siphoning spell was supposed to be used for and that it was a grave offense, punishable by a sanction from the Council, if ever used maliciously or to harm another.
The room became deathly quiet as Calysta told of a witch many years before that had been of their coven, but accepted a calling and had gone to live among another race. She told of the witch’s many years of dedicated service to her adopted family and their kin and how very respected she was to all that knew her. Abruptly, the story turned dark and the Grand Priestess’ voice lowered to an ominous whisper. She reminded each who listened about the allure of the dark evil and how very important it was to be ever vigilant against any force that would threaten to turn them from the light. Kyra hadn’t noticed that day, nor had she thought about it since, but in her memory she could see a fear and sadness in her mother’s eyes that ran deep.
After a few minutes of silence, Calysta finally spoke again, “You see, my little ones, a true sister of my heart, one of the best witches I had ever known, was taken from us by dark forces. She was tempted in a very short time to turn her allegiance from all she held dear in exchange for a power so malevolent that it caused her to not only take the life of the one she loved, but also that of the woman’s unborn child.”
There was utter silence. No one moved, no one spoke, and she tried to remember if anyone even breathed. All she remembered was every heart beat in the room beating as one, in a slow pounding of dread. Then her mother spoke, “So beloved ones, as your power grows so does your responsibility. You must always do everything in your power to remain in the light, and if you should ever feel yourself growing weak, you must call on your sister witches. But even that may not be enough.
“So to make sure we never forget, we share the name of our fallen sister with all of our coven. When times are hard and you feel you need a reminder of all you stand to lose, you only need speak her name and you will be filled with a strength born of our collective love and devotion to the Earth, the Goddess that blesses us all. Della will hand each of you a pink candle, together we will light them and invoke the protection of the Power of All. I will speak her name and the invocation will be complete.”
For the span of two heartbeats the room was in complete darkness, then slowly filled with candlelight. Calysta, Della, and all the other elders were spread around the perimeter of the circle holding large red candles wrapped in sage. Calysta looked into each girl’s face and then said…
“Dammit, Kyra wake up. You’ve been asleep for almost two hours, dinner’s ready, and Rayne is anxious for you to get started. He wants us in place before nightfall but needs you to tell us where to go.” She was immediately awake and staring into Devon’s face.
“Shit, Devon, seriously? I was just about to remember something very important. You waited two fucking hours and couldn’t wait ten more seconds?” She knew she was yelling and being unreasonable, but dammit, she really wanted to remember that name.
Devon’s look of total confusion would have been comical any other time, but not in that moment. “I heard you talking and thought you were awake, so I peeked in and you were tossing and turning and calling out.”
She jumped up and flew at him, “What was I saying? What did you hear?”
The look of concern told her Devon was worried, but instead of lecturing like she expected, he told her what he’d heard. “You were talking about the Earth and the Goddess and then you said something in Latin that sounded like illuminati. That was all I could make out.”
“SHIT! Two seconds longer, that was all I needed…just two more seconds.” Her head fell forward and her eyes closed of their own volition as she ran her fingers through her hair. The thought of pulling out a handful or two crossed her mind, but she decided it served no purpose. A few deep breaths to get her disappointment and anger under control and she was able to think straight again. Why couldn’t she remember who her mother had been talking about and why would that memory, out of all the others, rear its ugly little head now?
Not willing to spend any longer worrying about what she couldn’t change, she raised her head and squared her shoulders. “You said something about food?”
Devon chuckled, but she could see the tension thrumming through him. He was worried about her and not doing a very good job of hiding it. “Yes, I did. I figured that would get your attention.”
“What are you saying, Dev? That I eat a lot?” She faked annoyance at his comment in an effort to ease the tension.
“No, no, no, I would never say that to a lady. I…”
“Pfft…a lady?” Kyra scoffed, unable to stop the laugh that bubbled out. “There’s no lady here.”
Devon burst out laughing with her and she knew order had been restored, at least for the moment. She walked over to the tiny camp-style vanity, grabbed her hairbrush, and attacked her long tresses in an effort to excise a few of the tangles and at least look like a civilized human when she faced the Guardsmen outside her tent.
Feat accomplished and her massive mane tamed with a hair tie, she and Devon exited the tent and headed towards a long table packed with the largest, fiercest men she had ever seen. Their sheer size never ceased to amaze her. Shoulder to shoulder, they sat eating and talking about the battle to come and the common enemy they would all put their lives on the line to eliminate. They were a wall of muscle and might and unwavering determination…Andrew didn’t stand a chance.
~~~~~~~
He watched from a distance as Kyra and Devon exited her tent and walked towards the others. It was obvious they were becoming good friends. Logically, he was happy she had someone to watch after her, someone to confide in, and was glad it was Devon. He was a good guy who would protect her, as well as counsel her as needed. At least that was what he kept telling himself as his jealousy grew and his dragon growled his fury when Devon’s hand touched her elbow as they walked across the uneven ground.
Stop looking at her. Stop thinking about her. This is the way it has to be, had become a constant mantra in his mind from the moment he grabbed her just a few short hours ago. He had relived holding her in his arms, the feel of his lips on hers and the amazing sight of her eyes half-lidded with passion. It had gotten so bad that he had cursed the Universe, cursed Fate, and punched the rock wall of the cave until his hands were bloodied and beaten. When that didn’t work, he had contacted Stefan through their unique link, but of course the Spiritual Elder gave him the same advice he’d been giving him for the better part of two weeks…put the past in the past and move on. If only it was that easy.
When he held her in his arms he could feel that they belonged togeth
er. A sense of completion encompassed him and he felt true peace for the first time in his very long life, but then his doubt and prejudice snuck in. He remembered how much he loved and trusted Ilsa. How in the blink of an eye she was twisted into some evil shade of herself and had killed the heart of his family without remorse. Andrew also came to mind. Royce had helped raise him, watched him grow into a fine Dragon Guardsman following in the footsteps of his father and brothers, and now they were all fighting to protect those they held dear from his treachery. How could he trust? How could he believe?
“Hiding in the bushes, little brother?” Rian startled him, just another side effect of his jumbled emotions. No one, including his older brother, had been able to get the jump on him since he was a young Guardsman still in training.
“No, I’m waiting for instructions. Did Devon not relay my message?” he bit out.
“Yes, he did, but I had to wonder why you didn’t just tell me yourself? I tried to contact you and it was as if you had shut out the whole world…again.” Rian raised a single eyebrow. A sign that he was irritated with Royce.
“I was preparing. We’ve been fighting the fucking traitor since his reappearance and he escapes at every turn. I want him finished!” He poured all the rage and resentment of his situation into his words hoping to deter any further ‘mating’ conversation, but true to form, Rian had more to say.
“Oh, little brother, if you can’t be honest with me, at least be honest with yourself. I see it in your eyes, hear it in your voice; you want your little witch with every fiber of your being. The mating call is upon you and soon there will be little you can do to stop it. I’m sure your ‘liaison’ on the ridge only strengthened the bond growing between you and Kyra.”
Royce started to speak, but in true regal fashion, Rian held up his hand for him to remain quiet and continued, “You can try to deny it, but remember, we are brothers, both real and believed, and there is no way you can hide this from me. Even when you try to block the world, your emotions still flow through our familial bond. I know you are torturing yourself and for what? To avenge mother? To avenge Rhianna?” Rian grabbed his shoulders and pulled Royce a few feet forward until their chests almost touched.