Blind Spirit (Scourge Survivor Series Book 4)

by JL Madore

  Bruin stood to help Mika clear the breakfast plates. “By the blush, I say our little coyote has a hot date.”

  Bree’s olive skin flushed brighter. “If you must know, Aust and I are going to run. He wants to let his tiger loose and it’s been a while since my coyote really laid paws to earth.”

  “Sounds like fun,” Cowboy said, finishing his coffee. “Want company?”

  Bree leveled a glare at each of the males. “I moved out of the Hearthstone to gain distance from overprotective men. You boys are going to give Aust and me plenty of space tonight. I mean it. If I catch one whiff of your scents on the breeze, I’ll come back here and sink my canines deep into your haunches while you sleep.”

  Bruin rubbed his backside. “I don’t know, coyote girl, my haunches are pretty tough.”

  Mika cracked her hand against Bruin’s backside as he leaned over the table to clear plates. When his brow disappeared behind his shaggy bangs she shook her head. “Don’t worry about them, Bree,” Mika said. “Have a wonderful evening.”

  “Thanks, Ursa.”

  Mika reached for the remaining empty platters, but Cowboy jumped to his feet. “Sit Ursa, you cooked. The men will clean.”

  Mika settled back into her seat and smiled. “Who says chivalry is dead?”

  I studied my plate of cut fruit as the males carried plates to the kitchen. “Has Samuel eaten?”

  Mika sipped at her coffee mug and licked her lips. “Eaten no. He stormed out of here long ago. He told Cowboy to Flash you to Jade’s house and escort you to Reign’s office when you’re ready. What was that about?”

  I stuffed a spoonful of fruit into my mouth and shrugged.

  She laughed. “I’m an investigative journalist, Lia. I can smell evasion miles away. If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. Let me know if you change your mind.”

  Mika rose from her seat and untied the silk scarf laced through the belt loops of her jeans. Easing around the table she held it out to me. “If you want to avoid gossip and bloodshed, use this to cover up that love bite on your neck. The Talon gossip like old ladies at a quilting convention and even with your hair down, people will notice that hickey.”

  I touched the flesh of my neck where Samuel had been. In my haste to vacate my suite, I forgot to wear my mourning band. Not ready to face my suite again yet, I accepted her offering and pushed my plate away, appetite gone.

  The scent of warm pastry drifted from inside Reign’s private library. The smells rang of mango, lemon and apricot. Elora knew I was coming. Since leaving the village after Tham’s ceremony, she had been spoiling me with baking. It was an indulgence in both sustenance and affection.

  One I missed living at the Dens.

  My chest eased slightly as Cowboy pushed the heavy wooden door open and waited for me to enter. “One Highborne beauty delivered as requested,” he said.

  Samuel nodded but did not raise his gaze. Bent over the table in the center of the room, he continued running a finger over the faded sepia print in an ancient and likely priceless book. By the organization of the piles, I guessed he had examined a fraction of what he set aside to review.

  His avoidance may have gone unnoticed to a human entering the space, but the scent of residual anger rang strong for a Were and an Elf. “That’s all, Wolf. I’ll let ye know when we’re done. We might need to take a road trip, if yer game.”

  “Let me know what to pack. I hate bein’ under-accessorized.” Cowboy dipped the rim of his black hat and backed out of the door.

  And then, the two of us were alone.

  I understood his anger and from where it stemmed. I had embarrassed us both and it was only logical I be the one to calm the waters. I flexed my fingers and drew a breath. “Apologies, Samuel. This morning I—”

  Samuel’s palm jutted into the air, though his gaze remained locked on the books before him. “I told ye. It was a mistake. Let the moment die its final death.”

  I picked up a fabric-covered journal from a pile on the edge of the table. “And will your anger towards me be dying that death as well?”

  He sighed. “It will. I promise. I hoped maybe the aroma of the sweets might cover that up.”

  I toured the room. Reign’s private collection of realm books was astounding. His library, a two-storey room, rich in masculine tones of burgundy and midnight blue, housed floor-to-ceiling bookshelves brimming with scrolls, parchment and tombs. Beyond Elora’s baking, a faint mint incense hung in the air, counteracting the musty scent of old parchment and stale magic.

  “What are you looking at?”

  Samuel gestured to the open books on the table before him. “I combed realm history, looking for precedent on a woman’s rights over the act of mating. Highbornes aren’t the only race with strict bonding laws. Weres, Sprights, and some shifters like Finfolk have similar beliefs about how claiming a body translates to claiming a mate.”

  “But there was no claiming of my body. No mating of any kind. Past cases will not come into argument. We should focus on how to prove that Abaddon lies.”

  He looked at me for the first time since I arrived and it was as if the entire realm faded from existence. His gaze held such a mix of regret and emotion. Was this about more than our incident this morning in bed? “What is it? Please, tell me.”

  He stepped around the corner of the table and bracketed my face with his hands. Wariness filled his gaze and he spoke too carefully for my liking. “Laws are laws, Lia girl. Ye cannae say for sure he lies, lass. Ye dinnae remember what happened in those weeks that Abaddon held ye captive. What if he can prove his claims?”

  “He cannot.” My heart thrummed heavy in my chest. “He cannot prove what never happened. He is sadistic and insane. We must expose him for the monster he is.”

  Samuel’s lips pursed into a fine line and, after a few moments, he nodded. “Aye, we will. I’m just saying, we must look at every possibility.”

  “Because the asshole is evil hellscum,” Jade said, striding in to join us. “We can’t trust him to play by any rules when it comes to getting what he wants.”

  Samuel whirled toward the door and his body reacted unbidden. The air filled with the distinctive spice he gave off whenever Jade was near. I could not blame him. He had not seen her since the attack and with her sudden appearance—you love whom you love, after all.

  With an easy smile, he gathered her in his arms and then stepped back to study her. “Gods, ye look grand, Luv. How are ye? I didn’t know ye were home from Castian’s Palace.”

  “Much better.” In worn jeans, a thick ivory sweater, and her curls long and loose to her waist, she once again glowed with strength and health. “It’s weird not having my powers, but since the Fates bound them, the danger to the twins seems to have passed.”

  “Then thank the Fates for that.” I exhaled and hugged her myself. “That is wonderful news.”

  “Aye, it is.” Samuel pulled a wing chair from the corner. “There now, sit.”

  She leaned over the mountain of volumes and scrolls lying on the table before us. “I’ll sit. I promise, but being relieved of my teaching, Talon and healing duties has left me with way too much time on my hands. Let me help. Reign caught me up to speed and I’m all yours for as long as you need.”

  The vitality Jade gave off, eased a worry held deep in my chest. Until another thought struck me. “Will Galan be accompanying us?” Though I missed my brother, the thought of him being there while Samuel and I dealt with Abaddon’s claim—What would I say to him?

  “Not unless you want him to be.” Jade’s hopeful, emerald gaze dimmed as I shook my head. “Okay. That’s okay. He’ll give you all the time you need, but he is so sorry he said those things. He said if there is anything he can do—”

  “There is.” Samuel passed Jade a thick green book and backed her into the chair. “Abaddon’s claim cites Highborne laws and, although Reign’s collection rivals the Library of Alexandria, if Galan could go to the village and convince those elders to par
t with the texts dealing with mating laws and claiming, that would be grand.”

  A lump blocked my throat. “Is it not bad enough everyone here knows my humiliation? Why must those judgmental fools learn of Abaddon’s filthy claim? My sire is one of the elders. Do you think I want him to hear of it?”

  Samuel braced his hands on the table opposite me and sighed. “First off, not everyone here knows yer business. I bet no one beyond yer Elven family, Bruin, Cowboy and Reign know the details of Abaddon’s claim. Stop worrying about that. Second, we need those books so we can shut the bastard down. No sense walking on eggshells. What’s done is done.”

  I sighed. “Since when are you the logical one?”

  Samuel smiled. “Yer rubbin’ off on me, duck.”

  “So, do you want me to ask him?” Jade asked, her hopeful grin renewed. “I’ll tell him to keep the reason private. He can make up something to satisfy those aristocratic windbags. He could be back in a couple hours.”

  My objection was ridiculous. Samuel needed those texts and until recently, I believed Galan hung the moon. More than my brother, he reared me from a sapling, protected me from our father and treated me with nothing but devotion my entire life. But his words from our fight still cut me to the quick.

  I shook my head, picking up the yellow notepad Samuel used to make notes. “I cannot face him. If he were to give any credence to Abaddon’s claim—if he even looked upon me with an ounce of doubt or judgment—it would rip my soul apart and I would never recover.”

  Samuel stepped closer and squeezed my shoulder. “All right, lass. We’ll ask him to retrieve the books and leave them here for us to go through later. Ye don’t need to face him if yer not ready. He’ll be glad to help in any case, I’m sure.”

  Jade rose from her seat and moved to join us. “Whatever you need, hon. He’ll understand and he wants to be involved.”

  Samuel’s brow raised in an elegant arc. “He could say it’s something to do with him being Sentinel of Souls. What do you say? It’s yer call.”

  I rubbed my hands over my face. Though I would much rather hide in my room at the Dens or dunk my head in the river until the world and its troubles were carried downstream, I relented. “Very well, ask him. Please stress how important it is to me that the village not find out why we need them.”

  Jade nodded and strode toward the door. “Consider it done. And don’t worry about a thing. Galan will not let you down again. I swear it.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  A few hours later, Jade received the call. Galan was on his way back to Haven with the Highborne law books. There had been no trouble and nothing about my situation came into the conversation. Spirits lifted at the thought I might once again be able to count on my brother, I left Samuel to receive the books and sought out Elora to thank her for the baking.

  When I arrived in the receiving area outside Jade’s kitchen, Elora sat engrossed in a book.

  “What are you reading?” She jumped and let out a little yelp of surprise. “Apologies, I never meant to startle you.”

  Elora laughed. “No apology necessary, my attention was definitely elsewhere.”

  I looked at the black lace bra flung over the lampshade on the cover of the book and smiled. “30 days. What is it about?”

  She swept a loose bit of hair out of her eyes and behind her flushed ears. “Lexi gave it to me and insisted I read it. It is about a girl whose husband passed to the After and the sexual adventures he left her to explore once she was ready to move forward. It is from the Human Realm but it seems the loss of love translates to any race and any realm.”

  “I know naught of the Human Realm but a love like yours and Cameron’s shall forever stand as the perfect example. Even if it failed to last a lifetime, you were blessed to share what time you did.”

  She nodded and handed me the book. “Your age of eligibility is newly upon you. I remember the excitement of it. How badly I wanted to know about males, their bodies, my body and all the adventures in store. It must be even more confusing for you, living in a new place with so many males of different races to consider. Take it.”

  “But Lexi meant it for you.”

  “I have read it.” She winked and refused to take it back. “Three times over. Allow your imagination to wander, child. Consider what sexual adventures you might like to have. And if you ever need to talk or ask questions, I shall be here.”

  I Flashed to the Dens with Kobi and Cowboy as my escorts and Elora’s book tucked in my bag. Was I ready for sexual adventure? As a female Highborne, it was my privilege to call for males to tend to me. Pleasuring a female was an honor to males and would be a welcome invitation.

  At least in our village.

  I wondered how the customs in the Realm of the Fair differed. Did I have it in me to proposition a male? I eyed the two males close at hand. Kobi, lanky and dark. With his piercings and the black outline of his dark eyes, he was exotic and dangerous. Cowboy, broadly muscled and blond. His charm and humor warmed my heart. Both attractive in their own way. Both highly regarded by females if their banter was to be believed.

  “Lia, sweetheart, see anything you like?” Cowboy’s drawl stretched out the words as his smile widened. He was teasing me. He caught me blatantly staring at his body and was teasing me.

  “Apologies. I, uh.” I glanced around. “Oh, we are here.”

  The main entrance to the Dens was located in a jagged rise of Haven Mountain, a few hundred feet above the level of the castle and Jade’s home. The doors were not visible from a distance, inset and hidden in the shadowed contours of the rock formation. What was visible from the Academy grounds was the wide, flat ledge winding around from the east-facing entrance.

  Encompassing almost the entire circumference of the peak, this ledge was the only access point into the royal home of the Alpha Were and his charges. Heavily guarded by Were-males, technology and magic, the plateau was the farthest point of access for Bruin’s home by Flashing or climbing.

  On the first day of my stay there, Samuel explained how he and Julian worked their collective magic on the extensive network of caves burrowing into the mountainside. The security had to be impenetrable before Bruin would consider allowing Mika to move in. Between Samuel’s powerful enchantments and Julian’s prowess with all things technological, the Dens was an impenetrable fortress.

  “Honey, we’re home.” Cowboy’s lazy drawl echoed off the rock face as we rematerialized outside the main doors.

  According to Mika’s Eduda, Grandfather Hawk, the main entrance faced east to welcome the rising sun for good fortune. And as the platform wrapped around the peak in varying widths, he and Mika created small vignettes of interest connected by gardens all the way around.

  The plateau at the entrance was bare, for security purposes, but as you wound your way south, they had an herb garden, then a prayer and meditation landing facing the west and then an area with a gazebo and hanging gardens near the north vista. Samuel and I strolled the whole path two nights past and it took us over an hour to reach the end and return.

  As my escorts and I rematerialized, Bruin stepped away from his conversation with two Were guards and met us as we approached the main doors. Bruin kissed the top of my head and held out a fist to bump knuckles with his friends. “Wolf, Demon, you boys want a drink?”

  “Can’t,” Kobi said. “We’re on rotation tonight. Just making a special delivery before we take off.”

  Cowboy pulled out a small, red package from the pocket of the plaid shirt he wore loose over his white muscle shirt. He removed two cigarettes and handed one to his Demon friend.

  Bruin frowned. “I wish you guys would give that shit up. It’s gonna rot your insides.”

  Kobi laughed, propped the cigarette in his mouth and held up his index finger. A flame burst from the tip of his finger and he lit his vice before letting Cowboy do the same. “Lost cause, Bear. Demons are rotten to the core.”

  “True, d’at,” Cowboy tipped the rim of his hat and jo
gged to the door, exhaling a sweet-smelling cloud of smoke as he left. “Give me ten to shower up and grab my gear.”

  Kobi turned back to Bruin. “Hey Bear, you got a minute?”

  “Sure, whassup?”

  Kobi tilted his head to the side and walked the two of them to the rail at the far edge of the plateau. With heads close, they spoke in hushed tones. It was far enough for privacy from the lion guards but, where the Were sense of smell was superior to an Elf’s, my hearing was far too acute not to overhear.

  In an attempt not to be rude, I focused my attentions on the scenery below: the trees blooming with April life almost obscured the roof of Jade’s manse and the Academy grounds beyond. I walked along the rail, watching the sun sink low in the sky, shivering as it took the warmth of the day with it.

  Moments later Bruin’s phone went off. “Yes, she’s here, Samuel.” Bruin winked at me. “They’re here too . . . Okay, I will . . . Later.” Sliding the device into the pocket of his ripped jeans he chuckled.

  “What did Merlin want?” Kobi asked, exhaling a stream of smoke.

  “He was supposed to get a call-back saying Lia arrived.”

  Kobi exhaled. “Like the Wolf and I were going to leave her in the forest somewhere and forget to bring her home? Gimme a fucking break.”

  I shivered as a gust of wind lifted my hair and swirled up my skirts. Though spring was upon us, the wind still blew cool. Instantly, a fitted hide jacket dyed the most perfect plum wrapped around me. The gray fur lining rubbed against my chin as soft as Faolan’s underbelly. “Gratitude, Bruin. It is beautiful, but you need not fuss. I am well enough.”

  The Bear-King strode over and eased my hair out from the furred collar, letting it fall to my back. “Castian appointed Samuel your guardian, but you’re my family now. I gottcha, little sista.”

  The soft, rhythmic chuffing of wood being planed around the plateau caught my attention. “If the two of you will excuse me, I would like to spend some time in the butterfly garden watching Grandfather Hawk work.”