by Sasha Parker
"Breena, what is it?" Kira asked.
Breena flew right to her and said anxiously, "Kira, we were to meet with Una, she called a meeting but now no one can find her."
"Una has gone missing? Has someone told the rest of the Council? The Guardians?" Kira asked.
Breena nodded. "Someone has gone to alert them."
"Did you see her at all?" Kira inquired.
"No, I didn't, but another saw her at the fountain down in the garden," Breena answered.
"Okay then, we start there. I'm coming out." Kira climbed over the railing and then down the trellis below. Once she touched ground, she followed Breena to the fountain. Together they looked around for any signs of Una and found none.
"Now what?" Breena asked.
Kira sighed and sat on one of the benches. "I don't know. I should go find my Guardians and help with the search."
"I will keep searching out here with the others," Breena told her.
Kira nodded and went to head back indoors. She never saw the man come out of the shadows and by the time he grabbed her from behind, he had knocked her out.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ronan knocked again on the door to the bedroom. "Kira, come on. Don't be mad."
"She has been in there the whole time?" Brendan asked Donald.
"Aye, have not heard a peep," Donald said. "Ye lads did push her to her last, you did."
Ronan knocked harder. "Kira, open this door or I am going to kick it in."
When no answer came, Ronan did kick it in and they were all three shocked when they found that Kira was not there. Brendan saw the French doors open and stepped out onto the balcony. Ronan followed and they both looked over the back garden. Just when they were going to go back inside, Breena flitted up to them.
"I am so glad Kira found you. What do you need us to do?" she asked.
Ronan frowned. "Breena, we are looking for Kira. She has gone missing."
"Why would Kira be looking for us, Breena? What has happened?" Brendan asked.
"Una has gone missing. Kira climbed out to help me search the garden and then she went back inside to find you two," Breena said, becoming alarmed.
Ronan and Brendan exchanged a look, then Ronan said, "Donald, please go see that the Council is alerted. Also please inform them that Kira is missing as well."
"We will begin searching where she went missing, in the garden," Brendan told him.
"Aye, I will join you both as soon as I deliver the message," Donald said and hurried from the room.
Both Ronan and Brendan went down to the garden and began to search around. They found no sign of Kira anywhere. They went to head back inside and find Vesta, they hoped she could cast a spell in order to find Kira.
*****
Kira came awake slowly and just as she was about to move, she remembered what had happened and froze. She knew her best bet was to pretend to still be out cold. She cracked her lids and realized she was in cellar of sorts, alone. She opened her eyes and really searched the room. It seemed that she was in a storage room deep within the castle. Her hands were tied, but at least they were in front of her and not in back. She knew it was futile but went to the door and tried to open it. Of course it was locked.
Kira looked around and saw a chair with a small table in one corner, with several barrels in another. Other than that, it was empty. There was a small window higher up on one wall and she could see it was getting really dark. The only light in the room came from a bulb near the door. Kira sat down on the chair and tried to figure out how to get out. She was a witch, she could do this. She knew without earth, she wasn't completely powerless, she just had to figure out the right spells to do.
She closed her eyes and began to think. First, she had to get the rope off her hands and then she had to figure out how to get help. She herself hadn't cast many spells, she had preferred to work with her earth. Now she understood why her grandmother had been trying to push her to do spells. There would be times when earth was there to help.
She took a deep breath and said simply, "Hear my cry, from the heart and make this rope come apart."
The rope around her wrists fell from her, turning into ashes and falling to the table. She happily clapped her hands. Then she got up and went to the window, dragging the chair with her. She climbed up on it and peered out, seeing the south corner of the garden in the back of the castle. She pushed on the window and it opened. She frowned, this was too easy, what was going on?
She shrugged off her thoughts as she pulled herself up and crawled out of the window. As she stood, she heard clapping and turned toward the sound. She couldn't see who it was and was startled when a voice rang out.
"Well done, Kira. It took you long enough," the deep voice said snidely.
"Who are you and what do you want?" Kira demanded.
"Well, I want your powers, but your life will do." From the darkened forest, a bolt of lightning came out and Kira dove out of the way just in time to miss being zapped. As she crouched down on the ground, she dug her fingers into the earth and closed her eyes.
"Mother Earth hear my call, wrap around this fool and make him fall. Bound him tight so that I may see, the one who threatens me," Kira said softly.
She heard a struggle and began to move in that direction. She heard an "oomph" and knew something had happened to the man. She crept closer and then was knocked back by a blast of wind. She landed hard on her back and got the breath knocked out of her.
"Come now, Kira," the man said mockingly. "I am way too powerful for that parlor trick."
As Kira went to stand, she felt something brush her cheek. She looked over and saw Breena. "Breena, go get help," she whispered.
Breena nodded and flew off. Kira slowly got to her knees. "Why are you doing this to my family?" She thought if she kept him talking, they would finally know who it was that was threatening them.
The man laughed a booming laugh and said, "You know I want the powers of the Blessed Five and I shall have them. My first order of business is for you to die by my hand. That will bring Ari home and I need sister dearest to give me her blood."
Kira's heart lurched into her throat at the mention of her sister. She dug her fingers into the earth again and began a soft chant, "Mother Earth, call on your children to help me rid the woods of this villain, take him out to stop his war, make him gone to return nevermore."
There was a booming thunder that came from deep in the woods. She heard a loud gasp and knew she had made a direct hit. She just hoped she could hold him off until help could arrive.
Kira moved to place her body behind a tree and peer into the darkness. It had been quiet for a couple of minutes and she could only hope the man had been downed. Since she needed to be sure, she began to move slowly and quietly into the wood. Just as she had almost reached where she had heard the noise from, she felt the earth tremble and she stumbled. She kneeled down to the earth and felt it cry out to her.
She felt the fury course through her. He was hurting her earth, Mother Earth, to get to her. Well she wasn't going to let that happen a moment longer, she drew on what her grandmother had taught her. So far, she hadn't wanted to inflict true harm, now she wanted to maim. She dug her fingers into the soil and said, "Mother Earth work with me now to rid this man from us somehow, strike him down in any way, so he won't get up to fight another day."
A tree to her right began to move and then suddenly its great branches came slamming down to the ground around her. She scooted back around the tree she was near in order to protect her body from being hit. Suddenly vines came up out of the ground and began to wrap around her legs. She struggled trying to free herself as she heard the man's voice coming closer to her.
"You thought to stop me with that? You need a better teacher, little witch," he snarled at her.
She kept trying to free herself as the vines continued to wind around her. Suddenly, a voracious wind came sweeping past her toward the man. Kira turned to see it knock him way back into the woods. H
e had almost been close enough to see. The vines continued to tighten on her legs and she once again was drawn into the struggle. She gripped the vines, worried now as they had begun to cut off circulation in her legs.
Kira was shocked when another set of hands joined hers and she looked up to see Vesta trying to help. Vesta stopped and held her hands over the vines. "Earthly snakes go slither away, release this girl, leave her legs this day."
The vines immediately loosened and fell away from her legs, slithering back into the woods. "Thank you, Vesta," Kira said as she stood with Vesta's help.
"We are not done yet," Vesta said. "Come, we must find him and end this."
As Kira took a step, she cried out in pain and Vesta turned to her quickly. "It's fine, Vesta, I can make it. Let's go."
"No, Kira. Let me help you first." Vesta held out her hands over Kira's legs and said, "Spirits come help, take away her pain. To rid the evil, you help us gain."
The pain immediately left and Kira said, "Thank you. The pain is gone now."
"Good. Come on. He's getting further away," Vesta urged.
"Kira!" Ronan and Brendan's voice called out to her and she turned to be embraced by her two Guardians. "Thank the goddess," Ronan moaned as he held her.
"Are you alright?" Brendan asked looking her over.
"I'm fine. We have to go. He went through there." Kira pointed into the woods and began to walk with Vesta.
"Who?" Ronan demanded, following them as he reached behind him and called his sword. Kira also heard Brendan's sword being called and knew her two men were in Guardian mode.
"The man who took me, tied me up, and then attacked me," Kira answered.
Vesta stopped walking and turned to Kira. "Quickly, we need the earth to help us stop him." Both women plunged their hands into the earth and Vesta said, "Mother Earth hear us now, stop the man with our vow. We need him and he is far away, stop him so we may capture him this day."
Deeper in the woods, they heard someone cry out and began to head that way. Ronan and Brendan placed themselves in front of the women as they were trained to do. Kira wanted nothing more than to catch up to this man and be rid of him. Vesta stopped abruptly and yelled, "Get down!"
As they ducked, several bolts of lightning came zinging over their heads. Vesta held up her hands and shoved them forward, sending a gust of air back. Then she began to move forward again. They came upon a clearing and in the short distance, Kira saw the man. He was standing over a body and seemed to be drawing power from it. Vesta gasped and began to hold her hands up again.
The first wave of air she pushed sent him toppling over and away from the body. Kira knelt and touched the earth, calling upon the weeds to help attack the man. "Grow weed babies, hold him for me. Hold him tight, so that we may see. This man is evil and holds the key."
He cried out and then as they began to advance, several men burst out of the side trees and attacked. Ronan and Brendan began to sword fight them. Suddenly Donald and some of his trainees came up behind them and joined the fight. Kira and Vesta kept moving forward, trying to get to the body and the man.
The man was struggling and there was a lot of smoke but they could see he was free. He began to sprint away from them. "I can't see who it is!" Kira said to Vesta frustrated.
Vesta called out, "Light the sky, my lovely flies. Show us the evil in disguise."
Kira watched as fireflies began to gather quickly and light up the dark. Kira got a glimpse of the side of the man's face before he turned fully away on purpose, hiding from them. They reached the body on the ground and heard a moan. Vesta took a few steps toward the man as if to continue pursuit and suddenly he vanished. Kira knelt down and what she saw shocked her. It was Una.
She turned to Vesta and said, "We need help. It's Una."
Vesta, who was staring off at where the man had disappeared with a frown, immediately turned to Kira and knelt down by Una. "Una, can you hear us?" she asked.
Kira could see a lump on the side of Una's head and showed it to Vesta. Kira could hear the men still in battle and knew they couldn't help. She looked around and saw with relief that there were several fairies coming toward them, led by Breena.
"Breena, we found Una. She needs help," Kira said. "Can you help us?"
"We can carry her back," Breena answered. The fairies gathered around their Queen and gently lifted her. Kira was in awe but knew that although they were little, they were magical and strong.
Vesta turned toward the men and raised hands. A blast of air shoved at the bad guys attacking the Guardians, making them go flying back. Just as the Guardians went to advance on them, they turned and ran back the way they came. Ronan yelled something and some of the trainees gave chase as Ronan and Brendan ran to Kira to make sure she was safe.
Kira met them halfway and was swept up into Brendan's arms. He held her to him and then kissed her. Usually his kisses were soft, but this kiss was about ownership and making his mark on her. She understood his need and kissed him back just as hard. Then he handed her over to Ronan who swept her to him and in regular Ronan style, plundered her mouth, taking what he wanted. Again, she allowed him to do what he wanted, knowing they had worried about her.
"You scared us, dearling," Ronan said as he buried his face in her neck.
"I was scared too. Are you both alright?" Kira asked as she looked at Brendan over Ronan's shoulder.
Brendan reached over and covered her hand with his own. "We are fine, sweet. No worries."
"Are you okay?" Ronan asked with concern as he pulled back from her and began to check her over, running his hands over her body.
Kira pushed at his hands, she didn't want the attention on her when Una was so seriously injured. "I am fine. My legs hurt a little, but that can be dealt with later. We have to see to Una." She took both their hands in hers and they began to head over to join the others.
It took a little longer to get back to the castle, but when they arrived they were met by Kai who had Tobin and Twila with him. They quickly moved Una into her room and Vesta went in with the doctor. The adrenaline Kira had been running on since the battle wore off and she realized she was far more injured than she first thought. The pain began to take over and she moaned as they entered the drawing room of the castle to wait for news. That was when Kira's legs would no longer hold her up and the pain overwhelmed her. She heard her men call out to her as the blackness took over and she fell into oblivion.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Kira woke slowly, not wanting to leave the cocoon she was in. She felt nice and warm there, safe from all the evil. She felt something tickle her nose and she groaned as she tried to roll over. When she did, she felt a slight pain in her legs and bumped against something solid behind her. As she felt the tickle again on her chin this time, she slowly opened her eyes and came into contact with green ones filled with humor.
"Good morning, luv. How are you feeling?" Ronan's deep voice rumbled.
"Better. What happened? How's Una?" Kira asked.
"She is going to be okay. She needs time to heal. He drained her of her energy," Brendan's voice came from behind her as his arm snaked around her waist.
Kira sat up in between them and said, "Did anyone get a good look at him?"
"No, sweet. No one did," Brendan answered.
"Dammit, we were so close. I almost had him," Kira said.
"You and Vesta hurt him," Ronan told her. "Tell us what happened."
Kira told them the whole story from being on the balcony talking to Breena until they all were together in the woods. The men asked questions in between but for the most part let her tell her story. When she was finished, she sighed and said, "I just wish I had seen him. I hope I marked him in some way. Then we will be able to tell who he is."
"Everyone here was in some type of fight. There were men that attacked here at the castle. We suspect now that it was to distract us here so he could get his hands on you," Ronan told her.
"Luckily Eragon arrived back with h
is men and we were able to come to you," Brendan added.
Kira thought for a moment and said, "Was there anyone here at the castle who was not in on the fights?"
"Not that we know of but we can ask Kai. Vesta is taking care of Una as the Council doesn't trust anyone else right now. They have also banned all visitors for now as well," Ronan said.
"Wow," Kira said. "That is good. The battle lines have been drawn and it seems the threat is not just against my family."
"Speaking of your family, you need to call them," Brendan told her. "They are concerned about you."
"Did you call them and tell them what happened?" Kira demanded.
"No, luv, you were supposed to call them last night, remember?" Ronan said calmly.
Kira sighed. "I forgot about that. I did promise them an update. Damn. Are they freaking out?"
"Not a lot. I think we reassured them enough but they want to hear from you," Brendan said with amusement in his voice.
Kira groaned. "Okay. I will call them as soon as I have a shower."
"You go have a nice, hot shower and we will get you some food," Ronan suggested.
"Oh, that sounds great," Kira moaned.
As Ronan sat up to go, he leaned over and kissed her tenderly. "Don't do that again, Kira," he said seriously. "We need you. You are ours and we love you."
Kira got tears in her eyes as Brendan turned her to look at him so he could kiss her softly. "We love you very much and never want to lose you."
Kira looked at both of them and said, "I love you both too, so much."
"Good. Now, go shower and we will get the food," Ronan said gruffly. He wanted to get out of the bed before he ravaged her and good. He knew she wasn't physically ready for that yet with all she had been through. He saw that Brendan felt the same way as he quickly began to dress and head out to call for the food.