Standing on her tiptoes, Kyra crooked her index finger in a come here motion to her mate, giggling when he bent down and then swooning when he kissed her until she was breathless. Alicia was happy for them, but also felt a pang of jealousy that she had yet to lay eyes on Drago. Shaking her head, the young witch turned and headed back up the mountain of soil, this time on her knees instead of her butt. She pushed all thoughts of anything but Drago’s survival from her mind. They were making progress. Finding the focus was a good thing even if it was the most evil magic she’d been close to in her entire life. It put them one step closer to freeing her Guardsman.
It took almost an hour of additional digging and then careful maneuvering to get the silver box out of the hole and resting safely on the copper rack Kyra and Sarah Beth had constructed. Alicia, her sisters, and Melanie gathered the list of roots and flowers Kyra had given them and made enough sachets for every witch to hold while they recited the spell that would protect not only everyone in their group, but also the inhabitants of the surrounding area from the black magic held within the focus object.
It took forever before Alicia saw the tops of the Guardsmen’s heads as they moved to the edge of the cavern. The dragons that actually touched the silver box wore thick, magically enhanced leather gloves, while the others formed a loose circle around their brethren, ready to take over should their assistance be needed. She held her breath as they stepped out of the hole, one united Force, both the dragons of the Golden Fire Clan and the dragons of the Blue Thunder Clan, shoulder-to-shoulder, working toward a common cause.
Carefully moving onto solid ground, the dragons made their way to the copper rack, placed the silver box upon the crisscrossed bars, and stepped back. Kyra motioned for the witches to follow her while she poured salt in a circle about ten feet around the silver box. Each witch stopped at their appointed place, waiting for the circle to be complete and the spell to begin. Once done, Kyra took her place between Sarah Beth and Alicia. The tiny witch looked into the face of every witch gathered and smiled. Alicia could feel her infusing the others with her faith and confidence in the ritual they were about to perform.
When Kyra spoke, it was with an authority that seemed impossible from the five-foot platinum haired woman with the kind violet eyes and heart of gold. “We gather here today to invoke the help of the Goddess and the Universe we hold dear in neutralizing the dark magic set in motion nearly a hundred years ago by those who would see our world destroyed. We seek to release the one held captive and diffuse the evil enchantment back to the hell it came from. Guide our actions, uplift our hearts, and fill our souls with the sense of purpose only you can provide. Blessed be. Blessed be.”
The witches all followed suit, echoing Kyra’s words until they were a chorus of many voices sounding as one, seeking to help the man that was quickly owning Alicia…heart and soul. She chanted with her sister witches until the words came automatically, while watching Kyra and her mother cautiously cover the silver box with a blanket of copper mesh that would hold the focus object and its deadly magic in place after the lid was removed.
Alicia also saw a copper box sitting on the ground beside Kyra. She knew the tiny witch and Sarah Beth were planning to move whatever was in the silver box into the copper one. They were hoping to neutralize the deadly magic contained within, which would allow them to locate Drago.
Holding her breath while watching Kyra and her mother perform the deadly task, Alicia let the chant play over and over in her mind at the same time she called to her Guardsman. “Drago, if you can hear me, please know that we’re trying to get to you. I have everyone doing everything possible to find you and get you free. Hold on. It’s almost over. I promise.”
She whispered the last words, hoping with all her heart that she would see his face before the sun set on another day. Letting go of the breath she was holding, Alicia opened her mouth to recite the spell aloud when several things happened all at once, tilting her world on its axis.
First of all, Kyra and Sarah Beth lifted a strange, glowing stone from the silver box into the copper mesh just as Rory yelled from the bottom of the hole in the ground where he and Kellan had stayed to continue digging to make sure no other surprises jumped out and bit them in their collective asses. “Somebody who knows something about magic better get their ass down here right freaking now. We found a tunnel and it’s covered with more of those crazy ass hieroglyphics y’all called sigils. It stinks to the Heavens of black magic and rancid blood and…”
His words were cut off as Alicia finally heard Drago’s voice in her head. She smiled then immediately started to shake her head as she listened to his words. “Live a long and happy life and know that I will be waiting with open arms for the day you join me. All my love, ceann beag, all my…”
“No! No! No! Don’t you freaking dare!” Alicia yelled in her mind and out loud simultaneously. “Don’t you dare give up! We are almost there!”
Tears streaming down her face she raced toward Rayne, screaming as she ran, “Hurry the hell up! We have to find him! I can’t even feel him breathing anymore. He’s just gone! Son of bitch, Rayne, do something! Drago is dying!”
Chapter Seven
Time seemed to stand still. Alicia could see Rayne’s mouth moving but heard only deathly silence coming from the bond she shared with Drago. Hands touched her shoulders and others grabbed her hands, all vying for her attention. Her sisters, friends, the dragons…everyone was racing toward where she’d fallen to her knees on the cold, hard ground, unable to bear the weight of what was happening just out of her reach. Nothing and no one mattered as long as the silence continued from the man who held her heart.
Her mind raced. The young witch searched for anything that could turn back the hands of time and stop the man she was now willing to admit was her mate from dying. Lost in thought, Alicia yelped as a huge figure loomed over her, blocking all light from the sun, while a pair of large, rough hands slid under her arms and jerked her to her feet. Moving quicker than she could track, the same hands that had unceremoniously lifted her from the ground now spun her around so quickly she swayed to the side before regaining her equilibrium. A massive thumb and forefinger encased her chin, raising her head until she was speared by a pair of the deepest violet eyes she’d ever seen, and they were anything but pleased.
“You have to focus, Alicia. Now is not the time to lose your nerve. Snap out of it. Pull your head out of your ass and think. Follow the link you have with Drago and tell us where he is.”
Without thought and more pissed than she’d ever been, Alicia hauled off and slapped Rayne MacLendon, the Commander, the man that scared her shitless just by breathing, right across the face. Once again, time stood still, but this time she felt the electricity of her pure unadulterated rage filling the space between her and the formidable Guardsman. It was as if all the air had been sucked from the atmosphere. Everyone stood still, staring, holding their breath…waiting.
Her hand stung from the contact with Rayne’s face. A hand print, her hand print, was quickly becoming visible on the Commander’s left cheek in glowing red reality. Alicia’s nerve was failing and fear was quickly replacing the anger that had only seconds ago had been coursing through her veins. The weight of her impulsive action bore down on her like the boulder she knew was still blocking Drago’s prison. Unable to stand the pressure, her head fell forward and she focused on a particularly interesting rock sitting between her feet, praying the Commander had more self-control than she did.
Anxiety pushed her heart to beat fast and loud, so loud that all other sound was only background noise. The young witch thought it might beat out of her chest. A bead of sweat rolled down her spine while her knees began to shake.
Alicia was sure there were rules against striking a Dragon Guard Commander, she just prayed the punishment wasn’t hanging at dawn. Goddess knew her people had seen enough of the rope throughout history.
Seconds ticked by as she waited for something…anything, to happe
n. Sure Rayne was plotting her demise, Alicia looked up just as the Commander threw back his head and laughed. Not just a little chuckle to let her know everything was all right. Oh no, it was a booming, roaring, all-encompassing guffaw of a laugh that had everyone standing around them immediately joining in.
Regaining his composure, Rayne looked down at her and asked, “Feel better? Ready to save that pain in the ass uncle of mine?”
Alicia stared at the Commander, letting his words sink in. He wasn’t mad…not even a little bit. Actually, if she was reading the situation correctly, which she seemed to be if the looks on everyone else’s faces were any indication, she’d done exactly what Rayne wanted her to do.
Needing clarification, the young witch cleared her throat and asked, “You’re not mad? I mean, I hit you…in front of everyone.” She whispered the last part mostly because she couldn’t believe she was reminding him of her actions.
Grinning, Rayne chuckled, “Not in the slightest. You were freaking out. I needed you to focus on something other than your grief. If hitting me helped then it was worth it, but I will admit you pack a helluva a punch, little one.”
“What did you call me?”
“Little one, why?” The Commander threw his hands out between them and feigning fear added, “You’re not gonna hit me again are you?” His shoulders bounced at his own joke as Alicia quickly shook her head.
“No, it’s just…oh, nothing.”
Rayne smiled a knowing smile but quickly schooled his features and dropped his hands before resuming his Commander persona. “Okay, now that you’re back with us, I need you to focus. I know you said you can’t feel Drago at all anymore but that could be the black magic, or he might be blocking your communication for some reason. But whatever it is, I refuse to believe he’s gone. Not when we are so close to returning him to the clan.”
Alicia could feel the strength of Rayne’s conviction and was once again amazed by his unwavering strength and belief. It was something the young witch was quickly learning was innate within the dragons. Both the men and their beasts were incredible. She let his calm wash over her. If he could believe Drago was still alive then she could too. The young witch thought about telling the Commander the words her mate had spoken into her mind but decided to keep them to herself. Rayne was probably right. Drago was just sparing her any undue worry.
Yeah, well that’s discussion number one hundred we will be having titled, Do Not Scare the Shit Our of Your Mate.
Opening her mouth to speak, her words were cut off before they began as Kyra yelled, “Y’all need to get your asses down here…NOW!”
Looking around, Alicia couldn’t find the tiny, powerful witch and then realized in that moment that her mom was missing too. Hannah appeared at her side, grabbed her hand, and pulled her to the crater they’d excavated the focus object from. “Kyra and Mom went down to see what Rory and Kellan found while you were accosting the Commander.”
Her sister laughed aloud as they sat on the side of the gaping hole and began scooting over the dirt toward the bottom of the cavern. This trip into what Alicia was beginning to think of as their very own abyss was the polar opposite of her first. There were huge LED lights on poles, like the ones she’d seen when the dragons had remodeled some of the homes at the lair. They lit the entire basin of the crater, making it easy for the young witch to see the tunnel Rory had told them about, as well as her mother and Kyra inspecting the sigils covering the dirt walls.
The Commander of the Blue Dragons had been right. The sigils on the walls matched the ones on the silver box that housed the focus stone, and just like the others, these too were coated in blood. From the look on both Kyra and Sarah Beth’s faces, it was once again witch’s blood. Alicia shook her head and offered a silent prayer for all the magical people who’d given their lives for nothing more than a crazy wizard’s bid for world domination. Seemed to be a common thread with the leaders of the Dorcha.
Damn, I’m glad to be out of that mess.
Kyra talked as she continued to examine the sigils and make notes on the little notebook in her hand. “These are all containment sigils. We should be able to remove them with a Banishing Spell, but there are so many we’ll need to do it as a group and in sections.”
Turning toward the crowd that was gathering, she continued, “I’d suggest candles instead of the lights. I have no clue how far this tunnel goes and I’m thinking your extension cords aren’t gonna be long enough.”
Royce moved through the crowd and stood next to his mate. Looking down, he grumbled, “I’m standing by your side. This shit’s giving me the creeps. At the first sign of danger, you’re outta here.”
Patting his arm as if she was talking to a child, Kyra nodded. “Whatever you say, big guy.”
Alicia grinned but immediately began calling Drago again. It had only been a few minutes since she’d heard what she thought to be his last words but so much had happened that it seemed like forever. “I don’t know if you can hear me but I’m talking anyway. You better know there’s no way I’m giving up on you. You just need to hang on, we’re on the way. You’re gonna be free soon. Siobhan will patch you up and you’ll have time to rest and recover. You’ll get to see Rayne and meet his mate and son. Then I promise I’m gonna kick your ass for making me worry!”
She knew she was being tough on him but it was only because she cared…a lot. Alicia was using the knowledge Rayne had given her just a few minutes ago…sometimes, tough love was the only way to get through the bullshit life threw at you. There would be time for all the other stuff later. Right now, it was going take intense determination and a whole lot of good old-fashioned luck to get to her mate out of the prison he’d endured for so very long—and Alicia was going to make it happen.
Looking behind her, she found all her sisters and Melanie waiting to begin. Turning back to Kyra, she saw the tiny witch looking right at her. “It’s your call, Alicia. He’s your mate.” Kyra’s word hit home.
Alicia didn’t even flinch. One nod of the head and she said, “Let’s do this. Let’s find my Assassin and bring him home.” No, she hadn’t totally admitted Drago was her mate, but Alicia had given in as much as she was prepared to and that was all they were going to get until they rescued her Guardsman.
Sarah Beth motioned Alicia and her sisters to the front of the pack, handing each of them a white candle as Kyra prepared the spell. Alicia could hear several of the Guardsmen climbing to the surface to grab more candles and the few flashlights she’d heard one of them say were packed in their duffle bags.
Kyra stood, smiling at each witch before explaining, “We’re gonna perform the basic Banishing Spell. These sigils are strong but nothing we can’t handle. It’s only gonna be hard because of the sheer number of them. These little son of a bitches are everywhere.” She chuckled and shook her head. “I really hate black magic.” Sighing, she went on. “Oh, well, all we can do is get rid of this shit one piece at a time. Light those candles and let’s get busy.”
In less than five minutes, with candles shining brightly, Kyra lead them in the spell that would remove the power from the bloody writing coating the tunnel walls.
“In the name of the Goddess, the Universe, and the powerful Lord, I banish the fruit of evil cast about this place so many years ago. I place a spell of power and purity on everything living or dead, whether constrained by chains, or hidden in darkness, or murdered for ill gains. I remove the death, fear and dread. I bring life, light, and love. May no darkness disturb the servants of the Goddess, the Universe, and the powerful Lord. So mote it be. Blessed be. Blessed be.”
Each witch echoed Kyra’s words as they slowly moved as one unit, drenching the abomination the black mysticism had created with pure white light and magic. It was as if a weight was being lifted from around them as the sigils flashed a bright white light before turning from the deep black of rancid blood to the soft gray of a purified talisman. Alicia could feel the black magic being dispersed back into Hell from wh
ere it had been originally called. The souls of those who unwillingly gave their lives so that the previous Grand Draoi might attempt to destroy the world lent their power to the spell as they were released into the ether to find their place in the Heavens.
Alicia knew what they were doing was necessary, there was no way around it, but every minute it took, combined with every minute that Alicia wasn’t able to contact Drago and couldn’t at least feel that he still lived, was torture. There were several times she thought about running ahead and screaming the spell at the top of her lungs but knew that it would be pointless and a huge waste of time, so the young witch did the best she could to control her anxiety and continued to speak the spell. It was then that Kyra stopped chanting and threw her hands in the air yelling, “Stop! Everybody stop!”
Alicia looked around the tiny witch and her mother, immediately identifying the cause of the panic in Kyra’s voice. Standing twenty feet in front of them was a wall of intricately stacked rocks completely covered with the bloody sigils they’d been battling for the last hour. Not only was it a deterrent, but the sheer power of the black magic flowing from the wall was daunting.
Taking a deep breath, Alicia asked, “So what do we do now?”
Speaking over her shoulder but still not moving, Kyra answered in a tone that sounded like a whole lot of uncertainty mixed with a healthy dose of anger. “We move these damn rocks.”
“But…” Whatever Alicia was about to say was cut off as a force unlike any other she’d ever felt pulled at her very soul. It wrapped around her heart and infused itself in every fiber of her being. The young witch gasped for air. Her vision blurred. She reached for her sister but it was too late. Alicia was falling as her world was quickly turning to black.
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