Myrrdyn vanished, which only further pricked Lorcan’s ire. He hated the old Sorcerer’s riddles and constant manipulations. Myrrdyn had shared only the Fire witch’s history these past twenty-six years and that she had recently suffered heartbreak. He had also said that it was necessary that she return to the Realm. The Ancient had failed to mention that the heartbreak was caused by one of the Vampire faction.
Lorcan had immediately seen the girl’s mark. A marking of that nature had been done by a vampire with a fierce passion for the witch. Lorcan issued a low growl of frustration with the thought. Somewhere out there was a vampire that had laid claim to this witch and had done so in a manner to make certain it was obvious that she was his and his alone. Lorcan sensed that his peaceful existence was about to be disrupted yet again by another gorgeous witch with secrets that were known only to Myrrdyn.
CHAPTER 19
Nicholas had finally managed to wrestle away from Rhydach’s tenacious hold for a few hours. He was still in his battle gear and he was worn, fatigue etched in his face. He was also beyond angry because Lorcan and the Chosen were making his life hell. The Light forces were constantly nipping at his heels with their surprise attacks and endless skirmishes with the Darks.
The Light had not launched a full-fledged assault since the night that Kaitriana had been attacked by Alaric and the Council guard, but they had remained active enough to be a constant annoyance. He was still harboring fury over that particular night. His ass had been handed to him by Sayer, who had come after him like a rabid hellhound. Nicholas held Kylie personally accountable for those injuries, having failed to advise him of her past with the Elite warrior.
He was sick of licking his wounds and Rhydach’s accompanying rants. Nicholas was also bloody well furious that no matter how skilled or well-trained the forces he took against the Light, there was no victory to be had. It had been two weeks since Dunkirk had last given him any information on Ella and he could wait no longer to get to her. Dunkirk had icily reported that she was deathly thin and attempting nightly to consume enough alcohol to put herself into either oblivion or death. He had added with no small amount of acid in his tone that he could not tell which was the more desirable of the two outcomes for her. Dunkirk had adamantly refused to go back. As he had been walking away from Nicholas in a rage of his own he had said he would no longer witness her suffering when his presence only seemed to add to it.
That news had a maddening effect on him, but it had still taken him all this time - too much time - to get away and seek her. Nicholas firmly believed he could charm her back from this dark place that he had apparently thrown her into with his abandonment.
Darkness had already settled over her apartment when he arrived, so he was certain she was already on her nightly mission to drink him from memory. He would simply wait Ella out and drag her back to their new home, keeping her there until she agreed to forgive him. It was a solid plan. When he shadowed inside to wait for her return, he immediately was aware of the different feel in the apartment. His eyes scanned the darkened interior and he was shocked to discover that it was empty. Mind racing, Nicholas took the few short strides to her bedroom and threw the door back. Immediately spying the pile on the floor, he flipped the light switch before kneeling down.
He knew without opening it that the bag contained the dress that she would have worn when she gave him her vows. The white roses, now dead and scattered around had been for the same night. Nicholas scooped up the bracelet next. Ella had been sprawled over his chest when he had clasped that around her wrist, her cheeks still flushed from the pleasure that he had given her. They had been in the moonlight, on a blanket, at the edge of a lake that night. She had laughingly asked him if it were her escort’s fee before she had kissed him breathless and whispered a sweet ‘thank you’ against his mouth.
That memory was still shredding him when he woodenly tucked the black card in his pocket and gathered up the bag with the dress. He knew it had all been left for him. The note so clearly left no question. He was the one being on Earth that she hoped burned in hell. At this precise moment he was there, as his bellow of anguish clearly told.
CHAPTER 20
The following three months passed quickly for Ella. She had eased into a routine with Kat, finding her quirks vastly distracting. The sharp edge of pain in her heart had begun to recede, though the darkness in her lingered. Anger over Cole was still riding her hard and it was evident whenever she was forced into a close encounter with any of the males in Lorcan’s coven.
Kat and Lorcan were cognizant of it. They understood that whoever had hurt Ella had been of the Vampire species and had obviously inflicted so much damage that she was not ready to release her pain. Any male Vampire, with the exception of Lorcan, could easily prick her ire. Unfortunate for her, together the mated leaders had determined that her existence was about to be overrun with vampires, so that they could push her past the injury and on to the healing.
Ella had just come down the steps into the below-ground levels of Laverock, smiling in anticipation of her daily workout with Kat. Their routine together entailed not only training with weights followed by a run on the treadmill, but also an hour or two of practice with weaponry. Kat had the Warrior Caste magic and therefore possessed a more innate ability with weapons. Because of her magic, even without her Vampiric traits, she also possessed the supernatural strength to wield them forcibly against an enemy. Ella was trying keep pace.
She could rely on only her own strength, not that of magic, and her agility from her training. Ella was very good, according to Lorcan’s estimation, based on the few times he had watched her and Kat sparring together. Coupling her determination and skill along with the magic of her Fire, he had indicated that she would be worthy of joining his forces in battle. Ella had always enjoyed weapons training and Lorcan’s assessment of her abilities had given her that much more reason to continue to train hard.
Ella was surprised to see Kat already in her battle gear, as they usually waited until after their run to work on weapon techniques. Kat grinned with excitement when her friend entered the room, “I am so glad you made it down quickly this afternoon. The early worm catches the fishies and all, you know.”
Shaking her head with a laugh, Ella kindly corrected, “The early bird catches the worm, Kat.” She had grown used to Kat flubbing her phrases and could follow along most days. She made her way across the room, pointing towards the weapon sheathed on Kat’s hip, “If we have worms to catch today, that might be overkill.”
Kat glanced down at her hip, a quizzical crease in her brow before the understanding dawned. Grinning, she nodded, “Yes, indeed. Blood sucking worms…also known as leeches. I assure you, I have chosen just the right weapon to slay those beasties.” It pleased her to see Ella smiling more readily these days. It was time, however, for her dear friend to vent her anger and be done with it. She could not war effectively against the Dark if she held this internal animosity towards even the Vampire that battled in alliance with her.
She saw the trepidation entering into Ella’s eyes and hurried on before the other could object, “I have arranged, because I am that good…” She winked to let Ella know she did not take herself that seriously, “…for a very overcast afternoon. Lorcan and his Elite are going to join us and oversee some of his more seasoned men sparring with us.”
Kat’s excitement was obvious, but Ella was having a hard time mirroring it. In her mind, an afternoon surrounded by vampires was not a pleasant thing, unless she was truly allowed to take their heads. She doubted that was what Lorcan had in mind. Her feelings on the matter were obvious, but she pasted on a fake smile for the benefit of her friend. Nodding, she turned to exit, “Let me get my gear.”
Fifteen minutes later, Ella trailed behind Kat as they strolled through the shadowed rear courtyard. Kat had indeed worked her magic well. The clouds were unmoving and hanging low, providing complete protection to the castle and the surrounding countryside. Ella’s eyes narro
wed as they came on the group assembled for the training. There were twenty warriors, the five Elite and Lorcan himself. There were entirely too many fanged males for her comfort and she stopped a few yards short of the gathering, studying them all.
Kat had a private exchange with Lorcan, pointing to a box in his hand. As he nodded his understanding, his gaze was speculative on the red-haired witch. He had no doubt she would knock the first few warriors to challenge her on their backsides. They would fail to realize the threat she presented because she was so exquisite. His own Elite had made the same mistake in underestimating Kat’s strength a few months ago because of his mate’s stunning beauty.
With her titian tresses tucked into a tight knot high on the back of her head and her vivid green eyes, Ella was striking. Fitted leather encased her long legs like a second skin and met heeled black leather boots. Her form fitting black shirt, no doubt reinforced with Kat’s magic, did nothing to blunt her appeal. Ella would easily have the head of any opponent that made the mistake of underestimating her skill in favor of her beauty.
He could see that she had two long Sai daggers sheathed and crossed over her back and a shorter sword at her hip. There was already fire dancing at her fingertips when she slowly resumed her walk and made her way to where he and Kat stood. Lorcan smiled in anticipation, today would be interesting indeed. He hoped that Kendrick did not tarry too long in arriving; he wanted the Warrior Witch leader’s assessment of her as well.
A few of the early risers in his coven had gathered at the steps and outer edges of the yard, curious to see what the unprecedented gathering at this hour was about. Lorcan waved Ella forward. She was so very young in her immortality and Lorcan hoped he was not making a mistake in pitting her against his men. His goal was two-fold. By forcing her to engage with the males, he hoped to push her to vent some of the toxicity that dwelled in her. He also wanted to assess her magic. The nagging feeling that there was much more magic in this young witch than any realized had grown stronger over the past few weeks as he watched her spar with Kat.
It was enough to cause him to drive her outside of her comfort zone and draw her into this mock battle today. He laid a hand on her shoulder, “I am going to set you first against two, Ella. You may use your magic until I tell you that you cannot, but be warned, they will not being holding back either. They are to show you no mercy, do you understand?”
She nodded stiffly, shuffling her feet, her discomfort obvious. His protective instincts warred with his determination to see if his beliefs about Ella’s strength were grounded in truth. He hated to do this to her now when she was still fragile, but the purpose of the Light came first. Ella would be what she was destined to be, even if he had to throw her into a battlefield full of Darks to get her there. His attention was pulled away from her when Kendrick took a place at his side.
He offered Lorcan a hard whack of greeting on his back, “Vampire.”
Lorcan acknowledged him in kind, “Witch.” He then stepped back and indicated Ella with a wave of his hand, “Kendrick, this is Ella. Kendrick is leader of the Warrior Caste.”
Ella granted him a small smile. When she was younger, Kendrick had assisted in training some within the Fire Caste. It was good to see a familiar face – a Witch face – amongst all the fangs. Lorcan waved her forward, “Ella, go on to the field and prepare.”
She shot a nervous glance back at Kat before moving forward reluctantly, having thought at least that her friend would be battling with her. After she had moved from earshot, Kendrick lowered his voice and looked between Kat and Lorcan, “I remember Ella from her youth. She showed incredible promise in her skill with weapons, but I never saw anything to give indication that she had Warrior Caste magic.” His eyes roamed over her, “She is a rather gorgeous little creature though, is she not?”
Kendrick trailed off, not expecting an answer to that, watching intently as two of Lorcan’s men stepped forward to face her on the field. Lorcan called out, “You will fight until she takes you down or draws your blood and then you are done. Ella, you will fight until I say otherwise.”
Ella did not turn towards Lorcan and gave only the slight inclination of her head to acknowledge his dictate. Her eyes were already assessing her targets. One was leering at her openly, while the other was attempting to be a bit more discreet. Neither had spared a glance towards the small flickers of flame at her fingertips. The bolder of the two spoke, “Princess, how about a bet? If I take you down first, you share dinner with me tonight?”
The only indication that she had even heard his offer was the hard glint that entered her eyes. It had been the wrong thing to say…the bastard using Cole’s pet name took her to a wicked place. Ella felt her power surge with her anger and since she was safe in the Realm, she let its strength roll over her. Unsheathing the weapons from her back in a fluid pull, she let fire dance down the blades. Watching the eyes of her opposition, she hissed, “I’d sooner dine with Rhydach, Jackass.”
She made easy work of them. The power of the flame from one of her hands was enough to knock the quiet one to his knees before he could react. Casanova was treated to the feel of the burning pierce of her dagger into his thigh after she had swung her leg and connected firmly with his jaw. Ella gave him a nasty glare when she turned on her heel, striding away.
Though the next three had been on notice due to her easy handling of the first two, to Lorcan’s surprise, she made quick enough work of them between her swords and her fireballs. Her fury seemed to be escalating with each match though and that was puzzling. He had thought that kicking some male vampires around might release some of the hatred she had been saddled with all these months.
Unbeknownst to the Light that were watching the drama unfold, the Witch group that had arrived on the heels of Kendrick had picked up a straggler along the way. Each had assumed that he was with another and none paid him much attention. The group was a mix of Castes, come to train that eve with Lorcan’s men, as had been their habit for the past few months. This one new addition was on a specific mission.
Rumor through the Realm was that Lorcan had taken a new witch under his protection, one that trained daily with the Chosen. The Darks needed confirmation. Any Witch under the protection of the Warrior of Light was of keen interest to Rhydach, particularly since Kaitriana had foretold the rising of the Queens. With a well cast spell, Rhydach, Nicholas, his highest ranking men, and Turloch were all able to watch the drama unfold as closely as those in attendance at Laverock.
The last opponent had connected his fist solidly with Ella’s mouth right before she had unleashed a force of fire that had tossed him back into the far wall. Hearing the solid thump of his form hitting it and seeing his smoldering clothing and singed hair had been delightful for her. Ella had a cocky smile on her face as she wiped the smudge of blood that trickled down from the side of her mouth away with the back of her hand.
Kendrick was muttering, “I think you might be right about her…” Lorcan acknowledged the statement with a brief nod. Having already opened the box in his hand, he was looking over the contents thoughtfully. Retrieving one item, he shot a rueful look at Kendrick when the Warrior leader’s eyes narrowed on the band. Lorcan waited for Kat’s nod of confirmation over the correct selection and then yelled to Ella to gain her attention. He casually tossed it to her, “Put that on, Ella.”
Her eyes sparked as she caught it and assessed its meaning. Cocking her head to the side, her hands dropped to her hips, stubbornly, in challenge. The metal piece dangled from her fingertips while she stared him down. Lorcan ignored her behavior for a moment and called to the next two vampires that were coming forward, “No shadowing. No fire from the Witch. You will fight with weapons only.” Lorcan returned a pointed gaze to Ella, expectantly looking from the bangle to her face.
She was unmoving, both her expression and her tone had grown belligerent, “You expect me to allow you to bind my magic, Vampire?” Ella thought she heard Kendrick and Kat mutter curses in unison but sh
e was focused on Lorcan and could not be certain.
Lorcan nodded slowly and his eyes flickered dark before returning to their normal steel gray. He was obviously irritated by her challenge, his tone had gone cool, “I expect you to do it. Moreover, I expect you to do it immediately and I do not expect you to challenge my authority again, Witch.” When Ella remained unmoving, he took a step forward, menacingly, “And, if you choose not to, I will put it on you myself and then beat you up one side of this field and down the other until you learn your place. There is no room for insubordination amongst my warriors.”
Ella held her ground a moment longer, glaring at him, and then locked the band on her forearm. The flames disappeared from her fingertips. She was failing in her attempts to pull back her anger as she assessed her next opponents. They were both tall, hulking figures. If she used her quickness and was cunning, she could possibly take them down without her magic. Being unable to shadow would certainly slow their attacks, but the vampires still possessed amazing speed and superior strength. Allowing either to get close enough to deliver a blow with a weapon could put her on injured reserve for a week.
The largest, and obviously the dumbest of the pair, stepped forward, “None of us can really understand why you feign such dislike for our kind since we all see the marks on your neck. One of our brothers obviously enjoyed his time in your bed…why don’t you give another one of us a shot?”
Forsaken (Ancients of Light #1) Page 15