CHAPTER 25
The next Dark that came at her was welcomed by the flaming dagger she drove into his heart. Ella had not sent him back to hell, but she certainly had made him scream like a little girl. His dramatic squawking had laughter bubbling past her lips until she experienced an uneasy sensation and glanced up. Her eyes clashed with a familiar pair. Not fifty feet away was her former protector - tonight her nemesis - Dunkirk.
Raising his sword in salute, he was gone the next instant. Her stomach clenched tight while her mind raced through the potential ramifications. If Dunkirk was here, Cole would not be far away. Even if Cole was not part of this coven of warriors, she had little doubt that Dunkirk’s departure had been to inform her Dark love of her location.
She was already on edge from Kendrick’s assertion over her Queen nature and needed time to come to terms with what had come over her on that hillside before titles were tossed her direction. Ella was not certain she wanted the responsibility or if she even had the ability to say, ‘thanks but no thanks.’ Now this encounter with Dunkirk pushed her completely out of focus.
Unfortunately, Ella did not have time to worry further or even run through all the possible horrid outcomes. Broderick took hold of her arm and was dragging her in the direction of where Lorcan’s group waited. In truth, she wasn’t certain she would have resisted, even if she had time to consider what her next move should be. She needed the protection of her friends both for her mental and physical well-being if Cole joined the battle.
The two sets of Light warriors met on the steps of Carrowmere. Kendrick wasted no time detailing the revelation of Ella’s nature. Lorcan nodded, looking completely unfazed over the news, while the others stared at her in awe. It was Kat that interjected first, with the happy clapping of her hands, “The Queens are rising!” She embraced Ella joyfully before stepping back and peering up at her mate accusingly, “You knew?”
Lorcan gave her a curt nod, “I assumed Ella possessed the power of a Queen given the magnitude of her magic and that it was sourced from numerous Castes. That strength would not reveal itself until Ella was ready to bear it.” Looking to Kaitriana, he offered his thoughts, “Perhaps the Warrior of Dark is to meet his fate at the hands of the Fire Queen. There is a reason she has risen this night.”
Kaitriana should have known too, should have recognized it, and her expression conveyed her self-disgust. Her youthful inexperience left her at a sharp disadvantage. She had no personal knowledge of the Ancient Queens, though Lorcan had been sharing his knowledge in all things, privately, preparing her for her mighty role as Chosen. Whenever she had a lapse, such as now, it made her insecure, doubtful of her ability to fulfill that destiny.
Her mate was always acutely aware of her and even in the midst of a hugely important battle, tonight was no different. Cupping her chin, Lorcan told her solemnly, “After tonight, you will recognize your Queens, Kaitriana. You must grow, you must learn. Cease expecting too much too soon. None here have ever been disappointed with you…except yourself.”
Kaitriana had a small smile for him, “I suppose if I do not comply immediately you will throttle me right here on these very steps?”
Hiding his grin, he nodded, “You know I absolutely will.”
The twinkle in her eye caused his smile to be unleashed. Collecting herself, Kaitriana gave her attention back to Ella and winked, “I see tiaras in our future.” Ella just looked at her blankly, her mind operating in slow motion.
Lorcan knew there was one more thing that must be done before they could continue on in their mission to fell Nicholas. Though the battle raged around them, he trusted his men to keep them from harm. The next minutes were momentous for the Light. Taking Ella’s hand, he pressed it into Kat’s, explaining, “There should be a connection.” Before he finished the words, the spark of magic that ignited in their joined hands burst brilliantly over those in witness. The leap in his own magic caused Lorcan to flinch and he jerked his hand free of the circle. It took a moment of conscious effort on his part to free himself from the preternatural pull of the power that enraptured the two females. Each one’s eyes had instantly veiled and their voices were synched in recitation of archaic words between them.
Broderick nudged him, scoffing, with no small amount of amusement, “Your eyes are sparkling, Lorcan.”
The Warrior of Light growled low at his Ancient friend before Kendrick prodded him, impatient, “What are they saying?”
Having an Ancient Queen mother, the language was known to him. A satisfied smile formed, but Lorcan did not provide the exact translation because that was for the Queens alone, “They are sisters, divine in creation and purpose, sworn to protect all that God has deemed His own.”
It took only two minutes and then the spell was broken. Each Queen cast a secretive smile at the other and the light dissipated. One would have to be dead to miss the undercurrent of energy that now ran between the pair. Kat looked up at Lorcan, beaming, her eyes widened with the wonder of the experience. Her assurance rushing out with an excited breath, “I will know them now.”
Lorcan dropped a kiss to her brow and nodded indulgently, “Yes Minx, you will.” Releasing her, he gave Ella a pointed look, his tone calmly reassuring, “Do not fight the rise in power tonight. Embrace it, we will guard you.”
Ella nodded to the instruction, feeling even more uncertain than before. She could not afford to lose herself if Cole made an appearance; Kaitriana had told her about the times when her power rose so sharply that she fell into a trance-like state. It had happened to Ella twice already tonight. None of her friends would know to protect her from Cole if she went under like that and Ella had no idea how to rein in that level of magic.
Kat sensed hesitation in her friend and reached over to pat her arm reassuringly, “The magic will guide you Ella. Do not fight your nature.”
Ella dropped her hand over that of her friend’s with a whispered request, feeling the connection between them rekindle and strengthen with the contact, “Stay close.” When Kaitriana nodded, Ella stepped back and dropped her hand to the sword at her hip, putting on a show of false bravado for her companions, “Let’s finish this.”
Lorcan gave a quick nod and pushed through the large mahogany doors. Kaitriana and Ella flanked him as the group made their way into the interior. It was brightly lit and Lorcan had no trouble locating their prime target. He was standing midway up a massive marble staircase at the far end of the hall. The Warrior of Dark’s own men were already shadowing in rank behind him. Lorcan’s voice echoed on the stone walls of the interior in menacing greeting, “Nicholas.”
Ella’s attention turned in the direction of Lorcan’s gaze, curious to see this legendary Warrior. Nicholas was not disappointed by her reaction. Her gaze widened with disbelief when it fell on him. She was blinking rapidly, as though willing her eyes to change what was before her. All color drained from her face and Nicholas could not help his cold smile when she stumbled and bumped into the solid form of Broderick to her right. Colm reached forward to steady her but recoiled, hearing her utter, “Cole?”
Nicholas answered with derisive laughter. He was furious with her - her association with the Light, her ransacking his home, her allegiance with Lorcan, her unwillingness to wait for him. There was a possessive gleam in his eyes when he responded, “Yes, Princess, it is wonderful to see you too.” Then he tsked at her, shaking his head, volumes of disappointment conveyed in his lecture, “However, if you wanted back in my bed, there are much more productive ways to accomplish it than by destroying my home.” Dunkirk shadowed to his side. The distraction caused by Ella’s disgrace kept anyone from seeing the gleaming band that he slipped into Nicholas’s palm.
The appearance of Dunkirk verified for her that Cole was standing on those steps. This was no trick…Cole was Nicholas, the Warrior of the Dark. The magic in her hands extinguished and her face flamed with color over his very public mischaracterization of their relationship. Her friends looked startled by his claim
. Their expressions ran the gamut from disbelief to disgust.
Ella dropped her gaze to the floor as she defended herself with a barely audible mumble, “I did not know he was…is…Nicholas.”
Lorcan spun on her, grasping her arm and jerking her towards him. His tone left no doubt that he did not believe her, “You bear his mark but you did not know his name? What game do you play, Witch?”
If Nicholas had any uncertainty over the need relieve Lorcan of his head, he did no longer. How dare that Vampire touch her! If retribution was to be meted out by any against the little witch, it was his right and his alone.
When Lorcan released his hold, Ella took rapid steps in retreat, rubbing her arm, “I only knew him as Cole.”
The distrustful look remained in Lorcan’s eyes, but Kat moved to her side in a show of support. Her eyes were glittering blue when they clashed with Lorcan’s, the imperious tone of her voice would tolerate no disagreement, “Ella speaks the truth. There will be no accusations against her.” It took a minute, but Kaitriana could see the shift in Lorcan’s demeanor. He would support her in her defense of Ella even if he yet had answers to demand from the Fire Queen. His slight nod confirmed it.
Nicholas called out then, mocking, rubbing salt in the wound, “The Warrior of Dark’s mistress is a member of the Elite. That makes you a fool, Lorcan.” The deadly black of Lorcan’s eyes locked on Nicholas before the Dark continued, “If you give me my witch back, I will allow you to leave here tonight. We can just forget this ill-fated plot of yours.” Ella looked back up at Nicholas like he was mad while Kat shot him a murderous look, orbs of blue light firing in her palms.
Various other warriors had begun to join their Light leaders by that time. One was foolish enough to challenge Ella’s innocence with a sneer, “Even if you did not know he was Nicholas …you cannot deny knowing he was a Dark. You allowed him to mark you, Dark whore.” The young warrior did not have time to realize those would be his last words. Dunkirk shadowed behind him and took his head with whistling swing of his sword.
The act of aggression caused violence to erupt in the hall. Vampire shadowed together to raise swords against one another while Witch moved to take position against their foe. In the scuffle, Ella’s gaze remained solely focused on Cole, witnessing him lift his sword and take down two Warrior Witch with little effort. The brutality was opposite everything she knew of him. She was frozen in place, despite the danger that was edging closer, unable to reconcile this deadly warrior in her presence with the one that she loved.
Nicholas parried thrusts from his enemies easily, inflicting damage on any that ventured within range. Watching him in action, she understood why he was considered Lorcan’s equal. Dunkirk appeared in front of her, blocking her view. His blade caught the steel of the Dark soldier at her left. He dispatched the unfortunate vampire with a hard, single thrust to the neck.
Grumbling over his shoulder, his eyes held a kindness in them she had not expected to see, “Lass, you must either leave or defend yourself. You cannot merely stand there and not expect to have that lovely head of yours lopped off.” Dunkirk thought for a moment he would need to forcibly remove her in order to ensure her safety, but then he saw the sparks begin at her fingertips. At least on some level she had heard his words and was responding. The disorientation was beginning to clear from her eyes, so he smiled at her, “I would prefer you take yourself off from here Ella, so that I may focus on booting your little friends from my home.”
Her eyes shifted around her, noting that all of her Elite comrades had been drawn into combat with Dark foes. Nicholas beheaded three more opponents and was striding determinedly in her direction. Dunkirk watched the fire grow brighter in her hands with each step that he took. With hard strikes of his fists, Nicholas was now batting away both Light and Dark that obstructed his path.
Ella could feel the heat of his gaze but he surprised her by stopping abruptly, twenty feet away, when her eyes clashed with his. Nicholas called out to his friend, “Look at how her eyes have shifted Dunkirk. I knew there was more to the witch than just a bit of flame.” Dunkirk still loomed next to her, protective and she felt his probing look. Nicholas flashed her a charming grin causing her stomach to clench in response. Crooking his finger at her, he then extended his hand, “Come here, little Queen. I have been near out of my mind, missing you.”
Ella glared while trying to reign in the magic that had swamped her at his approach. The rush of it was making her lightheaded and she could later blame that for her being unable to stop the two small steps she took in his direction. Colm had witnessed the shift in Nicholas’s attention away from the battle and back to Ella and he arrived at her side to see those two steps. His restraining hand came down on her shoulder while he kept both Nicholas and Dunkirk in his periphery, “No Ella, do not let the bastard trick you into betraying us. We know that he deceived you. You are an Elite, you are a Queen, and your place is here.”
Her eyes were still eclipsed by that shimmering veil when they shifted direction to her compatriot and then suddenly narrowed. Colm did not understand her intentions when Ella raised fire-filled palms and he reacted instinctively. With lightning quick speed he heaved her forcefully against the far wall. Ella crashed into the stone, her head snapping back to crack against it before she tumbled limply to the floor. Her fire had found its targets though, released just a split second before Colm grabbed her. Two Darks were smoldering ash but a few feet behind him.
Colm heard not only a bellow of rage coming from Nicholas in response to the violence against Ella, but also anger in the raised voices of both Kat and Lorcan from across the hall. Ella was struggling to drag herself upright. She had been unprepared for the assault and had not defended her body against the collision with the wall. She was dizzy and could feel blood trickling through her hair at the back of her scalp. Her first two attempts to rise found her back on hands and knees on the floor. On the third, she managed to get up into a wobbly stance, assisted by her hand keeping her balanced against the wall.
Realizing his horrible error, Colm shadowed to her. He collided with Dunkirk on his left and Nicholas on his right; both had also moved quickly to protect her. All three Vampire encroaching had a shot of adrenalin and a ripple of magic firing in her. Ella reacted. The heel of her boot struck Colm’s abdomen, followed by the blow of her elbow against his temple, catching him off guard. Her eyes were no longer dazed but furious in glittering green. When her hands lifted this time, the magnitude of the Fire that burst forth left no evidence of the five Darks that had been close, not even smoldering ash.
Nicholas took a step back with a smirk, seeing the girl was in no mortal danger, and curious to see what she would do next. Ella did not have the opportunity to do further damage. Colm had recovered from her retaliation but Dunkirk had drawn his sword and was intent on taking the Elite warrior’s head. Colm raised his sword to meet the downward swing of Dunkirk’s. The giant was yelling curses in Gaelic. Colm was slighter than Dunkirk and much quicker. With the rage clouding the Scot’s judgment, Colm was able to deliver a brutal blow to Highlander’s middle and blood poured from the rent flesh.
The battle inside the keep had shifted, seeming to center around them now, and the dull thud of sword impacting flesh, bone to metal, was overwhelming. Ella moved away from the wall and stepped between the two Vampire, the sword at her side unsheathed and ringing as it caught against Colm’s midair. She leveled her gaze on Colm, stepping back closer to Dunkirk so that she blocked him from further attack, “This one is my friend. I will not allow you to cause him further injury.” Before Colm could answer, she ordered over her shoulder to Dunkirk, “You need take yourself from here and tend your wound.”
Colm was sputtering, “Ella, he is a Dark.” He looked at her as though the impact with the wall had scrambled her brain. When fire lit her sword, Colm retreated a few feet. Dunkirk nodded his thanks, nudging her under her chin with a beefy fist and instructions before shadowing away, “Leave Ella. Now. Please
.” His eyes seemed to be telling her something his words could not, but she had not the time to dissect it further.
Swinging his sword idly in his grasp, Nicholas was enjoying the upset that was obvious on the Elite’s face when Ella allowed Dunkirk to leave the scene. The Dark general kept one eye on the frenzy of battle that was edging too close to the witch for his comfort. His voice carried loudly enough to be heard by those men loyal to him that were nearby, “This Witch is not to be harmed.” His nod indicated that he was referring to Ella with that statement. His nod in the other direction towards Kaitriana, whom at that moment was battling next to Lorcan, was accompanied by a different set of instructions, “That one is fair game.”
Ella spun on Nicholas, finally feeling steady enough to confront him directly. Flames flickered in her hands and she took three long strides in his direction. It was just the opportunity he had been waiting for. She pointed a flickering finger at his chest as she approached, “She is my friend as well. You call them off!” He had the audacity to laugh at her and she stamped her foot in response, “Call them off!”
He was contemptuous, “No, Princess, I think not.” Pushing away from the relaxed pose he had assumed against the stone wall, Nicholas took a step towards her, “I bet that if I kiss you, just the way you like, you’ll forget all about these little Light friends of yours.”
Ella snarled at him, edging closer, “I bet if you try, I will scorch your evil heart.”
Lorcan and Kaitriana recognized the peril to Ella and shadowed within reach, but were blocked from getting too close by the wall of Dark warriors that conveniently closed the pair off from the other. Nicholas knew he had to make his move or lose the opportunity. Removing the remainder of the distance between them with his preternatural speed, he grasped Ella’s arm and spun her. Pulling her back flush against his chest, his free hand moved up her arm in a soft caress and he whispered coldly, “You broke our truce, Witch, when you raised your magic against me.”
Forsaken (Ancients of Light #1) Page 19