by Brenda Trim
She’d been so busy looking at what was in the various bottles of colored liquids when her head snapped up. What was she talking about? Heat burned her cheeks and Maurelle ignored that and went back to pondering the vials. With everything going on she shouldn’t give a crap about how the Peridun worked, but she couldn’t deny her curiosity and that had little to do with the magic.
Ryker’s face turned crimson and he rubbed the back of his neck. “No, uh. I didn’t mean to mark them. I need protection for me and Maurelle, and I asked the only males I trust to take on that role,” Ryker explained.
Maurelle took in the scene around them. Candles were lit throughout the shop. Some were positioned behind bottles making it look as if the liquid inside glowed. When she leaned closer to one filled with bright green fluid, she noticed the illumination didn’t only come from the candle.
Daine picked up a bit of dried herbs from a wooden bowl. “You want the use of your cock later, Daine?” The Peridun called out making Daine jump and knock into the counter, making things rattle.
“How the fuck does she know his name?” Sol whispered to Brokk ignoring the elephant in the room. No one wanted to talk about it and Maurelle was just fine with that.
Daine darted a glance at them then focused on Shineah. “What’s going to happen to my dick? Did I break it?”
Shineah chuckled, the sound like a dried leaf blowing in the wind. More than a bit eerie. “That is a tea I am making for a female whose mate rarely gives her a rest. You should never touch items you don’t know the use for.”
“I won’t touch anything else, but am I broken?” Daine sounded desperate and freaked out by the prospect.
“You still have full use of your cock. Now back to the matter at hand. You will find there is a mark for nearly every official position. I will need to create a talisman to disguise your marks. I will need a drop of blood from each of you.”
The Peridun seemed to glide effortlessly across the floor as she picked up a tray then added three bowls and three thin sticks. Several crystals, herbs, potions and various other accoutrement followed.
“You first, Brokk. Maurelle can hold your hand if you’re frightened,” Shineah teased as she approached him.
Brokk smiled and turned to Maurelle. “Hold me?” he asked with a pathetic pout on his face.
Maurelle chuckled and looked to Ryker. The scowl on his face had her taking a step toward him, but he smiled and shook his head. “If the baby needs comfort then give it to him.”
Maurelle had no idea what was happening and at first worried that Ryker was losing interest in her despite their bond. She couldn’t deny Brokk was attractive. Sol and Daine too for that matter. But, her first priority was Ryker. The smile on Shineah’s face told her this was supposed to happen. How could that be?
“Unconventional relationships used to be the norm.” Shineah shared, breaking the silence. “I will admit most often the King’s selected several females, but I’d vote for having four males, myself.”
Heat burned Maurelle’s cheeks and she wanted to crawl in a hole. Just because she was drawn to all of these guys didn’t mean she wanted to fuck them all. Or did she? She had no idea and she refused to give it much more thought when they needed to get this done and get back to campus before they were discovered missing.
Maurelle grabbed Ryker’s hand and he surprised her by nudging her closer to Brokk and the other two who had moved behind him. Apparently, they wanted to be included in any amorous talk.
When the Peridun held his hand up and positioned the wood over his index finger, Maurelle put her arm on his shoulder. Brokk gave her a smile that was full of heat and uncertainty. What she didn’t know was if he was nervous about the blood or the idea of them all being together. The idea had more appeal that she knew it should.
Fast as a whip Shineah stabbed his finger and squeezed several drops of blood into one of the bowls. Daine stepped forward and Maurelle grabbed his hand when his other finger was pricked. Sol was last and her hand automatically found his shoulder which lowered at her touch.
After collecting the blood, Shineah returned to her position behind the metal table. A crystal went into each bowl followed by several other ingredients. She chanted in another language and held her hands above the objects. Bright blue light surrounded each of the bowls followed by electricity. The current danced in and around the bowls.
It was so strong that the hair on the back of Maurelle’s neck stood up. Blue fire exploded from the container and shot skyward. The energy in the room was intense and mesmerizing. The crackling seemed to echo in the silent room. It was like nothing she’d ever heard before. It snapped and crackled like a rice cereal her sisters loved to eat. Only it left the smell of ozone lingering in the air instead of earthy grains.
A yelp left Maurelle’s throat when her hand suddenly began burning. Ryker let go of her hand and threw his up in the air. Red and orange flames shot from his palms and joined Shineah’s over the amulets.
“Is that supposed to happen?” Ryker blurted. His forehead crinkled and his mouth pursed for several seconds before his flames were cut off. Sweat beaded on his brow from the effort of gaining control.
“It’s never happened before,” the Peridun admitted. “But then I have never performed this ritual with a King present. The spell is set in the crystals, and the talismans are active. And, they’re more powerful than I’ve ever felt. I suspect you boosted my magic.”
“I guess you’re good for more than your winning smile,” Maurelle teased with a wink.
“I have many talents, as you’re familiar with, Braveheart,” Ryker countered.
Before their banter could continue Shineah arms flew to her sides as bright blue light poured from her body. Her eyes turned opaque white. When the Peridun spoke, chills traveled over Maurelle’s body.
Bruised and broken, bewitched and influenced
The veil is torn from the first dark words spoken
Elemental magic, stripped and bared
King uncovered, all is lost
Every cell in her body went rigid at the words of warning and it had little to do with the chill in the air. Maurelle watched Ryker’s face as he processed the information. There was a bigger message here, but Maurelle had no idea what that might be.
This wasn’t how the Peridun had shared information with them other times they’d visited her shop. It sounded an awful lot like a prophecy which were more like riddles to her than anything predictive.
“What just happened?” Ryker blurted, breaking the silence.
Shineah shook her head, making the charms and bones on her hat rattle with the movement. Lowering her head, she rubbed her temples for a second before meeting the King’s gaze. Maurelle noted the white of her eyes had disappeared and they were back to their typical light blue color.
The return to normal did nothing to slow Maurelle’s racing heart or wet her parched throat. For the last few weeks as she reconnected with her family without her mom in the picture, she’d come to hope that the biggest issue they’d face this year was keeping a lid on Ryker’s true identity.
“I told you I’m fairly sure you added power to my spell,” Shineah replied as she considered him with a furrowed brow.
“Not that. Whatever the hell you just said. It sounded like a prophecy. Are you a seer?” Brokk interjected as he moved to take a stance in front of Ryker. Maurelle was grateful Ryker had these males at his back. Each of them radiated a combination of confusion, fear and determination.
There was no outward indication his question upset the Peridun, but the tightening of the skin around her mouth spoke volumes. “I haven’t received a prophecy for at least a hundred years. And, the last one I had I ignored. The entire realm paid for it dearly.”
“I take it you saw something about the war and the humans taking over,” Ryker replied.
“It’s not as straightforward as that. As you can probably guess it can be difficult to understand the message behind the prophecy. In the case of
the war. I was simply too young and naïve. I ignored it trusting there was nothing your father couldn’t conquer. What did I say just now?”
Ryker rubbed a hand down his face and recited the verse she’d said minutes before while in some kind of trance. Sol and Daine edged closer to Maurelle who was hovering next to Ryker’s side. Hearing them a second time sent prickles racing across her skin and wings.
When a warm palm stroked the appendages fluttering at her back, Maurelle sent Sol a grateful smile letting him know she appreciated his offer of comfort. Taking out Gullvieg did nothing to rectify the situation. She’d mistakenly believed that they had dealt a blow to the power structure and were one step closer to taking the fuckers down.
Not that last year had been easy, but she should have known there would be more to it than that.
Shineah crossed to the large picture window at the front of her store and stared into the night for several long minutes. What the hell was going on? Maurelle wanted to scream and demand answers, but kept her mouth shut. That was going to get them nowhere.
“Have any of you sensed anything since returning to the academy?” Shineah asked suddenly, breaking the tense silence that had descended on the room.
“Aside from having a new headmaster, things seem to be the same,” Maurelle replied automatically.
Ryker placed his palms on her shoulders kneading the flesh and muscles there. “I haven’t managed to get an accurate read on Gaius, yet. I can’t say that I care for the guy. He forced me to go through another assessment and if I didn’t have your amulet, then I would have revealed my true identity,” the King added.
“And, you didn’t have your guard with you to offer protection,” Shineah observed when she scanned Ryker’s friends. Brokk’s fists clenched when Ryker mentioned his assessment and Sol and Daine were growling low in their throats as if they couldn’t help themselves.
“No. I was completely exposed on the quad where there would have been hundreds of witnesses for my big reveal. What should we be looking out for? What’s going on?”
“Gaius has kept his mouth shut and been fairly invisible for the past two decades,” the Peridun informed them. The male was anything but quiet now. “You must be careful at all times and never let your vigilance slide. My amulet can be broken, and you must be prepared in the event it is dismantled.”
“There’s no way I can hide the fact that I’m king if that happens,” Ryker admitted. “Is there something else you can give me?”
“There’s nothing else, but your magic will be able to mimic the talisman and hide you long enough to get back to me. I will need time to decipher exactly what the prophecy is warning us about, but I can say that I believe it is referring to the deepening darkness hovering over the school. I think the four of you need a layer of protection should the worst occur.”
Maurelle’s gaze shot to the window, but she couldn’t see the campus from her current position. Hearing there was evil around them like a shroud had bile churning in her stomach. As if the mind control potions in their food wasn’t enough.
“You mean it’s going to get worse?” Brokk asked. “What else do we need?”
“Yes. The condition can get far worse than it ever has been. If something is not done the elements will die and you will all be cut off from what connects you to your magic. If that happens every student and the faculty will become wraiths en masse. Whoever cast this spell, or ordered it, has no idea the powers they are messing with. Drink this potion so no one can compel Ryker’s identity from you,” Shineah explained as she handed them each a vial of a blue potion swirling with silver glitter.
“Is this safe?” Maurelle asked.
“It is only a backup plan. I haven’t had time to decipher the prophecy and don’t want you without the ability to ensure the information remains hidden.”
Brokk cocked his head to the side. “What does this do?”
“Nothing unless you say damnatio memoriae. Then it will erase pertinent memories so they cannot be retrieved by any means.”
“Is that really necessary?” Ryker asked.
“You do not want them vulnerable to your enemies. This will ensure they are safe.”
Maurelle placed her hand on Ryker’s arm. “We will take the potion. It’s worth keeping you safe.”
He bent and kissed her lips briefly before breaking the contact. Maurelle tipped the potion into her mouth and grimaced at the bitter flavor. Brokk lifted his vial and drank it, followed by Brokk and Daine.
“How do I eliminate this threat? I cannot allow students to become wraiths,” Ryker told the Peridun after they set the empty glass down.
Maurelle reached up and ran her finger across the back of his hand. “Oh, I don’t know. We can let a few of them devolve to their true forms.”
His gaze softened and he chuckled before he bent and placed a kiss to the top of her head then wrapped his arms around her from behind. She sank into his warmth allowing it to fully envelop her.
“To keep a power this strong focused on a specific area like this means there is likely a focal object being employed. The only way any of you will the find origin of the contamination is to work as a group and use your elemental magic. Your connection to the source will weaken the closer you are to it. Don’t assume it will be large either. It might be something as simple as a bench,” Shineah explained.
“We will find whatever is threatening the students,” Ryker promised. “We need to get back before someone discovers we aren’t in our rooms. Thank you once again for your help. Your assistance is all that is saving the realm.”
The Peridun smiled and bowed to Ryker. It was the first time the powerful female acknowledged his power over her, and it hit Maurelle that she was dating the actual King of Mag Mell.
How was this her life? Most days she didn’t think much about it, just focused on how much she liked Ryker and wanted to be part of his life. Her head swam as they left the shop and headed for the sewers. There was no use fretting over what could happen. They had enough to worry about keeping his secret and finding whoever was trying to turn students into living nightmares.
She shuddered. Wraiths were mindless killing machines, driven by the need to absorb souls. If a wraith caught you it was game over. There was nothing left to move onto the afterlife. Whoever was responsible had no idea what powers they were messing with.
Reserving those thoughts for another day, Maurelle grabbed a broken bottle from an alley before she followed the guys into the tunnels to return to campus.
Chapter 6
Ryker watched Brokk and Maurelle banter back and forth about who smells the worst with a smile on his face. They managed to make it through the sewers without facing any residents this time. It was the first time he’d been through there without having to fight his way to freedom.
It was a good thing they didn’t encounter anyone because Ryker was too busy trying to analyze the smothering sensation that nearly suffocated him when they crossed under the school boundary.
The Peridun’s eerie premonition had come back to him along with her warning there was a dark pall over the academy that threatened to turn the students and staff into a wraith hellbent on devouring souls.
It was the first time he noticed anything out of the ordinary when he entered school grounds. All of them visibly shivered and asked if they should hunt down the source. There was no way to ignore the sick feeling that weakened them immediately.
They followed several paths as the distinctively evil feeling grew stronger and more powerful. Each time they hit a dead end that forced them to backtrack and select a new route. In the end they were covered in the nastiest smelling gunk he’d ever encountered. Hence the conversation between Brokk and Maurelle.
They needed to get cleaned up and get some sleep, but none of them were remotely close to feeling tired. They were all wired from needing to eliminate the threat to their survival.
“I’m going to clean this filth from my body, then we can devise a plan of attack,
” Maurelle announced.
A smile drifted over Ryker’s mouth as his eyes traveled up and down her body. “I already have a plan of attack, Braveheart.”
“Oh, you think so, do you? If it involves me you might want to check with me first, Prince Charming…wait. You’re King Charming now,” Maurelle said in a husky voice. “Nah. You’ll always be my Prince Charming.”
Ryker stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You’ll always be mine.”
“If you’re going to make out in front of us then you should include us,” Brokk teased as he headed to the door of their suite.
“Yeah,” Sol and Daine echoed before they disappeared. Maurelle’s laugh was music to his ears. She lit up like the night sky when she was happy.
“Want to take a shower together?”
She closed the distance and placed her palm on his chest. “As long as it’s just the two of us. I admit to feeling a connection to Brokk, Sol and Daine too. But I am not sure I want to include them.”
Ryker couldn’t resist and pressed his lips to her mouth. He broke the kiss before it got too heated. “I admit that the idea is growing on me, but I’m not ready to share you. I was thinking the other day about how to keep you safe and realized if my identity comes out you will be my enemy’s first target.”
“And, having them involved with me deflects some of that danger. I know that’s not the only reason. You’ve felt the connection like I have, but right now I want only you,” Maurelle told him.
Her words were tinder for Ryker’s arousal. Twining his fingers with hers, he tugged her toward the door. A giggle escaped her when they tiptoed to the hallway. Footsteps echoed from the stairway at the other side of the hall.
Maurelle kicked into gear before he could react. She ran through the door to the bathroom before Professor Aobheal turned the corner. Ryker put his hand up stopping the door before it slammed shut.