Chapter 27
Nate woke to a desperate cry somewhere in his head. He bolted up, the world swaying as he found his bearings.
Under the willow tree, naked. No Savon.
Shit.
He closed his eyes, feeling for her. She was there, only barely, down, and to the right. His eyes flew open.
She was in the fucking lake.
He shot to his feet and stepped past the swaying branches of the willow tree now in bloom. Wolves, bears, rabbits, squirrels, and other animals were perched at the water’s edge. The normally clear water was green.
He jumped over several small creatures and dove into the water. The plants shifted aside, revealing a lake monster clinging to her unconscious body.
“Hurry,” something whispered in his ear.
He swam down and pulled her free. More blood muddied the water, but the creature didn’t move. Then he saw the bloodshot eyes and the distinctly human face.
What the fuck happened?
Savon was cold, not responding. He took her to the shore and the creatures formed a circle around them. Frustration built as he started chest compressions. Water pumped out of her lungs, spewing out of her mouth. She sucked in a breath.
Her heart continued to beat in a steady rhythm, but so damned slow he had to wonder what happened. Other than a couple scratches, light bruises, and the fact her lungs had been filled with water, she seemed fine. Except, she wasn’t waking up.
Savon coughed, and he rolled her on her side. More water was expelled, but nothing.
He felt her, somewhere in there, but she wasn’t awake. The scent of magic rolled off her. Not hers.
Tremaine, Robert, and Preston appeared beside them.
The wolves and bears started to snarl.
A shield flashed around the mages, Nate, and Savon, keeping the animals out. Robert’s head cocked. “What is going on?”
Nate shook his head. “She was right, this was a stupid idea.”
“What are you talking about?” Tremaine interrupted.
“I thought we could enjoy our time under the willow tree. It’s where I proposed to her before everything went to shit. Maybe it’s fucking cursed.”
A smile broke across Tremaine’s face. “No. I feel Nikolai’s magic. And I’ve seen that tree in a thousand paintings. It’s special to her too. Now what happened?”
“We made love and fell asleep.” He glanced back at the tree and shook his head. “I woke up and she was gone. The animals—they were sitting around the lake like they were waiting for her. And he’s dead. Nikolai tried to drown her, but I think her magic kept him under.”
“How so?” Preston asked.
Nate scrubbed a hand over his face. “Told you, the pondweed. Think she grew everything in the lake. He’s wrapped so tight in the stuff he’s bleeding. I want to be sure that fucker is dead.” Turning to the lake, he growled low in his throat.
The animals backed away and ran for the tree line.
Preston’s brow quirked. “Oh, he’s dead, though I’d like to see what she did.”
“Grew a forest of pondweed. Let me past the shield and I’ll bring him up.”
Robert lifted his hand and the shield fell away.
Nate shifted to half beast to be able to cut away the fronds holding Nikolai in place. He swam down as the plant life started to uncoil. Nate swam through the cloud of blood and sliced the fronds holding him down so he could drag Nikolai to the sand.
On land, he dropped the bastard and reined in the desire to kick the piece of shit.
Blood seeped from the wounds under every strand of pondweed. Bones had broken.
“And you found her in his arms?”
He nodded. “Her familiar or whatever helped me find her. Think Nikolai cursed her when she tried to escape.”
Robert nodded. “He tried to take her with him. She’s bound by magic, keeping her soul trapped in her body. We’ll figure out what kind of magic this is and find a way to release her.”
Preston rubbed at his arm. “You’re a Dreamwalker, right?”
“Yeah,” Nate answered. “But he’s really dead, right? If not, I don’t mind punching a few holes in him.”
Preston chuckled. “He’s a keeper.” The mage knelt before Nikolai and placed his hand over his chest. His body burned bright hot and crumpled to ash. “Bastard is not coming back.”
Nate shifted back and stepped under the willow. He quickly dressed and moved back to the group. “How did you know to come?”
“Savon sent a text,” Tremaine answered. “I’m willing to bet she put you under, sent the message, and dealt with Nikolai.”
“Fuck,” he muttered and scooped Savon into his arms.
Robert touched his back, and they all appeared back in Savon’s home. “Sorry, I peeked at the thought of where you planned to take her. This was faster than walking back.”
“Thank you.” Nate laid her down on the bed before facing the three mages.
“I don’t imagine this is over, is it?” Nate asked.
“Not likely,” Tremaine agreed. “Canagan was using Nikolai. I’m not sure if it was to get him out of the way or if she believed he would actually get her closer to her goal.”
“Why do you say that?” Nate asked.
Tremaine snorted. “She doesn’t take kindly to men taking from women.”
Nodding, Nate looked down at Savon. “How long between her text and you all showing up?”
Robert shook his head. “About six minutes. I doubt she was under more than five. I’m guessing more like three. The problem is the magic Nikolai wove.”
“I want to kill that fucker,” Nate growled.
“Me too,” Tremaine muttered. “Now tell us everything.”
There wasn’t much to tell, but he shared the details he had.
“Don’t take this wrong, but she took in the odds and did what gave everyone the best chances. You came awake on your own, moments after she dealt with him. She sent a message to us. It was a calculated risk.”
“I need to get her back,” Nate growled, looking down at Savon. “She’s not waking up.”
“Because of the curse. You can try to reach her, but I have a feeling we need similar magic to pull her out, and I know who can find the person who can undo it.”
“Old Lady Murdock?” Nate asked.
“Yeah. And trust me, she will help.” Tremaine put a card in Nate’s hand. “We’ll find her and be back. Call if anything happens.”
* * * *
Canagan waited on the edge of the Roantree property, and nothing. No screaming, no wards coming down. Nothing to even suggest Nikolai found Savon at all.
She called Accalia and Faolia to her. They crept up and knelt at her feet, staring into the woods beyond.
“Find them. Be my eyes,” she murmured.
The wolves slipped through the foliage, heading into the property. She made herself comfortable on a boulder near the edge of the land.
“Really think he’ll succeed?” Meridian asked.
“No,” Canagan answered. “Fool was in love with her. She seems to have that effect. Even Jay Walker fell under her sway. She rejected him, and he’s still firmly on her side.”
“Then what do we do?”
“She won’t stay across the wards forever. Sooner or later, I’ll have the pendant. The Dark Templar will never have it. No, it will be mine.”
“You no longer need me. I’ll take my leave.”
Canagan offered a smile.
Then Meridian said something interesting. “Is it possible that Fawn took the pendant with her when she crossed the veil?”
Canagan turned slowly, her head tipping. “She’s dead.”
“She is not. Though she’s no longer on Earth.” With that, Meridian disappeared.
Was that what happened to Killian? Did Fawn take him away?
The magic she’d wound around Nikolai broke, releasing the charm she cast to track Nikolai. She focused on her wolves.
The scenery shifted. They rushed through the land and came to a stop near bushes where a familiar face crouched, going through Nikolai’s possessions. There was no body, no sign of Savon or Nathan. Where had they gone? Why was a hybrid there with two unknowns?
Back to me, quietly, Canagan called.
* * * *
Preston’s head went up as something shuffled in the brush.
Tremaine’s eyes narrowed. “What do you sense?”
He pressed a finger to his lips and silently moved into the woods. Robert’s head cocked as he met Tremaine’s gaze, then he shrugged.
There was nothing in Nikolai’s things that gave him a hint as to what he was doing out there. They knew it had to do with the pendant, and the only people who could give him the answers were keeping things tight-lipped.
Maybe after Preston came back they could try reaching Old Lady Murdock again. Maybe now that Savon was in a coma she would have some damned answers for them. And a solution.
Gypsies and curses, a combination that never boded well for the victim.
Preston came back. “Found Canagan. Looks like a girl. I managed to get a tracking spell on her and her wolves before coming back here. There was a Paineater, but they already left.”
“That’s how Nikolai was whole enough to come after Savon. Wonder what they took from him. Not that he’s going to be using anything now.”
“Okay, first, we go to Draecyn and see if we can find Old Lady Murdock. No more waiting. This is too big for us alone and it has everything to do with the Branches.”
“And if she insists on us making a choice?” Robert asked.
“Was there ever really another choice?” Tremaine countered. “Liz is on board. Christian and Emily are. What are we really waiting on?” Tremaine asked. “Especially if what Savon said about the Burning Dawn is right.”
“You were the one with the most reservations.”
Tremaine snorted. “We were pretty even on that front. I still agree with the direction the Branches are taking. Do you?”
He nodded. “Might need you to remind me at times.”
Tremaine pulled Robert closer. “You got it. Now let’s get answers. I can’t leave Savon stuck.”
“Her man might manage to pull her out.”
“Doubt it. I’m nearly positive the curse Nikolai used puts her so deep in her soul she can’t get out without magic to unlock the chains holding her there.”
“Then we’ll find help, whatever it takes.”
* * * *
Nate held Savon in his arms, wishing he knew what to do. She was there, under the surface. He could feel her, faintly. He wanted to climb into her head and pull her out, but he wasn’t sure where to start. Asking Evangeline for help seemed the best bet, but he needed to figure out how.
Someone banged on the door. Most likely Bran, who’d been calling. He probably should have called the second they were back.
He pressed a kiss to Savon’s lips before hurrying down the stairs. Bran stood on the porch with a glare. “What the fuck is going on? Why is no one answering their phone?”
Nate tipped his head to the coffee table where his and hers lay. “Sorry. I should have called. Been a little hectic. Come up. Or maybe…I don’t know, maybe Evangeline should be here.”
“What is going on?” Bran demanded.
He started up the stairs. “Follow me.”
“Damn it, Nate. What’s going on?”
Nate stopped midway up and pinned Bran with a glare. “Nikolai showed up. I was asleep. She made sure I stayed asleep, and we’re going to have one hell of a talk when I do wake her up.”
“Wake her up? What the fuck, dude!”
Nate continued to the room and stopped at the side of the bed. He’d cleaned up the scratches, dried her hair, and redressed her in cotton pants and a tank top.
He told Bran everything.
“And you never thought to call me?” Bran demanded.
“I was getting there. I needed to sort my fucking thoughts. This all ties to the damned pendant. And the fucked up thing, they’re all right. Wolves alone aren’t going to stop these fuckers. So as much as I fucking hate she put me under, she did set everything up for the best outcome.”
“She could have drowned,” Bran pointed out.
“Hence the long-damned talk.”
“And you want Evangeline to help you bring her out?”
“Can’t hurt to try. She knows more about that than I do.”
Bran walked out the door and hurried down the stairs.
The doubts hit. Nate closed his eyes, trying to block that voice that nagged him too damned often.
She doesn’t trust you.
You would have been in the way.
Why are you still holding on when she’s so much stronger than you?
His hands flexed and he shut down that voice, focusing on the fact she was right. “Sav, baby, come back to me,” he whispered.
Bran came back. “Evangeline is on the way. Now why the fuck did you go to the tree?”
Nate scrubbed a hand over his face. “That’s our spot. That’s where I proposed the first time. I just, I thought it would be fine. She’s warded the Willow against everything.” He curled his fingers through Savon’s. My father couldn’t even see the damned tree.”
“Think you can reach her in there?”
“Probably. But Evangeline couldn’t pull me out of a normal coma, and there was no magic involved.”
“Right. Well, she wasn’t your mate either. Think that will help?”
“Hope so.” He didn’t have a damned clue.
“At least you got her out of the lake before it was too late.” Bran leaned against the dresser with a sigh. “She can’t just be gone.”
“I can feel Savon. God, I hope Evangeline hurries.”
“She’s coming from the café. Give her a few.”