CHAPTER FIVE
For the next week, I watched and waited, certain some evil Scourge spy, posing as a student or a diner at the tavern, would grab me. If I was the key to the Scourge plan, the warriors who pledged their lives to her would come. There was no question of if, simply when.
With naught to be done about it, I aided Samuel with Jade’s classes and refused to surrender what little control I had in my own life. Though, cordial and efficient in our teachings, I never forgot my place after the first afternoon.
We were not friends.
Brittle grass buckled beneath our steps and remained the only sound to break the icy silence as we left the castle and headed across the grounds. Glancing to where Samuel’s hand rested on the inside of my elbow, I marveled at the contrast between his chilling demeanor and the warmth of his touch.
Verily we gained a rhythm in our classes. I anticipated his needs, whether in advancing the slides of a presentation or pouring a glass of water when his voice began to dry during a lecture. These, however, were superficial connections allowing him to support his beloved Jade. They meant nothing once the bell rang and the class emptied.
An out of tune squawking stirred me from my musings. The incessant squawk-honk-squawk echoed louder, building in fervor. It sounded like a strangled bird, a dozen birds in truth, in a vocal competition to create the loudest ruckus.
“What in the two realms is that?”
Samuel stopped walking. “A flock of Canadian geese.” He closed his eyes and raised his face to the gray sky. “Somewhere to the south, there will be a V of birds flying in to feed in the corn fields at the base of the mountain.”
Shielding my eyes from the glare of early spring, I pivoted until I did indeed see a string of dark shapes contrasting the gray sky. “They are fashioned more like a lopsided check mark, but yes. Why do they align themselves so?”
“It’s streamlining. The lead bird bears the wind resistance as long as it can, while the others ride easier in its stream. When it tires and can take no more, it falls back and another bird assumes the burden.”
“Will it be left behind?”
“No, it’ll fall to the end of the line and enjoy an easy fly for a bit, until it’s time to take the lead again.”
“Fascinating.” The gracefully awkward creatures flapped and soared over our heads and soon disappeared behind the tops of the forest tree line. “And where do they go from here?”
“After they’ve filled up in the cornfields they’ll scatter until the coming of winter.” Samuel tightened his hold my arm and we resumed our walk. “They travel thousands of miles to spend the winter basking in the heat of the tropics. Better to be toasty warm than feel the winter’s gale gust up their tail feathers.”
“I should think so.” As we walked on, I realized why Jade so desperately wanted Samuel back in the classroom. When he taught, he gave of himself. No longer guarded, his anger fell away. And though Jade was now happily mated to my brother, she still adored this male.
“Oh, I have news.” I patted his hand and squeezed. “Jade has been given permission to get out of bed and walk the grounds of Castian’s Palace.”
Samuel’s full lips lifted in a warm, genuine smile. “Any word on her coming home?”
I frowned and caught myself. Before I could respond, the energy of the air shifted and my skin erupted in tingles.
We Flashed.
Tightening my grip on Samuel’s hand, my stomach rolled with the unexpected transport. I turned to give Samuel a verbal throttle.
Samuel had drawn his wand. Sliding one step in front of me, he pulled me tight to his side. He had not been the one to Flash us. But who—
“At ease, Samuel.” Castian’s melodic voice brought our attention to where Bruin, Aust, Cowboy, Kobi and a half-dozen other Talon Enforcers stood. Dressed in black leather, they each wore the battle vests Iadon designed which housed a small armory of weapons. Castian motioned for us to join them, his navy cloak and wavy chestnut hair billowing behind him in the breeze.
The churn of my stomach eased and I banished the urge to voice my complaint. Flashing set off my ire but telling the God of gods such a thing would be improper and ungrateful, especially while Galan and Jade remained guests in his home.
Nightrunner and Faolan trotted from where Aust’s wolves crouched hidden amongst the brush. They rubbed against my thigh, rustling my skirts. As I scrubbed Faolan’s thick, luscious ruff and ebony ears, she regarded Samuel. When her ears pressed back, I took his hand down and held it for her to smell. After an initial pause, Samuel relaxed. The two wolves sniffed him and plodded off.
“If you’re ready,” Castian said, looking impatient, “I want to go over what happened the afternoon of Jade’s attack one more time before we put it to bed. Walking through it might bring back a detail or memory you’ve overlooked.”
The place Castian had chosen as our launch point was the same place Samuel Flashed us when he returned me to Haven grounds. It dazzled me how quickly things could change.
Walking the males through what happened, I showed them where the pack met me, where I discovered the girl crying in the fork of the tree, and an approximate route of where the mischievous hawk led me through the forest to Jade.
Samuel strode silently by my side, Bruin spoke in hushed tones with Castian, and Aust cast worried glances toward me as he carried Cowboy’s clothing.
Cowboy had shifted into his wolf form to plod the course nose to the ground. His Were frame was large—much larger than Faolan or any forest wolves I knew—and covered in a thick, tri-colored coat of deep caramel with an undercoat of a lighter gold and silver.
The fast bond of friendship between Aust and Cowboy was endearing. Aust needed that—deserved it—after the decades of forced solitude in our village. I believed Cowboy’s animal nature made it easier for Aust to trust him. He was close with all the Weres and most of all their Ursa, Mika.
When our tour of the forest ended, Castian set everyone on task. One by one, the warriors dispersed until only Castian, Samuel and I remained. My heart went out to the male on my arm. His heartache burned like wood smoke in my nostrils. To wish to serve, yet have no task assigned—it would strike a blow to anyone’s ego—but to a hero, it was devastating.
Having witnessed the mind-speak of Galan and Castian in the past months, I was aware when Castian and Samuel began a private conversation.
Saying goodbye to the pack seemed the perfect way to give the two of them privacy. My stomach growled as I stepped off the path and I examined the sky. Mid-day repast was long over and soon Elora would set out evening victuals.
Lifting my skirts to step into the brush the soil-stained hem made me sigh. It needed to be soaked and scrubbed as soon as I returned to my suite. Wearing my best skirt for teaching at the castle was one thing. Trudging through the forest was quite another.
With a frown, I glanced around. No sign of the pack. They must have run off with Cowboy and Aust. Cowboy’s medallion steadily darkened through the afternoon. He needed physical exertion to regulate his strange condition.
“There’s my girl.” The smooth, deep voice came from over my shoulder as a pair of male arms secured me from behind. “Wandering through the forest alone are you, baby?”
I froze. Bile rose in my throat. Abaddon. Master of the Scourge, plague of the realm, had come.
For me.
He tightened his hold as I battled to break free of his embrace. My arms were trapped at my sides, his steel frame restricting my movement. Terror made me strong, but Abaddon was much stronger. I screamed.
He chuckled deep and throaty next to my ear. “Now. Now. Don’t be like that.”
My mind spun to recall Bruin’s teachings. Jabbing my elbow did nothing, pinned as I was. I gripped hard under the zipper of his black khakis and twisted. His hiss was gratifying and though he wrenched away from my grip, he failed to release his hold.
“Abaddon.” Castian’s voice was sweet relief. “Step away from my niece.”
Samuel’s wand was drawn and aimed, though the impulse was more habit than ability, considering his state.
“Release. Her.” Castian’s command was low and quiet, the strength of the threat unmistakable.
Abaddon’s hold remained, though he did stop groping at my breasts. “I have every right to claim her and you know it.”
Castian’s expression remained unaffected, his focus locked squarely on the monster behind me. Sensations bombarded: the smell of damp tunnels, the subtle brush of a guard’s hand, the lingering stares of wanton when Scourge minions thought no one could see. The forest spun into a green blur as thunder roared in my head.
Lia, focus. Castian’s voice caressed my mind and his brilliant emerald eyes drew me into their depths. Fear not, for I am here.
His gaze returned to Abaddon. “State your purpose.”
The hold on my arms shifted and I was whirled fast and rough so we stood face to face. I stared into the soulless black eyes of my captor. Though most females would consider him handsome, he was my living nightmare. The mere cadence of his voice made my legs tremble.
He pulled me tight against his chest, his arm against my back an iron bar as he lifted me off my feet. “I came to claim my woman. We were separated when she was taken from my compound. It’s time wifey and I were reunited.”
His words tumbled through my mind but held no meaning. “I am not your mate. I have no mate.”
“Come now,” Abaddon clucked, arching a cruel brow. “Lying doesn’t change fact. Highbornes are bound to their first lover. I was yours. Got the bloody gown to prove it.”
I struggled to strike him. “You beast. I am a newling. I have never lain with a male and when I do, it will not be one with a soulless waste of manhood.”
A sly smile spread across Castian’s face. “She speaks the truth, Abaddon. You can both read her voice and scent a lie. She denies your claim and there is no doubt of her honesty.”
Abaddon yanked me by my hair, forcing my face closer. “Look me in the eyes and say that again.”
With more bravado than I possessed, I stood as tall as I could manage. I craned my neck to meet him eye-to-eye. “Never have I been sexually intimate with you or any other. You lie.”
“Sounds pretty definite to me,” Samuel said, his wand still pointed at us. “Let her go before I call in a dozen Enforcers and we beat your ass for holding her against her will on Haven grounds. Or better yet, a brutal beat-down sounds fun.”
The release of his hold left me staggering to catch my balance. I stumbled and raced forward. Samuel’s arms opened and I collided against his solid chest. Tears streamed. I ignored the ensuing argument and pressed my face into the warmth of his neck. His unique scent did more to settle the tremors racking through me than anything.
“I demand you contact the Fates,” Abaddon shouted. “They meddle in every moment of our lives. They’ll have proof. I don’t know how the fuck she’s doing it, but she’s lying. When I had her last summer, I fucked her senseless and nothing any of you say changes that. If you want witnesses, I have dozens.”
Samuel’s arms tightened around me. “You colossal bastard. Ye’d provide witnesses to raping her? Do ye really think that helps yer case?”
“Highborne laws are absolute, asshole. Intercourse is binding and irreversible. I was her first and I put that ring on her finger. Rheagan’s heir is mine.”
I squeezed the ornate diamond stuck on my finger. No matter how we tried to remove it after my return to the living, nothing worked. To know Abaddon thought of it as a symbol uniting us made me want to sever my finger to be rid of it.
“Enough,” Castian said, “I’ll notify the Fates of your claim. Ooze yourself back under your rock and when they find time to research your claim, you’ll be contacted. I warn you, though, the Fates are fickle ladies. There’s no telling when they’ll get to it.”
“It better be soon. I won’t put up with you stalling.”
The air snapped and Castian stalked forward. He stopped before Abaddon and pressed a finger to his chest. “Don’t piss in my sandbox, little man. As God of gods, I am fair to all members of my realm—even those who make my skin crawl. It would set me off to think you just implied I’m biased.”
Abaddon had the good sense to shut his mouth.
Castian turned to me. “Lia, due to your history with Abaddon and his predisposition for violence and treachery, I am assigning you a garda síochána. This guardian must be in the service of the Pantheon and will protect you and ensure your rights during the time leading up to the Fates findings.”
“I’ll do it,” Samuel said, his jaw set, his diamond-white gaze staring straight ahead. “Galan would be the logical choice, being the Sentinel of Souls and her brother, but his focus is needed elsewhere. Lia and I are already spending time together and my life was pledged to your service long ago. I offer to guard her, her rights and her safety.”
“Ironic. Yet fitting,” Castian said, a private look passing between them. “Lia, unless you object, Samuel shall assume his post as your guardian.”
I wanted Galan by my side but Samuel was right, Jade needed him. “I, uh, no, I have no objection.”
“Then it’s settled—”
“The hell it is.” Abaddon faced off against us and the air around us crackled. Supercharged. Electric. “I don’t want that blind traitor anywhere near what’s mine. He’s the bastard who stole her away in the first place. She’s coming with me.”
Samuel stepped in front of me and raised his wand. “You stole her. I freed her. Now, stand down. This is a Haven Sanctuary and no one will force Lia to leave.”
“Says the blind man waving his twig. Your wizarding skills are no match for sorcery.” Abaddon laughed, the sound hypnotizing. “You’re nothing but a pathetic shell of what was once a mediocre wizard.”
Samuel whispered something and a blue electrical field enveloped us. Abaddon thrust a bolt of screeching light through the air. The surge hit our protective barrier just as Castian sent Abaddon flying fifty feet into the scrub. With a loud thud, our attacker struck the cold, hard ground and Samuel spun from the force of the blow.
“This matter is settled.” Castian’s voice echoed through the trees. A violent wind picked up and swirled leaves all around us. We stood in the eye of a hurricane. “Until you are contacted, you shall make no move to speak with, gain access to, or relocate Lia in any way. If you do, I shall strike you down where you stand and declare your claim nullified.”
Abaddon staggered to his feet and locked his gaze on me.
Castian matched his movement and blocked his view. “Get the hell off this mountain.”
Abaddon cursed, gave in and Flashed out.
I rushed to where Samuel fell and cradled his head in my lap. With the fabric of my skirt, I cleaned the gash bleeding along the line of his jaw. “Samuel, wake up. Are you well?”
I stroked my fingers through his hair, praying his eyes would open. Though the protective field absorbed most of the energy strike, he took a horrible blast.
“Let me see him,” Castian said, easing Samuel flat on the forest floor. He opened Samuel’s leather slicker and laid his hands on his fine white shirt. An amber glow built across his chest and as it expanded, a breeze lifted my hair. The succulence of bergamot and mint made my mouth water.
I clasped Samuel’s hand and closed my eyes. Sweet Shalana, let him be well.
Castian Flashed us. When I opened my eyes, Samuel lay unconscious on the sofa in my suite and I knelt on the floor, still clutching his hand.
“All is well, Lia,” Castian said. “Your guardian will need rest but will recover. Watch over him now and he will return the favor tenfold.”
I covered Samuel with the sofa throw and gave Castian a hug. “Gratitude, Sire, you are so good to me.”
He brushed a soft finger against my cheek. “You are more than my niece, my dear Ryanne. You are Jade’s sister now, so in a way, you are another daughter to me.”
I stared up at his perfect face. He was ethereal for certain, his eyes the sparkling green of gemstones, his features beautiful, but not feminine. The power emanating from him tickled my skin. How could I ever live up to a father figure like Castian? Strong. Righteous.
His smile widened. Raising his hands over my head he produced a necklace similar to his own. He lifted it until the silver caught the light. “The crescent moon is a powerful talisman for me. When you feel panic overwhelm, as you did in the forest today, touch the medallion and draw on some of my power until you regain control.”
He winked, and in a golden shower of mist, he was gone.