CHAPTER 22

~ Claimed and Transformed ~

 

When Kazar, the last one through the portal, steps foot in the sacred cavern he really is not surprised to discover that the spirits of the Guardians of the Red Earth Dwellers are all assembled and awaiting their arrival.  These very ancient and very wise beings seem to always accept whatever happens as though they have foreknowledge of events which unfold in their realm.  And why not?  They have been on the job since long before man gained sentience, much less sapience. These guardians have served Creation ever since they vowed to protect this realm and its inhabitants on the day life first sparked into existence on this rock hurtling through space that the humans now call earth.

Nyle and Kazar watch as Callie strides forward to greet the guardians with a respectful bow of her head and thanks them for sharing their magick this day.  The spirit forms shimmer around her proud stance, humming and vibrating, as though in greeting or in response to her words.  Callie’s males move to stand beside Blood, where Nyle wonders out loud if the ancient spirits are communicating with Callie. 

“Indeed,” Blood murmurs in a voice filled with awe.  Nyle and Kazar know this is not a typical occurrence.  “Callie is forever joining this realm with other, more ancient, realms through her sacrifice this day.”

“Sacrifice?” Nyle demands angrily.  “Nobody said a damned thing about Callie having to make a sacrifice.”  Nyle lunges forward as though intending to snatch Callie and carry her away from any threat.

Kazar places a restraining and calming hand on the shoulder of his younger mate.  The ancient vampire has been around longer and understands all growth is achieved through sacrifice.  He is concerned as well, but he has confidence in the Guardians of this most ancient magick and he knows they would never demand more than Callie can give.

“Easy there, wolf,” Blood says in his most soothing tone, and Kazar bristles a bit to know their leader is using his calming mojo on them, but he gets it.  He doesn’t like it much, but he gets it.  He and Nyle cannot interfere in whatever is about to go down.

“Oh, you won’t be interfering, vampire, you will be participating,” Morrígan says from behind.  Obviously, the goddess has been reading his mind, a task that not many can accomplish because of his exemplary self-control over mind and body.

But Nyle is still fixated on the idea of Callie making a sacrifice.  “What fucking sacrifice?” He demands angrily.

Morrígan chuckles and says; “Her humanity.  Her mundane existence.  She’s giving up the very thing the dark ones have been stealing from her for centuries.”  She steps forward and turns to meet the glare of her fellow Celt head on.  “She’s giving up a lonely existence without mate or child, in order to embrace her destiny at the side of two strong and loving mates, with heavens only knows how many children in her future.”

Nyle relaxes considerably at these words and watches as Callie seems to commune with the ancient spirits of the cavern in silence.  After a few more moments, she turns to face her mates and extends her hands to them.  “Come, my males. I have need of you.”

Without thought, both males step forward eagerly and take one of her hands.  They watch as she brings first Kazar’s and then Nyle’s hands to her lips to kiss the palms lovingly, before looking into their eyes.  “My conscience dictates that I must ask both of you to take a moment to consider this before we take this next step together.”

She releases their hands and removes the three stones from her pocket and displays them on her hands.  The ruby, sapphire, and obsidian are actually glowing at this point, and both males can feel strong magick radiating from the gemstones.  “Once we claim each other, things will never be the same for any of us.  We three will be one, in many regards.  But in many ways, I will have to stand alone, with you both at my side as my consorts.  But the responsibility of my decisions and actions will rest on my shoulders and my shoulders alone.  Are you both strong enough and truly willing to allow me to embrace my destiny and shoulder these burdens which are mine alone?”

Kazar and Nyle look at each other and see total acceptance and absolute willingness to go forward in the eyes of their lover.  The men simply nod and turn to face Callie.  “We do,” they say as though in one voice.

“It won’t be easy,” she warns.  “And there will be no going back if we go through with this.  Only forward, no matter what comes at us, we must continue moving forward, as one.  Eternally united.”

“Let’s do it,” Nyle says grasping her empty hand to plant a kiss on the palm, just as she had done earlier.

“By all means, Beautiful One, let us go forward,” her vampire affirms as he mimics Nyle’s kiss on her palm.  “Together, we three will embrace our destiny.”

Callie pulls his face down to kiss him just as possessively and passionately as she had back at their home.  They are both panting when she finally breaks the kiss only to turn and seize Nyle and give him the same passionate treatment.  When she finally steps back, she transfers the stones to the hand her mates had kissed, closes her hand over the stones and rattles them inside her loose fist, holding it up as though to proclaim she too is ready. 

“I will give Kazar my claiming bite first,” she casts a quick glance at Nyle and smiles.  “Only because he is oldest, my love.  I value you both equally, and I will always rely on each of you for your unique strengths and contributions.”  Nyle simply grins and nods because Callie has never made him feel less valued than Kazar. He knows her heart and she loves them both with equal fervor.  Just as he loves both of his mates with equal commitment and fire, and he is certain it is the same for Kazar.

Callie sees the wisdom in her shifter mate’s eyes and smiles.  “After I have bitten both of you, you will bite me at the same time and then step away about a foot.  We will face each other and form a perfect triangle…” she rattles the stones, “… and then these little beauties will do their work.” 

She absently rubs her distended belly with her empty hand, and Kazar realizes she has been doing that a lot since her bath, and worries that the child might be causing her pain.  Callie picks up on his concern and says; “It’s all good.  She’s just eager to meet her daddies.”

“What?” Nyle sputters and looks down at her hand on her swollen belly.  He reaches out and touches her baby bump and feels that it is rock hard, as though her uterus is contracted.  A quick glance at her face reveals she is hiding her pain.  “Are you in labor?”

“Just the early stages…”

Nyle sputters and attempts to gather Callie into his protective embrace.  “Then all of this can wait…”

Callie cuts him off with a simple shake of her head before she rips his tee shirt from his body.  “No, it cannot wait.”  She turns to face Kazar who has ripped his own shirt from his body.  Callie can’t help but marvel at the masculine perfection of her males before she opens her mouth to reveal inhumanly sharp teeth and tiny fangs. 

Stepping into the open arms of her vampire lover, Callie whispers; “Kazar, my wise, worldly, and loving vampire, I am honored to claim you as my own.”  With the sure strike of a deadly predator, she bites him at the juncture of his neck and shoulder, claiming him forever as hers.  The delicious taste of his blood fills her mouth and the magick of his powerful essence invigorates Callie and makes her spirit soar.  His memories flood her mind, and she tucks each one away in the vast storehouse of memories and knowledge she has acquired in recent days.

When she finally releases his flesh, she lovingly licks the wound she inflicted and watches with a great deal of satisfaction as the flesh mends before her eyes, leaving only a faint scar from her teeth.  But it is a mark that all supernatural beings will recognize and all will know Kazar, formerly of ancient Alexandria, is a fully claimed and soon to be bonded male.  She smiles as she traces the scar just beside it, Nyle’s claiming mark.  “Beautiful,” she whispers before stepping back to turn her attention to her younger male.

“Nyle, my beautiful, protective, dominant wolf, I am honored to claim you as my own.”  She once again reveals those inhuman teeth and latches onto his flesh in the same spot as she marked Kazar.  The rich flood of shifter blood that courses into her mouth makes her groan in pleasure, as his Celtic and Nordic magick thrums through her veins.  When the lighter onslaught of memories floods into her mind, she smiles as one stands out like a beacon in a hurricane.  The first time he touched her, and the power of their souls rising up to greet their intended mate.  Pulling away from the bite, and licking the wound to help it close, she proudly beholds two mating marks on her beloved’s shoulders, and utters “Perfect”.  The memories are jostling around for attention as she stuffs them with the others.  But she smiles because she knows this is one memory that is brighter than all of the others.  This is one of his most precious memories, right along with the moment he first laid eyes on Kazar and knew they were meant to be mates. 

“Claim me, my males,” Callie commands in a clear, strong voice that carries all of the affection of a lover’s entreaty and all of the weight of a royal command.  “Make me forever yours.”

Kazar and Nyle need no further urging.  As if they had practiced the move countless times, both males latch onto either side of her neck and bite.  When her rich blood flows into their mouth, bringing her hidden magick and a vast well of ancient memories, the powerful males are nearly overcome with awe for what their female has been shouldering alone.  When the secret knowledge that she gained only today filters through their consciousness, they are both amazed and a bit awed at what lies in store for them all.

They lick the wounds to close them, and for the first time notice that the marks left by the vampire attack have faded into nothingness.  The only scars that mar her lovely neck are their claiming marks.  The scars which signify she has two consorts, two protectors, two soul-mates.

Recalling her earlier instructions, they step back and carefully form a tight triangle and Callie extends her open hand with the three jewels.  Stones that are now vibrating and humming with magick and musical resonance beyond their comprehension.  The Triad watches in awe as the stones levitate over Callie’s hand and begin to spin like a super-powered top.  With each revolution, they feel their connection solidify, their magick flare and reach out with powerful tendrils to connect to the others in the magickal triad.  Brilliant red light fills the cavern, and brilliant bolts of electric blue and ebony shoot through the ruby glow, as the magick has its way with their bodies, their hearts, their souls, and their very destinies.

A blinding flash of light makes everyone in the cavern protect their eyes as the final change is wrought.  When at last the ethereal mists and the blood-red illumination fades allowing them to open their eyes, everyone is stunned at the sight which greets them.