CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Blinded. Pure white light burned her eyes even through her closed eyelids, and her only reality was the cold fingers intertwined with hers, holding on.
When a fresh wind blew on her face as the light dimmed enough, Valeria dared to open her eyes.
To be honest, she didn’t know what to expect. As a member of the High Council of North America, she supposed Soren Racovan ought to have money. Loads of it. So being here, in this simple cabin, lit by a blazing hearth with unique rustic charm, she began to think the girls had made a mistake. A wrong turn in the magical path they were sent on through the portal.
“This is Soren Racovan’s lair?”
When she asked the question, Valeria realized she still clutching Finn’s hand. She tried to pull her hand away, but he kept his grip on her, until she saw definite teasing on his face. Relaxing his hand, she took a step away.
“Are you sure we’re at the right place?”
Finn shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. “Yep. I’ve been here before, and this is definitely Soren’s home. Why do you ask? No, don’t tell me. You thought either he was living in a cave, like in myths, or in a palace, because of his money. And here I thought that Valeria Lancaster would have a more open mind than others.”
“Go to Hell!”
“Wildcat, you’ll probably go first as soon as my fire-breathing friend comes back.”
From the windows, Valeria could see they were deep in a forest, and there was some snow laying around. They were probably higher, in a mountain. Quickly, she tried to remember the few snippets of information she had about weredragons, but she almost came out empty-handed. Weredragons were rare, so much so that nobody knew how many were still alive in the world. They were able to shift into an enormous dragon form and had power over one element, a sort of magic loophole among shifters. As for Soren Racovan himself, her father always spoke of him with caution, edging on fear. One of the mighty members of the Council, he was known to be extreme in his decisions, only following his own mind in the protection of the realm. And for that alone, Valeria hoped she could stay hidden long enough as a half-blood to plead her case and gain help from Racovan and the High Council to stop her father. It would probably have been a better idea to reach for a witch. Too late.
Her skin started to tingle before she even saw him. What she didn’t expect was the racing of her heart. She was about to see her biological father, or so she was told. She never thought her mother would have been capable of having an affair, let alone one with another species, while keeping it from Lionel Lancaster. And from her own daughter.
Finn shifted closer to her as the front door opened. Maybe he wasn’t as disinterested in protecting her, after all.
The man who came in, firewood in his arms, didn’t appear much older than she was. But that wasn’t what drew her eyes; she knew shifters aged very slowly. It was the brown hair, and especially the golden eyes staring right back at her that tilted her world. Of course, her mother and father had brown hair, but not her exact color, and their eyes, while being brown, didn’t have her distinctive golden flickers that caught the light and varied according to her moods. This was her father, her biological father. Emotions surged expectedly as she wondered if Lionel Lancaster knew and that was why their relationship was so strained. On the other hand, she doubted it; a Lancaster would never have accepted a mixed blood into his home.
Soren’s gaze shifted from her to Finn and back again as he entered his home. “I don’t mind you visiting me, my friend, but bringing your meal with you, a witch, is not one of your brightest ideas.”
Finn grabbed her elbow as she was about to speak, silencing her.
“I’m sorry for barging in like this, Soren, but I have a problem.”
“Then, you should take it to your king or the Territory Council.” The weredragon deposited his load beside the fireplace.
“You are council, Soren. Hell, you’re part of the High Council!”
“But in this cabin, I’m not. I’m on vacation unless an emergency arises.”
“There is an emergency. Lionel Lancaster.”
Soren straightened and went into his kitchen. “Lionel Lancaster, from what I’ve heard, has been taken care of and is awaiting his inquiry. I see no emergency from that side as he’s secured in his estate.”
“He may be locked in, but he’s not powerless. In fact, it’s power he’s after, and in a very dangerous way.” As she spoke, Valeria noticed that the weredragon wasn’t looking at her, even seemed to be ignoring her. At his lack of response, she ignored Finn’s warning grip and tried to shake him off, but he wasn’t about to let her go. “Listen, we don’t have a lot of time. Lancaster is about to unleash a spell that will compromise the safety of the entire realm.”
Again, no response. Soren Racovan was seemingly making tea and didn’t give a damn about what was coming out of her mouth. There was no time for finesse and diplomatic skills when she had images of Sera and Violet in the middle of a potential fight. And possibly Asher dying protecting his Sanctuary.
Getting free of Finn’s increasingly tight shackle, she took a stand on the other side of the counter, hands fisted, and praying to find the right words to convince the ton of bricks before her.
“Lionel Lancaster is about to complete a spell that will help him gain control over all creatures of the Otherworld. By killing each type of magical creature according to the moon phases, he’s stealing their powers, and after binding that gathered energy, he will be able to control the most powerful of us, even the members of the High Council.”
The damn man didn’t even blink at her words, still ignoring her presence.
“We need the help of the High Council to stop him.”
And for the first time, he lifted his head to her. “Careful with your accusations, witch. There is no proof of what you say about a man who’s currently kept under guard in his estate.”
“Proof?” Valeria didn’t even care that she was now shouting. Magic, stirred by her anger, crackled around her. “The proof is a Sanctuary, one sanctioned by the Territory Council, that is currently under attack by Lionel Lancaster’s followers, trying to get a vampire back to complete the ritual. If you don’t help us, they’re all going to die!”
Soren calmly poured his tea, and Valeria’s desperation increased to a level that was almost unbearable. “Contact your Territory Council, they’re the ones in charge of protecting Sanctuaries.”
“You’re an asshole.” The words stumbled out of her mouth, and she ignored Finn’s warning hiss. “Lionel Lancaster has too much influence in the Territory of Maine. And now I realize that you’re no better than him. Do you even care about any of us? Stay in your little cabin, Racovan. Drink tea, be merry and go fuck yourself.”
His pupils dilated, and she could see live fire shining there. She had stirred the dragon, one of the most dangerous and unpredictable beings that ever walked this earth, and she felt so eerily calm, it stunned her.
“Witch. Careful with your words. You have no tamed puppy in front of you, unlike the one I smell all over you. You know trysts with other kinds are forbidden.”
At the thought of Asher, her heart constricted. “Screw your rules. I don’t care about them anymore. They’re not to protect us, but to protect your own ass. To keep yourself in power and let the rest of us rot in hell.”
Soren moved so fast, she barely saw him in a blur. What surprised her even more was how Finn could be even faster and place himself as a shield between her and his friend.
“Soren, stand down.”
“Finnegan O’Malley, don’t you dare protect that woman.”
Finn didn’t even budge. “I’m protecting her because she saved my life. She’s telling the truth about Lancaster. Something nasty is brewing, and if the High Council doesn’t look into it, there could be dire consequences.”
Soren snarled, and this time, his strength overpowered Finn’s, sending him flying across the room. When his eyes locked on hers, Valeria knew her life was on the line. “So you bewitched a vampire too. Another man, another creature, another broken rule.”
He towered over her, but she didn’t yield. No way was she going to be intimidated by him.
So close, his entire energy overwhelmed her. And there was magic in him too, something she hadn’t felt in any shifter or werewolf before. Was it specific to dragons? Was it the reason why she had been able to live for so long with dual powers inside her? Many questions that could be answered by the man before her. By her biological father.
Flaming eyes on her, Valeria prepared for the worst. For a long time, he stood so close, she feared his body heat would singe her skin. He could breathe fire on her, and she would turn to ashes before realizing it. Whatever power she could gather, she was keeping for Asher. If she survived her encounter with Soren, she would jump into time and space to join him in defending Sanctuary.
Still standing toe-to-toe with the weredragon, she heard Finn moaning from behind her. An immortal vampire had been knocked out by the weredragon slap. Well, if not burnt, she could be crushed to death; another unappealing possibility.
Distracted for an instant, she didn’t see Soren move, lowering his head to her neck, sliding a raspy tongue over her skin, tasting her. Valeria froze, unable to process what was happening.
A fraction of a second later, Soren stopped moving, and ever so slowly, he straightened away from her. His nostrils flared. Was he detecting the dragon she was supposed to have inside her?
“You’re from Ann.”
It took a second for Valeria to realize he had spoken her mother’s name. Not sure what was the best course of action, and seeing the flame dying down in his eyes, she decided to stay quiet. Now she could feel her body shake. Fear? Apprehension?
His face stayed close, detailing her, taking notes. Angling his head, he buried his nose in her hair and inhaled. “You’re from Ann … and something else. You’re mixed blood!”
“Yes.” Her voice sounded so small, it was almost unrecognizable.
His hand banded around her throat, and there was no curiosity on his face anymore. Only disgust. “You shouldn’t even exist, you abomination!”
Choking, her eyes full of tears, she was about to kick him when Finn again came to the rescue. Attacking Soren, he successfully released the hold he was having on her, and before the weredragon could get back on his feet, he moved her as far away from him as possible. Valeria noticed blood on his forehead and wanted to ask if he was alright, but all that came out of her mouth was a cough.
Soren stood, pulsating energy, and as he was probably about to blast them, Finn took a step toward his friend. “Don’t you dare, Soren. She’s your daughter!”
There it was in the open; her life laid on the line. They were in a secluded cabin, deep in the forest, with a member of the High Council, a powerful one, who was greatly against mixed-bloods. Everything was about to be played out.
“You’re lying!”
“Look at her, look at her eyes, apart from you, I haven’t seen anything similar in my long life. And you said it yourself, you smelled Ann on her. Her mother, the woman with whom you had an affair many years ago. The witch you had an affair with.”
That’s when she saw Soren hesitate. His eyes bored into hers, searching, assessing. The mix of his emotions, his magic and the beast deep inside him made it difficult, even impossible for her to guess his state of mind. Finn stood in front of her, unmoving. She didn’t want him in the line of fire and gently placed a hand between his shoulder blades. A slight movement of his muscles acknowledged her touch.
“Finn? Please move.”
The vampire shook his head without turning to her and stood his ground. In a soothing motion, she started stroking his back.
“Finn, please step aside. There is nothing that you can do to prevent Soren from killing me if it’s his wish. And I would prefer you survive this mess.”
Finn shook his head once more. There was something to be said for his bravery and sense of honor.
“Are you?” Soren’s voice was so low, so tentative, Valeria wasn’t entirely sure of his question.
“Until two years ago, I knew without a doubt that I was a witch, the daughter of Ann and Lionel Lancaster. But one night, I don’t know what happened, but my powers started acting up. I even thought I had killed my mother. I’ve been on the run ever since. Until the Sanctuary Master saved me, and I discovered that what I knew, what I was certain of, had been an illusion. My ex-fiancé is plotting something terrible with my father, my mother is not dead but in a coma, and the man I considered my father is more evil than I ever thought. I can’t help, my powers, my magic is playing tricks on me. My hands are tied, and I can’t save the Sanctuary Master that is currently under attack, I can’t help my friends. I’m useless. I came here, not to tell you that I’m your daughter, but to implore you for help. I know how you despise us, mixed or half-bloods.”
Still observing her with an unblinking stare, she decided to risk it all. Not for her, but for Asher. She may never be with him, but if she could convince the man before her to help him, to defeat Lionel Lancaster and James Cooper, she would die happy, knowing the man she loved would be safe.
“If you want to kill me, I won’t offer any resistance.” Finn hissed, but she ignored him. “All I’m asking is for you to protect the Sanctuary and everybody inside it, and stop Lionel Lancaster and all his followers. James Cooper is probably leading the attack as we speak. Please stop the attack, stop the spell. You have the power to do it. That’s my deal.” Valeria was ready to use every possible plea to have her way, to desperately attempt to strike a chord inside him.
Stepping away from Finn’s protection, she approached the weredragon, her father, and the one person who could protect Asher.
Soren didn’t move as she came closer. The only sign of turmoil was the ragged breath hissing through his teeth and the wildness of his molten golden eyes.
Valeria smiled slightly at him. It was strange that a few hours ago, she didn’t know who her true father was, and despite the fact that he stood against everything that she was, Valeria was glad to have met Soren Racovan. If only for an instant.
And now, what was she supposed to do? Unsure, she assumed that staring at him as he was preparing himself to kill her was rude, so she bowed her head and peered at her feet. She felt him move in front of her and did her best not to flinch. But it wasn’t a blow that touched her, but a tentative hand, running through her dark hair.
“What is your name?”
Valeria blinked and lifted her head. If it was a pre-execution process, she hadn’t heard about it.
“Valeria.”
Soren nodded. “Valeria, means valor, courage. And I see that Ann’s daughter doesn’t lack any of it.”
He seemed to hesitate. “But you can’t exist, it’s against the rules of the High Council.”
Valeria nodded. “Yes, I know.”
“And here you stand, asking for my help, giving your life in exchange.”
“Yes.”
Soren, with his hand still in her hair, cupped her cheek. “For Ann, and for you, I will help. But your life is mine. Do you understand?”
Pain almost cracked her open at his words, but she nodded.
Soren frowned and let her go. “Open a portal to that Sanctuary, and we will end this nonsense.”
Valeria exhaled in a rush and turned to Finn. The vampire was pissed, probably because she had condemned herself with her promise to Soren, but she didn’t care. She got what she came for, and that was all she wanted.
Opening her arms, Valeria started summoning her powers, and immediately felt a struggle. It wasn’t fluid, but scratchy. And the energy swirled weirdly around her as if battling her will. After pushing against it for a while, she let her arms fall.
Soren came by her side. “What happened?”
It was Finn who answered. “We suspect that both sides of her are battling inside, the witch and the dragon, making it more and more difficult for her to draw her powers. It sort of backfires on her.”
Soren pondered on it for a moment. “One of the reasons mixed-bloods are a bad idea.”
Valeria glared at him. “Hey! I wasn’t the one who slept with my mother.”
Soren arched an eyebrow and Finn racked his throat. “Yeah, and you’re the one who fell for a werewolf.”
“Shut up, Finn.”
“A werewolf?” Soren’s sudden interest put her on the edge.
“Shut up, Soren.” Ignoring both men, she turned her back to them and summoned her powers once more. The magic rose inside her as it usually did, but without Asher’s presence, she didn’t have the ability to stabilize it. And it required everything in her to maintain it until finally it dropped like a rock and evaded her control.
Swaying, Finn caught her before she hit the ground. “Shit, I can’t. I can’t use my powers anymore.” She didn’t know if she wanted to curse or weep at the fact. Pushing Finn, she stumbled to finally lean on the back of the couch.
Finn crouched in front of her. “Can’t Soren be used as a stabilizer, the same as you did with Asher?”
Valeria eyed the weredragon brooding nearby. “It doesn’t work like that … it’s a link that I have with Asher, one I can’t explain. I don’t even know how it can be possible or how it works. I don’t feel the same effect with Soren.”
The weredragon came closer and cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Valeria, if you can’t use your power for a task as simple as opening a portal, it means that the damage to your magic is severe, especially if that spell drains you.”
“Give me a moment, I’ll try again.”
Soren shook his head, and dread settled deep in her belly. It was something she desperately pushed away from her conscious mind. Unable to speak, she shook her head.
“Valeria, the battle inside you is not leaving you any choice. The witch is losing.”
“No!” She pushed him away and took two steps back. “Being a witch is all I am, all I’ve ever been. If I lose my powers, I’m nothing.”
Squelching the panic was hard. Still drained, she risked the spell again. She had to open a portal, it was the only way to reach Asher, to help Sera and Violet. And if she was powerless there, she could still yield a sword or fire a gun.
Once more, she opened her arms and asked for the magic to flow through her. But this time, her power came, but it didn’t flow. It burned.
She was burning alive! A scream tore through her, but she was numb and blind. Lost. Completely lost, until she heard a voice. Hoping for Asher, it was Soren who filled her head.
“Daughter! Enough!”
Still blind, Valeria glanced at him, surprised by the way he called her, lost in a world of white, her ears buzzing, her body unfeeling. “Help!”
“Valeria, stop struggling. You have bottomed out your powers. Your body is shutting down.”
So this was death. All that time she thought it would be more joyful, and definitely more colorful. And maybe not so filled with regrets. Asher. Her mom. Sera. Violet. How were Asher and her friends faring? In her soul, she hoped they would be alright. She felt helpless.
“Daughter!”
Soren’s voice was booming in her head, making her jump. Could her soul jump? The thought made her giggle.
A low growl came from somewhere around her. She turned her head, but couldn’t see anything but white.
“Focus! Valeria, you now have a choice to live or die. And there is not a minute to spare. If you want to die, accept your fate and stay still. But if you want to live, if you want to fight, save your friends, and see that wolf of yours, there is work to do, and barely enough time to do it.”
Asher. His name rolled in her head. Fierce, possessive, unattainable, loyal. She may never be his mate, the woman destined to be with him forever, but she couldn’t let him die. Her heart wouldn’t allow it.
“Good! At last, a decision. Now, this part will be slightly uncomfortable, but we have no time for anything smoother.”
What was he talking about?
And in an instant, fire engulfed her body, turning her to ashes.