Mystik Warrior: (Dark Warrior Alliance Book 2) (19 page)

A smile curved his lips. The first real smile he had felt to his soul since he was a stripling living at home with the love of his parents. “The Goddess’ power has no limits. Never forget, she created most creatures of the Tehrex Realm, and has ways of ensuring we continue.” He kicked off his shoes and stripped off his shirt.

He enjoyed the way her eyes flared and pupils dilated as his chest was revealed. His mate wanted him as desperately as he wanted her.

“Who is this Goddess? What is her role in your world? Am I supposed to worship her too?” Jessie piped in before his mate could gather her wits.

Zander answered Jessie while Jace shed his pants and jumped into the pool in his black boxer briefs. He made his way to Cailyn’s side and wrapped his arms around her.

“The Goddess Morrigan is our creator,” Zander explained, “meaning, she created most of the creatures that make up the Tehrex Realm. Her role is complicated, but the most important aspects are that she acts through her subjects to protect weaker beings from evil, and blesses those she deems worthy with their Fated Mate. And, no, you do not have to worship her, but I think you will find that she had a hand in your creation. I believe it is why you are so different from your male counterpart.”

“Where have you been for the past three hours? And, who have you been with?” Cailyn asked Jace, ignoring Zander. He smiled at how possessive his mate was of him already. It had clearly been impossible for her to hold her curiosity in any longer.

Jace turned her in his embrace so she was facing him fully. The spark of hurt coupled with anger in her eyes both cut and excited him. “I went to one of the beaches on the Sound to think. I ran into an old acquaintance while I was there,” Jace turned and glanced at Zander, “Angelica is here, and she is hunting for the Mystik Grimoire.”

Cailyn gasped, “Are you okay?” Cailyn asked at the same moment Zander asked, “What did she say?”

“She approached me on the beach with several of her lackeys and tried to exert control over me. She was confident of her power, and ordered me to produce the Grimoire, saying we were going to rule the world together.”

“What the hell is she thinking?” Zander asked.

Jace gathered his thoughts. “She knows the Grimoire has returned, and will do anything to get it. She was surprised to find that she wasn’t able to control me. Cailyn had suggested that she may have cast a spell over me when she held me captive, and now I know Cailyn was right. I felt a foreign force when I fought her, but was able to thwart her with the help of Cailyn’s soul.” He ignored the gasps from in the others in the room. No one but Zander and Cailyn had been aware that he had ever been held prisoner.

Cailyn reached up and cupped his face in her hands. The empathy and compassion in her eyes touched a vulnerable part of his soul. “I am so sorry you had to face that on your own. I can’t imagine what that was like for you.” She stood on tiptoe and placed a chaste kiss on his lips, a kiss of comfort. Goddess, he loved this female.

He knew he had been falling for Cailyn, but when he had begun to love her he didn’t know. The warmth that spread from his soul to encompass hers was the most amazing feeling. He found his home. This was what he was made for, to love this female. He squeezed her tighter and closed his eyes, allowing the feelings to wash over him.

Zander’s voice brought Jace out of his reverie. “How did you get away from her?”

“When she realized she had no power over me, and saw that I was about to kill her, she vanished. She hides it well, but was furious and lost control. It was good to see she feared me too.” He didn’t mention her parting threat to Cailyn. Jace would protect her and make sure she was okay. He’d willingly lie on that stone slab for the rest of his life, or die to ensure his mate’s safety.

“How did she find you in the first place?” Cailyn asked accusations in her eyes as she looked up at him.

“I didn’t call her if that’s what you are asking. I don’t know how to get in contact with her, and wouldn’t even if I did. Given what she did to me, I never wanted to see her again,” he reassured his mate.

“I wish you knew how to find her because I want to rip her to shreds and set the remains on fire for what she did to you.” Her lips turned down in a pretty frown, and he couldn’t help trace her bottom lip with his thumb. She was a dangerous distraction. Right in that moment, he wanted to kiss her passionately.

“She’s a blood-thirsty one,” Breslin remarked making Cailyn laugh. Jace matched her smile and lightly pressed his lips against hers. “I like your
puithar
, Elsie. I’m verra glad she’s a part of this family, and so is Jace, I’d wager.” Cailyn laughed harder and pulled away from him, looking over her shoulder.

“I like your candor, Bre, although you may be jumping the gun a bit,” Elsie commented.

“I doona believe I’m jumping the gun. The Goddess has plans for us all, as you well know,” Breslin countered with confidence.

“Och, we need to focus on the important issues. Cailyn had a valid question. How do you suppose she found you? Do you think she placed a magical tracker on you all those years ago?” Zander voiced his concern.

“I’m not certain, but I wouldn’t put it past her to place a tracker on me somehow. It makes no sense otherwise. I don’t hang out at that beach. In fact, I’d never been there before.” Jace settled Cailyn into his side and kept her close.

Zander ran his hands through his hair as he contemplated the situation. “‘Tis concerning if she has amassed that much power. What do you think her next move is?”

“Whatever it is, I don’t think she intends to leave me be. Her disappearance was a regrouping. We need to be wary of her,” Jace advised, shuddering when he thought of the look on her face before she vanished.

“I guess it would be asking too much for a way to overcome her,” Zander sighed heavily.

“How can we find out what she did? Will Evzen know?” Cailyn asked.

“If I don’t know, then Evzen won’t either,” Jace informed his mate.

“What about the Rowan sisters?” Gerrick queried from his lounge.

“Rowan sisters? Count me in,” Rhys chimed in, excitedly.

“No, you’re not going,” Gerrick replied curtly.

Cailyn tilted her head to the side. “Why not?”

“Because last time I was there, I didn’t leave for a month. Best month of my life. I didn’t even mind Zander locking me in the dungeons for missing patrols. I’d happily do it again,” Rhys answered, flashing his panty-dropping smile.

“Okay, no Rhys. Who are the Rowan sisters?” Cailyn asked.

“They are witches. The only triplets born to the realm, and they are notorious for their love spells. It’s all about sex, drugs, and rock and roll for them. They could bespell you to love me,” Jace joked, winking at his mate. He loved the sight of her flushing cheeks. “Gerrick, you have the right idea, we should visit them. If anyone can discover malignant magic, it’s the Rowan sisters.”

*****

Prowling the streets of Queen Anne, Kyran searched relentlessly for an outlet for his rage. He needed a vicious bloody battle, but hadn’t come across many skirm. Inevitably, his thoughts went to Bite and how he had been banned. He hung his head, remembering the reason. It had only been a few days, and still the image of the battered bruised body he’d left lying lifeless haunted him. That poor female didn’t deserve to die, and he was responsible. Self-hatred seethed beneath the surface. He never lost control. From an early age he had been deviant, but had never done anything like that.

To complicate matters, Kyran was fighting the compulsion to seek out Mackendra. He didn’t understand his draw to her, and frankly didn’t like it. She had come to consume his every thought. He liked the stubborn tilt to her chin, which in itself was astonishing given that he preferred his females submissive. Her ample bosom and her vanilla citrus scent were intoxicating. He chained those thoughts in the dungeon of his mind. No one had free reign with him.

Now, he not only needed an outlet for his rage, but a release for his lusts even more. He hadn’t tried another female since the incident. Too many demons had been haunting him, and he feared the changes that had begun. He needed pain and dominance during his sexual encounters, and now those fantasies included a particular female chained to his wall.

A million tiny pins and needles assaulted his flesh, breaking his reverie. A feral smile broke over his face, exactly what he needed. He followed the trace of skirm to a clearing near Magnolia and stopped dead in his tracks. Mackendra was engaged in a battle with three skirm. She was a thing of beauty in motion. He inhaled deeply, and caught her citrus-vanilla scent.

The skintight leather pants and tight black t-shirt made his mouth water. He held back his chuckle when he read ‘Make My Day Punk’ on her tee. The vixen had attitude. She swung a large blade and pivoted gracefully on her black boots. The soles were bigger that his shit kickers, and it surprised him how fluid she was. Her spiky black hair gleamed in the moon. He drank in her whiskey eyes, getting drunk on the sight of them. She was a fine female specimen, dare he say, the finest he had ever seen. And he had seen many over his long life.

When her blade sunk into one of the skirm’s chests and he flashed, Kyran knew her blade was titanium, and he wondered how much she knew about his world. Clearly, she was aware of what type of weapon to use against this enemy.

As she spun and executed a perfect roundhouse kick, he noticed the human male that was fighting with her. He wondered who he was to Mackendra, and why he even cared. It mattered naught to him if this male was sleeping with her. If only that were true, he thought, as he clenched his fists.

He watched as she bounced on the balls of her feet and was caught by the sight of her ample breasts bouncing with the movement. He was distracted by his overwhelming desire to taste those breasts. He wanted to hear her moan and cry out, and imagined her secured to a cross. His cock hardened, and he cut off the erotic images before he pulled a Zander and threw her over his shoulder and carried her off to make the fantasy a reality.

A flash of fire brought his attention back to the battle. The big-burly-muscle-head she was with had dusted his opponent and turned to incapacitate the once facing off with Mackendra. It was obvious that they had worked with each other for some time. There was no communication, but the goateed-bonehead slid up behind the skirm and grabbed his arms and without missing a beat, Mack plunged her blade home. Kyran snuck behind a large evergreen to avoid being seen. He peered around the trunk just in time to see the guy with a death-wish embrace Mackendra and swing her around.

“You were amazing, as usual,” muscle-head breathed.

“So were you. I could have handled that last one without you, but thanks for the help,” Mackendra replied easily. Her confidence was sexy as hell.

The goateed-bonehead set her down and cupped her cheek and Kyran heard how the guy’s breathing became erratic. Kyran nearly jumped out from behind the tree and freed the guy’s head from his shoulders until Mackendra rebuffed him.

“That’s not going to happen. You know that, Stitch. Let’s finish our patrol. We need to tell the others what we heard.” Kyran watched the sway of her fine ass as she walked away, using all of his considerable strength to remain in place. Only after she disappeared did he realize what she had said and wondered what they had heard. If he wasn’t so fucking keyed-up, he would have followed and listened in, but that wasn’t safe at the moment. He had a sudden craving for a Creamsicle.

*****

Cailyn looked out the window as they made their way through Seattle to the Rowan sister’s house. Jace had explained to her that the sisters were triplets who were witches. She was surprised to learn witches were different from sorcerers. Sorcerers were creatures of instinct, magic, and the power of the moon, whereas, witches were creatures of potions, circles and the four elements. The two types of magic were different, yet both stemmed from the Goddess.

These young, impetuous girls had recently hit adulthood and come into their power. The Dark Warriors believed a prophecy claiming that triplets born on a rare blue moon would become the most powerful witches ever known. Apparently, the Rowan sisters were the only set of witch triplets to have been born on a blue moon.

They drove across 520 Bridge and the sight of the lake was amazing to her even in the moonlight. One side of the water was calm and still, while the other was turbulent and choppy. The dichotomy was stunning during the day, but rather eerie at night. Cailyn understood the bridge itself caused the difference, but couldn’t help but feel magic was at play.

Water gave way to land and the suburbs, and soon they were exiting the freeway, heading into an affluent neighborhood in Belleview. The opulent houses were stunning. “Are there any poor immortals? I thought you said these witches were twenty-seven or something.”

“Yes, there are many poor realm members,” Gerrick replied tersely.

“So, there’s like a realm ghetto then. That’s hard to believe. Your version of a ghetto is probably what I’d call a normal sized home,” Cailyn teased the growly warrior.

“No, they don’t live in homes at all. Where some live would scare the living hell out of you. Pray you never see it,” he said as he looked at her square in the eyes over his shoulder from the passenger seat. This guy was intense and scary, and she shuddered at the lack of emotion in his ice-blue eyes.

Jace grabbed her hand and twined their fingers together, offering comfort. “Gerrick, stop. You’re scaring her,” he chided. “But, he is right, Cai. There are poor realm members, and it is an area that is best to avoid.”

“Don’t sweat it, Cai. It’s in an area that is generally unsafe in Seattle, and you wouldn’t wander there alone. I’m developing a kind of social services for the realm to help our poor, but its slow going. Those with money don’t want to part with it to help others,” Elsie shared. Cailyn smiled at her sister, thinking how well that role fit her personality.

“I see that the rich aren’t any different just because they are supernatural,” Cailyn remarked.

“Aye, there are selfish beings in all races, and politics abound in the realm,” Zander remarked as trees and houses flew by.

Before she knew it, the car was slowing as Bhric pulled into a long drive. It was too dark for her to make out much, except for several weeping birches scattered amongst evergreens and various shrubs on the spacious property. They approached the house and soft lighting greeted them at the top of the U-shaped drive.

Cailyn glanced back at the lawn and saw that a small patch was illuminated by antique gas lamps. She was surprised to note the lawn wasn’t perfectly manicured like you would expect to see in such an affluent neighborhood. She wondered if the young witches received angry letters from their HOA.

She had her door open and was stepping out before Jace made it around to her side. His scowl made her pause and glance up at him. His amethyst eyes had darkened with displeasure. “What,” she whispered, placing her hands on his chest.

He placed his warm hands over the top of hers and took a step closer to her. Her body responded to his nearness, making it difficult to focus on the issue at hand. “I wanted to make sure it was safe before I opened your door,” he murmured.

“Surely, with you here, I’m safe,” she replied.

“Have you heard nothing about the dangers that lurk the night, you stubborn woman?” he breathed and brought his lips down on hers. The world around them vanished, and there was only them. She lost herself in the passion of his kiss until the slamming of car doors and a masculine laugh broke the moment.

Their surroundings returned in a rush, and she blushed to her roots over her public display of affection as Bhric chuckled and approached the ornate red door of the house. An elaborate pentacle surrounded by tiny stars was painted in black on the front panel. She figured the R in the center stood for their last name.

“Come on, let’s do this,” Jace uttered as he tugged her behind him.

Bhric knocked on the wood and she heard a woman’s voice calling out from inside the house. She thought she heard her say this had better be good or she was turning whoever was interrupting into a toad. Cailyn was suddenly frightened of what they may face.

Wanting to be prepared, she accessed her own power and tried to read the minds of the witches. When she opened her mind numerous words and images flooded in. She wasn’t able to make sense or identify who was thinking what. They lived in close proximity to numerous humans, and she was bombarded by so many thoughts that she was forced to shut it down.