A Harmony of Hearts-Book 3 in the Spellsinger Series - Amy Sumida(ang.)

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Table of Contents Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven Chapter Thirty-Eight Chapter Thirty-Nine Chapter Forty Chapter Forty-One Chapter Forty-Two Chapter Forty-Three Chapter Forty-Four Chapter Forty-Five Chapter Forty-Six Chapter Forty-Seven Chapter Forty-Eight Chapter Forty-Nine Chapter Fifty Chapter Fifty-One Chapter One Chapter One Chapter Two

Chapter Three Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter One Chapter Two

A Harmony of Hearts

Amy Sumida

Copyright © 2017 Amy Sumida All rights reserved. ISBN-10: 1979022054 ISBN-13: 978-1979022057

Legal Notice This book is copyright protected. It is only for personal use. You cannot amend, distribute, sell, use, quote, or paraphrase any part of the content within this book without the consent of the author or copyright owner. Legal action will be pursued if this is breached.

More Books by Amy Sumida The Godhunter Series(in order) Godhunter Of Gods and Wolves Oathbreaker Marked by Death Green Tea and Black Death A Taste for Blood The Tainted Web Series Split: These books can be read together or separately Harvest of the Gods & A Fey Harvest Into the Void & Out of the Darkness Perchance to Die Tracing Thunder Light as a Feather Rain or Monkeyshine Blood Bound Eye of Re My Soul to Take As the Crow Flies Cry Werewolf Pride Before a Fall

Beyond the Godhunter A Darker Element Out of the Blue The Twilight Court Series Fairy-Struck Pixie-Led Raven-Mocking Here there be Dragons Witchbane Elf-Shot Fairy Rings and Dragon Kings The Spellsinger Series The Last Lullaby A Symphony of Sirens (A Harmony of Hearts) Fairy Tales Happily Harem After The Four Clever Brothers Wild Wonderland Beauty and the Beasts Pan's Promise The Little Glass Slipper Other Books The Magic of Fabric

Feeding the Lwas: A Vodou Cookbook There's a Goddess Too The Vampire-Werewolf Complex Enchantress

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Pronunciation Guide in the back of the book. Listen to the music referenced in this book on Spotify for free here:

https://open.spotify.com/user/ashstarte/playlist/0g0UD95GU And check out the playlists of past books by looking up Amy Sumida's playlists.

Chapter One

“Not again,” I groaned as the fire roared inside my chest. “Sometimes I wonder if the ice was better.” It was the spell inside me; the Rooster Spell that Thomas had cast upon me as he died. It had begun its life as a lusty, frosty, revenge spell, but had shifted into a spell of love and fire within me. Unfortunately, I had made an alliance with it based on some contingencies, and I had yet to fulfill the final one: Torin. The Rooster Spell—RS for short—needed energy to keep it alive, and it was merciless in acquiring sustenance. If it didn't get what it wanted, it would take out its fury on me; in bouts of fiery temper tantrums inside my body. I had offered RS three men to love and be loved by in return. So far, I had only delivered two: Banning—Gheara of a Kansas Blooder Gura, and King Declan of Alexandrite. It was not pleased. I had been in a monogamous relationship with King Torin of Onyx when Thomas had first cast his spell on me. I loved Torin, and I had every intention of being faithful to him for as long as we

stayed together. The RS had other plans. Having just been transferred from one body to another, the spell needed energy immediately. It took over my mind and body briefly, while I was in a vulnerable state (having just made love to Torin), and sent me running from Torin's bed to Declan's. Torin walked in on Declan and I just as reason was returning to me. It was not pretty. Torin, despite several attempts made, by myself and others, to explain what had happened— that the spell had compelled me to betray him with Declan—remained distant and refused to hear me out. The Onyx King wasn't speaking to anyone, in fact. He had withdrawn into his private chambers and hadn't emerged in months. I didn't blame him for him for his reactions; I would have been devastated to find him in a similar situation, and probably would have done much worse than storm out. But I was equally devastated to be on my end, and I was beginning to wonder if I had lost Torin forever. Flames consumed my vision, and I suddenly saw the spell. It took my form when it spoke to me and used my voice. I heard it clearly within my mind. I want him now! “I'm trying my best,” I snapped at it.

Two is not enough. It is basic, while three is divine. “You're full of shit,” I growled. “Two lovers are more than most people have.” I'm magic, not a person, and I need more energy than two men can provide. If you can't bring me Torin to fuel me, I will take that energy from you. “You know that if I die, you die.” Mutually assured destruction. The memagic smirked at me, throwing the words I'd once spoken to it, back in my face. So be it . . . unless . . . “Here it is.” I grimaced. “I knew you wouldn't give in so easily. Go on, then. What do you want instead of Torin?” Who, not what; another man, of course. But you must love this new man, Elaria. I need the emotion now. Without that connection, the energy feels vapid; it satisfies me only momentarily and cannot sustain me. “You'll have to give me some time,” I said as my stomach clenched. “Falling in love doesn't happen with a snap of the fingers, and my situation is strange. I don't know if another man will agree to take this on, even if they did fall in love with me.”

You have much to offer. She smiled wickedly. Use your . . . talents. “I need time, not talent!” I've already given you several months, but you may have two more. She sighed heavily. One for each man you have brought me. They have bought you time. But after that, Elaria, we will start to burn out. She went grim. There is always a price; rules to follow. I do not make these demands flippantly, but because I must. Without this energy, we will die together, Spellsinger. “I understand,” I whispered. Good. Then find us a new man to love. Or woman, I don't judge. I rolled my eyes at myself.

Chapter Two

I stood in the courtyard of Onyx Castle, just below Torin's balcony window, clutching a guitar nervously. Was I really going to do this; serenade Torin like a lovesick fool—Romeo to Juliet? I glanced around at the curious shining ones who were starting to gather and slung the guitar strap over my head resolutely. I didn't play guitar very often, but if I was going to sing some Melissa Etheridge, I needed the instrument; it just wouldn't feel right without it. Or sound right, for that matter. And if I was going to get through to Torin, I had to humble myself a little. A public declaration and demonstration of heartbreak were perfect. Although, “I'm The Only One” wasn't your usual lover's apology. I started strumming, just picking at the strings really, and then suddenly slammed my hand down across the wires, echoing the chord through the courtyard like thunder. I kept my eyes on Torin's balcony as I began the thumping intro and felt the magic tickling the base of my throat. No, I wasn't going to try to change his will—I'd never do that to a someone I loved—but I was going to use the magic to make sure that Torin heard me this

time; that he listened. This was my last shot; if it didn't work, I'd be forced to find another someone else to love. Sweet Goddess; I didn't want anyone else. The first words were a plea, but they were done with a sexy purr. I growled and groaned my apology up to Torin on a shivering cloud of magic, and I felt the moment it hit. Like a fish caught on a line, the tremor of his resistance thrummed down to me. I knew he was hooked, and now it was time to ease back—give him some slack before I reeled him in. I let the magic simmer down as I moaned my sorrow out through the music. I begged Torin to understand and pleaded for his forgiveness, but then the song shifted dramatically, and my apology turned into a raging challenge. The snarling lyrics edged up into a shouting curse of compassion. I slipped from begging to bragging in a single chord; baring my heartache while also calling him out on his. He could hide from me, or even try to bury our love in the arms of another woman, but he would never find a love like ours. No one would love him as I do. My fingers ached as I took my frustration out on the strings, the music echoing off the polished onyx walls and magnifying itself. I'd drawn a crowd but I didn't care; I kept my eyes glued to Torin's balcony, waiting for his resistance to break.

My musical challenge escalated, and I could feel it wearing Torin down. I called him a coward and a fool for denying what we have, my whole body going rigid as I roared out the things I would do for him that no one else would. It was the most furious love song I'd ever sung, and the most honest. Every word seemed to have been written for me; a description of the frustration and longing that had filled me every moment since that horrible day that Torin had walked away. By the time the song was thrumming down, I was trembling, and tears were streaming from my glaring eyes. I could feel Torin, standing just steps away from the balcony, but I wouldn't force him to face me. He had heard me, and that had been the whole point. Torin knew that I was crumbling beneath the weight of my love for him, now that he wouldn't carry it with me; he could feel it in my music. He could hear my desperation and my deepest regret, but he also felt my anger and the strength of my will that would help me move on from him. I was bent, but not broken. Still, there was nothing I wouldn't do, to get him back. Finally, I strummed the last note, and it hung mournfully in the air. The shining ones around me held their breath, every eye fastened on the balcony above us. Two heartbeats went by... three. I shrugged off the guitar, about to admit defeat,

when I felt Torin give in. My eyes shot back to that balcony, and there he was. I couldn't even move— couldn't breathe. It had been months since I'd seen his face, and the last time I had, it had been full of rage and pain. It was haggard now. Torin's cerulean stare was dulled, and he squinted in the fading sunlight as if he'd been living in darkness. His long, dark hair, normally so lustrous that it shone blue, was greasy and limp, hanging wild about his hunched shoulders. There were hollows in his cheeks and beneath his eyes. Even his body showed signs of neglect. Torin's chest looked sunken, and I wasn't sure if it was from muscle loss or simply the way he was holding himself—like a broken man. “Torin,” I whispered in horror. Torin braced his hands on the balcony's thick, stone railing and stared down at me as if I were a blade that could take away his pain by ending his life; something wicked but desperately desired. He closed his eyes slowly and lowered his head until it hung over his chest. The rage was gone, but the pain remained. The shining ones around me drew back, eyes turning away in respect of their king, but I stepped closer. “Torin!” I shouted, startling him and the

retreating fairies. “Elaria,” Torin whispered as he lifted his head, “stop this farce. Just leave me be.” “Hear me out, and then I will leave.” “There is nothing to be said,” Torin growled and slammed a fist onto the onyx. Okay, so maybe the rage was still there too. “Stop tormenting me!” “The fuck I will, Torin!” I screeched. “I'm coming up there right now, and if you don't let me in, I'm going to use my traveling stone!” I stomped into the castle before Torin could say anything else. Fairies jumped out of my way as I tromped through the hallways with intensity. All avoided me except for Sara, my old maid. She stepped into my path and held out her hand for the guitar. I paused to give her a smile and the guitar. “Don't stop until he listens to you,” she said sternly. “I won't,” I promised and ran up the stairs. Torin had the entire top floor of Onyx Castle to himself, but there were usually a few fairies around, doing domestic chores. At the moment, it was deserted. No one tried to stop me from seeing Torin because no one was there. I strode down the corridor, boots echoing like a battle-cry, mentally going through a list of songs

that would be perfect for blasting down a door. I know I said I'd use my traveling stone, but that would mean jumping home, then back here again since the stone could only be used to travel through the Veil. But as I reached Torin's bedroom, he opened the door himself. Then stood in the doorway, barring my entry. “I don't care what your excuse is,” he snarled at me. “Not even that it was completely out of my control?” I snarled back. “Fucking another man was out of your control?” His eyes flashed, losing their dullness. “Yes!” I shrieked, startling him enough to shut up. “I've been trying to tell you that. Why won't you listen for five fucking minutes?” “Because unless you were enchanted, there's no possible way for your body to have been out of your control,” he snapped. I lifted my brows and just stared at him. “You were enchanted?” He whispered. “I still am!” I nearly stomped my foot, I was so frustrated. “Gods damn you, Torin! I love you! Do you truly believe that I would ride off in the middle of the night and go fuck Declan if I was in my right mind?”

Torin took a step back and waved me into the room. My heart began to race as I went forward, pausing when I came abreast of him. Torin's jaw clenched, and he looked away, clearly not ready to touch me. But at least he was listening. I hurried past him and took a seat in one of the chairs before the fireplace. There was a stack of wood in the cold hearth, dust coating the bark. I sang a quick line from The Cult's “Fire Woman,” and the logs burst into flames. “I was enjoying the cold,” Torin said crisply as he took the chair across from mine. “Yeah, I can see that.” I sighed. “Torin, didn't Quinlan tell you what he discovered in his investigation?” “I...” Torin frowned. “I remember him saying something to me about a spell, but I wasn't really listening.” “Evidently not,” I muttered. “Quinlan has always had an affection for you,” Torin huffed. “Anything he said was biased.” “He examined me as an unbiased alchemist.” I rolled my eyes. “You know that no matter what he thinks of me, Quinlan wouldn't lie to you; you're his king.” “Tell me then,” Torin grumbled. “What spell was Quinlan investigating?”

“When I killed Thomas, he threw his magic at me—the spell he was using to bind the sirens to him. It's called the Rooster Spell.” “Rooster?” Torin whispered. “Yeah, you remember the crowing,” I huffed. “The magic was nearly as cold then as you are now. It needed lovers, and it compelled me to take more than one. Don't you remember how crazy things were earlier that night? How I practically attacked you, and then freaked out?” “It was unusual,” he conceded. “You're saying that this spell forced you to leave my bed and go to Declan?” “I was out of my mind,” I said. “I didn't come back to myself until after the magic was sated. It happened to be right when you walked in.” “The magic didn't appear to be the only thing that was sated.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “I've had to work with it,” I went on, ignoring his bitterness. “And I've been able to change it a little.” “The spell?” “Yes.” I nodded. “It was all Thomas at first, and now it's shifted to be more like me.” “More like you?” “It used to be focused on revenge and lust,”

I whispered. “Now, it's centered around love.” “So, you love Declan?” Torin asked in a deadly calm tone. “I do,” I admitted. “But that doesn't change the way I feel about you.” “You want us both?” He asked with astonishment. “The magic made a bargain with me,” I confessed. “It wants three men. Well, it wanted more, but I got it down to three. If it doesn't get three, it won't have enough energy to survive.” “Then let it die,” he growled. A blast of heat rushed through me and flung me to the floor. I moaned as Torin cried out my name and rushed over to me. He rolled me onto my back and laid his hand on my cheek. “Sweet stones!” Torin yanked his hand away. “You're burning up.” “It's the spell,” I choked out. “Just give me a second.” “Elaria.” Torin knelt beside me, shaking his head in frustration. “I don't know what to do to help you.” “I just need a second,” I murmured as I pushed myself up. “It didn't like your tone.”

“The spell didn't?” His eyes went round. “It's sentient,” I explained. “We're connected, Torin. Thomas made sure that I would pay for killing him. If the spell dies, I die.” “No,” he said firmly. “That's not going to happen. Quinlan will research—” “My father and Quinlan both have done everything they can,” I cut him off. “You'd know that already if you would have listened to Quinlan.” “I couldn't,” Torin murmured. “Seeing you like that.” He swallowed convulsively and looked away. “I loved you as I've never loved another, and you betrayed me. You broke my heart, Elaria.” “And mine with it.” I laid my hand on his forearm. Torin flinched, but he didn't pull away. “I didn't ask for this, Torin.” “Neither did I.” “Please try and understand; I didn't do this to you. It was the spell,” I whispered. “What happened to loving me longer than the monuments of the world will stand?” “You said three men.” He narrowed his eyes at me, completely disregarding my question. “Are you with Banning too, Elaria.”

“Yes,” I said softly. “And you love him as well, I suppose?” “The magic won't accept a man I don't love.” I sighed. “It says the energy is too weak.” “I'll bet,” he growled. “And how quickly did you fall in love with two other men?” “That's not fair.” “Oh, I'm sorry, Elaria,” he snapped. “I wasn't being fair? Was it fair for me when you bargained with this magic and gave in to its demands?” “Should I have just died with it?” I asked in surprise. He just stared at me. “A second ago, you were intent that I wouldn't die, and now you think that I should have burned to death rather than love three men?” “No.” Torin sighed deeply. “I don't know what you should have done, but you have to admit that you took them quickly into your heart.” “You know that I had feelings for them already,” I said gently. “Banning and I were together in a past life, our love was there before you and I began; it was just hibernating. And Declan...” I shook my head. “He's been there for me. I started something with him when you and I

were separated for that short time.” “Now, you're saying that you've always loved three men?” Torin growled. “I can't help what I felt for them.” I waved a hand helplessly. “But I never acted upon my feelings.” “Until a spell gave you the excuse to do so.” “The excuse?” I gaped at him. “You truly think that I was looking for a way to be untrue to you? Just biding my time until I could get away with it?” He went silent again. “Torin, if I don't get you back, I'll have to find another man to take your place,” I said grimly. “What is that; a threat?” He glared at me. “You're reprehensible, Elaria.” “It's not a threat,” I growled, “it's the truth. It's why I'm here today. I had to try one last time to reach you.” “Before you started looking for another lover,” he said derisively. “I have no choice, Torin!” “There's always a choice!” “I don't know what else to do to fix things between us,” I said wearily. “I love you, and I want

you back. I would do anything to have you back. Tell me what to do.” “Leave Declan and Banning.” Torin's expression went hard. “Kick them out of your life and your heart, and I will take you back.” “You'll be holding a corpse,” I said calmly as I stood. “But then, maybe that's what you want.” “Damn you, Elaria!” Torin snarled and stood. “You could fight this if you wanted to, but you don't. You want all of us, and this is your way to get us. Well, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be a stud in your stable.” I nodded, my heart taking another hit. “All right,” I whispered. “I've spoken the truth to you, but you're obviously not ready to hear it. I wish I could wait for you to accept this, but I can't—it's literally killing me. Just know that I will always love you, Torin. I would have been faithful to you till the day I died.” “Right. If not for a spell,” he said snidely. “Goodbye, Onyx King,” I said calmly as I took my traveling stone out of my pocket. Torin's furious face faded away as I was pulled through the Veil.

Chapter Three

I didn't go home. I probably should have; I was in that weakened state that the end of a great love always leaves you in. I felt bruised and so very tired, but also frantic. Like maybe if I could just keep moving, the pain wouldn't fully catch up with me. Torin wasn't going to get past his wounded pride. I understood that, especially after hearing his perspective. But as I said to him, I simply didn't have the time to wait for him to come around. I needed someone to fall in love with, and that was a tall order for me. Sure, love had come into my life like a deluge recently, but up until that point, my heart had been the Sahara. I'd dated, had some lovers, but they were few and far between. I wasn't the type to go out to bars and pick up men. I didn't even know where to start; especially when you added emotions to it. If this had been about sex, then sure, I could have found a man. But I needed love, on both sides, and that's a bit trickier. Finding love under normal situations is miraculous, but I needed more than a miracle... I needed magic. “Elaria?” Odin Earthshaker, witch elder, and all-around badass motherfucker, flinched when I appeared before him.

I admit that was kind of satisfying. I was probably one of three people who had ever seen him flinch... and lived. “Hey, Left-Eye,” I said softly, but my greeting lacked its usual punch. I had used the traveling stone to take me to Coven Cay, the island headquarters of the Coven, just off the Canadian shoreline. I couldn't bring myself to ask my father for more help, or maybe I didn't want to see the sympathy in his face. I definitely couldn't take one of my mother's hugs; at this point, it would break me. What I needed was a powerful witch who was professional, considerate, and could keep their mouth shut. So, that left out Odin. He was both professional and considerate, but the Earthshaker couldn't keep a secret to save his life. I think it stemmed from all the years he spent with the Vikings. The Norsemen were notorious gossips; their whole religion was passed down orally for awhile there—talking is in their blood. But as I mentioned, Odin is considerate. He's rather gentlemanly if truth be told—a trait definitely not gained from the Vikings. It was purely Odin. “Elaria, what's happened? Are you all right?” Odin put his book down and got up from the massive, study table he'd been sitting at.

I'd traveled into the library, thinking that I could simply appear between the stacks and no one would be the wiser. Unfortunately, the corridor I'd chosen to reform in was set directly in front of where Odin was seated. He must have sought out a private nook too. But he was too manly to admit that I'd spooked him and too well-mannered to chide me for it. “I'm all right,” I reassured him. “I'm just here to see Vivian.” “Vivian?” Odin's brow lifted over his one, remaining eye. When it became clear that I wasn't going to reveal any more than that, he gave in. “She's in her chambers, last I heard.” “Thanks, Left-Eye.” “Anytime, Witchen.” I stopped and gave him a look. “Because you're a witch and a siren...” Odin trailed off and then grimaced. “Damn the deities; coming up with a nickname for you is harder than casting an avalanche spell in the middle of the Atlantic!” “Keep trying.” I smirked. “I have faith in you.” “Faith in me finding a nickname or casting the spell?”

“Yes.” I hurried away before he figured out that combining the words the other way around would have given him “sitch,” a far more amusing nickname. Several jokes popped into my head right off the bat. But I wasn't there to help the witches; I was there to get some help. I navigated the corridors of the enormous fortress with ease. My father had started bringing me there a few years after I'd learned to control my spellsinging, and I knew my way around the place like I knew my parent's home. I was standing before Vivian's door in just a few minutes. But I hesitated with my fist over the polished wood. Was this the way I should go? Should I resort to using magic to fight magic? The door opened before I could make my decision, and Vivian stepped into the frame. She looked pointedly at my fist—still hovering mid-air —and I lowered it. Her shimmering, platinumblonde hair was pulled back in a sensible braid, and her slim body was hidden beneath the folds of a loose caftan; one of those trendy ones with handmade lace and tassels. Vivian's liquid, blue eyes stared hard into mine before she nodded at whatever she found there and then stepped back so that I could enter. Vivian Lake, also known as the Lady of the

Lake, had a suite of rooms for herself. As a witch elder, her status warranted the very best the Coven could offer. The first room was her sitting room; a place where she entertained guests or had private meetings. But ever since I'd saved the realms by wearing the witch relic, Vivian had treated me like a beloved, younger sister. So, she didn't stop in the front room but continued to lead me through, into her private living room. Art from all time periods adorned the walls, and priceless sculptures sat on shelves and pedestals. The furnishings were tasteful and highquality, exactly what I had expected to find in her quarters. But Vivian had a guilty pleasure—she loved toys. So, among the ancient artwork and priceless furniture sat vintage Strawberry Shortcake dolls, Funko Pop figurines, and Tokidoki Unicornos. There were plastic sculptures of characters from video games and whole dioramas inspired by Tim Burton films. It was precious, and I mean that both in the sense that it was adorable and also something to be treasured; simply because Vivian allowed me to see it. “What has the spell demanded?” Vivian asked as we took our seats before the crackling fire. This wasn't my first visit to Vivian concerning the Rooster Spell. She knew all the details already, enough to assume why I was there.

“It wants Torin, but I've just come from Tír na nÓg, and Torin is being stubborn,” I said wearily. “I even serenaded him.” “Serenaded,” Vivian said thoughtfully. “What?” “Tell me what, besides Torin, will appease the spell,” she demanded instead of answering. “It wants another man,” I huffed, “but I must love him, and he must love me back.” “And there's the rub,” she whispered as she relaxed into her high-backed chair. “You need my help, I assume.” “I know a love spell is a cliché.” I grimaced. “But it's exactly what the situation warrants.” She nodded crisply. “Not a spell to make someone fall in love with you, but one to draw true love to you now, when you so desperately need it.” “Yes.” I leaned forward. “Do you think there's someone out there for me?” “Why wouldn't there be?” She lifted a pale brow. “Do you think you've already found the love of your life?” I went still and pensive, thinking about how much I loved Torin. I had believed that he was the only man for me. But Banning and I had a bond that had drawn us back together after I'd died and

been reborn. That was nothing to turn your nose up at. And Declan... well, Declan had snuck into my heart and then latched on like a lamprey—he wasn't going anywhere. “Ah, I see that you are starting to understand,” Vivian noted. “There isn't one true love for any of us. Instead, there are multiple people who we can love truly; love doesn't have to be singular to be real. But there are also those who we are meant to love; people who we feel instantly connected to as soon as we meet them.” “Love at first sight?” I asked skeptically. “It's not magic.” Vivian smirked. “It's destiny. We each have a whisper of fate in our blood; for some of us, it's more like a shout... or perhaps a melody.” She looked me over consideringly. “We can choose to ignore or circumvent our destinies and forge our own way, or we can walk the path laid out for us. That is the brilliant chaos of life. But when you embrace your fate, you—ironically—free yourself.” “I don't know what you're getting at,” I said warily. “I learned long ago to accept that some things are meant to be,” Vivian said gently. “By simply accepting that I may not have control over every choice, I was given more freedom in making

them. Both Nature and Magic follow the path of least resistance, and that is what Destiny is: a trail with the fewest obstacles.” “Witches and their metaphors,” I muttered. “Elaria,” Vivian tried again, “if you had to drive somewhere, and you had a choice between taking a road that you knew was going to delay and possibly harm you, or one that would get you there safely and promptly, wouldn't you choose the better road?” “I do have a way of knowing,” I said dryly, “it's called GPS.” “Children!” Vivian growled with irritation. “Do you want me to help you or not?” “I do,” I said softly, properly chastised. “I'm sorry.” “Okay, then.” She inhaled with satisfaction. “As I was saying; when I opened myself up to Destiny, she showed me her plans and then offered me alternatives.” “Are you saying that you can see the future?” “I can catch glimpses of it. For example; I saw you standing outside my door tonight.” She waved her hand to indicate that it wasn't important. “What I'm trying to say is that you've thumbed

your nose at Fate before, Elaria. But then you claimed the witch relic, and with it—your destiny. By doing so, you've opened the way for more of what Fate can offer you.” “Like a man I'm meant to be with?” I asked in shock. “Why are you so surprised?” “Because I have two amazing men already, one of whom I reincarnated for,” I said. “And you don't think you're destined for more?” She asked with a twinkle in her eye. “Obviously, you do.” “We are immortals; our long lives tend to come with several options.” She shrugged. “Several?” I lifted my brows. “Even true love is not always eternal,” she said softly. “Fate knows this.” “Fate,” I whispered as a chill went down my spine. “I have a spell that will bring you a true love; a soul mate,” Vivian said casually. “It will draw a lover to you who you will feel an instant bond with.” “Sounds good.” “If you're right, and you've claimed all the

love you were meant to have, then it will do nothing,” she said gently. My heart plummeted. I just couldn't conceive of there being someone else for me, not when I had so much love already. “But if I'm right, and there is more for you,” Vivian went on, “then this man or woman will be pulled to you like metal to a magnate.” “Strictly dickly,” I muttered distractedly, in reference to the woman comment. Vivian burst out laughing and then covered her mouth with a dainty hand. “Elaria, you are a drink of fresh water for my tired soul,” Vivian said. “Thank you.” “For not being a lesbian?” I teased. “For brightening my day,” she said seriously. “Now, I have an idea that will bring this love to you at a specific moment, so we can be certain of who it is.” “A specific moment?” “The Witch's Ball is coming up.” Vivian smiled brilliantly. “I know the witches would love to hear the Relic Bearer sing.” “You want me to sing at the Witch's Ball?” I scowled. “With or without magic?”

“What would be the point of singing without?” She huffed. “I'll cast the love spell to draw your man to you, and you will reel him in with your song.” “Oh, great, a fishing analogy.” I teased her. “It's a lot like fishing.” Vivian stood and headed into a back room that I had never been invited into. She stopped when she realized that I wasn't following, and looked back at me. “Come along, Spellsinger, you'll need to add your song to my magic.”

Chapter Four

“What the hell?” I gaped at the space around me. Vivian had taken me through a doorway and down a set of stairs. The walls had changed from wood to rock halfway to the bottom, and then we emerged into a cave. Heavy bookshelves lined the stone walls, and carpets were laid over the earth floor—except for one circle in the center of the room. The circle was obviously Vivian's sacred place. Outlined in pale, smooth pebbles, the bare ground was empty; just packed dirt. But it thrummed with enough power that I could feel it from fifty feet away. “Do you like it?” Vivian asked as she wandered over to a bookshelf. “Each of the elders has a working space that connects to the earth—for grounding purposes—but I had first pick. I love the veins of minerals in the walls.” She nodded to the sparkling gray and soft lavender swirls in the stone as she took a book off the shelf. “It's amazing,” I whispered. I went forward to inspect the jars of strange

ingredients and collection of oddities fighting for space on the shelves with ancient, leather-bound spellbooks. My hand was drawn to a chocolatebrown feather, hanging by a leather cord. I didn't even notice the animal skull it was suspended from; I was so focused on the feather. “What type of bird is this from?” I asked Vivian as I lovingly stroked the silky plume. Vivian had taken her book to a massive table, opened it to the spell she wanted, and was already gathering the supplies she needed. She had several bottles set out on the table around the book, and was headed for another bottle when my question stopped her. She glanced over her shoulder and then froze, a strange look on her face. “That's not a bird feather, Elaria,” she said softly. “That came from a griffin; King of all Creatures.” “King of all Creatures,” I murmured. “Because the lion is King of Beasts and the eagle is King of Birds.” “Yes, exactly; a griffin is a combination of both.” Vivian smiled. “The feather can cure blindness, and a griffin's talon can heal any wound.” “Whoa.” I blinked in surprise. I knew of griffins, but I'd never researched what they could

do. “I thought they just protect stuff and shapeshift.” “They're very good at security, yes,” Vivian agreed. “Just like your friend, Cerberus. But they are even better at battle; griffins have a keen intellect and are renowned military tacticians. They also have the strongest army in the Beneath; they are elite warriors—soldiers with the brilliance of commanders. If you have a single griffin on your side, the battle is as good as won.” “Unless the other side has a griffin too,” I teased her and reluctantly let go of the feather. “And what's this?” I tapped the horn the feather's cord was slung over. “It was a wendigo,” she said as she came to stand beside me, “before the griffin killed it.” “This griffin?” I stroked the feather again. “Yes, that griffin,” she confirmed. “The wendigo attacked me while I was out searching for a rare herb. I was young then, and could barely hold it off with my magic, but the small amount of power I expelled had been enough to attract the attention of a passing griffin. He came to my rescue, and during the fight, he lost a feather.” “So, you took the wendigo head and the griffin feather?” I smirked at her; Vivian was nothing if not practical.

“How could I not?” She smiled. “A wendigo skull protects against insanity, and ancient witches are prone to hysteria.” “You said you were young then.” “But I intended to live forever,” Vivian said smugly, “and I always plan ahead.” “Sometimes literally.” I tapped the skull. Vivian chuckled. “Quite so.” “And no one wants a crazy witch running amok.” I intended it to be a joke, but it came out too grim for levity... because a crazy witch is not a laughing matter. “No, especially not myself,” Vivian affirmed. “So, I took the head, but the feather, I asked for. It was only polite.” “And he gallantly granted your request.” I waggled my eyebrows at her. “I've heard that griffins are smokin' hot in their human forms.” “Oh yes.” She laughed. “Amaron was a beautiful man. He still is, I'm sure; they live forever barring outside influences. But he was already married, and griffins mate for life. If their lover dies, they never take another. Sometimes, they'll kill themselves because they can't stand the pain of living without their mate.” “Wow, that's kind of depressing.”

“I've always thought it was romantic.” Vivian shrugged. “Now, grab that bottle of burdock root and come with me.” I snatched the bottle off the shelf and followed her back to the table. She added her ingredients in the bowl of a mortar and used a pestle to grind them together. Then she used a ritual knife to cut some hair from my head. She added it to the mixture and then emptied it all into a golden bowl. Vivian took the bowl into the circle of stones, and I followed her. As I stepped over the line of pebbles, I felt the tingle of an inactive ward. After I was fully inside, Vivian cast a hand out in a wide arc, and the pebbles started to glow. Sounds originating from outside the circle were muted. It didn't surprise me; I'd been in witch circles before. Nor did Vivian's chanting alarm me; it was also expected. Even when she sprinkled some of her spell mixture over me, I remained calm. But when she came at me with her little knife, I tensed. “Blood magic?” I asked with trepidation. “Love is not cheap, Elaria,” Vivian chided me. “This man who we're calling to you may have come into your life eventually, but we are taking all the chance out of it and speeding up the process. That demands a price.”

“But my blood will bond me to the spell,” I whispered. “The whole reason I'm in this mess is that I'm bonded to a spell.” “And you will need a stronger bond to help turn your trouble into triumph,” Vivian chided me. “I know what I'm doing, child.” “Okay.” I sighed and held out my hand obediently. Vivian made a tiny cut in the tip of my ring finger. “A straight line to the heart,” she whispered as she held the golden bowl beneath my hand. My blood dripped onto the remaining spell ingredients. Vivian began to chant again, and the mixture started to smoke. Her chant faded out, and the spell components caught fire. Vivian lifted her head and shouted, “Sing, Elaria!”

Chapter Five

Vivian's spell left me feeling a little lightheaded, but also relieved. She felt the spell take hold, which meant that there was someone else for me. The Witch's Ball was only a week away, and Vivian assured me that my next lover would be in attendance. That would leave me seven weeks to convince him to join the Cock Collective. Yeah, I'd promised Declan to never call them that again, but the name worked and had the added benefit of being hilarious. So, I'd continue to use it... in my head... mostly. After the spell was set, I went back to Tír na nÓg, but this time I headed to the Alexandrite Kingdom; to King Declan's chambers in particular. Declan's private rooms were just as extravagant as his personality. My father called Declan “the pervert” and the name wasn't completely untrue. Declan was a hedonist; he loved pleasure in all of its forms, but that was a shining one trait. Most fairies loved to surround themselves with beauty and immerse themselves in every enjoyable act life could offer. This made for a loose concept of commitment. Sex was generally thought of as

something to be experienced with anyone you shared an attraction with. Couples did form bonds, and often made vows to each other, but if one of them wanted to sleep with someone else, they'd simply ask their partner. Eight out of ten times, their partner would be okay with it, and out of the other two instances, one of those would result in the partner asking to be included. That left Torin in that last tenth. But then, Torin had some witch blood in him. He wasn't your average shining one king. Just my damn luck. Declan, however, was okay with sharing. Ironically, I thought that his loose sexual nature would be a problem for me. Mainly because I'm a damn hypocrite; I need my men to share me, but I have no intentions of sharing them. Imagine my shock when Declan agreed to my terms. He says that it doesn't matter; he doesn't want anyone else. Yeah, Mr. Fuck-Anything-Female was content with little ol' me. I hardly believed it, but it had been months, and Declan still hadn't shown any desire for another woman. As I searched Declan's sumptuous rooms, batting aside silk curtains and strands of alexandrite beads (what did Declan have against solid doors?), I wondered about the new man that was even now being drawn my way. Would he agree to such an

unfair arrangement? Or would I have to do some compromising? Gasp. Yeah, that sounds bitchy, but I can't help it. I'm worse than Torin when it comes to sharing; it simply isn't going to happen. “Unless it's life or death,” I whispered. “Fuck, what if my soul mate wants more than me?” I was speaking to an empty room. I'd come full circle, through all of Declan's conjoined chambers, and hadn't found him. It wasn't all that surprising; it was the middle of the day, after all; Declan was probably doing something kingly. I headed toward the door (a solid one; thank Persephone) that led out to the hallway, a shiver of anxiety traveling up my spine. Vivian hadn't messed with my soul mate's free will; I wouldn't have wanted her to, even had she offered. But this meant that even if I got him to love me, it wasn't a sure bet that he would accept my situation. He could easily fall in love with me and walk away. Look at Torin. “Damn it all, I need to stop thinking about this,” I muttered as I left the suite. I tried to focus on the beauty of the Alexandrite Castle instead of the uncertainty of my current predicament. Shining One palaces were all a little different, depending on their monarch. Declan's touch was evident everywhere I looked, and I wondered how many years it had taken him to add these details. He was far too busy to have

decorated this all at once, even with help. He must have added one piece at a time; a handwoven rug one month, a tapestry the next, a painting taller than me, and then that thing. I stopped and stared out of one of the open archways lining the corridor I was walking through. The arch framed a garden like a living work of art. On first glance, the fairy plants looked as if they were growing wild there, but then you notice that their placements were too perfect to be natural. They all seemed to point to the garden's central feature; an enormous alexandrite waterfall. Except waterfall was probably the wrong word for it since there was no water involved. A giant cluster of quartz crystal points was arranged from largest at the back to smallest at the front, curving downward to a polished basin of the crystal. Around the base of the quartz points, tiny, faceted pieces of alexandrite flowed like water. Just as with the garden itself, the fountain fooled the eye at first. The jewels appeared to be liquid; a sparkling stream of water that shifted in color from sapphire to amethyst. But on closer inspection, they revealed themselves to be gemstones, moved by magic down into the basin and then up, behind the quartz points, to start their journey all over again. It was mesmerizing, and only one of the countless treasures to be found when you wandered through

Alexandrite Castle; not the least of which was its king. I moved resolutely away from the lure of the garden, and made my way to the heart of the castle, where the main social rooms were; the dining hall, the public libraries, the kitchens, and the throne room. Declan wasn't dining or reading, I was about to look in the kitchen (you never know with that guy) when I heard the distant echo of applause. Right; he was in the throne room. The double, golden doors were closed and guarded by a pair of alexandrite knights. They stood at attention in their shimmering livery, but when they saw me walking up, they gave me respectful bows and opened the doors for me. As soon as I was within the room, though, they shut the doors firmly behind me. I moved to the side, along the wall, and made my way up the hall, keeping to the edges of the massive gathering. What the hell was going on? I looked over the crowd of shining ones, searching for familiar faces. I didn't know half the men and women in the room. As I worked my way quietly to the front, shining ones who I did recognize glanced my way to give me nods and smiles, but they quickly returned their attention to the front of the room. Finally, I made it to the far left of the dais.

Declan's throne room was as elaborate as the rest of his castle. The dais especially was stunning. The platform itself was crafted from rutilated quartz; its translucent depths shot through with thick veins of gold. It had a deep purple rug set over the center of it, beneath Declan's golden throne, with an extension that ran down the multiple steps to the floor of the throne room. There was only the one throne on the dais since Declan wasn't married, but the platform didn't seem bare. There was a small table set beside Declan, with refreshments laid out for him, and then behind his throne stood a pair of stern-faced knights; each with a hand on the hilt of his sword. Their eyes constantly searched the crowd for any threat to their king. Framing all of them were carved arches of alexandrite rising from the rutilated quartz dais to curve over the throne. Light streamed through the alexandrite arches from windows set high on the walls behind the throne, making their color shift and sparkle. But none of it was as breathtaking as the Alexandrite King. Declan and I had been an item for months now, and before that, my interactions with him had always been on a more casual level. We'd worked together during the war with Sapphire, and then when I split with Torin, Declan had romanced me a

little. I knew he was a king, and I'd seen him stride around his castle in a royal fashion—shining ones bowing and scraping and all of that—but I'd never seen Declan hold court. I couldn't take my eyes off him. Declan sat on his throne with his legs loosely spread, one elbow casually laid on the armrest, its hand poised just below his chin so he could lay his pointer finger pensively near the corner of his sensual mouth. He alternatively tapped and stroked the skin there, drawing even more attention to his kissable lips. But from there on up, Declan's expression was fiercely focused. His eyes were completely sapphire—a color which meant either irritation or flat-out fury—and his forehead was lowered in a scowl. The dark look made Declan all the more attractive to me, perhaps simply because it was so different from the way he normally appeared. With his gold and alexandrite crown low on his brow, and the shadows in his deadly expression, Declan looked every inch the fierce fairy king. And then his gaze shifted to me. The scowl seeped away and was replaced by a much softer expression. Love filled Declan's eyes, bringing back some of their amethyst color, but there was also an intriguing relief. What the hell was going on? “Here she is now.” Declan extended his

hand to me. “Queen Elaria, will you join me?” Then he called out, “A seat for Her Majesty!” A shining one hurried up onto the dais with a heavy chair for me. It wasn't as ornate as Declan's throne, but the simple fact that he was allowing me to sit on the dais with him was a pretty big deal. I took my seat and looked from him to the people standing before him—then did a second take. A couple stood at the base of the dais, looking a little nervous but also royal—they both wore crowns. Judging from the jewels in their crowns, they were the Queen of Tiger's Eye and the King of Turquoise. I remembered something about their kingdoms magically moving together when they married. I also seemed to recall that Tiger's Eye had been on the opposite side of the Sapphire War, and Turquoise had remained neutral. But that wasn't what made me look twice. Behind the royal couple, surrounded by fairies whom I assumed were the King and Queen's attendants, were a bunch of naked humans. Both men and women stood there serenely, all of them with leather collars around their necks and nothing else, not even a damn loincloth. They didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that they were standing amid a fairy court buck-ass naked. Which led me to believe they'd been enchanted... and abducted. “What the hell is this?” I snarled.

Declan hid his chuckled behind his hand. “We came to offer a gift to yourself and the King of Alexandrite,” King Sean of Turquoise said in confusion. “Since our kingdoms lie alongside each other, we wanted to assure peace between us.” “Especially after the war,” Queen Moirin of Tiger's Eye had the balls to say. “I received your tribute, Queen Moirin,” I said calmly; inordinately proud of myself for remembering her name despite the fact that we had never met. Torin had accepted all the tributes on my behalf. “Yes, and I'm glad to hear they were satisfactory,” she said stiffly, tossing a goldenbrown curl over her pale shoulder. “But now that you've claimed Kyanite, we thought it best to ensure our people's safety by cementing an agreement.” “We've brought both men and women for you,” King Sean said eagerly, waving back at the enslaved humans. His turquoise eyes were exceptionally bright, framed as they were by his black hair. Not all monarchs had eyes that matched their aligned gemstones, but it often worked out that way. Even my eyes had ended up being the perfect color to go

with my new gemstone. Odd, that. “I'm sorry?” I lifted a brow at Sean as Declan cleared his throat to cover more laughter. “Men and women.” Sean waved to the people again. “We know that King Declan only indulges in females, but we weren't certain if you were—” “Strictly dickly?” I asked automatically. Declan couldn't stop himself that time, he burst out into roaring guffaws, and several members of our court joined in. “Why are people suddenly wondering if I'm a lesbian?” I asked no one in particular. “Are they?” Declan “Everyone as in who?”

looked

shocked.

“Well, only two prior,” I admitted. “But this makes three, and three goes from coincidence to conspiracy.” “There's a lesbian conspiracy?” Declan's voice sounded hopeful. “We have men for you as well, Queen Elaria,” King Sean broke into our conversation. “As you can see, they are all fit specimens, and they have been magically tamed. They will obey any command.” “Magically tamed?” I growled.

Declan's hand went to mine. “Easy, my love. This is an accepted practice here.” “I know, but Declan...” “I will handle this.” Declan looked back to King Sean. “We are happy to discuss terms of continued peace between our kingdoms, but the gift we cannot—” “One moment,” I stopped Declan, and he turned back to me. “You want them?” He asked in surprise. I gave him a long look, and his eyes widened. “Oh, yes, of course,” Declan murmured. “We accept the gift. It's very generous, and we would be pleased to offer you our hospitality for the night.” “Excellent!” King Sean declared. “We wish you countless nights of pleasure with them.” “And we wish for you to join us later tonight for dinner,” Declan said with a smile. “I will have you shown to your guest chambers to rest and refresh yourselves until then.” The royal couple bowed and were led away by a castle servant. Then Declan waved his hand, and more of his fairies came forth to lead the humans away.

“Clothe them, feed them, and give them beds to rest in,” Declan commanded. “In the morning, have them taken back to wherever they are from in the Human Realm, release their enchantments, and free them.” Declan's people didn't bat an eye. They knew their king well; he may be a pervert, but Declan never took an unwilling partner, and enchanted to obey was not willing. Not to mention the little matter of him being very taken, and the fact that I would have beat him senseless if I found him with a human slave. “Sometimes I forget that I was afraid to enter Tír na nÓg for a good reason,” I muttered. “You were afraid of something?” Declan scoffed. “Not my spellsinger.” I rolled my eyes, but I did so with a smile. “We can only control our pieces of the realm,” Declan said gently. “Which is yet another reason why I wanted you to claim Kyanite.” “So I could control it?” I asked in surprise. “Better you than an unknown shining one.” He shrugged. “If you want to stop shining one practices like human slavery, the best way to do so is by changing the rules yourself.” “You're a devious and brilliant man,” I

whispered with a smile. “And I love your mind nearly as much as your body.” Declan chuckled. “My mind and body; those are the only things you want me for?” “Yep.” Declan grimaced and then motioned to his herald to wrap up court. “Let's go somewhere a little more private,” Declan held out a hand to me. I let him help me to my feet and then walk with me down the dais. The gathered shining ones made an aisle for us, and Declan escorted me down it and then out of the throne room, fairies bowing to us as we went. It was all very grand, and Declan handled it with casual grace. I was stiff and awkward. It would take some time to get used to all this pomp. As soon as Declan had his chamber door shut behind us, he turned to me and said, “You look upset, and I sense that it has nothing to do with those human slaves. What has you all in a twist, love?” “You said it,” I huffed. “Ah; love,” he said sagely as he slid his hands around my waist. “The spell is troubling you again?”

“It gave me two months,” I whispered. Declan's eyes shifted instantly from deep purple back to an unsettled blue. But other than that, he gave no indication that my words had upset him. He just nodded and led me back into the sitting room. He didn't stop there but continued to draw me into the next room: the royal bedchambers. A bed big enough for five reigned over the room on a golden dais, each corner of the bed punctuated by a gold column. Yards of amethyst silk draped between the columns, making the bed seem like its own room. That was where Declan took me. Declan seated me on the edge of the mattress and then knelt before me, placing his hands on the bed, next to my thighs. Then he leaned his forehead to mine and breathed deeply. It was such a relaxing movement that I couldn't help but mimic it. Within three breaths, I was calm. “There, that's better,” he said. “Now, let's talk about how we're going to handle this.” “I've handled it already,” I said. “You have?” Declan's eyes widened as some of the amethyst bled back into them. “I went to see Vivian, and she cast a spell for me,” I admitted. “It will bring a soul mate to me. Vivian cast it so that he will be drawn to the

Witch's Ball, and when I sing there, we will be made aware of each other.” “A soul mate?” Declan whispered, his face falling. “Vivian said there are several people who are right for each other.” I kissed him gently. “Sometimes they're fated to be together, and sometimes they defy the odds and find each other without the help of destiny. Neither love is greater than the other. Love simply is, and we already have it, Declan.” “Well said.” Declan smirked. “I don't like the idea of finding you another lover, but I know it's necessary.” “The spell told me that we'd die without a third,” I whispered. “She didn't give me two months flippantly; it's the amount of time we have left— period.” “Sweet stones,” Declan said softly. “We have to speak to Torin. If we tell him that you're in danger—” “I've already tried,” I cut him off as I laid one of my hands over his. “I spoke to him this morning; Torin knows about the spell and all of its requirements, but now he's mad that I loved you when I was still with him.” “That stubborn bastard!” Declan snarled,

and then blinked; a soft smile spreading over his lips. “You loved me while you were still with Torin?” I gave him an exasperated look. “Yes; quite right.” He cleared his throat, and I started to nod in approval. But then he added, “Of course you did.” “Declan,” I huffed, but a little laugh slipped through. “I'm shocked that Torin won't help to save your life,” Declan went serious. “He may be angry with you, but he can't just stop loving you; especially now that he knows the truth of what happened.” “I don't think Torin truly believes that I'll die,” I said. “Even though he saw proof of the spell's power over me.” “Proof?” Declan narrowed his eyes at me. “What happened?” “Torin said something the spell didn't like, and she took offense; she burned me.” I sighed. “I'm okay; it was only an internal pain.” “Internal pain is the worst”—Declan pushed the hair back from my face—“you can't escape it. Are you certain that you're all right?” “I am,” I assured him.

“Have you told Banning?” “No, I came straight here from Coven Cay.” “Do you need to leave?” Declan asked hesitantly. “To go and see him?” “Banning can wait,” I lowered my voice to a sexy drawl. “I haven't been with you in four days.” “I know; it's been agony,” Declan growled and grabbed me at the same time. He tossed me back further onto the bed and then crawled up my body. Declan's auburn hair fell around my face in silky strands as he leaned in for a kiss. The RS sighed inside me and fed on our passionate energy. Declan moaned, and I undulated up against him, pushing us together. He growled low in his throat as he snatched at the hem of my dress. I helped him yank it off me, and then my underwear went flying. I laid beneath Declan naked, and he pressed his clothed body tightly to me, grinding the silk velvet of his tunic into my most sensitive areas. The crush of those luxurious fibers laved me like a tongue. Then Declan drew his chest across mine, tickling my breasts with the fabric. My nipples hardened, and I groaned as I clutched his shoulders desperately. Declan eased back and drew his tunic off. He slid it down my body with a

teasing swipe before tossing it aside. I admired the sleek, muscled expanse of his chest as he slipped out of his pants. They say that you eat first with your eyes; I've found it to be true for other appetites as well. I reached for Declan as if I were famished, but he slid off the bed and escaped me. “I've got a surprise for you.” Declan headed for a bedside table. “A surprise?” I propped myself up on my elbows to see what he was about. He pulled out a drawer and then removed a black, velvet pouch. Declan had a mischievous smile on his face when he climbed back into bed with me. I narrowed my eyes at the suspicious pouch; knowing Declan, there could be anything from a bracelet to ben wa balls inside it. He upended the pouch and poured the contents into his palm. Two pieces of alexandrite gleamed and shifted from amethyst to sapphire as he moved forward with them. One was a smooth oval—flat on one side and about the size of my thumbnail, and the other was a curving bar—flat on both sides and also polished smooth. “I have no clue.” I frowned at the oddlyshaped jewels. “What are they?” “Sex stones,” Declan said gleefully as he angled himself over me again. “One for each of

us.” He nestled the oval one just above my most sensitive place, and the stone tingled as it magically adhered to my skin. “What the hell?” I gaped down at it. “Just give it a chance, Elaria,” Declan cajoled. “Trust me; you're going to like this.” “What can alexandrite possibly do for sex?” I asked. It's properties are...” I trailed off as I realized that alexandrite was perfect for enhancing sex. “Regeneration, change, and manifestation,” Declan finished for me. “Yes, you're seeing the possibilities now. And let me assure you that enhanced stamina is the least of them.” Declan laid the curved piece over the top of his cock, right against his pelvis, at the base, and it stuck to him as mine had with me. Then he spread my legs wider and settled the tip of himself against me. “Are you ready for this?” Declan purred. “It's quite a ride.” “Oh, please,” I huffed, incredible sex before, Declan.”

“we've

had

Then he slid into me. The jewels knocked against each other, and their collision sent a wave

of pleasure rocketing through my body. I screamed out in sublime ecstasy as Declan held still against me, waiting for me to come down from the pleasure high. When I was finally able to open my eyes, I looked up at him in wonder. “What the hell was that?” I whispered. “Only the beginning.” Declan smirked. “As King, I can do more with sex stones than your average alexandrite shining one.” “More than that?” My eyes widened. “Just focus on the pleasure, sweetheart,” Declan purred. “I don't want you confusing the stones.” “Confusing the stones?” But he was already moving against me again, and with each click of the alexandrites, magic pulsed out from our joined bodies. Declan's bedroom faded away, and cool air hit my skin. I clutched at his shoulders as he ground into me, pressing the stones tightly together. Ecstasy fell away, replaced by something far more sublime. I don't have the words for it, but it went beyond sexual pleasure. My whole body tingled with magic and shivered with zings of euphoria. But the physical sensations were only one part of the experience. Declan and I had been transported to the

clouds. Obviously, it was Declan's manifestation, just an illusion... at least I hoped so. Because we were being held thousands of feet above the ground by fluffy bits of condensed moisture. That was it. The clouds shifted with every thrust Declan made, puffing around us in hazy luminosity, but they didn't give way entirely. I stretched an arm out to the side, fingers tangling in the cool cumulus, and stared beyond it to the Alexandrite Kingdom spread out below. “Declan,” I moaned. “This is amazing.” “There's more,” he promised. The clouds went solid around me and lifted my legs up and back, giving Declan more freedom to drive himself deeper. At the height of each movement, as the stones clicked together, Declan rolled his hips against me. Dear gods, the man was a master, a true artist. If this was what came from being a pervert, then sign me up. I wanted to stay in Declan's hedonistic Heaven forever. “Wherever you wish and in whatever manner you wish it, my love,” Declan purred into my ear. “I will take you there and give it to you.” “I think I like sex stones,” I murmured. Declan laughed hard enough to send most of our cloud cover drifting away. I saw that we

were drifting slowly down toward the Sgàthan Sea, and I lifted a brow at him. “I love the ocean, but it's nothing new for us,” I said. “Don't you want to try something different?” “It will be new when the need for air isn't an issue,” he promised. We slipped beneath the waves and continued down and down until we hit the sandy floor. I could feel the water on my skin and the soft sand beneath me while I watched my hair undulate through the gentle tides, but I could also breathe easily and see as clearly as I do on land. Despite the depth, it was bright enough for us to enjoy every vibrantly colored fish and crustacean, every emerald-green swath of seaweed and sunset-orange anemone, and all the magnificent sea creatures around us. I sighed in wonder as the beauty of the ocean was revealed to me as it had never been before. “Is this new enough for you?” Declan asked, and even his voice was crystal clear. “Thank you, Declan,” I whispered sincerely. His expression went soft, and he stroked my cheek tenderly as he said, “Nothing I do for you could ever compete with the happiness you've given me. I would give you the Moon if you asked

it of me. In fact...” Declan got that mischievous look in his eyes. “No.” I held his face within my hands. “Let's enjoy this for now. You can take me to the stars next time.” “As my lady commands,” Declan purred and started moving more swiftly inside me. I laid back on the seabed, staring up at Declan's handsome face; framed in the dancing ribbons of his auburn hair and backlit by the sunlight shifting over the surface of the water far above. It was one of the most profoundly beautiful moments of my life. Yes; the stars could wait.

Chapter Six

Later that evening, I was walking (perhaps wobbling) through the Alexandrite Castle, heading to the dining hall to meet Declan, when I ran into Torin's mother. Duchess Ceana was an alexandrite fairy, and like most powerful shining ones, she lived in the court aligned with her stone. So, it wasn't a shock to see her striding down the hall toward me, her long legs carrying her much faster than mine took me—not that I was thinking of running away or anything. I just wasn't prepared to have it out with my ex-boyfriend's mother. I froze, standing my ground like I was facing an oncoming army alone. Ceana was only half fairy; her other half was witch, and it showed. She was thicker than the willowy, shining one ladies; more muscular and curvier. She was also exceptionally attractive due to that mixed heritage. She had a fierce beauty; blue-black hair, pale blue eyes, and honey-oak skin. There was a lot of her in Torin, which made her especially hard for me to look at currently. “Elaria,” she said sweetly as she enveloped me in a hug.

I stiffened for a moment, shocked by the warm reception, and then hugged her back. “Hey, Ceana,” I said; unsure how to proceed. “I'm so sorry about what happened.” She eased back but kept her hand on my upper arm. “I want you to know that we don't blame you. King Declan told us what that witch did to you; how he cast his spell upon you, and now you must have multiple lovers.” “He did?” I blinked in surprise and the barest bit of embarrassment. I mean, how awkward was it that my new boyfriend had told my old boyfriend's mother about my sexual needs? So very; that's how awkward. “Of course,” she said. “King Declan knew we'd be wondering what happened between Torin and you.” Ceana sighed deeply. “I raised my son differently than other shining one mothers and sometimes I regret that. This is one of those moments.” “What? Why?” I asked in shock. “Because if he were more like most shining ones, he wouldn't have a problem with your situation,” Ceana said. “I made him want fidelity from his lovers because I demanded it from his father, even before we were married.”

“Ceana, our issues are not your fault,” I said gently. “Thank you.” She kissed my cheek. “But I think we both know that Torin is being stubborn about this, and Torin's stubbornness comes from me. Regardless, I want you to know that we are with you both in this. I know Torin will change his mind; he loves you too much to let a spell keep you apart. Just give him some time, Elaria.” “I wish I could,” I said sadly. “But I don't have any to give. I only have two months to find another lover or the spell will start to die, and I will die with it.” “Oh, great gems,” she whispered in horror. “Did you tell that to Torin?” “I did.” Her face fell. “He didn't want to help you?” “Torin learned that I loved Banning and Declan all along, and it made him furious,” I admitted. “He saw it as a betrayal, even though I had been faithful to him up until the spell hit me. I think he was too angry to allow the possibility of my death to sink in. He just refuses to believe it.” “I will speak with him.” Ceana clasped my hand urgently. “Don't give up on Torin, please.” “I had to take action, Ceana, I'm sorry.” I

shook my head. “I just don't have the time to wait for Torin to figure things out.” “What do you mean? What did you do?” “I had a spell cast for me,” I murmured. “To draw my soul mate to me.” “Soul mate,” she scoffed. “There is no one person who is right for you. All of us can have several great loves in our lifetimes, if we so choose.” “Yes, I know,” I agreed. “But we also have loves that are destined for us. I think Banning and I were always meant to be together; our souls found each other even after I died. The witch elder who helped me, Vivian, believes there is another soul mate searching for me... one for this lifetime. So, she cast a spell to bring us together.” “But what of Torin?” I shook my head sadly, my heart clenching with the possibility that Torin and I were over. “He will come around, Elaria,” Ceana said fervently. “I know my son.” “I'm sure I don't know him as well as you,” I said gently, “but I can't see Torin coming back to me after I take a third lover.” “Then don't,” she pleaded. “The spell is cast, Ceana,” I whispered. “I

can't undo it.” “Oh, Elaria.” She hugged me. “May the stones guide you and bring you back to my son. Another lover is not the end of the world. Torin will understand eventually.” “No; I don't think he will.”

Chapter Seven

I was just taking a seat beside Declan when my contact charm chimed. A contact charm is a piece of barite—a gemstone with communication properties—that has been empowered to be used to relay voices like a cell phone. It was generally made from clear barite with one end shaped into a cone to fit into the user's ear, and the other end with a hole in it so it could be hung from a necklace or belt. Mine had been a gift from Torin, and it was special; the wider end was naturally formed into a rosette. I slipped it out of my bodice, pulling it up by its gold chain, and stuck it in my ear. “Hello?” “El!” “Cerberus?” I got up and moved back, closer to the alexandrite wall so that I could hear him better. The note of panic in his tone worried me. Cerberus Skylos had once been a guardian of Hades—both the place and the god. He'd been fired, but that didn't make him any less badass. Cer had gone to the Human Realm to make a new life for himself, and that's where he had met me. He

wasn't just a powerful god, Cerberus was also smart; he had taken stock of my skills and figured out how we could form a mutually beneficial relationship. I became a fixer because of him, and we made a lot of money together. Cerberus only called me in when he couldn't handle a situation himself, and even then, he never got spooked. There wasn't much that could scare a god who shifted shape into a monstrous, three-headed dog just for funsies. “What's wrong?” I asked him. “I need you in Vegas—now!” Cerberus shouted. “There are olgoi khorkhoi attacking the Vegas Strip, and they're headed straight for Freya's club.” “Mongolian death worms?” I was aghast. Then I remembered who I was speaking to. “Cerberus, if you're fucking with me—” “Fucking Grabboids, Elaria!” Cerberus screeched. “Grabboids are burrowing up through the gods-damned desert toward the love of my life, and she's refusing to leave! Now, get your fucking spellsinging ass over here and help me defend my woman!” “I am a goddess,” I heard Freya huff in the background. “I can defend myself, and I'll be damned if I let a bunch of worms destroy what's

mine.” “Where are you?” I went deadly calm. “Which of Freya's hotels?” “The Vanguard,” Cerberus started to sound calmer too. “You can travel straight into her suite. You remember it, right?” “Yes. I'll be there in two minutes.” I pulled the contact charm out of my ear and let it drop back down my bodice. “What's happening with Cerberus?” Declan had left his royal guests to join me. “Do you need me to go with you?” “There are olgoi khorkhoi in Las Vegas,” I said with wondrous shock. “I have no idea what's going on.” “Death worms in the Human Realm?” Declan scowled. “Didn't the Beneath deport all the monsters who weren't capable of cognitive thought?” “Yeah, over two hundred years ago,” I said. “I've never even seen a death worm, have you?” “A small one once,” Declan whispered. “Sweet stones, there's going to be chaos among the humans. Widespread panic.” “I know,” I said grimly as I pulled out my traveling stone. “I could probably use all the help I

can get.” I held my hand out to him. “Feel like lending me a hand?” “I'm going to fight death worms!” Declan called to his steward as he took my hand. Then he nodded to the shocked royal guests sitting at the high table. “Please enjoy the meal; we will speak with you more about our peace treaty tomorrow.”

Chapter Eight

“Precious Persephone,” I whispered in awe. “It's fucking Dune.” “Grabboids,” Cerberus insisted. “Cer, I keep telling you; Grabboids don't spit electricity,” Freya said. “Elaria's right, they're more like sandworms.” “Sandworms didn't actually spit electricity either,” Cerberus growled. “Wormsign is a static charge created on the surface of the desert by the worm's passage.” “Are you three seriously geeking out over movies while a fucking herd of Mongolian death worms makes it way down the Las Vegas Strip?” Declan snapped. “She started it,” Cerberus mumbled, his massive shoulders drooping like puppy ears. “And I don't think you call a group of worms a herd.” “Maybe Elaria did start it,” Declan offered, “but we are going to end it. We need to get these worms back to Torr-Chathair.” “Torr-Chathair.” Cerberus “Why's it always got to be Gaelic?”

grimaced.

“In this instance, it's because the Shining Ones found the planet for you beneathers, and then we helped you move your monsters there,” Declan said smoothly. “Now, are we going to do this or what?” “Declan, if I can lure the worm in, can you open a portal to Torr-Chathair?” I asked. “Large enough for them to travel through?” Declan looked down the street skeptically. We were all standing on one of those rigs window washers use. Freya's balcony was too high for us to cast our magic on the worms effectively, but the street would be far too dangerous. The humans were fleeing like lemmings, all headed in one direction—ours. And then there were the worms; I had no intention of getting in their path. So, we decided to lower ourselves down to the second floor via the rig. This left us at the perfect level to reach the worms without being trampled by the stampede or gobbled up. I didn't feel all that great about dangling over the strip in a metal basket like bait, but it was the best option available. It also gave us a great view. The death worms were tearing up the asphalt, chunks of blacktop blasting through glass walls and crushing vehicles the humans had abandoned. The worms themselves were redder than the sandworms of Dune, more cinnabar than

beige, but they had the same serpentine body and a nearly impenetrable hide. They were thankfully much smaller than sandworms—maybe one to two meters long—and their mouths didn't open like ferocious flowers either. Olgoi khorkhoi had one, toothless orifice for a mouth that undulated like the gills of a fish. They were a streamlined monster; everything they could consume went in one end and then flowed out the other... which made them perfect for fertilizing farmland. However, they were a bitch to battle. Not only were their hides tough, they were coated in a deadly substance; one touch could kill you. And that wasn't all. Lightning flashed from their mouths, electrifying their victims and cooking them within seconds. Like I said; they were a streamlined monster, not just in appearance, but also in functionality. They moved fast, ate even faster, and digested in seconds. From what I'd read about them, they hibernated for years on end, but when they woke, they could wipe out entire civilizations. To deal with them I'd first need to ground their lightning, and then I'd have to lure them through a portal... if Declan could make one big enough to fit the death worms. “Declan?” I prompted. “I should be able to,” he finally answered. “But with all of these people here, some may fall in

with the worms.” “Do what you gotta do, Alexandrite,” Cerberus growled. “We don't have too many options here.” “Maybe I can hold them off long enough to give the humans a chance to clear the streets,” I muttered as I flipped through the playlist on my iPod. “Cerberus and I will help with that,” Freya said as she reached a hand down toward the running masses. The people calmed and started to escape instead of simply run blindly. “I don't have that kind of juju, Freya,” Cerberus said. “I can scare them, but that's already been taken care of.” “Then just stand there and look pretty, Cer,” I teased him as I stuck my earbuds in. He tried to say something back, but the song was already starting. “I can't hear you!” I shouted as people do when they have earphones in. Cerberus made an irritated face at me, and I laughed. But then Bishop Briggs' “Dark Side” drew me in. The trembling guitar strengthened into smacking drumbeats, and then a rolling lure. I opened my mouth, and the magic poured out of me. It was the song of a woman giving in to her darker

emotions and tempting her lover with them... among other things. But I needed the greedy call of darkness itself; the literal threat in her words. So, I shifted the meaning just a touch, altering the thrilling wickedness into something more sinister. I cast out the leeching lyrics and felt them hook something within the worms—then I reeled it back. And yes, the irony of fishing for worms, instead of with them, did occur to me. A horrible screeching vibrated through the air as the night went white. Not only had I stolen the death worms' lightning, I had also taken all the electricity of Las Vegas itself. It funneled before me —a blinding cone of light—and then grounded itself, leaving only scorched and crumbling sidewalk behind. Darkness descended on Las Vegas, and the worms floundered without their electric defenses. Then Declan's elegant hand shot out. I continued to sing as a portal opened before us. Normally, the edges of a portal wouldn't be visible, but in such a complete black-out, the magic glimmered. The worms couldn't see it—mainly because they didn't have eyes—but they could sense it, and they headed toward the portal without any urging. A wounded animal will head for shelter if it's offered, and the olgoi khorkhoi knew home was nearby.

I softened the song then, calming them and easing their journey home. Their retreat had made me realize that these creatures hadn't gone to Earth willingly; they'd been stolen from their environment and released in a world that must seem alien to them after so many years. The worms had reacted in fear and confusion, as any beast would. So, as they crawled into the portal, I released my hold on their electricity. They gave soft, soughing sounds of relief as I made them whole again. The worms slipped through the portal, back to Torr-Chathair— the Citadel Realm—and as the last worm disappeared, the lights of Vegas flickered back to life. It looked as if the world had ended.

Chapter Nine

There was no way to cover up an olgoi khorkhoi attack on Las Vegas. The leaders of the Beneath had freaked out just a bit. But it turned out that we didn't have to cover up anything. Humans will accept any explanation that allows them to sleep at night, and the humans in charge will provide that explanation just to keep the masses calm. So, the news reported that an earthquake had devastated parts of Las Vegas and the surrounding desert. And the Beneath breathed a sigh of relief. In case I haven't mentioned it before, the Beneath is the community of supernatural citizens who live on Earth. Gods, shapeshifters, and everything in between exists secretly among the humans. No one wants to come out of the paranormal closet; we're all very happy in the dark —and with keeping humans in the dark. Personally, I believe that humans know we're here. On some instinctual level—perhaps in their genetic memories —they know about us. They tell stories and make movies to give those tickling fears a voice, and maybe to mute it a bit. They feel our presence like a hot breath on the back of their necks, and they've

learned to enjoy the thrill. But they don't want to be truly scared, and every beneather knows that. Humans try to kill anything that makes them afraid, and although they'd never win against us beneathers, they'd try like hell, and they'd keep trying until they all died out. And we happen to like human culture. Beneathers like things like ice cream, iPods, and the Internet just as much as anyone else. None of us want to exterminate the human race. So, the Beneath was relieved that the humans handled our mess for us. What the humans didn't handle—what they couldn't handle—was investigating how this mess happened in the first place and stopping it from happening again. That was on us. As soon as the death worms were sent back to where they belonged, I turned to the others and said exactly what they were all thinking: “Someone brought those worms here.” As I've already mentioned; there was no beneather alive who would want to bring a monster to Earth and threaten our fragile coexistence. We were the ones who sent them to Torr-Chathair in the first place. Which brought up the question of who would. Who would want to bring the death worms to Earth? To what purpose? And who had enough power to wrangle olgoi khorkhoi without getting themselves killed in the process?

To find the answers to those questions, Freya, Cerberus, Declan, and I followed the worm destruction (a different kind of wormsign) back to his origins. Olgoi khorkhoi burrowed, so we couldn't see all of their trail, but they surfaced enough to make it easy to pick up. We eventually found a crater-like depression still tingling with the power of their passage from Torr-Chathair, and we searched it for any sign of how the worms had been moved. We found only one piece of evidence: the imprint of a man's shoe... or a large woman's shoe. Cerberus placed his size 17 feet down beside the print, and the footprint was just a couple inches smaller. We guessed it to be roughly a men's size 9, which would be around a size 10 for a woman. “Can't you sing something that will help us discover who did this?” Cerberus asked me. “Sure, she'll just belt out the ballad of 'Finding a Worm-Moving Asshole,'” Freya huffed. “It's a fair question.” I waved off her sarcasm. “Let me think a second.” Freya's chuckled.

eyes

widened,

and

Cerberus

“She's my best friend, Frey,” Cerberus said, “and we've been working together for years. I know what she's capable of.”

“Well, I obviously didn't,” Freya remarked without rancor. In fact, she sounded impressed. “I haven't done anything yet,” I said as I searched through my playlist. “You helped send three death worms back to Torr-Chathair,” Declan said softly. “I think that's something.” “And we couldn't have got them there without you, Declan.” I gave him a grateful look. “I'm glad you decided to join me.” “I'm glad as well.” Cerberus gave Declan a back slap. “Thanks, dude; I owe you one.” “I'm happy to have helped.” Declan beamed at Cer. “Okay, I've got something.” I put my earbuds in and stepped forward, away from the others. I pressed Play and the lulling, softness of Susie Suh and Robert Koch's “Here With Me” began. I took a deep breath and let the music calm me as my magic rose. My voice moaned out of me; a near-lament, an almost-tragedy—the lyrics sounded sad, but there was also sweetness lying beneath them. A woman looking for something real falls in love by chance. Then that love leaves, but though they're separated, she still feels him—he's still with her. The song resonated with me on so

many levels, but I only needed one for my current purpose. So, I pushed away the rising images of Torin's face and focused on the now. I used the call of the music to reach out and collect the trail of energy left behind that I couldn't see. I was looking for something which I knew was here already; I just needed another perspective to view it. The gentle cadence latched onto the trail, just a spark in the night, and followed it to its explosive end. The magic echoed around me, reaching out to trail its fingertips over the shoulder of the person... no, the man who had done this. I caught the barest glimpse of pale hair—the light I'd been searching for—and then the vision winked out. I sighed and opened my eyes. I hadn't even realized that I'd closed them. I silently wound my earbuds around my iPod and stuck them into the pouch on my belt. I was dressed in a velvet gown, having come directly from Declan's court, but I never went anywhere without my music. “Anything?” Declan asked gently. “Very little,” I admitted as I turned around. “It's a fair-haired man. That's all I was able to see before the trail died out. I think he may have released the worms and immediately left the realm. The distance was too far for my song to follow.”

“It's a start,” Cerberus said thoughtfully. “I have a scent too, though it's hard to separate it from the worm musk.” “Maybe this was a horrible prank, and this guy learned his lesson,” I suggested. They all just stared at me. “Yeah, it's a lot to hope for,” I said. “But if he's just getting started, I'm dreading what he does next.”

Chapter Ten

“I don't think I can be there,” Banning said softly. “I'm one hundred percent behind you, El, but I can't watch you fall in love with another man.” “I understand.” I squeezed his hand and used it to pull him closer for a kiss. We were enjoying an early dinner in Alpha, the upscale restaurant in Banning's country club, The Crouching Lion. The sun was just setting, and Banning liked to come up from his subterranean quarters to enjoy the last rays of daylight from the safety of our private dining room. It had a view of the golf course—the prettier bit—and some woodland through a pair of French doors, and our table had one of those curved, bench seats behind it so we could snuggle together. As an older blooder (vampire), Banning could tolerate sunlight, but it was very uncomfortable for him to remain out in for an extended period. Because of this, he ended up living a more traditional blooder lifestyle and slept through most of the day. But that didn't mean he didn't enjoy the sun. In fact, there were several things that

blooders still enjoyed, despite their requirements. Blooders didn't need to eat normal food (as opposed to blood), but they liked it as much as anyone else. We'd had a full dinner that evening; appetizers, salads, the works. But now Banning pushed away his souffle with a sour expression. “That look better not be in response to my kiss,” I teased him. “No; I'm worried for you,” he admitted. “Two months isn't a lot of time, especially not to fall in love.” “That's why I asked Vivian for help,” I said. “It's going to be all right, Ban.” “I can't watch you die again, Elaria,” he whispered. “I'll follow you this time. We can be reborn together.” “Banning,” I said firmly, “neither of us is dying. And as far as being reborn together; do you think we would have got together so quickly if you hadn't recognized me?” “Maybe not as quickly, but we would have worked it out eventually.” “And I might have found this other man before that happened.” I shrugged. “We don't know because we did things our way. I'm content with that, but I don't want to risk another go at it.”

“Perhaps Declan and I should attend this Ball.” Banning's forest-green eyes lightened and started to glow with his anxiety. “We should talk to this man and show him that this doesn't have to be awkward or uncomfortable.” “I think your first instinct was the right one.” I shook my head. “Let me get to know him first before we drop the multiple-lovers-bomb on him.” “That may leave him feeling deceived.” Banning scowled. “I'll tell him, just not right off the bat.” I cocked my head at Banning. “How would you feel if you were attracted to a woman, and she immediately told you that she was with two other men, but she needed a third so she wouldn't die?” “That might ruin the mood,” he conceded with a huff, and then ran a hand through his shoulder-length, blond hair roughly. “If, after I tell him, he wants to speak with you, I will call you in,” I amended gently. “Maybe we should go just in case he wants to speak with us immediately,” Banning offered. “We can just stay out of it until we're needed.” “Banning, I don't want to put you through that,” I said softly. “I know that I couldn't watch you romance another woman... at least not without

tearing her to pieces.” “There is that,” he agreed. “The thought of you with another man unsettles me; how could it not? But I'm happy, Elaria. It's far better to share you than not have you at all, and honestly, I feel no jealousy for Declan. This spell has eased my emotions toward him, and I'm sure it will do so after this new man has been included in the magic.” “I'm glad you're happy.” I leaned into his side, and he slipped an arm around me. “Relieved, actually.” Banning was dressed casually, in a T-shirt and jeans, and as he moved his arm, his shirt sleeve scrunched up. My face stared back at me from his bicep. It was a tattoo of an old portrait of me, back when I was Fortune... and a blooder. Banning's old gheara (blooder leader) killed me, putting into motion a series of events that led him to Kansas, where he became a gheara himself, head of his own gura. Then the European Falca had sent a blooder army after Banning, and Cerberus called me in to help defend his blooder friend. My reborn soul had been drawn back to Banning; in a new world but an identical body. And that—in addition to the RS—was why Banning was okay with this situation. His priority has always been me and my continued existence. Mainly, he wanted to keep me alive; his desire to be

with me took second place. There was something romantic and honorable about that. Banning loved me enough to let me love someone else. It was a complete opposite to Torin's love for me. Torin's alpha-possessiveness was something I had to work through before I could enjoy. Probably because I was so similar to him. Seeing an unwanted trait of my own, in another person, tends to make me hate it in them even more. I know that sounds silly, but it wasn't until Torin explained his possessiveness to me—that it wasn't about owning, but about sharing a love together—that I recognized it in myself and appreciated it in him. Torin made it acceptable, and I was finally able to admit that I was just like him. I understood that kind of love because it was how I loved. I even found it thrilling to be wanted like that. But the way Banning loved me was thrilling as well. Not only that, it was humbling. It almost made my love for him feel inadequate by comparison. I know it's not inadequate; love comes in many forms, and we can't change the way we feel it. Which is why I also know that letting Torin go was the right thing to do. He wouldn't accept this, not in time to save my life. And as much as I loved Torin, I wasn't about to die to make him feel like a man. Mama didn't raise a fool. I would content myself with the amazing

lovers I had, and—at the risk of sounding selfish— focus on gaining another. “We'll get through this,” Banning said. “Whatever happens, we'll be all right as long as we stay together.” “You are incredibly sexy right now.” I smirked. And he was. Those brilliant green eyes with their long, sweeping lashes, were enough to make a woman just sit and stare; frozen in awe. But then you noticed the rest of his face; the nobility in the slope of his nose, the hardness of his jawline that hinted at stubbornness, and the firm lips that were neither too full nor too thin. His brows were dark blond, but his hair was much paler; blooder blond —a golden, gleaming color that looked too perfect to be natural. It's what happens to blond hair after centuries of a body healing itself daily. Then there was Banning's body; the wide shoulders, slim hips, rounded ass, and thick biceps covered in tattoos. I could happily stare at him all night. Banning glanced at the closed door and then the darkening sky. I slid out of my seat and went to lock the door before he could change his mind. He had the table pushed out by the time I got back to him and was undoing his belt as he resumed his seat. I smiled wickedly and slipped out of my panties before I straddled his lap. Then I leaned

down for a scorching kiss. I could taste the sugar on his lips, and combined with the flavor of the man himself; it was addictive. “Someone could walk by outside,” he warned me with a glance at the French doors. “Do I look like I care?” I took him in hand and angled him right where I wanted him. “You look like heaven on earth,” he whispered. “Come here, my angel.”

Chapter Eleven

I was spread out on the plush carpet, Banning's head pillowed on my belly, and our clothes strewn around us, when a knock came at the dining room's door. Banning growled in irritation as he lifted himself. I stretched out an arm to snatch my dress, but Banning shifted down my body and gave me a long, perfectly placed lick before he sat up. My rubbery legs tried to tremble in response to the zing of pleasure, but all they could manage was a rubbery flop. Banning chuckled in satisfaction as he stood and then slipped into his jeans. He waited for me to crawl into my dress and then helped me onto the bench before he opened the door. “I'm sorry, Gheara,” Arnold, one of Banning's top blooders, said as he took in Banning's half-dressed state. “But I thought this was important enough to interrupt you.” “What is it?” Banning took a sheet of paper from Arnold and scanned it. “That message was left on the Lion's main line this afternoon.” Arnold's face looked grim and a little irritated.

“Fuck him!” Banning snapped. “What is it?” I asked. “My father,” Banning huffed. “Thank you, Arnold. Don't concern yourself with this; I'll handle it.” Arnold nodded and left without another word, closing the door quietly behind him. I looked at Banning askance as he joined me on the bench. “Sorin still hasn't given up,” Banning was incredulous. “I thought I made myself perfectly clear.” “When you nearly slaughtered his entire gura?” I asked. “Yeah; that was about as transparent as it gets.” “We did that together,” he said with a purr and gave me a quick kiss. “It was quite a thing,” I agreed. “How many blooders does he have left?” “I've had reports that he's been calling blooders home to increase the gura back to its former strength.” Banning sighed. “Calling blooders home?” I narrowed my eyes. “I don't like the sound of that.” “You shouldn't.” He laughed mirthlessly. “It means that he's demanding that blooders who have left the gura return; and a blooder doesn't leave his

or her gura until he's strong enough to survive on his own.” “So, Sorin is bringing back strong, old blooders,” I murmured. “He can do that?” “Under these circumstances, he can,” Banning said. “A depleted gura is vulnerable, and his gura is the first; the other blooders will not allow it to be weak.” “I don't suppose he's going to pick one of these badass blooders to be his heir?” I asked without much hope. “He won't.” Banning shook his head. “Sorin is too traditional. He'll only pass the gura to a blooder of his line.” “Why can't he just make a new one?” I huffed. “A new blooder will be too weak to lead. Sorin would have to wait centuries before he could pass the reign to a new son.” Banning rolled his eyes. “And he is not a patient man.” “What do you think he's planning?” I asked. “What does the message say?” “He's planning to lure me back,” Banning said with narrowed eyes. “That again?” I sighed. “Those strong blooders he's calling home

aren't for him”—Banning waved the paper at me —“they're an incentive for me. He thinks that if he makes the gura powerful enough, it will win me back.” “Why would he think that?” “Because he doesn't understand love or loyalty.” Banning handed me the paper. “He never has.” “You'll obviously whore yourself for power,” I read and then gasped. “That fucking asshole!” “Keep reading,” he said dryly. “But that is unnecessary, Son,” I read on. “I can give you more power than your spellsinger ever could. I'm rebuilding the gura for you, and when I'm done, you'll be able to destroy the Falcas and reign as a true king, with the entire blooder world as your kingdom.” I blinked, staring at the white paper like maybe there were a whole bunch of typos on it. “Is he for real?” I finally asked Banning. “Does he truly believe you'd want to take down the Falcas? Great gods; that would...” “It would change the balance of power in the Beneath,” Banning whispered. “Yes, I know.” “So, what are you going to do?” “I''m going to handle it, just as I said.”

Banning fetched his phone from the table and dialed with angry taps. He put the phone to his ear and took a deep breath. Then he glanced my way and seemed to make a decision; he moved the phone away from his ear and hit the Speaker button. A ringing broke off with King Sorin Iliescu's voice, “Banning, my son!” “Sorin,” Banning growled. “I received your message. “And you've called to birthright,” Sorin said it as a given.

claim

your

“You still don't think that anyone could be different than you,” Banning huffed. “Just because you are power-hungry, it doesn't make me so.” “I was power-hungry,” Sorin corrected. “Now, I want rid of it all. But you are still young. You must covet strength; you're a blooder of my line.” “Receiving your blood didn't change my soul,” Banning said tiredly. “Sorin, I don't want to take control of the Blooder Community and I don't want your gura, no matter how strong you make it.” The silence stretched out. “But the spellsinger...” “I love Elaria,” Banning said simply.

“But to share her with another... that's madness,” Sorin snapped. “No blooder male would allow his woman to take other lovers.” “Elaria needs multiple lovers to live, and I want her to live more than I want her to keep her to myself.” Banning rubbed a hand over his face in exasperation. “I don't know why I even bother to explain this to you; there's no way you'll understand.” “You're right; I can't understand,” Sorin huffed. “If she must love many men, that's perfectly fine, it happens all the time, but why tie yourself to her? Find another.” “I love her!” Banning shouted. “You old, black-hearted fool! Since you can't feel it for yourself, let me try one more time to make this simple for you; love is caring about another person and wanting the best for them. I would kill and die for Elaria. Allowing her to have other lovers is the fucking least of what I would do for her.” “Fine,” Sorin said with an air of confusion. “You love her. Why can't you love her and claim your birthright?” “I could if I wanted to,” Banning said flippantly. “But I don't. I have no desire to rule the First Court. I gathered my gura carefully, making certain that every member of it was someone I

wanted around me forever. They have stood by me through things that would have made most blooders their age run screaming. They are my people, and they are the only gura I want.” “We'll see about that.” The line went dead. Banning and I exchanged dark looks.

Chapter Twelve

The night of the Witch's Ball arrived, and I left the Alexandrite Kingdom—where Banning and Declan would be waiting together—for Coven Cay, alone. I'd return to them after the Ball; hopefully with another man. I traveled into Vivian's private suite this time; at her request. She was waiting for me with a smile and a gown. I lifted an eyebrow at the shimmering, gold silk as she held it out to me. It was a perfect foil for the silver she was dressed in. I already had on a simple black sheath, which I thought was elegant and understated. “You're supposed to be the entertainment, remember?” She asked me. “You need to look a little flashy.” I took the dress from her and admired the heavy weight of it. “I've shared our plan with the other witch elders so that they'd open the Ball to the public this year,” she went on. “But the rest of the witches don't know of your spell.” “Not even my father?”

“Not unless you told him.” “I told Cerberus, but I didn't tell Dad.” I sighed. “I couldn't bring myself to worry him. He already feels guilty about bringing Thomas into our lives.” “Then we must keep up the ruse that you're treating us to one of your precious performances.” Vivian shrugged. “I may have added a little luck magic to the silk.” “Thank you, Vivian,” I hugged her. “For everything.” “You're important to us, Elaria,” she said sternly. “Saving the realms is not something that we'll ever forget, not any of us. Especially since you did so with our relic. As far as I'm concerned, you're an elite breed of witch—one of us—and witches always look after their own.” “Still, I appreciate it.” I slid out of my dress and into the gold silk. It fell around me in a sweeping bias cut that clung to my curves. “And I can use all the luck I can get.” “One more thing.” “Yes, Fairy Godmother,” I teased her. Vivian chuckled. “I know how you meant that, so I won't take offense at you calling me a fairy.”

I rolled my eyes. “And this isn't a pair of glass shoes.” She held out the griffin feather from her workroom. It had been removed from its leather cord and wrapped in gold wire for a more luxurious look. The wire formed a loop and was strung on a long, gold chain. I took it reverently and slipped it over my head. It hung just over my belly, held away from my body by the curve of my breasts, to dangle in a straight line. My hands went to it automatically, stroking the silky length. “I thought the feather cured blindness?” I asked her. “Why would I need it?” “There is more than one way to be blind,” she said evasively. “I had a feeling that you should wear it tonight... but it's a loan, not a gift.” “I'm honored to wear it, even if it's only for one night,” I said softly. “He's on his way, Elaria.” Vivian stroked the hair away from my face. “I feel the spell building.” “Yes, I feel something too,” I agreed. “Like a storm brewing; static on my skin.” “A storm,” Vivian mused. “Yes; I think that's apt. We're looking for lightning tonight— hoping it will strike.” “I'm not leaving until it does,” I vowed.

We walked into the ballroom together, and heads turned our way. It was just as I'd noted; our gowns were perfect opposites, but so were our looks. Vivian's hair was as pale as mine was dark, and her body was slim where mine was curvy. To top it off, the magic passed down to me through my father was associated with fire, and Vivian was a water witch. Even our magics were opposites. We stood just inside the open, double doors, and stared at the crowd as if we reigned the room. I could barely focus; I was so nervous. My gaze skittered over the shimmering gathering; every beneather I could think of was there—except the manticores, thank Persephone. In fact, Persephone was there as well, and she nodded her head to me in regal acknowledgment. Hades clutched her to his side as if he thought she might make a run for it. But that barely registered with me. I couldn't keep my stare on one thing for long. Everything seemed too bright; from the massive, crystal chandeliers sparkling above us, to the lengths of white silk draping the floor-to-ceiling windows. The night was dark beyond the glass, but I swore I could see something moving through it; something predatory. “There's my girl!” My father crowed as he strode over to me with my mother, effectively snapping me out of my daze. “You two look amazing together.”

“Thank you, Robert,” Vivian inclined her head to him, then to my mother, and finally to me. “Break a leg, Spellsinger.” “What?” My father gasped in horror. “She's performing tonight,” Freya explained as she stepped up to us on Cerberus' arm. “That's what you say to an entertainer, is it not?” Vivian smiled mysteriously as she swished away. Both Cerberus and Freya looked stunning. Freya's mass of golden curls was piled high on her head, with a waterfall of them left to drape down her bare back. Her red dress skimmed her body like another fall of water, clinging to dips and curves, and showing clearly that she wasn't wearing any underwear. Cerberus had a possessive arm around her waist and was casting glares at any man who stared too long at Freya. He was so busy being an alpha male that he didn't realize he was attracting just as much attention as his date. Cerberus' deepoak hair was brushed back from his striking face, and his matching brown eyes sparkled. He looked dashing in his tuxedo, the breadth of his shoulders seeming wider beneath the tailoring, and his bow tie was studded with silver spikes; reminiscent of a dog collar. One of Cer's most attractive features was his ability to never take himself too seriously.

“Oh.” Dad frowned at Freya. “I don't know if that saying goes for musicians, or if it's just for actors, but yes; that's right.” “You look shiny, El,” Cerberus teased as he hugged me. Then he whispered in my ear, “Go get 'em, tiger!” I rolled my eyes at my bestie as I pulled away. “You're singing tonight?” My mother asked, her ebony wings shivering in concern. She looked pointedly at my naked wrists. One of the most useful gifts that Torin had given me was a pair of onyx lined, silver cuffs that had originally been meant to imprison me. They grounded my magic, allowing me to sing without adding a spell to it; something I'd never been able to do. But I wasn't wearing the bracelets tonight. “I'm doing a light spell,” I reassured her. “Something that won't harm anyone.” “Oh, all right.” My mom smiled brightly. She trusted me nearly as much as she trusted my father. “There's something else you should know,” my father leaned in to whisper. “They opened the Ball to the public this year, and invites went out to all of the realms.” He glanced meaningfully over his shoulder.

“Yeah, and the centaurs came, so what?” I looked over his shoulder at a centaur who had an earth witch on his back. “When have you been racist toward the horse-folk?” I wasn't racist, but I sincerely hoped that my soul mate wouldn't be a centaur. There wasn't enough lubrication in the world. My father took a look himself and huffed, “He must have moved. Where is he?” “Where is who?” I asked. “Torin is here,” Cerberus said simply and pointed in another direction entirely. My eyes went round as I saw Torin's family —with him in the center of their group. They were all there; his parents: Duke Maon and Duchess Ceana, and his grandmother: Countess Elise. Torin lifted his gaze as if he could feel my eyes on him, and froze. His eyes shifted to a deeper shade of blue, and my hands started to shake. I thought I could do this—let Torin go—but seeing him there was like a hand around my throat; I could barely breathe. “What is he doing here?” My words were the barest trace of sound, but my father heard them clearly. “From what I gathered,” Dad said, “his family insisted. His mother wants him to give you

another chance. But honestly, Ellie-phant, he doesn't look willing.” “Stupid fucking fairy,” Cerberus muttered. “Elaria's the best thing he ever had.” “He's obviously a fool,” Freya lifted her head and sniffed disdainfully. I looked at the Norse goddess in surprise. Cer always had my back, but this loyalty from Freya was new. We had a good rapport, but we had only known each other for a few months. Freya gave me a nod of solidarity, and my brows shot up further. I guess saving her from death worms had cemented our friendship. “Duchess Ceana's a sweet lady,” my mother noted. “She wants what's best for her son, which is obviously our daughter.” “Fuck!” I hissed when my brain had caught up to what I was about to happen. My parents stared at me in shock. “This is going to be hard enough without him here,” I muttered. “What is?” My father narrowed his eyes at me. “What have you done, Elaria?” “Nothing bad,” I whined (isn't it funny how no matter how old we get, we can revert to childhood in an instant around our parents?). “I

needed to—” “And now for a special treat,” Odin's voice quieted the room and ended our conversation. The witch elder stood on a stage at the far end of the ballroom, with a band of musicians behind him. “To start our party off on the right note, our spellsinger champion has agreed to grace us with a song. Please welcome to the stage, Elaria Tanager!” The crowd applauded as I shook my head apologetically at my parents and hurried off. I nodded to well-wishers as I passed through the mass of people, and then gathered my skirts to climb the stairs to the low stage. “May the magic be true and kind to you, Elaria,” Odin whispered before he kissed my cheek and handed me the wireless microphone. “Even if it isn't, we are with you.” “Thank you, Odin,” I said sincerely, touched by his kindness. Odin nodded, waved to the crowd, and strode down from the stage. I turned to the musicians, and they beamed at me. They'd been prepped with my sheet music and were excited to begin. But was I ready? I turned to face the room, and my eyes went straight to Torin. How could I call another lover to me with Torin standing right there? I nearly walked off the stage. But then I saw

Vivian, and her calm stare settled me. She nodded and gave me a gentle smile. Torin had refused to help me; that meant I had to save myself. And there was nothing shameful in that. The music began, and I took a deep breath. The night Vivian first cast this spell for me, she had made it clear that my song would be the anchor and catalyst for it. Still, I hadn't been prepared with a song when she had instructed me to sing. I just went with the first one that had popped into my head. It had been mulling around in my mind ever since Odin had made his comment about how difficult it was to give me a nickname; an avalanche in the Atlantic. My choice had been even more perfect than I could have possibly known, especially now that Torin was there. It had an upbeat beginning; Fletcher's “Avalanche,” you almost expected it to be another type of song entirely. But the beat quickly shifted into something softer; sympathy for a wounded lover that became an entreaty for him to try again, despite the pain of the past. I used the words exactly as they had been written; a hand extended to a man who held himself back. I called out with both my soul and the song to the lover I had been destined for; telling him that I knew his loneliness, and I had the remedy. But this wasn't the only message I was

sending. Torin's stare darkened to indigo as I sang the secrets of his soul. The heartache that made him withdraw from not only me, but also his court, and the even more painful possibility that there might be more for us. That we weren't over. My lips trembled as the magic filled my mouth and surged from me. I hurt with Torin; my heart bled for his wounds. I wanted to take it all back, rewind our lives till it was just him and I. But I couldn't, and as the song lifted and strengthened, I turned away from the love I had treasured most. Something snatched at my chest suddenly; a strong metaphysical grip with the bite of something sharper—claws perhaps. The spell-me shifted in anticipation, sensing the change within me, and my whole body tensed. The lyrics lifted to a challenging crescendo; give me this one chance, and we can forge a love to outlast the stars. Let me in, past your defenses, and I'll show you that we were born for each other. I was singing it straight from my heart to his; I could feel the magic connect with a man who was defined by honor and heroism. It was his whole life, and I was about to change that. I gasped as golden light filled my vision; his soul bared before me. Within the light, I saw facets of the man I was meant for; strength that went beyond the physical, loyalty that could never be shaken, and a heart that once given, would love no other. Oh yes; this was a man I could love forever.

Just as my song vowed to him. The blinding light of his soul faded away, and I could see again. But still, all I saw was him. My gaze focused on him immediately—an arrow shot straight at my target. He stood across the ballroom, before the main doors, as if he'd just entered. A warrior from another era; he was dressed in chocolate-brown leather and had a sword belt strapped around his lean hips. The width of his chest strained against the layered wrap of his tunic, showing off a swirl of tribal tattoos that continued down his bulging biceps. His face was all sharp lines—from the cut of his cheekbones to the slash of his mouth—but the edges were softened by thick eyebrows and a rounded chin. His hair was worn in a short and serviceable style; honey-brown in color, like a lion's mane. The shade went well with his tanned skin and brought out the gold in his green eyes. Eyes? How could I see the color of his eyes when he was on the other side of the room? I blinked and realized that he had strode closer as I sang. The crowd edged back for him as it became obvious that something momentous was happening between us. I stared at the stranger as if I knew him intimately, and he stared back in the same manner as he continued to cross the distance that separated us. My voice rose, ringing out to him powerfully in

challenge; Take my hand if you dare. I reached out to him just as he stepped up to the stage. He was so tall that with me up on that stage, my face was level with his. My heart raced as his scent hit me; musk of man and well-worn leather... and feathers. He smelled like sky and sunshine. I breathed him in deeply as his calloused hand closed around mine. He pulled me forward gently, till I was inches from him. His free hand slid around my waist, and he used it to lift me from the stage in a curving movement that turned into a dance. I sang on as he lowered me slowly to the floor, still holding my hand. We swayed together as the song slowed and finally ended. I tossed the microphone to the guitarist without looking away from the man who held me. The crowd erupted into applause as the stranger brought my hand to his lips and kissed it lingeringly. Then he glanced down and saw the feather dangling between us. His expression shifted into confusion. “Where did you get this?” His voice was low and powerful like a predator's roar, but he merely sounded curious. I blinked, coming down from the high of the spell's culmination, and looked down. He was holding the griffin feather gently, as if he knew how precious it was. Or as if it were precious to him.

“It's not mine,” I said with just the barest trace of magic still roughening my voice. “I borrowed it for the evening.” He closed his eyes briefly and inhaled deeply, shivering a little through the remnants of the magic coasting over our skin. When he refocused on me, his eyes were greener. “Who does the feather belong to?” He asked softly. “Vivian Lake.” I nodded to the side, where Vivian was beaming at us. “She received it as a gift from a griffin who saved her life once.” The man frowned at Vivian, and then back at the feather. “This is my father's feather.” “What?” I whispered in shock. “The feather is of my father's plumage,” he said. “I'd recognize the scent and coloring anywhere.” “Your father?” I gaped at him. “But that would make you a—” “What a performance!” Odin's voice rang out, startling the both of us, and serving to remind us that we still stood in the middle of the ballroom. “Another round of applause for our Elaria!” “Elaria?” The griffin smiled as he said my name, and it made his striking face all the more

handsome. “Beautiful; like birdsong.” “What's your name?” I continued to stare at him like a starry-eyed teenager. “I am Gage of the Saeiqa Tribe,” he said. “Saeiqa Tribe?” “Where I come from, the people are divided into tribes,” he explained. “Mine is the Saeiqa. In English, it means 'lightning strike.'” “Of course it does.” I started to smile. Destiny was finally being kind to me.

Chapter Thirteen

Gage lifted his stare and noticed that we were attracting a lot of attention. “Do you know of somewhere we can speak privately?” He asked me. “I do.” I used our joined hands to lead him out of the ballroom. People smiled and nodded to us knowingly as we passed, and no one dared to stop us. “Who is that?” Gage asked just before we reached the door. “Is he someone to you?” I followed Gage's stare to see Torin glaring at us. Torin caught me looking, and his eyes softened briefly. “He was once,” I whispered. Then I turned away resolutely and led Gage out of the room. “Not anymore?” “No,” I said and then stopped abruptly. I didn't want to spook Gage, but I suddenly felt horrible about continuing without at least implying that this wasn't going to be perfect. “There are things about my life that will make you want to end this before it starts. But if you give me a chance, I

think we could have something special.” “I know,” he said simply. “I was sent to this realm to speak to the witches, but that's not truly why I came. I volunteered for this task because something—someone—was drawing me here. You, Elaria, and you obviously feel the pull as well. So, you have problems in your life.” He shrugged. “I have things I must handle as well. But I'm not going to leave tonight until I know what there could be between us.” “Don't say that I didn't warn you.” I smirked and started leading him again. I took us into the gardens, out into the quiet night, to sit among the overgrown flower beds and breathe in the scent of night-blooming jasmine tinged with salt from the nearby ocean. We found a stone bench and sat in a shaft of moonlight. We were surrounded by sleeping flowers and trees shivering in the gentle breeze, and it all felt so surreal. Had that just happened? Did I really just get swept offstage by a stunning stranger who was meant to be mine? “My full name is Elaria Tanager,” I said to him, trying to get a handhold on something more tangible, something that would make me feel like this was real. Having some basic knowledge of each other would help. “I'm a spellsinger.”

Gage's eyes widened. “A rare bird indeed... Tanager.” “Even rarer than you,” I teased him as I flicked a leather strap on his tunic. “What realm are you from?” “Torr-Chathair,” he said, and my face fell into a shocked gape. “What is it? What's wrong?” “Torr-Chathair? The Citadel Realm?” “Yes, why?” “The reason you came to speak with the witches; it wouldn't happen to be about some olgoi khorkhoi escaping, would it?” I asked him. “You know about the abduction?” He asked in surprise.

death

worms

“I helped to send them home,” I said. “You?” He sounded even more shocked. “What part of 'spellsinger' did you not understand?” I grimaced. “My apologies.” He held up his hands. “I didn't mean for it to sound insulting. It's just that I know the beasts well, and I've seen a single worm take three full-grown griffins to wrangle it out of a territory. I couldn't imagine a group of them being sent across the Veil by one person; no matter what race they are.”

“I said that I helped, not that I did it alone,” I noted. “I led the worms home, but it was a shining one king who opened the portal for them.” “You led them? As in; with your song?” Gage asked. “Yeah.” He shook his head in amazement. “You're the pied piper of monsters.” I laughed. “I suppose I am.” I cocked my head at him. “And you? Are you a shepherd of monsters?” “A wrangler.” He corrected. “The griffins left this world with the magical beasts; to both care for them and prevent their escape.” “A man who cares for monsters,” I whispered. “I like that.” I often thought of myself as a monster. So, a man who could care for such creatures was a plus in my book. “Those death worms returned to TorrChathair unharmed,” he noted with a smile. “I think you care for them too.” “They were taken from your realm,” I went serious, “and they were obviously scared and confused. When I realized that, I decided that they didn't have to be killed; they only needed to be

shown the way home.” Gage smiled softly and laid his palm on my cheek. “I saw your soul when you sang, and I've never seen anything more beautiful. I had thought it too beautiful to be real. Now, I know that it was not an illusion. It takes a special heart to care for such creatures.” “I can be monstrous too,” I whispered. He lifted a brow, but I placed my hand over his and shook my head. “Another time,” I said as I laid our joined hands in my lap. “Tell me more about yourself and your tribe. Your father is Amaron?” “Yes.” Gage smiled as he stroked the feather hanging from my neck. “He mentioned saving a witch once... from a wendigo, I believe. My mother was not pleased.” “That was Vivian.” I nodded. “She's a witch elder, and you'll probably want to speak to her about the death worms.” “Then it's fortunate that my father saved her life.” He chuckled. “Indeed,” I murmured, thinking about Vivian's strange look when she saw me holding the griffin feather. Tricksy witches. She had probably seen a vision then, and she didn't share it with me.

“But I want to know more about you first,” Gage said. “Tell me about your life, Elaria.” And I did. We talked for hours in that garden, but every time I began to tell Gage about the RS, I chickened out. Yes; I realize the irony— Rooster Spell, chickening out—it still didn't compel me to speak. But I didn't kiss him either; when he moved toward me in the obvious kiss-lean, I subtly shifted away. I promised myself that I wouldn't resort to a physical seduction. I would wait until Gage knew the whole truth before I gave into desire. But damn was it difficult; the man oozed sex—I think they call that pheromones. Whatever it was, he had it. In droves. I'd have to tell him about the spell soon, if for no other reason than my burning need to kiss him.

Chapter Fourteen

The party was still going strong when we wandered back to the ballroom. My parents caught my eye and gave me some shocked and annoyed looks, but I grabbed Vivian and booked it out of the room before they could corner Gage and me. When we were safely ensconced in Vivian's sitting room, I told her the reason Gage had been sent to Coven Cay. She immediately summoned the other witch elders. “My apologies for disturbing your evening,” Vivian said to the elders. “But this is a matter of great importance.” “Elaria's new lover is important to the Coven?” Odin asked with mischief in his one eye. “I wish that were all it was,” I said grimly, chasing away his glee with my tone. “What's happened?” Glinda asked. I told them about Vegas, and then Gage told them who he was and why he was there. “Strange that you two would be drawn together now, of all times,” Glinda murmured. “But then the—”

I widened my eyes at her in alarm. “The what?” Gage asked. “The, ah, timing could be destined,” Glinda recovered. “As you two obviously are.” “Destined?” Gage smiled lopsidedly and looked over at me. “That has the ring of truth to it.” “Yes, that's lovely, but what do we do about this worm-thief?” Odin asked. “We could try a tracking spell, but Elaria says the trail went through the Veil, and a spell that can travel that kind of distance requires some serious preparation.” “We need to stay vigilant,” Gage said. “The griffins have assigned more patrols, but a planet is a large area to cover. The tribes each patrol their territories, but we've never had issues with monsters escaping. Generally, we just make sure that everything is in balance and the monsters are content.” “So, you're saying that your people weren't prepared for this?” Vivian asked. “For someone sneaking into Torr-Chathair and stealing monsters?” Gage huffed. “No, we weren't prepared. Call us foolish, but it wasn't a circumstance that we'd even considered.” “It wasn't meant as criticism,” Vivian said gently. “I was trying to get an idea of what the

normal situation is.” “The monsters pose a greater risk to each other than to other realms.” Gage shrugged. “They were put in our realm because they aren't capable of understanding how to coexist with humans on Earth.” “Which means that they aren't intelligent enough to escape Torr-Chathair,” I summed up. “Why bother guarding against a prison break when the prisoners don't even know that they're imprisoned?” “Precisely,” Gage said as he casually took my hand. My heart sped up with that simple gesture, and it drove it all home to me. Gage was going to change everything. Whether he agreed to be with me or not, my world would be forever altered. For him to affect me so easily, with just the touch of his hand, said it all. It was the kind of thing that would have made me call him “The One” had there been no one else in my life. Maybe Destiny knew what she was doing, after all. “Thank you for the heads-up,” Odin reached out to shake Gage's hand. “And please extend our deepest gratitude to your tribes for guarding these creatures for so long. Your sacrifice has made it possible for the rest of us to live here in

peace.” “We are happy to be there,” Gage assured Odin. “Torr-Chathair is a paradise, not a hardship. Monitoring the monsters is a small price to pay for it.” “Will you be returning to your realm now?” Glinda asked, her eyes steady on Gage's face, even though I saw them twitching like she wanted to look pointedly at our joined hands. “I'll contact them, but no, I won't be returning yet,” Gage said, and I let out a relieved breath. “I was asked to remain here until it was certain that the threat was over.” “We're happy to have you with us.” Odin smirked, his gaze going from Gage to me. “And I insist that you stay with us, here at Coven Cay during your time on Earth. Unless there is somewhere else you'd rather be?” “I'd be grateful for the lodgings,” Gage accepted, then shot me a glance. “Until such time as I find something more suitable.” “Thank you for all coming,” Vivian said loudly and pointedly to the elders. “We don't want to keep you from the festivities any longer.” “Yeah, yeah,” Odin huffed, “we're going. I'll speak to you again about the monster situation tomorrow, Gage.”

Gage nodded, the elders headed back to the party, and I removed the griffin feather from my neck. I handed it back to Vivian. “Thank you for the loan,” I said, then hugged her. “I don't think I need it anymore.” “No, it looks like you have the younger model, ready for the plucking,” she teased. Gage scowled at her. “Griffins don't like the word 'plucking.'” Vivian and I laughed until Gage cracked a smile. Then she scooted us out of her room... and right into Torin. As in literally; I crashed into him. I pulled up short; my hands pressed to Torin's wide chest to steady myself. He briefly laid his hand over one of mine and pressed it to his heart before taking me by the upper arms and pushing me back from him. “Torin,” I whispered. “Elaria, what are you doing?” Torin narrowed his eyes at me. “Tell me that you didn't lure this man here with magic.” “Magic?” Gage asked, looking from me to Vivian. I sighed, and said, “I didn't have the time to wait for things to happen naturally; you know that.” “What does that mean?” Gage growled.

“It was my idea,” Vivian interrupted. “Elaria needed to find true love quickly. So, I cast a spell to draw her soul mate to her. There was nothing done to influence your free will, Gage, other than giving you the urge to travel here.” “Then, we truly are destined,” Gage whispered. “Did she tell you why she needed you so soon?” Torin sneered. “Torin,” I hissed. “Why are you doing this?” “He deserves to know,” Torin snapped. “And I was going to tell him,” I said. “We only just met. I wasn't going to just toss it in his face.” “And yet you look as if you've had the time to get to know each other,” Torin noted. “When were you going to tell him; after you fucked him?” “I went to you first, Torin,” I lowered my voice. “You gave me no choice.” “You gave me no loyalty!” Torin shouted. “Stand down, fairy,” Gage said in a deadly tone. “You have no idea what mess you've just stepped in,” Torin said to Gage. “She's ensorcelled.” He waved a hand toward me. “The

spell requires her to take numerous lovers.” “Numerous?” Gage transferred his angry gaze to me. “How numerous?” “I need three or the spell will fade and take me with it,” I whispered. “But it must be love; the magic won't be satisfied with lust.” “And how many lovers do you have already?” Gage's jaw clenched. “Two,” I admitted. “We were in a monogamous relationship when Elaria was struck by the spell,” Torin ground out. “She left my bed to go to one of the two men she's with now.” “It was the spell.” I sighed deeply. “Damn it, Torin, how many times do I have to apologize to you?” “For betraying me with a man I considered to be a friend?” Torin asked. “Two-thousand times. No; three-thousand. I don't know, Elaria. Why don't you get on your knees and try it again? You seem to like it there.” I slapped him—bitch-slapped him. “I get that this is hard on you,” I said calmly to Torin as he glared at me and his cheek turned red. “I'm sorry that you had to see Gage and me connect. I know it must be painful, and I never

wanted to hurt you. But I'm going to die if I don't satisfy the spell, Torin. You don't want to believe it, but I think you know it's true. And you know that I would never have betrayed you if not for this magic.” “It seems like you have your third already,” Gage said crisply. “No, she doesn't,” Torin snarled. “You're welcome to her; I want nothing to do with this.” He turned on his heels and left. “She's telling the truth,” Vivian said to Gage. “The spell needs three lovers to fuel it. I'm sorry that you were lured here to help her, but your feelings are not false. Listen to them, and trust yourself.” “The spell feeds off your lovers?” Gage asked in horror. “In a way,” I admitted. “Without the energy that love produces, it will die.” “And you are bound to it?” “I am,” I said. “I've tried to free myself, but nothing has worked. It was cast upon me by a dying witch.” Griffin hissed in distaste. “I'm so sorry,” I whispered. “I did warn you that I had issues, and I really was going to tell you.

I wouldn't have done anything physically intimate with you until I had. That's why I moved away when you tried to kiss me earlier.” “I understand your motivations,” he said softly. “I would do everything within my power to survive as well—anyone would. Even that fairy who just scorned you so fiercely. It was unfair of him to judge you as he did.” “But?” I asked. Vivian eased back into her room and closed the door, giving us some privacy. “I'm a griffin,” he whispered sorrowfully. “Do you know what that means?” “You mate forever,” I said in revelation. “And you don't want to risk it on me.” “It's not a risk.” He shook his head. “You're my mate; the magic has revealed it. But until I bed you, I'm still free. I can find another woman to be with. No other griffin will have me now that you've been located; they wouldn't give up a chance at a true mating. But I could find another woman of a different race to share my life with; one who would be mine alone.” “I understand,” I said hollowly. “It will hurt me to walk away from you,” the honesty in Gage's voice was stark. “But I fear

that it will hurt me far more if I stay. I'm sorry, Elaria, but you'll need to find another man to love. You're not a griffin, and you're obviously capable of loving more than one man. You will find a new option soon, I'm sure.” Gage turned and started walking away. I almost called out to him and begged him to stay. I nearly harped on the possibility of my death to sway him. But my throat closed on the words. I'd done enough damage by showing him something he could never have. Was it fair to lay the responsibility for my death on his shoulders too? No; it wasn't. So, I let him go, and hoped that Destiny had one more soul mate for me up her sleeve.

Chapter Fifteen

I know that I should have gone back to Alexandrite, where the men were anxiously waiting for me. But I had failed them. This wasn't just about me; if I died, it would affect the people I loved. That made the weight heavier, and my shoulders slumped beneath it as I trudged back out to the gardens. I just needed some time to sit and think; to plan a new course of action. Once I had a plan, I could go home to my men. I wandered into an open patch of grass and sank down onto the cool blades, rolling onto my back to stare up at the stars. The night was brisk, but the cold didn't bother me. I had a fire growing stronger within me every passing day. Soon, I would burn out, but wasn't that better than fading away? “Or is it the same thing?” I asked the stars. “You died a long time ago, but your light continues to shine. You burn and you fade.” “Who are you talking to?” Odin asked as he strode up. I glanced over, too drained to feel any surprise at his presence. “The stars.”

“Ah.” He nodded sagely as he sat beside me and stared up at the sky with me. “Yes; they are tenacious, as all fiery things are. If you live as brilliantly as the stars, your light will continue to shine—long after your death—through the people you've shared it with.” “I don't think that I've shared my light with enough people,” I said. “Or with enough brilliance.” “Then you must not let yourself burn out.” He transferred his stare to me. “This is one setback, Elaria. You don't give up the war because of a single skirmish.” “I know,” I agreed. “I'm just regrouping.” “May I recommend that you do what I do when I feel that I've failed?” “Please.” “Lean on your magic,” he said. “It's not just a path to power, but also a support for you. When I'm upset, I come out here like you have, except I lay my hands on the earth and reconnect with the power within it.” He did as he described; laying his palms to the ground and closing his eye. Odin looked blissful for a moment, and then he sighed. He opened his eye again and smiled down at me.

“You try it.” “You think I should sing?” I asked. “Something comforting to you.” He nodded. “People sing when they're sad, Elaria. They made a whole genre for it. But music can do so much more for you if you let it.” I thought about it as I sat up. My iPod was stuffed into my bra, but I didn't think I needed it. A nice a capella would work. But what would comfort me? What could make this anxious ache disappear? Then it just flowed out of me. The rolling sweetness of Laurel's “Into the Hills” lifted my magic in my chest and then eased it through my song. It sounded sorrowful, like the lament that had lodged itself in my heart. The words described a woman who was afraid to be alone, saying and doing whatever it took to keep her man beside her. But there was also a blazing realization in the music; that in the end, it doesn't matter—the most glorious feeling is not found in another person, but in yourself. My voice lifted with the strength of that knowledge, carrying through the quiet night like a battle cry. I saw it then; the beauty that was there already, and there was so much of it that I could barely go on living. So, what did death matter? The lyrics filled me with their comfort, the magic giving them the power to transform. But this

time, I only wanted to change myself. I took the message to heart and let it lift the sadness away from me. As I sang, I felt the heaviness lighten. You can run through life pursuing something—be it love, or glory, or even more life—but that's not what we were born for. True living is simply basking in the beauty around us; appreciating that we are all in this together, whether or not we connect physically with each other. We run, on and on, chasing and hiding, until our breath and our strength fail us, and then we cast ourselves down in exhaustion, only to find that life has no end, and everything we were pursuing is already inside us. My voice faded as the freedom of the song settled within me. The magic echoed out around me like the light of those fading stars. But there was no sorrow in the fade anymore. I knew that everything goes on; hadn't it already been proven to me? If I died in two months, I would live again. Energy cannot be destroyed, and neither can love. I would find a way back. I looked over to Odin and saw him staring at me strangely. No, not at me exactly; my throat. “Odin?” “Elaria, there's something inside your neck,” Odin whispered. “What?” My hand flew to my throat; fear

returning like the cut of a knife—quick and painless at first, then stinging wickedly once your mind catches up. “When you sang just now, I saw glimmers of magic beneath your skin.” His hand lifted and brushed mine aside gently. “I focused harder and was able to see a sliver of something pulsing with energy.” “A sliver?” I frowned. “I don't even know —” “Shh,” Odin chided me as he prodded at my neck. “I can feel it now. It's connected to the earth, so my magic recognizes it.” He lowered his face so that he was inches away from me. “Elaria, I think it's a piece of stone.” “Stone?” I asked in shock. Odin drew back and continued to stare at my neck thoughtfully. Then he nodded and stood. He reached out a hand down to help me up. “Come with me, Elaria,” he said. “It's time for my magic to help you.”

Chapter Sixteen

On the way to Odin's rooms, we ran into my parents. “What the hell is going on?” My father demanded as he intercepted us. “Tell me this instant, Elaria!” “Dad, you know about the Rooster Spell,” I started, but Odin cut me off. “It has adjusted to its new mistress,” Odin explained for me. “But it still has to function as it was originally created. The Rooster Spell was made to feed on several sirens, and it processed that energy in a symbiotic way with its host. Thomas became stronger because he housed the spell, and the spell thrived because Thomas fed it sirens.” “Yes, we know this,” my mother's eyes were wide and worried. “I know it intimately, but what has it to do with my daughter?” “She only has two lovers for it to feed on,” Odin said grimly. “I promised it three when I first bargained with it,” I continued. “It agreed because it knew that three was the minimum it needed to survive.

But I haven't delivered.” “You need another lover,” my father whispered. “Yes, 'lover' being the keyword,” Odin added. “Elaria has altered the spell from its vengeful, lust-based energy into something softer, but this has made things more difficult.” “You need to love them,” my mother said in revelation. “And they need to love me.” I nodded. “I can't just choose someone to sleep with.” “And if you don't find someone?” My mother asked. “It will die, and me with it,” I said gently. “By the flame,” my father swore softly. “I've killed my daughter; my only child.” “I'm not dead yet, Dad,” I said firmly. “Tonight was only my first attempt to find someone.” “Vivian!” Dad swore. “She cast a love spell for you, didn't she?” “I asked her to.” I nodded. “But Gage can't accept being one of three lovers. He refused me. So, I need to find someone else.” “Torin!” My mother exclaimed. “Won't he

help? He still loves you. He surely doesn't want you to die.” “Torin is the reason Gage left.” I sighed. “He revealed everything to Gage before I did.” “Damn him!” My father swore. “Does he want to kill you?” “He was hurt.” I shook my head. “He had to watch Gage and me together. That must have been torture to his already wounded heart and pride.” “That's no excuse for fucking up your chance of saving yourself,” my father snarled. “No; it isn't,” I agreed. “But love makes you do foolish things.” “You still love him,” my mom said softly. “Even after that?” “I will always love Torin.” I shrugged. “I know him too well to ever hate him. He's a good man; he's just in pain, and like any wounded animal, he's lashing out blindly.” “But now we have something else to investigate,” Odin interrupted. “I think the relic has left something behind in Elaria.” “The relic?” The rest of us asked as one. My hand went to my throat again. “You said you thought there was a piece of stone in my

throat, but what you meant was a piece of gemstone, didn't you?” “Yes,” Odin admitted. “We know that the witch relic left you with an increased amount of power, but what we didn't consider was the possibility that it left you that power in a physical way.” “Wouldn't I have noticed a sliver of stone burrowing into my skin?” I rubbed at the hollow of my throat, and felt it: a thin, hard line, maybe an eighth-an-inch long. “I feel it! Shit; there is something there.” “There was a lot of magic rushing through you in that final battle,” Odin mused. “You wouldn't have noticed something that small pierce your skin, especially if the relic numbed the area first.” “Numbed the area?” My mother huffed and fluffed her wings. “It was a necklace, not a doctor.” “It was a hell of a lot more than a necklace, Mom,” I said softly. “Numbing me to implant a sliver of gemstone is the least of what it could do.” “You have a part of the relic inside you,” my father whispered in awe. “You have become the relic.” “Whoa now.” I waved my dad down. “Let's not get carried away.”

“We don't know anything for certain yet.” Odin held up his hand as well. “Let's get Elaria to my workshop so I can take a closer look.” “Thank you, Odin.” My father held his hand out to the elder. “Of course, Robert.” Odin shook Dad's hand. “Your daughter is important to me too.” “I don't care about the jewel in her throat,” my mom cried. “I just want you to save her. Robert, you save our daughter! I don't care what kind of magic it takes; whatever you have to do, you do it! Damn all the gods; I will not lose her!” I gaped at my mom. She had always been firmly against black magic; to hear her not only give my dad permission but also encouragement, to use whatever kind of magic he had to, was shocking, to say the least. “We will, my love,” Dad said gently as he hugged Mom close. “We'll figure it out. But this jewel may help more than I can.” “Okay,” she whispered. “I'm going to be all right, Mom,” I added. “Either way, I've lived a long life. I'm content with whatever ending is coming for me.” “A long life?” My mother shrieked. “You're not even half a century! You're a baby still—my

baby—and I won't let you die.” “We won't let her die, Kalliope,” Odin vowed, “I promise. You have the backing of the Coven, and the Coven never fails.” Mom calmed and nodded, and then we all headed into Odin's chambers. He led us through his rooms, and then down a stairwell, into the earth. Odin's workshop was a cave like Vivian's, but it was more spartan. Spell ingredients, in matching jars, were lined up with military precision on wooden shelves. There were no oddities hanging willy-nilly or plush carpets to add comfort. The furniture was heavy and functional. Everything was tidy and put away in its place. Odin's circle was even different; bordered in large stones carved with runes, though the power trickling over from it felt just as strong as Vivian's had. Odin led me to a simple, wood chair and had me sit. As my parents waited anxiously, Odin opened a drawer and revealed tools laid out in OCD rows. He selected a crystal wand and returned to lay it on the empty tabletop beside me. Then he went to search his library. It took him a few tries to find the spell he was looking for, but when he did, he tapped the page triumphantly. “This will do it,” he said as he laid the book beside the wand.

Odin picked up the wand, placed the point into the hollow of my throat, and began to chant. He closed his eye as the wand began to glow, but the rest of us kept our eyes wide open. My parents watched intently as the glow seeped into my skin and collected within that sliver of gemstone. I could see the glow, but not much more than that; mainly, I felt the energy coalesce. It brightened, and I was able to see the magic flow back up the wand and into Odin. He inhaled sharply and opened his eye suddenly. “Of course,” Odin said with a smile. He collected the book and put it back on its shelf before gently placing the wand in its drawer. “Odin!” My dad growled. “Everything must be properly finished,” Odin huffed like a true neat freak. “All right; the gem inside Elaria's throat is kyanite.” “Kyanite?” I blinked as I tried to remember the properties of the stone. I had studied a lot of crystals during the Sapphire War, but I didn't think kyanite was one of them, so I was surprised when it came to me. “That's used to enhance psychic abilities, right?” “Yes, among other things.” Odin smiled approvingly. “Think about it, Elaria. What is the main purpose of your magic?”

“To create more magic?” I asked. “You sing.” Odin rolled his eye. “It's a form of communication, which is another property of kyanite. Plus, the stone naturally breaks into slivers, and magic always takes the path of least resistance. The relic left you a gift that it thought would benefit you the most: a super-charged piece of kyanite to enhance your communication and psychic abilities. Oh, I believe it promotes lucid dreaming too.” “Sweet stones,” I whispered. “Precisely.” Odin nodded. “I believe that you've only scratched the surface of what you're now capable of, Elaria. The witch relic was created with the power of thousands of witches. A tiny sliver of one gem is probably more potent than all of the magic within this room.” We all went silent as that sank in. “Massive amounts of power literally lodged in my throat, and I'm going to die if I can't find a man to love,” I muttered in a go-figure tone and then started laughing hysterically. “Just my luck. Humph; I guess Vivian's dress didn't work. Or maybe she didn't specify what type of luck she gave me.” They stared at me like I'd lost my mind. “Come on, it's funny,” I prodded them.

“Ironic maybe,” my father said, “but not funny, Elaria.” “You're right.” I sobered. “But I think I've had enough tragedy for one evening. I'm going home to the lovers I do have, and I'm going to hold on tightly to them both tonight.”

Chapter Seventeen

Odin and my father promised to keep working on a solution to my rooster problem, but I reminded Odin that he had the issue of monsters being brought over from Torr-Chathair to deal with too. He had grimaced at me and informed me that he was an ancient witch elder, and he could multitask. My parents were understandably upset, but I didn't have the energy to comfort them. I needed to get back to Alexandrite and be comforted myself. So, I said my goodbyes and used my traveling stone to take me through the Veil to Declan and Banning. They knew how the evening went as soon as they saw my face. Both of their expressions went grim, and they came forward to hug me together. The RS lifted inside me and basked in our love, simmering her fire down a bit. But I knew that contentment wouldn't last, and so did my men. Banning started kissing me while Declan undid my dress. It felt natural to be with the both of them now. We moved together as if it were a dance; choreographed but also improvisational. Declan's hands drifting up my thighs, Banning's mouth at my

throat, and my arms out; one around Banning, and one bent back to hold Declan. I sighed into the sensation of their bodies pressing in around mine and then relaxed into their embrace as they carried me to the bed together. No words were spoken, only the sounds of passion left our lips. My hands filled with their flesh; gripping thick muscles and stroking hard lengths, before tangling in silky hair—holding them tighter to me as we feasted on each other. Then Banning eased me onto my side, pressing in tightly to my back, and Declan angled my upper thigh over his. While Declan slid into me, Banning nuzzled my neck and rubbed himself against my back. I was ground sensuously between the men, and it was heaven, but I needed more... and so did Banning. “Do it,” I whispered to Banning. Banning tensed. “Are you sure?” “It doesn't upset me anymore,” I said. “It's your path to magic. Go ahead; I want you to.” “I don't know, El—” “Sweet stones, man!” Declan growled around my breast as he thrust deeper. “Bite her already!” Banning

struck,

and

the

circle

was

complete. The three of us connected with me forming a bridge between the men, and the spell rose inside me. That delicious sucking sensation on my throat turned into a tingling, and then wild electricity that danced through my veins and stimulated every sensual region I had. I clenched around Declan as I cried out and wrapped an arm back, around Banning, to pull him closer. “Fuck,” Declan growled as he quickened his pace. “What the hell is that?” Neither Banning nor I could answer him; we were both lost to the madness of the blood. I felt more alive than I ever had before; rather ironic when you thought about it. But somehow, the act of feeding Banning had become something far more erotic than I'd ever imagined. Pleasure rolled over me in waves of increasing intensity as Banning tensed against me and came in hot swaths across my back. The scent of his release combined with my blood and sent me reeling into my own orgasm. Heat infused my body, but this time it flowed out into them. The spell gave back, sending Declan shooting into his first completion while Banning and I convulsed through our second. The RS may feed on them, but it also empowered them, just as it once had empowered Thomas. Thomas hadn't shared his energy with the sirens, but then he hadn't loved them either. Love changes everything.

As soon as the shouting stopped, we were ready to start it all over again, refreshed and invigorated by the magic of the RS. “I felt your pleasure when he bit you,” Declan said in wonder. “I had no idea that a blooder's bite could bring such ecstasy.” “It's a well-known fact,” Banning murmured as he grabbed a cloth from the bedside table and wiped off my back. “With humans,” Declan huffed. “I didn't know that it would have such an effect on supernaturals.” “Because most supernaturals won't let a blooder bite them.” I sighed as Banning tossed away the cloth and turned me toward him. “It makes sense that it would be more magical with us.” “Fair enough.” Declan slipped his hand between my thighs and started working me into a frenzy again. “Just one question.” “Don't even think about asking me to bite you,” Banning said as he licked the remnants of blood from my neck. “I may be secure enough in my masculinity to tease you with some gay talk, but I'm not secure enough to penetrate you, even if it's just with my teeth.” “I had no intentions of asking for that.”

Declan made a disgusted sound. “And dear stones, man; even when you talk straight, you sound gay.” “Then what was your question?” Banning asked distractedly as his hands roamed my body. “If biting Elaria in a more sensitive location might result in ever greater amounts of pleasure.” Banning and I went still, then began to smile at each other. I ended up laying on my back, Banning between my legs and Declan sprawled beside me, with his hips at the level of my head. I took Declan into my mouth, but I was soon moaning around his flesh because Banning had slid inside me simultaneously. Banning let the passion build before he finally latched onto my breast, biting my tender flesh and sending me shooting into another orgasm. Our connection once again shared the experience with Declan, and his hand shot to my hair, holding me to him tightly as he shouted and took his release. That was just the beginning of the circle of pleasure we raced around all night. Every ending became a new beginning until weariness finally overtook us, and we fell into an exhausted slumber.

Chapter Eighteen

It wasn't until morning, when we woke in a sweet tangle of limbs, that the men finally asked what had happened at the Ball. I told them everything; about Gage, Torin, and what Odin had discovered. They listened quietly, tensing through the Torin bit, and their eyes widened when I spoke of the kyanite. Declan especially seemed shocked and went quietly pensive. “What is it?” I asked Declan. “You have a stone within you, Queen Elaria,” Declan said softly. “The ramifications could be... extreme.” “How extreme?” Banning asked. “The Kyanite Kingdom borders mine”— Declan began to smile—“and it is currently without a monarch.” “How can it be without a king or queen?” I asked. “You know the way the stones work,” Declan chided me. “They choose their own monarchs. The last Kyanite Queen died years ago, and the castle has remained empty ever since. The

land is governed by the highest ranking nobles until Kyanite calls a new sovereign.” “Until...” Banning whispered. “Fuck, Declan, Ellie doesn't need the responsibilities of a kingdom adding to her troubles.” “A kingdom is not a burden,” Declan snapped, “it's a benefit. Elaria would have a seat of power within Tír na nÓg. She'd be a landed queen at last.” “That's great, Declan.” I sighed and rubbed at my face. “But Banning's right; I don't need this stress right now.” “Elaria, the relic gave you that kyanite for a reason,” Declan growled. “The witch relic that lives here. Hasn't it occurred to you that it may have had more in mind than just giving you a power boost?” “Are you saying that you believe the relic specifically gave me a slice of kyanite, not just because it's the perfect stone for my magic, but also because the relic knew the Kyanite Kingdom was ready to be claimed?” “Yes.” Declan smirked. “I think the relic knew exactly what it was doing when it put that particular gem inside you. It made you a true jewel queen. You may not be a Shining One, but you have a gemstone placed inside you by the relic that guards our realm. I think they'll overlook your

race.” “And then there's its location.” I frowned in thought. “Odd that the Kyanite Kingdom is right beside yours. Where is it exactly?” “Onyx lies to the West,” Declan said. “The Sgàthan Sea and Primeval are to the East, and Kyanite is in the South-East, between Tiger's Eye and the Primeval Forest.” “The Kyanite Kingdom,” I whispered, and the sliver in my throat trembled. “Damn it all, but it feels right.” “Like fate,” Declan agreed. “But I still can't go claiming a kingdom right now, Declan,” I protested. “I need to find a way to survive first. It would be irresponsible to set myself up as queen only to die.” “Where is this Gage guy?” Banning said, ignoring my talk of death. “No.” I shook my head. “The last thing I need is you two hounding the griffin.” “How can he give up his mate?” Banning asked. “Griffins only get one, and he's found his one; he can't just ask for a redo. Why would he walk away?” “As Gage said; he hasn't bonded with me yet, so he can still be with other women.” I

shrugged. “It's a valid choice, Ban.” “It's not one he'll stick to,” Declan said confidently. “It's simply not possible. Shapeshifters are driven by their instincts. Gage can walk away from you, but his griffin cannot. The beast will drive the man back to you.” “I can't be certain of that,” I protested. “Trust me, Elaria,” Declan said gently. “I've lived a very long time, and I've seen it happen again and again. The griffin is not lost to you. You will live, my love.” Declan kissed me gently, then laid his forehead to mine. “Even if I have to drag that bird squawking and clawing back to you myself.” “I'm with Declan on this,” Banning said. “Tell us where he is, El.” “I don't know.” I backed away from Declan so I could think easier. Yes; he's that hot. So is Banning, for that matter. “Odin offered Gage a room at Coven Cay, but I don't know if he accepted. He may have wanted off the island after what happened between us.” “He's a griffin,” Declan huffed. “He was sent here on a mission, and that mission will compel him to place himself in the best position possible to fulfill his duties. He'll be at Coven Cay.” “Then that's where we'll be as well,” Banning said to Declan.

Declan was already pulling out his traveling stone. He held his hand out to Banning. “Indeed; let's go hunt us a griffin.” “Hey!” I shouted as the men disappeared. “Blast it! Dang overbearing idiots.”

Chapter Nineteen

Banning and Declan returned without Gage. Gage had stayed at Coven Cay, but he was out patrolling and assimilating (whatever that meant) when they got there. They were telling me how they planned on returning later that evening when my contact charm chimed. It was Cerberus. “El, Odin tried to call you on your cell phone, but it kept going to voicemail, so I figured you were out of the realm,” he said by way of greeting. “Yeah, I'm in Alexandrite.” “Odin also told me what went down with the griffin,” Cerberus growled. “That's some bullshit, or should I say birdshit? Either way, it's fuckshit!” “Start the bird jokes, and I will start the dog ones,” I said serenely. We'd been playing this game for years, except the bird jokes were usually targeting me. “Fair enough,” he huffed a chuckle. “You want me to talk to the bi... bastard?” “No; I'm not going to push him.” I sighed.

“You can't force love, Cer, and that's what this has to be. If Gage gave it a go with me simply out of pity, I'd die anyway.” “You're not going to fucking die,” Cerberus snarled. “Forget the griffin; I'm going to have a word with that fairy fucker.” “Cer, let it be,” I said tiredly. “El,” he suddenly sounded worried, “girl, don't you give up on me; we just started looking. You're smart, strong, and smokin' hot; they're going to be lining up for a chance at you.” “Yeah; it'll be all right,” I lacked his enthusiasm. “Elaria!” Cerberus snarled. “You fucking snap out of it right now. Get your head in the game; this is just another battle to win, and who's better than us?” “No one,” I whispered. “Nope; try that again,” he persisted. “Who is better than us?” “No one,” I said with a smile. “There's my girl,” Cerberus said smugly. “Did you say that Odin was trying to reach me?” “Oh, yeah.” He laughed. “Totally forgot

with all the life coaching I was doing—maybe I should start charging, I'm obviously good at it.” “Cerberus!” “Odin wants to speak with you,” he said quickly. “That's it?” I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see me. “You didn't get any deets?” “Nope, he wouldn't tell me,” Cerberus huffed. “He acted like I was the one who couldn't keep a secret. As if! Everyone knows it's telegraph, telephone, and teleOdin. That man is like one of those horny housewives.” “Desperate housewives,” I corrected. “That's what I said.” “Okay, I'll head over to the Cay,” I cut off the rest of that line of conversation. “Hey, how did Odin know what happened with Gage?” “Vivian heard the whole thing,” Cer said. “Odin's not the only witch who loves to gossip. And you had it out with the griffin right in front of her door.” “And then she told Odin.” I groaned. “And TeleOdin got right to spreading the word,” Cerberus confirmed. “But it's better for them to know anyway. They can help you, El; let them.”

“That hasn't worked out so good thus far.” “No, not yet, but it will,” Cerberus said confidently. “This is only the first round, and the Last Lullaby doesn't give up that easily.” “Cerberus, I told you not to call me that.” “But it's awesome,” he whined. “Come on.” “No.” “Double-L?” “Hell no.” “The El-inator?” “You're just trying to make me laugh... and that sounds too close to 'elevator' to ever be intimidating.” “The El-iminator?” “That's nearly the same word,” I said dryly. “El-iberator?” I said nothing. “Yeah, that went bad really fast,” he huffed. “And kind of south of the border. Anyway, I'm done now.” “Thank you.” I chuckled. “Tell Odin that I'm on my way.” “Okay. I'm going to stick around here,” Cer said. “Find me when you're done with ol' One-

Eye.” “It's Left-Eye,” I corrected him. “Whatever.” “And Cer, what the hell is a fuckshit?” “It's when shit is totally fucked,” he said proudly. “Freya taught it to me.” “I'm stealing it.” “Have at it. See you soon, El-iterate,” Cer's voice faded and the charm cooled. “So, now you're off to Coven Cay?” Declan asked. “Odin wants to see me.” I nodded. “Should we go with you?” Banning asked. “No; I'll be fine.” I waved him down. “Go home, and I'll call you two later. You have the contact charm I gave you, right?” “Of course.” Banning pulled the charm from his pocket. “Okay then; I love you both.” I held out my arms to them, and they came forward to hug me together. “We love you too,” Declan answered for them. “Contact us as soon as you have news.” “I will.” I kissed them and then used my

stone to travel to Coven Cay. I reformed in the library again, and just like before, Odin was sitting at the table before me. Except this time, he was expecting me and didn't flinch. He stood and smiled, softening his harsh features into an expression I wasn't familiar with; at least not on him. I frowned; something felt different. Odin looked nice. I mean, the witch elder always looked good—like a Viking turned scholar —but he was particularly handsome today; as if he'd put some effort into it. Similar to how he'd appeared at the Witch's Ball. I looked over Odin's silk tunic, dress sword, and polished, leather eye-patch, then narrowed my stare at him. “You have perfect timing!” He declared. “What are you up to, troublemaker?” “It's 'Oathbreaker,' not 'Troublemaker,'” he corrected gleefully. “But you may call me 'Matchmaker' today.” “What the hell are you up to?” The sound of footsteps interrupted us, and as they drew closer, Odin's eye widened. “Just act natural,” he whispered before he rushed forward and dropped to his knees. “What the hell?” I gaped at him.

“Elaria,” Odin groaned my name as he snatched up my hand and kissed it. “I've hidden my love for long enough. I know you don't think of me in this way, but the griffin gave you up, and I can't let you die, sweetheart. Take me instead!” “What? Odin... I—” “No, don't speak yet.” He jumped to his feet and pulled me into an embrace. “Just feel for a moment.” He took my hand and held it over his chest. “Feel how my heart beats for you. I would do anything for you, Elaria.” “Odin, I think you're an amazing man—” “Then take me as your third,” he cut me off. “Together, we'll be a force no one could oppose; a spellsinger, a blooder gheara, a shining one king, and a witch elder. Think of the power we'd share.” “You don't love her!” Gage shouted and yanked Odin away from me. “You just want her magic. That's not what she needs; she needs love.” The footsteps... of course. I stared in shock from Gage to Odin. Gage had thrown the witch roughly into a bookshelf, and Odin's head had dropped forward. Odin peered up at me through the fall of his hair, and I saw the twinkle in his eye. He set this up! Sure enough, Odin winked at me before he jumped to his feet and defended himself

dramatically. “I do love Elaria!” Odin snarled. “You're the one who doesn't care about her! How dare you attempt to stop her from having someone who is willing to do anything to be with her. You don't want her and yet you don't want me to have her. You're a selfish, childish bastard!” “I do care about her!” Gage shouted. More footsteps echoed around us; witches were rushing out of the library. “You've got some way of showing it, boy.” Odin lifted himself to his full height and stared Gage down. “I just met her,” Gage protested. “I don't want to love her, okay? I can't be that man.” “Fool,” Odin hissed. “You walk away from a soul mate because of pride. But if you want to be foolish, then I will happily benefit from it. Elaria”—Odin turned to me—“you don't need this idiot. Be with me instead. I'm twice the man he is.” I pretended to consider Odin's offer. “He's ancient!” Gage waved an angry hand toward Odin. “So is Declan.” I shrugged. immortals; age hardly matters.”

“We're

“You want this man over your true mate?”

Gage asked angrily. “No, Gage,” I said softly. “I don't. I want you, but you want a woman who can be only yours. I don't hold that against you, but I can't just sit around and pine for you either. I need to find someone to take your place.” Gage's chest was heaving, his eyes gone vibrant green, and his hands clenched into fists. He started to reach for me, one fist opening, but then stopped. Suddenly, he turned on his heels and stomped away. My heart sank. “Stupid fucker,” Odin hissed. “What the hell is wrong with that boy?” “I don't know,” I whispered. “Well, it nearly worked.” Odin gave me a sympathetic look. “We'll try again. You saw his reaction; he wants you—bad. He'll come around.” “Thank you for trying.” I hugged him impulsively. “Elaria,” Odin whispered, “I do love you, you know. It's just not in that way.” “I love you too, Odin.” I stood back. “And I appreciate the help. But next time, give me some warning. You shocked the hell out of me.” “If I had warned you, you wouldn't have reacted naturally.” Odin laughed. “I needed you to

be believable.” “I could have pulled it off,” I huffed. Odin looked at me skeptically. “We'll see how you do on round two.” “Round two?” “Our first date.” Odin beamed. “Oh, fuck me.” I groaned. “Thank you for the offer, darling”—Odin smirked—“but I told you; I just don't love you in that way.”

Chapter Twenty

I contacted Banning with my charm, updated him on what was happening, and then went back to Alexandrite to spend the night with Declan. I would return to Coven Cay the next evening for my sham date with Odin. Both Declan and Banning were ecstatic that Odin was helping us and they were also encouraged by Gage's response. It was so strange to have them rooting for another man and me, but everything had changed when we had made love for the first time together—as in all three of us. No, the guys hadn't gone bisexual—which is just plain greedy in my opinion (being bisexual, not their staying straight)—they had bonded through the Rooster Spell; we all had. The bond had actually begun before we consummated the relationship. It had first connected us when we were fighting Banning's old gura, which happened to be just moments after the men had agreed to the union. So, I'm fairly certain that their agreement was what had forged the link. But when we had sex, the spell had fed and made our bond complete. Now, the men were at ease with each other. That didn't mean they didn't fight; they just didn't fight over being with me. And they

wanted what was best for all of us. At the moment, Declan thought that what was best for us was for me to take a dip in the Sgàthan with him. I was less certain. The last time I had gone into the fairy sea with Declan, I had been grabbed by an asrai and nearly molested. It worked out in the end—okay, that didn't sound right. What I meant to say was that meeting the asrai ended up being a good thing. I had taken some of his essence to the Human Realm in exchange for him convincing the asrai of Earth to help me find Thomas. Declan said it was nearly impossible for us to run into that particular asrai again; the odds were simply against it. Plus, a swim did sound good. I may have an affinity for fire inherited from my father, but I was also part siren, and sirens—despite their wings—loved the sea. My mother told me once that it stemmed from back in the day when the sirens had first gotten cursed, and they needed to find men to sing to. If they took a victim on land, they ran the risk of infecting numerous men and then having the survivors chase them. In the middle of the sea, a siren could pluck a sailor off a ship and sing to him as she flew away. Only one man would die, and the ships couldn't follow her fast enough. Maybe it wasn't the best way to form an affinity with the ocean, but it's the truth.

I contemplated my vicious inheritance as I stood on the moonlit shore of the Sgàthan, holding Declan's hand. The night that I'd met the asrai, Declan had held me so sweetly. I could use some of that tenderness again. But I could also use a little more than tenderness. As if Declan knew just what I was thinking, or simply sensed what I needed through our link, Declan led me into the water. When the water level reached our bare chests, he turned to me and pulled me against him. I lifted my face for his kiss, and he obliged, but he also dropped us beneath the surface so that we were floating in the ocean's embrace. Tongues and bodies twining, we stayed in that blissful cocoon until we could stand it no longer and had to surface for air. Gasping out of the water, we laughed and clung to each other. Declan's mouth immediately found mine again, and his hands slid over, and then under, my ass to lift me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and did what I had so desperately wanted to do that first night; I reached between us and slid Declan inside me. We groaned together and started making some waves with our passion. I laid back, luxuriating in the feel of Declan and the saltwater, and Declan set his mouth to my breast. As he sucked expertly, I rolled on him, and we spiraled into ecstasy together. Then we came; Declan lifted

his mouth to mine again, and we sank below the waves we'd made, to mingle our satisfied cries within our mouths. After that, we swam and relaxed on the beach between rounds of lovemaking, lounging on the shores of the Sgàthan for hours. I will never forget the taste of salt on Declan's skin or the way his body looked beneath the fairy moon. Declan had been right; this was just what we needed.

Chapter Twenty-One

I arrived early at Coven Cay and spent a few hours with Vivian before my sham-date. She offered me another spell to help Gage come around, but I couldn't do that to him. Manipulating him into confronting his feelings was bad enough; I wasn't going to break his will. Vivian nodded her approval, but then made sure that I knew the offer would remain open if I changed my mind in the future. In other words; if I became desperate enough to throw morality out the window. Which she apparently thought I would do. So, Vivian was grim-faced when Odin showed up at her door. When she saw his optimism, though, she brightened and gave him an encouraging nod. “Have a good time on your date,” Vivian wished us with a smug smile. “Admitting that I'm the better witch for the job, Viv?” Odin waggled his brows at her. “The better man for the job,” she corrected. “You have a penis; that's the only thing that makes you a better choice for this particular instance. And that's only because our Elaria is strickly-dickly.”

“She's what?” Odin's eye widened until it was nearly circular. “She only likes men,” Vivian explained smugly as she sent me a wink; she loved knowing things her fellow witches didn't. “And don't forget that I am the one who brought Gage here, to begin with.” “And I shall be the one to lead him to love.” Odin offered me his arm. “I've had my minion witches roaming the halls in search of your lost griffin. He was spotted twenty minutes ago, and the group who came across him made sure to be talking excitedly of our picnic tonight as they passed by.” “You sly dog.” I chuckled as I took his arm. “Don't hurt him, Odin,” Vivian called after us. “He will be fine,” Odin huffed. Then he muttered to me, “The boy's a griffin for fuck's sake.” “You're not planning on getting into a fight with him, are you?” I asked, suddenly concerned and uncertain who I was concerned for. “I'm not planning it, no,” he said. “But it's a possibility. Love makes men act irrationally, and the griffin has already proven himself to be volatile.” “What have I gotten myself into?” I

groaned. “It will be fine, Elaria,” Odin assured me as we headed outside the fortress. The moon was just starting to brighten the night, casting silver slivers across the channel that separated us from the Canadian shoreline. Electric lights added sparkling spots to the softer glow on the water, painting a wavering picture of the heavens. A sharp scent of salt wafted off the water, melding with that of earth and evergreen. I started to relax; I felt most at home on an island, but this was a different variety than that which I was accustomed to. Odin had a line of torches set beside our path, lighting our way to the water and leaving a fiery trail that blazed in the night. He couldn't have made it easier for Gage to find us. At the end of the path a thick, wool blanket was stretched across a grassy promontory. We had made our way around to the ocean-facing side of the island, and there was a peaceful view of a gently rolling horizon. The shushing sound of waves sliding across the shore below us became soothing background music. On the blanket, a lit lantern waited beside an oldfashioned picnic basket. “This is lovely,” I whispered. “I don't woo a woman often,” Odin smiled

fondly at me. “I wanted to have a little fun with it. How about we sit down and have a drink?” “That also sounds lovely,” I said as I sat. Odin popped the cork on a bottle of champagne and filled my glass before he brought out the rest of the basket's offerings; spreading our dinner out before us. Just because it came in a basket, it didn't mean it was simple fare. Odin had fine china plates for us, and he ladled delicate pieces of fish on them, then removed the lid from little containers of sauce and poured it over the fish. There were buttery vegetables, mashed potatoes whipped lighter than cream, and freshly baked bread to go with the fish. Finally, he poured himself a glass and clicked it to mine. He leaned forward to say, “I hear your suitor approaching. Are you ready to put on a show for him?” “How far are we taking this?” I lifted my brow in challenge and smirked. “Just far enough.” Odin sipped his champagne and nodded to the food. “We have the meal to postpone us.” “Gods forbid you had to kiss me,” I teased. “Elaria”—Odin sighed—“honestly, it would be like kissing a beloved niece. Please don't make me do it. It would probably give me nightmares.”

I laughed loudly; my merriment echoing out across the water. “If I didn't feel similarly, I would be horribly insulted,” I whispered. “How's the fish?” Odin asked in a louder tone. “I know it's your favorite.” “It's amazing,” I said with genuine appreciation. “But I don't recall mentioning to you that this was my favorite.” “You didn't,” he said smugly. “I've been watching you for years, sweetheart. I know everything about you. I've seen you grow from a child in pigtails into a beautiful woman, and I've followed your escapades across the world. I know of every job you've ever done, Elaria; the dragon factions, the harpies... I even know about the manticores.” “You do?” I asked with surprise. “That ifrit published it in his paper: Inside the Beneath.” Odin laughed. “I didn't even need subterfuge to discover that debacle.” “Jack.” I sighed. “Right; I forgot about our deal.” “You'll need a strong man watching your back,” Odin said sternly. “Manticores won't let such slaughter go. You killed an entire pride; they'll

send mercenaries after you.” “Shit,” I hissed. “Do you think that's what this might be?” “The death worm abduction?” Odin lifted his brows. “I don't know; possibly. If that's the case, it's imperative that we settle things with your Rooster Spell soon. Perhaps you could stay the night with me?” Before I could protest, Gage came striding up. “You are reprehensible,” he snarled at Odin. “First you try to win Elaria for the power it can bring you, and then you try to seduce her on your first date. What kind of man are you to treat a woman like that?” “The kind that has pined after one for over two-hundred years,” Odin said simply. “And what kind of man are you to keep interrupting another man's private interludes with a woman you've rejected?” “I didn't reject her,” Gage growled. Gage had traded his leather clothes for something more modern, and he looked amazing. The crisp, cotton dress shirt in baby blue went nicely with his golden-brown skin, and the tailored pants he'd paired it with skimmed his muscular thighs in a smooth line that just hinted at the

strength hidden beneath. His shirt cuffs were rolled up, and despite the civilized attire, he looked ready to rumble. “Yes, you did.” Odin stood to face Gage down. “And yet you keep acting as if you have a claim on Elaria. Let me explain something to you, griffin; once you've told a woman you don't want her, you're supposed to leave her be.” “I overheard some witches talking about you and your intentions toward Elaria,” Gage ground out the words. “You're using her vulnerability to prey on her.” “I may be using this situation to get my chance with her,” Odin corrected, “but I'm not trying to prey on her. I've known her since she was a little girl and I'm good friends with her father; I would never hurt Elaria.” “You're trying to seduce your friend's daughter?” Gage asked with horror. “You're fucking sick.” “I'm sick?” Odin's eyes started to glow. “We're immortals, asshole; we date around. Things like seeing a child become an adult don't deter us from being attracted to them when they're grown.” “Neither does friendship with the child's father, evidently,” Gage huffed. “Common decency demands that you stand down.”

“Stand down?” Odin chuckled. “This isn't a war, boy. If it was, you'd already be dead.” “You've obviously never seen a griffin fight.” Gage's eyes went pure green as he started forward. “Okay, that's enough!” I stood between the two men and held my arms out to separate them. “We're not starting a war tonight.” “You don't need his strength, Elaria,” Gage said. “Find someone better suited; someone who will truly care for you.” “I appreciate your concern, Gage,” I said gently, but before I could go on, Odin butted in. “I care for her more than you ever could!” “You have no idea how strongly a griffin loves!” Gage roared. “If I mated her, I'd die to protect her. She would be everything to me.” “If,” Odin said scornfully. “You don't even have a right to say 'if' anymore. You walked away, remember?” “It doesn't mean that I don't care for my intended mate!” “She isn't your intended!” Odin snapped. “If she were, you would be here with her instead of yelling at me for it.” “Destiny gave us to each other,” Gage said.

“She's mine!” “No, kid, she's not,” Odin said calmly. “You threw her away. You gave Destiny the finger. Elaria is not yours; she never will be.” “I feel her in my blood,” Gage declared. “Her scent is all I smell. Her face haunts my every waking moment and then she rules my dreams. There is nothing more certain to me than the fact that Elaria and I are meant for each other. And no matter what you say, you cannot change that.” “Nor you, evidently,” Odin observed. Gage frowned, looking from Odin's judgmental expression to my bewildered one. “No, I cannot change it,” Gage said softly. “But I am faced with a decision that will hurt me either way. Claiming her might destroy my life, but not claiming her will destroy me.” Before I could ask what he meant by that dramatic statement, my phone went off. I pulled it out of my skirt pocket and looked at the caller ID; it was my aunt, Aoide. “Aunty Aoide?” I answered, holding up a hand to the men. “Ellie, I need your help!” Aoide screeched. “Adelaid isn't answering, and I can't fend them off by myself.”

“Fend off who?” “Demons! I'm being attacked by a group of gallus, El!” she screamed. “Get down to the basement and lock yourself in!” I screamed back. “I'll be there in thirty seconds.” I hung up and fished out my travel stone. “What's happening?” Odin demanded; the wooing romantic replaced entirely by the witch elder. “Demons are attacking Aoide,” I said. “Demons?” Odin whispered in horror. “Elaria—” I didn't wait for Odin to finish; my family was in danger. I gripped the stone tightly and directed it to take me to Alexandrite. Aunt Aoide lived on an island near the Bahamas, and I needed to travel through the Veil to use my stone, so I had to go into Tír na nÓg first. Just as I started to be pulled away, Gage grabbed my hand.

Chapter Twenty-Two

“What are you doing?” I growled the question at Gage after we reformed inside Declan's bedroom. “I wasn't about to let you face demons on your own,” he said stoically. “Shit! I can't take you back now,” I huffed as I looked around. “And Declan's not here. Looks like you're going to meet the family.” I grabbed Gage's hand and took him with me to Aoide's basement. We appeared right before her, and she lurched back in surprise when she saw Gage with me, her golden-brown wings beating the air to keep her standing. “Who is this?” She asked. “Gage,” I said simply. “He's here to help. Gage, this is my Aunt Aoide.” “Hello.” “Hello,” she said, bemused now that the shock had worn off. Then a crash took our attention. “They're inside,” Aoide whispered.

“Don't worry; if worse comes to worst, I'll take you to Tír na nÓg,” I reassured her. “This is my home,” she snarled. “I'm not going anywhere. If I wanted to abandon the island, I could have flown away on my own, Elaria.” “Well said.” Gage nodded approvingly. “So, here's what we're going to do; I will force them out of the house and get them into a more open environment. Aoide, you go outside through the back, then come around to the front to lure out those who I can't force outside. We'll use a combination of stick and carrot. Elaria, you use your spellsinging to herd the demons together.” Gage started removing his shoes. Before I could ask him what that was all about, Aoide posed a more important question. “Herd them together and then what?” Aoide asked. “These are gallus; they can't be reasoned with, and they're incredibly hard to kill.” “Then I'm going to send them back to Hell.” I gave her a smug smile. Gage's eyes went wide. “Well, technically, it's Kur, the Sumerian Underworld...” Aoide's voice trailed away when she saw my expression. “But we don't have time for semantics.”

“No; we don't.” I headed for the door. “Fast like bunnies now,” I said over my shoulder. “Aoide to the back of the house, Gage to the front. And Gage, try not to trash my Aunt's furniture; there are a lot of antiques up there.” “And where are you going?” Gage asked me. He looked a little annoyed that I had stolen his thunder. That's right; Vivian had said they were the best military tacticians. He had probably thought he'd come along and direct the whole operation. “I'm going upstairs.” I opened the basement door and crept up the steps. “I need a clear line of sight to direct the magic.” We hurried out into the house; Aoide toward the back door, Gage toward the front, and I went up the stairs on our right. The sound of snarling immediately filled the house. I used it to cover my pounding footsteps, and then raced to my Aunt's bedroom; she had a balcony off the master that overlooked the meadow in front of her house. As I stepped out on the wooden planks of the balcony, I pulled out my iPod and shoved the earbuds in. I flipped through the songs quickly as Gage tumbled down the front steps, tangled around a gallus demon. Aoide had turned on all the house lights,

and golden shafts spilled from the windows, illuminating the front yard. I could clearly see the two combatants. The thing Gage was wrestling had inky skin and enormous eyes that flashed nearly as bright as Gage's acid green irises. Long claws curved in razor-sharp arches from its fingers, but Gage had a set of lethal-looking talons himself. Gage was half-shifted; snowy feathers flowed down from his temples into a lion's mane that just skimmed his widened shoulders—widened to support a pair of massive, eagle wings. Those wings wrapped forward around the gallus—caging the demon—and a terrible screeching filtered through the feathers. Another demon came striding out of the house to help his comrade, but the rest were still searching for my Aunt. Gage and the demon rolled further into the meadow as Aoide came rushing around the side of the house brandishing a sword. Aoide shouted to catch the demons' attention, and the demon who had been heading to help his friend with Gage turned about and focused on her instead. The remaining three in the house must have heard Aoide too because they came running out toward her. Gage tossed his opponent away from him, kicking him in the belly with feet that had shifted into lion paws, as his lion's tail twitched behind him aggressively. The demon went barreling into two others, but they quickly scrambled to their feet.

All of this happened as the music began to play in my ears; Dorothy's “Raise Hell.” Declan wasn't there, so I was going to have to send these demons home myself. I didn't know how to open a portal on my own, but I knew how to call Hell to me. I'd brought several types of hell to Tír na nÓg once. I was hoping I could do it here too, and use those pieces of Hell to suck these bastards back to where they belonged. Yeah, it was only a theory, but desperate times and all that. The thumping drums and grinding, screeching guitars filled my blood with strength and lifted my magic to fill my throat. My shoulders rolled, and my feet started stomping the boards— left then right, in a steady rhythm—as I was pulled immediately into the power of music and magic. My voice rumbled out over the battle, and everyone went still and stared up at me. The lyrics were the kind that grabbed you by the gut and turned you into a puppet; incapable of doing anything but dancing to its tune. And I was the puppet master; I held my hands out to the gallus and pulled their strings. The demons gaped up at me like I was far more than that; I had become their dark goddess. They gathered at the base of the balcony; massive jaws hanging open, toxic saliva dripping down their chins, and burning eyes focused intently on me as they listened.

Oh yeah; I was singing their song. The lyrics spoke directly to their black hearts; urging them to bring all of their malice to the surface and be what they were born to be. I told them they were just what I needed; evil incarnate, calamity and chaos taken form. Together we could do great and disastrous things. Come to me, my little demons, and I will lead you to the promised land—a world full of sweet souls for you to harvest. I screeched and groaned my commandments to them, and it was just what they wanted to hear. Demons are minions at heart; they need a leader to direct their nefarious inclinations. Someone had abandoned them there and given them only one purpose; to kill Aoide. But I was offering them more; an entire battle instead of just an assassination. I offered them an apocalypse. The demons started to growl with anticipation, their claws clicking in time to the beat I pounded out with my feet and fists. The drums of war were calling to them, and they were ready to march. Gage drew away from the gallus demons in amazement, his body slowly shifting back to what it had been before—though his new clothes were toast, hanging from him in shreds. Aoide stood beside him and smiled, her wings folded back serenely. She cast Gage a smug look and said something that had his eyes widening even further. But Gage didn't remove his gaze from me. He

stared fixedly as I opened my arms and sent the magic of my song through the realms to touch Kur itself. I pulled on that hell, using the connection the demons already had with their home to draw them back together. Everything in its place, just as the Universe (and Odin) preferred. The bond flared to life immediately. It turned out that it was easier to send something back to where it belonged than to call it forth. The meadow shifted under the gallus demons' feet. The grass yellowed and shriveled, dirt showing through in patches, and the scent of dust wafted up to me. It was bleak, but Aoide had been right; it wasn't Hell exactly. In fact, it must have been day in Kur because the patch of land, and even the air above it, was brighter than the the rest of the half-lit yard. This was the dismal afterlife the gallus demons inhabited, but as evil as they were, they weren't the only beings in the realm. They were part of a balanced environment, and they were needed to maintain that equilibrium—which they instinctively knew. When the demons stood on their own soil again, their shoulders sagged in relief. The prospect of harvesting souls had been tempting, but when it came down to it; there's no place like home. How perfect was it that I was singing a Dorothy song?

I lifted a fist to the demons in unity and salute, discharging them from my army honorably, and they closed their deadly claws to respond in kind. Fiery eyes dulled down to embers as the demons settled together and bowed respectfully to me. I nodded back, and used the last line of the song to send them home. I was done raising Hell; at least for today.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Gage and Aoide met me at the bottom of the stairs. Aoide ran into my arms and hugged me tightly. “Thank you, Ellie,” she whispered. “You saved me and my home.” She let me go and hugged Gage. “Thank you too, Gage. You were wonderful, and I love your wings.” “It was impressive,” I agreed. “That's an interesting half-form you've got, griffin. Now I know why you needed to remove your shoes.” “I liked the shoes... as I did my new clothing.” He sighed as he shed the useless shirt— and I may have sighed too, but for an entirely different reason. At least his pants were holding together where they needed to. “As far as the halfform, it's just one of many; griffins can choose which parts they alter.” He waved it away like it was minor. “But what you did... I've never seen anything like that.” “Of course you haven't.” Aoide laughed. “My niece is a spellsinger, don't you know that? There are only six spellsingers in existence, and Elaria is the most powerful of them all.”

My eyes widened over Aoide's praise. I had never considered that I might be more powerful than the other spellsingers. Did they suspect it too? Would it impact my relationships with them? I couldn't see them reacting well to the news that the youngest of their number had surpassed them all in power. “He knows,” I said softly. “Gage just hasn't seen me in action before.” “They bowed to you,” Gage shook his head in wonder. “Demons... gallus demons. They are barely above animals in reasoning.” “Which is probably why my spell worked so well on them,” I noted. “But that's not what we should be focusing on.” “What then?” Aoide asked as Gage frowned in consideration. “How they got here in the first place,” Gage said for me. “It looks like our monster kidnapper is branching out.” “Monster kidnapper?” Aoide asked. “Gage is visiting from Torr-Chathair,” I explained. “Someone went into his realm, stole some olgoi khorkhoi, and then set them loose in Las Vegas. He's here to investigate the theft.” “What?”

Aoide's

expression

turned

horrified. “Why would anyone want to do that? And even if they wanted to, how would they accomplish it?” “I imagine that they lured the worms through a portal somehow.” I shrugged. “The why of it is starting to concern me more than the how. And if they aren't restricting themselves to TorrChathair, we have an even greater problem on our hands.” “Could be that they were trying to lead us off course; get the other griffins to relax their guard on Torr-Chathair so they can abduct more monsters,” Gage suggested with a pensive look. “We'll have to see what they do next.” “I'm hoping to stop them before they strike again. But if you're right, then we'll have more monsters to look forward to meeting.” I sighed deeply. “Can you two help me search the island for any clues this person may have left behind?” “Of course,” Aoide said. “That's kind of my job,” Gage added. “Thank you.” “I'll take the house since I know what was here, to begin with. But first, I'll grab you some flashlights to use outside.” Aoide headed off to fetch the flashlights, leaving Gage and me alone briefly.

“Elaria,” Gage murmured, “I...” “Let's just get this done, okay?” I suggested gently. “Then we can talk.” “Okay,” he agreed. Aoide returned with the flashlights, and we split up to search the island, but it didn't take us long to find the clue. It had obviously been left for us. After I found it, I went back and rounded up the other two. I led them down to a spot near the beach, where a giant boulder sat to one side of the path. I directed my flashlight to boulder, revealing a message written in blue paint: Judgment be upon you. We stared at the rock silently, then I looked to Aoide in question. “I haven't pissed off anyone recently.” Aoide shrugged. “I haven't even killed someone in the last century.” “Fuck,” I growled. “First Cerberus and now you; this has to be about me. My friends and family are being targeted.” “I'm going to call the spellsingers,” Aoide said decisively. “No!” I nearly screeched. She gave me a startled look. “They're still mad at me,” my tone may

have been a little petulant. “And then there's the issue of my power. What if it makes them even angrier?” “Elaria, you're family; they'll get over it.” Aoide rolled her eyes. “Let me handle this on my own for now,” I cajoled. “If I need more help, I'll call them myself.” Aoide stared hard at me as Gage watched us both curiously. Finally, Aoide nodded. “We all need help sometimes, Elaria,” Aoide said. “No one is omnipotent; not even the gods.” “I know,” I said with relief, “and I do have help, Aunt Aoide.” I waved my hand toward Gage. “We also have the Coven assisting us.” “All right,” she relented. “But be careful, Elaria. Anyone who can herd demons across the Veil is not someone to trifle with.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

I took Gage back to Coven Cay via Alexandrite again. There was still no sign of Declan when we made a pit stop in his chambers. But that wasn't odd; he had a kingdom to run and couldn't laze about in his bedroom all day. I was a little relieved that he wasn't there, actually. I wasn't ready for Declan to confront Gage; I'd already had a long night, and I just wanted to decompress. “What have you done that has prompted someone to seek justice in such a manner?” Gage asked as soon as we were back on the witch's island. “So many things,” I whispered. “Like killing a pride of manticores?” He asked. “How long were you standing there listening to Odin and me?” I shot back, already knowing the answer but curious whether he would be honest with me. “Awhile,” he admitted. “I needed to know whether he was genuine or not.” “You don't think Odin the Oathbreaker is

genuine?” I asked with teasing sarcasm. “If I can't be with you, I want you to have someone of worth,” he whispered. “Wow, that was a punch in the gut.” I turned on my heels and started to walk away from him. “Elaria, please.” Gage grabbed my hand and stopped me. “Try to understand that this is killing me.” My shoulders slumped, and I suddenly felt horrible. This wasn't Gage's fault. He was a griffin; it was in his nature to want one mate for the rest of his life. And I had taken that away from him; the Rooster Spell and I. Damn it all, I should have killed Thomas more slowly... or maybe more quickly. But the vengeance hadn't been mine alone; I had to let the sirens take their piece. But now I was starting to realize that by giving them justice, I may have damned the men I loved, along with myself. “I do understand,” I said as I turned back to him. “I really do. I don't hold any ill will towards you, Gage. In fact, I'm grateful that you came with me tonight. I'm even touched by your desire to see me with a good man. It was just a bit hard to hear... especially when you're shirtless.” I gave him a little grin.

I paused, wanting to ease Gage emotionally closer to me, but also wanting what was best for him. Should I manipulate him until he gave in? Was it better for him to be with his mate than alone? I believed that the spell would dull his alpha tendencies once we bonded, but I wasn't completely sure. Would Gage suffer more, having to share me, than he would if he gave me up and tried to exist on his own? I just didn't know, and I had grown to care enough about him that I didn't want to manipulate him anymore. It left a sour feeling in my stomach. I'd probably change my mind in a few hours—matters of the heart could make me so fickle—but for now, I was ready to walk away and give Gage his freedom. “But if you want to let me go, then you need to commit to it. You need to relinquish your hold on me, Gage,” I said firmly. “Let go completely. Because this uncertainty is hurting us both.” “All right, Elaria”—Gage's expression fell into sorrowful lines—“I'll leave you be.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

It was late at night in Kansas, but that was the equivalent to midday for Banning's gura. They were up and about, filling the country club with the sound of conversation and laughter. Things were so much better there now that the ax that had been hanging over Banning's head was gone. He'd once been hunted by the European Falca for killing his old gheara, but that had all been forgiven now. Why King Sorin would think that Banning would want to go up against all of the Falcas, not just the European one, right after he had made nice with them, was beyond me. But I suppose that when you lived your life as Sorin had, power became something to collect—and the collection is never complete. Banning wasn't like his blooded father; a fact that you'd think King Sorin would have learned by now. But Sorin was tenacious, as most blooders are, and I knew he'd keep trying to hand over his crown to Banning until he was forced to stop. It didn't matter, though; whatever Sorin did, it would never be enough to manipulate Banning into returning to Romania. I think Banning's gura knew this too; they had a bond with their gheara that

most gura's didn't. Banning had gone against the norm and formed a family by tying his blooders to him with love and respect instead of the fear and ferocity that most ghearas employed. In my opinion, this made his gura stronger than any on Earth; even the one Sorin was forming in Romania. Because Banning's blooders would never desert him. The blooders of Lawrence, Kansas were more than content, they were happy. Their gheara was not. “A blooder wouldn't be strong enough to do this,” Banning pointed out in agitation. “So, it can't be a blooder from my old gura.” “Banning, stop.” I laid a hand on his arm. “Let's leave this for another day; I'm just too tired.” “All right, Ellie.” He pulled me into a hug. “But we're going to find this asshole and kill him.” “Yes, Ban; we are.” “And we're going to get that stupid griffin to accept you as you are,” he added. I stayed quiet. “El?” Banning eased back to look down at me. “Gage went with you tonight; that's huge. He wants you, and he cares about you; he's just fighting the details.” “I know,” I whispered, “but I don't want

him if he's going to be unhappy.” “Elaria, this is about your life,” Banning hissed. “I don't give a fuck whether the bird is unhappy or not.” “But I do,” I said gently. “I want all of you to be happy with me; otherwise, what's the point?” “The point is that we love you, and sometimes love is hard—it requires compromise,” he growled. “There are times when you have to sacrifice for it, and times when it will make you miserable. But—like all the best things in life—it's worth it. There will be moments of sublime happiness that make up for the suffering. In fact, you cannot have one without the other; they would both pale into insignificance.” “That's true... your truth, Banning,” I said. “Gage's truth may be different.” “Truth is truth.” Banning shook his head. “I didn't make it up. If Gage gives up on you, he will look back on his decision and hate himself for it. That is the truth.” “Perhaps,” I said evasively. “You just need some rest,” he said. “Come with me.” Banning led me downstairs to his private suite. “We're going to take a hot bath together, I'm going to give you a massage, and then you're going to sleep.”

“Yes, sir.” I gave him a salute. There ended up being one more step between the massage and sleep. It wasn't exactly relaxing and took us hours to complete, but once we did come to our mutual, screaming conclusions, we fell into dreams quickly, within each other's arms.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Banning was right; I just needed some rest. Things looked better in the morning, less dismal. Then Declan called and invited us to join him in Alexandrite. He said he had something to show us. I'd contacted Declan the night before with my charm and filled him in on what had happened. I had mentioned that I'd stopped by Alexandrite twice, but he hadn't been in his chambers, and I didn't have the time to look for him. Declan said that he had been out of his kingdom entirely—so he wasn't upset that I hadn't tried to find him—but he didn't say why he had been out of his kingdom until Banning and I arrived in Alexandrite. “I've been negotiating with the kyanite nobles,” Declan declared with a smirk. “Negotiating?” I scowled at him. “Declan, what have you done?” “You deserve a chance to connect with the kingdom,” Declan coaxed. “A shining one royal would be drawn to their kingdom, where they would connect with the land and claim it, but I believe it's different for you. You weren't born royal or a fairy, so the land isn't calling to you, and

without an invitation, you technically can't try to connect with it.” “Without an invitation from the land?” I asked with lifted brows. “Yes, but in the instance that the land is ignorant, the nobles would be next in line,” Declan explained. “Not that there is precedence; this is simply what was decided in the meeting I had with the kyanite nobility.” “You took a meeting concerning me, without me?” I growled. “It was better that you weren't involved,” he said gently. “Things got heated, and I had to get firm with them.” “As if that ever takes you long.” Banning chuckled. “Banning, do you recall our talk where I instructed you to speak carefully in regards to me?” Declan gave Banning a beleaguered look. “Too gay for you again?” Banning lifted a brow in challenge. “You shouldn't have told him that it bothers you.” I shook my head at Declan. “Now, he's never going to stop.” “I'm secure enough in my sexuality to talk about how long it takes another man to get it up.”

Banning shrugged. “You feeling threatened, Declan? Maybe it's those fairy tendencies; the king doth protest too much, methinks.” “Fine, Banning”—Declan threw his hands up—“go ahead and extol my manhood all you wish. I wasn't the one sounding as if I were interested in another man's cock.” “Okay, that's enough from the cock collective,” I declared. Yeah, I just wanted to say 'cock,' I admit it. “Et tu, Brute?” Declan moaned. “Tell me what you did, Declan,” I said pointedly. “The kyanite nobles have invited you to walk the kingdom.” Declan beamed at me. “Walk the kingdom?” I asked dryly. “So, after I told you that I didn't have time to claim a fucking Shining One kingdom, you went and set me up to claim a fucking Shining One kingdom?” “That's a lot of fucking,” Banning murmured. “But then again, it's a kingdom full of fairies. So, yeah; valid.” “Elaria”—Declan deflated—“you could use all the strength you can get, and a whole kingdom can offer you a lot of strength.” “I'm not about to march a fairy army into

the Human Realm to guard my loved ones,” I huffed. “That's overkill.” “I'm not talking about their army, Ellie,” Declan's smile returned. “I'm talking about you establishing a link to the source of kyanite in Tír na nÓg. As I can reach for the power of Alexandrite whenever I wish, no matter the realm I'm in; you too would be able to access Kyanite's magic without limitations.” “The power of communication and psychic ability,” Banning whispered. “Fuck; imagine how powerful you'd become, sweetheart.” “If it's even a fraction of what I had with the relic, it's too much,” I protested, but a part of me was sitting up and fist-pumping. “I nearly lost myself to the witch relic.” “But the relic wouldn't be in control this time,” Declan pointed out, “you would be.” “I'm going with Declan on this one,” Banning said. “I think you should at least give it a try. Maybe you won't connect with Kyanite, but if you do, it means that the relic did intend for you to rule.” “Well, look at the blooder figuring out Shining One politics,” Declan chuckled. “Nicely said, Declan.” “Was that a compliment or an insult?”

Banning asked me. “I have no idea,” I said dryly. “Fucking fairies.” “Fucking fairies,” Banning agreed. “Yes; I am a mystery.” Declan rolled his eyes. “Now, will you accompany such a mysterious man into Kyanite and possibly become the queen you were meant to be?” “I suppose.” I sighed. Declan smiled brilliantly.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The Kyanite Kingdom was one of the warmer Shining One lands. The wilderness around the developed areas was more jungle than forest, with vine-wrapped trees and large blooms in vibrant colors. The air was more humid than in Alexandrite, but just barely, and it was perfumed heavily with blossoming flowers, rich soil, and ripe fruit. Although it was right beside Alexandrite, it didn't touch the Sgàthan Sea; Alexandrite was the only kingdom that did. Instead, Kyanite ended in the Primeval; the ancient forest that surrounded the Shining One kingdoms. You could see a distinct difference in the trees of Kyanite versus the Primeval, and it created an obvious border. The most obvious change was the color; Kyanite's trees bore leaves of a more emerald green, where the Primeval's went a few shades lighter. But the Primeval trees were also tremendous in size; they soared above the jungle of Kyanite—a looming warning that the kingdom went no further, and neither should you. As soon as our carriage rolled onto Kyanite soil, I began to feel a tickle in my throat. The further in we went, the stronger the tickle became

until it turned into a shiver and spread throughout my entire body. I closed my eyes and tried to breathe through the odd sensation. I felt like a guitar whose strings had just been strongly strummed; the vibration of sound coursing through me. “Elaria?” Declan asked in concern. “Do you want me to stop the carriage?” I just nodded, unable to speak. Declan pounded on the carriage roof, and the conveyance rolled to a stop. Banning helped me out onto the packed dirt road, but I let go of him immediately, to wander into the velvety grass edging the path. I fell forward knees and then leaned onto my hands, hanging my head and breathing deeply. The clean scent of wet, crushed grass sharpened my senses. There was something just beneath me, pulsing with life. I needed to reach it; to touch it. I dug my fingers into the soil and focused on finding that living energy. A jolt rushed up my arms, straight to the sliver of kyanite in my throat. I gasped around the choking power and tried to push it down with a more solid breath. Tingling heat burst downward, into my belly, and then out to my limbs, as my inner sight filled with a deep, clear blue. I was suddenly at peace, but it only lasted a moment before the magic took over again. Every cell in my body

seemed to wake from slumber. It felt a lot like it had when I first put on the relic, but this time, the energy went further—deeper. This magic wasn't using me as an avatar; it was bargaining with me for an alliance. Its message was vibrantly clear; Together, we can accomplish great things. I could share in its magic if I shared mine. I wondered if this were how it was with other shining one monarchs, and as soon as the thought entered my mind, it was answered. No; other monarchs were born with gemstone magic, I was not. I may have kyanite within me now, but it was witch magic, not shining one. I had power and a connection to the stone; basically, I had an introduction. But to get access to the massive amount of magic that Kyanite held, I had to offer it something in return. And it just so happened that I had something Kyanite wanted. I got to my feet slowly and lifted my head as I welcomed the gemstone's energy further into me, deep inside my chest, where we could share our magic forever. Once that decision was made, it seemed as if everything else came easier. Cerulean light collected around my heart and strengthened the magic that was already there. My spellsinging merged with Kyanite in a brilliant burst of white that blinded me momentarily. Then my vision went awash with gold and blue; a pulsing fist of power with streams of light bleeding off it. The fist

opened, and the merged magic launched itself upward; rushing out of my throat like a tidal wave. I didn't choose the song; Kyanite did. It knew what we would be to each other and pulled the perfect music from my mind. “Legendary” by Welshly Arms; a powerful, slow roll that I could hear inside me, even without my iPod playing. I sang a capella, the melody thudding like a heartbeat inside my head... and then the sound seeped out. As I sang the words that cemented my bond to Kyanite, the music burst into being around me; Kyanite's part of our duet. The hypnotic sound pulsed outward from my heart as if I had become a speaker or possibly an antenna; a doorway for the music to pass through. This was what Kyanite had craved; a way to communicate to more than its monarch. Kyanite simply wanted to be heard. My voice rang out across the kingdom with Kyanite's music and power amplifying it. We'd been searching for each other—Kyanite and I—and we hadn't even known it. We were a different type of soul mates; two pieces that fit together perfectly and formed something better than its parts. Together, we would rise; our power becoming the stuff of legends. Our song was a challenge or maybe even a warning. The words seemed to seep into the very air and the soil beneath my feet. Music and magic trembled through every blade of

grass, every rock and creature in Kyanite, and they all became mine as I became theirs. I heard the stone's voice then; a deep, masculine rumble lifting in harmony with mine, and our magic merged even further until I couldn't tell one from the other. My soul seeped into the stones, and the jewel saturated me; Kyanite sang, and my blood turned goldenblue. When the last words trembled from my mouth, and the final strains faded from the sky, I turned my gaze back to my lovers. They stood just a few feet away from me, staring at me in rapt wonder. The shining one knights who had joined us for the journey had dismounted and stood with bent heads, reverently silent. Beyond them, there was a crowd of fairies on their knees, faces filled with adoration. I walked past Declan and Banning, the jewel dust in my blood driving me to go to the people of Kyanite—my people. I didn't say a thing, just lifted my hands to bring them to their feet, and then reached for them. They came forward one by one, to touch my hand and reconnect with their allied stone. This ritual is imperative to your rule, Kyanite whispered in my mind. You must prove that you have the preeminent connection to me; that through you, they may commune with me. You are

the path to their magic, and if they betray or abandon you, my guidance will be lost to them as well... as it has been these many years. I have given them a new queen, and they must be assured that you are she. A Queen... I was a true Queen of Tír na nÓg. “Thank you for coming to welcome me,” I finally said to my people. “If there are others who wish to hear Kyanite again, I'll be receiving fealty at the castle.” The kyanite shining ones eased off the road, and our knights mounted. Declan and Banning helped me into the carriage and kept their mouths shut until we were moving along once more; headed straight to Kyanite Castle. “What the fuck just happened?” Banning nearly screeched. “She forged a bond with Kyanite,” Declan answered with wide eyes. “But the music... Elaria, I've never seen such a thing... never heard it before. Tell me, did the stone speak to you?” “Speak to me?” I asked in surprise. “Didn't you hear it sing with me? We've merged magic; it's a symbiotic relationship.” “Yes, all royalty have such a relationship with their gems,” Declan agreed. “But Shining

Ones don't have magic to share with their stones— at least not any that go beyond what our jewels already possess.” I smiled serenely; Declan was quickly figuring out what I already knew. “You gave the jewel a new power,” Banning whispered. “Fuck, that's where the male voice came from.” “You did hear it?” I asked them. “We did,” Declan confirmed. “I think the whole fucking kingdom heard it.” “Well, it was loud, but it wasn't that... oh.” Banning blinked as Declan's words became clear. “You think that the music was broadcast over the entire kingdom?” “It came out of thin air,” Declan huffed. “Why would it limit itself to the one spot we stood in? I'm certain that Kyanite used the opportunity to declare that a new queen has just been crowned.” “Which explains that,” I whispered as I pointed out the window. Shining ones lined the road, and they bowed as our carriage passed by. I glanced behind us and saw them fall into line, following us to the glimmering blue castle up ahead. But before we reached the castle, we had to pass through the

kyanite gardens. Just as with every other shining one stronghold I'd been to, Kyanite Castle had a thick line of land surrounding its main grounds that was full of statues. Every kingdom had guardian statues carved out of their allied stone, and there was only one path through them; a direct course to the castle that was narrow enough for the magic to cross, forming a complete ward. Kyanite's gardens were just as grand as those of the other kingdoms I'd been to; with elaborate statues of creatures, fairies, and abstract forms carved into numerous styles and sizes. Most were quite large. This was necessary, as they were empowered to protect the castle; their magic could be called upon by the ruling monarch in times of need. Even if they'd been covered in vines or mounds of dirt, I would have known that the statues were there. A rush of energy swept out from the stones as we neared and filled me with power. I breathed in deeply, letting the magic touch me and verify that I was its new queen and I had more right to be there than anyone else. I hummed softly in happiness, and the thrumming note flowed out from me and rang through the kyanite statues. I felt the vibration flow around the circle and back to me. I had tuned them to my pitch. Satisfied that the gardens were mine, I transferred my attention to the sparkling walls of

Kyanite Castle. They looked slick but also striated; the polishing process hadn't removed the look of the layered stone, merely given a better window into the heart of the jewel. Thin lines of glittering cerulean, turquoise, and cornflower blue came to life against a deep indigo background. The lines drew the eye upward, toward sheer towers topped with teardrop-shaped structures, like delicate scepters. The thin towers appeared to be an architectural impossibility, with delicate walkways dangling between their over-sized rooms to give the whole construction a precarious feel. I knew that most Shining One castles were fortified with denser, foundation stones, but it was hard to tell with this particular palace. What with the color and the shape of those tower tops, the Kyanite Castle seemed to be an artist's rendition of falling rain. The base of the castle was roughly circular, but the shape was slightly amorphous; with curving details that flowed out and in with sinuous lines. Center-front, about halfway up the castle walls, there was a balcony that stretched back into a courtyard. I could just barely catch a glimpse of greenery, so perhaps the courtyard was also a garden. At the moment, it was difficult to see past the Shining Ones who lined the railing, waving swaths of silk and casting flowers towards our carriage. The pale petals rained down from some of the upper windows too, drawing my eye toward

sloping rooftops, and filigree ramparts. What wasn't kyanite was gold, and the color combination made me shiver; it was the same as my newly combined magics. What were the chances of that? “It's magnificent,” Banning murmured as we pulled up to the front steps. “The most magical looking castle I've ever seen.” “Indeed,” Declan said with a note of pride. “I knew the relic wasn't finished bestowing its gifts upon you, Elaria. Once a queen, always a queen.” “Thank you, Declan,” I said softly. “I wouldn't have pursued this without you pushing me into it. Normally, I'd be pissed about that, but in this one instance, you did good. So, thank you.” “You're welcome, Your Majesty.” Declan took my hand, bowed over it, and then kissed it. “Care to meet your court?” “I think it's time that I did.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The kyanite nobility met us on the castle steps, bowing deeply to me as soon as I exited the coach. They had indeed heard the music, as all of Kyanite had, and they didn't need to touch my hand to know that I was their queen. But they did. They all did. I received some questionable looks, but most of the nobles hid any contempt they might have for me beneath serene acceptance. My entourage and I were led into a throne room with soaring ceilings of quartz, cross-beamed with pale wood. Carved designs of ethereal swirls and flowers in the beams and furnishings, added a lightness to the decor that felt decidedly feminine. “Has there ever been a kyanite king?” I wondered. “Never,” my steward, William, confirmed. “Kyanite has always drawn women rulers.” The jewel magic vibrated in my blood with those words, confirming the truth of them. Kyanite had a thing for the ladies. Go figure. Before anything else was done, I was physically crowned; the nobles insisted on it. The highest ranking of them—Duke Kieran—placed the

kyanite crown on my head and named me Queen Elaria of Kyanite. The crown was as feminine as the castle; a gold band holding shards of polished kyanite among swirled, filigree settings. After I was crowned, I sat in an elaborate kyanite and gold throne, cushioned with white velvet, feeling a bit like the Madonna (Christ's mom, not the singer), as a line of shining ones came up to declare fealty to me. Not only were the colors reminiscent of the holy mother, but each fairy held my hand reverently and kissed it like I was sacred. It was a long process, but a necessary one. When it was over, I felt as if I were connected; not only to the stone but to all of the fairies the stone was aligned with. A little daunting. While the fairy fealty declarations proceeded, proclamations/invitations were sent to all of the other kingdoms. Some of the monarchs had already responded, and I was informed that several of them would be joining us at the celebration feast the following evening. My eyes went round at that. Shining Ones moved fast. “The announcements and celebration are traditional, Your Majesty,” William said with concern when he saw my expression. “They are the final step to claiming your kingdom. But we can forgo the feast if you wish it. I understand that you are not on the friendliest of terms with all of the

kingdoms.” “No; it's fine, Darren.” I waved away his worry. “This has just happened faster than I expected. I wasn't prepared to even spend the night, much less take over the kingdom.” “We can provide anything you require, my Queen; be it clothing, cosmetics, or jewels. We are at your disposal, and your consorts will also be provided for.” “Consorts, eh?” Banning chuckled. “That's what we are until she marries us,” Declan muttered to him. Until? Holy Hades, I hadn't even considered the prospect of marriage—to two men. My heart started to race, and then I thought about committing myself to Banning and Declan. I instantly calmed; there was nothing scary about legally binding myself to men I was already magically bound to. “As far as the feast, the nobility feel more at ease after the other kingdoms acknowledge a new royal,” William explained. “It's a good sign that so many of them have responded in the affirmative.” I shared a look with Banning and Declan before I asked casually, “Did the Onyx King respond?”

“No, Your Majesty.” My heart sank. “Shall I have him contacted again?” “No; leave him be,” I said tiredly. “He knows, and that is enough.” “Let's hope that it is,” Declan murmured. “Tonight, we will have a private feast in your honor,” William went on. “I've had the royal chambers prepared for you as you received fealty. There are suites for your consorts as well, connected to your chambers. Shall I show you to them?” “I think I'd like to take a tour of the castle first,” I said. “I need to stretch my legs after such a long time sitting.” “As you wish, Your Majesty.” William bowed. “This way.” “If I may, Your Majesty?” Duke Kieran stepped into our path and bowed. “I would be honored to show you around the castle.” William looked to me. “That would free up our steward,” I agreed. “I'm sure you have other things you need to attend to, William.” “Indeed, Your Majesty.” William nodded.

“Thank you, Duke Kieran.” William headed off, and I looked Kieran over. His dark-blond hair was swept back from his pale face, but the ends only reached his earlobes, making the style much shorter than that worn by most shining one males. Kieran was of the usual stature, though; trim but athletic and graceful. His features were of the delicate male variety; a young girl's idea of Prince Charming. He looked like a fairy Ken doll. Except for his eyes; they had a ferocity to them that turned their deep sea color into something harder, more solid. “I wish I could have seen you sing with Kyanite,” Kieran lamented as we started to walk. “I've heard that it was wondrous to behold.” “Breathtaking,” Declan confirmed. “A type of magic rarely seen in our realm.” “You were right, King Declan,” Kieran admitted with a slanted look over his shoulder, “Queen Elaria is a powerful woman and a stunning beauty. I have great hopes for the future of our kingdom.” “I had no idea that attractiveness had anything to do with running a kingdom,” I spoke a little snidely; annoyed that Kieran was laying it on so thick. “Of course it does,” Kieran surprised me by

saying. He even looked at me in shock. “We are Shining Ones; we respect power, intelligence, and beauty. A fairy must be all of those things to even be considered by a jewel for rulership.” I looked toward Declan with wide eyes, and he nodded. “Elaria,” Declan purred, “have you seen an ugly shining one monarch?” “I don't think I've seen an ugly fairy— period,” I huffed. “True, but our kings and queens are especially striking.” Declan waved a hand at himself and smirked. “Don't you agree?” “You're incorrigible,” I chided but gave him a kiss because he was just so damn cute. “And handsome,” Declan added. “And handsome,” I agreed. “I would have said pretty, but whatever,” Banning inserted with a grin. “There you go with that gay talk again.” Declan rolled his eyes. “I'm starting to worry about you.” Kieran watched us with avid curiosity. “Is it true that you're searching for a third consort, Your Majesty?”

Oh, so that's what he was after. “It is,” I confirmed with a little smile, and cast a look at my men. They rolled their eyes together. “That is exciting news indeed.” Kieran smiled with satisfaction and began leading us through the castle again. “You've been the one in charge of Kyanite since the last queen passed away?” I declared it more than asked. “That's correct,” Kieran murmured. “Thank you for your service, Duke Kieran,” I said. “I will be relying on you to help me learn about the kingdom.” “It would be my pleasure, Your Majesty.” Kieran beamed. Declan and Banning rolled their eyes again. Kieran took us past several common rooms which were used for socializing, introducing me to people even though I'd already met them when they swore fealty. I was actually grateful for this; I didn't remember anyone's name. How could I? There had been hundreds of them, and those were just the courtiers and nearby populace. I was told that even more kyanite fairies would be making the journey to the castle to swear fealty to me. Tomorrow

would be a long day of having my hand—and probably a little of my ass—kissed. I was hoping one of the things they could supply me with was lotion... for my hands, not my ass. Kieran showed us the dining hall, where the feast would be taking place. I'd already seen the throne room, so we skipped that, but he took us through the kitchens, the armory, and the barracks. The knights—my knights—all came to attention when I entered the room. It was a bit overwhelming. No wonder all the shining one kings I'd met had been so arrogant; how could you not be with this kind of adoration? Then Kieran took us out to the courtyard I'd spotted from the road. It was indeed a garden, with massive stone planters with trees, flowers, and assorted foliage growing in a meticulously trimmed manner. Paths were defined by these planters, which curved in places and went straight in others, leaving only the walking lanes and a space near the railing free of greenery. There were several spots to sit and enjoy the fragrant breeze and even a gurgling fountain at one end. The balcony garden freed up space around the castle for fruit and vegetable gardens, as well as a training field behind the barracks. I could glimpse a little of the field from the garden railing, but it was too far away for the

sounds of sword and shield to interfere with the peace of the gardens. Instead, the only sounds in the garden were the soft bubbling of the fountain, the chirping of birds, and the occasional cry of an animal from the jungle beyond the gates. Kyanite's soundtrack was subtly different from the other kingdoms. Fey creatures roamed freely in Tír na nÓg, but some animals did better in certain environments, and they tended to stay in the area that suited them best. When I noted the unusual calls and roars echoing in from the jungle, Kieran launched into a list of our local fauna. We had predator cats, assorted primates, all sorts of reptiles; from frogs to snakes, and a slew of exotic birds. There were no deer or other hooved animals with exception to the livestock fairy farmers raised. After the extensive tour, Kieran showed us to our chambers. I expected to have the entire top floor of the castle for myself and my favored guests —as I'd seen in other castles. But Kyanite was a little different. The highest level was at the top of the central tower—in one of those teardrop-shaped things (I have no idea what you call an architectural feature on top of a tower, so sue me). Kieran led us to a door in the heart of the castle, guarded by two of my knights, and shocked the hell out of me when he opened it to reveal an elevator. “I'm sorry, but is that an elevator?” I asked

him. “The tower can be accessed by a staircase that curves around the elevator as well,” Kieran said, “but it's a long climb, and I wouldn't recommend it.” “I believe Her Majesty is simply shocked to find a human feature built into a shining one castle,” Declan explained. “Ah.” Kieran grinned. “Yes, we Shining Ones like certain human inventions, and this is one of them. After you, Your Majesties.” We all piled in and were zipped up to the top. The teardrop consisted of several levels of rooms. There was a living area on the first floor, with a dining room and kitchen. The latter was so that my chefs wouldn't have to worry about my food getting cold by the time it hit my table. On this level, there were also bridges extending out to some of the other teardrop towers. I could see them through the floor to ceiling windows that surrounded the entire level. There was a stone balcony beyond the windows, and then the bridges —which thankfully appeared to be much sturdier from that proximity. Kieran explained that the towers connected to this floor were reserved for close friends or honored guests, but my consorts would have the

family towers which connected to the top level of my suite, where my bedroom was. The levels of my chambers were connected by your standard stairs instead of another elevator. A curving glass and wood staircase went up through the center of the whole place. We took it to the second floor, where my private library, music room (loved that!), and sitting room were placed like the slices of a pie, and then went up to the top and final floor. The railing curved up to half-encircle the open stairwell on this top floor, and the stairs took us out onto a kyanite platform. Then it was just a step out onto the dark, mahogany floor of the massive bedroom. The walls were windows, just like the bottom floor, but they were covered in places by lengths of white silk. The silk flowed down from a central, gold medallion set into the teardrop peak, draping loosely over the carved, pale wood that paneled the ceiling and swirling around cross-beams into the gathered sections that bisected the window/walls. The bed was enormous and made of the same pale wood as the ceiling. It had four posters and was carved to the point of fragility. I was worried that it wouldn't hold up under pressure, as it were. I could be rough on my beds. “I'll show your consorts to their chambers while you settle in, Your Majesty,” Kieran said

before leading the men out onto the balcony and across one of the bridges. I wandered around the open space, hands trailing over items absently. There was a gold vanity set on a platform like a throne, with a three-sided, gold-framed mirror set on the floor behind it to rise nearly the entire length of the wall behind it. Cosmetics, perfumes, and beauty tools were lined neatly on the surface of the vanity. Just to the side of this beauty altar, a pale wood armoire stretched ten feet long, with four sets of doors. It was full of gowns in my size. Coming around the curve of the room, I next arrived at a sitting area with a fur rug, crystal tables, and enough throw pillows to launch a pillow war. I headed past it toward the only opaque wall in the place; the bed was set up against it. There was a door to the left of the bed, and I went through it to find a bathroom fit for a goddess. The view was amazing from up there, and whoever had designed this bathroom, made sure to place the monstrous tub at the best spot to take advantage of it. It was set in a raised platform, so that once you were laying within the tub, you would have an unimpeded view over the balcony railing. There was also a shower so big that it didn't have walls, just polished slabs of kyanite that extended out into the wood floor from the kyanite partition wall. The wall was shared with a stretch of

kyanite counter that had two sinks, a massive gold mirror hanging above it, and a selection of cleansers set out upon it that boggled my mind. How had they prepared all of this so quickly? I shook my head and went through the French doors beside the tub, and out onto the balcony. It wrapped around the whole floor, just like each of the lower levels. I walked down the length of it and admired the bird's eye view of Kyanite as I headed toward one of the bridges. “Sweet stones,” I whispered as I trailed my fingers over the polished granite. “I have a fairy kingdom.” It's more of a queendom, Kyanite spoke in a deeply masculine tone. “Oh, there you are,” I murmured. “I wondered if you were going to keep speaking to me.” Of course, I am; you're mine. “Leave it to me to get stuck with a possessive stone.” I chuckled. We are all possessive, as our monarchs should be of us. But you and I are special, Elaria. No other royal in Tír na nÓg has our connection. I have waited centuries for you. “That

sounds

rough,”

I

noted

sympathetically, “to be alone that long.” I can be rough or smooth, it purred, depending on how you prefer me. But I'm not speaking of the time I've spent without a monarch. “Are you flirting with me?” I asked in horror. We are in a more intimate relationship than any man could give you. I do not flirt; I speak plainly because I know you are not a Shining One and do not understand the complexities of connecting with a jewel. I can be anything you wish me to be, Elaria. Just as our song declared; together, we shall become legendary. “Whoa,” I whispered. “Wait; what do you mean you weren't speaking of the time you spent without a monarch?” I've known of you since your birth, and have waited patiently for you to accept your destiny, and allow the relic to lead you to me. “You knew that I would come here and that the relic would give me a sliver of kyanite?” I gaped at the landscape before me. “How is that possible?” Sometimes Fate sets things into motion far in advance. It is as patient as we stones are. Your path, in particular, was planned when the relic was first created.

“That's a long time to be planning someone's life,” I murmured, unsure of how I felt about it. You are blessed to have been chosen, Elaria. You will never be alone again. I am your rock from this day forward. If you falter, I shall steady you. I will share my power with you, and you will share your magic and love with me. “You want love too?” I huffed. “What is it with magic and love?” They go hand in hand. Love empowers magic, as does hate. But I prefer love, don't you? “I do,” I said thoughtfully. “Do you know of my troubles?” The spell inside you? “Yes.” I know. I saw it and spoke with it. “You spoke with it?” I asked in surprise. It is a part of you. “Yeah; I got that.” Unfortunately, I cannot fuel your spell. Our relationship will only be an exchange between us; the power I give you will not be able to merge with your floundering fowl magic. However, I will help you to fulfill the bargain you made with it.

“That would be greatly appreciated.” I have only just found you; I will not let you die, Elaria. “That's rather sweet, Kyanite.” I smiled. “I'll do what I can for you too.” Just keep singing. I've never known such power or such happiness as when you gave me a true voice. “And you gave me music.” Just so, it sounded pleased. No other stone has such an avatar. We will be the envy of Tír no nÓg. “Have you never chosen a king because you think of yourself as a man?” I asked suddenly. Perhaps, Kyanite went pensive. But you are not an average queen, Spellsinger. I believe a king might give us an even closer connection, and perhaps strengthen us. I was about to ask Kyanite what it meant by that when Kieran strode across the nearby bridge. He spotted me and smiled, heading over to where I stood. We will speak more later, my Queen. “Kieran,” I said in greeting. “Do you find it to your liking?” Kieran

waved a hand out to the kingdom. “It's impossible not to like.” I smirked. “Thank you for being so thorough with your tour.” “There is still more left to explore.” He shrugged. “But I went over the main areas. You can discover the rest on your own. Unless you'd like me to go further with you?” I lifted my brows at the obvious double entendre. “I think I can manage,” I finally said. “Yes, Your Majesty.” Kieran bowed his head. “But I'm always available; should you need anything at all.” He took my hand and kissed it lingeringly. “The Queen will keep that in mind, Duke Kieran,” Declan said with pointed menace as he stepped over to us with Banning. “For now, we have all that we require.” Kieran remained where he was, looking to me for instruction. “Thank you, Duke Kieran,” I said. “I'll see you tonight at the feast.” “Will you be honoring us with a song?” Kieran asked hopefully. “I'm not the only one who is disappointed in missing your duet.” “Not tonight, but perhaps tomorrow,” I

murmured. “Are there any musical instruments here?” “Yes, several,” he said immediately. “What would you prefer?” “A guitar would be best.” “I'll have one brought to the dining hall for you.” Kieran bowed. “By your leave, my Queen?” “Yes; thank you, Kieran, you may go.” Kieran left with a smile, and as soon as he disappeared down the staircase, my men burst into laughter. “You may go,” Banning mimicked me. “You did well, sweetheart,” Declan said, but he was still chuckling. “I'm trying,” I huffed. “Yes, you are,” Declan acknowledged, “and, as I said, you did well. It's just strange to see you behave like that. You're usually such a casual person.” “Just throw a few cuss words in,” Banning suggested. “Then I won't worry that someone has taken over your body.” “Fuck you,” I growled. “Perfect!” Banning declared. “Our queen is upset with us,” Declan noted

to Banning. “Perhaps we should do our best to change that,” Banning suggested. “We need to have our own celebration, after all.” “And I think we should test the strength of that flimsy-looking bed.” Declan nodded. It turned out that the bed was not as flimsy as it looked. Not at all. We tested it in all sorts of ways, and it passed with flying colors. Making love in my new bedroom was like having sex in a very luxurious nest. The siren in me approved.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The first celebration feast went without a hitch. It seemed that my court had decided to be careful around me until we got to know each other better. They were playing it safe; speaking respectfully to me and without much opinion. I had a feeling that when I became more familiar with this land and started making decisions regarding it, they'd show their true colors. But I had too many other issues to deal with at the moment; I wasn't about to go changing things in Kyanite and jeopardizing this tentative peace between its nobles and me. So, I suppose I was playing it safe too. And perhaps I didn't want to know what the kyanite shining ones truly thought of their new spellsinger queen with not only a shining one lover but also a blooder. It was better to be blissfully ignorant. I went to bed that night with a full belly and a happy heart. The next morning, I met my personal staff, picked a lady's maid, and looked over menus for my private meals and the celebration feast. A herd of high-ranking women helped me dress for dinner with fawning words and fluttering hands. They said it was traditional, but Declan and Banning watched

it all with deeply amused expressions from their chairs in the nearby sitting area. The men were allowed to dress themselves, and I was seriously jealous. But, no matter; I ended up looking quite nice. My gown was a shimmering blue silk accented with gold, that went well with my crown—my only piece of jewelry. This was mandatory, especially at my first inter-kingdom feast. I had to show that I didn't need to be draped in gemstones to access Kyanite's power. I pointed out that the message would be stronger if I went without the crown, but they had been so horrified that I let it go. A crown is the original status symbol; so much more than any other piece of jewelry. After my shocking crown comment, they worked my hair around it, designing a style that would also ensure that I didn't remove my crown; those sneaky Shining Ones. After I was primped to their standards, the gaggle of fairy gals left us, and my lovers escorted me down to the dining hall. I was hoping things would go as smoothly as they had the night before, but the second feast had a host of shining ones who didn't give a fuck about being careful around me. They were there out of political correctness, tradition, or simply because they were curious. Torin hadn't responded to the invitation at all, but he showed up anyway. Yeah; he was that

guy. I was seated at the high table at the end of the dining hall, with Declan on my right and Banning on my left, when Torin walked in with a stunning redhead on his arm. My jaw dropped. Mere days ago he was pining for me in his tower like Rapunzel, but now he had a new woman to attend my feast with? WTF? “It's Queen Eileen,” Declan hissed in horror. “Who?” I asked, still working through the shock of seeing Torin with another woman. “The Copper Queen,” Declan turned to me with wide eyes. “I'm sure you'll recall her husband; King Lorcan.” “I do,” Banning growled. “The last time I saw him, he was a little broken up... into pieces.” “Oh, fuck me,” I whispered. “Eileen and Torin used to be lovers.” Declan nodded to Torin, who nodded back with a grim and antagonistic grin. “Yes, I seem to recall hearing that,” I muttered. “I'm a little shocked that she'd go back to him after he had a hand in her husband's death.” “Under the circumstances, they may have bonded over that fact.” Declan grimaced. “Or she may not know about Torin's part in Lorcan's death

at all.” “This is going to be awkward,” Banning murmured. The three of us watched as Torin and Eileen were shown to seats of honor, just to our right. Awkward indeed; especially since I was three seconds away from scalping that redheaded harlot and hanging her ridiculously colored hair from my balcony. Okay, that was so unfair; I recognize that. But I was a tad upset to find myself replaced by someone whose husband had tried to kill me. “Don't do anything rash,” Declan said gently. “The next few hours will be like a preview of your rule. It's important for things to go smoothly.” “Smoothly.” I sighed. “Sure; no problem. Just pass me the wine, and keep passing it.” “My lady's wish is my command,” Declan teased, but it was with a serious tone, and said as he filled my cup. “Oh, no fucking way. Her too?” Banning groaned. I looked up and saw Queen Oonagh walk in, escorted by some blond, buff hottie. I think he was a loup. “Oonagh with a shapeshifter,” Declan

mused. “Interesting. I hope it's not a full moon.” “My rule is fucked,” I declared. Don't surrender just yet, Kyanite said with a teasing tone. This is an opportunity. “How so?” I asked. “What's that?” Banning lifted a brow at me. “I'm talking to Kyanite,” I said distractedly. “Do you guys do that?” Banning whispered to Declan. “We do, but it isn't something that happens often,” Declan sounded as speculative as the look he gave me. I ignored Declan and Banning both, and listened to my jewel. I've felt your love for Torin. Now, here you are, at a feast in your honor, where you've agreed to sing. What would you like to say to him? This is your chance, Elaria. “That's a damn good question,” I said before taking another swig of wine. “Let's find out, shall we?” I waved William over and told him I was ready to sing. He looked excited at first; then he noted my expression and his shifted with it. He hurried over to a group of fairies and fetched the

guitar I'd be using. Then he strode to the center of the open space before the high table. The dining room was arranged with a long table on a dais for the kyanite royalty, and more of the rectangular tables placed along the walls at angles, like the veins of a leaf. It left a center aisle open for dancing or approaching the queen... me. But I was doing the performing tonight, so I would stand before the high table myself. “Thank you, jewel royals and honored guests for joining us on this momentous occasion,” William declared. “The first spellsinger queen of Tír na nÓg! We are proud to be aligned with her and humbled by the power she has already displayed by singing with our jewel. Tonight, she has agreed to give us a small taste of her crowning, by singing for us. Your Majesty?” I went forward and took the guitar from him. The shining ones didn't clap; they just waited respectfully as I strummed the instrument experimentally. My magic rose inside me, but this time the sparkling, indigo energy of kyanite rose with it. With the first solid note from my guitar, magic filled the room, and the shining ones went beyond silent; they sat up straight and went still. The music was simple, a few sweet chords, but kyanite added to it; the soft sound of a piano vibrating through the air in accompaniment to my

guitar. The shining ones took an astonished breath, and I began to sing Keira Knightley's “Like a Fool.” My voice was resigned and a little sad as I let the lyrics tell my story. How I had given Torin everything, and he had thrown it back in my face. How he had broken promises, along with my heart, over and over. How he had left me at the worst possible moment; when my life was on the line. I looked to Torin as the chorus came, and found his eyes glassy with unshed tears, his stare transfixed on me. Then I delivered the final blow and told him that despite it all, I still loved him... like a fool. It was raw and romantic at the same time. Women started to sniffle, and men visibly swallowed past lumps in their throats. There wasn't a single person there who didn't know who I was singing to, or that it was the absolute truth. I had bared my soul, and I did it all for Torin. Because no matter what happened between us, he was the one. I had known it from the start; Torin was the man I could have spent eternity with. And it turned out that I hadn't given up on that dream yet. The music faded, and the last words fell into silence; just an echo of sound. A tear trickled out of my eye, and Torin stood suddenly, his chair screeching back and shocking the room. Queen Eileen looked up at him in horror, but he wasn't looking at her. Torin was staring at me, as he had

been the entire song. The room held its breath as the Onyx King strode over to me and took my guitar. He tossed the instrument to Declan, who caught it with a surprised but agile snatch. Then Torin kissed me. The world fell away as he wrapped me up in his arms and pulled me to his chest, lifting my feet from the floor. I clung to his wide shoulders and luxuriated in the taste and feel of him. It was as if nothing had happened between us. So perfect and sweet that my heart nearly stopped with the joy of it. But then Torin lowered me back to the floor and laid his forehead against mine. His hands cradled my face and his tears wet my cheeks. “We are fools together,” he whispered brokenly. “I love you still. I always will, little bird. But you were the one who opened the cage and pushed me out.” Torin kissed me gently—a goodbye kiss— and then turned away and strode out of the hall without ever looking back. My heart was getting used to this up and down treatment from Torin, but it still hurt. I sighed and turned away as well, to head back to my seat, and the men who accepted me as I was. As I did, I caught the smug satisfaction on Queen Oonagh's face.

Chapter Thirty

We were getting ready for bed that night when Banning's contact charm chimed. There were only two people it could have been; either Cerberus or someone from Banning's gura. I'd given Banning a charm to leave at Crouching Lion in case he was in Tír na nÓg when there was an emergency with his gura. Since I had my charm with me too, I knew it couldn't be Cer; he would have called me first. So, that left the blooders. “What's happened?” Banning asked as soon as he got the charm in his ear. “I'm on my way.” He pulled out the charm and looked over at Declan and me in wide-eyed horror. “There are monsters attacking the Crouching Lion.” “Monsters? Serious fuckingly! What kind?” I asked the last bit to determine whether our tormentor was back to stealing from Torr-Chathair or had moved on to another realm. “My people don't know, but does it matter?” Banning snapped. “I need to get there now!” Declan and I nodded, pulled out our traveling stones, and grabbed Banning's hands. Banning was right; I could figure it out when we

got there. We traveled to the Crouching Lion together, reforming on the main veranda in front of the golf course. Night had claimed Kansas in its embrace, and the only illumination came from the lampposts scattered across the manicured lawn, the building behind us, and the Moon above. Still, it was more than enough to see the monsters by. “Chupacabras,” fucking appropriate.”

Declan

hissed.

“How

Banning's blooders were already battling the blood-sucking beasts. Appropriate indeed. Whoever was behind this, they had a twisted sense of humor to send goat-suckers after blooders... and I had no doubts that this was yet another monster abduction from Torr-Chathair. Chupacabras were from Earth originally and had been a part of the relocation. The monsters were large, but nothing like death worms. They resembled hairless bears with spikes running down their spines. Vicious, but also not the most menacing thing I'd ever faced. It was their numbers that posed the biggest problem. There was a whole pack of the chupacabras, and they were pissed off to have been dumped in Kansas. “Pull back!” Banning shouted to his people. “We need fire to repel them.” As the blooders scrambled to get away from the monsters, I thumbed through my iPod. Blooders

hated fire too, and they wouldn't be happy about having to fight with it. But if all went as I planned, they wouldn't have to. Luckily, the song I was after was right at the top, under A. Adele's “Set Fire to the Rain” had too long an intro for me, so I skipped to the chorus. I belted out the words that immediately drew forth my magic and then blasted it downward in a sheet of flaming rain. The firewall cut us off from the chupacabras, and the blooders cheered in relief. I'd been there before, doing nearly this same thing, twice already. Banning's gura was probably starting to wonder how many times his spellsinger girlfriend was going to have to save them. I was wondering how many times I'd have to drive monsters back to another realm, and hoping that Declan would be by my side when I needed him. Because the only realms I knew how to access were of the hell variety... or perhaps heaven. I could probably try a heaven song, but it might be considered rude to send a bunch of monsters into a god's realm. I nodded to Declan, and he did his thing, already knowing what I expected from him. As he opened a portal to Torr-Chathair, I drove more fiery rain down around the pack of chupacabras, herding them toward the portal. They were snarling and hissing, shooting angry and fearful glances toward

the pursuing flames, but they went right where I wanted them to. That's when Gage showed up. His appearance shocked me out of my song, and the fire-rain petered out to a sprinkle. I stared at Gage as he looked resolutely upon the chupacabras, but then he glanced to the side and finally noticed me. His eyes widened and his hands —already shifted into talons—lowered in surprise. “Elaria!” Banning shouted. I jerked and started singing again. Adele had continued without me, but she circled back to the chorus fast enough. I got the fire falling just in time to keep the chupacabras contained. Gage strode over to us as I pushed the monsters steadily forward. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his hands shift back to human, and his shoulders release their tension. The last chupacabra went running into the portal, and Declan closed it behind the beast. We all breathed out in relief then. But the peace was brief. Before I could say anything, Declan rounded on Gage, pointed in the griffin's face, and narrowed his eyes at him. “Are you that stupid, fucking griffin?” Declan snarled. “What the hell did you just call me?” Gage

snarled back. “A griffin; if you're not, then my apologies,” Declan said derisively. “I understand how insulted you may be the title.” “Stand down!” I shouted to them both. “Neither of you are helping. You”—I pointed to Declan—“don't know him well enough to call him names. And you”—I pointed to Gage—“have just let me do your job for you. So, if either of you has something to say, you need to say it to me.” “I would have done my job if you hadn't beat me here,” Gage muttered. “He's an asshole!” Declan shouted. “I don't need to know him to see that. Just look at his outfit. He's got straps of leather tied around his wrist like a fucking bracelet. I mean, seriously, what's the point of that? Is it warrior chic?” Yep, Gage was back to wearing his leather. I guess assimilating into human society hadn't worked out so well for him. “They stabilize my wrist when I use my sword,” Gage growled. “Not all of us rely solely on our magic.” Declan deflated. “Yeah, okay; that's valid.” “I don't have time for this bullshit,” I huffed and walked away from them, onto the golf course. I

needed to investigate the scene while it was still fresh. “You're both assholes. I nearly lost my gura tonight, and you two are behaving like toddlers; verbally bitch-slapping each other,” Banning snapped at the other men before he followed me. I cast an impressed look Banning's way, and he smirked at me. “There!” Banning pointed toward the border of trees around the golf course. “What?” Declan asked as he and Gage caught up. “There's something hanging from that tree,” Banning said. “Well, this clinches it,” I murmured as we headed for the trees. “First Cerberus, then Aoide, and now Banning; someone is going after my loved ones.” Banning froze, Declan cursed, and Gage looked confused. “Who did you love in Vegas?” Gage asked in careful monotone. “My best friend's girlfriend owns casinos there,” I said to Gage. “And this place belongs to Banning.” I waved a hand at Banning. “He's my boyfriend, and this is Declan.” I indicated Declan.

“He's my other boyfriend.” “And you would have been the third,” Declan hissed, “if you hadn't been such a pussy.” “I'm a pussy for wanting my own woman?” Gage growled. “No; you're a pussy for not doing right by your woman,” Declan said sternly. “You know she's your mate and yet you walked away from her, leaving her to die.” “She's not going to die,” Gage huffed. “Look at her; she's fucking gorgeous, magically kick-ass, and has a sharp tongue to go with her even sharper mind. She'll find another man to fall in love with her. I'm the one who will have to live without the bond of a mate.” “You really are an asshole.” Banning shook his head as he went to grab the thing that had caught his attention. It looked like a rolled up piece of paper, tied with a string. “I didn't leave her to die,” Gage protested, then looked to me. “I don't want you to die; you know that, Elaria, don't you?” “I do know that, Gage,” I said softly. “It's okay. As I keep saying to you; I understand. I won't share either. So, how can I be mad at you for not

wanting to?” Gage sighed roughly and hung his head back to stare up at the sky. “Yep; that's the kind of woman you've abandoned,” Declan snapped. “Go ahead and see how well you sleep tonight, birdbrain.” “I haven't slept well for days,” Gage admitted. “Well, I'm not sleeping today either,” Banning said as he handed me the piece of parchment. I read it aloud, “Scared yet, Spellsinger?” I closed my eyes and sighed. I knew it was about me, but having confirmation kind of sucked. “It's okay, El.” Banning took my hand. “This isn't your fault.” “It sounds like it is,” I whispered. “Give me the letter, sweetheart,” Declan held his hand out to me, and I passed it over. He read it aloud, “Your dog is worm-meat, your aunt is a demon's whore, and now your bloodsucker has been sucked dry. I hope you writhe in agony, just as I have. And keep your guard up, bitch; I've only just begun.” “Do you have any idea who this is yet?” Gage asked.

“Nope.” I gave a mirthless laugh. “Still too many enemies to pick from.” “That's what happens after you save all the realms,” Declan added. Gage's eyes widened. “Oh, our girl didn't tell you about that, huh?” Declan asked. “Yeah, your continued existence is owed to her. Everyone's existence is. Some of my fellow shining ones decided that it would be a good idea to take the Human Realm for themselves. They threatened the balance between the realms and the Veil itself.” “But that would...” Gage looked at me in horror. “Yes; once one portion of the Veil fell, all of the borders would fall,” Declan finished. “It's been tried once before. Back then, the witches stopped us. After they subdued the threat, they created a powerful relic and left it behind to monitor the shining ones. In the event that some dumb fairy thought he was powerful enough to upset the balance and hold the Veil together, the relic would protect the realms. And it turned out that the witches were right to do so. King Galen tried to claim the Human Realm, and he woke up the relic. But it needed an avatar to wield it, and guess who the witch relic chose.”

“You saved the realms?” Gage asked me. “Why wouldn't you tell me that?” “Why would I?” I shot back. “Does it make a difference? Do you think you could love the Savior of the Realms more than Elaria Tanager? Because if that's true, you'll be sorely disappointed to learn that I don't have the relic anymore. The witch relic went back to sleep on its mountain, leaving me just a spellsinger once more.” “Well, not really,” Banning muttered. I gave him a quelling look. If Gage didn't want me for me, this wouldn't work anyway. “No; it doesn't make a difference to how I feel about you,” Gage admitted. “But it does make a difference to how I can present you.” “What?” I scowled at him. “Oh, I get it now.” Declan chuckled. “The griffin here wasn't put off by having to share you as much as he was by the idea of telling his tribe that he has to share you.” Gage looked uncomfortable. “Seriously?” I asked him. “You walked away from me because you didn't want to be embarrassed?” “We're a very proud people. My tribe won't accept you as my mate if you already have two

other lovers,” Gage said stiffly. “But if I tell them that you saved the realms, and then you were cursed with a spell that makes you take multiple lovers, the tribes might make an exception.” “Well, I'm so glad that I'm good enough to take home to the tribe now.” I grimaced. “I'm sorry,” Gage whispered. “You don't know what it's like to be raised in griffin society. If you're ever seen as less of a man, you're ridiculed, or even banished, until you show your worth.” “Sounds brutal,” Banning said gently as he cast meaningful glances at Declan and I. “We've all been through brutal times. Can't we let this go and move on?” “I don't know”—Declan stared down Gage —“can we? You ready to man up, griffin?” “I want to see where we can take this,” Gage said to me, ignoring Declan completely. “If you're still willing to give me a chance.” “Yeah; I'm willing,” I whispered. Gage held out his hand tentatively, and I took it. He used it to pull me into an embrace, and we sighed together as that perfect feeling descended upon us. I hadn't realized how much I had ached for Gage until he was touching me. He laid his head over mine, and his body relaxed around me.

“Lovely, you two look great together,” Declan drawled. “And I'm thrilled. Honestly I am, but we need to search the scene for any more clues as to who this bastard is.” “Isn't it obvious?” Banning asked. “It has to be Galen. He was banished to this realm, wasn't he? And, Elaria, you said that the paint on that boulder was blue, right? Like Sapphire?” I turned my head so that my cheek was pressed to Gage's chest, and looked at Declan. I saw the answer in his eyes before I said it, but he let me explain it to Banning. “It can't be Galen,” I said. “Torin and a group of shining ones grounded Galen's magic. Galen couldn't even open a portal to get to TorrChathair, much less coral monsters and herd them back here.” “Fuck,” Banning snarled. “Then who?” “I'd say it must be a shining one,” Declan mused, “but they aren't the only ones Elaria has offended recently.” “The spellsingers,” I whispered as I pushed away from Gage. “No; they wouldn't do this, not to family. Aoide even wanted me to call them and ask them for help.” “I agree. I don't think it's them,” Declan said gently. “I'm just saying that there are other

possibilities. This may not be related to recent events at all. It could be someone from your past.” “Like the manticores,” Gage noted. “You killed an entire pride; that's vicious enough to inspire a vendetta.” “I'm a fixer,” I said to him. “I'm not ashamed of it; I choose my cases carefully and try to use my magic for good. Those manticores were eating people in Las Vegas; they needed to be stopped.” “You do help people, but to do that you have to do bad things to other people,” Declan said. “Don't look at me like that, El. I find your profession to be terribly sexy. I'm merely pointing out that your fixing things for some people may have felt like torture to others... other people who are strong enough to open portals and wrangle monsters.” “Like blooder kings,” Banning whispered. “Can Sorin open portals?” I asked. “He has enough money to hire someone to do it for him,” Banning said. “My father is good at delegating.” “Shit,” I snapped. “Then the list is endless.” “Which is why we need to take a look around,” Declan added as he waved the letter.

“And there's another clue in this that we haven't noted.” “What's that?” Banning asked. “He—or she—said that Cerberus was worm-food, Aoide was a demon's whore, and Banning was sucked dry,” Declan pointed out. “This person released the monsters and then left. They merely assumed that their targets would be destroyed.” “But they weren't,” Gage added. “The shit that went down in Vegas was covered by news reporters,” I murmured. “Anyone with a TV would know that the death worms were dealt with.” “And anyone plotting revenge would want to see verification that their plan was working,” Banning murmured. “So, why don't they know that it isn't?” “Because they only come to the Human Realm to torture me, then they leave and don't return until it's time for the next round,” I concluded. “That's the only way they wouldn't know.” “I believe you're right.” Declan nodded. “They tipped their hand with that taunt, and if they got sloppy once, maybe they'll screw up again. Maybe they've even left us another clue that they

didn't intend to leave behind.” “I need everyone to search the grounds!” Banning called out to his gura; they were all standing on the veranda, watching us. “And do it carefully,” he added when they began to run off in all directions. “Carefully?” One of the blooders called back. “What does that mean, Gheara?” “You've all seen CSI!” Banning snapped. “Make like a crime scene detective and look carefully. Use some flashlights and tweezers for fuck's sake!” The blooders scurried off. “And put anything you find in a Ziploc!” Banning shouted after them. “CSI?” I asked Banning and laughed. “Well, do you want the four of us to have to cover all this ground alone?” Banning shot back. “No, Gheara, I don't.” I smirked. “Especially since I don't have any Ziplocs on me.” “Or tweezers,” Declan added with a chuckle. “Assholes,” Banning muttered as he shook his head and turned to stalk away from us. “I'm surrounded by assholes, and it's really starting to stink up my air.”

Declan and I laughed hard enough that Gage joined in, and there; standing on scorched earth and beneath the pall of potential doom, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders, and hope fill my heart.

Chapter Thirty-One

We searched the entire grounds surrounding the Crouching Lion Country Club and some of the bordering forest as well. There were no other clues. I even tried singing again and got the same result; the trail ended in the Veil. But at least now we knew the culprit wasn't just jumping realms in an evasive tactic; they were going home. The problem was; there were numerous realms and the clue that I had wronged this person didn't narrow down the suspect or location list enough. I could probably rule out Torr-Chathair since Gage had come from there, and he was the first griffin I'd ever met. There were a few other realms like his, where no one associated with anything I've ever done exists, but the rest of them were up for debate. Most of the beneathers who lived on Earth originally came from another realm, and honestly, I don't remember every job I've ever done. Still, this had the feeling of something recent. This person expected me to know what I'd done, and that doesn't say “centuries-long vendetta” to me. I was leaning toward a shining one. King Galen wasn't the only one on the losing side of the Sapphire War; he'd had lots of

supporters. I just needed to figure out who I'd made “writhe in agony” and go from there. Shit; that list was pretty long too; I'd been ruthless under the relic's influence. In fact, I'd nearly lost myself to it. If it wasn't for Torin... nope; can't go there right now. I had to focus on saving the people I loved. But before I could save my loved ones, I needed to take some advice from a stewardess and save myself. I couldn't help anyone if I were dead. And saving myself meant getting to know Gage. Oh, the hardship. After we settled things in Kansas, Declan went home to Alexandrite, Banning remained with his gura to strengthen their defenses (whatever that meant), and I took Gage with me to Hawaii. I had an oceanfront home there on the Windward side of the island. I took Gage straight into my living room, and then we just stood there, staring at each other. So much had happened in such a short time that it felt awkward. I knew him, but I didn't. “Do you like coffee?” I asked. Son of a centaur; I didn't even know if he liked coffee! “We don't have that beverage on TorrChathair, but I've heard the witches talking about it,” he said. “Is it good?” “Depends on who makes it.” I shrugged and

headed into the kitchen. “I do an okay job.” Gage followed me, looking around the room with interest. He picked up kitchen appliances and frowned at them, then tugged on their power cords. I watched him out of the corner of my eye as I set the coffee to brewing. Then I went to root around in the fridge. It had been night in Kansas, but it was only late afternoon in Hawaii, and it had been midmorning in Alexandrite when we left. My body was a little confused, but it knew one thing for certain: it was hungry. The blender started, and Gage gave a startled shout. I turned to see him standing back two feet from the kitchen counter, one hand out defensively and the other on the hilt of his sword, as he stared at the blender like it was a demon. Actually, worse than a demon; the demons hadn't spooked him. I chuckled and pushed the Off button. The blender whirred down, and Gage relaxed. “Please don't kill my appliances,” I said with a smirk. “What do you use all of these machines for?” He asked and then started sniffing the air eagerly. “And what is that smell?” “I use them for preparing food,” I explained, and then pointed to the percolating

coffee pot, “and that one is making us coffee—the lovely aroma you're inhaling.” “I think I will like this drink.” Gage grinned. I just stared at him. “What?” He lost his smile. “Nothing,” I said as I turned away. Then I muttered, “You're just really hot when you smile.” “Maybe you can make me smile more,” he said softly as he came up behind me. I sighed and leaned back into Gage's solid body as he nuzzled my face. He was warm and smelled like clean, male sweat. I don't know how else to describe it. They say that when a man's sweat smells good to you, it's a sign that you'll make healthy babies together. You're attracted to his pheromones, which is nature's way of saying “Hey girl, this guy is perfect.” Well, Gage and I were compatible because one whiff made me want to rub myself all over him until I smelled like that too. But I didn't have to resort to sex kitten tactics; Gage was doing the job for me. I'd even have his scent in my hair by the time he was done. I turned around and placed my hands on his chest, easing Gage back a little. “This is great, but we've already established that we're attracted to each other. I need to get to know you, and viceversa, or this is all for naught.”

“No pressure or anything,” he teased. “Right?” I laughed. “How do you think I feel? I'm the one whose life is on the line.” Gage's expression went serious. “You're my mate, Elaria; I think we can say that with certainty now. Love is a certainty as well; I already feel connected to you, and I will not let you die.” “I like you too,” I whispered. Then, very slowly, Gage lowered his head, keeping his stare locked with mine. His lips were a whisper away; his breath tickling my skin. But Gage waited, letting me make the decision. I leaned forward against him, and he groaned, gathering me tight to his chest as his mouth opened over mine. The choice had been made, and he was done holding himself back. There was so much to feel at once. Gage's searing tongue slashing and demanding, then soft and tempting. The strength of his hands, kneading and sliding over my body. That amazing scent filling my head until I felt as if I might swoon like a Victorian lady. My knees were giving out, my body completely overwhelmed by him. Where was a fainting couch when you needed one? But it turned out that I didn't need any furniture; Gage caught me and lifted me onto the counter. I could feel the heat of the coffee bubbling at my back, but Gage was

setting my blood to boiling, and we were making our own steam together. I moaned into him, wrapping my legs around his waist and wishing that I hadn't worn jeans. That was the thought that brought me back to sanity. I had to do this right. If I failed, it wouldn't just mean a broken heart for me; it would be stopped one. I pulled away reluctantly, and we stared at each other as we panted our way back to calm. Gage's eyes were nearly entirely gold; the fresh green burned away beneath the molten metal. His chest rose and fell steadily, brushing against mine with every breath he took, and his hands were still clenched tightly on my hips. He looked as turned on as I was, but he nodded. “You're right to pull away,” he murmured, his voice gone even lower than usual. “One more minute and I would have taken you on this cold floor. And that is not how I want our first mating to be.” “Good,” I whispered and slid off the counter. “Me either; I'm especially uninterested since you used the word 'mating.' Now, ease back before I change my mind, Conan.” “Conan?” “The barbarian... never mind; it was meant to be a compliment,” I muttered. “Mostly. You're

way hotter than Arnold; no offense to the Terminator.” “I fear that I'll have to immerse myself in human culture to understand you.” Gage chuckled and stepped away. I took a deep sigh of non-sex scented air and got some mugs out of the cupboard. I went into the fridge for cream and realized that I'd forgotten all about food. I took out some sandwich fixings along with the cream and put it all on the kitchen table. “Have a seat.” I waved a hand toward the wooden dining set, placed within the curve of a bay window. Gage sat with a smile and started prodding the food. I set a mug before him and filled it with a little cream, then added a spoonful of sugar. I figured he could start with that. Then I grabbed the coffee and filled our cups. I set the pot on a trivet before I went to grab some plates. All the domestic activity was helping to slow my racing heart. When I returned to the table, Gage was sniffing his coffee, and damn it all, but that simple action made me want to jump his bird-boy bones. What the hell? I was fine before. I mean; I thought he was gorgeous, but I didn't have problems with my panties starting to fall off every time he looked at me. Was it simply the fact that Gage had finally agreed to be with me?

The unattainable can become more attractive for its elusiveness, but something wonderful within reach has the potential to become irresistible. Gage was getting to be damn difficult to resist. I cleared my throat and focused on the mundane. “The cream tones down the bitterness”—I pointed to the cream—“and the sugar”—another point—“sweetens it. You can add as you like, or if you decide you want it more bitter, you can dump it out in the sink, and start fresh.” “It's a lot like tea,” he said. “The adding of cream and sugar, I mean.” “Yes, like tea, but stronger in flavor.” “I don't know, there are some strong teas out there,” he said dubiously, then sipped. His eyes widened, and he set the cup down. “I take it back; this is stronger.” Gage added some cream, and I chuckled as I fixed my coffee. “Are you hungry?” I started making a sandwich. “Food would be appreciated.” He nodded, looking over the process of sandwich creation avidly. “More meat, please.” “I should have known.” I rolled my eyes.

“You don't eat like a bird, huh?” “A griffin's lower half is lion.” He beamed at me. “And that's where your stomach is.” “Among other things.” I looked up at him in surprise and found his lips twitching and his eyes full of mischief. “Oh, yeah; we're going to get along just fine.” I put the sandwich down in front of him. Gage picked it up, took a bite, and nodded. “Yes, we are.” “Men.” I rolled my eyes again. “Just wait till you meet Cerberus; you're gonna love him.” “First, I need to love you,” he said seriously. “First, you need to eat,” I corrected. “Then I'll show you around my home, and after that, maybe the island. Hopefully, the rest will just follow naturally.” “Well, you'll doubtlessly fall in love with me by the end of the day, but I may be harder to win,” Gage said it with such a straight face that I didn't realize he was joking until he winked at me. “Dear gods,” I groaned. “I'm dating Cerberus' long lost brother.” “This Cerberus must be the finest of men.”

Gage smirked. “I take it back; I'm never introducing you.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

“How did you know that the chupacabras were in Kansas?” I asked Gage. We never made it out of the house. We'd eaten, then I gave him a tour of my home, and then we had started talking... I mean talking; that deep, intimate sort of conversation that makes people feel like they've known each other forever. We just clicked. Eventually, we'd made our way out to my private strip of beach. Gage had taken off his leather tunic (and those wrist guards), leaving him clad only in his leather pants. We sat together on a blanket we'd spread over the sand, watching the waves roll lazily in. He had to be uncomfortable in that leather—warrior wear was not made for Hawaiian weather—but Gage didn't show any discomfort. He just basked in the sun and breathed deeply of the sea air. “My father contacted me and told me of the incident.” Gage squinted at the horizon, watching the sunset. “He located the animals in Kansas.” “How did he manage to follow them past the Veil? You have them tagged or something?” I asked in surprise.

“Magically collared.” He nodded. “We may not have been prepared for this particular scenario, but we were prepared for the possibility of a monster escape.” “How do you contact your father?” I asked. “Telepathy.” “Telepathy?” My eyes widened. “Are you unfamiliar with it?” He lifted a brow. “No, I know what it is. This is just the first time that I've heard of it used for communication between realms,” I said, intrigued. “I always thought it was limited by distance.” “It is in most cases,” Gage said. “But ours is a shared mind-link, not a path directed into some random person's head. We are bound by blood and magic, and so we can contact each other when we need to.” “Handy,” I huffed. “I use a charm.” I pulled the barite communication charm over my head and handed it to him by the chain. “You put the narrow end in your ear and then you can contact anyone who has another one of these.” “Yes; I've seen them before,” he said with a smile. “We've had visitors from other realms. It's just been awhile since any of us have come to

Earth.” “You've had visitors?” I narrowed my eyes at him as I took back the charm. “How recent?” “The last one was maybe forty years ago.” He shrugged. “Nothing recent enough to arouse suspicions.” “Drat,” I growled and tossed the charm on the blanket beside me. “The chupacabras have been returned safely to Torr-Chathair,” Gage said gently, “we have investigated all that we can concerning their abductor, and there's nothing more to do at the moment. Let's worry about your enemy later.” Gage stood and untied his leather pants. My eyes went wide as he casually slipped out of them and headed for the water. I gaped at his muscular thighs and... well, yes... that was very nice too, even when it wasn't standing at attention. Honestly, I hoped Gage was a shower, not a grower, because if that thing grew any more, this whole mating deal was off the table. But that ass... dear gods, the man had an ass built for biting. I was starting to salivate, just thinking about it. “Are you coming?” Gage asked me over his shoulder. “Nearly,” I muttered and tried to swallow past the dry lump in my throat.

“What was that?” Gage smiled knowingly. “Nothing,” I called as I stood. Then I murmured to myself, “As in; here goes nothing.” I shucked off my jeans and top, then decided to remove my underwear too, just to be fair. I turned around, and Gage was backlit by the wild sunset; the bright rays bursting around him as if he were a god of fire. I sighed, and then I saw his face. His eyes were burning gold again, and they roamed my body like he was going to stake a claim and make me his home. Gage lifted a hand to me slowly. I went forward and took it. “I'm suddenly grateful that you have such a vengeful enemy,” he whispered. “I must thank him before I kill him.” “What?” I blinked in shock. “Without him, I wouldn't be standing here with you,” Gage said. “Vivian's spell brought you here, not my enemy.” “I wouldn't have left Torr-Chathair without reason.” Gage shook his head. “Her spell pulled me to you, but it wasn't why I came to the Human Realm.” “Then my enemy has unwittingly saved my life.” I smiled up at him.

“I think he's saved mine as well,” Gage whispered then lifted my hand to kiss it lingeringly. Then he drew me deeper into the water with him. It was the perfect seduction for a woman who was half-siren, and I wondered if Gage knew it. It didn't matter because I couldn't resist the call of the sea combined with the call of my soul mate. When Gage pulled me closer, I went eagerly; lifting my mouth to his to savor the salt on his lips. The waves undulated gently around us, urging us closer together. I wrapped my body around Gage, and he lifted me higher on his chest. A moan escaped my lips as our intimate flesh came into contact with each other; his as hard as the sword he'd left on the beach. I ground up against him, and his hands clenched around my ass, pulling me in tighter. My hands slipped up his back, to his thick neck, across his massive shoulders, and over his bulging biceps—wherever I could reach. He was slick with water and so damn sexy in the fading light; all golden and glistening. “Elaria,” Gage purred, “if you want me to stop, you must say so now. I can't take much more of this torment.” “Don't ever stop,” I breathed the words into his kiss. With a triumphant growl, Gage angled up

into me, and I reached down to help him slide home. And it did feel like home; like the most perfect moment of pure bliss. I eased down on his length, and he pulled me up again. It was the wild beat that had driven countless lovers over the centuries, but which nonetheless felt new to me. The ocean rocked around us with each powerful movement, and inside me, the spell seemed to expand. We weren't quite there yet, but oh, we were so close. Just a little more feeling, a little more connection, a little more... and then I was crying out in pleasure to the twinkling, twilight sky.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Sunlight slanted through my bedroom windows, turning Gage's skin to gold in sexy swaths. I admired it through half-lidded eyes, letting the light bring me slowly back awake. We had spoken more about our families and our childhoods, both of which were supremely different. I told him about what I'd been going through lately, not just with the RS, but also the piece of kyanite in my throat, and how that had culminated in me acquiring a Shining One kingdom. That last bit shocked Gage a little, and he asked me why I hadn't told him sooner. I said it was like my saving the realms; it felt like bragging over something that hadn't been purely my accomplishment. The relic had made all of it happen; my spellsinging was just a doorway. Gage nodded with a smile, and I knew that he understood the importance of achieving your own victories. I liked that about him. Then we had sex again, and again, and again. I was halfway in love with him, just a heartbeat away from claiming Gage forever, but even with all that had been exchanged between us, it was just one night. As much as I needed to speed

things up, there's no rushing true emotions. I could pretend all I wanted, even say the words, but the spell would know the truth. I sighed and drew my calf up Gage's thigh. I was on my back, half beneath him, and he had pulled a pillow lower on the bed, so he could rest partially on it and partially on my chest, without crushing me. His chin rubbed the top of my breast as he came awake, and the arm he had slung around my waist tightened. He gave my nipple a quick nibble before he looked up at me. “Now, we can't go back,” he whispered. “What?” I blinked down at him. “Remember how I told you that I wasn't bound until we mated,” his voice was sleeproughened and damn sexy. “Well, now I've claimed you.” “Rather barbaric sounding.” I chuckled. “I guess the name Conan was appropriate.” “You claimed me too.” He shrugged. “I didn't choose the wording, but I did choose you, Elaria, and that's what matters. Now, we are mated.” Gage sat up, sliding an arm beneath me so he could bring me with him. “Which means you are not alone in this. For griffins there is no 'death do us part.' I will either follow you into oblivion or mourn you until I do.”

“You seem surprisingly okay with that,” I observed. “I am.” He stroked the hair away from my face with a smile. “Because I know we will love each other. There is no doubt in my mind that we are perfect together.” “Maybe we are a little,” I teased. “What?” Gage asked with more intensity than was warranted. “I was just—” “Sorry, not you, Elaria. My father is speaking to me,” Gage said gently, then lowered his gaze, focusing inward. “You did? Yes, of course. Uh, Father, wait. I have someone I need to bring back with me; someone you should meet.” Gage glanced at me, and I widened my eyes at him. “Yes, all right. We'll be there soon.” “Your father found something?” I asked. “He says there is some evidence of an intruder. He wants me to return, collect the information, and bring it here to be analyzed,” Gage reported. “Does this mean I'm going to meet your parents?” I asked nervously. “Are you scared, Spellsinger?” Gage teased me, nuzzling my neck.

“No, but I'm a little worried,” I admitted. “It will be fine.” He slipped out of bed and started pulling on his clothes. “Wear your blue trousers; they will appreciate a woman warrior.” “Blue trousers?” I frowned. “My jeans?” “Jeans.” He repeated the word. “Strange name; but yes, those resilient pants.” “All right.” I chuckled and hopped out of bed. “But I'm taking a shower first.” “No!” Gage grabbed me before I made it to the bathroom. “You have my scent on you; it will make things easier for us.” “You don't mean that they're going to smell me?” I lifted my brows in horror. “And you—on me!” “Not in an obvious manner.” He rolled his eyes—something he'd picked up from me overnight. “Griffins have a good sense of smell. They will know you're important to me the instant they meet you, and that will gain you respect.” “I get props for sleeping with you?” I laughed. “Well, ain't that a neat twist. With humans, it's the other way around.” “Humans don't like sex?” He looked shocked. “No, they love sex, they just have negative

opinions on women who engage in it as quickly as I did with you.” “But you're my mate.” “They don't mate like that.” “Ah, right.” Gage scowled. “What about men who engage in sexual activity quickly?” “Oh, you've just stepped into a double standard that has pissed women off for ages,” I huffed. “Men are considered more masculine if they sleep with lots of women. They are virile while women are called whores.” “Hmm,” he considered it. “Now, that is barbaric.” “Well said, griffin.” I nodded approvingly. “It's not just my opinion; it's nature.” Gage shrugged. “They are imitating savage animals; males spreading their seed to promote the growth of the species while females are left to care for the young. Noble beasts establish nurturing relationships with their mates and bond, if not for life, then at least long enough for the young to mature. They care for their offspring as well as each other.” “Noble beasts like lions and eagles?” I smirked knowingly. “Just so.” He nodded sagely.

“Lions take a whole pride of females,” I pointed out. “And the male protects them and looks after his family,” Gage countered. “Eagles also mate for life; they return to their nest every mating season.” “I suppose that's sweet.” I frowned, thinking of the non-mating season, and wondered where birds slept when their nest was empty. “Sweeter than mating with a flock of other birds and then scorning the females for accepting you,” he growled. “That is the definition of hypocrisy.” “Very true.” I gathered my things; slipping my iPod down my top, my contact charm around my neck, and my travel stone into my pocket. My list of things that I never left home without had grown. “So, what would happen if they didn't smell you on me?” “When I introduced you as my mate, they would call for proof,” he said. “Proof?” I went still and stared him down. “A courting ritual; nothing too intrusive,” Gage huffed. “We're a civilized people.” “A courting ritual?” I wasn't convinced of the civilized part yet.

“One you couldn't participate in, which would make things very awkward.” He grimaced. “Why couldn't I participate?” I stuck my hands on my hips. “I did just fine with you last night.” “Again, your mind goes straight to sex.” Gage came over to me and grabbed my hips, angling his own against me. He smiled wickedly. “It's a courting ritual, not a mating one.” “Then why?” “Because you're not a griffin,” he said as if it were obvious, then he went back to wrapping all that leather around himself. “Oh.” “You need wings and claws to perform the death spiral,” he said casually. “The what?” I gaped at him. “A couple who find themselves attracted to each other will go to a high cliff, transform into their griffin forms, and leap off it together,” Gage explained. “They lock talons mid-air and plummet in a tumble as their lion hindquarters slash at each other. If one breaks off, their bond was not strong enough.” “But don't they have to break away before they hit the ground?” I asked. “Not doing so sounds

like it could be fatal, even for an immortal.” “You prove your worth by holding on till the very end,” Gage said like it was obvious. “You let go of your lover only at the last moment, approximately ten feet from the ground.” “It's like a game of chicken,” I whispered in horror. “A horrible, gory game of chicken involving someone you care about.” “Chickens have nothing to do with it,” Gage growled. “No, chicken is... never mind.” I waved it away. “That doesn't sound so civilized, Gage.” “We are a warrior race,” he said. “Strength and fortitude are very important to us. We must be certain that we take a strong griffin to mate.” “And what happens when a griffin mates someone of another race?” “I don't know,” Gage went serious. “It's never happened before.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

“Relax, it will be fine,” Gage said after we reformed on Torr-Chathair. “You just told me that I'm the first nongriffin anyone has ever brought home to mama, and you want me to relax?” I huffed. “This is insane.” Then I took a good look around. Gage had his own version of a traveling stone, but his was a preserved piece of eggshell— his shell. As in the egg that he was hatched from. Yep, Gage was hatched! The eggshell had creation magic in it that was aligned with him. After a griffin was born, its parents would enchant a piece of the egg and preserve it for their child. It allowed the griffin to journey through the realms in the same way a traveling stone does. After showing me the rock-hard, polished piece of porcelain-esque eggshell, and then calming me down from the subsequent “You were hatched?” freak-out, Gage had embraced me and used his baby-griffin-shell to bring me to TorrChathair. “It's beautiful, isn't it?” Gage asked in a reverent tone as he came to stand beside me.

I had wandered to the edge of the ledge he'd brought us to, without even realizing that I had moved. The view was of a glistening green valley, echoing with the cries of birds and beasts, and spotted with vivid colors. The forest spread back to the horizon, and it was green as far as the eye could see. It was also midday, with the sun shining bright overhead, but I stood in shadow. We weren't just on a ledge; we were also within the overhang of a cave... hundreds of feet above the forest floor. “This is...” I turned to Gage and noticed that there was a door set into the cave wall behind him—a door recently opened by a stern-looking man with a strong resemblance to Gage. “Amaron,” I whispered. “No, this is Saeiqa Territory; Amaron is my father's name,” Gage said slowly, as if he couldn't understand what had confused me, then he noticed the direction of my stare. “Oh, yes; that is Amaron. Hello, Father.” “Gage,” Amaron nodded regally. “Who is this woman and how does she know my name?” “This is Elaria Tanager.” Gage gestured me forward. “She's a spellsinger and a warrior. She recently saved the realms by stopping a Shining One invasion.” “A Shining One invasion?” Amaron blinked

in surprise. “Did they try to take the Earth again?” “Yes.” I laughed. “They never seem to learn.” “Stupid fucking fairies.” Amaron shook his head. “I assume you bore the witch relic?” “Yes,” I said, even more surprised. “Interesting that it took a spellsinger,” Amaron murmured. “Why was I never told about such things?” Gage asked. “There was no reason to tell you.” Amaron shrugged. “It has nothing to do with us; not our culture or our problem. We have enough to concern ourselves with as it is.” I nodded and squished my mouth up in agreement. Don't go borrowing trouble; it's a good motto to live by. “It would have been our problem if the Shining Ones had upset the balance of the realms,” Gage countered. “The witches have always handled the Shining Ones,” Amaron argued. “And we have always trusted them to handle any issues concerning Earth, while we—” That was when the wind shifted. Amaron broke off, mid-sentence, and took a deep breath.

He looked at me in shock, and then toward his son. “She's also my mate,” Gage confirmed. “A spellsinger?” Amaron whispered. “Fucking falcon feathers! I send you to the Human Realm to hunt monsters, and you return with the rarest creature of all.” “Um; I don't think I'm a creature per se,” I muttered. “It was meant to be a compliment,” Gage whispered to me. “Griffins also have a love of treasure, and a rare creature is precious.” “We do not love it,” Amaron corrected. “We guard it. We are guardians.” “Sure, Dad,” Gage said then gave me a look which said the opposite. “A warrior, spellsinger mate for my son,” Amaron said proudly. “I couldn't be happier.” He clapped Gage on the shoulder and then turned to give me a hug. “You are most welcome here, Daughter.” “Um, thank you.” I hugged him back tentatively, patting his leather-clad shoulder. “So, that was the urge you felt to leave,” Amaron said to Gage. “It was the draw of your mate.” “Yes, it was.” Gage gave me a quelling look.

Right; so we weren't mentioning the love spell. Got it. I hoped we weren't mentioning my other spell either, not unless we absolutely had to. “I'm also the target of these monster abductions,” I added. “The target?” Amaron scowled. “How can abductions be... oh. Are you saying that someone stole the beasts to send them after you?” “After people I care for,” I corrected. “The thief has been leaving me taunting messages.” “We shall help you hunt this enemy,” Amaron declared grandly. “Thank you, but it's not that simple.” “Elaria doesn't know who this enemy is,” Gage explained. “She's made her fair share of them.” “Haven't we all.” Amaron grimaced. “That's why you're here? To look at our evidence?” I nodded. “And I wanted the family to meet my mate,” Gage added. “So that you'll understand why I may be leaving Torr-Chathair.” “Leaving the Torr-Chathair?” Both Amaron and I asked together. “Well, I must be with my mate,” Gage

huffed, then looked to me. “Don't you want me with you? I assumed that you wouldn't want to live here.” “Of course I want you with me,” I fumbled for words, “but you have the ability to travel between realms; there's no need for you to give up your family.” “Not entirely, no,” Gage amended. “But I will live with you.” “Oh, okay then,” I whispered. “I'm glad that's settled.” So stupid, but I hadn't thought of the consequences of bonding with Gage. Declan and Banning had their own homes and heaps of responsibilities, but Gage had nowhere to go in the Human Realm, and it looked as if he had nothing keeping him in Torr-Chathair. “Is that a problem?” Gage asked. “Of course not,” I said immediately. “I have more than enough room for you. I just don't want you changing your entire life for me.” “Wise and just,” Amaron agreed. “You've been given a good mate; listen to her.” “We'll talk about this later, Father,” Gage said firmly. “For now, let's concentrate on finding Elaria's enemy.”

“Who is our enemy as well,” Amaron agreed. “They have stolen from us and attacked my son's mate. This is not acceptable. Don't worry, Elaria; whoever is doing this; they're as good as dead.” “Thank you,” I said sincerely. Vivian had said that with a griffin on your side, the war was as good as won. Now, it looked as if I had a whole tribe of griffins to help me. “Of course.” Amaron nodded. “But before we head down to the site of the abductions, I must introduce you to my mate. She will turn into a harpy if she discovers that you arrived and I took you to see evidence before her. Along the way, you can tell me how it is that you recognized me.” Amaron strode out of the cave. I made to follow him, but Gage stopped me. “My life has already changed, Elaria,” he whispered ardently. “Entirely. It was altered the moment I heard you sing.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

Amaron took us through hallways carved out of solid stone, large enough to allow giants to pass through without hunching. The rock walls were unadorned and polished, but the floor was rough and gouged in places. As we walked, I told Amaron about Vivian and his feather. He smiled brilliantly and asked after her, but then caught a disapproving look from Gage. “I'd be grateful if you didn't mention the Lady Vivian to my wife,” Amaron said to me. “She's a sore subject.” “So I shouldn't talk about how stunningly beautiful Vivian is?” I teased. “Or how she's a powerful witch elder?” “Please don't,” Amaron groaned. “No problem; I got you.” I chuckled. After experiencing the cave entrance to the Saeiqa village, I'd expected Gage's people to be living within the mountain. But the formation turned out to be more than just a mountain; it was a massive crater. Basically, the griffins lived in an extinct volcano. Sheer peaks surrounded the griffin town, serving as both protection and vantage

points; a natural fortress. The volcanic soil was also rich in nutrients and crops thrived within the crater. It was the perfect place to build a village. Amaron was still explaining it all to me as we came out onto another ledge, giving us a spectacular view of everything he'd been describing. Saeiqa Village was more modern than I'd expected. Grand, stone palaces were nestled amid patches of woods and croplands, with a paved courtyard in the center of town. A waterfall poured over a cliff at the opposite end of the basin from us, adding some moisture to the air. The falls fed a pool which became a stream that ran the length of the valley. If valley was even the correct word. I feel like “crater” is too misleading; it makes you think of black rock and smelly steam. This was as far from that as you could get; a tropical haven. We ambled down a sloping road, right into an orchard. The scent of ripening fruit made my stomach growl; we'd forgotten to eat breakfast. Gage picked an orange-skinned fruit off a nearby tree and handed it to me. “You can eat the skin,” he said. “There's no need to peel it.” I took a bite, and sticky-sweet juice poured over my tongue. I giggled as it dripped down my chin.

“It's called a ranbun,” Gage said with an indulgent smile. “It's like a cross between a mango and an apple.” I took another bite of the firm flesh and licked my fingers. “That's nodded.

a

good

description.”

Amaron

“I didn't see a huge amount of buildings,” I noted to Amaron. “Does each home house a large group, or is your tribe small?” “We aren't an abundant race,” Amaron said without regret, “and we had to split into tribes in order to guard the planet. The Saeiqa Tribe is just over a hundred in number.” “Is there a reason for that?” I asked. “The small numbers, I mean.” “We mate for life, and generally have only one clutch.” Amaron shrugged. “Gage is one of three children.” “You have siblings?” I asked Gage with interest. “Two brothers.” Gage nodded. “My mate laments the lack of females in our clutch,” Amaron said with a smirk. “But she's proud of our sons; they're all strong griffins.” “I'm sure they are,” I murmured.

“Finteren is mated,” Gage said, “but Rentar is still at home with us.” “He will be upset to hear that you've beaten him in finding a mate.” Amaron laughed then looked to me. “You know how brothers are.” “I can imagine the rivalry between brother griffins.” I grimaced. “It's good for them,” Amaron said with a grin, “makes them stronger.” “I used to wish for siblings,” I murmured. Gage gave me a curious look. “Growing up on an island, without other children, was rough.” I shrugged. “It would have been nice to have someone to play with.” “I'm sure your parents did their best by you,” Amaron said generously. “They absolutely did,” I agreed. “Don't get me wrong; I had a wonderful childhood. I just didn't have a lot of social interaction until after I was able to control my magic.” “Ah, then your parents made the right decision,” Amaron said approvingly. “Better to keep you and everyone else safe.” “Safe is good.” I tossed the ranbun pit into the woods we were emerging from. “But it's not very fun.”

Gage sent me a commiserating grin and took my hand as we headed down a cobblestone road. We came upon a few people as we got further into the village, and they all stopped to stare at us in surprise. Some tried to speak to Amaron about me, but he held up a hand and declared that they'd be introduced to me later; Lady Sashaena came first. That shut them all up, but they continued to watch us like hawks... or griffins, I suppose. “You have such unique names,” I observed as we turned down a dirt lane. “Amaron, Finteren, Rentar, Sashaena, and then you have Gage? It sounds so human.” Gage grimaced as his father laughed. “What I say?” I asked. “We all shorten our names with each other, but Gage refuses to allow the use of his given name at all. He doesn't like it,” Amaron said. “I have no idea why; Gagerian is a noble name. There was a King Gagerian once.” “Gagerian,” I rolled the word around in my mouth as Gage rolled his eyes. “I told you, Father,” Gage huffed, “it sounds like an old scholar—Professor Gagerian.” “And Gage sounds like an action instead of a name,” Amaron pointed out.

I chuckled and squeezed Gage's hand supportively. “Either way sounds good to me.” “Thank you, but let's stick to Gage.” “All right, honey,” I agreed. “'Honey' works too.” Gage nodded. “Sasha is going to be over the moon.” Amaron chuckled as he added another nickname to the mix. We came out into a landscaped clearing bordered by flowerbeds and adorned with a gazing pool. A snowy-stoned palace ruled over it all with a welcoming veranda stretching before it. A woman came rushing out onto the veranda and down the steps. She had long, golden hair, an athletic body, and a grin that went right up into her green eyes; Gage's eyes. “Gagerian!” She cried and ran to hug her son. “I've missed you!” “It's been less than a week, Mother.” Gage sighed, but he also smiled as he hugged her. “You've never been gone longer than a day,” she complained as she pulled away. “I...” she stopped, inhaled deeply, and turned unerringly in my direction. “Who is this?” She whispered. “This is Elaria Tanager.” Gage drew me forward. “She's a spellsinger whose assistance was

integral to sending the olgoi khorkhoi and the chupacabras home. We're working together on the abductions.” “And she's...” Gage's mother looked back at him with hope in her eyes. “She's yours?” “And she's my mate,” Gage confirmed proudly. “A spellsinger mate,” Sashaena whispered. “I knew you were special, Gagerian. I knew it the instant you pecked that first hole in your shell and then stared so serenely out at me. I saw the flicker of greatness in your eyes.” She stroked his cheek lovingly. “Mother, please,” Gage groaned, “not the 'staring through the shell' story again.” “It's a good story, and mothers always cling to the tale of the children's hatching.” She kissed her son and then came over to hug me. “Welcome home, Daughter. You have lifted a weight from my wings and allowed me to soar with happiness.” I may have teared up a bit. It was such a kind, open acceptance. I had known that I wouldn't be rejected because of Amaron's initial response, but Sashaena was weeping with joy as she held me. That was a little overwhelming. She reminded me of my mom. “Mother, don't smother her,” Gage said

gently. “I just want her to feel at home,” Sashaena chided her son. “She is the first non-griffin mate, and that must be scary for her.” “Elaria isn't scared of anything,” Gage scoffed... and got one step closer to my heart. “I'm Sashaena.” Gage's mother released me to shake my hand. “But you can call me 'Mother,' or if that is too uncomfortable for you, please call me 'Sasha.'” “Let's start with 'Sasha.'” I smiled. “My mother has yet to meet Gage, so I don't feel right giving you her title quite yet.” “I understand.” She nodded and then gave me a smirk. “So, we are the first parents to know?” “It's because I called Gage home to see the evidence.” Amaron slipped an arm around his wife's waist. “Don't go roaring on about it.” “Regardless”—Sasha sniffed—“as the first parents to know of their union, we have responsibilities.” “What responsibilities?” Amaron started to look uneasy. “To introduce the couple to our people, and celebrate their mating in grand fashion,” Sasha said sternly.

“Oh, of course.” Amaron beamed at Gage and me. “There's always time for celebration. But I've already delayed our children from their mission. Make the preparations, mate”—he let go of Sasha to slap her ass—“and I will take them to see the evidence.” “You slap me like that again, Ama,” Sasha growled, “and the only thing I'll be preparing for is your last meal.” Amaron paled. “It was my greatest pleasure to meet you, Elaria,” Sasha sweetened her tone for me. “I'm sorry about my mate. Griffins believe in equality of the sexes, I assure you. It's just that sometimes the lion in them needs to exert his dominance.” “I'll try to remember that.” I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing at Amaron. “Simply stand your ground, and they will remember that the lion may be the protector of the pride, but the lioness is the greater hunter,” she advised. “If they want to eat, they better damn well show us some respect. And if that doesn't work, you remind them of the other hunger you can satisfy.” “Mom!” Gage was horrified. “Standing my ground won't be a problem,” I said smugly.

“I didn't think it would be.” Sasha winked at me. “Sashaena,” Amaron groaned. “I'll see you later, my little birds,” she ignored Amaron and Gage as she sashayed back into her palace like the queen she obviously was. My grin faded. “Come along; it's this way.” Amaron brightened as soon as the threat of his mate was gone. He started leading us back down the lane. “What's wrong?” Gage whispered to me. “Nothing,” I whispered back and tried to smile. I wasn't about to tell him that Torin's favorite endearment for me was “little bird.” That would make things awkward. I focused instead on how perfect a griffin was for me—a woman descended from sirens, who were also part bird. Birds of a feather flock together. I may not be of the same feather, but I had avian DNA, and that was enough to make me feel a kinship.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Amaron took us to the other end of the village; an even longer trip than it should have been because we were stopped every few feet by curious griffins who wanted to meet Gage's mate. Gage had been right; all it took was a stiff breeze to announce to the whole damn place that we were together. I had expected there to be at least a couple griffins who were opposed the idea of Gage mating someone outside his race, but I was wrong. Every one of them was ecstatic to hear of Gage's spellsinger mate. They saw it as fresh, strong blood flowing into the gene pool... which they made very clear to me with their repeated questions on how I felt about having a clutch of baby griffins. I admit that made me nervous. It was hard enough to think about having babies with my unusual life, but to contemplate laying eggs was not something I was ready for... nor would I ever be. “I doubt our children will be born in the griffin manner,” Gage whispered to me after I replied to yet another hatchling question. “Your body will no doubt carry a baby in the way of humans.”

“Is my apprehension that obvious?” I asked. “No.” He pulled me to his side and kissed my cheek. “But after the way, you responded to the description of my birth, and then your stilted answers to my tribe, I assumed.” “Yeah, I don't relish the idea of pushing out an egg,” I admitted. “No offense, but that kind of grosses me out.” Gage laughed and then said, “Children are a long way off. Let's save those concerns for later.” “Oh, thank Persephone,” I groaned. “I was worried that you were going to start pestering me for a clutch.” “I think we are meant to be more than mates, Elaria.” Gage went serious. “I told you that this feels like destiny to me, and I know that Vivian said something similar to you, but what I haven't mentioned is that I think our destiny may be to unite more than our lives. I believe we are meant to merge our strengths.” “Merge our strengths?” I blinked, thinking about how the spell had united Declan, Banning, and I when we fought King Sorin. “I was born a guardian, and so were you.” He tapped my nose. “You just didn't know it until now.”

“I swear; you save the realms one time, and everyone thinks you're a champion,” I grumbled jokingly. “And that was on your own,” Gage pointed out. “Imagine what we could do together.” “Well, let's stop this monster thief first, and then we can talk about future missions,” I suggested with a smirk. “All right,” he agreed softly. “I see you that you don't believe as I do yet, but I have faith that you will.” “Faith is a dangerous thing,” I teased him. “And a powerful one,” he added with a wink. Then he looked up and nodded toward something. “Here we are; the Nest.” “The Nest?” I asked as I looked over the building he indicated. “It's the gathering place for our community,” Amaron explained as he led us through a group of griffins. “We keep our records here, make tribal decisions, and store important artifacts.” We had come to the end of the central lane. The waterfall was directly before us; it's rippled pool spreading out among mossy boulders before narrowing into a stream that ambled past us. The

sound of falling water and gurgling stream were soothing, and despite the gathering of people, could be heard easily. Griffins were not the rowdy sort. They murmured to each other quietly and waited patiently for Amaron to make introductions. Once that was out of the way, and another round of greetings and questions navigated, we headed into the building they called the Nest. It was another stone structure; massive and formidable outside while airy and orderly inside. Corridors led off from the main hall, and Amaron took us down one of them without explanation. Again, the corridors were spacious enough for people twice our size, and I suspected that they were to allow for the passage of... A griffin came striding down the hallway toward us. I stopped walking and just stared. You have to understand; I've seen all sorts of magnificent, magical creatures, but the griffins had moved to Torr-Chathair long before I was born, and I'd never seen one in their griffin form before. I'd seen drawings of them, but nothing that could prepare me for the sight of this King of Creatures. It walked with grace and power, its back half rolling with the flow of a predator cat; lions paws padding silently over the stone. In direct opposition to that grace, its front half struck the ground with the beat of a prancing horse, as if

forcing the floor into submission; eagle talons tapping and scratching. A massive eagle head flicked to the side to survey us with one shiny eye. Elongated lion ears rose high on that avian head, giving it added nobility. Pure white feathers darkened down into tawny ones and then into golden plumage that matched the lion mane beneath. It was a smooth transition from feathers to fur that was hard to catch at first. Just as smoothly, the front legs went from muscular lion limbs into thinner bird talons. As the griffin approached us, its lion tail flicked with curiosity, and its enormous eagle wings fluffed before settling along its back. Suspicions confirmed; the hallways were made to accommodate griffins; very large griffins. Well, of course, they were for the griffins. What had I expected; a bunch of dragons to come running through? “Trathon,” Amaron nodded in greeting. “My son has returned with a mate. She is a spellsinger and is working with the witches to investigate the monster abductions.” The griffin shimmered and transformed into a naked man. I focused on the man's stern face; staunchly refusing to look any lower. He was sharper-looking than Gage and leaner. Definitely older too; not that I could see it in his skin—he was as healthy as any immortal—but it was in his eyes.

This was a man who had been around for a very long time, and he had seen some shit. “That was a lot to process, Amaron,” Trathon came forward and looked me over. “A spellsinger, a mate, and a monster hunter?” “I suppose.” I shrugged. “I'm a modern gal; I can be many things.” “And I suppose you're here to collect our evidence,” he shot back. “If you wouldn't mind sharing, Mr. NoPants,” I said. Trathon laughed and sent Gage a smile. “She's got spark; I like her.” “Do you like me enough to find some pants?” I asked dryly, and Trathon laughed more. “If you see something that bothers you, girl —grab it,” Trathon waggled his brows at me. “Grab it and hold on tightly.” “So that I may chop it off,” Gage added. “Oh, the newly mated.” Trathon rolled his eyes and then turned away. “The evidence is in here. Come along, children.” I kept my eyes firmly on the back of Trathon's head. Gods-damned griffins were all fit— very fit. They shouldn't be walking around naked when they looked like that. On second thought; I

guess it was better to have a hard body walking around in such a manner than a flabby one. But damn it all, it made me want to drop to the floor and do some crunches. Trathon took us into a room full of bookshelves; not just built into the walls, but also freestanding shelves set in rows down the room. Except these shelves weren't full of books, they were stocked with stuff. Woven baskets were placed neatly on each of them. Trathon didn't head to any of the shelves, though; he went to a heavy table set before them. There was a glass jar on the table which he picked up and handed to me without further ado. “This was found at the latest location,” Trathon said. “It smells like a shining one, but none which I recognize.” I wasn't too surprised by the shining one revelation; I had already been leaning in that direction. So, I didn't have much of a reaction to that; I just peered into the jar at the single hair. I was impressed that they'd been able to find such a tiny piece of evidence out in the open. It was hard to tell the color of a single hair until you held it up against a solid background. So, I used my hand for lack of something white. The color blazed to life against my pale skin, and I gasped. Orange; the hair was flaming orange, and I'd seen that exact shade

before. “You recognize the hair?” Trathon was shocked. “You haven't even scented it yet.” “I don't have your sense of smell,” I said. “But I don't need it to know whose hair this is. Her ex-husband was our first suspect, but he doesn't have the power to pull this off. In fact; she doesn't either.” I scowled at the hair. “But it has to be her.” “Who?” Gage asked. “Ava; the last Queen of Sapphire.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

I used my contact charm to call Declan as the griffins argued over the best way to stop a fairy from breaking into a realm that was originally discovered by the Shining Ones. As soon as Declan answered, I told him the news. “It's Ava!” “What?” Declan asked in shock. “You mean the one bringing monsters into the Human Realm is the ex-Sapphire Queen?” “Yep.” “How the fuck do you know that?” “Gage's father contacted him this morning,” I explained. “They found a hair at the last abduction scene, and I just got a look at it. It's fucking orange! Bright orange!” “But what about the pale-haired man you saw in your vision, and the large footprint?” “Maybe an accomplice?” I suggested. “I don't know, but there's no mistaking that shade. It's her, Declan.” “That gods-damned bitch!” Declan swore.

“I know,” I agreed. “What can we do about it?” “I can go over to... where the fuck did Ava go after the war?” He lost his thunder to contemplation. “Shit; I don't remember,” I huffed. “I'd ask Torin, but...” “Yeah, let me take care of it,” Declan offered. “Don't worry; I'll find Ava, and then we can end this.” “We can't just kill her, can we?” “Who's going to stop us?” Declan's voice held sass and vengeance—a strange combination. “Fair enough,” I agreed. “But shouldn't we collect more proof before we do something so final?” “More proof than her hair in Torr-Chathair, right at the abduction site?” Declan asked. “Yeah; you're right,” I conceded. “I just...” “What?” “How did she do it, Declan?” I asked what was starting to really bother me. “You shining one royals grounded most of her power.” “Ava is not without friends, my love,” Declan reminded me. “And you can be damn sure

that we'll find those allies of hers too.” “All right, I'll let you get to it,” I said. “I have to go to a griffin party. I should be back later tonight.” “A griffin party?” Declan asked in surprise. “To welcome me into the tribe,” I whispered. “You're being welcomed into the tribe?” Declan hooted. “How deliciously primitive.” “Shut up,” I huffed. “They're really nice.” “The griffins?” He chortled. “The fiercest shapeshifters in all of the realms are really nice?” “Goodbye, Declan.” “Goodbye, lover. I'll see you tomorrow.” I pulled the charm out of my ear as I turned toward the men. They were all watching me expectantly. “I've just spoken to the Alexandrite King,” I reported. “He's going to locate the suspect, and then we can take care of this.” “Just like that?” Trathon asked with some disappointment. “Don't we get to hunt?” “You want to go to Tír na nÓg and hunt a fairy on their own turf?” I asked, expecting him to say no.

“Yes,” he said immediately—along with Amaron and Gage. “Well, you're not.” I grimaced at them. “There's no way that the Shining Ones are going to be okay with me bringing a flock of griffins into Tír na nÓg to hunt one of their old queens.” “We are on good terms with the Fey,” Amaron declared. “Great; let's keep it that way,” I said firmly. “We'll need proof that the thief is dead,” Trathon bargained. “You'll have it,” Gage assured him. “They may not let in an entire flight of us, but I'm going with Elaria, no matter what. I'll verify the kill.” “I'm satisfied with that.” Trathon nodded then looked to Amaron. “You?” “I trust my son implicitly,” Amaron agreed. “Excellent.” Gage grinned. “Then there's just one thing left to do.” “Feast!” Amaron declared.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Griffins know how to party. The celebration began at Gage's parents' house and spread throughout the whole village. Instead of making my way across a room, Gage and I drifted down torchlit paths to every house in the valley. We ate and drank and danced in between receiving blessings for our happiness and even a few gifts. But before we even began the party crawl, Gage and I had dined with his family, and I got to meet the siblings. Gage's brothers were both massive warriors with courtly manners, just like him. The brothers, including Gage, had a similar look to them, but I thought Gage was the most attractive of the bunch. Perhaps I was biased, though. Kryana—Finteren's mate—sure seemed to disagree with me. She had only eyes for her husband, and he was just as obsessed with her. “They've only been mated a decade,” Sashaena whispered to me. “Still a pair of lovebirds.” I nodded sagely and hoped that my lovebird stage lasted as long with my men. Speaking of which; no mention was made of the Rooster Spell,

and I hoped we'd continue to be able to hide it. I'd hate to see Gage's family disappointed. They were a loving group who hadn't hesitated in bringing me into the fold. “So, how did you meet?” It was Rentar, the middle brother, who asked. Gage was the youngest—which meant that he broke out of his egg last. Yes; I was still trying to get over the egg thing. But I wasn't the only one with issues; Amaron's eyes went wide when Rentar posed his question, flicking from his wife to me. Then he shook his head just the barest bit. Right; I wasn't supposed to mention Vivian. “There happened to be a Witch's Ball the evening that Gage arrived at Coven Cay,” I tried to not chuckle at Amaron's antics. “I was on stage, singing, when Gage came into the room. He just walked up to me, and I reached out to him. He took my hand, and that was it.” “You took a stranger's hand while you were singing at a Ball?” Kryana asked with wide eyes. “Then what?” “Then I lifted her off the stage and danced with her while she continued to sing.” Gage smiled softly at me. “That's so romantic,” Kryana whispered. “Thanks a lot, dingleberry!” Finteren

growled at Gage. “You just made me look bad.” “Our death spiral was the most romantic moment of my life, Fin,” Kryana purred. “You will never look bad to me.” Finteren got a goofy look on his face. “I guess you're off the hook,” I said to Gage with a grin. “Griffins are very romantic,” Gage said proudly. “Finteren wasn't really worried. He wooed Kryana for months before they spiraled.” “Fin camped outside my village,” Kryana added. “He wouldn't leave until we were mated.” “Oh, you're from another tribe?” I asked. “That's usually where male griffins find their mates,” Finteren explained. “We journey around the world, searching the tribes until we find our mate. It's a quest.” “Did you go on a quest?” I asked Gage. “Three times,” Rentar teased his brother. “I guess we know why he was unsuccessful.” “Maybe you should go to the Human Realm too, Rentar,” Sashaena said gently. “It could be that your mate is outside the tribes as well.” Rentar blinked and then nodded. “Perhaps you're right, Mother. I should return with Gage.”

“After this is settled, you can come for a visit,” Gage quickly added. “Tell me that you couldn't use another griffin out there,” Rentar challenged. “We have too many warriors as it is,” I tried for some diplomacy. “The witches might see another griffin as an insult to their capabilities.” The table went quiet; evidently, those were the perfect words to get griffins to back down. No one wanted to insult another fighter's abilities... especially not allies. “After it's over, then,” Rentar agreed. Gage shared a relieved look with me. After the meal, Sashaena threw open the main doors of her home and invited her neighbors inside. That's when the celebration truly began. Gage and I were whisked out onto the lawn amid his tribe, and the torches were lit. We were welcomed warmly by every family and drawn along on a happy tide. We were making our way down to another palatial home when Rentar stopped us. “Sing for us, Spellsinger!” Rentar called to me across someone's front yard. The griffins gathered around us, and musical instruments were brought forth. Musicians came forward eagerly, and I looked to Gage. He

shrugged; it was my call. So, I pulled out my iPod and thumbed through it until I found a song that I thought would be appropriate for griffins; one that would take my magic to a good place. I played it once for the musicians so that they could get the melody. They marveled a bit over the machine that performed like a host of men, but then they listened, and finally nodded their agreement. Alessia Cara's “Wild Things” had an easy enough beat to follow, even without modern, electric instruments. As soon as my griffin band started to play, the tribe went silent and began to bob to the thumping rhythm. This type of music was new to them; I could see it in their widened eyes and even wider smiles. When I noticed that, I was glad I'd chosen this particular song. It was joyous; a story of self-acceptance and pride in being different. My voice lifted on the wings of my magic and flowed among these wild things; my new family. Feet started to pound the earth as the drumbeats moved the tribe to dance. I swayed in sublime pleasure; the feeling of acceptance and family soaking from the lyrics into my heart. Soon, I was entirely enthralled by the song, wrapped up in the sound of home and hearth; the warmth of wild things and their jubilant ways. The griffins spun each other around and leapt about, as caught up as I was in the music. Primal and passionate; the thudding rhythm

carried us along until it finally faded away, and left us laughing with delight. After that, the musicians played on without me. Gage and I left them to it and wandered the village for hours until finally, it was time for us to leave. We bid everyone goodbye, and Gage led me up the path to the mountain ledge. We held hands and stared out at Saeiqa Village for a few moments. Firelight warmed the night along with the sound of music and laughter. “I am unbelievably happy,” Gage said to me. “You know what, feather-face? I am too.” I smiled. “Feather-face?” He chuckled and pulled me into an embrace. “I'm just trying out nicknames.” I shrugged. “I'll let you know when I settle on one.” “Agreed,” he whispered and then kissed me. “Thank you for not telling my family about the spell.” “Which one?” I chuckled. “Both of them.” He grimaced. “I don't know what we'll do about Rentar.” “If he insists on coming to Earth, we'll have to confess,” I said simply. “We'll deal with it.”

“Together,” he agreed. “Together sounds good.” “That's a relief”—Gage grinned—“because it's how we're going to be from this moment forward.” “Yeah, sure; I've had other men promise me forever,” I whispered. “That didn't work out so well.” “But you haven't had your griffin mate say it,” Gage growled. “I'm not leaving you, Elaria. Not for any reason. The others may—I can't guarantee their commitment—but I can assure you that mine is now steadfast. You are it for me; forever.” I laughed grimly and shook my head. “Why do you laugh?” “It's so odd to hear a man proclaim forever without first vowing love.” Gage sighed deeply before he spoke. “I know this is odd, but it's ours. This is how we were brought together, and we're going to make the most of it. Love will come, and then maybe you'll be more inclined to believe that this is eternal.” “I believe in lasting love,” I protested. “And I even believe that we can have it. It's just the anxiety of having death hanging over my head that's bothering me. It's hard to fall in love when

you're under pressure.” “Is it?” Gage smirked. “I think we're doing just fine.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

I was still screaming through my orgasm when Gage lifted his face from between my thighs and asked me, “Can I be the one to tell Odin we're together?” My screams turned to giggles. “What?” Gage growled as he climbed up my body. “Odin was never interested in me,” I confessed. “He was playing you; trying to get you to confront your feelings for me.” “That sneaky bastard,” he said without any heat. “I suppose I should thank him then. If not for all of his antics, I probably would have remained stubbornly set against us.” “I'm the one who has to thank him,” I whispered. “Odin and Vivian have both done everything they could to save my life.” “We don't have to worry about that anymore,” Gage gently stroked my cheek. “I feel it building between us, don't you?” “I may feel a little something growing.” I wiggled my hips against him.

“Little?” He huffed and angled himself inside me. “Say that again; I dare you.” Gage made his point with a powerful thrust which left me moaning. “It may be larger than I originally thought,” I murmured and pulled him closer. “Tell me that you feel more than this pleasure,” Gage whispered in my ear. “I feel more,” I said immediately. “Of course I do.” “I do too.” He held my face within his palms as he ground his hips forward. “Sex has never been so sublime. I can feel your heartbeat syncing with mine.” He was right; I felt the thud of his heart through our chests, where we were pressed tightly together, and it was indeed aligning with my own. Two beats later, we were in perfect harmony. Gage grabbed my hips and sped up our beat as he took us through the chorus and into a screaming finale. We laid there panting while our aligned hearts slowed their rhythm. Then I slid out of his embrace and headed for the bathroom. “Where are you going?” Gage groaned. “I need to shower, and so do you.” I hooked my finger at him. “Then we are going into Tír na

nÓg. I have to speak with a certain ex-Queen of Sapphire.” “You mean that I actually get to leave the bedroom this time?” Gage smirked as he stalked over to me. “I wish that I could keep you in my bedroom all day, honey,” I purred. “But we should probably find the woman who's causing us so much grief.” “Probably,” he agreed and then eyed my large shower stall. “But we could multi-task.” “Multi-task?” “Get clean and have some bedroom-fun all at once.” Gage grinned and picked me up. As he headed into the shower, I laughed and clung to his thick shoulders. Sweet sirens, the man was amazing. We'd been through so much in such a short time, and I felt like I truly knew him. There was nothing about Gage that I didn't like. So, why wasn't I in love with him already? The sliver of kyanite vibrated in my neck, and its voice whispered in my mind, Because you cling to another love, and your griffin senses it.

Chapter Forty

I had been startled both by Kyanite's revelation and the fact that it could reach me through the Veil. I shouldn't have been; not by either of those things. I knew my own heart, and there was still a piece of it that belonged solely to Torin. As far as Kyanite reaching me on Earth; Declan had warned me of this very thing. He said that I would be able to access the stone's power from anywhere once I became queen, and he had been right. By the time, Gage and I used my stone to travel to the Alexandrite Kingdom, I had calmed a bit and refocused on what I had to do. First, I would meet with Declan about Ava, and then I'd check on my new kingdom. Declan wasn't in his bedroom, so Gage and I went out into the castle to search for him. Gage studied our surroundings as we walked, his eyes widening slightly at the shifting colors of the jewel walls, but he didn't say anything. I was too intent on finding Declan to make idle conversation or give Gage a tour, so I didn't say anything either. Which probably made us look like quite the grim pair when we happened upon Countess Elise—Torin's

grandmother. “Queen Elaria,” she said crisply. I pulled up short and lifted a brow; I had no idea how this was going to go. Torin's mother was a lot gentler than his grandmother. I had exchanged some choice words with the Countess when we first met, but it had been a test which I had passed. She had been friendly to me afterward. But that was before I broke her grandson's heart. I may have lost all my cool points. “Countess Elise,” I said warily. “I've heard of Kyanite.” “Have you?” Gage watched us, his gaze going back and forth. “Congratulations kingdom.”

on

claiming

your

“Thank you,” I said softly. “Did Torin tell —” “I know about what happened at your crowning,” she cut me off. “I'm greatly saddened that my grandson is so infected by his witch blood that he can't see his way past such a trifling issue.” “Trifling?” I asked in surprise. “I wouldn't be able to accept it either.”

“You're not a shining one,” she sniffed haughtily. “And yet I'm a shining one queen,” I shot back. “That sliver of jewel inside your throat doesn't change your blood,” she said. “Nor does it alter the way you were raised. You don't understand that sex is something to be savored and cherished, but it isn't what defines us, nor is it what defines love. You say that you wouldn't be able to accept Torin if he had to take multiple lovers, but I think that's a lie, Elaria. Isn't it? You would do everything in your power to save my grandson, even if it meant sharing him with another woman... even if it meant giving him up entirely.” “I would,” I whispered and felt Gage stiffen beside me. “But Torin doesn't believe I'm in danger, and honestly, Countess, I'm nearly saved. This is Gage Saeiqa; he's my soul mate. Gage, this is Countess Elise; Torin's grandmother.” “My lady,” Gage bowed. “Yes; I was at the Witch's Ball and saw the entire exchange.” Elise lifted her chin and looked Gage over. “He's an attractive man, no doubt, but he is not my grandson, and I think your heart will not be happy until you have Torin back. Good day, Queen Elaria,” Elise said. Before I could respond,

she added, “Good day, Lord Gage.” She walked past us with her nose in the air. “Is that true?” Gage asked softly. “What?” “That you will not be happy until you have Torin.” “Seriously?” I huffed. “You couldn't have focused on the part where I called you my soul mate?” “That was nice,” Gage said distractedly, “but you haven't answered my question.” “I never denied loving Torin,” I said. “But can you be happy without him, Elaria?” A muscle ticked in Gage's jaw. “I'm going to damn well try,” I growled back. “Okay!” “Okay!” “Yes, excellent; I'm glad that everything is okay,” Declan drawled. “Now, could you tone down your excitement a bit?” “Declan,” I said in relief as I went forward to hug him. “Sorry, we just had a run-in with Elise.” “Torin's grandmother?” Declan asked.

“Is there another Elise I'd have a run-in with?” “You're so sassy today,” Declan chided me affectionately. “Do you need a spanking, Your Majesty?” “Very funny.” I rolled my eyes, but the wicked look stayed in Declan's stare. “We'll talk about it later.” “Oh yes; we will,” Declan purred then transferred his stare to Gage. “You're still with us, then?” “I'm with her... forever,” Gage corrected him. “Yes, but being with her means that you're with Banning and I as well. So, are we in love yet?” Declan asked, the slightest tremor of anxiety wrinkling around his eyes. “We're getting there,” I murmured. “And how did partying with the flock go?” Declan lifted a cinnabar brow. “The tribe,” Gage growled. “Both of you are in a fowl mood, aren't you?” Declan teased. “Declan.” I sighed. “All right, my love.” Declan took my arm

and twined it around his. “Don't scowl so. I have some news for you about our orange-haired nemesis.” Declan began to lead us back to his private chambers. We passed several shining ones along the way, and they all bowed to us, murmuring their congratulations to me. But those were the only verbal interactions we had. Declan didn't give us his news until his bedroom door was closed firmly behind us and he could be certain that we were alone. “I have her,” Declan said succinctly. “You do?” I gaped at him. “Where? Why didn't you just take me to her?” “She's in the dungeon.” Declan held up a hand. “And Ava has denied any involvement in the monster and demon abductions.” “Well, if she says she's innocent, then let's just forget about the whole thing,” I said sarcastically. “She has a look about her,” Declan said softly. “I don't think Ava did it, Elaria.” “How did she explain her hair getting to Torr-Chathair?” I asked. “She couldn't,” he admitted. “But she is not the only woman in the whole of the realms with

orange hair.” “She is the only one with hair like that who hates me, and the griffins have determined the hair to be from a shining one.” “That is damning.” Declan sighed. “I will take you to her, and you can judge for yourself.” “All right.” We went back into the hallway and through several corridors before our path started angling downward, into the foundation of the castle. After several flights of stairs, and past two more subterranean levels, we finally came to the Alexandrite Castle's dungeons. They were clean, both in appearance and odor, and not a single iron bar was in sight. I was utterly disappointed. The cells were made of stone—jewel-free stone—and the doors were secured with onyx medallions. I knew from personal experience that onyx could ground magic. Hell, Ava knew it too; Torin's onyx magic was integral to the process of draining most of hers. Declan nodded to a guard who was seated at a simple wooden table with a book in his hands. The guard stood up, bowed to his king, handed Declan a key ring, and then went back to reading. Okay then; I guess there wasn't a lot of concern over the prisoner escaping. Declan took us to the

first door and unlocked it before ushering us inside. Ava was seated on a slim bed, her hands demurely folded in her lap. Her hair looked as if it had been in an elaborate configuration at one point, but it had fallen loose and gotten a bit tangled. Her caramel complexion was much paler than usual and her chartreuse eyes were dulled to foggy jade. She lifted that misty stare to me, and it widened in terror. “Hello, Ava,” I said calmly. “Elaria,” she nervously said back. “It's Queen Elaria,” Declan said casually. “Remember when I told you that she claimed Kyanite?” “Yes, of course,” Ava muttered and looked away. I gave Declan an I-told-you-so grimace. “She's here to determine your innocence or guilt,” Declan said to Ava. “You might fare better with a little more respect.” “And then she would think that it was a ploy,” Ava pointed out. “Fair enough.” I agreed. Then I went to stand before her. “Did you orchestrate these monster abductions? Or did you plot with someone to do so?”

“I had no knowledge of any monsters escaping Torr-Chathair until King Declan told me of them,” Ava said. She met my stare unflinchingly. “Frankly, I don't care enough about you to go through such trouble to torment you, even if I had the magic to do so.” I kept staring at her, but before I could say anything more, I was interrupted. “The hair was definitely hers,” Gage announced. We all turned to him in surprise, even Ava. “How do you know?” Declan asked. “Her scent,” I answered for Gage. “The scent is unmistakable,” confirmed. “She was on Torr-Chathair.”

Gage

“You have some of my hair,” Ava huffed. “How does that make me guilty? I've never been to Torr-Chathair—never. I wasn't a part of its discovery or the transporting of the monsters, and I have never felt the urge to visit the place. It sounds horrendous.” “Then explain how your hair was found there,” Gage demanded. “And Torr-Chathair is a fucking paradise,” I snapped. “Far more beautiful than Sapphire ever was; even before the war.”

Gage sent me a sideways smile. “Obviously, someone put it there, but it wasn't me.” Ava rolled her eyes, but I caught a glimmer of fear in them. “Someone is framing you?” I asked her. “That's your defense?” “I don't know what that means precisely, but yes, I think it's what I'm saying.” Ava scowled. “Someone is trying to draw attention away from themselves and lay blame on me.” “Who?” I asked her. “Who would have access to your hair?” “Anyone.” She shrugged. “I don't... know...” Her eyes widened, and her stare wandered. “Who?” I snarled. “You just thought of someone; who was it?” “I went to see Galen last month,” she whispered. “He kept calling my charm, and I did miss him. So, I visited him in the Human Realm.” “Galen,” I growled. “Someone would have to be helping him,” Declan mused. “We're right back to another suspect without the means to pull this off.” “No.” Ava shook her head. “Galen would never do that to me. He loves me.”

“Even after you refused to go with him into the Human Realm?” I asked her. She started to look unsure. “You can prove your innocence and get revenge on Galen.” Declan narrowed his eyes at Ava. “I won't betray him,” she vowed. “It sounds as if he's already betrayed you,” I pointed out viciously. “Possibly.” She squished up her lips as if she refused to say anymore. “You can stay here, in this cell, until your innocence is proven,” Declan noted. “Or you can take control of your future and help us discover who Galen is working with.” Ava remained silent. “Admirable.” Declan nodded. “But I'm warning you; I may forget that you're even down here, depending on how long it takes to prove that you're being framed.” “This person will undoubtedly strike again,” Ava finally spoke. “When they do, I will be here, and that will prove my innocence.” “Hardly,” I scoffed. “We already assumed that you had an accomplice who was stronger than you. They could keep this going without your

help.” Ava swallowed visibly, and then sighed. “What do you want me to do?” “Nothing too nefarious,” Declan promised gleefully. “In fact, if Galen is innocent, you'll do nothing at all; just spend a few days with him.” “And if he isn't?” She asked. “While you're there, you will search his environment,” Declan ordered. “We will be conducting our own investigation and surveillance. If any of us uncover proof of Galen's involvement, or if his cohorts show up, we will apprehend him and anyone involved.” “Apprehend?” She asked hopefully. “And imprison them until we're sure they are guilty,” Declan left the fatal implication hanging unsaid. “Okay,” Ava whispered. “I'll do it.” “I'll make the preparations.” Declan ushered Gage and me out the door, not giving Ava the chance to change her mind. Declan locked the cell with an ominous click, passed the key ring back to the guard, and then herded us upstairs. Once Declan has a direction plotted, he likes to get moving right away. “We're going to kill them, right?” Gage

asked Declan. “We're not just going to lock them in one of your pretty prisons?” “If Galen and his possible ally are guilty, then yes”—Declan shot Gage a ferocious look —“we're going to kill them.” “That's all I needed to hear,” Gage declared with just as much ferocity.

Chapter Forty-One

As smarmy as he was, Duke Kieran was also competent, so I had left him in charge of Kyanite in my absence. He'd been handling things before I took control, so I figured he was the best choice for the job. I couldn't fault the guy for hitting on me in the hopes of keeping his position. He was a fairy, after all; he probably thought the sex would be a bonus. I'd let Kieran continue as he was for now, but if he messed with me, things would go badly for him. I should have gone to check on Kieran in person, but I ended up being strapped for time. So, I contacted him via charm and got a report on how things were going. He sounded pleased as punch and sweetly informed me that Kyanite was running smoothly and he intended to keep it that way. I knew he was trying to become my right-hand man since he'd struck out at becoming my third lover, but again, I couldn't fault him for it. No one wanted to give up a high position. So, I praised Kieran for a job well done and asked him to keep up the good work. He verbally preened. I sighed as I let the contact charm slip back down on its chain.

“You sounded like a general manager in a department store,” Banning observed. We were in Lawrence again. When Cerberus had first sent me to Kansas, I'd been reluctant to go. Now, I looked forward to it. Oh, the irony. The purpose of this trip was for me to check in with Banning and spend some time with Gage and him together. Banning and Declan thought it might help Gage if he got to know them individually with me as a buffer. So, Declan had stayed in Alexandrite to monitor Ava's mission while I headed over to the Crouching Lion with Gage. “That was Kieran, the guy I left in charge of Kyanite,” I explained. “That pretty boy who wants to get into your panties?” Banning teased as he handed Gage a beer. “There's a pretty boy who wants to have sex with you?” Gage growled with narrowed eyes. We were sitting on Banning's private balcony, on the third floor of the country club; the third floor above ground, that is. Not only did Banning have a suite to himself below ground, but he also had the top floor of the building for his personal use. He had a great view of the golf course, the surrounding woods, and the city in the

distance. “I think he's more concerned with getting on my throne than in my underwear,” I corrected Banning as I waved down Gage. “Or the king's throne, at least.” “Politics,” Gage muttered, then took a sip of his beer. “This is good,” he said in surprise and then read the bottle's label. “Ale?” “That's right.” Banning chuckled and took the seat beside Gage instead of the one next to me. I lifted a brow at Banning. “I already know you, Ellie,” Banning said. “You're both here so I can get to know Gage better. Besides, your throat is looking too tempting at the moment.” “Should I not have let you drink from me?” I asked with concern. “I can control myself,” Banning said gently. “I'm not newly blooded.” “You drank from her?” Gage asked casually. “Once,” Banning said, “and it was the most decadent blood I've ever tasted.” “Aw, thanks, sweetie.” I smiled. “But now you crave it?” Gage lifted a thick brow at Banning.

“I crave blood anyway.” Banning shrugged. “I'm a blooder; that's our thing. But yes; Elaria's blood was... intoxicating. I think it may have made me stronger.” “Well, she is a powerful beneather,” Gage offered. “Have you drunk from a supernatural before?” “Just thoughtfully.

my

blood-sire,”

Banning

said

“Will my blood change you?” I asked in shock. “We never considered that possibility.” “Of course it will change him,” Gage huffed. “Blood is life and magic. You essentially gave Banning an injection of immortality and power.” “A magical transfusion,” I murmured as I stared at Banning pensively. “Whatever will be, will be,” Banning said suddenly, with more gaiety than was warranted. Banning was shaken, but he didn't want to show it in front of Gage, so I let it go. “We're here for me to get to know you, not discuss a possible change in my life,” Banning said to Gage. Gage's eyes widened as he warily asked, “You really want to get to know me?”

“This relationship we have with Elaria is unusual,” Banning said. “But as soon as Declan and I decided that Elaria was more important to us than our pride, then the spell united us. Declan and I are good now; we have a bond through Elaria. He's become a brother to me, perhaps more than that even; we are kindred spirits with the same purpose driving us. But you are different, Gage; you don't love Elaria yet, so your acceptance of this didn't bring you into the fold, as it were.” “Her and I need to love each other to save her.” Gage nodded. “I know this already.” “That's not my point,” Banning protested. “What I'm trying to say is that Declan and I were at odds with each other before the spell, but we both loved Elaria. The spell is what got us over our differences. You, on the other hand, are in the middle of your romance, and so we have an opportunity to become closer than even Declan and I. We can become friends before the spell bonds us.” Gage started to smile and then lifted his bottle to Banning. “Here's to new friendships.” “New friendships.” Banning clicked Gage's bottle and then winked at me. “You and Kyanite aren't going to be the only legendary team.” “Legendary,” Gage whispered and then

angled a look my way. “The more time I spend with you, Ela, the more I like how our future looks.” “Ela?” I asked. “I'm just trying out a nickname,” he teased me with my own words. “I'll let you know when I decide on one.”

Chapter Forty-Two

Ava spent five days with Galen in San Jose, California. We had a team of shining ones watching Galen and the area, but the Coven sent in witches to assist us after I informed them of our plan. There was no way anyone could have slipped past all of those magical watchers. And no one did; no one interrupted Ava and Galen's long visit. I was told that most of it was spent in the bedroom. So, it was especially shocking when I received a call on my contact charm, early in the morning, to inform me that monsters were invading Earth yet again. I was in Kyanite with my men. Yes; I'd finally made time to return to my kingdom. Gage was in bed with me while Banning and Declan were in their own tower rooms. We had spent the last two days in Kyanite, and it had gone well. The men had hung out together, doing whatever it is males do to bond in Tír na nÓg, while I handled kingdom business. I no longer wondered what kept Torin and Declan occupied all day; I experienced the intricacies of running a shining one court firsthand. There were endless decisions to be made, support sent and received from our villages, and payments

made to our troops and castle staff. On and on it went, filling my days until I wanted to cry “Uncle” and run for the shelter of my lovers. The men weren't always off without me; they helped when they could. Declan was the biggest help, of course. He was able to guide me through the worst of court politics and recommend changes that might make Kyanite run even smoother than Kieran thought it did. The changes were small at first; guard schedules, storage implementation, and household expenditures— things like that. But they were stepping blocks to get me accustomed to the process of running the kingdom on my own. Declan was an excellent teacher, and I was dearly grateful for his guidance. But despite his assistance, I was still exhausted at the end of every day—mainly mentally—and by the time I had a little bedtime relaxation with my chosen companion for the evening, I was ready to fall into deep, dreamless slumber. The chime woke me out of such a state, and I fumbled wildly on the bedside table for it. Gage came awake more quickly and reached across me to grab the charm. He pulled me into the curve of his body and then slid the charm in my ear. I sighed into the sexy feel of his manhood coming awake as well, rolling my ass against him. Gage growled as I answered the call.

“What the hell was that?” Vivian asked. “Huh? Oh, nothing.” I held a finger to my lips to quiet Gage. He smiled wickedly and rolled me onto my back, then started sucking ardently on my breast. I wrapped my legs around him and sighed. “Uh-huh,” Vivian huffed. “Well, maybe you could stop doing Mr. Nothing and hop over to Coven Cay to help us deal with a basilisk.” “A basilisk!” I shouted as I sat up straight, dislodging Gage. “Yes; it's rather tenacious.” Vivian shouted something to someone else, and a roar of sound erupted. “If you could help us deal with the creature, we would appreciate it.” “I'm on my way.” I jumped out of bed and started yanking on some clothes; underwear, jeans, and a T-shirt. This wasn't the time to make pretty. Gage ran across the bridges to tell the others what was up, and they were back within minutes. As soon as everyone was ready to go, I grabbed Banning to take him with me while the other men used their own devices to travel to Coven Cay. It looked a lot like the Sapphire War; fire and magic flared across the early morning sky as

mini tornadoes swirled, and the earth shook. Witch magic may be slightly different than that of the Shining Ones, but the effects were similar, and they were equally lethal. The men and I went racing across the trembling terrain toward the center of the storm. All the witches of Coven Cay were in the main courtyard, making a concerted effort to drive back a beast that was nearly invincible. A basilisk. How anyone had managed to move this monster from Torr-Chathair to Coven Cay was beyond me. Getting him home again would be equally daunting. This wasn't a creature to sympathize with. This was a monster in every sense of the word; a beast born purely evil—even more evil than demons. The witches had tried long ago to wipe out the basilisks, but it proved to be an impossible task. The best you could hope for with basilisks was that they left you alone. Getting them to Torr-Chathair in the first place had been a nightmare. It had required the help of all the races of the Beneath; including the gods and the Shining Ones. Even with only one basilisk to deal with, I had my doubts that we'd be able to manage such a move today. It would be far easier to kill the beast. But how do you kill something covered in armorlike scales, with a gaze that can paralyze an immortal and kill a human?

I spotted Vivian and ran over to her. The basilisk's long, snake tail lashed out, obliterating stone walls as a horrible screech erupted from its beak. The spell inside me perked up in recognition; one rooster acknowledging another. Indeed, the basilisk had a rooster's head, but it was the most massive bird that had ever been birthed. Crimson eyes glowed with deadly power amid the thick, oily flesh of their lids. The basilisk's feathers were razorsharp, fanning down its back around a blood-red crown of leathery flesh. Feathers met scale at the base of its neck, and the reptilian body flowed down to several pairs of short legs which moved the beast as fast as a centipede. A single glance was enough to chill your bones, and if you dared to stare longer, you ran the risk of those eyes focusing on you and literally scaring you stiff. “There!” Vivian pointed to a balcony that overlooked the courtyard. “It's the library. Go and sing, Elaria. I don't care what song you choose, just do something. And take your men with you; I want you guarded.” I nodded, not even bothering to waste time on words, and ran into the fortress. The men and I pounded up the steps, and with every thud of my feet, I discarded a possible song. I needed something to fight the un-fightable. Something strong enough to stand up to a basilisk. I inhaled

sharply as it came to me, and a spark of hope ignited in my chest. Maybe this would work. I rushed through the library as the men scanned the enormous room, just in case more monsters lurked within the book stacks. Being thorough was never a bad thing, but there were no enemies in the library; there was no one there at all besides us. It was eerily quiet; the only sounds were coming in through the closed French doors ahead of me. I ran towards them as I pulled my iPod out, but then I remembered that I didn't need it anymore... maybe. I got the song ready just in case the musicmaking magic of Kyanite wasn't able to cross the distance. I shouldn't have worried. Kyanite may not be as strong on Earth as it was in Tír na nÓg, but it had gems here, and I was its queen. There were deposits of the stone within the earth and pieces of it strewn all over the surface. Being in my kingdom made me more powerful, but being out of it didn't cut me off. I just needed to ask for Kyanite to join me, and it did... eagerly. The power of Kyanite surged into my body through the stone in my throat and mixed with my spellsinger magic as it rose in my chest. The two combined as they had in Tír na nÓg; with the ease of long-time lovers. They became one as they surged from my mouth, and music burst into life

around me. The entire courtyard vibrated with the first pulsing notes of Ms Mr's “Bones,” and every living being turned their eyes to me. Even the basilisk. I focused my stare on the horizon as the ticking sound of tapped drums drew me forward into the meat of the music. The lyrics were haunting, going straight into the words that I needed most. I settled my eyes on my target and drove my power there; into the earth, deep into the arms of death. The witches' graveyard. I wove my magic around the old bones inside those ancient graves, and even the dust of bones long gone. I pulled them back together and fused them into solidity—those powerful witches whose magic lingered on in their dried-up remains. The souls were gone, but I didn't want them. The song called only to the bones; the remnants of the elders—some of the very witches who had crafted the relic. I felt them shiver—those old bones—and they rattled in their coffins. The basilisk shrieked as earth exploded all over the graveyard, covering the sky with a fine film of dust for a moment. As the soil settled, the bones of my ancestors climbed from their graves like a macabre army; shredded clothes and rotting

flesh still clinging to some of them. Others were just bare bones, clattering together as they moved to my magic. The witches drew back in awe as their ancestors came to their defense. My voice echoed off the stone walls, drawing the noble dead closer, as the basilisk thrashed and lashed out. Its powerful claws thudded on the earth, and poison spewed from its mouth. It knew death was coming for it; the impossible was about to happen, and it faltered in confusion. “Retreat!” Declan shouted to the witches. “Get your asses inside now!” The witches looked from Declan to the dead and decided that the fairy king made a lot of sense. They ran for the safety of the fortress. Suddenly alone, the basilisk grew even more furious. His tail whipped at the building, smashing glass and stone with equal ease. Its screeching was climbing to an unbearable level, but it couldn't drown out my voice. My vocals vibrated through the air, and the music was everywhere. The dead reached the courtyard and swarmed over the basilisk like fire ants. Bones dug deep, clinging to the crevices around the basilisk's scales to pull them free. The beast thrashed in pain, and I saw Gage grip the railing beside me anxiously. It was hard to watch an

animal die, even an evil one. A beast is a beast; they know not our reason, and so you can never be certain what their motives are. And without motive, it's difficult to condemn anything. But this was one monster that I couldn't send back to Torr-Chathair, even with Declan here to open a portal large enough for it. Either the basilisk or the witches died today, and I loved these people; they were family. There really was no choice to make. I sang on, giving the corpses the strength they needed to save their kin. And it seemed as if they sensed, even if they couldn't possibly know, that they fought for their family. The mass of zombie witches covered the basilisk within moments; none of its deadly defenses making any difference to the bones and decayed flesh. Fingers and teeth dug past the sharp feathers and worked together to sever the rooster head from its reptile body. The head fell with a thud, and the dead witches scampered back down to earth. As the basilisk bled a river of blood over the courtyard stones, I sang the bones back to their graves. They fell in line and marched down the road like a victorious army. As they did, the witches rushed out of the fortress to line the path to the graveyard. The living bowed deeply to the dead as they passed; a

reverent gratitude for the peace they had given us after I had disturbed theirs. I laid the bones gently in the old caskets and sang the soil over them like a blanket. Sleep well, sweet witches; your people are safe once more.

Chapter Forty-Three

“Elaria,” Odin whispered as he hugged me tightly. “You are a treasure, sweetheart.” “What the hell was that?” Vivian shrieked as she joined us. “Did you manifest music?” “Kyanite did.” I smirked at her. “You're looking at the new Queen of the Kyanite Kingdom.” “Dear gods,” Glinda said in awe. “You've crossed the boundaries of race and magic, Elaria. A spellsinger on a shining one throne.” “Witch, Siren, and Shining One,” Odin mused. “Will you become part griffin next?” He looked pointedly at Gage and then transferred his stare to Banning. “Or part blooder?” “Easy now, Odin.” Vivian held up her hand. “Let's not get ahead of ourselves. First, Elaria must live. Have you conquered the other rooster?” “Not quite,” I whispered. As if the words had reminded the RS that it was in danger, the spell suddenly drained me. Combined with the toll the spellsinging had taken, and the extra expenditure of Kyanite, I couldn't

control my reaction. I fell forward into Gage's arms. “Elaria!” My men cried as the witches gathered around. “Bring her this way,” Vivian commanded. I don't remember much of what happened after that. I saw the walls rolling by, paintings of witches staring down at me with regal stares. I recall that I wondered if they were the same witches I'd just sung from their graves and if they approved of my methods. Then there was darkness permeated only with familiar voices and my own heartbeat. The thudding seemed loud, like the pound of marching feet, and I thought for a second that the bones had returned for me. But then fire filled my body, and I surged back into awareness with a scream. “Elaria,” Gage moaned. I felt his hand on my cheek. But he wasn't the only one there. Banning and Declan were touching me too, and they were angry at Gage. “This is your fault!” Banning shouted. “What's wrong with you? Why can't you love her?” Declan added. “I do!” Gage silenced them both. Then more softly, “I do, but it appears that she doesn't love me.”

I groaned in protest, clinging to Gage's hand as I screamed through another round of fiery torment. Just a taste, Elaria, the Rooster Spell said. The griffin is right; this is on you now. “I can't force myself to feel,” I murmured. “I know,” Gage said gently. “I know you can't, Ela. But I don't know how to help you. I've shared all I can, shown you who I am, and what we can be to each other. I can't do anymore.” You cling to another. Let Torin go, and your heart will turn to Gage, The RS insisted. “I can't,” I moaned as the burning faded. “I can't.” Then we die. Gage withdrew, and I opened my eyes to see him standing beside a wall, his hands covering his face and his shoulders hunched inward. We were in Vivian's sitting room, and I was laid out on a chaise. Vivian hovered behind Declan and Banning, with Odin by her side. But all eyes were on Gage. “Can you give us a minute?” I asked the others. “Are you all right, Ellie?” Declan laid his hand to my cheek. “You feel cooler.”

“I'm fine for now.” I kissed him and then Banning. “I just need to talk to Gage.” “Come along,” Vivian said as she shooed them out. “I think we could all use a drink.” The witches left with two of my lovers, and I turned to the third. Gage's back was fully facing me. So, I got to my feet and stumbled over to him. When I laid my hands on his shoulders, he trembled. I expected to find him crying when he moved to face me. But there was only a single tear trailing down his cheek, and it was overshadowed by his ferocious expression. Gage grabbed my waist, pushed me against the wall, and kissed me roughly. I wrapped my arms around him and brought him even closer. Gage's hands went to my waistband, and he yanked my jeans from me along with my panties. I inhaled sharply in shock as he tossed them away, and then, on his way back up my body, he shoved my T-shirt up and off me. I held my arms up to make it easier on him, and then he tossed the shirt aside with my jeans. My bra followed, and I stood before him naked while he remained fully clothed. Gage ran a possessive hand down my body, stopping to knead at me in tender spots, then changed direction and brought his hand to my throat. He gripped me right beneath the chin and

angled my face up to his. As Gage stared intently at me, he undid his jeans. His free hand slid beneath my ass and hefted me up. I wrapped my legs around him and took him in hand to help him slide inside me. With a satisfied groan, Gage drove himself deep. I cried out and started to look away, but he held my face firm. “Don't you fucking dare!” Gage snarled. “Look at me, Elaria. I am making love to you. This is me inside you.” He shoved my face down, forcing me to stare at us coming together. “I love you, Ela,” his voice softened as he let my jaw go. “I think I always have. You're my mate, and yet you think of another man when I touch you.” “No,” I whispered. “Gage, I...” “I see you look away.” He rubbed his cheek against mine and growled into my ear. “I watch you close your eyes when I'm inside you.” “I don't do it to think of him,” I protested. “You won't anymore,” he said firmly. “I am yours, and now it's time for you to truly become mine. “Gage, I am,” I said, but I knew it was a lie. Gage was right, and so was the RS; I was holding back. “Show me, then.” He dropped my legs and

pushed me to my knees. “Show me that your mine.” His manhood was before me; I only had to lean forward to take him in my mouth. I did; I accepted him as he had accepted me, and I knew suddenly what had to be done. Gage—that griffin tactician—had already figured it out and was leading me where I needed to go. I had to give up control. I have never been a submissive woman, but I was all for pleasing a lover. I had no problem kneeling before a man for the purpose of pleasure, but this was only the beginning. Gage's hand went to the back of my head, and he started pulling me forward onto him, choking me with his flesh. I placed my hands on his hips to push him away. “Put your hands behind your back!” Gage snapped. A shiver of dread coasted through me—a cold wave of pure rebellion. But my heart also thudded with excitement, and my mind knew that this was the path I had to tread if I wanted to live. It had to be shocking enough to break my obsession with Torin. I wouldn't give up my love for him—I couldn't—but I could give up the hope that he would return to me. And hope was simply another type of control.

I put my hands behind my back. “Better,” Gage murmured and gripped my face with both hands. He drove into me with violent shoves until I thought my lips would bleed and I would suffocate. The wet sounds of him claiming my mouth were a violent slap to my pride. I closed my eyes tightly and tried to let go, but control wasn't so easy to give up. My shoulders tensed with the need to shove Gage away. But he pulled away from me first and stepped out of his leather pants. He drew off his tunic too and tossed it all aside. Then he pointed to the rug. “Get on your hands and knees,” he ordered. I started to protest, and then swallowed the words. They didn't go down well, lodging in my throat like dry bread. Still, I went to the rug and did as he said. Gage came up behind me and knelt between my calves. I was panting with the furious mix of my emotions as he spread my thighs further apart and then shoved my head down to the carpet. I felt him pressing at my entrance, but he held back. “Beg me to fuck you,” Gage growled. I went still. “Beg me, Elaria!” The words clung to my teeth and turned my

mouth into sandpaper. I couldn't say them; it would rub my pride raw. Gage's hand smacked my ass, and I shouted in startled pain. “If you don't beg me, I will get up and walk out of this room.” “Please!” I shouted, and then murmured. “Please fuck me, Gage.” His hands settled on my flanks with satisfaction, digging into my flesh briefly, and then he spread me wide. I waited, knowing that he was taking his time to look at me, and feeling utterly humiliated when I responded and grew wet. But that embarrassment cracked something inside me, and it broke free with an epiphany. If I had no control here, then I wasn't responsible for anything that happened. Whether or not I fell in love with Gage, it was out of my hands. A tremendous weight lifted from my heart just as Gage slipped inside me. I screamed in ecstasy. Gage pounded into me violently, commanding me over and over to tell him how much I liked it, how much I wanted him. Then he pulled out and spread my ass again. “Reach between your legs and touch yourself,” Gage growled.

I did, moaning with shame and pleasure. “This is what your mate does to you.” He leaned down and licked me, his tongue hot against my finger, and then he moaned. “Stick your finger inside yourself. That's it; let me see you how you please yourself.” He gave me one more lick, then eased back to watch. After awhile, Gage added his finger to mine, gripping my hand as he slid our fingers inside me together. My thighs were clenching, ecstasy building, when he pulled us out and laid on the carpet beside me. I started to move, and he snarled at me to stop. “You move when I say you move,” he snapped. “Now, keep your eyes on me, Elaria.” Gage laid there and stroked himself with his wet hand as he watched me. I kept my gaze on his, but he was looking over my body, admiring every inch of it. “Roll onto your side,” he said. I did, my legs naturally coming together. “No; keep one leg bent up,” he instructed curtly. “There will be no hiding from me tonight.” I angled one knee up and set my stare on his hand; steadily working his shaft. “Do you want my cock in you?”

Instead of being upset by the aggressive question, I was turned on. “You know I do,” I purred. “Then come here and ride it.” I crawled over to him and straddled his hips. Gage crossed his arms behind his neck and smiled wickedly up at me. I slid down on his hard length and began to take my pleasure, but I knew that I did so under his command. My body was running hot and cold with a strange emotion. I couldn't name it; I only knew that it felt good and bad all at once. And nothing could have stopped me from taking more. “Bring your breasts to my mouth,” he commanded as he remained at ease. I leaned forward, angling one nipple into his mouth, and he sucked greedily at me. I moaned, my whole body starting to shake as my climax approached. But Gage rolled us over before I could come, and then gripped me beneath the knees. He pushed my legs up so high that my knees rested beside my ears. I was completely vulnerable, on display for his perusal, and he took his time placing the tip of his erection just at my entrance. He slipped in the head and sighed. “Do you want to come, Elaria?” Gage asked me gently.

“Yes,” I whispered. “You know what to say.” “Please make me come, Gage.” With those words, the dam of control broke; both mine and his. Gage pounded into me with a frenzy, his thumb rubbing at my most sensitive spot as he did. I screamed as the pleasure poured over me like a tidal wave, drowning me and then reviving me to pull me under again. My body shook with the most powerful orgasm I'd ever experienced, and Gage shouted with me, filling me with his heat. As he settled his body over mine, I whispered into his ear. “I love you, Gage.”

Chapter Forty-Four

The Rooster Spell crowed inside me and came to vibrant, ferocious life. Power surged through my languid limbs and flowed out to Gage, who was still wrapped around me. He inhaled sharply and then sighed, his arms tightening and drawing me closer. “Is that the spell?” He asked softly. “Yes.” I nuzzled against him and smiled into his chest. “You just saved my life, griffin.” “And mine,” he whispered, then kissed me tenderly. “I'm sorry that I was so rough, but I sensed that it was what you needed.” “Is that part of the mate bond?” “Sensing each other's needs?” He asked as he angled his head back to look at me. I nodded. “It can be,” he said. “It is with me; we'll have to wait and see if it works with you.” “I'm glad,” I said sincerely. “Without it, I don't know what would have happened to us.” “We would have worked it out,” he said

confidently. “Maybe,” I conceded. “But I don't know if it would have been in time to save me.” “Save us,” Gage corrected. “I love you, Elaria; there is no life for me without you in it. I just didn't want to pressure you by saying it before you loved me back.” “What took me so long?” I rolled over onto his chest and stared down into his stunning eyes. “What the hell was wrong with me?” “It hasn't even been two weeks.” Gage stroked the hair back from my face. “That's not an exceptionally long time for people to fall in love.” “Even for soul mates?” I lifted a brow. “Maybe it is for soul mates,” he admitted. Then he went serious. “Elaria, this feels amazing. It's as if I've made a new tribe with you and the others. We're all connected even more deeply than I am with my family.” “I feel it too,” I whispered and laid my head on his chest. “Banning was right,” Gage said with surprise. “I feel like they're my brothers now. As traitorous as it sounds; I think I'm even closer to them than my actual siblings.” “It's magic,” I murmured.

“And love,” he added. “So much love.” “Are you guys done fornicating our way out of this mess?” Declan asked through the door. “I'm feeling pretty damn good, so I assume you two are feeling even better.” “Give us a moment, Declan,” I called out with laughter in my voice. Gage and I slowly got to our feet and helped each other dress before we opened the door to find Declan and Banning standing there, beaming at us in relief. I went into their arms, and they hugged me tightly, then Declan pulled Gage in with us, and I was surrounded by so much love that I thought I couldn't possibly exist like this forever. Didn't you get a heart attack when you overfilled that organ? But I didn't die; quite the opposite, in fact: I began to truly live. We wandered into the main hall, where the witches had organized into cleaning and repair crews. Magic glimmered in through the windows as the island was put back to the way it was before the basilisk had struck. Vivian stood amid the bustle, calmly directing the teams. She turned when we approached, as if she could sense us walking up, and smiled sweetly. “It's over?” Vivian asked. “It's just begun,” I corrected her.

“My darling!” She rushed forward and hugged me. “I'm so relieved.” “Me too,” I whispered. “And now I have some news,” she said as she pulled away from me. She drew a piece of parchment from the pocket of her skirt and handed it to me. “We found this near the dock, tied to a tree.” “Another fucking letter,” I snarled as I took it. “Do you want me to read it again?” Declan asked gently. “No; I've got it.” I stopped to send him a smile. “I'm feeling much stronger now.” “We all are, sweetheart,” Banning said with a smirk. “I hate to admit it, but this spell is better than blood.” I unrolled the parchment and read aloud, “As you crumbled my world, I will crumble yours. How does it feel to have everything you love obliterated? Watching you suffer is a balm to my own heartache, but I'm far from finished. I look forward to our next interlude.” “I've already checked with our surveillance teams,” Declan said. “Neither Galen nor Ava have left the Human Realm, and no one has visited

them.” “Have they gone to dinner or shopping; anywhere they might have interacted with others?” I asked. “They have, but they were monitored closely,” Vivian answered, “and all of the people who they spoke to were verified as human and in no way connected to the Beneath.” “Then it's not Galen.” I sighed. “And that rules out Ava as well. Someone really is setting her up, but it's not her ex-husband.” “Then who?” Banning groaned. “I think we need to investigate the manticores more,” I suggested grimly. “I've had some witches watching the manticore prides,” Odin said as he strode up. “I'll check with them. I agree that this is vicious enough to have been orchestrated by the manticores, but I find it hard to believe that they would strike at the Coven. They've tasted our anger in the past, and it was enough to leave a lasting bitterness in their mouths.” “Okay, let me know what you find, Odin,” I said. “I'm going to head back to Kyanite. I have an entire kingdom to worry about now, and it seems like it would be the perfect place for the next monster attack.”

Odin nodded, and Vivian hugged me once more before my men and I headed to Tír na nÓg.

Chapter Forty-Five

I put the Kyanite Castle on lock-down as soon as I got there. The patrols were doubled along the borders of the kingdom, and no one was let in or out besides me and my consorts. So, when Sara showed up on horseback with all of her belongings in a satchel, she was detained. The captain of the team who encountered her contacted my steward, and William delivered the message to me. By the time Sara was allowed into the castle, she was a bit peeved. “What in all the realms is going on?” Sara stormed through the main hall. “I abandon Onyx to come to your aid, and I end up being treated like a trespasser!” “I know, Sara.” I held up my hand. “I'm sorry.” “I can't go back after the fuss I made over you,” she snapped. “You have to take me in.” “I will, of course, I will,” I said gently. “You left Onyx for me?” “Of course I did!” She stomped over and hugged me. “You're my friend.”

“Thank you.” I hugged her back. “I'm sorry you were treated poorly. They know who you are now.” She huffed some blonde hair out of her face and gave me a considering look—as in; she was considering whether to forgive me or not. “My closest friends and family have been attacked,” I explained. “That's why I closed my borders.” “Attacked?” She went still. “King Torin didn't say anything about attacks.” “King Torin is being a royal asshole,” Declan drawled. “Indeed, he is, Your Majesty.” Sara bobbed a curtsy to Declan. “An asshole and an idiot. He's actually visited that insipid Queen Eileen four times! At least I didn't have to watch her fawn all over him...” she trailed off when she saw my face. “Never mind that, Queen Elaria; just tell me what I can do to help.” “Just you being here is a huge help,” I said. “It will be nice to have someone in my court who I already trust.” “I figured you'd be needing me to watch your back.” Sara nodded determinedly. “I asked King Torin if I could come for a visit, just to help you out until you had things under control, but he

flat out refused.” “So you told him to kiss your ass?” “Something a bit more fey than that, but yes; that was the gist of it.” Sara smirked. “You're the best, Sara.” I hugged her again. “Thank you for coming.” “Eh, it's not like I'm an onyx fairy. I was only there because Torin treats his people well, and I don't have to watch a bunch of fairies fuck at dinner every night.” She shrugged, but I saw her face flush with pride. “If rank were mine to give, I'd make you a duchess,” I declared. “I'm that grateful to have you with me.” “You can't give her nobility, but you can make her a lady of the court,” Declan said casually, and Sara's eyes went wide. “No, no; it's not necessary,” Sara protested. “I'll be happy with a simple salary.” “You don't want to be a lady because it doesn't pay a wage?” I smirked at her. “As a lady, she'd be provided for by her court,” Declan inserted. “The stipend is in return for her making her home here, and offering unwavering loyalty. She will also be expected to help defend the castle if it were ever under attack.”

“I'd defend Elaria anyway.” Sara scowled at both of us. “And I don't think I've earned a title; I'm just a maid.” “You just defected for me. I think you've earned a place in my court,” I huffed. “Yes or no, Sara; I'll let you decide.” “A lady?” She whispered. “But then who will do your hair?” I laughed loud enough to attract even more attention than we were already receiving from the kyanite shining ones milling about the main hall. “Hey, I'm damn good at it,” Sara snapped. “You are,” I admitted, “but I value you for more than your hairdressing skills.” “I could still do your hair,” she offered. “That too, I will leave up to you, Lady Sara,” I said with a grin. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” Sara went serious and dropped into a deep curtsy. “It will be my honor to join your court.” “And this way, Torin can't force you back to his,” Declan noted. “What's this now?” I asked. “I thought Shining Ones were free to choose where they wished to live?”

“They are, but Sara was employed by King Torin,” Declan explained. “You didn't stay past your contract, did you?” He asked Sara. “No,” she whispered and made a face. “His Majesty's right; I'm in breach of contract with the Onyx King.” “But now that you're a lady, the contract doesn't apply,” Declan concluded. “That position is beneath you, so Torin can't force you to fulfill it.” “You knew that all along,” I accused him with a smirk. “Of course.” Declan shrugged with a selfsatisfied expression. “Sneaky bastard,” I said affectionately. Yes; I have the most cunning of tongues.” Declan gave me a wicked look. “Care to put it to the test in a more intimate setting?” “Absolutely,” I accepted, and Declan's hand started to wander. I pushed him away gently. “Later tonight. I need to see Sara settled and then I want to check in with my parents.” “Pyrosvesti is concealed by a ward, isn't it?” Declan asked about my parent's private island. “Yeah; they should be safe, but I want to check on them just in case.” “Very well.” Declan sighed. “I need to

contact my own kingdom anyway. I'll see you this evening, my love.” I kissed Declan, and he wandered off to find some privacy to make his calls. Sara stared at us with wide eyes. “What?” I asked her. “I just never thought to see the Alexandrite King so taken with one woman,” she murmured. “Declan was a bit of a playboy,” I agreed, “but even a playboy has to settle down eventually.” “Not shining one playboys”—Sara gave me a sassy look—“especially not shining one, playboy kings.” “All right, Declan's love for me is a little surprising,” I admitted. “And I heard that you snagged a griffin.” “I didn't snag him.” I rolled my eyes as I turned to lead Sara upstairs. “He's my soul mate.” “Griffins don't mate non-griffins,” she said. “So, he can't be your soul mate.” “He is my soul mate, and we're mated,” I started to sound as sassy as she did. “So, there.” Sara burst into laughter, and I joined her. “I missed you, Queen Elaria,” she said softly.

“I've missed you too,” I whispered. Then I added gruffly, “But don't go getting all sappy on me.” “Hey!” She pointed at me. “You have to be nice to me now; I'm a lady.” “I'm pretty sure that I don't.” I started walking again. “Um, I'm pretty sure that I know more about it than you do.” “Keep it up, and you won't get the room I was going to give you in your own tower,” I threatened. “A tower?” She squeaked. “One of the favored rooms?” “You might not be a favorite for long.” I grimaced. “I take it back!” She exclaimed. “Yell at me all you want, just let me have the tower. Oh sweet stones, a tower for my very own.” “Well, you can't watch my back from a lower floor, Rapunzel,” I pretended to huff angrily. “Come on; I'll get the key from William.” “I have a tower with a key?” Sara shrieked in happiness. “You have my love and loyalty forever!” “And an elevator.”

“An elevator!” She looked as if she were going to faint. “I get to ride in an elevator.” Who knew that a tower, a key, and an elevator could bring so much happiness?

Chapter Forty-Six

Two weeks went by without any monster sightings. All of my relatives had been warned, even the spellsingers—who vowed to scour the earth for the son of a bitch who would dare come after one of their own. No; they definitely weren't the ones stealing monsters. It looked as if the spellsingers had completely gotten over their anger at being left out of Thomas' killing—thank all that was holy. Ava went back to her home in the Bloodstone Kingdom, and Galen was still being monitored, though not as thoroughly as he was before. Which left me back at square one. The manticores hadn't left the realm, though they had been caught doing all manner of unspeakable things. Some things had been bad enough that the witches stepped in and took matters into their own hands, but none of those things had any connection to me or monsters (besides the monstrous manticores themselves). The stress finally got to me, and I decided to take my men and run. Well, just for a little while. Declan, Banning, Gage, and I went to my home in Hawaii for a little R&R. It was just what we

needed; a few days relaxing in the sun on the soft sand and making love in the sea at night. Things had gotten so comfortable between the four of us, that affection, and even sex, had become natural. One of the best nights of my life was when the three of them laid a blanket in my backyard and made love to me beneath the stars. The vinedraped, stone walls surrounding my property made it perfect for such rendezvous; the yard and my strip of beach were completely private. Our lovemaking that night had been a languorous, hedonistic event interspersed with ocean swims and tropical fruit fed to—and sometimes off of—me. On the fourth day there, the men decided to do some grilling in the backyard. They even put up a pop-up pavilion for Banning to relax under. I, however, went to sit on the beach and stretch my feet out to the lapping waves. I sighed and closed my eyes, soaking up the sunlight and the happy peace that came with being near my lovers and the ocean, all at once. There was still a small wound in my heart left by Torin, but I wasn't letting it fester any longer, and I was beginning to have hope that it would heal. The scent of salt, smoke, and sizzling steak made me smile, and I was about to say screw it, and just lie down in the sand despite my lack of blanket, when I was splashed with sea-spray, and a reptilian roar jerked my eyes open.

I stared, frozen with shock, at a gowrow; a type of lake monster. My first insane thought was that it shouldn't be in the ocean; gowrows preferred fresh water and had difficulty processing saline. My second thought was that it had beautiful skin; a forest green with an opalescent sheen to it. Then my brain registered the curving tusks longer than my forearms and the mouthful of sinister teeth. A barb-tipped tail lashed out of the water, lifting high in the air behind the beast, as my men ran up beside me. Declan and Banning each grabbed me beneath an arm as Gage stepped before us with his sword extended. Gage cared for the beasts of TorrChathair, but he loved me. He would sooner kill the gowrow than let it near me. The gowrow roared and lurched forward as I was drawn back. My mind raced through music as I tried to come up with the best way to send a water creature through a portal. But as I mentally fumbled, female laughter drew my attention upward. Standing on my rock wall was Queen Eileen of Copper, her red hair pulled back in a tight braid and her hands set on her hips in a classic comic book hero pose. I gaped at her as she smirked down at me. “Jewels, but you are a dumb one, aren't you?” Eileen sneered. “Or have you hurt so many people that you couldn't wheedle it down to me?”

“This was all you?” I asked in shock as I got to my feet. “Mostly.” She shrugged with a smug smile. “Just one moment, Queen Eileen,” Declan promised viciously. “I have a minor pest problem to deal with before I deal with you; our major pest problem.” The sound of Gage's sword striking flesh, the flash of Declan's magic, Banning's shouts, and the screech of the gowrow became background music as everything clicked into place. “This is because of your husband,” I said in epiphany. “You found out that I killed him.” “Found out?” She huffed. “Who else could it have been? Who had the power to tear a fairy king to pieces? Only the relic bearer.” “I didn't do that to your husband,” I protested. “Not I or my magic.” “Whose then?” Eileen growled. But I couldn't tell her about the bombs. Those who had been involved in the mission to collect and destroy the copper bombs had been sworn to secrecy, and for good reason. If it got out that copper could be used to create magic grenades, war would reach a fearsome level in Tír na nÓg... and then it would spread to all of the other realms.

“It was a magical rebound,” I finally said. “I merely deflected his attack on me.” “You're a fucking liar!” She screeched and then calmed as she took in the scene around us. “But it doesn't matter anymore; you'll be dead soon enough, along with all of your loved ones. I only stayed behind so I could tell you to your face that I'm headed to Onyx next. I've finally got Torin to trust me enough to allow me past his onyx gardens, and as soon as I'm there, I'll be able to travel out, and back again with a flock of drekavacs.” “You evil bitch!” I screamed, but Gage's shout distracted me. I spun to check on him, and when I turned back, Eileen was gone. But my mind had cleared in the interim, and I knew exactly what song to use to send the gowrow home. “Be a dear and open a portal, Declan,” I purred as Kyanite rose to my bidding and music started to play around us. “My pleasure.” Declan directed his energy out behind the gowrow, into the shallows. A patch of sparkling light grew wider, pushing back the ocean to reveal a freshwater lake on Torr-Chathair. The gowrow paused, scenting its home, and looked over its shoulder briefly. But it was wounded and furious, and it instinctively knew

that it needed to deal with the threat to its safety before it could go home. The gowrow roared and surged forward, but I was already into the chorus of “Ember” by Katherine McNamara. Fire flared up between Gage and the gowrow, and the monster shrieked as it fell back into a tangle of limbs and tail. It snapped at the air anxiously as it shambled to its feet. I sang on, the lyrics shifting into exactly what I needed. The story had strong bones on its own; a woman burning the evil in her past to rise from the ashes like a phoenix. But the ember of Katherine's song sparked the real fire that I needed to drive the lake monster back where it belonged. Yes; I used fire a lot. My father is a fire witch, and I inherited a kinship for it. So, my spellsinging tended to do better with fiery music, but in this instance, it was simply the best tool for the job. Gage drew away from the shifting flames and went to stand with the other men as I lifted my hands and swayed gently, moving the fire with my dance. The gowrow whimpered and backed further onto the beach. As the fire continued to shift forward, leaving blackened earth in its wake, the gowrow gave one last defiant scream and then dove through the portal. Declan immediately let go of his magic, and the ocean rushed back into the void. “Torin—” I started to say, but Banning just

grabbed my hand and slid my travel stone into it. I looked to the left and saw that Declan and Gage were already gone. Banning nodded to me, and I held his hand tightly as I took us to Onyx Castle.

Chapter Forty-Seven

It was chaos, complete chaos. Shining ones screamed and shouted as magical blasts did everything from crushing stone to creating rain, but all it did was piss off the drekavacs more. I rushed forward and saw Torin standing on the castle steps, a sword in one hand, and the other stretched toward the sky. A shadowy haze was spread over the courtyard, protecting the fairies beneath it. Other onyx shining ones were lending their magic to the ward, but despite the help, Torin's arm was already shaking under the strain as the drekavacs dove into his ward over and over, slashing at the magic with beaks and claws. Eileen had brought the beasts directly to the courtyard, bypassing the onyx gardens, so Torin couldn't call upon them to defend the castle; it would simply seal the monsters in with his court. My gaze shot to the flying creatures; oversized, bald heads bobbed on dappled, elongated bodies that seemed far too thin to support those skulls. Leathery wings beat at the air, causing an undulation in their limbs that stretched them slightly. But that was part of the horror of drekavacs; they were elastic, with skin like rubber

and claws like knives. Like a child's nightmare, they were too ridiculous to exist, and that made them all the more scary. My lovers and I ran up to stand beside Torin. Declan extended his hand and added his alexandrite renewal magic to the protection of onyx, reviving the ward. But I'd need Declan to open a portal. I started to say just that, when Gage pulled his piece of shell out and directed its energy before us. A portal opened in the courtyard, but it was beneath the cover of the ward. “I can't project a portal past the ward,” Gage growled. “You're going to have to bring them down to us.” “Call your people back,” I said to Torin. “Get them inside so we can handle this without casualties.” “Everyone into immediately shouted.

the

castle!”

Torin

The onyx shining ones abandoned the fight at the order of their king, and went running to safety. As soon as they were all inside, I nodded to Declan and Torin. Banning unsheathed his sword and flexed his shoulders, and I knew that he felt the power of our bond rushing through his blood. We could communicate without speaking when we connected like this. So, Banning sensed exactly

where he needed to be when Torin and Declan dropped the ward. Gage looked at me and winked; he felt it too. Of course, he did; it was how Declan had known that he was free to focus his energy on the ward. I was kind of annoyed that the men had connected first, but then again, perhaps I had been a bit distracted by spellsinging. I already knew what to song to use, and I didn't even have to wait for Kyanite to manifest some music for me. The intro of “The Wolf” by Phildel was a capella, and it drifted from my mouth in an eerie lament that shivered out and blended with the cry of the drekavacs. Nonetheless, they heard it. My voice carried where I willed it, and I sent it straight to the monsters above us. It made them tremble grotesquely and sent them diving for the ground. Once landed, they hopped forward on both feet like enormous, rubber robins, tails whipping the ground with enough force to crack the stones. Despite their ferocity, a few of the birds could have been easily handled by a court of shining ones. The Fey were the most powerful magic users in all the realms. But there was an entire flock of drekavacs attacking Onyx Castle, and by that, I meant well over a hundred of the massive, repulsive, and resilient monsters. They filled the courtyard to overflowing, and there were

still more of them bobbing about in the sky. I would have been impressed by Eileen if I hadn't wanted to kill her so badly. As soon as the drekavacs were lower than the castle walls, Declan sent a new ward shimmering above them. Torin looked at him in surprise but quickly added his magic to Declan's. Torin wasn't a part of our collective, so he didn't know what we were planning; that we wanted the monsters trapped within our cage so we could round them up and send them back to TorrChathair. But I was too busy singing to explain it to him, and Declan was having too much fun keeping Torin out of the loop. I hit the line I needed to manifest a creature of my own. How do you wrangle a flock of monster birds? Get a monster wolf to chase them. I called forth a pack of enormous wolves, and their bulk alone pushed some of the drekavacs into the portal. Torin's eyes widened as my manifested wolves snarled their way forward, gigantic paws streaking through the sky to knock drekavacs down to earth. Banning drew back, but kept his sword at the ready, while Declan and Torin both raised their weapons as they simultaneously kept the ward up. Gage was buckling under the strain of keeping the portal open with so many creatures passing through it, but he too had his sword in hand. I was glad that they

were smart enough not to depend solely on me. With this many monsters, we couldn't be sure which direction they'd take or what desperation might drive them to do. As I hit the second round of opening lyrics, music began to play around us, distracting the drekavacs further. They were monsters, but they were also birds, and their brains weren't the sharpest. The wolves circled the fowl creatures (pun intended) and wrestled them from air and earth, with claws and teeth, into the portal. A couple of them tried to fly off and were knocked back by Torin and Declan's barrier. Unfortunately, their trajectory sent them straight toward me. “Elaria!” Torin let go of the ward and swung his sword out to deflect the lethal claws coming my way. His magic flared along his sword in an inky cloud, and Torin sliced the drekavac's head from his body with one lop. But he hadn't been quite fast enough. One of those deadly claws had made it past Torin's blade and sliced into my shoulder. Declan floundered as I screamed, but stayed focused on the ward, knowing without looking at me that I was wounded badly, but still alive. My magic winked out without the music to sustain it, and the wolves faded away with eerie howls. The remaining drekavacs—maybe thirty or so—turned toward us

in a group, as if they sensed our weakness. Banning and Gage jumped forward to protect us, but Gage had to let go of the portal to do so, and it flashed out of existence just as a drekavac flew through it. A horrible screech echoed across the courtyard as the tip of a rubbery tail fell to the stones and flopped like a dying fish. I saw it all in the instant that I fell backward into Torin's arms. I gasped through the searing pain as I stared up at him. Blood poured down my arm in a torrent, and Torin tore a strip of cloth from his tunic to bind around my shoulder and staunch the flow. He lifted his head to shout for a healer, and then rocked me back into his embrace. I started to sing again, just a murmur of magic, but it was enough to bring the wolves back to life. I had to protect the men I loved, and I would do it with my last breath if necessary. I felt Torin trembling around me and glanced up to see tears streaming down his cheeks. I reached the hand connected to my good arm up to wipe away his tears and then laid my palm to his cheek. Torin held my hand there and stared at me as if I was all that mattered to him. The world was literally crumbling down around him, and he didn't care. “Move back,” Gage said as he knelt behind my head. “King Torin, I can't heal her if you don't

give me some space.” Torin leaned his torso away from me, glancing at Gage in surprise, but then he fastened his stare back on my face. I couldn't hold his gaze, though, I needed to focus my song. I rolled my head toward the courtyard, in too much pain to wonder what Gage was about to do. I saw then why Gage had been able to come to my aid; the Onyx Court had disobeyed their king as soon as I'd gone down. They saw that we were in trouble and had come to help us. A group of them opened a portal, and a few more blended their magic with Declan's to hold the ward. Along with my wolves, it was enough to take care of the drekavac stragglers. Within minutes, the beasts were back where they belonged. As all of this occurred, and I continued to sing, Gage shifted his hand into a bird's talon and held it over my wound. He set his sword tip to the ground beside us, angling the blade to where he held his hand, and scraped a claw against the sharp edge. A fine powder fell over my seeping blood and began to glow. With a liquid slide, my blood flowed backward, into my body, and my wound knitted itself shut. I gasped as the pain winked out as if it had never been. “Thank you,” Torin whispered brokenly to Gage.

“She's mine, Onyx King, your gratitude is unnecessary,” Gage said sternly. Torin flinched. As soon as the portal was closed, Banning and Declan had hurried over to us. They were standing behind Gage when he spoke those possessive words, and now they watched Torin warily, waiting for his answer. “I know she is.” Torin let out a long, shaky breath. “But she was mine first, and I should never have let her go.” Gage's massive bird talon shifted back into a hand, and he used it to sweep the hair away from my face. He kissed my forehead, gave me a serene smile, then stood up and stepped back beside Banning and Declan. The three of them continued to watch Torin and me with anticipation. Then Torin clasped me to him tightly, nestling my face into the curve of his neck. Something clicked into place, and we all gasped through it: Torin, Declan, Banning, Gage, and I. The bond of the Rooster Spell had linked another heart to our chain. Torin shuddered against me and then went still. Slowly, he eased back enough to lay his forehead against mine. “I tried to hide,” Torin said ruefully, “and then I tried to run, but both actions failed because I

was wrong; you never opened the cage, Elaria. I've simply been beating at the bars this entire time.” “Torin,” I whispered. “What have you done?” “I've finally accepted that I can't escape you,” Torin said with a smile. “We are caged together still; there are just a few more birds in here with us.” And then Torin kissed me, and it wasn't a goodbye kiss. It was a beginning—a fresh start— and I took hold of it with both hands. I gave him everything I had pent up; all of my heartache and longing that had held me back from loving Gage. I sent that emotion hurtling into Torin, and as he shook from the impact, I sank into his love. My eyes fluttered open as Torin finally drew away from our kiss, and I had just enough energy to smile at him in sublime happiness before I passed out.

Chapter Forty-Eight

I came awake and immediately started to cry because the first thing I saw were Torin's cerulean eyes staring back at me. His hand went to my cheek, and he kissed me tenderly. “It wasn't a dream,” I whispered in relief. “No; it wasn't a dream,” Torin's deep voice rolled over me like a warm blanket, and my heart sighed; home at last. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?” Declan asked. I looked over to him and smiled softly. “I'm good.” My eyes wandered around the edge of Torin's bed, and I saw Banning and Gage smiling back at me. “Real good.” “You came to help me,” Torin claimed my attention again, “even after the way I treated you.” “I never thought badly of you for any of it.” I took Torin's hand as I sat up. “I'm sorry that I had feelings for Declan and Banning when we were first together. I hope you know that I tried to ignore them.” “I know,” Torin murmured, “but you

shouldn't have to apologize for what you feel. I was wrong to judge you on something you can't control.” “No; you were simply feeling too,” I protested. “And your feelings are just as important as mine.” “What I feel—what I've always felt—is love for you,” he said tenderly. “I just needed some time to realize that the love was more important than my anger and jealousy.” “I'm glad you did.” “Me too, little bird.” Torin grinned. “I understand now; I see how we can empower each other by being bonded through you. This spell doesn't just take, it gives. Loving you is a foundation for greatness; you make us stronger, and that's a rarity for shining one royalty. We reach a certain level of power and stay there for the rest of our lives. But you have changed all of that; I can feel my magic magnifying.” “Not me, honey.” I laughed. “It's the Rooster; you have to give those props to the spell.” A rooster crowed inside me, and we all inhaled sharply. I looked around in surprise when I realized that they'd heard it too—and felt it. The spell was getting stronger as well. A part of me shivered as I looked at all of

my amazing lovers. Each man was powerful on his own, as was I, but together, with the spell compounding our magic by uniting us, we could be unstoppable. “Sweet stones,” I whispered. “What are we going to become?” “Something greater than the sum of our parts,” Banning said with a smirk. “A force strong enough to make all the realms take note,” Gage added. “Invincible,” Declan said simply. Torin just smiled at me wickedly. I gaped at them for all of three seconds before I burst into laughter. The men scowled at me. “Look at you men.” I waved a hand at them. “You think we're the Fantastic Five. You need to tone that shit down. Believing that you're all-powerful can get you into all kinds of powerful trouble. And I've had enough trouble to last me an immortal lifetime.” Their scowls faded, and slowly, they nodded their agreement. “We have to keep this to ourselves,” Torin declared. “I'm afraid that pussycat is out of the bag,”

Declan purred. “The witches already know.” “Vivian and Odin know,” I corrected him. “And I think they'll agree that this isn't something we should advertise.” “People will notice our power when we fight together,” Gage said. “And they'll definitely notice a blooder who doesn't have a problem with sunlight.” We all went silent and stared at Banning. “I'm a little annoyed that the griffin was the first to notice,” Banning huffed. “I've been fighting beside all of you all day.” “Were you not strong enough to stand sunlight before?” Gage asked in surprise. “I assumed it was the spell that gave you the ability.” “Tolerate it, yes,” Banning said, “but it still hurt, and I wouldn't be able to endure it longer than a few minutes. Now, I feel the warmth on my skin and nothing else.” “Is it the spell?” Torin asked. “Possibly.” Banning shrugged. “But it's far more likely to be an effect of consuming Elaria's blood.” “You drank Elaria's blood?” Torin growled. “I asked him to,” I said sternly to Torin. “And maybe he should drink more.”

“His increased strength will empower the rest of us,” Gage agreed. “But hopefully, we won't have to use that strength again.” I gave Gage a heavy look. “Yes, Ela, hopefully,” Gage agreed. “But you and I both know that's a slim hope. Just being who we are is going to bring us battles. You're a queen now; you have a whole kingdom to defend. Then you have two kings bound to you, with two more kingdoms, and finally, a blooder gheara with a gura to lead.” “You left yourself out,” Banning said. “I have left my tribe to make a new life with my mate.” Gage shrugged. “I have nothing to look after but Elaria.” “I don't need to be looked after,” I chided him, but I did so with a smile. All of the men grimaced at me. “I don't,” I huffed. Their grimaces turned into eye rolls. “Ugh, men,” I grumbled as I got out of bed. “Where are my pants?” All of their eyes rolled down to my lower half, clad only in a skimpy thong. The testosterone in the air became thick enough to slice.

“Hey!” I snapped my fingers at them. “We're not done discussing Banning's new ability, and I just got out of bed after being unconscious.” “And I haven't been in that bed with you in far too long,” Torin growled as he scooped me up. “We can talk about blood later, sweetheart.” Banning winked at me and then headed to the door. Banning exited the room with Gage and Declan discreetly, letting Torin and I have our reunion. As the bedroom door shut, I wrapped my arms around Torin and pulled him closer, all thoughts of protest evaporating under his indigo stare. He was right; it had been far too long, and we needed to reconnect before this union could be complete. Torin's kiss seared a path through me, bringing the spell to life, and recharging us all. The Rooster Spell was finally settled; completely transformed from something selfish and evil into something passionate and pure. The change was miraculous, and so was the love it had brought into my life. Torin and I had started with something amazing, but it had been cast into the fire and forged into a stronger and sharper love. As Torin eased inside me, I held his face in my hands and kissed him tenderly. There we were;

united at last, despite the odds and our own foolishness. I had thought I'd never hold him again. A tear slipped free of my eye, and Torin kissed it away. “Everything has changed, little bird,” Torin whispered, “but this”—he angled himself deeper —“will always be ours. This moment when your flesh holds mine, and we are joined in the most primal of ways, will remain ours alone.” “Fools together,” I said with a smile. “Fools forever,” he agreed.

Chapter Forty-Nine

“Finally,” Declan declared dramatically when Torin and I emerged from the bedroom hours later. But then he winked at me. “Good; you're wearing combat clothes.” “Combat clothes?” I looked down at my jeans and T-shirt. “I just put on the same thing I had on earlier. You thought I was going to come out in a gown?” “I had no idea how you'd appear.” Declan shrugged. “But I knew you'd be lovely either way.” “You just never stop, do you?” Gage chuckled. “Never.” Declan grinned proudly. “You gonna tell me why you were pleased with my choice of dress—or not dress, rather?” “We're going after Queen Eileen, of course.” Declan stood and started striding out of Torin's study. “You're coming along, I assume?” “Eileen,” I snarled and shot an annoyed look at Torin. “Why are you glaring at me?” Torin asked in surprise.

“Oh, I don't know.” I rolled my eyes. “Because you showed up at my crowning feast with her, then went to visit her in Copper, and then invited her here.” “First of all; I didn't attend your feast with Eileen.” Torin grimaced. “She was in the courtyard when I arrived and insisted on walking in with me. Then she contacted me, offering to sign a trading deal between our kingdoms. I went out to Copper negotiate, and then she invited herself here.” “She played you, man.” Banning shook his head. “In a way that I couldn't outmaneuver,” Torin agreed. “But I'm done being played. The Copper Kingdom is going to have to choose a new monarch because I'm going to kill its current queen.” Torin strode out with Declan. Banning, Gage, and I looked at each other and smiled. Yep; we were all in agreement on that.

Chapter Fifty

We had to pass through three kingdoms and around relic mountain to get to Copper. For such a long journey, and because we expected a fight, we had to go by wagon, with our army on horseback. We decided to leave the foot soldiers behind. With our new rooster alliance (Torin scowled at me until I stopped calling it the cock collective) we shouldn't need much assistance anyway. We probably could have gone alone, but it was better to be prepared. Without foot soldiers, we were able to travel faster, but the supply wagons still slowed us down, and it took two days to reach Copper Castle. We rolled up to find the copper gardens dormant and the front gates were thrown open. I exchanged annoyed glances with my men and urged my horse forward. The men followed, and we rode into the courtyard before the rest of our army. A shining one man came out of the castle and bowed respectfully. “Your Majesties,” he said, “I am Alexander, the steward of Copper Castle. I was instructed to surrender in the name of my queen.” “Where is your queen?” Torin snarled as he jumped off his horse.

Alexander looked shaken, but he stood his ground. “She has fled, Your Majesty. Word reached us of your... er... survival, and Queen Eileen abandoned us.” “That fucking bitch,” Declan growled. “She just left you here to deal with a war?” “No,” Alexander drew himself up proudly, “she instructed us to surrender to you. Our nobles are gathered inside, awaiting your decision. Should you wish recompense for our queen's behavior, they will negotiate that with you.” “Negotiate?” Torin roared. “Your queen released monsters in the Human Realm, attacking the woman I love, her friends, her family, and the fucking Witch Coven! Eileen could have started a war between the realms. Should I negotiate for them as well? Do you think that Copper has enough treasure to pay off all of the realms?” Alexander trembled. “Torin,” I called out. “This is delaying tactics.” Torin growled. “She's right,” Declan added. “Forget these idiots; we need to pursue Eileen. She's already got a head start on us. We can come back later to deal with the Copper Kingdom.”

Torin took a deep breath but continued to stare at Alexander. “This is not his doing,” I said calmly. “Do not take your fury out on an innocent man.” “Innocent?” Torin spun to face me. “Every shining one here is complicit in this. Do you understand how much planning it would have taken, Elaria? How much magic? They are all guilty.” “Not this guy in particular. He's just a steward, Torin,” I said gently. “We will return for Eileen's accomplices. But right now, we need to find her.” Torin nodded gruffly and got back on his horse. “Where did she go, Alexander?” Banning asked. Alexander looked uncomfortable. “Please don't make King Torin dismount again,” I said with soft menace. “It will not go well for you.” Alexander paled. “I don't know where Queen Eileen went.” Torin started to dismount. “I swear I don't!” Alexander screeched. “She left in the middle of the night. Her instructions

to surrender were imparted through a note.” He pulled out a piece of parchment and waved it at us. Declan urged his horse forward and took the paper from Alexander. He looked it over and nodded. “He speaks the truth,” Declan said. “Fuck,” Torin hissed. “She could be anywhere.” “Easy, love.” I smiled at him. “You forget who you're with.” Torin lifted his brow and then began to smile. “By all means, little bird; sing.” I smiled back at him as the light strumming of a guitar filled the air and magic filled my heart. The tickle of it rose up my throat, and I began to softly sing Florence + the Machine's “Dog Days Are Over.” The music felt so happy, so lighthearted, especially when a clapping beat was added to the strings. But the lyrics were subtly sad; a woman fleeing from happiness, trying to kill love with lust, and drown it in alcohol. My voice lifted, strengthening the sorrow and hardening it into an arrow to shoot after the particular fleeing, heartbroken woman whom I sought. A golden

light

gathered

before

me,

condensing into a ball. As the music magnified, and my power with it, the ball moved, drifting through the gates of the Copper Castle to trail after the traitorous queen. I turned my mount about as I kept singing, and my men followed suit; horses pawing the air dramatically as we sped back through our army and after the ball of light. “Follow the light!” Declan shouted to the soldiers as we passed by. The army turned about, the wagons taking the longest to maneuver, but I was focused on the orb before me and the song that fueled it. My words became a warning to Eileen; we were coming for her, our horses pounding the earth and eating the distance between us. Drop everything and run, Copper Queen, but it won't matter. Because now; I have your scent. We raced after the light, through the Fluorite Kingdom and then Bloodstone, our wagons falling far behind. I kept singing, repeating the song over and over to keep our trail burning bright. My voice was hoarse and breaking by the time we reached Kyanite. “She dared to cross your kingdom,” Declan said in wonder. “She must have been desperate.” “Where is she going?” Banning asked in confusion.

“I don't know, but our horses need rest.” Gage stroked his stallion's neck. “Elaria, let the song go for now. Take us to your castle. We can get fresh mounts there, and you can have your voice tended to before we continue.” I agreed with a measure of relief, letting the words die in my aching throat as I turned my poor horse toward my new home. We weren't all that far from the castle, thankfully. It wasn't long before we were riding through the golden gates. The stable master himself came out to take our weary mounts, and assured us that he would see to them while we were gone. Torin's knights poured into the courtyard behind us, but he only chose ten of them to continue on with us. The rest would wait at Kyanite Castle for our return. Torin assured them that we would contact them through a charm if we needed their assistance. “You wanna scrape some claw dust down her throat, griffin?” Banning asked Gage. “No,” I croaked before Gage could answer. “That's precious and should be saved for emergencies.” Torin didn't wait for us to finish arguing, he just shouted, “Bring a healer!” Shining ones scurried about until finally, a woman came rushing out of the castle and bowed

to us. “I am Thea, the healer,” she said as she lifted her head. “How can I help?” “Your queen has strained her voice,” Torin waved his hand toward me. “It's imperative that she be at full strength.” “Yes, Your Majesty.” Thea hurried over to me and placed her hands around my throat without further ado. Her fingers were adorned with silver rings set with polished pieces of jade. The stones softly glowed as energy trickled through her fingers and into my neck. I inhaled deeply in relief and clasped one of her hands as she drew away. “Thank you,” I said, my voice entirely recovered. “My pleasure, Your Majesty.” Thea bowed and moved back to stand among the gathering crowd. “Your Majesty?” Kieran came rushing through the kyanite shining ones. “Do you require assistance?” “I'm in pursuit of an enemy, Duke Kieran,” I explained. “Please see to the onyx knights while I'm gone.” “Yes, Your Majesty.” Kieran immediately

started directing the castle staff to look after Torin's soldiers. Fresh horses were brought out for us, and my bruised backside got up into the saddle again. I suppose I should have asked Thea to do a complete healing, but that would have taken too long, and it would have been a bit greedy. At least my throat didn't hurt as the magic rose within it once more. I wasn't about to let Eileen get away with what she'd done. I owed it to my friends, my family, and my fellow witches. The bitch was going to pay. I urged my horse into a run as the ball of light appeared once more, and we followed it out into the night. The men rode behind me, faces resolute as my refreshed voice echoed out with renewed vigor. I never wavered, and so neither did the magic. It took hours, but we finally came to the edge of my kingdom, and the end of Eileen's trail... in a way. We pulled up short at the treeline of Primeval; the forest which surrounded the shining one kingdoms of Tír na nÓg. Everyone went silent as we stared at the imposing trees and listened to the eerie calls of the lesser fey within them. There were very few lessers in the Jewel Courts, mainly because they preferred the wild freedom Primeval offered, but also because there was an unspoken agreement between the Lesser Fey and the Shining

Ones; we don't cause trouble in your territory, and you don't bother us in ours. “She's indeed desperate,” Declan finally murmured. “The forest will take care of her for you, Your Majesty,” Sir Hugh said to Torin. “Let's be gone from its border before the lessers take offense to our presence.” The other knights murmured in agreement, and I had to admit, I was spooked too. I'd been told about Primeval, but I had never been this close to it. It had an aura about it that was part warning and part allure. You wanted to go in, even though you knew you might never come out again. “What do you mean, Sir Hugh?” I asked. “If the lessers don't get Queen Eileen, the woods will,” Hugh whispered. “The very forest is alive, Your Majesty, and it doesn't take kindly to trespassers.” “We cannot let her escape,” Torin growled. “I agree,” Declan surprised us all by saying. “But we cannot go in like this. If we want to pursue Eileen into Primeval, we need assistance.” “We just got finished saying how...” Gage noticed the attention of Torin's knights and amended his statement. “How good we work

together. Why are we worried about a few fairies and a bunch of trees.” “Shush!” Declan hissed. “They will hear you.” “Who?” Gage searched the impenetrable shadows between the massive trunks. “The trees,” Declan said as if it were obvious. With his words, a breeze picked up and shivered through the branches, rattling leaves and creaking wood in a very unsettling manner. The horses whinnied and stamped their feet in fear, pulling against the reins in an attempt to flee. “Shh, easy now,” I said to my horse, then hummed a quick, calming tune. The animals quieted, but the men remained anxious. “We will gather our forces,” Declan announced. “Banning can bring his blooders, Gage will call the griffins, Elaria will petition the witches, and we will unite our armies. But we must prepare for this; we cannot go riding in there now. At the very least, we must get permission.” “Permission?” I asked. “From the Lesser Fey leaders,” Declan explained. “Without asking permission to enter, we

make ourselves fair game. We may be more powerful than they, but that is their territory, and they have more than their personal magic at their disposal.” “He's right,” Torin said grudgingly. “We will prepare, seek permission, and then pursue Queen Eileen. If I can't kill her myself, I will at least have proof of her death.” “So be it,” I whispered, my gaze focused on the sheen of eyes watching us from the darkness within Primeval. “But for now, I just want to go home.”

Chapter Fifty-One

Preparing to enter Primeval was taking longer than I had expected. All of the groups were willing to join us, but arranging to get them to Tír na nÓg, temporarily housed, fed, and then marched out to Primeval was a bit of a process. We broke up the steps so that we could accomplish other things in the meantime. Other things such as investigating the nobles of Copper. Shining Ones weren't much for trials. The kingdoms were run by the monarchs, and disagreements between kingdoms were generally handled with compromise or bloodshed. But this was an odd case; Copper's queen had abandoned her kingdom, leaving her nobles to fend for themselves. No one stepped up to lead the army in their defense either. They had, as Alexander said, surrendered. So, Torin, Declan, and I had a trial of sorts. We gave the nobles a chance to defend themselves. Unfortunately, most were found guilty of adding their magic to their queen's cause. The most obviously guilty was a familiar-looking fairy count with pale hair and size 9 shoes. It was difficult to sentence the nobles, though. They had been following their queen's orders, but the orders

had been treasonous to Tír na nÓg itself, which meant that the nobles had been within their rights to refuse to obey them. In the end, Torin grounded some of their magic and stripped their titles, but we allowed them to live. After that was handled, I spent a lot of time going back and forth between Coven Cay and Kyanite Castle; working with the witches on our plans to enter Primeval as I tried to establish my policies as queen. I also made a few trips to TorrChathair with Gage. Since the griffins would be joining us, we had to come clean about our relationship. The tribe was shocked but then intrigued by the power such a union could bring. Gage was already notably stronger than before. In the end, they were cool with it. Although, Gage's mother seemed a little sad, and that hurt my heart a bit. Banning's new ability to withstand sunlight hasn't faded. Yes; that was a concern. Banning had explained the energy transfer to us; power received from blood eventually dissipated, and then the blooder would have to drink again to revive himself. Only the power passed from blood-sire to son remained. But that made sense since most blooders drank from humans, and humans didn't have any magic to pass along. I did, and I have started feeding Banning more regularly, with the

support of the other men, in the hopes that Banning would grow even more powerful. Cerberus signed up for the jaunt into Primeval too, but he's been busy with Freya and has only visited Kyanite once, so far. He was impressed but also a little peeved. A queen didn't have to work, which meant that his cash cow had just dried up. But Cer was my friend first, and he was happy for me; for my new status, my new lovers, and my continued existence. And I was happy as well; happier than I'd ever been. What had started as a curse, had transformed into a blessing. The Rooster Spell forced me to find love, but then it bound that love together and made all of us stronger. Our hearts were in harmony now, and nothing was going to stop our song.

Grammar Giggles And just for a little giggle, here are some grammar mistakes found during the editing of this book. Correct Line: “He examined me as an unbiased alchemist.” I rolled my eyes. Giggle: “He examined me as an unbiased alchemist.” I rolled his eyes. Correct Line: Then we came; Declan lifted his mouth to mine again, and we sank below the waves we'd made, to mingle our satisfied cries within our mouths. Giggle: Then we came; Declan lifted his mouth to mine again, and we sank below the waves we'd made, to mingle our satisfied cries within our months. (Damn, that would be a long time to kiss) Correct Line: “That was a lot to process, Amaron,” Trathon came forward and looked me over. Giggle: “That was a lot to process, Amaron,” Trathon came forward and looker me over. And please feel free to write me at [email protected] if you spot any grammar errors yourself. Even editors are human, and sometimes mistakes get by them. Please have

mercy on my writing.

Keep reading for a sneak peek in the next book in the Spellsinger Series, due out in Spring of 2018.

Primeval Prelude And you'll find even more sneak peeks after the pronunciation guide

Chapter One

“It's just a forest,” I muttered to myself. “It's not going to eat you, Elaria.” “It might,” Torin said grimly from beside me. We were lined up in front of Primeval, with armies of shining ones, witches, blooders, and griffins at our back. All of us intent on finding one woman who had tried to hurt us. And all because her husband was an asshole who had made magic grenades. I couldn't even justify why we were going through so much trouble for one woman who was probably already dead. But, Eileen had been a Shining One queen, and she had a better chance of surviving the forest than others. And we wanted to be sure the bitch was dead. “Never leave your enemies breathing,” I whispered. “Harsh,” Declan noted. “It was something my Aunt Adelaid used to say.” “Ah.” Declan nodded in understanding. He'd met Aunt Addy, so he knew firsthand how

typical it was of her. The one group I hadn't invited to the party was the spellsingers. There was such a thing as overkill, and when more than one spellsinger came to a battle, things weren't just killed, they were decimated. I didn't want to destroy Primeval. It wasn't the Lesser Fey's fault that Eileen had chosen their home as her hideout. I looked at my lovers—all four of them— and then to my best friend, Cerberus. The exHound of Hades smirked at me and waggled his brows. It was time to get started, no more dithering about the edge of the forest. I stepped forward, and the men went with me, including Odin, witch elder and also a close friend of mine. He was there to lead the witches. Gage, my griffin mate, led the griffins, while Banning, my blooder (vampire) boyfriend led his gura, and Declan, Torin, and I led our shining ones. I wasn't a Shining One, I was a spellsinger, but through chance and a little fate, I had become the Queen of Kyanite. Our troops fell into line behind us. We hadn't brought horses, not even for the trip there. This was for two reasons; Kyanite Castle was close enough to walk the distance, and Primeval wasn't horse-friendly. We'd get further on foot. Even though my group led, we had scouts who ran ahead of us; shining ones who knew the

Primeval better than the rest of us. These were daring men and women who had wandered the woods alone, after seeking permission to enter. We had also asked for permission; a long process that involved several signals being placed out prominently before the treeline. Three lesser fairies had answered our petitions, and—after negotiating terms—had granted us access. However, that access didn't come with information or a guide. The leaders called themselves the Trinity of Strength; Physical Strength represented by the redcap leader— Caorall, Mental Strength was led by a dryad named Eimhir, and Spiritual Strength was ruled by a leanan-sidhe called Ceanag. They were standoffish but respectful and had outright refused to answer when we had asked if they had seen Eileen. They had also limited us to bringing only fifteen soldiers from each race wit us, which meant that Torin, Declan, and I could only bring five knights apiece. Our entire force was only sixty-six strong. I didn't know the kyanite fairies well enough to trust them as Declan and Torin did their men, and I almost gave them my number. But then I had volunteers, and I thought to myself; What better way was there to get closer to my kyanite knights than to take them with me into the scariest place in Tír na nÓg? If they were brave enough to

volunteer, then I wanted them with me. The Lesser Fey leaders weren't there to meet us—their permission didn't include protection either—but at least we wouldn't be attacked as soon as we stepped foot past their boundaries... we hoped. Yes; the first few steps into the Primeval were the hardest, even with our scouts waving us forward. The sun was shining brightly over the Kyanite Kingdom, and over Primeval too, but it barely penetrated the thick leaf-cover the enormous trees provided. Think redwoods times ten. I'd never seen such gigantic trees. And they talked. Not in the way that people talked, but the creaks and clicks one would normally hear in a forest were much too rhythmic and patterned in Primeval to be natural. It was code; Primeval's version of sonar or maybe Morse. And it was really fucking creepy. I started humming, like I do when I get nervous, and the little piece of kyanite in my throat pulsed with magic in response. I took a deep breath and calmed myself. It was just trees. And that was when they grabbed me.

Pronunciation Guide/ Character List Adam MacLaine: Human client Aoide: E-da, Elaria's aunt and siren Arnet: Are-net, Knight of Flourite Ava: A-vah, Queen of Sapphire Banning: Ban-ing, Gheara of the Kansas Gura Barret: Bare-it, Commander of Chrysocolla Army Bran: Bran, King of Garnet Branna: Bra-nah, Duchess of Jade Carrick: Care-ick, Knight of Onyx Cerberus: Ser-bur-us, Demi-god dog-shifter Declan: Deck-lan, King of Alexandrite Edmond: King of Jet Eileen: I-lean, Queen of Copper Elaria: Eh-lar-ee-ah, spellsinger Finbar: Fin-bar, Duke of Sapphire Gage Saeiqa: Gauge Sah-E-kah, griffin Galen: Gay-lin, King of Sapphire Garret: Gare-it, King of Topaz Gerard: Jare-rod, Knight of Onyx Hugh: Hew, Knight of Onyx Isandra: I-san-dra, Queen of Diamond

Jack Armstrong: Loup Jameson: Jay-meh-son, Knight of Fluorite Jarlath: Jar-leth, King of Diamond Jonah Malone: Human gangster Kalliope: Kah-lie-oh-pee, Elaria's mother and a siren Kean: Key-in, Knight of Howlite Lorcan: Lore-can, King of Copper Maeve: May-ve, Queen of Peridot Moirin: Moy-rin, Queen of Tiger's Eye Mrs Chadwick: Adam MacLaine's housekeeper Niall, Nigh-all, King of Citrine Odran: O-drawn, King of Howlite Oonagh: Oooh-nah, Queen of Snowflake Obsidian Parthalon: Par-tha-lawn, King of Jade Quinlan: Kwin-lahn, Alchemist Riona: Ree-oh-nah, Queen of Malachite Sara: Sare-rah, pink tourmaline fey. Shauna: Shah-na, Queen of Amethyst Shevaun: Sheh-von, Queen of Chrysocolla Teagan: Tee-gan, Queen of Jet Tír na nÓg: Tier-nah-n'awhg, Realm of the Fairies,

the Land of Youth Torin: Tore-in, King of Onyx

Keep reading for some sneak peeks into the first books in Amy's other series... Godhunter Fairy-Struck and Happily Harem After

Godhunter, Book 1 in the Godhunter Series You can get this book for FREE on the 9th day of every month!

Chapter One “There were of old certain men versed in sorcery, Thor, namely, and Odin, and many others, who were cunning in contriving marvelous sleights; and they, winning the minds of the simple, began to claim the rank of gods.” Saxo Grammaticus, Gesta Danorum, 13th century

When someone asks if you’re a god, you say yes! Those were the words going through my mind the first time I met Thor. In my line of work they should have been words to live by… literally. At least they would have been had I remembered them in time. Unfortunately, Bill Murray’s voice taunted me inside my head mere seconds too late. Thanks a lot, Bill. My forgetfulness left me facing the distinct possibility of an early and creatively painful demise. If only I'd remembered the movie wisdom sooner. Yes, movie wisdom. Scoff all you want but it may surprise you how much useful information is hidden in movie dialog. At least that's what I tell myself so I can feel better about thinking in movie quotes half the time. “So, Thor,” I smirked up at the giant,

gladiator-muscled, Viking while he glowered down at me through a fall of his shimmering copper hair. “What's it gonna be? Hammer? Lightning? Fists of fury? Lightning might singe the rug a bit. Odin might not appreciate that, it looks kinda old.” Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to taunt a god but hey, what did I have to lose? He’d caught me red handed, bent over the new Make War, Not Love campaign plans I'd found in the Human Relations room of Valhalla. I hadn’t even heard the loudmouthed God of Thunder coming in, if you can believe that. Loud-mouthed didn’t automatically equate to loud-footed, evidently. Then to make matters worse, he asked me if I was a god. Like maybe I was a newbie or something, and what did I, the ever quick-witted one say? I said no. Yeah, I wanted to smack myself silly for that one. Then again, maybe I should cut myself some slack. It’s a little shocking to be face to face, well face to chest, with what had to be close to seven feet of gorgeous, vibrant, leather-clad Viking godliness. Did I mention gorgeous? And the leather? I don’t mean that yuppie silky lambskin either. I mean hard core, I’m gonna bust your ass if you look at me wrong, well worn but still strong enough to wipe the floor with your face, leather. Just seeing the way it teased me by gripping all that muscle, made me want to rip it to shreds and teach

it a lesson. Bad leather, Viking gods should be naked. “You wanna see my hammer?” Thor’s eyes took on a wicked gleam as he looked slowly up and down my body, which took longer than it should have for all five-foot-three (and a half) of me. “Whoa there, Viking,” I leaned back further on the table he’d previously planted me on like I was a misbehaving child. “Raping and pillaging days are in the past. You gotta catch up on the times.” I snapped my fingers in his face. “Nowadays there are laws on the treatment of prisoners.” “Not for gods,” his lips twitched. It was just a slight movement but I caught it and it gave me the smallest glint of hope that I might actually make it out of this mess alive. Get 'em laughing, then run while they're distracted. It's not the best plan but it's worked for me before. “Hey, like I always say, gods are people too,” I smiled my best P.R. smile. Gods are great, they’re not at all out to manipulate mankind, really, and I’m definitely not here to foil their evil plans. I smiled bigger. “No we’re not,” the frown was back and he set an intimidating fist on the table next to my hip for good measure. A fist that was nearly the size of

my face. The leather around his forearm creaked at me gleefully. Okay, that was more like it. I could handle an angry god better than a horny one. I congratulated myself on the sharpness of my tongue until I felt his thumb scrape lightly over my jeans. I went still, listening to more creaky leather commentary as Thor leaned in closer and I found myself wondering how much strain the stuff could take. Maybe he’d bust his seams before he had a chance to bust my face. I can’t say the prospect didn’t have its own appeal, even without saving me an ass kickin'. The glimpse of chest I had through the V of his leather tunic was something straight out of a male calender. Made for women to drool over, the kind of sculpted, smooth, perfect chest that looked airbrushed. It was mere inches from my face, rising and falling with his deep breaths, and I had an overwhelming urge to lean forward and rub my cheek against it. Then there was that smell. This close to him, I was practically enveloped in it. It was like standing in the middle of a storm while lightning struck nearby; a wild, exciting aroma of rain and electricity. Of freshly washed man. “Now, now,” I chided him like a school teacher as I tried to focus on his face. “You mustn’t

forget your own history. Shall I refresh your memory?” “Try me,” he made a sound halfway between a sniff and a snort, “let's hear what you think you know of gods.” “Well for one thing,” I poked my finger into his massive chest, “I know you aren’t gods at all, so you can just stop with the holier than thou attitude, buster.” A thick eyebrow arched up and Thor’s lips went into mini spasms. “For another thing,” yes, I was still poking him, “I know where you’re from, Atlantean. I know your god abilities are nothing more than technological and magical advances your kind kept from humanity in an attempt to rule the world. Advances that ended up destroying Atlantis but still you all didn’t think that was any reason to stop practicing them.” “Practice does make perfect,” his eyes started to spark with the very magic I’d referenced and I knew I had only one shot to get out of there alive and un-hammered as it were. “I know something else too,” I whispered and cast my eyes side to side conspiratorially. He couldn’t help it; his smile finally broke free as he leaned in closer, “What’s that?”

“I know if I do this,” I kicked my leg out as hard as I could and caught him where no man likes to be kicked, “god or not, you’re going down.” I jumped off the table the minute Thor landed, groaning and cupping himself on the thick carpet. Then I bolted past him and out the door, already chanting the spell that would get me through the wards of Valhalla and out into the Aether. I felt the magic rush over me like a hot, tickling breath as I ran down a long hallway to the tracing room. It sparked eagerly across my skin, urging me back to where I'd come from. Everything in its place and all that. As I crossed the threshold, I was pulled through the tracing point and into the Aether. The tracing point sealed behind me with a low murmur of magic and a pressurized pop in my ears. But that physical sensation lasted only a moment before my body became a mere memory with a tingling, freeing ecstasy. I flowed through streams of pure magic, my spell propelling me along to my destination so I didn't have to navigate the waters myself. With another pressure-pop that announced the reformation of my ears, I exited the Aether and felt my body reluctantly become physical again. Gravity was the worst; a jarring, sucking sensation that took a few moments to readjust to. My momentum sent me straight into a wall.

A dirty, alley wall. I pushed off it immediately and swung around to automatically crouch into a fighting stance, just in case Thor had managed to follow me through. Tracing was a rush, add the adrenaline of the chase to it and it left me panting for breath and shaking. My pulse beat heavily in my ears, the thudding drowning out the traffic I could see in my peripheral vision. I was holding my kodachi before me and I hadn’t even realized I’d drawn the Japanese shortsword. Remnants of magic sparked blue and drifted to the ground in a roughly circular outline but the wall across from me remained the same; no ripples, no blurring, no sign of Thor at all. I stood slowly, leaned back, and felt my heart rate start to decelerate as I slid the sword into its scabbard. “God damn Buffy! Freakin’ vampire slayer gets all the props,” I muttered. “Vampires, please! Bunch of melodramatic parasites. And werewolves? I'd fight one of those puppies any day rather than a god. At least they can't pull magic out of their furry butts. Now faeries, I might not be thrilled to meet one of them in a dark alley… a dark alley kinda like this one.” I shoved myself quickly away from the wall and power-walked towards the street, still bitching about a fictional vampire hunter under my breath. “Vampire Slayer,” I grumbled, “Try killing a

god sometime and then get back to me. Blondie wouldn't last a day. She'd be whining to her mommy about the unfairness of it all within minutes. Oh, and falling for your prey... total amateur. You don't poop where you eat and you don't kill where you sleep. Or sleep with who you kill. No wait, that's necrophilia,” I frowned and then shook my head. “Oh whatever, it's just dumb to let your prey seduce you.” Thor's striking face flashed through my mind, his ocean eyes sparkling with magic, and I decided to just shut the hell up. That guy Spike was sweet to Buffy, in a psycho kind of way. Ugh. I threw my hands up and shook my head at myself. Staring death in the face can have an odd affect on people. Especially when death's face was that of a Viking god. I had to let it go and stop acting like a crazy person, muttering to myself about vampires and werewolves in an alley. This was just another day hunting gods, nothing special about it. You might be wondering how someone gets into the god hunting business and all I can tell you is: hell if I know. I pretty much stumbled face first into it. Like hitting a rock when you're riding a bike at full speed; I went flying and landed in a thorn bush. A burning one. A talking, burning one that proclaimed it was god in a booming voice. I never really was the religious type. I'm

more of a hands-on kinda girl. I’ve practiced witchcraft my entire life, which I kinda look on as a religion of the self. I do mean witchcraft by the way, not Wicca. I know that's a religion but I don't practice it, I just do the spells. Wicca's a little too peaceful for me, though I do like the clothes. Well, I guess I haven't practiced witchcraft my entire life but pretty damn close since Mom was teaching me spells in the cradle. Most babies got The cow jumped over the moon; I got sung to about drawing it down. Not that I’m complaining since it’s really helping me out these days but I’ve just never seen the gods as a big part of my life. Boy has that changed. I walked out of the alley, into the bright Hawaiian sunshine, and held a hand up to shield my eyes. Well where did you expect the gods to live? Okay, so they don’t all technically live in Hawaii but quite a few do and those that don't, seem drawn here. The land is still filled with old magic, practically spilling with it since there isn’t much land to begin with. So it’s a nice place for a god to go on vacation. Whatever, it’s my home and I have to say I’m getting a little tired of sharing it with them. They have their own realm to live in, they need to go there. Or they can go to Hell for all I care... which also happens to be in the God Realm. In fact, from what I understand, there's a few of

them. They can take their pick. About five years ago, I truly started developing a relationship with the gods and I’m not talking in the Do you have a relationship with God? Jimmy Swaggart sense. I’m talking about a deep understanding of how truly evil they are. Read your history books, kiddies; most gods were revered mainly because they were so damn scary. For me it all started with sex. At least it would have if my chosen partner for the evening hadn’t been planning on killing me as a sacrifice to the Hawaiian God of War, Ku. You think you’ve got some bad date stories. My young, Hawaiian escort for the evening was everything every female tourist (and some males too, I’m sure) fantasized about on the plane ride over. He was tall, dark, handsome, and built like a brick… well you get the picture. He also had green eyes, courtesy of some white ancestor who got lucky with a wicked wahine. Green eyes have always been a weakness of mine. He took me out on a romantic date, ending with us drinking an entire bottle of champagne at a Heiau (a Hawaiian temple). This particular Heiau was dedicated to none other than, Ku. Now I know that doesn’t sound too romantic but take into account that the Heiau was situated on a mountaintop overlooking Waimea Bay and the sun

was setting. A deep pumpkin sky painting the cerulean sea pink as it crept into a verdant valley spotted with the flight of tropical birds. Can you see the sexy factor yet? I may have been tipsy when we started. I’d just turned twenty-one so give me a break on the alcohol consumption, but when I looked up and spotted a large local man watching us from the tree line, I sobered up quick. I shot him a nasty look but he was focused on my date so he didn't see it. Something in his gaze set off warning sirens (definitely sirens, not bells) and I turned back sharply to find a large Crocodile Dundee knife plunging towards me. I had seconds to roll to the side before the blade ended up embedded in the ground, merely nicking my upper arm instead of going through my chest. I rolled back towards the knife, effectively removing it from my date's possession and my bleeding arm, as I kicked upwards. I don’t know if I hit him there or not but he howled like he was in serious pain. “Ku,” he managed to choke out, “Na waimaka o ka lani.” He launched himself at me and in those few moments I saw more than you’d think was possible. I saw the local voyeur come striding to us, hand extended, face rapturous. I saw my hand

gripping the blade and turning it. I saw the look of shock on my date’s face as the knife slipped into his neck. Internally I shouted “That’s not a knife, this is a knife,” Australian accent and all, and I almost started to giggle hysterically. It’s amazing what the mind will do to protect itself and, like I warned you, I think in movie quotes a lot. My mind had definitely needed some protection. I used to think those horror movies with blood spraying from neck wounds were ridiculous and inaccurate. I don’t think that anymore. You hit a guy in the neck with a big blade and he bleeds. A lot. All over you if you just so happen to be beneath him at the time. It was extremely messy, to say the least, and potentially mind breaking. I think the only reason I didn’t start screaming was that someone else beat me to it. The scream I heard was a terrifying mix of rage, frustration, and pain. It yanked my attention to the left, where I found the local man on his knees. He was right next to me. Way too close for my comfort. He reached for me and I didn’t think. I just reacted. I didn’t aim either. I just shot the knife out straight and followed through with my body. I was suddenly grateful for defense classes Mom had insisted biggest advantage training can give action… automatic reaction. Your

all the selfI take. The you is faster body moves

before your mind has a chance to process things and it saves you precious, life granting seconds. The man was suddenly gasping beneath me, the blade buried in his chest. He started to murmur some words in a language unfamiliar to me. Surprisingly, it wasn't Hawaiian. I panicked and stabbed him again. I knew a spell when I heard one and I also knew that any spell this guy managed to cast would not be beneficial to my health. He kept going and I kept stabbing, shutting my eyes to block out the carnage. I felt like I had a starring role in Psycho, the original not that stupid Vince Vaughn remake. All that was missing was the shower curtain and that ridiculously horrifying music. Although, the sound he made was even more horrific. I didn't open my eyes until he went silent. The Heiau was gone, replaced by an elegant room in what must have been a multimillion dollar home. That's when I realized Ku had been chanting a spell to open a tracing point, a doorway to the Aether. The Aether, or the Astral as some call it, is a place of pure consciousness. It's also the link between our world and the realm of the gods. Think of reality as a spiritual sandwich. The Aether would be all the tasty filling packed between the bread of our worlds. If you wanted to go from one slice to the other, you had to get through the tuna salad first.

Okay, now I'm hungry. Anyway, the Aether is also where magic happens. As a witch, I use it for crafting spells. I can tap into it with my mind and create new realities there. It's called spellcraft. Of course it's not as simple as it sounds. There's a lot of work and usually a few ingredients necessary for magic but once something is made in the Aether, it manifests on the physical plane. When I was little, my mom told me stories of people who could travel the Aether, a practice called tracing, but the ability was lost to history. The spells had become scarce and unreliable, the destinations vague, the potential risks high. To take your physical body, make it pure consciousness, and send it shooting through the Aether to another location was a mind boggling concept to me. Yet there, beneath me, was proof it could be done. This man could trace, had in fact taken me along for the ride... and I just killed him. Great. The body was a bloody mess. I'd nearly decapitated Ku in my blind attack. I didn’t know it at the time but it’s one of the few ways you can kill a god. Don’t laugh, there are monsters out there who can put their head back on and keep going without missing a beat. Or just sprout two more. Can you say Hydra? Beheading doesn't always work. I repeat; beheading doesn't always work.

Remember to take the heart too. Oh and burning is usually quite effective as well but with gods, the head is the most important part to take. But I digress. After I stopped screaming, (I was actually thankful I’d been able to delay the screaming portion of the evening for that long) I tried to wipe away the blood in a very Lady Macbeth fashion. Out damn spot, out. It was useless. I found the bathroom, not even caring that there could be someone else in the house, and went into the shower fully clothed. I can’t even remember what the bathroom looked like. All I recall is the way the water ran bright red and how I stared at it, mesmerized as it swirled down the drain. It was the first time I'd ever killed, as in anything. Well, except bugs but I think we can all agree that they don't count. I stood under the spray and my body began to shake so I kept adding more hot water. It never occurred to me to take my clothes off. I just sluiced the water off them when I was done and patted myself dry with towels. I remember leaving the towels on the floor like I was an obnoxious hotel guest. What did it matter? I think any attempt at manners had been lost when I'd left a corpse in the living room. I came out of the bathroom to complete

silence. I don’t know what I'd been expecting. Shouting. Screams. Policemen waiting to gun me down. There was no one. I was totally alone… in the home of a god. It all sank in. The man praying to Ku. The Hawaiian in the trees. The Aetheric Plane. I had killed Ku. One of the main gods of the Hawaiian pantheon was lying on a white tile floor with his head barely attached because of me. What the hell kind of karma had I just racked up? Would it matter that it was clearly self defense? I decided it did. Then I decided to snoop around. I mean I didn’t even know where I was. Like I said, I knew about tracing but had been warned at a very early age to never attempt it. So I had no idea if I was still in Hawaii or even on the same plane of existence. I had just traced! I could’ve been anywhere. Tartarus. Niflheim. Minnesota. Oh please, don't let me be in Minnesota. Well, then again, there is that big mall there. I crept through the god’s house and hoped he was a bachelor. The last thing I needed was the Mrs. walking in. What's the proper thing to say in that position? “Hello Mrs. Ku, lovely home you have, sorry about the corpse of your husband. Oh and for making your husband into that corpse.” That was one conversation I didn't want to have. The place was deserted though. I walked past room after room filled only with modern

Hawaiian furniture (go figure). The golden gleam of Koa wood merged with Hawaiian textiles everywhere. High ceilings were crossed with wood beams. Creamy white walls were a stark contrast to dark, hand carved tikis placed artfully around the place. The Hawaiian statues looked like they were museum quality and they were all of the same god. Guess who… yep, him. A set of sliding glass doors opened to a wide expanse of yard. That in itself screams money when you live in Hawaii, which I was relieved to find myself still inhabiting. Coconut trees crowded the edges of the well manicured lawn like gossiping socialites at a cocktail party, snubbing the shorter kukui nut trees around them. A retaining wall penned them all in, preventing any suicidal snubbed kukuis from leaping over the cliff beyond. The house overlooked Waimea valley. I couldn’t see it but I knew the Heiau was below and to the right. You'd think a god would have an ocean view. Relieved that I wasn’t stranded somewhere impossible to return from, I headed back inside. My brain had started to function again and it was reeling from the reality of my situation. I began to search in earnest, not with thoughts of thievery but simply out of plain curiosity. It wasn’t long before I found the one room that seemed special. The big

KAPU (Hawaiian for sacred – don’t touch) written across the door might have given me a bit of a clue. For lack of a better word, I’ll call the room a study. It was full of books and gadgets I’d never seen before. There were weapons everywhere, not just hanging decoratively on the walls but scattered on the floor, as if they'd been tossed there after a long day at the office, if you catch my drift. As if that wasn’t disturbing enough, a wave of magic washed over me, prickling up my arms. When I turned in its direction, all I saw was a massive book. It sat enthroned on a lectern, watching me with the curiosity of a bored tyrant. Covered in dark brown leather instead of luxurious silk, this book wasn't a bejeweled Emperor but a barbarian King. Completely unadorned by gilt or lettering, he needed no crown to proclaim his dominance. Power was decoration enough and this literary monarch wore it like a battle-honed sword, sheathed but still obviously dangerous. I approached it cautiously and it chose to be benevolent, granting me access to spells I never knew existed and information on a race of people who had come from Atlantis. No, not the resort, the actual lost continent. With new knowledge came renewed fear. It would be wiser to appease my curiosity somewhere else. Somewhere safer than the home of a god I'd

just decapitated. So I ran through the house, grabbing up a large bag (a piece of Ferragamo luggage to be exact, Ku had excellent taste) and hurried back to the study. The book went into the bag and then a couple of the more interesting gadgets on top. I told myself I was not a thief, I took them in the interest of knowledge and besides, Ku did try to kill me. To the winner go the spoils right? By the front door I found a set of keys sitting in a koa bowl. I grabbed them up and continued my panicked flight right out the door, hoping the spoils included a getaway vehicle. I paused to get my bearings for a moment in a huge, circular, covered drive and located the garage set back to the left. A sleek, black Jaguar with an Eddie Would Go bumper sticker peered out at me indolently. Eddie being Eddie Aikau, surfer and local hero who was last seen paddling away from the stranded Hokule'a canoe in an effort to fetch help. I shouldn’t have been surprised to see that little bit of homage to local culture but I was. I mean damn, I’d just found out the gods were real; picturing them purchasing motivating bumper stickers was just a little too much for me. Then I noticed the vanity plate. KuKuK'chu stood out against the rainbow background of the Hawaii license plate. Hmph, Ku

was a Beatles fan and, evidently, he was also the walrus. I spared one second to giggle, nearly on the verge of hysterics, and then jumped in behind the wheel. In no time, I was zipping down a private drive and breaking with a squeal when I came to an imposing iron gate. I looked around frantically and finally found the remote clipped to the passenger side visor. With shaking hands, I hit the button and hit the road. I haven’t dated a local boy since.

Chapter Two So that was how this whole thing began. That's how I scored this thankless fate that I can't even tell my best friends about for fear of them getting me committed. Or even worse, freaking them out so badly that they'd never be able to live a normal life. Kinda like me. “I wouldn't wish that on anyone,” I sighed and trudged into the welcoming artificial cool of one of the millions, no make that billions, of ABC stores in Waikiki. I grabbed myself a coke, thoughts still on the book I'd acquired that horrible day. Not only did I learn how to trace from the Good Book (hey, it’s done me a lot of good) but I also learned about the origins of the gods, the power gods got from sacrifices, and what constituted a sacrifice. It turned out that not only did they receive strength from direct offerings but also indirectly, from any death resulting from battles fought in the name of gods. Most wars have some kind of tie to the divine, even if it’s just plain rage (yes, there’s a god of rage). Also, any god in on the deal could share in the power surge. So basically it paid off for deities to encourage their followers to fight instead of

keeping them safe at home. Why settle for an occasional human sacrifice when you could get it on a mass scale constantly? Most of the gods didn't even have followers anymore, so this was their only energy source. With the downfall of the older religions, war became more necessary and the gods had to come up with bigger and better plans to create bloodshed. The book didn’t tell me that part. The flier I found tucked into the book did: We will survive! Come learn how to create panic and discord among the humans! April 20 at 8 pm, Valhalla Special speakers: Odin and Huitzilopochtli Potluck to follow. Gods whose names begin with: A-G bring appetizers or salads H-L bring main dishes M-Q bring desserts R-Z bring drinks After I stopped laughing hysterically, I decided to begin my career as a god-killer, or human liberator as I prefer to be called. I paid the cashier for my drink and left the

artificial air behind in exchange for the natural ocean breeze drifting sluggishly across Waikiki Beach. It wasn’t a fair trade in my opinion but the salt air did help clear out those old memories. I plopped down on an only slightly crumbling stone wall and stared out at the Pacific as it battered the golden sand under its frothy fists. Generally, I hated the beach but breaking out of Valhalla can be exhausting and I needed a breather before I headed home over the Ko’olau mountains. The sound of the ocean can be comforting and the waves are pretty to look at, even amusing when you catch a tourist trying to learn how to windsurf. However, at that moment all it did was remind me of how blue Thor’s eyes were: deep sapphire with a touch of green, like Caribbean quartz. I loved light eyes. My own were dark brown and boring as far as I was concerned. They’d been green when I was born but had changed at nine months. My mom told me that she’d bet a friend they wouldn’t change and she'd lost. Let that be a lesson to all of you ladies; don’t tempt fate when it concerns your child. I shook my head and took another swig of coke. Must be the heat melting my brain. At least I wasn't bitching about Buffy anymore. I rubbed at the ache in my neck as I

pondered a new dilemma along with the old one of how to keep sand from getting all over me when I’m at the beach. Was it just me or had Thor let me go? I mean he didn’t even try to chase me. Yes, I’d laid him low but it shouldn’t have taken him that long to recover. He was a big, strong, creakingleather clad god. He should have been up almost instantly. I shook my head. Thinking about Thor was only making the ache in my neck intensify so I gave up and turned my full attention to the sand. I hate sand. It’s probably one of my biggest problems with beaches. Don’t laugh, I’m also not overly fond of sun or surf either. Sand, sun, and surf, the SSS, it ranked right up there with the KKK for me as far as evil acronyms went. For those of you who have never seen a beach, much less a Hawaiian one, let me explain. Sand sticks to you like an alien fungus that believes you’re its only hope of survival. Wet or dry it will attach itself to any part of your anatomy it can reach and those cool ocean breezes everyone loves so much? They are in cahoots with the vicious, alien-fungus sand and will happily fling a fine mist of the powdery annoyance all over you while simultaneously lulling you to sleep with its salt-laced caresses. Result? You wake up hours later to find not only has your sunblock died defending you but you’re now coated with a thin

layer of sand, saltwater, and suntan lotion that has dried to a sticky crust. After you painfully scrape away the crust, you’ll find the red glow of your newly crisped skin beneath. The beach is evil, I tell you, evil. So how could I love my home so much and not adore the pristine glory of the white sand beaches which make Hawaii such a tourist attraction? Well, first of all, I enjoy the beach just fine… through the window of an air-conditioned room with a Li Hing Mui Margarita in hand. Secondly, there is more to these islands than beaches. There’s the incredible weather where even the rain is warm and I never ever have to worry about digging my car out of the snow. There’s the rich melting pot of cultures and of course, there’s the food. Nothing compares to the flavors of Hawaii. I was just about to get up and sample some of those flavors from a nearby Shave Ice truck when a dark shadow passed over me, sending a shiver down my spine. No, the shiver wasn’t because of the sudden relief from the sun. It was magic, strong and confident magic, almost cocky actually. I knew that magic, had in fact kicked it in its balls quite recently. I turned my head slowly, muttering a protection spell under my breath while reaching for my stash of powdered mullein.

“That’s not necessary, witch,” Thor’s previously resonant voice was severely toned down for his foray among the humans. “I’m nothing if not cautious,” I smiled at Thor like he was an old friend as I jumped to my feet. My legs itched to run but it wouldn’t do any good. The crowds around me were thick with vacationing families and honeymooners. If at all possible, I wouldn’t involve innocent bystanders and I was hoping he wouldn’t either. “I’m not here to harm you,” he grimaced. He'd taken the time to change his clothes before following me. Maybe he was afraid the leather lace-up pants of his previous ensemble would have made him stand out on a Hawaiian beach. Instead, he wore a pair of khaki pants and a tan silk Aloha shirt. He looked like a local businessman on his lunch break. A local businessman with golden-red hair streaming past his shoulders, bone structure that would make a Roman statue weep, and a body that looked like it spent more time in a gym than a boardroom. I kind of missed the leather. “No, you’re here to wow me with your literally classic good looks and your modern Hawaiian fashion sense,” I looked him over

pointedly, just to let him know that I found his outfit amusing. That’s it. Really. “Would you join me at the closest drinking establishment for a cocktail?” His lips didn’t so much as twitch, even though his eyes sparkled a bit. “I’m sorry, I think I have sand in my ears,” I shook a finger vigorously in my left ear. I wouldn’t have put it past the alien-fungus. “I thought for a second there that you asked if you could buy me a drink.” “I did,” his smile spread over his face like a cat stretches in the sun; slowly and sensuously, as if it had all the time in the world and was fully expecting a good scratch beneath the chin later. I stood gaping for a moment before trying to recover. “Uh… why?” Yep, that’s me, Lucy Loquacious. I thought seriously about extending the knives from my gloves. The gloves I wore were part of the loot I’d made off with that day at Ku’s. They had 3” long daggers resting inside them, flat against the backs of my hands until a sharp, downward movement would trigger their release. Then they extended over my fingers like lethal claws. I felt like Wolverine when I wore them but more importantly, they were deadly, turning every punch into a four-way stab.

They were also a little showy for Waikiki Beach. So was my kodachi which, for the moment, was camouflaged with a slight blurring of magic that made it blend into my leather pants. Maybe I could go for the dagger I kept down my top. The kodachi and dagger were just of human make but I'd embedded them with magic for increased damage potential. The sword was perfect for taking a god's head. The curvature of the blade gave me the extra oomph I needed to make it a clean cut but I wasn't about to behead Thor in the middle of Waikiki. The dagger would probably be the best choice for the situation. Maybe I could throw it at him and run away screaming. “I’d like to talk to you,” his eyes strayed to my cleavage and I told myself it had nothing to do with the hidden knife and everything to do with my 36 double Ds. Call me vain but I’d rather have him checking me out than knowing where my weapons were hidden. Mae West said it was better to be looked over than overlooked. Well, I needed him to do a little of both, look me over and overlook my knife. It was a survival issue and had nothing to do with him being hot. I know, I sound full of it even to myself. “Do I need to bow my head and clasp my hands first?” I backed up slightly and took a quick

look around, trying to find a possible escape route. He laughed, wild and rich, like drumbeats after midnight. It caused a visceral reaction in me, calling to something primitive in my blood and making me sway towards him. People stopped and turned to look at him. Hell, even I stopped scanning the area and just stared at him in shock. The tourists, however, looked at Thor eagerly, as if he were some kind of celebrity they might recognize if they stared long enough. In a way, I guess he was. “For you, I’ll make an exception,” he reached out and I tried to back up but the rock wall brought me up short. His hand dropped but his smile stayed put, “Just one drink.” “Fine, follow me,” I turned and walked down the sidewalk casually, like it was just another beautiful day in paradise and I wasn’t still a little shaky from that sexy laugh. The sun was shining, children were splashing in the waves, and a Norse god was about to buy me a drink. Yep, everything normal here. I dropped my empty coke bottle into a trash can marked Mahalo (it means thank you not trash) and kept walking. He didn’t say a word while we walked, which would normally creep me out, but I was a little too busy freaking out about everything else for it to matter. Was I really going to do this? Sit down and have a drink with an Atlantean? This so wasn't

part of my job description. What the hell was going on? The only interaction I had with gods was done at the end of a blade. Plus, in my experience guys didn’t offer to buy you a drink after you kneed them in the groin. Maybe it was that whole divine forgiveness thing? I glanced back at Thor and he grinned devilishly. Nope, wrong god. I led him up the shaded drive of the first building at the end of the beach. We headed up the wide white stone stairs and through an airy lobby to the bar of The Hau Tree Lanai. Very posh. I don’t get a god offering to buy me a drink every day, might as well make it a good one. I found a little table near the rear of the bar and sat down with my back against the wall so no other hot er... dangerous gods could sneak up on me. Thor slid in across from me, almost completely blocking the view. I peered around him for a second and then gave up. I figured I could make do with the view I was left with. Mainly him. Hey, I can be accommodating. “Nice choice,” he glanced over his shoulder at the open-air restaurant which ended abruptly in a short wall and then gleaming beach. It was too early for dinner so the patio was empty, wrought iron dining sets waiting patiently for the night's excitements. A mynah bird cawed and took flight

from the tree in their midst. “Robert Louis Stevenson’s house was right there,” I pointed to the Hau tree, floor tiles imprisoning its small circle of earth. “There’s a picture of him lying beneath that tree.” “Interesting. Do you come here often?” “Really?” I shook my head and pushed a frizzy strand of hair behind my ear. Damn humidity. I had my waist-length dark hair in a tight bun at my nape. Usually, I wore it up when I went out hunting but it was baby fine and was always trying to escape my evil clutches. “That's all you got? I expected better lines from you Thor, you being so… experienced and all.” “Unbelievable,” he laughed again as he leaned back. “It's been a long time since I've met someone so entertaining when they're so scared, Ms… ?” “Miss is good,” I smiled again. I wasn’t about to repeat my stupidity so soon, “and I'm not scared.” “Then you have the advantage of me, Miss,” his eyes gleamed as he leaned forward, completely disregarding my lie. “Concerning my name I mean.” “I’ll take every advantage I can get,” I looked up at the sudden appearance of a waitress.

“What can I get for you two?” She stared only at Thor. I couldn't blame her, though it made my lip curl in distaste. Guys as good looking as Thor always came with an attitude to match. Add to that, his “godhood” and you have a grade A, egotistical bastard. Give me a nice average human male over Mr. Gorgeous any day. The only problem was, Mr. Average wouldn't understand my hobby. “I’ll let the lady order for us,” he smiled at her, nodded graciously, as if he were accepting his just due, and then looked at me expectantly. I shook my head, suspicions confirmed. “A bottle of Patron Silver and two shot glasses please,” I smiled sweetly at the poor woman, who obviously hadn't learned to be more wary around the hotties. The waitress raised her eyebrows but just asked if we needed limes and salt along with. Very professional. Very used to rich alcoholics. After she sauntered off, I looked back at the god incognito seated across from me. “I thought you only wanted one drink,” he was smiling again. Did he never stop or was it just a clever way of lulling me into a false sense of security? “I didn’t say one, you did,” I leaned back

and crossed my legs, not to be ladylike but just to have an excuse to be a little further away from him. I had no idea what he was up to and I wanted as much room as possible to reach my weapons if necessary. “Alright,” he did that head incline thing royalty does but he did it better. “Good choice, I wouldn’t have pegged you for a tequila drinker, though.” “You’ve known me all of thirty minutes,” I smirked, “part of which you spent on the floor groaning. You shouldn’t have pegged me for anything other than a woman to guard your goodies around.” “I don’t know,” his eyes went suddenly still. “I think I could hazard a few guesses.” Maybe it wasn’t wise to remind him of the specifics of our introduction but hey, I just couldn’t help wanting to bring him down a notch. Cocky guys put my teeth on edge. “Try me.” I narrowed my gaze on his twitching lips but then noticed how his eyes remained solemn. “I’d say first of all that you’re some kind of an artist,” he leaned in even closer as he spoke, “you paint and your favorite subject is people.” I went quiet and as still as his eyes were.

The statement was accurate, too accurate. I started to wonder how much the gods knew about me until I noticed the spot of oil paint on my pinky. Phew, I smiled. “Very observant,” I shook my traitorous finger at him. “How would I know about your subject preference?” He smiled and leaned back for the waitress to deposit our order on the table between. She poured us each a shot before leaving and I was grateful for the Twix moment. “Lucky guess,” I reached for my glass and eyed him suspiciously over the rim as I sipped. I only shoot tequila when I either; A. Want to get drunk, B. Want to act tough, C. Want to get someone else drunk, or D. Any combination of the above. He shot his and poured another. “Tell yourself whatever you want, Miss,” he saluted me with his glass and downed it. Show off. I was so not going to rise to the challenge. He was a god. He could probably process alcohol in a heartbeat. Of course, I'm part Japanese and could do a fair amount of alcohol processing myself. I’m told it’s an allergic reaction a lot of Japanese have but basically, it results in me being able to drink with the big boys but look as if

I’m embarrassed the whole time (my face turns pink). I didn’t want to let him play on my insecurities but then again, I’d been the one who ordered the damn bottle in the first place. I threw back my shot and pushed it toward him. Oh well, I’m only human, put me down for B. Want to act tough. “What do you want, Thor?” I pulled my glass closer after he refilled it and lifted it to my lips. “You,” he smiled serenely. I sputtered and almost wasted good tequila. I said almost. “Excuse me?” My hand hovered mid-air, unsure whether to continue with the drinking program or just give up in favor of open-mouthed confusion. “I think we’re after the same things,” he reached over and gently nudged my glass upwards. I drank the rest of the shot without thinking and without taking my eyes off him. “I barely know you,” I turned the glass over this time. “How could you possibly know what I’m after?” “You were trying to steal the same information I was,” he shot a quick glance around

the bar. “Trying?” Questions flew around my head like annoying gnats. Was he sent to get the plans back? Oh, did I mention I had the forbearance to grab said plans while I was kneeing him? Well, I did and now the Norse God of Thunder sat across from me drinking tequila and talking about wanting me due to our similar goals. Why hadn’t he just killed me and taken the plans if he wanted them? Why all the games? What the hell was going on? “You do have them,” he smiled like a cat that had just found a fallen bird-feeder… still full of birds. “Why would you be trying to steal them?” I ignored how sexy his smile was. I am a professional after all. “Not all gods are as horrible as you think,” he downed another shot, his eyes narrowing briefly under his furrowed brow. “Yeah, that’s what the Christians keep telling me,” I smirked. “Can’t say for sure though, never met Jesus, just a few Mexicans with delusions of grandeur.” One perfectly formed eyebrow winged upward over the swirling blues and greens of his eyes. Was it the tequila affecting me or were the colors really flowing together like mist? I pushed

the shot glass away from me and sighed. It wouldn’t do to get all sloppy drunk with a god. Who knows where I’d wake up. Or if I'd wake up. “Some of us don’t agree with the majority,” he pretended to misinterpret my signal to stop drinking and refilled my glass before placing it back in front of me. I stared hard at it for a second so it knew who was boss, then picked it up and took a resigned sip. “What do you mean you don’t agree?” I looked around and faintly realized the sun was setting. Oh great, time for the rest of the monsters to come out and play. “I don’t think we need people to die for us to give us power,” he frowned at my distraction and I settled my attention back firmly onto what he was saying. “Most of us believe it’s the only way to raise as much power as the freely given blood used to bring but I don't agree.” “The blood?” I smirked at him and shook my head. “You mean sacrifice, specifically human, don’t you?” “I believe that's what I just said,” he sighed. “There’s no way around the fact that blood holds life and life is magic. When people sacrificed to us, we gained their magic and there’s nothing like it. The sacrifice of animals was good too but it was

only due to the magic imbued into the blood by human intention and it never came close to the power of a human life. It’s that rush of magic that my fellow deities are striving for. They plot to bring war among your kind so you’ll kill each other in their name again, this time on a mass scale, and they'll all share in the waves of energy it brings.” “Yes, yes,” I waved a hand imperiously. “I know all that. What I don’t know is why you, the God of Thunder, God of War, God of the Vikings who were known for their viciousness, would suddenly grow a soft spot and decide you don't want us to fight anymore.” “Trust me, I have no soft spots,” his lips twitched a little. “I just don’t think mass destruction is a good idea. You know about us, you know we need followers to grow in strength. The more people remember us and respect us, the more we thrive. Some of us have grown immense in ability. What you might not know is that we don’t need any more power to survive. Our talents are old and our magic will sustain us until the earth crumbles away and is nothing but so much debris. Even then, we may still survive to find another suitable planet. And by the way, I’m not just a god of war; I also rule the sky, all storms, sea-journeys, and justice.” I could feel my eyes grow round at his

candor. I had no idea they were strong enough to survive eternity without our sacrifice. I'd always assumed that without humanity the Atlanteans would have died out long ago. I knew their magic was great but I had no idea it was comic book, super villain great. My own magic seemed a poor shadow of it, although Ku’s book held enough of their spells to bring me a little closer to their level. Without that book, I'd already be dead. “Impressive résumé,” I found myself shooting tequila again. Damn it, I had to stop that. “It still doesn’t explain why you’d choose to miss out on all the extra power.” “Like I said, I don’t think the current course of action is wise. The way things are heading, your kind could blow the whole world apart and I like it here.” “Cause it's where you keep your stuff?” I smirked. “Some of it,” he smirked back. “So what do you propose?” I could feel the stolen documents crinkling against my waist. The black silk of my top was already limp from the heat so it was a good guess he knew where said documents were. I reached to pull them out but his hand flew across the table and grabbed mine. “Not here,” he caressed my hand along the

line of the glove, where the leather was cut to leave my fingers bare. I assumed he was trying to make it appear, to anyone who might be watching, that affection had been his true intention. “You wisely chose a public place to speak with me but if we go any further, we need privacy.” Privacy. Go any further. The words seemed to curl in my gut and try to snake their way lower. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be alone with the Nordic giant. It had been awhile since I was alone with any man in a non-killing sense, and the last time hadn’t turned out so well. “What do you have in mind?” I slid my hand out from beneath his and he turned his head to the side, a little wrinkle appearing between his brows. “I have a boat up at the Yacht Club,” he pulled his hand back and used it to refill my glass. The wrinkle disappeared. “Like I’m going to follow you onto your boat,” I huffed. “Do you have a problem with boats?” His eyes crinkled at the corners and just for a second, I wondered exactly how much he knew about me. “You think you know me?” I narrowed my eyes at him and tried to look as fierce as possible, which is difficult when you’re built like I am. Oh, I

worked out but I wasn't what you'd call ripped. My love of food prevented that and normally I preferred it that way. A woman should look like a woman. Unfortunately, my lack of height on top of my lack of obvious muscles didn’t exactly make me Amazon warrior material. What it did do was make it hard for me to look terrifying. I was about as scary as an angry Poodle. “I do know you, Vervain,” Thor smiled when my jaw dropped. “Did you think I wouldn’t know the Godhunter when I saw her?” “Godhunter?” My whisper was almost a whimper. “Were you unaware that you’d made a name for yourself?” His eyes showed a little surprise too. Well, yippee-kai-yay, I wasn’t the only one in shock. “I didn’t realize I was known to the gods at all,” I had hoped my kills had gone unnoticed or at least unaccounted for by the rest of the gods. “Oh, you’re known,” his smile returned. “Did you really think you could kill gods and no one would notice?” “Well, it’s not like I left my business card.” Grisly scenes passed through my head. Images I tried hard not to dwell on and which I sometimes needed large amounts of alcohol to banish. I hunted

gods, it wasn't like I was going to give them a fair fight if I could help it. Most of the time I felt like an assassin, sneaking up on my unsuspecting victims and leaving bloody crime scenes in my wake. I never worried about getting caught since most of their homes were in the God Realm. It's not like the police would be investigating. So I never thought to cover my tracks. Maybe next time I'd torch the place when I was done. “A few of the gods you killed had surveillance systems,” he smiled as the blood drained from my face. Gods with security cameras. No, I hadn't counted on that. “You also left your scent everywhere. As soon as I smelled you, I knew who you were.” “What, are you part Bloodhound or something?” I didn’t like being in the dark but then I was still fairly new to this game. Maybe I should cut myself some slack just this once. I'd have to be way more careful in the future though. Fire, definitely fire. It would take care of any trace evidence I left behind and be a double guarantee on death. If only I could burn the memories as well. “We have very acute senses,” he licked his full lips and I couldn’t tear my gaze away. “Taste, hearing, touch, sight, and smell, they’re all heightened on us.” “Well woopdee-diddley-doo,” I couldn’t

help it, I was getting turned on and I needed to cover it up with something. Sarcasm won out as usual. Thor did that godly laughing thing again, which did nothing for my efforts to tamp down my libido. Maybe I needed to start dating. Going five years without getting some lovin’ was not good for god-resisting. I made a mental note to go out that weekend. “I forget how amusing humans can be,” he was laughing so hard he actually had tears in his eyes. “Okay fine,” I sighed, “I’m funny and I stink. No matter how much you flatter me, I’m still not getting on your damn boat.” “I didn’t say you smell bad,” he was getting that confused look again but at least the laughter had stopped. “Why don’t you accept compliments like a normal woman?” “There is no normal here, Thor,” I said his name as if it explained it all. “Lots of interesting things going on but none of them are normal.” “Point taken,” he licked his lips again, the bastard. “I’m intrigued.” “No you’re not,” I put my pointer finger in his face, “you’re amused, remember? And the answer is still no.”

“I offer you my blood as safeguard,” he pulled a tiny blade from his pocket and cut his thumb with it. If the situation hadn’t been so serious, I would have laughed to see such a big man with such a tiny knife. But then if you’re that big, you don’t really need a large weapon, do you? He made Mr. Dundee seem like he was overcompensating. I stared at the blood welling up on his thumb and didn't have a clue on how to proceed. I had the weirdest feeling he was offering me an extreme compliment and I probably shouldn't insult him by refusing, but what was I supposed to do? I couldn’t remember coming across this in Ku’s book. Did he want me to cut my thumb and press it to his or what? Was I going to be blood brothers, er... blood siblings, with a god? The confusion must have shown on my face because he smiled and suddenly went all deity. He looked at me as if he was bestowing a blessing on me and I had to shake off the sudden urge to kneel. “Will you accept my protection?” He lifted his hand and his thumb hovered over my lips. The bead of blood seemed to shimmer as it welled up. Oh damn. Was he going to put his blood on my mouth? Gross. I couldn’t even bring myself to say yes, I just nodded and he instantly lowered his bloody thumb. I blinked as the shock-waves

coursed through me. Tingling, biting power ran inside me like needle-legged spiders as I felt his blood melt into my skin. I absorbed it and knew immediately that his offer of protection was eternal. I was under Thor's protection. A god protecting the Godhunter. What irony. “Why did you do that?” I rubbed at my lips and stared at the vanishing cut on his thumb, his body just kinda sucked the blood back in. “We need you with us,” he slammed back another shot and his hand shook for just a second as he put the glass down. “We can’t fight both you and them. Now, do you accompany me to my boat or not?”

Chapter Three I don’t mind boats. As long as they stayed afloat and kept me out of the water. It was the ocean I had a problem with and I blame my paranoia on my mother. She'd been a young woman when she had me and instead of staying home, wasting her youth, she took me out with her. I loved my childhood and will physically assault anyone who dares to say my mother was a bad parent but sometimes it's not the best idea to cart a kid along. One of those outings had been to a yacht party. I don’t remember much about the festivities but I remember the boat. When, as an adult, I’d mentioned the memory to her, she had nervously asked what else I remembered. I pressed her to elaborate. She said there was a small space of time when I’d gone missing and they had finally found me overboard. I was three. She sees no connection to my fear of the ocean. To be completely honest, I must admit that Jaws played a small part in my terror of the deep blue as well, and an even bigger role in me not taking up surfing (I don't like feeling like bait, thank you very much) but I had no thoughts of killer sharks when I boarded Thor’s floating behemoth. I

didn’t think about the water at all actually since the boat… ship… whatever, was so big, I forgot the ocean was even there. No small feat when dealing with me and my paranoia. Thor took my hand to help me across the gangplank and didn't release it. He pulled me casually through the interior of the thing, passing room after room of shining mahogany paneling and gleaming steel. I caught glimpses of plush carpeting in dark blue and matching curtains fluttering in the warm salty breeze. The boat must have been specially made for him because even with his bulk, he didn’t look cramped at all. In fact, we were walking down the corridor side by side and his head didn't even come close to brushing the ceiling. We stopped at a stairway and went down into the belly of the beast. Maybe not the best description under the circumstances but it fit. At the bottom of the stairs was a large open room. The carpeting down there was crimson, the massive center table was black lacquer, and all the décor had an Asian feel. Not what I expected from a Norse god. Shouldn’t there be coarse wooden tables and battle axes? Maybe a buxom wench with blonde braids named Brunhilde? Instead of axes, there were swords. Katanas and the shorter wakizashis were protected in shiny ebony sheaths and displayed proudly on the walls.

There was also a brilliant white wedding kimono dominating the wall opposite us, with hand embroidered gold cranes all over it. The walls themselves were covered in soft gold wallpaper with more cranes flying across the expanse, so subtly done that you had to concentrate to see them. On my right was a suit of Samurai armor, complete with a bright red, demon face mask. I swear it was smiling at me and not in a good way, more of a It'll be fun to eviscerate you sort of way. I ignored it on principal. In the center of the table, a delicate white orchid bloomed in a shiny black pot, colored subtly by light shining through the red and gold lacquered paper parasols above it. The parasol lights gave a pink tint to the room, like the boat was blushing in the face of unexpected company. It shouldn't have worried though, the place was immaculate. Any conquering warlord would have happily dripped blood onto the conveniently colored carpet before shucking off his armor and calling for a geisha. I know, that was terribly white of me but I’m only a quarter Japanese and I’ve never even been to Japan, so you’re gonna have to forgive me my clichés. Plus, I think it’s an apt description. The room was fiercely beautiful but even with the kimono and orchid, it was supremely masculine. To the right of the kimono, a door opened

into the galley. I was very pleased with myself for remembering the correct name of a ship’s kitchen. I was not so pleased to find a stunning woman standing in the doorway. My pleasure went down, even more, when she smiled and poured a warm, welcoming wave of magic out towards me. She wasn't blonde and I highly doubted her name was anything even close to Brunhilde but I had no doubt as to why she was on Thor's boat. My sudden jealousy was as embarrassing as it was ridiculous. Did I really think I was special because he held my hand? Sheesh, what was I, sixteen? I'll tell you what I was, I was an idiot. I dropped Thor's hand like it was on fire. “I’m Persephone,” the newcomer said as she reached a hand toward me. Her hand enveloped mine and I suddenly felt like the world was a fresh, wondrous place full of new things to discover. I was a little girl again, peering under rocks and crawling through the grass in search of tiny treasures. I shook my head a little and Persephone smiled brighter, her small mouth looking almost too childish for such a sultry face. She had long dark hair the color of rich soil and green bedroom eyes like morning leaves still shaking off the night. A porcelain doll but one that was made for men. She laughed as I continued to gape at her and I felt her power tickle me.

“I’m Vervain,” I finally managed to choke out my name and pull my hand from hers. “Persephone, as in the cause of winter, that Persephone?” “Well I hardly think it’s my fault Mommy had a fit because Hades abducted me,” she actually pouted a little and I heard Thor sigh heavily behind me. “Hey, I’ve never been one to blame the victim,” I held up my hands placatingly. It’s never a good idea to aggravate the crazies. “I was just repeating what I remember of the myth. Frankly, I always thought Hades must be a bastard if he had to kidnap a woman to get a date.” Persephone’s smile returned to its former glory immediately “Well it's a little more complicated than that but thank you. I just knew we’d be the best of friends! You're named for a plant after all and I'm a goddess of growing things.” “It's a herb actually,” I hated always having to explain my name. It's the same questions every time and always the same replies. It's Vervain, not Vivian. Yes, I know it's unusual. No, it's not a flower. Sigh. Mom had thought it fabulously witty to name a baby witch after a herb with great magical benefits. Vervain was used for love, money,

protection, peace, purification, and even youth. You couldn't ask for a better mix of powers. However, most people were not witches or even versed in our folklore. So I spent a lot of time explaining what vervain was and why my mother would name me after it. If you think that's bad, my middle name is Alexandrite, not Alexandra but Alexandrite, like the gem. People at the DMV are constantly trying to correct the “typos” in my name. There is no creativity allowed in the DMV. “Yes, I know,” she wrapped an arm around me and led me to the table as I cast a help me look over my shoulder at Thor. He smiled broadly and spread his hands as he shrugged. Great, so much for his protection. Meanwhile, Ms. Happy Face pulled me down into a seat beside her. I wondered if she was also familiar with our local herb. Maybe she had smoked some back in the galley. It would explain the permagrin. “Interesting that you pronounce the H in herb. Were you raised in England?” She went on. “No,” I smirked, pleased to get to use my favorite Eddie Izzard line. “I say herb because there's a fucking H in it.” “Oh, well, um,” she obviously wasn't an Izzard fan. “I’ve heard so much about you. You’re awfully brave for a human girl.”

My eyes narrowed as I looked at her and I heard Thor’s strangled laugh. Was this innocent child routine all an act? Boy, she was good if it was. No problem, I can throw down with the best of them. “And you’re awfully naive for someone who sleeps with the Devil,” I smiled, waiting for the barb to slide home but she only giggled and lightly pushed my shoulder. “You’re funny too. Hades isn't the Devil, he's the Lord of the Underworld,” she flicked her thick hair back. Hair-flickers really annoy me. She was probably one of those people with motivational quotes written on Post-its all over her bedroom. “So I’ve heard,” I looked pointedly at Thor. “What the hell is this Thor, a meet and greet?” “Pretty much,” he slid into the chair on my right and I couldn’t help the little jolt of pleasure I felt because he’d chosen to sit beside me instead of Little Miss Sunshine. And I'm back to being sixteen again. “Is this it?” I looked from him to her and back again. “Just you, me, and your girlfriend here?” Persephone hooted with laughter but Thor just raised an eyebrow, turned his head to the side, and casually slung an arm over the back of my

chair. “He’s not my boyfriend,” Persephone giggled again. “I thought you understood; I’m with Hades.” “You only see him three months out of the year if the stories are true,” I leaned towards Thor so I could get a better look at her, and yes, it was the only reason I leaned closer to him. It had nothing to do with that refreshing scent of his. “Uh-huh, Mom’s a little controlling,” she was really starting to get on my nerves with the baby voice. “So one thing I’ve learned is that the stories of gods are partially based on fact but are mostly fiction. By accepting the power humanity’s worship gives you, you accept their beliefs and allow that power to change you into all they hold true. You are in effect transformed by the thoughts of humans.” I waited for her to nod politely. “However, you still possess free will and can basically do as you please. You are transformed by us but not completely restricted by us.” “Yes, that’s true,” she murmured and looked away. “What am I missing?” I looked to Thor for an answer. “Hades is pretty powerful,” Thor’s lips

pressed together. “He’s also pretty jealous. I doubt he'd put up with any competition.” “So you let this guy rule your life even when you’re away from him?” I couldn’t believe she was that submissive. Well then again. “Not completely,” her bottom lip pushed out. “I just don’t want to consort with anyone else. Besides, no one wants to get Hades mad either. I’m not worth it.” Holy crap, it was a goddess with an inferiority complex. The surprises just kept on coming. I looked over at Thor and he shrugged again before running his thumb down the back of my neck. I sat up straight and realized I was effectively trapped between the two of them. “Back off, Boy Thunder,” I growled between clenched teeth. Maybe Persephone wasn't his girl but she'd given me a much-needed wake-up call. I was out of my league there, playing with the big gods and that was probably all Thor was doing with me... playing. Thor laughed and leaned in to say something else but before he could speak, the air in front of us shimmered and a figure coalesced. When it was fully formed, there was a striking Indian man standing before us (Indian with a dot, not feather). He was under six feet tall but well

muscled and his dark skin shone softly against the vivid red silk of his dress shirt. He had on black pants, a thin leather Gucci belt, and matching shoes. His ebony hair curled around his collar and eased some of the harshness from his features but the close cropped-beard added a hint of menace. Great, now what? “Brahma,” Thor nodded slightly, “thanks for coming.” Hmph. I knew a little about Brahma. Hindu God of Knowledge; four heads, four arms, red skin, thought himself into existence. He gave new meaning to the term I think therefore I am. I counted his head again. Yep, still only one and a measly two arms. I was a little disappointed. “Of course,” Brahma nodded back but then dismissed the Viking entirely and focused on me. “You have a human with you?” He pulled out a chair across from us and slid into it as he inspected me. “She has power too,” he closed his eyes and breathed deeply, then shivered, “delicious power.” Okay, that was creepy. I stiffened and looked around me, trying to find the quickest escape route. I had no intention of being this guy's next combo meal. I was keeping all of my energy, thank you. Before I could bolt, Thor’s hand came off of the chair and settled on my shoulder. He rubbed gently, then clamped down firmly. I was

really starting to worry about his so called protection. “Remember, I gave you a blood oath,” he whispered, “you’ve nothing to fear when I’m with you.” “You gave her blood?” Brahma sat back as his dark eyes rounded. “Who is this woman?” “She’s the Godhunter,” Persephone piped up merrily. “You?” Brahma leaned in again, turning his head from side to side as if he could catch some previously missed detail if he just got a better angle. “I’m rather unremarkable no matter how you look at me,” I sighed. I knew I was no great beauty. I’d call myself passing pretty if I had to label it, pretty enough to pass by without gagging. Sitting next to a goddess didn’t help. Then there was that whole lack of muscles thing, so I didn't even have the warrior babe look going for me. I told you; angry Poodle. Especially with my humidity-frizzed hair. “I wouldn’t say that,” Thor’s whisper was so close to my ear, it tickled and made me jump at the same time. Brahma laughed and leaned his face into one palm. “I wouldn’t either. You don’t have the

perfection of a goddess but perfection can be tiring. Your looks are unique, even for a human. I see a charming mix of ethnicity in your face.” “Yep, I’m a mutt.” “I’d wondered about your people,” Thor looked down at me intently. “I’m human,” I smiled sweetly, “they're all my people.” Brahma chuckled. “Oh, I like her.” “You’ve already got your hands full, Brahma,” Thor narrowed his eyes at the Hindu god. “Are you still cheating on Sarasvati?” “I’m a god,” he drew himself up; “I must attend to my followers.” “I’m sure your wife finds that comforting,” Thor snorted. “We’ve gotten off subject,” Brahma spread his hands in a let’s not fight gesture. “I’d still like to know which people you’re descended from, Godhunter.” “Call me Vervain, or V if you prefer,” I squirmed. Why were we talking about me? “I’m Irish, English, Dutch, French, German, Japanese, Cherokee, and Blackfoot.” Thor’s eyes widened. “All of those?”

“I like to think of myself as a preview of what the world will be like someday,” I shrugged. “In the future, we’ll all be so mixed up, there will be only one race; Human.” “Very noble,” Brahma grunted, “but it will never happen. You people take too much pride in what separates you. Look at me for example,” he waved a hand over himself. “Do you think I was born this way? No. Humans are so egotistical, they want their gods to look like them. Man was made in God's image, my ass! Man made gods in their own image. It's why Christ looks like a white man, even though history says he was Jewish. He's neither actually, he's Atlantean but when he first became a god, he looked Jewish because those were the people he chose to align himself with. But the Jews didn't want him and when Christianity spread, the white people wanted him to look more like them. With the change in belief, Christ's appearance changed. Actually, it was pretty funny. We used to tease him all the time about how he looked whiter each time we saw him. My but you're looking awful white this morning, we'd say.” Brahma chuckled as I gaped at him. “Kind of like Michael Jackson but that's a different story entirely. What I'm trying to say is that your pride in your differences is your people's greatest weakness. It’s what the other gods use to their advantage. There will always be one race who thinks they’re better than another.”

“There’s still hope for us,” I didn’t like the bizarre but truthful ring to his words. “I’m living proof.” “That you are,” Thor played with the baby hairs around the nape of my neck and it sent tingles over my scalp. “You’re also the best mix of all of your ancestors. I like the blending of you.” “Ah, that’s precisely what I was trying to say,” Brahma smiled widely, showing off even white teeth. “Well aw shucks, boys,” I smirked. I wasn’t entirely sure if they were just messing with me or not, so I felt safer to just go with the old standby sarcasm. Both of the “boys” seemed equally baffled and amused by my attitude but we were once more interrupted by an arrival. This time they just used the stairs. A Native American couple strode in, hand in hand. I guess Thor wanted to represent both types of Indians. Maybe it was because of my heritage but I preferred them to Brahma instantly. The Hindu god was just a little too slick for my taste. The man had on a crisp, white, dress shirt tucked into dark blue jeans which were in turn tucked into cowboy boots. His long, black hair was pulled back tightly in a ponytail that caught the

light with blue shimmers. He had golden brown skin that practically glowed, high cheekbones, and a generous mouth. Almond shaped eyes, rimmed thickly in long lashes, glittered like chipped obsidian as they settled on us and the man smiled. “You found the Godhunter,” he bowed slightly at the waist and I was shocked to realize that he was bowing to me. “It’s a great pleasure to meet you, little warrior. I’m Tsohanoai of the Navajos. This is my consort Estsanatlehi.” The woman moved forward and with her came a warm breeze smelling of rain. She smiled and her long black hair flowed around her hips in a sudden breeze. She was slightly darker than her husband or maybe it was just that his skin was so bright, it made her look darker. Her cheekbones were just as high as his but her lips were fuller and were a deep red, like she'd just gorged herself on blackberries. She was dressed as simply as Tsohanoai, in a cotton dress of light blue. “I’m sorry our son will not be joining us,” her voice was as sweet as her face but there was an underlying strength to it. “Nayenezgani receives the prayers of the warriors before battle and he believes his power is only in war.” Tsohanoai came up behind her and pulled out a chair. She sank into it gracefully, slipping her long hair over the back so she wouldn’t sit on it. I

was mesmerized and silently hoped she would be the end of the beauty parade for the evening. I didn’t think my ego could handle much more. “Nice to meet you both,” I stammered. What was the correct greeting for a god anyway? Where was Miss Manners when you needed her? They smiled at me warmly and Tsohanoai put his arm over the back of his consort’s chair, mimicking Thor and I. The reminder of how intimate I must look with Thor made me wince and sit straighter. I could practically feel him frowning at my movement. I turned and looked over my shoulder… yep, big Viking frown. I think I preferred it to all the smiling he’d been doing anyway. “Is this everyone?” I was still a little ticked off at being so out of the loop and having to blunder my way through all the surprises. These were beings I hunted for the good of humanity, I didn’t expect to be having tea with them and I still wasn’t convinced they weren’t all evil. The only thing that kept me from bolting was the power of Thor’s blood. I could still feel it zipping through my body. I knew deep down that he’d made a true oath and he wouldn’t harm me. That didn’t prevent others from attempting it though. “We’re waiting on two more,” Thor had a little crease between his eyes and I was thoroughly

enjoying his discomfort. “Ah, here they are.” There was a loud screeching followed by a muttered oath and the sound of crashing. Thor didn’t seem the least bit concerned. In fact, he had a little of his smile back. An average sized man walked in waving his arms about his head furiously. A large falcon swept past him and landed on the armor in the corner. “Curse you, Horus,” the man griped. “Watch where you’re flying.” He noticed the group of us staring at him finally and smiled brightly. “He can be such a birdbrain.” A loud screech filled the room as the falcon launched himself at the man, who then dove for cover. The falcon stopped short and hovered with great flaps of his wings. Bird-form blurred and elongated until it was no longer a bird but a man dressed in a black, short-sleeved shirt and slacks. “The falcon is one of the wisest winged creatures there is,” the ex-bird-now-man looked down his long nose at the other, who was climbing to his feet. “Then why do they even have the term birdbrain?” Mr. Average stretched his neck up so he could poke his face impudently into the taller man’s. He was dressed more casually, in torn jeans and a yellow shirt which read Everyone panic, I’m

here. They looked like two opposite sides of the social spectrum. “It’s a ridiculous term made by humans who know nothing of the amazing avian mind.” The exbird was as regal looking as he sounded and I was back to staring again. His skin was the light gold of a falcon’s feathers and his nose was just a step away from the beak it previously was. There was more intelligence in his brown eyes than warmth and his bearing was so grand, my knees buckled with the urge to curtsy. Good thing I was still seated. “No one knows the avian mind because they have no mind. Their brains are about the size of a pea.” The smaller man batted at his curly brown hair which kept falling into his eyes. It seemed to want to play as much as he did. It was kind of charming. In fact, the more you looked at him, the more charming he became. His lips seemed to be constantly on the verge of smiling, even when he was fighting with the bird. His hazel eyes held even more merriment than his lips and his face ended in a pointed chin like an elf. To top it all off, I caught a glimpse of little horns hiding in all those curls. “Pan,” Thor’s voice rumbled out, making the name into a warning. “Pan?” I couldn’t keep the disbelief from

my voice. Both men turned to me, Horus with a frown and Pan with a radiant smile. “Pan, as in reed pipes and wood nymphs?” “The one and only,” he bowed gallantly and left Horus sputtering behind him. “And you are Lady…?” “Vervain,” I said as I smiled. Why was I smiling? “Ah,” Pan's smile turned sensual, “I love flowers, they have such sweet nectar in their depths.” “It's actually a herb,” I said but Thor spoke over me. “Pan,” Thor’s voice was a low growl and the potted orchid on the table actually shook. “My mistake,” Pan backed away still grinning. “I didn’t know this bloom was already plucked.” “There's been no plucking,” I shot a nasty look at Thor, hoping he caught the message that I didn’t appreciate this type of protection. What; did he think it would make it easier if everyone thought we were an item? Not like he could be seriously into me or anything and not like I cared… much. “Hmmm,” Pan moved forward again, this time he claimed a chair next to the Navajo goddess.

“Which is it then, Thor, plucked or un-plucked?” Tsohanoai moved his wife closer to him as he eyed Pan. “She’s spoken for,” Thor leaned forward to glare at Pan. “Hey now,” I shrugged Thor’s arm off. “There’s been no plucking or speaking of plucking and there will be no plucking period. Can we find another word for plucking, one that doesn’t rhyme with plucking?” “Enough,” Horus walked stiffly to the table and sat in one of the end chairs like he was about to bring the meeting to order. Big surprise there. “We’re not here for you to play your silly games with a human, Pan. I would like to know what she’s doing here though.” He looked pointedly at Thor. “I caught her stealing the same information I went to Valhalla to collect,” Thor leaned back and let that tidbit sink in before continuing. “When I realized who she was, I decided to ask her to join us. I think she’ll be valuable and besides, it’s the humans’ fight too.” “And who is she? What makes her so valuable?” Horus crossed his muscular forearms and the short sleeves of his linen shirt rode up to expose a detailed tattoo of a falcon in flight. Too detailed in fact. I’d never seen ink like it. It was

like a real bird had been miniaturized and pressed into his skin. Kinda creepy actually. “She’s the only human who has ever managed to kill our kind,” Thor spoke very quietly but the words seemed to ring out. Horus and Pan sat forward with a gasp. Evidently, I was known by sight to only some of the gods. I felt like I had just had my superstar status revoked. Oh well, there goes my fifteen minutes. Fame can be so fickle. “The Hunter?” Horus lifted his head and scanned me dubiously. “This is the Godhunter?” “There’s no need to get nasty now,” I didn’t know what was worse, having a nickname among the gods or not living up to it. Horus narrowed his eyes. “You don’t look strong enough to kill gods.” “Well you don’t look like an asshole but there you go,” I almost clamped my hand to my mouth. I had no filter; the words went straight from my brain and out my mouth. It made me a horrible liar and got me into heaps of trouble. I think the only thing that saved me was the immediate laughter of all the other gods. “Come on, Horus,” Thor clamped a large

hand down on Horus’s shoulder and I saw him wince. “Admit it, that was funny… and you deserved it.” Horus did no admitting and no laughing but the tension did seem to ease from his shoulders. He sat back, nodded, and that was that. “Okay,” Thor said, “let’s get started then. Vervain, the documents please.” I leaned back into the chair so I could reach down into my jeans, which also put me further into Thor’s side. His breath was in my hair, his scent suddenly stronger, and I quickly yanked the papers from my pants. He took them from me and smoothed them gently on the table. I watched his touch linger over the paper and had a brief moment of imagining those fingers somewhere else. What was it I said about amateurs falling for their prey? I was starting to feel like a supreme moron. Thor turned abruptly and stared at me, slowly raising an eyebrow. “What?” It came out a little harsher than I intended. Nerves have a habit of turning me into a bitch. “Did you want to look this over with me?” Thor’s eyebrows shot downward and I felt even worse for being paranoid. So, of course, I got snappier.

“Why, do you only read Old Norse?” As soon as the words came out, I felt like an ass. “Sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” “I could hazard a guess,” Pan piped up from across the table but was shushed gently by Estsanatlehi. “It's forgotten,” Thor hadn’t even glanced at Pan. He started to skim over the document. “The next strike will be in Washington DC; they’re going to instigate an attack on a peace rally through some al-Qaeda terrorists.” “Well, that’ll put a damper on the party,” I leaned in closer to see it for myself. “Even the protesters will back the war after being shot at,” Horus twisted his lips into a mockery of a smile. “Nothing like murder and mayhem to beget more murder and mayhem.” “So what do we do about it?” I looked around the table and the whole thing took on a surreal quality for me. These weren’t just people I was talking shop with, they were gods. They all looked at me, the lone human in their midst, and I’m sure more than a few of them wondered how I could possibly help. Hell, I wondered it. I was more of a surprise ambush kinda girl and even then, I had to psych myself up every time I got ready to hunt. I guess all warriors have a

battle cry to help bolster their spirits. Mine went something like: I don’t wanna diiiiiie! Well, it was more of an internal battle cry. “So we go and we stop them,” Brahma looked bored. In fact, he was paying more attention to the minuscule pieces of dirt beneath his fingernails than he was to us. When he finally looked up and saw our expressions, he huffed. “What? How hard could it possibly be?”

Fairy-Struck Book 1 in The Twilight Court Series You can get this book for FREE every 10th day of every month.

Chapter One Once upon a time, isn't that how all fairy tales begin? Except this isn't your average fairy tale. There are no charming princes or wicked witches within these pages and the fair maidens are more deadly than any big bad wolf. This is a fairy tale in the truest sense of the words; a story about fairies... the real story. My name is Seren Sloane and I'm an Extinguisher. That will mean nothing to you, I'm sure, so let me go back a little further. No one knows the true origins of the fey, I don't think even the fey themselves remember, but theories abound. One has them evolving alongside us but where we advanced in groups, banding together to become stronger, the fey morphed out of those outcast predators who were too wild for a pack. Those who don't believe in evolution, think instead that the fey issue from divine creations, angels fallen from God's grace. Yet another tale insists they were gods themselves, or demi-gods, led by a mother goddess named Danu. A final theory suggests they were not gods or angels or outcasts, merely nomads from an advanced civilization. The Scythians or Sidheans, from which the word sidhe originates. Myths tell of

these talented Sidhe coming to Ireland where they flung about their magic and generally wrecked havoc until the aggrieved locals fought back and forced the fey to retreat into their raths, holy shrines now known as fairy mounds. History has disguised the raths as burial mounds even though originally, they were thought to be royal palaces for portal guardians. Although I cannot validate the rest of the tale, I do know this; the fey don't live under mounds of dirt. The original descriptions strike closer to the truth. The raths shrouded portals not corpses. Hidden paths to the fairy world, a realm laid parallel to ours and not at all underground. Anyway, we did just fine living side by side with them until humans started destroying the environment around those entrances to Fairy. Fairies don't like it when you mess with nature and when they stroll from their magical abodes to find that mess strewn all over their backyard, they get even more pissy. So they began to fling the mess back. All those old stories about fairies stealing babies and striking people with wasting diseases, stem from this time period. Things got real bad, so bad that those of us who had the gift of clairvoyance and could actually see fairies, joined together to defend the human race. The first Human-Fey war erupted across

Eire, now known as Ireland, and the losses on both sides were staggering. After the third war, a grudging truce was finally attained and councils were created to mediate between the races and support the truce with laws approved by both sides. A good start to be sure but laws flounder and fail if they can't be enforced. Both councils conceded jurisdiction over their people to the other, agreeing upon the penalties to be meted out should someone be found guilty of a crime. Rules for determining guilt and administering justice were set into place and military units were sanctioned to carry out the verdicts of the councils. The fairies created the Wild Hunt. They gathered the fiercest, most terrifying of their people and trained them to stalk the shadows of our world, watching us like guardian angels until one of us breaks the law. Then the angels become devils who do much more than watch. Trust me when I say you don't want to ever meet a member of the Hunt. To police the fey, we created the Extinguishers. Formed of the five great psychic families who originally defended humanity, the Extinguishers inspire a fair amount of fear as well. Armed with clairvoyance among other talents which varies by person but can include; telekinesis, pyrokinesis, telepathy, and psychometry, we also have some serious combat skills. Most humans

don't have the ability to see a fairy unless that fairy wants to be seen, so both council members and Extinguishers must at least possess clairvoyance. The Council keeps an eye out for humans with exceptional psychic abilities so they can recruit more into their fold but Extinguishers are born into the job. I'm one of those lucky few. Kavanaugh, Teagan, Sullivan, Murdock, and Sloane. The first five psychic families of Ireland. Over the centuries we've become a secret society so big it spans the globe, gaining strength by breeding only within the five. This has virtually guaranteed powerful psychic gifts in our children. I'm the product of a Sloane and a Kavanaugh. Over thirty generations of contrived breeding(not inbreeding, thank you very much) has given me abilities which rank me as one of the top ten Extinguishers of all time. I was trained from childhood to become what I am; an Extinguisher, a hunter of fairies, remover of the light of the Shining Ones. Childhood wasn't horrible for me but it was definitely not what most would consider to be normal. Bedtime stories were non-fiction accounts of Extinguisher heroism and instead of receiving platitudes that monsters weren't real, I was told most emphatically that they were and that when checking beneath my bed at night, I should always have an iron blade in hand.

My only friends were children from other Extinguisher families and every game or toy had an ulterior motive behind it. Like the dolls my mother made me which showed what each type of fairy looked like... and had their weaknesses written on their backs in red ink. Still, I was a child and I knew nothing else. Life seemed magical to me, not just in the way that life is magical to all children but in a literally magic way. I was taught to move objects with my mind, create fire in the palm of my hand, and make things materialize anywhere I wanted them to(that's called apportation in case you're curious, not teleportation which is a thing of science fiction). When I got older, I was taught to fight and finally, to kill. Despite all of that, I wasn't raised to hate fairies. Quite the contrary, I was taught to care for them and protect them if need be. The job of an Extinguisher exists first and foremost to protect the peace. We kill fairies only when they disrupt that peace and then we do it in the most efficient and merciful way possible... after we receive a warrant of execution approved by the Council. We are, essentially, peace keepers. That changed for my family when my mother was torn to pieces by a pack of pukas. I know, it sounds funny, doesn't it? A pack of pukas. In reality a bunch of fairy dogs the size of ponies,

with teeth sharper than a shark's, shredded the flesh from my mother, gobbled down every last bit of it, and then gnawed on her bones till they could suck out the marrow. That reality killed all the mercy in my father and a lot of the compassion in me as well. We immersed ourselves in the job, taking every warrant issued for criminal fey we could get our hands on until the Head Extinguisher himself finally noticed and called us to heel. We were sent to a small territory where very little fey crime occurred and where we were supposed to get our shit together. Most humans would love to live where we do now and when I tell you where we were put, I'm sure you'll roll your eyes but let me assure you that this place becomes a slow death for an Extinguisher. Peace keepers need a certain amount of action to keep us sane and Hawaii has very little of that on the fey front. Yes, I've been exiled to paradise and for someone with my fair Irish skin, Hawaii imitates Hell in so many ways. Sure beauty abounds and the people here embody that tropical temperament of almost Gaelic hospitality but when you're itching for a fight, you don't want to be scratching at your peeling, sunburned skin too. Plus, the only fey to be found, the little local variety called menehune, frolic about causing mischief but never mayhem.

Yep, Hawaiian fairies exist. Does that shock you? It shouldn't, I've already mentioned how the Fairy Realm lies parallel to ours. Fairy Mounds connect more than merely Ireland to Fairyland, they form bridges between Fairy and places all over the world. The fairies who frequent these paths seem to be influenced by the culture they cross over into. And the fairies don't just visit. Ever since the creation of the Councils, a lot of fey have moved into our world in an effort to support the peace. There was also the issue of the numerous entrances to Fairy which needed to be guarded. So several fey council members have very human jobs with very powerful positions. I think you'd be pretty damn surprised if I told you which companies secretly belong to the fey. We don't have any of those powerful companies here in Hawaii because, as I mentioned before, this place isn't all that important in the whole fey-human interrelations department. So my life has become a constant preparation for a battle it doesn't look like I'll ever be allowed to join, in a place whose beauty only feels like salt in my wounded heart. I will admit that my anger has lessened over my time here, as the memory of who my mother was slowly overshadows the memory of how she died, but for my father, this exile has only served to make him even more bitter, more vicious,

and more intent on killing the entire fairy race.

Chapter Two “No way,” I looked down at the fax in my hand with amazement. “This can't be right.” “What is it?” My dad walked into our office, his sea blue eyes narrowing on the piece of paper in my hand like a hawk who's spied a mouse. It was a small office with just a cheap particle board desk littered with all the necessary items; a computer, a phone, a fax machine, and a copier. There was an old desk chair in front of it, a cracking plastic mat beneath that to protect the boring beige carpet, and a beat up filing cabinet to the right. That was it and with us in the room, the tiny space was almost full. Still, it fit our needs. The office was purely for communication with the Council and for record keeping. The bulk of our work was done outside these bare walls. “A warrant of execution,” I handed the fax to him. “From the Fairy Council.” “The Fairy Council?” His narrowed gaze transformed into surprise which returned some vigor to his sorrow-lined face. “When's the last time you saw one of those?” I asked. “Never. To get one here is...” he looked up

at me, a lock of his black hair falling into one eye. He brushed it away distractedly. He hadn't bothered with a haircut in awhile. Things like that tend to get neglected when you're on a quest for vengeance. “Suspicious?” I lifted a brow. “Fortunate,” he began to grin. “Dad, doesn't this make you at all wary?” “I get to kill a fairy,” he shrugged, “that it's a request of the fey themselves is simply a bonus.” “Maybe we should contact our council first,” I glanced at the picture included with the warrant. A willowy woman with huge mossy eyes and long, hair the color of young pea pods, smiled back at me. Her skin was a deep tawny umber and in combination with that hair, I knew her to be a dryad. So she was probably a member of the Seelie Court. Not that it made any difference, Seelie or Unseelie, Light or Dark, all of the fey were dangerous and her sweet looks could be hiding the heart of a monster. Still... “It says she murdered a sidhe male,” I held out my hand for the warrant and he handed it back to me so I could read it again. “Dylan Thorn. Aren't the Thorns one of the stronger fey families? The Unseelie King is a Thorn, isn't he?”

“Which is probably why they want this bitch killed,” Dad grinned. “She murdered a royal, they take that very seriously.” “But how did a dryad kill a fey royal?” I stared at the picture again. “Dryads are generally timid and their magic is low class compared to that of a sidhe, much less a royal sidhe.” “You should know better than anyone that the amount of magic a person holds has nothing to do with their capability for murder,” my father was already pulling out his Extinguisher gear from the little closet in the left wall. He laid a mini crossbow on the desk and followed it up with a quiver of iron-tipped arrows and an iron knife. Guns were dangerous around fairies, even when filled with iron bullets. A lot of fey magic was born of the elements and fire used in a particular way, such as igniting all of the bullets in a gun at once, could make the weapon explode, harming the wielder more than the intended victim. Non-combustible iron weapons were the way to go with fairies. Something about the chemical composition of the metal reacted to their blood and if they were actually struck with a piece of the stuff, it would burn their skin. If they were shot with an iron arrow or cut with an iron knife, the iron would poison their blood and without purification, they'd die. So iron was the metal of

choice for Extinguisher weapons and when we used it in combination with our psychic abilities, we did pretty well against the fey. “Why aren't you getting ready?” Dad asked pointedly. “So we aren't calling the Human Council?” I tried one more time. “Not necessary,” he strapped a specially made flat quiver to his back with practiced movements and then layered his coat over the top as I tried to push my unease away. It wasn't that I didn't want to kill the fairy. I would have no problem extinguishing any fey I had a warrant for. The problem was, this warrant came from the fey themselves and if our Human Council didn't approve of it, we shouldn't be executing. It could get us into a lot of trouble and frankly, if this was just some high up fairy wanting someone else to do his dirty work, I'd rather not help him out. My Dad began to hum an old Irish tune as we headed out the door. Yeah, getting in trouble with the Human Council hadn't been an issue with him for a long time.

Chapter Three You'd think hunting fairies would be difficult. Beings with magic at their disposal and the ability to become invisible should be hard to track but when you're an Extinguisher, you're trained to use their magic against them. All magic leaves traces of energy and when combined with the powerful aura of a fairy, the resulting glow reaches up and around its host like the Northern Lights. Still, you had to find the right sky to search in order to see those lights and tracking the murderess took most of the day. We finally found her hiding amid the crowds of Ala Moana, a massive, outdoor shopping mall on the outskirts of Waikiki. I thought it a strange place for her to be hiding, she would have fared much better up in the mountains, but maybe she'd thought she'd be safer in a crowd. “I'll circle around behind her,” my dad whispered to me. “You grab her and we'll get her out of here so we can kill her without witnesses.” “Alright,” I agreed. Even though most humans couldn't see fairies, when one was killed, they lost their magic, starting with their invisibility. That wouldn't be the

issue with this particular fairy, though. She was completely visible, her oddly colored hair tucked up into a baseball cap and her large eyes covered with a pair of celebrity sunglasses. That wasn't too surprising. Using invisibility magic ironically made a fairy even more visible to those of us with the sight. Magic was energy and energy burned brightly to clairvoyants. So if she wanted to hide from Extinguishers, using the least amount of magic was her best option. She hadn't seen me yet but I had no doubt she would soon. Fairies could see Extinguishers almost as well as we did them. All those psychic gifts made our auras stronger than most humans. She was sitting on the edge of a long, oval shaped, cement planter set in the center of one of the open pathways between the shops. Plants rose up behind her and one of her hands was laid against the slim trunk of a palm tree. The fey liked to be close to nature but that touch was a clear sign that she was scared or at least nervous. Her slim body was hunched in on itself, as if she were pulling away from the humans sitting around her, and her lips were pressed into a thin line. A baby cried and she flinched. It made sense that she would be scared but usually, a murderer has some kind of plan. They don't just sit in the middle of a group of humans and

touch plants. Was she waiting for someone? Maybe she had an accomplice. This could be a lot more complicated than we'd thought. My steps slowed as I searched the area for signs of another fey but there weren't any to be found. I was about five feet away when her head lifted and she looked unerringly in my direction. Her hand released the plant with a blur of movement and she stood, looking as if she didn't know which direction to run in. I tensed for the chase as her gaze flitted over her shoulder, where I knew my father was coming up behind her. Then she took a deep breath and started walking calmly in my direction. I was so startled, I froze for a second and a Japanese tourist bumped into me from behind. It jolted me back into action. I pulled the fey handcuffs from my pocket and opened them with automatic ease. They were iron but lined in silicone so they wouldn't burn her, just prevent her from using her magic. When I reached her, she gave me a nod and held her hands out submissively. I put the cuffs on her with complete bafflement. “Aideen Evergreen, I have a warrant of execution for you from the Fairy Council,” I took her arm and started walking her through the crowds. She was taller than me, as most fey are, probably around six feet. I was five-five and

although I was leanly muscled from all the training I did, I'd inherited my mother's curves and next to Aideen's willowy, fragile form, I must have looked like an Oompa Loompa. “Asylum,” she whispered and I jerked to a halt. “What did you say?” My eyes slid over to her with the slow slide of incredulity. “I ask for asylum with the Human Council,” she stated more firmly. “I have information that could lead to the destruction of the entire human race.” “What?!” I turned to the side so I was facing her. The flow of foot traffic split around us with irritated murmurs. “Did you say...?” “I'm talking about the extermination of your whole race, Extinguisher,” she hissed. “Now get me to your Council.” “Yes, Ma'am,” I swallowed hard and started ushering her more quickly through the shoppers, using a combination of telepathy and telekinesis to nudge them out of our way. Possible extermination called for excessive measures.

Finally, a peek into the first installment of Amy's RH Fairy Tale Collection:

Happily Harem After The first volume includes: Beauty and the Beasts Wild Wonderland The Four Clever Brothers Pan's Promise The Little Glass Slipper

Beauty and the Beasts

Chapter One

“Once upon a time there were three spoiled princes,” I read. “They dined on the finest food and drank the best wine. Their clothing was made of silk from the East, fur from the North, velvet from the West, and linen from the South. They lived in the most magnificent castle made of stone and glass and were waited upon by an army of servants. They had everything their hearts could desire, and that was their downfall.” I frowned at the book, flipping back to the cover to read the title again. There was no author listed, and I was beginning to realize why. What had I been thinking when I borrowed this book from Theo? But I was nothing if not tenacious, so I returned to reading. “On a dark and stormy night,” I read and then rolled my eyes. “Ugh... really?” I huffed. “As if 'once upon a time' wasn't bad enough, you have to add 'dark and stormy'? Who wrote this crap?” “Sylvaine?” My father called. “Up here, Father,” I called back to him.

“Come down and wish me farewell. I'm about to leave.” I clambered down from my spot in the barn's loft and found my father smiling up at me as he stood in the open space between horse stalls. He held his arms wide open, and I went into them, still holding my book. He hugged me tightly, and then took my hand by the wrist and lifted it so that he could see the book.

“The Beastly Princes?” My father read the title aloud. “Is it a horror story?” “No, but it may end up horrifying me, nonetheless.” I grimaced. Father laughed. “You're too smart for your own good, Sylvie.” He kissed my forehead. “Now, your sisters have all made their requests. What shall I bring you?” I knew that Father was hiding the fact that his business had taken a bad hit. My sisters didn't know that our last two ships had been attacked by pirates, the goods stolen, but I did. Theo often received word from the larger towns, and he told me what had happened. But my father was a proud man, and I didn't want to embarrass him. “I would love a rose,” I said with a smile. “A rose?” Father lifted his brows. “Not a comb or a book?” He looked pointedly at my beastly novel. “No, just a rose,” I repeated. He stared at me a moment and then nodded sadly. “You're a good girl, Sylvaine. I love you.” “I love you too, Father.” I watched him walk out to his waiting cart and climb in. He rode out toward the seaport village

of Rapace, our horse, Bayard, pulling the wagon. He turned back as he got to the gate and waved. I waved back and then returned to the loft and my story. “Let's see, where were we?” I scanned the page. “Ah, yes, we left our heroes... anti-heroes?” I frowned and then decided on, “Main characters, in a dark and stormy night.” I sighed and then began to read, “An old woman let herself into the palace in the midst of a party. She walked through the grand ballroom, right up to the eldest prince. 'I beg of you to grant me shelter on this dismal night,' she said. The prince scowled at her and simply turned away as if speaking to her was beneath him.” My eyes went, and I growled. “Rude!” I went back to reading, “The old woman approached the second prince and asked him for shelter. The second prince waved his hand, and an attendant hustled the woman away. As she was led through the ballroom, the old woman called out to the final prince, the fairest and sweetest looking of the princes. 'Your Highness, please have mercy on an old woman. Do not let them put me out into the storm!'

The prince looked her over and said to the attendants, 'Give her a pallet in the stables, she can bed down with her own kind.'” I gaped at the page. “Oh, you bratty bastard!” I hissed. Then I read on, hoping that the prince would get his comeuppance. “The old woman broke free of the men who were restraining her and in a blinding flash of light, her figure transformed into that of a beautiful maiden. The entire court went silent, in awe of her beauty. The three princes came forward and stared at the woman in astonishment. 'I gave each of you a chance to be kind, and instead, you treated me like an animal,' the fair maiden said. 'We had no idea that you were a lovely lady,' the second prince said. 'If we had known, we would have offered you a room befitting your beauty.' 'Beauty!' The young woman hissed. 'That is all you can see, isn't it? I will teach the three of you a lesson about beauty.'” I smirked. “Oh yeah, you let them have it, lady!” I settled back against the wooden wall and read more eagerly, “The maiden's hands began to

glow with magic, and the court drew back in fear when she lifted them above her head. The princes, confident in their own worth, did not cower. They faced her with curiosity only. 'Since you treated me like an animal, that is what you shall be. We shall see who stands by you when you are no longer beautiful. How many of your court will remain to fawn over you when your monstrosity is apparent on your very faces?' The magic shimmered over the princes, and they immediately transformed into hideous monsters; part man and part beast. The court ran away, screaming.” I chuckled, monsters indeed. “The eldest prince cried out to the maiden, now revealed to be a witch, 'Please, we can change our ways. Have mercy.' The witch lifted her chin and stared at the pathetic creatures. 'You who gave no mercy, now beg for it,' she said. 'All right;. I will grant you one chance to regain your human forms.' She plucked a rose out of an overflowing vase and cast it at the feet of the eldest prince. 'You have till the last petal falls from this flower to prove that you are worthy are ruling this kingdom.' The princes looked at each other in horror.

'But a rose dies so quickly,' the second prince pointed out. 'Not this one,' the witch smiled. 'It will fade slowly, and you will not fade at all, but only I shall know how much time you have to prove your worth.' The youngest prince crawled forward on his massive paws, 'But how do we prove ourselves?' The witch thought about it and finally said, 'With true beauty, of course. You must find a woman, a brave and beautiful woman, to love all of you. If you can win her love, and become humble enough to share that love, then I will return your kingdom and your pretty faces to you.' The princes vowed that they would win the love of a brave and beautiful woman... and they would share her humbly.” I grimaced and tossed the book down in the hay. “What rubbish.”

Chapter Two

“You didn't like The Beastly Princes?” Theo chuckled. “Have you read that garbage?” I asked him as I returned his book. “It's ridiculous.” “It's supposed to be a true story,” Theo said, “about our very own kingdom.” “We have a King and Queen,” I reminded him. “And they only have a daughter, no sons.” “We were not originally a part of the Kingdom of Hannaleigh,” Theo said. “In fact, we're not really a part of it now. Our monarchy disappeared long ago; the castle is said to be deep within the forest, hidden by magic and haunted.” “What happened to the rulers?” “No one knows.” Theo waved the book at me. “Or do they?” “You want me to believe that there are three beastly princes living in an abandoned castle in the woods, waiting for a beautiful woman to come and fall in love with them?” I scoffed. “Pure drivel,” Fabien said as he sauntered into Theo's shop.

I rolled my eyes. “For the flour,” I said to Theo as I handed him a copper coin. “And thank you for the loan of the book.” “You're welcome Sylvaine,” Theo spoke to me, but eyed Fabien. Fabien. Ugh. Speaking of monsters, Fabien was a real one. He was also a braggart and a bully. In fact, Fabien would probably get along famously with those princes. When he wasn't pushing his weight around, Fabien could be found admiring himself in any reflective surface nearby. And when he wasn't doing either of those things, he was annoying me. “Where are you going, Sylvie?” Fabien followed me out of Theo's shop. “Home,” I said succinctly. “And don't call me 'Sylvie'.” “Aren't we close enough for me to call you 'Sylvie', Sylvie?” Fabien wedged his way in front of me, forcing me to slide between him and a wall. “No, we're not,” I growled. “Fabien!” Bianca, my older sister, shouted. Fabien sighed deeply and ignored her. “Fabien!” Bianca called again as she hastened after us. “I'm busy, Bianca!” Fabien turned to snap

at her. I used his distraction to make my escape, ducking down a back alley and then racing out to another street. By the time I made it home, I was giggling like a girl. My giggling stopped when I saw Bayard, the horse who pulled my father's cart. “Bayard?” I went over to the horse, who was grazing peacefully in the patch of grass before our home. Bayard lifted his head, looking at me with somber, dark eyes. “Where's father, Bayard?” The horse looked guilty. And yes, I could communicate with our horse; with most animals, actually. It was a talent my entire family had. Our ancestors had been very in tune with nature. My name even meant “from the forest.” So, I knew immediately that Bayard had left my father somewhere that he shouldn't have. “You're taking me to him, Bayard,” I said as I climbed onto his back. The horse tensed and pranced anxiously. “You left him somewhere alone. Now, the least you can do is show me where,” I chided him. Bayard took off into the woods. Over an hour later, I realized that we were

on a road that I had never traveled before. It was overgrown, but not to the point of being inaccessible, just enough to make it clear that this was not a path often chosen. Then Bayard stopped. There was a break in the trees, and through it, I could see a magnificent castle. “Oh dear god,” I whispered. “It's like Theo said; a hidden castle. Is that where father is, Bayard?” The horse whinnied. “Then let's go.” Bayard stamped and turned in a circle, refusing to go any further. Finally, I gave up, and left him there, making my way up a stone paved path toward the massive castle. As soon as I was out of the forest, the land opened up into manicured lawns and manicured gardens. A whole team of gardeners would be needed to maintain these grounds, but there wasn't a soul in sight. I looked down at my arms and saw the hair on them standing on end. Something wasn't natural here. Even though the sun shone down brightly, and the castle gleamed as if it were freshly polished, I felt a heavy pall in the air; a sadness hanging over it all. I shivered and rubbed my arms as I hurried up the stone steps to a curved set of wood doors. I knocked because that's the polite

thing to do, but no one answered. Instead, the door swung open all on its own, and I stood within the arch of it, staring at a curving staircase. Doors to either side of the entry were open to reveal vast rooms, but there was no one in them. “Hello?” I called out. “I'm sorry to intrude, but I'm looking for my father, and I think he may be here. Hello? Is anyone there?” A clink sounded down a hallway to the right of the stairs. I followed the sound and came to a kitchen. No one was there. Another clatter led me to an open door near the pantry. I peered in and saw a set of stairs leading down into the dark. “Too dark for anyone to be down there,” I muttered to myself. Torches burst into flame, illuminating a stone stairwell which curved out of sight. “Like that wasn't at all creepy,” I huffed. I would have left at that point, but my father was in that castle somewhere, I could feel it in my bones, and I wasn't about to abandon him. I headed down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, I found a row of prison cells. Solid doors blocked my view of the cells, but they were each set with small windows near their tops, barred by iron. “Father?” I called out.

“Sylvaine?” My father's shocked voice came from one of the cells. “Sylvaine is that you?” “Father!” I snatched a ring of keys off the wall and ran toward the sound of his voice. “I'm here! Bayard brought me.” I unlocked his door and rushed into my father's arms. “Oh, Sylvaine,” my father sobbed. “You shouldn't have come. In fact,” he pushed me away, “you need to leave immediately.” “The hell I will,” I growled. “Brave,” a deep voice noted from the doorway. “Or maybe just stupid,” another rumbly voice added. “Leave her be!” My father cried and pushed me behind him. “She has done nothing wrong. I am the one who took your damn rose.” “Rose?” I asked. “Your father is a thief,” a third voice, slightly softer than the other two, said. “We caught him stealing one of our prized roses. Thieves must be punished. At least, that's what Lancelot says–” His voice was cut off by a muffled thump. “Over a rose?” I huffed. “I'm the one who asked him for a rose; you should punish me.” “Sylvaine!” Father snapped. “I will handle

this.” “Father, you need to get home,” I said sternly. “Bianca and Anne will not be able to survive without you.” “You can–” “What?” I asked. “What could I do to support us?” “More than I do,” he huffed. “We lost another cargo. I know you know about the ships, Sylvie. We are ruined.” “Our family does not give up,” I snapped. “You're going to go home and figure this out.” I shoved him toward the door.” “Listen to her,” one of the voices said, “she thinks she's in charge.” “He's a merchant,” I growled at the shadowy shapes in the doorway. “What do you want with him when you could have a young, ablebodied woman? I can cook or clean, things he can't do for you.” “Come into the light,” the first voice demanded. I eased forward and heard three sharp intakes of breath. “Brave and beautiful,” one of them whispered.

“Fools,” another said, “she's not the one.” “What's the harm?” The third said. “Let her stay. Let him leave. It matters not.” “I am not leaving!” My father declared. “Yes, you are,” I pushed him out into the corridor. “You heard her,” one of the low voices said. “It's time to go.” I came out past the glare of the torches just as a clawed hand reached for my father. I launched myself at the thing before me, the one about to attack my father, but was grabbed from behind. As I flailed against my captor, my father was dragged away by something that looked ... “Half man and half beast,” I whispered. I swiveled my head around to peer at the person that held me and found something similar. Shaggy hair framed a fur-covered face. The fur was sleek and flowed over a muscular body. Large, liquid eyes stared at me, full of sorrow and pain. They were set above a wide, flat nose that would have looked right at home on a lion. This nose flowed down into an upper lip that was thick like an animal's muzzle, but then it transformed into human-shaped lips. The beast opened his odd mouth, showcasing sharp canines, and spoke. “Be at ease; we will not hurt you.”

“I'm more concerned about my father,” I said calmly. His eyes widened, and he carefully put me down on my feet. “Your father will be escorted off the property,” he murmured. “My brother will not harm him either. We're not completely animals.” “Animals behave better than humans anyway.” I crossed my arms and considered him. “It's true, isn't it? The story of the beastly princes. And you're one of them.” “There's a story about us?” He crossed his own arms to mirror my stance, and I noticed that he was dressed in fine clothes. “So, you need to make a woman fall in love with you, huh?” I asked. “Dear God, you are a blunt one.” “And you're a furry one.” “Fair enough.” He chuckled, then looked shocked. “I don't remember the last time that I laughed.” “Well, it's probably this whole having to find a woman to want you thing,” I suggested. “What happens if you don't, by the way? I stopped reading. Honestly, I thought it was a load of rubbish.”

“If only it were. If we don't find love, we stay like this forever,” he waved a paw over his body. “That's not so bad.” “Not so bad?” He snarled. “I'm hideous.” “You kind of look like a loup garou,” I pointed out. “With a little predator cat thrown in. Interesting.” “A loup garou?” “A werewolf.” “You believe in werewolves?” He asked. “And you don't?” I looked him over pointedly. “Yes, well spotted,” he huffed. “The man has been escorted to his horse,” one of the other two beasts said as they both returned. “She isn't fighting?” “She's quite reasonable,” the first one said. “And she knows about the curse.” “She knows about it?” The third beast asked, coming forward to face me. “You know?” “Yeah, but I'm not your girl,” I said. “I'm not into the idea of having multiple lovers. I'm looking for the one, my true mate.” The second beast choked and started to

cough. “Perhaps we could change your mind.” The second one smiled, and it appeared to be very wicked, though that could have just been his face.

About the Author Amy Sumida is the Internationally Acclaimed author of the Award-Winning Godhunter Series, the fantasy paranormal Twilight Court Series, the Beyond the Godhunter Series, the music-oriented paranormal Spellsinger Series, and several short stories. Her books have been translated into several languages, have made it to the top seller's list on Amazon numerous times, and the first book in her Spellsinger Series won a publishing contract with Kindle Press. She was born and raised in Hawaii and brings her unique island perspective to all of her books. She doesn't believe in using pen names, saving the fiction for her stories. She's known for her kick-ass heroines who always have a witty comeback ready, and her strong, supporting male characters who manage to be sensitive and alpha all at once. All she's ever wanted to do since she was a little girl, was to write novels. To be able to do so for a living is a blessing which she wakes up thankful for every day. Beyond her books, she enjoys collecting toys, to keep herself young, and cats, to keep herself loved.

If you enjoyed this book, please let the author know by leaving a review. Unless you want to leave less than 5 stars, in which case, she begs you not to let her know. Our little Indie Author hearts are so easily crushed. For information on new releases, detailed character descriptions, and an in-depth look into the worlds of Godhunter and the Twilight Court, check out Amy's website; http://www.amysumida.com/ You can also find her on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/TheGodhunter-Series/323778160998617?ref=hl On Twitter under @Ashstarte On Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7200339.A On Instagram as; ashstarte On Tumblr: http://vervainlavine.tumblr.com/ And you can find her entire collection of books, along with some personal recommendations, at her Amazon store: http://astore.amazon.com/amysum-20