9781618851307WitchsBrewShayNC (60 page)

His
black eyes glittered with hatred. He landed upon the earth, and focused his
hatred on Talon. “I took your mother’s soul,” he sneered. “I sucked her dry and
left her withered husk lying on the floor. Now I’m going to steal your mate’s
spirit. ”

Talon
surged upward, roaring his grief. His heart, beaten and bruised so many times
in the past few days, finally shattered, and his soul filled with hatred for
this one creature who had once been a warlock.

He leaped off the podium and grabbed for the demon, but
Black Drayke was wise enough to stay out of his reach.

“If you think for a single moment,” Talon growled, “that
you’ll leave here or ever rule Ru-Noc, then you’re an even bigger fool than I
thought.”

Black Drayke folded his wings in place. Talon watched the
crowd move back, terrified at the sight of such a repugnant creature among
them.

“I’ve tasted your mate,” the monster shouted.

Talon’s gaze shifted to Saylym, questioning. She shook her
head in denial. He gave a slight nod of understanding.

“I’ve suckled her sweet breasts. She bears my mark. Ask
her. Better yet, see for yourself.” Black Drayke grabbed Saylym and rent her
dress down the middle, exposing her breasts.

Talon
arched an eyebrow. “I see nothing on my mate to indicate you’ve ever been near
her, Black Drayke. What mark are you talking about?”

Black Drayke hissed and took a second, closer look at the
slopes of Saylym’s breasts. He cursed, shoving her away from him. “A witch’s
trickery! She has but removed my claim of ownership.” Black Drayke stroked his
heavy erection. “I have been inside her, deep inside her. I touched your sons’
souls and ripped them from the belly of their mother. Your mate now carries my
seed.”

Talon
roared, lunging toward Black Drayke.

“Talon,” Saylym screamed his name and flung the athame
toward him. Talon’s fingers closed around the hilt in mid-air. He shoved the
blade upward, underneath the warlock’s chin. The knife went deep into the
cavern of his head.

Black
Drayke staggered backward and crashed upon the ground. Shock etched his face
and he clawed wildly at the athame. The blade was stuck in bone, he couldn’t remove
it. His dark gaze centered on Talon, filled with years of burning hatred, years
of jealousy and envy.

He coughed. Noxious black blood spewed from his mouth. “I
have been inside your mate,” he choked, laughing. “You will never be certain if
her babes belong to you or to me.”

Talon
jerked the knife from Black Drayke’s throat. “You think I know not when you
spew lies? I
know
the babes are mine. Burn in Hell! For all your evil
sins, spend eternity in Nemaland! Dym has just the place for you.” Talon drew the
sharp blade swiftly across Black Drayke’s throat, severing the artery. “For my
mother, you son of a bitch!”

The
evil warlock gurgled, clutching his throat. His body gave one long spasm, then
stilled.

Talon wiped off the athame, his eyes tracing over the
bruises on Saylym’s face. He held out the athame. “I believe this belongs to
you.”

He saw the cool reserve in his mate’s eyes, the quiet
dignity in her stance. He understood. She carried the poise and grace of a
royal witch on her slender shoulders. And she’d never looked more beautiful.

*
* * *

Saylym
took the athame from his hand and slid it back inside its sheath strapped
beneath her dress. Touching the ripped bodice of her dress, she mended it
instantly, covering her breasts. A tiny smile flitted across her lips, and she
felt it lighting the odd colors of her eyes. “I just want you to know, milord,
so there will never be any doubt between us, I’m a witch.”

She stood her ground, facing him, and finally accepting
her birthright. “I’m a witch…and a damn good one.”

“I know, baby,” Talon whispered. He reached for her,
pulled her into his arms. “You just had to learn how to harness your power.”

MeLora screamed her rage, her clothes falling away. She
leaped upward, then dived straight at Saylym, hissing and snapping her sharp
fangs.

Saylym stepped back from Talon and tilted her chin toward
MeLora. “Come and get me, bitch, if you dare!” She flung up her arms, sending a
swarm of bees at MeLora. The bees attacked, stinging the witch on her face and
arms. MeLora screeched her rage as she plummeted to earth, crashing upon the
ground some distance from Saylym.

“This
isn’t finished,” she screamed, slapping at the bees until they dropped to the
ground, dead.

“You’re
right.” Saylym glared at MeLora.

Twin
beams of radiant white light shot from Saylym’s eyes and slammed into MeLora’s
chest. The witch’s screams could be heard over the roaring light as she whirled
and ran toward the forest surrounding Sanctuary. The powerful beam of light
lifted MeLora into the air and spun her around like a cyclone.

Saylym
reined in the beam of energy and MeLora tumbled toward the earth. The crowd
snickered at her terrified shrieks as she crashed on the ground in an
ungraceful sprawl.

MeLora
didn’t hesitate. She jumped up and took off—streaking through the woods as if
Death himself was after her.

Saylym spun around, examining the ground where Sage had
vanished earlier. She saw the
Futhar
bullfrog lying there on the ground
and knelt beside the frog. “Oh, Dinka.”

Dinka’s four little legs pointed straight up in the air,
her poor body rigid in death. The tip of her tiny pink tongue lolled lifelessly
to one side of her mouth.

Helpless, Saylym gently stroked a fingertip down the pale,
soft belly. “I’m so sorry, Dinka.”

“No worry for Dinka, no more,” the
Futhar
croaked,
sitting straight up. “Dinka play dead like possum, like saw on Discovery
Channel in
illumrof
world.” Dinka blinked and looked around. “Witch-bitch
dead now? You kill her? Okie-dokie?”

Saylym
gave a choked laugh. “Not kill, but seriously scared the shit out of her.” She
cupped the frog. “You have a home with me, Dinka, as long as you like.”

“I
like very much, but must find my Sage. He be needing me now.”

“I’m
afraid Sage is lost to us. MeLora…killed him.”

“Noooo,”
Dinka
wailed. “Not my Sage! Not my sweet, handsome Sage!” The frog sniffed and cried
pitifully. “My Sage, him good
waken
. Good man. Love my Sage. He not
dead. He just forget to take me with him.”

Eldora stepped up and took the frog from Saylym’s
trembling hands. “Come on, little, Dinka. I’ll take you home with me.”

Dinka’s eyes overflowed with tears. “Not my Sage,” she fretted,
her voice cracking. “Please say is not true.”

Saylym stiffened when she felt a hand rest lightly on her
shoulder. Drawing in a deep breath, she turned to face Talon. Tears shimmered
in the greenish-gold depths of his eyes. “MeLora got away,” he said. “She
killed Sage and damn it, she’s gotten away!”

Saylym
nodded. “For now. She won’t get far. She’ll be back. There’s no way she’ll give
up easily.”

“She’s
nearly destroyed my entire family. My mother. Sage. And my father. My father is
under her spells. He’s already left, returning to the palace. He believes
she’ll be there waiting for him.”

“She
won’t return to the palace,” Saylym said softly. “Not right now. She’s afraid.”

Talon swore beneath his breath. “You don’t understand.
She’s not afraid, just licking her wounds. Drayke is still alive. That wasn’t
him I killed.”

Saylym blinked. “How do you know that?”

“If it had been him, all the souls he’s stolen from
witches would have been released, including my mother’s. It wasn’t him, but a
clever
Image
. He was testing our strength. He’ll be back, along with
MeLora.”

Saylym’s
eyes widened. “Bloody hell!”

Talon
nodded. “Right. I have no family left here. My brother has disappeared. I don’t
know if my sister is safe or even alive.”

Saylym
touched his cheek, a feather-light stroke. “I’m sorry, Talon. I am.” She turned
to leave, but halted as Talon grabbed her arm, locking his fingers with hers.
“I have no family, but you. You’re my family now, you and our sons.” He
searched her eyes. “Where are you going?”

“Home.”

“You’re
mad at me?”

“You were going to kill me. You spoke false vows and we
never discussed having babies. Yes, I’d say I’m just a little pissed at you.”

Talon
winced. “You don’t want our babies?”

Saylym
flushed. “I didn’t say that. I already told you I want them. That’s beside the
point. The decision to have a baby should be a joint choice, not just yours,
especially when you lied at our bonding ceremony.”

“Every
word I spoke at our bonding ceremony, I’ve since discovered I meant. I love
you, Saylym. Beltane and what you are left us no choice about conceiving a
child. I never dreamed I’d give you two babies. Our race doesn’t have multiple
births. But I’m not displeased with two,” he said with a hint of smugness. “And
I could never have killed you, sweetheart. I may have given it some thought
because that’s my job, and I was under orders from the guild.”

“Given
it some thought? Gods, Talon. You tried to steal my bloody soul!”

“It goes against my nature to inflict harm. I could never
have followed through with stealing your sweet spirit, though yours was
especially enticing. There’s something rather addictive about tasting you.”

Saylym
narrowed her eyes at his double entendre. Accusation filled her voice. “You
tried to kill me. I saw the history. Queen Shy-Ryn showed me flashes of the
past and there you were drawing out my soul and me so damned trusting.” She
sniffed. “I believed in you. Trusted you.
Loved
you.”

“Loved? Loved? As in once upon a time? But no more?”

“You
got it right the first time. Loved! Past tense!”

“You’ll
love me again,” Talon stated arrogantly. “Or I’ll know the reason why.”

“No,
I won’t.”

“You
will.”

“I
won’t!”

“You
can’t resist me.”

“I
can. Haven’t we had this argument before?”

“Don’t
try changing the subject. That’s called cheating.”

Saylym’s
lips parted, and Talon held up a silencing hand, grinning. “You will love me.
Yes, you will. Stop shaking your head.” He tugged her closer. “You
will
love me. Consider it a royal command. As your mate, and your prince, I command
you to love me with all your heart. And you will love me for eternity. I have
spoken.”

“You’re
crazy, you know that? You can’t just order someone to love you.”

Talon
tucked a stray curl behind her ear, his fingers unsteady. “I just did. By the
way, I want
my
Saylym back. I like you better blonde. And I can order
you to love me,
La-Scheme
. I’m your Prince Charming.”

“But…you don’t love me. I can’t live with a man who
doesn’t love me as much as I love him.”

Talon held her tighter in his arms, nuzzled her hair with
his chin. “I love you, baby. I’ve always loved you, from the first moment I saw
you I was yours to command.” He tilted her face up to his. “That morning, the
first morning I saw you, I saw your beauty,
La-Scheme
,” he whispered
against her throat, “although you are beautiful on the outside, it was your
inner warmth that tugged on my heartstrings.” He traced a fingertip lightly
down one breast and rested his palm over her heart. “Here is where your true
beauty resides.”

“Talon.”
Saylym whispered his name in a catchy breath.

He brushed a kiss against her eyelids. “I gave my heart to
the woman who took the time to draw a smiley face on a little boy’s Band-Aid,
while assuring his mother her baby was safe.”

He
kissed the tip of her nose. “I love the woman who cared enough about an old
lady to help her celebrate her birthday so she wouldn’t be alone and lonely on
that special day.”

His mouth rubbed hers in a light kiss. “I’m crazy about
the woman who just bravely fought a battle for her people and her prince,
though she was slightly pissed at him.” He touched his lips to the tip of her
chin. “I adore the woman who just offered her home to a homeless
Futhar.
But mostly, I love the woman who wasn’t afraid to dance on the street early one
morning and summon her prince to come and get her.”

He drew a deep breath, his chest heaving with emotion. “I
answered that summons, darling. I could do no other.” He traced an unsteady
finger over her lips. “Open your heart,
La-Scheme,”
he whispered softly.
“Let me in. I want to live in the place where love and beauty dwells. How could
I ever destroy that? Can’t you see it in my eyes how much I love you?”

Saylym flung her arms around Talon’s neck, holding tight.
Damn, she wished she could cry! She’d be weeping all over his chest if she
could. “That was pretty good crawling,” she whispered. Her words came out
muffled against his shirt. “You ever hurt me again, Prince Talon, I’ll send a
lightning bolt straight through your balls and melt your…your…”

Talon
threw back his head, laughing. “I get the picture, baby. Let’s go home.”

*
* * *

His mate was a changed woman. Talon knew that as he gazed
at her. There was something regal about her now. It was in the way she tilted
her head with confidence in herself and her faith in her magic. It made his
heart swell with pride.

“My
place or yours?” she asked huskily.

Talon arched a brow, his voice filled with sweet promise.
“How do you feel about living in a dilapidated millhouse and filling it with the
laughter of our children?”

She pretended to think it over for a moment. Talon growled
a soft warning.

“I feel pretty good about it.” She grinned, her lips
widening into a full smile. “Yeah…I feel pretty good about the idea.”