Adrianna's Storm (15 page)

The next few days were filled with discovery. Their grandmother had taken the women into the forest again and talked to them about the spell book. She had them do spells they remembered from their childhood and then taught them new spells. She also helped them work on their powers. She taught them exercises to strengthen them and build on them.

The women worked hard each day to gain strength and knowledge. Reilly and Lachlan even brought them a picnic lunch in the meadow where they were practicing each day. They stood guard every day and helped where they could. They had a lot of information from the Council and Coni about the Blessed Five. They were able to teach the women about the Council, how it governed all Magical beings.

The Council was made up of four magical beings. One representative from the main branches of magic: witches, fairies, elves, and warlocks. They kept order in all things. They knew if magick was used. The men told them the four was all-powerful and could tell when and where it had been used.

The Guardians were like their soldiers. They were sent out to keep safe those that were in danger from either another magical being or human. Ari, for one, was very happy they had been sent. Guardians had their own special magick that they could wield. The women all asked for a demonstration, but the men declined saying that it could only be used when there was danger. Their job was important and they took it very seriously. They did show them how they blur the castle so it was hard to see it in the day or night.

Every afternoon, the men got down to business with the women teaching them how to fight. They explained that the women needed to know not only their magick but also how to physically defend themselves. They would go over moves and scenarios so the women would be prepared for almost anything.

Even though they worked all day, Ari saved her nights for her men. They loved her sweetly and passionately. She knew she was so in love with them that she didn't know where she ended and they began. She knew they loved her as well, but she hadn't agreed yet to be Handfasted. She couldn't face all of that as she was trying to focus on her magick and her sisters.

Each night, the sisters would talk about their plans and the future. All of the sisters were in agreement that they needed to be together for the foreseeable future. They were all on a leave of absence from their jobs. Even Calli had surprised them and told them she had graduated early. They were so proud of her.

Ari had decided to call Julie and turn in her notice. She just hadn't been able to bring herself to do it yet. She thought that it might be better if she did it in person. She knew she had time, as Julie didn't expect her back for another couple of weeks. It may come down to her going back and working for a short time to give Julie time to replace her. She had spoken to the guys about it a lot but hadn't made a final decision yet.

Their grandmother was overjoyed with having them all 'home' as she called it. She began discussing doing some renovations on the castle. She suggested making suites in different sections in order to give the women their privacy but still keep them all under one roof. The sisters loved the idea and they had asked a local architect to draw up some plans. Everyone was excited to see what he came up with.

Things were coming along nicely in Ari's mind. They all worked hard on their spells and with their powers. Ari would always get up earlier than her sisters and work a little longer. She knew the 'evil' was coming. She could feel it. It had already tried for her sisters once, she wouldn't let it get to them again. She would die to protect them.

At the end of the second week, their grandmother declared a day off. She told the sisters to go out, shop, do something else. They were to relax and enjoy life a little. So the sisters decided to go to the pool house for a while.

There had been a major change in the castle recently. Another set of Guardians had come. Aedan and Myles O'Connor were very attractive. They were also brothers, strong and muscular like Reilly and Lachlan. They both had light brown hair with blonde touches in it. The sisters felt better having more Guardians around, not that Reilly and Lachlan weren't capable. It was just the sisters were feeling antsy and there were five of them with only two Guardians. The numbers weren't on their side. Ari found it funny that Erin seemed the most bothered by the new Guardians. She kept that to herself as she watched them together. The future would tell.

The men had gone out to patrol the grounds while the women all hung out at the pool. They listened to music and talked about life. They avoided all things magick and about the upcoming battles they had been warned about. They just enjoyed each other's company and had a good time.

Later that afternoon, they decided they wanted to picnic near the stream where they received their powers. For some reason, being there was like being in a sacred place to them now. They could feel the power pulse there and they were drawn to it.

They packed a big picnic lunch and headed out. They assumed the guys were still out patrolling and would come upon them at some time so they didn't try to find them to tell them where they were going.

When they arrived at the big tree and the stream, they laid out a big blanket and set up an iPod Calli brought. It began to play soothing music, the women all poured themselves a glass of Merlo.

Ari raised her glass in a toast. "To us and our family. May we always find happiness."

All the sisters raised their glasses and clinked them together. They sat back and munched on the cheeses they had brought. They all sat silent and soaked in the day. They could all feel the power around them, being close to the circle.

Kira began to tease Erin about the two new Guardians when Ari felt the wind shift. She glanced across the stream and began to feel a cold feeling seep into her. Her tattoo began to tingle and burn. She knew he was here, evil had found them. She stood quickly and ended up knocking over her wine glass.

"Hey!" Calli yelled as she was the closest to Ari and the wine almost splashed her.

Ari jerked her head to her sisters. "Go now, go to the castle. Get the Guardians."

None of her sisters questioned her when they heard the tone in her voice. They jumped up and began to look around, trying to see what she had seen. There was nothing to see and they seemed confused.

Erin said, "No, we stay with you."

Ari shook her head. "I need to know you are safe. Go."

Kira looked at Calli. "Go, find the men. We will stay with Ari."

Calli nodded and hurried off to find the Guardians. She knew she didn't have active powers like her sisters and knew that they would need help.

As they watched Calli make it down to the castle, a man stepped out on the other side of the stream. He was tall with jet-black hair. He had on tailored pants and a white button down shirt. He held out his hands in a non-offensive manner.

"Come now, no welcome?"

Ari held her ground. She could feel his power. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"You, of course," he said calmly.

"You need to go now. Get off our land," Ari said forcefully.

He threw his head back and laughed. "He wants to see you, you will come with me."

With that comment, he threw up his hand and Erin was knocked on her ass. Ari saw Kira go to help her up and kept her attention on the man across the stream. She raised her hand palm out and a blast of wind knocked the man back, but he stayed on his feet.

He started speaking softly and when Kira went to step up alongside Ari, she froze in place. Ari turned slightly and could see that her sisters all seemed frozen in place.

"That fuckhead has us frozen, we can't move," Sheela told her angrily.

Ari turned fully to the man and began to chant. "Time and space, open the door, allow them to move as before."

Her sisters were immediately set free from the spell. The man had moved closer to them and she held her palm out again. Before she could send him flying, he sent a bolt of electricity toward her. She dove out of the way, barely missing her.

Ari knew in that moment that this was a powerful man in his own right. She yelled at her sisters to go. They refused to leave her, shaking their heads. They stepped up beside her to join hands with her.

The man was muttering again and then all of a sudden Erin, Kira, and Sheela all dropped to the ground. They looked like they had passed out. She knelt down beside them and tried to wake them. They were breathing, but she couldn't wake them.

Before she could try a spell to wake them, the man came across the stream. She had to fight him alone and she knew it. She put her hand up again and blasted him. He fell back a few steps and then she spun her finger, which stirred up the dirt around him, blinding him for a few moments. She took that time to sprint away from him, drawing his attention to her and off her sisters.

He began to run after her. She took off for the meadow, knowing he would follow. She prayed the Guardians would be able to help her sisters as she ran. She only got to the edge of the meadow before he caught up to her.

Reilly and Lachlan rounded the corner of the caretaker's cottage and smiled at each other. They were done with their section of the patrol and wanted to go find Ari. They were hungry for a taste of their woman. Aedan and Myles were on the south side, securing that section. They had agreed to meet up in the back garden when they were done and they saw the two new Guardians approaching.

They spoke for a short time about the different sections and how to split up the patrolling for the time being. Reilly filled them in on other information on the town and its inhabitants. It seems that Aedan and Myles had met Mrs. O'Leary in town and she had tried to set them up with one of her daughters. The men were sharing a laugh when Reilly and Lachlan's medallions started to heat on their skins. They were turning toward the forest when they heard Calli screaming for them.

They took off in a full run and met her in the back section of the caretaker's cottage. She was sobbing and terrified, she jumped in Lachlan's arms. He wrapped her in his arms and tried to calm her down.

"Easy, honey. What's happened?" he asked.

"There's a man. He's attacking them. Help them," she wailed.

Reilly reigned in his sudden fear. "Where, Calli? Where are they?" The women were supposed to be in the pool house. Obviously, they had gone elsewhere. He was going to spank Ari's ass raw for not obeying them.

"At the tree, w-we were having a picnic. H-he came out of nowhere." Calli sobbed. "You h-have to hurry. They are battling him."

Fear for their woman seized Reilly and Lachlan. They tamped it down as their Guardian personas took over. At that moment, Coni came rushing out of the back garden.

"There is evil here." She saw Calli and held out her arms to her. The young woman ran to her. "Go, I will protect us here."

Calli pulled out of her arms. "N-no, I need to show you where. I need to go with you."

The men knew she was determined, and knew the Blessed Five would be stronger together. Lachlan nodded and then took off with the other men behind Calli as she led the way.

They came upon the sisters as they heard Calli scream and run to where Kira, Erin, and Sheela were all on the ground near the picnic. They checked them and saw they were still breathing, then they saw that Calli had gotten still, too still.

She sat up straight and stiff, her eyes were wide open but she had a faraway look in them. Then she snapped out of it and said, "The spirits told me what to do. Get back."

The men stepped back away from the fallen women and Reilly looked around with Lachlan for clues as to what happened to Ari. They found her tracks, which led toward the meadow.

Calli began to speak, "Spirit be with me, hear me now, wake my sisters, let them fulfill their vow."

In an instant, the women were all waking and asking where Ari was. The men filled them in that they had found her tracks to the meadow and the women took off to find their sister.

It took everything Reilly and Lachlan had to contain their fury that someone would attack Ari. They just hoped they arrived in time.