Shadow Magic (33 page)

Read Shadow Magic Online

Authors: Cheyenne McCray

BOOK: Shadow Magic
8.99Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
CEITHLENN DID NOT LET thoughts of her revenge on Darkwolf or her anger distract her. Instead she focused on her last scrying vision. She knew where Balor was.
Finally she would be with her love, her husband. Together they would track down Darkwolf and rip out his heart to give Balor back his powers.
Would the heart return to an eye so that her beloved could see again and lay waste to thousands at a time?
Night wind and fog slid over her wings and moistened her face as she flew to the part of the city where she knew Balor would be. The thumping in her chest grew as pleasure spread through her.
The closer to him she got, the more intensely she felt his presence. Since bringing Balor to this world, she had not been able to absorb enough human souls to find him—until now.
Countless souls released by the Fomorii filled her, strengthening her, giving her what she needed. She had fed with the demons and her might was finally great enough to find Balor.
Exhilaration prickled her skin and a thrill rose up within her the moment she saw her love. He stood on a cracked sidewalk on a nondescript but steep street, beside an open manhole to the sewers. He tilted his head as if he could see her even in his blindness.
A smile curved the corners of his mouth as he raised his
arms. Despite the empty eye socket in the middle of his forehead, he was the most handsome being she had ever known. His body was fit and muscled, and his cock long and always hard beneath his loincloth.
“Balor!” She let the fire vanish from her hair and drew in her fangs and claws. She folded her wings away as she swooped into his embrace, wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body to his. She didn't care that he stank of the sewers, that his skin was coated with slime. “By all that preys upon the night, you are here,” she said, her cheek against his smooth chest.
“My dreams have been filled with naught but you.” Balor squeezed her tighter. “You, Ceith. My love.” He grasped her face in his filth-coated hands, tilted her head up and brought his mouth to hers. A fierce kiss that she opened to and she reveled in being in her husband's arms again.
Now they were both freed from Underworld. Now they were together. No other gods survived in this Otherworld any longer. She and Balor would be unhindered in their quest to rule the Old World.
Their kiss grew hungrier. It was filled with longing and the force and joy of their reunion. His cock pressed hard against her belly and she wanted him to take her right there in the middle of this quiet neighborhood.
He raised his head and brushed his hand over her hair, which was now the soft brown it had been in the Old World, when she was a prophetess. Before Balor was cast into Underworld after the battle with the Tuatha D'Danann—when the sun god Lugh shot out his eye. The power behind the god's shot had knocked out the eye and flung it into the sea. There it remained lost for century after century, until it finally washed ashore.
Ceithlenn had been sent away with Balor and they had survived in the darkest depths of Underworld.
At this precious moment she was not going to think of the horrors they had been through over the past two millennia. Now all that mattered was that she was in Balor's arms. She
would bring him to the apartment she and the Fomorii had taken over.
Together they would prepare to wrest Balor's power from Darkwolf and attack the city so that she could take more souls. Then her magic would be strong enough to help her husband on their journey to the Old World.
A blast of purple fire slammed into Balor.
The blast drove him to the ground and Ceithlenn with him.
She cried out in surprise and whipped her head up to see the now over seven-foot-tall Darkwolf standing just yards from them.
Before she or Balor could react, Darkwolf released another burst of purple fire at Balor. The intensity of the magic tore Balor away from her and threw him against a lightpost. He gave a grunt of pain as the force snapped the pole in half. While Balor rolled away, the top of the lightpole crashed to the asphalt, glass shattering and metal crunching.
“For all that you've done and all that you've forced me to do,” Darkwolf growled. He focused blast after blast at Balor, who continued to attempt to get up only to be knocked down again. “Your power is mine.”
“No!” Ceithlenn stumbled to her feet, transforming into her goddess form at the same time.
Fucking bastard.
She drew on her power to take souls. She would take Darkwolf's,
now
.
The moment she attempted to take Darkwolf's soul, pain shot through her chest as if she'd been pierced with a dozen arrows. She nearly doubled over from the force of it and she staggered back.
By all that survived in Underworld, Darkwolf nearly had the power of a god.
She couldn't take his soul.
While keeping an eye on Ceithlenn, Darkwolf never let up on his barrage against Balor.
Her husband cried out his agony. He was weak. Growing
weaker. With Darkwolf having taken the power of the eye, Balor lacked the strength to defend himself against the continued torrent of magic.
She would kill Darkwolf before she saw Balor die.
With a shriek, she slung a bolt of fire at Darkwolf. He held up his free hand to ward it off but missed and her magic caught him in the side, burning cloth and flesh.
Darkwolf grunted and dropped to one knee. His aim faltered, and he struck a tree instead of Balor. The tree went up in a blaze of purple flame, crackling and hissing. The sulfuric smell of their magic and the burning wood twisted in the fog.
The lapse of magic slamming into him allowed Balor to stumble to his feet. Despite his blindness, he held out his hand and flung a ball of magical fire at Darkwolf.
It buried itself in Darkwolf's belly. The warlock cried out as the magic slung him into a hedge. Loud snapping sounds of branches breaking followed his shout of pain.
Both Ceithlenn and Balor attacked Darkwolf with their magic at the same time, but Darkwolf threw up a shield of protection and their power exploded around him. The shield glittered as Darkwolf slowly pushed himself to his feet, and he snarled at Ceithlenn and Balor.
She prepared to rain her magic on Darkwolf's shield. Together she and Balor could beat it down and destroy the warlock.
Ceithlenn aimed a bolt of magic at Darkwolf's shield. But to her shock, the red of her magic was absorbed by his power. He smiled.
“Come on, baby.” Darkwolf gave her a mocking grin. “Give me all you have.”
Another shriek tore from her throat. She glanced up at Balor as he grabbed her upper arm, wrapping his large hand around it.
“If we fight Darkwolf together, we can destroy him,” she said as she looked at her husband.
“Give me your power.” Balor's words were a low, threatening
growl as he gripped her arm tighter, digging his fingers into her flesh. “You need naught of it now.”
The pain of his grasp on her arm was nothing compared to the pain in her heart when he gave the command. Stunned, she tried to draw away, but his grip was too strong.
It happened in a matter of seconds.
Balor started to drain her powers. Her mind spun as he began bleeding her of her magic.
Her husband, her love, was stealing from her, making her weak and vulnerable.
Anger exploded inside her like a volcano spewing lava. Now that he was without his eye, her magic was greater than his. She grabbed his wrist in her hand and mentally reversed the drain.
“What?” His cry echoed in the night as she stole his power faster than he had been taking hers.
“You bastard.” Her hair flamed higher and the blaze of anger intensified inside her. “I loved you!”
Balor backhanded her so hard with his free hand that she screamed and almost lost her hold on his other wrist.
With everything she had, Ceithlenn drew Balor's magic into her.
Purple fire exploded around Balor.
Darkwolf's magic.
Flames whooshed over his body like the tree that had caught fire and still burned behind them.
At the same time, she sucked the last of Balor's power from him.
Balor screamed as he began to burn.
She released his wrist and cut her gaze from her husband to Darkwolf, who had dropped his shield.
A blast of his magic shot toward her. She formed her own shield before his power slammed into it. Already off balance, she stumbled back, barely keeping on her feet.
Balor rolled on the sidewalk, screaming, burning alive. She had taken what had been left of his power and he was now only flesh and blood.
Behind her protection she let her goddess form fall away but kept her shield around herself. She dropped to her knees and watched in horror as her husband's charred body writhed in purple flames.
The stink of burning flesh and the sight of her lifetime love dying caused her belly to heave. She puked on the sidewalk, keeping her gaze away from Balor. The smell of vomit joined the stench.
When she looked up she wiped the back of her hand over her mouth and watched as his body sizzled, burned, and finally fell to ashes. Drained of his magic, he would not move on to another world.
She had made him human.
Just as he had tried to do to her.
Despite her fury, her hurt, her pain from Balor's betrayal, tears rolled down her cheeks while she watched a strong wind brush away Balor's ashes. They swirled, scattering and vanishing into the darkened sky. Only a charred outline remained on the concrete.
She turned her gaze on Darkwolf, who had his arms crossed over his chest and a deadly smile on his face. He extended one of his arms and flicked his fingers in a bring-it-on movement.
“Come and get me, baby,” he said as he made the motion.
The heat in Ceithlenn when she looked at him was so great that she could barely see. She thought about letting her shield down and fighting him now.
Even though she now had what power had remained in Balor while he was without the eye, weakness kept her pinned on her knees.
She could use the combined magic to fight Darkwolf, but it might not be enough. Especially with pain and loss filling her after the death of her husband.
Ceithlenn clenched her eyes shut, blocking out Darkwolf's arrogant, wicked smile. She fisted her hands and used the transference to take her away.
“BALOR'S GONE?”
Alyssa's words rippled through the almost dead silence of the kitchen. The night following the visit by Garran's men, the witches stood around the table and stared at the lingering wisps of fog over Silver's pewter cauldron. Each and every one of their familiars had joined them for the scrying.
Hannah's mind buzzed as the odors of burnt sugar and wolfsbane faded, smells that had accompanied the vision. Silver had just used her cauldron to learn what was happening with Ceithlenn and Balor. As they sometimes did when Silver scried, images had risen from the mist, playing out different scenes that this time had left them virtually speechless.
Banshee lightly gripped Hannan's shoulder with his talons, his presence somehow making the vision even more real.
Darkwolf taking the eye for his own.
Ceithlenn's and Balor's reunion.
Darkwolf's attack.
A battle between Darkwolf, Ceithlenn, and Balor.
Balor's death.
Balor's death.
Can Balor really be gone?
Silver appeared dazed as she stroked the side of her cauldron with her fingertips as the last of the fog vanished. Her python familiar, Polaris, was curled around the cauldron. “I—I. Wow.”
“I can't believe it.” Mackenzie stared at the cauldron from where she was standing, her ferret, Merlin, in her arms. “That just can't have been real.”
Rhiannon rocked back on her heels and scowled. “No way. It can't have been that easy.”
“It happened last night, while Garran's men were here.” Cassia's voice held conviction and relief as she spoke, her beautiful features looking absolutely certain. “This isn't something that's going to happen in the future. It's done. Balor is gone.”
“How do you know?” Hannah couldn't help the note of skepticism in her voice despite the rising hope that it was true. She felt as though the floor were tilting beneath her feet, as if she might slide across the bare concrete. “Silver often scries things that haven't happened yet. Even some things that can be changed with intervention.”
“Cassia's right.” Silver looked at the half-Elvin witch before meeting Hannah's eyes. “My magic tells me that Ceithlenn took what power Balor had left and Darkwolf killed him the moment he was unprotected.”
“So now Ceithlenn has not only her power, but some of Balor's.” Sydney removed her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose as her Doberman, Chaos, nuzzled her arm. “She could be even harder to beat now.”
“What about Darkwolf?” Mackenzie clasped the back of the chair in front of her as Merlin scrambled up to her shoulder. “Jeez, can you believe he took the power of the eye for himself?”
“And the eye is now
inside
of him?” Sydney's look of both amazement and disbelief echoed Hannah's own feelings. “I can't quite get that thought to gel.”
“What does he intend to do with that power?” Copper tugged at her braid and frowned while her honeybee familiar buzzed by her ear. “Will we have to fight this new supergod Darkwolf along with Ceithlenn?”
“Since he betrayed her and Balor to begin with, I don't think he's going to join forces with her, at least.” Silver let
her fingers slip away from the side of the cauldron down to stroke Polaris. “And what he did—kill Balor—that's pretty much a dead giveaway.”
Sydney slid her glasses back on. “What Darkwolf plans to do with his new powers, though, that's a mystery.”
“Knowing him the way we do”—Copper sighed and released her braid—“he's not going to just kick back and retire, especially now.”
“Dear Anu.” Hannah looked to the ceiling before returning her gaze to her sister witches. “Unbelievable. That bastard now has a
god's
power.”
“Obviously we need to be on guard for both Ceithlenn and Darkwolf now,” Cassia said, and all of the witches turned their attention to her. The fiery look on the normally calm witch's expression made Hannah blink in surprise. “Whatever his intentions are,” Cassia continued, “we need to be prepared.”
Alyssa's owl, Echo, took to the rafters and gave a haunting hoot.
Kael, Cassia's wolf, howled, and a shiver trailed Hannah's spine.
TWO DAYS LATER, SANDWICHED between two Drow Guards, Hannah wandered through the underground village of the Dark Elves. It was nearly impossible to get used to the bluish-gray-skinned women with collars around their necks.
Hannah sucked in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. It wasn't right. Yet bondage was a big thing in some circles back in her own world.
To each his own
.
But she was
so
never going there. Not that she'd ever personally have to worry about it.
Sounds of loud voices, a child's wailing, and an anvil striking metal rang in Hannah's ears. Garran was meeting with his Directorate and his Steward. It had irritated her when he'd dismissed her and handed her over to a couple of
his guards to escort her through the city. Although she had also had the option of being taken to his room.
The image of him joining her there sent warmth straight to that place between her thighs.
She shook her head. Sex with Garran was frying her brain. But the thought of a good nap was tempting.
Smells of roast chicken, fresh baked bread, and mead made her stomach growl as she passed a tavern. She glanced down at the pendant Garran had pinned to her T-shirt before he'd sent her on her way. Intricately fashioned white gold embraced one of the largest, finest diamonds she'd ever seen. The diamond had to be worth at least half a million. He'd told her as long as she wore the pendant she could go anywhere and wouldn't have to pay for anything she wanted.
Around her upper arm, as always, was her moon and crescent armband, and she brought her fingers to it and touched the warm gold.
She paused in front of the tavern and watched both male and female Dark Elves leave and go into the establishment. Every time one of the Drow noticed her they bowed with what seemed like reverence before continuing on their way. It didn't take her long to realize it was because of the pendant Garran had given her. Must have identified her as a guest.
Hunger won out over the desire to take a nap and she headed toward the tavern doors. Before she had a chance to push them open, her guards moved in front of her and held them so that she could walk through. Both men were overly respectful as far as she was concerned. They wouldn't even talk with her.
Near darkness caused her to blink until her eyes adjusted to the dimness. Conversation quieted as she entered the room and she felt the stares of everyone in the tavern.
With her chin high, she went to an empty table. Benches lined each side of the tables, which looked a lot like the ones in the D'Danann village taverns, only these were made of
granite. She slid onto one of the benches, the polished stone feeling smooth and cool through her snug jeans.
Conversations around her slowly resumed with whispers before they rolled back into a low rumble. The bits and pieces of the whispers were what had her straightening her back and making her spine tingle.
“Who is … ?”
“ … to a human?”
“ … here before.”
“The king's consort …”
The last one made her ears burn. She brought her hand to the pendant, grasped it, and almost tore the diamond off her T-shirt. Instead she took another deep breath and let her hand drop away.
King's consort, my ass
.
Hannah glanced over her shoulder at one guard and then over her other shoulder at the next. “Sit,” she demanded.
Surprise flashed in both men's eyes, but they did an admirable job of holding it back.
She hardened her voice into a tone that had gotten her just about everywhere in the corporate world. She pointed to the bench on the opposite side of the table and commanded,
“Now.”
The men looked at each other and then both said, “Yes, my lady,” as they obeyed.
My lady?
When they were seated, she studied first one Drow then the other, almost smiling at the obvious discomfort of the two huge men. Like most Drow warriors, they wore leather straps crisscrossing their broad chests that anchored metal breastplates. With their identical builds, matching silver hair, blue-diamond eyes, and light blue skin, it didn't take a wizard to guess the men had to be twins.
“Let's eat.” She looked from one man to the other. “What do you recommend?”
One of the men cleared his throat. “My lady, we are to guard you only.”
“I say you're to eat with me.” She glanced at the table as if a menu might appear then returned her gaze to theirs. “So, what's good here?”
“The pork is exceptional, my lady,” said Twin Number One.
“Great.” She folded her hands on the tabletop. “That's what I'll have, along with some bread and that soft white cheese they served at dinner last time I was here, and a mug of mead. Also grapes. Those were the best I've ever had.”
“Yes, my lady.” Twin Number Two signaled to a beautiful woman carrying a tray loaded with trenchers of food. She'd just appeared from a door in the back.
The woman gave the man a nod of acknowledgment, but when she caught sight of Hannah and the diamond pendant, her cheeks turned a deeper shade of blue and she fumbled a bit with the tray.
Hannah tried to keep her face expressionless although she really wanted to shout, “What the hell is going on around here?” She studied the woman as she hurried to unload her tray, placing the trenchers in front of a group of warriors so quickly that some of the juices from the curved plates splashed onto the table.
The Drow woman must have broken a record for fastest meal served before she rushed to the table where Hannah and her guards sat. The woman was one of the few females Hannah had seen in the Drow realm who was not dressed in something extremely skimpy. She wore a simple but almost see-through sheath-style dress and, to Hannah's surprise, no collar.
“Irka,” Twin Number One addressed the woman when she reached them, then told her Hannah's order.
“I said you're both to eat, too,” Hannah told her guards before Irka could leave.
Both men shifted in their seats but caved when she gave them her best “Don't screw with me” stare. They ordered the same thing Hannah had.
Irka bowed. “Right away, my lady.”
Hannah looked at the twins. “What are your names?”
“I am Anant. My brother is Richtor,” the twin on the left said.
“Okay, Anant and Richtor.” She met their gazes head-on. “What's with the ‘my lady' business and how everyone acts around me?”
This time both men did show their surprise. “You are the king's consort. His mate,” Anant said. “Of course our people would treat you with reverence and respect.”
His mate?
Hannah put her hands in her lap and clenched them into fists before forcing herself to release them.
Ten. Count to ten. Cool. Calm. Collected
.
Ten … nine … eight …
She was fairly certain she was managing to keep her expression neutral. “And you came to this conclusion how?”
“You wear the Brooch of Aithne.” Richtor glanced at his brother before meeting Hannah's gaze. “It signifies you will soon be our queen.”
Hannah barely kept her jaw from dropping.
She bit her tongue, trying her best not to correct them. Denying it here, in front of his guards and all of these people, would be an insult to Garran, and no matter how much she wanted to scream at him right now, she wouldn't make him look bad in front of his subjects.
No doubt he'd given her the pendant to wear while she was here as a way of protecting her and saying she was offlimits. Not to signify anything so arrogant and conceited and presumptuous as her being his mate.
The coppery taste of blood made her realize she'd been biting her tongue too hard. She forced herself to count backward from ten again and to take another deep breath.
Before she had to give any kind of response, Irka arrived with their meal. The woman's hands shook as she placed a beautiful silver plate and a matching mug containing mead in front of Hannah before she set wooden trenchers and metal tankards in front of the men. At the center of the table Irka carefully arranged a large silver tray filled with delicacies
like those that had been at the banquet Hannah had attended the first time she came to the Drow realm.
“I hope this pleases you, my lady.” Irka's voice had the slightest tremor to it.

Other books

Systemic Shock by Dean Ing
08 - The Girl Who Cried Monster by R.L. Stine - (ebook by Undead)
The Spell of Undoing by Paul Collins
Silently and Very Fast by Catherynne M. Valente
Dragonfly by Julia Golding
TheHealers by Lynsie Buchanan