Page 47 of Curse of Ancients

He doesn’t look like my tiger.

Look with your heart.

Her Goyle was right. Now that she was focused on the bond, she could feel her mate, but why did he appear different? Carleigh held her breath as he strode to where the mage was straddling a downed Major with his hands dug into the animal’s sides. Bayu swung his katana in a perfect arc, taking the mage’s head. Oh, her mate had mad skills. Blood spurted across Bayu’s clothes and Major’s fur before Bayu shoved the decapitated body off of Major. Bayu knelt beside the Lion who growled.

“Easy. You are safe now,” Bayu assured him.

The Lion’s massive head thunked against the floor, and his tawny chest rose and fell quickly as he panted through the pain of whatever the mage had inflicted on the large cat.

Bayu looked at Carleigh. “Are you hurt?”

“No. What’s going on outside?”

“Help arrived in the form of Rhoan and Thran.”

That explained the bellow. Rhoan was the dragon prince from Evyndral, and Thran was his fae guardian as well as Elle’s older brother. Thran most likely glamoured Bayu to look like someone other than himself. It did not explain how they came to be on Earth or how they were here at the safehouse. As far as Carleigh knew, Nekoma was the only one who could portal anywhere he wanted. Thran’s and Elle’s sister, Yari, was the fae guardian to the dragon princess, Cassiopa. Cassi was mated to Brent, a Gargoyle, and they lived in Norway. The fae queen had given Yari permission to portal between the realms as well as to Atlanta to visit Elle, but even she didn’t have the freedom to portal wherever she wished.

Bayu remained beside Major, but his eyes never left Carleigh’s. That is until Major shifted to his skin. Carleigh averted her gaze since Major was naked. She pulled the blanket off the back of the sofa and tossed it in their direction. “Major can use that until we get him some clothes.”

Once he was covered, Major rolled to his back. “Holy Zeus, I feel like my insides are fried.”

“What did the mage do to Major?” Carleigh asked Belinda.

“Exactly what he said it feels like – fried his insides.”

Carleigh shook her head, disgusted. Dammit, Major needed help. She prayed the fighting ceased soon. “Why is the Black Lotus hellbent on gaining more power? What is your end goal?”

Belinda shrugged one shoulder. “What is anyone’s goal when they are the strongest?”

“Usually to step all over the little person with no regard to who gets hurt all for more money that isn’t used to help others.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. We do use the money to help others. Those of our kind who have to hide from society all because we’re different. Instead of fighting us, the shifters should be banding together with us. They have to hide even more than us mages do.”

“True, but the difference is we do good for humans and shifters alike.”

“Which is a shame because the humans don’t care for those of us who are different. Have you forgotten what they did to the witches all those years ago?”

The front door opened, and Julian strode inside. Elle and Tony were right behind him, and when Tony noticed Major on the floor, he rushed across the room. “Major?”

“Hey, Brother.” Major grunted. “I’m not… doing so good.”

Elle joined her mate and spread her hands out, hovering them over Major’s chest. “This is beyond my capabilities. We need to get him to the twins.”

“Rhoan!” Anthony hollered. “A little help here.”

Rhoan rushed inside. “What is it?”

“Jon is bringing the witches, but I don’t think Major has that much time,” Carleigh seethed. “Where’s Nekoma? He can open a portal.”

“So can I.” Rhoan crossed the room and stood behind Elle. “Nekoma has gone to retrieve the real Gemi. If someone would dispatch of the female mage, we will all go together.”

“Shouldn’t we keep her alive in case we need information?” Carleigh asked.

“I did not mean for someone to kill her. Erik, if you would?” Rhoan gestured to where Belinda sat, her eyes wide.

Erik voiced the female, instructing her to forget all about the Black Lotus and what happened at the safehouse, then to go forward with her life helping others. He directed her to the front door and called for a rideshare to take her west a couple of hundred miles.

“I need a location,” Rhoan stated.