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“How is that okay in any universe?” It’s the only thing that escapes his lips.
“I thought everyone knew about my father’s transgressions against me and mother. I guess you didn’t hear about it previously.” I would have thought it was old news. Apparently, I was wrong. Shaking his head emphatically. It’s become clear that the answer is no.
“Well, it’s a time of my life I’d prefer to not think about. Neither of my parents were jewels. Mom didn’t protect me, and dad thought I was an abomination.” Just saying those words out loud, I realize now much the truth hurts. Even though my father is dead, his betrayal and mistreatment still haunt me. Dealing with years of abuse at the hands of the parents that are supposed to protect you is not easily forgotten.
Sebastian sees the turmoil on my face and reaches over, taking my hands. “I don’t see how they ever could have treated you like that; you’re wonderful, and probably the most caring person I’ve ever met,” he says affectionately. Hollis agrees with him, backing up his statement. I smile for once, feeling truly loved. To think it took me claiming my mates to actually know what love is like.
The car falls into relative silence as we cruise down the long and dark highway. “We should be almost at the edge of Flint’s Kingdom soon. We’ve got about two more hours,” Kaedyn says. “The road is in much worse shape than the driver expected, so we had to detour.”
Soon as Kaedyn utters the word detour the hairs at the back of my neck stand up on end. That was not in the approved travel plan. There should not have been any kind of detour required for any length of this trip. Just before I have the chance to say something, a massive force hits the side of the car, sending us careening down the hill sideways repeatedly until everything goes black.
I’m not sure how long I’m out for, but when I wake up. I’m laid across a nice cold rock; my arms are bound to either side of the structure. I turn my head to the trees to my left and see my mates have been bound to them as well. Gags are in their mouths to silence them. As I look around, I see I’m surrounded by Fae. There’s one Fae in particular with a giant axe looming over my head who is smiling down sadistically at me.
“Ah, the famed Spirit Wolf.” Something he eats seems to flitter around the rock that I’m tied to. “You don’t look so tough now that you’re bound.” He turns to look at my mates, then back down at me.
“You’ve yet to assume your full power. You’re missing one mate.” His smile broadens and I can I see those perfect white teeth of his as he stares down at me. His right ear seems to twitch slightly as it sticks out and above his hairline.
“You’re right, I’ve yet to take my fourth mate. But that doesn’t make me any less deadly.” Laughter ensues around us as the gathered Fae apparently have found something hysterical in what I said.
“Oh, you think so?” His laughter increases as he paces around the rock again, poking my side with the edge of the axe.
Intricate designs I know to be dwarven give away that the axe is made of mithril. I can feel the tip of the blade puncture my skin and the slow dripping of my blood as it rolls down my side. It’s soaking the material that is tight to my body. “You see, Princess…” He enunciates the word Princess, trying to raise my ire. “You’re powerless here.” He motions to the area around me and then leans on the handle of the axe as he looms over me. “This is our land, our sacrificial circle. You are nowhere near the wolves’ land anymore.”
I listen to the Fae go on and on about the type of circle that we’re standing in. The rock that I’m on I can only assume, possibly cancel out my powers. Does it? It’s a question I ponder. My mates are bound to the trees behind me, and I can feel their proximity to me. I have gathered earth, air, and water. Right now, Sebastian’s powers are useless because we’re not near water, nor is he aware he can manipulate blood. But Earth and Air can definitely set me free and unleash my power upon the Fae that have taken us hostage. I reach back through my mind’s eye, locating exactly where Hollis and Kaedyn are. Their bound hands are in the darkness of the forest behind them. That is where the Fae have made a mistake. I laugh as I use Kaedyn and Hollis to work the shadows behind them, cutting through the ropes that bind them.
“You know it’s an interesting thing, this circle of yours,” I say to the leader of the Fae. “How old is the forest here?” Looking around, I try to distract him. Knowing that pride is one thing that the Fae are infamous for.
“It’s over several thousand years old. Hundreds of generations of my kind have come here and made sacrifices. Why do you care?” I smile and close my eyes.
“Well, you see. I’ve gathered water, earth and air, along with shadows and death. Since I’ve yet to ascend to be the Spirit Wolf. Now I can only assume that this rock that I’m currently laying on is supposed to block my power,” I ask it with a smile.
“That is its intention,” he replies as haughtily as possible.
“I see. What else does this circle do? Since I mean I’m going to die, aren’t I? Might as well sate my curiosity.” He circles me several times, poking me on my other side with the tip of the axe.
“You’re right, you will die. But yes, the circle itself isn’t what binds your powers. It’s the rock that you’re tied to,” the Fae leader states pridefully.
Chapter36
Kaedyn
Not only ismy mate beautiful, but she’s absolutely brilliant. She’s tricked the Fae and now he’s telling us exactly what I need to know. I can feel her use me to work in the shadows behind me while my arms and legs are bound to the tree. He thinks her powers are fully bound, but they aren’t. She’s working on my roots, and I can see Hollis’s roots working freely as well. He glances at me and I make the motion with my eyes behind him. He wiggles his hands and gives me a single nod, and he understands what I’m about to do.
As soon as the roots fall free from my wrists, I move my hands forward quickly in an arcing motion. I focus on the power of my wind element in front of me, knocking the Fae away from Bella and out of the circle itself. Their chanting stops as the bodies hurtle through the trees, some of them impacting hard against the trunk of the trees. Some of them scream and moan in pain while others lay there silent. I’m not sure if I killed anyone; but to be perfectly honest, I don’t care right now. They would kill us and have no qualms about it whatsoever. So, for me to end the life of someone who will end mine at half the chance, it really isn’t a hardship.
I know this isn’t normal for me and it’s not something that she would expect of me. But I’m sick of being looked at as the weak one because of how much smaller my wolf is than everyone else’s. Hollis catches my drift the minute the first guy goes flying. Once his hands are free, he moves them as well, sending several large spikes of rock up through the dirt. He impales several of the Fae where they stand. The rock itself that Bella is on quakes and eventually splits in half, cutting the roots that bind her in place.
The minute she’s free, the maelstrom of darkness swirls around her as she hovers over the top of the rock. This is a recent development. I’ve never seen her do this before. She chants in a language I’ve never heard and her eyes are burning bright. She’s given herself fully over to the darkness within her, and it’s quite terrifying to see. The longer the words fall from her lips, the wilder the shadows whip around her, and makes it harder to stand our ground. Until she looks over at Hollis and me and with this single move of her hands, the trees that we were bound to are ripped up by the roots.
She sends the trees hurtling across the expanse of the circle, only to impale one tree into the chest of the Fae who had captured her. Emotionless, she hovers there just before dropping back down to the ground. Walking barefoot across the earth, she heads toward the rest of the Fae that remain here with us. Several quick flicks of her wrist and bodies go flying across the circle, become impaled by the broken branches of the surrounding trees my wind destroyed.
Her head turns violently toward us, she’s not gonna harm us. But that’s the purest unadulterated look of rage I’ve ever seen cross that beautiful face, and that concerns me the most. She’s possessed by the shadows and darkness within her. It’s a terrifying development to witness. Hollis moves quickly and frees Sebastian from the bindings that hold him to his tree. As a united front, we cautiously approach Bella with our hands out in a placating manner. We hope to appease the darkness within her, so she stops this war path of destruction. Her possessiveness and protectiveness of us have sent her into a vengeful rage.
“Bella, we’re safe,” Sebastian says as he extends his arms out in front of him. “We’re safe now. You can stop. You can rest now.” He keeps repeating these words. I don’t know if it’s more for his own benefit or for ours.
As he does it, the maelstrom of shadows slowly abates. Bella’s eyes go from pitch black to that beautiful shade of emerald that they were earlier. I’ve noticed one thing with her eyes, though. They seem to change color with her moods. They go from green to gray-green. Some of it is what she’s wearing, the other part has to do with her temperament. She visibly draws in a cleansing breath as she stares between Hollis, Sebastian and me.
“Are you guys okay?” These are the first coherent words that we hear out of her lips. She rushes over and hugs us each individually, checking us over quickly, making sure that there was no permanent damage done.
