Chapter Nineteen

Tari

M y heart clenched when we landed on the grassy knoll behind Cyrene. The yellow grass transformed into a pale gray bathed in moonlight. I remembered landing here with Helian and Radnor after they'd come back for me at Skullgrove. I think that was the moment I realized I was in love with Helian, or maybe this was when I was finally ready to acknowledge it. I remembered the butterflies swarming in my stomach when Helian had taken me into town, and not just because of all the strange creatures and odd sights and smells, but because I desperately wanted him to make love to me that night.

Helian helped me from Isa, and I clung to him as we shared a sly smile.

This was supposed to be the first place we made love, he said to me through thought while brushing a strand of hair off my neck. His voice didn't echo, which meant he was speaking only to me.

I was aware of Ash nearby. He'd shifted and was checking the perimeter for threats, so he wouldn't have been focused on our conversation anyway. I still felt a little guilty for leaving him out.

Ahh, I teased, flattening my hand against his hard chest. I knew you were planning on seducing me.

He frowned, squeezing my waist while pressing me against him. But then the fire mages ruined it.

I bit my lip. After supper tonight, we can finally make love in Cyrene.

He frowned. Will Ash be joining us?

I tilted my head. Of course.

It's just ... His cheeks flushed. I've never done this in front of my brothers.

It will be okay, I promise. I wrapped my arms around his neck, flattening my breasts against his chest while being very aware of that stiff protrusion pressing into my hip. Ash and Finn share me at the same time. It will only be weird if you make it weird.

He nodded. Got it. Don't make it weird. He released a shaky sigh. I picked the wrong time to stop drinking.

I laughed at that, brushing my lips across his. I'll make it fun, I said while nibbling his lower lip. I promise. So he had stopped drinking. Words couldn't express my relief.

He ground against me, his hands tangling in my hair while he deepened the kiss. I'm holding you to it.

Save it for your bedchamber, you two. Shiri's jarring voice echoed in my head. I want that bath.

I quickly pulled out of Helian's embrace while catching my sister's eye. She flashed a knowing smirk and motioned toward the field. Your blank canvas awaits.

I nodded, suddenly aware that Shiri and her two mates as well as Isa were staring at us. Even worse, the cyclops Torund and his furry friends had joined us on the hill. All were focused on Helian and me groping each other.

I cleared my throat, motioning to Torund. "Is this a good spot for the garden?"

He nodded. "Anywhere you see fit, Goddess."

Damn. He called me goddess. Now I really had to perform. Too bad my magic wasn't cooperating. It was there, for I felt the burning in my fingers. It felt stuck, like my fingertips were capped with Tau stones.

Hold my hand, I projected to Helian. It helps my magic.

He took my hand. Of course.

As I stared into his sparkling eyes and saw the love reflecting back at me, those caps suddenly melted away. I released Helian's hands and ran down the hill, magic falling from my fingertips. I looked over my shoulder, pleased when vines sprouted in my wake. I raced up and down the hill, my magic pollenating the ground. By the time I was finished, I'd grown a huge moonlight garden packed with all kinds of vegetables and grains. I even grew a few fruit trees, one just for the wyverns, who swooped down to steal the giant fruits off the branches.

Excited townspeople had come out of their homes to harvest the food while I sat with my family on the top of the knoll, facing the distant beach. The lulling sound of the waves washing up on the shore soothed my frazzled nerves while I sucked on a peach. I rested my head on Ash's shoulder, sighing when he wrapped an arm around me, letting me lean against him for support.

A green shiny object caught my eye, and blood turned to ice in my veins when I recognized the bottle and familiar label affixed to the outside: Anya's Elixirs. Great goddesses! Thorin had been here!

I jumped to my feet and snatched it from the grass, swearing when I noticed the bottle was fairly clean with a few drops of elixir still inside.

Ash slowly stood, his eyes focused on the bottle in my hand. "Tari, what is it?"

I pointed to my personalized label on it. "Thorin has been here."

Helian shot to his feet, unsheathing his sword.

Shiri's mates jumped into the air, lighting up the night with twin balls of flame.

"Where do you think he is?" Drae called down to me.

I frowned, examining the bottle. "I have no idea."

"Have you seen an old mage here?" Helian asked Torund.

The cyclops shared a confused look with the others. Something about the glossy sheen to his eye told me the mind spinner had used his magic on him.

He scratched the back of his head. "I-I don't know."

My mates cursed.

"Stay on your guard," I said to the others. "The mind spinner could still be here."

"What does he look like?" Drae asked.

"Like his brother Selig," I answered. "Old with a long gray beard. He carries a staff and usually wears gray robes." I paused, a shudder rolling through me when I remembered his frequently stale breath and glossy eyes. "He's also very fond of brew, so hopefully he'll be too drunk to fight."

The cyclops gave me a funny look. "I remember him now. He stayed at the inn. He had quite a bit of coin, for he bought many things from the tradesmen."

I shook my head, cringing when I remembered the many times he would use his magic to get free food or new robes and blades, despite my objections. He would usually spin my mind, too, when I complained too much. "Thorin rarely paid for anything." Though he did use my hard-earned coin to lavish on his whores. "He used his mind-spinning to convince tradesmen they'd already been paid."

Torund and his friends broke into a cacophony of curses.

"Many of our tills have been short this week," Torund grumbled.

"Then we start with the inn and then the tradesmen." Ash punched his palm with a clawed fist. "Let's see if we can smoke this rat out of his hole."

"If you come across this mage, do not question him." Helian's dark look swept across the crowd. "And if you value your life, do not hesitate to kill him."

Shiri

TRUE TO HIS WORD, TORUND had found us rooms at an inn. Our room was well appointed for an inn. Sure, it wasn't as grand as our suite of rooms in Delfi, but it was a far cry better than the loft bed I'd been used to back at my parents' cabin. Even better, though, I got to take a real bath in a barrel tub big enough for two, its soapy bubbles nearly spilling over the sides. I'd grown spoiled after living just a few weeks with my mates at Abyssus and then in Malvolia's castle.

Letting out a satisfied groan, I laid my head back while going boneless as the soothing heat soaked into my skin. The goblet of wine I'd drunk also helped liquefy my bones, though it also made the room tilt and my veins tingle. It was a pleasant feeling, nonetheless, and I should've been content. Never mind the fact that a demon mind spinner was on the loose, the dragons were scattered all across the coast, King Fachnan was a zombie, and I missed Ember, Aurora, and Nikkos terribly—so, so terribly. I had held it in for three days while my sister cried for her children, even though I'd raised them since birth. I was only their aunt, and the aunts in our family didn't have a reputation of being kind and caring. I shouldn't have missed them so much, but I did. My heart felt like a bruised and battered shell of an organ, yet I had to be the strong one. I had to persevere while mourning the girls I thought of as my own children in silence.

But now that I was alone, I let the tears fall, streaming down my face and disappearing into the tub while I wondered what they were doing and if they were safe. I laid in the tub a long time, the tears continuing to fall even as the water turned lukewarm. I gave a start at a gentle tap on the door. I washed my eyes with a cloth when Drae slipped inside our bedchamber.

"Where's Blaze?" I asked.

He sat on the edge of the four-poster bed and took off his boots. "On reconnaissance with Helian and the wyverns."

"Any luck?"

"No." He frowned, tossing his boots into the corner of the room. "He's run off."

"Damn."

Drae stood, stripping off his trousers while giving me a sultry look.

I perked up, salivating while staring at his hard, thick length, and I was sorely aware my mates and I hadn't had sex in four days. We had no time while traveling down the island chain at a breakneck pace, plus, my monthly flow would've made things messy. Luckily, my flow had passed. I was grateful that Fae women had short monthlies, lasting only two or three days, and I was more than ready to make up for lost time. "The bathwater isn't warm anymore."

He waggled his brows. "I'll warm it."

He poured a tall goblet of wine, drinking it down in a few swallows before climbing in opposite me. Water sloshed all over the floor by the time he settled in, his wings draped over the side of the tub. He dropped his hands into the tub, his palms looking like twin coals burning bright beneath the soapy water.

I moaned in delight as the water instantly warmed. I reminded myself to take a bath with at least one of my fire mages from now on.

"Who did they kick out to give us this bedroom?" I asked as I sank against the tub, my legs entwining with his. I'd been so focused on the relaxing bath I hadn't thought to ask before.

"The mind spinner."

"What?" I pulled my knees to my chest, nodding toward the bed. "I hope those are clean sheets."

"They are." He laughed while scrubbing his thick arms and broad chest. "I gave his bedsheets to Isa and the Wyverns. They're trying to track his scent."

"And do what?" I worried for Isa and the wyverns. What if he spun their minds, too?

He paused scrubbing, giving me a questioning look. "I'm not sure if mind-spinning works on wyverns, but they won't confront him. They'll send for you and Tari, so we have to be ready."

My shoulders sagged in disappointment. "So no making love."

He scrubbed his legs and that glorious appendage that poked up from beneath the water, stretching to his belly button. "I didn't say that." His eyes flared with mischief. "But we might have to be quick."

I licked my lips, my hungry gaze taking in my beautiful mate's hard abs and those tattoos swirling on his chest and shoulders. "I can do that."

I crawled to him, climbing up his body and straddling his waist while bracing myself against his broad shoulders. I loved the feel of his warmth seeping into me, of the rough callouses on his fingers branding me as he stroked my neck. He wrapped his wings around me, shielding me in our own personal cocoon of love, his feathers tickling my back.

I melted against him, our mouths finding each other in a sweet exploration of love and desire. I groaned into him when his tongue swept across mine as he deepened the kiss. When his calloused hands grabbed my breasts, his thumbs flicking across my nipples, I thought I'd implode from the current of lust that pulsed through my veins.

I love you, I called out in his mind.

And I love you, he answered while tickling my back with his feathers. More than all the stars in the sky or the flames in the sun.

My heart nearly burst from love as he managed to chase away my dark thoughts with just a simple declaration of love.

I stilled, sucking in a gasp when one of his warm hands traveled lower, his finger deftly swirling around that magical spot between my thighs, coaxing more silken moisture to flow from me. I ground against him, groaning as he continued to torture me with deft strokes.

Just when I thought I'd die from the pleasure, he dug his hand into my hip, using his other hand to guide himself into me. I slid down his length, sucking in a hiss as he continued to fill and stretch me until I was fully impaled. I rested my forehead against his while trying to adjust to his massive girth. But then he began moving beneath me with slow, shallow thrusts, transporting me to heaven in his arms. I surrendered to my desires, meeting each of his thrusts by grinding into him as the water splashed around us. I didn't care if we splashed all the water out of the tub as I dug my fingers into his shoulders, desperately straining for that pinnacle. A groan escaped me as his cockhead banged into my swollen sex, making me more swollen with each thrust. His lips found mine, claiming me while he continued to slam into me. I clung to him as we climbed the rungs of pleasure together while desperate to topple over the edge of desire.

The orgasm that hit was so powerful, I couldn't contain my cry of pleasure as the pulses that ricocheted through me rocked me to my core. He stilled with a roar, flooding my channel with several spurts of seed.

Releasing a deep breath, I slumped in his arms while my sex continued to throb and twitch. His very hard spear answered with a twitch, and then another. I rolled my hips against him, and soon we found our rhythm, crying and groaning into each other's mouths before tumbling over the edge again.

By the time I collapsed in his arms, my heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. I pulled back for a moment, looking into his honey-brown eyes while he flashed a long, languid smile.

"Thank you," I whispered, kissing the side of his mouth. "I needed that release."

"Happy to be of service, My Goddess." He chuckled while rubbing warmth into my arms.

We stilled at a knock on the door.

"Your graces," one of the servants called. "Forgive the interruption, but the dragons and wyverns have returned."

I stiffened at that before giving Drae a look. "Do you think they found anything?"

He shrugged.

Shiri!

I froze when Tari's urgent voice echoed in my head. What is it?

They've found Thorin. We need you.

Dread sluiced through my veins at the thought of facing the mind spinner. Okay, I answered as I reluctantly untangled myself from Drae and conveyed my sister's message to him.

I quickly washed between my legs, and then we got out of the tub and dressed in haste, our bodies still damp.

I was almost upon the door when Drae called to me. "You didn't drink your tea." He held up the chipped porcelain cup that I had set beside the dresser.

I paused, my hand on the doorknob. "I hate how it makes me feel, and it slows my magic." I needed to be able to activate my siren before Thorin used his magic on us.

Drae quickly crossed over to me while palming the cup. "Shiri, you have to drink it. We can't take risks when it comes to the mind spinner." He thrust the tea toward me.

"Fine." I heaved a groan of defeat. "But what if only one of us drinks the tea?"

He gave me a questioning look.

"Hear me out," I said. "Since you're getting better at creating curse chambers, you can protect us while I summon my magic."

He shook his head. "What if Thorin alters my memories?"

"It will only be temporary until Tari or I kill him," I answered.

His mouth flattened into a grim line before he nodded his agreement.

I took the cup from him, reluctantly drinking it down in a few swallows and then handing it back to him. "Better?"

"Yes." His shoulders sagged as he offered me a tight smile. "Thank you."

I kissed his cheek, grateful to him for looking out for me, even though I still wasn't sure we'd made the right decision.

"Let's get this over with," I grumbled as I jerked open the door. My gut churned and my knees wobbled at the thought of going up against a demon while waiting for my siren voice to activate. I prayed we survived the encounter.

Thorin

THORIN CURSED HIS BAD luck while trudging through the thick brush, dodging branches as thorns ripped open his arms and face. He'd been forced to wander off the path when he heard the wyverns overhead. They were looking for him, he knew it. While his mind-spinning magic had always been strong enough to work on smarter creatures like satyrs and dragons, his powers had never worked on animals with simple minds. He feared the wyverns wouldn't succumb to his mind-spinning. Then what? He didn't trust the creatures not to tear him limb from limb. Wyverns were known for their voracious appetites and sharp claws. He'd rather not find out what they planned to do to him.

He stumbled over a root, swearing when he landed hard on his knee. It took all his effort to get back up, as his old bones were tired and sore. He should've been more conservative with Anya's elixir. His supply had run dry, and he had nobody to heal him. Leaning on his staff, he trudged toward a clearing and sat down on a fallen log, dusting debris off his robes. His escape was futile. He was too tired to trek through these woods any longer. He hadn't gotten very far, and already he was winded. It was getting harder to see, as the waning moonlight and twinkling stars kept dipping behind the clouds. Perhaps he should return to Cyrene and try his luck there. Already he missed his warm bed and his whores. He'd been like a father to Anya for the past two years. Surely she would take pity on him. Perhaps she would even agree to heal his sore bones.

The moon had just revealed itself once more when a dark shadow passed above him, letting out an enraged squawk. Thorin let out a yelp and jumped from the log, stumbling toward the bushes once more. His heart plummeted when he realized these wyverns were hunting him, no doubt at Anya's bidding.

He was almost upon a particularly thick and thorny bush when the leaves moved. His sore wing muscles pushed him back as dozens of little crimson eyes blinked back at him.

Demonlings!

Fear of wyverns forgotten, these demonic spiders were a bigger threat, for they only did their mistress's bidding. He couldn't go back to her. He wouldn't. Despite swearing a painful blood oath, he'd managed to evade her clutches for the past two years. And then a few weeks ago she'd captured him and made it clear she was displeased. If he hadn't escaped her clutches, she would've killed him.

I hope she does, his demon, known by his unfamiliar name, Samael, hissed in his skull. Then she can find me a strong body, not an infirm, half-blood bastard.

Shut up, he shot back. How he wished he could discover his demon's familiar name, for he'd get rid of him for good.

The demon's laughter echoed in his skull. Do you think I'd tell you, you old fool?

He took a slow step back from the bush, then froze, his heart beating erratically when he heard a rustle behind him. He sucked in a scream when he looked over his shoulder. He was surrounded by thousands of demonlings!

There was no way out of this now, except to pick up his robes and run. He raced across spider bodies, crunching them in his wake, their cacophony of shrill screams puncturing his skull.

He'd just cleared the swarm of demon spiders when a sharp pain stabbed him in the back of the neck. He slapped his neck, making a face when green goo stuck to his fingers. When his legs gave out, he fell, crying out in shock.

Several shadows passed overhead, and he thought he heard his sweet Anya's screams. A wyvern swooped in to catch him but pulled back when the demonlings sat up on their back legs and hissed. Thorin never regained his footing, for the spiders had bound his legs together with their sticky web. He tried to call for help, but his screams were muffled when they stuffed webbing in his mouth. The more he fought against his restraints, the worse his arms and legs became tangled. He fought so hard he feared his heart would beat out of his chest. And yet the spiders didn't falter, weaving their silvery threads until the wild pounding of his heart echoed inside his prison chamber.

Samael's demonic laughter reverberated in his skull.

Elements save him, he was going to die.