21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Ruya

B lood. So much blood everywhere. Carnage. Severed limbs. Blank, staring eyes gone wide in death.

It had been a little over a week since I started working with Achlys on controlling my banshee powers. I was a quick study. And with my mother's help, I could not only feel the sense of impending death… despite my blindness, I could see it now. The images were sporadic, flashes of horror that I knew I'd never be able to wipe from my memory entirely.

Ruya, Cicely spoke in my mind, and I sensed a hint of his emotions through our bond. He couldn't see what I saw. But he could feel the emotional aftermath. I felt his magic reach out to calm me, to allow me to draw breath. Not real. He reminded me. Not happening. You are safe. We are safe.

His efforts finally broke through the grip of icy terror and gut-wrenching horror brought about by my most recent attempt to help guide Robin's plans.

"I take it that course of action would be less than desirable," Robin murmured. Her warm hand rested on my shoulder. "Breathe, darling. I am here. You are safe. All is well."

She was trying to sound confident and unflappable, and she was succeeding. But I didn't think for a single moment that she liked what I was putting myself through. "Perhaps we should stop for today," she murmured, brushing a stray strand of hair back from my sweaty face.

I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. "No. Just give me a few moments to recenter myself, and I'll have another go at it. I know you have other plans. Other ideas."

Robin combed her fingers through my hair, her alpha aura wrapping around mine, giving me the comfort of her strength. But I had seen her death so many times now… part of me knew now that her strength wasn't infallible. None of the people I loved were immune to death. I had seen that in vivid, unforgettable detail. "Sweetheart, there is no reason to force this. I always have ideas. And I'm not yet senile. The ideas will still be there tomorrow, once you've rested."

I knew how much she wanted this whole thing done with. How desperately she longed for not only her revenge, but the return of her birthright, of the part of her that had been stolen away.

This wasn't some whim. It wasn't just some bitter personal quest. There was a whole syndicate-controlled territory out there full of oppressed paranorms.

"I'll be fine for one more," I said firmly.

"Here," Yukio spoke from my other side as he pressed a warm mug into my hand. "If you're going to be stubborn, that should help."

I smiled faintly in his direction. His tone was clipped, and I could feel a bit of his chilled magic wafting from him as his wings buzzed faintly in agitation. Yukio was worried about me.

"Thank you," I said sincerely. "What is it?"

He huffed. "Cocoa. Herbs. Magic. Just drink it, woman. It will ease the stress, so you don't go insane. Or at least help you keep what little sanity you possessed in the first place."

I hid my smile behind the rim of the mug as I did what I was told. I trusted him to take care of me, even if he sounded like it was all pissing him off. I knew better. He was such a softie.

Big hands gripped my shoulders from the back, massaging the tense muscles. I leaned into Sanka's touch as he harangued our leader.

"Don't make her do it again," he said quietly. "Look at her, Robin, she was shaking like a leaf and she's still so pale."

Robin made a dismissive tsk sound. "Does it look like I'm making her do anything? Calm your beta urges. Ruya is in charge of how she uses her magic. If she requires rest, or wants to stop all together, then she only has to say so. And if she says she can try once more, then we will try once more. I trust her to take charge of her own wellbeing, sorcerer. Just like you should trust the alpha of this court to oversee it all."

I grinned and sipped my cocoa. Sanka and the others would worry. It was what they did. But at the end of the day, Robin was right. It was my body and mind, my powers being used. So the decision was mine and mine alone.

And I appreciated that simple reminder of my freedom and self-efficacy.

Yukio's concoction really was magical. I felt refreshed and calmed within moments, the horrors I had just experienced fading enough to let me cope.

"What is the next plan?" I asked, setting the mug aside on a nearby end table.

"Sadavir," Josh warned, giving me a bit of notice before the others were shoved out of the way, and I was bodily scooped up out of the chair and cradled close to Sadavir's warm chest.

I wrapped my arms around his neck as he moved a short distance and settled us onto the couch. He held me on his lap, comfortably seated with my back to his chest and his strong arms wrapped around me. I was encased in his solid alpha strength. He hadn't tried to take me away and lock me in my room. But clearly watching me suffer had become too much for him to bear. I patted his arm to let him know I wasn't angry.

But someone else was clearly miffed. "Snake," Robin warned in a low voice.

I waved her away. "He's fine. Maybe it will help my energy to have him close. Now tell me what your next devious plan is."

Achlys said using our powers this way–purposefully reaching out to try to determine a person's future demise, wasn't a sure thing. Circumstances could always change. What we saw in the moment could easily be invalidated by the person taking a different route to work or reacting differently to an argument… anything could change the outcome, really. But some circumstances were a bit more solid. Doing things this way, hearing about Robin's proposed plan, then focusing in on the emperor and my court members, would give me a good idea whether the proposed plan had a better chance of success or failure.

It wasn't foolproof. It wasn't very exact. But at least it was something. So far, the scenarios we had tried had all ended up with one or more of the court dead, and the emperor escaping. The further out into the future the death was, the fuzzier it became. We were guessing, but it seemed that I couldn't see more than a couple of weeks ahead.

"What if we call in favors from the sorcerers, the curse breaker, and the griffins," Robin said, laying a new sheet of paper before me with a bullet list of steps outlined in her neat, flowing handwriting.

I listened as she detailed the basics of how that would all work and what she would ask everyone to do, Then I closed my eyes and focused on the emperor and the people I loved.

I gasped as I felt the sensation of falling. Sanka, tumbling through the air in a freefall as the gryphon he rode was taken out from underneath him with some sort of blast. He hit the ground and broke, a bright flash of immense pain as his life bled out from his crushed body.

Other images and sensations assaulted me, other lives flashed before my eyes. I snapped off the connection to my power, drawing in a gasping breath as I shuddered. Sadavir rubbed his big hands up and down my arms as I came back to myself. And someone pressed Yukio's cocoa into my hands again.

I felt ill. But I forced myself to take a few sips of the calming drink and let it work its magic, as much as it could.

"Sanka," I whispered, my voice rough from emotion. "Yukio. Robin."

"Damn it," Sanka grumbled.

"Not the most desirable outcome," Robin said blandly. "That's enough for today, Ruya." Come. I will walk you back to your room so you can rest.

Sadavir's arms tightened around me. Martina spoke from nearby. "Someone else can escort her, princess."

Robin scoffed. When she spoke, a faint whiff of smoke filled the air, and her voice was deceptively soft. "Are you challenging me, naga? And you, Martina… are you questioning my ability to keep the people under my care safe?"

Sadavir hissed.

Martina snorted. "Of course not. But I am questioning whether being in your presence might trigger another vision, since she's been focusing on you so hard."

I sighed. "I've been focusing on all of you. Robin is no threat to me. Sadavir…"

He continued to hold me in a crushing hug.

"Fine," I said tiredly. "You can both come. But I can walk to my room on my own."

Sadavir reluctantly released me so I could stand, and he and Robin shadowed me as I headed out of the room and down the hall toward my bedroom.

I felt like I could sleep for days after all that. My banshee magic was different from my healing magic. It depleted faster, leaving me feeling empty of a vital part of myself.

But then again… I doubted I'd be able to sleep after all I had seen and felt. And even if I managed to relax enough to fall asleep, I'd probably have nightmares.

A flutter of pixie wings distracted me from my thoughts, and I halted as Yukio called my name. He caught up to us when we paused. "Here," he said to one of the others. "Make sure she drinks this." Then to me. "It will help you sleep." He pressed a cool, hard kiss to my lips, then moved away, his light footsteps signaling a hasty retreat.

Robin gave a throaty laugh. "Yes," she said, probably in response to something Sadavir had signed. "He's absolutely smitten."

I shook my head. "He cares about my wellbeing." I said with a sniff, raising my chin in playful haughtiness. "Which is why he's my favorite . "

I let out a squeal of surprise when Sadavir scooped me up and threw me over his shoulder, giving my ass a playful swat in punishment.

Robin growled softly, but didn't reprimand the other alpha for manhandling me. "Ungrateful witch," she said in a haughty tone of her own.

Sadavir refused to put me down until we'd reached my room. And when he did, he stole a scorching kiss.

"Watch it, snake," Robin murmured. "That's my mate you're defiling."

I snorted. "Great. Now I'm defiled ."

Robin leaned in and captured my lips, as if she were trying to thoroughly erase the memory of Sadavir's kiss.

It didn't work, but not for a lack of skill. They were both just too sexy and addictive for me to ever forget either one of them.

"I did have a reason for walking you back," Robin said when she finally pulled away. "Are you truly okay?" she asked seriously. "Did you overextend yourself? Do you need something more than Yukio's tea to help you sleep?"

I smiled at her concern, then tilted my head as I considered her words. "Just what else were you going to offer?"

She purred as she slid a hand through my hair to grip the back of my neck. "I could lie with you. Hold you while you rest. If you are feeling… unsettled."

I smirked at the ridiculous alpha. "For my own wellbeing, of course. And not because it upset you hearing about you and your entire court being killed and now you want to cuddle your omega like a security blanket."

She huffed. "Yes. That."

I took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "You can come watch over me while I sleep, alpha. And I'll watch over you."

A bigger, cooler hand caught up my free hand, halting me in my tracks. "Me too," Sadavir voiced for me.

I chuckled when Robin growled.

"I won't choose favorites or take sides," I said firmly. "I care deeply for you both. I am attracted to you both. You're just going to have to learn to get along. I'm exhausted. Either we can all go take a nap together right now, or you can both leave while I nap on my own. Your choice."

Pulling my hands free, I opened my bedroom door and crossed the room to flop onto my nice, comfortable bed with a moan of relief.

A moment later, Robin's graceful fingers brushed my hair back from my eyes, her touch just a little hotter than usual. She was probably fighting her dragon instincts pretty hard right now. "Move over darling, so your snake can lie on the other side. I want to be on the side closest the door." So she could guard the entrance.

I turned my head and grinned into the blanket as I sat up enough to let Sadavir crawl past me. He grumbled a protest, but didn't fight Robin for the right to defend the door.

"Ah, the tea, love," Robin said, making me sit up and drink Yukio's sleep potion.

Then I snuggled up between my two alpha mates and fell asleep immediately, surrounded by the strength and comfort only they could offer.