18. Lorna

Chapter 18

Lorna

N athan, Kenrid, and I arrived at one of the many warehouses along the coast. According to Kenrid, they purchased it after the last series of hurricanes destroyed thousands of acres along the shoreline. This one was full of old furniture that had been abandoned by the previous owners. Most of it had sustained water damage, and the musty smell of mold and dirt permeated the air.

The perfect ambience for fae royalty. I snorted at the thought. If the queens were anything like the other fae, they'd be completely insulted. Apparently, the guys were doing it on purpose, but I wasn't sure I agreed with whatever reason they had.

"I need something to do," I grumbled, trying not to pace. "I suck at waiting."

Nathan perched on a stack of boxes across the room from me. I tried not to look his way. Every time I did, he was watching me, like a predator watched its prey .

Kenrid stepped up beside me and pulled me into a tight embrace. "Ten more minutes. I doubt they'll be late."

I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head on his shoulder. "Do we have to hide our relationship?"

"No. If they don't already know, they will as soon as the queens' royal guards read your thoughts."

He'd mentioned earlier that some of the royal guards were powerful enough to break through any mental barrier. I wasn't sure who they would read first, mine or his. There was no way for me to keep my dhampir from them. They would know what I was, and they would do everything they could to take me. I wasn't strong enough to stop them. And I still didn't know Damon's plan to get us out of this.

If Nathan and I exchanged blood, we could be strong enough, Mir said.

I considered her suggestion. If we couldn't hide, shouldn't we try to intimidate the queens? Was it even possible to make them fear us? Probably not, but we might make them pause to question how easy it would be to get us in their grasp.

Exactly! We need to do whatever we can to delay them, Mir said. Just like we did with Brance. Damon already proved he won't let anything happen to us.

"Then I'm not hiding." My voice took on the harsh edge of my dhampir.

Kenrid gently pushed me back, and I knew he saw my dhampir's black eyes. "Let's not confirm their suspicions unless we have to."

"I disagree. Nathan and I should power up before they get here," Mir said. "Let's go into this with all our strengths. I trust Damon to have our backs, but we shouldn't appear weak and defeated."

I stepped away from Kenrid and turned to face Nathan.

"Fate has drawn us together for a reason," Mir continued. "How many times has Damon told us to trust our magic? I refuse to hide any longer, and I refuse to roll over without a fight. If these bitches will be able to see me as soon as they arrive, then they should see all of me."

Nathan rose from the boxes and stared at me, his blue eyes shifting to red every few seconds. The guys had repeated over and over again how hard it would be for him to get over his addiction to my blood, and yet here I was, offering myself up. It felt unfair and even a little selfish, but I couldn't bring myself to retract the words.

I kept a tight hold on my magic, though, not wanting Nathan to think that I'd magically coerced him in any way. In the end, it needed to be Nathan's decision.

"I need your oath that you will not compel me," Nathan said, slowly closing the space between us. "Swear to me that you will not get lost to your bloodlust."

Mir snarled, but I understood his fear. I'd heard all the stories about dhampir who'd slaughtered their vampire masters. I remembered what I'd done to Conrad, even if Mir tried to keep it from me.

"Wait," Kenrid said, interrupting my response. "Nathan, are you sure? If you take more of her blood, you may never be able to break the addiction."

Nathan's intense gaze never left my face. "Lorna is right. They should see our strengths and know that we're not going without a fight."

Kenrid sighed, but he didn't try to intervene.

"I give you my oath, Nathan Kaerne," I said, easing past Mir's control. "I will not compel you unless you ask me to. I will always put the lives of my mates before my own."

Mir pushed back, and I hesitated when I saw her intent. What if he denied us as his mate? I hadn't taken the time to think about what it would mean to have him in my life as more than just the clan's leader and my mates' good friend .

"That includes you, vampire," Mir said, ignoring my indecision. "I refuse to give up the life I know I can have with Lorna and our mates. I would rather die than sacrifice the love she shares so easily."

Tears burned my eyes.

I love you, too. I said.

Don't get sappy on me.

You started it!

I would've laughed, but Nathan was suddenly right in front of me. His scent wrapped around me and held me captive. I couldn't have moved even if I'd wanted. But I didn't want to. I'd been the one to suggest that we swap blood.

Oh, the smell of his blood.

"Are you certain?" Nathan whispered.

When had he moved closer?

"Yes. Are you?" The line between me and Mir blurred to the point where I couldn't tell which of us was in control.

"I understand the consequences, and it's a price I'm willing to pay."

I couldn't interpret the look on his face. Was he doing it because it was strategically the best option today? Or was he accepting our offer as his mate? Now wasn't the time to overanalyze it. Our ten minutes were quickly ticking away.

Nathan reached out and took my hand, then offered his other arm to me. I tentatively gripped his forearm. I couldn't think of anything to say, so I just watched him rotate my arm and press his lips against my wrist. The same wrist he'd fed from a day ago. The contact made my skin tingle and sent a trail of warmth through my core.

I did my best to shake it off and took the arm he offered to me. Mir didn't hesitate to lick his wrist. I glanced up and met Nathan's eyes. They'd turned completely red. His tongue caressed my skin for a moment. Not taking his eyes from mine, he bit me. I did the same to him .

His glorious blood slid down my throat like a smooth mocha. Just like when I traded blood with Jared, I knew the instant Nathan consumed my blood. Only this time it wasn't a thousand-watt light bulb lighting up my body. It was the power of the sun and moon and every star in the sky. Magic filled my veins and overflowed my soul. My muscles stretched to the point I thought they would burst through my skin.

Nathan jerked from my grasp, pulling me out of my own thoughts. He tilted his head back and bellowed, his voice echoing through the warehouse. Sharp fangs protruded from his upper jaw, still dripping my blood. His chiseled jaw and high cheekbones were more pronounced. The t-shirt he'd worn struggled to contain the bulging muscles trying to break free. Long claws extended from his fingertips.

His vampire had taken control, and he was glorious!

He drew in several ragged breaths then looked down at me. Apparently, he'd also grown a couple inches. Deep red swirled in his irises, mesmerizing me.

"Lorna," he rasped.

"My name is Mir," my dhampir replied.

There was no line between me and her with so much power rushing through my veins.

Nathan held out his clawed hand. "We won't go without a fight."

I grinned, feeling my own fangs scrape against my bottom lip. I placed my hand in his, and another pulse of magic surged between us. "We're definitely fighting."

I stepped to the side and extended my free hand to Kenrid. "Together."

Kenrid glanced at Nathan, who must have nodded his approval. I didn't see because I didn't take my eyes from my fae. He placed his hand in mine and another wave of magic rushed through my veins. Nathan's grip tightened, threatening to bruise my fingers .

The same glowing halo that surrounded me and Kenrid in bed earlier flared to life, engulfing our little trio for several seconds. We stood in silence, watching the magic fade. I would swear that Kenrid just shared the strength of his magic with both me and Nathan. I'd already been buzzing from Nathan's power boost, but now …

"What was that?" Nathan asked, his voice raw.

"I don't know," Kenrid replied.

"I don't care," Mir and I said together, making my voice echo. "I feel amazing!"

The warehouse doors burst open, interrupting our moment. The guys dropped my hands but didn't step away.

Four men stormed through doors. My mouth dropped open at the sight of them. It was like watching a fantasy novel come to life. Two of the men wore black leather armor studded with glowing gems. The other two wore similar leathers in shades of blue and purple. They all carried long swords, which were pointed in our direction.

The four men separated, and two women waltzed in behind them. Their beauty was beyond description. I'd seen dozens of fae in my short time with the clan, but none of them compared to the two females who now stood before me.

One of them wore a long flowing gown made of shining black silk. Silver threads glistened along the seams and gemstones glittered among the threads. Her black hair hung loose around her face and shoulders, with more gems braided into the long strands. The calculated look on her face removed the softness of her features.

The other female wore midnight blue leather armor, tall black boots, and a sword strapped to her hip. Her blond hair was tied back in a complicated series of braids. Her sole focus seemed to be on Kenrid.

I didn't know which was the queen of the Summer Court or the Winter Court, but I wasn't afraid to make assumptions. The woman in black was probably the Winter Queen and the dress-up-warrior was the Summer Queen.

Stop ogling the queens, Mir hissed. You're supposed to look intimidating.

I snapped my mouth closed and straightened my spine. Gaping like a fan girl did not inspire fear.

Four more guards followed behind the queens and pulled the doors closed. If they wore the same armor, I couldn't tell past the long robes covering them from head to toe.

"I should have known you lacked the proper upbringing to understand the importance of hosting your betters," the Winter Queen sneered.

My blossoming dislike shifted to hatred.

We already hated them, Mir said.

"I don't know why you would've expected anything less, sister." The Summer Queen curled her lip.

"You asked for an audience," Nathan said. "Not a tea party. Say whatever it is you need to say and leave."

Both women glared at Nathan.

A swell of fae magic—not Kenrid's—pressed against my senses, giving me goosebumps.

"What do you see?" the Winter Queen asked.

I suspected she was talking to her mind-reading guards, but I answered anyway. "A bunch of presumptuous assholes who think they can come to my world and make demands. You waltz in here thinking you can just take us without a fight."

The guards tensed, and the Winter Queen flicked her fingers at me.

I knew the moment one of them tried to get in my head. A crawling sensation raced over my scalp, and a million tiny needles poked at my brain.

I'll give them something to look at, Mir snarled, then conjured up an image that made my stomach twist. Bile rose to my throat—along with a sick sense of triumph .

Two of the guards fell to their knees, cradling their heads in their hands.

"Tell me what you see!" the Winter Queen bellowed.

The guard next to her didn't stand or remove his hands. His voice quivered as he described Mir's fantasy. "She has already shared blood with the vampire, Your Majesty," he said. "The prince is blocking our magic, while the dhampir and the vampire …" He swallowed hard and I suspected he was trying not to puke. "They are eviscerating our bodies and painting the warehouse with our blood."

He sank to the floor. The guard beside the Summer Queen did the same, and the haughty looks on the queens' faces faltered.

In a wavering voice, the second guard said, "The dhampir is feasting on your blood, Your Highness. The vampire shows no mercy. The prince has rendered our magic useless. We're no match for their strength." His eyes popped open, and his handsome face paled. "The demon is coming. We need to leave, Your Majesty."

"You idiot!" The Summer Queen slapped her soldier across the face. "You're supposed to be the strongest in my kingdom, and you let this half-breed toy with your mind!"

"Of course the demon is coming," the Winter Queen said. "We expected him to be here. Take the dhampir and the vampire. Kill the prince."

My brain short-circuited. Did she really just order her guards to kill Kenrid? Wasn't the Summer Queen his mother? Thankfully, Kenrid didn't hesitate. His familiar magic blossomed around our trio. I hadn't realized what he'd done until another wave of magic slammed against the shield right in front of his face and spiderwebbed in a hundred directions.

I would've fallen back on my ass if Nathan hadn't grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him. Another magical attack smashed into Kenrid's shield. Kenrid flinched, and sweat beaded on his brow. I knew he was strong, but so were the fae attacking us. And we were outnumbered.

"I need to help him sustain his magic, Nathan," I said, grabbing the vampire's hand and reaching out for Kenrid, hoping that my theory from earlier was true.

As soon as I wrapped my fingers around Kenrid's wrist, our magic merged again. The shield around us glowed with Kenrid's magic, making it visible where it hadn't been before. The fae guards hesitated, but the Winter Queen pushed the nearest guard toward us. He stumbled, then regained his footing and charged our shield with his sword held high.

I took a step back, but Kenrid squeezed my hand, holding me in place. The guard collided with the shield. Instead of bouncing off, his body was engulfed in purple flames. He screamed in agony for several seconds before falling to the floor.

My stomach flipped and churned at the sight of the man's smoldering body. Thankfully, the smell didn't penetrate Kenrid's shield. I was barely holding back my urge to puke, especially after the images Mir forced on the fae.

Damon really needed to hurry up with his plan. Mir might have conjured up a convincing lie to scare the fae, but I was certain we couldn't pull it off.