Shadows of Fate (Shadow Born) Page 24

  Her father.

  Her voice shuddered. “He’s here.”

  “I’m sure he’s already given his version of the truth.” Gray paused as they reached the final set of doors. “I won’t let him win.”

  “I know.” Brenna touched his shoulder. “But remember what you have to lose.”

  She moved passed him and pressed open the doors. A blinding blue light flooded the hallway as they slid inward. Once her eyes adjusted, Gray and Brenna moved inside the ancient hall.

  The gallery was a circular room with eleven platforms raised around the circumference. At the top of each sat a throne. Made of gemstones, the thrones varied based on the powers of the Council member to whom they belonged. A raised quartz throne sat in the center of the room. It was here that The Flame, or leader of the Council, sat.

  The thrones were occupied. Men and women, radiating power, now began to stir from their meditations. Dressed from head to toe in black robes emblazoned with golden runes, they each held a staff which stored a measure of their power.

  “We have been waiting for you.” The Flame stood. His braided black beard brushed down to his knees. With a sharp gesture, he ignited the pyre beside his throne. It blazed in the semi-darkness to signify the beginning of a session.

  Brenna and Gray fell to their hands and knees, their lips touching the amethyst floor. Brenna’s heart pounded as the power of the Council, now fully awakened, spilled over her body.

  “Rise.” The Flame slammed his staff against the stone. “Bring Orien forward.”

  Gray picked Orien off the floor.

  “Make your accusation.” The Flame’s voice echoed throughout the hall like thunder.

  “This is highly irregular.” A robed figure stepped from the darkness between two of the columns. His burgundy cloak slid across the marble floor as he moved forward. Although he still held the visage of youth, his eyes held centuries of difficult choices behind them.

  Brenna couldn’t take her eyes from her father. His head was shaven and he wore his black beard closely trimmed to accent the sharp angles of his face. The ruby that sat in the hollow between his eyes was the only acknowledgement of his rank.

  Garrick Baudouin, Lord of the Sors Clan, stepped forward. “Neither of them petitioned the Council for a hearing,” he continued. “This man belongs to me. They have no right to bring charges against him.”

  “The Oracle petitioned on their behalf. You do not have standing here, and this man they brought was supposed to be dead.”

  “Then I should be allowed to rectify that oversight.”

  “You will leave or remove yourself to the shadows.” The Flame slammed his staff against the floor. His power filled the hall like a wave of fire. Brenna stumbled back, but Gray gripped her shoulders to keep her upright. Brenna’s father was forced to his knees, but his eyes betrayed his desperation.

  “She is my daughter. I have a blood right to participate. I demand to be heard.”

  “You gave up that right when you called for her banishment.”

  Tense silence filtered through the hall. Garrick’s eyes blazed with hatred as he advanced on Brenna, heedless of their warning.

  “Remove yourself or I will have you removed.” The Flame raised a barrier between Brenna and her father. “Your sins will be accounted for today as well.”

  Garrick stared at him. “My sins?” He laughed. “My only sin was siring that whore.”

  Gray’s hands tightened around Brenna’s arms. She stared at the man she had once feared and saw only someone so enthralled by his own ambitions he had lost touch with what was important.

  “Enough.” Gray spoke up. “I won’t let her be treated this way. He’s hurt her enough.”

  Garrick lunged, but the barrier between them held fast.

  “This man sent his army to slaughter my family and his own daughter at our wedding feast. His general spat on my dying body then ordered his men to torture my wife.” Gray steadied his voice. “His actions violate every decree you have been charged with upholding, yet instead you punished his daughter for daring to protect herself from his brutality.”

  Brenna stepped forward. She would not hide behind Gray. “My father and Orien systematically destroyed my life. I was punished for killing his men, but you did nothing to him. He took far more lives.”

  “The evidence presented by your father said otherwise.”

  “Evidence? You took his word, a man whose hatred of Vires Clan is legendary.” She drew a deep breath. “Of course he would shift the blame to me. What better way to cover his tracks?”

  “How dare you?” Garrick glared at her, his chest heaving. “I am your father.”

  “And I was your sacrificial lamb.” She said. “I’m done with that role.”

  The Flame rose to his feet. “I assume you have proof?”

  Nodding, Gray moved forward. “I have my memories of the attack. You can take them from my mind.” He looked down at Orien. “Or strip them from his.”

  Memories were the one thing you could not falsify. But her own memories of the attack were scattered as she had been either unconscious or in debilitating pain. “I challenge this bastard,” Garrick demanded. “He defiled my daughter and now he is making false accusations against me. I demand blood.”

  The Flame swept one hand to the side. Garrick slammed into one of the columns. “You will be silent or I will make you so.”

  Robes whipping around his body, The Flame glided down to the floor beside Gray. Placing his hands against Gray’s temple, he tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

  Brenna had never seen anyone willingly give their memories to the Council. It was the ultimate violation of privacy. Memories could not be sorted and picked through. If you offered one, you offered them all. Gray’s life up unto this point would be an open book.

  It only took seconds. The Flame stepped back. He motioned for his guard to come forward. “Restrain the Lord of the Sors Clan. He has much to answer for today.”

  Guards materialized from the shadows to surround Garrick. Brenna could feel him gathering power as they approached. Fire filled his hands as he challenged them to come closer.

  “You dare use magic against us?” The Flame raised his staff. Luminous restraints formed around Garrick’s wrists and ankles, extinguishing his magic.

  Garrick screamed in rage. “How can you take the side of that filthy bastard? His people will destroy this world. They are weak. They are vermin beneath the feet of the true heirs to this land.”

  Brenna shut her eyes against the hatred he continued to spew as the guards took him away. It was painful to think his blood was in her veins.

  The Flame turned to Brenna and reached out his hand. She flinched, but slipped her hand into his. His power flowed through her, healing her wounds, restoring her energy. “We are not in the habit of making mistakes, but we have failed you. Those who wronged you will be punished.”

  Gathering her resolve, she motioned to Orien. “There is more at stake here than my hurt feelings. This man used our magic to infect the Veil and saturated a defenseless world with demons. The world he attacked does not have the means to defeat them. In time, they will be overrun and destroyed.”

  One of the Council members rose to his feet. His long red beard fell forward from the column where he sat. “The matters of other worlds do not concern us. What he does there is of no consequence.”

  Brenna fought back. “His actions fall under your jurisdiction because he did this to torture and kill me. I am one of yours.” She motioned to Orien. “He is one of yours. And he used our magic. Your failure to judge Orien led to his actions today.”

  “It is not your place to tell us our duties.” The Flame said. “We will punish Orien. Both he and your father will stand trial and, if their crimes are as you claim, their deaths will be ordered. But we will not intervene in the affairs of another world. It is not our place.”

  Brenna knew better than to argue. The word of The Flame was law. Although he currently fe
lt indebted to her, that could change in an instant.

  Gray stood beside Brenna. “Then we have no choice but to return and stop the war ourselves.” Brenna stared at him in shock. “I won’t let more innocent people die.”

  “As you wish.” The Flame nodded and turned to Brenna. “You may come and go as you please. Your penance is served. Once the earthly war is over, you may both return and reclaim your throne, regardless of how much time has passed. It is your birthright.” He turned to Gray. “Should Garrick’s execution be ordered, you are entitled to wield the blade.”

  Gray remained silent a moment. Slowly he shook his head. “I value my future more than I need revenge for my past. Have one of the Council stand in my stead.”

  The Flame looked to Brenna and smiled. “A wise decision.” He pulled two blades from beneath his robe and handed them to Gray. The handles were etched in gold and the blade made of pure onyx. “These are my own blades. I have imbued them with a fraction of my power. May they assist you in your fight.”

  Gray received the deadly looking blades and bowed. “Thank you, Your Grace.”

  “The guards will show you to our portal.” The Flame summoned them with his staff. “You should return quickly. I expect you have been missed.” He gave them a brief smile, then, in a flash of brilliant light, disappeared. One by one, the other Council members did as well.

  Brenna was stunned. She wasn’t able to process what had happened. The vengeance Gray had planned for a century had been within his grasp and he had turned it down. He had chosen their future over his own desires. There were so many things she wanted to say, but the words wouldn’t come.

  They followed the guards through the winding tunnels. She tried to put her feelings into words, but everything she came up with sounded trite in her mind. They could start over. Get to know each other again. Fall in love, if that was their destiny. The dreams she had been forced to abandon had been given a second chance.

  The Council’s portal lay deep within the mountain. The last time she had seen it had been at her banishment. This portal had no specific exit. They could travel wherever they desired.

  She froze several feet from it. “Are you sure?” she asked.

  “I’ve never been more sure of anything.” He leaned down and softly kissed her. “Our future is more important than my vengeance.” He held her shoulders, looking into her eyes. “Let’s go. I’m sure Seraph is panicked.”

  Laughing, she nodded. “I doubt that, but if he is, a little fear might be good for him. It will make him appreciate us more.”

  Moving together, they combined their magic to ignite the blazing gateway. As they stepped inside, the icy coldness of the journey took Brenna’s breath. She was gasping as they stepped into the next world, but otherwise fine.

  “Where are we?” she asked. She had imagined Gray would take them directly to the cabin. Instead they were in a wooded field surrounded by aspen.

  Gray smiled. “Someplace we can be alone for a moment.”

  Brenna brushed his lips with her fingertips. “It is still hard for me to accept you’re alive. It feels like a dream.”

  “No dream. Flesh and bone.” He laughed. “I want to complete our bond.”

  Stunned, she stepped back. “That’s romantic,” she joked. “I guess you’re not a flowers and candy guy.”

  He followed her as she moved. “I won’t lose you again. No matter what happens in this world, I want to finish the mating ritual.”

  His mouth crushed hers, frantic in his need. It was freeing to be able to embrace the feelings she had for him without guilt. She plunged her fingers through his hair, reveling in the silky feel of the strands. She loved being this close to him. Almost as much as she loved—

  She froze and struggled to catch her breath. She still loved him. The thought was terrifying. They were different people than they had been a century ago. But she still loved him.

  There was a very good possibility they wouldn’t survive Adare’s war. Could she truly commit to him, knowing she might lose him again? She didn’t know what the future held, but she wouldn’t give up her present. Gray was hers and she was going to keep him. To hell with tomorrow, she was going to live in today.

  “I love you,” she said as she returned to his embrace.

  “I love you too.” He paused, uncertain. “Is that a yes?”

  Brenna fought back a laugh. “You didn’t ask a question. You issued a command.” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him close so their lips were a breath apart. “I will bond with you eventually, but I expect you to woo me first. We have plenty of time, and our work here is just beginning.”

  Gray smiled, running his hands down the length of her back. “I love a good challenge.”

  About the Author

  Angela Dennis lives outside Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, son and a sheltie with a hero complex. When she is not at her computer crafting stories, she can be found feeding her coffee addiction, playing peek-a-boo, or teaching her son about the great adventures found only in books.

  You can visit Angela at her blog angeladennisauthor.blogspot.com or at her website www.angeladennisauthor.com. She loves to hear from her readers, so feel free to email her directly at angeladennisauthor@yahoo.com.

  Saving the love of her life could mean letting her inner darkness out to play.

  Blood of an Ancient

  © 2013 Rinda Elliott

  Beri O’Dell, Book 2

  Beri O’Dell is on a mission. She has to rip back into a hell dimension fast, but needs two things first—the blood of an ancient and a fix for her friend Blythe’s magic, which careened out of control after the battle with the Dweller.

  Finding ancient blood isn’t easy when the old ones are rare and unwilling to donate. She needs to find Blythe’s former mentor…except the woman has lost her mind and joined a traveling band of singing witches.

  That’s not the only magical monkey on her back. Nikolos is imprisoned, and after a screwed-up spell lets her witness the horror that has become his life, her fear for him grows by the day. Now there’s another problem—a powerful being unleashed during the battle with the Dweller likes her gluttonous new existence, and will kill anyone who threatens it.

  But Beri has a few tricks up her costumed sleeve, even if it means mining the darkness of her soul to set everything right…and get Nikolos back in her arms.

  Warning: Sleazy ancients. Random fires. Nosy teenage hackers. Hints of off-screen torture. Battles with...Beri doesn't know what. And one scary boyfriend who keeps inching toward insanity.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Blood of an Ancient:

  Later in the day while Blythe packed, I rummaged in a greenhouse I discovered behind the house. It was obviously under construction because no actual plant life resided inside, just a lot of boards and tools. I assumed Nikolos planned to build more of the long tables he had in here. There were two.

  The sprite was still sleeping—I hoped—in the windowless bathroom, but I needed something to put him in for the trip. I wasn’t letting him out of my sight. Who knew when we’d find another ancient?

  I ended up building a kind of rudimentary mini-coffin. It wasn’t pretty, but I glued the hell out of every corner so I was sure no sunlight could get inside. We couldn’t just keep him wrapped in shirts the whole way.

  I was wondering if vampires could suffocate later as I watched Blythe pull up a search engine. Dooby and Castor had grocery shopped, so Blythe and I made a quick dinner of sandwiches and chips before settling in front of the computer to find this band.

  “The witch who answered the phone said the band is called Staglina.”

  It wasn’t hard to find them. They must have been popular because they came up on the first search page. Their website was a dark, serene blue with an image of the moon hovering over an ocean. There were no concert locations, no band member biographies…nothing but a link to a video.

  Blythe clicked and sat back with a thump against her chair when the music
started. So did I. My heart pounded harder, warmth filled my chest. Women’s voices raised in a harmony like nothing I’d ever heard filled the room. Castor and Dooby left the table where they’d been poring over the ancient spell book translations and approached the computer.

  We all waited until the last note played, then I released a shaky breath. “Whoa.”

  Blythe shook her head. “Sophie can’t be in that. This is magic.”

  “Of course it’s magic—they’re witches.” I managed to stop myself from rolling my eyes. I was trying not to do that so much around Blythe with her habit of stating the obvious. I did catch Phro’s eye roll in my peripheral vision. The goddess couldn’t care less about the little witch’s feelings.

  Castor leaned over my shoulder and used the mouse to restart the video. He turned the speakers down. “Look at their faces.”

  I squinted at the small video. All I saw was a blur of women in blue dresses. “What faces? This is obviously a poorly recorded phone video from a concert.”

  “And Staglina linked to it?”

  I shrugged. “Sure. Why not? That song alone would pull a lot of people to their concerts.”

  “Nothing around them is blurred—just their faces.”

  The stage, the trees behind it, everything else showed up sharp and crystal clear. “Creepy.”

  “Suspicious,” Blythe replied. “Wonder what Staglina means?” She clicked back to the home page. “And why wouldn’t they have a concert listing? I was told Sophie called them from Alabama. Some small town near Birmingham.”

  “I think Staglina is Norse.” I searched the memories of my stint with an obsessive Norse mythology fascination. I’d been trying to find a troll and got completely caught up in the old stories. I wouldn’t be telling Aphrodite this, but I never got quite as fascinated with the Greek myths. “I’m sure Nikolos has some books on Norse myth in his library, but I think I remember it having something to do with a chain and anchor.”

  Blythe clicked on another page. Empty again. “I don’t get it. What kind of band has no useful information on their site? How are fans supposed to find them?”