Chosen: Book 1 in the Ancients of Light series (45 page)

She could hear the distress in Lorcan’s call
to her, but it was distant and overshadowed by Rhydach’s derisive
sneer, “Little witches…so predictable. I had hoped for more of a
challenge from one in Myrrdyn’s line. Tonight I will give you the
death I thought I had delivered five centuries ago.” He turned,
completely dismissing the threat she presented and continued his
trek upwards. His long draping robes swept the steps behind
him.

Kaitriana raised her hand to deliver a deadly
strike but it went askew, released just as a hard blow to her back
knocked her forward. She fell to the stone steps and turned her
head to discover that Broderick and Marcus were no longer engaged
by only four opponents. They were surrounded by warriors and
fighting to keep their own lives. Her gaze flitted to Lorcan,
determining that his circumstance was equally dire. Protecting her
mate was much more important than downing her foe and she raised a
ball of light to send towards Lorcan’s adversaries when she felt a
cold burn against her arm. The click of the locking mechanism
barely registered over the din of battle but the light disappeared
from her hand.

She knew instantly that a binding had been
placed on her. Kaitriana rolled and sprung forward, regaining her
feet a few steps up the staircase. Spinning to identify her
attacker, she gasped. Lorcan’s yell of rage confirmed the vampire’s
name at the same time that her eyes found him, “Alaric!”

Kaitriana was temporarily frozen in shock.
Attempting to regain her composure, she tried at the same time to
rouse her powers to overcome the device he had placed on her arm.
Whatever manner of device he had locked on her was wrought of
formidable Dark magic and she could not loosen it. She recognized
then that it was the highly trained guard warriors of the Council
that lent their assistance to the Darks overwhelming her two
protectors. The large number besieging her mate and his Elite also
wore the garb of the Council guards. Three of them faced her now
with the Ancient Vampire…her mate’s father.

Alaric was snarling as he advanced towards
her, sword raised and eyes blackened, “Witch whore. I will end you
and your Prophecy. Your kind has no place among us and you shall
die for tricking my heir into taking you to mate.”

Kaitriana knew that her Vampire strength
alone would be no match against an Ancient, much less the guard
warriors that were closing in. Lorcan was making his way to her but
with his Elite fully engaged and each relying on the other to keep
their heads from the throng of attackers, she would be in the midst
of this fight before he could reach her. Were he to shadow away
from his men, they would be left unguarded from attack on the one
side. His honor would not allow him to leave his men to slaughter
and he would not do so since he had no idea she was without her
magic.

She needed to buy them time to reach her so
Kaitriana began backing slowly up the steps. She looked to the
massive stone railing on the floor above and nearly stumbled
backwards when her attempt to shadow there was brought up
short.

Alaric’s acidic laughter ridiculed her, “You
did not think I would bind your powers only to let you shadow from
my grasp, did you? Stupid Witch. That is no small amount of magic
holding you, girl. All of talents…your magic, your Vampire
abilities, your very immortality…are all wrapped up in that pretty
bracelet I had fashioned just for you. I knew you would not be able
to resist going after the Dark One. I counted on your unbridled
conceit, knowing I would be able to get you alone.”

Cold dread seeped into her. Although all of
the enemy Vampire in the castle had their shadowing bound, they
maintained their strength and speed. Alaric and his men could be on
her in a second. Kaitriana would be unable to outrun them and their
strength would quickly overtake her attempts to fight them with
weapons. Lorcan remained a good distance away. She spared a second
to glance down; Marcus and Broderick had been successful in cutting
the number of their opponents in half. If she could distract Alaric
and stave off his offensive for a few minutes, she might have some
assistance.

She unsheathed her weapon but did not raise
it towards the group. Instead she continued her steady path
backwards and upwards, “Since you would murder your own mate, I
assume you have no issue doing the same to your son’s?”

Alaric’s eyes narrowed on her as he hissed,
“She was a deceitful bitch and blessed that I made her end quick. I
should have tortured the witch for her treachery.”

Kaitriana raised a brow, her face
contemplative when she responded matter of factly, “She was a Queen
and you were lucky that she saw fit to mate with a dog like you.”
At Alaric’s answering growl, she continued, “Brisen did not betray
you. The one that is closest to you now…she was the source of that
deception.”

Alaric shook his head, advancing. His eyes
glistened with purpose and the thirst for blood was rampant in his
expression, “Lies…you lie as easily as all your kin. You think you
are smarter…better…You are
nothing!
Why do
you think there are no Queens? It is because your most illustrious
one betrayed her purpose and the Light…Brisen was Rhydach’s slut
and you are all being punished.”

She had reached the landing of the second
floor. Her allies were at the bottom of the staircase now and her
mate had arrived as well. Kaitriana knew rescue was imminent,
Lorcan would be free to shadow to her in a minute more. Her focus
was centered again on Alaric and she was surprised to realize he
had climbed no closer. The fleeting idea that perhaps her words
were finding home in him caused her to continue, “You believe
Rhydach defiled your mate yet you join with him now? You are mad,
Alaric. Brisen would never have sought the Dark, but you…you never
truly left it. You are also wrong. The Queens are rising…
It has
begun
.”

Kaitriana enjoyed Alaric’s stunned look over
her news regarding the Queens, but his response confused her. His
words were barely audible, “I’ll not strike your deathblow Witch…my
son would find that unforgivable.”

She was not left for long to wonder, a
searing pain tore through her back. Her cry of agony rang off the
stone walls. Looking down just as the blade passed through and
exited her stomach in the front, she screamed again when it was
twisted and pulled out through her side. The gaping injury left her
no strength to break her fall as she collapsed on the marble
stairs.

Rhydach’s depraved laughter barely made its
way through the haze of her pain. He leered down at her, “A shame
you will not be here to see it, Witch…the Queens rising, that is.
Alaric and I agreed that your death needed to be slow and painful.
It will be burned in the memory of your breed and serve as a
warning to them. Their Chosen could not defeat me and without you
they are nothing! Turloch created the band so only my touch will
release it and I have decided to leave you with your pretty new
bauble.”

He leaned forward, his putrid breath washing
her face as blood dripped from his fangs to smatter her cheeks,
“You will suffer an agonizing mortal death and you can watch Lorcan
suffer his grief as you slip from him again. I doubt he will
recover from losing you a second time.” His crazed eyes were the
last thing she saw before hers flitted shut as the pain engulfed
her.

When she opened them again, Lorcan was
kneeling over her. His Elite were standing guard and the sounds of
battle had abated. Rhydach was gone but Alaric foolishly remained,
peering over Lorcan’s shoulder with his dark eyes. He did not
bother to conceal his smirk. Kaitriana focused her attention back
on Lorcan, her breathing was already shallow. Through the pain she
could hardly voice the words, “The band…I will die…cannot be
removed…”

Lorcan’s face was a mask of anguish and that
was as excruciating to her as the wound. She forced herself to
continue, tears beginning to stream down her face, “I am sorry. You
warned me to not allow my emotions to rule my actions.” He was
shaking his head at her words and she urgently whispered the next,
“You will vow that my death will not make you Dark…you will
continue in alliance with the Witch. You will vow it to
me…now.”

Alaric began to protest her request. Offering
her his bleeding wrist, Lorcan shot a wrathful glare at his father,
insuring his silence, “You will not die, I forbid it Kaitriana…do
you hear me? You gave me your pledge…I have your vows…you will
abide me in this!”

She was growing chilled. A crowd had
assembled. Despite her agony, a small smile touched her lips upon
seeing the Witch and Vampire crowded shoulder to shoulder.
Kaitriana turned away from the offered wrist and whispered to him
again, “We have joined them…you will move forward on this
path.”

Lorcan only nudged his wrist to her lips
again, his voice harsh, “
We
will move
forward on this path. Kaitriana drink!”

She forced the explanation, grimacing in
agony, “You are an obstinate vampire…but I love you…more than my
own life…you are not my destiny, you are my very heart.”

His response was to cup her face and she saw
moisture gathered in his eyes. Leaving him was more painful than
any wound the Dark could have inflicted but she needed him to come
to terms with her fate, “The band is Dark magic…it binds
everything…my magic… my immortality. Only Rhydach can remove it…I
am
dying.”

Understanding dawned and he looked around
frantically, shouting, “Where is Myrrdyn? He is strong enough to
remove this…bring Myrrdyn, now!”

She witnessed the Healers shaking their
heads, they knew as did she that without her magic it was a mortal
wound. Cade knelt at her side. Putting his hands on the band, he
gave Lorcan a bleak look, “I have never seen anything of its
making, Lorcan. It is exceedingly well-configured Dark magic.”

Lorcan’s response was another bellow for
Myrrdyn. Colm appeared a moment later, his hand falling to Lorcan’s
shoulder, his voice laden with grief, “He is not here. We have
searched the grounds and the castle and he is not at his
cottage.”

Cade thrust a sharply curved blade toward
Lorcan, his voice grave, “Sever her arm Lorcan, above the band. We
can heal her and regenerate the limb. It is the only way.”

Lorcan cursed harshly, shook his head at Cade
and then stroked a hand tenderly through her hair. Grim
determination set his face, “You will not die, Kaitriana. I will
not have this; I will not be without you again.”

Kaitriana felt his hand wedge between her
skin and the metal band and experienced a warming sensation there.
Her eyes widened with alarm and shot to his. She knew she was
losing awareness and she whispered hurriedly, “No Lorcan! Not here,
not with these witnesses. Tis more important than my life that you
stay what you are, be able to remain what you are.” Her eyes were
beseeching, “Take the blade and free me from this
band...please.”

He shook his head at her, “There is nothing
in the Realm that is more important than you, Kaitriana…nothing! I
will not inflict injury to you or allow you to suffer further when
I can fix this.”

The warmth was continuing to build and with
his head bent down over hers, only she was privileged to view the
beauty of sparkling blue magic when it swept over the blackness in
his eyes. She grimaced against the next wave of pain and when she
opened her eyes to him once more, she could see a glow spreading
over her arm. There was a rumbling mixture of curiosity and awe
from those in attendance.

Kaitriana turned her head, squinting against
the bright glow as she focused on his hand and murmured,
“Stubbornly obstinate…” As she watched, the metal in the band
seemed to ripple and then turn to liquid before melting away in a
mist. She had never seen anything more beautiful than the rise of
power in him when he overcame the Dark magic. With that thought,
she breathed a tiny sigh and lost her last bit of hold on
consciousness.

Loud voices brought Kaitriana to awareness a
short time later. Her lids lifted and saw that Myrrdyn was now
present and Alaric remained. The latter may not have been
voluntary, as Colm and Broderick flanked him. Their heated exchange
with Lorcan was responsible for bringing her back to awareness.
Alaric had just finished spewing caustically about Lorcan still
possessing his mother’s magic and the great deception he had
perpetrated against the Vampire. She could already feel the magic
rebounding within her but she was too weak still to deliver the
vengeance to the elder that was she was now contemplating.

Kaitriana released an unsteady breath upon
encountering the intense gaze of her mate. She could feel the
warmth of magic as his hands moved over her wound. As quickly as
she could manage, she lifted her hands to his wrists in an attempt
to cease his activity. Shaking her head at him, her voice was still
riddled with pain but also her concern, “Lorcan…no. My magic is
returned, I will heal readily enough.”

Lorcan snarled as he shook her hands off and
he returned to ministering her wounds. At the feeling of warmth
healing against her skin once more, she returned a growl of her own
and smacked his hands away, “Enough!”

His face was murderous, but she understood it
was due to his confrontation with his father and Myrrdyn combined
with the concern over the extent of her injuries, not with her
directly. Kaitriana felt of his hands until she was able to
interlace her fingers through his. She attempted to lean up closer
to him despite the suffering that accompanied the movement, “You
must not do this… you are
Vampire
… you
must be true to what you are, Lorcan. Do not use this magic.”

Lorcan resisted the compulsion to set his
hands back to her wounds. Pulling his hands free of hers, he
instead rested them on her shoulders and aided her in lifting her
torso upwards. His voice reflected the level of his grief and a
touch of uncertainty, “Myrrdyn said if I am unwilling to fulfill my
place in the Prophecy, to use the powers given to me …there is no
point in your living, that the Prophecy is dead.” His voice was
full of remorse, “Your role was foretold for centuries Kaitriana; I
will no longer be responsible for holding you from your
destiny.”