Embrace the Wild (The Blood Rose Series Book 6) (17 page)

After a moment, Alexandra said, “One of my fae called this evening after having had a terrible vision about an explosion of white light in the very center of Ashleaf. Does that have any significance in this situation that you know of?”

Willow closed her eyes as her heart started to pound. “Only last night, Vojalie told Malik of a similar vision.”

“Okay, that settles it. I’ll bring the fae leadership with me. Just tell me when and where?”

CHAPTER SIX

With the fae leadership scheduled to arrive in an hour, Malik flew Willow to the colony entrance where his Troll Brigade had held the ground throughout the daylight hours and where his Vampire Guard as well as Zane’s force stood ready for orders.

With almost three hundred vampires on the ground, Malik immediately dismissed the Troll Brigade to retire for the night.

He watched, smiling, as the more jovial trolls high-fived the stern Vampire Guardsmen, which caused more than one friendly exchange that involved a proper amount of ‘fuck you’s’.

Zane stood at least twenty feet away in front of his Guard of fifty. He was slightly taller than Malik, muscled and lean and had a dagger tattoo on the right side of his neck, the image dripping with several red drops of blood. He wore his long black hair combed straight back in his Guardsman clasp and a diamond stud winked from his left earlobe. His cold light blue eyes surveyed his surroundings constantly. His nose was slightly aquiline, giving him a hawkish appearance, which suited his temperament.

He fought hard and played hard, and had a working stable of two dozen
doneuses
that he also took to bed on a regular basis.

Zane was a complete hard-ass and had more Invictus incursions in his land than any of the Nine Realms. He took no prisoners and thought Malik should have routed The Society with flamethrowers a long time ago.

He was as different from Malik as two men could be. But despite their opposing views, Malik considered Zane one of his closest friends; he trusted him with his life.

Zane lifted his hand in greeting, but sniffed the air, then shifted his penetrating gaze to Willow. He seemed to lean forward as though a wind pushed him from behind, then he simply fell to his knees. His mind beat against Malik’s.
Get her away from me. Now.

Willow gripped his arm. “You have to do something. I want to go to him. I can feel his blood-starvation like a burn on my skin.”

The sight of the powerful Zane of Swanicott Realm in the dirt because Willow was a blood rose sent a shard of panic through Malik’s skull.

“Malik!” Zane shouted. “You’d better figure this out, or I’m taking her. Now.”

Malik turned to Willow, his mind whirling. All that came to him was her blood, that he needed it on him, though he had no idea why. “I have to bite you,” he said quietly.

Willow’s eyes fluttered, then fell to his lips. “Your fangs! Malik, sweet Goddess, do what you need to do.”

Despite the audience, he took her wrist and bit swiftly. But instead of drinking he used his fingers and caught her blood, marking the backs of his hands and his throat in thin stripes. A vibration moved through him and through her and he could breathe again.

After he’d marked himself, he took a few sips, then sealed up the punctures with a swift lick of his tongue. He held Willow’s gaze. “Better?”

“Much.”

He turned toward Zane, hoping to hell this worked because he needed Willow beside him right now.

“Zane, will that do?”

Zane had his eyes closed, his hands on his thighs, breathing hard. He nodded several times. “Just give me a minute. Holy motherfucker that was raw.”

Willow squeezed Malik’s arm.
What made you think of marking yourself with my blood?

I don’t know. It just felt right, though I’ve never heard of it being done before. None of the conversations I’ve had with bonded mastyrs talked about this.

Well, whatever the reason, it worked. I can look at Mastyr Zane without feeling that overwhelming compulsion.

Thank the Goddess for that.

Malik glanced at all the Guardsmen and their general confusion. Many had turned away knowing they’d witnessed something way too private, while others looked horrified at what they’d just seen. He doubted many Guardsmen ever saw the effects of the blood rose phenomenon.

Zane rose to his feet and moved in Malik’s direction to stand on his left. He looked shaken, and Malik knew exactly what that felt like. But it was also clear that the marking he’d done with Willow’s blood, though temporary, would serve.

He turned to face both brigades, which were spread out in a wide arc and deep into the woods. He spoke in a loud voice. “We’re facing an enemy we might not be able to see tonight. Mastyr Axton, who once ruled this realm, has been buying illegal fae charms in an attempt to break through this entrance that Mistress Willow has kept hidden.” He gestured to the granite monolith behind him.

“On the other side of these vines live several wraith families that Willow has protected for decades. They are good realm-folk who tend to their homes and farms like the rest of Ashleaf’s fine citizens. They deserve to be left in peace but for reasons that I think we all know, Axton has made it his mission to try to break through. And we have every reason to believe he will continue his efforts tonight.

“As most of you know, Axton also has a private Guard that I believe ranges close to one-hundred vampires strong and it’s possible that this time, he’ll bring them with him.

“We’re here, above all else to offer protection to these innocent wraith families who deserve to be left alone. Will you serve Ashleaf in this way?”

A loud shout of accord went up.

He nodded, and when the cheer died down, he gave out his orders. Half the regiment took to the air and would patrol in a long line parallel to the vine covered entrance, spreading out over a couple of miles.

The rest moved into the forest a quarter mile deep. At the first sign of Axton or his men, three shouts in a row would alert the entire force.

The Guard was as prepared as it could be given the unknown circumstances of whatever spell Axton would bring with him this time.

To Zane, he said quietly, “Willow will take us through now.”

Zane nodded, but didn’t make eye-contact with Willow. The markings on Malik’s hands had served to create just enough of a barrier, but Malik had a strong feeling it would still take so little to ignite the blood-rose craving between the two.

His own desire to smash Zane into a pulp kept roaring to life as well, but he drove it down. Zane needed to be here and the fate of the wraith colony might just depend on Zane having a good look at this part of the Nine Realms. Malik had once been to the wraith colony on Swanicott Island, but what existed here, in Ashleaf, was very different in nature and scope.

As before, Willow took them halfway through the tunnel, closed the vines behind, then opened the path before them.

“Shit, what is that light!” Zane cried out.

“It’s not like the sun.” Malik turned toward him. “It comes from the colony itself coupled with a connection to the earth.”

“I don’t get this at all.”

“That’s why I needed you here to see this.”

When Zane saw the town square and all the normal activity, he shook his head repeatedly, hands on hips. “So this isn’t just a few wraith families.”

“A complete community of twenty thousand.”

“Holy fuck. So many.” A long curse followed.

Still holding Willow’s hand, Malik let Zane have a good look and more importantly he gave him enough time to feel the vibrations that came from the Nine Realms.

When Zane finally looked down at his feet, his eyes were wide. “And what the hell is that?”

“We’ve been told by the Elders here in the colony that we’re standing on the heartbeat of the Nine Realms where everything began.” He didn’t hold back either, but told Zane about the genome. “We’re all part wraith.”

Zane drew his lips back in a sneer. He wasn’t a fan of wraiths because of the nature of the Invictus. During a battle, he never spared any of them. Even though Samantha, bonded to Mastyr Ethan of Bergisson Realm, had the power to dissolve the bonds that forged each wraith-pair, Zane had never once made use of her skills.

“This is fucking bullshit.”

Malik didn’t try to argue with him. Instead, he asked, “Is there room on Swanicott Island for them?”

“It would be cramped, but I don’t think I care. Until the Invictus are gone from our world, wraiths ought to be policed to keep Margetta from adding to her army. And having them in one place would make our job easier, that’s for sure.”

“Zane, they’re people.”

“Who become killers if Margetta gets hold of them.”

Malik knew he wouldn’t change Zane’s opinions, not with the Invictus still attacking innocent folk in every realm.

Zane turned to leave, then pivoted back and punched a finger in Malik’s chest. “Do you want to know what I think?”

“Sure.”

“I think the Ancient Fae is the one making these charms that keep disrupting Willow’s shield, and I think Axton is in league with her. I’ll bet you my last lay that they’ve been allies for the past two centuries. And somehow she found out about your wraiths and she wants them for her army.”

“But Axton hates wraiths with a passion.”

“That’s true. But he wants Ashleaf back even more, which means he’d use Margetta if he thought it would help.”

Malik had the worst feeling that Zane had called it right. All this time, he’d been thinking the source was one of the more powerful fae in his realm looking to make a buck by selling illegal charms. But it made a lot of sense that Margetta would be backing Axton. “If you’re right, then we’re in for it.”

Zane glanced around once more, and swore under his breath as two wraith children, chasing each other, swooped in front of Zane, then darted away. “Damn, brats. Get me out of here before I do something I’ll regret.”

Willow led the way once more, and when Malik stepped out of the short tunnel, he saw that not only had the five fae women arrived, but a few of his Guardsmen were chatting up a couple of the younger ones who happened to be unattached.

Some things never changed.

Alexandra called to them sharply until all five were grouped around Malik. Willow greeted each of them with a kiss on the cheek.

If each woman glanced at the stripes of blood on Malik’s hands and throat, no one said a word.

He called out to Evan and asked for a report. His response that all was quiet didn’t surprise Malik. He felt certain that if Axton and one of his charms had gotten within even a mile of the colony, Willow would already have known.

Willow then led the leaders of the Guild back through the tunnel.

Alexandra the Bad walked closest to her. “The shield you’ve created is quite astonishing. I had no idea this was the path your powers had taken.”

“I was well-instructed. The previous Protector trained me for five years before finally relinquishing her post.”

When they moved into the town square, Malik was surprised to find that both Illiandra and Gervassay had arrived to greet the women. They hadn’t shown the same courtesy to Zane, but then perhaps they knew his profound dislike of wraiths generally and chose to avoid him, at least for now.

All five fae immediately dropped to their knees and bowed their heads.

Malik leaned close to Willow. “What’s going on?”

Willow turned to meet his gaze, but chose to path.
Remember that these women are the most powerful fae in your realm. They’re feeling the heartbeat even now. They also understand that in the same way that I have protected the colony, Illiandra and Gervassay have guarded this central part of Ashleaf.

Illiandra and Gervassay approached each of the women and laid hands on their foreheads. More blessings, maybe. Afterward, the fae rose and spoke quietly with the Elder wraiths.

Alexandra broke away and drew close to Willow once more, shaking a finger at her. “All this time I thought ill of you because you refused to attend meetings and to serve in the Guild. Instead, you were performing this critical service. I beg your pardon, Willow, for harboring uncharitable thoughts about you.”

“But you couldn’t have known, and I couldn’t tell you.”

Alexandra’s bushy brows drew together. “But you were right to call me, my dear.” She turned to Malik. “And you! Try not to be stupid, I beg of you. For as long as you are with Willow, you must treat her with the deepest respect. You have no idea what she’s done for all of us.”

“I do respect Willow. Tremendously.”

She looked from one to the other. “So it’s the blood rose phenomenon here, is it?”

Malik nodded.

“It is,” Willow said.

But it was to Malik that Alexandra spoke, slapping his chest. “You need to wake up. You lack true understanding of what’s needed in this situation.”

Malik bristled. “I’m here, and I will protect Willow with my life. What more can I possibly do than that?”

Alexandra shook her head and this time placed a gentle hand on his chest. “Protect her, here. Here is what is important.” She made a disgusted sound at the back of her throat. “Goddess save me from stupid men.”

Willow intervened and shifted the subject. “Mistress, we’re expecting an attack at any time. We should get you back through that you might return to your homes.”

Alexandra pressed her lips together and shook her head. “If you think I would leave you now, when you’ve told me that you’ve reached a crisis in your ability to support the shield, you are greatly mistaken.” She gestured behind her to the other women. “We will all stay and do what’s required. This is the least we can do for you and for your wraiths.”

~ ~ ~

Willow had never felt so relieved in her entire life. She was used to going it alone, and she couldn’t believe Alexandra would respond so quickly and with a clear intent to help her.

“Thank you.”

Alexandra nodded.

Suddenly, she felt Axton’s presence but knew that he and a number of his private Guard were hidden behind a fae spell. She grabbed Malik’s arm. “He’s here.”

Malik straightened his shoulders, a furrow between his brows. “Axton?”