Lords of the Were (18 page)

The trip had never taken so long.

Allie met the truck with Tim and Rafe, as the were coyotes pulled up in front of their house only minutes later. She knew every were for miles around had been alerted or was in the process of being notified of the continued attacks on the women who were so precious to them.

Priestesses were rare, Rafe had explained, and the alliance between them and all were, forged long ago, stood firm. It had to. For the safety and protection of all.

Clearing a path to the guest bedroom on the first floor, Allie swept back the covers as a tall, lean man she’d never met before carried Betina in. He treated her limp form with such gentle care, and he reeked of such sorrow and guilt, Allie couldn’t help but put a hand on his shoulder when he stepped back from the bed.

“It’s okay.” She tried to soothe the stranger, but his eyes were cold and dead as he looked from Betina to her.

“No, it’s not.” The man’s gaze rose to Tim and Rafe, who were standing just behind her and the man dropped to his knees. “Forgive me, if you can. She asked for privacy and I gave it to her, even though I knew better. I’ll never forgive myself.”

“We’ll sort this out later, Mark. Why don’t you go out to the living room and tell everyone exactly what happened.” Tim stepped forward and Allie moved to Betina’s side, leaving the men to deal with each other. She knew by “everyone” Tim meant the collection of alphas who led the various tribes, packs and clans in the area. As before, they were all converging on her new home for what amounted to a war council.

Allie moved closer to Betty, looking carefully at the horrific wound and wondering just where to start. She’d never dealt with anything like this before and she was afraid she didn’t have the skill to help her mentor. The older woman was paler than Allie had ever seen her, as if she were simply fading away. Allie reached out to touch the slashing,

ragged wound on her abdomen and was shocked back by a powerful feeling of evil and dread.

Forcing her hands to move, Allie widened her stance and planted her feet firmly under herself before trying again. The malevolent force resisted her, pushing back against her outstretched hands, not allowing her near Betina’s battered body.

“I need some help here. Whatever this is, it’s pushing me back.” Rafe was instantly behind her, pushing forward with his chest against her back as she redoubled her efforts. Focusing her energy, she stabbed at the dark force, relying purely on instinct since her lessons hadn’t progressed to cover anything remotely like this yet.

With one last significant thrust of her power, the black shield dissipated, fleeing before her light energies. Allie banished them to the earth, to be reabsorbed and not manifest again, as Betina had shown her. Now she saw the true extent of the wound and it made her sick inside.

“This was made with magic.”

“Or magic directed through a blade. Probably the one that got me. I can smell the silver.” Rafe’s voice was thick with anger.

“You think that man Vabian did this?”

Rafe sighed heavily. “Who else?”

“What do I do?” Allie was scared, but Betty needed her.

“You’ve already begun,” Tim spoke at her side, looking down at the pale woman in the bed. “Call upon the earth, call upon the Lady, call upon the creatures of land and sky. Use your inner eye to see where the tainted magic is and send it to ground. Let Gaia absorb it away so it can’t hurt Betina anymore.”

That sounded good, but Allie was at a loss as to just how to do it. Her confusion must’ve shown on her face as Rafe released her. Moving to her side, he smoothed back her hair with a reassuring half-smile.

“This is what you were born to do, Allie. The knowledge is within you.

All you have to do is follow your instincts and focus on the goal.”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“It is simple.” Tim took her other hand, capturing her attention. “It’s fear that makes it complicated.”

“Fight past the fear, Allie,” Rafe soothed her, stepping back as Tim did the same. “Reach within. We’ll be here to guard your back and stand for the were.”

It was those last words that triggered a memory of the ceremony on Samhain. Betty had used similar words, calling on the various aspects of life that all served the Lady. Allie didn’t know the words and didn’t dare speak them aloud, but the intent was the important thing. Or so Betty had taught her.

Gathering the energies to her, she was surprised at the amount of power that came at her call. Never before had she felt such power at her command. She only hoped it was enough to save Betty.

Allie shaped the energy, strategizing the best way to dissipate the dark stain, spreading even now over Betina’s bright soul. This magic wound was worse than any physical injury she suffered. This dark magic seeped into her soul, dimming its light and stealing its power. This was power twisted to evil purpose and only Allie could stand in its way and stop it before it stole Betina’s spirit completely. That, was a fate worse than death.

At least in death there was transition. The soul lived on in different form—or so she believed. This though, was permanent death. Dissipation of the spirit, destruction of all that was Betty and all that would ever be.

This fit Allie’s definition of pure evil.

Calling on the Lady and the spirits of all those who served Her, Allie prayed for help as she gathered still more energy. The dark stain was

strong and Allie didn’t know if she had the skill yet to wield the energies—or enough power—to dissipate such darkness.

The power grew and still she waited. There was something missing, some ritual element she needed. Following her instincts, Allie stood on Betina’s right side and extended her arms.

“Stand at her feet,” she gasped out, containing the phenomenal build up of energy as her mates moved quickly to do her bidding. Something—

or someone—was still missing. She could feel it. In a flash Allie remembered the glimpse she’d had of Betty’s true nature during Rafe’s healing and knew what she had to do.

“I stand for the Lady,” she said simply, nodding to her mates as they watched her with concerned eyes. They knew their part. They’d performed it during the Samhain ceremony. She trusted they’d know what to do now.

“We stand for the were, ” Tim said in a strong voice, holding his hands out to the side, containing the energy as Rafe did the same.

“And we stand for the creatures of sky and land,” Rafe added, his eyes curious as he watched Allie.

“I call upon Betina’s kin to join us here in this circle. Take up your place at her side, representative of the fey who would aid her.” The twins’

eyes widened as Allie spoke, but she felt the rightness of what she’d just done as the shift in magic communicated like a ripple across the small room and into realms beyond.

In a blinding flash of light, a man appeared across from her. He was tall, dark-haired, handsome, and dressed head to toe in fantastical, shining armor. This was a warrior from another realm, and though she’d never seen one before, she knew this was a Knight of the Fey.

“Welcome, Sir Knight.”

“Who calls me to my cousin’s side? And why is she in such dire straits?” The man’s expression was both accusing and concerned, but

Allie could see he had great affection for the little woman lying so still in the bed.

“I called you, sir, and as you can see, we don’t have time right now to fill you in. Will you stand for the fey in our healing circle?” The man straightened, looking measuringly at Tim and Rafe before nodding and raising his mail-clad hands.

“I stand for the fey warriors of the Forgotten Realms.” The circle snapped into place and the building pressure eased somewhat on Allie, though the energies continued to gather. She looked at the knight, catching the concern in his gaze.

“Will you help me wield these energies? I’m afraid I don’t know what to do.”

A brief smile flashed across his handsome face as he nodded. “I’m a warrior of the fey, priestess. I know how to fight this kind of magic.” Hallelujah! She’d done the right thing, she realized with a huge sigh of relief. She’d called a warrior who knew how to do what she couldn’t.

“I can pass this energy to you,” Allie thought aloud, relieved when the knight bowed his head.

“As it should be. The priestess is the nexus, the reservoir of strength.

The rest of us are the weapons which defend and protect.” She felt the fey warrior harness the energies through the circle, relieving the pressure on her immeasurably, though still more energy flowed up from the earth into her and into the circle. In fascination she watched as he fashioned a sword of light from the swirling energy that, in his hands, became tangible. With the sword, he broke through the darkness that had once again surrounded Betina. Allie’s circle encompassed it and forced it down into the earth to be reabsorbed and dissipated.

It took a long time, but the warrior fought through all the darkness until only light was left. The light of Betina’s pure soul and the light from

the remaining strength of the circle. All of them were haggard and trembling with strain when the final, clinging particles of darkness were finally done away with.

“Pull back now, Priestess,” the fey warrior advised. “The job is done.” Allie used the last of her strength to do as the man said. She called back the circle and felt it snap apart at her command and then she felt herself falling. Only the fast reflexes of her were mate kept her from connecting sharply with the floor. Tim caught her in his arms as Rafe faced the strange knight, on guard.

But the knight wasn’t paying any attention to them, Allie saw through weary eyes. His focus was on Betina as he sat gingerly on the bed at her side. Tim dragged a chair over and sat Allie down in it as if she were a rag doll. She was awake for the most part, but terribly drained and her muscles wouldn’t support her.

“Who are you?” she asked the knight before she could censor her words.

The man looked up at her, pinning her with eyes the color of lilac blooms.

“I’m Duncan, half-fey warrior and cousin to Betina. Thank you for calling me. I would not wish to see her harmed.”

“I’m Allie and these guys are Tim and Rafe.” Allie’s hand trembled as she raised it to indicate the two men who watched the fey knight with interest and just a hint of challenge. Alphas were always on guard, she realized.

Duncan nodded at them in turn. “Cousin Betina has mentioned you, lords of the were and your new mate. Congratulations on your joining.” Her mates nodded, seeming a little more at ease with the strange man’s knowledge and his actions so far. “Now will you tell me what happened?

Who did this?”

“A Venifucus mage named Patrick Vabian. Or so we believe. He attacked us a few days ago, trying to get to Allie, aided by a vampire he’d duped into helping him. The only reason we’re still alive is because the vampire took exception to being lied to and switched sides, helping us fight Vabian,” Tim explained.

Rafe picked up the tale. “Every were in this territory and beyond has been searching for the bastard since, with no sign. Until today.”

“Did she not have guards? I thought the alliance meant she would be protected by your people.”

Tim growled low at the challenge, but Rafe stayed him.

“Of course she had guards.”

“Then they are dead. I’m sorry for your loss.” The knight bowed his head.

“They’re not dead,” Allie felt compelled to clarify.

“Then they soon will be!” A martial light came into the man’s purple eyes as he stood and made for the door.

“Whoa, not so fast there, Lancelot.” Rafe stopped the knight with two strong hands against the middle of his chest.

“I’m Duncan. Not Lancelot.” The words were icy cold with anger and Allie made an effort to stand, causing all eyes to focus on her.

“We haven’t heard the details yet of what occurred, but the man who brought her here took full responsibility. He’s outside right now and I think we need to hear his story before we make any accusations.” After a tense moment where the men seemed to take each others’

measure, the warrior stood down.

“You speak wisely, priestess.”

“Call me Allie, please.”

Duncan nodded formally.

“This is what we’re going to do.” Tim moved toward the door as well.

“The three of us are going to go out into the living room and find out

exactly what occurred today. Allie,” he glanced over at her, “are you okay to stay with Betina?” When she nodded, he went on. “I’ll send you some help from the females so you can clean her up a bit. She’ll be unconscious for a while, right?” Tim’s gaze shifted to the knight and the man nodded.

“She will probably be unconscious for several hours yet. It was a very deep wound.”

“Okay then.” Tim took one side of the fey warrior while Rafe took the other, flanking him and giving him little opportunity to launch any kind of attack in their home as they walked out the door, one after the other.

Allie sighed and rested her head back against the chair, starting when a few of the were women came in, waking her from the light doze she’d slipped into. They brought fragrant soapy water and soft cloths with them and set to work on cleaning up poor, battered Betina as best they could.

Tim watched the fey warrior carefully as they headed into the living room. The room went still long before they entered, every were gathered there aware of the strange, new, non-were scent in the house.

“Who’s this?” Rocky asked the question clearly on everyone’s mind as soon as they entered, the barrel-chested grizzly practically barring the way as he eyed the newcomer suspiciously. All eyes were on the three who entered, though several were watching all possible entries and exits, as it should be. Were folk were vigilant by nature. Alphas even more so, and this was the largest gathering of alphas in the region.

“I am Duncan the demi-fey, Knight of the Forgotten Realms. I came where called. Who challenges me?”

Every were in the room stood to face the stranger, making Tim proud, but he waved them off as Rafe supplied the details.

“He’s Betina’s cousin from the faerie realm. He popped in when Allie called and helped heal her.”