Mystik Warrior: (Dark Warrior Alliance Book 2) (20 page)

Before she could regroup, the door swung open to reveal a tall, exotic woman with black hair that hung down to her hips. The young lady was drop-dead gorgeous, and her brown eyes glittered with amusement when she saw Bhric standing on the stoop. “Hello Bhric,” she purred and draped her body against the door jamb.

A black smoke rose from a ring on her finger. The smoke had a sweet smell, but surprisingly didn’t choke her out. Cailyn shrieked when a black bat fluttered from her finger and settled on the witch’s shoulder. “Not you, sweetie. My other Bhric,” the witch cooed, petting the animal.

“Hello Suvi. ‘Tis good to see you again, lass,” Bhric replied as he picked up her hand and kissed the back.

“Mmmm. Always a pleasure,” Suvi responded. It was obvious the two of them had a history.

Another woman with bright red hair poked her head around the door and greeted the warriors. When she rested her arm above her head in the door frame her silver bangles jingled as they shifted. The bracelets coupled with the colorful skirt reminded Cailyn of a gypsy. “It’s good to see you all. Now, before Suvi gets too distracted by Bhric, what brings the Vampire King to our door step?”

“Ah, Isis, ‘tis been too many months. How are you and your sisters settling into your powers?” Zander greeted the red-haired witch.

Isis waved her hand dismissively. “We’re settling. The house is still standing, and that’s something, I suppose. You know how it is. Please come in,” Isis said as she turned, calling out to Pema. Cailyn assumed that was the third sister. She wanted to laugh as Suvi grabbed Bhric’s hand and pulled him along. Jace shrugged his shoulders and they all entered the house.

“Have you been training with Cele?” Zander asked as they entered the home. Cailyn glanced down and noticed what she thought was a line of salt along the threshold of the front door. She craned her neck, taking in the entryway. The walls in the small area were black and the floor was a dark brown oak. Cailyn thought it was an odd color choice. The overhead light fixture was turned off in favor of white candles on sofa tables flanking the door.

Isis’ red hair was swaying in in the candlelight as she shook her head and continued walking. “Cele isn’t exactly easy to work with. She wants control of our power for her own selfish purposes. I know she believes the prophesy about the power of three, but that doesn’t mean it’s about us. Besides, we chafe under her tutelage. We are doing a fair job of honing and controlling our craft. We have each other.”

The sisters stopped at the end of the hall and slid a wood door open. Cailyn was surprised to see that there were no electrical lights on in the house. Every room they passed was lit with candles, and there were wall sconces down the hall. She couldn’t see a whole lot, but each room they passed seemed to be painted a different color.

Suvi muttered foreign words and the bat vanished to become a silver ring on her right index finger before she got down to business. “Surely, you didn’t come here to talk to us about our training. What can we do for you?”

Jace kept hold of Cailyn’s hand as they stepped into a large, open room. “We are here for me. You see, I have reason to suspect I have been under a sorceress’ spell for about seven centuries, and I need your help.”

He would have laughed at how the Rowan sister’s eyes bulged at that, but it was too serious. It was Suvi who found her voice first. “How do you not know if you are under such a spell? That’s a long time to be under someone’s influence. You should have felt when the enchantment was cast.”

Jace lowered his head in shame. She was right, of course. Only a weak sorcerer would not have recognized the casting of an enchantment. He suddenly wished Cailyn wasn’t there to witness his weakness, yet he needed her there supporting him. There was no way he would get through this without her to keep him grounded. “It’s a long story. Suffice it to say, this would have happened shortly after I passed my stripling years when I was under great duress.”

“That only explains why you didn’t counter act a spell. Even a sorcerer coming into his power is able to detect magic, especially if there is malignant intent. Please have a seat, this may take a while,” Pema said as she glided gracefully into the room. Cailyn jumped when Pema spoke and Jace pulled her closer, realizing she likely hadn’t heard her approach.

He glanced around the room for the first time. The walls were painted blue and white and the hardwood floors continued throughout. The furniture displayed the sisters’ youth with its modern designs. He saw that the kitchen was surprisingly similar to Marie Laveau’s. There were jars with herbs and flowers, as well as crystals and incense. He guided Cailyn to a nearby sofa and took a seat.

“We need to hear everything you can tell us about the person and circumstance surrounding the spell,” Pema instructed.

“I will try, but this isn’t going to be easy.” Jace took a deep breath and briefly explained what he experienced at the hands of Lady Angelica, leaving out the details about how she sexually tortured him. Zander and Cailyn had known what he suffered, but the others couldn’t hide their shock over the news.

“Goddess,” breathed Bhric, scrubbing his hand through his hair. “I always wondered where you had disappeared to, and why Evzen took power when you were next in line. I had no idea.”

“We are going to have to start calling her the Royal Bitch. I can’t believe you have left her alive all these centuries. If that had happened to one of my sisters, I’d kill her with my bare hands,” Isis remarked as she brought her waist-length, red hair forward, braiding the ends.

Jace noticed Isis’ agitated movements and how she became angrier by the moment. It was a sharp contrast to Pema’s composure. The calmer Pema was, the more Isis settled down. Suvi grabbed Isis’ hand and she was once again under control. Jace was amazed at the impact they had on each other.

Cailyn squeezed his hand. “I couldn’t agree with you more, Isis,” she said.

“That certainly would explain why you didn’t feel a spell casting, but why, after all this time, do you now believe that you are still under an enchantment?” asked Pema, smoothing her purple shirt as she sat on the edge of a chair.

Bile rose in his throat. He didn’t want to divulge his problem. He would look like an idiot if there was no spell, and he became ill during intimate moments because he couldn’t handle the abuse he suffered. He had no desire for anyone to hear about this, and suddenly wanted to run from the home and never look back. This had been a mistake. He couldn’t lose the respect he had worked so hard to earn over the centuries. It was bad enough to have his mate aware of his shame.

He was about to get up when Cailyn broke the silence. Sweat broke on his brow as he prayed to the Goddess that his mate didn’t betray his issues. “I am the one who suggested there was something going on. Do you really need all of the details to get the answer to our question? I don’t know anything about magic, but it seems like you want to know out of curiosity.” He wanted to kiss this female. If he thought he loved her before, that was nothing compared to how he felt now. His heart swelled with the emotion.

“I like you, you’re feisty. I see that you are his Fated Mate,” Pema observed, pointing to the mate mark behind Cailyn’s left ear. “No need to get bristly. We aren’t a threat to you or him. We would never do anything to harm him, because our society would fall to pieces without the Dark Warriors. They are the only thing standing between us and the skirm. That being said, we need some information. You see, magic must have a focus and we need to know where to concentrate our energy. It is not mere curiosity. Although, now I must admit to more than a passing desire to know details.”

Cailyn smiled with saccharine-sweetness and tilted her head to the side. Jace had come to know that look well over the past days. He debated stopping what he knew was coming. His instinct was to jump in and protect her from these witches who could crush her with a thought. But, he trusted in the goodness of the Rowan sisters. They would understand her protectiveness as his mate. “You might want to be careful. I’d hate to see curiosity kill the cat. Suffice it to say, you need to focus your energy on anything that may sabotage our intimacy.”

Pema stared intently at Cailyn, but she didn’t back down an inch, and he saw a grudging respect light the witch’s sea-green eyes. Finally, Pema nodded to Cailyn and turned her attention back to him. He suddenly wasn’t sure he was ready for this. What if they did discover a spell? Worse yet, what if they couldn’t remove it?

All of a sudden, he choked on the dread that he would be asked to leave the Dark Warriors. A weak warrior was a liability, and danger to others. He didn’t feel fit to protect Cailyn, and wouldn’t be able to do that without the warriors at his side. She would be better off without him.

Pema’s voice broke his mental bashing and he had to shake out of the gloom. “Fair enough. We will take this on, but this won’t be cheap, and it will take us all working together. Are you willing to give us Rhys for another month?” she spun and asked Zander directly.

Bhric blurted, “What am I, chopped liver?” at the same time Zander replied, “Nay, we canna allow that. We need every warrior on duty, which brings up another issue. You need to beware when you leave your home. The danger has increased exponentially, and the skirm are kidnapping females of all races.”

“I will gladly stay home with Bhric,” Suvi purred, sliding the warrior a hot glance.

Isis smacked her shoulder. “Focus sister, we have work to do.”

Jace took a deep breath. It was now or never. He girded his resolve, and faced the sisters. “What do I need to do?”

*****

Jace had been pacing the Spell Room for the past ten minutes while the witches made their preparations. The earth tone walls and hardwood floors were closing in on him despite the twenty foot ceiling and large circular skylight. He had wondered how they were able to perform magic in an interior room. Witches needed the four elements to cast their spells, and the moon aided in their ritual.

Isis pushed a button and vents along the side of the window opened, allowing fresh air in. Jace admired the Celtic design in the leaded glass of the dome. The inner circle of the design was done with clear glass to allow maximum exposure, with vines and flowers interwoven around the edges in blue, purple, and green glass.

His gaze returned to the sisters. They had swept the room with a besom and placed their cherry wood altar directly under the skylight, yet weren’t performing the ritual. How long was this preparation going to take? Jace’s sorcery was vastly different, in that he channeled his magic through his staff and very little preparation was required.

Jace anxiously rubbed his wide, silver cuff as he watched them set a trio of white rune-carved candles, and a ceremonial athame in precise positions on the altar. A scrying bowl filled with water was surrounded by numerous colored crystals. Finally, each of the sisters lit one of the candles, and then Pema grabbed the bowl of salt and dried lavender from Suvi.

Snakes writhed in Jace’s gut, they were ready to cast the circle and begin. He suddenly wasn’t so sure about this. He wanted to run away and forget everything, including Cailyn, but there was no backing out now. He forced his fears and trepidation into a vault, because any negative energy would taint the space and could alter the spell. He closed his eyes and called forth an image of Cailyn and found his calm amidst the storm. As scared as he was of the outcome, his Fated Mate had become his everything.

Jace came to attention when they moved him into the south position of the altar. “Okay, Jace. We are going to cast our circle now and get this show on the road,” Pema informed him with a reassuring smile. She turned to her sisters, “Ready?”

“I was born ready, ask Bhric,” teased Suvi as she fell into step behind Isis. Jace was amused at their energy and youthful zest. Their excitement was infectious, and gave him hope.

Isis rolled her eyes at Suvi while Pema removed her green silk robe. She neatly folded the cloth and placed it out of the way under the wood table. Jace tried not to gape; she was naked as the day she was born. He didn’t know why he was so shocked, because he knew witches performed magic best when sky-clad, to better draw energy from the moon. He gulped as he remembered that they also performed strong magic when sexual elements were involved.

He found himself praying that the sisters didn’t include those sexual elements in this ritual. The thought made him uncomfortable, and for once it had nothing to do with the nausea it induced. He’d never had a problem with the carnal aspect of the craft, but he had been blessed with his Fated Mate, and he held that sacred. There would never be another female for him, no matter how things turned out between them. Cailyn was it for him.

Once all the sisters had shed and stored their respective robes, Jace watched as Pema then began casting the circle. She took the salt mixture and walked deosil in a perfect circle. After she had completed her first circuit, Jace saw white light projecting from the salt.

On her second turn, she began chanting, "I cast this circle to keep us free of all energies that are not of The Light,” she glanced back and gave him a meaningful look. Apparently, he wasn’t doing a great job with his energy. He recalled Cailyn’s image and held it in the fore.

Pema continued, “I allow within this circle only the energies that are of The Light. So Mote It Be.” On her third circuit, Jace listened as she consecrated the space and marveled once again at how different witchcraft was from his sorcery. He had been told how earth-based the craft was, but it was amazing to see and feel the power. His magic was much more mystical, derived from the heavens. He would say his came from Morrigan directly, but he felt the Goddess in the magic they were calling forth.

Isis picked up a white piece of chalk and knelt to call the quarters. As she scribed the pentacle, she invoked the element in each direction as she went. “Hear me, Sentinels of the East, I summon the powers of Air! Hear me, Sentinels of the South, I summon the powers of Fire! Hear me, Sentinels of the West, I summon the powers of Water! Hear me, Sentinels of the North, I summon the powers of Earth! As above, so below. As within, so without. Four stars in this place be, combined to call the fifth to me! So mote it be.”

Jace was so accustomed to seeing magic in terms of color, and while the white light did brighten, it paled in comparison to the sudden influx of power he felt within the circle.

The circle having been cast and the elements called, Suvi began chanting. “Live and learn, learn and live. I endeavor to receive what life can give. Bring to me the lessons true. And knowledge of what to do. Amid the mess and chaos fierce. Shine a light to darkness pierce. Show the way to knowledge deep. Which to let go and which to keep. Clear the way so I might heed. The lessons that I truly need. Show me what I need to learn. As life’s pages I do turn. So mote it be,” Suvi called out. The sisters closed their eyes and threw their heads back. Jace expected to feel or see something, but nothing happened.

He should have known better than to hope. There was nothing magical wrong with him. He was a broken male, not fit for his mate.

The sisters looked to one another and then into the scrying bowl. At Pema’s nod, Suvi repeated her spell two more times before they looked into the water once again. Jace began to sweat. It sucked receiving confirmation that he was as screwed up as he had believed for centuries, and that meant he had to give Cailyn up. His chest ached and his heart fractured at the thought. He would rather die, but he refused to force his mate to accept a broken, unworthy mate.

“Jace, you need to find your calm again. We are going to try another spell, combining our powers, and we can’t afford your negative energy interfering in our circle. I don’t want to have to throw you out and recast everything. It will be far more effective with you in the room,” Pema directed to him.

Jace gave her a curt nod. She was right, and it was reassuring to know they weren’t giving up. There was hope.

The witches flanked the altar across from him and joined hands. They chanted in unison this time, the power building with each verse. Light glowed between their clasped hands where he had seen those odd stones.