Isis' Betrayal (9 page)

“
You two and your mates.” Suvi shook her head in mock disgust, but Isis knew she was playing. Of the three of them, Suvi had always embraced the idea of Fated Mates, and openly yearned for hers. “So how soon can I expect to have to move to the opposite side of the house? I can only take so much moaning and groaning and not be a participant. But, don’t worry. I’ll take the little rug-rat with me. I plan to be his favorite auntie, giving him chocolate cake for breakfast.”

I
sis laughed at her comment and her heart began pounding in her chest. She hadn’t thought about what her life may entail with a Fated Mate who had a stripling, which reminded her that Cele had kidnapped his son and Isis needed to find a way to free him.

She hadn’t yet told her sisters, and was nervous about their reaction. She knew they’d want to burst into Cele’s house immediately to rescue him. It had taken patience Isis hadn’t known she possessed to keep from grabbing her sisters the second she had returned home, but Cele was dangerous, and they needed to be careful. This was personal now, and she refused to risk Donovan.

For the hundredth time that night, Braeden’s soul sent soothing pulses coursing through her. It had begun after they made love, when her distress returned full force. She didn’t want to attempt any rescue without Braeden being on board, but he hadn’t said anything more about where his son was. She had wanted to force him to tell her about what was going on, and the fact that he was being closed mouth about this made her suspicious.

Why did Cele have his son? Why was he keeping this secret? Why couldn’t he trust her enough to ask for help? Did Cele have something on him? Where was Donovan’s mother? Did she have something to do with this? She shook away the questions she wasn’t going to get answers to anytime soon. She wished watching Pema overcome her many hurdles had better prepared her for the problems she now faced.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, sis. My mating is far from Pema and Ronan’s. We have a lot to work out, starting with the fact that it was his son that we saw in Cele’s crystal prison. And, before you ask, no, he didn’t tell me that, I recognized him in a picture at his house. We need to find a way to break that spell, like now, so we can go in and rescue him.”

P
ema wrapped an arm around her shoulders in support and comfort. “What? I can’t believe it. Do you think Cele knows you’re mates? I mean, that’s impossible, right?”

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Of course that’s impossible,” Suvi responded. “I don’t know why she did this. Do you think your mate got into trouble with her? Maybe he took out a loan he couldn’t pay back.”

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I thought of that, but it doesn’t fit. His house was small and his furnishings were modest. He’s an artist and his metal sculptures were all over the house, but it didn’t seem like something he needed money to fund. He turned his garage into his workshop, so he doesn’t need money for a shop. He would have had to borrow a crap-ton of money for her to kidnap his son. There’s got to be more.”

“
What about his ex? Maybe she borrowed money. Or, maybe she asked Cele for potions she couldn’t pay for. I don’t think Cele is into drugs or illegal weapons, but after what we’ve learned, I wouldn’t put anything past her,” Pema added.

I
sis pondered that idea. “Cele could be into anything, but Braeden isn’t. He may not trust me enough to come to me and ask for help, but I know him through our bond, and he isn’t into anything of the sort. Unfortunately, my gut tells me that this has to do with us. She has always hated us. I just don’t know how she would have learned we were mates before we did. No one but the Goddess and fate have that information.”

“
Yeah, but we know Cele is into dark magic. Who knows what dark magic is capable of?” Suvi asked.

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Isn’t there someone you can ask about that?” Ronan inquired as he sauntered out from the backroom, heading toward Pema. Isis forgot that the bear shifter had such acute hearing.

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No, babe, there isn’t. No one that I’m aware of has practiced or studied dark magic. I’m certain none of the elders has dabbled in that world, because it tends to change a person, leaving its mark. Besides, in the world of witchcraft, Cele is the High Priestess. That means, she is the one everyone goes to with their questions,” Pema explained as she embraced her mate.

“
I just don’t understand why he doesn’t want to talk to me about it,” Isis lamented, beginning to pace around their store.

“Give the male some time, Isis. I can guarantee that he is distracted by the need to save his son and navigate your mating. There is a reason he hasn’t mentioned it to you. Take it from me, he is protecting you and his son, the compulsion will allow no less,” Ronan shared.

“
I know you’re right, but it doesn’t make this any easier. I can’t stand to leave him in her evil clutches, but at the same time, I want Braeden to be a part of our efforts. Ultimately, getting Donovan out is far more important right now. Do Killian or Evzen have any books that may help us? For the first time ever, I wish we had gone to Cele’s school long enough to make loyal friends so we had access to her vast library.”

“
Me too, but there is no one there we can trust. They’ve all drunk Cele’s evil Kool-Aid. We need to perfect our spell before we go back in, that’s for sure,” Pema replied. Isis thought about how disastrous their last foray into Cele’s mansion was. They had almost been caught, and she had no idea if Cele knew it was them. The way Cele stormed into the house told Isis that Cele was aware her protections had been broken, but Isis questioned if they’d covered their tracks well enough.

T
he tinkling of their door-chime sounded and all four of them turned to see who had entered. Isis’s mouth dropped open and her eyes bulged. None other than the High Priestess herself was standing in their doorway. Pema took one step forward with Ronan close at her back. She could tell by his protective stance that he was itching to eliminate the witch. “How can we help you, Cele?” Pema asked pointedly.

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You can help me by relinquishing your power to me, and then going straight to hell,” Cele spat out. She could almost see steam escaping from the witch’s ears, she was so angry. Isis noted the witch seemed to be muttering under her breath, and, wanting to be prepared for anything, she clasped hands with Suvi and touched Pema’s fingertips, connecting them. Isis felt an additional jolt in their combined power when Ronan laid his palm on Pema’s shoulder. Okay, that was new, and something they would need to talk about at a later date.

“
There is no way in hell we would do that. You really have lost your mind, you know that?” Suvi spouted.

At that moment, Isis felt a pressure to obey Cele’s command. It quickly became imperative that she do exactly that. She felt Suvi lose her vehemence and knew there was some magic at play in the matter. Pema, however, seemed to be immune. Why, Isis wondered. The thought crossed Isis’ mind that Ronan, as her Fated Mate, was anchoring Pema. Testing her theory, Isis conjured an image of Braeden smiling and nearly whooped when the compulsion left her. She squeezed Suvi’s hand and reached out through her bond to her sisters, mooring Suvi to the three of them.

I
sis saw when Cele realized her attempt had failed. The High Priestess was undaunted. “I will make you regret not giving me your power freely. What I will bring down upon you and your mates will be like unleashing Lucifer upon earth.” Cele waved her twig-like arms, reminding Isis of a dried-up, dead tree. “I know what you did to my daughter, just like I know that you broke into my house. As for you, I will never understand why my daughter gave you the best years of her life. You were always beneath her,” Cele said, pointing at Ronan. “You will be lucky to live through my wrath!”

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I loved your daughter before I knew who she really was. Now that I do, I see that you both grasp for what belongs to others, because you fall short in every respect,” Ronan asserted.

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Tell me, Cele, when did you go Dark? How can you imprison and torture a helpless stripling? Does it make you feel powerful to see him cower from you in fear?” Isis couldn’t help the disgust that seeped into her voice. Only those who went Dark were capable of such despicable acts. When a supernatural turned evil the whole world was at risk and just being near this female made Isis’ skin crawl and her gut churn with acid.

S
uvi took a few steps and they formed a triangle, facing down Cele. “And, by the way, how is Claire? Fate finally catch up with her? They do say never to mess with fate, that she’ll bite you in the ass in the end.” Isis finished, holding back as much destructive anger as she could.

T
he High Priestess turned bright red with rage. “You will regret crossing me. I have powers above and beyond your imagination.” Isis had a bad feeling about what was going to happen next. Understanding Pema’s silent command to cast a barrier spell, Isis muttered the words under her breath along with Suvi and Pema. “Oh no, you don’t,” Cele yelled and had her wand out in the blink of an eye.

Isis felt the malevolence attached to the instrument, and tightened her hold on her sisters. Cele summoned her black magic and uttered Dark curses, causing their invisible barrier to slip. Isis prayed that the power of three was enough to combat dark magic. An instant before orange light shot from the tip of the wand, Ronan took Pema to the floor, shielding her with his body and breaking their connection. As he huddled over her sister, he shifted into his bear, his angry growls filling the room.

The first bolt of light passed over them, destroying a wall display of candles. Wax melted and puddled on the floor, bubbling from the impact. As the dust settled, a ten-foot, brown, grizzly bear rose with its enormous teeth bared. Suddenly, Ronan lurched toward Cele with his jaws wide, but Cele was faster as she repeated the curse and orange light burned a path through his left shoulder.

“Noooo,” Pema screamed and crawled to her mate’s side as the bear collapsed to the floor, instantly shifting back into his male form.

“Suvi, get over here, now,” Isis shouted, dropping next to Pema and Ronan.

“No, I don’t think so,” Cele screeched as she spat another foreign word and orange light erupted from her wand once again. Isis let her anger take hold and it rumbled through the building. When the floor shook, Cele lost her balance and her next blast from her wand went wild, destroying several shelves of product. She shrieked and continued chanting words as she alternately aimed her wand at the three of them.

Suvi deflected some of the blows with a shielding spell that sent the light rebounding back to Cele, yet she managed to duck the magic. Before Cele could cast another spell, Isis grabbed Suvi’s ankle, keeping hold of Pema and felt the rush of their combined magic. Unaware they had joined together, Cele let another volley fly and it rebounded off of Suvi’s shielding spell and hit Cele square in the chest. Unfortunately, the witch absorbed the Dark magic and seemed to grow momentarily stronger from it. Suvi dove next to Isis and they both lay next to Pema, who was on top of Ronan’s still body.

Cele shrieked like a bird of prey and Isis could feel her calling Dark energy to her. A thick, dank, grey fog filled the room and surrounded the High Priestess. Isis made sure she had a tight hold on her sisters and automatically, and in unison, they called upon the power of the Goddess, the moon and the power of three.

Black lightning shot from Cele, while at the same time, silver-white lightning left Isis and her sisters. The two energies met and exploded in the middle of the room. The resultant blast sent them all tumbling backwards. Isis recalled the bomb blast the month before as she heard glass explode and felt debris pelting her body. Instinctively, she threw her arms up to cover her head and neck.

The moment the noise stopped, Isis lowered her arms and looked around the room. Their shop was in ruins, yet again. She cursed as she scanned to see where Cele was. The glass from the front windows was in pieces on the sidewalk, along with the High Priestess. Sirens sounded in the distance, indicating that the human authorities were responding. She searched for her cell phone to call Orlando and Santiago, two of the Dark Warriors, to ask for interference with the police department.

Cele surged to her feet and turned towards them. “This isn’t over, not by a long shot,” the High Priestess promised before stalking off into the night.

Isis glanced around at the destruction and spotted Suvi. She pushed debris off her sister, trying not to panic when Suvi was unresponsive. Isis touched a large lump on the back of Suvi’s head and was instantly worried until she heard her voice. “Ouch, that hurts, dammit,” Suvi muttered weakly.

She brushed glass off Suvi’s back and smiled. She sounded like Isis did when she had to wake up early in the morning, but luckily, she was going to be fine.

Pema sat up slowly as several police cars pulled up with their lights flashing. “Ronan is hurt. Call Jace and tell him to get here,” Pema ordered before crawling over to her prone mate.

Ronan had been thrown like the rest of them and he was lying naked on his stomach with a huge hole in his shoulder. The police were going to have questions they couldn’t answer, but, at the moment, that concern was secondary to getting Ronan help. She pulled her phone out and called Jace. After filling him in on the situation and getting his reassurance that he, Santiago, and Orlando would portal into their backroom, she searched for something to cover Ronan.

She handed Pema a blanket she found in the back and noticed that Ronan was coming to. “Don’t move, babe, you were hit with dark magic. Isis already called Jace and he will be here shortly and will heal you,” Pema reassured Ronan.

Ronan cracked his eyes open and took in the scene around them. “Did she get away?” he croaked. At Pema’s nod, he shut his eyes in defeat. “Call Hayden. Tell him about the fight, and ask him to send reinforcements.”