Legend 4 - Free Falling (10 page)

They moved in unison and formed a back-to-back circle. I would have to come at them head on, and they were waving their poisonous claws at me.
Bastards needed killing
. I couldn’t leave this schoolyard until they were all dead and sent off into space.

One of them lunged at me and nearly caught my left arm. I jumped back just in time. Four separated and, back-to-back, tried to wedge me between all of them. This was so not good.

Out of nowhere—actually somewhere as I had felt the airwaves part—a man’s strong but slightly amused voice said, “It’s needing some help, you be …”

I looked around and up at this warrior in leathers, sword in hand, who looked like he had just arrived from another century. His blond hair was loose except for some braids here and there. His eyes were dark blue and smoldering, and had my situation not been so precarious, I might have stopped to have a better look. However, the moment called for something else altogether.

I didn’t know what or who he was, but I did know he wasn’t a Fae. I was sure of that and nothing else. “Who … who are you?” I managed to ask as I watched him dive, cut an Unseelie in half and, while it writhed, still quite alive and trying to unite with itself, cut off its head.

“No time for that.” He grinned. “We have some killing to do, don’t we—and be careful, lass—don’t be letting them scratch you.”

I was still trying to assimilate the fact that this hunk of eye candy had appeared out of nowhere, when another one—another smoking-hot guy in leathers—stepped through the atmosphere. They looked alike, as brothers might, and I quickly decided they must be related. And, as I stood and fought with them side by side and back to back, I learned something: cut the devils in half and then take off their heads … good trick.

During the few moments it took to wipe out the group of Unseelie creatures, it occurred to me that these two guys held death weapons in their hands.

Just what and who were they?

* * *

She was infuriating. She was obstinate and cocky. She was too sure of herself. She was totally fearless. The combination of all those attributes would get her killed.

Our lessons actually went better than I had expected they would. She seemed pliant to my authority. She seemed to genuinely want to learn everything I could teach her, and my
enfant
learned quickly, too quickly for her own good.

She knew how skilled she was and was impatient to use those skills. She was impulsive and reckless. She was unwilling to practice the arts I had taught her and instead looked expectantly up at me—waiting to hear how awe-inspiring she was.

In truth, the expression on her pert face made me smile inwardly. She was in many ways an innocent. How could she not be at her age?

She had been sheltered by her parents and lived in a human world where she knew nothing but coddling and affection. She wanted me to tell her ‘good girl’. She wanted me to shout out how very skilled I thought she was, but I could not. Why should I pander to her in that way and serve to embolden her self-assurance?

She moved with the sword as though one with it. I was, in fact, truly amazed by her skills. She was proficient in all the things I had taught her, and it was important, because very soon she would be in harm’s way. The thought of her facing Gais was nearly more than I could bear. He was filth, not worthy to stand against the perfection of her soul …

I needed time to myself, to work on my own patience—to work on my own emotions and check them. I needed time to come to grips with the fact that she was rough and tumble, and overly enthusiastic, and brave to a fault—so brave that in spite of her youth she captivated my admiration.

I am Danté, Prince of Lugh, and I already knew how fickle a woman’s interests could be. I did not mean to be entrapped by a human female’s charms. She might be Daoine—a Daoine princess—but there was the human in her.

Radzia worried me. She would throw herself into the fight without thought to her own safety. She would charge at Gaiscioch … My mission was to keep her safe. My queen told me that she was the important link in the prophecy, but I found myself wanting to protect her because of the soul that shone in her eyes … and another feeling I should not have, but did. When I was with her I found myself wanting to touch her.

I am Danté, Prince of Lugh. I had more than seventy thousand years at my back. I did not get maudlin, and yet …

Scotland’s Highlands rolled out before my eyes. The hills fluctuated in beauty and made what the humans called ‘a patchwork quilt’ of the land. It was an apt description. I love the lay of MacDaun with the Caledonian pines and the smell of the mountains with their glorious lochs.

And all at once, even as I relaxed to the sweet breath of nature, the wavelength I had installed between my
enfant
and me when she was sleeping called to me. My Z
was in danger!

I immediately shifted and …
bloody hell!

* * *

Everywhere I looked, I saw gray blood and gore. The sidewalk was covered with globs of repugnant goo, and I told myself,
Z, you must be a natural-born killer … none of this really disturbs you.
I looked at my clothes. Oh no—I couldn’t walk into a shop bloodstained. I used magic to clean my clothes and my skin, but even so, I could still see stains.

Before the actual bloodletting began, I had immediately enacted the
ar dhuine
, one of our concealment spells. I didn’t want the children to witness what was about to take place. They saw grandmothers; they didn’t see monsters, so I hid the entire scene from them.

The two guys in leathers fought like they had been doing this awhile. We never spoke, the three of us. It was as though we were programmed to work together as a team. We clicked immediately as we went into warrior mode. There was a science to our movements. Yes, the killing was savage, but it was done with precision.

We neatly, easily formed a line as we advanced and invited—no, taunted—the Unseelie to attack. They broke their
back to back
and attempted to lash out with their poisonous claws. That wasn’t happening today. I remembered what Danté had told me about enacting a personal shield. I did, but because it wasn’t foolproof, I still was extra careful. The two hotties in leathers at my side didn’t seem concerned as they ducked and lunged and drove their weapons home.

We were fast on our feet and precise, oh so precise with our swords. One ugly Unseelie after the other was sliced, diced, and had its head neatly severed.

When it was over, only two Unseelie remained standing. They looked at us and started slithering off as fast as they could go. I wanted to give chase, but the two big guys stopped me, one of them physically (the one who had arrived on the scene first). When he spoke, his masculine, low-throttled voice was soft and low. “Nay, lass … doona go after those two.” He grinned wickedly and added, “They are headed right into more trouble.”

I considered him and wondered if that meant there were more where he came from. I turned to the mess at my back and sighed. I thought I had better ‘blink’ what was left of the Unseelie and their innards into another dimension when all at once the bodies, the goo, the gore, all of it … gone. Okay, I had to ask,
Who are these guys
?

Asking myself this question didn’t supply the answer, so I asked them, “Who are you … no, better yet,
what are you
?”

The hunk that had arrived later than the first and looked (to my observation) to be slightly older spoke but not to me. “Chancemont, not now. We must go.”

Hmmm. Chancemont’s name sounded like he appeared—from another century. I reached out and touched his arm because for a moment I thought he was going to leave as quickly as he had arrived, and I needed to know more.

He smiled and took my hand to his lips. “You fight like a warrior born and bred, lass.” His tone was soft. “And I’m thinking you doona need to concern yerself now—go home, and, mark me, I’ll be finding ye, I will …”

“Yes, but—at least tell me, for I know you are not Fae … what are you?”

His arm slipped behind me, and his hand pulled me close. “And
I know
that you are Fae, a princess no less. I have had many women, but never a Fae. You and I … are not meant to be friends, in spite of the Treaty … yet, I would friend thee, lass.”

This sounded like he wanted to do a whole lot more than just ‘friend’ me. But what was he saying? Was he saying he was human? “You are not human,” I accused.

He laughed. “Oh but I am … of a sort.”

As he pulled me in closer I could see this was a heartbreaker—hot damn hunk of male. At that same moment, he took a good whiff of me as he whispered in my ear, “Och, lass, ye know that we’ll be doing more than fighting the Dark ones together, soon …”

I took a good whiff of him in return. He smelled of heather and spice. I liked it. He did not smell like a Seelie Fae, and yet, there was something similar about his scent. He was very sure of himself.

Me, I was just having a good ol’ time. “More than fighting, Chancemont? What more is there?” I flirted with my eyes, for I knew full well what he had meant.

He bent and kissed my lips, lightly and sweetly, and I let him, savoring the soft touch of his sensuous mouth. At his back I heard an irritated moan. “Chancemont, by all that is holy I do not blame thee, but ’tis not the time …”

“In a moment, Da …”

Da? Did he call the other one Da? He called the other hotty
Da
! I had thought they were brothers. Now it turned out the other one was his father.
Ageless
—what then? Were they immortals? I had never met a non-Fae immortal. I had learned about them and was told they were a rare breed.

Chancemont grinned at me and said, “I see that busy brain working. Next time, if you are very good, I might tell you exactly who we are. For now, all ye have to know is that, like ye, we are committed to destroying any Unseelie Fae that walk this earth …”

In another fluid movement he bent once more, and when his mouth met mine this time it was to part my lips and introduce his velvet tongue to mine. When he was done, he nibbled at my neck and whispered, “Ah, lass, ’tis hard pressed I am to leave ye … but, I must. What may I call ye then?”

“Radzia—Z, if you like,” choked out of my mouth. His eyes were so deep blue, like the color of bluebells, and for a moment, I was just a girl, being romanced by just a hot guy. Down deep I knew I didn’t have time for this, but he wasn’t in earnest, and I knew neither was I.

“Z … I like that. I will see you again, Z—very soon.” He turned and stared at his father. “She should come with us.”

“Chancemont—that is
enough.
”

“Da
, she is worthy.”

“And still, that is enough,” Da said in a clipped, harsh tone.

My mouth had dropped open. What did he mean I should come with them? Where were they going exactly? What did he mean I was worthy?

He laughed and closed my mouth with his finger. “Ye’ll catch flies like that, lass. I bid thee good day. Right then, Da … I’m ready.”

“Wait—just tell me—how did you happen to be here?”

Chance put a finger to my lips, and his voice was full-throttle sexy. “I saw ye take a stand against the Unseelie. We made quick work of the ones we were fighting and came to aid ye.”

“You saw me? You weren’t here … you … they … how did you …?”

But all I heard was his laughter as his father touched his shoulder and they shifted—sort of—and were gone. Something was different about the manner in which they shifted. I puzzled over it, but not for long, because I didn’t get the chance.

Without warning Danté, who had taught me not to shift like a savage, did. He came roaring into the atmosphere and stood like an outraged primal beast as he glared down at me way too close and way too personal.

He took my arm in his firm grip and shifted us back to MacDaun, into the training room, where he stepped away from me and then rounded on me to blast, “What the hell were you doing with
them
?”

“My Jeep is still in Inverness,” I objected, and then his question came through the thoughts bumping out of my mind.
Them
—what did he mean
them
?

“I will fetch it later. Now speak, you—what were you doing cavorting with them?”

He said it again, so it wasn’t an error of the moment. My eyes narrowed as I asked, “Them? By them, do you mean those guys I was just with, and does that mean you actually know who they are?”

“I know they aren’t the sort you should mingle with—let alone allow to touch and kiss you!” His eyes narrowed. “And do you always allow strangers—for I am assuming you don’t know who they are, hence,
strangers
—to touch and kiss you?”

I felt the heat in my cheeks. “You have that all wrong. We actually fought a pack of skeleton yuck things, and we fought them side by side, and those two were fighting Unseelies in the city when they somehow knew I was surrounded and came to my aid.” I shrugged. “It seemed only right to thank Chancemont with a kiss …”

Why had I just said that? What was wrong with me? Now I was going to hear it forever, but as I looked at the fury written all over his handsome face and saw his gold-dust eyes light up with anger, I felt a moment’s thrill.