Wicked Magic (21 page)
Authors: Cheyenne McCray
Rhiannon said, “You haven't told me what Shanai are.”
“They are shape-shifters who live near our Otherworld ocean, far from here,” the Guardian said. “Many years ago they offered the Mystwalkers a trade. Protection from evil forces for the Mystwalker talent at lovemaking.”
Keir's mind still reeled even as Rhiannon looked at him and raised one eyebrow, the corner of her mouth quirking. “Lovemaking talent?”
The Guardian gave a slow nod. “An agreement the Mystwalkers entered into willingly.”
Keir found his voice. “They are banded so that they cannot take their mist form. That makes them naught more than slaves.”
The Great Guardian continued as if Keir had not spoken so roughly. “Your mother would have taken you with her if you had inherited her gifts, but you were born with only the traits of a D'Danann warrior.
“Your father forbade her to see you, ever,” the Guardian went on. “However, she lives close and has watched over you all these many years. She has cried countless tears about the way you were raised, but she had no say. Mystwalkers cannot stay long from freshwater, as you well know.”
The revelation should have come as no surprise because of his father's abuse. Yet shock still sliced Keir like a dagger to his gut. His father had lied. Had made Keir think his mother had chosen the life of a slave over caring for her own son.
Keir's chest tightened and he felt as though the dagger twisted deeper inside him. He could not find words to express the intense feelings ripping through his belly like a blade hot from the forge.
He wanted to rage, he wanted to shout and yell and hack at something with his sword. Pound his fist into a wall. A battle with his half-brother Hawk would be his heart's desire at this moment.
The Great Guardian turned her gaze from Keir to Rhiannon. “It is imperative you each meet with your other people, the Drow and the Mystwalkers. As the Chieftains have failed to support you in this tragic war, new alliances must be made.”
Keir and Rhiannon looked at each other. He saw pain in her eyes that matched the pain in his chest.
“IâI don't know if I want to see him.” Rhiannon shook her head and frowned. “Noâno. I'm sure I don't.”
The Guardian retained her placid expression. “The pain in your heart must be set aside for the good of the many. These alliances must be forged or your world will be lost, Rhiannon D'Anu and Drow, and Keir, D'Danann and Mystwalker.”
Rhiannon leaned against his shoulder and wrapped one of her arms around his waist. In turned he squeezed her tight to him with his arm on her shoulders.
“I don't know if I can do it,” Rhiannon whispered.
“You have the strength within you.” The Guardian turned to Keir. “You are aware that you do as well.”
He rubbed his free hand over his face.
Godsdamn.
Godsdamn.
“For now you must return to the San Francisco Otherworld where you are needed,” the Great Guardian said.
Rhiannon straightened. “Has something happened?”
“Step on the transference stone.” She gestured toward the round, flat platform with the runes etched on it. “I will send you back, now.”
He and Rhiannon obeyed, both giving slight bows before stepping onto the stone.
The Guardian added, “I will send word when it is time to return.”
“Okay,” Rhiannon said, her words sounding rough, as if she needed a drink of water.
Keir nodded. “Aye.”
As the transference began, Keir's thoughts tumbled through the revelations.
Gods. His Mystwalker mother not allowed to spend time with him because of his sonofabitch father. He easily believed his father to be so callous.
His woman half-Drow. He almost laughed at the thought of a D'Danann/Mystwalker/Drow/D'Anu witch child should he and Rhiannon have one.
The thought truly did not bother him. For Rhiannon to have his babe would be his second greatest wish. His first was to have Rhiannon as his own.
As she studied them in the penthouse suite, Ceithlenn felt the heated thrill of conquering Darkwolf and Junga. Both had strong wills and had mentally fought submitting to her, but she had broken them.
“Leave us,” she ordered the Fomorii in human shells who were in the room. Ceithlenn waved the demon-men and women off to the left hallway where their rooms were when they were in the penthouse. These were the Fomorii she would replant throughout San Francisco to replace those killed in the sewers.
When all the demons had left the room, Ceithlenn returned her attention to Junga and Darkwolf.
One more task and they would serve her in a way that neither could begin to imagine. That no one would expectâleast of all the D'Danann and witches.
Her fangs elongated as she looked from the warlock to the Fomorii Queen. “I've devoured ten more souls and their flesh, and it will give me the strength to accomplish today's task. A task that involves you both.”
Darkwolf, as always, masked his feelings, his features blank. She narrowed her gaze as he said nothing. Perhaps she hadn't broken him enough.
Junga gave a low bow but her expression had a hint of anger. Ceithlenn would soon change that.
Satisfaction charged through Ceithlenn, enhancing the beginning of her Change. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes. Heat boiled the blood in her veins, worked its way up from her toes through her body until it reached her hair. Flames licked her scalp as her fingers stretched, turning into talons, and her already long nails lengthened.
A hiss spilled from her lips as her leathery wings pushed their way through her clothing. When they had stretched out and she felt the pleasure of her full transformation, she lowered her gaze and looked at Junga and Darkwolf. She no longer saw in full color as she did in Sara form. Instead, her vision was a mixture of gray and redâbut she had the ability to see a being's soul. The Fomorii Queen and the warlock both had strong souls. A rumbling grew in Ceithlenn's mind and her belly.
“Be prepared for my return.” She hissed again. Her voice had changed to a different pitch than the host body she shared with Sara. Lower. Thicker. Lustier.
She wrapped her arms and wings tight around her body and readied herself for transference. Tingling sensations radiated through her body as she focused on her destination, a location Elizabeth-Junga had shown her earlier.
The penthouse suite spun out of sight until she was in a void of fire and ice. She pressed her mind onward and arrived inside the theater behind the very back row, close to the doors.
She smiled at all the life she saw before her. Life that would soon be her own. Interesting how some souls were strong and pure where others were dark and soiled. She cared not which kind she devoured, so long as she had many to draw from.
Ceithlenn took a deep breath, inhaling the smells of sweat, popcorn, spilled sodas. She heard many hearts beating and blood flowing through veins, as well as explosions and car chases in a movie playing on the big screen at the foot of the rows of delicious people. All that noise was convenient.
As she slowly unfurled her bat-like wings, she smiled at
the irony. Her Sara host told her what was playing on the screen was a
Batman
movie.
the irony. Her Sara host told her what was playing on the screen was a
Batman
movie.
The blood she heard and smelled called to her belly, the souls called to her own black soul. She needed the flesh and blood to quench the hunger in her stomach, the souls to fill her with powerful magic.
With a mere ripple in the air, she made herself invisible to human sight. Then she worked her way down one of the aisles. An electric feeling bolted through Ceithlenn and she almost roared. She would be so fast she would steal as many souls as she wanted without anyone realizing what was happening. In time.
She stopped at the front, turned, and sucked deeply of air and human essence from an entire row at once. Soft gasps were the only sounds the humans made as she stole their souls. She watched in fascination as bodies withered until dry skin clung to bones.
She swept row after row, faster than anyone could react. She drew in and savored every single bit of the human essence that became hers. The more she gathered, the stronger she became, the faster she could steal what was now hersâwhat would give her the power she needed to perform her next task.
Ceithlenn relished every moment, enjoyed everything about her feat. It almost seemed as if she was finished too soon. A theater employee entered and made a small cry, but in seconds Ceithlenn had her soul, too.
When all but the four humans in the last row were taken, Ceithlenn's growling stomach made her lick her lips. She dropped her shield so that the humans could see her, then focused on her meal.
With a smile, she raised her hand and sent a burst of energy to the four people. All became instantly motionless, but dropped whatever they were holding. A bag of popcorn tumbled over a man's lap, its contents scattering. Two drinks slipped from grasps and crashed to the floor. The rush of soft drink rolled and trickled over the steps.
Ceithlenn walked to the first human and tapped her shoulder. The woman came out of her stupor, looked up and
screamed. The sound echoed throughout the theater but could barely be heard over the squealing car chase in the movie.
screamed. The sound echoed throughout the theater but could barely be heard over the squealing car chase in the movie.
Ceithlenn showed her fangs as she grabbed the human by her shoulders. The woman screamed again as Ceithlenn sank her fangs into the woman's throat. A gurgling cry bubbled up and blood rushed over Ceithlenn's tongue. She savored the flavor as the human slumped. Ceithlenn tore the woman's flesh from her bones with her teeth. It was so sweet, so delicious, so satisfying.
When she had taken the flesh, blood, and souls from her last four victims, Ceithlenn wrapped her wings around her body and began the rush of transference.
She arrived back in the penthouse in moments. Elizabeth-Junga sat regally on one leather couch, but her fingertips tapped on the couch's arm in a nervous rhythm. Darkwolf was pacing the length of the room.
Darkwolf paused mid-stride, his gaze riveted on Ceithlenn. Junga stopped tapping her fingers.
Ceithlenn licked the blood from her lips and smiled.
Darkwolf's body went cold when he saw the look in Ceithlenn's eyes. Whatever the bitch had in mind, he knew he wasn't going to like it one damn bit.
Ceithlenn drew up to her full height. She was not a tall being whether in her goddess form or in her Sara body, but the flame hair and black wings made her appear taller and, he had to admit, more frightening.
The stone eye at Darkwolf's neck heated against his chest and pain seared his head. He fought to keep his face expressionless. The lidless eye on the metal chain glowed a brilliant red, which matched the intensity of Ceithlenn's own red eyes.
Ceithlenn's gaze rested on Elizabeth-Junga, and she said, “Shift.”
The demon-woman got up from the couch and approached the center of the penthouse's enormous living room. The once beautiful woman's hands and fingers turned into ham-fisted hands with hideous claws. Her body slowly morphed, bones shifting, her body elongating and thickening, until she was at least the size of a gorilla. Her arms hung down to the floor, and she had bulging eyes and an earless head.
Seeing her like that ⦠Darkwolf turned his head away and focused on Ceithlenn.
The goddess smiled and stretched her arms out, her palms facing Junga. Darkwolf's attention jerked back to the demon. A black light streamed from the goddess, striking Junga in the chest, then spreading over her body like a black fog. The demon began tremblingâ
And then she grew.
Grew.
Darkwolf watched, trying to keep from his face what would surely be a look of horror if he allowed it. Right before his eyes, the demon's body pushed up to the ceiling and her girth tripled. The pop and crunch of bones and ligaments moving made his blood ice-cold.
Grew.
Darkwolf watched, trying to keep from his face what would surely be a look of horror if he allowed it. Right before his eyes, the demon's body pushed up to the ceiling and her girth tripled. The pop and crunch of bones and ligaments moving made his blood ice-cold.
Junga's teeth became longer, wider, and looked as if they had been filed to sharp points. A pair of horns thrust up from her head. Her snout expanded and looked like a pig's, only larger, and her now crimson eyes grew until they were large and round.
He held his breath as Ceithlenn turned her satisfied smile on him. It was a lot harder to maintain his expressionless mask when he knew what was coming. He had no doubt in his mind what she was going to do to him.
He couldn't stop the
“umph”
that came from his mouth as her magic slammed into him. It was a living thing, crawling over him like a million black spiders. His body shook and trembled and he lost control and shouted from the pain as he began to morph. He looked down at his hands, which widened and thickened, and nails burst from his fingers.
“umph”
that came from his mouth as her magic slammed into him. It was a living thing, crawling over him like a million black spiders. His body shook and trembled and he lost control and shouted from the pain as he began to morph. He looked down at his hands, which widened and thickened, and nails burst from his fingers.
The pain!
It was so intense as it ripped through his body. He felt as if his skin would tear as he expanded. He felt his features shift. His hair lengthened and hung over his face, lank and stringy. Smells became sharper and his vision turned so that everything was red and gray. He thought it was likely the chain holding the stone eye would break, but when he looked down, the chain links were thicker, longer.
And the eye was bigger.
Horns exploded from his head and matching pain burst in his mouth as he felt his incisors lengthen until they were outside
his lips. He tried to shout his fury at Ceithlenn, but it came out as a powerful roar.
his lips. He tried to shout his fury at Ceithlenn, but it came out as a powerful roar.
Like Junga, he had been fully changed into something inhuman. An enormous monster.
The goddess lowered her arms and shifted easily back into her Sara form. When she was completely transformed she sank into a nearby chair, slouching down in the seat and appearing exhausted, as if she had used up so much of her power that she couldn't stand, much less sit up.
Now he should kill her. Darkwolf roared again and clenched his massive fists.
Ceithlenn's gaze narrowed on both of them. “Kneel.”
Darkwolf let a fierce rumble rise out of his chest and Junga growled.
The goddess's features changed to one of fury. “You will always bow to me. Kneel
now
!”
now
!”
She straightened in her chair and focused first on Junga. The demon's knees dropped to the floor and she prostrated herself.
Just as Darkwolf was wondering if Junga operated under her own volition, he felt Ceithlenn's magic ram into him like a telephone pole pounding on his head. He barely contained a shout as his own knees gave out and a force like a gigantic hand pushed him so hard his torso slammed to the floor, his arms straight above him so that he was positioned exactly like Junga.
He raised his eyes. Ceithlenn reclined in her chair again with a satisfied smile. Her gaze met Darkwolf's. “Now that's much better.”
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