“You
people
don’t seem
to understand who’s calling the shots here.”
“He’s a puppet on a string,”
Mari said as she came to stand beside Kalana.
“Well I wouldn’t go that far,
dear, but yes, you are quite right. There is something that wants to destroy
this town more than me, so I decided to help out.”
“What’s he talking about?”
Kalana asked as she glanced Mari’s way.
“Yes, tell them, my dear,
tell them.”
“I don’t know who it is only
that it’s evil and old. Really, really old,” Mari whispered.
Kalana saw the other man from
the bar step forward as Livi stepped up behind her. Now she understood why Mari
was here. She must have seen something where they were needed to defeat this
army.
“If we knew how powerful you
were, Kalana, we would have asked you to join us,” the other man stated. His
name was Theodoris and he moved to stand next to Gilfore.
“And you would have failed,”
Kalana replied. “I will die for Alston, its people and its land. Do not mistake
the appearance I showed in the human world as the one I truly am.” Kalana held
in her gasp, her body jolting from shock as Gilfore brought his foot down hard
on Marissa’s head, killing her. “You’re sick.” She’d glimpsed Mari turning Livi
the minute his foot lifted.
“Casualty of war.” Gilfore
let out an evil laugh.
“Why keep her in the back
healing, Drake, when she should have been up here fighting on the front lines?”
Theodoris asked.
“Because she’s carrying, you
fool.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly as
Drake turned her to him. His nostrils flared and she sensed the euphoric
tendrils streaming through his blood with her words. “I’m fine,” she breathed
heavily.
“Get back behind the front
line,” Drake whispered.
“I can’t, I’m needed here.”
“Take Livi and Mari and go
back to the manor.”
“The three of us can stop
their assault but it takes a lot of energy out of us.”
“There’s over three hundred
Other
Kin
out there; you can’t stop them.”
Her brow arched at his
disbelief. “Have a little faith, would you?” Turning, she met Gilfore’s gaze.
“Take your minions, leave and don’t come back.”
“Or else what, you stupid
little Fae?” Gilfore laughed.
“You’ll all die,” Kalana
stated, listening as Gilfore and Theodoris chuckled. “This land is protected or
didn’t your evil puppet master explain that to you? Guardians were set in place
in the time of the ancients.” The land’s power started seeping through her skin
to her bones and every fiber of her being. It was more powerful than that of
shifting to full Fae. The deepness of her voice dictated her formation to the
others. “The true hearts of this land will always prevail. Your assault will
get you nowhere. Leave now and don’t come back. This is your last warning.”
“Who’s pulling your strings,
little girl?” Gilfore snarled.
Kalana smiled as Mari and
Livi stood on either side of her. “The true heart and protector of this land,”
she replied as Mari stepped forward, letting lose an ear-splitting screech that
hadn’t been heard in thousands of years, affecting all those who were not of
Alston. Kalana took Livi’s hand, stepping forward with her as
Other Kin
behind Gilfore and Theodoris fled.
“Who the hell are you?”
Gilfore yelled as Theodoris screamed at the folk behind him to hold their positions.
“Are you leaving?” Kalana
lifted her hands when he charged her, sending him back with but a thought.
“Kay?” Drake said from the
sidelines.
“Stay back, it’s out of our
hands now. Get everyone off the front lines. Quickly.”
Kalana stood in the middle of
Mari and Livi.
Theodoris yelled, “Attack!”
and their forces charged.
They three of them lifted
their hands; the energy being dispelled was enormous. She heard screaming and
realized it was the three of them as the land’s power poured through their
bodies, using them as a conduit. Theodoris was thrust backward along with the
entire front line of his forces. Others scattered, and when the powers started
fading, Kalana knew that the threat was gone. “Drake,” she gasped, her knees
giving out as his arms wrapped around her exhausted body.
* * * *
“That was quite the display
of powers,” Drake muttered as he rolled onto his side when her eyelids fluttered.
“I told you they grew. Livi?”
“Is fine and resting in her
room.”
“Mari?”
“Rhys brought her to his
home. Now, explain to me about these guardians you spoke of and how you
channeled the land’s energy.”
Kalana smiled. “Mari and I
were just the conduit. Your daughter is the real guardian and as she grows, so
will her powers. Mari’s been helping her with control. I’m not sure about the
land and how the energies flow, Mari’s the expert in that and she doesn’t talk
about it much. She says it’s not her place.”
Smiling, he lowered his head
to the crook of her neck, breathing deeply. “Mmm, I can scent my child within
you. Are you happy, Kay? Are you okay with becoming pregnant so soon after our
mating?”
“Yes,” she whispered, her
hand cupping the side of his head. “To both.”
The warmth of his lips
caressed her neck before he lifted his head and met her gaze. “I love you.” Her
soft smile had his heart exploding with joy.
“I love you, my great Lyken
warrior.”
Drake chuckled as he drew her
closer. “So how are we going to handle Mari and Rhys?”
Kalana chuckled as she sat
up, straddling his waist. “I don’t know; let’s figure it out later.” Leaning
down she met his kiss.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Erotic Romance Author C. A. Salo, loves to write Science
Fiction and Paranormal.
Winner of Whiskey Creek Press Torrid’s 2007 Best Selling
Torrid title of the year, C. A. still does the *Snoopy dance* when one of her
titles lands a publishing contract.
When not writing, C. A. enjoys home schooling her son,
traveling, movie night with the family, watching the antics of the ‘Princess’
of the house—AKA: The cat
J
.
Snuggling with her long-haired red dachshund, and digging with her hands in the
soil to grow flowers, organic vegetables, and herbs for her family.
Visit my website at:
https://sites.google.com/site/authorcasalo/
.
For your reading pleasure, we invite you to visit our web bookstore
TORRID BOOKS
www.torridbooks.com