Shattered Wards Read online

  Contents

  Chaos Conspiracy

  Copyright

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ELEVEN

  TWELVE

  THIRTEEN

  FOURTEEN

  FIFTEEN

  SIXTEEN

  SEVENTEEN

  EIGHTEEN

  NINETEEN

  TWENTY

  TWENTY-ONE

  TWENTY-TWO

  TWENTY-THREE

  TWENTY-FOUR

  TWENTY-FIVE

  TWENTY-SIX

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  TWENTY-NINE

  THIRTY

  THIRTY-ONE

  THIRTY-TWO

  THIRTY-THREE

  THIRTY-FOUR

  THIRTY-FIVE

  THIRTY-SIX

  THIRTY-SEVEN

  THIRTY-EIGHT

  THIRTY-NINE

  FORTY

  FORTY-ONE

  FORTY-TWO

  FORTY-THREE

  FOURTY-FOUR

  FORTY-FIVE

  FORTY-SIX

  FORTY-SEVEN

  FORTY-EIGHT

  FORTY-NINE

  FIFTY

  FIFTY-ONE

  FIFTY-TWO

  FIFTY-THREE

  FIFTY-FOUR

  FIFTY-SIX

  Shattered Wards

  (Sacrificial Magic 2)

  By

  Holly Evans

  Copyright Holly Evans (2018) ©. All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogue are purely from the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is fictionalised and coincidental.

  Licensed material is being used for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted in the licensed material is a model.

  Cover art by Lou Harper.

  ONE

  I took a slow steadying breath and prepared for the next onslaught. Gideon gave me a broad grin before he swung at me. His left hand missed my ribs by an inch, but I was too slow, and his right fist landed just below my sternum, knocking the air from my lungs. The damn hound’s bare torso was entirely unmarked. His soft golden skin glistened in the warm Scottish sunlight, a sight to behold with his long lean muscles and beautiful bone structure. That didn’t stop the fact that he hit like a freight train, and my torso was black and blue to prove as much.

  We’d been sparring for over an hour, and we’d sparred every day since we moved to the castle. The hound was determined to up my fighting game. He was proud to be mine, and he didn’t want me getting hurt when he couldn’t protect me. Now, I can hold my own in a fight, but he was a whole other level. I gasped for breath and tried to block his next blow, but he followed it up with a sweeping kick that took my legs out from under me. Once again, I was flat on my back, the short grass prickling my skin as I stared up at the sky.

  Kane and Dante were twenty feet away on the lawn in front of the castle I now called home. They were shirtless, showing off their well-defined muscles. Unfortunately, they were also beating the shit out of each other. Of course, they called it sparring, but they were fighting for dominance over the castle. Gideon stood over me with an amused smile on his face, his golden hazel eyes dancing with amusement as he held out his hand to help me up.

  “You could look a bit less smug about it,” I grumbled.

  He laughed and leaned in to graze his teeth over my throat. He’d relaxed and become more comfortable with small displays of affection over the three weeks we’d been together. I rubbed my thumb behind his ear and felt myself softening. The Morrigan had blessed me with three incredible men.

  “Come on, I know you can do better,” Gideon pushed as he moved away and returned to his opening stance.

  Everything ached, and I was starting to grow stiff. Still, I took another steadying breath and found my balance. I’d barely secured my footing when his foot came flying at my midriff. I couldn’t block it, he was far too strong for that. I danced to the side and grabbed his ankle with one hand, hoping to get him off balance. He was too good for that. His other foot came flying up towards my head. I let go of his ankle and ducked under the other kick, I didn’t have a chance to try and get a blow in before his fist collide with my very sore ribs again. He finished up the entire attack, which lasted a matter of seconds, with another blow that sent me back down to the grass and skygazing. Damn hound.

  I laid there on the cool grass gazing up at the clear blue sky, and I wondered how on Earth I’d gotten where I was. I wasn’t there long before Gideon crouched down next to me, a look of concern filling his face. I reached up and tried to hold back the cough as I stroked his cheek to reassure him. He was a war dog; of course he was amazing at kicking ass. Dante came over and looked down at me, his lip split and a black eye forming.

  “You’re supposed to be sparring not skygazing,” he said with a grin.

  “Leave her be, she’s been working hard,” Kane growled as he came to stand next to Gideon.

  The air changed before they could begin sniping at each other. The cool breeze became a hot sticky caress, and a peculiar metallic tang filled my nose and mouth all before it was gone again, leaving me wondering if I’d imagined it. Gideon bared his teeth and glared at the trees behind me. He leaned forward to protect me from some unseen foe. I rolled over and bounced up into a crouch while I tried to see what had put the hound on edge.

  Kane and Dante were both tense and alert. They’d moved to stand on either side of Gideon and me. Something moved between the tall old trees, but I couldn’t see through the gloom to make out what it was. I slowly stood, ignoring the stiffness in my muscles and the screaming pain of my ribs as I tried to keep my breathing calm and steady.

  Kane pulled his sword from the ether and went down into a battle stance, his face grim and fierce as the things in the woods started to move closer. Suddenly, there was what looked like a small army of lesser demons running at us. Their skin was a mix of greys and dark purples. They all had a stone texture and appearance to them with small blood-red eyes and teeth sharper than a redcap’s. I really wished I had my blades on me, but they were inside, and there was no way I was going to abandon my guys.

  Dante moved forward to put himself in front of me, but Kane shot forward and began slicing through the demons. Sulfurous stench filled the air as blood spewed from the stump where the demon’s arm had once been. There was no time to watch Kane dance with his sword. We were quickly being surrounded and needed to take them down.

  I moved away from Gideon to give us both some room while Dante proceeded to punch the demon that rushed him straight in the nose, the demon’s face concave when it fell away. Dante’s father was the high demon prince, and he had the power of that demon side just below the surface. It was showing as the shadows of horns formed near his temples. I ducked under an incoming blow from a slate-grey demon who was naked and a good foot taller and wider than me. Gideon was occupied with a dark purple demon that was trying to wrench Gideon’s head from his body.

  My movements were slow and clumsy where I needed to heal from the sparring match. I kicked out at the demon’s balls, thinking it would be an easy blow, but the bastard moved too quickly, and I missed entirely. His claws sank deep into my ribs, and the pain made my vision blur for a moment. I tried to drive my fingers into his eyes, but he tilted his head back and sank his teeth into my wrist. My blood streamed down my arm. He was toying with me.

  The guys were all faring much better. Kane had a small pile of demon parts around him, and Dante had a collection of broken foes near him. Gideon was
tearing one limb from limb as I glanced over. My original demon was joined by two more, each in shades of bruise purple with thick hides and short stubby black horns on their foreheads. They circled around me, snarling and jeering as I tried to get some hits in. The blood loss was slowing me down even further, and I refused to depend on the guys to look after me. I was better than that.

  My magic bubbled up. The demons were going to die; it didn’t matter if they knew what I was. Anger and frustration at feeling weak and useless washed away the pain and fuelled my magic. I mentally reached into the original slate-grey demon with the intent of blocking the flow of blood to his heart, thus killing him. Instead, the anger got the better of me and my magic poured into all three demons, and when I yanked it back towards me I tore their entire life force and every drop of blood with it. The blood dropped to the ground forming a large violet puddle around me, but the life force flooded my system and gave me a high like no other.

  In that moment, as I felt like a goddess, more powerful than any being and able to crush any who dared stand against me, I understood why blood witches had been driven to extinction.

  TWO

  I rode that high and used the life force of the three demons to fuel my magic enough to rip the life force and blood from the remaining demons. The guys were all coated in their blood, but the demons collapsed as bloodless husks on the vibrant green lawn. Then it dawned on me what I’d done. I wasn’t a goddess. I wasn’t worthy of that kind of power and control. I dropped to my knees and let out a shuddering sob as the high ebbed and I was left feeling exhausted and in agony from the wounds. I should have used the magic to heal myself at least. It had been too easy to fall into that feeling, that incredible feeling of power.

  Gideon ran to me and snarled at Kane as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to his warm firm chest. I curled into the hound’s embrace and allowed the tears to run freely as the fear that I was a monster filled my mind. Gideon stroked my hair and kissed the side of my face, calming and soothing me as I allowed the adrenaline and the magic high to run its course. I don’t know how long I sat there. All of the blood had dried, my own and the demons’, and the husks were almost entirely gone by the time I pulled away from Gideon and looked up at Kane with apologetic eyes.

  “Let’s get you healed,” Kane said gently.

  He extended his hand to me, and Gideon released me so I could take it.

  Dante remained a little away. The shadows of his horns were still visible, and his face was a mask of fury.

  I stood slowly. My muscles were seizing up, and the hole in my ribs was a gaping ruin with the white of bone showing.

  “I should help him,” I said quietly to Kane.

  “He brought this on us. They were demons, Wren. He’s the fucking demon prince,” Kane growled.

  “I am no such thing,” Dante snarled.

  “He didn’t summon them. He doesn’t deserve to suffer,” I said firmly.

  Kane frowned

  “I’ll get the healing stuff ready,” he said before he headed back to the castle.

  Gideon put his arm around my waist and helped me walk over to Dante, who was silently fuming as he looked over the blood-stained grass.

  The hound kept his eyes down and tensed as we got close to Dante. Dante hadn’t had his demon side come forward this strongly since he was almost used as a blood sacrifice. Gideon’s memories of torture at the hands of demons flickered down the bond. I squeezed his hand on my hip and forged ahead. I wasn’t going to let Dante fight alone.

  Gideon stepped back when I was within arm’s reach of Dante. I stumbled forward and placed my hand over Dante’s heart, smiling at the beautiful sigil tattoos. I couldn’t help wondering what he’d be like without them, given they helped him keep control. He relaxed under my touch and gently wrapped his strong arms around me as he kissed my forehead tenderly. I rested my head against his chest and listened as his heart rate slowed, felt his muscles loosen and relax around me.

  “Thank you, Wren,” he whispered.

  I stretched up to my tip-toes, ignoring the agony that caused, and brushed my lips over his. We hadn’t had much time for affection and intimacy since we’d moved to the castle, but I felt like we both needed it in that moment. He returned the kiss, slow and gentle, full of unspoken gratitude. He pulled away to run his thumb along my bottom lip.

  “Tell me what happened,” he said softly.

  I looked away, shame making my cheeks burn hot. I couldn’t. He sighed softly and stepped back, removing his touch.

  “It’s not you,” I said with a frown.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, damn you. I know you didn’t bring fucking demons to our home,” I snapped.

  I squeezed my eyes closed. What I’d done had shaken me, and I knew better than to take it out on him.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  “Let’s get you inside and patched up,” he said as he scooped me up into his arms.

  Gideon held back. He was usually my shadow, but he had a deep frown on his face and was pacing back and forth looking at something I couldn’t see. I trusted he’d let us know if another attack was incoming.

  The interior of the castle was a sight to behold. Wide hallways were painted in various shades of off white and pale hardwood floors ran throughout, which gave the huge space a bright and airy feeling. The walls were all solid stone, which made it feel safe, and the large windows in the kitchen gave stunning views over the expanse of garden. Vibrant lawns sprawled out behind the castle, with a pergola in the middle. Mature climbing vines covered the simple wooden structure. They were currently blooming with large white and purple flowers that smelled wonderful. I’d spent a few evenings curled up in the wicker furniture beneath that pergola reading under the clear night sky. It was as though someone had plucked the house of my dreams out of my head and made it reality, and Dante had called it a ‘small getaway.’

  Kane had set out numerous copper bowls along the breakfast bar with small jars of various coloured pastes lined up in front of them. On the very end was a large silver bowl with steam curling over it and a small heap of fresh white cloths. He glared at Dante as he carried me in, not that Dante paid him any attention. I was getting really tired of their sniping and picking fights with each other. I got it, they were both alpha males, but we all had to live together, and the Morrigan had given all three of them to me. They needed to work it out.

  Dante carefully set me down on the tall stool and kissed my temple before he said, “I’m heading for a shower.”

  “You should check on Gideon, he’s rarely away from Wren’s side for this long,” Kane said as he picked up one of the cloths.

  “He is a grown man, he doesn’t need babysitting,” Dante snarled before he left.

  I groaned.

  “You’re my best friend, I love you to pieces, but you and Dante need to stop this bullshit,” I said.

  Kane’s face hardened for a moment before his sea green eyes softened and he blew a stray piece of hair out of his eyes. I reached over and tucked it behind his ear. When we’d worked together, I’d kept the hair around his face back with a bobby pin so I didn’t have to keep tucking it back every two minutes. He kissed my inner wrist and smiled.

  “I’d be lost without you, you know,” he said as he dipped the cloth in the hot water.

  “And I you,” I said with a smile.

  He was my best friend, my confidante. I didn’t want to imagine life without him.

  The pain was excruciating when he touched my wounded wrist with the cloth. I knew it needed to be cleaned; who knew what awful diseases those demons carried? Kane was slow, gentle, and thorough, but I had my limits. He gave me a couple of bright yellow tablets to help with the pain before he started on my torso, and we hadn’t even gotten to the actual healing yet. Gideon came into the kitchen, splattered in blood and mud, just as Kane was edging towards the outskirts of my tattered sports bra.

  “Sorry, but the bra’s going to have to co
me off,” Kane said with a worried expression.

  He handed me a clean tea towel to cover the essentials with.

  “Ready?” he asked as he edged a short sharp knife towards me.

  “I was never attached to this bra anyway,” I said with a wry smile.

  Kane snorted a laugh before he cut it off me. I clutched the tea towel to my breasts to try and preserve my dignity as Kane began cleaning the deep claw wounds on my ribs.

  Gideon stood at my side watching Kane with a deep frown on his face, his eyes hard and protective.

  “There was a note,” Gideon said finally.

  He placed a crisp white envelope on the granite countertop next to me. The envelope had a blood red seal with a large B in the middle.

  “That will be from my father,” Dante said with a heavy sigh.

  THREE

  Gideon flinched at Dante’s words, and I reflexively reached out and stroked the nape of his neck to soothe him and remind him he wasn’t alone. Kane, however, narrowed his eyes.

  “So the rumours are true. Your father is Bael.”

  Dante walked around to the other side of the breakfast bar and reached past Kane and the healing bits to retrieve the note.

  “That is what the B stands for, yes,” Dante said sharply.

  “Wren needs food and fluids,” Kane said, looking pointedly at the large fridge behind Dante.

  Dante ignored him and tore open the envelope while Gideon gently leaned against me. I didn’t know much about the infernal realm, but I knew that Bael wasn’t just a demon prince, he was the demon prince. Bael ruled over all, which meant that Dante’s mother must have been even more powerful than I first thought. It would take an incredibly powerful witch to carry not one but two children by Bael.

  Dante’s lip curled before he tossed the note in the trash and began rummaging through the fridge.

  “Share with the class,” Kane said mockingly before he began applying a spearmint green paste to my injured ribs.

  I jumped from the sudden coldness, which caused Gideon to growl at Kane.