Shattered Wards Read online

  “You own the Council, make them look the other way until she’s ready.”

  Dante rolled his eyes at that and stalked out of the room.

  “Let’s get that shirt off so I can patch you up,” I said softly.

  Kane peeled his shirt off to reveal a deep gash running from the middle of his shoulder blades down to his kidney.

  “I’ll burn this,” Gideon said as he picked it up and carried it out into the garden.

  “How bad was it?” I asked as I watched Kane pull out the appropriate pastes.

  “Shit. No one would talk to me, they refused to let Rowan get involved. One of them tried to auction me off.”

  Rowan was the elf prince Kane had formed some form of friendship or alliance with. He was the owner of the fae familiar that had been dropped off on Kane’s doorstep. The prince had been grateful for Kane’s diligence in returning the familiar, which is an exceptionally rare and priceless thing.

  Once Kane had finished mixing the pastes to form one pale blue one, I carefully applied it to his back using slow gentle strokes to try and reduce his pain.

  “How were things here?” Kane asked.

  “The Council summoned us to find a missing ward stone. Dante said it’s been shattered. The veil’s weak around there. Gideon said the area was devoid of magic, so it must have been fae or witches.”

  Kane groaned.

  “They were muttering something about new territory and possibilities when I was there. This is a nightmare. We can’t let that veil fall.”

  “Surely, it won’t fall if one stone is missing?” I asked.

  “No, but we need to make sure another stone is put in its place. The veils exist to protect this plane.”

  I didn’t have anything to say about that. It was all doom and gloom. I wasn’t ready for the world as I knew it to end. It wasn’t perfect, but I was still quite attached to it.

  THIRTEEN

  Dante and Kane insisted on sniping at each other through the evening until I gave up and went to bed early. Gideon stayed downstairs with them, and I fell asleep alone with only worries about the ascension for company.

  It was dark when I was woken by the soft click of my door opening. I frowned. The shape was wrong for Gideon, and he felt as though he were fast asleep.

  “Wren?” Kane whispered.

  I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

  “Gideon crashed on the couch, I’ve come to chase away your nightmares,” he whispered as he padded over to my bed.

  I pulled the covers back behind me and relaxed. The nightmares hadn’t started proper, but they had been edging in, making the dreams dark and cracked.

  Kane got into the bed and scooted over to wrap his arms around me and kiss my neck.

  “I’ve missed this,” he whispered.

  “Me too.”

  I wrapped my hand around his and fell back asleep with a smile on my face.

  The day was devoted to preparing for the ascension. Tension was running high, which meant Kane and Dante almost came to blows twice before lunch and Gideon vanished into the woods to run. I would have joined him if I didn’t need the other two to walk me through the ascension.

  “You’ll step into the circle, and you’ll feel your magic come alive. It will feel weird, but you need to go with it, we’ll all be there to make sure nothing bad happens. Just go with the flow,” Kane said.

  “We’ll need to use her blood to forge the sigils of the circle,” Dante said.

  “Why are you using sigils when runes are simpler and easier to form when you’re not working your own magic?” Kane said.

  “Because sigils give more layers of protection, which Wren needs,” Dante ground out.

  “We’ll need Gideon’s blood, too, as he’s bound to Wren,” Kane said.

  “I am aware. I have a vial of Gideon’s blood ready to use. I’m just waiting on your clarity powder,” Dante said slowly.

  “She doesn’t need clarity powder, she needs bloodbane to stop her magic from riding her,” Kane said with a roll of his eyes.

  Dante exhaled slowly through gritted teeth.

  “Bloodbane during her ascension with blood magic? Are you trying to fracture her essence?”

  Kane’s hands clenched his face twisted into a mask of fury.

  “I would never harm Wren, which is more than I can say for you!”

  Dante’s eyes started taking on a red tint. I raised an eyebrow at him, and he calmed himself.

  “I have never done anything to try and harm Wren. The clarity powder will help Wren see her way through the ascension and pull her magic together,” Dante said coolly.

  Kane looked at me and shame spread across his features.

  “Ok, how much do you need?”

  “One hundred grams,” Dante said.

  Kane kissed my temple as he walked past and whispered, “Sorry,” before he vanished into the depths of the castle.

  I assumed he was going to his work room where he dried all of his herbs and such.

  Dante walked over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

  “We will all be right there with you. It will be scary at first when your magic surges up through you, but there are many layers of protections in place, both for you and for us. Trust your instincts to guide you true, and we’ll help you once you’re ascended,” he said with a gentle smile.

  I didn’t have any words. I was absolutely terrified. No one had dealt with a blood witch before. We didn’t know what to expect. So many things could go wrong.

  Dante brushed my hair away from my face, his touch gentle and affectionate.

  “I’m not giving you up, Wren Kincaid.”

  I rested my head on his chest and allowed his bloodsong to wash over me with its seductive beat. It didn’t knock me off my feet as it felt like it wanted to when we were in Dubrovnik. There was a calmer tone to it that soothed me. He was my guardian, the larger-than-life presence that would keep me safe from the world, and more importantly, myself.

  FOURTEEN

  The moon was high and bright overhead. The ink sky was entirely clear, without a single cloud in view. Gideon walked at my side with his fingers entwined with mine. Kane and Dante had gone ahead to make sure everything was perfect.

  It looked so simple and innocent. A large, grey flat rock sat just above the top of the mature heather. A narrow path had been forged between the heather where we all visited the rock on a regular basis. Small circles glowed white around the edge of the stone. The guys had said they were the wards to keep everyone safe and to help focus my magic.

  Ascension ceremonies were usually big coven affairs. Everyone crowded around and watched in fascination as the witch came into her or, in the rare case, his magic. Kane had come into his combat magic with a stunning display. He had danced with a pair of short swords that appeared out of the ether. I’d been told about some fire witches who looked like a phoenix as they caught fire. I was a blood witch though, which could lead to all sorts of horrifying displays.

  Kane was standing on the far side of the stone with his back to me. His sword was visible in a sheath on his back. I didn’t remember ever seeing him carrying it around. Dante drew my attention as he walked over to me with a grin on his face.

  “Are you ready?” he asked as he reached out and ran his fingertips along my cheekbone.

  “No,” I said with a weak smile.

  He hooked his fingers under my chin and leaned in to kiss me tenderly.

  “You’ll laugh at how nervous you were once it’s done,” he said with confidence.

  “Don’t mock her,” Kane growled.

  “No. Not now,” I snapped.

  Both Kane and Dante bowed their heads.

  Gideon kissed behind my ear.

  “Gideon will be inside the circle with you, as he’s bound to you. Kane and I will be just outside of it. We’ll all be within arm’s reach if you need us,” Dante said.

  I took a long deep breath, inhaling the rich scent of cool damp heather and salt air. Dante’s bloodsong rose to wash over me, caressing my skin and magic making me smile. Kane came over, and his own softer bloodsong wrapped around my fingertips and came together to sound like a symphony made just for me.

  Dante stepped to the side and held out his arm for me to step up onto the stone. The time had come.

  Gideon squeezed my hand as I mentally prepared myself and took the two steps up to the edge of the stone. The same stone I had lay on and stargazed in complete serenity. Swallowing down my fear, I stepped up onto the stone and passed through the silk threads of magic that formed the wards.

  They’d said I just needed to go with it, that the wards and such would do the heavy lifting for me. I walked into the middle of the stone and disentangled my fingers from Gideon’s just in case. Nothing was happening. I’d expected agony or something. Maybe I didn’t have enough magic in me to warrant ascension, after all.

  It hit me as I was about to ask Dante if something had gone wrong. My back arched in shock and pain. I threw my head back and let out a wail that wasn’t my own. Darkness filled my vision, and my magic surged up and filled my mind. The sound of hundreds of bloodsongs rang out, a clashing cacophony of sounds and sensations that made my skin sting and my eyes water. It was too much.

  My magic consumed my body, leaving me feeling as though I had lost all ties with the physical. There was nothing but darkness and sound. I was floating in the abyss weeping as I desperately tried to make the sound stop. Then there was absolute silence, so intense it pressed against the edges of my being. My magic fluttered around me like silk caught in a soft breeze. There was life out there, I could feel it.

  Everything changed in the blink of an eye. Claws, long, sharp, and curved sank into my back and wrapped around the core of my essence, yanki
ng me into what felt like a fire burning white hot. The agony was unlike anything I’d experienced before. I couldn’t breathe, and I didn’t know if I needed to. My magic burned up around me, leaving me as nothing but an empty husk flailing in the heat and the light, trying to find my way back to the physical.

  Ravens burst into my view, large black birds with iridescent feathers and vicious blood-red eyes. They tore at the fire around me and surrounded me with their surprisingly soft embrace. Slowly, my magic returned. Slowly, I became physical once more.

  Cold, damp air filled my lungs. Something solid and cool pressed against my knees and shins. I cautiously opened my eyes and gleefully pressed my palms to the flat of the stone as I wept in relief. Gideon rushed to me and wrapped his arms around me before he began nipping down my neck and squeezing me against his chest. His relief and happiness burnt down the bond, filling it with hot joy. Dante’s bloodsong wrapped around me like a comforting blanket of familiarity that was soon joined with his arms. Finally, Kane’s soft lips pressed to my temple and his soothing scent filled my nostrils. I was safe. My guys had me. I was safe.

  I gulped down air and remained entirely still, revelling in the soft pain of Gideon’s teeth and the strength of Kane and Dante’s arms.

  “What happened?” I finally asked.

  A woman’s voice answered.

  “The Crone tried to steal you from me,” the Morrigan said.

  I looked over Dante’s shoulder to see her dressed in a long blood-red dress, her hair a long mane of raven feathers. Her sharp features were drawn with concern and fury.

  “Your ascension was not entirely completed. Your magic will unfurl as you are ready, and perhaps this is for the best,” she said.

  I could feel my magic deep within me, a large pool of warmth that whispered and cooed when I touched it with my mind.

  “You are mine, Wren Kincaid, and you will fulfil your role,” the Morrigan said before she vanished into the darkness.

  “Well, that wasn’t at all ominous,” I muttered.

  Dante and Kane laughed. Gideon paused his nips to nuzzle my neck.

  “We thought we might lose you. You were screaming and then… your essence, your life force, vanished,” Kane said as he rubbed my lower back.

  “Never again,” I whispered.

  “Never again,” Dante echoed.

  FIFTEEN

  I’d expected everything to be different once I’d ascended, but everything was weirdly the same. The guys had all remained close for the duration of the night. We’d slept in a group in Dante’s bed. Thankfully, Kane and Dante had been polite and reasonable to each other, giving me time and peace to breathe and adjust to the new reality.

  All of our phones kept ringing through the morning until we finally disentangled ourselves and crawled out of bed. Dante got to his phone first. His jaw clenched.

  “As you are aware, Ms. Kincaid ascended last night. We were making sure she was handling her new magic ok,” he ground out.

  Kane raised his eyebrow at me, and Gideon padded off to the closest bathroom.

  “Do I need to remind you who you’re speaking to?” Dante growled.

  Kane smirked, and I held back a giggle. It was stupid, but I couldn’t help myself. Dante was standing in front of the window, and he’d just opened the curtains. The sun flooded the room and made him look like a god as he stood in front of the window, all tight muscles and strong angles.

  He tossed the phone on the bed and looked at us. Kane sat just behind me with his head leaning against mine.

  “Trouble?” I asked.

  “The Council has said we’re responsible for forging a new stone.”

  “Who’s ‘we?’” Kane asked.

  Dante levelled a cool glare at him.

  “Don’t worry, you’re included in the group,” Dante said.

  Kane tensed but said nothing.

  “Does this mean another meeting in the council building?” I asked.

  “No, Kane and I know the politics well enough without their interference. We need to plan our next move,” Dante said as he dragged his fingers through his hair.

  “I know nothing about politics, so I’m going to the bakery to stock up on everything,” I said before I got off the bed and headed to my room.

  I’d been half expecting a screaming match to break out the moment I left the room, but there was just silence.

  As I picked out my clothes, I kept looking inwards and poking at my magic. It felt the same. Was I broken? Did I really just not have that much magic? I felt like it was lulling me into a false sense of security.

  Gideon accompanied me to the bakery, where we ordered enough food to keep us going for a week.

  “We’ll have to deal with the fae, won’t we?” Gideon asked quietly as I drove back home.

  “I think so.”

  He sighed.

  “They are not fond of my kind.”

  “They’re not fond of anything aside from money, and in the case of elves, secrets and sex.”

  The corner of the hound’s mouth quirked up.

  “Do I feel like myself?”

  He frowned at me.

  “Do you not?”

  I shrugged.

  “I thought the ascension would make me feel… different.”

  He placed his hand over mine where I rested it on the gearstick.

  “You feel like my Wren, the woman I’m proud to be bound to.”

  “Thank you,” I said softly.

  I felt completely out of my depth. The Council had told us to just handle complex politics and something that could change the world. I sighed. If I was being honest, they’d assigned Dante and Kane to do that. I was just the hack-and-slash girl attached to them. Gideon reached over and circled his thumb over my cheek.

  “You’re so much more than you know,” he whispered.

  I pulled down the long castle driveway and smiled, home sweet home.

  We gathered the many bags of baked goods into our arms and made our way into the kitchen, where Kane and Dante were, predictably, shouting at each other.

  “Of course we should start with the fae! They’re a bigger threat. We need to reduce that threat first. Speak to your prince and arrange a meeting,” Dante snarled.

  “My coven has ties to the land and an excellent archive full of history of the area. They can help us see who has the power to shatter a stone and who would want to. They may also know how we can make a new one,” Kane ground out.

  Gideon ignored them entirely and walked around them as Dante leaned back against the breakfast bar, his arms crossed over his bare chest, while Kane glowered at him from the other side of the kitchen area. Neither had gotten dressed. Kane paced back and forth in just his sky-blue boxers. The sunlight caught his phoenix tattoo and made it almost look alive as he moved.

  “What are the pros and cons with each option?” I asked as I put the bags down on the counter.

  Gideon put everything away in its usual spot and handed me a wonderfully decadent doughnut topped thick chocolate icing and full of marshmallow fluff.

  “The fae are a larger group with more power, and more history. They will have more political sway, more knowledge, and more magic. That means it was more likely a fae group that shattered the stone, and a fae group that will be able to help us forge a new one,” Dante said wearily.

  “My coven is tied to this land and know the area specifically, rather than hiding away on another plane. They have an archive of the area going back centuries, and my mother’s connections to the Lady Tauno means they will also be able to provide valuable insight into the fae. Thus, two birds with one stone,” Kane said.

  “Yes, but you are biased. You cannot see the downfalls of going to one small coven who would use this to make a power play,” Dante said.

  Gideon growled in the direction of the front door just before someone hammered on the door. We all looked at each other. We weren’t expecting company, and the Council preferred to ring.

  SIXTEEN

  I unsheathed one of my daggers and stalked to the front door with Gideon at my side. The hound was growling and had fire rippling over his hands. My magic bubbled up, begging to be used. I pushed it down, not wanting someone to feel it. They were all supposed to think I was a combat witch like Kane. If they actually felt my magic, I could be screwed.