Chapter 26
Chapter
Twenty-Six
Every Lord had one devastating power they kept close to the vest and never revealed unless it was a life or death matter. Even then, some Lords chose to take their secrets to the grave.
I’d never seen Rowan’s, and we agreed to let him keep his secret until he was forced to use his. I hoped we’d never see that day.
We popped onto Caelan’s land straight into chaos. Shifters lay scattered on the ground, most injured, some unmoving. Roots slashed and punctured anything in its path. The earth rumbled under my feet. I went to my knees and punched power through the ground, before one of those roots hit us.
Moira swore under her breath. “What the hell.”
Rowan put his arm out. “Stay where you are.” His voice was low and urgent. “Do. Not. Move.”
Magic shattered the air, veins of golden power snaking through the ground, touching each and every shifter.
At its nexus stood Caelan, a glowing specter of power.
He was down on one knee, his arms stretched out like he was taking a benediction.
Every vein in his body glowed with power, but as I watched, his skin broke and split, every bruise and cut and broken bone from his people disappearing, only to reappear on the Lord.
Ethan let out a low whistle. “The Blood Dominion,” he whispered.
“Don’t move,” Rowan said again.
I was still on the ground, my fingers sunk a few inches into the earth. Danu lurked somewhere beneath us, the oily feeling of her magic seeping into my skin. But something else was happening.
I sucked in a breath. Caelan’s magic overwhelmed my body, Pack magic searing my veins. I’d made a huge mistake. That tiny kernel of magic I’d left inside him had linked us. I could feel the immense power roaring through his blood because the same flowed through mine.
“Evie?”
Rowan’s voice sounded like it was underwater.
Caelan threw his head back, an unearthly howl tearing from his throat. A second later, he leapt for Titania’s throat.
“Move,” Rowan growled. Garrett peeled away from the group. My feet felt like they were nailed to the ground.
“Nnnngghhh,” I said.
Moira went to her knees beside me. “Evie.”
Her eyes widened when she saw me. “Oh shit. Rowan. Her irises. Look at her eyes.”
Rowan spun. He sank to the ground and gripped my chin. “Evie. Your eyes are gold. What the hell?”
His attention snapped to Caelan and back to me. “Shit. You’re linked to him. How do I fix it?” When I didn’t answer, Rowan let out a string of invectives. “Evie!”
“Nnnnggghh,” I said again. My breath came in heaving rasps; my heart pounding against my rib cage. I had to release him. If I didn’t, I would overload myself. I sprawled out on the ground, my cheek touching the cold earth, and I sent a small tendril of vine toward Caelan.
I had to touch him to release him, and moving was out of the realm of possibility right now. The vine lifted from the earth and shot upward, slapping Caelan on the back of his calf.
I took back that piece of me as soon as my power touched him, sweet relief pouring through my veins.
“Fuuuuuuuck,” I wheezed.
“Thank the gods,” Rowan swore.
Ethan chuckled. “Seems like your little insurance policy came back to bite you in the ass.”
“Fuck off,” I wheezed.
“Asshole,” Rowan snarled. “Go help, Caelan.”
With a savage grin, Ethan leapt into the fray. Rowan returned his attention to me.
“I’m fine. I promise. Go help Caelan.”
“I’ll stay with her,” Moira said.
Rowan frowned. I pushed at his thigh. “I’ll be up in just a minute. Promise.”
With a short nod, Rowan rose and ran after Caelan.
Moira helped me up. “You sure you’re alright?”
“I am. Just taken by surprise.”
“You got hammered,” Moira said with a short laugh.
I swayed on my feet. “Magic overload.” A laugh bubbled from me. “Won’t do that again.”
Moira slapped me on the shoulder. “Yeah, I don’t believe you. Plus, this is a once in a lifetime event. Caelan will probably never let himself loose like this again.”
At that moment, Titania made a mistake. She moved a hair too slow to miss the lethal edge of Caelan’s claws.
He was a thing of violent glory, unleashed and unholy power fueled upon the backs of his people. Magic snapped and cracked around him, strikes of golden lighting casting a glow across his land.
Blood sprayed from Titania’s throat, cutting off her scream of alarm. Her power failed, sending her slight body crashing to the ground. Caelan followed her down, ripping and tearing through her golden skin.
Rowan and Ethan stood in a half circle around him, neither interfering in his vengeance. Caelan methodically tore her apart; Titania’s body so damaged she could no longer fend him off.
“Holy shit,” Moira whispered.
Caelan looked like an avenging god, intent on destroying any and all threat to his rule. When Titania lay in pieces at his feet, Caelan rose, his skin etched in rivers of molten gold. His gaze found Rowan first.
My husband stayed perfectly still and dropped his eyes, something I had never seen him do. When Caelan turned his attention to Ethan, the other Lord did the same.
Caelan was a threat to anyone or anything who threatened his territory right now, and from the magic blazing through his veins, neither Lord would be able to stand against him.
He slowly turned, his unholy gaze finding me.
Our eyes locked for a long moment before Caelan cracked his neck, a terrifying motion that made him look like a puppet on a string and stalked toward me.
“Oh fuck,” I whispered.
“Man,” Moira murmured. “He is the hottest he’s ever been right now.”
“Shut up,” I hissed.
“Mmmm. So dangerous and lethal. Look at him prowling toward you like an animal. He wants to do things to you. Duuuurty things.”
My lips twitched. “I hate you so much.”
She leaned closer and whispered in my ear. “Filthy things.”
“I am married, you asshole.”
“But neither of us are blind.”
“Moira!”
Her wicked chuckle made me snort.
Caelan stopped inches away from me. Cuts and bruises marred his perfect skin, some of the wounds close to mortal. How was he still standing, let alone walking?
His head moved slowly toward Moira. “Leave.”
The voice that came from him was low, rough, and gritty. Moira stiffened.
“Evie…” Moira swallowed hard. For the first time in a long time, she looked truly afraid. Not for herself, but for me.
Caelan looked like he wanted to eat Moira and not in a fun way.
I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “It’s okay. I can defend myself if need be.”
Moira’s nostrils flared, and I could see her about to argue.
Lightning still cracked in the sky and through the ground; Caelan’s people still lay prone on the ground. But everyone was still alive. For now.
“Do as he asks,” I said quietly.
Her lips compressed, but she took a few careful steps backward.
“Out of earshot,” Caelan growled. Blood dripped from a deep cut at his temple, snaking down his jaw to drip onto his chest. My power rose, the need to heal him almost overwhelming. I shoved it down. He was still connected to everyone, and I wasn’t sure what my power would do.
Didn’t stop my magic from reaching out to him.
Caelan, damn him, felt it and closed his eyes, tilting his neck up as if he were a cat instead of a dangerous god. Were we still connected?
Shit. Not good.
Rowan and Ethan were walking up behind him, but Caelan’s attention snapped to them. “Leave.”
My husband’s eyes began to glow.
I didn’t want anything to escalate. With Caelan in this state, I didn’t think Rowan would win. “Please,” I beseeched him. “It’s okay. I don’t think he’ll hurt me.”
“I would never hurt you,” Caelan growled.
Well. Not quite true and far too late for such a declaration.
The bond between Rowan and I tugged, his concern flooding our link. I sent love and reassurance to him. “Trust me,” I mouthed.
Caelan saw what I mouthed but his intense stare never wavered.
Whatever he wanted, he was willing to take everyone out to get it.
This could either be what he needed for closure or something that might backfire spectacularly.
Since I didn’t see a way out of it without violence, I’d grant him this one time grace.
Rowan didn’t like it, but when I nodded, Rowan took a few steps back. Ethan kept his distance, but he wouldn’t care if Caelan gutted me either way.
“Alright, Caelan. You got me.”
His soft snort told me what he thought of that. “Walk with me.”
“Alright.” I schooled my emotions and did my best to slow my wild heart rate down.
He held out his arm, just like he used to, and tears welled in my eyes. How things had changed.
I slid my fingers over the crook of his arm. Caelan’s eyes shut for a moment, and when he opened them, his stare rocked me back on my heels. My mouth tasted of copper and fear.
“Tell them to keep their distance,” he growled.
“They heard you.”
At his nod, we were off, my bond with Rowan tugging painfully the farther we walked.
If the roles were reversed, Caelan would have burned the world down because he wouldn’t have trusted me or Rowan.
And that was ultimately the reason why I married Rowan.
He trusted me in matters like this, even when we were all in danger.
“Are you alright?” His skin against my fingers was so hot it had to be uncomfortable for him.
“As long as I hold the power, my people will live.”
I glanced at him. “I don’t understand.”
We walked for a little while longer, turning a corner in the path, obscuring us from Rowan and the others. Caelan spoke once more.
“Every Lord has a power they rarely reveal. Mine calls on the entire Pack. I take their strength, but I also take their wounds. For now, they are in stasis, not healed, but not dying either. This power makes me almost invulnerable, but when I release it, I will become almost human in strength and magic for several hours until my own power replenishes. As a downside to becoming almost godlike, If too many of my people succumb to their wounds, I will die as well.”
I stopped in my tracks. “Caelan. Why?”