Chapter Nineteen
Kadie was waiting for him when he got home, as he’d known she would be. Eyes narrowed, she looked him over from head to toe when he materialized in the living room. “You’re all right?”
“Never better,” Saintcrow said, drawing her into his arms. “How about you?”
“I’m fine now.” She lifted her face for his kiss, her eyelids fluttering down as his tongue teased hers.
For a moment, time stood still as she lost herself in the sheer pleasure of being in the arms of the man she loved more than life, touching him, tasting him.
She sighed when he lifted his head, reveling in the aftermath of the sensations he never failed to arouse.
And then reality returned. “I was worried to death about you. I got the strangest images and feelings while you were gone. And pain.” Her gaze searched his. “Are you sure you’re all right.”
Taking her by the hand, he led her to the sofa, sat, and pulled her down beside him. “I met a legend,” he said, his thumb stroking her palm.
“A legend?”
“Yeah. Her name is Mara.”
“How did you find her?”
“I didn’t. She found me. It seems one of the witches gave her some of my blood and she tracked me.”
“Why?”
“Apparently we have a mutual acquaintance who told her I was in trouble.”
“Really? Who?”
“I’m thinking Oriana.”
Kadie nodded.
“Mara brought a friend with her. A vampire who was a former priest.”
“A vampire priest? I don’t believe it.”
“It’s true. He performed an exorcism on me.”
Kadie stared at him, open-mouthed. “Are you serious?”
“Never more so.” Saintcrow shook his head. “Damnedest thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“Was that the pain I felt?”
“Probably. I can tell you one thing for sure, it isn’t something I’d want to go through again.”
“I wouldn’t think so. I had images of a storm and lightning and wind. And thunder that rocked the earth.”
“Yeah, there was that, too. I was a little worried when it was over. Mara had warned me it would leave me feeling weak and she was right. I couldn’t even sit up until she gave me some of her blood.
Damn, darlin’, I’ve never tasted anything like it.
Not as sweet as yours,” he murmured as his knuckles caressed her cheek.
“But powerful as hell. According to the priest, Elowynne won’t be able to work anymore of her dark magic on me. ”
“That is good news,” Kadie said. “Which witch sent Mara to you? Alara or Izabela?”
“I don’t know, but I owe them big time.”
Kadie snuggled against him, relieved that he was safely home. She closed her eyes as his hands caressed her. She had more questions to ask but they didn’t seem important now, not when Rylan was kissing her, caressing her, whispering that he loved her, needed her.
With a sigh, she gave herself into his keeping. Her hands clutched his shoulders as he rose over her, his eyes dark with desire as he claimed her lips with his. He had some powerful magic of his own, she mused, as he carried her away to paradise.
~ * ~
“I’m going to see the witches,” Saintcrow said as he and Kadie dressed the following evening.
“Why?”
“I need to let them know that I’m okay. And I’m curious to know which one of them sent Mara to me. Do you want to come along?”
Kadie stared at him, eyes wide with surprise. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. What’s the big deal?”
“You mean I finally get to meet the mysterious Alara?”
“Yeah, I guess it’s about time. We’ll go see Izabela first.”
~ * ~
Izabela was waiting for them when they arrived. Her narrow gaze ran over Saintcrow as she unlocked the screen door and invited them inside. “Something’s different,” she said as she led the way into the living room and settled into her usual place in the old rocking chair.
Saintcrow nodded as he sat beside Kadie on the sofa.
Leaning forward, Izabela asked, “What’s happened?”
He told her what had occurred in Romania, leaving nothing out.
“I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of this Mara, or of a vampire priest,” Izabela remarked.
“Me, either,” Kadie said. “How has she lived so long without us hearing about her?”
Saintcrow shrugged. “Anything is possible if you have the power to do it.”
“Is she stronger than you are?” Izabela asked.
“She’s older,” Saintcrow said, with a shrug. “It’s to be expected.” He tapped his finger on the cuff on his wrist. “Your magic did its job. What do I owe you?”
The witch grinned. “Ah, yes, I’d forgotten.”
Saintcrow snorted. “I doubt that.”
Reaching into one of her pockets, she withdrew a small glass vial and removed the cork.
Rising, Saintcrow bit into his wrist and held it over the container, pleased to see that his blood was again its usual color.
When the vial was full, Izabela took a small taste. And smiled. “The witch’s poison is gone.”
With a nod, Saintcrow said, “Then it was well worth the price.”
“Indeed.”
Saintcrow stood, drawing Kadie up beside him. “Until next time, witch,” he said, with a smile.
Izabela walked them to the door where she surprised everyone by planting a kiss on Saintcrow’s cheek. “Until then,” she murmured, and quietly closed the door behind them.
“Well, I wonder what got into her,” Kadie remarked as they left the witch’s yard.
“Beats the hell out of me,” he muttered as he glanced up and down the street. Seeing no one in sight, he took Kadie’s hand and transported the two of them to Alara’s tree house in the Everglades.
A heavy stillness hung over the forest, as if all the creatures were holding their breath.
Kadie looked up at the tree house and then at Saintcrow. “Do you smell that?”
“Someone’s dead.”
“You don’t think...?”
He nodded. “Stay behind me.” A thought took him up to the witch’s door, which stood open. The air inside was foul, thick with the scent of dark magic and death.
Saintcrow swore under his breath when he saw the witch. She was lying on her back on the floor in a pool of blood, her strange green eyes open and staring into eternity. There was a gaping hole where her heart had been.
Kadie gasped and looked away. “Is that...?”
“Yeah.” He swore again. “Elowynne,” he said. “Damn her black soul to hell. She’s done this.”
“Why?” Kadie asked, and then answered her own question. “Because Alara sent Mara to help you.”
Saintcrow nodded. Elowynne was even stronger than he’d feared if she could take Alara unawares, for there was no sign of a struggle, only the scent of blood and death. And the mingled scents of Alara’s surprise and fear. Dammit!
He glanced at Kadie as she laid her hand on his arm. “It isn’t your fault, Rylan.”
“Isn’t it?”
“You’re not responsible for what Elowynne does.”
“Just the results.” Kneeling beside the body, he closed the witch’s eyes, then pulled a quilt from the sofa and covered her. “I’ll come back later and bury her.”
“Do you think that’s wise? Maybe this is a trap of some kind.”
“I can’t let Elowynne get away with this.,” he said, rising. “She’s gone too far this time.”
“But...”
He shook his head. “Before, it was just between her and me. This changes everything. If she’ll go after Alara, there’s no telling who might be next.”
An icy shiver skated down Kadie’s spine. He didn’t have to mention her name to know he was worried about her. It wasn’t necessary, she thought morbidly. She was worried enough. Even with Rylan’s blood in her veins, she was no match for a dark witch with vampire powers.
“She’ll have to go through me to get to you,” Saintcrow said, his voice as cold and final as the grave.
Kadie had no doubt he would die to protect her, which was, of course, what worried her the most.
~ * ~
Kincaid was waiting for them when they returned to Morgan Creek. Standing on the porch, he said, “What’s going on? I sensed your anger a few minutes ago.”
“Elowynne killed Alara,” Saintcrow said flatly. “Come on in.”
A moment later, the three of them materialized inside the house.
Kadie dropped down on the sofa. In her years with Rylan, she had seen death in many forms, but nothing quite as gruesome as what had happened to Alara.
She glanced around, wondering just how safe their lair really was.
The house was strongly warded against intruders of all kinds of supernatural creatures, including some she wasn’t sure even existed.
Rylan patted her shoulder. “She’s still a vampire. Dark witch or not, she can’t come inside uninvited.”
Kadie nodded. “If you say so.”
Going to the wine rack, Saintcrow opened a bottle and filled three crystal goblets. After handing one to Kadie and one to Kincaid, he lifted his own glass. “To Alara, may she rest in peace.”
“Alara,” Kadie echoed.
“To vengeance,” Kincaid said, his eyes dark with fury.
“Vengeance,” Saintcrow repeated.
“So, what do we do now?” Kincaid asked into the silence that followed.
“The next move is up to her,” Saintcrow said. “The last move will be mine.”
“Ours,” Kincaid corrected. “Alara would still be alive if I hadn’t introduced the two of you.”
Saintcrow nodded. “Ours.”
Kincaid drained his glass. “All we have to do now is find the witch.”
Saintcrow laughed but there was no humor in it. “I think she’ll find us.”
~ * ~
It was after midnight when Saintcrow returned to the tree house in the Everglades.
He stood there a moment, gazing down at the witch and then, unable to restrain his curiosity, he walked through the rest of the house.
There was a small kitchen with the usual appliances.
There was no electricity in the house. No doubt they ran on magic.
The bathroom was also small, with only a sink, a shower, and a toilet.
The bedroom was larger than he had expected, furnished with an oval bed, an antique dresser made of rosewood, and a matching wardrobe.
He found a small room off the bedroom. The lingering signature of magic told him this was where Alara had conjured her spells.
He found the bottles of blood she had taken from him in a small cupboard and even though they were almost empty, he slipped them into his pants’ pocket.
Pulling a blanket from the bed, he returned to the living room, wrapped the body in the blanket and transported to an ancient graveyard in Transylvania. With his preternatural strength, it took only moments to dig her grave.
Murmuring, “I swear on my honor as a knight that I will avenge your death,” he laid the witch to rest.