Chapter 16
Carleigh didn’t have time to worry about Bayu being mad or the fact that she casually told him she loved him, then hung up.
When Harlow called and warned them, they all moved inside the house where they could keep the mages outside as long as possible.
Carleigh had a short sword trained against fake Gemi’s neck.
Her hands were bound behind her back, but she still had her voice.
“I’m assuming since you’re an evil mage that you don’t need to speak to incite chaos.” Carleigh pushed the tip of the sword harder into her skin. “So let me warn you; if anything happens that I feel is off in the slightest, I’ll slit your throat.” Fake Gemi glared but didn’t argue.
Warren stood sentry by the front door, and Silas was looking out the window.
“Nekoma’s back, and Julian’s with him. Nekoma is lobbing fireballs, and Julian’s wings are out, shielding them.
” Warren opened the door, and Nekoma and Julian rushed through, the latter retracting his wings at the last second.
Warren slammed the door, setting the alarm.
Julian, whose shirt was tattered, crossed to where Carleigh was standing. “Bayu is probably madder than hell right about now. I told him I would wait for him, then Nekoma and I left him behind.” Julian glanced down at the woman. “Not the aunt?”
“Nope, just a mage pretending to be. The good thing is we don’t believe she is bound from speaking about the Black Lotus.” Carleigh hated to ask, but they needed help. “Nekoma, Major and another Hound are waiting for you at Anthony’s.”
Nekoma inclined his head, took a deep breath, and once again opened a vortex. It faltered momentarily, then whooshed as usual. Carleigh had a feeling the fae was running out of steam with all the portals he’d opened.
Carleigh pointed at her dad’s bare chest with one of her swords. “There are plenty of clothes in the closets if you want to change shirts.”
“Nah. I’ll end up shredding it too.” Julian joined Warren at the window when he cursed.
“What is it?” Carleigh asked.
“More mages. Where the fuck are they coming from? It’s not like they can portal in from the compound.”
Carleigh turned to the female. “How are the mages getting here so quickly?” When she glared at Carleigh without answering, Carleigh touched the tip of the blade to the woman’s throat. “I have no problem killing you, so answer the fucking question.”
“They’ve been hiding in the woods, waiting to see if they could follow someone to where Bayu is staying.”
“Why? You cursed him and took away his power.” This had been bothering Carleigh for a while.
Before she could answer, the back door opened, and for a few seconds, Carleigh couldn’t see anyone. When the door closed, the shadows dropped, and Major, Nekoma, and who she assumed was Erik, appeared with Anthony and Elle. Major caught Nekoma before he could slump to the floor.
“He’s spent too much energy opening all his portals. Take him to one of the bedrooms to rest,” Carleigh instructed.
“I’ve got him.” Anthony lifted his brother-in-law into his arms and shuffled down the hall with Elle following.
Major joined Carleigh, and he nodded toward the woman. “She giving you trouble?”
“A little, yes. Your help would be appreciated so I know she is telling the truth. By the way, she said the mages have been hiding outside, but the security cameras didn’t pick them up, so maybe we need to add some thermal ones?”
Major rubbed a hand through his beard. “I’ll talk to Tabby about it.”
“What about the mages outside?” Erik asked.
“I’ll leave them to the older Goyles since they have more experience with fighting.”
Speaking of her dad, Julian pointed at her weapons. “Now that Major is here, mind if I borrow one of your swords?”
Carleigh transformed one into a heavier weapon suitable for a Gargoyle.
Julian took it from her and joined Warren at the window.
Anthony and Elle returned from the back of the house, and they, too, walked over to where Warren and Silas were standing.
Seeing that Carleigh and Major didn’t need him, Erik joined the others.
“Elle has an idea. Let’s go out the back,” Anthony told them. The six of them strode to the back door, and before Anthony opened it, Elle cast them in shadow.
Carleigh returned her focus to the woman. “I asked you why you still want Bayu since you cursed him.” Carleigh stepped back, letting the short sword drop to her side.
Major called on his Gryphon and demanded, “You will tell the truth.”
The woman’s eyes widened as his words washed over her. “He still has his powers. The curse mutes the animal inside so they cannot communicate nor can he shift.”
Carleigh looked over the woman’s shoulder, staring at nothing.
That wasn’t right. Sure, Tiger had gone silent, and Carleigh’s Goyle couldn’t speak to him, but if what she was saying were true, Bayu would have been able to read the ancient words.
“I think whatever you did to him got screwed up in translation because he no longer has his powers.”
“You’re lying,” the woman hissed.
“What is your name?”
“Belinda. Why?”
“Because I need to call you something other than ‘that woman’ in my mind. Believe me, Belinda, when I say that Bayu no longer has his powers. To become what he was destined to be, he needed the ability to read some ancient documents and to decipher the markings bestowed upon him by his god. When he was cursed, the markings faded, and the ancient words might as well have been written in gibberish. Bayu is no more powerful than any other human out there, thanks to the Black Lotus.” When Belinda did nothing but scowl, Carleigh asked, “Where is Gemi?”
“Back at the compound. There is a small shack about a mile through the woods.”
“Is she alive?”
“She was the last time I saw her.”
“And when was that?” Carleigh growled.
“Yesterday morning. If I do not return to the compound, they will kill her.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Nekoma announced as he entered the room.
Carleigh held open her free arm, and Nekoma leaned against her side. “Are you okay? You’ve been pushing yourself pretty hard.”
He hugged her briefly before stepping back. “I’m fine.” Nekoma turned to Belinda. “Is anyone watching the shack where Gemi’s being kept?”
“No. It’s locked from the outside, so she cannot escape.”
Nekoma strode to the front window and looked out. “I am going to help them, and when we have the mages contained, I will go get Gemi.” Instead of going out the front door, he went to the back and peeked out the kitchen window before slipping outside.
Carleigh felt the power change in the house, and she raised the sword just as a fireball was tossed her way.
She cut through it before it could hit her.
A loud roar rent the air as Major shifted to his Lion and pounced on the male mage who had made it through the back door.
Belinda began chanting, so Carleigh thrust her weapon at the woman’s throat, pushing the tip into her skin, a stream of blood trickling down her chest.
“Shut your mouth before I cut out your tongue.” Carleigh kept the blade tight against her skin while Major fought with the man.
The mage pressed his hands against the Lion’s side, and Major howled, but he didn’t stop his attack.
Carleigh had no idea how the others were doing outside, but if one mage made it inside…
She turned toward one of the cameras. “Call Jon and have him bring the witches.” Their cousin could use one of his dad’s helicopters.
Something thudded against the front door, followed by a moan.
Carleigh couldn’t leave Belinda alone long enough to go see what was happening.
She wished she had the fae’s powers or Harlow’s beast inside her, then she could do more than stand around.
A mighty bellow rattled the windows followed by people screaming. What the ever-loving hell was that?
I don’t know, but Bayu’s here. I can feel him.
But how, unless Nekoma portaled him in? Jon hasn’t had time to fly here in a helo.
The front door flew open, and a stranger holding a katana marched inside, stopping long enough to check Carleigh over. He nodded once, then continued to where Major and the mage were still grappling. The stranger—
That’s Bayu.
He doesn’t look like my tiger.
Look with your heart.
Her Goyle was right. Now that she was focused on the bond, she could feel her mate, but why did he appear different?
Carleigh held her breath as he strode to where the mage was straddling a downed Major with his hands dug into the animal’s sides.
Bayu swung his katana in a perfect arc, taking the mage’s head.
Oh, her mate had mad skills. Blood spurted across Bayu’s clothes and Major’s fur before Bayu shoved the decapitated body off of Major. Bayu knelt beside the Lion who growled.
“Easy. You are safe now,” Bayu assured him.
The Lion’s massive head thunked against the floor, and his tawny chest rose and fell quickly as he panted through the pain of whatever the mage had inflicted on the large cat.
Bayu looked at Carleigh. “Are you hurt?”
“No. What’s going on outside?”
“Help arrived in the form of Rhoan and Thran.”
That explained the bellow. Rhoan was the dragon prince from Evyndral, and Thran was his fae guardian as well as Elle’s older brother.
Thran most likely glamoured Bayu to look like someone other than himself.
It did not explain how they came to be on Earth or how they were here at the safehouse.
As far as Carleigh knew, Nekoma was the only one who could portal anywhere he wanted.
Thran’s and Elle’s sister, Yari, was the fae guardian to the dragon princess, Cassiopa.
Cassi was mated to Brent, a Gargoyle, and they lived in Norway.
The fae queen had given Yari permission to portal between the realms as well as to Atlanta to visit Elle, but even she didn’t have the freedom to portal wherever she wished.