Chapter 49 – Wave #2
Wave wasn’t sure what she was seeing in his gaze. There was worry, sure, but something else too. Flames flickered in the depths of his black pupils and his eyes were fully demonic now, none of the light blue left as deep, dark blue filled them.
“He’s probably downstairs,” Marc said. “But he didn’t say it could be anything else. Just lalwe root.”
“Anyway, I’m going to double-check,” Hellion said and headed out the door.
“Mate. Look at me.” Irishen’s voice was filled with dominance and it doubled down in their bond. Slowly, her gaze focused on his white eyes that swirled like a snowstorm. “That’s good.” His tone softened, but the command held.
“I-I,” she stammered but didn’t find the words.
“Just breathe with me, mate. Can you do that for me?”
She barely nodded, even when all her muscles were locked in tight. Slowly, Irishen reached out and took her hand, guiding it over his heart.
“Feel that?”
The familiar beat calmed her own frantically beating heart and Wave’s fingers flexed over his chest, trying to get closer, find his skin.
“You’re doing well, mate. Do you know where you are?”
Again, she gave a tiny nod.
“I’m here. Jarred is on his way.”
A nod.
“Marc is behind you. He’s not trying to hold you. He will let go if you want him to.”
She felt Marc’s finger lift from her waist and quickly shook her head.
“Okay, sparkle,” Marc murmured. “I won’t let go. I’m here.”
“Safe,” Irishen said softly. “You are safe.”
Again, Marc’s fingers flexed, tightening their hold so imperceptibly that she would have missed it if she hadn’t been hyper aware of everything.
“They will have to go through me to get to you, sparkle.” His whisper was faint, and she wasn’t sure if she was meant to hear it, but she did, and it drained some of the tension from her body.
She found herself leaning against his chest. They were still sitting on the bed. Irishen kneeled next to it.
“Now, can you talk us through what happened, mate?” Every time Irishen said mate, it tugged at the bond, reminding her of the connection.
She took her time, letting her body sink against Marc’s strong chest, while clinging to Irishen’s heartbeat. Her breathing slowed and deepened until she could swallow easily. After clearing her throat a couple of times, she managed to get the words out.
“I had fallen asleep after talking to Marc on the phone,” she started, expecting some reaction from Irishen about that, but all she got was an encouraging nod.
“I woke up to a crash and instinctively rolled down from my bed, but all I could see was a brick lying on the floor. I think it was spelled. It shouldn’t have gotten through Ginny’s protections otherwise. ”
“We’ll check,” Marc murmured.
“So I shouted for Ginny to lock things down when someone grabbed me from behind. The glove was wet, and it smelled foul. Like sulfur and rot.” She shuddered and her breathing picked up again.
Irishen clasped her hands a little tighter, and Marc rubbed her waist gently. They waited patiently until she had her breathing under control again and could continue.
“I fought back, but I panicked and a storm broke out. I don’t… I don’t remember after that. I must have fallen unconscious.”
“When I got to you, there was a thunderstorm in your room,” Marc told her. “It—you didn’t attack Jarred.”
“She wouldn’t. He’s her Claimed. The bond would recognize him anywhere,” Irishen said. When Wave looked at him quizzically, he smiled gently. “We talked. I believe I’m quite an expert on shifter bonds right about now. And he in elemental mate bonds.”
“Mage ties don’t work like that,” Marc muttered, sounding a bit sour.
Irishen threw a sharp glance at him that Wave chose to ignore.
“That’s all I know,” she said.
Irishen nodded. “Okay. I don’t remember anyone saying anything about a brick, but your room was a mess after the storm and we moved the girls over to my place with Salis.”
“Grant, Xuan, or Yash could go over to check,” Marc added.
Wave braced before asking her question and both men noticed. “Are you sure it was lalwe root?”
“Yes.” Irishen didn’t soften the blow, but their bond poured soothing ice into her. “Ilijas said all the symptoms matched. It was a large enough dose that it would have killed weaker beings.”
“Someone tried to kill me?” She didn’t know why that surprised her. Kidnapping, sure, but murder? She wouldn’t be useful to anyone if she were dead.
“Maybe. But as a stormbringer, you are classified as a pretty strong female, mate.”
“But—” She cut herself off before the words could spill out. Irishen’s eyes flickered back to Marc and then to her. “Lalwe root.” She tried to convey the importance without saying too much.
“It’s a sedative, according to Ilijas. Or poison in large enough doses,” Marc said, misunderstanding her tone.
Irishen was searching her eyes, but he didn’t have all the pieces.
She was torn between asking Marc to go so they could talk and wanting to burrow into his embrace, where she could believe he would keep her safe.
The choice was taken from her when the door blew open and Jarred rushed in, followed by Ilijas and Hellion.
One moment, her gorgeous Claimed was rushing toward her and the next, a huge jaguar tackled her.
All three of them went tumbling down on the bed, since Marc refused to let go of her and rolled with them.
He nuzzled her neck, seeking out the claiming mark before licking all over her face. Wave couldn’t help but giggle helplessly as she buried her hand in his fur. The layers of water and electricity dissipated with her laughter.
“Glad to see you are feeling better,” Ilijas said, breaking into Jarred’s purring and her giggles.
“You are crushing her,” Marc huffed beneath them both and earned a low growl from Jarred.
“No, he’s not,” Wave immediately defended him.
“Fine, whatever,” Marc replied, his arms tightening around her waist.
“Hellion said you had some questions?”
That sobered Wave up quickly, and she gently nudged Jarred to the side.
The jaguar rolled over and Marc pushed them back into a sitting position.
Damn, his abs were hard as rock, and then Jarred’s head landed in her lap.
Apparently, the jaguar demanded affection.
Or maybe he sensed that ruffling his ears and stroking his fur helped her to stay calm… ish.
The jaguar kept up a low purr and nudged Wave’s hand every time her stroking slowed down. In their bond, she sensed him trying to calm her, but she couldn’t shake the tenseness. She dug her fingers deep into his fur before turning to look at Ilijas.
“The substance… you are sure it was lalwe root and nothing else?” she asked quietly.
“I am,” Ilijas answered. “All the symptoms match to it, and that’s what my powers identified.”
Wave sagged against Marc while she clung to Jarred. Irishen squeezed her knee, and she wasn’t sure if it was to reassure her or to make sure she didn’t bolt right that second.
“I don’t get what they think they would get from attacking you with it, though. You were unconscious, but whoever the assailant was, left you behind,” Marc muttered, sounding agitated now. “That doesn’t match if someone was trying to kidnap you.”
“The dose was high,” Ilijas said, frowning. “But it’s a pretty roundabout way to kill someone. There are better, more efficient poisons.”
“Who would want her dead?” Hellion snapped.
“She is the acknowledged stormbringer heir apparent now,” Ilijas said, with an apologetic glance at Wave. “That puts a target on her back.”
“But what’s the angle?” Hellion argued.
Wave tensed at that. She couldn’t tell them she had a pretty good idea. Jarred purred louder and Irishen kept stroking her leg.
Diversion. She needed a diversion before Hellion dug in too deep and got too close. “I could use that shower,” she said and, as if on cue, her stomach gurgled. “And food,” she added. Everything would be better with food.