Chapter 9 #3
The night exploded into white light and a tremendous thunderclap. I didn’t know if it was in my head or not. At the moment, I didn’t care. I’d lost the strength to hold myself up and fell onto his chest, savoring the feel of his cock still throbbing inside me.
I lay there another moment, amazed, and then opened my eyes. I blinked twice to focus…
The huge plate-glass window next to the bed was smashed into a thousand pieces.
I turned to gaze at the other window that looked out over the back garden.
That glass was also shattered, pieces of it gleaming in the moonlight on the lawn beyond.
“I guess that thunder wasn’t just in my head. ” It came out breathy and weak.
Tynan laughed. “No, my love. That thunder was born of your magic. I’m quite sure the entire island experienced that.”
I found the strength to sit up, still straddling Tynan.
His eyes widened as he reached toward my belly button.
“Keena!” Hurriedly, he wrapped his arms around me, pulled us out of the bed, and carried me to the mirror, setting me down facing away from it.
He carefully brushed the tangled mass of hair from my face.
He was grinning. I was amazed at the lightness of his eyes. The old vampire looked almost boyish.
“What are you doing?” I reached to kiss him, but he abruptly spun me around to face myself.
The sight caught my breath in my throat.
I tried to talk but could only stare at my reflection.
My hair was falling in graceful waves all the way down my back, and around my face, it feathered out like a lion’s mane.
The color had changed to a brighter, bolder auburn, the shade of red oak leaves in the fall just before they drop from the tree.
Golden streaks cut through it, shimmering so much they looked alive.
My skin gleamed as brilliantly as the highlights.
My hazel eyes were now a sparkling gold, flecked with black and green.
Not a dark yellow but pure, glistening gold, like a piece of a pirate’s treasure.
“The prophecy,” I whispered. I had come into my full powers. I was looking back at the face of the true Witch I had been born to be.
I looked down, and I had to suck in a small gasp.
On my stomach, from hip bone to hip bone and arching over my belly button, was a bold tattoo of the sun, seemingly rising from my womb.
It was painted the same brilliant colors of fall, like my hair, and accentuated with golden streaks that shimmered in the candlelight.
I touched it with the tips of my fingers.
It was still warm from the heat of our bodies and magic.
The door flung open, and Manus came barreling in with his sword drawn.
“No need for that.” Tynan turned me to face Manus. I stepped in front of Tynan to block his nakedness, but no one cared about the lack of clothes in this place.
Manus saw the mark and fell to his knees, head bowed. Hogan came scurrying after him, and as soon as he saw the mark, he did the same.
In unison, they looked up at me with identical expressions. Pride. My lady!” Hogan said, still out of breath from running after Manus.
“Stop it. Get up, both of you.” I turned back to look at myself in the mirror. I saw Tynan beside me in the reflection. Just looking at him made me weak in the knees. I let my gaze follow the line of his chest, down to his hips. “Tynan!”
He had a shadow of the tattoo as well. I turned and reached to touch his. It wasn’t as bright or bold as mine, even on his light skin, but it was there. He looked down and saw it. His face filled with an emotion I didn’t recognize as he ran his fingers over the mark.
“You have your full powers now,” Manus proclaimed as he reached for my hand, placing a delicate kiss on my knuckles. When he released me, I placed both my hands on his shoulders to return the kiss—
He howled, jerking out of my grasp. He rubbed one of his shoulders, and a smile crossed his face when he looked in the mirror. Where I had touched him, marks of the rising sun were left behind on my guardian.
Hogan shot to his feet to stand before me. “I wish to carry your mark as well, my lady!” He was practically spitting the words as he stood stiffly to appear formal. The look wasn’t quite accomplished since, as usual, his mohawk fluttered back and forth from his abrupt movement.
Manus was still rubbing the burn. “You will be pledging your life for her and hers, Hogan.”
“That, I have already pledged. It would be an honor to display the mark of her birthright for all to see.” He stood as tall as he could with his chin tilted up.
I looked to Tynan and Manus, who both nodded. So I knelt before Hogan. I was worried. He wasn’t as accustomed to pain as the rest of us were, and his blue-green skin and scales were so soft. I hesitated.
“I’m stronger than you think,” he assured.
I nodded in apology and placed my hands on his shoulders. His jaw tightened, and his eyes squeezed shut, but Hogan remained silent. When I withdrew my hands, dual symbols of the radiating autumn sun shimmered auburn-red on his tiny scales.
“Thank you for the honor.” Hogan winked as I stroked his face with the back of my hand.
He looked up to Manus, crossing his arms over his chest. “I didn’t cry out.”
“You knew it was coming,” Manus shot back, looking again at his shoulders in the mirror.