Unlikely queen, p.5
UNLIKELY QUEEN, page 5
“We have to go to the vampires,” she says, and my horrified expression meets hers.
Has she gone completely insane?
Is her newfound love affecting her cognitive ability?
Witches don’t ever set foot into the vampire ward. Not ever.
“We need to summon the demon that helped the queen, and the only place to do that is near their castle at the crossroads.”
“No fucking way!” a voice booms from the doorway, and we both jump in fright at the mighty sound. Now minus a t-shirt, all muscles glistening with sweat, John takes up almost the entire opening. His eyes glow a bright orange, his jaw set like stone.
“Will you stop that and put on a shirt,” Tatiana chides, waving at his bare chest. She may have tried to flip off his assertiveness, but there is an unmistakable pink glow on her cheeks. She likes him, and for whatever reason, she feels the need to keep him at bay.
“You can’t go anywhere unless I go with you,” he asserts, and Tatiana scoffs. She wriggles out from behind me and stands head-on with John, preparing for battle.
“Please! You are not my father, and we certainly don’t answer to you or need you to escort us anywhere.”
Having none of it, John takes two steps forward, his dominating physique filling the room. His broad, tanned chest is right in her face. She has to look up to see him, and I can tell that was his intention.
“It’s not up for discussion,” he says in a slow rumble that even makes me still. “Wherever you go, I go. Do you know why?” Tatiana opens her mouth to answer, but he cuts her off. “Now that my mate has finally shown herself, I won’t let you leave my side.”
Her small hands push against his chest, but he doesn’t budge, not even an inch. This only adds to her frustration, so she tries again, this time with double the force. John snatches at her hands, yanking her close. A tiny squeal escapes her lips, her eyes hooded with desire I’ve never seen before.
“I’m going to kiss you very soon, and the last thing you will do is push me away. Do you know why that is? Because you will like it and you will scream for more.”
Good Lord!
Scooting out of bed and edging around the two, I make an escape outside before I witness anything more disturbing. My exit goes unnoticed, their lustful eyes only for each other.
I get as far away from the house as possible until I can no longer hear their voices. Tilting my head up to the bright yellow sun, I close my eyes and absorb the warmth steaming down around me.
“You’re looking better,” a deep voice pulls me from my reverie.
Reluctantly, I open my eyes to Patrick. He is at my side and gestures for me to follow him on a walk. There is silence between us while we take in the freshness of the morning. We were lucky in Cardia. This didn’t exist back where our family came from. We had ruined it.
“You think she will make a good leader?” I finally ask, breaking the silence.
“Your sister’s power rivals his. No one, especially a female, has ever rivaled him. So yes, I do think they’ll work. Even if others are counting on them not to.”
“Why would they think that?”
“The same reason you do. She’s not a wolf, so you can’t comprehend how it will work. We only shift when we absolutely need to, though. So, they are more alike than you think.” Patrick pauses, looking around the ward at the houses. “Some of the women here have tried their best to gain his attention, but he could tell just by their scent that they wouldn’t even get close to his side.”
As if on cue, a scream sounds from John’s house, causing the women in the area to stare longingly, pondering what must be happening.
What is happening?
I stop, looking between the house and Patrick.
“Relax.” He chuckles. “They’re just having fun. John won’t let up until Tatiana joins his side.”
The women who have been watching begin gossiping amongst each other, and I immediately feel uncomfortable. We don’t need enemies. There are too many of those chasing us already.
“They’re just not used to the idea of a witch climbing the ladder so quickly,” Patrick chimes in. With his hand at the small of my back, he steers me down the road.
“Have you been there? To the vampires’ ward?” I ask, sitting down on a large log by the bonfire pit. Small embers continue to glow, not having enough power to turn into a flame.
“No, I haven’t, but John has. He was the only one to make it out alive many years ago.”
A shiver spreads through me at the thought of the bloody battles between the wards.
Chapter Eight
Patrick leaves me with my thoughts to attend to his duties. Like the witches, the wolves have their own roles to play to keep their ward running smoothly.
I hear the slight crunch of footsteps behind me, but I don’t need to turn to know who it is. It’s easy to identify based on their stride. Tatiana takes a seat next to me on the log, bringing with her the heated stares from the females in the pack.
They are looking for a weakness. A reason to pounce. A reason to have us removed. And all because Tatiana had somehow become the chosen mate of the alpha. Her new life, should she choose to live it, will mean her love for solitude would exist no more. She is strong and confident. But being a witch in a wolf pack she doesn’t know? A wolf pack that so far hasn’t taken too well to her? I don’t know how she will live without changing a huge part of herself in order to fit in.
She is my strength, and I’m not ready to lose her so soon and unexpectedly. Sensing my fears, Tatiana places a hand on my shoulder, and it brings the usual comfort. I calm instantly, and we settle into an easy silence, still exhausted from the night’s events.
I’m first to talk, keen to put the witch hunt at the back of our minds, if only for a moment.
“I can feel your rage.” I smile.
Beside me, Tatiana sighs heavily. “He’s just so…” She closes her eyes and faces me, shaking her head. “Never mind.”
“Come on. Tell me,” I urge.
“This predicament is difficult to wrap my head around. Not for hundreds of years has this happened. Wolves and witches have little in common. I can’t see how this will work. I’m not one of them.”
“But it has happened in the past, and it will continue to happen. It’s happening to you right now, and I think you need to explore it. A wolf’s scent is never wrong. And besides...” I pause, stopping my smile from spreading farther, “…it’s not like the witches’ ward is loaded with prospects.”
Tatiana giggles at the understatement. The truth is, there are no viable options for the witches. Becoming the mate of a wolf—a hot wolf at that—is the best thing that could happen to Tatiana.
“He thinks he owns me already,” she scoffs with mock indignation. Being “owned” is a difficult concept for my headstrong sister to even entertain.
“Already?” I question. “It’s been less than a day.”
She looks at me with large eyes, lips twitching as she envisions her mate. “I won’t lie, he’s hot, and I haven’t seen or been attracted to anyone, for… like… ever. But at the same time, he makes my blood boil. His ego—”
“You have an ego, too,” I quip. I’m rewarded with a gentle elbow to the ribs.
“He’s just so cocky and self-assured, but he makes me feel other things at the same time.” Sensing his presence, she turns away from me and watches John leave his house. He’s still bare-chested with taut muscles on glorious display. It’s no wonder all the women around here pant after him. He brings it on himself.
Yet, unlike all the other women who fall at his feet, Tatiana grumbles, but she doesn’t look away.
“If only he would get over his barbaric ways.” With her forgetting how in-tune they are, John stops in his tracks and locks eyes with her. He’s smiling, having heard every word she said even though he’s far from earshot.
“I think you like it, a lot,” I whisper low, determined not to sink my sister in further. She’s quite capable of doing that herself.
“You may be right, but that isn’t my focus.” She turns to face me, eyes suddenly serious. “You are.”
I nod my head but am at a loss for words. Perhaps I’m too frightened to express my concerns. She senses my unease and tries a different approach. “Now, tell me more about the Angel of Death. He certainly has eyes only for you.”
What does she mean by that?
“Grim protects me. He always has. Where he is the Angel of Death for some, to me, he has only ever kept me safe.”
Tatiana scrunches her brows together, uncertain of how she should interpret the relationship I have with Grim.
“He comes to me at the most unexpected times,” I continue. “He knows when I need him most, and he’s never let me down. I can count on him.”
“He saved you, Talia!” I see a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Having Grim on my side during this time is a huge asset. One that will surely ebb some worry off my sister’s mind. “He stopped you from going through the portal, only the Angel of Death has that power… to stop time.” She pauses, taking a deep breath. “We are going into incredibly dangerous territory tonight. If you need him again, will he come for you?”
It is never as simple as that.
“History tells me yes. Yes, he will be there. But… I don’t call to him. I don’t even know how to. He simply appears. He knows what’s going on before I do.”
“I can only hope he can go into battle with us. Become our ally. We will need all the help we can get. I trust in the wolves, but even they are not strong enough to defeat the queen and her army. The Angel of Death is the only one who carries power to rival that of the other angels and whatever the queen can muster. He can control the elements, stop time, and travel back through it. He can outsmart the other angels because they work for the queen and act on her behalf. He is a lone soldier. He answers to no one and has no duty to uphold. That makes him as beneficial as he is dangerous.”
I see the worry in her eyes. The uncertainty of whether she can place her trust in the Angel of Death to protect her sister—and her, for that matter.
“Don’t get me wrong…” she continues, “…we witches have some tricks up our sleeves, and the wolves are a solid army. But we need Grim to step up and be there.”
“Girls.” John’s voice sounds from behind us. We turn and watch as he pulls a shirt over his tanned, muscled torso. “The sun isn’t going to be up forever. We need to move.”
“Okay, we will prepare,” Tatiana responds with zero hostility, which renders both John and myself speechless. Curious glances are thrown between us, but my sister seems none the wiser of her extreme mood swings toward John. One minute, she’s rebelling against every look and every word, the next, she is cooperating with a smile on her pretty face.
Tatiana stands from the log. Taking my hands in hers, she sits us both on the ground. To build strength, we utilize the power the earth offers us and embrace it as a coven. Or in this case, just my sister and me. We close our eyes and let the warmth of the sun heat our skin, inhaling deeply, feeling the soil and its richness beneath us. She taught me all this when I was younger. I do this more for Tatiana’s sake, since she relies on the earth’s energy to build and maintain her powers. Tatiana’s power is earth.
“We need to go, now,” she instructs while getting to her feet. When she’s focused, nothing gets in the way. Tatiana has already walked away, starting our journey, when I begin to follow. Patrick nudges John as she strides past, and he simply smiles. He is so smitten with my sister that it is almost sickening. Five other men join us as we begin our trek to the other ward, which will consume most of the day. Less if we don’t have to watch our backs with every step we take. Sundown is our mark, harnessing the moon’s power as it begins its ascension.
I stealthily watch the shifters that surround us, their sheer size dwarfing me. With strong, broad shoulders displaying their dominance, the shifters are a powerful force to be reckoned with. And here they are, protecting two witches they barely know, all because of a long-standing alliance between our ancestors. They are willing to risk their own lives for us, and for that I feel an overwhelming pride in them.
We all stop in front of the ward but are blocked by the wall that’s in place during hours no one can leave. Each ward is granted leave for only a few hours a day to access the market. Now is not that time.
Tatiana steps forward, letting her raised palms hover inches away from the wall in an effort to push back against the power preventing us from leaving. It wobbles and sways while she silently mouths a chant. Beads of sweat drip down her temples, and I know she is losing too much energy by doing this. The wards are controlled by the queen, and her energy is far greater than Tatiana’s. I step in line next to her and mirror her hands, channeling my strength to push through the spell. Within a heartbeat, a large circle of the wall moves, from wobbles to waves, and then quickly begins to evaporate. My sister casts me a wide-eyed glance, watching for my own health as we demolish the wall. She knows the extent of my power, but would rather I keep my reserve for when it’s required.
“Go now,” she orders to the werewolves, who begin to one by one step through the hole we have made. John and Patrick remain behind, wanting to ensure we are safe.
Tatiana will have none of it. “Go,” she demands again.
I nod to John who seems to carry the same thoughts as me. He’s fast and she hasn’t a chance to stop it. John wraps his hands around Tatiana’s hips, pulling her through the hole. She squeals before he stands her straight down on the other side of the wall. She looks back through to me and I know time is of the essence. Stepping one leg through, the hole begins to close with the sudden loss of power. Warm hands wrap around my forearm, and I’m yanked all the way until I collide once again with Patrick’s broad chest.
My groan is followed by his deep chuckle. He straightens me and a megawatt smile lights up his face.
“Second time’s a charm,” he jokes, forcing a smile from me.
“Thank you,” I offer, knowing that despite some hostility among the wolves, Patrick has a good heart.
Past Patrick, I see laughing eyes holding my gaze. Tatiana is grinning knowingly, and I frown at her suggestion there is something between Patrick and me. Anything to keep the focus off her own relationship squabbles. She is shameless.
The group proceeds forward, and it’s easy to see how the wolves fall into formation within their pack. Tatiana and John take the lead up front and walk in silence. No doubt each of them is contemplating our plan of attack.
And then the peace is interrupted with a voice that chills me to the bone. A voice that cajoles with a menace that’s undeserved.
A voice calling my name.
Talia.
Tatiana hears it too and comes to an immediate stop. She turns on her heel, eyes wide in worry, and strides toward me.
Talia, the voice sounds again.
The wolves look curiously at our changed demeanor but are unable to hear the voice calling out.
I don’t have to look around and search the area for its source. The voice is other-worldly. Targeted specifically for me.
My, my, my. Aren’t you a pretty little thing? The voice practically purrs.
There is no denying its wicked intentions.
“Who is that?” Tatiana asks me with a shake in her voice. She grips my hands, and by now, the wolves have come to a stop and are watching our interaction. Her cautious eyes dart around the area, looking for whoever’s doing the taunting.
“They’re not here,” I say, squeezing her hands with reassurance.
“Do you know who it is?”
“No. I don’t recognize the voice.”
John approaches from behind, his brows knit in confusion.
“What voice?” he asks, looking between us. “I didn’t hear anything.”
You think the big bad wolf can save you? The question is followed by a manic laugh, a promise of things to come.
Tatiana jumps in fright as she looks desperately around.
The wolves start circling. Waiting for some indication of what is transpiring.
He can’t save you and neither can his pack. You are simply leading them to their deaths.
“Who are you?” Tatiana commands angrily, surprising John. “Don’t be a coward. Show yourself.”
Such bravery, but oh so stupid.
The voice is taunting, and I’ve just about had enough. “What do you want?”
There is a bounty on you, Talia. The queen is awaiting your arrival.
“The queen will not win!” I yell.
That’s what you think. The warning is followed by another bone-chilling laugh.
“Can someone explain to us what is happening right now?” John all but demands.
Stupid, stupid wolves. The voice has turned almost metallic. Sharp and sinister. He will be the first to die.
Tatiana’s hand flings out, gripping his arm and pulling him close. He studies her reaction but remains silent.
“You can’t hurt us,” my sister spits, determined not to be shaken. “We’re strong together.”
Even with a traitor among you? The voice sounds like it is smiling, having identified a weakness within the group.
Watch who you trust, Talia.
“It’s not true,” I whisper to Tatiana. This thing is just playing mind tricks on us.
There is a silence, and we all wait on a knife’s edge for the next blow. Tatiana’s eyes flick to mine, her knuckles turning white on John’s arm.
A strong gust of wind begins to circle around us, picking up dry earth, leaves, and branches. My long hair whips in my eyes and I shield my face from the debris. Struggling against the force, we gather in a huddle, leaning against each other for support, and wait it out.
When the wind finally ebbs and we’ve dusted ourselves off, we are delivered a final warning.
Let the games begin.
“What do we do now?” Tatiana’s eyes flick to me, loaded with apprehension.
“We keep moving forward.”
