Forevermore Page 26

  A thorn pricked my finger as I handled the stem. I watched as it glittered on my skin before dropping to the earth. To my utter shock, another vine appeared. This one smaller and greener than the Goddess’. Dark pink flowers opened, their petals unfurling to reveal a shimmering red center. They smelled warm and nearly sweet, reminding me of honey, sunshine, and summer.

  I gaped at the small plant. The Goddess smiled. “You are of my blood, Aveta. Magic lives within you just as it lives within me. We are born of it and when we die, so shall we return to it.” She leaned forward and pressed her lips to my forehead. “Be at peace, daughter of my daughter. Love and be loved.”

  “Will I see you again?” I asked.

  Her smile grew. “If you wish.”

  “I-I think I do.” She was the last of my blood. I wouldn’t be alone.

  As though she plucked the thoughts from my head, she shook her head. “You are not alone at all. You have a descendent waiting for you with your mate.”

  I frowned at her, then it hit me. Finn. I’d marveled at the similarities of our eyes and our coloring.

  “Who is he?” My throat felt tight with emotion.

  “Your great-grandson. He is a credit to your bloodline. Powerful yet gentle and kind.”

  The Goddess stopped speaking, her eyes shifting over my shoulder, unfocused and unblinking. Then she sighed. “You must go,” she stated. She gestured to Satchel and the cat came forward.

  I’d completely forgotten about Satchel. I stared down at her as her tail twitched. Her eyes never left mine.

  “Who is she?” I asked. “And what is she?”

  The Goddess smiled. “She is made of magic, just as you are, though her talents are different from yours. There are many who choose to serve me and they answered the call when you were lost. They have searched the realms for you. She happened to find you, but Rhiannon’s curse prevented her from reaching me. So she found a way to be close to you.”

  I laughed. Considering the cat barely tolerated me, that statement was hilarious. I never would have taken in a cat anyway. Then I stopped laughing. That was why Satchel approached Savannah. She had understood the only way to remain close to me was through her. It all made sense.

  The Goddess nodded to me then her eyes dropped to Satchel. “You have served me well, daughter. It is time to release you from your vow.”

  The cat mewed and the sound was sad.

  “It is time for you to rebuild your life, daughter,” the Goddess declared, her voice soft but firm. “You have hidden long enough.”

  The cat growled just a little and the Goddess surprised me by laughing.

  “You are my business,” she said to Satchel. “You have done well, even without my guidance. I have no doubt that you will be fine.”

  The cat meowed again and hopped up into my lap. I jumped, but instinctively put a hand on her side to keep her from falling from my leg. She leaned into me, still making sounds.

  The Goddess studied us both for a few moments. “She wishes to remain in your realm with you, Aveta,” she stated. “Would you be willing to take her in and help her until she is ready to begin her life?”

  The cat looked up at me and I stared down at her for a long moment. I could see the hope and intelligence in those feline eyes and wondered how in the hell I’d ever believed Satchel was just a cat.

  “Of course,” I murmured softly. I knew what it was to be cast adrift with no one to point to safety or even cared where you washed ashore.

  “I cared,” the Goddess whispered. “And I never stopped looking for you.”

  I lifted my head. As our gazes met, I knew that I would spare Rhiannon. I would protect her from Macgrath’s revenge and bind her before sending her back to the Goddess.

  I only hoped my mate would understand.

  We returned to chaos. There was a roar that I recognized.

  It was Macgrath. His back was to me as he tore the dresser apart, clothing flying everywhere.

  I looked around in shock. The bedroom had been destroyed. There was no other word for it. Every piece of furniture was in splinters and the sheets had been shredded into confetti.

  “What happened?” I cried out, rushing toward him. I leaned over to drop Satchel onto her feet a few steps away from him.

  He froze in his frenzy and turned to face me. His eyes were pools of emerald and gold fire, burning with rage and desolation.

  “Ava?” he asked, his voice gruff and so low it was nearly inhuman.

  I approached him and put a light hand on his chest. “Ewan, what happened? Are you hurt? Is Savannah all right?”

  He groaned, the sound ripped from his chest, and he snatched me up in his arms. As he cradled me, his body trembled violently. I felt dampness on my shoulder and realized that he was crying against my skin.

  “Ewan.” I cupped the back of his head, my nails gently scraping his scalp. When he didn’t respond, I tried again. “Alaunus, what happened?”

  After a long silence, he finally replied, “I thought I lost you again. We returned to the house and you were gone. We searched for you everywhere. Kerry cast spell after spell but you had vanished off the face of the earth. I thought Rhiannon had taken you. I…I snapped.”

  His arms tightened around me and I whimpered. It hurt. He relaxed a bit but didn’t release me. He didn’t lift his head either.

  I stroked his scalp and pressed a kiss to the side of his head. “I’m here and I’m sorry.”

  “Where were you?” His voice was marginally calmer, but his body was still shuddering.

  “The Goddess called for me,” I answered. I lifted my other hand, which still held the flower she had given me. Her vow. “She gave me this. It will help us find and capture Rhiannon.”

  The crimson flower pulsed with magic, tiny red sparks dancing along the edges of its petals. I felt Macgrath turn his head and look at it.

  “What is that?” he breathed in awe, his arms loosening a bit more.

  “The Goddess created it with her blood and magic.”

  Macgrath whirled and growled viciously as the bedroom door was thrown open.

  “Oh, thank the Goddess you’re back!” Savannah cried. She rushed into the room, throwing her arms around me. She didn’t seem to care that Macgrath still held me off the floor. “Don’t you ever scare us like that again, Ava Amaris, or I will not be responsible for my actions!” Her words were muffled because her face was buried against my back.

  I glanced over at Satchel and raised an eyebrow. The cat had the sense to look ashamed. Or at least as ashamed as a feline could.

  “Where were you?” Kerry asked from the doorway.

  I twisted so I could see her. “With the Goddess.” My eyes moved to Finn. My expression must have changed because he nodded. He knew what he was to me then. I felt the tears gather in my eyes but blinked them back. There was too much to be done and very little time.

  “I have a lot to share with you and it needs to be fast,” I stated, looking at everyone in the room. “But first, there’s someone you should meet.” I turned back to Satchel and lifted an eyebrow.

  Once again, I wondered how I’d ever thought that Satchel was just a cat. Her facial expression was downright human and it was not happy. I thought I heard her sigh before magic gathered around her.

  Everyone in the room stiffened. Kerry lifted a hand, but I stopped her.

  “Wait! Just wait,” I commanded.

  She studied me then lowered her arm.

  Satchel shimmered until suddenly she was gone and in her place stood a tall, slender woman with black hair and the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen. They were a mixture of every color. Blue, grey, brown, and green. They were nothing like the eyes she wore as a feline. She was also naked.

  “Holy fucking shit!” Savannah yelped, stumbling back from us. “Who are you and what have you done with my cat?”

  I had to bite back a laugh because I knew Savannah wasn’t finding this situation one bit funny, but she so very rarely cursed that it
was shocking to hear two fly from her lips. “She is your cat. She always has been.”

  The woman stepped forward and cleared her throat. When she spoke, her voice was rough, as though she weren’t used to using it. “I am Arien. I was sent to protect you.”

  “Fuck. Me.”

  I had to close my eyes and sink my teeth into my bottom lip to keep from laughing. Savannah dropping the f-bomb was a rare enough occurrence, but twice in less than a minute had to be a record.

  I felt Macgrath’s body shake against mine and tilted my head so I could see his face.

  Without thinking, I reached out through our connection. Do. Not. Laugh.

  At my command, the corners of his mouth tilted up further. I’m not.

  I can hear you.

  A low growl from the doorway caught all our attention. Harrison stood a few feet from us, but his gaze was fixed on Arien.

  She stared back at him and actually hissed, just as she would have as a cat. I was surprised that her back didn’t arch.

  “Did you just hiss?” Savannah asked, approaching Arien.

  The woman blinked at her then down at her bare body. “My apologies. I’ve spent a very long time as the cat. It will take me some time to adjust.” She lifted her gaze to Savannah. “Might I have some clothes to cover this form? As Aveta stated, we have much to discuss and very little time.”

  “Why?” Macgrath asked. “Why do we need to hurry?”

  I wriggled until he set me on my feet and I turned, looking at everyone in the room. “Because this,” I lifted the flower, “Will call Rhiannon right to our doorstep.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Macgrath

  I stepped away from Ava and stared down at the flower in her hand in horror.

  “What? We have no plan in place and the protection wards are down.”

  I threw Kerry a wild-eyed glance and she merely nodded and left the room with Finn. I only hoped that she could get the spells back in place before Rhiannon arrived.

  “I think we have a few hours,” Ava replied. “It’s likely Rhiannon will think this is a trap and approach cautiously. But she will still come because she can’t resist the call of her mother’s blood.”

  “Her blood?” Harrison asked.

  I gaped at the flower in her hands, dazzled by the pulsating light that seemed to move through the petals.

  Ava nodded, cupping the flower between both her hands now. “It’s the only thing strong enough to call her and snare her. The Goddess infused the plant with her blood.”

  I met her gaze and felt a shift within Ava. She was hiding something. I wanted to push the mental barrier she erected between us, but now wasn’t the time. Once she was protected, she and I would talk about what she didn’t want me to see.

  “Aveta.”

  The quiet, feminine voice distracted my mate. Ava turned to Arien.

  “We will need to prepare.”

  Ava’s jaw firmed and I felt the wall between our minds strengthen. A flicker of unease filled me. This wasn’t right. There was something else happening here.

  Before I could speak, Savannah appeared in the doorway. I hadn’t even noticed when she left the room. She brushed past Harrison and held out a loose cotton dress to Arien.

  “It might be a bit loose, but you’ll be covered.”

  The woman nodded and slipped the material over her head. She seemed completely comfortable with her nudity, even with Harrison staring at her as though she were a Scooby snack.

  “Thank you, Savannah.”

  Savannah stared at her for a moment and her mouth worked as though she wanted to say something, but she finally closed her lips and just nodded. When she turned and left the room, Arien watched her go with genuine sadness in her eyes. She may have been sent as Savannah’s protection but she cared for her deeply.

  Arien blinked and turned her head to look at Ava. “We must hurry. She grows impatient.”

  Ava nodded and took a step toward Arien. I reached out and took her hand, stopping her before she could get too far away. “Give us a moment, Arien.” When she merely nodded and waited in silence, I cleared my throat. “We need privacy,” I explained, fighting to keep my tone patient and gentle.

  Arien cringed. “Of course. I’ll be, uh, in another room.”

  When the door closed behind her with a soft click, I waited several seconds before I turned back toward Ava.

  “Macgrath, whatever it is—”

  I cut her off. “What are you hiding?”

  She frowned at me. “What do you mean?”

  The first pricks of anger trailed down the back of my neck, hot and sharp. “Don’t pretend you don’t know exactly what I’m talking about.”

  She sighed and her shoulders slumped. “It really isn’t the time, but I guess you should know.”

  My body tensed. What was happening?

  “Rhiannon is my aunt,” she stated. “And the Goddess is her mother. Which makes the Goddess…” She stopped speaking and swallowed hard.

  “Your grandmother,” I finished for her.

  She nodded. “It’s a lot to process and, honestly, I’m not ready to deal with it myself much less talk about it with anyone else.” Ava laid her hand over mine where it held her arm. “Can you give me some time? Even after all this is over. I just need some space with my own thoughts.”

  “I can do that,” I murmured, pulling her into a tight embrace. “But when you’re ready—”

  “You’ll be the first one I talk to,” she promised.

  I unwound my arms and lifted my hands to cup her face. “You were right, now isn’t the time. But thank you for putting my mind at ease.”

  Her eyes sparkled with tears as she looked up at me. “We should prepare.”

  I released her and we left the mess in my bedroom. If we survived whatever happened next, I hoped that Ava or Kerry could repair the damage I had done.

  When we entered the living room, I saw Arien standing in the center of the space. She watched Harrison as he walked in a slow circle around her, his head lowered and his body tensed.

  Though he was in human form, he looked very much like an alpha wolf at that moment, and Arien clearly didn’t appreciate it. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him make another lap around her body.

  “What do you want, wolf?” she asked. Her voice had lost its roughness but it was still husky and a bit hoarse.

  “What are you?” he asked, inching closer as he sniffed the air.

  Her spine straightened. “It is none of your concern.”

  He stepped right into her personal space, his eyes golden and sparking with animal interest and anger. “It is if you put the people I care about in danger.”

  Arien leaned toward him and she was nearly nose to nose. He was only an inch or so taller. “I care about them as well, dog. I have been Savannah and Ava’s protector for years.”

  Harrison snarled. “And a fine job you did when Savannah was nearly killed.”

  Arien tensed and her body swayed forward the barest inch. One more nasty word from Harrison and I sensed she would rain hell down on him. I could feel the power emanating from her and she was no weakling. She wasn’t quite as strong as Ava, but I wouldn’t want to face her in battle.

  “Enough,” Ava said, clapping her hands together. It boomed like thunder within the small house and garnered both Harrison and Arien’s attention. “Harrison, Arien is trustworthy. I’m certain of it. We could use your help, but if you don’t feel comfortable, I understand if you’d prefer to leave.”

  His eyes narrowed and darkened. “I’m not leaving unless she does.”

  Ava nodded as if he’d agreed to help rather than growled an insult. “Good. Can you go outside and help Kerry and Finn reinforce the protection wards?”

  The wolf hesitated for a split second before he nodded and moved away from Arien. Without looking at her again, he stormed outside, stripping his shirt off as he went. I assumed he intended to shift.

  “Are you ready?” Ava asked Arien.<
br />
  She lifted her chin, her expression cold and hard as if the confrontation with Harrison had frozen something within her.

  I could feel Ava soften and she moved closer. “Are you all right?” she asked.

  Arien nodded. “I am fine. I suppose it never changes,” she stated cryptically.

  “What?” Ava asked.

  “The shifters. They can tell that I am… different. There is always hostility and distrust. The Goddess was wrong to think that this realm would be any better than the others.”

  Ava opened her mouth to speak, but Arien cut her off.

  “I will be fine. We should begin the ritual.”

  Ritual?

  “What ritual?” I demanded.

  Arien blinked at me then looked toward Ava questioningly.

  “To release the call,” Ava replied smoothly. Too smoothly. Something else was happening here.

  Before I could call her out on it, Callum and Marcus appeared at the door. I’d been so wrapped up in Ava I hadn’t even realized they’d vanished earlier.

  “We’ve got incoming,” Callum said. “She’ll be here soon.”

  Ava and Arien glanced at each other.

  “She’s not being very cautious,” Ava murmured.

  Arien nodded in agreement. “She has waited a very long time for this moment. I do not think her patience will last much longer.”

  “Is the creature with her?” I barked at Callum.

  “Yes,” he answered. “And he’s pissed as hell and twice as powerful.”

  “Great,” I muttered. “Trace to Kerry and Finn. Tell them what you told me. Maybe they can hold them off long enough for Ava and Arien to complete the ritual.”

  Like any good soldier, he took the order with a crisp nod. Marcus did the same and they vanished from the living room in the next beat.

  When I turned, Ava and Arien were already talking rapidly as they crouched next to the coffee table. Several of Kerry’s tools were scattered across the surface, as were jars of herbs and small bottles of potions and tonics. They worked quickly as they cleared the space of everything but Kerry’s ritual knife and the flower.