Aerial Magic (Witch Guardian Romance Book 2) Read online

  Owen reached for Elise’s hand and then crept to the front of the crowd near the dais. He wove this way and that around the small groups being careful not to catch anyone’s eye. Thank goodness the black robes had hoods. For once things worked in their favor.

  Finding a place near the dais with a clear view of the center of the room, Owen paused and drew Elise close. He wanted her near him in case they needed to port to safety.

  Murmurs from the other black cowled figures began as a door opened across from them and Rhaim stepped into the chamber. He wore crimson ceremonial dress with a covering over his head. An aura of power swirled around him. He strode purposely through the crowd and to the platform, which held several items including a ceremonial dagger, a large scrying bowl set on a pedestal, a long iron rod, and a brazier with coals.

  As he passed the last group of hooded cult members, he grabbed one by the arm and pulled the man to the table. Taking the dagger in hand, Rhaim plunged it into the person’s heart. The victim screamed and then gurgled before going silent. Twisting the knife, Rhaim removed it from the man’s chest and made a show of licking the blood that dripped from the blade. He dropped the body and it rolled off the dais to the floor.

  The crowd erupted, some with cheers, others with gasps of horror. Owen held Elise at his side, knowing her compassionate nature would want to help the wounded, but Owen heard the death rattle and the man’s final breath. There was no help to give.

  Rhaim raised his hands and the crowd silenced. With a wave of his fingers, the coals in the brazier ignited. He lifted the iron rod and laid it across the flames. Then he leaned over the scrying bowl, whispered, and let a drop of blood from the dagger fall into the water. He motioned over the murky surface. A flash of light exploded over the metal bowl and black mist rose from its depths. A sinking feeling filled Owen’s stomach. Rhaim wouldn’t be so foolish.

  The Red Wizard motioned to a couple of his men and a door opened across from where they entered. Two cloaked figures marched in supporting a third between them. The middle figure appeared to be a woman. They marched onto the dais and Elise stiffened. Owen grabbed her wrist to keep her at his side.

  Clara Delaire, Elise’s mother, could barely stand between the two huge men guarding her, her hands cuffed behind her back with what Owen assumed were nullifying cuffs to control her magic. As a member of the Witches’ Counsel, Clara was one of the most powerful air witches. The cult members wouldn’t chance Clara’s ability to steal their breath.

  Rhaim dragged a hand down Clara’s cheek. “Tonight, I take another member of the dreaded counsel.” His voice rang over the heads of the crowd. “Soon, I will control their thoughts and bodies. No more will you fear their power, my brethren. No longer will they control you.”

  Fisting Clara’s hair in his hand, Rhaim jerked her head back and crushed his lips to hers. The crowd cheered. Owen felt Elise shudder and squeezed her hand. Seeing her mother on display must be excruciatingly painful.

  The Red Wizard reached for Clara’s blouse, and with a quick jerk, buttons flew as he yanked it open, exposing Clara to the crowd. He fondled her breast through her lace bra with one hand as he pushed the blouse off her shoulders with the other. The noise of the crowd grew louder.

  Owen measured the distance from where they stood to the dais. He fingered the gold bracelet on his wrist holding the portal spell. If he could get to Rhaim, the gold bracelet hiding the port key would take them both back to Ynys Afallon. He could complete his mission. Rhaim would be judged by the queen and punished for his actions. That would leave Elise unprotected and in the midst of the cult members. What might happen to her?

  He couldn’t do it. Elise meant something to him. He might not want to give up his immortality for her, but he would see her safely returned to the Guardians.

  He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Port out of here. Return to Guardian headquarters,” he hissed. He glanced around making sure no one heard him. Elise shook her head.

  “Dammit, woman, do as I say.” He wanted to shake her.

  Great goddess, he didn’t want to leave her. She lurched forward, and Owen turned back to the drama on the dais. A black writhing ball floated over the scrying bowl. Owen tightened his grip on Elise and wished he could spare her.

  The guards forced Clara to her knees. Rhaim picked up the iron rod using a corner of his robe to keep it from touching his skin. With a wicked laugh, he held the red hot surface to Clara’s shoulder. The sound of sizzling flesh and the smell of cooked meat filled the air. Clara screamed. The black ball flew into her mouth. Her scream suddenly silenced. Her body jerked and fell forward onto the floor.

  Elise gasped and started toward her mother. Owen grabbed her and pulled her back using his magic to keep her quiet. If they were discovered, they would be killed or share Clara’s fate. Luckily, all eyes were on the spectacle, and no one noticed Elise’s reaction.

  The Red Wizard stood triumphantly over the prone woman and laughed. With unhurried movements, he put the rod on the table. Then he motioned the guards to pick up Clara and carry her away.

  “All right, who wants to be next?” Rhaim looked around the room. “No volunteers? Well maybe next time, eh?”

  Rhaim walked through the crowd, and disappeared through the door he’d first entered. The cowled figures started to disperse as everyone began talking at once. Owen held perfectly still, Elise’s hand still seized with a vise grip. He gritted his teeth. He lost his chance to return Rhaim to Ynys Afallon. He let his concern for Elise override his duty.

  No one seemed to take notice of them, and soon they stood alone in the room. Owen headed for the dais, dragging Elise behind him. He climbed the two steps and crossed to the table before releasing her hand and his magic spell.

  “I’m sorry I silenced you like that. If we were discovered, we’d have been killed or joined your mother in being possessed,” Owen said.

  Elise glared at him. He tested the heat in the iron rod before using his robe to lift it. The end held a symbol of an octagon divided into equal triangles.

  “That’s the symbol we saw burned into the chest of the other cult members,” Elise whispered, as if testing her ability to speak. She turned to the scrying bowl.

  “Get away from it,” Owen hissed. “Don’t touch it.”

  “What is it?” Elise asked. Owen pulled her away from the mirror.

  “The Red Wizard opened a portal into another dimension.”

  “Another dimension? And that black mass that entered my mother, what was that?”

  “Drwg. A great evil. The Marwolaeth are parasites that control those they possess. They turn the kindest person into a demon. Their energy slowly poisons the host, as they eat at the person’s magic until they die. Then they move to another. I haven’t encountered them for a thousand years. All portals to their world were supposed to be destroyed.”

  “How do you get them out? How will we help my mother?”

  Owen hated to answer her. He knew Elise loved her mother. “I’m sorry, losinen. Every attempt to force them from a host kills the person you’re trying to save. Your mother and any other cult member so possessed will have to be destroyed.”

  “No! There must be a way to save them. You said you haven’t seen them in a thousand years. The world is a different place now. If magic won’t work there is so much technology.”

  Owen feared the worst, but couldn’t take away the hope that shone in her eyes. “If there’s a way, I don’t know of it, cariad. We must destroy the portal. I’ll need your help.”

  “What must I do?”

  “Have you ever made lightning?” Owen reached for Elise’s hand. He felt her tremble. She was afraid, but she stood quietly, willing to do whatever was necessary. He was proud of her.

  “I didn’t think any witch could control lightning.”

  “Any one witch can’t, but two air witches can make lightning. It’s getting it to go where you want that is hard. I’ll need you to generate a column of cold air over the s
crying bowl. I will generate a column of hot air. We will push the two columns together causing the friction that produces the charge. Hopefully the water resting in the metal bowl will be enough to attract the strike.”

  “What happens when the lightning hits the bowl?” Elise cocked her head to the side in question.

  “The charge will blow the dimensional gate open and then when it dissipates it’ll hopefully pull the gate closed with enough force to destroy it.”

  “Hopefully? What do you mean?”

  “Lightning is pure electricity. If it doesn’t hit correctly it might have no effect on the portal, or it could blow it open permanently. It’s the only thing I know that can destroy a gate. So it’s our only chance. We need to hurry. I don’t know how long it’ll be until someone returns. When the lightning strikes, we’ll need to port out of here. The boom of thunder that follows will alert everyone to our presence. So be prepared. If something goes wrong, port without me. You must warn the Guardians about the Marwolaeth. Mabel will need to inform the queen.”

  §

  Elise nodded. What Owen proposed was dangerous. They’d be lucky not to be killed. They might even make the situation worse instead of better. She bit her lip. Someone needed to warn the Guardians, and one of those things was inside her poor mother. There must be a way to get it out without killing the host.

  Owen squeezed her hand in reassurance. Then he kissed her, almost frantically. She returned his kiss, feeling his need.

  “Don’t let anything happen to you, cariad. I’m growing quite fond of you. All right, you stand on that side of the bowl. Quickly now, we must hurry.” Owen stepped around to the other side.

  Elise reeled from Owen’s kiss, but managed to step where he indicated. He looked at her long and hard before raising his hands. Elise mirrored his movements preparing to make her column of cold air. Owen nodded. “Begin…”

  Needing to concentrate, Elise closed her eyes. She couldn’t listen to what Owen said. She needed to picture the invisible particles gathering closer. Pulling on the air around her, she began to chant. “North wind blow, cold like snow; icy crystals form and grow. Wind so strong, go ‘round and ‘round. A column of cold I now command.”

  Elise opened her eyes, making sure to hold the spell together. Owen prepared his column and the two vertical masses drifted toward each other over the scrying bowl.

  “Now, Elise, push.”

  Elise shoved her pillar toward Owen’s. She felt the charge grow as the hair on her arms lifted and then the hair on her head. Owen’s white strands also rose. A bolt of lightning hit the bowl dead center.

  Elise flew through the air away from the table. She landed hard on her wrist and felt it pop as a huge boom of thunder reverberated through the chamber. She blinked her eyes trying to clear the dark spots and then struggled to her knees. Her wrist throbbed and she was certain it was broken. “Owen? Are you all right?” There was no answer.

  She rose to her feet, weaving and wobbling, she tried to make her way toward the dais. Then she saw Owen lying on the floor across the room. She’d only a few moments before the cult members would arrive. They couldn’t help but hear the thunder. Gritting her teeth, she continued forward and fell at his side. His eyes were closed and a bad burn slashed his face. She collapsed her head onto his chest, heard the faint beating of his heart. He was alive. The door across the room banged open and Elise heard voices and running footsteps.

  She closed her eyes and pictured the Guardian clinic, the place she worked, the place she felt most at home. Grabbing Owen’s robe in her good hand, she ported them to safety.

  They landed hard. Elise couldn’t open her eyes. She heard screaming and a cat hissing and yowling before blessed darkness took everything away.

  §

  Mabel heard the screams first and then the howl of an enraged cat. She followed the noise down the hall to the Guardian clinic and ran in the door to find Martha, the Air witch on loan from the Witches’ hospital, backed into a corner, yelling her head off. When she saw Mabel she pointed at the mass of black robes and twisted limbs on the floor.

  Sitting on the top of the pile, Hirael with his hair up, hissed and yowled. Someone moaned and one of the legs moved.

  “Martha, be quiet!” Mabel demanded.

  Garrett ran into the room, a gun in hand, and pointed it toward the huge lynx. “Stop. Don’t shoot. He’s a familiar,” Mabel yelled running forward and grabbing Garrett’s arm.

  “What the hell is going on here?” Garrett demanded.

  Martha finally stopped screaming and hiccupped. “They just appeared and then the huge cat materialized on top of them. I thought he would attack me.”

  “Easy now, Martha. I won’t let the cat attack you. Who is under that mass of black cloth?” Garrett asked.

  “From Hirael’s reaction, I would think it’s Owen and Elise,” Mabel said. “Hirael, dear, stop fussing and let me get a look at them. Come on, there’s a good kitty. Yes, I know you were worried sick, but it looks like they need healing. Let me help them, Hirael.” Mabel moved forward slowly, trying to calm the frantic cath-cydymaith.

  “Is she talking to the cat?” Martha asked.

  “It appears that way. Mabel, be careful, that cat is a wild animal. Wait did you say Elise?” Garrett took two steps forward and the lynx once more began to yowl.

  “What is going on in here? Who let the cat in?” Seth, the lycan Guardian/computer genius asked from the door.

  Just what she needed, a wolf and lynx in the same room. Mabel shook her head. “Please, Seth and Garrett, get out. Martha get the healing potion. Hirael, please, Owen needs help and so does his Destined One.” Mabel once more tried to calm the lynx.

  “Did she say Destined One?” Seth asked.

  “Come on, Seth, I’ll fill you in later. I’ll be right outside the door, Mabel,” Garrett said.

  Mabel nodded. Another moan came from the bundle on the floor. Then, Owen sat up. The robe fell away from his face and Mabel noticed the red burn across his cheek. He gathered the woman hidden in the robes to his chest. “Elise, cariad, speak to me. Hirael get off, you’ll hurt her, fine familiar you’ve been. Why didn’t you come and find us? Mabel, you’ve got to do something, she isn’t answering me.”

  Mabel kneeled on the floor next to the trio. Hirael moved to the other side of Owen. Mabel brushed the fabric off Elise’s face and then placed her hand on Elise’s forehead. Mabel used her energy to scan for injuries. “She has a broken wrist, is slightly dehydrated, and exhausted from using her magic. What have the two of you been up to?”

  “I’ll explain everything once you heal Elise.”

  “You need some healing as well, my friend. Martha, hand me the potion.” Martha crept forward and handed Mabel the small bottle of healing potion, and then skittered away. “Owen, can you get her to swallow this?”

  He nodded. Mabel rose and went to the cabinet to get a bandage and the burn ointment. When she returned Owen handed her the empty bottle.

  “Let me wrap her wrist and put ointment on your cheek. How did you get this burn?” Mabel asked.

  “We made lightning to destroy the portal.”

  “Lightning? Do you know how dangerous that is?” Mabel finished wrapping Elise’s wrist. She uncapped the ointment and lightly patted the mixture over the burn on Owen’s face. Thank goodness Owen seemed to be treating Elise as if she mattered to him. Would the arrogant fae lord realize, like she had, that life wasn’t worth living without your Destined One?

  “Rhaim brought the Marwolaeth to Earth. Clara is possessed. Rhaim mentioned another council member was also in his control. I don’t know how many of his cult members he’s let the parasites take over. You must warn Her Majesty. This evil must be stopped before it invades Ynys Afallon.”

  “The Marwolaeth? I thought all gates to their dimension had been closed long ago.”

  “Rhaim must have opened another. That’s why we attempted to make lightning, to close the portal.”

  “Did
it work? Did it close the portal?” The last time the Marwolaeth invaded Earth was when the humans thought the Black Death was a disease. The symptoms of the body being poisoned by the Marwolaeth were similar to the plague. It had been horrible, so many died and needed to be destroyed. Burning the bodies could stop the Marwolaeth from spreading. Mabel knew of no way to save the person infected.

  “I don’t know.” Owen shook his head. “All I know is that it was a solid hit. Elise and I were thrown from the charge. I must have blacked out when I landed. Elise is the one who ported us here. That’s not the first time she’s saved me.”

  “Being chosen as your Destined One means she is your perfect match. She’d have to be strong to partner with you. Come on, let’s get you off the floor. The ointment should take care of the burn. We can make Elise comfortable on a bed until she wakes.”

  Mabel helped Owen up, Elise still in his arms. “What’s with the black robes?” Mabel asked as she pulled back the covers on one of the beds in the clinic.

  “We borrowed them from the cult members. They made a good disguise.” Owen laid Elise down and then pulled the covers around her. He sat on the chair next to the bed, taking her hand in his. Hirael leaned against his leg, his head resting on Owen’s knee. “When will she wake? Why is it taking so long?”

  “Owen, calm down, it’s only been ten minutes. Can I get you anything to eat? You’ve been gone almost ten days.”

  “Ten days? That’s not possible. It’s been less than twenty-four hours.”

  “No, Owen. It’s been ten days. Are you sure you were on Earth?” Time worked differently in other dimensions. Even in Ynys Afallon, time moved much slower than on Earth.

  “We had to be. Elise was able to port in food from her kitchen.”

  “Hmmm, maybe Rhaim warped the time somehow. That would explain why we couldn’t find you.”