Quinlan. He’d surprised her at every turn. She’d thought so little of him, that except for his dedication to serving Grochaire, he was little more than eye-candy.
Now, as he held her and rubbed her back, all his actions of the past several days had served her or Lorelei or his brigade. He was one of the most generous men she’d ever known.
Her chest constricted and tears rushed to her eyes. She didn’t want her time with Quinlan to end. She’d worked so hard to separate herself from Grochaire, yet in the end, she had fallen in love with the ruler himself.
She blinked, aware that she’d just used the ‘L’ word.
Sweet Goddess, she loved Quinlan, with her whole heart, with every inch of her body and every tremor of her soul.
She loved him.
Sliding her arms around him, she hated the thought that in a few hours the sun would rise and she’d lose him forever.
She couldn’t let this happen. He couldn’t die now. They’d barely gotten to know each other. “I love you, Quin. I just didn’t know it, but I think maybe I fell hard when you walked in wearing that red-sequined Mardis Gras shirt.”
He chuckled, his hand still massaging her back. “I love you, too. I never thought this would happen for me. I didn’t deserve it.”
She drew back and looked into his eyes, caressing his face. “You idiot, no man deserves love more than you. I’ve seen the truth of who you are, that every action of yours is built on serving your people. I just didn’t get it until you took care of both Lorelei and myself. You could have left us anywhere along the way.”
He looked shocked. “No, I couldn’t have. Don’t even think it.”
Her heart melted. “There, you see? You’ve just made my point.” She kissed him and set up an enthrallment shield. The last thing she’d let those fucking wraith-pairs see was the affection she felt for Quinlan.
* * * * * * * * *
Quinlan pulled her close and once again that powerful sensation filled his chest, but this time he recognized the source—his love for Batya had taken him over.
He loved her. He let this truth flow through him, swell his chest, his heart, his mind until his mating vibration came alive and reached for her.
She opened her frequency in return and he let his love flow into her. She moaned softly, rolling on top of him, and kissing him. Your vibration isn’t like before.
I want you to feel my love, Batya, that this isn’t a small thing for me.
You fill me up, Quin. I’ve never been so happy, even caught in this net, I’ve never known such joy.
She drew back and looked down at him, her lovely hazel eyes tear-drenched, yet she smiled. “I love you so much.”
He nodded and wiped the tears from her cheeks.
A new force rose inside him. He let go of the past, of his feelings of unworthiness, barely recognized in his own life, and he opened himself to this woman, to love, to believing himself worthy of this kind of happiness.
One thought rose above all else, that Batya couldn’t die. He couldn’t let her perish in this super-charged net. She had to live.
Loving her had become the biggest surprise of his life, but now that he’d acknowledged this tremendous truth, he couldn’t just lie here waiting for the sun to claim him and he definitely couldn’t let either of those bastards use her body.
But the more familiar ways of battling wouldn’t work. He needed new thoughts in this situation, a new approach.
“Quinlan, what is it?”
“I’m trying to think outside the box, get outside my head. There has to be something we can do.”
“I don’t want you to die, Quin. You need to live, for the sake of the Nine Realms.”
A profound sensation of love swept through him once more and he knew what he wanted to do, what needed to be done.
“Bond with me, Batya, right now. There’s a reason, as strange and bizarre as this whole journey has been, why we’ve come together. Bond with me. Now.”
She smiled. “I want to more than anything, but how do we do this? I thought it required time.”
“The last time I spoke with Vojalie, she did say time would create the bond, but a decision between us could do it as well. And even Gerrod and Abigail bonded by sharing blood. Our land is in a constant state of flux, including the magical elements. And right now, I’m thinking well outside my usual grid of action and I believe we can do it.” He put a hand to his chest. “That’s what I feel here, right now.”
Her eyes searched his. “You think we have a chance, don’t you?”
He smiled. “If we work together, just as Rosamunde said.”
She nodded. “I’m in.”
He opened up to her, letting every one of his frequencies reach for her, his mating frequency, his battling vibrations, and that place where he kept what he treasured most, the soft waves of his devotion to Grochaire and now his love for Batya. All flowed.
She arched, taking it in. In response, he found a waiting nest inside her of all that she was in her faeness and power.
Her vibrations returned to him, throbbing waves of desire, and of her love for the ex-pat community in Lebanon, of her artistry, and even her newly discovered battling frequency. All swirled inside him.
Look at me.
She opened her eyes. You’re so beautiful inside me, Quin.
He nodded. And you’re like a banquet I could feast on for centuries.
I join myself to you, Quinlan, now and forever. He felt her decision as though she’d just opened a door and walked through.
He followed after her. And I bind myself to you, Batya of Lebanon, the woman I love with all my heart, who I give myself to without reservation. All that I am, now belongs to you.
Staring into her eyes, he felt a great miracle happen.
“Do you feel that? Our vibrations are swirling around each other, over and over.”
“Growing closer and tighter.”
She nodded. “ I can feel the bond forming.”
“Like ropes braiding together to become even stronger.”
“Yes, exactly like that.”
The moment the bond solidified, a flash of light exploded outward, a surge of power that felt like a bomb going off.
Batya reached out her hand. “Would you look at what we’ve done? We blew the net apart.”
Quinlan glanced in the direction of the roaring fire. “But they can’t see it because of the enthrallment shield.”
“Exactly.”
“Why do you think they haven’t noticed we’ve disappeared?”
“Arrogance. They have no fear we can escape, so they’re not paying attention.” He shifted his gaze back to her. “How about we join forces and take these assholes down.”
“Hell, yeah.”
Quinlan loved the look in his woman’s eye. No fear, just a determination to do what needed to be done.
Chapter Eleven
As Batya rose to her feet, she couldn’t believe she and Quinlan had accomplished the impossible, that they’d broken free of Margetta’s super-charged net.
They could also just fly out of the meadow, over the forest, and down the mountainside to civilization. But that would leave two super-powered wraith-pairs free to exact whatever vengeance they wanted on the first realm-folk they encountered.
Quinlan rose as well.
Batya couldn’t believe how different she felt in her own skin, as though everything had changed. The bond between them felt like a steel cable.
He drew close and pulled her into his arms. She’d never been happier or felt more fulfilled, as though life boiled down to this moment, to a deep connection, and everything else took second place.
“You can fly,” he said.
Batya pulled back. “What do you mean?”
“You can fly now. I sense it in you, in the same way that I’m moving along your battle frequency and I can feel the level of your power and what you can bring to an engagement. Batya, you can fly.”
She saw the hard warrior’s light
in his eye, something she’d always seen in him. She glanced down at her feet, as though expecting them to rise on their own.
He took her arm in a gentle clasp. Glancing back up at him, she saw that he smiled. “Go ahead. Give it a try. I’ll steady you.”
But in that moment, she felt it as well, an innate ability that had always been there. She thought the thought and slowly began to rise, very controlled, levitating as though she’d been flying since childhood. I must have gained something of your knowledge in the bonding because this feels very natural to me.
You look like a natural.
He rose beside her and they were both now five feet off the ground and her enthrallment shield held. She twirled in a circle midair and felt completely competent. Unbelievable.
She turned to face him. So how do you want this to play?
He glanced over at the campsite where all four captors sat with plates on knees eating goat and beans.
I want you to stay focused on your battle frequency. Let it run wide open and just go with your instincts. When they come for us, take the wraiths and I’ll engage the vampires. How does that sound?
Fantastic.
Ready?
The question surprised Batya in its simplicity. The answer was simpler yet. “Yes.”
“Then go ahead and release your enthrallment shield. After that, I thought we’d fly straight up.”
Batya let the shield melt away. “Now what?”
Her words, however, brought their captors turning to look at them. “What the fuck?” the nearest mastyr called out, rising to his feet, his plate sliding off his knees to the ground.
The two vampires shot into the air. Quinlan took off as well, and without thinking, Batya followed him. Her instinctive response surprised her as she waited for her mind to catch up with her body.
She didn’t waste time, however, in over-thinking what was going on. Her wide-open battle frequency had put a smile on her face and her limbs trembled with adrenaline as she tracked with Quinlan.
The first mastyr reached them along with his shrieking wraith lover. Batya didn’t give it a second thought as she lifted her hand, and let what proved to be a stunning ball of fire explode in the wraith’s direction. The wraith streaked toward a nearby stream, her gauze-based gown in flames.
Batya headed after her and knew exactly what she would do. The wraith dove into the water and came up screaming in pain. She held her palm toward the wraith. “Now sit on the bank or I’ll hit you with another one.”
The wraith, her dripping, burned gown, hanging on her strange, lean body, stood up in the shallow water. She moved to the bank and sat down, shaking from head to foot.
Batya drew close and extended her healing frequency to the woman. The wraith’s eyes rolled with agony. She’d probably pass out in a couple of minutes, as blistered as her skin was. Batya decided to help her along and planted her hand on the woman’s forehead, sinking her into painless sleep.
Wraith, coming up behind you. Quinlan’s words rang sharp in her head, but even if he hadn’t warned her, Batya sensed the enemy. She bolted to the right then shot into the air, whirling at the last moment. The wraith’s stream of killing energy went wide of the mark.
Batya aimed her palm at the enemy and let another ball of fire release from her heavily vibrating arm.
The wraith tried to move out of the way, but Batya waved her hand and controlled the trajectory. A few seconds more and the strike hit home, causing the second wraith to perform like the first, heading straight to the stream.
Batya repeated the drill until both wraiths lay side-by-side, sunk into oblivion, at least for the present.
She flew straight up to a parallel position in the air with Quinlan. He fought both mastyrs at the same time, so that lightning-like energy flowed in streaks of red and blue, back and forth.
Each of the men had been wounded and she felt how hard Quinlan fought to equal these men. If she’d killed the wraiths, the battle would already be over because the shared Invictus power faltered when one partner died. But the wraith-pair bond still fed the mastyrs because their mates lived.
Killing the wraiths outright hadn’t entered Batya’s head. She’d brought all that she was into this battle, which meant she was a healer first. She also knew that Samantha, serving as Ethan’s blood rose, had developed the power to dissolve Invictus bonds. One or all of the Invictus could be saved, given extensive rehabilitation.
She stayed at a distance, and focused on connecting with Quinlan’s battle frequency. When she tapped in, she let her power flow to him.
The change in Quinlan erupted like a volcano. The width of his strikes broadened and the vampire on the right shouted his sudden pain, tumbling through the air to land hard on the earth. He didn’t move.
The remaining vampire wheeled, heading toward the nearest tree-line.
* * * * * * * * *
Quinlan followed in his wake. He needed to reach him before the vampire disappeared into the forest and he’d never find him. He doubled his speed and just before he reached the trees, Quinlan let loose with a powerful stream of energy and caught the bastard in the kidneys.
The vampire arched his back as he shouted in pain, tumbling toward the earth. Like his counterpart, he hit hard and fell unconscious, exactly the way Quinlan wanted him.
As soon as he’d made sure that both Invictus pairs were out for a good long while, he headed slowly in Batya’s direction, rising once more back into the air.
He drew his cell from his pants pocket and called Rafe. “How about helping me out with something.”
“Name it, mastyr.”
Batya flew toward him and he opened his arm. When she drew close, he pulled her tight against him, the way they’d spent most of this journey together.
“Just get your ass to my GPS location. I’m in the Ashur Mountains, just below the snowline.” He glanced around. “You’ll find me about thirty miles east of Saddleback Vale.”
“You been hit in the head? There’s no such place.”
He smiled, thinking about how all the maps would reveal more of both Grochaire and Walvashorr Realms than most realm-folk had ever seen before.
“Trust me, Rafe. Find a map and have a look.” He then detailed the need for a portable prison.
“I’ve been stationed along the eastern border with twenty of your best men and I’ve just picked up you signal. See you in about thirty minutes.”
* * * * * * * * *
The Grochaire Guard detail arrived within a half hour and during that time, neither of the wraith-pairs reached consciousness. For that Batya was grateful. Quinlan might have helped open her battle frequency, but this part of her nature worked in opposition to her healing gifts and she would be very happy to leave this part of the journey behind her.
As she watched the last of the Guard head into the west, with both wraith-pairs chained in two separate steel cages, she glanced around the meadow. The fire had been extinguished and the tent carted away as well. The campsite looked pristine. Quinlan had even sent Margetta’s net to be studied by one of the shifter-scientists who excelled in breaking down the components of preternatural phenomena.
Still incredulous that she could fly, she levitated into the air just to try it out once more. The journey had given her so much, including the ability to fly, a concept that had many layers and brought a smile to her lips.
“You’re enjoying the idea of flight.”
“I am. I still can’t believe it.”
“You look good in the air.”
Quinlan rose to match her position then took her in his arms and kissed her. She drew back suddenly and looked around, but they remained stationary. “For a moment, I forgot about flight and got lost in the kiss. I thought for sure I’d fall out of the sky or we both would. Do you do this often?”
He chuckled. “No, and I probably won’t make a habit of it, especially not with you. Way too dangerous.”
“My thoughts exactly.” He seemed so changed as she stared i
nto his dark eyes. A new man. Some of the darkness that had clung to him had drifted away.
“Do you have any objection to returning to my stronghold? Spending the next few nights with me?”
For a moment, she could hardly speak, but finally managed, “I want nothing more.”
“Good. I thought about taking you to my beach house or to my main residence near Buckner, but I want you to myself for just a little while longer and I also want to see you lying on top of all those furs again.”
A shiver travelled through Batya, head-to-toe. She would get to be with Quinlan again, to share his bed. But it would be different this time.
His lips curved in a really smug smile. I can smell your sex, my love. The idea appeals to you.
And you have that smoky scent, too.
Want me to fly you?
Let me fly part of the way. When I get tired, I’ll gladly accept your arm. And one more thing, I know you need to feed. Want a snack first?
I’m tempted, but we’re only an hour away, maybe less. I’ll wait.
The images that rushed through her mind crippled her ability to sustain the levitation and she collapsed against him. I take it we just shared the same visual.
Can’t wait. Cha, let me fly you. Just like this. Let me hold you against me, just as I did all the way to Ferrenden Peace.
She sighed deeply as love filled up her heart. Leaning her head against his shoulder, she pathed, Let’s go.
* * * * * * * * *
I’ll want to get your satchel first, then make a phone call.
With Batya held close, Quinlan searched the ground for several hundred yards. The satchel had been knocked from his hand when the net caught them. Finally locating the flowered bag, he touched down to retrieve it.
At the same time, he pulled his phone from the pocket of his battle leathers, called ahead to his housekeeper, and informed her about the brigade’s two-week absence. He asked her to create a simple meal for them, then promptly gave her the next three nights off. He couldn’t imagine leaving the stronghold one moment sooner than that and he definitely wanted some alone time with his bonded blood rose.
With Batya tucked closed to his side, he picked up her satchel and rose high in the air. He needed to feed, but he’d wait because he wanted the complete experience right now. He also needed to get to his stronghold because it was closer to dawn than he’d realized. He already felt the first warning twinges up and down his back.