As if greedy fingers tore at my clothes, I was sucked into the wall. Into the Veil. An explosion of memory ripped through my consciousness. I saw myself standing in the Veil not even a handful of days ago. Three gods, a bubbling cauldron, and the inanimate body of Patrick dumped in the pot like he was a cinnamon stick in a mulled cider. Keep going, cheeks. Keep going, Grumpy called out mentally.I forced myself to ignore the memories, to put one foot in front of the other. What had felt like someone ripping and pulling at me before, now felt like I was trying to force my way through a mostly frozen lake. Complete with shivers and shudders. Just when I thought I couldn't take another step, I pushed through some kind of barrier and fell through to the forest floor of the Valley. Jeremiah and Lukas kept their grips on me as my knees gave out. They helped haul me back up as we walked far enough into the Valley to allow the rest of our group to join us. As soon as I felt the
I winced again. Finn, you great bloody beast, take me. Because I swear to all the gods that if you leave me unsatisfied, I'll destroy you. How could you let that bitch spread those lies about you? About her? Drace snarled over the shared dragon connection.I looked up and saw the darting forms of their humongous bodies in the air as if they were arrows from an archer's bow. I shook my head. Now really isn't the time for you two to go on a sex parade, you know. Tagan, shut your bloody mouth. You've got the love of your life, you have. Now shut your trap while I get mine. I'd listen to the lass, mate. You don't want to get between two dragons, Finn answered in his calm tone. If you make me catch you, Dracealina, you won't enjoy the taking. Come back here.I snorted. I hadn't lived with that woman for more than a week, but even I knew she'd take those words as a challenge. Then again, that could be what Finn was going for. He didn't strike me as wanting the lay down and take
Hols' hand clenched in mine so tightly I feared for my ability to ever surf a keyboard again. Damn, she's strong. I tried to wiggle my fingers as I fought to see beyond the trees. Once I squatted down, I squeezed her fingers. Sweet sacred stars. "What the fuck?" I blinked, hoping the images seared into my brain would change. That it was just a really realistic movie or a special effects reel. Another high piercing scream tore through the air. I shuddered. Squeezed my eyes closed for a long five seconds. I took a deep breath. Forcing my eyes open, I watched as robed and hooded figures cut down the missing people of the Village. Men had been hacked into pieces. Arms and legs looked like a child knocked over a Lincoln Log building set.The women though...the women had been tortured. Slices had been cut away. Strips of flesh littered the ground like the molted skin of a snake. Lumps, that on closer inspection turned out to be breasts, dotted the ground like mushrooms. "What t
With my mates surrounding me, our forward progress was slow. But we made it to the edge of the standing stone circle. I encased us in a protective shield as I fired star shine like missiles at the killers. How dare they murder innocents? They forced the children to watch as parents, family, loved ones were slaughtered at their feet. Demanded they watch as if their fear was a spice to flavor the blood when it spilled to the ground. None of them would be leaving. Not alive anyway. I made it my mission. As more balls of star shine rose to my hands, as more damage was dealt to the invaders, I could feel him. He was scratching at the edge of my soul. Trying to find purchase to invade my inmost being. He would not succeed. Not this time. Not ever again. Let me in, Star Mistress. We can rule this world together. We can make all of humanity bend to our will. His voice was raspier somehow. Not quite as strong. Not quite as seductive as before. This time I wasn't alone. I was s
Jeremiah grabbed Jonathan, took the knife from him. "You're coming with us." He waved his hands in the air, making the hole reappear. "We'll see you back at your penthouse. We need to get him out of here before he calls anything else. Be safe." He stepped through the portal, five or six of his men with him. The rest stayed behind and joined us. "What do we do?" Stretch asked. I shook my head as another wave rushed under our feet. I braced myself, my legs wide, my knees soft. I held Stretch against me, gave her something to hold onto as the world fell apart around us. The children's shrieks of fear and panic battered at my ears. The sounds of war would follow me into my darkest nightmares. I had a better appreciation for Tag's horrors and this had only been one day. A couple of hours, at most. How he survived a total of four years of this was beyond my comprehension. Stretch pulled from my arms. She ran to the kids. "Is there no one left?" she asked.They looked up at her,
"What do you want, Merlin?" I asked. We were in some kind of odd shimmering place. Specks of light danced in every direction I looked. I had no idea where I was, but I knew who had stolen me away. "The same thing I've always wanted. I just have enough power to force it from your body this time." He stepped out of the shifting lights. A solid form among the drifting colors and dancing stars. He was a handsome man-if I were to consider average handsome. Medium height, slim build. Quite a crown of brown curls on his head. It was his eyes, though, that made him captivating. A glowing amber hue that swirled with golds and bronzes as the light shifted. His lashes were long enough to make any girl jealous. I crossed my arms over my chest, prayed he couldn't see the terror that sat just below the surface. "And how do you intend to do that?"His mouth twitched slightly. It was thin and pinched. As if it would physically pain him to smile. "In whatever way best suits me, of course." H
I watched as dragons slammed against the wooden fence. Had it actually been real and wooden, it would have already been reduced to dust under their trampling feet. But we were stuck. Stuck in this stupid Valley.I feared for Tag's mental health as he curled himself tighter and tighter around our girl. He wasn't even letting Ari near her at this point. But without her magic, we were fucking stuck in this awful place. None of the Wardens could get through. Not even teamed up with the guys from the other world. Not even with all the dragons shooting whatever they could at. Be it fire, ice, acid, or lightning. Until Hols woke up, we were stuck.Come back to us, Hols. We're waiting for you. We need you back. Tag's going full-on crazy mode. Thane's busy trying to rip through the Valley's magical barrier. I'm trying to keep your grandmother from ripping holes in the universe with her displeasure. We need you back. You're our glue. Our reason. Our heart. Come back to us, Hols. We lov
I looked up at the trees. The night sky. It shielded my tears from the prying eyes of those around me. I curled around the lifeless body of the love of my life. She was gone. Had been gone for hours now. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't let anyone take her from me. I'd almost shot Thane in the chest before I'd been disarmed. He'd tried to take her. Tried to put her body in the ground. Said we needed to bury her. I'd shoved him away. Carried away the shell that used to hold my soul. My heart. No one was taking her anywhere. And they certainly weren't putting her in the fucking ground. That was for damn sure. I knew what death looked like in a human body. I'd seen it. Smelled it. Watched it deform with decay and rigor mortis. None of those things happened to Cheeks. Not a single one. Her bowels didn't void. Her limbs didn't become rigid as granite.No. She was gone. But her body wasn't dead. At least not yet. I would stay with her until her body died. Then I would fo
Eleven Months Later"Give me my babies, Grumpy. I carried them. I get to hold them." I held out my arms. My tired and noodley arms. I didn't care if I could barely hold them up. I was going to snuggle with my three girls until we all fell asleep anyways. He slid the one wrapped in purple into my arms. "So bossy, cheeks." He kissed my sweaty brow. "I love it. But I'm still the boss." My daughter's blonde hair and dark purple eyes were a startling combination. Her dusky skin made her even more exotic looking. I blew a raspberry at him. "That's what you think. We've got you outnumbered now."Tove carried over the little girl snuggled in pink. "Yes, you do. We're all going to be wrapped around your fingers. Hell, I already am and I have no problem admitting it." With her citrine eyes and black hair, she was just as pretty as her sister. Thane smiled. He laid the little bundle of yellow on my chest. "I'm right there with you. They're perfect, Stretch. Just like you." Little Miss Sun
One month laterI looked at the little computer screen. Squinted. When that didn't help, I rubbed my eyes. Blinked. Looked at the screen again. "Are you sure?" I asked. The nice dragon smiled at me. "Very sure, my lady."I grimaced at the name. But no matter how many times I told people not to call me that, they continued to do so anyways. I shook my head. "I still don't believe you.""Cheeks, you're pregnant. You can't tell me all the crazy mood swings and eating us out of house and home has been lost on you," Grumpy snapped at me. His face was basically plastered to the little screen. I glared at the back of his head. "If that's so, maybe I should go live with Drace and Finn. They won't bitch at me."He turned with a snarl. "Try it and see what happens."The dragon healer chuckled, the sound a little uncomfortable. "Perhaps we could all calm down. New mothers, especially dragon carriers, need to be calm and happy." I raised my eyebrows in victory at Grumpy. "Yeah. No m
"Where is she? Where's my granddaughter? Hollyn, he was lying. He was lying, baby!" Ari raced up. Tears and fear soaked her voice. "I would never do that. Not ever. You're mine. Just as your mother was mine. I don't trade one for the other. I'd never do that." I looked up at Tove, his blue green eyes smiling down at me. "Think I should talk to her?"He nodded. "You know you want to. I can tell." He gave me a cheeky wink. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Watch it, mister."He smacked his lips to mine. "You just smashed Merlin into light particles. I'm pretty sure you can handle a discussion with your Grams."I smiled hugely. I had smashed Merlin into light particles. His bitchass was no more. My eyes widened. "Shit!" I pushed Tove off me. "We've got to get out of here. Merlin's gone. The Valley could collapse at any second."Ari crushed me into her body. "He was lying. He was lying. I swear to you he was lying." She kept saying the same thing over and over again, her eyes wi
I still rushed forward. I would do whatever was necessary to help her win this. To get her back. To bring her home. Literally blind, I plowed into someone. She gave a hoarse oomph as we smashed to the ground and rolled. "Batman," she whispered. Then she settled her lips on mine. Two more heavy bodies crushed down on us. She inhaled sharply. "Can't...breathe."With a grunt, I forced myself to my hands and knees. Made a cage of protection over her. My brothers rolled off to the sides. "Sorry!" Tag said as he popped back up."Damnit, Tag," Thane snarled. "You good, sweet girl?" I whispered. She nodded. "As long as you're all here, I'm better than good."Soon, she was in our arms in another Hollyn burrito.
I saw his smug stupid face as he smiled up at me.He raised a hand. The energy crackled like pale pink lightning in his palm. His lips moved. The stores of my magic that had been topped off with Chaos' boost bubbled and writhed as I filled them with starshine. There were no longer any stars in my bright Autumn sky. None. Save for one. The sun. Using a thread of Chaos' magic, I linked up to the shining orb that rested high above our globe's heavens. The power shivered and danced through me. An unbreakable link that let me see far beyond what my eyes were capable of. The hint of pink shot from Merlin's hand, straight at me. I steadied myself. Prayed that my magic would hold me true. That I wasn't going to be the reason everyone in my life, in this fucking Valley, died. Just as the spinning, crackling sphere of pure energy neared me, it burst into a rainbow of motes. I hurtled towards the earth and an idea began to form. I had no idea if it would work, but I was out
He dies. Right now. I was torn between screaming in victory and yelling at my girl until I ruined my voice forever. Either way, I was out of time. As we raced up the final small hill, I saw her dart down from her spot in the sky. We thrust through the line of Wardens as she angled herself like an arrow at the man who had caused all of this. "You shouldn't have told me my men were dead." Her voice was in my head, but I could also hear it as if she'd whispered it to me. Shit. I poured on the speed.
I gritted my teeth. Tried to convince myself it was a lie. He wrapped a hand in my hair, yanked my head back. With his free hand, he displayed another screen of some kind. "Watch, pet. Watch with me as you realize your doom." A picture wobbled and then steadied in front of me."My daughter, Hollyn's mother, crying out for me," Ari said as she turned to look at someone.Grumpy. She was with Grumpy. They were both wearing the clothes we'd arrived in. The backdrop of the picture showed the hollowed out remains of the Village. Body and pieces of creatures dotted the ground."She's gone. You said yourself that she was gone. Cheeks told us." Grumpy squeezed her arm. Ari's gaze darted over his shoulder, back to his face. Her blue eyes were wide, scared. She shook her head. "You don't understand.""NO!" I screamed and thrashed against his hold. My heart stuttered in my chest. "No!" She was just like everyone else. Only using me for my power. For what I could give her. She wanted
I sliced through the last zombie that stood in front of me. Wiped a hand over my brow. I hadn't thought there were that many people in here the last time. But I guess if Merlin could raise one, he could raise all the dead people here. Time wouldn't really be a factor. Ari yanked her sword back, spit on the corpse that still twitched at her feet. "And stop touching my shoes!" She hacked off the creature's hand. I snorted, causing her to look up at me. A blush rose over her cheeks. "Sorry. That wasn't very goddess-like."I shrugged it away. "Honestly, I liked it better than the goddessy parts you usually show. A bit more real."She smiled as she looked around the Village. Dead bodies littered the ground like trash in an abandoned alley. "Where is everyone else?" She looked at me. I pointed to the right. "Apparently there were a lot coming in from the standing stones. I'm guessing these were the old Villagers?" I shrugged. Oh well. They'd deserved to die for treating my Sweet
I bent my knees to keep my balance as I soared on Drace's back. I hadn't really been thinking about anything but destroying Merlin when I launched myself towards the sky. Luckily, my bestie had my back. Although...I think I might have been able to fly for a little bit there. I focused as huge, gleaming balls of pure energy were launched into the sky. He's throwing magical grenades, I announced to the dragons. Hold on, Mistress, Drace said. She started dipping and dodging, weaving and winding in the sky as she tried to miss being hit with the missiles of unadulterated power. I lost my balance and landed on my ass between her spikes. Luckily, they felt like feathers instead of the sharp knives of Thane's scales the first time I'd hit those. I clenched my hand around the one directly in front of me as I held on for dear life. I'm going to swoop down and let you off. You're nothing up here but an easy target, corcra. Just make sure you stay alive down there until I can come and