TUCK YOUR WINGS CLOSE AND DIVE, Drace shouted through my head. I pulled my wings in as close to my body as I could and shot through the air towards Stretch. I kept my eyes on her as I begged my body for more speed. I had no idea what I was doing, but I believed that between Drace and Ari, they'd help me save my mate. Open your legs and arms wide, Hollyn. Cup your hands, palms down, Drace said through the mental link. Thankfully, Stretch must have heard her because her arms and legs shot out into a big X. Her fall immediately stabilized from the twisting, turning mess it had been before. Is this what flying feels like? Stretch asked, her voice calm. I don't know, but you're going to feel what spankings feel like. What the hell was that, Sweetcheeks? Tag raged.You looked so sad. I thought maybe I could give you some more power like I'd given to Drace. That maybe you could have your dragon like Thane and Tove have theirs. I'm sorry. What the hell did we just talk abou
My body felt like it had been scrubbed over the washer and beaten against the rocks near the stream where we did laundry in the Village. My stomach heaved as my head throbbed and thrummed. My heart pounded in my ears as my eyes watered. I struggled to pull air in through my nose and push it steadily from my mouth. Over and over. All I could focus on was my breathing. Staying alive. That was it. Once my world righted itself, and my organs felt like they were back in their normal position, I sat up. The living room greeted me. We were back at home. I looked around, counted heads. Nodded. Good. We were all here. "Ari? What the heck did you do? And why?" My tongue felt thick and stupid inside my mouth. Reaching out, I grabbed Thane's hand in one of mine. Drace's hand in the other. "Grab Tove and Grumpy," I said. They each reached out until we made a lopsided circle. "Quod restituo dimittere." The room lit briefly as I called on my magic. My magic. It was so weird to know
I jumped forward as her body crumpled towards the floor like a puppet with cut strings. I hauled her up into my arms and moved behind Ari and Thane and Drace. They'd made a barricade between Brigid and Hols. "Does she still breathe?" Ari asked, not taking her eyes off her sister. I laid my ear to Hols' face. Felt the gentle puff of air against my cheek. "Yes." Saying it relaxed the band of fear around my chest. Allowed my lungs to expand, my heart to beat. "Where is Sidney?" Thane asked. "Where he belongs," Ari said. "In hell.""Good," Thane and I said in unison. "You don't even know what you've just done. You fools!" Brigid roared. "You've given the Villagers exactly what they wanted. You've released Patrick's power."I curled Hols closer to my chest. "Explain. Now."She stuck her nose up in the air. "Answer the man, sister. Or suffer the same fate as the idiotic coward you brought to hurt my granddaughter," Ari said, her voice hard as diamonds. Brigid didn'
I knew I was dreaming, that floaty awful feeling invaded my mind, weighted my limbs. I winced as something whispered in my ear. A familiar whisper. A horrifying whisper. "Hollyn, you've come to see me. What a pleasant surprise." Patrick Walsh said. Hard fingers gripped my arms as I tried to scoot away. "No. No. Get off me. Thane! Tagan! Toven!" I shrieked their names as I tried to pry his fingers from my skin. I called up my magic. I had magic. Lots of it. More than I knew what to do with. He laughed in my face as nothing came to my hands. Not even sparkles or glitters of magic. Just nothing. No. No. No. This couldn't be happening. Not again. Not now. "You took out the one person who was keeping me contained," he whispered in my ear as he slid his disgusting tongue up the side of my neck. "My brother was too concerned with staying bright and light to worry about expanding his magic. He was a fool.""A fool obviously strong enough to contain you," I bit out as I frantic
Sweetcheeks' body jackknifed into an upright position as I was leaning down to pick up her unconscious body. The resounding smack of our heads had my ears ringing and my belly fighting to stay in place. "The fuck, cheeks?" I growled as my eyes watered from the pain. "Grumpy?" "Yeah. Who the fuck'd you think it was?" She flung her arms around me and started shaking like a withered leaf on a stiff winter's breeze. I curled my arms around her. "Hey. Hey. What's wrong?" I pulled her into the shelter of my body. "You've been sleeping for hours now. You're safe. You're in the penthouse." "Oh stars, Grumpy. I pissed him off. I punched him in the face. I'm so screwed. You guys have to let me go. If he comes, he's going to kill us all. I made him mad. He's going to be so angry." She immediately began pulling against my hold. Tried to climb from my arms. I tightened them around her until I felt like our flesh melded together. "Not happening. And you better stop trying to dit
"Like this?" I asked, my eyes pinched shut as I tried to keep the mental image of my magic clothes in the front of my mind. Silence. I cracked open one eye to see my men and Drace looking at me, their mouths all hanging open. Well, that wasn't very encouraging. I looked down at myself. I nodded. That's exactly what I'd pictured. Why were they looking at me like that?"Grumpy cleared his throat. "Sweet fucking stars, Cheeks. What did I tell you about that outfit?"I grinned. "That I could only wear it at home." I looked around the room. "Guess what, Grumpy? We're at home.""I'm going to go for a long walk. Is there a cold river anywhere around here?" Drace shot to her feet, already halfway to the door when she asked. "Never mind. I'll find something." She swung the door open and passed through it so fast, I was surprised her hair didn't get caught in the frame. I looked back at my men. "What? Don't you like it?" The strappy outfit I'd tried on at the store with Grumpy
I gritted my teeth as the raw emotions filtering over the connection from both Tag and Stretch had me reading the same email for the seventh time. I'd never had so many unanswered emails in a twenty-four hour period. Never thought anything could take that top priority in my mind. Hollyn was it. The only thing that could ruin my focus on work. Shift my brain from the puzzles of ruling the telecommunications industry. "Are you getting anything done over there or are you just peeping on your brother and your mate?" Drace asked from the couch. "These moony sighs make me feel like I'm back in high school."I grimaced on a laugh. She wasn't wrong. I felt like a hormonal teenager again. I shut my computer, resigned to the fact that no work was going to be done until after I could sate myself in Stretch's body. I moved back to the couch, flicked my gaze to the TV. Game of Thrones was playing. I winced. Not the best show to take my mind off sex. "Seriously?" I asked her. She smile
My brain was sliding towards sleep as the room started to shake around us. "Tagan, stop. I'm tired." I pushed at him with my shoulders. He chuckled, the sound both lazy and tight. "As much as I want to go another round, cheeks, that wasn't me. Nor do I think it was normal." He hoisted me up into his arms and pushed from the bed. That better be you two, Thane said over the mental connection. Not us. But we're on our way, Grumpy replied. Get some fucking clothes on this time. Real clothes. Sorry, Hols, Tove added. I pouted, but understood. And, joy of joys, we were in Grumpy's room where my clothes were stored. He set me down in front of the dresser. I pulled on the drawers that held my panties (stupid), my bras (torture devices from hell), leggings (palatable), and tanks (if I had to). I got dressed as quickly as possible and joined Grumpy at the door. "Your facial expressions getting dressed..." he trailed off into laughter. I elbowed his belly. "Why can't you a
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