Chapter Five

The front door of the cottage opened, and Wendy appeared in the doorway. Her brows were furrowed as she scanned the entire yard. Chase appeared beside her and with one arm he protectively moved her back, so she stood behind him.

"What's wrong with them?"

"You may want to uncloak us before Chase goes into full defensive mode."

"Shit, I forgot!"

I called my power back into myself and watched as the realization dawned on Chase's face.

"Sorry Chase. I forgot that I cloaked us."

I heard Wendy's sigh of relief before she reappeared. "You scared the crap out of me guys. I could feel your magic, but I couldn't see you."

I walked over to her and hugged her tight. "I didn't mean to scare you Wendy. My car was here so Liam flew us here. I had to cloak us, so people wouldn't see us."

She gently squeezed me back and released me. Suddenly, there were orbs dancing in my vision and the woods started to spin. I closed my eyes to stop the dizziness and when I opened my eyes again everything was still. That was weird.

I shook off the feeling of unease and followed Wendy into the house. I hoped Liam didn't catch that or else he would undoubtedly hover. We each took a seat in the living room.

"Liam had the idea for us to test our powers, so we could get an idea of what we are dealing with. We have more privacy here."

Chase spoke first. "That's smart."

Wendy clapped her hands in excitement. "I wanna watch."

I couldn't help but love her. She had taken me in when I had no one else in the world to turn to. She was different now though. More radiant. Happiness looked good on her and I could feel a fondness for Chase developing because he was responsible for all of it.

Liam rested his arm around my shoulder "One day I hope to have you look at me the way she looks at him." The voice was Liam's in my head. I wrapped my arms around his middle as he pulled me into his side.

"You're almost there."

"So, what should we try first?" Wendy asked.

I felt the muscles in my face expand as a smile stretched widely across my face. "I wanna see if I can shift."

Liam's laughter vibrated in his chest and filled the entire room. "I've created a monster." His laughter was addictive and soon we were all laughing at my expense.

Wendy and Chase joined Liam and I in the backyard. I finally had my white sneakers on to protect my feet from the pesky fire ants that invaded my yard.

"So, what do you want to shift to?"

I chewed my lower lip as I thought hard about it. At first, I wanted to say a horse but I figured bigger may be harder so I settled for smaller.

"I want to try something little first, like a rabbit."

He shook his head and chuckled like it was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard.

"Ok, close your eyes and concentrate on what you want to be. Picture it in your mind."

I closed my eyes and did as I was instructed. A white rabbit appeared in my head with one round gray spot covering its left eye. I focused on every detail of the rabbit in my vision. I opened my eyes frustrated.

"It's not working."

Liam smiled and gently said, "Try again."

I closed my eyes again bringing the rabbit back into focus. Determined to make it work I reached down into my core where I felt my magic waiting dormant for me to call upon it. I drew it up and pushed it toward the rabbit in my vision. When I blinked my eyes open Liam was towering over me. He looked enormous from where I sat. I felt my legs contract and spring me forward, so I hopped around him in circles. I caught a glimpse of Wendy, who also looked much bigger now too.

"Amazing," she gasped.

"That's great Saraid. Now try to bring yourself back," Liam instructed.

I bounced around him again so that I was positioned in front of him. I wasn't sure how to do this, so I just closed my round rabbit eyes and pictured myself standing in front of me. I concentrated my magic on that image and then there I was staring out at Liam in my natural form.

"That was fun! Let's try again."

I was having a blast shifting back and forth. I had been a rabbit, a horse, an eagle, and a wolf. For my final try I closed my eyes and focused on an image of Liam. When I opened my eyes a look of shock washed over Liam's face as he stared back at me, an exact replica of him.

Laughter surrounded us as Wendy and Chase were doubled in on themselves as I walked up and planted a big kiss on Liam's lips. The sight of him kissing himself sent another round of laughter into the atmosphere around us. He looked so lost, like he didn't know what to do. I concentrated and brought myself back to my normal form.

"It's all in good fun."

For Liam's turn, we decided to try a locator spell with Wendy and Chase as our guinea pigs. I sent Wendy and Chase out to different locations with instructions to wait wherever they parked, for me to call and inquire about their location. What he needed to do was very similar to that of shifting.

"First focus on Chase."

He tried several times and almost gave up, assuming he just didn't get the ability to cast from me. I racked my brain looking for an explanation as to why he may not be able to cast.

"Can you feel anything when you are focusing on Chase?"

He shook his head, "Not really. I just see him in my head.

I knew what was missing then. He needed a reference point to call magic. I grabbed both of his hands in mine and instructed him to close his eyes with me. I called my power forth and I could feel it wash over me like a soft, warm blanket. I pushed it out from me and into Liam. I could feel where the power flowed out of my right hand into his left where it circulated and exited his right hand and re-entered through my left.

"Do you feel that?"

"Yes."

I broke the connection by removing my hands from his. "Now I want you to first picture Chase. Once you have him in your sights, I want you to think of the energy you just felt. You can pull that power forward. When you feel the power say the word Finala and then you should be able to see where Chase is."

I watched him standing there with his arms resting at his sides and his eyes closed with deep concentration. I heard him say, "Finala," before he opened his eyes.

"He is at the corner of Peachtree Road and Old Highway Five."

I scrolled through Liam's contacts on his phone and pressed the little green icon to dial his number. When Chase picked up I asked, "Are you at the corner of Peachtree Road and Highway Five?" Satisfied with the answer I had received from Chase, I told him he could return and disconnected the call.

"You were right on the nose."

Not wanting to be too pleased with himself he immediately went to work on locating Wendy.

"She is at the end of your drive."

I called Wendy to verify and he was right again. "You did great," I said as I walked to him.

"I had an amazing teacher."

It took close to fifteen minutes for Chase to return. "Sorry, I got held up by the train," he explained as he climbed out of his truck.

Satisfied with the way things went today we decided to head in and relax for the remainder of the evening. As I was walking, a wave of dizziness hit me again. I tried to grab on to Liam, but I was falling into darkness. When I came to, I had opened my eyes to find my throbbing head in Liam's lap with Wendy and Chase squatting over me, concern etched over all of their faces.

"What happened?"

Chase helped me to stand and held me there until Liam was up and able to take his place. Liam gently picked me up in a cradle position and carried me the rest of the way into the house where he laid me down on the couch.

"What happened?" I asked again with a little more impatience.

"We don't know. We heard Liam calling your name and when we turned around you were face down on the ground," Wendy began to cry, "I couldn't sense your magic, so I thought you were dead."

Now I just felt awful. "I don't understand what is wrong with me Wendy but I'm ok, I'm not dead," I attempted to reassure her, "and besides you should know me enough to know that I am so not done raising hell."

That made her giggle a little through her involuntary sobs. Liam was concerned that I may have not been drinking enough blood, so he had me drink from him. I felt a little better after but not enough to keep the dizziness fully at bay. I could feel myself slowly fading into darkness again when Wendy grabbed my arm and started shaking me violently.

My weakened magic was pooling and boiling hard to the surface and reaching out to Wendy. I saw Wendy's body arch in an unnatural way that reminded me of an exorcism, but my magic refused to let me break the connection. Chase raced over and attempted to pull Wendy free from my grasp, but my power reached out to him and brought him to his knees still clutching Wendy's immobile frame. Fear ran through my veins like sharp razors when I saw Liam reaching for me. "Not him too," I yelled at myself.

I watched helpless as the three of them were writhing in pain as I unwillingly caused their turmoil. The connection abruptly broke and their bodies fell limp on the floor. I sat dazed for a moment unable to make sense of what had just happened. I saw movement from the corner of my eye and turned to find Liam slowly crawling too me. I jumped away from him afraid of what would happen if he touched me again.

"No, no, no," was all I could get out as I stared down at Wendy and Chase still lying motionless on the floor.

"Saraid!" Liam yelled bringing my attention back to him.

"Don't touch me!"

Tears fell from my eyes and ran down my face like a never-ending fountain.

"Please tell me I didn't kill them, Oh God, please let them be ok."

I ran over to Wendy's lifeless body to kneel beside her on the floor, careful not to touch her.

"Please come back to me. I can't live without you," I cried. "I killed her. I killed them. Oh God I killed my best friend!"

I kept crying. Knowing I wouldn't let him near me Liam spoke to me through my mind.

"Saraid, it's going to be ok. I think you siphoned her magic."

I shot him a look of fury. "How is it going to be ok? They are dead. It's never going to be ok!" I screamed at him.

An image of Liam and I practicing the locator spell danced across my mind, put there by him. That was it. "Liam you're a genius!" I exclaimed.

I wiped my tears from my eyes with sheer determination and rolled Wendy onto her back and clasped both of her hands in mine. Closing my eyes, I called my magic to the surface again. It felt stronger than it ever has before. Vibrating every inch of my body as it drew nearer to the surface. I closed in on that power and began to push it out, so it would exit my body and enter into Wendy's. I pushed it further out feeling it circulate much like blood flows through the human body. I heard Wendy gasp back to life before I saw her.

"Oh, thank God!"

Not taking the time to make amends with Wendy yet, I immediately grabbed Chase's hands and willed the same power into him feeling it ebb and flow. Chase jumped like he had just been hit with a bolt of lightning when his lifeless body came to.

Even though I focused on sending the power I had stolen back into its original hosts the power that remained still seemed stronger than before and required a lot more concentration to pull it back into myself. I sat on my knees gasping for air as I looked around the room at my family. My living, breathing family. Liam stepped towards me and I backed away.

"Don't touch me. No one touch me!"

I ran to my room and locked the door.

Wendy softly knocked on the door about an hour later. "Can I come in? I won't touch you I promise."

I walked over and unlocked the door for her to come in. I almost killed her, the least I could do was let her in to grill me for it. Wendy walked in and shut the door behind her.

"I sent the men to the grocery store to get something to cook so we could be alone."

"I am so sorry Wendy. I didn't mean to. I tried to stop it but it was too strong."

The look on her face was not one of the blame or anger that I believed she should have been feeling but one of pity instead.

"Shhh. It's not your fault. This is all new to you Saraid. It's new to all of us. We are going to find out how to fix this."

"How? I don't know of anyone familiar with this whole siphon business?" I asked while helplessly trying to rid my eyes of the tears that kept coming.

She walked over and sat on the bed beside me being careful not to touch me, so I wouldn't run from her.

"I am leaving for Ireland tomorrow morning to see if I can find some answers."

I am positive that my shock had shown on my face because she flinched.

"Before you tell me all of the reasons that I shouldn't go you listen to me. You are my sister, not by blood but by heart. I cannot stand to see you so vulnerable and helpless. You need answers Saraid. Answers that will help you control this, so situations like this don't happen again," she looked in my eyes and continued, "I won't reveal who you are to anyone unless it is absolutely necessary."

She was right. This was the only way to get the answers we needed without me having to expose myself to those whom Liam stated could put a target on my back but why did it have to be her?

"Please be very careful Wendy. I couldn't bear to lose you."

Once I was calm, Wendy not caring about the danger grabbed me before I could pull away and hugged me. Realizing that no magic was coming to take my friends life from her I relaxed and hugged her back.

The men returned an hour later carrying the plastic bags full of food to throw on the grill in the back yard. Liam met my gaze with a look of uneasiness, trying to sense if I was going to run away from him again.

"I'm ok now. I was afraid I would hurt you again."

I could see him relax as he sat the bags he was holding on the counter. He walked over to me and rubbed his hands up and down my arms in a comforting gesture and rested his head on top of mine. He was happy to have me back. No words were needed.

"I am glad to see you back to normal." Chase's words were directed at me.

"Thank you. It's good to feel like myself again, sorta."

I watched the two men return to the task of emptying the bags of the food they had bought.

"You guys need any help?"

They both mumbled some non-sense about men being the ones who should man the grill, so Wendy and I dressed in our swimsuits and sunbathed in the pool while the men tended to the food.

"Is Chase going to Ireland with you?" I asked Wendy as she turned over on her floaty.

"He wouldn't let me go by myself if I tried."

I could hear Chase laugh from across the yard, "You're damn straight I wouldn't. You think I'm sending you off on your own away from me for a week? You must be crazy."

His claim over her made me smile. He was in love with Wendy and I couldn't think of a better man for her.

"You got a good one there girl. You better hold on to him."

"I intend to do exactly that."

When I moved to Alabama I had been convinced and accepted that Wendy and I would be alone. Sure, supernatural beings and witches lived scattered throughout the globe but as far as I could tell most chose to live in the busiest of cities. Now here we were with two men that seemed to have been handpicked just for us. It gave me hope for the future. I was torn from my thoughts when Liam called from the patio signaling us to join them. We hopped off our little floating rafts into the cold water and swam to the ladder.

We joined Liam and Chase on the patio wrapped in our towels because we didn't want to track water into the house. The smell of the cheeseburgers and Conecuh sausage made the pit of my stomach growl, letting me know that my body still knew how to recognize good, solid food. I sent a solid prayer up to the heavens that I would be able to hold it down because I wasn't sure what my limitations would be with my new vampire diet. Liam had pulled a chair out for me, so I would be seated beside him.

"Thanks."

I stared down at my full plate for a moment nervous to try and eat the food that had my stomach churning. I had already had one hell of a day and I didn't want to add vomiting in front of everyone to the list of things that went wrong. I watched Liam from the corner of my eye take a bite out of his burger. "If he can do it, surely I can too," I thought to myself.

I brought the link up to my mouth and bit down. One bite, then two. Score one for my human side. I was relieved. You never know how much you would miss the taste of solid food until you are faced with possibly not being able to eat it again.

"I thought I wouldn't be able to hold down solid food now," I admitted.

Liam laughed so hard that it made the rest of us join in. I loved to see him laugh, it lights up his whole face and shows just how truly handsome he really is even if it was at my expense.

"You have read too many stories based on lies designed to scare people away from our kind. We can eat whatever we want we just have to have blood to survive. What we had this morning would be enough to satisfy the hunger until tomorrow morning." That little tidbit was music to my ears.

We sat there at my little patio table for what felt like hours just talking about anything and everything that came to mind and somehow it brought us back around to Wendy and Chase's impending trip to Ireland.

"Could you and Liam drop us off at the airport," Wendy asked.

"Of course, I will. I'm the whole reason you are risking yourself to go there."

She exhaled, and it came out as one irritated sigh. "I wish I could take you with me Saraid but as Liam pointed out, if people found out about your unique abilities it could put your life in danger and none of us would be ok if anything happened to you."

I folded my arms across my chest with stubborn indignation. "It is just as dangerous for you if they find out why you are asking around about someone with my abilities."

It was Chase who turned his attention to me this time." I promise you that I will keep her safe Saraid. I would die before I let anything happen to her."

"And who is going to watch your back Chase?"

He seemed taken aback by the question. I guess no one had ever questioned his abilities before. I didn't even know if Chase had any supernatural capabilities of his own. I had just assumed he did because he and Liam had been friends for a long time and Liam is one hundred thirty-five years old.

"Chase is more than capable of taking care of himself and Wendy," Liam cut in.

"What exactly are you Chase? I have never asked before because I didn't want to be rude. I have no doubt that you would die for her, but I do not want either one of you to die, especially not for my benefit."

He simply nodded his head like he understood my impatience and replied with, "I, like Liam am a Guardian but I was cast out because I am a lycanthrope. Guardians are supposed to be protectors of witches but when you have dirty blood, they see you as volatile and unpredictable. When Liam and I were discovered we were relieved of our duties and we have been inseparable and like brothers ever since."

I felt a kinship towards him now. He and I were alike in a lot of ways. I was left abandoned by the people who were supposed to love and care for me and until I met Wendy, I had no one.

"Would you be open to me adding one more friend to the trip?"

Every eye turned to me like I had just asked something crazy. Realization dawned on Wendy's face and she smiled because she knew exactly whom I was referring to.

"Brilliant!"

I nodded. I wanted Wendy and Chase back here completely unscathed and I wasn't going to be sure that was going to happen without sending someone who couldn't die.

"Jaxon Claiborne," Wendy and I said in unison.

Jaxon Claiborne was the first immortal Wendy and I had met when we moved to Alabama. He is a full blooded, fifteen-hundred year old vampire who served in the military for twenty years. Now he makes his living as a bounty hunter in Montgomery.

In hindsight it probably wasn't a good idea to bring him around Liam because Jaxon seemed to have a problem with boundaries and consistently tried to convince me to spend just one night in his bed. That never happened of course but he was a good friend and much like a brother to me and Wendy. I could trust him with our lives.

"Who is Jaxon?"

Wendy smiled at him and patted his hand. "Jax is one of the first friends Saraid and I made when we moved here. He's a vampire."

We filled them in on Jaxon's background, leaving out the history of playful sexual harassment for Liam's benefit.

"I suppose one more person couldn't hurt. If Wendy really trusts this guy than I guess I trust him too."

So, it was a deal. I picked up the cellphone and dialed the number. When the southern voice greeted me on the other end, I returned the greeting.

"Hey Jaxon, I have a job for you."

Wendy and I took turns giving him the details over the speakerphone while Chase and Liam had no choice but to listen.

"Jesus Saraid. Why didn't you call me? I could have kept your sexy ass in line," Jaxon teased.

I glanced over at Liam who was now sitting upright, staring at the phone like it had just insulted him. I cleared my throat with an uncomfortable laugh.

"I am calling you now and my ass is completely covered here thank you."

I reached my hand out to Liam and took hold of his to reassure him that I was still his. Jaxon laughed on the other end of the phone.

"Ok, I will meet you guys at the airport," and before he hung up, he continued, "It was nice to hear from you ladies. See you soon."

I hit the button to end the call and looked around the table at my friends. Wendy was smiling, completely confident that everything was going to be okay. Chase looked a bit more at ease with the plan now. The only one who did not seem to be okay was Liam.

Something was wrong, and it wasn't with the conversation between me and Jaxon. No, he looked nervous. Like he was scared, and I couldn't read his thoughts because he closed that mental door to keep me out. I chose to let it be until we were alone because I didn't want to make a scene in front of our friends that were getting ready to leave us for a week.

Wendy and I made quick work of cleaning up after dinner. We left the two men outside while we went in to clean up the few dishes in the kitchen. I glanced out towards the yard and I could see Liam speaking to Chase. Whatever it was, it was serious. I could tell by the body language and hand gestures.

"Something's wrong with Liam."

Wendy stopped and looked at me confused. "What do you mean?"

I shrugged my shoulders because I didn't really know. "He is upset about something, but I don't know what it is because he shut me out. He never shuts me out."

Wendy put one hand on each of my shoulders and looked out at the men from the sliding glass door behind me and said, "I'm sure he will be ok. He is probably upset with how Jaxon talked to you but once he gets to know Jax, I'm sure he will get over it."

She could be right of course, but my instincts kept telling me that this was about something more than Jax. I wiped down the kitchen countertops while Wendy made quick work of sweeping the floor and then we joined our men on the patio again. Instead of taking my seat beside Liam I chose to stand behind him and wrap my arms around his shoulders. He instinctively put my hand to his mouth and gently kissed the top of it. I returned the gesture with a little peck on the cheek.

"It's such a beautiful night tonight," Wendy said as he stared up at the stars. I smiled. Faeries and their love for all things shiny.

"It's just missing one thing."

I called forth my power and pushed it out around us. Wendy giggled and watched as a cloud of glimmering butterflies fluttered in a halo above her. "They're beautiful," she said as she stared in awe.

Liam and I left Chase and Wendy on the patio embracing each other underneath the still shimmering halo of butterflies and made our way to my bedroom.

"I love seeing her so happy," I commented aloud.

Liam smiled a half smile and sat on the bed. "Chase is quite taken with her as well."

I closed the door to the room and turned to see Liam on the edge of the bed with his head hung low. Is he scared?

"What's wrong?"

I crossed the room and took the spot on the bed beside him. He turned his body towards me and reached for my hand that I gladly offered. He released a breath that I hadn't realized he had been holding.

"It isn't Jax is it? Jax jokes with me all of the time but he doesn't really mean anything by it."

I tried my best to reassure him. I wasn't quite sure of that myself. Jax had tried for years to get me to go out on a date with him but stopped when I kept turning him down, insisting that we remain just friends. He just shook his head. That isn't it, so what's the problem?

"Then what is it," I pushed.

He met my eyes with his with what looked like the beginning of tears.

"I haven't been completely honest with you about me," he started, "I was sent here from Ireland to find you."

"What do you mean? Sent by who?"

He released my hand and stood up, so he could pace. "You were sent out of Ireland for your protection and left in the states in hopes that no one would learn of your existence. If they found out about you, they would kill you."

He was speaking too fast like he was trying to hurry and get the words out before he lost the nerve. I didn't understand. He wasn't making any sense to me.

"Who would kill me?"

He dropped to the floor in front of me and placed his head in my lap. "The Queen of the Celtic coven. Your existence is a threat to her throne."

I shook my head. "How am I a threat to her throne? I don't even know her? I don't even want to know her."

He looked up at my face, tears still threatening his eyes and said, "Because you were born to be the heir to the throne. She killed the last known siphon to gain the throne and when your mother learned of your gift, she feared you would suffer the same fate, so she sent you away."

"My mother sent you here to find me?"

He nodded.

"So, you found me and what, you thought it would be a good idea to bed me as well?" my voice rose an octave.

He just kept shaking his head back and forth as I continued, "This was all a lie? It was all just so you could keep me close, so you could report back to the woman who abandoned me?" My voice had grown to a full-bodied yell.

"No Saraid, I was sent to locate you and keep you safe. I didn't know I would fall for you. I definitely didn't expect to be coupled with you," he pleaded.

"Well, you can forget that! You need to leave."

He sat on his knees with a pathetic look on his face, "Please don't do this Saraid. Please don't send me away. I love you. Try to understand please."

I stood and pushed him out of my way, marched to the door and opened it. "Get out Liam! You did your job, you found me. I'm safe. So, you can go tell my mother that I am alive and that I want nothing to do with her or you!"

He followed me out into the main room, still pleading with me the whole way. I could feel myself beginning to lose control as Wendy and Chase rushed in to see what the commotion was all about.

"Princess, please let me explain," he cried.

"Don't call me that! Get out!"

Wendy came to me and Chase went to Liam. "What's going on Saraid?" Wendy asked, concerned because she had never seen me like this.

"He was sent here by my mother to basically spy on me and report back to her." She looked completely taken aback by the accusation.

"That's not how it is. I promise. Please listen to me," Liam continued pleading with me.

I allowed my anger to flow up and flood out of me. Wendy quickly backed away from me and moved to pull Chase away from Liam.

"I SAID GET OUT!"

The sound of my voice shook the entire house and Liam went flying through the wall where he landed in a limp heap against the stump of a tree that lined the driveway. A sharp pain in my spine dropped me to the floor. I couldn't move. I stared out at the figure slumped against the tree and he stared back at me, concern evident in his eyes.

I already knew what was happening. I was feeling what he was feeling. Every bone and muscle that was hurt from his impact with the tree was now assaulting me as well. I watched as his form changed from man to a huge black and orange bird. The Phoenix stared at me with those same gray eyes as he lay on the ground and erupted into flames. I could feel the fire burning as the pain in my back slowly turned to a dull ache and then quickly it was gone.

I sat up as I watched the flames recede and Liam's form stood where the fire died. He shifted into a Phoenix to heal and my magical ties to him transferred that healing to me as well. He stood in the same spot until he could see that I was ok. I turned my back on him and walked back to lock myself in my room. I could deal with the massive hole in my living room tomorrow. I could feel it as soon as he started to walk away. It felt almost like a black pool of emptiness was growing inside of me with each step.

"I will get through this. It's just going to take some time. I will be ok," I kept telling myself as if repeating it would make it so.

I threw myself down on my bed and allowed the tears to take over. He had been lying to me this whole time. Playing me like a fiddle and I let him. I trusted him. How could I be so naive?