Chosen Destiny Page 16

  She found the vampire, Gaellon, on a side street as she made her way toward the gate. Relief rolled through her and her muscles relaxed a bit. Halfway done, she knew if she told him to get Jaeson and Samiel, he would. Then she could go talk to the elders.

  “Hi, Gaellon could you contact Jaeson and get him and Samiel to meet me in front of the Sect house? We’ll need one or two other vampires and dragons as well,” Meagan said without any other greeting.

  “I will. Is something wrong?” Gaellon frowned, his black brows drawing down in concern. He took a step closer.

  She bit her lip. It could be just her imagination. “Maybe. We have to go to the ruins, but there are a few things I want to check first.”

  “They’ll be there shortly.” Gaellon nodded.

  “Thank you.” She didn’t waste any time walking back to the sect house. She formed a portal directly to the steps outside it. The actual sect house was protected by shields to prevent someone forming a portal inside it now that they knew a Sorceress had turned to the dark arts. The door opened as her foot hit the top step and the young trainee witch stepped back allowing Meagan to enter. Meagan nodded and headed for the council room. She really hoped her suspicions were unfounded but regardless she needed answers. Not that even confirmation of all of Lissandra’s claims would make her relax her guard. She wanted to know everything she could before they went to the ruins.

  She knocked at the thick doors. The door opened and a young witch came out as Meagan walked into the council room. The elders sat at the table. She stopped a good distance from the table out of respect. She waited until the elders noticed her. Elder Sarash looked up and smiled.

  “Is there something you need?” Elder Sarash asked.

  “Just a little clarification.” Meagan felt a little awkward asking about it. It could be that something was might be wrong at the ruin, but she couldn’t ignore everything that seemed off about it. “Lissandra tells me we need to go to the ruins. She’s kind of young for the mission if it turns dangerous. A couple of things seemed a little strange. And her behavior threw me a bit.”

  “We didn’t assign that to Lissandra. She is a young witch. I suggested she be included in the group. We told Carrie about the mission.” Elder Sarash stood.

  Meagan easily saw the concern on her face.

  “I don’t know if Carrie sent Lissandra to gather witches, but something feels wrong. I wanted all the information before I went anywhere with her.” Meagan shrugged.

  “Carrie could have done that, but she shouldn’t have passed the duty at all, much less to someone as inexperienced as Lissandra. Your concern is understandable,” Elder Haral said. Her frail form straightened and her thin gray hair shifted on her shoulders. “What do your instincts tell you?”

  “That there’s more to this than a simple mistake or laziness. I’ve enlisted some dragons and vampires to go.” Meagan lifted her chin.

  She half expected some kind of remark from the elders. Especially Elder Carit, an older woman who was one of the most outspoken of the group on some subjects. It wasn’t often that they worked even with the wizards in the village on missions. When they did, it involved the town. Anything else was usually one or the other.

  Elder Carit slowly pursed her lips, but nodded. “That’s probably for the best. We’ll want a full report on what happened as well as to speak with both Carrie and Lissandra.”

  “I’ll tell them after the mission.” Meagan turned and left the room.

  She walked down the hallway toward the door. As she rounded the corner, she saw Samiel and Jaeson just entering the coven house. They smiled when they saw her. Both men were dressed in dark colors. It seemed to be their standard dress when they were expecting trouble. Samiel wore dark blue and Jaeson black from his shirt to his gleaming boots.

  “We’re getting some hard looks,” Jaeson began.

  “From a young woman with pale blonde hair and green eyes,” Meagan supplied. She’d known Lissandra was likely to pout.

  “Yes, is it us or because you went to see the elders?” Samiel nodded and put an arm around her.

  “I think it’s you and me. She wasn’t happy when I insisted on contacting you.” She hugged him and leaned into him.

  “Give us a quick run-down of everything.” Jaeson leaned in to kiss her cheek.

  Meagan looked around to make sure no one was close enough to hear. She lowered her voice. “Lissandra found me in the street and said the elders wanted us to check the ruins. She’s young and doesn’t have much experience so I was a little concerned. When I suggested contacting vampires and dragons, her reaction made me even more curious.”

  “She wanted to just go? What did the elders say?” Jaeson tilted his head. His long silver hair swung over his shoulder.

  “Basically. They didn’t give the mission to Lissandra.” Meagan stepped back. It was time to go to the ruins. “They gave it to another woman. Either that woman sent Lissandra to gather witches and there was a misunderstanding or something is very wrong.”

  “We’re prepared for trouble,” Samiel said.

  She nodded. “Let’s go. Something doesn’t feel right about this.”

  Samiel looked at Meagan. The woman never ceased to surprise him. She’d been having trouble adjusting to working with him and Jaeson. He’d admit he was having problems adjusting himself. She was a strong witch and had worked alone yet she’d sent for them. It showed that even though she was a little cautious, she trusted them. She’d shown it before, he just hadn’t thought about it.

  They left the coven house and went down the steps to the group of witches, vampires, and dragons. Jaeson would have informed the other vampires of Meagan’s concerns. They’d make sure the dragons in the group would be ready for an attack.

  “Everyone ready?” Samiel hooked an arm around Meagan’s waist.

  “We’d already be there if we hadn’t waited for everyone. It should be an easy check.” Lissandra crossed her arms over her chest.

  Even when she was trying to look angry, Lissandra had a distinct pout. He saw Meagan’s eyes lift to the sky. Her eyes moved over the group. He knew she’d noticed that Gaellon was there but Lassan wasn’t. Five men, including Jaeson and Samiel, as well as six other witches waited to leave for the ruined village of Gaeil. He put a hand on her shoulders.

  “He’s gone to do a flyover of the ruins to spot any obvious traps,” Samiel said. “If he’d found anything, he would have roared.”

  “That’s good. Let’s go. This isn’t going to feel any more right until we’re finished.” Meagan straightened.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of this. No one’s getting hurt.” Jaeson touched her shoulder.

  She smiled and straightened. Samiel knew just by her expression that she was still worried. He wasn’t sure about this mission himself. There was too much that was wrong with the situation. They’d all need to be on their guard.

  “Gather together. I’ll form a tunnel to a spot just outside the ruins.” Samiel looked around the group.

  “I’ll make the tunnel. I know exactly where we need to be.” Lissandra stepped forward.

  “We’re not going straight into a trap. We do this safely.” Jaeson’s voice cut the off before she could finish her sentence.

  “A trap… Are you saying I’m trying to lead you into a trap?” Lissandra’s hands landed on her hips.

  “If you can’t see why we’re concerned, you’re either naïve or trying to lead us into danger.” Meagan’s voice was calm and controlled, a stark contrast to Lissandra’s shrill outrage.

  “I’m not trying to lead you into danger,” Lissandra protested.

  “Then step back and let those with more experience take the lead.” Meagan slid her hand over Samiel’s arm.

  He didn’t know if she was showing support or if she realized she was touching him. Regardless he enjoyed the contact. He watched the young witch Lissandra. He saw the indecision on her face. She was obviously unsure what she should do. Finally she shrugged
and nodded.

  Gaellon formed a tunnel. It had been decided to travel by the vampire tunnel. If this turned out to be a dangerous situation, they didn’t need any disorientation slowing them down. Not to mention the momentum of a normal tunnel. They needed to watch every step. Samiel stayed by Meagan’s side. The black mist surrounded them, then faded, leaving them on the rocky ground outside the ruins. Lassan leaned against the wall, waiting for them.

  “Nothing’s moving here and this feels wrong.” Lassan came away from the wall, his face too serious.

  Leaving wasn’t an option. They had to check the ruins. If there was a Dark Sorcerer or traps here, they needed to clear them. They couldn’t leave it for someone else to find and trigger them. They couldn’t let the Dark Sorcerer believe he’d won in any way.

  “We’ll split into five groups. There will be at least one vampire or dragon with each group.” Jaeson looked at the assembled witches.

  Samiel expected an argument at least from Lissandra. The woman had resisted their involvement from the start. She stared at them, totally silent for a moment. Her chin lifted and she glared at them.

  “I want to be with Meagan to see her face when she realizes that there is no danger, that there’s no trap here.” Lissandra glared at Meagan.

  “I think she’ll be interested in seeing your face too.” Jaeson’s voice was dry.

  Something in Jaeson’s tone told Samiel more than his words. “You sense magic.”

  “The Dark Sorceress is here.” Jaeson nodded. “I’ll go with one of the other groups. If you need help, send up a signal.”

  “I can take care of our witch.” Samiel frowned. He knew the prod had been meant to draw a reaction. Jaeson had been doing that more often now. Samiel was happy with the change. They were getting even closer now. Meagan’s arrival in their lives had added more than a third to their bond. It had broken down walls that kept them at a distance from each other.

  “Just make sure you do and no letting your dragon arrogance take over.” Jaeson grinned just before he kissed Meagan, a hot quick melding of the lips.

  Samiel shook his head. Meagan laughed softly. He loved the sound of her laughter. He forced his mind away from the softness and happiness she brought. They had a battle to fight. Then he could focus on his woman and his vampire. He looked over at the young witch, Lissandra. She looked stunned and a bit disbelieving. He didn’t think she’d actually believe there was danger until the battle started. He wasn’t sure if she was part of the setup or if she’d just been used to get Meagan here. Until he knew, he wasn’t letting Lissandra out of his sight. She wasn’t getting a chance to hurt Meagan.

  They moved into the ruins. At times, it was hard to tell what was supposed to be the street and what had been buildings. Some of the weathered gray-white stone walls had disintegrated into rubble. Chunks of rock were everywhere. Most of the walls that did stand reached only about head height. A merdanon couldn’t hide behind the pieces of wall anywhere near them. Which was good, but that still left the tandini.

  “I just felt a surge of power. I don’t know who did it or if one of our groups has been attacked.” Meagan’s eyes ran over the area in front of them.

  “Keep your eyes open. That probably wasn’t one of our people.” Samiel looked away from her and back to the street behind them.

  He knew she had a shield up around them all, but he put one up separating Meagan from Lissandra. Meagan was a professional, but she was loyal to her coven. She had her doubts about Lissandra, but Samiel wasn’t taking chances. The woman’s behavior alone made her suspect.

  The street in front of them stretched ahead without any sign of danger. He knew it probably wouldn’t last. The Dark Sorceress was here. He didn’t know what she’d do when she learned dragons and vampires were here as well as witches. Her plan might suddenly change. If Meagan had come here alone, the Dark Sorceress would certainly have tried to kill her. He heard a skittering sound at the end of the street, but couldn’t see anything. The sound grew louder and more skittering.

  “Uh-oh.” Meagan’s soft voice reached him.

  From the corner of his eye, he saw her wave her hand. Dust and rock rose in front of them, whirling spiraling into a tight vortex. Cracking sounds echoed as the rocks slammed into each other, pulverizing into a fine powder. The brown mass flew down the street. As it settled back to the street, shapes began to take form. It wasn’t merdanons. The Dark Sorceress had summoned some of the false tandini.

  “Do that throughout the ruins. The Dark Sorceress probably didn’t just send those here.” Samiel looked at the advancing horde of creatures. There had to be thirty or more creatures in front of them.

  “I’m doing it now.” Meagan’s words were clipped, short.

  “What was the uh-oh about?” Samiel summoned a ball of fire.

  “I think I might know who’s behind this,” Meagan said.

  “How?” Samiel hurled the flaming orb down the street immediately forming another. The ball hit and one tandini fell to the ground. There were too many left.

  “The invisible thing. I know only one witch who used it regularly.” Meagan swung her sword, sending a ball of energy down the street. It hit one of the creatures.

  “Who is it? The one who was supposed to lead this mission? We haven’t seen any sign of her.”

  “No. I don’t know where she is, but I’ve never seen Carrie do anything like this. I think this is Doria’s work. She’s a friend to both Lissandra and Carrie, but even worse, I’ve fought at her side many times.” Meagan slung two quick bolts down the street.

  “Doria. It can’t be.” Lissandra shook her head. “She doesn’t even know about the mission.”

  “Carrie might have told her or it could be any one of your friends. It might not be Doria, but it’s someone who’s aware of her favorite tricks.” Meagan’s sword slashed through the air.

  “You’re sure this is something she does?” Samiel would have liked to stop and look at her as they talked but the tandini weren’t going away. He could hear the stress in Meagan’s voice.

  “Yeah, when we went scouting in the mountains, she’d spell the chitan just like these tandini were spelled. Supposedly so that no one could spot them while we were on foot, but it made them damn hard to find when we came back to ride home. She always enjoyed that part.” Meagan sent another bolt hurtling down the street.

  “That’s how you know what to do.” Samiel nodded.

  It sounded as if the other woman had a definite skewed sense of humor, even then. That didn’t mean she was the Dark Sorceress, but the fact that it was one of her tricks was suspicious.

  “Now you’re trying to blame Doria. Even though you’ve become some kind of freak now that you have those swords, I never thought you’d let them make all your decisions.” Lissandra threw up her hands, but quickly began throwing bolts of energy down the street.

  “Pace yourself. You always have to remember your own strength. You have allies here. It takes time for a witch’s power to rebuild.” Meagan’s voice sounded too even. Samiel knew that remark must have hit a nerve.

  “I only wish she let us make all the decisions.” Samiel couldn’t hold back a grin. The idea was appealing.

  “We’re not making much of a difference, if you haven’t noticed.” Lissandra’s tone dripped sarcasm.

  “That’s where being experienced and a freak comes in handy. That Dark Sorceress is pouring more tandini into this area. See that swirling wind at the back of the group? That’s my spell making them visible.” Meagan said.

  “And what are you going to do?” Lissandra stepped into Samiel’s peripheral view as she hurled two quick arcs. The young witch seemed intent on ignoring any advice Meagan gave.

  “That’s where being a Tiria comes in handy. I’m going to push the others back and destroy those we’ve already taken down. We don’t want her getting that magic back. Any magic I take will give me strength.” Meagan suited action to words.

  The mob of tandini screamed and c
lawed at the ground as they were herded down the street by an invisible wall. Only the unmoving forms of the fallen tandini remained. Samiel led the way down the street. Meagan stepped forward and knelt beside the first beast. Samiel kept a wary watch on the seemingly defeated enemy. It wasn’t unheard of for a Dark Sorceress to set a trap spell on merdanon or one of their other creations. Some exploded, injuring and sometimes killing anyone who got too near. Others snared the unwary in an attempt to hold the captive until the Dark Sorcerer could arrive to kill or incapacitate the victim. That wasn’t happening to Meagan.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Meagan took the power from the first one then the next two tandini near her. Samiel kept watching until she’d taken the power from the last defeated beast. She took a deep breath and slowly straightened. The scent of her arousal drifted to him on the breeze. He could tell just by that sweet smell that her power was running high. If she needed a little power drained, she’d say something. He was confident about that. Samiel threw three fireballs at the front line of tandini. He didn’t know what the Dark Sorceress was planning or if she’d even show herself, but this show of force probably wasn’t just for intimidation.

  Meagan didn’t pause. Her blade swung through the air. He saw the power begin to glow on the tip of her sword before she flung an orb down the street. The battle took awhile, but finally only the last few beasts remained. Meagan sent an arc flying down the street. It hit and the tandini fell. The street had been cleared.

  Meagan knelt between two dust-covered creatures. “This was too easy. She’s not finished yet.”

  “She’ll show, but she won’t hang around if things don’t go her way. She’s not going to put her life on the line today.” Samiel put a hand on her shoulder.

  “How are you? Do you need to take some power? I’m feeling on edge and a little distracted right now.” She looked over at him.