Chosen Destiny Read online

  Now they’d have to do something. They couldn’t hold back and take things cautiously as they had planned. She didn’t carry the book out of the coven. The elders had volunteered to remove the shield spell from the coven long enough for her to get out of the building.

  Meagan created a portal to the lair. Her mind raced. She’d leave the book there and then go find Jaeson and Samiel. They had a lot to do. Getting that generator piece within the coven to safety came first. The part in the old town was important, but she couldn’t be certain that the Dark Sorceress wasn’t there right now. It would have to wait.

  She stepped forward into the tunnel. White streaks whizzed in front of her until the tunnel opened hurling her forward. She stumbled a bit, but caught herself. She put the book on the lounging couch and encased it in a spell. She knew it would be safe here. The lair was shielded well. Only she, Samiel and Jaeson could get in easily. Anyone else would have difficulty finding the underground haven much less getting into it.

  She returned to the village to find Samiel and Jaeson. The tunnel opened in front of the coven house. It was a central location and the vampires and dragons tended to pass it often. She hoped she’d be able find one of her men or another vampire or dragon relatively soon. She looked to the left and right. No dragon in sight and the men she did see she didn’t recognize as the vampires she’d met. Fuck, she was going to have to search. The way her day was going she’d probably find them all together the last place she searched. She started down the street. Her eyes scanned the men along the street, but she didn’t see anyone familiar.

  “Meagan!” Jaeson’s voice came from behind her.

  She whirled to see Jaeson coming down the street. Dressed in a dark red shirt and gray pants, he stood out from the men around him. A smile curved her lips. Maybe the day was getting better. It hadn’t taken long at all. She started walking toward him, meeting him in the middle of the street.

  “I felt your magic a little earlier. Is there something wrong?” Jaeson walked over to her and hooked an arm around her waist. His palm settled over her butt, molding to the curve almost as well as her blue pants.

  She slipped her arms around his waist. His hips pressed against her and she felt the hard ridge of his cock against her. She loved the way both Jaeson’s and Samiel’s bodies seemed to immediately harden whenever they were near her. His lips brushed over hers. She relaxed into him and her tongue tangled with his. Blessed Lady, he was such a good kisser. Every thought left her mind. Her hands swept up his back, urging him closer. His teeth scraped over her lip. She pulled back. As much as she’d like to kiss him for the rest of the day, there were a few details they needed to talk about before one or both of them became too involved.

  “I need to get to Samiel and there are things we need to do.” Her arms tightened around him, holding him tighter.

  He pulled back. “Trouble?”

  She just nodded. It was going to be trouble. She really didn’t think that getting the piece from the ruins was going to be easy. Jaeson looked at her, but didn’t press her more. He released her with a sigh.

  “This Dark Sorceress is really getting on my nerves. She seems to have no respect for the time I need to spend with you.” Jaeson shook his head. He looked a little frustrated. “I’ll take you to Samiel.”

  “It could be the Dark Sorcerer.” She just had to insert that since he was so freely blaming the sorceress.

  They had no real idea who was actually doing the planning. They knew there was a Dark Sorceress, but they knew there were also Dark Sorcerers. And Dark Sorcerers didn’t tend to be the type of men to follow a woman’s orders. In fact, the few Dark Sorcerers she had the misfortune to talk with had the attitude that women were only good for breeding and a little power if needed.

  “You were at the coven earlier if I remember right. Anything that went wrong there had something to do with the Dark Sorceress.” Jaeson shook his head. “Now stop being argumentative for a few breaths and I’ll get us over to Samiel.”

  She grimaced. He had a point even if she wasn’t going to admit it. She glanced to the side in time to see a dark cloud roll over them. She felt lifted a little and just enjoyed the ride. The blackness dissipated and she felt the ground firmly beneath her feet again. She looked to her right and saw nothing but a wall and door. Glancing to the left, she saw Samiel and most of the other dragons and vampires. They were in the tavern portion of one of the inns. She shook her head. It figured. It would have taken her forever to find them if Jaeson hadn’t shown up. All in one place and not out on the street where they could be spotted.

  “Was she in trouble?” Samiel asked. He leaned back in his chair. One of his black boots was braced on the seat of another chair. He definitely wasn’t dressed as he usually did for battle. He wore a bright green shirt and loose-fitting black pants. He looked comfortable and relaxed.

  “If you really thought I was in danger, why didn’t you come to see? Not very concerned about me, were you?” Meagan smiled as she walked across the inn to stand in front of him.

  Samiel raised an eyebrow and rose from his chair. “I’m always concerned about you but especially when you suddenly leave town without a word to anyone.”

  “She wasn’t in trouble, but she said there was trouble.” Jaeson came up beside her his palm settled on her shoulder.

  “What kind of trouble?” Samiel frowned. His hand cupped her cheek.

  “Not here. We’ll talk about it in private.” Meagan kept her tone firm. She wasn’t going to budge on this even if Samiel and Jaeson tried to sway her.

  “This is something real? Not just an excuse so you can get your hands on my body?” Samiel’s mouth kicked up in a wicked grin even as he let his eyes drift down her to her breasts.

  She sighed. Sometimes she wondered if he thought of anything other than sex. If they weren’t actually engaged in a battle, there was always heat in his eyes.

  “As gorgeous as your body is, this time I really need to talk to you. I’ll jump your body after we get finished with what needs to be done.” Meagan rolled her eyes.

  “If it takes your mind off sex with me, then it must be important. Let’s go and you can tell us what’s wrong.” Samiel stepped forward, but looked back at the others. “We’ll be back shortly.”

  “We want to hear what’s gone wrong this time. So hurry.” Gaellon turned in his seat to shoot a look at them.

  “We won’t make any big move without backup,” Jaeson assured the man before putting his arm around Meagan.

  Meagan watched the black haze rise and surround them. She rested her head against Jaeson’s shoulder. Lately it seemed as if everything seemed to explode at once, demanding immediate action. She didn’t like feeling rushed or pushed into just reacting. She held onto Jaeson even as the black mist dissipated. Jaeson released her and Samiel stepped back.

  “So why did you leave the village?” Jaeson asked.

  “I had to bring this here.” She walked over to the couch. She released the spell and picked up the book. “The elders had some bad news to tell me.”

  “What did they tell you?” Samiel asked as he guided her to the lounge.

  She dropped into the seat and drew in a deep breath. Lady, she still could barely believe what had happened. Before that, she’d thought they had everything under control. Now she felt rushed and on the verge of panic. She knew the feelings would go away, but she didn’t like them.

  “Doria talked one of the elders into letting her get a look at this book. Elder Sarash said that she won’t know the exact location, but she could get close.” Meagan dropped the book onto the chair again. “They’ll arrange for you to take their piece of the generator, but we’re going to have to do what we can to get that third piece before the Dark Sorceress finds it.”

  Samiel’s mouth fell open and for a moment he looked as though he was going to start asking questions. She knew he was wondering how it happened just like she had. He shook his head and his expression hardened. She could tell that he wa
s getting angry now.

  “I’m not going to ask how or why they let her talk them into looking at the book. Right now, that doesn’t matter. We’ll have to make plans, work out the location of the third piece. Then we’ll get the piece of the generator from the coven.” Samiel lifted the book and opened it. “Do you know where the clue is in here or are we going to have to search?”

  “I’ll go get the other book,” Jaeson said as he turned.

  “Here, I know where the reference to it is. They showed me before I left.” Meagan took the book and opened it to the middle.

  She flipped a couple of pages. Pointing to the page on the left where the first of the clues began, she looked for Jaeson. Where had he hidden that book? Turning her attention back to the passage, she focused on finding the references to the generator piece. She knew it was on Mount Araki. That much she’d been able to tell just from a glance at what had been written. It wasn’t in code and right now she wished it had been. Then Doria wouldn’t have been able to learn something so important so easily.

  “Here’s the other book. Any idea where it is?” Jaeson came out of the hallway carrying the large book from the coven in Dicsin.

  “Somewhere on Mount Araki. Then there’s the first gap in the clues. So the precise location is probably in that one. While part of how to get it is in this book, the other part in the second book.” Meagan watched as Jaeson strode over to join them. She loved the way he moved. It was a graceful, rolling gate that brought to mind the smooth rock of his body against hers.

  “Here, see if you can find the page we need. I’d have to search through the whole book.” Jaeson handed the book to Meagan.

  Meagan rolled her eyes. As if she wouldn’t have to search the book. She hadn’t been shown where it was. She flipped open the book, hoping it was near the middle like the book from her coven. She slowly turned the pages, looking for the information they needed. It seemed to take forever. She finally found the clues near the end of the book. She read the passage in the second book.

  “It’s in a temple dedicated to the Goddess. I know which one they mean. My ancestors helped build it. I’ve gone there a few times. It’s deep in a cave near the peak of Mt. Araki.” Meagan smiled.

  That cave was rather obscure so it should be safe there until they could get to it. She didn’t think Doria even knew of the small temple there. That didn’t mean they could wait to get it. It was too important to leave unprotected.

  “If we go to the mountain, the Dark Sorceress will be waiting for us.” Jaeson dropped onto a cushioned chair he’d created.

  “And I can’t transport us into it because it’s protected as well as forbidden to enter a temple like that.” Meagan grimaced and looked at the book. Jaeson was right. The Dark Sorceress and the Dark Sorcerer would be watching that mountain. Any activity there would draw them and there would be a battle.

  “I think I have a plan, but you’ll have to show us where near the peak it is.” Samiel rose to his feet and began pacing.

  “What’s your plan?” Meagan looked up from the book.

  “We’re going to give them what they want, at least what they think they want.” Samiel’s lips turned up in a wicked grin.

  “We’re not handing over that piece to them.” Meagan tossed the book down and stood. Her hands slammed onto her hips and she glared at him. How could he even think they’d let the Dark Sorceress get her hands on that?

  “That is exactly the attitude the Dark Sorceress is going to be expecting. She knows she can’t beat us straight on. She won’t try it. I don’t think the man she’s allied herself with would do it either. They won’t attack unless they have an edge.”

  “Fuck. The witches they’ve captured, they’ll use them.” Jaeson’s eyes widened and the words came out in a low angry growl.

  Meagan felt the shock roll through her. That’s what they would do. The Dark Sorceress wouldn’t hesitate to use one of the women they’d captured. Meagan knew that Doria would carry through any threat to get that piece of the generator. For some reason, even when one piece was out of her reach, Doria seemed fixated on getting a piece of the generator. Meagan wondered what the woman thought she could do with only one piece. There wasn’t much chance that they could make a generator that worked from just one piece. Shaking her head, she focused her attention on the matter at hand. In spite of Samiel saying they’d give the Dark Sorceress what she wanted, she really didn’t believe he was just going to hand over the piece of the shield generator.

  “What exactly do you plan to do? And don’t tell me give her what she wants because I know better.” Meagan glared at Samiel who was grinning at her. The fiend was probably enjoying her confusion. She reached out and flicked the dangling green gem hanging from his ear.

  “No, we won’t be giving her the actual piece. We’ll create something that looks a lot like the generator piece we already have. We’ll let her take that. If I didn’t think she’d expect it we’d put a tracking spell on the piece.” Samiel glided forward and slid his arms around her.

  “And then we’ll find out why getting those pieces even when they can’t have them all is so important. It has to be more than the possibility of creating a full generator. Maybe something to do with the pieces themselves rather than what they did.” Jaeson moved up behind her and hooked an arm around her waist. He nuzzled aside her hair and kissed her neck.

  “So we’re going to try to lure her to a fake location, let her take the piece you’ve created, and then get the real piece. When she discovers she’s been tricked, she’s going to be pissed. As well as her ally, the unknown Dark Sorcerer.” Meagan leaned back against Jaeson’s chest. She liked being held between them. She felt wanted, secure, and as sexy as hell, especially when she could feel their cocks pressing against her.

  “Someone else will be getting the generator while we’re baiting the Dark Sorceress. But yes, that’s what we’ll be doing. Now that we know where it is, let’s go talk to the others and begin planning.” Samiel’s hand slipped down. She felt it stroking up and down. Since his palm brushed her mid-back she knew that stroking probably wasn’t for her. A harsh groan rolled against her neck as Jaeson pressed tighter to her. She chuckled as she realized Samiel was teasing Jaeson.

  “You think it’s funny. Let’s see how you like being teased when you know that there isn’t a chance that you’ll be able to satisfy the hunger anytime soon.” Jaeson nipped her neck.

  She felt the sharp edge of his teeth, but knew he wouldn’t break the skin. Those nips sent a thrill straight to her core, but it was pure excitement causing her to gasp. His hand slid down her belly. His fingers traced over her thigh. She drew in a slow breath. She knew where that hand was going and she wasn’t about to let him tease her and leave her aching. It was funny when it happened to him, but she didn’t intend to walk around frustrated for the rest of the day or until she could get one of them alone for a reasonable period of time. She grabbed his wrist and pulled, determined to keep his hand away from her pussy. Those fingers were too talented. He laughed and his hand moved slowly down in spite of her grip.

  “No, Jaeson.” She tightened her fingers digging her nails in enough to let him know she was serious. “Don’t make me get mean. You haven’t see me mean yet.”

  “Ooh, a threat. I wonder if she actually thinks she can scare you.” Samiel laughed.

  Jaeson’s low chuckle was filled with amusement. “I’ve seen worse than what you’d probably do from Samiel. Do you think that’s going to hold me back? I could have you begging in almost no time.”

  “And I’d get even. How would you feel about a long stay with the Acolytes of the Bruis? They’ve got a nice little potion that would give you some time without worries over your magic. So your talent wouldn’t do you much good.” She didn’t have to keep the grin off her face since he couldn’t see it.

  “You wouldn’t do it, Meagan. Never threaten unless you’re prepared to carry through with them.” Samiel laughed softly. “I know you wouldn’t p
ut his life at risk and so does Jaeson. You’ll have to try something else next time.”

  She didn’t have to ask what he meant by next time. Jaeson’s hand slid down. She felt the warmth of his palm through her pants as his hand cupped her pussy. In spite of her grip, she couldn’t stop him. He didn’t seem to even feel her nails. A finger pressed between the plump lips of her labia. Cloth rubbed against her clit as his finger moved slowly back and forth. The slight friction of fabric added an extra layer of sensation to the mix. At the first stroke, she could feel sensation curling low in her belly. Just playing and teasing had heightened her awareness, now excitement began pulsing through her. She tried to push it down and control it. The last thing she wanted was to feel the burn of desire when she knew he’d leave her hanging.

  Jaeson’s finger circled her clit. Her hips began to rock into his hand. Samiel’s fingers cupped her chin, tipping her face up to his. His face seemed drawn tight and his eyes glowed with hunger. His lips brushed over hers. The contact was brief and light and left her wanting more. She groaned and reached for him. She let go of Jaeson’s arm. Her hold wasn’t making any difference anyway. Her hand slid beneath Samiel’s golden hair and cupped the back of his neck. She wanted him close again. He didn’t resist as she pulled him closer.

  Samiel’s mouth opened beneath hers. She wanted—expected—him to kiss her, to feel his lips close over hers in a fierce kiss. She liked the way his mouth claimed and possessed. His mouth moved softly against hers. Soft wasn’t what she wanted. She nipped his lip. Her tongue lapped at his lips just once before driving deep into his mouth. She felt his laughter and then his tongue stroked into her mouth. She moaned. Her hips rocked into Jaeson’s hand. His fingers stroked over her clit. His teeth scraped over her neck. The feeling low in her gut tightened. It felt so good. Her eyes drifted down. She was close to coming, just a few more strokes. She pushed into his fingers. Jaeson pulled his hand back. Her eyelids snapped open. She ached. She tore her mouth away from Samiel and drew in a gasping breath.