Authors: C.A. Salo
“Boy? Damn, honey, I thought by now you would’ve noticed I’m a man.”
Mari chuckled as she wrapped her arm around his waist. “Oh I have, baby, I have.”
* * * *
Mari couldn’t shake the niggling feeling at the back of her mind that said something was close to happening. She’d always trusted her instincts in everything, that’s why she’d lived so long with barely any issues. Glancing down, a soft smile lined her lips as she watched Rhys sleep. She knew they weren’t due back at the ops tent until later on this afternoon, but she couldn’t shake that she needed to be up there now. Silently sliding out from under the covers, Mari tossed her leather pants and t-shirt on before quietly grabbing her armor and weapons and scooting out the door without a twitch from her mate.
Buckling her chest armor as she headed for the front door, she hadn’t seen him until he spoke.
“Where are you headed before the sun’s even broke through?” Hoag asked.
Mari glanced over as he stepped out of the shadows. “To check on the front lines. My gut is uneasy.”
“Where’s Lord Rhys?”
“Asleep.”
“Don’t you think you should tell him before taking off?”
“He needs his rest,” Mari narrowed her eyes. “Why do you hate me so much?”
“I don’t hate you; I just don’t trust you,
my lady
.”
Mari smiled. “Well in that case, piss off then and stay on alert. Something’s coming, I can feel it.”
“Then shouldn’t we sound the alarm?”
“No, nothing’s made itself known yet. I’m not calling out the security forces until I know when and where the threat is.” Slapping her belly armor, she met his gaze. “Just keep those vamp senses tuned in and alert.” Stepping toward the door she stopped, turning to meet his gaze. “Hoag, stay by Rhys, don’t let him out of your sight. Will you do that for me?” she asked softly.
“Of course, my lady,” he answered, bowing from his waist.
Mari nodded before opening the door and took off at a run toward the ocean and the ops tent. Frowning, she wondered where in the hell Triton was. She’d called him three damn days ago and still no sign of the Sea God or his people. “I do not like this,” she muttered as she stepped up to the commander in charge of this wave’s fighters. “What’s happening?”
“Lady Mari.” Galen Moilanin of the Lyken Roven clan smiled as he turned her way. “I didn’t think you were due back until this afternoon.”
“Yeah, my gut’s twisting,” she said noticing the smile slide off his face.
“I’m not the only one then. They’ve been pulling back their forces slightly all night, but steadily. There are barely any attackers out there by sea or air. I don’t like it. It’s like the calm before the hurricane.”
Mari nodded as she walked toward the ocean’s edge. “Yeah I know what you mean.”
* * * *
Mari paced for about an hour before she sat down, grimacing as she held her stomach.
“Lady, are you alright?” Galen asked as he knelt down by her side.
“No,” she groaned, doubling over. “Call to arms, Galen.” Stumbling she made her way out of the ops tent to see hundreds of Other Kin flying in from the sea, and the sea’s surface turbulent with Other Kin coming in from below.
“Holy shit!” Galen exclaimed.
Mari listened to Galen place the call to arms over their portable radio before spreading her wings.
“It could be a trap, don’t go. Wait for back up!” Galen called as she took to air.
Mari ignored him as she charged into battle. The Alston line of defense was badly outnumbered by this new tactic and she wasn’t leaving them to fight this alone. Shifting partially, she called back her line and took a huge breath. She let it out, igniting it into a fireball the size of a bus. The screams of the Other Kin attackers died as she did it again, moving her head across the entire front line of their defense. The ones behind them stopped. Smoke streamed from her nostrils. “I am not playing with you mother fucker’s anymore! You want to attack then you will die!” Roaring, she lifted her hands, bringing any Other Kin attackers up from the sea, smashing them against the cliff rocks. She knew at that moment her roar had woken Rhys and he was on his way.
Turning when tingles flew down from her head to her spine, her eyes widened as goose bumps appeared all over her body. Her body thumped as if a large heartbeat had taken place. Mari motioned to the Alston fighters to stay at the line of defense, and flew quickly to the ops tent to see Rhys and Drake Roven standing there. “The darkness is here! Call all fighters out! He’s broken the protection shield on the other side of town, he’s going after Livi!” Mari yelled as she flew by them. Her wings pushed down, surging her forward at exceptional speeds, and casted an invisibility cloak around her. Mind-linking with Livi, she warned her to get to safety now, but Livi was screaming; her words and thoughts jumbled from her fright.
Growling, Mari surged forward as Livi screamed for Sofia, her female Alpha and aunt. Mari’s dragon eyes pinpointed Livi inside the large foyer of Roven Manor, the darkness standing over a body as Livi discharged energy balls, her body wracked with sobs.
I’m coming, Livi!
She said through mind-link as Alpha Evan Roven ran into the foyer, attacking the darkness. Mari winced as he was tossed back, hitting the wall. He got up and was tossed back again. With blood covering his chest, he slumped by the wall this time.
Mari roared crashing through the open front door as the darkness went for Livi. “Get away from her!” Tackling him, she dragged him through the walls and out the other side of the manor tossing him to the ground. Landing on her feet her chest heaved as he rose, the black mists swirling around him as he transformed into a man.
“We meet again, Mariwen.” His voice was crackly and deep as though he’d smoked one too many cigarettes.
“I thought we’d taken care of this a long time ago, Olipisies.”
“Ah well that was before your father decided to make Olivia Roven the next guardian and you took a mate. I was going to sit back and wait for him to awaken, but well, I changed my mind. Good job by the way, hiding her from me for all these years.”
“I do my best,” she replied sarcastically. “Now why don’t you just scurry back to the hole you crawled out of?”
His chuckle sounded like fingernails scraping along a chalkboard. “Why don’t you step down and let me kill the little brat? She’s nothing to you.”
“And then what, sit still as you slice my throat? I think you know that’s not going to happen.”
“You’ve always been a black sheep, not listening to the ancients and doing what you want. Why not now? Kill your vamp and come with me, I’ll make you my Queen.”
Mari laughed. “Queen of what, a dank dark cave that you like to hide in, because every time you come to the surface you get your ass kicked? No thanks, I’ll keep my sexy vamp and make plenty of babies to take over kicking your ass for me when I’m gone.”
“Bitch. Just like your whore of a mother,” he snarled.
Mari’s laughter stopped on a dime as she narrowed her eyes. “How quickly you change your tone when you don’t get what you want, Olipisies. You can say whatever you want about me, but you will
not
disrespect my mother, because you’re a frigging psychopath,” she growled.
Mari jumped, twirling in the air when he came at her, unsheathing one of her swords. She swung it down nicking his shoulder, his cry of pain loud as she landed on her feet. “It’s a flesh wound you baby!” she taunted as he came at her again, missing his hit as she somersaulted backwards.
“I know what you’re doing you miserable bitch,” he seethed. “You’re getting me away from the house.”
Mari glanced at everyone who had gathered behind Roven Manor, Rhys included. “It doesn’t matter because you won’t be going back there.” She’d already linked with Livi and knew security forces had moved her out of the vicinity and the elder council was on their way to assist her in the battle.
“You’re a cocky bitch.”
“Yeah, kinda take after my daddy that way.” She grinned, stepping back. Her hands flew up and called forth her shield as he sent lightning-like discharges at her. Mari groaned, her feet sliding back from the force of the hit. Shoving her shoulder into the shield she held it strong and secure. He knew he couldn’t beat her physically, so he changed tactics and was coming at her with his powers now. She knew he would resort to his powers but had hoped to wear him down a bit more beforehand. Unfurling her wings she brought them down, the pressure keeping her where she wanted to be. Glancing up she noticed Rhys taking off and then she heard her mother’s voice. “
I sent him to the front lines to assist Galen and get him away from Olipisies, you don’t need that extra worry.”
“Thanks, mom,”
she grunted, shoving her shield aside. Mari brought her hands together, held them up and opened them palm out as she pointed them toward Olipisies. The wind rose in a tunnel formation straight at him. The force of her wind had Olipisies stepping back. Breaking it off, she quickly took the advantage and punched, knocking him in the head with her fist. He sailed through the air toward the trees and into the forest. Turning, she met Drake Roven’s gaze. “Do not follow. It will be too dangerous for you.”
“What about you, Mari? You need back up,” Drake argued.
“You’re not strong enough. Go to your daughter, she needs you!” Stepping off, she flew along the ground quickly and met Olipisies as he landed and rolled along the forest floor, his body changing into black mist. Her chest heaved as she glanced around. He had the knowledge of changing his form to any elemental item he wanted. His black arts, practices, and stolen powers from those he’d killed would be used this day.
Relaxing her breathing, her lashes fluttered as she called in the land’s energies. Listening as a twig snapped, her eyes opened in the shape of her dragon eyes and saw him coming at her in wind form. He was a black cloud with the faces of those he’d killed screaming to get out. Her chest expanded as she breathed deeply, letting it out as fire. She kept up their deadly dance by following him when he tried to get away and stopping when he dissipated into nothingness.
Mari knew he’d try anything to win, even backhanded dirty tricks from the last time they’d fought. She was glad her mother had the foresight to send Rhys from this area, for Olipisies would, in no uncertain terms, use Rhys and his safety against her to get what he wanted.
Mari’s head tilted, her ears tuned into the woods around them, her gaze scanning the areas within sight. She caught a blue flash from her right peripheral vision and turned. Using her wings to create a wall of wind as the lightning bolt came at her, she took a deep breath and released her dragon’s fire as he ran and dived into a nearby lake. She sucked her fire back as it skidded along the water’s surface. Turing quickly, Mari jumped to a tree as Olipisies came up from the ground beneath. “Well that’s new. Who’d you steal that from?” Jumping, she somersaulted through the air landing on another branch as he came up after her. Jumping again, she turned heading toward the ground. Mari turned mid-air, sending fire balls up at him, smiling when he grunted in pain. Flapping her wings she shoved toward him and came up in a one-eighty. Thrusting her foot out, she kicked him, sending him flying into a cluster of trees, breaking several before he finally stopped, hunched against one.
Mari roared as she charged Olipisies. Her knuckles met with his jaw and sent him straight up through the branches. Mari smiled as she glanced behind her, reaching for the obsidian sphere her mother had given her—and that’s all it took. Glancing back up, Mari gasped as he shot toward her. Her lips parted as the hit knocked the wind from her lungs; then her wrist was being grabbed and he swung her downward.
Mari groaned as she came up out of the hole her plummet to the earth had caused, the warmth of blood dripping down the side of her face. “Yeah, I guess we’re even now, huh asshole?” She never should have thought it would be that easy to take him down. The minute she took her eyes off him, he went for the attack. Well, she wouldn’t make that mistake again.
“Always the smart mouthed little bitch,” Olipisies growled.
Mari chuckled. “Well what other kind is there?”
“You will die this day, Mariwen Gawain, and then I’ll get the little brat and lastly your vamp, just for the laughs.”
Swiping the blood from her lip, she smeared it on her thigh. “Yeah and what makes you think my father won’t wake up just to kick your ass to Mars?”
“He’s sleeping, it won’t happen. And when I find his lair, I will take him out as well.”
“You have awfully big goals for such a small—well what are you, are you even a man anymore?”
Mari smiled when she saw the forest start attacking him. Tree limbs came down swatting him; animals came out of everywhere and descended on Olipisies. “The land doesn’t want you here,” she said as he thrust limbs away and took to the air. “You’ve never had good luck on Alston, have you Olipisies?” Taking to the air she charged him, kicking and punching. Unfortunately, he blocked every move and came at her with a lightning attack. Growling, she created a vortex that devoured the lightning, and cast it back at him. Her eyes narrowed when he held up his hand dissipating the wind and lightning. Unsheathing her sword, she lifted it, deflecting his menacing looking one as it came down at her head. Turning, Mari went in for the killing blow and gasped, her sword lowering, tingles spreading throughout her entire body. “Saul,” she whispered as tears turned to cries of agony. She glanced down to see her stomach ripped open from a long slash. Her hands got bathed in blood as she tried holding in her organs. She collapsed, falling, the wind hard on her back as she plummeted toward the ground. Mari’s eyes closed as Saul’s face turned into Olipisies, her groan hardly heard from the impact tremor of her landing.
“You blamed the ancients all this time when it was me you should have been gunning for, Mariwen. He had a good soul for a human, but don’t worry, love,” he growled as he gripped her hair, lifting her head, “He doesn’t blame you anymore for failing to protect him. Well, not since I told him it was I who initiated everything.”