Witchmate (Skeleton Key) (4 page)

And as unexpected as his declaration of his intentions to do horribly wicked and naughty deeds, his departure from the room was just as blunt.

Emma whistled, her skin buzzing, as she pulled up the blanket and curled up in the bed. “Get your shit together,” she told herself, exasperated by the fact that she’d almost forgotten who she was—an independent woman, a thief, and a rogue. In a moment of supreme weakness, she’d nearly said, “yes,” to a man she barely knew. A man she had no intention of getting to know. Tonight she would escape from the camp, and that would be the end to Keir and his mating nonsense.

So, why couldn’t she stop thinking about how much she wanted all the sexy things his words and his lips had promised?

“Tia!” Aerina Lockside yelled. High sister of all orders and queen of the witches, Aerina’s call was immediately answered.

Draped in wispy light green robes, Tia strolled into the Queen’s lushly appointed chambers. “I’m here, Rina,” she said, her tone overly familiar.

The queen ignored the lack of formality as Tia joined her on the balcony. The Queen had the best view in all of the kingdom. Everywhere she looked she found only beauty, from the massive forests to the snow-capped mountains. “What news have you?”

“Nothing. If you would tell me what you’re expecting, I can better advise my scouts.” Tia bowed her head, showing respect for the elder witch. Aerina’s dark green robe with its gold filigree revealed her as a
grand schema. Their kind was not born with magic, their powers only developed with the onset of their second selves, the stage of maturity where they were capable of breeding. There were five levels of power—novice, whisaphore, malaphore, grand schema, and then, of course, there was the queen. She was a grand schema in all three types of magic, a master of spiritual, elemental, and psychic magic. It made her a power unmatched and unchallenged.

Tia, had mastered elemental magic, and she was close to mastering spiritual, but as of yet, psychic magic had been difficult for her even at a novice level. Still, she was the land’s second most powerful witch. Aerina had taken Tia under her wing when she’d first mastered elemental magic. She coveted her place by her queen’s side, but she knew the queen was soft about the war between the witches and the wolves. Since her father’s death a year ago, she forbade the scouts from entering wolfkind territory. Tia thought it foolish and told her, “You can’t win a war you’re not willing to fight.”

Aerina had responded, “There are other kinds of victory than that taken by force.”

Tia worried the death of the king had broken something in the queen’s head, though not because she grieved him. No, it seemed just the opposite. His death had awakened a spark in Aerina that Tia had never seen before.

She took the queen’s hand and kissed her palm, allowing the spark of electricity to tingle along her mistress’s skin. “Will you finally tell me your plan for the wolf-people?”

Aerina’s gaze held wariness, then her eyes softened with sadness. “No, Tia. In this, I can’t. Not yet, but let me assure you, we will finally know freedom from a lifetime of war.”

“I don’t understand why you don’t trust me.”

“Did I ever tell you about…my sister?”

“I…I didn’t know you had a sister. I thought you were an only child.”

“I’m more than one hundred years old, Tia. Do you think you know all there is to know about me?”

“Of course not, Rina.”

“I remember our world before the war. Yes, there was turmoil and treachery. Those things are bound to go hand in hand in a civilized world. My father was high brother in the time of peace.”

“You mean, we weren’t always fighting the wolfkind?”

“I forget how history has reshaped itself. There is no one alive anymore to remember or pass down the truths. My father had wanted it this way. He didn’t want our people to know.”

“Know what?” When Aerina didn’t answer right away, Tia cupped her hand under the queen’s chin. “Know what, Rina?”

“That he destroyed the fragile alliance between our two kinds out of petty anger and jealousy.” Aerina shook her head. “So much harm for such a small thing.”

“What happened to your sister?”

“My father had already betrothed her to a witch of noble blood. The marriage would’ve increased his own power and wealth. Instead, she went against his wishes and mated with an ambassador for the wolves.  ”

“You’re sister took one of
them
as a lover?” Tia’s voice was filled with contempt. “She was a traitor.”

Aerina waved off Tia’s declaration. “Not then. Witches and wolves were friends. I always thought my sister was brave for following her heart. But Father thought only of himself. The next day, he gathered an army and destroyed many small wolfkind villages and their capital city of Surrock.” Her expression turned grim. “When he murdered their alpha and his mate, he set us on this path of eternal battle and destruction. He rewrote our history and ushered us into a violent future.”

“I didn’t know.” Tia shook her head. “I’m sorry about your sister.”

“There is nothing to be sorry for, my darling. You are young, yet. Besides, you were never meant to know such things. I must right the wrongs of our past. I just hope the day doesn’t come too late. Report any news, Tia. No matter the significance.”

“Yes, Rina.”

The weary queen rubbed her temples and then returned to gazing at the land spread out before her.

As Tia withdrew from the Queen, she overheard Aerina mutter, “Where are you, child?”

****

Keir D’San crossed his arms as he stared at the cowering prisoner. The cell, a four-foot box structure, had been crafted by witchvine, effectively preventing the male witch from accessing his power. It had taken more than five years to find enough of the plant to build the contraption. His people rarely took prisoners, so this was the first time they’d had a chance to use it. Mika and Thadeus guarded the door.

Keir put a chair in front of the cell and sat down. He cracked his knuckles. “What is your name, witch?”

The man, his right eye purple and swollen shut, glowered with his left. His lips thinned in refusal to speak.

“Your name costs you nothing,” Keir said.

“Everything costs,” the witch told him. His voice was raspy as if his vocal cords were swollen, and the bruising on his neck betrayed the strangling Toland had given him.

“I’ll go first. I’m Keir D’San.”

The man’s good eye bugged, and the non-injured parts of his skin blanched.

“Good,” Keir said. “You’ve heard of me. My visit to Wildenwood. How did you find out about it? Who gave you the information?”

“I have nothing to tell you.”

“Stubborn,” Keir said. “Have you ever seen what long term exposure to witchvine does to one of your kind? You are probably already feeling a hollow emptiness inside as if you are being scooped of your essence. Did you know that a witch can be deprived of magic long enough to lose it? Or at least, never completely regain the power they once had.”

The witch threw himself back, the witchvine box rattling against his struggle.

“I wouldn’t move too much if I were you.” He leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees, and leaned closer to the pen. “Tell me your name, and I will ask no more. At least not to tonight.”

The prisoner’s skin beaded with sweat, his whole body trembled. “Osgard,” he hissed. “Osgard Demron.”

“Thank you, Osgard. We’ll talk more tomorrow.” Keir stood up and motioned to Thadeus. “Send for food and water for Osgard. See that he is cared for while in our custody.”

Thadeus nodded curtly. “Yes,
Domiscin
.”

When Keir passed his third on the way out, he smirked and quietly said, “He gave us his name easily, which means it won’t take long to break him.”

Thadeus grinned. “Soon, the rat in our midst will find out what it’s like to be hunted by wolves.”

“Very soon,” Keir agreed.

Outside the prisoner’s tent, Toland waited for Keir. “You should stay as far from the woman as you can tonight,
Domiscin
.”

The use of his formal title meant it was a topic Toland didn’t want to discuss but felt he must. Keir squinted toward the woods. Nothing moved but the wind rattling leaves. He regretted telling Toland about his feelings for Emma. “I can’t help how my body reacts to her, Tol. You should know that better than most. There were many unhappy with your choice.”

“I haven’t officially mated, yet,” Toland said.

“If you say so.” He knew his friends mating was complete, even if he hadn’t claimed Lis in a formal ceremony.

Toland sighed. “What did the female say when you asked her to be your mate?”

“She said something about me being crazy.” He shook his head and grinned ruefully. “She’s not wrong. What I feel for her doesn’t feel normal or sane. It is a burning need that I can’t shake. A desire to possess her, to claim her, so strong, I would tear down everything I’ve built to be with her.”

“You may get your wish.” He gestured toward a tall brunette, strikingly beautiful and fierce. She stalked toward them with Mika on her tail. “Here comes Jaylinn.”

Keir groaned but put on his alpha face when she approached them.

“You brought a prisoner into our camp.”

It was a statement, not a question, so Keir remained silent.

Jaylinn crossed her arms. “Why didn’t you take her to the holding pen?”

“The prisoner is in the holding pen.”

“You know I’m speaking of the woman,” Jaylinn huffed.

“She’s not a prisoner,” Toland said, rising to Keir’s defense.

The proud wolfkind female glared at him, but Toland didn’t back down from the challenge, and after a few seconds Jaylinn averted her gaze. “She’s not one of us. Mika told me.” He jerked her thumb at the warrior woman beside her. Mika looked uncomfortable and embarrassed.

“Who is
domiscin
?” Keir asked.

“You are,” Jaylinn said.

“That’s right, and I won’t be interrogated by you. You are not
domiscina
.”

“Not yet.”

Not ever
, Keir thought. He wanted Emma to fill that role. “You have my permission to withdraw.” Jaylinn had been chasing him since before their
becoming
. His parents and hers had made grand plans for a mating between the two of them, but his parents had been killed before they could force their plan. In Jaylinn’s eyes, he had made her a promise. But the bargain hadn’t been struck with his permission, and with the creators of the deal deceased, he felt no compunction to follow through. 

Jaylinn turned on her heel. The dust around her feet kicked up as she stomped off toward her parent’s home.

“Jaylinn will make trouble, Keir,” Mika said.

“Then why did you tell her?”

Mika blanched. “I didn’t think—”

“No, you didn’t think.”

“Forgive me,
Domiscin
.”

Toland put his hand on Keir’s forearm, throwing cold water on the building rage. He shook his head. “You are dismissed, Mika.”

“You have it bad, my friend,” Toland said after Mika hurried away from them. “I remember the first days of my
choosing
.”

Keir rolled his eyes. “We
all
remember your and Lis’s first days.”

Toland held up his hand to stop further harassment. “Just…take it easy. You will be on edge, and you will feel emotions you’d rather not for a few days. It will make you unpleasant at best. You won’t be fit for man or beast at your worst.”

“I appreciate your support,” Keir said, a dismissal implied.

The right side of Toland’s mouth quirked up. “Duly noted.” With a slight wave, he strolled toward his own quarters.

The night breeze carried the scent of pine, heavily fragrant in these late days of summer. Keir stood at the northern end of the camp, about fifty feet away from his quarters, and contemplated how to proceed with Emma Watson. Even at this distance, he felt acutely aware of her presence. He could actually feel her as if she occupied a space inside his body. How could he be so affected by a stranger, someone who was neither wolfkind nor witch?

Renewed with determination, he crossed the distance between him and the woman who made his blood burn. He flung open the door, his passion causing him to momentarily lose control of his beast as he prepared himself to convince Emma, however long it might take, to stay with him.

He stopped short in the middle of the room. The bed was empty, the back canvas had been sliced open, and Emma was gone. Immediately, he dropped to his hands and knees, his wolfkind side, morphing the bones in his face, his arms, and his legs. Fur sprouted across his skin, making his leather vest almost too warm. His nose, now hypersensitive to the hundreds of smells around him, honed in on the only scent that mattered.
Hers
.

With one bounding leap, he jumped through the sliced wall and began tracking his mate.