Page 3 of The Mating Frenzy
“I-I’m o-kay, hon,” he gasped. Slowly he centered his breathing and focused. The pain eased, and thendissipated.
Sympathy filled Danu’s gaze. She waved a hand and the runes vanished. “I apologize, my wizard, but I had to be certain. Those were the most powerful runes known to call forth those who serve the DarkLord.”
And here, in the paradise of Tir na-Nog, they shouldn’t have any effect. Unless there was someone who had once pledged his loyalty and life to the mortal who had eventually become the DarkLord…
Xavier fisted his hands. “Well, this reallysucks.”
“You are not the mortal you were when Duncan killed you all those centuries ago, Xavier. You have the power to fight his influence, and that of his followers. Yet part of you will always be connected to the Dark Lord, because of the vow you made to him while he was still mortal, before he embracedevil.”
Fresh anguish filled him. His worried glance at Ciara caused her lower lip to tremble. His mate knew what torture he’d suffered at Duncan’shand.
“Don’t worry, honey. I’m not a big fan of the Dark Lord. His taste in music is lousy. No Elvis.” But his teasing didn’t lift the shadow of worry from Ciara’sface.
“The Dark Lord could kill you, Xavier,” Ciara toldhim.
“Not really.” No, not death, because all the wizards were immortal. But they could turn to shadow, wandering as ghosts through the afterworld, unable to protect their charges onearth.
Danu touched the window once more and it turned cloudy. “The more powerful he becomes and the more followers he gains, the more vulnerable you become,Xavier.”
The thought rattled him, not for his own personal safety, but for Ciara.I finally found you after all these centuries, and now I might lose you? What kind of danger do youface?
Danu read his thoughts. He felt her tapping into his mind like a gentle breeze, and then calm settled overhim.
“No matter what happens to you, Xavier, I will protect your mate and child,” she saidaloud.
“Good to know,” he said dryly. “I guess being omnipotent and immortal isn’t enoughanymore.”
“It is why I’m setting the plan into motion for the five werewolves of the Wyld, my wizard. Not merely to protect humankind.” She gave him a meaningfulglance.
Good thing he’d always liked shifters. Hopefully these women would indeed be “kickass.”
But he knew the goddess and knew what she did not say was more revealing. “Whatelse?”
“All will be revealed in time, Xavier. I do not wish you tofret.”
Yeah, right. He began to see patterns. Five werewolves of the Wyld, and there were five wizards on the Brehon. Worry filled him as he looked at his Ciara, clutching the sheet to herbreast.
“The werewolves aren’t simply to protect humans, but us, and our mates,” he saidslowly.
Danu said nothing, but her pupils expanded. So that was it. He didn’t know which was more concerning – that the Brehon were vulnerable to the Dark Lord or that they needed extradefenses.
It rattled him, thinking that he and his fellow wizards weren’t as powerful as they had imagined. And now he, Tristan and Gideon, the three wizards who had mated, had their women to protect. Although the women were immortal, they too, could turn to shadow if destroyed byevil.
And their children. Xavier’s stomach clenched. He offered a smile to Ciara, not wishing to worry her. “You’ll like having a werewolf for a bodyguard, my sweet,” he told her. “They may be furry, but they’rehousebroken.”
His little joke did not coax a smile to herface.
“Danu, I have a right to know what is going on, if this affects me and my family.” She put a protective hand on her belly. “What must this Ella do? Can we aidher?”
The goddess traced another rune on the glass. This one pulsed purple with power and sent soothing tendrils of magick into theair.
“Xavier, you must teach Kieran to adjust to human life, first. Only then can he convince Ella to trust him.” Danu said. Her forehead wrinkled. “You look ill,Xavier.”
The goddess went to him, touched his forehead as if taking his temperature. Knowledge rushed into him, a heady elixir, both exhilarating and terrifying. Closing his eyes, he felt himself speaking as if from a greatdistance.
Before I created my wizards to judge and guard OtherWorlders, I put failsafes on earth – items unique only to you that can enhance power in dark times when rotting flesh rises from the grave and terrorizes theworld.
The amethyst crystal of Calmach for you. A wolf pelt for Tristan. A delicate feather from a fairy’s wing for Gideon. A dragon scale for Drust. And a lock of golden hair forCadeyrn.
