9781618851307WitchsBrewShayNC (16 page)

Talon
grinned when Stry glanced at him and winked. He could never figure out how Stry
could make a late appearance to a meeting and still manage to take charge. He’d
heard Darak once declare that, as future king, Stry’s words held power and
persuasion over the guild. Talon saw concern etched on Darak’s face. His father
was now worried Stry might use his influence to change the elder’s mind and
allow him to make this decision on his own merit.

Talon
leaned closer to Stry and whispered, “Better late than never. Glad you finally
made it.”

Folding
his arms across his wide chest, Stry’s lips twitched with amusement. “It’s
Beltane. I could hardly refuse a lovely witch my attentions. Let me assure you,
she was worth my delay.”

Talon
lifted a brow. “You’ve already chosen a mate for the season?”

“Didn’t
say that,” Stry answered softly. “But neither am I fool enough to turn down a
mating session.”

“Did
she conceive?” Talon inquired discreetly.

Stry looked away. “No. LeEtta is barren. Hope for fruitful
matings grow paler each year. There simply are no fertile witches to be found,
at least for
wakens
. Odd, the demons
don’t seem to have any problems impregnating our females.”

King Darak cleared his throat, his face taut. “Now that
Stry has seen fit to join this assembly, may we continue with the business at
hand?”

Stry gave a slight bow to his father and the ancients. “I
apologize for the delay, Father. I was unavoidably detained. Please continue.”

“Unavoidably detained?” Talon mouthed.

Stry shrugged and grinned. “She required a slow hand.”

Talon rubbed a hand across his mouth, hiding a grin. His
brother might sound reckless and unconcerned about the proceedings taking
place, but he could be as imposing as the king. Stry knew more about what was
happening in their realm than the king and the guild put together.

“Yes.
What of the other witch and the
illumrof
female?” Sage put in, moving
closer to his cousins.

The four elders of the guild obviously noted the united,
imperial front the two princes and their cousin presented, because their brows
raised and they slumped in their seats. Talon grinned. It was one thing to
dictate to him and Sage, but quite another to control their future monarch.

Talon nodded approval at his cousin. Sage was several
centuries younger than he and Stry, so they tended to be overprotective of
their only cousin, just as he was protective of them. They were as close as
brothers and sometimes they forgot Sage was a powerful
waken,
too.

“Oh, hell, why are you wearing that silly patch?” Stry
said, blinking.

“The witches love it,” Sage replied in a low voice. “They
think it makes me look suave and debonair.”

“I
think him looks sexy.” Dinka popped her green head up from Sage’s shirt pocket
and blinked.

“Puh-lease.”
Talon rolled his eyes at the bullfrog
Futhar.
“Spare me, Dinka. You
think everything about Sage is sexy. You’re prejudiced.”

Dinka snickered and stuck her tiny webbed feet over the
top of Sage’s pocket. “Hmmm, not everything, though he pretty hunky for
waken
,
but wrong color. He needs be nice and green with big—”

“Hush, Dinka.” Sage laughed as he tucked her back inside the
compact pouch.

She
popped her head back up. “Was gonna say big eyes, big, yellow eyes.”

“Stay.”
Sage shook his finger at her and pushed her inside the pocket.

“Hush, Dinka. Stay, Dinka. I not trained dog, my Sage,” she
huffed. “I not jump through hoops. Not roll over, play dead possum in here.”

Sage grinned, his pale eye sparkling with laughter, but he
sobered as he returned his attention to his cousins and the elders.

“I don’t believe Talon should decide if the witch’s spirit
is removed or not,” Black Drayke shouted, clearly infuriated by the idea, and
determined to get the conversation back on track.

“Your objection is duly noted,” Darak replied. “There’s no
call to shout. This is a civilized meeting, as such, conduct yourself
accordingly.” He pounded the scepter on the table and glared at his sons and
nephew as thought they were the ones who’d shouted.

Talon frowned. Beside him, he felt Stry tense.

The ancients leaned together once again, their whispers
low.

King Darak propped his arms on the table and tilted his
head at an angle closer to the council members. Finally, he looked up and
stared directly at Talon. He didn’t bother to hide his displeasure with
whatever decision the guild had reached.

“Come forward, Talon,” his father ordered.

Talon
moved to stand in front of the round table. His heart caught in his throat. He
had no idea what the ancients were up to, but it hadn’t set well with his
father.

“You
shall be granted a month to study the witch and make your decision,” Darak
announced.

“No,”
Black Drayke yelled. He stormed across the room, fury in every stride.

Darak held up his hand for silence. “You dare to argue
with the guild’s final decision?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

Darak
turned his attention back to his son. “Understand, Talon, this isn’t a
privilege granted to many. Make the most of the time you’re given. And
remember, the elders expect a weekly report of any instances of this witch’s
power being out of control. You must keep us informed.”

Talon
nodded, waiting for the blow he knew must follow. The ancients never gave
without taking something back.

Katch
rose to his feet, as imperial and majestic as a Bird of Paradise. “I’ve decided
there are limits to this freedom granted you, Talon.”

Talon
blinked. He couldn’t remember Katch making such an announcement before.

“If after a month you can’t find it in your heart to take
the witch’s spirit, then you will Handfast with her.”

“What,”
Talon
exploded. “For the love of–” He stared at the wizard, horror warring with disbelief.
Handfast with an
Impure?
Mate for life? Despite his attraction to
Saylym, no way did he want to Handfast with any witch, let alone an
Impure.

“This is my decision,” Katch said. “No one will set it
aside.” He peered at the other members of the guild and the king in one brief
flash of his burning gaze. “Is that clear?” He dipped his head in a slight nod
to Talon and returned to his seat.

Talon felt too stunned to speak. That the wizard should
order such a thing was…was, well it simply wasn’t done. A prince bonded to an
Impure?
He glanced at his father and saw the anger reflected in his face. As powerful
as his father was, he couldn’t change the High Wizard’s command. Darak might be
king, but Katch was the Supreme Commander of Ru-Noc.

For the gods’ sake, that the sorcerer should even suggest–ahh,
now he understood. Between them, they had cornered him. They knew he wouldn’t
Handfast with Saylym because of her bloodline. Therefore, he was honor-bound to
steal her spirit or stand down and allow Black Drayke to do the job.
Impossible. They thought they’d neatly boxed him into a corner, and they pretty
much had.

He
looked at his father, and saw triumph and…surely not sympathy? No, never that,
not from his father. Talon glanced at Black Drayke and recognized the gleam in
the cold black eyes. The warlock was certain he’d never accept the ultimatum
delivered by the High Wizard. Hell, his own father was certain. Damn them all
to the Underworld.

“If you refuse to accept the terms,” Darak said, “then
step down. Black Drayke will be sent to take the witch’s soul.”

Talon swore violently. He glowered at the High Wizard,
furious. “What if this witch refuses to bond with me?”

Katch gave a slow smile, a baring of teeth. “She has no
choice in the matter. However, if you want to save her spirit from exile, I’d
suggest you work quickly to convince her. You’re a
waken
, persuade her.”

“Heed
this warning, Talon,” Darak interrupted. “You do not have the luxury of
dawdling or giving her a choice.” For a moment, he hesitated, then continued, “Consider
this carefully, Talon. I realize this is tantamount to lighting a fuse to your
temper, but she’s merely a half-breed, an
Impure;
if all else fails, use
force.”

“As I’m being forced, Father?” Talon felt as frozen as the
chips of ice coating his voice.

Darak shrugged. “Those are your choices. As for the other
witch and this
illumrof,”
he turned his gaze upon Sage, “the ancients
have decided you will steal the witch’s soul or Handfast with her. Since this
illumrof
is a partner and friend with the witch who owns the pastry shop, you’re likely
to run into both of them at the same time. You’re assigned to kill the
illumrof
as well.”

“Two?
You expect me to terminate two at once?” Sage’s face darkened with rage. “That’s
absurd! What about Stry? He can take one of them.”

Darak shrugged one shoulder. “One is but an
illumrof
female. She should not be troublesome for you at all. Snap her neck and be done
with it. Stry will be busy with another assignment.”

The king turned to his elder son. “There is a third witch
who has recently caught the attention of the
Observers
. Her name is Nyra
Winters. She proclaims herself a healer. We haven’t discovered where she
dwells. She’s very secretive. Find her. She’s another who crossed realms and has
no history of her previous existence. Her spirit is not to be exiled, but
burned. She’s considered dangerous and we want her soul permanently separated
from her body.”

Stry brought a clenched fist down on top of the table,
rattling drinking glasses and sending the elders into a tizzy of alarm. They
jumped with surprise, gasping.

“I want the same right granted to Talon to decide for
myself if she deserves spirit removal,” Stry stated. “A healer, Father? Really?
You’d have me terminate a such a person?”

“I have rights, too,” Sage announced, moving to stand
beside Talon.

Talon
directed his gaze at his cousin. “You want rights,” he said out of the corner
of his mouth.
“Want.”

Darak hesitated before sighing. “Very well. The guild has
faith in the three of you and expects your decisions to be prompt and wise
enough to protect us all. But there can be no unwarranted sympathy for these
witches. No mercy for the
illumrof.
Is that understood?” He gave the
three of them a hard look. “With rights come responsibilities. Remember that.
If you are unable to decide or follow through with the assignments, then Black
Drayke will be given the task.”

Darak regarded Stry and cleared his throat. “Since this
witch is a self-proclaimed healer, you might try searching the herbal shops in
Sanctuary. She likely dabbles with healing plants. You all have a month, then
the mating season ends and you will be banished from Sanctuary. Remember, you
will terminate the witches’ spirits or Handfast with them. Along with the
rights you demand, come these choices.”

“There’s
no choice at all Father, and you well know it,” Talon accused.

Katch rose to his feet, his face flushed red. “Talon!
You’ll change your tone to one of respect when speaking to any of us. There’s
no point in being angry with your father. This was
my
decision, not his.
You’ll Handfast with this witch. This is my wish. The only other choices are to
steal her soul or allow Black Drayke to finish the job.”

*
* * *

Darak sighed, his troubled gaze following his younger son
as Talon turned on his boot heel and swept out of the chambers. His stricken
gaze met that of his heir. Inwardly, he flinched at the censure he read on
Stry’s face.

“I know what you’re all up to, Father, and with me, it
might work. You can bend me. I won’t break. I don’t believe in love, so
therefore my emotions won’t be involved with this Nyra Winters. I might hate
it, but I can do my job if necessary. I’ll find and terminate her as the elders
command.” He sighed and met his father’s gaze. “Talon is different. He remains
steadfast in his beliefs. If you continue in this dictatorial manner with him,
you’ll completely destroy him. Can you all live with that?”

Darak
frowned. “You think there’s no give in Talon?”

“I
know
there’s no give in my brother. Talon will
break, Father. You’ll drive him away. You already have. I think you know this.”

“You
know your mother and I would like grandchildren. We would also like to see our
children settled with bond mates.”

Stry nodded. “I do believe we can provide you and Mother
your heart’s desire without you forcing a bonding on us. Bonding’s a lifetime
commitment and should be our decision.”

Darak reddened. “We prefer to welcome the mother of our
grandchildren into the bosom of our family. Go after your brother. I’m certain
you both will wish to bid Helayne farewell before you take your leave.”

Stry nodded, locking his fingers around Sage’s arm and
pulling him along with him. “Come on, One-eye. Let’s see if we can soothe
Talon’s savage temper.”

Sage
snorted.

Dinka poked her head up. “He one crafty
waken
.
Sneaky, too. He remove patch, he have use of both him eyes.”

“Dinka,”
Sage warned with a tolerant laugh. “Go to sleep.”

“Humph.
Dinka not sleepy, like listen in case sex discussed. Maybe learn new
positions.”

“Dinka!”
Sage sounded outraged, but Stry knew the
waken
enjoyed the
Futhar’s
antics.

“All
right, already, my Sage. Don’t get pantyhose in wad.”

Stry
burst into laughter at the sheepish expression that crossed Sage’s face.
“Pantyhose? You
wear
pantyhose?”

“Hell no,” Sage shot back, punching Stry on the shoulder
as his cousin choked back laughter. “She’s been sneaking into the
illumrof
realm and watching movies. She sucks up mortal sayings like a straw.