A Bond of Brothers (9 page)

Lynk's voice rumbled deep with power, "She is mine forever!" He rammed the blade through my uncle's heart, hefting his body from the ground with the motion and letting him fall to the ground in a graceless heap. Another slash of his sword and he severed his head from his body while Adriel dispatched the guards that were with him.

Tears sprang freely from my eyes as Lynk met them across the bloody snow covered field and he stopped for only a moment to check on his family before closing the distance between us.

The two bears with us moved away as Lynk grabbed me against him with one arm, the sword loose at his side. "Are you alright, lilenta?"

"I'm fine, you set me free. Oh, but you're hurt!" His arms and chest were marred with cuts and burns.

He snorted lightly, "A trifle, sweetheart. Battle scars I'll wear with pride."

I was about to tell him that I would heal him when we were down in the den, when the ground shook again, and my heart fell into my feet. "What now?" I clutched him, watching as the portal shifted slightly and opened further.

Lord Elmist, High King of the Seelie Court, stepped forward through the portal with a throng of golden winged guards with him, decked out in full gilded armor. He surveyed the scene from just outside the portal.

Tavian paced in front of me, growling low in his throat. I gripped his thick fur with my hand as fear licked at me. Lynk held the bloody sword at his side casually, but his body was strung tight in preparation of another attack. His father, brothers, and sister-in-law came to stand with us, as did the other bears, shifted and human. They were ready instantly to defend again, and my heart swelled at the sight.

The head of the council stopped near my uncle's headless body, looking down at it. Clucking his tongue, he looked up and met my eyes, and began to walk towards me.

"That's close enough," Lynk said with a dark voice, his hand tightening on the sword.

"Fair enough." He stopped and his guards came to stand by him.

"What are you doing here, Lord Elmist?"

He glanced around the destruction with a wry smile. "I was told a portal opened. When I asked my guards who had gone through it, I was told your uncle and his guards had gone through on a mission to kill you. I guess he didn't expect to find you so well protected."

"He told me that I had to come back with him and marry someone of royal blood in order to keep my family line going. He said it was an order from the court."

His white eyebrow arched. "You were banished, Shaylee. Banished means forever, except under certain circumstances. The court declared your family line never existed in an attempt to dissuade your uncle from trying to come after you. We banished you to the mortal realm in the hopes that he'd be content with his status. Clearly, he was not."

My mouth dropped open. "Are you trying to tell me that you banished me to save me?"

His golden wings rustled in the light breeze. "Your father was a close friend. When your mother was killed and then your aunt, I knew your uncle would stop at nothing to have the court seat forever. Those of us on the court that wanted you to take your rightful place were in the process of removing him when he made an attempt on your life. It was only after the young fairy was killed in your place that we realized just how far gone he was in his delusions and I gathered the court to try to find a way to save you."

Lynk snorted, "Why didn't you just kill him?"

Lord Elmist narrowed his eyes. "It's not our way, warrior. If one of the court had raised a hand against him, all hell would have broken loose. Our kind have existed for millennia because of our court and our laws. I did what I could. You killed her uncle in her defense, the slate is wiped clean."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, relief and fear twining through me again.

"You are the last Tannia. The council will vote to return your name, title, council seat, and belongings to you immediately, you simply must return to our realm. Forever."

My heart stopped and my stomach flipped. Everything I'd wanted ten months ago was offered to me on a silver platter. But now, standing between Lynk and Tavian, I knew it was the very last thing in any realm that I wanted.

"No." The word came out on a choked sob.

Lord Elmist frowned slightly. "You cannot stay here in the mortal realm, Shaylee. Not in your current form."

I opened my mouth to protest when I realized what he'd said.
Not in my current form.

"Then I'll give up my wings."

Lynk looked down at me. "What are you talking about, lilenta?"

Lord Elmist answered for me. "Unless they are banished, fairies belong in the fairy realm. Her banishment is going to be lifted. As long as she has her wings, she is under the rule of the court. We can force her to return to our realm."

"You can try." Lynk brandished the sword again and Tavian let loose a menacing growl.

Lord Elmist straightened slightly. "I said we
could
if she remained a fairy. If she loses her wings, she will not be a fairy any longer and our authority will be meaningless."

Adriel spoke up, "But she will become mortal without her wings."

"No, not mortal. She'll still retain her long-life, but she will lose her nature power associated with her wings. She will keep her healing nature, which is a heredity power. She'll become what is known as a Dharling - a healing nymph. She will be as she is now, minus her wings."

Lynk turned to me and took my hand. "You don't have to lose your wings, Shaylee. We'll protect you."

His willingness to fight for me brought fresh tears to my eyes. "You can't, Lynk. Not as long as I have my wings. I would gladly give them up for you, for both of you." I looked down at Tavian and smiled at his sweet bear face.

Lynk's eyes shone. "Will it hurt?"

Lord Elmist said, "Very much so. It would be equivalent to having your legs cut off while you are conscious. The pain will send her into a healing sleep and her power will heal her body with time."

I looked at him. "Is that why you came? To let me go?"

He nodded. "When I stepped through the portal and saw two men fighting for you, I knew you would not come back. I had hoped to prevent your uncle from harming you, but the outcome is much better than I could have hoped for. I never did like him."

With no further discussion, we moved down into the den. Lord Elmist dispatched his guards to remove the bodies of the fallen fairies and clean up the mess outside. For all of the fairy guards that appeared, no bears were seriously injured in the battle. Lynk showed himself to be the true warrior for the den, keeping me safe and leading his people. I was humbled by the show of support from the den.

Someone brought a small ottoman near Lynk and Tavian's tent. Tavian shifted back into his human form and held me tightly against him while Lynk found his best and sharpest sword.

I pulled off my bra and extended my wings for the last time. Tavian and Lynk stood in front of me, both touching my wings with furrowed brows. "Are you certain, Shaylee?" Tavian asked with a thick voice. "I don't want you to be in pain."

"It's for the best. I can't live without you and if I have to give up my wings to have forever with you two, then it's worth a little pain." I paused, knowing with all my heart that it was the right thing.

Lynk's eyes shone bright with unshed tears. He cupped my cheek and smoothed a stray tear away from my cheek. "You honor us, Shaylee."

I gripped his wrist and pulled his hand away from my face, kissing his palm before moving closer and hugging and kissing them once more.

With my arm across my bare breasts, I moved to the ottoman and knelt in front of it. "I had no idea that were-bears were so fiercely loyal. I have no doubt that you will be well loved for the remainder of your long life, Shaylee Tannia. I wish you much happiness and blessings in this mortal realm." Lord Elmist said, coming to stand next to me and testing the weight of the sword.

"Thank you, Lord Elmist. For everything."

I dropped my head and straightened my wings behind my back so the tips touched and I held as still as I could even though my body trembled. I heard the whoosh of air as the sword sliced down and then blazing hot pain shot through my body and I screamed as everything went dark.

* * * * * *

I tried to roll over to my back, but pain stopped me. Then clarity reigned in my mind. I didn't have wings. I was no longer a fairy by any definition. The world of my youth was closed to me forever. Oddly, I was okay with that.

"Careful, lilenta," Lynk said softly and I opened my eyes to see him kneeling next to the bed.

I blinked, trying to clear the haze away. "Where are we?"

"In our tent. How do you feel sweetheart?"

"Like someone cut my wings off."

He let out a small laugh and a single tear escaped down his cheek and he wiped it away quickly. "Can I get you anything?"

I swallowed and my mouth felt like sand. "Water?"

Tavian said, "I'll get it."

He returned a short moment later and handed the water to Lynk who cupped my cheek and helped to lift my head from the pillow. The water was cool and slick and when I'd drunk half the cup, I pulled away and put my head back on the pillow. They had laid me on the bed on my stomach, covering me to my waist with a blanket. "Oh sweet little nymph," Tavian said, kneeling next to Lynk and squeezing my fingers, "what can we do to help you?"

I let out a slow breath, feeling the odd weightlessness in my back. "Help me sit up."

With careful, deliberate movements they helped me shift to a sitting position. My skin stretched uncomfortably tight across my shoulders and heated pain pulsed from the two places where my wings had resided. "How does it look back there?" I asked when my feet were on the thick carpeted floor.

Lynk and Tavian exchanged looks and my worry that I'd have more than two minimal scars grew significantly. "What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, sweet love, it's just, have you ever known someone who had their wings cut off?" Tavian asked, reaching for one of my hands.

"I've heard of it happening, but I've never seen one after it was done, why?"

Lynk stood up. "Come into the bathroom, Shaylee. See for yourself how gorgeous you are."

Tavian stood and they both helped me to my feet. After a few moments, the ache in my back eased further. According to them, I'd been asleep for slightly over twenty-four hours, so my legs ached from disuse but I could walk. Lynk hit the light switch in the bathroom and I stopped in my tracks when I saw my reflection in the mirror.

The woman staring back at me had coal black hair and brown eyes like melted dark chocolate. My skin was still ivory, my features were the same, but my ruby and gold streaked hair and green eyes were gone. My mouth went dry as I stared in silence at myself. And then I couldn't help it, but I peeked down at my pussy under the blanket that I'd been clutching to myself, to see if the carpet matched the new drapes. I started to snicker when I saw that, yes indeed, I now had a neatly trimmed thatch of black hair covering my mound.

"What's so funny, yanna?" Tavian asked, smiling in relief that I wasn't freaking out.

"It's just surprising. I've been a redhead my whole life."

Lynk tipped my chin so I was looking at him. "You’re gorgeous, regardless of hair color or eye color. I still see affection in the depths of your eyes, and your hair is still as silky soft as it was when it was flame colored. You're still you inside. That's all that matters to us."

Tavian kissed my shoulder, pushing my hair back. "I like it. It makes you just ours now. To love and protect forever."

I smiled broadly at their sweet remarks. I wanted to see my back, so after turning around, Tavian gave me a hand mirror and I saw two angry red marks on my back where my wings had at one time unsheathed. The marks were four or five inches in length and a fingertip in width, but the pain lessened with each passing minute and I knew that after a few days, it would be gone entirely and the marks would leave light scars.

"They won't go away completely, the marks, but they'll lighten in color with time." And I wasn't sure I wanted them to go away entirely, anyway. They would be there as a reminder of what I'd sacrificed to stay with Lynk and Tavian.

"Elizabeth wanted to come check on you again when you woke up. She's been in every few hours to monitor your healing. She put some kind of herb pack on the wounds in the beginning." Tavian said.

I agreed to see her; grateful she'd cared enough to help. I couldn't really dress completely, so I stuck with a pair of soft lounge pants that were in a small bag I'd packed when we came to visit the day before and held the blanket to my chest again.

Tavian sent for her, and she and her husbands came into the tent. Each man held a baby in his arms, identical twin boys. The boys wiggled to get down and they put them on the carpet, letting them crawl and explore.

"These are my children, Shaylee, Setimika and Bodaway. It's nice to finally meet you officially. These are my husbands, Ash and Axe." Ash and Axe were identical and I wondered how she could tell the apart.