Chosen: Book 1 in the Ancients of Light series (9 page)

Ignoring her claim, Lorcan deliberately eased
the pressure of the bite, moving his mouth and tongue over her skin
in a manner to evoke pleasure as he continued to take her blood. He
wanted her mindless with it before he inflicted more damage. The
rapid shift from the edge of pleasure to the depths of pain would
cause her sanity to shatter given her vulnerable, weakened
state.

He heard the shuddering intake of her breath
just as her hand gripped his shoulder. Though her hand held fast,
the longer he continued the gentle pressure with his mouth the more
she visibly relaxed. Catching the little growl in her throat,
Lorcan knew he had been successful in lulling her with his arousing
play. He withdrew his mouth to study her.

Her eyes were on his, delving into the depths
of the icy rage lurking there. Kaitriana ascertained his game. As
Lorcan made move towards her neck yet again, she flinched from him
and her body began trembling. She hurried, her tone pleading with
him as much as her words, “Please…you must know
me
Lorcan…you must... the cottage.”

She was beginning to feel so weak and the
darkness was pushing at her. A whimper rose as he began suckling
and licking at her neck wound again; she was already shaking
against him in anticipation of his next play. In desperation,
Kaitriana redoubled her efforts, “You knew me….I waved
…
you knew me then
.” Lorcan paused, raising
his head, suspicion growing in his expression.

Kaitriana
was
begging him, needing him to acknowledge her. She swallowed hard,
the rise of magic within her was now taxing her as much as the
Vampire hunger and the pull between the two was threatening to drag
her into unconsciousness. If she could not gain his protection
before she succumbed to either the darkness dragging her under or
the magic forcing to the surface, she could very well perish at
these gates. She maintained the same pleading tone, continuing,
“Lorcan…please...I need you…your protection.”

Lorcan’s eyes were probing hers and she
struggled to keep her gaze locked with his as she shifted as much
as his grip would allow. She could see a bit of hope warring with
the bitterness and disbelief in his eyes now. Twisting ever so
slight to grant her arms freer movement, she slid both sets of
fingers from his chest up to his face.

The palm of each hand found home on either
side. Fingertips caressing softly, Kaitriana simply whispered,
“
Mine
.” She used her last remnant of
strength to lift up and press a light kiss to his brow. The effort
had cost her and she collapsed down against him. If he chose more
torture or her death there was naught she could do; her lids
slipped wearily shut, anticipating her defeat.

CHAPTER 10

The single word washed over him and Lorcan
felt a physical pain tearing at his chest. His fingertips swept the
same spot on his brow as her lips had and then he dropped them to
her cheek. He clenched his teeth when she cringed. Cupping her
face, he used the pad of his thumb to slowly trace around the
pretty little features of the female that now lay so still in his
hold.

Lorcan wrestled internally with the fact that
he had just sadistically abused and contemplated the death of the
one creature that he had been missing for over five hundred years.
None had seen her interactions with him at Laverock the day of her
rescue nor that night at her Uncle’s cottage. He had given an
accounting of her antics to no one.

Lorcan knew with certainty by her last words
and actions that she spoke the truth. Her breathing began to ease
and he dropped his forehead to hers. His eyes closed as a
previously unacknowledged acrimony began to leave him. Uncertain
who exactly he should be thanking for this treasure, he merely
offered a silent word of praise to whomever might be listening and
nuzzled his face against her dark curls. He did whisper it aloud
this time, reverently, “Kaitriana.” Relief spread visibly across
her features though she remained unmoving in his arms.

Still reeling, Lorcan pulled her more tightly
against him but gentled his hold. His fingertips nudged her chin
upwards, “Open your eyes, little one.” When she complied, his
steely gaze penetrated the depths of her blue, questioning, “How?”
The breathtaking witch was in fact now the stunning little vampire
female in his arms. Her eyes were true and with his reasoning no
longer clouded by fury, he knew them. He had been living with the
memory of their sparkle for an eternity.

Kaitriana whispered, “Myrrdyn.”

Lorcan’s jaw clenched tight with the
realization that the wily old witch had a hand in this. His mind
raced, trying to puzzle it together. Why would the Sorcerer of
Light let the Realm believe all hope had died with his grandchild,
the one who could give rise to the Chosen powers and complete the
prophecy? Lorcan shook his head. The repercussions of this would
shake the Realm. He pressed her, “Tell me.”

She shook her head hurriedly. Her gaze never
left his and her voice dropped low, “Tis not for the hundreds to
hear, not at this moment…please.” Kaitriana’s gaze slipped
meaningfully past him to sweep over the gathered warriors and the
other of his Coven that had been brave enough to venture out to
watch the drama unfolding at the gates. She pleaded with him,
knowing she could not deny him her story if he insisted on it this
very second, but Kaitriana needed him to get her away from this
gathering. The magic had risen again; lightning shot across the
sky. Did he notice?

Lorcan opened his mouth, ready to insist that
as soon as he fed her newborn thirst that she provide the detail
that brought her to his presence that eve, but held as Colm
shadowed next to him. “Sir, there are reports coming back to the
keep.” Lorcan glanced up as Colm continued, “Three of Rhydach’s
holdings…they have been destroyed, leveled. Few Darks that occupied
those holdings survive. There is nothing but heaps of rubble, fire
and bloodied land that remain.”

Still held in his arms, Lorcan felt Kaitriana
squirm as she did her best to slide her bloodied hands from sight.
She was worrying her lower lip with that tiny white fang, a touch
of fear again marring her brow. It stabbed his heart.

Colm shifted his feet and regaining Lorcan’s
attention went on, “The survivors are spreading the tale of a wee
female, with strength beyond the imagination, and the powers of
a….witch.” Colm swallowed hard before he offered the last, “A witch
with magic from all Castes and strength that surpasses even
Myrrdyn’s.”

Lorcan’s gaze dropped to the ground - the
snow covered ground. A witch wielding the magic of the Nature Caste
could be responsible for both the snow and the lightning. If
Kaitriana was the Chosen, that power would have been but one of
seven she held…before she was transitioned to Vampire. He shook his
head once more in wonder. He took three long breaths to steady his
emotions then flicked his eyes back to hers, “You?” He witnessed a
panic before she schooled her features into blank mask.

Kaitriana did not yet have his vow of
protection and she was in the middle of a field of over three
hundred warrior Vampire. She twisted slightly to glance into the
dark night behind him surveying their number again before returning
her gaze to him, brows raised in askance. Lorcan tilted his head
towards her in question but he did not wonder for long. She nibbled
at her lip and responded with a question of her own, “Would that be
a cause for retaliation from you, Vampire?”

Damn it, if she bit that lower lip once more
it would bleed again. Lorcan knew he need not be within such
proximity if her blood were freely flowing now that he knew her to
be Kaitriana. He had tasted its intoxicating essence and he did not
have fury to keep him from wanting her, truly wanting all of her,
now. He was rattled and his thoughts were irrational, but he wanted
the little witch in his arms to remain right there. With much
difficulty he focused once more on her question. The witch still
held fear of him and that would not do.

Lorcan offered gently in answer, “No.” He
gave her a reassuring smile and stood, pulling her to her feet in
front of him. Kaitriana swayed, suffering the hunger and the
dizzying effects of the surge of her magic. With the instinct to
protect her now driving him, Lorcan ran his hands over her arms to
steady her and resisted the urge to drag her to him. The top of her
head was a good many inches below his chin and when he released her
this time, he adjusted his stance to gaze down into her upturned
face.

He needed to know what had happened this
night and how she had gone from such great power to being
transitioned to Vampire in such short time. The timing did not make
sense. A transition was completed only after the sleep and the
sleep took any number of days. According to Jortha, her war on the
Ancient Dark using those Witch powers, magic that could not exist
in her Vampire form, began but a few short hours ago.

Rubbing his temples, Lorcan reviewed the
facts as he knew them again. The transition of a witch to a vampire
was impossible, making the use of Witch magic by a vampire equally
impossible. His existence alone, in all these years and in the
entire Realm, defied those rules of nature. Did hers now as well?
Lorcan shook that thought away. Fate would not gift him with both
the girl and leave her tremendous magic intact; the strength of it
could tip the balance of power in the Realm back to the Ancient
Light.

He did know at the very least that her
existence defied the laws the Vampire Council, meaning that it was
his duty to destroy her. Yet he knew already that he would deliver
death to any that would seek her harm. It was a blow to the Ancient
Light that the powerful witch had been robbed of her destiny, her
magic destroyed by the transition; however, he would bring her into
his Coven. He would see that she found her place within the Vampire
faction. He would defend her to the Council and they would
not
deny him this. Lorcan knew well that
they needed his strength and protection and that of his warriors
more than they needed his obedience to their laws.

Lorcan raised his gaze skyward, the snow had
ceased. He could tell that her transition was over and there were
no more signs of pain in her body. That observation solidified his
decision and Lorcan would not be moved from it; he would be keeping
her. The Witch in her was dead and the magic that had sparked in
her throughout this night had been killed along with it. Yes, he
intended to keep her, Council be damned.

With his mind set, Lorcan nodded his
understanding of the situation to Colm. Her comfort and care must
be his priority now. She would collapse from the hunger soon if
untended and he inclined his head towards her, “Though she may well
be the witch that warred with the Dark tonight, somehow she has
been transitioned. The magic will have died with the change. She is
fully Vampire now and my Coven will be her home.”

Colm indicated his agreement; the thought to
oppose Lorcan in support of the Council’s laws never even grew in
his mind. His words echoed Lorcan’s thoughts, “We need see to her
feeding Lorcan; she will be starved with the hunger and in
tremendous pain again very soon.”

Lorcan knew that as Colm shadowed away he was
already seeing to the preparations; the words were unspoken, but
there was no further need for them. Lorcan settled his arms across
his chest as he turned back to her, cocking his head with a
question that plagued him, “Why would Myrrdyn send you to me
knowing the risk, that you may well be destroyed for being that
which is forbidden?”

He had snow in his tousled dark locks and she
wanted to dust it loose. Kaitriana was weak and her mind was
increasingly beset by such random thoughts as a result, but she
still required his vow to her. She would need to maintain her focus
and answer his questions to move this along. She held the impulse
to touch him and instead mimicked his stance, crossing her arms
over her chest.

Shifting her weight to one hip, her chin
lifted as she defended her grandfather’s dictate, “If I am ever in
need of protection and I am unable to locate Grandpapa…” She lifted
a finger then, having the audacity to poke it against his chest, “I
am to seek
you
.” Lorcan was certain that
he witnessed a sparkle in those blue depths as she added in an
exaggerated tone, “For
some
reason he
finds
you
to be
worthy
.”

He chuckled, obviously she had not lost the
spunk she had captivated him with as a youngster. The sassy little
witch certainly had rebounded her spirits quickly in light of the
threats he had issued and pain he had dealt her shortly before.
Guilt flooded him; Lorcan frowned, it could not be undone. His brow
furrowed in confusion when he regained focus and he processed her
words, “If Myrrdyn told you that tonight then why did he not just
stay with you to provide such protection?”

Her smile blossomed fully. She understood his
confusion and had wondered if he would call her on this, “No
Lorcan, I have not set eyes on my grandfather in nearly five
centuries.” She nodded her affirmation of this, in case he may
think he had misheard her, before continuing, “The night you came
to my Uncle’s cottage with your…mmmm…
demands
… do you recall?” Kaitriana hurried on when his
eyes narrowed slightly at her characterization of his actions that
night. “Grandpapa told me
that
night
before you took your leave. Tis why I waved to you as I knew you
must have been aware your
duty
to protect
me. I thought that you knew then Milord and shared the secret with
me.”

He grinned at her, because he could tell by
the twinkle of mischief in her eyes that she was ancitipating his
next question, “And is that also why you made a face at me?”