Illusions: Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (The Seekers Book 1) (20 page)

“
G
o
,” said Sera. “Do what you need to. I’ll stay and warn the others.”

Without a word, Paxx shifted into his ghostly form, skulking into the woods to sniff out any threat that might come near. Until Rohan returned, he would be their only frontline defence.

Sera went once again to the mouth of the cave, preparing herself for what was to come. She did not have the gift of Sight, but it didn’t take such gifts to know that Melina would waste no time in coming to her. She wouldn’t trust her men to do her own dirty work, either.

Hedy joined Sera, standing at her side, her hunched shoulders indicating her age and exhaustion.

“When I was young I felt that I could take on the world,” she said. “And in many ways I did just that. But now it’s your turn, and Circe’s, and the other Aspirants’. I think the time has come, Serafina, for the tides to turn. For the Crones to fade and for the Sisterhood to evolve into something suitable for the modern day.”

“The modern day is a strange concept to me now,” said Sera. “When your mate can move to any time he desires, time is no longer of consequence.”

“It will always be of consequence. We live, we die. What era we live in doesn’t matter so much as what we make of our lives.”

Hedy’s words seemed to take on a certain gravity that Sera was unaccustomed to hearing from the Crone. “Promise me, Sera, that you will lead the Sisterhood down their new path when the time comes.”

“But I’ve been expelled,” she said. “How can I lead them anywhere?”

“You will find a way. And you will find that they need you, as you need them. As you and your mates need each other.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter,” said Sera. “You’ll be by my side to help.”

“The only way that the old woman will be by your side is in death.”
Sera bristled, turning her head; the voice was one of ice and foreboding.

It was Melina’s.

She stood now before them, at the edge of the woods, her keen eyes examining the cave’s entrance.

“I remember this hiding spot,” she said, pacing on the grass like a tiger contemplating its prey. “From years ago. A little foolish to still be using it, but then you Crones never were as clever as all that.”

“We Crones never expected one of our own to betray us as you’ve done, Melina,” said Hedy.

Sera braced, her hands clenching as she prepared for what was to come.

“Well, isn’t this interesting?” Melina asked, taking a few steps forward. “Three women, all of whom have engaged in the Ritual. All of us powerful. But who do you suppose is the strongest?”

Sera stepped forward, but Hedy thrust an arm in front of her to stop her.

“Don’t,” she hissed. “Stay back.”

“The strongest will always be on the side of good,” said the old woman, advancing so that she stood only a few feet from Melina. “Your type of power is corrupted, infected. Whatever you think, you will never win.”

“Won’t I?” With the words, Melina flung a hand out into the air before her and Hedy fell to the ground with a thud.

Sera ran to her side, crouching beside her. “Hedy!” she cried. Hedy’s eyes moved, but no other part of her seemed able as she appeared to have been adhered to the soil, a great weight seemingly pushing her downwards.

“Let’s see if you can fight off my
infected power, old woman,” laughed Melina. “Oh, that’s right. The Ritual only empowers you for so long, and then you wither as everything else does. And don’t forget: you are ancient. Your bones are brittle. Or do you need reminding?”

Hedy winced in pain as the force grew, the invisible pressure that Melina was exerting crushing her, thrusting her frail body into the ground.

“Stop it!” yelled Sera, running at the Sorceress. She shoved the woman, who turned to her for a moment, an amused smile on her face. Nyx, accompanying her, growled at Heck, Melina’s Familiar, who’d altered into the form of a snake.

“Really now, Serafina,” said the woman. “Is that your tactic? To push me about as a child would?”

“How can you do this? How can you hurt one of our own?”

“Quite easily, as it turns out.”

Sera reached into her bag for a rune stone, glad to have remembered to gather them from the house. Quickly, she flicked her thumb over its surface.

“So that’s how it will be, will it? Magic stones?” said Melina. “You do realize that tricks of the mind are far more powerful than trinkets.”

The bag fell away to the ground, its strap torn, the stones scattering about near Hedy’s helpless body.

“Sera.”

The voice came in a rasp, Hedy barely able to move her lips.

“What is it?” Sera asked, moving towards her old friend and mentor.

“Learn from Melina. She’s right. Use your mind, not the stones. Remember that your mind is all that you need. And yours is greater than hers by far, my Serafina.”

Hedy’s eyes closed.

“No,” said Sera. “Stay here, with me. Please.”

She stood and turned to her foe, Nyx on the ground next to her, converted into his panther form. He seemed to grow to the size of a Great Dane, pacing around his Magistress’s legs. Meanwhile, the calico Familiar Heck transformed into a tiger, doing the same. It seemed that the two companions were to have a battle of their own.

But Sera’s focus was on Melina.

By now, the Crones had gathered in the cave’s doorway, watching quietly, as though they knew their place. None of them had the strength to take on a sorceress of Melina’s strength, and Serafina, who stood tall and strong, was their only hope.

“What will you do?” asked Melina. “You helpless, weak little thing.”

“Not so weak, and not so helpless,” said Sera, thrusting a hand forward.

In the air she drew a rune:
Algiz,
the rune of protection. With it she cast a shield over Hedy’s body. Next came
Isa,
the rune of freezing. And for a moment Melina seemed to solidify into stone, the rune making its way through the air towards her frozen form, seeming to burn itself into her flesh.

And then Sera tried a new tactic, her fingers moving adeptly at her mind’s command, rapidly painting images, illusions on the air: a flock of angular birds, which flew at their target like missiles, penetrating Melina’s icy body in rapid fire. She fell back now, hitting the ground hard, blood trickling from various points.

“I am a healer,” said Sera, stepping forward. “Above all. But I will not heal
you
, you unholy Witch
.
There is no cure for your brand of evil.”

Moving slowly, each inch a massive effort, the Sorceress drew a hand up once again and attempted to use what seemed to be her only trick on Sera, who felt a sudden weight pulling her towards the earth.

“Sowulo,”
Sera said softly, easily resisting the spell now.

A flash of light shot towards Melina’s eyes, blinding her so that she pulled her hands to her face to shield it. Sera’s victim was breathing heavily, but she persevered, her hand rising again to cast one of her offensive spells.

But she was already defeated.

Sera’s hand moved horizontally in one quick stroke, drawing a flaming spear on the air. And as she thrust her arm forward the spear shot forward, plunging into Melina’s chest.

The Sorceress was gone.

T
he Guild’s
men advanced through the woods, its members attempting to take on the wolf who appeared only for a moment at a time, attacking relentlessly before disappearing again. Paxx was relatively new to fighting but found that it suited his déor extremely well.

It took Rohan a little while to find his ally and partner, but when he did he was impressed to see the ghost wolf lunging through the air, bright eyes flashing as he tore into his victims. Paxx had started with the fully-fledged shifters; those who were the greatest threat.

Rohan approached, considering which form would be best for this fight: a dragon would be perilous and a potential fire hazard. Perhaps it was time for his winged dire wolf to rear its head.

As Paxx roamed the woods, Rohan prepared himself for the shift, eyeing his enemies skulking about around them. But he noticed a strange thing occurring—none of his enemies’ eyes were on him, nor were Paxx’s.

It was as though no one noticed or even saw him.

He drew his arms out before himself and looked down. Like Paxx’s wolf flesh, they were flickering on and off, as though his skin were trying to disappear.

“Stealth,” he said quietly, smiling. In human form he’d become somehow able to conceal himself. This was new, and a definite bonus. And it gave Rohan an idea.

He ran at one of the shifters: a tiger, making his way close to the ground towards the ghost wolf’s location. He failed to see the invisible man who was running at him, who leapt through the air, changing into the dire wolf only at the last possible moment.

Rohan’s teeth sank into the tiger’s neck as the beast cried out in pain. Within seconds, it had shifted into its human form: that of a frightened young man. Rohan, too merciful to kill a naïve young man, left him bleeding on the ground and went after his next victim.

Paxx had gotten sight of his brother in arms and stood panting, which was as close as he could come to a smile, before taking on his next victim. Each time he encountered a man that he knew well was set against the Guild, he would signal him to flee to safety, to get away while he could. The others, those who’d been cruel, were fair game.

Rohan’s strategy was to shift into human form, spring towards his victims and in an instant alter into various creatures: a small drake, an eagle, a stag, his winged wolf.

And each time, his victim was taken by surprise, terrified.

Word spread quickly that an entire army of déors was coming for the Guild: creatures of every shape and size, including an invisible wolf, had come for them, and they were too strong and too great in number. Eventually the men fled back to their compound, some taking off for distant lands, hoping never to set eyes on Crow or Mace again.

When Paxx and Rohan had rid the woods of the bulk of their enemy, they went to find Sera, hoping to find her as successful as they’d been.

T
hey found
her in front of the cave where the Crones remained protected. Melina’s lifeless body lay before their mate, but, horrifyingly, so did Hedy’s.

By the edge of the wood, Nyx stood in panther form, the body of a calico-coloured tiger lying bloody at his feet. He, too, had fought and won.

Sera stood face to face with Mace and Crow, the bear and the lion, who growled at her, seemingly hesitant to attack, or else prevented by some force of Sera’s making. Paxx and Rohan advanced, placing their wolf forms between Sera and the two Guild leaders.

Rohan’s wolf spread his wings, lifting himself a few feet into the air as he looked upon the two men’s déors. He knew that they were weakened, if by nothing else, then by the death of their mate. Even if they
hadn’t
adored her, it would be a painful ordeal that they were going through. But they’d inflicted so much pain on others that he couldn’t feel sympathy; only disdain. They had put themselves in this position through their abuse of power.

As Crow and Mace stepped forward, preparing for their attack, Rohan and Paxx watched Serafina raise a hand. In an instant, she had frozen them in place, their eyes the only part of their bodies that was able to move.

Their mate had become powerful, it seemed, through their bond. Only one with great strength could have taken on two such shifters without a scratch.

They saw her draw a series of long, straight arrows in the air, all pointed at the two men who looked on in terror. The objects seemed to shake, prepared, at her command, to rocket forwards into their victims’ flesh.

Sera turned to the two men and spoke.

“I am sorry for what you’re going through,” she said, knowing that Melina’s mates could hear her. “However nasty you two are, this must hurt a good deal. I will give you one chance to disband the Guild, to tell your men to scatter from the area around Salem. But if ever another woman is taken for your nefarious purposes, I will kill you both, and every man who serves you. If you doubt my abilities, I welcome you to test them.”

She drew fingers through the air and the men seemed once again able to move. The arrows hung in the air, still awaiting her signal.

The bear and the lion shifted, knowing that she and her mates had them vanquished before their fight had even begun.

“We will do as you ask,” growled Crow. “Only because we have no choice.”

If ever a man had looked defeated, it was him.

“Go, then,” she said. “And take your mate’s body with you. I never want to see that face again.”

The two men did as she asked, carrying Melina off through the woods.

Sera approached Hedy, kneeling by her limp body as the Crones approached. Hands reached for her shoulders as she allowed herself to shed a tear for her old friend.

“She was so proud of you,” said Guilana, her own voice breaking. “So proud of everything you had done, and all the potential she saw in you.”

“I know. And I was proud of her. I loved her.”

“
T
here is
an old castle near here that would serve the Sisterhood very well,” said Gwynne, who’d greeted her son and his new mates warmly alongside her mates, Rauth and Lachlan. “That is, if you wish to remain here, in this time.”

Circe and Sera looked at one another, smiling. Neither had any wish to return to their home, which was still overrun with rumours of witches and with overzealous townspeople. Even with the Guild disbanded, it would be some time before Salem would settle into normalcy.

This was where Sera’s mates were, and the Aspirants had settled in very nicely. Why change things?

“That would be wonderful, Your…Majesty,” Sera said to her new mother-in-law.

“Majesty!” said Gwynne, laughing as she laid a hand on her swollen belly. The baby was due any day now. “I don’t think I can bear to be called that. Gwynne will do.”

“Thank you, Gwynne. The Sisterhood is very grateful,” said Circe, taking the focus off her sister for a moment. This must all have been overwhelming for Sera: meeting Rohan’s family, let alone traveling to another century. Over many days spent at Dundurn, Circe had gotten to know Gwynne and Lily quite well and had begun to feel very much at home in the castle.

Meanwhile, Rohan and Lily were doing their customary catching up while Kiron ran about, now a boy who looked significantly more grown up than the last time his uncle had seen him.

“Nothing has altered for me,” said Rohan. “That is, everything has altered. But my abilities remain mostly the same.”

“Well, your abilities have always been splendid,” said Lily. “But are you quite sure nothing has changed, Roh?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Because while we’ve been sitting here, you’ve gone…invisible.”

He looked down at his hands. Indeed, his flesh seemed to have all but disappeared once again.

“Oh, that little thing. Did I forget to mention it?”

“You did.”

“Lady Lilliana.” Paxx was walking towards her. “Have you seen Rohan?”

“Have I?” she asked. “Why yes.”

A second later her brother’s winged wolf sat next to her on the bench, seeming to have appeared out of nowhere. Paxx jumped.

“Well done, you,” he said. “You would make a fine spy.”

“I hope not,” said Rohan. “I’ve had it with skulking around, at least for a little.”

“I wanted to speak to you. I would like to return to Salem’s vicinity for a little. To help to rebuild the Guild, to teach the more promising shifters there the proper ways of our kind. There are many who could be redeemed with guidance.”

“I understand,” said Rohan. “But how long would you be gone?”

“You can’t go. You should be around when the baby’s born.”

This was Gwynne’s voice. Rohan and Lily’s mother had wandered into the courtyard.

“Well, I figured that we’d all leave you and the baby alone, anyhow,” said Rohan. “We can find a nice house nearby, and come for frequent visits. While Paxx is gone I’ll work on the land, settle our home.”

“That would be lovely,” said Gwynne. “But I wasn’t talking about
my
baby. I was talking about yours.”

Sera wandered out from behind her, a smile on her face as she looked at her two mates.

“Paxx,” said Rohan, his eyes fixed on the love of his life. “What say we bring the Guild members here instead? We can train them then bring them back to Salem, to do good and to steer that area of the world in the right direction.”

“That sounds like an excellent plan,” the other man said.

Both of them laid hands on Sera’s face, planting kisses on either cheek. This was good news indeed.

T
heir room was large
, a warm breeze drifting in from the north. With it came the smell of salt air.

“This is paradise, isn’t it?” said Sera, lying between her two men, their bodies naked as Rohan’s fingers explored one breast and Paxx’s caressed a thigh.

“Mmm?”

“I don’t know which of you just grunted, but I don’t care. Men are extraordinarily incapable of uttering actual words when there’s a naked woman present.”

“It was me,” said Rohan. “I was distracted by your delectable nipple.”

“Which one?” asked Sera.

“Hard to say. Let’s see.” He flicked the tip of his finger over the right and then the left. Each seemed to harden immediately under his touch. “Well, isn’t that strange. Both,” he said.

Meanwhile, Paxx’s hand seemed to be migrating north, towards the slickness which resided between Sera’s legs whenever these two were around.

“Don’t look to me for words,” he said as he leaned forward and kissed her neck, deftly avoiding her hair. “I fully confess to being obsessed with your body. If you’re going to lie here naked, I’m going to stare. And kiss. And lick. And probably suck a good deal, as well.”

Sera lay back, her hands at her sides, and parted her legs.

“What are you waiting for?” she said. “Everything you just mentioned sounds perfect to me.”

“May I?” Rohan asked, craving a taste of Sera’s delectable flavours.

“But of course,” said the other man, moving out of the way. He stood aside, enjoying the spectacle as Sera turned her face towards him. Already his cock was hardening, beckoning to her to touch.

Silently she took it, gently pulling him towards her and even as Rohan’s tongue made its first contact, so did hers, on the tip of Paxx’s swollen head.

“Mmm,” he muttered, his fingers twining themselves in her hair. “What a mouth you have, my Lady.”

“I do so…love…when you two call me that,” Sera said between licks.

Now she eased her hands around Paxx’s back, pulling him deep into her mouth even as Rohan’s lips toyed gently with her bud, his tongue teasing her, slipping over its surface in quick, feather light strokes.

Sera’s legs fell apart as he grasped them with his large hands, his tongue penetrating her now, again and again as she moaned. With her mouth she countered the action by receiving Paxx over and over again, sucking gently on his shaft as he hardened for her.

She pulled away for a moment. “Rohan,” she said. “Please, I want you inside me.”

He didn’t waste a moment in slipping over her, his mouth on one and then the other nipple before he sheathed himself inside her tight opening, driving into her with a strength that made her gasp.

“That’s it,” she moaned, before returning to Paxx’s cock. Something about having two such thick, hard shafts all to herself had always made her feel like the most fortunate woman who’d ever lived. A queen, even.

And quickly they found a rhythm, Rohan pounding her, thrusting deep into her as she ran her hand and mouth along Paxx’s cock, her body urging each man on until neither would be able to take it anymore.

She could feel their eyes on her, admiring her curves, her soft white breasts, the nipples which rose to greet their lips. And their cocks hardened with the image, the blood flow in their bodies altering as if to please her, to offer her such beautiful specimens.

Under her touch she felt each tense, readying himself for the release, to surrender his power to her once again. At last both of her lovers cried out and she felt the hot sweetness of their explosions, even as both men shot into her at once.

She licked at Paxx, one hand still on his shaft as the other held Rohan’s muscular frame in place.

But then a beautiful thing occurred, which almost seemed planned, though neither man spoke. Rohan slid out slowly, gently, and Paxx pulled away. Each man knelt between her parted thighs, worshipping that place with his eyes.

First, Rohan’s tongue licked her, tenderly easing its way over her clit, and then he offered Paxx the opportunity. The two men continued like this, in a sort of game of “Who will it make Sera come,” each tongue as skilled as the other, until she said it:

Oh, goddess.

Her body convulsed underneath her, and at this point she no longer even knew whose mouth was on her pussy; only that she was in fact the most fortunate woman who’d ever lived. She came for them as though for the first time—knowing that she would come over and over again, and it would always feel new with these two.

She would always feel worshiped and adored.

And to think that she had nearly missed out on this aspect of her beautiful life. But she hadn’t; fate had intervened, and she would join Rohan and Paxx in writing that long overdue thank-you note.

When they collapsed together on the bed she inhaled their scents, intermingling in the air surrounding them. As always, they were one on that bed, her lovers’ arms draped over her as her hands reached for their bodies.

“I never thought that I would love anyone but my sister, Hedy, and Nyx,” she said. “I never understood what it was to feel an extension of myself. But now I have it, in you two.”

“And we in you,” said Paxx. “You are our perfection, Serafina.”

“Love,”
said Rohan, “The word doesn’t begin to cover how I feel. I can breathe now, thanks to you.”

The men tucked their faces into Sera’s neck, as Nyx so often did, and the three fell asleep together, knowing that they would soon wake and begin all over again.