Lost Without Them (16 page)

Keegan let go of Vincent’s hand and started to rush toward Sam. “No!” she screamed. “Sam!”

Vincent grabbed her from behind, holding her to him as Dastan morphed into human form and rushed forward to help Sam. Keegan held her breath as she noticed the wolf wasn’t moving. But then neither was Sam.

Dastan used his magic to roll the wolf off Sam. His body landed lifelessly next to them. It was then she saw the gaping bullet hole in his neck.

“Damn good shot,” Dastan said as he extended his hand to Sam.

Sam took a deep breath and reached up to take Dastan’s hand. Blood from the wolf covered his torso and legs.

“Get that blood off him,” Vincent ordered before turning back to Connor.

Keegan watched as Dastan led Sam and Cody into the house. Please don’t let that blood have mingled with Sam’s, was all she could think about as they left her sight.

“Keegan,” Vincent snapped, drawing her attention back to Connor. “Stay focused.”

With a nod, she pushed Sam from her mind and braced herself for Connor’s wrath.

“They were mine,” Connor snarled. “Just like your mother, you took them away from me!”

Keegan shook her head.

“I made them!” Connor yelled as he moved closer.

She wanted to take a step back, but Vincent held tight to her hand, keeping her by his side.

“They were the beginning of my new pack, my new race of were-shifters, but you took them!”

Oh my God. He’s insane.

“It’s going to take both of us, Keegan. Stay focused. If you don’t, we won’t be able to control this.”

“I’ve never done black magic, Vincent.”

“Just follow my lead and concentrate on control. You can do this, Keegan. You’re strong enough. You’re much stronger than your mother. Maybe even stronger than me. You just have to know it inside.”

Keegan nodded and braced herself. Connor threw out a blast of magic so strong it shattered the wall. She ducked as shards of glass fell around them, hitting the ground silently, then disappearing. She looked up and saw Connor throw both hands back.

Keegan tensed and waited for instructions from Vincent.

“Catch it.”

His voice was strong and clear in her head. What he said sounded easier than she knew it would be. Black magic was dangerous. If they did this wrong…

“Catch it? Are you insane?”

She swallowed and tightened her fingers around Vincent’s. The spell sped forward, and Keegan reached out with her free hand just as Vincent reached out with his. They caught the spell between them in a ball of fire. The heat singed her hand, and she cried out at the searing pain but kept hold of the heat. She had to. To make this work, it would take both of them.

“Now!”

They threw it back, and the fiery ball of magic hit Connor in the chest. He screamed as his entire body burst into flame. Keegan watched in horror as he was burned alive, his shouts of agony ringing in her ears.

Vincent threw another ball of magic. This one hit Connor’s torso, and his body split apart, disappearing into the night.

Keegan sagged to her knees and doubled over with a sob as the burning in her hand intensified.

Vincent dropped to his knees beside her. “Let me see.”

He took her trembling right hand in his. She couldn’t look but knew by the sound of his hiss and the pain taking hold of her hand that it had to be bad.

Vincent picked her up in his arms and carried her inside the house.

“Is it over?” she asked through the haze the pain created in her mind.

“It’s over, little one,” Vincent said as he rushed her to the kitchen. “Concentrate and block out the pain. You can do it.”

Dmitry was close behind. “What do you need?”

“Cold water for now.”

She tried, but the pain was just too severe. Vincent set her on the counter and put her hand under the water faucet. Dmitry turned it on, and she winced when the water hit her burned palm.

Sam and Cody rushed into the room. Sam’s hair was wet, and he wore only a pair of jeans. Even his feet were bare, but she’d never been more relieved to see someone in her whole life.

“Sam,” she said as she reached for him.

“I’m okay,” he said as he grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. “It was all on my clothes.”

“Are you sure?”

Sam nodded. “I’m sure. There were no cuts that the blood could get into, and it missed my eyes.”

“What happened?” Cody asked as he squeezed between Sam and Vincent to study Keegan’s hand.

“The spell burned her hand, but she’ll be fine. She was a trouper,” Vincent said as he took her burned hand in his and spread a cold cream across the blackened flesh.

Keegan tensed, then immediately relaxed as the spell he whispered took the pain away. The black flesh vanished and turned pink, then back to normal. Letting out a sigh of relief, she hugged her hand to her chest. “Wow. How did you not get burned?” she asked.

Vincent held up his hand. He had been burned, but not nearly as badly as she had been. Keegan grasped his hand in hers. With a few whispered words, cream appeared on the tips of her fingers, and she spread it over his palm just as he’d done. His burn quickly faded as well, leaving his normal skin in its place.

“That’s incredible,” Sam said with a shake of his head.

“Now comes the hard part,” Dastan said from the kitchen doorway. Everyone turned to look at him. “Confronting your mother.”

“Can’t we just stay here?” Keegan mumbled.

Vincent chuckled and then shook his head. “Your mother wants you to take over, and someone has to tell her about Connor. There’s an empty seat that must be filled.”

Keegan let out a tired sigh and nodded in agreement. “I also have to tell her about Sam and Cody.”

Cody raised an eyebrow. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Normally, no. But my mother hates mortals. And there are two of you, so…”

“Oh, this should be fun,” Sam drawled.

“Yeah.” Vincent grinned. “We’ll go with fun.”

* * * *

“Keegan,” Sarah called.

Keegan ran forward and embraced her friend in a hug as they met up outside the council chamber’s double doors. Keegan hugged her back, holding her friend close. It felt as though it had been forever since she’d seen her.

“I was so worried about you,” Sarah whispered.

“I’m fine,” Keegan said as she pulled back and smiled at her friend.

Keegan brushed Sarah’s blonde hair aside and really studied her friend’s face. She looked tired. “Are you okay?” Keegan asked.

Sarah nodded, but anxiety still wrinkled her brow. “We’ll talk about it later. Vincent, Dastan, and Dmitry are already inside.”

“Good.”

Sarah looked around Keegan’s shoulder at Sam and Cody, who stood just a few feet behind her. “Is this Sam and Cody?”

Keegan raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Sarah smiled slightly. “Dastan told me about them.”

Keegan was definitely surprised. “You actually talked to Dastan?”

Her friend hated her shape-shifter protectors, although Keegan had never truly understood why. Despite Sarah’s dislike of the shifters, whom Keegan called the wolf brothers, whenever Sarah was close to them, Keegan could feel the sizzle in the air that surrounded them. There was something there. All of them just refused to see it. Especially Sarah.

“I talk to Dastan when necessary. I felt that your disappearance warranted putting up with him long enough to get some answers.”

“I see,” Keegan said as she fought a grin.

Turning, she introduced her friend to Sam and Cody. “This is my best friend since our crib days,” Keegan said with a giggle. “Go easy on them, Sarah. I haven’t had a chance to show them around our world yet.”

Sarah winced. “And your first glimpse is here? Wow, you’re brave.”

Sam raised an eyebrow in trepidation as he stared at the massive double doors. Cody just grinned.

“Just what exactly is inside there?” Sam asked.

“The council chambers. We’re about to confront my mother.”

“Should we be here?” Cody asked.

“Of course,” Keegan said. “They need to get used to you…if you wish to stay.”

Sam jerked his gaze back to hers. With a sideways smile, he walked over and cupped her cheek. “This has definitely been an experience, but you haven’t scared me off yet.”

Keegan breathed a small sigh of relief.

“She hasn’t shown you the summer home yet,” Sarah teased. Keegan slapped at her stomach in warning, but Sarah just giggled.

“Summer home?” Cody asked as he stared at Sarah over Sam’s shoulder.

“It’s a beach house,” Keegan said.

“Yeah,” Sarah added. “With unicorns grazing in the garden and mermaids swimming off the shore.”

Both Sam’s and Cody’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?” Sam whispered.

“Just about every fairy-tale creature from the mortal world actually exists here,” Keegan explained.

Cody came forward. “So besides vampires and shape-shifters, there are mermaids, unicorns…” Cody waved a hand. “Anything else?”

Keegan made a face. “Lots.”

Cody started to say something else, but Sam stopped him by raising his hand. “Cody, stop. I think I need to be sitting down to hear the rest of this, so let’s just drop the subject for now.”

“Fair enough,” Cody replied.

Keegan’s worry returned.

The council messenger appeared just off to their side, making Sam and Cody jump in surprise.

“Your mother would like to see you now,” he said with a small bow.

Keegan swallowed and grasped Sarah’s hand for support. “Thank you,” Keegan whispered. She looked at Sarah. “This is it.”

Sarah nodded and gave her hand a squeeze. “You’ll do fine.”

With a wave of her hand, Keegan opened the massive double doors that led to the council room. Her mother was there waiting at the head of the long table. The twenty-five council members all nodded as she walked past to step into her mother’s open arms.

Keegan halfheartedly returned her mother’s embrace. They’d never really gotten along, and what she’d learned recently had only widened that gap.

Her father stood to the side of her mother’s chair, looking tired and surprisingly resigned. She pulled from her mother’s embrace and went to hug her father.

He pulled her into his arms and hugged her close. “I’m proud of you, Keegan. You did well,” he whispered in her ear.

She drew back and looked into his eyes. “Thank you, Daddy.”

He nodded and nudged her back toward her mother.

“Keegan, I do believe you’re now ready to take over. I’m very pleased with how you handled this situation—”

“You mean this situation that you put us all in?” Keegan murmured. Her mother’s eyes narrowed, but Keegan stood her ground.

“That was in the past, Keegan. It’s a shame about Connor. Dastan took pity on you and brought that information to me himself.”

Keegan glanced around her mother’s shoulder at Dastan. He winked at her, and she struggled to suppress a smile. Dmitry stood next to him as always. Vincent was beside Dmitry. She was actually shocked to see Vincent there, considering the hard feelings between him and her mother.

“It’s official now,” her mother said in her most regal voice. “Keegan now has my seat.”

Keegan bowed and turned to the council members. “Thank you all for coming, but could I have a moment alone with my mother, please?” She turned to Dastan. “Except for the three of you. I would like for you to remain.”

The members all disappeared in a puff of smoke, except for the ones she’d asked to stay. Sam and Cody stood at the door; their eyes widened slightly as the room cleared in under a second. They would eventually get used to this sort of thing. She hoped, anyway. Sarah stood just inside the door. Her friend was always close but never close enough to be in Dastan’s and Dmitry’s way. One of these days, she really needed to figure out her friend’s aversion to the shifters.

“Who are they?” her mother asked as she sneered down her nose at the two men who meant the world to her.

“So you finally noticed them?” Keegan asked sarcastically.

“Don’t be smart, Keegan,” her mother snapped. “Who are they? You know it is forbidden to bring mortals here.”

“My wife has been here,” Vincent said.

“That’s different,” Margaret growled over her shoulder at Vincent, her contempt for him obvious in the tone of her voice. “She’s your wife, so that allows her certain privileges. You may have helped, but don’t make the mistake of thinking you have the right to speak on council matters.” Her mother’s stare came back to her. “Now, Keegan. Who are these mortals, and why are they here?”

Keegan took a deep breath and squared her shoulders for battle. “They are my future husbands. If they will have me.”

“What?” her mother shouted. “Absolutely not! I forbid it! No daughter of mine will marry a mortal, much less two. What’s the matter with you, Keegan? One man not good enough for you?”

“That’s enough,” her father snapped, surprising everyone. “Keegan, do these mortals make you happy?”

Keegan looked over her shoulder at her father. “Yes.”

He nodded. “Then so be it. Margaret, let it go. Your daughter is now head of this council, and if she wishes to marry a mortal, I wish her the best. And so will you.”

Her mother’s mouth dropped open, and Keegan tried hard not to smile.

“Thank you, Daddy,” she said. “Now with that out of the way…” She clapped her hands three times, and one by one, the council members returned to the chamber. “We have the matter of an empty seat to fill.”

“Keegan,” her mother growled. “I already have someone in mind.”

“So do I,” Keegan said with a smile. “Vincent.”

Vincent’s eyebrow rose in surprise. “Excuse me?”

“No!” Margaret snapped. “I won’t have it.”

“Well, then,” Vincent drawled. “All the more reason for me to accept.”

The members around the table clapped and laughed at Vincent’s remark. It was obvious by the smiles on their faces and the standing ovation that Vincent had been a good choice. Why not? He’d helped the council out on many occasions, just like this time, pulling them out of a jam.