Taken by Moonlight (62 page)

He had
spoken of a bargain, and was now approaching Alexander. The druid did not
release Cassie, but turned to face him.

“You have
fulfilled most of your end of the bargain, Cronin. While visible, my people
have still not been returned to this world.” His voice was cold and clear, and
Vivienne looked from him to Cronin. Her mother had told her Alexander was evil,
and she’d watched in horror as the man cut Cassandre. The only thing that kept
her sane was the knowledge that Cassie would heal quickly once her chains were
removed.

“Yes, my
lord, but it is fair to say that the druids will be resurrected. I have
gathered enough of the grand wizards that it will happen. If you release us of
your curse, we will have powers enough to hasten this process for your people.”

Alexander
remained still for a few moments and then he released Cassie. As soon as her
sister stepped away, the cut healed.

“I always
abide by my word, once given.”

Dipping his
head, Maximilian replied, “As do I, my lord.”

The druid
nodded once, and then he began chanting. It was not Latin, but apparently a
mixture of languages he used. Everyone seemed transfixed by the chanting druid
as he spoke, until the witches began to struggle. It started with low moans,
and turned to deep screams.

Vivienne
looked around, trying to see behind the force field Alexander had created.

What was
he doing?

Cronin
doubled over, and still Alexander chanted. Cassie began to scream at him, and
Vivienne noticed that the other grand wizards followed suit, doubling over,
some falling to the grass in pain. She didn’t know how long it went on, but the
screams around her seemed to last forever.

He stopped
his chanting, but still it seemed to echo, until finally, there was silence.

The screams
died down to low whimpers, before that too was silenced.

The pain
had been unbearable, and for a moment, Maximilian wondered if Alexander had
found out about his true plan for the druids. When he’d feared he would breathe
his last, the pain had given away to…nothing. There was no pain, no aches, no
stiff joints….

Slowly, he
straightened to his full height, blinking fiercely. Alexander watched him
stoically. Maximilian lifted a hand to his face and almost cried. Smooth,
satin-soft skin. Lifting his other hand, he stared at them together. It had
been a long time since he’d seen supple skin on his body. He was back. His
immortality was restored.

Alexander
had broken the curse.

“Finish
it.”

At the
sound of Alexander’s voice, Maximilian lifted his head. The druid looked tired,
which he had been counting on. Holding a force field around them, and breaking
a curse on an entire race of people, had to have drained him.

Maximilian
nodded and looked around at the other grand wizards gathered. Most were
touching their faces, staring at each other in awe. Immortality felt good. His
eyes turned to Vivienne and he moved across to her, yanking her up, and
simultaneously testing the range of his power. Telepathy had been something
he’d lost as he aged, because it required a mental strength he did not have.
While he had been able to communicate with his son, that had been the reach of
his telepathic powers.

Remember,
Vivienne. Recite the spell as was practiced or you will never see Evelyn again.

She
narrowed her eyes, and he saw the anger sparking there. She’d heard him. He
almost chuckled in glee. His full powers seemed restored. And soon he would be
invincible.

Reaching
into his pocket, he retrieved the key for the chains that bound her.

If you
so much as blink funnily
….

He trailed
off, waiting for her to nod. When she did, he slipped the key into the lock,
and turned it. The chains fell away instantly, pooling at her feet.

Maximilian
immediately took a quick step back.

“Go to your
sister, Vivienne.” He spoke aloud, looking to Alexander.

Recite
the spell you learned.
That
bit of information was funneled directly into her mind.

Alexander
could feel himself weakening as Vivienne approached Cassie. It was taking too
long. His people should have been resurrected by now, but Cronin had wanted a
guarantee that he would break the curse, and he had…in a way. He did not trust
the witch, and he would not do so until his people stood on the same grass as
he, and he could touch them.

The sisters
embraced and Alexander felt a burning begin in the base of his skull. Gods, he
was growing weaker by the second. It was one thing to hold a force field for
five minutes, but quite another to do so for fifteen, and break curses while
simultaneously doing so.

“Do it
now.” His voice came out as a deep rasp, and Cassie’s brows lifted briefly as
she surveyed him.

He closed
his eyes and forced himself to breathe through the pain.

Cassie
began chanting once more, and the voices of the grand wizards picked up with
her. And then Vivienne added her voice to her twin’s and Alexander’s eyes flew
open.

No!
That was the wrong spell. That was a
destruction spell, and this was a resurrection.

“Stop!” he
hissed, opening his eyes, focusing on the druid. She was not needed to
resurrect his people, but Cronin had pointed out that having Vivienne aid
Cassie would hasten the process. He should have known Cronin would try
something like this.

Vivienne
did not stop. Cassie did, peering at her twin in confusion, but Vivienne
continued, her voice strong, waves of darkness rolling off of her.

“No!”

“Viv, what
are you doing?” That was from Cassie, who looked from Vivienne to an
increasingly agitated Alexander.

She
continued chanting, and with a fierce roar, Alexander dropped the force field
around them and blasted her.

Conall had
been waiting for an opening, and when it came, he was the first to charge
through, his eyes set on Maximilian Cronin. The grand wizard had barely had
time to process the fact that a raging Alexander was storming over to him
before something tore into his shoulder painfully and he was forced to the
ground. The attack was so quick he’d barely rolled over before he noticed the
snapping jaws of the wolf lunging for his throat. Without a second to spare, he
projected away, emerging at the other side of the circle. The grand wizards
were all confused, unsure of what they were supposed to do.

Maximilian
was about to give the order to kill Alexander and send the druids back to the
hell from whence they came, when something gripped him and his entire body ran
cold.

Ahead of
him, he could see the black wolf heading in his direction. From his side,
Alexander was burning a hole through him with his glare. The druid seemed torn
whether he should go for him or try to help his people. The portal was closing.
But whatever was behind Maximilian…had literally frozen him.

He tried to
turn, but failed.

“Who are
you?” He swallowed, moving his eyes from side to side in hope of finding out
who held him immobile. The sound of wet grass crunching under his assailant’s
feet alerted him that the person was moving. Calling on his powers, he tried to
project away. Helpless. Utterly helpless.

The first
thing he noticed was the pale blue skin, the next the startling electric blue
of the eyes, and his hair, that ink-black color that seemed a shock to his
complexion.

“Max?”

“Hello,
Father.”

The chill going
down his spine turned into a freeze. He tried to shake his son’s hold, and
failed. Max had always been strong, but not this strong.

“Max, what
are you doing?” He stilled the quake in his voice and added authority. “Release
me immediately.”

“After all
you’ve done?” Max asked softly.

There was
something different about his son, and Maximilian briefly wondered if his
memory had returned. He’d never heard of that happening, but had it?

“What do
you mean? All I’ve done is love and protect you, son.”

“You locked
me away, tortured me.”

“You gave
me no choice! I didn’t want to do any of those things, Max. You’re my son, my
heir.”

He broke
off when something in Max’s eyes hardened. He hadn’t known. He’d baited him
into revealing that.

“So you did
torture me?” Max asked slowly.

“Max, you
don’t understand—”

“You
tortured me, and you tortured Drew.”

Maximilian’s
eyes widened. That human girl who’d told him nothing. Max had escaped with her
and the other warlock. “Son—”

“I am not
your son.”

“Max!” His
words left him in a rush as a cold seemed to reach into his body and pull
something out. He closed his eyes against the blinding pain, before blinking
them open once more.

Max was
taking his soul. His own son….

“Don’t,
Max. You won’t—be able—to live—with yourself.”

He could
feel his life slipping from him. Every breath Max took was a breath lost.

“Max,
I’m…your…father.”

Except for
the slight narrowing of his eyes that refuted the claim, Max didn’t respond. He
just continued his deep inhale.

Maximilian
was almost certain of his demise when something grabbed him, a warmth to
counter the coldness that was Max, and pulled him away. He collapsed against
his savior, barely aware of Max’s scowl, of Conall hovering nearby to attack.

“That is
enough.”

A female. A
female was his savior.

Max spoke,
but he couldn’t make out the words.

He was
turned and Maximilian prepared to thank the woman, when recognition dawned. It
couldn’t be. It wasn’t possible.

“Kill me,
Max,” he said softly, trying to get away from that haunting green gaze.
Centuries ago she’d sworn she would have her vengeance and that it would be
sweet. But she’d been banished. “Kill me. Now!”

“Hello,
Maximilian. I am only following through on a much-deserved promise.”

“Nicolette….”

“Yes. I
will show you the same the courtesy you showed my daughter.”

Annabel
.

“Max,
please—”

“Where you
are going, no one will be able to save you.”

He shook
his head, feeling it grow light. “Nicolette, no….”

In a matter
of seconds, he fainted away.

He was
running against time. No portal stayed open for long, and this one was slowly,
but surely, closing.

Alexander
looked to Cassie, who knelt over Vivienne as she held her midriff. He hadn’t
wanted to hurt her, but her spell would have sent his people back to the
forbidden realms permanently, and he could not allow that. Cronin had betrayed
him, and for that, the grand wizard would pay, as soon as he did right by his
people.

Moving to
the pentagram, he began to chant, hoping he would be enough to permanently
resurrect them. After a few moments, he recognized he wasn’t. He still needed
her, and he doubted she would do anything willingly for him anymore.

Still, he
tried the mental connection he had with her.

Cassandre
….

“Get out of
my head!”

Though she
was a distance away from him, he could hear her screech. He sighed, and shook
his head.

I had no
choice but to do as I did, Cassandre. Your sister would have closed the portal
permanently.

She didn’t
respond. It was almost as if she’d tuned him out. He looked over to Cassie. She
was helping Vivienne stand. Her twin was no longer clutching her midriff, but
she wore a grimace of pain on her face.

Cassandre,
please
. They are
innocents in this all, and they are close enough that they can almost touch
their freedom. Don’t send them back.

Lifting her
eyes, she looked directly at him.
You hurt my sister, after promising that
no harm would come to my family. I don’t trust anything you say, and I hope to
God you rot somewhere in Hell for the rest of your days.

He nodded
solemnly.
If that’s what you want, I will give it you, Cassandre. You have
my word. Resurrect my people and I will spend an eternity in hell.

She
swallowed, and then she turned to look at the portal. A look of pain crossed
her features, and even before she spoke, he felt his hope float away.

No. I
can’t take that risk.