Tempted by Darkness (24 page)

As they’d promised, her grandmother and Cecil
stood nearby by to act as a buffer between her and the dark side of
magic because the temptation grew stronger every time Kit walked
along the narrow line separating the light and dark sides of
magical power. She’d finally come to realize their concern wasn’t
because they questioned her integrity—it was because they knew how
easy it would be to simply become too exhausted to fight it and be
caught in the vortex and sucked away from everything she loved and
believed in.

When she’d questioned why the temptation
didn’t appear to challenge Braden, Cecil had laughed quietly and
assured her that his test would come. Cecil had calmly explained,
“We are all tested, Kit. Each of us has our mettle tested at least
once—most of us several times during our lives. How we meet those
challenges—the choices we make determine when and if we are tested
again. Each test strengthens or weakens something within us. It is
not ours to question the process, we need only meet the tests
head-on, choose wisely and then use the newfound power we’ve earned
in a way that makes the world a better place.”

Later, as she’d mulled over Cecil’s words,
Kit realized they were reflected in the basic tenants of almost
every one of the world’s religions. It made perfect sense since the
magical world drew its power from the Universe, but having it
spelled out so clearly had been a defining moment for her as a
witch. And now, letting the energy of the earth flow through her,
Kit watched as the scene seemed to build itself piece by piece in
her mind, but this time she didn’t feel like she was standing alone
in that cavern. As they’d promised, Cecil and her grandmother were
by her side. She glanced to each side and was startled to see they
were solid forms, unlike Braden who was only present in spirit—just
as she was. Her grandmother’s voice moved though her mind like a
soft summer breeze,
“Remember your part. Don’t deviate from the
plan, no matter what you see or hear. Everything comes down to this
moment—do exactly as you’ve been asked to do and always remember…I
love you.”

Before Kit could respond, the grandmother she
adored turned away from her. The sound of Sanskrit chants filled
the space and Kit watched in horror as the wizard and Granny Good
Witched stepped into the dimly lit open space. The rock surrounding
the seal looked as if someone had been jack hammering it—even
though there hadn’t been a lot of progress made, Kit could see the
granite was being pulverized and falling to the floor as she
watched. It didn’t take her long to notice the amount of dust
falling softly to the floor was proportional to the intensity of
the chants, and that explained why her granny and Cecil were so
intent on interrupting the group gathered there.

Braden’s strength infused her and she could
feel her mates pulling power from the earth as they let it course
freely through their bodies to infuse in hers. Pushing her hands
further in front of her, Kit began repeating the spell she’d been
practicing for the past few days without any measurable success.
But this time, she immediately felt the difference as the ground
around her seemed to shift. Fighting to stay focused rather than
worry about the confrontation she could see taking place in front
of her, Kit closed her eyes and continued casting the spell.

When she finally opened her eyes, she was
horrified by what she saw. As her concentration lagged, Kit felt
the shaking ground begin to settle before Braden’s harsh demands to
focus filled her mind. ‘
No, we have to stay focused, Kit.’
Even though she didn’t close her eyes, Kit used every bit of her
concentration to push the power they were giving her into the
spell. As the enormous boulders fell between the shadows where she
and Braden were hidden and where the others stood, the dust and
debris soon blocked her view. She hadn’t seen Devin, but she could
feel his presence as he added his power when hers started to
lag.

Kit felt the energy draining from her and
fought to hold on as long as possible. When she finally collapsed
she felt strong arms lifting her just as the edges of her vision
began to dim. The blackness raced to a center point and the din of
crashing rocks began to fade, and then there was nothing but
blissful silence.

Trev felt as if his whole body was numb.
Watching as Cecil and Ruby were consumed by the avalanche of
boulders, he felt the moment Kit’s focus had faltered. And he’d
also felt her renewed commitment to the task even as her heart had
been torn to bits by what she’d seen. Jameson had caught their mate
as she’d collapsed from sheer exhaustion and all three Michaels
were tending to Braden, and he was shocked to see Marcus, his arm
around Devin’s shoulders, as he spoke to his brother quietly. He
felt them all moving back to the estate’s main house and almost
immediately Trev was surrounded in nothing but the soft sounds of
nature and his own harsh breaths.

Trev was still on his hands and knees gasping
for breath, his head pounding as if it would explode when he felt
soft, cool fingers smooth over his forehead. He hadn’t even
realized he’d closed his eyes until he turned into the touch
looking to see whose touch was soothing his pain, but there wasn’t
anyone there. Blinking, he looked again and that was when he saw a
faint mist outline and knew immediately who had touched him.

“Mom?” He watched in wonder as she reached
for him and once again he felt her distinct touch and the
unmistakable leaching of the pain pounding through his head.
Closing his eyes at the relief, he felt more than saw her smile.
When he reopened his eyes, Trev could feel his fathers’ presence
even though there wasn’t anything to indicate they were also
actually nearby.

‘
She’s perfect for you, just as we knew
she’d be. We are so proud of the men you have become—the leadership
you exhibit, the compassionate way you care for those around you.
But most of all we are proud of you as husbands and fathers. There
is no greater joy for a parent than knowing their children have
learned how to love.’

When he felt her presence start to fade, his
strangled “Don’t go, please, just a bit longer” sounded desperate,
but he didn’t care.

‘
I’m never far away, your fathers and I
are always nearby. Playing with our grandchildren is far too
tempting.’
Her soft laughter filled his heart with joy and for
the first time since he’d lost them, his heart didn’t ache when he
thought about all he’d lost. ‘
Go to her and let her know we are
so proud of her, too. And assure her that things are not always as
they appear.’

Before he could ask her what she’d meant,
Trev felt a cool breeze move over him and knew without even looking
around that she was gone. Staggering to his feet, Trev only managed
to take a few steps before pack members surrounded him.

Jameson was certain he’d never felt as
helpless as he had while holding Kit after what had happened in
front of the lab. She had awoken before they’d reached the house
and her shattered cries had broken his heart. The grief pouring
from her was almost tangible and he’d felt her overwhelming sorrow
even before Trev had made his way to the house and explained what
had happened. Jameson had known his brother was holding something
back, but he’d been so focused on calming Kit down that he hadn’t
had time to ask any questions. They’d finally asked Angie to sedate
their mate and that decision still tore him apart. What sort of
mate was he—hell, what sort of Alpha was he that he couldn’t
comfort his own wife? The woman held his heart in the palm of her
hand and he hadn’t been able to reach her, hadn’t been able to
soothe her broken heart and it was killing him.

“It’s not your fault, Jameson. She’d put
everything she had into it and there just wasn’t anything left in
her to cope with what she’d seen. Kit is stronger than any of us
can begin to imagine, she’ll be okay—maybe not today, or even
tomorrow, but she
will
bounce back.” Angie stood beside him
and Jameson could feel her studying him with an intensity that he
might have found unnerving any other time.

“I hope to hell you are right, because I’m
not sure I’ll survive feeling her break apart in my arms again.” It
had nearly destroyed him feeling her pain and not being able to
bring her even the smallest measure of peace. After hearing Trev
and Braden recount what had taken place, Jameson knew guilt and
grief combined were going to take a long time to heal. “Is Trev
still sleeping?” His brother had barely been conscious when he’d
been carried into their suite. Jameson had put the two of them side
by side in their bed knowing they’d seek the warmth and comfort of
one another in their sleep.

“Yes. I’ve checked him over, physically he is
fine—just completely drained. I’m not sure why he suffered from the
energy drain more than you did, but he is almost as exhausted as
she is.”

Jameson turned to his cousin and saw the
questions in her eyes, even though she hadn’t asked them directly
he owed her an explanation. “The gift our mother promised him is
the ability to feel what Kit feels and see through her eyes when
the situation warrants it.” He saw Angie’s eyes widen in surprise
and he nodded. “He isn’t sure it’s much of a gift, but I’m in hopes
he’ll find a way to use it that honors our mother’s memory. Hell, I
can’t even imagine how painful it had to have been to feel Kit’s
heart breaking—and I don’t want to know.” Breathing out a sigh,
Jameson could only hope that Kit’s parents would be able to help.
He’d put out an emergency call to them, but wasn’t sure how long it
would take them to respond.