The Phoenix Charm (18 page)

With a grunt of pain, Nightshade leaned back against the wall. He was in no state to battle the wild hunt. He couldn’t even fly, because the muscles in his back would pull on his injured shoulder.

Gwyn stooped over Cordelia, removed a leather thong from her neck, and held it up. A sick jolt shook Nightshade when he recognized Michael’s Magic Knot. With dawning horror, he understood what Gwyn intended to do.

“No,” he screamed. He tried to change into his shade form but nothing happened. “Shit.” He lurched forward, but the snapping jaws of the hounds drove him back against the wall.

Tossing the thong bearing the stones on the ground, Gwyn held out a demanding hand to the closest huntsman. “Give me an axe.”

The man fumbled at his belt and handed over a short-handled axe suitable for splitting logs or may be bones.

Nightshade’s breath stopped, his heart thundering. He shook his head and roared his fury again. Gwyn didn’t even look up, just dropped to his knees, and in one practiced move smashed down the axe.

Nightshade closed his eyes reflexively, unable to bear the sight. Once Michael’s Magic Knot was shattered, he’d be lost in-between forever.

Gwyn ap Nudd’s howl of rage rent the air. Nightshade’s eyelids shot up, his gaze drawn to the spot where Michael’s three stone rings lay undamaged on one of the huge flag-stones. Gwyn flattened one hand on the ground to give himself purchase and smashed the axe down on Michael’s Magic Knot repeatedly, grunting with the force of the blows. Eventually he ceased, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

He sat back on his heels, staring at the undamaged stones in disbelief. “Bloody Troy! No wonder he gave up his son
without a word. He knew I wouldn’t be able to incarcerate him. When the boy thinks to test the boundaries of his captivity and look for his body, he’ll escape.”

With a growl, he pushed to his feet and stalked back to Cordelia and Michael’s bodies. “I will have my blood price. The female is no more than mortal. She’ll bear a heavy price for the mistake of bonding herself to one of Troy’s line.”

Nightshade’s sense of relief disappeared as Gwyn shoved Cordelia’s body off Michael and her head hit the floor with a crack. Gwyn scanned Michael’s prone form, dug in his jeans pockets, and then pulled something from his hand. Gwyn stood, holding up a silver chain bearing a single translucent stone ring. “He only holds one ring of her Knot. In the name of desolation and ruin, where are the other two?”

Face contorted with anger, he hurled the chain and its single ring at the wall. With a clink, the pale stone dropped to the ground, still in one piece. Nightshade closed his eyes in relief. When he opened them again, Gwyn stood in front of him, the corner of his lip twitching with contempt. “Where are the pisky female’s other two stones?”

Nightshade stared unmoving, grateful he didn’t know Whatever Gwyn did to him, he could not betray Cordelia. With a blur of motion, Gwyn’s hand shot out and gripped Nightshade’s injured shoulder. Pain seared along his nerves like molten lava. Nausea rose in his throat and he roared in mindless agony. Gwyn snatched back his hand. “Tell me, stalker, or I’ll send you to join the woman.”

The pain faded slowly, and his labored breaths calmed. Gradually, conscious thought filtered back into his brain. “I don’t know,” he ground out, relieved he’d taken the precaution of leaving his own Magic Knot at home.

“I will not be denied.” Gwyn swung away from him. “Has she left them in Cornwall? Is that it?” he raged, while he paced back and forth across the chamber. The hounds wandered into his path, getting in his way.

“Take the bloody animals back out.” He stabbed his finger
at a set of double doors, which must lead back to the kennels Eloise had shown them.

A sense of frustrated impotence burned through Nightshade at the thought that Eloise and Rhys were waiting for him in Devin’s room. What would become of Rhys if something happened to Nightshade and he couldn’t take the boy to safety?

When the hounds guarding him trotted out the door and the chamber emptied, Nightshade flexed his wings. Careful not to draw attention to himself, he stepped away from the wall. Could he pick up Cordelia’s single stone on the silver chain without Gwyn noticing?

Suddenly Gwyn halted his manic pacing and his gaze lost focus. “I sense her. The pisky woman’s mind and spirit stones are here.” He swung around and strode back to Nightshade, brandishing the axe. “Tell me where they are, stalker, or you start losing limbs.”

“The pisky witch has a familiar,” Olwyn said from the top of the steps.

“Of course. The cat.” Gwyn’s gaze swept the council chamber, taking in all the levels. “Where’s the cat?”

With a nasty grin, Gwyn gripped Nightshade’s damaged shoulder again. Nightshade’s teeth ground together as every muscle in his body tightened in screaming protest. “I-don’t-know,” he gasped out through the agony banding his chest. When Gwyn released him, he sagged at the king’s feet, head bowed, swallowing tears of pain and hum iliation.

Metal whispered against metal in the now silent chamber as Gwyn drew a long curved sword from the scabbard on his belt.

Nightshade had not imagined he would die like this, on his knees, close to tears.

His eyelids fell. Relief from the agony in his shoulder would almost be welcome, if not for the fact death meant deserting his friends.

Gut churning, he waited.

After what felt like an eternity, he raised his head. Gwyn no longer stood before him. He’d moved to stand over Michael’s prone form, body tense, sword raised. “I cannot kill the son of Troy, but I can cleave his limbs from his body and make the healing so painful, he’ll wish for death.”

With a surge of strength from pure desperation, Nightshade pushed to his feet, using his wings to help him balance like a youth learning to fly. His mind careened through options. He must lead Gwyn away from Michael’s body. He could take him to Tamsy, but Rhys and Eloise were also in Devin’s chamber.

Shit.
He didn’t have time to think; he must get Gwyn away from Michael
now
.

“You want the cat?” he shouted.

With a determination he didn’t know he possessed, he gritted his teeth and snapped down his wings. A cry ripped from his throat as the muscles in his back dragged at the damaged shoulder. He rose in the air, and halted by the main door, snatching a backward glance to check that Gwyn was following. His legs moved instinctively when his feet touched down, carrying him along the corridor toward the djinn’s chamber. Heart pounding, he slammed open Devin’s door and met Eloise’s startled gaze as she jumped up from her chair with Rhys in her arms.

“Go.” The word shuddered out; then he collapsed to his knees. Eloise didn’t need to be told twice. Hugging her son, she ran past him and escaped, an instant before Gwyn strode up behind Nightshade and kicked him in the ribs.

He tumbled over, his head landing on a thick rug by the door. Through a haze of pain and guilt, he watched the poor cat stir from her comfy spot on the bed and lift her head curiously.

“Now I have you.” Gwyn bore down on Tamsy, but when he reached to grab her, she pranced over his arm with an indignant
yowl. He clutched at her and she evaded him again, her coat standing on end as though her tail had been jammed in an electric socket.

“Bloody cat. You will obey me in my domain. Keep still.” Gwyn snatched at her and she scampered up the purple velvet hanging at the head of the bed and glared down with huge gray eyes from the gold-fringed pelmet on the wall.

Gwyn leaped onto Devin’s bed and made another grab, but Tamsy was ready As he extended his arms, she leaped onto the top of his head and clawed her way down his back, bounding once on the bed before leaping elegantly to the floor. Then she streaked across the carpet and disappeared through the open door.

“Stop that cat,” Gwyn hollered at Dai, who had limped up to the doorway.

Dai blinked as Tamsy scooted between his legs. “Sorry, the creature—”

“Am I surrounded by idiots?” Gwyn shouldered Dai aside as he stormed out the door. “Sound the horn. I want the wild hunt in full cry after that cat immediately.” Gwyn’s voice faded as he walked away.

Dai wandered after him. “The whole hunt for one wretched cat,” he grumbled.

Nightshade levered himself into a sitting position with his good arm. Somehow, he must fetch Michael and Cordelia’s bodies from the council chamber. Then he’d have to think of a way to call their minds and spirits back. Nightshade gritted his teeth to counter the pain and pushed to his knees. Another five breaths and he regained his feet with the help of a chair for support. Then Eloise was at his side, pulling his good arm over her shoulders.

He pointed at the door. “I must…“

She shook her head and helped him to Devin’s bed. Even as she eased him down onto his uninjured side, his mind battled to keep him on his feet so he could save Michael. Then
pain blotted out his thoughts and feelings with a pulsing, mind-numbing insistence.

On the edge of consciousness, he thought he heard Master Devin’s voice. He cracked open his eyes. In a hazy nightmare, he watched Devin hold up his hand while one of his pointed fingernails grew into a spike. He jabbed the nail into Nightshade’s neck. Then everything went blissfully dark.

Cordelia’s panic over her memory of Dragon ebbed away Control returned, and she stopped her flight. She drifted alone, yet even in this limitlessvoid, Michael’s spiritual presence wassomighty, she couldsense him radiating power like an invisible sun attracting her to his warmth.

She started moving back toward him, praying he understood her fears, hoping she hadn’t hurt his feelings.

Out of habit, she searched for Tamsy’s psychic presence. She shuddered with almost painful relief when she touched an inquiring tendril of feline awareness.

Michael,
she reached for him, wondering if he’d hear her. He was there in an instant, surrounding her with pulsing power

I thoght I’d lost you, love,
he said.

Isense Tamsy. She mustben the tower room. If I can enter her body, I can escape the tower and find Nightshade to help us.

Go, Michael said.
I’ll follow.

With familiarityborn of much practice, Cordelia’smind and spirit skated along her psychic connection with Tamsy and slipped into the body of her beloved cat.

She stared out through Tamsy’s mortal eyes. The tower room looked exactly as it had when they’d first met Gwyn. A few yards from her, Thorn and Brian still sat on either side of the Monopoly board, oblivious to the fact that she and Michael were trapped in the room with them.

Cordelia walked Tamsy toward Thorn and leaped onto
his lap. Somehow, she must ask him to fetch Nightshade. She tried to say Thorn’s name but only a yowl came from Tamsy’s mouth. Thorn scratched behind her ears. “Settle down, furball, before you poke your claws somewhere tender.”

Communicating with him was impossible. If she wanted Nightshade’s help, she’d have to go and find him herself. She jumped to the floor, then leaped onto the windowsill. Huntsmen and seers hurried back and forth across the quadrangle below. The stench of canine drifted in on the breeze, while the baying of excited hounds sounded on the far side of the building. The hair on Tamsy’s back rose with a strange prickly sensation.

Tickling the edge of her perception, she sensed Michael’s mind and spirit close by.

Urgent footsteps approached and she tensed, ready to flee. Master Devin appeared in the open doorway. “I’m looking for the cat.”

Despite his help and advice earlier, she still wasn’t sure whether she trusted him completely.

Thorn glanced at the djinn and his eyebrows rose. “Who’re you?”

“Michael’s brother.”

“Huh!” Thorn scanned Devin up and down. “Where’s Dee?”

“She needs her cat.”

Thorn frowned for a few moments, then nodded at the window. “Over there.”

Devin strode toward Tamsy and Cordelia held her ground, deciding to trust him. He picked her up and stared into her eyes. His were deep velvety brown, outlined with kohl, accentuating his exotic appearance. With Tamsy’s superior sense of smell, his aromatic fragrance nearly made her swoon. “Pisky wise woman, are you in there?”

She stared back at him through Tamsy’s eyes, momentarily stunned by his perception. Then she pulled herself together and yowled.

He grimaced. “Fish breath.”

That was a fine thing coming from a man who smelled like an explosion in a perfumery. She tried to answer and another yowl issued from Tamsy’s mouth.

“Tell Michael he’s not trapped.” Devin set Tamsy back on the windowsill, smoothing her ruffled fur. “Tell him to follow you.”

She retreated into the depths of Tamsy’s mind, loosed her consciousness so she could sense Michael more strongly, and reached for him.

He surrounded her in an instant, the zing of his energy making Tamsy’s heart race.

“Michael?” Devin blinked and turned a circle, staring around the room. “I feel you,
ya akhy
”.

From inside Tamsy, she couldn’t hear Michael speak, but his hope surged through her.

Before she realized what he intended to do, Devin grabbed Tamsy beneath his arm, her bottom sticking out behind indecorously.

“You’re with me,” he commanded Thorn.

Thorn looked up from the Monopoly board. He opened his mouth to argue, but obviously changed his mind when he saw Devin’s adamant expression. He rose with a farewell to Brian and followed Devin down the steps.

Cordelia grasped for the feel of Michael, trying to hold on to the wisps of his presence and drag him along.

At the base of the tower steps, Devin peered out, then hurried the short distance to the quadrangle. He sprinted across the open space, Thorn on his heels, and then made his way down a corridor.

When they reached Devin’s room, he entered and slammed the door behind them. Cordelia stared through Tamsy’s eyes at the astonishing sight there. Nightshade lay on the bed, one arm strapped up with white bandages, while Eloise sat next to him on the bed, watching over him, holding a cute baby nightstalker asleep in her arms. Laid out on
the bed beside Nightshade were Michael’s body and her body.

“Dee!” Thorn tried to rush to the bed, but Devin grabbed his arm and held him back.

“Wait a moment. Give her space.”

Michael’s presence seemed to expand to fill the room, then contracted rapidly. His body gasped in a breath. Relief surged through her and Tamsy to see that Michael was safe. But the sensation dissipated quickly when the fact sank in that she now had to make the jump to her own body.

After striding to the bed, Devin set Tamsy down beside Cordelia’s body. She stared at herself through Tamsy’s eyes, the experience surreal. Her skin was so deathly pale, she wondered if she could ever revive.

Blinking, Michael touched the new scar on his chest where Cordelia had healed his stab wound.

“Cordelia?” Michael pushed himself up on his elbow to look at her and winced.

“Nauseated?” Devin asked. When Michael nodded, he continued, “That’s normal. Give yourself a few minutes and you’ll be fine.”

Michael lifted her hand and kissed her fingers. Sorrow shivered through her, chased by a burn of shame. While they were in spirit form, he’d seen her memories. He knew every intimate detail of what had happened between her and Dragon. He knew she’d led Dragon on. He knew she’d caused her father’s death. When she returned to her physical form, how could she ever look him in the face again?

Michael’s eyes lifted to meet Tamsy’s. “Come back to your body, sugarplum. There’s nothing to be scared of.”

His psychic presence wrapped around her, gentling and soothing. Tamsy started to purr, the rolling vibration filling the chamber.

“Well, the cat likes you,” Devin said to Michael with a wry grin.

Michael reached toward Tamsy, hesitated, then stroked
her face. Tamsy closed her eyes and angled her head to expose her throat for rubbing. “Please come back, Cordelia. We’ll sort out whatever it is you’re worried about.”

“And we need to get you all out of here,” Devin added. “We haven’t long before Gwyn ap Nudd sets the wild hunt on Tamsy.”

Michael sat in the chair staring at Nightshade, still prone and unconscious on Devin’s bed. Despite the direction of his gaze, his awareness was focused behind him on Cordelia. She sat with Eloise and Rhys, softly explaining what they should expect when they reached Trevelion Manor.

With his encouragement, she’d finally left her cat and returned to her body. But she wouldn’t look him in the face. Foolishly, he’d hoped for celebratory cuddles and kisses when they found their bodies. Instead, she’d given him a quick hug before falling into Thorn’s embrace.

Michael had never felt more alone than he did now with his bond mate so close, yet so distant. He touched the small translucent ring of her Magic Knot. Was she still upset over her memories of Dragon?

His gaze refocused on Nightshade and anger crawled through him. He did not blame Nightshade for his father’s behavior. Yet having lived through Cordelia’s anguished memory of Dragon attacking her and slaughtering her father, Michael’s fury burned for release. What other atrocities had Dragon committed?

Devin strode back into the room after checking on Gwyn’s plans and locked the door behind him. “We need to get you all away from here. The huntsmen are ready to call out the hunt-Gwyn is going down to the kennels now.” He paced over to Michael and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Feeling better?”

Michael rubbed a hand over his face. “Aye.”

Hunkering down at his side, Devin said, “She’ll come around,
ya akhy.
Be patient.”

Michael glanced over his shoulder, and Cordelia’s back stiffened when his gaze found her. “I hope so.”

After standing, Devin moved to the side of the bed. “Pity we must wake the stalker. He needs more rest to allow his shoulder to heal. One of us had better give him a dose of the red stuff to boost his energy before we leave.”

Michael pushed wearily to his feet. “I will if I must.”

“You’re weak after your ordeal. He can sink his fangs into me if he’s quick.” Devin gripped Nightshade’s good shoulder and shook him. “Hey, sleeping beauty, time to rise and shine.”

Nightshade grumbled drowsily.

Devin dragged a pointed fingernail across his wrist, before waving it beneath Nightshade’s nose. When blood welled into the cut, the stalker’s lips twitched, and his needle-sharp fangs slid into view. His nostrils flared while he blinked awake. His gaze slid from Michael to Devin. “I want to bite you,” he croaked, his voice thick with sleep.

“No surprise there then.” Devin grinned.

Glinting seductively, Nightshade’s eyes fixed on the djinn. “Draw the curtains around the bed and lie with me, dark one.”

“Not this time, my friend. The bloodletting must be purely medicinal, I’m afraid.” Devin sat on the edge of the bed, rolled up his sleeve, and offered Nightshade his wrist.

Nightshade grunted derisively.

“Take it or leave it, stalker. Either way, you need to be on your feet and out of here in a few minutes. I suggest you chalk this one up to necessity and put your ego back in its cage.”

“I’ll make you swoon, Master of the Darkling Road,” Nightshade said, his voice husky with promise.

“Doubt it,” Devin retorted, his tone all business. “But give it your best shot.”

Leaning back against the corner post of the bed, Michael crossed his arms, interested to witness what would happen.

Nightshade held Devin’s left wrist to his mouth, tensed his jaws, then raised his silver eyes to Devin’s face.

When Nightshade bit down, Devin’s breath hissed in, then rushed out on a low moan. Michael grinned, despite his mood. The djinn’s chest heaved, his breath coming faster. His right hand trembled against his thigh before his head fell back on a groan. After counting to ten, Michael gripped Nightshade’s good shoulder to stop him from taking too much. “Feeding station is closed now, boyo.”

In the blink of an eye, Nightshade surged to his knees, his lips drawn back on a snarl. With blood dripping from his fangs, he grabbed Michael’s throat.

Michael held his position and raised an eyebrow, confident that his friend would never hurt him.

Nightshade blinked, his fangs retracted, and he sat back on his heels. “Err, sorry,” he said, licking blood from his lips. “Instinct.”

Cordelia and Eloise had jumped to their feet. Rhys was watching Nightshade, his inquisitive silver eyes taking in everything. “Oh crap,” Nightshade said when he noticed them.

“That was cool,” Thorn said from where he was playing with Tamsy on the floor.

“No. It wasn’t.” Cordelia’s chest rose and fell a little too fast, her face bloodless.

“I’m sorry you had to see that.” Nightshade cast a rueful glance over the women, his eyes settling on Rhys.

Shaking her head, Eloise said, “Don’t apologize. I’m even more certain now that I’ve made the right choice in bringing Rhys to live with you.”

Cordelia stared at Eloise in disbelief. “Why?”

“Because Nightshade is the master of his instincts. In that same situation, Dragon would have ripped out Michael’s throat without a thought. Rhys needs to learn control. I think Nightshade is the right person to teach him.”

“Oh.” Cordelia nibbled her lip. Michael watched her mouth, the slow burn of desire flaring to life in his belly.

Devin held up his punctured wrist to Nightshade. “Finish the job,
ya sadeeky,
or I’ll lay a wonderful trail for the hounds.”

Nightshade ran his tongue over Devin’swrist, sealing the holes. He looked up from beneath his lashes. “I made you swoon.”

“Nope.” Devin shook his head. “I had full control of my faculties at all times.”

“Didn’t I make him swoon?” Nightshade demanded, turning to Michael.

Michael held up his palms. “I’m not getting involved.” Although he suspected he could have nicked his brother’s Taser and zapped him on the arse while Night shade bit him, and the djinn wouldn’t have noticed. Not that he blamed Devin for losing control. The pleasure from Nightshade’s bite felt damn close to an orgasm.

Devin stood and swept back his hair, tying it with a black ribbon. He handed Michael a sword belt and a Taser. Then he donned a long coat and strapped a sword to his own belt. “I shall escort you to the entrance to the Darkling Road, and you can make your escape through the Underworld. As the Darkling Road is my domain, Eloise should be able to accompany you.”

“But we’re not dead.” Cordelia had come closer and was hugging Tamsy. A twinge of jealousy hit Michael and he looked away, unable to believe he was envious of a cat.

“The Darkling Roads are not part of the Underworld,” Devin explained. “They’re neutral territory runningthrough all dimensions. My aim is to keep them open for all to pass.” He glanced at Eloise. “Even hum ans when the need arises.”

“What’s to stop the wild hunt from following us?” Michael asked.

“In theory, Gwyn doesn’t have permission to hunt the
roads.” Devin patted the hilt of his sword. “But we can’t assume Gwyn will abide by the rules.”

“I thought Eloise couldn’t leave here,” Nightshade said as he walked to her side to ruffle Rhys’s hair.

“The slave charm confines her to the castle. The Darkling Road exists in another dimension.” Devin flicked up his eyebrows. “The metaphorical hole in the fence.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Eloise clutched Rhys tightly, her cheeks flushed. “I could have taken Rhys to safety before Dragon—”