“Of course,” he pours her a second shot and tries not to smile. “This will last you…” his voice fades from her ears as a memory strikes her hard.
Lailah is sitting on a rock, soaking up the last rays of the sun. Her pink wings are illuminated and when she hears the others coming, she sighs. She stands and turns to greet her executioners. Heavy with child, Lailah places a hand over her child and her eyes flash with determination. When they land before her the voice sends a ripple of shock through her soul.
“You have been judged, Lailah.”
“You would betray your own kind?” Rage has Lailah drawing a blazing sword in her fisted hand.
“No…” Anya murmurs and the glass in her hand drops to the desk, shattering.
Lailah’s wings flash as she spins to fight the vampires who have come to slaughter her. When Caius steps into view from behind her, Anya screams a warning.
Sebastian is at her side in an instant. Ancients are immune to the memories stored in the blood, but Anya is a newborn. He seizes her mind and watches with her as the woman he loves fights for her life. His heart drops when Caius and members from the council leap at her, tearing and ripping at Lailah’s beautiful body.
Anya jerks and feels every blow and every scratch. Her screams have turned to sobs as she watches the life drain out of her mother’s body. Sebastian takes Anya mind and surrounds her with memories of her mother laughing and singing. He replaces the horrible images of death with his favorite ones of her and draws her out of the vision.
Trembling, he holds his daughter in his arms while red blood tears flow unchecked down his cheeks. Betrayal flames to life behind his eyes. His own roar of outrage echoes through the halls and all the undead tremble at the sound. Vorn runs back into the room with Keane hot on his heels and they are stunned by the sight of Sebastian holding his daughter in his arms. Both are weeping and Sebastian falls to the ground with her and rocks her in his arms. “Who were they?”
“The Council members,” he replies in a hoarse voice.
“I’m going to hunt them down,” Anya declares.
“Yes, we will,” he promises.
Chapter 27
The wind symbolizes life because it can be as powerful as a cyclone or a gentle as a whisper. It can give life, or it can take life away. In the last moments of Katie’s life, a great wind surrounds her, impressed by the selfless act to save the one she loves, it surrounds them both and lifts them from the immense pain, blowing away the agony, silencing her screams.
Morgan’s soul screams for mercy, begging his maker to protect the human he has come to love. He does not ask for leniency for his sins, only that she be spared.
“Peace brother,” comes a strong voice. A cold wind blows over them, washing away all the pain. Morgan and Katie find they are on their knees facing each other.
“Morgan?” Katie whispers, just as he crushes her to his body in a hug.
“Kathleen,” Reese laughs and steps forward with Arianna.
“Easy, Morgan. I didn’t save her so you could crush her. Humans are fragile,” he laughs.
“Not this human,” Morgan declares with pride pulling Katie to her feet. Katie sobs and runs to the Shadow King.
“Reese!” He catches her in a hug and sighs with relief.
Arianna smiles at him, she wasn’t sure until the last moment that he could save them.
Reese looks at her and grins. “You shouldn’t doubt me, wife.”
“All is well now. You are safe with us.” Arianna watches as Katie hurries back to Morgan desperate to touch him. She knows her husband has a special place in his heart for this human. As she watches Katie wrap her arms around Morgan again, she wonders to herself, ‘It will be interesting to see how you feel about being immortal now?’
“How did this happen?” Morgan asks.
“We have much to discuss. Let’s get you inside and get you cleaned up first,” Arianna suggests.
“Morgan, we need to talk.” Katie insists holding his arm to keep him from following them.
“I agree, but we are together for now. We will discuss your actions later,” he snaps and turns away from her.
Katie’s fear of losing him has her leaping in front of him. “You’re right about one thing, Morgan. We will discuss your actions later…but first…” she steps into his space and scans his face with her beautiful eyes. Gentle hands reach up and she cups his cheeks in her hands. “Say it again,” she pleads.
His eyes close at the ecstasy of her touch. “I can’t…” he whispers his shame.
Firmer this time, “Say it, Morgan!”
His eyes whip open. “I can’t give you a promise…” when he tries to turn away from her, he is surprised by the steel in her grip.
“Morgan, I didn’t take you for a coward,” she states as her eyes search his face.
Fury, confusion, fear, love, all wage war inside his soul, he turns his face away again, but she will not release him.
Reese takes Arianna’s hand and the pixies in the forest surrounding their home all step forward waiting for the moment he accepts his fate.
“Say It!” The tear in the corner of her eye is his undoing. When it breaks free, he captures it in his hand, declaring for all to hear. He opens his hand and a single twisted diamond band glistens in the moonlight.
“I love you, Kathleen O ‘Haley. You are mine now. I will never let you go.” He lifts her left hand and slides it on her ring finger.
Her beautiful smile rivals all the stars in
