Mother of Black Hearthstone (Book 1 of the Northern Territories Series)

Chapter 6

Mother of Black Hearthstone

Chapter 6

Rayne’s POV

I watch as Tania press her finger tip to her bleeding palm, drawing some kind of symbol on the stones. She is explaining to Kara that this shield is temporary, but she is choosing it because it takes less of her strength to maintain. If we were staying here longer, she would place a ward instead. The shield won’t stop them from passing, but prevents location spells from working. The shields can be breached by finding one of the stones and washing away the symbol, so they must hide the stones and make sure the rain can’t wash away the symbol.

We follow behind them as they walk the perimeter. I watch her hips sway as she moves. The wind blows her dress against her, occasionally giving Jayce and I a little more view of her creamy thighs. Her hair blows in the wind sending the scent of her conditioner straight into us.

She squats down and starts digging in the dirt, “Here, we can dig holes for you.” I take the little shovel from her and dig a hole large enough to completely conceal the rock. She places the rock in with the symbol down and I bury it. Jayce covers the freshly dug hole with pine needles, kicking them around and pressing down in places to conceal it. We do this several more times, neither of us mind because we have an excuse to be following Tania so closely and watching her. “Did you ever think we would be lustfully following a witch in the woods, to set up a shield?”

I chuckle through the link at Jayce’s comment, “No… I wouldn’t have ever thought we would trust a witch enough to follow her any where at all. Never would’ve had them travel with us either.”

Jayce kicks more needles over the hole we just refilled. “Do you think it is because she rejected her fae mate? She said fae, dragonian, and lycan all have similar compatibility. Maybe because she has rejected her mate her body calls out to others compatible.”

I think about that for a second, “Maybe… I don’t know, Jayce. Asking her would be flat out telling her we want her and she might not take that well. I mean, she knows that we want to bed her, but to tell her we want to mate and knot her would be something else entirely. As old as we are, we should’ve been trying to learn more about their kind instead of just avoiding them.”

Jayce goes quiet. We leave each other alone in our individual thoughts. We walk back to the safe house and when we reach the front yard, Tania opens her hand and flames erupt from the ground in a small fire in front of her. Tania and Kara take handfuls of greenish powder. They begin sprinkling it as they circle the flames while Tania chants something. The powder looks kind of like the stuff they used to change their scents before. It must be some kind of shielding powder that does multiple things depending on how you use it. Suddenly, a gust of wind comes from the fire and blows outward. I watch Tania across the fire as the wind blows her hair back over her shoulders and pushes her dress against her, outlining her gorgeous body. The gust is gone as quickly as it came. Tania folds her hands and the fire is gone. “The shield is all set. No one will be able to use magic to locate us and we will know if anyone crosses the perimeter.”

Jayce looks curiously at her, “How will we know?”

Tania smiles at him, “I will feel them".

Will she feel it if Jayce or I cross the perimeter? “Tania, if Jayce or I cross the perimeter when we run, will you know it is us?”

She nods her head, “Yes, I will feel you cross it and I’ll know it is you.”

Kara jerks her head toward Tania, “You can feel who it is? I thought you could only feel how many passed and their intent.”

Tania nods, “Yes and no. You feel the number of passes, which direction the pass came from, and the intent of the person passing. If someone has a powerful aura or if the person is of your blood, you will be able to identify them clearly. You’ll see what I mean soon enough, Princess. Defensive magic is the first thing you will learn when your power awakens and you get some control.”

Kara nods, “The twins do have powerful auras.”

Jayce looks to have taken that as a compliment, I’m curious, “I understand what an aura is kind of, but what is a powerful aura?”

Tania looks over at Rayne, “It is kind of like a presence. It gives an impression of who you are. Jayce’s is predominantly red, yours blue. That’s how we tell you a part.”

I laugh, “Jayce is a hot head, red suits him.” Jayce playfully pushes me, Tania and Kara giggle.

Tania corrects me, “Red is associated with anger, but it is also associated with love, strength determination, passion, and chaos.”

I better find out what blue is before I tease Jayce about being a passionate chaotic hot head, “What is blue?”

Tania stops walking and turns to me, I stop as well. Jayce and Kara took a few more steps ahead of us then stopped and looked back. “Blue is associated with honor, peace, loyalty, reliability… and sadness. In the way that Jayce is prone to anger, you are prone to melancholy.”

Jayce chuckles, “That’s just fabulous news. I’m chaotic raging lover and you’re the depressed noble warrior.”

I side eye Jayce and we all chuckle, but I’m secretly a little annoyed with him. I was enjoying the way she was looking at me. I know it is probably just my wishful thinking, but I could’ve sworn I saw love and admiration in her eyes. Do I want her to love me? I’m worried when I realize that I do. I want her to love me. What does that mean? We are walking into the house and I take Tania’s hand. It’s time to settle this once and for all. “Tania, can I talk to you for a minute?”

Jayce and Kara are watching me. “If you think you’re talking to her privately, without me, you’re out of your mind, dear brother. You made a promise. Anything either of us do with her is both our business.”

I could feel his anger rising, “I’m not trying to talk to her without you. I’m trying to talk to her without Kara.”

I feel him calm down. “Kara, will you go start practicing your chants, I will be there in a minute to help you. I’m just going to talk to Rayne for a moment.” Kara agrees and goes to her room.

Tania looks from me to Jayce. She seems a little nervous, but she calms again quickly. “Tania, I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable, but we need to catch your real scent. There is something between us that we don’t understand.”, I tell her.

Tania’s POV

Rayne wants to speak with me alone. I realize Jayce is also a part of this private conversation and I’m insanely nervous. I focus on controlling my heart rate so they don’t sense anything off. Rayne wants me to reveal my scent. s**t, what do I do… I don’t want them to realize I’m their mate. I could make a fire and sprinkle some shielding powder, I’ve already led them to believe that that is how it is done… but what if it is a scent they recognize? They’ll catch the lie? My mother’s! There is no possible way they know her scent, she is no longer the active Crone.

“Okay… um… I guess we need to go back outside then.”, I respond.

Jayce is at the door opening it for me before I even realized he moved. I grab the bag of shielding powder Kara left on the counter and we walk outside so I can summon the flame. I take a pinch from the bag and sprinkle it into the flame and chant a short blessing, just so they think I’m doing something. It feels foolish as the blessing has nothing to do with the fire nor powder. I will my scent to change from the warm honey to the soft honeysuckle and rain scent that is my mother’s.

Jayce leans toward me, inhaling my new scent. Rayne does the same. “Should I change it back now… or?”

Rayne looks very disappointed. “Yes, you can change it back.”

I sprinkle a little more powder in the flame, chanting the same blessing. Then I will my scent back to the warm honey scent. “Did that give you your answer?” I ask Rayne.

Rayne looks down from focusing on Jayce, into my eyes searching them for his answers. I know what he is looking for. They are confused, they feel the mate bond but they can’t sense me because I shielded it.

He finally speaks, “No, we still don’t have the answer, but thank you for doing as we requested.”

I nod to him then leave them to their thoughts. I know they have reports and paperwork to finish for both the security teams and the Council. I go back inside and into mine and Kara’s room to help her study.

Kara looks at me, “What was that about?”

Kara knows when I’m lying, I wouldn’t ever be able to get away with it. “They wanted to sense my true scent.”

Kara looked at me strangely, “Why?”

I sat in the chair next to her by the window. “They didn’t say.” I want to tell her the truth, but she is starting her transition. It could lead to her saying something.

Kara leans toward me and whispers, “I don’t understand why you are dialing back for them all the time. You’re always trying to make it easy for them to understand. That fire building, powder sprinkling to change scents is ridiculous. You’re an Enchantress, not a baby witch.”

I sigh, “Princess, it is hard for shifters to trust any magical creature. Making it something they can wrap their minds around helps them. I don’t want them to think we can’t be trusted.”

Kara frowns and gets louder suddenly, turning aggressively toward me, “I don’t know why it matters what they think. We would be fine if they got scared and wanted to leave. Show them your power!”

Jayce’s POV

Rayne and I were disappointed to find Tania’s scent was not our mate’s. I was really beginning to think she had just concealed it. We are no better off with this information. We still don’t understand what this is between us.

Rayne is on the phone with Clay. I think we were both happy to find out that her relationship with him was not a s****l one. She blushed at his words because she was embarrassed by her recklessness.

He hangs up and starts to tell me something, but Kara gets really aggressive and her voice is loud, “I don’t know why it matters what they think. We would be fine if they got scared and wanted to leave. Show them your power!”

He gets silent and we look at each other, Tania responds in a firm voice and normal volume, “You don’t understand yet, but you will. Shifters get nervous around magic. Just trust me on this.”

Kara responds, “Of course I trust you always, Mother. I just think they would understand if you gave them a chance to. What difference would it make if they didn’t, you’re stronger than them?”

Tania softens her tone a little, “Princess, I would love to see that be true, I have no doubt that we will end up testing that theory. Right now, they don’t understand and naturally fear magic. That is the way shifters are raised. It is all bad, all the time. They’ll use it to their advantage, but even then, they are leery of it. I am more powerful than either one, but power and strength are not the same.”

Kara replies snidely, “What’s your plan for when we are attacked, are you going to pretend you’re defenseless? We could do whatever we wanted and be just fine.”

Tania gets annoyed and the firm tone is back as she scolds Kara, “No, I’d protect you and them to the furthest extent of my ability. Hopefully, we have established some trust between us before that is necessary. They are here for you, as am I. You’re thinking with your pride. This ‘power is superior’ state of mind you’re in is just foolishness, Maiden. You are underestimating them and that is a very dangerous habit to pick up. That mistake will get you killed. Even if I am more powerful, their endurance is much better than mine. When injured, they heal quickly. They are much faster and physically stronger than any Enchantress ever could be. They can fight, cause serious damage, and only need a few hours to fully recover. They’re good at what they do. At minimum, they are capable of defending you just as well as I am. I need them here to help me keep you safe. I need you to take that seriously. You do what you are told, when you are told, you do not argue, and you treat them with the same respect you do me and the Crone. Have I made myself clear, Maiden?”

There is a pause and Kara’s heavy sigh, “Yes, Mother. I understand. I apologize.”

I look at Rayne, “Did you have any idea Kara was so argumentative? I never noticed that, she is usually agreeable.”

Rayne looks toward their door, “No, that’s new but how well do we really know her?”

Tania comes out of the room. She approaches us and softly asks, “Can I borrow a phone?”

Rayne holds his out immediately, he still had it in his hand from his call with Clay.

Tania accepts it and steps out on the porch saying she’ll be just by the door. I look at Rayne “She knows the other side of that door makes no difference to us. We will still hear her. She must not want Kara to hear her.” Rayne nods.

We hear Tania softly speak, we can hear Meri’s voice, but what she says isn’t clear, “Her powers are awakening…. Yes, at the moment it appears that pride is going to be her struggle…. We are fine, are you?..... I will let you know how we progress from here…. All my love, farewell.”

Tania walks back inside and closes the door. She doesn’t make eye contact with us immediately, she is looking down fidgeting with the phone. She looks up at Rayne and hands him the phone, then looks to me, “I know we need to talk and you have questions. I promise to answer them later this evening… Once Kara is asleep.”

I look over at Rayne, she follows suit, “We can accept that. We’ll talk later.”

Tania nods and returns to the room with Kara. “So… I guess Kara isn’t your friend anymore, dear brother.”

He just looks at me for a second and shakes his head. “Clay is going to start passing the message. The Council is officially seeking dragonian assistance.”

I’m not surprised he did. This could change this from being a war to being a slaughter. Easy win for our side. “Good, maybe that will speed this up a bit.”

Rayne and I continue working in silence. As I finish my reports to Council and read the reports coming in from the security team, I check the time. It is 5:30pm. I need to start dinner.

I stand and stretch, “I’m starting dinner. How much longer do you have?”

He doesn’t look up, “Almost done with scheduling, already sent the patrol changes. I only have private business left. Maybe another hour and I’m done.”

I walk to the kitchen and pull out everything for Chicken Alfredo. I season the chicken and start pan searing it while I get the herbs chopped and the noodles boiling. We could let the witches take a turn cooking, but we wouldn’t trust what they made. They don’t trust us either, I think that is why they supervise what we are making.

Tania’s POV

Dinner was really quiet. Kara didn’t have much to say and she is usually the conversationalist at meal time. Kara and I cleaned up the kitchen while Rayne and Jayce leave to run the perimeter.

I felt them both pass the shield a few minutes ago. They haven’t crossed back in. “Princess, why don’t you go take a shower? I can tell you’re getting tired. Your powers are awakening, you’ll feel a little drained until they fully emerge.”

Kara smiles at me, “I do feel really strange. A shower sounds nice.” She leaves the room to gather her things. I borrow Jayce’s computer and open my emails. I’m reviewing updates from Meri when I feel Jayce and Rayne cross back over the shield. The truth is, it isn’t just their powerful auras that helps me identify them when they cross. It is the mate bond. I feel them, a piece of myself, as they cross. Most people feel a little light headed and nauseated when they cross a shield that isn’t of their own blood. They won’t feel anything at all, because the shield was cast by their mate. I hear the shower turn on as I open an email with an attachment that just came in:

Mother,

Scarlet Light has an idea of where you are. You didn’t get the shield up as soon as you arrived. Make sure you move soon. I’m not sure how long they’ve known. I know it will be difficult, but try to get the lycan to create a blood shield, they’re being located. Be safe and protect the Maiden.

All my love,

Crone

I open the attachment and find that Meri somehow intercepted a communication between Scarlet Light and rogues:

They are somewhere around river Agnes within about 20 miles of the little human town. They disappeared shortly after we located the lycan, the Mother must have created a shield. You’ll have to search. Beware of the Mother, kill her if you get the opportunity. Bring the Maiden back alive.

I run to mine and Kara’s room and pack everything. I hear Kara coming out of the bathroom as I finish packing our bags.

“What is wrong?”

I look up at Kara as I zip her bag. “They know where we are, Princess. We will need to leave soon. Rest now, I’ll come for you when it is time.”

I can see the fear in her eyes as she nods and climbs in her bed. It is only 8pm now, but I don’t know when they’ll come. I need to get Jayce and Rayne back here now. I wanted them back earlier.

I walk into the living room when it occurs to me that they have sensitive hearing. I walk outside to the front yard and draw my power to carry my voice as I yell as loudly as I can, “JAYCE! RAYNE!”

I wait to see or hear anything that would let me know they heard me. Then I see 2 lycan burst from the tree line, moving like the wind across the field to me. They are both smoke grey lycan with steel blue glowing eyes. They’re by far the largest and most threatening I have ever seen, but I’m not afraid of them. I’m not even the slightest bit nervous, it must be the bond. They stop in front of me, looking around for what had me yell for them.

“Meri emailed me an intercepted message, Scarlet Light knows where we are. They’re sending rogues.”

They both growl angrily and shift back to their human forms.

I turn my back to them quickly, realizing they’re both naked now. I hear rustling of pants, “Are you and Kara packed and ready to leave?” Rayne asks.

“Yes, I was waiting for you to come back, then remembered you could probably hear me.”

Jayce grunts, “We heard you alright. You scared the hell out of us. You can turn around now, Tania. We’re decent.”

I turned back to face them. “That is unfortunate, I didn’t intend to scare you. I don’t know how much time we have.”

Rayne touches my arm, “It’s fine, you call us when you need us. Don’t hesitate.”

We start walking back into the house. I show them the email on Jayce’s computer. Rayne pulls his phone out of his jeans and finds the same info in a text message.

“Your Crone was reaching out every way she knew how to.” He shows it to me. “From now on, you keep my phone when we do perimeter runs. We are packing up now. Can you bag the groceries we just bought? There is a cooler by the back door, we can ice it at a station once we are out of here.”

I turn to go to the kitchen, “Yes, of course.”

They both quickly move down the hall. By the time I have the pantry packed and the cooler in the kitchen, they are dropping their bags in the living room.

Jayce heads straight out the front door. “Go get yours and Kara’s things. Set them in the living room so Jayce can load them once he pulls the SUV around.”

Rayne takes over packing all the cold stuff into the cooler. I go down the hall and quietly grab mine and Kara’s things. It takes 2 trips and by the time I’m done, Jayce has already taken everything that was in the living room and is helping Rayne carry all of the groceries out. I follow with our totes.

Rayne takes them from me and loads them once we reach the vehicle. He turns to face me, his eyes wander over my face and he reaches out to smooth my hair. He seems far away in thought. He focuses on my eyes again, searching for something there, he drops his hand from my hair. “What is the blood shield the Crone mentioned?”

I don’t think they’ll agree to it, but I try to explain. “I’ll need some of your blood to mix with my own and you’ll have to drink it. You’ll wear an amulet like this one” I hold mine up for them to see, “Then you will be untraceable.”

Jayce and Rayne nod, “Lets get it over with.”

I go to get Kara, “Princess, it is time. Let’s go. We are going to complete a blood shield for the twins before we leave.”

Kara climbs out of bed and follows me. We walk back into the living room, “I need a small cup and a spoon.”

Jayce goes to get it while Rayne follows me out to the SUV for the shielding powder and amulets in my bag. We go back inside and I put some shielding powder in the cup Jayce has waiting on the counter. I take the silver blade from my dress pocket and repierce my palm. I hold my hand over the cup and squeeze it closed to let my blood run into the cup. I wrap my hand in paper towels.

“Now both of you. Your blood is the same, but the power within is different." Kara says.

Jayce and Rayne shift a single claw and pierce their palms. Rayne allows his blood to flow into the cup, then Jayce. They rinse the blood from their already healed palms in the sink.

I mix in the shielding powder as I chant for the blood shield to activate through our combined blood. I drink it and fight the cringe. I pass it to Rayne, “Drink it. It tastes awful and you’ll feel heat. Then it will feel as if the heat became ice and is flowing from your pores. You’ll feel normal again afterward.”

He accepts the cup and drinks then passes it to Jayce. He finishes it, then returns the remainder to me. Neither of them seem bothered by the taste, it must be because they’re wolves. I was completely shocked they even agreed to do that, even more so when they actually drank it. I open the 2 amulets and squeeze my palm, filling each cylinder with my blood and using my blade to collect a bit of what remained in the cup. I close the amulets and hand them to them. “It will expand when you shift. It can’t be lost or taken from you, you or I must remove it. The amulet is tied to your blood, mine provides the power to maintain the shield."

I rinse the cup in the sink, then rinse my palm. I go to wrap my hand in another paper towel when Rayne catches my hand and opens my palm to him. He keeps his eyes on me as he pulls my hand to his mouth, closing it over the pierced skin. I feel his tongue against my palm. Tingles and heat wash through my body, straight to my core.

He releases my hand and I look at my palm. It is a pale pink spot mostly healed now. I look back to him, “I appreciate that.” I say barely above a whisper, but he heard me.

Before he can reply, I feel it. They’re crossing the shield. They’re slowed down by the effects of crossing, but they’re coming. I refocus on Rayne, “They’re here. They’re pouring in from the north side of the perimeter. I lost count at 50. One of you take Kara and run. The other one stay with me, we will clear a path for the SUV to get through and keep them distracted here until she gets away. If we can’t win, we will run once she is clear.”

Jayce looks at Rayne, “Take Kara, I’ll stay with Tania.”

Rayne grabs Kara’s hand and runs out the front door. He hurries her in and runs around to the driver’s side. Jayce and I are standing in the yard facing the north side. We see them running out of the tree line into the field as the SUV flies down the drive. I raise my palms and fire erupts all down the field blocking the rogues attack on the fleeing SUV.

Jayce looks at me for a second before he shifts, tearing his clothes and howls. He charges toward the rogues that have made it out of the field, while I start incinerating the rogues on the field. The fight makes it to us and we are quickly over run. I lose sight of Jayce as I switch from erupting flames to throwing balls of fire at rogues nearing me, dodging ones that lunge for me. There are so many and they’re so fast. One lunges for my leg, I spin out of his jaws and place both hands down on his back as I spin to push off him. I send flame into him as I grip him, he yelps as he tries to put out the flames searing his body.

They surround me now, growling and snapping their jaws at me. Each one is trying to decide how to get to me without touching me. I throw both my hands out to my side and shove out toward them causing flame to erupt from in front of me and rush to engulf them. I turn and swipe my hands in the direction of the ones behind me, flame erupts from the ground and follows the motion of my hand engulfing them as well.

All I can smell is burning flesh as I look across the lawn for Jayce. I see him. He has taken down all the other rogues and is watching me curiously.

I walk to him, Please Goddess, don’t let him be afraid. I don’t have time to deal with that right now. I haven’t even had the opportunity to explain any of this to him.

He doesn’t move, but his eyes follow me as I approach. “Jayce… are you hurt?”