A Twist of Fate Read online

  He slid one finger into her and then a second, slowly pushing in and out, deeper with each touch. Not once did he take his eyes from hers, not even when the light lifted off her skin and danced across his body and through the air around them.

  Her muscles wound tighter and tighter, well beyond anything she’d done to herself. “Fed, I need…I don’t know. Please. I need you.”

  “I know, you’re almost there. Let your desire take you over.”

  He took her lips in another kiss, his tongue mimicking the motion of his fingers. In and out, caressing and teasing, until she was wound so tight, she thought she would snap.

  He whispered into her ear. “Now, my sweet. Let go. Come for me.”

  His teeth grazed across her throat and neck again. A new wave of pleasure crested, and she gasped in one last breath as it crashed over her, releasing her from the building blessed torment. Every part of her body pulsed with the force of the drumbeat between her legs.

  The power of the sex magic subsided, and a hazy bliss settled in its place. Tia wrapped her arms around Fed and held him tight to her, not ever wanting to let him go.

  He nuzzled her neck and withdrew his fingers from her body. “Everything you do is more beautiful than the last. I’ve never gotten such pleasure out of making someone else come.”

  She snuggled into him. She’d be sad if it was over and he told her they couldn’t do that again too. “Was that the claiming?”

  Please let him say there was more.

  “No. We’ve only just begun.” He nudged her thighs open wider with one of his legs and she felt a new part of his body pressing against hers.

  “Tiaret, I claim you—”

  His words were interrupted by a loud boom and the screeching of hundreds of soul stealers.

  He covered her head with his arms and shoulders trying to shield her from the attack. Tia knew better. She’d seen too many men try the same only to have their souls ripped from their bodies.

  She drew on the magic that had saved her so many times before. It wasn’t there. Or it was, but it was different. Bigger, stronger, somehow more whole than it had ever been.

  Her shield went up, but not only around her and Fed. It pushed out, joined with the magic of Kady and Ash and formed a dome around the entire town.

  A very small man stuck his head in through the entrance to the ship. “Hey kids. Sorry to break up the fireworks you’ve got going on in here, but the bears said you’d better join them right quick.”

  “We’ll be right there,” Fed growled.

  Another boom sounded and rattled the ship and the ground, throwing the little man back out the door.

  “Tiaret. I know how these battles can go and I hate to rush this. I promise if we survive the day, I will claim you in the proper way. But this will have to do for now.” He snatched the amulet from around his neck and placed it over her head.

  “I, Fedelis of the House of Semper, claim you as my mate. You belong to me and I to you, our souls joined for ever more.” A shockwave of magic shot out from the amulet and surrounded them in a bubble of magic all their own.

  A happiness that felt like sunshine, rain on a hot summer day, the first snowflake of the year, and the first flower of spring filled Tia’s heart until she thought it would burst open.

  He kissed her fast and hard, then rolled out of the little bed and reached for his clothes. He yanked on his pants, but Tia blinked and magicked the rest of his clothes on him.

  “Thank, love. Now, will you join me in this battle?”

  Sweet Saint Sarah.

  Tia clothed herself, this time in soft black pants and a t-shirt with a butterfly on it. She’d seen her sisters wear similar clothing yesterday. No longer did she need the comfort of her old yellow dress.

  No. Now she was ready to do battle. Not just for the town of Magic, New Mexico. But for her life and the life of her mate.

  9

  Hells to the No

  The Fates had blessed Fed with an incredible mate. He was going to burn down the Universe if they took her away from him now.

  He grabbed her by the hand, checked to make sure the coast was clear, and they darted across the garden towards Black and Kady’s home. The sky above them was strafed with laser fire. None reached them, only ricocheted off a huge glowing dome. Magic, New Mexico had some sort of defense shield that glowed with blue and gold magic.

  Magic that looked an awful lot like the kind he and Tia had been basking in for the past few hours. “Is that your magic?”

  “Mine and other witches,” she said and winced as more laser fire attacked. It was followed by the telltale screech of spectral warriors.

  “Is it hurting you?” The shield was protecting the entire town. It’s not like he could do anything about it if it was harming her. Not yet.

  “Only a little. We’re each absorbing some of the strikes.” She grimaced again.

  His lion roared to get out and shimmered near the surface wanting to protect its mate. First, he needed a plan.

  They burst into the tiny home and found half the town gathered inside. Thank the Fates for the twins shrinking and expanding spells.

  Black greeted them with his commander face on. “Good. Titian is about to give us a sit rep from his vantage point in the sky.”

  Black punched at a comms tablet and Titian’s form appeared in holo form, albeit shaky and unstable. He was clearly at the helm of his ship and in the midst of battle.

  “Listen up ladies and gents. This shitshow up here is brought to you today by the letter fucked up and the number even more fucked up.”

  “I don’t get it,” one of the bears whispered to Ash.

  “It’s from a kids’ show. I’ll show you one day.”

  “Less smart ass and more smarts, fox. What is going on? Why are their Coalition ships attacking us?” Black never did stand for Titian’s antics very well.

  Titian’s holo wavered, destabilizing for a moment as his ship shook, taking fire. “— fallen. I repeat—”

  “Say again, Titian. You’re breaking up.”

  The holo came back into focus and they all heard the telltale sound of laser fire from his ship. “The Coalition has fallen. The Star Ranger Corp disbanded. Repeat, the Coalition had fallen.”

  The holo flickered again and then was gone completely.

  “Well, fuck a duck,” Dunn said.

  “Hey, I resemble that remark,” another voice from somewhere in the crowd quacked.

  “Damn. We’re gonna need a new hope.” Kady took Black’s hand and Ash did the same with her mates.

  That hope seeped into Fed’s worried mind when Tia put her hand in his. The Coalition may have fallen, but Star Rangers were ever faithful. Especially the elite corps standing before him. They would come up with a plan.

  It didn’t take Black long to respond. “Assets?”

  The twins piped up first. “We’ve got three ships. Ours, Fed’s and Titian’s. I don’t know what he’s flying in now, but his is in the field with the rest.”

  “Good. Frost?”

  Star Ranger Frost looked at his mate Lacey and nodded. “We can give additional air support with the dragons if the Sheriff agrees.”

  “I do. If your witches can lend us some of that shielding, they’ve thrown up over the town.”

  Kady replied to that. “Shouldn’t be too hard if we assign one witch to keep track of each dragon.”

  “Let us townsfolk take care of that.” Lacey stepped up. “I think the three sisters are the ones keeping the shield over the town up and from letting the soul stealers get through. Our wards can keep the weapons away, but we’re not as strong when it comes to those things.”

  Tia squeezed his hand and took a breath. “I think we can do more than keep them out. I think we can return the souls to their rightful places.”

  Several people gasped including Fed. Did she mean what he thought she did? Kady had returned Black’s soul, but they’d all assumed it was the power of their bonding, the power of love th
at had done that. It was a one-time thing.

  Right?

  An older woman, frail and with haunted eyes stepped out from behind the bears. She looked like she could be there mother.

  “Tia is correct. They can return a soul to where it has been stolen from. I am proof. I am Ni’ta Barrett and my soul was stolen long ago when the spectral warriors attacked Honaw and recently returned. By her.”

  The woman pointed to Tia. Every eye in the room turned to her. Fed stepped up behind her and placed his hand on the small of her back, letting her know he was there to protect her should she need him.

  She stayed silent for a moment and took a few shallow breaths. “It wasn’t me alone. It worked only when our three powers came together. They are greater together than individually.”

  The questions flew from every corner of the room until Fed held up a hand to quiet them and let his mate continue. The smile she gave him was worth any grumblings from the hecklers.

  “I have an idea.” She said that to the room, but then turned to him and said the next part directly to Fed. “None of you are going to like it though.”

  Aw shit. He could see it in her eyes. She was going to put herself into danger just like she had on the day that they’d met, and she’d kept him safe from the spectral warriors escaping from the TFO.

  He’d better keep that firestarter for the burning of the Universe and the Fates in it at the ready, because what she was really asking him with her eyes was for him to trust her.

  He did. Absolutely. It was the Fates and the spectrals he didn’t trust.

  “Tell them your plan, sweet Tia. But know that where you go, I go.”

  Just in case she was thinking of sacrificing herself, she needed to know they would be moving on to the next plain together.

  Tia bit her lip, worrying it for a moment. “Okay.” She turned back to the room. “We have to lower the shield and let the soul stealers come to us.”

  Oh, hells to the no.

  The room exploded into questions and loud voices once again. He didn’t bother trying to stop them this time. Instead, he pressed his mouth to her ear and spoke only to her. “Are you confident that you can save those souls without losing yours?”

  She nodded.

  “Okay, then. Where you go, I go, mate.”

  Fed returned his hand to her back and guided her out of the room and out of the house to the garden. They didn’t have to wait long before everyone else came out too.

  The battle still raged in the sky above them. The spectrals continued their attack against the shield, not making a dent and the ships raged in their dogfight. It was three against a lot more than three, but Fed recognized Titian’s fighting style and was surprised to see Coal’s fighter up there too. He wasn’t sure who flew the third ship, but they all saw whoever it was cover Titian’s ass and fire at an anyone incoming.

  Tia’s sisters joined them, and she took their hands. They each looked at each other and some kind of communication understood only between the three of them passed across their faces.

  Black touched his head to Kady and took a long look into her eyes. Then he took control of this new op. “Let’s take to the sky’s boys and keep these ladies safe so they can save all of our asses.”

  Russ and Dunn sandwiched Ash between them, each kissing their marks on her neck.

  “Be safe, loves,” he said.

  Dunn bounded away toward their ship while Russ lingered a moment more. “I’m assuming you’re staying here, so I’ll take your ship.”

  “Have at it. You’re a better fighter in it than I’d be anyway.” The bears had a lot more experience flying than he did. He was better in a ground fight where he could slash people’s throats out.

  “You keep them safe or we’ll have to come back and kill you.”

  “Understood.” That would never happen, because the only way anything or anyone was getting to Kady, Ash, and Tia was if he was already dead.

  Other couples took their leaves of each other and several men and women shifted into dragons, birds of prey, a couple of gryphons, and even one phoenix.

  The remaining townspeople surrounded Fed and the sisters awaiting instructions. This part Fed could help with.

  “Listen up people. Before the sisters bring down the shield you should put up your own wards and those around the flyers you’re protecting. Then let’s form a series of barriers.”

  He organized them into groups with each circle of defense being stronger than the last to protect those in the middle who were their last hope. Just when he was prepared to let the war on the spectrals begin, three little animals scurried into the center of the circle, each taking up a position at one of the sister’s feet.

  Kady picked up a little brown hedgehog, rubbed his nose and then set him back on the ground. Ash squatted and stroked the long back of a one-eyed cat, and Tia’s butterfly came and landed on her nose.

  “Okay. Now we’re ready,” Tia said. “Let’s save some souls.”

  The sisters took hands again and Fed shifted into his lion form, prowling around them, opening his senses to everything around him so he was ready to strike.

  He’d prepared his entire life to protect the King. He would use every skill he had now to protect his once and future Queen.

  Swirls of magic and light lifted up from each of the sisters, matching the blue and gold streaks in the sky. A smaller shield formed around the people standing in circles around them, protecting those that would guard them.

  The center of the shield was open, and Fed got a clear view of the sky above them. The spectrals that had never before been visible to the naked eye were like black smudges against the morning rays of light from Earth’s yellow sun.

  Anger and sadness like he’d never known streaked down and a millisecond before they barraged the shield that stood between them and the town of Magic, the sisters released it letting the magic drift in the winds.

  “Now, Kady. Hit them with your time cage.” Kady lifted her hands and hundreds of golden balls of light surrounded the blackness.

  “Ash, hit them with the light.” Ash raised her hands and closed her eyes. The golden balls filled with a glowing light that seem to freeze the spectrals inside the cages.

  So far so good.

  Fed nudged Tia’s hand with his head and she ran a hand through his fur. Then she raised her own hands and sent her soft blue magic zipping into the air.

  One by one the cages burst open. Fed roared thinking that the spectrals were escaping. Instead of dark smudges jetting out of the balls of light, white ghosts hung in the air like snowfall in the desert.

  With each new cage that opened and released its captured soul, some drifted away, and others slowly fell to the ground. Other’s still disappeared into nothing.

  Cheers went up from the people around them and Fed felt his own soul lighten. They had done it. Kady, Ash, and his own mate had defeated the spectral warriors.

  They had saved the galaxy.

  Much higher up in the sky several explosions lit up and the reverberations of the sound of ships exploding rumbled down to them.

  One dragon was hit by a laser from a small enemy ship and fell a hundred meters before regaining its equilibrium and firing a fireball at the ship.

  The Elite team of Star Rangers formed a vee of ships and signaled down that their part of the battle was won as well.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Fed caught sight of another small ship flying in low and it looked like it was coming in for a landing. Maybe it was the one with the unknown pilot that had been protecting Titian.

  No. Wait. It wasn’t landing. It was on fire. It had been hit and was going to crash right into the garden.

  Fed roared and yelled into Tia’s head, Get everyone out of here. Now.

  She understood perfectly and yelled to the group. “Everyone scatter, get to cover that ship is going to crash.”

  The ship fired at them and Tia pushed Ash and Kady away out of the way. Fed through himself in front of her a
nd was blown back by weapon. It had only clipped his shoulder and he quickly recovered and pulled himself up off the ground in time to see the ship skid across the dirt to within a meter of Tia.

  He limped toward her, needing to get her away from this unknown foe. Tia, get up. Run. Tia. Tia!

  The door of the ship burst open and smoke billowed from inside. Someone tumbled out.

  Holy Fates. It was Scarlet. The executive officer, second in command of the Star Rangers.

  What the fuck.

  Tia pushed herself up and as Fed struggled to get to her in time, Scarlet raised a handheld blaster and aimed it at his mate.

  “Hello, sister.”

  10

  Courage

  “Scarlet. Stop.” Tia raised her hand and captured her baby sister’s weapon in her magic. It was the last bit of her power she had left. It wasn’t much, but enough to fool Scarlet into thinking that Tia was fine.

  Scarlet snarled and struggled to free the thing, even pulled the trigger, but Tia’s magic contained it. Then she gave up and dropped it.

  “Finally remembered my name, Tiaret?” There was so much pain and hatred in Scarlet’s voice.

  Tia didn’t know what had happened to Scarlet to turn her into this angry witch. “I’ve always known who you are. But I was afraid of you for a long time. Your powers are dark.”

  “They had to be for me to survive. I had to let go of the gift mother gave me a long time ago. Now, I’m stronger than she ever was. Nothing can hurt me like those soul stealers hurt her and Ayi.”

  Tia’s jaw just about dropped off her face it fell so far down. “You remember that night?”

  “Even if I didn’t, I’ve seen it in your dreams often enough. In fact, I thought because you remembered you’d help me defeat them. I thought my big sister would be strong enough to know what had to be done.”

  Tia. Are you okay? Where are you? I can’t find you, but I feel your soul.

  Fed. Oh gods, he’d been hit with Scarlet’s weapons fire. She reached out her senses and found him nearby. He was hurt, but something was keeping him from seeing her. She glanced around and finally recognized the spell cloaking them.