power, a fact that tended to be overlooked as he kept to himself and only visited the Order on rare occasions. But he had been present when Tallon had delivered Shayla’s mother to the Keep.
“Jarrod is the father?”
“Of course. He obviously decided that he couldn’t let the Enforcer have his daughter. I believe they were coming to warn the girl.”“So you were out hunting for them?”
“Yes, and we found them. In the stone circle. Yesterday.” Tallon felt Shayla stiffen beside him “My mother—”
“Shut up,” Malachai snarled. “Shut your stinking mouth, whore.”
“I want—” Malachai lashed out with his booted foot and caught her in the side. She fell against the tree, and he kicked out again. Rage rose up inside Tallon, and he struggled to rise, but the bonds kept him in place.
“Shut your mouth, or I’ll give you to my guards.” Tallon growled low in his throat. “Lay a finger on her and...”
“You’ll what? You’re in a position to do nothing.” He paused, gathering his composure. “But behave, and I’ll not touch the girl.
Yet.”Tallon swallowed his anger.
“Well?” Malachai asked.
Tallon nodded once. Shayla managed to sit up. The blood had leached from her cheeks, panic showing in her face. He knew she loved her mother, the two had a bond, and both would die for the other. How must she be feeling? “Are they dead?” He forced himself to ask the question, knowing that Shayla needed to know the truth, that the uncertainty was far worse.
Malachai strolled away for a moment, when he came back; he shoved his hands in his pockets and stared down at them. “Actually, no. At least I don’t think so.” Tallon spoke quickly. “Where are they?” Malachai lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug. “I don’t know.
What I do know is that when we caught up with them yesterday, the mother had a mark, just like this one.” He reached out and stroked a finger down the sickle moon that decorated the smooth curve of Shayla’s cheek. She flinched, her small teeth clamping down on her lower lip, no doubt to keep herself from talking. Tallon bit down on his frustration, waiting for Malachai to continue.
“The bitch lied and told us she would take her to her daughter. Instead, she led us to the circle and then...she was gone. Well not quite that easily. She spoke one of the words of power and they both vanished.” Tallon risked a quick glance at Shayla’s face, seeing the hope flare in her expression. She was so transparent. Malachai must have seen it too.
“I see the news is good. So do you know where they went?”
“No,” Tallon replied. But he knew that he had to give Malachai something. “But I believe the stone circle is a sort of gate between worlds.” A slow smile curved Malachai’s lips, satisfaction gleaming amid the darkness of his eyes.
Chapter Six
From the dark pits of despair, Shayla glimpsed a flicker of light. Her mother was alive and hopefully safe on Earth with Casterix and this Jarrod.
Her mother had never spoken of her father before. Shayla had presumed he was a warlock of the Order. She knew that they maintained a breeding program, but she also knew that the parents were usually unknown and kept a secret. She’d presumed that was the case with her own father. Freya had always hated warlocks, with a deep, ingrained hatred that Shayla had presumed would never change. Now she was with one—the idea seemed inconceivable. And she had the mark—her magic had returned to her. There was someone else out there who could save the Goddess. If Shayla died, all wasn’t lost.
“You knew about the portal already?” She glanced across as Tallon spoke, waiting for the answer.
“Let’s say, I suspected,” Malachai replied.
Shayla straightened, gritting her teeth as a shaft of pain jolted from her ribs to the rest of her body. She swore silently that if they somehow got out of this alive, then Malachai would pay. That seemed unlikely right now.
“The Goddess is
“Jarrod is the father?”
“Of course. He obviously decided that he couldn’t let the Enforcer have his daughter. I believe they were coming to warn the girl.”“So you were out hunting for them?”
“Yes, and we found them. In the stone circle. Yesterday.” Tallon felt Shayla stiffen beside him “My mother—”
“Shut up,” Malachai snarled. “Shut your stinking mouth, whore.”
“I want—” Malachai lashed out with his booted foot and caught her in the side. She fell against the tree, and he kicked out again. Rage rose up inside Tallon, and he struggled to rise, but the bonds kept him in place.
“Shut your mouth, or I’ll give you to my guards.” Tallon growled low in his throat. “Lay a finger on her and...”
“You’ll what? You’re in a position to do nothing.” He paused, gathering his composure. “But behave, and I’ll not touch the girl.
Yet.”Tallon swallowed his anger.
“Well?” Malachai asked.
Tallon nodded once. Shayla managed to sit up. The blood had leached from her cheeks, panic showing in her face. He knew she loved her mother, the two had a bond, and both would die for the other. How must she be feeling? “Are they dead?” He forced himself to ask the question, knowing that Shayla needed to know the truth, that the uncertainty was far worse.
Malachai strolled away for a moment, when he came back; he shoved his hands in his pockets and stared down at them. “Actually, no. At least I don’t think so.” Tallon spoke quickly. “Where are they?” Malachai lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug. “I don’t know.
What I do know is that when we caught up with them yesterday, the mother had a mark, just like this one.” He reached out and stroked a finger down the sickle moon that decorated the smooth curve of Shayla’s cheek. She flinched, her small teeth clamping down on her lower lip, no doubt to keep herself from talking. Tallon bit down on his frustration, waiting for Malachai to continue.
“The bitch lied and told us she would take her to her daughter. Instead, she led us to the circle and then...she was gone. Well not quite that easily. She spoke one of the words of power and they both vanished.” Tallon risked a quick glance at Shayla’s face, seeing the hope flare in her expression. She was so transparent. Malachai must have seen it too.
“I see the news is good. So do you know where they went?”
“No,” Tallon replied. But he knew that he had to give Malachai something. “But I believe the stone circle is a sort of gate between worlds.” A slow smile curved Malachai’s lips, satisfaction gleaming amid the darkness of his eyes.
Chapter Six
From the dark pits of despair, Shayla glimpsed a flicker of light. Her mother was alive and hopefully safe on Earth with Casterix and this Jarrod.
Her mother had never spoken of her father before. Shayla had presumed he was a warlock of the Order. She knew that they maintained a breeding program, but she also knew that the parents were usually unknown and kept a secret. She’d presumed that was the case with her own father. Freya had always hated warlocks, with a deep, ingrained hatred that Shayla had presumed would never change. Now she was with one—the idea seemed inconceivable. And she had the mark—her magic had returned to her. There was someone else out there who could save the Goddess. If Shayla died, all wasn’t lost.
“You knew about the portal already?” She glanced across as Tallon spoke, waiting for the answer.
“Let’s say, I suspected,” Malachai replied.
Shayla straightened, gritting her teeth as a shaft of pain jolted from her ribs to the rest of her body. She swore silently that if they somehow got out of this alive, then Malachai would pay. That seemed unlikely right now.
“The Goddess is
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