Shayla pulled her hand away, grabbing a blade of gra.s.s, and then fiddled with it, thinking. "All the negative thoughts must stop." She tossed the piece of gra.s.s to the side. She stood with a growl and began to spin in a circle, arms held perpendicular to her body. She moved faster and faster, spurred by determination. With a yell, she disappeared.

"Shayla!"

She landed hard on the alter with a grunt and stumbled, the ground threatened to rise up.

Meekal rushed forward.

Shayla caught herself before falling. Head still spinning, she looked down at his worried face. "I'm okay. Woozy, but okay." She sat on the stone alter. "Kal?"

He pulled her into an embrace and softly kissed her hair. "Humm?"

Shayla traced his jaw with tingling fingers. "When I was in Syther's lair, I saw that he has a pet panther."

"Aye. Sheitan."

"You know about her?"

"I actually met her once. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I talked to her. She didn't let Syther know I was there. It was actually a bit weird. I was afraid she would reveal me to him."

"No. Well, even though she is bound to Syther, you are Fae. She has a deeper bond with you." He ran his fingers through his hair, resulting in it standing up at odd angles.

"What do you mean?"

"Fae are royalty in the creature world."

Jagged energy shot through her veins and she sat up straight and gripped the edge of the stone beneath her. "Next, you're going to tell me I'm a creature and my ears will become pointed."

"No," he said, chuckling. "Although you'd be cute with pointy ears." He reached forward and pulled her into a kiss.

She nibbled his tongue, moaning. Closeness with him propelled her soul to new heights. She sent her hands exploring, finding warm flesh beneath his sweater. She scooted forward on the stone, and wrapped her legs around him, in antic.i.p.ation. Their tongues dancing in reunion sent her heart into tighter rhythm with his.

Meekal's hands journeyed on a quest. When Shayla found his bare skin, he leaned in closer, encouraging avid exploration.

Vibrant warm skin beneath her fingertips, Shayla spiraled them, sighing when Meekal responded. The heat in his eyes sent excited fluttering sensations over her. "Kal," she said breathlessly. "Don't tease."

A soft laugh against her skin accompanied his husky voice. "I'm not teasing." A soft-spoken incantation and his hands found the flesh of her inner thighs.

Longing pooled in her lower belly. Surprise at the disappearance of her jeans opened her burning desire. The sultry seduction upon his countenance set her on fire. She lay on the stone alter allowing stoked desire to flame. Laughing eyes, and then the luscious form of Meekal's tongue sent waves of bliss through her.

She wanted to scream when he performed sensual strokes with expertise. "Ahhh!" Shayla pushed into his mouth, clutching and scratching at the stone beneath her.

Meekal sucked, teasing, provoking liquid heat. His questing fingers t.i.tillated her.

Unabashed delight skittered through her veins. Surreal luminescence surrounded them. Mother Nature paused in her breathing.

Meekal's tongue danced and teased playfully.

She knew the deepest sense of him. Her hips thrust in time to his seductive gift. The power of her o.r.g.a.s.m built, and then undulating waves spread around and through her. Shayla screamed, "Shreee!"

Within her vision, the forest spun in ecstasy, encircling them with nature's embrace.

Time moved forward, faster than anything Shayla ever experienced before. Loving and being with Meekal in this enchanted clearing, was the only thing important to her. She explored his body with intimacy. The day pa.s.sed into a tantalizing memory.

The stars, displayed upon a blue-black velvet sky, shone like cut crystals. The moon gave a tilted crescent smile. The stone circle at Midmar took on the look of molten silver in its nightlight, a picture perfect lover's haven.

Contentment expressed by a sigh pa.s.sed through her and joined Mother Nature's breathing in the ultimate connection of life.

Meekal responded by pulling her closer, conjuring a blanket and wrapping them securely within. "You'll need to let go and have faith, Shay. When it comes to your magical gifts, they'll flow much smoother with acceptance. Release all of your inhibitions along with any preconceived notions."

"I know." She snuggled closer. "It's like you said, everything has happened so fast. First, the White Lady, and then meeting you." She pulled away and leaned on her elbow, looking into his blue eyes. In the darkness, they were fathomless. "Even though it was scary when I was in Syther's lair, the realization that Sheitan wouldn't hurt me started as a small seed, and then it grew."

He twirled his fingers through her hair. "You realize we'll meet up with him soon. We'll have to vanquish him in order to protect the Well and keep Malvenue's soul from being set free. There's no halfway point on this."

"Yeah, I know. Kal?"

"Humm?"

She leaned in to kiss him. That sound coming from him was beginning to give her a sense of comfort. The feel of his moist and willing lips, tugged at her once more. A full afternoon of lovemaking could not sate her need. She smiled and nipped his lower lip. "What did you do to the circle? No one has been here all afternoon and evening. Now, it's night."

He snickered. Eyes dancing with mischievous glee, he pa.s.sed his finger over her lower lip. "Nothing a little charm can't handle. It works to keep the Semple Folk at bay."

"Naughty," she murmured in his ear, relishing his laughter. Her hand found Meekal's abdomen under his sweater. Sinewy muscle, sculpted to perfection, t.i.tillated her fingertips. The feel of undulating life beneath them, rekindled her desire. With quickened breath, she went down, seeking his taste upon her tongue.

Meekal moaned with feral desire. Clutching his hands in her hair, he guided her toward her hunger, thrusting his c.o.c.k into her open mouth.

She smiled to herself, and then tongued him, teasing.

"...mmmnn..."

"BE WISE AND LOOK UP," CIARAN said.

She pulled back with a gasp. Covering Meekal protectively with the blanket, she glared up at the apparition before her. A shiver journeyed up her spine, spreading its cold fingers outward in an eerie projection, exiting from her palms like an icy blast.

Meekal rolled onto his knees and stood within a breath. Closing his jeans, he glared at the Thyrza circling them.

Syther stood at the edge of the circle. "Well now. Isn't this cozy?"

Pa.s.sionate emotions shifted to anger. Shayla hissed through her teeth at Sheitan.

Sheitan responded with her own, whiskers bristling for added effect.

Somewhere off to the right, an owl hooted, "Who...who..."

The lash of fury burning in Sheitan's emerald eyes did not intimidate Shayla. "Cease," she hissed, projecting power. Shayla also noticed that none of the Thyrza entered the circle. Protection, she thought, glancing at Meekal quickly.

Sheitan cried out, the panther scream cutting the air with menace. She sat at the edge of the trees, blending within the surrounding darkness, her emerald eyes blinked.

Meekal gave a nod, almost as if in response to Shayla's thoughts about protection. He kept his gaze tight on Syther. "What do you want?"

The shadows of the trees circling them crept in eerie movement, phantoms of the night. The fall breeze became a rising wail, giving the impression of swaying life to both trees and standing stones.

Meekal's black brows rose sharply. "Intimidation? Scare tactics? That may work on your minions. It doesn't carry over to us. You obviously don't know who Shayla is."

Shayla glared at him, her own brow rose in query.

Rough laugher filled the clearing from the Thyrza. "She's a nascent witch. Not fully into her powers." Syther's sneer traveled around the circle, spreading black venom in its wake. Its energy purled silently along the ground seeking a way through Meekal's protective circle. Failure to penetrate thickened its essence into a swarthy fog rising up from the earth. Syther motioned for two of his thugs to move to their left. Then a finger, ringed in gold, pointed toward Shayla's hair. "Nice fake die job."

"In your dreams," she growled back.

From above, the heavy wind brought in moaning, magical shadows of mayhem, which obscured the lover's moon and stars.

One Thyrza raised a wand as it transformed into a dagger. His face twisted into a frightening caricature of a grin, lip curling upward, and disappearing into a bushy mustache. He moved to her left, menacing, just outside the earthen circle, black fog misting upward to his knees. The other Thyrza focused his attention on Meekal.

"Nascent? Oh really?" Shayla's annoyance came through in her voice. "I'm not a witch."

Syther held his hateful sneer on her, projecting his power toward them.

Despite the protection around them, the sinister aura surrounding Syther caused tremors of dark power to travel through Shayla. However, standing in such close proximity with him succeeded in strengthening her resolve. "It won't happen," she insisted angrily while moving to take CIARANLEXISS from her boot.

Meekal moved to her back, facing the Thyrza behind her. He whispered a soft incantation, "Alalia."

Panic ensued outside the circle behind her. Shayla turned her head to see what had happened.

The Thyrza to her back clutched his throat, panic raging from his eyes. Shaking his head, he attempted to emit sounds, only to fail.

Meekal whispered another incantation that she could not hear clearly.

Down went another Thyrza, scratching and pulling at his hair. His feet beginning to flail about, he shuddered and vanished in a puff of black smoke.

Syther roared, pointed his bone wand at Meekal, and yelled, "Scathergal!"

Meekal raised his hand, flicked his wrist, and deflected the curse to hit another Thyrza.

Screams erupted. The victim of vicious cutting went into a frenzy of movement, trying to escape the curse's effects. Frenetic agony filled the clearing with desperation's cadence.

Sheitan paced at the edge of the circle, looking from her master Syther to Shayla. The smell of fresh blood raised her hackles in antic.i.p.ation. She yowled, adding to the mayhem surrounding them.

Shayla blew out a deep breath, her adrenalin rushing. Pointing CIARANLEXISS at the panther, she commanded, "Go home, Sheitan. I will see you another day."

Sheitan blinked at her, and then with a shimmer of black fur, vanished.

Syther roared his anger once again. Pointing his wand at Shayla, he started to curse her. "Scath-"

"Wand." The white bone flashed as it flew across the s.p.a.ce between them. It landed on the gra.s.s. Shayla did not touch Syther's wand. Instead, when it arrived at her feet, she stomped it with her boot heel.

In an angry vortex of black air, Syther vanished, followed closely by his minions.

Meekal turned to her. "Are you all right?"

With the potential danger past, a flash of euphoria ran through her. They were out, free and clear. "Wow! Yes." In celebration, Meekal pulled her close, and then his questing tongue ventured within.

She melted within his arms.

Pulling away reluctantly, he whispered, "We need to get back to the manor."

Shayla nodded, moving her hands to clasp behind his neck.

Meekal hesitated, chewing on his lip. Looking down, he made a decision. He knelt next to Syther's broken wand, examining it.

Curiosity peaking, Shayla went down on one knee. "Kal, what is it. Is something wrong?"

He conjured a stone box, and then levitated the wand into its protective interior. Muttering under his breath, he picked the box up and tucked it into his back pocket.

"What did you do that for?"

"We may be able to use it." Meekal took her hand, held her gaze and whispered, "Home."

[8] Death Knell They arrived at Chilkwell Manor in the midst of a family reunion. Meekal smiled and encouraged Shayla forward. "Shay, this is my grandmum, Emelia Chilkwell. Grandmum, this is Shayla Brinawell. She's from America."

Emelia, expression happy to see him, she pulled Meekal into a hug. "h.e.l.lo, love," she whispered against his shoulder. She stepped away, smiling at Shayla. "Ah, so this is the la.s.s Black Bry is boasting about." She shook Shayla's hand.

Shayla accepted the gesture of welcome even as she felt heat in her cheeks. "Hi," she whispered, feeling uncharacteristically shy.

"It's all right, dear." Emelia hesitated, noticing Shayla stiffen. "Shayla, he said you were the spitting image of Keira."

"Oh."

A deep ba.s.s voice said, "He's right, as usual."

Shayla looked up at Meekal's grandfather. Joseph Chilkwell had the signature Chilkwell black hair with silver wings on the sides for added effect. He stood at least six foot six, broad of shoulder with an imposing presence. His eyes were a piercing blue; however, at the moment they expressed humor.

He laughed and reached forward to shake her hand. "h.e.l.lo, Shayla. I'm Joseph, Kal's grandfather."

"I can tell." His friendliness infectious, she smiled back.

Meekal joined in. "Some things just carry over through the family."

"I can see that." Standing next to one another, Meekal and his grandfather looked so much alike, someone could have thought they were father and son.

"Dad had black hair and blue eyes, too. They weren't the same as the Chilkwell blue though."

"Uh ha."

Meekal snickered, but then became serious. "We were attacked at Midmar Circle. Syther and his thugs were there. Corby Zubird, too."