Embrace Me At Dawn (2 page)

Anka pressed her lips together to hold in a curse. Of course, her old friend and Bram’s sister would spill the secret. Sabelle was worried about her and still believed that Lucan cared enough to stop Anka from putting herself in harm’s way. In a fashion, Sabelle’s attempt was sweet, if futile.

“
Be my guest.” Anka gestured across the expanse of Bram’s winter-brown lawn, dormant roses swaying with the slight breeze. The Doomsday Brethren’s leader’s massive new house beckoned, carpenters and masons in the distance adding finishing touches to the structure built directly over the site of the original estate, which Mathias had recently destroyed. “You won’t stop me from trying to convince Bram that I can be an asset to your fight.”

Lucan scowled at her as if she’d lost her mind. “After what Mathias did to you? Why? You’re still healing.”

“
I’m better,” she argued.

“
That’s crap. You look tired. Are you going to lie and tell me you’re not having nightmares, Anka? I know you…”

He would always have an intimate knowledge of her, and one undeniable fact was that she often took the stress in her life and played it out in terrible detail in her dreams. Lucan could have no doubt that she was plagued by nightmares. Or that she avoided sleep because of them.

“
I’m all right.”

“
You’re not,” he growled. “It’s obvious. Why would you imagine that you’d be doing anything more than putting yourself—and the rest of us trying to save you—in more danger?”

It was a fair question, but she refused to back down. “I’m not the same woman I once was.”

Lucan clenched massive fists at his sides. “Clearly.”

He was trying to restrain his temper. Anka had seen this behavior more than once during their mating. She bit her lip to hold in a bittersweet smile. How much she missed his face and every one of those expressions she knew so well. If Bram refused to allow her to join the Doomsday Brethren, would she ever see them again?

Despair spread a heavy pain through her chest. It was unreasonable to assume that she would forget a century of happiness in mere months. Even tragedy and rape couldn’t obliterate love.

“
I have to go.” Anka couldn’t bear to look at him again and wonder if this would be the last time.

But when she turned toward Bram’s home, she saw a familiar narrow-hipped giant sauntering her way. Shock. He wore black leather from top to bottom, like something out of a motorcycle gang—or a fetish club. A goatee framed his full mouth and square chin. Sunglasses covered his inscrutable eyes. She knew without question that he glared at Lucan.

Her former mate shifted his weight to the balls of his feet, clearly itching for any reason to punch Shock. “Why are you here?”

It was a fair question, given the fact that Shock, the Doomsday Brethren’s supposed double agent, had behaved like Mathais’s right hand more than once recently. Shock made a natural second to the evil wizard, as the Denzells had long been Mathias supporters. It was his role as an alleged informant and member of the Doomsday Brethren that everyone doubted. Despite living with him, even Anka didn’t know exactly where his allegiance lay. She’d tried not to think about her lover helping her rapist tear magickind apart, but ignoring that possibility was becoming more and more difficult.

The arch of Shock’s black brow popped above his dark-tinted glasses. “You think I need your permission to be here?”

Lucan hesitated. Anka hadn’t thought it possible, but his body grew more taut. “After you dragged Tynan away last week, took him to your boss, then dumped him when he was only suitable for a body bag, you have the devil’s audacity to show your face.”

“
Could you read Tynan’s mind?”

No, but Shock could. And everyone knew that, upon returning to magickind months ago Mathias had murdered Auropha, the love of Tynan’s life. Since then, the wizard had had a death wish. Shock had done nothing more than help Mathias grant it.

The night of Tynan’s death, Shock sank farther than ever into a bottle. Given the depth of his black mood, Anka was surprised to see that he’d crawled out at all.

“
You could have saved him,” Lucan growled. “And you didn’t.”

“
You think Tynan would have thanked me if I had?”

Shock crossed his arms over his chest and waited for Lucan to concede. That was never going to happen. These two together had always been like oil and water. She’d cared for them both deeply. Now, as always, divided loyalties were tearing her up inside.

“
I’m leaving.” She spun away from the two men.

“
Where are you going?” Lucan demanded, grabbing her arm, his hold sizzling though her entire body, settling with a gentle ache right between her legs.

Shock took hold of the other in an equally tight grip. “Where have you been?”

They were both aggressive, demanding. She knew better than to jerk away. Either—or both—would do everything in his power to hold her until they got answers.

“
I’m here to talk to Bram. Let go.” She glared at them both.

Lucan flinched, yanking his hand away with a curse. Satisfied, Shock slowly unwound his fingers from her wrist. Anka knew that if she turned her back on them, it wouldn’t be long before they began to argue—with their wands and their fists. Neither man was her responsibility any longer. By looking at Lucan’s magical signature, she could see that he was brimming with energy, and wondering who he’d been taking to his bed to generate it was killing her. If she stayed to ponder the question longer, she would only cry.

A few days ago, she’d left Shock. This was likely the first time he’d been sober enough to notice her absence. Something was eating at him, and he wouldn’t share it with her. She wanted to help him. God knew, she owed Shock. But she couldn’t live with him anymore. Though he gave her the protection and occasional energy she desperately needed, in every other way they were slowly killing one another.

Anka turned toward the house again, this time to see Bram striding toward them, grim purpose filling his sharp blue eyes. In a glance, he took in the scene. His tawny hair moved with the breeze, mussing the strands in a very uncharacteristic fashion. He was so focused, he didn’t notice or care.

“
Shock?” The Doomsday Brethren’s leader stopped in front of the other wizard, his brow lifted as if to ask,
Why the hell are you here?

Clearly, Shock wasn’t popular among the Doomsday Brethren. Then again, he never had been. No one trusted him. Anka only did because he’d kept her terrible secret for so long—just as she’d kept his. She’d always known that if one of them went down in flames, they’d likely be going together.

Smirking at Bram’s arrogance, Shock pretended he didn’t see the other wizard’s impatient expression. “Yes?”

“
No bloody stupid games. I hear you’ve come to see me. Out with it, then. And this had better be about stopping Mathias and Morganna le Fay’s antics. That bitch especially has been so busy of late that everyone in England thinks the sky is going to fucking fall months before the Mayans supposed.”

A chunk of the chip on Shock’s shoulder seemed to fall away. His posture lost some starch. “That’s exactly why I’ve come. When Mathias resurrected Morganna in her tomb, he planned to meld her power to his and—”

“
Be magickind’s most dastardly super villain or some such, I’m sure.” Bram raked a hand though his already mussed hair. “But did he have to take all that energy and direct it against humans? My God, if humankind discovers that we truly exist, the Inquisition will look like a friendly game of croquet.”

“
Did you bloody want him to direct his power at magickind?” Lucan glowered.

“
It’s only a matter of time before Mathias comes after us, too,” Anka murmured. “We all know that.”

She knew that better than most.

Shock growled, “Fucking listen! Mathias had nothing to do with the massacre at Stonehenge last week or the death of all those humans. Morganna is beyond control.”

“
Even Mathias’s?” Bram quizzed.

“
Completely.” Nodding, his dark waves brushing his shoulders, Shock confirmed what some of the Doomsday Brethren had long suspected: Morganna wouldn’t be tamed. “And she is obsessed.”

“
With what?” Bram looked skeptical.

A gruff laugh slipped from Shock’s throat. “Do I look stupid enough to spend more time with the shrew than I must? Fuck, no. According to Mathias, she is completely absorbed in looking for something. He has no idea what.”

“
Or claims he has no idea.” Bram put his hands on his narrow hips, skepticism hanging heavily around him. “So you’re saying that he has no sway over her actions and no idea what she’s seeking? Convenient, isn’t it?” Bram mused.

Shock rolled his eyes. “Focus, you bloody stubborn wanker. I’m telling you the truth.”

“
Maybe I should fetch Felicia to see if that’s the case?” Bram threatened slyly. “The Untouchable will know if you’re lying.”

Indeed. The beautiful Felicia could sniff out any lie, and Anka knew that Bram had come to rely on her skill, made only stronger by her recent mate bond with another Doomsday Brethren member, Duke.

“
Feel free.” Shock shrugged his massive, leather-clad shoulders. “I’ve nothing to hide.”

Bram pulled out his mobile phone and sent a quick text. In less than thirty seconds, Duke and Felicia appeared on the dormant lawn, the stylish wizard’s arm protectively around his mate’s small waist, her long golden hair brushing his shoulder and chest.

“
Say it again,” Bram insisted.

“
Mathias has no control over Morganna and no idea what she’s searching for.”

Every eye turned to Felicia. “He’s telling the truth. Or…at least the truth as he knows it.”

So if Mathias had lied to him—or Shock had intentionally allowed Mathias to do so—Felicia had no way of knowing. Bram sighed, and Duke shuffled his mate behind his body, out of Shock’s path. Even in a suit that cost probably upwards of £1,000, Duke still looked every inch the protector.

The big, leather-clad wizard shook his head at Bram with a sigh. “I’m telling you the absolute truth. And despite your derision, I’m going to do you a huge fucking favor and tell you that Morganna is determined to kill you and your sister.”

Felicia nodded, biting her lip anxiously.

Fear gripped Anka’s throat. For Bram, yes. But he was one of magickind’s most capable and talented wizards. Her fear was mostly for Sabelle. She was a gifted witch, but in Morganna’s league? No one was. Bram, along with Sabelle’s devoted mate, Ice, would both willingly give their lives to keep her safe. And still it might not be enough. If Mathias couldn’t handle Morganna, and Bram died trying, who would save magickind? A bigger force might be their only means of defeating the evil witch—another reason Anka hoped that Bram let her join.

Bram frowned. “Morganna wants us dead because we have Merlin’s blood in our veins?”

“
Exactly.” Shock crossed his arms over his chest. “This is merely a guess, mind you, but I suspect she sees it as payback because Merlin managed to keep her soul imprisoned for the last fifteen centuries. By the way, she’s more than a bit vocal about the fact that she could feel pain, thirst, depravation, and agony while trapped in that cave.”

Payback, indeed. Anka swallowed. Morganna had never been known for restraint. Saddled with this sort of fury, what would the witch be capable of?

“
I understand. Warning received. Thank you.” Bram sounded almost grateful. “So this going after humankind instead of coming straight here? To draw us out?”

“
You want me to guess Morganna’s motives?” Shock’s tone asked if Bram was out of his mind. “I don’t fucking know why Morganna does anything. I just know she must be stopped. And Mathias wishes like hell that he’d never resurrected the bitch.”

Shock drew in a big breath that lifted his massive shoulders. Anka frowned. He was never nervous, but whatever he hadn’t yet said unnerved him.