Witchmate (Skeleton Key) Read online

  “And the woman?”

  “If she is useful in subduing the domiscin, bring her in as well. Remember, though, he is the first priority.”

  “Yes.” Renald’s expression softened. “I would do anything to please you.”

  Tia nodded. Renald was in love with her. He had been since before their naming. When Tia had developed elemental magic, and Renald had developed spirit magic, they’d been separated into their respective disciplines. It had only been the last year that they’d reunited. In her own way, she cared very deeply for Renald. “I know you would and you do, Ren. You do. Now go, before the queen awakens.”

  ****

  Twilight had always been Keir’s favorite time of day. The way the sun penetrated through the densely forested woods created a masterpiece of vibrant colors full of light and shade. Already, the fog was burning off as the rising temperature began to warm the air around him. However, in all his years, he’d never felt so uplifted by the change from night to day. Emma’s influence, he mused.

  He could still smell her scent, a mixture of strawberries and lilacs, though how she could smell like both astounded him. She hadn’t agreed to be his mate, but she hadn’t said no either. Her silence on the subject gave him hope. Illogically, he hunted with great enthusiasm, eager to provide Emma with a meal, as if filling her belly would somehow make her realize she couldn’t live without him. He knew his logic was flawed, so when he’d spotted the elk, he ignored the large beast and set his sights on a rabbit.

  He shifted to wolf form and automatically pawed at the ground. He watched the small beast nibble at the dense spikes of a white clover flower. In his animal form, he could smell the sweetness every bite released. He waited. If this was to be the small creature’s last meal, let it be one of peace and tranquility. A warm morning breeze kicked up, an anomaly in the deeper parts of the forest. The wind blew low, disturbing his fur. He noted that the leaves in the trees barely rustled. After a few minutes had passed, the smell of sweet clover disappeared. Keir deeply inhaled, his nostrils flaring. Nothing. Not even the scent of the rabbit less than forty feet away lingered on the air. He yawned, trying to taste any traces in the wind. Again, nothing.

  The rabbit perked its ears. It too noticed the change around them.

  A scream in the distance put him on high alert. Emma! He wanted to howl as fear shot through him. He fought his instinct to run blindly back to her. If she was under attack, he couldn’t let her assailants know he was coming. The element of surprise might be all that stood between Emma’s life and her death.

  Chapter Eight

  Keir heard Emma scream again. The agony in that cry was too much for him. He began to shift mid-stride into his warrior nature, his claws outstretched as he came at the back of the enemy circle.

  Four witches, all male, wearing blue and green robes that marked them as second and third level spellcasters, surrounded Emma. Her face and hands were tinged with a bright purple-pink hue, and her shirt and pants looked wet.

  Keir growled, his stance wide. He heard the fireball before it hit his side. The burning agony increased his rage. His senses had failed him. He should have been able to detect the hidden assailant. He ignored the pain and charged the nearest witch, latching on to his throat and yanking him side to side. The man’s blood filled his mouth, but he didn’t let go until he heard the snap of his neck.

  They were shouting to each other now, but Keir’s focus was on protecting his mate. Emma yelled for him to watch out, but too late, another fireball hit him, this time in the chest. The fire consumed his breath and drove him to his knees. The witch whose magic had felled him ran toward Keir with silver shackles.

  Cold realization dawned. Damn them! They weren’t trying to kill him. They wanted to capture him. A domiscin for a prize. He shook his head, his determination renewed, and grabbed the witch. The silver manacles brushed his skin, sizzling against him, as he knocked the wretched thing from the man’s hand. He grabbed the witch’s robe as the man turned to flee. Every witch’s gaze was on him now. The magical fire burned, torturing his flesh, but he had an edge on his enemy now.

  They wanted him alive.

  “Run, Emma!” he roared and tore out the witch’s throat.

  ****

  The strange men in housecoats had seemingly come out of nowhere. Emma had been resting one moment, then dodging fire the next. She’d held up her hand when the second sphere of flames flew straight for her head. Miraculously, it deflected away. She looked at her hand. Purplish pink stained palm. The witchvine!

  Dropping to her knees, Emma grabbed a handful of the leaves Keir had cut off the plant then scurried around to the backside of the tree. She hurriedly rubbed the crushed leaves on her face, her hands, down her shirt and her pants.

  She dropped the remnants of the witchvine just as her attackers surrounded.

  “Where is the domiscin?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “The wolf, frellet, where is he?”

  The way the guy said frellet, Emma thought it must be a pretty unflattering word.

  “Screw you, asshole.”

  A ball of fire flew past her head.

  A large brown and red wolf barreled out into the clearing. Keir! Relief poured through her. Her shirt was singed in a few places, and her hair was fried, but the witchvine leaves proved really effective against the magic they threw at her.

  She watched the first blast rip into Keir’s side, and the second that hit his chest stole her breath as well. Please, don’t die, she begged silently. They had all turned their attention to Keir as if she were insignificant.

  She ran toward the action, almost faltering when Keir attacked the guy holding the shiny bracelets. Then she had to swallow down her horror when he tore out the dude’s throat, and the sharp spray of his blood splattered across her face. She could taste the metallic tang, like a rusty penny in her mouth.

  “Run, Emma!” she heard him say, but he had his back to her, taking on the next man.

  “Oh God.” Two more of the aggressors joined the fight. They ran at Keir from both sides. One had a shiny net to match the other’s shiny cuffs. They were trying to take him.

  “Go!” he said when he saw her coming at them.

  “No!” Emma shouted. She leaped the last five feet to land behind Keir and stripped the knife from his belt. She turned, pressing her back against his. “They will not take you,” she said. She rolled up his back and somersaulted onto the witch with the silver net. He grabbed her forearms, and while she felt tiny shocks, his power seemed to fizzle out. He reached up and punched her in the jaw.

  “Son of a bitch,” Emma gritted out, the side of her face throbbing. With all her strength, she thrust the knife into her attacker, not knowing where she sank the blade until she went down with him and saw it sticking out of his eye. She gagged as she jerked it out and fire flared inside the gory socket.

  Keir had already taken care of the other two men. He grabbed her hand. “Let’s go.”

  They ran, adrenaline making her sandbag legs feel like feathers. When Keir jumped she jumped, and when he side stepped, so did she. It was as if they were moving as one being. Even with his legs much longer than her own, Emma was able to keep up. It felt as if they’d been running for an hour by the time Keir finally slowed his pace.

  “I don’t think we were followed.”

  “That was a shit show of epic proportions,” Emma said when she caught her breath. “What the hell? Why did those douche-nozzles attack us?”

  “Witches,” he said. “They knew I was out here. Alone. This confirms my suspicions. There is a traitor amongst my people.”

  “Should we go back? You need reinforcements.”

  “I don’t know who I can trust.”

  “What can we do then?”

  Keir tipped her chin up and dipped his head. He kissed her with the barest brush of his lips. It took all his willpower not to take the moment further. “We have to hide. I know of a tree st
and a few miles from here. We can stay there overnight while I consider my options.”

  “What if they find us? We’ll be sitting ducks.”

  “The tree is covered in witchvine. We have several of these hidden stands around the forest where the vine grows more plentiful. We don’t harvest from those areas for that purpose. It’s a safe place, Emma.” He kissed her again. “Do you believe me?”

  “Yes.” She had firsthand proof of the effectiveness of the witchvine.

  “Then let’s go.”

  Chapter Nine

  Toland sent Thadeus ahead to scout the path. They’d been on track, maybe two or three hours behind Keir, when the scents of the forest went dead. Amile’s furrowed brow matched Toland’s concern.

  “We must rely on signs,” Jaylinn said. “The witches have cast spells to rob us of our senses.” She’d insisted on coming along for the search, and like Thadeus and Amile, Jaylinn was a strong tracker. So Toland allowed her to join the search.

  Amile nodded and pursed her lips. She had long dark hair pulled back tight behind her head. It gave her face a severe look. “I can’t smell Thad.”

  “He’ll return Amile.” Tol prayed he was right.

  Mika approached them from the north, her short blonde hair drenched in sweat. “Hurry,” she said breathlessly. “You’ll want to see this.”

  “We shouldn’t leave,” Amile said. “We need to wait for Thadeus.”

  Toland felt Amile’s anxiousness as his own. There were no landmarks in the forest. Wolfkind used scent markers to lay down paths. Running through the trees without a path could easily get them lost. He reached out to the nearest tree, his fingers turning to sharp claws, and ripped deep grooves into the bark.

  “We’ll leave him a trail he can follow.”

  Amile, her forehead lined with worry, nodded sharply. They moved quickly and quietly with Mika leading the way. A few miles in, Mika stopped. Amile and Toland ran up to stand beside her.

  Toland gaped at the carnage. On the ground were five dead witches strewn about as if tossed like confetti.

  “I found them like this,” Mika said.

  “They underestimated our domiscin,” Amile said, pride replacing some of her fear.

  Toland knelt next to one of the corpses. He picked up his arm. The limb was stiff. Rigor had already started. “It’s been a few hours since their deaths.”

  “How are we going to find Keir?” Mika’s voice pitched up an octave.

  A rustle in the brush put the three of them on alert. Toland reached for his knife. Amile prepared herself to shift, and Mika widened her stance, ready for action.

  When Thadeus stepped out, Toland heard the collective sigh of relief.

  “Damn it,” he said. “I missed all the fun.”

  Amile threw herself at him and kissed him hard. “You missed nothing, but I missed you,” she said staring at her mate. “We should stick together until daylight.” The suggestion was meant for Toland.

  “Agreed,” he said. “From here out, we track together. Mika is right, we are at a disadvantage, but we can’t leave Keir out there without trying to find him. We pledged him our lives, and if that’s what it comes down to, that’s what we will give.” He hoped he would live to regret not officially making Lis his mate, and he pledged that if they made it out of this alive, he wouldn’t waste another minute with doubt.

  ****

  Aerina looked at the papers scattered across the floor. The scream still echoed in her head. “Emma,” she whispered. She’d been searching with her psychic magic for two days, but she’d been unable to find any anomalies in her world until the scream. She’d seen the fireball heading straight for the girl, her life in serious peril. The danger had been the trigger, and Aerina felt sick with anguish.

  “Tia,” she shouted.

  The raven beauty entered Aerina’s office. “Rina?”

  “What have you done?” She felt the power flexing in her veins, the tenuous tethers of her control ready to snap.

  Tia’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

  “Why are there elementals in the woods? And why are they attacking a defenseless woman?”

  “I’m at a loss, my queen. How am I to know what’s happening out of my sight?”

  She sounded genuinely surprised, and Aerina’s anger waned. “Find out what’s going on. I swear, if they harm the girl in any way, I will take a page from my father’s book and burn this city to the ground.”

  Fear flashed in Tia’s eyes as she backed her way to the door. “Yes, High Sister. I understand. I will send out word.”

  When the door closed, Aerina shrieked her frustration. She’d worked too hard and strategized too long for her plan to fail now. “That damned key.” She’d paid a high cost to get Emma here, and if the coven leaders found out how high, they would kill her. Or at least try. “Stay safe,” she whispered. “Let the impossible be possible and lead us to the end.”

  ****

  The tree stand was a four by four structure with a hatch in the floor, walls with tiny slits for looking out, and a roof. It had been designed to be virtually undetectable by even wolfkind. Only a few knew of the locations. Unlike most of their trails that relied on wolfkind scent markers, the treestand paths contained only physical clues, camouflaged so that no one else could find them. Only a few people knew their locations.

  They arrived after several hours of covering their tracks, adding in points of misdirection.

  “Wow, that really is hidden well,” Emma said as she stared straight up. “How in the hell are we supposed to get up there?”

  “Climb on my back,” Keir said.

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “I’m not sure…”

  “What kidding means,” Emma finished. “Got it. Joking?”

  He shook his head. He was getting used to her strange words, but it didn’t mean he understood her any better.

  “You know, lying to be funny.”

  “Oh.” Keir shook his head. “I wouldn’t do that.”

  “Of course, you wouldn’t.”

  He turned his back to her, squatted down and patted his shoulder. “Hop up.”

  Emma pursed her lips, but stepped on his thigh and catapulted onto his back. As she looped her arms just under his collar bone, his skin shivered as her chest pressed against his back.

  “Jesus,” she said. “You’ve got muscles on muscles.”

  Her comment pleased him. Without ceremony, he began to scale the tree. Emma crossed her legs around his waist and held on as the top of the tree drew nearer, and the ground got farther away.

  Emma remained silent as he climbed higher and higher. She didn’t strike Keir as someone afraid of heights or much of anything for that matter. The way she’d jumped into the fight had scared him as no enemy could, but Emma, she’d been fearless. “A low hideout would be easily seen,” he said. “It would defeat the purpose.” He gripped the bark with his thighs and hit the hatch with his palm. It popped open. “Go ahead. I’ll follow you in.”

  He held on patiently as she threw her bag inside the entrance and used him as a ladder to get in the tree stand, grimacing as her slippered foot stepped on his ear.

  “Sorry,” she said as she disappeared into the structure. She turned around and peeked her head out. “Do you need some help?”

  “I’ve got it,” Keir said, and climbed inside, his broad shoulders scrapping against the small opening. He closed the hatch behind him. Right away, he noticed the shift in his abilities as his sense of smell returned. The pungent scent of the stale, musty tree stand was better than all the roses in the world.

  “It’s really dark in here,” Emma said.

  He reached up and opened another hatch in the roof. Sunlight filtered into the small room. A bedroll and blankets were in the corner along with a small satchel.

  Keir opened the container. He pulled out a thick brown strip of dried meat. He smiled at Emma. “Dinner is served.”

  She narrowed her gaze. “Is that s
ome kind of jerky?”

  “It’s dried elk. We smoke and salt it for the winter. It makes good provisions as well. He pulled out a bottle.

  “Water?” Emma asked.

  “Not exactly,” Keir said. “It’s a fermented fruit juice. It also keeps well in the winter.”

  Emma raised her brow. “You trying to get me drunk?”

  Her petulant expression made his pulse quicken. “Maybe.”

  “You know,” she said, grabbing the bottle. She pulled the cork off. “After what we just went through today, I can seriously use a drink.” She took a pull, sputtering as the liquid spilled into her mouth. “That’s… that’s… Jesus, that burns.”

  “It’s not for those with a weak constitution.”

  “My constitution is plenty tough.” She took another drink, gasping after she swallowed. She handed the bottle to Keir. “I rarely drink alcohol. Dulls the senses.” Whatever this stuff was hit her hard. Her mind went fuzzy, and she felt giddy.

  Suddenly, she giggled. “You know, you’re very cute.”

  “Uhm, thanks.”

  “Cute. Handsome. Hot.”

  “You find me attractive.”

  She took another swig. “Bingo! But you know I’ve never…” She wiggled her brows. “You know. Done the deed.”

  “The deed,” he said. Realization dawned on his face. “Ah. You’ve never been bedded? Good. I would hate to have to kill your other lovers.”

  Emma giggled again. She fanned herself with her hands. “Whew. Things are getting homicidal. Someone call the cops.” She sobered for a moment. “I killed someone.”

  He stroked her cheek. “You were very brave.”

  “I’ve never even seen a dead body. Let alone made a dead body.” Her eyes were red and watery. “I don’t want to kill anyone else.”

  “I hope you won’t have to, Emma. But this is the world I live in.”

  “I’m so tired,” she said. “I’ve been up for two days, and I can’t think. My brain is so foggy.”

  “That’s partly the drink.” He pulled out the bedroll and laid it out, layering it with the two blankets. “Here,” he said. “Lie down.”