Chapter 11

Memory was about to burn up under the warm throw Lily had spread over her. She’d been on the couch all day and was about to crawl out of her skin. But the plan called for her to pretend to be sick so here she was, watching everyone leave.

They were supposedly headed for town to do some shopping and run errands. If their trap worked, the Dark Fae would show up disguised as Colton. She wasn’t convinced he would show, but Eldric was insistent that he would. All she had to do was pretend she didn’t know and convince him to go with her to Ellie’s house.

Piece of cake.

Then why was she sweating and feeling a little nauseous?

Memory threw off the cover and got up to go into the kitchen for a glass of water. She had just finished chugging it down when she heard the sound of the kitchen door open. She turned to see Colton walking in.

But it wasn’t Colton. He’d been wearing a black t-shirt and jeans when he left. This Colton had on the same outfit, but the hat and the belt buckle were all wrong, as were the boots.

Memory forced a smile. “Well, hello, handsome. I thought you were going with everyone to town.”

“I didn’t want to leave you alone.”

“Well, that was sweet and I’m glad you decided to stay. There’s something I wanted to talk to you about and it’s almost impossible with everyone around.”

“Oh?”

She leaned back against the kitchen counter. “You know that house Ellie and Eldric talk about? Her secret house that’s shielded or something? I want to see it.”

“Why?”

“Because I think they’re full of crap, basically. Come on. I know we had a weird thing happen at your ranch but this business about Fae and superpowers and all that? I just can’t buy it. And another thing. That load of poop they tried to feed me about being their sister? Come on. They can’t honestly think I’d buy that.

“There’s something rotten here, Colton and I mean to find out what it is.”

“I see.”

“Do you?”

“Yes, of course. What do you want from me?”

“I want you to go with me.”

“I don’t know where it is.”

Memory smiled. “Well, fortunately I do. I snitched Ellie’s phone and there was a map on it to that house. I texted it to my phone.”

“Smart woman.”

“I have my moments. So will you go with me?”

“Absolutely.”

“Great, let me put on my shoes and we’ll go now.”

“If that’s what you want.”

Memory hurried to the family room, sat down on the sofa, and pulled on her socks and shoes. She wasn’t at all sure this would work, but for the moment the fake Colton thought she believed he was the real deal, so maybe there was a chance.

She returned to the kitchen where fake Colton waited. There were several sets of keys hanging on the key rack by the door. She grabbed the one she recognized as Ellie’s. “Okay, I’m ready.”

Together they went outside. “You want to drive?” she asked, offering him the key.

“No, it’s fine if you drive.”

Memory wondered if he even knew where they were supposed to go. Not that she knew exactly. She just knew she was supposed to take a right out of the drive and turn in to the next drive on the right.

“What time do you think everyone will be back?” She asked as she made the turn onto the main road. “I don’t exactly want them to find out we were gone. Trust issues and all that.”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, maybe we can find the place and get back before they do.”

“Perhaps.”

“Not feeling talkative today?”

He shrugged and she let it pass, completing the drive-in silence. When she pulled up in front of what Ellie called the “old house” she parked, got out and took her phone from her pocket.

She called up the photo of the map. Fake Colton walked around the back of the truck and joined her, looking at the map.

“I guess we go that way,” she pointed toward the back yard.

“It would seem.”

“Okay, here we go.”

Memory hoped she was going in the right direction. Once they were clear of the bramble that was the back yard, the landscape was really pretty, almost like a park with big old moss laden oaks and clumps of palmettos.

It felt like they’d been walking for a long time before she spotted the stream. She consulted the map, remembering what Cam and Ellie had told her. Turn west or left and go about twenty-five to thirty minutes and she’d reach the lake.

“Are you sure this is the right direction?” Fake Colton asked from behind her.

“According to the map,” she replied and kept walking. She hoped like hell Ellie and the rest of the crew would be at the house. If she managed to find it. Being with Fake Colton in the middle of the woods was sort of creeping her out.

They walked for thirty minutes, following the stream and still no sign of a lake. Memory was starting to sweat. Literally. The day was warm, and they’d been walking for a good while. She wished she’d thought to bring a bottle of water.

Five minutes later she saw it, the glint of light on water. Thank god. “Look!” she pointed in the direction of the lake. “According to the map the house is on the other side of the lake.”

“Excellent.”

Wrong choice of words, asshat. She thought as she picked up the pace. She hadn’t known Colton long, but he would not have responded that way. Memory resisted breaking into a run as they made their way along the side of the lake. Finally, she reached a point where the lake curved to the right.

“Oh my god,” she paused as she saw the house. It was exactly as Ellie had described it.

Memory felt Fake Colton’s hand on her left arm. She wanted to shake it off, but that might give her away so when his hand slid down to clasp hers, she didn’t pull away.

“It’s beautiful,” she said and cut a look at him.

He was looking at the house and his expression struck her as sinister. Maybe it was just her imagination, or maybe it was stress. All she knew is that everyone better be in that damn house when she got there because the last thing she wanted was to get stuck with Fake Colton in the middle of nowhere.

“Come on,” she tugged on his hand and started forward.

And smacked right into hard air. She stumbled back a step, gaping in shock. There was nothing there! She reached out her hand. Sure enough it was like touching an invisible wall.

“What the hell?” She turned to look at Colton and just as she did, he yanked her arm up behind her back and wrapped his free hand around her throat.

“Hey!” She protested and reached up with her free hand, trying to pry his hand from her neck.

“Be silent or I will snap your neck.”

Memory had always thought of herself as a fairly courageous woman, but at the moment she was scared enough to feel weak in the knees.

Fake Colton shouted out. “Allow me entrance or she dies.”

Suddenly, Memory wished she’d considered the plan more carefully. Please, please, let us in.

She saw the front door of the house open. Eldric stepped out, followed by Ellie and then Colton and the rest of the family. Everyone walked across the porch, down the steps and into the yard.

Only Eldric and Colton continued walking. Everyone else stopped and waited. Eldric continued until he was less than ten feet away. “Show yourself.”

Memory couldn’t tell what was happening, but she could see from the look on the faces of the people who watched that something was taking place. Especially Eldric. His face hardened and his eyes glinted with a light she’d never seen. Something sharp and hard.

“Lucien,” he hissed.

“Uncle Lucien to be precise,” the man with his hand around her throat replied.

“Uncle?” Memory rasped, barely able to speak from Lucien’s grip on her throat.

“My father’s brother,” Eldric answered, his eyes on Lucien. “A traitor to our people. He turned his back on the Light and swore allegiance to the Dark. Before the portal was closed, he escaped to this realm.

“What do you want?” he asked Lucien.

Lucien laughed. “Why your powers, of course. All of them.”

“That will not happen,” Eldric replied.

“Then this one dies,” Lucien’s hand tightened on Memory’s throat, and she felt sharp nails pierce her skin.

“I will not allow that,” Eldric warned. “Let her go. Now. This is your only chance.”

“You think to defeat me, boy?” Lucien laughed.

“I do.”

“And them?” Lucien asked and released Memory’s arm to gesture around him.

Memory started to struggle as she saw snakes rise up from the ground, trees twist and writhe, transforming into men with eyes as black as night, talons for fingernails and teeth that resembled a shark.

They hissed at Eldric, taking stations around their Master.

“Lower the enchantment or Elyssa dies.” Lucien ordered.

Eldric looked at Memory then at Lucien without speaking. Ellie ran up to him. “You have to do it,” Ellie insisted. “Eldric, she’s our sister. You can’t let him hurt her.”

Memory barely paid attention to what Ellie was saying. Colton stood beside Eldric, looking at her.

“Listen to me, sugar.” He spoke to her in a calm tone. “Just like at the ranch. Do you hear me, Mem? Just like at the ranch. Now.”

Memory couldn’t nod or speak but she could force a smile. She knew exactly what he was saying. She cut her eyes around fixing everyone’s position in her mind then closed her eyes.

She envisioned a dozen sharp arrows with heads that sparked with energy. The vision got stronger until she could see every detail of the arrows and the direction in which they were pointed.

That’s when she opened her eyes. Colton was ready. A heartbeat later he raised both hands in front of him and made a sweeping motion from inside to out.

She heard hisses and inhuman shrieks, saw three of the Dark Fae vanish into oily clouds of black smoke. Lucien released her to dodge one of the arrows and she tried to run but stumbled and fell.

“Mem!” Colton’s shout alerted her. She scrambled to her feet as Lucien raised his hand. Fiery energy pulsed from his palm.

She inched back, terrified. He was going to kill her. “Colton,” she whispered as Lucien drew back as if to hurl the energy.

But before he could, Eldric attacked. In the time it takes to blink he transformed into a white dragon with blue eyes and talons of silver. He pounced on Lucien, snatching Lucien up in his powerful jaws.

Memory turned and ran, straight into the invisible shield. She couldn’t get in! The Dark Fae were hurling bolts of energy at Eldric, screaming and hissing like demons as they circled. He swung his tail, battering at them and refusing to release Lucien.

“Help him!” Memory screamed and pictured more arrows. “Colton help!

Colton stepped through the shield to her side. “I’m here, honey.”

Almost as soon as the arrows flew, more appeared. “Help, help,” Memory chanted, her back plastered against the invisible wall.

A sudden fork of lighting split the air, branching into two that hit two of the Dark Fae. They evaporated into black smoke. A split second later, another Dark Fae burst into flames.

Memory jerked her head around. Ellie and Lily had joined the fight, standing side-by side. “Yes!” Memory screamed and envisioned another group of arrows. This time three of the arrows found marks.

While that was happening, the last two of Lucien’s sentinels fell to fire and lightning, leaving only the white dragon and Lucien who hung limp in its jaws. The dragon lowered Lucien to the ground and transformed back into Eldric.

“Go on,” Lucien taunted in a weak voice. “Kill me.”

“No. I will not kill you. Elana?”

Ellie stepped up beside Eldric and took his hand. They both pointed their free hands out in front of them. Light shot from their hands and merged into a ring. From within the circle of light, two men stepped out.

“Holy shit,” Memory gasped and reached for Colton’s hand. He took her hand and she gripped it tightly.

“Who are they?” She asked.

“Our people,” Ellie answered. “Light Fae.”

“Secure him and notify the High Council that the Dark Fae on this realm have broken the treaty and attacked our people.” Eldric ordered the Fae.

The two Light Fae gathered Lucien between them and disappeared back into the circle of light.

“Holy shit,” Memory said then grimaced. “Sorry, I seem to be stuck on that but…holy shit, what the…?”

Eldric released Ellie’s hand and turned to face everyone. “This is not the end. The Dark will seek to claim her again.”

“There has to be a way to stop them,” Ellie insisted.

“Not so long as she remains unmated.”

“Say what?” Colton asked in a none-too happy tone.

“Once mated, her power will meld with that of her mate. It can only happen once. If Elyssa mates, the Dark cannot lay claim to her power, or to ours through her.”

“And that will keep them from coming after any of us again?” Ellie asked.

“It will keep them from trying to take our powers through her. It will not stop them from trying to usurp the power of the Light in either realm, but it will force them to turn their efforts in other directions.”

“And give the Light time to destroy them?” Memory asked.

“Time to secure them,” Eldric replied. “Light does not destroy unless there is no other way.”

“Well, what about those…things with Lucien. We destroyed them.”

“No, we simply disabled them.”

“How do you know?”

“I know.”

“Oh, okay if you say so.”

“Define mate,” Colton suddenly asked.

“She claims a mate—a husband in the human vernacular and shares her power with him.”

“That’s it?” Colton asked.

“That is quite a lot,” Eldric replied.

Colton looked at Memory. “I know this is too fast and I know it’s all kinds of crazy but I’m asking anyway. Choose me, Mem. I love you.”

“And I love you.” For the first time in her life, she knew those words to be true and that they always would be. “And I choose you, Colton. Always.”

She looked at Eldric. “So, what do we do?”

He smiled at her. “You just did.”

“We…but nothing happened.” She argued. “Isn’t something supposed to happen?”

“You’ve yet to kiss your mate, sister.”

“Well damn,” she said and reached up to put her hands on either side of Colton’s face. “Curl my toes, cowboy.”

Colton laughed, wound his arms around her to pull her tight to him and lowered his lips to hers.

Memory gasped against his mouth as energy sizzled through her and into him and then exploded all around them. He released her from the kiss, but held onto her, both of them watching flares of light dance around them, swirling around the people assembled and rising into the sky.

Everyone started clapping and cheering. Colton lifted Memory up off her feet and swung her around. “I love you, Memory.” He said as he let her feet touch the ground again.

Memory looked around at everyone and then up at him. What she’d wished for her entire life had just been bestowed on her. A family, a place to belong and most of all, a man to love for as long as there was life in her body.

She’d never dreamed that things such as she’d seen of late could be possible. The Fae were just fairy tales for children, or so she’d thought. Seems like she didn’t know very much at all about what was possible.

And maybe she’d have to stand beside her new family and help fight the Dark Fae again, but until then she had a brother and sister to get to know as well as Colton’s family. And she had the man that surpassed all of her dreams.

“I hope you don’t regret this one day,” Colton said.

“Not a chance, big guy,” she said with a smile. “Not a chance.”