KyriakisTriumph Page 7

  A tear slid down her face as memories of her child came rushing back, the birth, holding this little pup close to her, nursing her, loving her. “My baby,” Anisa whispered as her own tears began to flow. Her fingers and toes began to tingle and that sensation started to spread throughout her entire body. A warmth worked its way through her body and when she opened her eyes, she and Sarah were bathed in light but its source was the two of them. It frightened her, but she continued to cling to her daughter and Sarah, did the same.

  She was afraid to let go. The light became blinding and she felt a change within her. Anisa didn’t know how long she held on to the woman she now knew with absolute certainty was her daughter but she felt an energy moving throughout her being unlike anything she’d ever experienced and then, like that, the light was gone.

  She looked up at Sarah and smiled. “I remember you. I remember everything.” And with that, everything went black.

  Chapter Eight

  “The seraphim is on the island. She and Fortier have parted ways, my Lord.” Max, one of his many minions, reported to him.

  “And what of Fortier?” Gage demanded.

  “He’s managed to elude us thus far but he’s still in Greece, as far as we know. I have several men searching for him. He won’t remain in hiding for long, not without the seraphim’s power keeping him cloaked.”

  Gage was annoyed that he didn’t have what he wanted. “You incompetent fools. How hard is it to track down one warlock? See that he’s captured by the end of the day or else I’ll have all of your heads,” Gage roared.

  When he’d learned the seraphim had been with Fortier after all this time, it infuriated him. After all, Fortier was just a low-level warlock, before he became a Hunter but when they’d slaughtered the full-blood seraphim and partook of his essence, something happened. Fortier’s powers returned, tenfold, making Fortier nearly as powerful as him. He no longer had to practice the dark arts as did the other bound warlocks.

  Fortier wasn’t the only one, however. There were three more among their ranks who’d regained their natural abilities due to the seraphim. It just didn’t seem fair. Why should they be able to wield their magic without being beholden to the dark arts? The only reason he could figure that they’d received their powers and not him was because they’d been born with their abilities but were bound later in life, unlike him and the other Hunters who were born to bound parents which basically made them human. There were also men and women among their ranks who were simply power-hungry humans who craved power and had found a way to get it through black magic.

  Gage often cursed his lineage and the people who had sired him. A long time ago, before most immortals were governed by a council, the landscape was lawless. Everyone wanted to rule the world and they went about it by any means necessary to obtain their goals. The vampire and shifter definition of a rogue was an immortal who attacked simply to kill and drain their victim of their essence because if one immortal was killed by another, some of the slain immortal’s strength was absorbed. It became an addictive endeavor for some.

  Warlocks and witches, however, had perfected this technique. They were able to do battles of magic and at the end of the fight, the victor would absorb the powers of the loser without killing them. The bound warlock or witch would then be forced into servitude for an agreed upon amount of years. Unfortunately for some unlucky losers, their new masters didn’t always stick to the bargain and free them of their servitude, virtually making them slaves. This was what had happened to Gage’s parents. Though this had happened before he was born, he knew his parents had both come from two prominent covens. When they broke off to form their own, they were already well established in the warlock community, amassing a great deal of power through a simple strategy: attack the weak first and work their way up. That, unfortunately, didn’t work out in their favor. Eventually, they came upon a deceptively weak warlock who they thought would be easy to take down in a power battle.

  At first, it appeared everything was going to plan, but the warlock whom they thought was inferior had turned out to be anything but. In fact, it turned out they’d made the crucial mistake of not studying their opponent before issuing the challenge because the warlock had masked his abilities to take advantage of witches and warlocks who thought that could best him. He was in fact, one of the most powerful wielders of magic in that time. So, Gage’s parents, who’d lost the battle, were bound and made slaves to this powerful being.

  During their stint of servitude, Gage was born. From the time of his birth, he had to watch helplessly while his parents were constantly berated and abused by their cruel master. And when he was old enough, he too had felt the sting of his master’s powers. The only thing that got him through the tumultuous days of servitude when he was younger was hearing stories his parents would tell him about their days in power. As he grew older, he grew resentful of the fact that he served a magical master who used his powers to abuse and oppress. He also hated that his parents had birthed him knowing that having a child when bound would practically render him human. He started to hate his master and eventually, Gage’s hate and resentment turned to his parents for making him.

  After one particularly nasty beating from his master, where he’d been suspended mid-air while he was being whipped with invisible lashes to the near death, something within him snapped. His only crime had been making eye contact with his ‘superior’.

  Though his mother had nursed him to health, once he was fully healed he never allowed her to touch him again because she’d hung back and watched her son getting abused. In the back of his mind, he understood that there was nothing she could do unless she wanted to die but the fact that neither of his parents pleaded for mercy made the resentment he already felt for them turn to full blown hate.

  It was then he decided that he would no longer be a servant and one day he would have an unimaginable power that no one could dispute. So, he bided his time and watched his master closely, observing his mannerisms and memorizing his incantations for a time when he would be able to use them. It was Gage’s intention to obtain power for himself but he wasn’t sure how.

  Gage saw his opportunity to escape when the master went away on a trip and said he wouldn’t return from in days. Gage used that time to get as far away from his master’s property as he could. He didn’t bother bidding his parents farewell. As far as he was concerned, they were already dead to him.

  He wandered the land for weeks, hungry and cold but determined when he was attacked by what appeared to be a wild dog. Gage screamed as the animal ripped into his chest but he realized that if he died then his quest for power would be over and his life would have been nothing. Somehow, he found the strength to toss the creature off despite the deep wound in his chest. He managed to dodge the beast as it came at him. His will to live renewed, Gage kicked it in the head and hit it with all his might. Unfortunately, his attacks were nothing to this animal but he gave the fight everything he had. Just when Gage thought all hope was lost, something happened. The beast flew into the air so high that Gage could no longer see him. Then, he came hurtling back to the ground so hard its head split open. To Gage’s horror, the animal transformed into a human. It was a shifter. He knew of their existence but he’d never seen one before.

  Just then, three men dressed all in black appeared and surrounded the man-beast. They set about removing his brain, chanting over it before a glow came out of it.

  These three men had mutilated this corpse for what Gage didn’t understand but he was fascinated. It was then, he discovered they were Hunters and, at that moment, Gage knew he found his people.

  Once he established that he was descended from magical stock, he was allowed entrance into their fold. He was an underling at first, taking orders until he managed to move up in the ranks. The first magic spell he performed was so intoxicating he’d become addicted. He wanted more. Gage couldn’t get enough. He’d eventually became the fiercest, strongest and most powerful among their ranks.
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br />   And after killing that seraphim, well, there was no turning back for him. By then, he’d amassed enough power to go back and face his old master. Slaughtering that bastard using his dark magic had been magnificent. And the sad thing was, even after all those years, his parents had still been slaves.

  They thought it was his intention to free them but Gage wanted no part of them because they were the reason he was the way he was. He killed them both without regret. After that, nothing could hold him back.

  It didn’t matter that people said he’d become warped with the black magic he practiced. Gage only cared that he’d one day be on top. So seeing those warlocks regain their powers, incensed him because it served as a reminder that they were born with abilities that should have been his. He’d made it his mission to lead his minions to hunt them down.

  Gage managed to find two of them but Fortier had somehow managed to elude him. It was around this time, however, that they discovered that seraphim they had killed had sired a child and he’d become distracted.

  It now seemed to have come full circle knowing that she’d been with Fortier the past 26 years. He’d already been betrayed by Devereaux, one of his high ranking men, who’d absconded with Anisa in the first place. After years of trying to track them down, she managed to escape him again. He didn’t realize that she was being aided by yet another former Hunter.

  Gage was certain they had been able to elude him for so long because Fortier had managed to tap into Anisa’s powers to remain cloaked. But, that didn’t matter because now Gage was armed with a very powerful spell that he’d been working on for years. One that would track an individual by their specific essence. This spell specifically targeted seraphim. He’d heard of this spell before but apparently, it wasn’t widely known. Even his extensive library of the dark arts didn’t include this spell. It was only recently when he was in Italy and had come upon the abandoned fortress of a known witch by the name of Mariana, who had been practicing the dark arts for centuries, had he discovered it.

  He knew about this lair because he’d been tracking the Kyriakis’s movements for years because of their connection to the seraphim. Once Kyriakis and his group of allies had disbursed, Gage and his Hunters had decided to search the castle for relics. There didn’t seem to be anything at first but Gage’s trained eye found many hidden labyrinths and secret spots. Most of them turned up nothing. However, there was one spot that even he almost overlooked and it had been right beneath his feet. He tore into the cobblestone floor which revealed a book that felt warm to the touch. Gage knew right away it was bound by human skin. As he scanned the contents written in a dead language, he knew this was what he didn’t know he needed. But once he was able to translate and learn the spells, there would be no stopping him.

  It took a couple years to do just that and now, there was no stopping him. Not only would he find Fortier, but he’d soon have Anisa and the half-breed back. After that, there would be no stopping him.

  He threw his head back and laughed. “My time is coming.”

  * * *

  Paris cradled Anisa against him refusing to let her go until she woke up. He’d wanted to intervene as he’d watched the mother-daughter embrace change to something magical, a bright glow had filled the entire room, nearly blinding everyone. Just as Paris would have separated them, the light slowly dimmed until it completely disappeared.

  He caught Anisa just in time before she collapsed to the floor. Of course, Sarah wanted her to stay but Paris won the argument, taking Anisa back to his house. She’d been out for the past few hours. Thankfully, she only appeared to be resting peacefully, judging from the soft rise and fall of her chest. He wondered if he was mistaken that she’d whispered that she remembered before passing out. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on his part.

  It was nice to hold her when all these years he never thought he’d get that chance again. Paris wished more than anything that he had better memories of their time together and that was mainly his fault. But there was one time when he’d let his guard down around her. He held that memory close to his heart.

  Anisa had been on Circe for two months now and Paris had gone out of his way to avoid her much to his grandfather’s displeasure. He took a boat to the mainland any chance that he got. He’d spent a lot of his time in his Athens home where he went sometimes to have some solitude. When his grandfather had sent one of the pack members to summon him back on the island, Paris wasn’t happy.

  He’d been in a foul mood as he took the yacht back to Circe so he definitely wasn’t happy that the first person he spotted was Anisa, standing on the beach.

  Seeing her had filled him with an irrational sense of anger because he felt as if his hand had been forced. As he stepped onto the beach, however, he noticed that she wasn’t watching him. But standing on the edge of the ocean with the waves washing over her tiny feet and delicate ankles. Her hair, which was usually pinned up, was loose and flowed freely around her body in a glorious cape. She wore a strapless dress that fell to her knees. It was a bold print that hailed from her country of origin. She looked like a sea goddess giving her blessing to incoming ships. Paris had never seen such beauty. Her dark brown skin glistened in the sun like a precious jewel. As if his feet had a mind of their own, he found himself walking toward her. All the anger he’d felt at being summoned back to Circe slowly dissipated as he got closer to her.

  When she noticed his presence, she gasped before backing away from him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were out here.”

  Guilt washed over him. He didn’t like that she seemed scared of him. When she tried to walk by him, he grasped her by the wrist, stopping her progress. “Don’t. Stay with me for a moment.”

  “Why?” she asked warily. “It isn’t like you’ve made an effort to get to know me since I’ve arrived. In fact, you seem annoyed whenever I’m around. Look, Paris, I understand that you may not like being forced into this betrothal but your grandfather and my mother really want this union. But until that happens, I will stay out of your way as much as possible.”

  Paris sighed. “You shame me, Anisa. You’ve given me no reason to be hostile toward you. Honestly, it’s really not your fault. You’re just as much a victim of the circumstances as I am.”

  “But Paris, I don’t see myself as a victim. It would be my honor to be your mate. You see, I’ve been told how fierce and how powerful Pack Kyriakis is. You have a strong sense of family within your ranks and I was looking forward to joining it.”

  “Wouldn’t you miss your own pack?”

  She nodded. “Of course, but I’ve always felt like an outsider. I don’t know why. My mother, she’s never been one to show much affection. It’s not because she’s a bad person. It’s because as Alpha, she has a lot of responsibility. And because she has the protection of our pack in mind, she has to be strong.”

  Paris would have asked her to elaborate on her feeling like an outsider in her own pack but he just wanted to enjoy the moment of being by her side. “Can we just stand here? And watch the ocean? When I was younger, I could stand on the beach for hours, watching the sea.”

  “Me, too. My pack lives near a beach and I like to go into the water. Although my mother—well, I’m sure you don’t want to hear about it.”

  “No, I’d like to hear about it.” Paris encouraged her to speak.

  She seemed as if she was about to say something when his grandfather came marching toward them. His expression serious.

  The moment was lost.

  His grandfather had torn into him and lectured him about his responsibility to the pack and to his betrothed. Paris decided then that he would try to be better and treat Anisa more kindly but the next time he saw her, she seemed just as frightened of him as she had before. And, the anger returned. He treated her even worse until he crossed the line of no return. If only they hadn’t been interrupted that day on the beach maybe things could have been different. It was still his fault, however.

  But now that he had h
er back, Paris was determined to make things right.

  Just then she stirred in his arms.

  “Anisa?” he whispered her name softly.

  Her eyes fluttered opened. “Paris? I remember everything,” she whispered. “Why? Why did you do that to me?”

  Chapter Nine

  Anisa could have said a number of things but none of them would have delivered as big a blow. Paris reluctantly released her as she pulled away from him, she brought knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

  He bowed his head in shame. Of all the memories that came to mind, that was the one at the forefront. “I can’t apologize enough for hurting you, Anisa especially when you’d done nothing to do deserve it. There’s something I should have told you when I first met you.”

  “And what’s that?” she asked cautiously.

  “I should have told you that you were—are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I thought you were a goddess come down from heaven. And then when you smiled at me so sweetly, I think I fell in love with you right then and there.”

  She narrowed her eyes and shook her head in apparent disbelief. “You had a funny way of showing it.”

  “Well, that was the thing. I fought so hard not to show it because I was in some kind of rebellious stage in my life and I stubbornly didn’t want my life decided for me. I guess I realized that when I finally mated I’d have to accept my responsibility as head of the pack because my grandfather was talking about stepping down. I wasn’t ready for it and I certainly wasn’t ready to feel the way I felt about you. I hate myself for the way I treated you. You must believe me when I say that. I don’t know what pushed me over the edge, I guess there were people saying things in my ear about you.”

  “People? What people. I got along very well with everyone in your pack.”