Coven, page 15
Dylan blew out a deep breath. “That makes me feel a lot better, knowing someone would be there at her back and she wouldn’t be alone. We definitely need Selene now…to verify this is something Sheridan will easily be able to do, although I think we all already know what that answer is going to be.” She pulled Sheridan more tightly to her and kissed the top of her head.
“As much as every single fiber of my being is demanding I be one of the ones to accompany you, beautiful, I don’t think it would be smart for me to leave the portal into Trom-Laighe unguarded. It will about kill me, but I’m one of the ones you’ll have to leave behind here in the Earth realm.”
“We need a Magician, a Healer, and a Warrior to go with Sheridan. Not just one or maybe two of the inner circle.” The look on Keeley’s face was contemplative. “That way, we cover our bases as far as primary responsibilities go. Then, it’s just a question of us figuring out what primary magicks will be the most effective there.”
“You might be mad at me, Keels, but I think Emmaline needs to go.” Evie looked almost apologetically at Keeley, who nodded in unhappy agreement. “Em’s a Telepath. She can talk telepathically to any sentient being in existence. We don’t know who or what we’re going to run into down there, but I think it’s a pretty safe bet to say those fuckers are probably holding more than a few beings down there against their will.
“Nulled humans, if nothing else. If Em’s cloaked and no one can see her, she can talk to them and find out their stories, along with any other beings she can connect with.” Evie then looked at Avalon pointedly. “I have a sneaking suspicion we’re going to find Erica and Rose down there. I can feel it in my bones.” Avalon nodded slowly as her eyes misted.
Reese didn’t look happy as she said, “As much as I don’t want my wife anywhere near those assholes, I think Grace is the logical choice to rep the Healers.” Grace quietly kissed Reese’s cheek. “She’ll be able to communicate with the spirits of place, including any animals that might be there. Grace can coax a ton of information from them, which will tell us one hell of a lot.”
“For the Warriors, I think it has to be Sam. Her ability with petrification might be invaluable if things go south, which there is a strong chance they will.” Dylan looked at her coven mate, who nodded. “That will be extra protection for Sheridan, Grace, and Emmaline as well. Sam can petrify an enemy who happens to be a physical threat and put them out of commission long enough for our witches to escape them, if need be.”
“That’s Sheridan, Emmaline, Grace, and Sam then. When Sheridan goes down into Trom-Laighe with Michael, he and Deimos will be distracted enough that they won’t notice a portal opening into their realm. The other three can sneak in then. No one except Michael ever goes in and out anyway, so that’s the last thing they would be expecting.” Hayden drew Evie down to her lap.
“They won’t be looking for it, especially since no one from New Moon has ever gone down into Trom-Laighe before. At least, not willingly. Dylan has always kept their portal sealed because that’s what the God and the Goddess have willed, but also because of the threat of the Field.”
“Sher.” Evie was worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. “I know everyone is sick to death of hearing me harp about Frannie and Mary Lyn. The Goddess knows, I’m sick to death of those two bitches myself. But…” The petite blonde witch paused for a moment.
Avalon finished Evie’s thought. “But, what if Frannie was desperate enough to get rid of Sheridan so she could have Dylan for herself, and figured out a way to help the process along? Whatever else, Michael is not stupid. If I was him, the very first thing I would do—in addition to trying to persuade Sheridan I had nothing but good intentions myself—would be to try and find a weakness in the New Moon coven. Porprest is about as subtle as a fucking Mack truck when it comes to Dylan, so O’Rourke would find her in a hot minute.”
Sam hugged her wife to her. “And all O’Rourke would have to do was tell Frannie he wanted his daughter with him in Trom-Laighe, that he didn’t think New Moon or Dylan was good for her, and he was worried. Play the doting, concerned father. Frannie would jump all over that shit if she thought it meant she could get rid of Sheridan.”
Evie snorted and leaned back against Hayden. “La Douche and Skeletor found a way to slither into the outer circle when Rose and Erica disappeared. Fannie has been obsessed with Dylan for ages. That bitch is about as intelligent as a box of rocks, but I bet you Michael would ask her if she knew of a way to bring Sheridan to the entrance of Trom-Laighe.
“Maybe he’d suggest Frannie and Sher go hedge riding together, although it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out Frannie couldn’t stand Sheridan because of Dylan. I’m positive O’Rourke would manipulate Frannie into pretending she was becoming friendly with Sheridan, so Frannie could ask Sher to go hedge riding with her and Mary Lyn. It would be perfect as far as she would be concerned, since they’re outer circle and Sheridan is inner circle.”
“O’Rourke will be all, ‘Poor Sheridan, she’ll fight this at first, but it will be the best thing for her in the end. I only want my daughter to be happy.’ Not that Frannie will give a shit.” Dylan pulled Sheridan down to sit beside her again. “Nor will she be intelligent enough to realize O’Rourke will bring her and Mary Lyn into Trom-Laighe with Sheridan and keep them there permanently. He’s not going to risk any of us finding out what actually happened to Sheridan. Frannie and Mary Lyn will be just as trapped as Erica and Rose.”
“Fuck. I guess this means you’re going to want us to rescue those bitches, too.” Evie rolled her eyes despite the gravity of their conversation. “Can’t we just leave them down there? I sure as hell wouldn’t miss them.” A tiny dimple then peeped in the corner of her mouth.
It was Lily’s turn to snort. She elbowed Alex, who had started to laugh. “I wish I could believe half the shit that comes out of your mouth, Evie. You know as well as I do they might not be your favorite witches, but you would never leave them trapped in a place like Trom-Laighe.” Evie grinned. “However, that gives us something else to think about.
“We’re going to need to get Frannie, Mary Lyn, Erica, and Rose out of Trom-Laighe. We have to assume Frannie and Mary Lyn will also be Null by then. They aren’t very strong witches in the first place, but at least they have a little bit of something. I’m pretty sure any magickal ability they have will be gone by the time we try to bring them out, so they won’t be any help from that perspective. And only the Goddess knows what kind of physical shape we’re going to find Erica and Rose in by then. Null for sure, but how much of their physical strength will still be left?”
“I think we should go back over to the circle and do another ritual, so Grace can ask her spirits of place,” said Ryder, who had been quiet for a long time. “Every single one of us can pump magickal power into the circle—with the exception of Em and Keeley, because they fuel the coven foundation itself and need to keep it stable—but the rest of us? We can pour on the juice and Grace can pull it to try and establish a connection with the genius loci of Trom-Laighe. They might be able to tell us if we’re on target with our speculations, or if we’re just blowing smoke out our asses.”
Keeley nodded at her in agreement. “Maybe they can also let us know about Erica and Rose, or tell us if there are any other humans being kept down there. Just because Erica and Rose are the only two we suspect from New Moon, it doesn’t mean they haven’t kidnapped other witches, too. I hate to say this, but any nulled humans trapped there are most likely being kept as slaves.” A ferocious growl came from Sheridan.
“Thank the Goddess for you, Sher.” Grace’s eyes suddenly shone with unshed tears. “We’ve never been able to even think about finding or rescuing Rose and Erica before now despite our suspicions, because of the Field and our inability to infiltrate Trom-Laighe. Now, thanks to you, we may actually have a chance.” Reese quietly wiped her wife’s tears away.
Sheridan stood up and pulled Dylan to her feet. “Then, what the fuck are we waiting for? Since we know what we need to do, we’ll help Grace get all the information we can from the genius loci in Trom-Laighe right now. Selene and Iris will be here in a few days, and then we can confirm that my powers as an Incantatrix can withstand the Field…although, for now, we’ll proceed on the assumption they can. In the meantime, I’ll start to play Michael and make him believe I’m an untrained Fire witch he can easily manipulate.
“Let’s go, people. It’s time for us to get to it.” The rest of the inner circle got to their feet and headed over to the ritual circle with Dylan and Sheridan.
Dylan wrapped her arm around Sheridan’s waist as they were walking. “When we finally get home, beautiful, I’m taking you,” she murmured into the flame-haired witch’s ear. A tiny gasp escaped Sheridan as she felt a small flow of moisture escape her body from between her legs. Dylan kissed her temple. “It’s time for us to join our hearts, our souls, and our bodies together to form the final mate bond. You know it, and I know it. The Goddess and the God have given us to each other so the Coven of New Moon will finally be complete.
“Even more important to me…you are the femme I have waited for my entire life. The woman who is my everything, the love of my life. I need to touch you, taste you, and feel you orgasm under me.” Sheridan shuddered. “I need to make you scream, baby. I especially need to make sure the Universe understands there is nothing in all the worlds that will ever take you from me…because I will destroy anything that tries.”
Chapter 13
When Sheridan and Dylan arrived home, Dylan very gently pressed Sheridan’s back against the front door and claimed her mouth in a long, passionate kiss. Sheridan trembled and ran her hands up to cling to Dylan’s shoulders as she kissed Dylan back.
“I swore I would never get involved with another butch after what I lived through with Fagan,” she whispered after Dylan released her mouth. “Samhain night, I was so scared when I felt our mate bond form. Deep down inside, I knew the God and the Goddess didn’t make mistakes, but I still felt so raw. And vulnerable. I wasn’t afraid that you’d hurt me physically…I was afraid you’d hurt me emotionally, and I knew there was no way I could deal with that.”
Dylan kissed the end of Sheridan’s nose, every bit of the love she felt showing in her eyes as she pulled Sheridan to her and banded her strong arms around her. “For the last ten years, I’ve watched my best friends find their mates, one by one. And, while I was always extremely happy for them, I kept asking myself: Why not me? I couldn’t understand why the deities weren’t bringing my mate to me. My magick was intact—if anything, it kept getting stronger—so I knew it wasn’t because I had offended them.” She gently stroked the copper-red curls away from Sheridan’s face.
“Now, here you are. As hard as it was, we needed to wait until the Universe was in the perfect position to put us together. The circumstances that surround us now, the people who have come into our lives, the strength and the power of our combined magicks: Everything has converged into this single moment in time. Now, it’s time for the two of us to come together and seal the bond the Goddess and the God have given us. I know you feel it just as much as I do, beautiful.
“I do,” Sheridan sighed. She raised up on her tiptoes and kissed Dylan again before she said, “I want you, Dylan. I want to belong to you, and I want you to belong to me. I’m not afraid anymore. Take me to your bed, beloved. Make me yours.”
ɚωɚωɚωɚ
Dylan kissed her way down past Sheridan’s ear, along her jaw, before sweeping the beautiful femme up in her arms and carrying her to the bedroom.
Setting Sheridan down next to the bed, Dylan’s lips touched Sheridan’s again as Sheridan moaned. Her hands tightened on Sheridan’s hips as she lifted her up without apparent effort and began to kiss her once more in earnest. She could feel Sheridan’s Fire flame travel through the raw eroticism of the kiss, coming to settle between her own thighs. Sheridan shuddered as the seductiveness of Dylan’s Water magick wrapped itself around her, sinking into Sheridan’s pores and holding her captive.
“Sex and power have always been connected,” Dylan whispered against the shell of Sheridan’s ear as she carefully set Sheridan down then ran her hands down to cup Sheridan’s backside. She felt her Water magick trigger a rush of liquid heat in her woman. “The Water signs are the unparalleled rulers of seduction and sexual allure, beautiful. Our power is enticing, captivating, and we can weave a bewitching spell of enchantment around the object of our desire before she even realizes those silken bonds have caught her.”
Sheridan whimpered.
“I’m going to fuck you until you’re screaming for my mercy, love,” Dylan purred as she caught both of Sheridan’s slender wrists in one large hand. Slipping her other hand under Sheridan’s skirt and raising the hem, she gave a low growl as she ran her fingers between Sheridan’s legs and found her wet panties. “My mouth is watering for you, baby. I’m ready to rip your panties off with my teeth and suck you dry.” She gave a low laugh as her words elicited another flood of moisture from Sheridan’s body.
“Someone likes that, don’t you, baby? That gives me an idea.” She released Sheridan’s wrists and turned her body until Sheridan backed up against the bed. Kissing her voraciously, Dylan eased her sodden panties down her legs then lifted Sheridan’s skirt to her waist again before she sat her down on the edge of the bed. The handsome butch widened Sheridan’s knees until she could step between them and knelt between Sheridan’s legs, widening them even further. She growled a second time at the sight of the wet red curls at the juncture of Sheridan’s thighs, reaching between them. Leaning forward, she licked the hard, rigid bud of Sheridan’s clit as Sheridan shrieked and jerked in reaction. Another liquid gush of arousal coated Dylan’s mouth and tongue as scarlet and indigo sparkles of magick filled the bedroom.
Unable to help her urgency, Dylan ran her tongue around Sheridan’s swollen labia then teased the entrance to Sheridan’s body. With her thumbs, she firmly opened Sheridan’s channel to her even further as a ruby shower of light fell over the both of them. Sheridan collapsed back onto her elbows and moaned again, her stuttered breath catching in a whimper as Dylan’s tongue snaked its way into Sheridan’s body. Dylan began to fuck the petite redhead with her tongue, harder and deeper, preventing Sheridan from closing her legs with her muscled forearms.
“D…D…, oh, Dylan,” Sheridan cried, mewling as the sapphire threads of Dylan’s magick wound around Sheridan’s body and held her in place. Sheridan gasped, struggling in a futile effort to escape both Dylan’s insidious tongue and her magickal bonds, her hips moving in an unbidden rhythm of reaction to Dylan’s skillful thrusting. The silken cords of magick kept Sheridan from escaping Dylan’s touch, and the powerful Water witch gave another low, sinful laugh.
“I do believe I’ve captured a very enticing Fire witch for myself.” Dylan gave Sheridan’s pussy another long, slow lick. Sheridan shrieked again. “The taste of you, the scent of you, is destroying my control, beautiful, and I need to have you right now. I’m not going to stop fucking you until you have given me everything. You are bound with my magick, restrained under my complete command, and I have never wanted another woman the way I want you. You Are. Mine.”
Dylan eased one long, strong finger into Sheridan and began to move it in and out of her even as her mouth descended and wrapped around Sheridan’s clit again. Then, to her own astonishment, she felt her own arousal start to peak when the magick of her bound lover wrapped around Dylan in return, flowing over Dylan’s body and creating a friction and a heat that sent Dylan’s desire into the stratosphere. To her astonishment, Dylan felt Sheridan’s ghostly fingers stroking her between her legs under her boxer briefs and she shuddered, rapidly climbing the mountain of her own hunger with a craving she had never felt before.
More arousal poured from Sheridan’s puffy, soaked pussy as her magick played with Dylan, and the mindless femme clutched Dylan’s short, tapered fade as her breaths struggled in and out of her burning lungs. Dylan’s tongue flickered on Sheridan’s clit in response to the unearthly touch she was feeling, harder and faster, until she yanked the rest of Sheridan’s control from her and sent her into a screaming, shattering orgasm before she followed her over into bliss.
The room exploded in a kaleidoscope of ruby and sapphire light, Fire magick and Water magick colliding in an eruption of fiery heat and icy chill that shook the entire building. Sheridan screamed as Dylan groaned in release, Dylan collapsing with her head between Sheridan’s thighs as the two witches felt their mate bond seal together with a final snap. When the room darkened again, Dylan felt Sheridan within her, completely and irrevocably, and tears started to stream down her face from the overwhelming feelings of love and protectiveness that filled her.
ɚωɚωɚωɚ
As the haze that had fallen over Sheridan started to lift, she realized that Dylan was carefully pulling her to her feet to undress her. When she was naked, Dylan laid her down gently in her soft blue cotton sheets then rapidly removed her own clothes. Dylan slid into bed next to Sheridan and wrapped her arms around her. “The mate bond is complete,” she said softly as she nuzzled Sheridan’s ear. “We are irrevocably bound for eternity, my beautiful mate. I promise you my love and protection for all time, under the eyes of the Lady Goddess and the Lord God, as we do their work and keep the Universe safe.”
Sheridan’s eyes filled with tears. “You are what I have dreamed of finding my entire life, Dylan Bellamy. I feel you inside of me just as strongly as you feel me. In return, I promise you my love and protection for all time. No matter how bad things get with the upcoming war with the corrupted Dark, I know without a doubt the God and the Goddess will be keeping watch over us. All of us, the entire coven. They want this evil eliminated from the Universe—the evil of Cassius Deimos and my father, and the entire realm of Trom-Laighe—and they are sending us to fight them.”
