Page 29 of Slaying With Sylphs (Haven Ever After #6)

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

CONNALL

L eighton’s here; he must be. Or Lou thinks he is. She wouldn’t barge into a meeting like this, looking harried and smelling like a mix of fear and anger. Her fists are balled, body vibrating with tension. My wolf sits up and growls, immediately alert for whatever’s got her beautiful eyes open so wide.

The air smells of dread as haven leadership rises and looks around. But we’re helpless against Leighton, if the wraiths are to be believed.

But then Lou launches herself across the room, screaming as she rushes an enemy I can’t see. I reach for her, but she jumps into thin air and hangs there, like she’s clinging onto someone’s neck, but there’s no visible body. A blast propels her backward, and she lands on top of Richard’s dining table.

We all look around but there’s nothing, there’s no one. But she attacked something.

She leaps upright, standing on the table as she stares at something to my right.

“No,” she snarls so viciously it raises my hackles, and my wolf shoves forward, desperate to protect her. Blue appears in the depths of Lou’s eyes, spiraling outward until they glow otherworldly bright. She lifts her hands, and in both palms, pale blue flames flicker and sputter.

“Lou,” I gasp, reaching for her. But when I touch her, she’s an immovable rock, like she suddenly weighs a thousand pounds. “Dirk, help me,” I bark.

He reaches for her, and we both pull, but she’s locked in place. I drop my hands. I don’t know what to do. Glancing at Richard, I find him as shocked as I feel, staring at Lou like he can’t understand what he’s seeing.

Lou’s face screws up in anger, nose scrunching as she stares over my shoulder. Her muscles tense. I don’t know what’s happening, but whatever’s behind me must be about to move. I tense too, unsure if shifting and attacking will just make this worse.

But then she roars, and the flames in her palms transfer to her clothing, her hair, to everything, flickering and jerking and dancing with blue light. Even her hair is on fire.

“Beautiful,” Dirk murmurs.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to shout at how he can comment on her beauty, when I realize he means her power. Because that’s what this is. It has to be.

She snarls, lets out an ethereal growl, then stalks to the end of the table. The moment she reaches it, she shrieks again. There’s a rushing whoosh of air that whips her hair up into a pile of blue flame on top of her head.

Then, she collapses to the table in a heap, all the flames gone.

I rush to the edge and pull her into my arms. She’s limp and coated in sweat, babbling nonsensically with her eyes closed.

“She’s a blue witch.” Dirk rounds the table and presses a kiss to Lou’s forehead as he addresses the room, “We need help fast. This is a battle magic.”

I turn to face the room, only to see a group of matching shocked expressions.

“I don’t remember the last time I met a blue witch,” Abemet murmurs as I sweep Lou into my arms. He places a hand on her forehead, feeling her temperature as he turns to Arkan. “Were there any blue witches at HQ after my time there?”

“No,” Arkan confirms. “Not even among the hunters. Most blue witches don’t want to be officially labeled, as they don’t want tae be forced to work with the Hearth. I might know someone who knows someone. I’ll make a few calls through unofficial channels.”

“Need to get her home.” I look at the catatonic woman in my arms. “Lou first. We’ll figure the rest of this shit out later.” I head for the door without waiting for an answer, and nobody stops me.

Ten minutes later, the treehouse swings the doors open as Dirk and I sail through.

“I’ll run a bath,” he offers, jogging toward the bathroom.

I set Lou on the couch and undress her. Her entire body is covered in tiny smoke smudges. When I run my fingers over the black streaks, flickering blue flames follow.

I don’t know what this means. Blue magic is so rare, I’ve never even met a blue witch. It’s said to be a blessing, but I don’t know how much is known about it. And why Lou?

She needs time and space and love to heal. She doesn’t need this burden. Because that’s what it’ll be when the Hearth finds out she has this power. Blue witches can crush armies and flatten cities. And they’re basically an endangered species.

Worry for her fills me, and I hold her to my chest. She still hasn’t woken up.

Dirk comes back, squeezing my shoulder lightly. “Bath’s ready, mate.”

His easy normalcy spurs me into action. I stand and turn with him, heading for the bathroom. When I enter, the tub’s running, and bubbles are beginning to form.

Dirk shucks his gem and pants off, glancing at me. “I’d like tae go in with her, if it’s alright with you.”

“Of course.” I set Lou carefully in the tub, and he crawls in behind her. When he sits down and pulls her back to his chest, it steals my breath. Seeing them together like this, I don’t think I could want anything more in this world.

“I love you,” I whisper, glancing at Dirk. “And I love her. And it happened so fast, but, goddess, I really do.”

Fuck. This isn’t the right time for this admission. I realize that now the words are out of my mouth.

But Dirk’s lips split into a wicked grin, eyes bright as one brow curls upward. “Och, you love me then? Jest as I hoped you would. Good.” He reaches down and strokes Lou’s arm for a moment, then looks back up at me. “I thought we could keep her safe, mate, but instead, it’s Louanna doing the protecting.”

Dropping to my knees next to the tub, I cover his hand with mine, squeezing Lou’s arm as I consider how fucking hard and fast I fell. That’s not uncommon for shifters; I just never realized it would be so endless, so complete. Leaning over the tub, I rest my cheek on my forearm as I stare at my beautiful mates.

I reach into the water and stroke up Lou’s belly and along the front of her neck. I want her to wake up. I need to hear her sass, to know she’s fine and that she’ll be fine. I desperately want to talk to her about what happened tonight.

Lou groans and shifts in Dirk’s arms.

Thank the goddess, oh thank fuck she’s coming to.

“She’s waking,” he says, grabbing a washcloth and dabbing at the smudges on her forehead. “We’re here, my sweet, you’re safe.”

She groans and sits upright, clutching her forehead. Then she slumps against Dirk, looking up over her shoulder at him. “What happened?”

“Yeh gave us a shock, Louanna,” Dirk murmurs into her ear. “Finally let us in on yer huge secret, my love?”

“What happened ?” she croaks.

I resist the need to shudder, but goosebumps coat my skin thinking back to how the flames enveloped her. “You’re a blue witch, sweetheart. Your power scared…whatever was in the room. And it left, we think. We couldn’t see it.”

She blinks, expression blank. “I was tested for magic in Rainbow. It was negative.”

“Yeh cannae test for blue magic, Louanna,” Dirk offers. “It’s too rare.”

She lifts her palms and looks at them, eyeing the scorch marks.

“It was glorious,” he whispers.

She grunts but looks at me. “Is this real? I’m a blue witch?”

“Absolutely real,” I whisper. “You were amazing, Lou. You protected us; I?—”

Blue flames flicker in her eyes, her nostrils flaring as her gaze roves over me. The look on her face is appreciative, almost sultry. But I’d be shocked if she was feeling anything close to sensual after what just happened.

A tiny smile lifts the edges of her mouth.

“Take me to bed,” she commands, rising from the tub like a godsdamned queen. “Right now.”