A Harmony of Hearts: Book 3 in the Spellsinger Series Read online

  “There!” Vivian pointed to a balcony that overlooked the courtyard. “It's the library. Go and sing, Elaria. I don't care what song you choose, just do something. And take your men with you; I want you guarded.”

  I nodded, not even bothering to waste time on words, and ran into the fortress. The men and I pounded up the steps, and with every thud of my feet, I discarded a possible song. I needed something to fight the un-fightable. Something strong enough to stand up to a basilisk. I inhaled sharply as it came to me, and a spark of hope ignited in my chest. Maybe this would work.

  I rushed through the library as the men scanned the enormous room, just in case more monsters lurked within the book stacks. Being thorough was never a bad thing, but there were no enemies in the library; there was no one there at all besides us. It was eerily quiet; the only sounds were coming in through the closed French doors ahead of me. I ran towards them as I pulled my iPod out, but then I remembered that I didn't need it anymore... maybe. I got the song ready just in case the music-making magic of Kyanite wasn't able to cross the distance.

  I shouldn't have worried. Kyanite may not be as strong on Earth as it was in Tír na nÓg, but it had gems here, and I was its queen. There were deposits of the stone within the earth and pieces of it strewn all over the surface. Being in my kingdom made me more powerful, but being out of it didn't cut me off. I just needed to ask for Kyanite to join me, and it did... eagerly.

  The power of Kyanite surged into my body through the stone in my throat and mixed with my spellsinger magic as it rose in my chest. The two combined as they had in Tír na nÓg; with the ease of long-time lovers. They became one as they surged from my mouth, and music burst into life around me. The entire courtyard vibrated with the first pulsing notes of Ms Mr's “Bones,” and every living being turned their eyes to me.

  Even the basilisk.

  I focused my stare on the horizon as the ticking sound of tapped drums drew me forward into the meat of the music. The lyrics were haunting, going straight into the words that I needed most. I settled my eyes on my target and drove my power there; into the earth, deep into the arms of death.

  The witches' graveyard.

  I wove my magic around the old bones inside those ancient graves, and even the dust of bones long gone. I pulled them back together and fused them into solidity—those powerful witches whose magic lingered on in their dried-up remains. The souls were gone, but I didn't want them. The song called only to the bones; the remnants of the elders—some of the very witches who had crafted the relic. I felt them shiver—those old bones—and they rattled in their coffins.

  The basilisk shrieked as earth exploded all over the graveyard, covering the sky with a fine film of dust for a moment. As the soil settled, the bones of my ancestors climbed from their graves like a macabre army; shredded clothes and rotting flesh still clinging to some of them. Others were just bare bones, clattering together as they moved to my magic.

  The witches drew back in awe as their ancestors came to their defense. My voice echoed off the stone walls, drawing the noble dead closer, as the basilisk thrashed and lashed out. Its powerful claws thudded on the earth, and poison spewed from its mouth. It knew death was coming for it; the impossible was about to happen, and it faltered in confusion.

  “Retreat!” Declan shouted to the witches. “Get your asses inside now!”

  The witches looked from Declan to the dead and decided that the fairy king made a lot of sense. They ran for the safety of the fortress. Suddenly alone, the basilisk grew even more furious. His tail whipped at the building, smashing glass and stone with equal ease. Its screeching was climbing to an unbearable level, but it couldn't drown out my voice.

  My vocals vibrated through the air, and the music was everywhere. The dead reached the courtyard and swarmed over the basilisk like fire ants. Bones dug deep, clinging to the crevices around the basilisk's scales to pull them free. The beast thrashed in pain, and I saw Gage grip the railing beside me anxiously. It was hard to watch an animal die, even an evil one. A beast is a beast; they know not our reason, and so you can never be certain what their motives are. And without motive, it's difficult to condemn anything.

  But this was one monster that I couldn't send back to Torr-Chathair, even with Declan here to open a portal large enough for it. Either the basilisk or the witches died today, and I loved these people; they were family. There really was no choice to make.

  I sang on, giving the corpses the strength they needed to save their kin. And it seemed as if they sensed, even if they couldn't possibly know, that they fought for their family. The mass of zombie witches covered the basilisk within moments; none of its deadly defenses making any difference to the bones and decayed flesh. Fingers and teeth dug past the sharp feathers and worked together to sever the rooster head from its reptile body.

  The head fell with a thud, and the dead witches scampered back down to earth. As the basilisk bled a river of blood over the courtyard stones, I sang the bones back to their graves. They fell in line and marched down the road like a victorious army. As they did, the witches rushed out of the fortress to line the path to the graveyard. The living bowed deeply to the dead as they passed; a reverent gratitude for the peace they had given us after I had disturbed theirs. I laid the bones gently in the old caskets and sang the soil over them like a blanket. Sleep well, sweet witches; your people are safe once more.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  “Elaria,” Odin whispered as he hugged me tightly. “You are a treasure, sweetheart.”

  “What the hell was that?” Vivian shrieked as she joined us. “Did you manifest music?”

  “Kyanite did.” I smirked at her. “You're looking at the new Queen of the Kyanite Kingdom.”

  “Dear gods,” Glinda said in awe. “You've crossed the boundaries of race and magic, Elaria. A spellsinger on a shining one throne.”

  “Witch, Siren, and Shining One,” Odin mused. “Will you become part griffin next?” He looked pointedly at Gage and then transferred his stare to Banning. “Or part blooder?”

  “Easy now, Odin.” Vivian held up her hand. “Let's not get ahead of ourselves. First, Elaria must live. Have you conquered the other rooster?”

  “Not quite,” I whispered.

  As if the words had reminded the RS that it was in danger, the spell suddenly drained me. Combined with the toll the spellsinging had taken, and the extra expenditure of Kyanite, I couldn't control my reaction. I fell forward into Gage's arms.

  “Elaria!” My men cried as the witches gathered around.

  “Bring her this way,” Vivian commanded.

  I don't remember much of what happened after that. I saw the walls rolling by, paintings of witches staring down at me with regal stares. I recall that I wondered if they were the same witches I'd just sung from their graves and if they approved of my methods. Then there was darkness permeated only with familiar voices and my own heartbeat. The thudding seemed loud, like the pound of marching feet, and I thought for a second that the bones had returned for me. But then fire filled my body, and I surged back into awareness with a scream.

  “Elaria,” Gage moaned.

  I felt his hand on my cheek. But he wasn't the only one there. Banning and Declan were touching me too, and they were angry at Gage.

  “This is your fault!” Banning shouted.

  “What's wrong with you? Why can't you love her?” Declan added.

  “I do!” Gage silenced them both. Then more softly, “I do, but it appears that she doesn't love me.”

  I groaned in protest, clinging to Gage's hand as I screamed through another round of fiery torment.

  Just a taste, Elaria, the Rooster Spell said. The griffin is right; this is on you now.

  “I can't force myself to feel,” I murmured.

  “I know,” Gage said gently. “I know you can't, Ela. But I don't know how to help you. I've shared all I can, shown you who I am, and what we can be to each other. I can't do anymore.”

  You cling
to another. Let Torin go, and your heart will turn to Gage, The RS insisted.

  “I can't,” I moaned as the burning faded. “I can't.”

  Then we die.

  Gage withdrew, and I opened my eyes to see him standing beside a wall, his hands covering his face and his shoulders hunched inward. We were in Vivian's sitting room, and I was laid out on a chaise. Vivian hovered behind Declan and Banning, with Odin by her side. But all eyes were on Gage.

  “Can you give us a minute?” I asked the others.

  “Are you all right, Ellie?” Declan laid his hand to my cheek. “You feel cooler.”

  “I'm fine for now.” I kissed him and then Banning. “I just need to talk to Gage.”

  “Come along,” Vivian said as she shooed them out. “I think we could all use a drink.”

  The witches left with two of my lovers, and I turned to the third. Gage's back was fully facing me. So, I got to my feet and stumbled over to him. When I laid my hands on his shoulders, he trembled. I expected to find him crying when he moved to face me. But there was only a single tear trailing down his cheek, and it was overshadowed by his ferocious expression. Gage grabbed my waist, pushed me against the wall, and kissed me roughly.

  I wrapped my arms around him and brought him even closer. Gage's hands went to my waistband, and he yanked my jeans from me along with my panties. I inhaled sharply in shock as he tossed them away, and then, on his way back up my body, he shoved my T-shirt up and off me. I held my arms up to make it easier on him, and then he tossed the shirt aside with my jeans. My bra followed, and I stood before him naked while he remained fully clothed.

  Gage ran a possessive hand down my body, stopping to knead at me in tender spots, then changed direction and brought his hand to my throat. He gripped me right beneath the chin and angled my face up to his. As Gage stared intently at me, he undid his jeans. His free hand slid beneath my ass and hefted me up. I wrapped my legs around him and took him in hand to help him slide inside me. With a satisfied groan, Gage drove himself deep. I cried out and started to look away, but he held my face firm.

  “Don't you fucking dare!” Gage snarled. “Look at me, Elaria. I am making love to you. This is me inside you.” He shoved my face down, forcing me to stare at us coming together. “I love you, Ela,” his voice softened as he let my jaw go. “I think I always have. You're my mate, and yet you think of another man when I touch you.”

  “No,” I whispered. “Gage, I...”

  “I see you look away.” He rubbed his cheek against mine and growled into my ear. “I watch you close your eyes when I'm inside you.”

  “I don't do it to think of him,” I protested.

  “You won't anymore,” he said firmly. “I am yours, and now it's time for you to truly become mine.

  “Gage, I am,” I said, but I knew it was a lie.

  Gage was right, and so was the RS; I was holding back.

  “Show me, then.” He dropped my legs and pushed me to my knees. “Show me that your mine.”

  His manhood was before me; I only had to lean forward to take him in my mouth. I did; I accepted him as he had accepted me, and I knew suddenly what had to be done. Gage—that griffin tactician—had already figured it out and was leading me where I needed to go.

  I had to give up control.

  I have never been a submissive woman, but I was all for pleasing a lover. I had no problem kneeling before a man for the purpose of pleasure, but this was only the beginning. Gage's hand went to the back of my head, and he started pulling me forward onto him, choking me with his flesh. I placed my hands on his hips to push him away.

  “Put your hands behind your back!” Gage snapped.

  A shiver of dread coasted through me—a cold wave of pure rebellion. But my heart also thudded with excitement, and my mind knew that this was the path I had to tread if I wanted to live. It had to be shocking enough to break my obsession with Torin. I wouldn't give up my love for him—I couldn't—but I could give up the hope that he would return to me. And hope was simply another type of control.

  I put my hands behind my back.

  “Better,” Gage murmured and gripped my face with both hands.

  He drove into me with violent shoves until I thought my lips would bleed and I would suffocate. The wet sounds of him claiming my mouth were a violent slap to my pride. I closed my eyes tightly and tried to let go, but control wasn't so easy to give up. My shoulders tensed with the need to shove Gage away. But he pulled away from me first and stepped out of his leather pants. He drew off his tunic too and tossed it all aside. Then he pointed to the rug.

  “Get on your hands and knees,” he ordered.

  I started to protest, and then swallowed the words. They didn't go down well, lodging in my throat like dry bread. Still, I went to the rug and did as he said. Gage came up behind me and knelt between my calves. I was panting with the furious mix of my emotions as he spread my thighs further apart and then shoved my head down to the carpet. I felt him pressing at my entrance, but he held back.

  “Beg me to fuck you,” Gage growled.

  I went still.

  “Beg me, Elaria!”

  The words clung to my teeth and turned my mouth into sandpaper. I couldn't say them; it would rub my pride raw.

  Gage's hand smacked my ass, and I shouted in startled pain.

  “If you don't beg me, I will get up and walk out of this room.”

  “Please!” I shouted, and then murmured. “Please fuck me, Gage.”

  His hands settled on my flanks with satisfaction, digging into my flesh briefly, and then he spread me wide. I waited, knowing that he was taking his time to look at me, and feeling utterly humiliated when I responded and grew wet. But that embarrassment cracked something inside me, and it broke free with an epiphany. If I had no control here, then I wasn't responsible for anything that happened. Whether or not I fell in love with Gage, it was out of my hands. A tremendous weight lifted from my heart just as Gage slipped inside me.

  I screamed in ecstasy.

  Gage pounded into me violently, commanding me over and over to tell him how much I liked it, how much I wanted him. Then he pulled out and spread my ass again.

  “Reach between your legs and touch yourself,” Gage growled.

  I did, moaning with shame and pleasure.

  “This is what your mate does to you.” He leaned down and licked me, his tongue hot against my finger, and then he moaned. “Stick your finger inside yourself. That's it; let me see you how you please yourself.” He gave me one more lick, then eased back to watch.

  After awhile, Gage added his finger to mine, gripping my hand as he slid our fingers inside me together. My thighs were clenching, ecstasy building, when he pulled us out and laid on the carpet beside me. I started to move, and he snarled at me to stop.

  “You move when I say you move,” he snapped. “Now, keep your eyes on me, Elaria.”

  Gage laid there and stroked himself with his wet hand as he watched me. I kept my gaze on his, but he was looking over my body, admiring every inch of it.

  “Roll onto your side,” he said.

  I did, my legs naturally coming together.

  “No; keep one leg bent up,” he instructed curtly. “There will be no hiding from me tonight.”

  I angled one knee up and set my stare on his hand; steadily working his shaft.

  “Do you want my cock in you?”

  Instead of being upset by the aggressive question, I was turned on.

  “You know I do,” I purred.

  “Then come here and ride it.”

  I crawled over to him and straddled his hips. Gage crossed his arms behind his neck and smiled wickedly up at me. I slid down on his hard length and began to take my pleasure, but I knew that I did so under his command. My body was running hot and cold with a strange emotion. I couldn't name it; I only knew that it felt good and bad all at once. And nothing could have stopped me from taking more.

  “Bring your breasts to my mouth,” he commanded a
s he remained at ease.

  I leaned forward, angling one nipple into his mouth, and he sucked greedily at me. I moaned, my whole body starting to shake as my climax approached. But Gage rolled us over before I could come, and then gripped me beneath the knees. He pushed my legs up so high that my knees rested beside my ears. I was completely vulnerable, on display for his perusal, and he took his time placing the tip of his erection just at my entrance. He slipped in the head and sighed.

  “Do you want to come, Elaria?” Gage asked me gently.

  “Yes,” I whispered.

  “You know what to say.”

  “Please make me come, Gage.”

  With those words, the dam of control broke; both mine and his. Gage pounded into me with a frenzy, his thumb rubbing at my most sensitive spot as he did. I screamed as the pleasure poured over me like a tidal wave, drowning me and then reviving me to pull me under again. My body shook with the most powerful orgasm I'd ever experienced, and Gage shouted with me, filling me with his heat.

  As he settled his body over mine, I whispered into his ear.

  “I love you, Gage.”

  Chapter Forty-Four

  The Rooster Spell crowed inside me and came to vibrant, ferocious life. Power surged through my languid limbs and flowed out to Gage, who was still wrapped around me. He inhaled sharply and then sighed, his arms tightening and drawing me closer.

  “Is that the spell?” He asked softly.

  “Yes.” I nuzzled against him and smiled into his chest. “You just saved my life, griffin.”

  “And mine,” he whispered, then kissed me tenderly. “I'm sorry that I was so rough, but I sensed that it was what you needed.”

  “Is that part of the mate bond?”

  “Sensing each other's needs?” He asked as he angled his head back to look at me.