Page 94 of Emerald Flame
Every week.
That must have been hard. It’s strange to no longer be living. There’s no pain on this side. Yet I can feel your suffering. You’ve been incredibly lonely, until very recently.
Her eyes appeared to open wider.I see her. You’ve fallen in love again. Oh, and she’s beautiful, but very different from me. Her name is Kiara. That’s such a pretty name. Will you marry her?
It seemed so strange to finally be talking to Tonya like they used to, yet she was dead.I don’t know. I want to, but life here, in Five Bridges, is complicated as hell.
I’m getting that.She appeared to put her hand to her mouth.Oh, no. Oh, dear God, no. He used me. Repeatedly.
Who used you?
A man who would visit sometimes. He had blond hair to his shoulders and dark eyes.She jerked then shuddered. Her eyes went wide. She reached out to touch him, but her hand glided through his body like air.Warren, he would take over my body, but I didn’t know what he was doing. I fought him, though. I pushed him out of me each time.
A horror began to grow within Warren, profound and terrifying. Glissane had used his wife, inhabited her body, said things to him that weren’t true. He’d also said things to Kiara. Glissane had sent her away.
She put a ghostly hand to her chest.I’ll be right back, but don’t leave.
He’d barely had time to process what she said when she reappeared. She drew close and looked him over for a moment. She held a ghostly hand to his face.I loved being your wife before all this madness started. But I must say good-bye. Thank you for visiting me when I was barely here the entire time.
I loved you so much, Tonya.
I know, my darling. But now, the woman who has done so much for Savage and for the wolves you serve, is dying. He’s killing her, the bad man who took over my body. Go to her and save her. But Warren, don’t hold back, not anymore, not with anything. You’ll need every power you possess to save her and to save yourself. Now go.
Warren didn’t move, however. He couldn’t. He hadn’t had enough time with her, but Kiara needed him.
She smiled.Don’t be an idiot. I’m dead. Good-bye.
With that, his wife faded, offered a serious dip of her chin, wolf-style, then was gone.
He knew in his heart, he’d never see her again.
He was moving before he’d formed the thought. He flew through the building, then once outside shot into the air. He’d never levitated faster or with more purpose than now.
He took his wife’s advice and summoned everything he was not just as a wolf but as a transformed warlock. He felt his storm rising and now understood how completely these strange rumblings of thunder and lightning were wizard qualities.
He kept his wolf close as well, but as much as he could, he brought the twoaltercreatures together. Kiara had given him this, abilities beyond anything he could have imagined before she’d come into his life.
He didn’t have to search for the refuge. His body knew exactly where it was. He homed in and as he drew near, waved a hand. The spell parted, and he dove for the front door. Getting the rest of the distance to her apartment was an acrobatic move that involved lying flat in the air and zooming across the threshold, down the stairs, along the foyer and straight to Kiara’s security spell outside her front door.
Again, he lifted his hand and the spell gave way.
When he pushed the door open, his wolf hearing picked up Kiara gasping for breath. He flew around her furniture, down the hall and into her grotto bedroom.
Glissane had his hands around her throat and had bent her backwards over the grotto wall. He saw that green flames rose on his cheeks. The wizard had the added physical strength of emerald flame coursing through his body.
Warren could feel how hard Kiara was fighting him and how fully she’d brought both her wolf and her witch powers forward.
But she was no match for Glissane.
Warren’s thunder rumbled, and his lightning flashed as he launched at the wizard.
But Glissane merely released one hand-hold on Kiara and swept his arm in Warren’s direction. Glissane’s gaze never left Kiara’s face as his power struck Warren full-force. A wave of immense energy threw Warren against the wall to the right of the bed.
He fell to the floor stunned and disoriented. His storm crackled and hissed as his body recovered.
Kiara’s voice was suddenly in his head.Warren, we can’t beat him. He’s too powerful. This was what he wanted, to kill us both. We stood between him and his plans to rule Savage then take over Five Bridges. There’s nothing we can do. Know that I love you. I always have.
He stayed on the floor to think, to figure this out. If he rose to attack Glissane again, the wizard would knock him down again. But he had to do something to get the wizard’s hands from around Kiara’s throat.
