Magical Mistakes(42)

Above him, Alina grinned in triumph. Mikayla hated her utter certainty that Ciar would choose power over love.

But when he finally spoke, his words stole Alina’s smile.

“Listen to me well, Rouke,” Ciar said, his voice chilling. “You are never to come back to this realm. The clan may be yours but this place is mine. Return here and I will destroy you.”

Rouke narrowed his eyes but didn’t argue Ciar’s words.

“Go back to the demon realm,” Ciar told him. “Rule there and leave me alone. I have no interest in your power.”

He pushed away from his fallen cousin before raising his hand.

Mikayla gritted her teeth as demon magic once more flooded the air. Before them a portal ripped through the air.

“Leave,” Ciar commanded.

Warily, Rouke rose to his feet. He glanced at the threshold with mulish displeasure.

“This isn’t over, cousin,” he growled.

“It is,” Ciar replied. “I want nothing from your world and you want nothing from mine. If I were you, I’d turn my attention to your throne. I will be interested to see how long you can hold it.”

Rouke hissed in anger but rose to his feet. He cast a hate-filled glance at Mikayla but she return the glare with cold distaste. He’d been beaten. For all his pride, even he knew it. The only thing left was for him to vanish from their lives. Hopefully forever.

With his head held high, Rouke stalked to the portal and disappeared through the crack between realms.

Mikayla breathed a sigh of relief when he was gone. They’d done it. They’d won.

“Alina,” Ciar said.

The name reminded Mikayla that while she might have won the battle, it was no guarantee she’d win the war.

Alina had drifted to the edge of the portal, staring into the swirling darkness.

“You don’t have to go,” Ciar told her.

Alina smiled bitterly. “What else is left for me, Ciar?”

“I can show you how to make a life for yourself here.”

“With the witches?” she mocked. “Living a life of anonymity, revealing my nature only in the dark corners of a bar? That is no life. Not for me.”

“There is no guarantee you’ll have anything more if you go back to the demon realm.”

His words made her grin. “Oh my, Ciar, you have been gone for too long. Have you forgotten bloodlust and betrayal are merely foreplay to demons? I can handle Rouke.”

“Alina.”

She hesitated, staring at the portal and the dark world beyond it.

Turning, she strode back to her lover. Mikayla expected something dramatic, a declaration of love, a passionate kiss, anything. But instead the woman raised her hand. She traced her fingers over his features in a light touch, as if memorizing his face.

“I wish you had chosen differently,” she whispered.

Rising on her tiptoes she brushed her lips over his in a chaste kiss before turning to stride back to the portal. This time she didn’t hesitate when she reached the rip and strode boldly forward into the darkness.

When she vanished from view, Ciar twisted his hand in the air. The portal closed with a last burst of magic that made Mikayla flinch.

The dark power gradually faded from the air but Ciar didn’t move, staring at the spot where he had severed the last ties to his home.

Mikayla stepped forward until she was at his side.

“Ciar?” she asked, touching his arm.

With a sigh he tilted his head up to the sky, running a hand down his face.

“I thought I told you not to interfere,” he told her.

Anger blossomed in her chest. “Sorry for not wanting you to become a shish-kabob, you ungrateful bastard.”

Mikayla spun away, intent on leaving him. Ciar grabbed her before she could take a step and spun her back into his arms.

“Thank you,” he whispered before his mouth crashed down on hers.

He kissed her with burning desperation. All she could do was grip his shoulder and try to weather the onslaught of his passion. He pulled her close, crushing her in a tight embrace. The movement forced a cry of pain from her. Immediately he released her, eying the bloodstains on her arm.

“You’re wounded.”

“We won,” Mikayla replied. “That’s what matters.”

He leaned closer to inspect her wound. “You’re quite the warrior.”

Mikayla grinned, pride filling her at the compliment. “Being around you tends to bring out the battle instinct in me.”

Instead of twinkling, Ciar’s eyes darkened. “Yes,” he murmured but there was no happiness in his voice. “I put you in danger.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“My family is vengeful,” he murmured. “Who knows what other messes I’ll drag you into.”