Everyone joined the Circle Kyra had already called. As soon as everyone’s toes touched the purified salt, she quickly closed it and used her magic to light the herbs in the copper pot sitting in the center. Rian recognized the scent of Angelica Root, Hyacinth, and Oak, as well as other herbs used for protection, luck, and strength. The tiny witch looked around the Sacred Circle, stopping for just a second to smile and nod at each person. The Dragon Leader could feel the reassurance and power she let flow from her soul to theirs. It was a gift she freely gave to each in attendance to assure success with the ritual.
When she locked eyes with Royce, the last in the circle and the one closest to her right, Kyra began to chant.
I pray to the Universe around us, the Mother Goddess that protects us, and to Fate that divines our futures for protection, strength, and complete safety from the enemy. Take this demon out of the body of our sister. Send it to the fiery depths of hell, where it can be grounded in jail, never to return topside.
Guide us even through the darkness, take all evil from within our Audrey and around us, cleanse her body and soul through your ever divine healing, and free her from all evil and wickedness. Aid us in removing this demon from her body and help us banish this being to the place it belongs…the depths of hell.
Blessed be. Blessed be.
Now, sa’oire d’uinn!
With the utterance of her last command to leave them, a gust of wind burst through the basement, blowing out all the candles and causing the flame in the cauldron to leap to the ceiling, instantly followed by a thick pillar of smoke that filled the room, making it impossible to see for several long seconds. Through the entire rite, Rian’s eyes stayed glued to Audrey. He willed her to move, open her eyes, do anything as she lay perfectly still on the cot in the center of the circle mere feet from the copper pot of herbs. The Dragon Leader worked hard to stay in place. His every instinct, along with his dragon, pushed him to go to his mate, to protect her from the forces threatening to take her from him.
From one heartbeat to the next, Audrey went from unconscious to wailing and thrashing wildly about on the tiny bed. Thankfully, Kyra had told him this would happen, told him to stay put and under no circumstance to enter the Circle until the demon presented itself. Even with all the little witch’s warnings, Rian still took a step forward. The longer Audrey cried out, the more she threw herself from side to side fighting against her restraints, the weaker his resolve became. He slid his right foot forward but stopped when Calysta scowled at him and shook her head.
It seemed to go on forever, when in actuality it was less than a minute…a gut-wrenchingly torturous moment in time Rian would never forget. One he was sure would drive both he and his dragon insane. The Dragon Leader vowed to lock Audrey as far away from the world as he could get her. There was no way he would ever allow her to get hurt or suffer again.
Rian had reached his limit. Tensed to use his preternatural speed and get Audrey the hell outta that Circle, Rian slid his left foot past his right just as his mate stopped screaming and flailing. Lying perfectly still. Rian took a deep breath. But it was way too soon. Audrey’s back bowed off the cot. Her eyes shot open. Her mouth stretched in a silent scream. It should have been better than her horrific shrieks of pain, but it was so very much worse.
Unable to take one more second of his mate’s torment, Rian took two steps forward and slammed directly into a magical wall, right before a thick black pillar of smoke spewed from Audrey’s open mouth. It went on and on until the ceiling was covered. He thought of the sky before a violent thunderstorm. For several beats of his heart, everything stopped. Nothing happened. He stared at Audrey hanging from an invisible rope around her chest, praying she was okay while pushing against the invisible barrier between them. A loud clap and Rian fell to his knees as the obstruction disappeared and Audrey collapsed in a boneless heap.
Kyra and the other witches chanted with a conviction he could feel to the bottom of his soul in both English and the language of the Ancient Dragons…
“S’aoire d’uimm. Dul as ais I gea’a tu’ bhaineann. Leave us. Go back where you belong. Riamh ar ais. Never return.”
Hand-in-hand, Alicia and Drago walked to the copper cauldron, threw two large burlap sachets into the boiling brew, and yelled, “Srutha’n!”
Sparks flew around the room, igniting the black smoke hovering between their Circle and the ceiling. A screech, reminiscent of the sounds they’d heard in the Abyss, echoed off the stone walls, filling the entire room with unbearable pain and torment that each person felt to their core. A flash of light like hundreds of fireworks exploding all at once in the night sky filled the basement. In the blink of an eye, they were bathed in total darkness and complete silence.
“E’adrom,” the witches all spoke in unison. Every candle lit, filling the eerie space with a bright, clean light. Rian rushed to Audrey, bundled her in his arms, and raced up the stairs. He’d had enough of demons and rituals and hell for a lifetime. All he wanted to do was look into his mate’s loving eyes.
Making his way through the house to his bedroom, Rian kicked the door shut and made his way to his bed. After slipping off his shoes and carefully climbing into the center of his king sized mattress, the Dragon leader positioned Audrey with her head on his chest and body stretched beside his.
With all the gentleness he possessed, Rian stroked her hair while rubbing tiny circles of comfort up and down her spine. He felt her scars. There were more than had been there the last time he’d touched his mate. The Dragon Leader knew he could look into her memories and see the truth of what had happened when Adramelech had pulled her back to the Underworld, but he decided to wait. It was something she had to tell him herself and that would only happen when and if Audrey was ever ready. Whispering promises of a boring demon-free life together, Rian took a deep breath and pushed everything but the woman in his arms from his mind.
“Everything okay in there?” Royce asked through their unique link. "Kyra says we’re bunking here until Audrey wakes up, cool?”
“Fine with me but anyone even thinks of coming into this room and I’ll cut them where they stand.”
Chuckling, Royce answered, “I hear ya, big man. Get some rest. Niall has Rory stable but we’re gonna need to figure out what to do and fast.”
“Hey! I forgot. I kinda…yeah…ummmm…talked to Dad while they were resuscitating Audrey and he said Rory’s been poisoned by that hellhound that took a hunk out of him. You know what that means.”
“Shit! Can’t catch a break with a fishing net in a dry pond, can we? Oh! And the talking to Dad thing. Don’t worry. Mom and I talk often, but let’s keep that between us, okay?” Royce sounded just as bone-tired and frustrated as Rian felt.
“We can and we will. Get some rest. Let me make Audrey mine forever and then we go on the hunt. No one and nothing can escape the O’Reilly brothers.”
Rian was glad to hear Royce laugh as he said, “You know it,” before cutting their connection.
Settling back against the headboard, the Dragon Leader pulled the edge of the comforter over Audrey as she slept. He knew he should wash the blood and grime from their bodies but didn’t want to disturb his mate.
A chuckle floated through his mind just before magic, like butterflies landing on his skin, filled the room. In the blink of an eye, he and Audrey were blissfully clean. Her shabby attire was replaced with a light pink nightie and his ruined jeans with a pair of soft flannel pajama pants.
“That’s a thanks from Alicia and I for bringing our dragons home. Now, get some rest,” Kyra snickered as her presence in his mind receded.
“Thanks, girls.”
He spent the next few minutes checking on Kayne and was shocked when Niall said his dragon was still part of the demi-god’s being but appeared to be in a magical coma of some sort. The Elder Healer said he was to consult with Calysta in the morning about awaking the beast and other than that ,Kayne had taken an hour long shower, eaten a side of beef, and was presently watching Declan and Kellan play Fallout 4 on Xbox One. Niall also said the golden dragon was looking forward to telling his story. Rian could only imagine what that meant.
