Tonight we are delving into the traumatic and sensual
relationship between Princess Catriona when she meets mortal Derek Harrison, a
wounded Marine who is recovering at his cousin's house in Michigan. You may
remember Raven from “Viking, Go Home.” But for now let’s explore what happens when Fae Magick
comes up against the force of a bonafide Marine in “Semper Fi Magick.”
Dark shadows merged into the space behind the
terrorists. Black garb, night goggles, and stealth should insure they were upon
the terrorists before they were noticed.
The first objective would be to take out the
man with the distribution device. No way could the chemicals be released into
the lake. Derek moved forward and prayed his men would be successful in taking
out the rearguard of the cell.
He shouldered his rifle and
debated taking a shot. He didn’t want to hit the cylinder. Better to get in
close and use his Ka-Bar. The utility knife with its eleven and three-quarter
inch blade would do the job without a loud hello.
Thankfully the moon chose that moment to hide
behind a cloud. Derek quickened his pace as his magnified night vision
spotlighted the first terrorist submerging the hose into the water.
Twenty feet from the hostile, Derek could hear
the muffled whispers of the cell. He needed to move fast or he would miss his
chance. They were a scant moment or two from discharging the chemicals.
He lunged his body into air and tackled the man
holding the device, knocking him into the sand-and-stone lake edge. The device
hit the ground before Derek could catch it in his hands, but a quick glance
showed the chemicals were still in place.
The terrorist elbowed Derek in the gut, and
then punched and jabbed him in the face. He returned the favor, trying to get
the upper hand. Instead he found a knife similar to his own glinting in the
reemerging moonlight.
He dodged the jab and brought his Ka-Bar to bear
against the man’s chest. The man twisted and tried to get away, and when he
couldn’t, he slammed his blade into Derek’s stomach.
Pain lanced his insides like hot metal. He
tried to ignore the sensation as he brought his knife back to its target. A
quick flick and the man’s curse died on his lips. A second later the man
followed as a blood filled rattle issued from his throat.
Derek cursed as he felt the blood soaking his
pants, and climbed to his knees. The device lay where it fell, and he yanked it
back from the lake’s edge. His men were still containing the other terrorists.
He berated the weakness encasing his limbs, and fought the darkness threatening
to take his vision. A swirl of color materialized near him right before he
blacked out.
****
Catriona gazed in horror at the blood staining
Derek’s clothes. Her instinct was right. Even though he hadn’t called her name
out loud or whispered it in his mind, she’d known he was in trouble.
As she surveyed the chaos around her, she also
knew that help would arrive too late for Derek if she didn’t act. The others
were still involved in hand-to-hand fighting. She could stop all of it by a
wave of her hand, but did she dare?
To interfere with a mortal’s destiny was
something the court frowned upon. Maybe she could just freeze time until she
could get Derek some help. And the only help that might save him lay in the
faery realm. She’d never tried to heal another person, and too much magick
could make his situation worse. He needed someone who knew what they were doing.
Catriona couldn’t lose him, not now, and not
like this. She bent, placed her hand on his shoulder, and then zapped them both
to her room in the palace.
She used magick to strip Derek of his clothes
after she placed him on the bed. The wound was bleeding horribly. She needed
help.
Their healer!
Before Catriona could flash out to seek
Isabella’s help, her da flashed in. His eyes glowed blue fire, his mouth
opened, closed, and then opened again.
“Catriona! You have gone beyond any fae to date
in bringing this mortal to our court.” Her da’s eyes flashed more fire and
colors twirled from his fingertips: signs he was more than a bit irate.
“Da, I am sorry, but he’s hurt badly, and he
needs our help.” Catriona didn’t care if her statement was a plea. She would beg,
cry, or get on her knees if it would help Derek.
“What is this man to you, daughter?” His voice
was harsh, and Catriona knew he now acted in the form of king, although he used
the word daughter.
“A friend, a man who tried to stop an enemy
from polluting his country’s water supply. He is a soldier who is in need of
our help. I beg you to allow the healer to take care of him.”
“I ask you again, what is this man to you?” Her
da’s voice dropped an octave in timbre, but he still pinned her with his gaze.
“He is the man I choose as my mate. The only
man I will ever have if he will have me.” Catriona spilled the words out and
then waited to see what her da would do. Derek still lay immobile, and she
feared she may have signed his death warrant and possibly her own. The court
which was made up of other aristocracy from various realms could be brutal when
their laws were disobeyed.
“To take a mortal as a mate
goes against all of our rules. Are you sure, Catriona? The repercussions could
be serious.” Her da’s voice was husky with emotion, and she thought she saw a
glimmer of tears in his gaze.
“Yes. I love him. I don’t want to be mated to
someone who won’t love me for me. He sees past the princess and to the woman
inside of me, Da. Please save him!” Catriona felt the moisture on her face, and
realized she was crying. Something she rarely did.
“Very well, I will summon Isabella. However you
do realize that you could be severely punished. The others on the court could
banish you from the fae world for a time or forever. Or they could take your
magick.”
A chill teased Catriona spine. She didn’t want
to give up her home. And giving up her magick would leave a huge hole in her
chest, but nothing compared to losing Derek.
“I know, Da, but if he dies, I won’t care about
anything but dying anyway.”
“Daughter, I love you, and will do all I can to
make it right with the court.” Her da caressed her cheek, and then called for
the healer.
The next moments seemed to drag by, even though
the healer arrived almost the instant her da called. Catriona welcomed her da’s
arm around her shoulders as they watched Isabella touch the wound and then
sprinkle different herbs onto Derek’s stomach.
Several long sighs later, Catriona jerked to
attention when the healer turned their way. “King Tiernan, I have done all I
can. His wound is grievous, but the bleeding has stopped. He will need to be
watched for fever.” Isabella waved her hands in the air. “I am sorry, I could
not do more. He is mortal and I’ve never tried to heal one of their kind before
now.”
Tiernan nodded when Isabella curtsied to both
him and Catriona. “Thank you. I will make sure you are rewarded for your
efforts.”
“My reward will be if the man lives.” Isabella
shook her dark hair back from her shoulders, and her blue-eyed gaze darted to
Catriona. “If I’m not mistaken, this man is meant for great things, and is
important to the princess.”
“You are correct. Again my thanks.”
“And mine, Isabella.”
Catriona smiled at the healer as she slid from beneath her da’s arm. She moved
to Derek’s side. His bronze tone had paled, his lids slightly blue, and his
lips were bled of color. She knew Isabella had indeed done all she knew to help
him. Catriona just hoped it was enough.
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