1. Beginnings
She’d made the decision to keep her gifts hidden and give her daughter time to have a somewhat normal life. She’d known long ago when the child had rested beneath her heart she was heir to what rode her soul. The wild beat of the drums at the last clan gathering she’d attended had sent her into a trance not even the shamans could bring her out of and she’d SEEN.
She’d come out of the trance, screaming, her throat so raw she couldn’t speak for days afterward. She’d refused to speak of the visions. The clan matriarch had silenced the protests of the shamans, citing that Woman’s Magic was the business of women and Mother’s Magic was the most sacred of all Women’s Magic, not to be meddled with by any male upon the pain of death.
The clan women had closed ranks around her, even to the point of forbidding her babe’s father contact with her. They’d fussed, petted and coddled her in the manner of women who had known the loss of a child.
The clan matriarch had stood to bar her way several nights later on a moonless night when she quietly left the holding. A small ball of witch light had illuminated the dark suddenly and she’d stopped. The clan matriarch spent several moments staring deep into gray eyes that were identical to her own, and then stepped aside.
“Go quickly before I change my mind.” she rasped, then watched as the other loped down the trail with silent, sure grace. What the other never knew was that when the clan matriarch could no longer see the retreating figure of her pregnant daughter, she let the hot tears of grief flow.
She’d traveled as far as she could before exhaustion overtook her. She’d taken refuge in what she’d thought was an abandoned cottage, made sure it was secure, then sank into exhausted sleep.
She’d woken to the muzzle of a rifle inches from her face and a huge, grizzled wolf-dog staring at her. She’d frozen, staring back, hearing the soft, sub-vocal warning growl that ended in a puzzled whine. She didn’t move as the cold nose was suddenly buried at her midriff.
*Grant, the female has a pup inside her.* Came the gravely sending. *I can hear her!*
“Ah, fer cryin’ out loud.” Came the reply in an annoyed sigh. The rifle was removed from her face.
The man crouched down on his haunches to gaze at her with an unreadable expression. She marked that his eyes were green as grass and old even though his face was young. She could see faint scars on his right cheek that extended down into the shirt he wore. She glanced down at his hands and suppressed a shudder as she saw the tattoos peeking out from beneath his sleeves. The wolf-dog’s head came up and the sub-vocal growl was back. Hesitantly, she touched the man’s wrist, curled her fingers tight when he would have jerked back.
“You escaped.” She murmured her voice still hoarse from the screaming she’d done. “Good on you.”
He tilted his head at her and his eyes narrowed.
“Witch?” He asked.
“Guardian.” She replied wearily.
“Where’s your clan?”
“I left them. Couldn’t stay.”
“Hunh. You get caught practicing magic here, you’ll get dead.”
“Not going to. She’s got to be normal first before she can inherit.”
“Hunh. You got somewhere to stay?”
“No.”
“Hunh.”
*Grant, that is very annoying* Came an exasperated growl and the wolf-dog butted the man so that he fell on his butt.
“Oh, fer cripes sake Demon, I’m thinkin’!” Grant snorted.
*What’s to think about? She’ll whelp soon and needs a safe den. The pup will need protectors. We can guard her very well. Her mother, too.*
Grant swiped a hand over his face, muttering in a language she couldn’t understand. But, she knew swearing when she heard it.
“I didn’t know this place was yours.” She said softly. “I’ll go. I intended to find a place in the next town. I can work.”
“I’m not sayin’ you gotta go.” He growled out at her, his expression fierce. “I’m just not set up for babies. And you can’t go to the next town. They’d hang you for sure when you went into labor.”
“What?”
“It’s your first?”
“Yes.”
“Well, without your clan women to suppress it, your magic is gonna go nuts when you go into hard labor. I seen it before, in the fighting camps. It’s why the pregnant witch slaves were usually killed if they couldn’t abort. The guards didn’t want the magic running rampant and killing everything in sight.”
“Oh my god”
*Pfft! I will call my pack when her time comes. They will control her. Now, stop scaring her and ask her what her name is. It is not polite for me to call her the bitch. Human females are offended by that name. So ask her what her human name is so I don’t offend her.*
She found her lips twitching in amusement as Grant looked horrified and put his face in his hands, muttering again.
“Someday, you’re going to have to tell me how the two of you met.” She remarked with a rare smile. “It’s got to be a vastly entertaining story. In the meantime, my name is Niobe of the Mountain Lion Clan.”
“Grant. That’s Demon.” Came the muffled reply from under his hands. “He’s the pain in my ass.”
Niobe laughed and reached out to tug his hands down, looking into his eyes.
“Well, I suppose I will be the pain in your head, yes?” She teased gently.
It got a faint twitch and his face softened for a moment before it went back to unreadable.
He got to his feet, muttering again, grabbed his rifle and stalked toward the door.
“Demon, stay with her.” He grunted. “I gotta go into town and get supplies.”
Then he was gone.
That seemed to set the tone for the next few months. Niobe very quietly and discreetly set wards around the cottage and the land around it. Demon caught her at it, but merely wagged his tail approvingly and escorted her as she finished. The wards were subtle, yet as powerful as she could make them. Niobe also cleaned up the cottage and often surprised Grant by having meals prepared and done when he walked into the house, no matter what the hour.
She didn’t bother to mention that Demon always sent her a private alert when they were on the way home. Nor did she mention the fact that on her morning walks she often came upon other wolves that would stare at her almost curiously, then wag their tails and escort her. Her baby seemed delighted when this would occur, and Niobe could swear she could hear giggling.
It was nearing her time when the restlessness started. She would try not to disturb either Grant or Demon as she rose from her bed to slip quietly outside and pace. On the 6th night of her doing this, both came out into the yard to stare at her. She froze guiltily. Demon snorted out a growl and went back into the house with an exasperated flick of his tail while Grant crossed his arms.
“Well?” He grunted.
“Well, what?” She scowled.
“What are you doing out here in the middle of the night? For the 6th night in a row?”
“I can’t sleep.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. I think James is trying to find me.”
“James?”
“Her father.”
“So how’s that keeping you awake?”
“He’s dream walking. I can feel the vibrations disturbing the veils in the dream paths. It makes my teeth itch because he’s clumsy and an idiot.”
“So why’d you marry him?”
“I didn’t marry him! It was winter solstice. There was too much berry wine and sage incense. I forgot to take my birth control potion. My mother laughed her ass off at me for weeks.”
“So, you’re not married or promised to anyone?”
“Didn’t I just say that? Just because he fathered my baby doesn’t mean I want him!”
Grant threw his arms up in the air, muttered something in that language, then stalked forward. Niobe squeaked as he grabbed her shoulders, pulled her to him and kissed her hard. When he would have stepped back, she fisted her hands in his shoulder length hair and yanked him back for another kiss. He grunted, but wrapped his arms around her and kissed back.
*About damned time* Demon grunted. *The two of you were making me allergic with all the lust smells.*
That set Grant to muttering again and Niobe dissolved into helpless giggles. She let him steer her back into the house and into his bed where he settled her spooning into his chest and wrapped his arms firmly around her.
Two nights later, she went into labor. She was making dinner. Demon had sent that they were about an hour away, on their way home. He was excited about the “surprise” Grant was bringing her, babbling at her when the first hard contraction hit. She’d doubled over with a gasp, and then stared in bewilderment at the puddle of water between her feet. It took her a moment to realize Demon was frantically calling her name.
“The baby’s coming.” She whimpered.
*GRANT!* Demon literally roared in her head then the pain took over as another contraction hit her.
She hit her knees and her spine snapped upright as she felt a familiar fire start to burn in her blood.
“Oh, Goddess, not now you stupid bird!” She gasped out, struggling to push the Firebird back down. Somewhere in the distance, wolves howled. She didn’t pay much attention as she fought to control the Firebird’s insistence on rising. The cottage door thumped and rattled. Her eyes went to it and she struggled to get to her feet.
*Sister! You must open the door!* A female voice rang in her head. *Fight Her! If She rises you are dead and so is your cub!*
*On your feet, Bitch!* A male voice roared in a tone not to be disobeyed. *Now! You will get up and open this door!*
Niobe screamed as another contraction hit her, but she pulled herself up. Fire crackled along her fingertips and she gritted her teeth, her will clashing with the Firebird’s.
*One paw in front of the other, Sister! That’s it! Come to me!* Sang the female.
*Move, Bitch! Open this door or you both die!* Roared the male.
“My. Name. is. Not. Bitch!” Niobe growled back in a resonating voice. “It’s. NIOBE!”
And the door blew off its hinges even as she hit her knees again. Two large silver wolves sprang into the house beneath it. The male circled around to brace her back while the female stood nose to nose with her.
*Sister, you must give us permission to join your mind! Quickly!* The female sent urgently.
“Your name first.” Niobe gasped out.
A tail wag and the female lolled her tongue in amusement even as the male cursed.
*Moon on the Water.* Came the laughing reply.
“Then, Moon on the Water, my mind to your mind, my heart to yours, my soul sings to yours.” Niobe intoned.
The room was suddenly full of wolves. It felt like she was wrapped in many arms and carried. The pain increased even as she was aware of the sound of cloth tearing. She stared down at her naked front and the shreds of her dress even as her brow was bathed in coolness. Someone was growling at her to squat and she growled out a curse. She felt a sharp pinch to her backside, yelped in surprise and struggled into a squat. Something soft was nudged between her legs even as it registered that Grant was yelling curses from the doorway.
She puzzled over that for a brief moment before amber eyes filled her vision and she was told to push. She screamed in agony put couldn’t help but comply with the order. There was a massive pressure, pain, and then a sudden popping release. An outraged wail split the air and Niobe looked down in surprise at her squirming, bloody daughter. Someone chuckled and suddenly there were half a dozen tongues cleaning the infant and too many furry heads blocked her view.
She blinked as the huge male shouldered his way in amongst them with a snarl and a snap, his head lowering possessively over the baby. He glared up at Niobe, then chewed through the umbilical cord before backing away and letting the other wolves finish cleaning her. Niobe suddenly realized they were all female except for him and sank back down onto her knees.
“Oh my god. You’re all witches.” She whispered then turned her eyes to the male. “And you’re a shaman.”
He growled menacingly, his head going down.
“No, no.” Niobe shook her head, smiling. “I’m not going to go shouting it from the roof tops. I’m just surprised, is all. My mother would love you. She always said the four legged clans survived outside our borders, no matter what my father said.”
*You honor the clans?* A timid voice asked in wonder.
“Well, yes. My clan’s shaman bonded with a mountain lion. We protect them as sacred elders.”
*And this cub will be taught to honor them?* The male growled.
“Of course. You don’t like humans, do you?”
*They hunt and kill us for no reason. Demon’s human is different. It was for him we agreed to this, to protect him, not you.*
“And now?”
*SHE IS MINE!*
Niobe tilted her head as the male shouldered the females out of the way and stood over her baby, his head lowered and a snarl on his lips while newborn cries of hunger rang through the air.
“Actually, she is heir to a Firebird spirit.” Niobe stated mildly. “She’s really not anyone’s since she’s already been marked. I’ve never shown anyone what the gods showed me. Would you like to see, Wolf king?”
*Show me!* Was roared in her head and suddenly his nose was pressed to hers.
Niobe opened her mind and her memories of the visions she’d had even as her daughter’s newborn wails turned angry and defiant. They flowed from her mind to his and when they were done, he scrambled backwards, sat back on his haunches and howled and howled as she reached down and gathered her daughter up and to her breast for her first meal. The females stared in astonishment at the male while Grant shoved his way inside and dropped down to her side, his face wet with tears.
“They wouldn’t let me or Demon in!” He gasped out.
Niobe could now see the rest of the pack milling in the door way, cringing at Demon’s snarls, but barring his way. She sighed and reached up with one hand to cup Grant’s cheek. He rested his forehead against hers, and then stared down at the baby nursing greedily at her breast. He hesitantly touched the tiny forehead and then the hand. Small fingers instantly clamped down over his finger when he tried to pull it back. He snorted.
“Like mother like daughter.” He muttered, then glanced up at the still howling male. “That is annoying.”
“Khan.” Niobe called softly, then more insistently. “Khan! Come here!”
The male lowered his muzzle, but still whimpered as his gaze found hers. He slunk forward, his tail between his legs as the females stared in bewilderment. He rested his muzzle on the baby’s legs and Niobe gently stroked his ears.
“Khan, yours is the task to give your bonded her soul name that will only be whispered in secret to those most trusted to die for her.” Niobe said gently. “Mine is the task to give her the name she will be called in the open. Name your bonded, Khan, before her coven and her parents.”
Khan raised his head, blinking at her, then gazed down at the babe. He touched his nose to hers and inhaled.
*Shi’ahani Wolfsdaughter I name you. For you will be a wise mother and you are as much my daughter as if I sired you and my mate birthed you. Thus, among us, you will be known. You are mine and I am yours. * Khan intoned in a shaking voice, then turned to gaze upon the females and the rest of the pack. *Come, a new cub is born to the pack this day. Bond to her so that she may know her family.*
Moon on the Water was the first to come forward and sniff her and lick her gently. The other females followed suit joyfully, then the rest of the pack, the males, came forward. Another large male sniffed her licked her, then stood nose to nose with Niobe.
*I am Lucian, Demon’s brother.* He growled. *I will stay with you. You are mine.*
Niobe snorted on a laugh, but nodded and then kissed his nose, much to his bewilderment.
He moved to one side, sneezing. The rest of the pack had their chance, then it was Demon’s turn. He sniffed the babe, licked her twice, then moved to sit near Grant. Niobe sighed and looked around at them all.
“And now, I give her the name she will be called openly.” She stated softly. “I name her for my mother, Angel Catharina of the Wolf Clan. Know this, we will have 15 full annuals here before I must be forced to return to my mother’s people. Many of you will not survive that long to escort us back. Those that do will always be pack and honored as her family. And now, I am in desperate need of bathing and a nap.”
Grant muttered to himself as he scooped her and Angel up in his arms and set her in a chair. She watched him clean up the bloody rags on the floor, then draw a bath. He went outside and returned a few minutes later with a carved cradle. His face was extremely red.
“Meant it to be a surprise.” He muttered as he went about setting it up and putting the bedding in it.
She merely watched him as he did so, then as he took Angel and deftly diapered and swaddled her and set her into the cradle, all without her fussing. Meanwhile, all the wolves except for Lucian, Khan, Moon on the Water and Demon had excited the house. A few of them stood guard at the doorway while the rest ghosted off into the woods.
“You had a family once.” She stated quietly as she watched everything.
“Yeah. ” He shrugged.
“Before the fight camps?”
“Yeah.”
“How old are you, Grant?”
“I don’t rightly know. Somewhere around 30 annuals.”
“You don’t look that old. More like 20.”
“My tribe tends to look younger than we appear.”
“The fight camps tend to be on the Northern Borders near Dragon’s Reach and the Southern Borders where the Sidhe and fey are.”
“Aye.”
“Dragon’s get or Sidhe?”
“Sidhe.”
“Obviously not full blooded.”
“Obviously.”
“I love you.”
Grant fell on his butt from where he was squatting to get a fire going. He stared up at her. She flicked a glance down at him before returning her gaze to the doorway.
“It would probably be a good idea for us to find your kin.” She went on. “Eventually, Angel is going to wind up with them, I understand that now. It will be important. One of my kin’s descendants will land there one day and one of her descendants needs to be there when it happens.”
“Hunh.”
“I’m going to have to teach one of your kin about the Firebird.”
“Hunh.”
“Our sons will settle there. They’ll need to be taught as well.”
“Hunh.”
“Demon is right, that is annoying.”
“Well pardon me if being told I’m going to be a daddy more than just once is a little shocking. And there was that little thing where you spring the ‘I love you’ on me without even a hint. You just switch gears from asking about my origins to ‘I love you’ and expect me not to have a brain fart? You gotta be smokin’ better weed than me.”
*Is he always like this?* Lucian asked no one in particular as he wrinkled his nose.
*Yes. And the lust smells will drive you insane.* Demon replied in a bored tone.
“Well, I for one, intend to do something about that as soon as I heal enough.” Niobe snorted dryly.
Grant buried his face in his hands, muttering fiercely as he pulled his legs around to sit cross legged. He sat there for a moment, then looked up to fix Niobe with a fierce gaze.
“Woman, you are a pain in my head.” He grunted and pulled himself up. He paused to glare down at Angel for a moment. “I just know you are gonna give me heart failure on a regular basis. All three of you are going to drive me to drink.”
*Three?* Lucian inquired.
*I am the pain in his ass.* Demon yawned.
“It’s his way of saying ‘I love you, too’, Lucian.” Niobe said quietly, not taking her eyes off the doorway. Grant merely started muttering again even as he gently scooped her up again and set her in the warm bath. He muttered the entire time he bathed her, dried her and helped her put on a clean night dress.
Later, as she was feeding Angel again, he pinned her with a serious look, leaning forward from where he sat.
“Tell me, please.” He stated softly. Niobe closed her eyes for a moment, then sighed softly.
“On Angel’s 15th name day, our eldest son will lay down his life to save his sister and the youngest cubs of the pack.” She began. ” Her magic will explode out of her in the madness of her grief and she will burn those responsible for the slaughter of the pack and his death to ashes. The pack omega will be the only survivor along with the cubs and will mark her face in the effort to get her back to us with them. We will have only a matter of hours to flee before the town comes to burn everything to the ground and kill us. I will be able to gate us all to the border of my mother’s lands, but it will leave me near death. A pride of lions will be there to meet us and offer us sanctuary, but the price will be our youngest son given into their care. He will not be harmed. Angel will be trained in the ways of my mother’s magic until her 20th Annual. Then we go to Sidhe lands where Angel will merge with the Firebird Spirit and learn to pass it to the next heir without getting killed in the process.”
Niobe paused to stare at Grant’s tear stained face, then gazed down at Angel’s now sleeping face.
“Someday, magic users will be widely accepted.” She continued. “There will be a human council that governs its use and education. But not before the Southern Fey are completely wiped out. There will be terrible wars. The Morgan will retreat to the Northern Woods but not before she destroys most of Manhattan sealing a mad war mage into the earth. The Sidhe will seal their borders with wards that will obliterate anything remotely evil. Anything the wards let through will be subject to judgment by the Sidhe enforcers and either executed or cared for. The dragons will choose to give up their human forms in order to protect Dragon’s Reach and their lands. On the day the Firebird’s host is betrayed by her bond mates, a Sidhe will bind himself to the host heart and soul. This Sidhe will be descended from Angel’s direct line. The Firebird’s host will be descended from my mother’s indirect line and bear her name. Together, they will create the most powerful War Mage the world has ever seen. She’ll bear Angel’s name and she will have an unprecedented number of bond mates to keep her sane and grounded. She’ll be called as a Guardian at 12 annuals. Through her, the dragons will regain the ability to turn into human form and a unicorn will learn to be a Sidhe. Another Khan will bond to her, he will be descended from Khan’s pack and be the most powerful canine shaman to ever be born. I need you to understand, if we stay here one day beyond Angel’s 15th name day, the world will burn. You do have the option of walking away.”
Grant exploded to his feet with an agonized cry.
“I willna leave ye!” He roared, causing the wolves to jump up and growl in alarm. Only Demon continued to lie where he was, blinking at them sleepily. “Ye canna be that bluidy daft as to think I’d walk away from yon wee lassie or yerself! Yer mine! My mate! My family! MINE! Do ye ken?”
“Well, there’s no question that you’re Sidhe born.” Niobe remarked dryly, quirking an eyebrow at him.
Grant buried his face in his hands and swore profusely.
“I need a drink.” He groaned in defeat.
Angel stared at her Uncle Angus as he closed the old, decrepit leather bound journal. From behind her came a soft chuffing laugh and Khan muttering “Stupid Cat” while the Rock wolves all cackled in delight.
“Does Mother know about this?” She asked in a mild tone.
Uncle Angus winked mischievously at her.
“Nay, an’ you’ll na be tellin’ her about it ’til the time is right.” He grinned. “After all, she’s already had one great shock to her sensibilities what with me stupid brother’s springing the full bonding on her.”
“I don’t think that has anything to do with it.” Angel rolled her eyes. “It’s more like the fact that the humans and fey are still having conniptions about me claiming her as my familiar and the binding on the Phoenix spirit.”
“Firebird Spirit.”
“What’s the difference?”
“Well, I don’t rightly know. Could be the same thing as far as I know. Just different names. Point is, it’s powerful just by itself. The original Angel Catharina Wolfsdaughter merged her soul with it so that each successive heir could be scried and chosen by the host, not the spirit itself. Angel did this to prevent an unsuitable host from going mad and the Firebird Spirit running rampant across the lands.”
“So Shi’ahani is in fact my many times great grandmother? Merged with the Phoenix spirit?”
“Um, aye, that about sums it up.”
“Dad knew about this?”
Uncle Angus rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish expression and nodded. Angel gave a dry chuckle and leaned back against Isis.
“I can’t wait to tell Mom this.” She snickered. “She’s going to turn both of you into frogs.”
“Oiy!” Angus cried in horror then got a sly look on his face. “Well, I guess I won’t be able to show you the rest of the journals then. I’ll be too busy being a frog.”
“Well, now. I see where Dad got his blackmailing skills from. I suppose I can refrain from telling Mom just yet, so long as you promise to show me the rest of the journals.”
“Deal! I actually brought them with me. Mam figured you’d be wanting them after that little bit of rough and tumble that went through the lands.”
“You solemnly swear to show me the journals if I don’t tell Mom?”
“I swear on me ever loving life, Lassie.”
Angel grinned a shark’s grin as he spat in his hand and shook hers. She held onto it, staring him dead in the eye.
“Uncle Angus, I promise I won’t tell Mom about these journals and our origins.” She said in a deadly soft tone of voice. “However, I make no such promises that my bond mates won’t.”
The rock wolves cackled merrily and rose to ghost off toward Kat’s tent as Angus stared at Angel in confusion then dawning comprehension. He stared at her in mournful horror as an outraged bellow concerning frogs split the night.
“Oh, Lassie, I can tell you’re going to be my favorite niece of all time.” He stated in mock sadness. “But you’re going to cause me no end of trouble.”
Angel just smiled.
