Free Claiming Trinity by Kali Willows Page A

seems to affect mostly Trinity. Maybe she has lost her mind?” Sarka offered coolly.
    “No, she hasn’t,” Kane growled.
    “Easy, big guy.” Cemil held his palms up to tame the beast. “This is just a brainstorm right now. We need to weigh all the possibilities.”
    Arawn tapped his chin in deliberation. “Sarka, is there any way to dull Trinity’s senses for the time being?”
    “She has the enchanted glasses, but they haven’t helped.” She shrugged.
    “Correct me if I’m wrong, but those dull her visual perceptions, right?” he disputed.
    “You’re right,” Cemil’s voice livened up. “She’s part empath, so she feels everything on all levels.”
    “What do you propose?” Cyrus lifted a single brow.
    “I’m not sure, but the pain she was in at the cabin was surreal, brutal.” He shook his head as if to dispel the experience. “Kane, Arawn, has there been a time since you’ve been with her, she’s been at complete peace?”
    “You mean outside of the herbal roofie Sage gave her last night?” Kane pressed his lips tight and narrowed his eyes.
    “Yes,” Cemil retorted.
    “The hot springs.” Arawn’s hopes lifted. “The moment Serena had her submerged in the water, she said she couldn’t feel anything. She giggled with relief.”
    “Well, we can’t keep her submerged in water the rest of the week. She’s not a mermaid.” Cemil frowned, then his eyes lit up. “This may be a shot in the dark, but Sarka, can you fashion a talisman to carry spring water in it?”
    “If this is a cloaked being, and with this caliber, there may be more than one, I would bet it’s a psychic attack. The water neutralizes negative energy for her, but she needs more than one element. If I fashion a talisman for her out of black tourmaline, perhaps a mini vial with water in it, it can protect her from negative energy, even spells and curses. She can’t take it off at all, though, and I can’t guarantee how long it will last because we don’t know what we’re dealing with.”
    Sage sat on the edge of her chair. “We can amp up the power with some herbs, too. Mugwort can protect against astral attack, since no one can see anything. Acacia is good for psychic attack; black thorn can reverse a spell.”
    “Okay, you two, work together on the talisman. Cemil, once she’s got the protection in place, what other vulnerabilities does she have?” Cyrus inquired.
    Cemil straightened his back, determination filling his features. “Unresolved grief.”
    A knock sounded at the door. Sage pulled the door open a crack, and whispered. Then she let in the tall, silver-haired fae.
    “Trixie, you were fast,” Sage remarked.
    Is this a good sign or not?
    The fae entered the room and frowned. “Only because parts of her memory has been completely erased.” She closed the door behind her.
    “Where is Trinity?” Kane’s nostrils flared.
    Trixie held up her right hand. “Serena’s still with her. She’s helping her balance her emotions in the springs. Two security guys stayed at the water’s edge to keep an eye on them.”
    “What have you learned?” Cyrus’s voice lowered.
    “Someone has seriously messed with her. I regressed her to last night, and even in her subconscious, she has no memory of a two hour span. Dark shadows surrounding her in the dinner hall were the only things she could recall before her head started to hurt.”
    “She was pretty out of it,” Kane concurred.
    “Did anything happen in the hall?” Trixie probed further.
    “She told us about her uncle, her parents, and that she’s a mixed-breed,” Arawn listed as he recalled the events. “She read a little about each of us. She picked up on wings and stone from Kane here, and war and revenge with conflicted nature, and the hounds of hell from me.” He rubbed his chest with discomfort.
    “But none of those things set her off,” Kane disputed. Then his eyes widened. “She got pretty feisty when she read some women’s thoughts. Three