“This isn’t a drill.” He ignored the space she’d put between them and pulled her down the hall. “Someone triggered Andre’s wards, and they shouldn’t even have been able to make it that far.”
They pressed together to maneuver around a thick group headed in the opposite direction.
After the crowd passed, she sped up to walk beside him. “Thanks, Darion.”
“For what?”
“For coming to get me. I was starting to feel like the redheaded stepchild.”
His step faltered slightly. Stopping, he turned to her. “I’m sorry for not coming earlier.”
“The alarm only now sounded. I don’t know how you’d come sooner.” She wasn’t sure exactly what he meant.
“No, not today, but last night and the night before.” He brought her close, his familiar musky sent comforting her. “I’ve missed you, but wanted to find answers. I know I’ve been caught up with everything, but…”
The short distance between them held a palpable energy. Driven by desire, her thoughts and emotions flew around her mind. Things between them were still raw and unsettled. They needed to figure things out between them.
Looking up into his eyes, she knew she should step back. She was drawn like a moth to the flame, but she couldn’t afford to be burned. The words she’d planned fled with all sense of reason.
“Rooms, now!” someone shouted down the hall.
Released from her hormone-induced stupor, she stepped back. “We’ll talk later. We better go.”
Grabbing her hand, he kept moving.
“Are we going to be safe here?” Being buried by land or sea didn’t appeal to Becca.
“Not sure. Either way, we need to stick together in case we have to run for it.”
“What about Elizabeth and Caleb?” If they had to run, they all needed to be together.
“We’ll find them if it comes to that. For now, let’s find Andre.” Darion steered them to Andre’s door.
Leon opened it and scowled at the sight of Becca. “I don’t remember her being invited.”
Darion ignored the comment and continued inside with Becca. Andre’s office was full. Caleb stood next to Nikki. Jemi took her place beside Andre, who sat at his desk, while Leon and two other men stood against the wall.
“Did you find out who it is?” Darion asked.
Andre leaned forward on his desk. “We haven’t had a chance. I strengthened our defenses, but these aren’t lost Mundanes.”
“We need to take them out now. The longer we wait, the more time they have to tell others,” Leon said.
“He’s right,” Jemi agreed.
“I know.” Andre settled his chin on folded hands, and for the first time, he looked his age, stress tightening his shoulders and face. “And we need to get the team out.”
“I’m coming,” Becca blurted out. She shot Darion a quick glance, hoping he would back her up. “Ask Darion or Caleb, I know my way around the city better than either of them. I was a runner for years with the black market.”
Leon started to protest but Darion interrupted. “If you expect me to convince Richard to help us, having Leon there with an automatic rifle isn’t going to help me. He’s met Becca before and found her quite interesting.”
“He did?” She racked her brain to remember who he was talking about.
“He was the old man at the market.”
“Oh, yeah.” She didn’t bother to tell Andre that when they went to rescue Caleb, she bore an illusion of an Asian seductress at the time so she doubted Richard would remember her at all.
“I’m not taking all three of them,” Leon argued. “They’ll run for it.”
“Not without my sister,” Becca replied.
“I’ve seen people do worse to family,” Jemi cut in. “She has no training.”
“Oh, I’ve had training and not the kind where we use mats.” She survived in the city by herself for years.
“You’re a liability,” Leon protested.
Andre raised a hand, and everyone fell silent. He took a deep breath, and a chill permeated the room.
“Leon, take your men, Darion, Becca, and Jemi. I will bind Darion and Becca with a promise to not reveal or show others our location.”
Several people spoke at once.
“Silence.” Andre spoke quietly, but the power behind it was felt by everyone. “You’ll need Jemi and Becca in case those magicians up there are powerful, which is what I’m expecting. Caleb can stay back. We’ll need the extra manpower here.”
“Okay,” Caleb said, stone-faced.
“Please return to your station,” Andre said, dismissing him. “You too, Nikki.”
She began to argue, but her father stared at her with a cold, unwavering command.
“Leave your packs for the others,” Andre told them.
Caleb and Nikki took off their packs. On their way out, Caleb briefly grasped Becca’s arm. “Be careful. You too, Pyro.”
“We will,” she promised. “Watch Elizabeth for me, and take care of yourself.”
“I will.” Caleb and Nikki left, the door closing behind them with a loud click.
Andre addressed Becca. “I will watch over Elizabeth, and Doc said he had some sedatives he could try.”
Becca nodded, and for the first time wondered if she’d made the right decision demanding to go. This was for Elizabeth, she reminded herself. No one was as determined as she was to get that book.
Andre stood. “Leon, you take point on this mission. Go now. I’ll watch and assist from the lookout. Any survivors I’ll bring back onto the beach.”
Leon approached Becca and Darion. “Remember, I’m point. You obey my command. Otherwise, when you die, I won’t feel guilty. And if your actions injure any of my men, there will be no help for you.” He brushed past them.
She picked up the extra pack and lugged it over her shoulder. “I can see who got the personality in the family.”
Darion carried a ball of fire above his palm as their group twisted and turned through the dark, unfamiliar path. Leon and his men, Marcus and Alex, led the group, carrying a torch fueled by witch light. Burly and strong, Marcus was nearly as big as Leon. Alex might have been smaller, closer to Darion’s height, but his arms and shoulders bulged under his uniform. Both men sported shaved heads. Their strength impressed Darion, at least for Mundanes, of course.
Water dripped down the walls, and the smell of algae and ocean greeted them. A bright light slowly appeared ahead, and everyone extinguished their flames.
There was a sharp turn that opened to a rocky platform extending to the ocean floor. Small wet shells littered the floor, and barnacles grew on the walls. This must’ve been how Andre protected this exit. He could pull back the tide when needed, or flood the doorway. Amazing. In the shadows of the falling sun, the switchbacks lined the steep path up the cliff face.
“Gather round,” Leon said. “Jemi says the men are about twenty yards from the top of the trail. Since I’ve never worked with either of you two before, stay behind us and try not to die. If you can shield any of my men from magical attacks, do it.
“I’ll take point. Jemi behind me. We’re not here to kill, but if it’s us or them, better make it them. At this distance, Jemi can read vague intentions and give us a signal. Don’t be afraid to have them come to the edge. It’ll be easier to push them into Andre’s waves and let him deal with them.” Leon tightened the straps on his back. “Ready?”
“I can help.” Darion’s frustration grew. Did they not know what he was capable of? “Your magic and Jemi’s are more defensive. Let me fight.”
Leon’s jaw tightened as he stared at Darion. “We can’t burn down the whole forest. And remember, they may be friendly.”
Why did extra muscles mean less brain cells? Darion seethed. “Stay close,” he told Becca. They took the rear as the party headed up the side of the mountain.
By the time they made it halfway up, his legs burned and he fought to calm his labored breaths. He reach
ed out, pushing to see if he could feel any magic ahead, but there was nothing. Either these guys were Mundanes looking for help, or practiced magicians who knew how to hide. Worried about the latter, Dorian created a simple spell to quiet the party’s passage up the cliff.
Jemi must have felt the ripple in the air. She turned back. He put a finger to his lips. She nodded and resumed her climb.
Near the top, Leon waited for the rest of the party to join him. Climbing out to the unknown and exposing themselves would be the hardest part. Andre’s home forged a great, defensible community; a straight attack would prove difficult.
Realizing he didn’t have the power to protect the whole group, Darion’s stomach knotted. Trained to attack, not protect, he’d only focused on individual defenses in school.
Leon signaled to his men, then rushed forward, and the others quickly followed. Everyone except Darion and Becca, who were already on top when the shots rang out. Leon might have been immune to magic, but that didn’t apply to gunpowder.
“Stay here,” Darion told Becca, praying she’d listen, and then hoisted himself up and crawled forward.
Several men were scattered in the trees and brush ahead of them. To the right, Leon lay on his stomach, firing his weapon. On the left, Jemi and Alex crouched behind a large bush. The sound of guns firing exploded all around him. Marcus, the big guy, leaned against the base of a tree, his shoulder bleeding.
Within the chaos surrounding him, it took Darion a minute to gather himself. Ignoring the shouts and blasts of gunfire, he continued forward on his stomach. The constant magical attacks against his shield meant they were facing at least one magician he could sense. Alex and Marcus appeared frozen in place. Darion needed to find the source of the spell.
A couple feet away, dust shot up. A bullet must have missed its mark. Ignoring his body’s desire for survival, he searched for the shooter. There, up ahead, someone on the ground in fatigues. The black tip of the barrel lay on a branch, blending in. Darion focused on the gun, and before it could get off another shot, the rifle exploded in the man’s face. Screams rang out through the trees.
“They can’t escape,” Jemi yelled from behind the tree. Her eyes widened in fear as she repeated herself. “Don’t let them escape.”
Darion wished he knew how many men they actually faced. He glanced over to find Becca next to Marcus, and his heart stalled. Was it too much to ask her to stay behind? Knowing her, probably. There was a bandage on Marcus’s shoulder, and Becca took aim with Marcus’s weapon.
Leon signaled to the others to cover him and then sprinted forward. Bullets whizzed past while he continued to charge forward. Reinforcing his physical wards, Darion ran after him.
Fifty feet ahead, a man sprinted out of his hiding spot. Darion pushed forward, and the gun exploded in the soldier’s hand. The flames, a power in itself, reached for the man to consume as much as it could. Darion squelched the flames and left the man screaming on the ground. Another attacker was perched up in the tree, and Darion quickly disabled him. These were only Mundanes, though, easy to overpower. Where was the magician?
Darion stayed tight on Leon’s tail. A man, not ten feet from them, stood up. Before Darion or Leon attacked, the man dropped his weapon and raised his hands. A glazed expression crossed the attacker’s face. Was this Jemi or...could this be Becca’s power?
As Leon approached, the man didn’t falter, still bound by a spell. Leon slammed the butt of his gun into the base of his skull, and the man crumpled to the ground. “We may need him later. The others will collect him.”
Before they continued, Leon lifted a hand. Silence fell upon the forest. Their breaths came out in quiet gasps, turning into fog in the cold air.
Someone else was out there, someone strong whose magical presence emanated through the forest. Darion pointed in the direction of the pulsating magic, though he couldn’t see a thing.
Leon charged forward, dodging around fallen trees and bushes in his path.
Before Darion could follow, a surge of power yanked him down to the earth, pressing on his throat. He fought back, but his defenses failed. Without a demon tied to him, Darion wasn’t a match. He’d only survive if Leon found the magician first.
Darion turned his head and watched Leon’s boots take off. Darkness ate at the edges of his mind as he tried to fight back. A figure sprinted out from behind a tree, Leon only feet away. The wizard had waited too long to run. Most magicians were not familiar with someone like Leon, someone immune to magic.
The invisible bands on his throat tightened, and Darion struggled to speak. He wanted to warn Leon that the gun wouldn’t work. This level of magic would have protection spells stronger than most arsenals.
As Leon raised his gun, a large rock smashed into the side of his head. It continued to pummel Leon as he stumbled, falling to the ground.
The man behind the spell straightened, mere feet from Leon, and stared at Darion. His face was scarred, deep red welts covering his face. His blond hair, short and bright, and focused eyes told Darion at once who it was: an old schoolmate he’d thought dead. Peter.
Becca was yelling for him, running through the woods. As black spots danced in his vision, he wanted to call her off. With the revenge and loathing in Peter’s eyes, Darion knew he wouldn’t be content with one death.
Jemi and Becca rushed to his side. Darion lost track of Peter as Becca and Jemi blocked his line of sight. Becca sank down and grabbed his hands. With a quick spell, she linked their magic. Like food for a starving man, the driving magic gave him enough power to release Peter’s bonds. Darion gasped, sucking in deep breaths.
“Leon and another wizard.” He pointed through the woods. When he searched for Peter, Darion couldn’t find him anywhere. He didn’t think Peter would give up so easily.
“I’ll take care of it.” Jemi took off running.
“Are you okay?” Becca bent over him, a worried expression creasing her brow.
“Yeah.” His voice came out rough due to his abused throat. “Just took me off guard.”
“What did I tell you about your guard?” Becca scowled, giving him the same lecture he’d given her after her fight in the pawn shop.
“He’s stronger than before.” He remembered Peter’s strength, and it hadn’t been anywhere near this strong. Granted, Darion no longer had a demon to draw from. Maybe something about sacrificing most of your body in a fire fueled Peter’s powers? A cold chill ran over Darion. He never would have thought Peter would have survived the blast or inferno that almost took Becca and Darion. He would have felt sorry for Peter, if it wasn’t the second time Peter had tried to kill him.
“Who was he?” Becca asked.
“Yeah, who was that devil?” Leon approached with Jemi at his side. He held a cloth to his head, blood dripping down the side of his face. The fact Leon could stand after that attack surprised Darion.
“An old acquaintance, you could say.” Darion stood up, still scanning the surrounding area. He didn’t sense Peter nearby but didn’t let go of Becca’s hand. He strengthened a shield around them both.
“What happened to the others?” Leon dabbed at his head.
“The shot went straight through Marcus’s shoulder,” Jemi answered. “And Alex is watching our prisoner. Marcus will be fine, but needs to go back. So do you,” she said to Leon.
He brushed her off. “I’m fine.”
“Then we need to find that wizard. He knows too much.”
“Who does he belong to?” Becca kept a firm grip on the knife at her side. She must have left the gun with Marcus.
“Ryma.” A familiar dread settled in Darion’s stomach.
“Great. Ryma.” Jemi ran a hand through her short hair. “We can’t be found on Ryma’s radar. Andre needs to know about this now.”
“Go tell him,” Leon ordered. “Take Marcus and the prisoner back with you. We’re going to complete the mission and hopefully track this Peter down in the process.”
Jemi hesitated for a mom
ent. “You sure about this?”
“No,” Leon said, “but we can’t lose any time.”
Darion couldn’t agree more.
Becca went with Alex to retrieve the packs from the cliff face. As the adrenaline from the fight fled her system, her hands trembled. Determined, she gripped Darion’s bag in her hands. As they headed back, Becca couldn’t miss the guy’s cussing and complaining. When they returned, Marcus was bandaged and standing up, pointing a gun into the prisoner’s back. With some magic on Jemi’s part, Becca eventually got the prisoner to shut up.
“Will you be okay heading back?” Leon asked Jemi.
“Sure. Andre’s still watching for us. If he gets bad”—she motioned to the prisoner—“I’ll push him over the edge.”
The man, forced mute by magic, flashed Jemi a concerned look.
She sneered and then nudged him forward. “Move it.”
The three of them headed back to the compound.
With her pack against her back, Becca itched to take off as well. Now that Peter and Ryma knew where Becca and Darion were, there was a new timeline for her sister.
“Better get moving. If we plan on tracking Peter, we’ve got a lot of ground to cover.” Leon started off through the woods, stepping over a fallen tree.
“We won’t find him,” Darion said. “If he covered his power this well from Andre when searching out this place, there is no way I can find him. Not unless someone grabbed something of his. Did you get anything, Leon?”
Leon dabbed at the cut on his head. It was thankfully only a surface wound. Leon’s arms took most of the beating as he’d covered his head. “No. We’ll head to the city and keep our eyes open. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
“How did you get injured?” Becca asked Leon as they hiked. “I thought you were immune to magic?”
“I am. No one can change my mind, make me see other things, or hurt me physically. They can’t get in my head, but they can use other objects or people to hurt me,” Leon grumbled.
Remembering the scene when she’d found Darion, fear coiled in Becca’s stomach. She motioned Darion to the side, hoping for a bit of privacy.
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