by Lyla Oweds
“About time,” Caleb muttered, still hunched over beside me.
“Gloria.” Gregory brushed his hand down my arm, his eyes searching my own. And despite the fact that I should have been doing something, I couldn’t look away.
Emotions warred inside me as others did my job.
Michael was there, fighting alongside Lee. Like I suspected, he did have a shikigami of his own, though I couldn’t place its form at the moment. Everything was covered in haze.
Jordan and David had also arrived, though not fighting like Michael and Lee. Instead, they were making their way to us.
The battle behind them faded into obscurity as the fighting died down, the two onmyoji clearly the victors, and the wolves, nursing various injuries, retreated back into the woods.
“Are you okay?” Gregory asked. He touched my jaw. There was such concern in his voice, in his gaze, that tears rose to my eyes unbidden.
“I’m just swell, thanks for asking. You’re a champ.” Caleb pushed back to his butt, his teeth clenched, and he moved slowly as he pulled his legs in front of him, resting his forearm over one raised knee. Now that my despair had begun to clear, and my breathing deepened into a normal rhythm, it was obvious Caleb’s injury wasn’t nearly as terrible as I feared.
“I suppose Father might be displeased if you perish.” Gregory’s cool gaze turned toward his brother, but he couldn’t hide the relief lacing his scent. “That’s a good lad.”
“I’m not much younger than you!” Caleb shot Gregory a loath-filled glare. “And bugger off, I need to talk to Gloria.” His attention turned back to me, expectation dark in his eyes. “Why were you scared of that idiot?”
Although his question was asked with measured calm, and not very loudly at all, the sound of it seemed to cut through the air around us. Of course, Michael had just kneeled at my other side the instant he’d spoken, and the rest of my quintet had arrived as well.
My momentary reprieve had ended, and now I was left to face the repercussions of my actions.
“Shut it.” Hopefully my voice wasn’t as shaky as my nerves. During the confrontation, my hairband had snapped, long red waves fell over my face. Hopefully hiding the rising heat. Gregory’s presence remained on one side of me, but he was unmoving. He watched me, though. I could feel his prying eyes. On the other side, Michael hovered near.
I could imagine the furious, look on his face. I could already hear the questions.
Michael moved, reaching a hand toward me.
“I’m not scared at all. I just didn’t feel like fighting.” I dodged Michael’s touch, jumping to my feet. “There’s nothing more to it than that. But I was growing tired of him. I was just about to do something before you lot—”
“Babe, you’re crazy if you think you can lie to me. I can feel your emotions.” Caleb’s voice was harsher than it had ever been, and he radiated regret. My attention snapped from the ground at his feet, my eyes holding his.
Yes, there was regret in his gaze. But determination too.
My breath caught. He wasn’t going to let this go.
How could he do this to me? This was so humiliating. I’d survived for this long with my secret. I’d made it this far.
Not even my own family knew the truth, and now he was ruining it.
“Gloria, what’s he talking about?” Michael asked, getting to his feet and reaching for my hand. “Did you know that shifter?”
“No.” I somehow gritted through my teeth, mentally measuring the distance between me and the edge of the forest. Even with pumps, I may be able to outrun them. “Never seen him before in my life. Why would I be scared of such a weakling?”
“You’re posturing.” Gregory also stood. “You say ‘no,’ but you’re shaking like a leaf. Why are you afraid of him?”
“I’m not afraid of him.” My voice had risen to a strangely high pitch and annoyance flared through my veins.
Caleb leaned forward, his gaze questioning. “I know—”
“I can’t shift!” The world went dark as I covered my face, and my stomach pitched as I fought to keep my anxiety at bay. In my hysteria, my voice came out louder than I’d intended. It was the only way to get my point across. “Are you happy now? The hierarchy doesn’t matter if I can’t shift!”
Chapter Twenty
The echo of my words didn’t even have time to fade before Michael had turned me to face him, tugging my hands from my face. “What are you talking about?” The anger had vanished from his eyes. Now there was barely-concealed worry. “How can you not be able to shift? How did you survive?”
His last question held a hint of disdain, and I recalled Lee’s earlier words—a reality I hadn’t even known.
Michael didn’t like shifters. And he seemed to have some sort of inclination of what happened to shifters who couldn’t shift. I couldn’t even imagine what he was thinking right now.
In a way, it was lucky that Blake was my mate. That reality surely had a part to play in why I’d been ignored by others, why no one had challenged me. I’d done well in hiding it, or so I’d thought. But surely this had helped.
But my luck had finally run out, and I couldn’t pretend anymore. It had almost gotten someone, other than me, killed.
“I can’t shift…” A weight seemed to lift from me as my darkest secret came to light. Gregory sucked in a breath, his presence covering me in the back. Meanwhile, Michael’s gaze had imprisoned mine. Gray swirled into a storm as the inferno within him churned to life.
“You’ve never shifted?” Caleb kicked his leg out in front of him, redirecting my attention back to him. David, who was now crouched at his side, also watched in wariness. And to my utmost horror—even though it was to be expected—Jordan and Lee also frowned at me. Clearly invested in this conversation.
This was the picture of humiliation.
“Of course I’ve shifted before. I used to be able to do it. But now I can’t. That’s why, despite you asking over and over again, I’m not able to be in your quintet!” I said, pointing at Jordan. He only raised an eyebrow at being singled out. After all, he would be the most affected person by my lack. Just as it was a shifter’s job to protect their medium, the fae, it was also the shifter’s responsibility to act as a magical reserve for the necromancer.
Their magic, after all, carried a wildness that fed from the untamed nature of our beasts.
His smooth features were carefully guarded, and his scent gave away nothing. Instead, his wide mouth pressed together, contemplative, before he warily asked, “So you’re able to shift?”
“I just said I couldn’t.” My frustration mounted. Didn’t he understand?
“No,” Jordan replied. “You said you used to be able to change. Shifters don’t just lose their ability. You’re either a shifter, or you’re not.”
“Is the wolf still living inside you?” The blond witch drew to his feet, dusting off his knees as he stood. “Or has she died?”
I growled in response, and his tone was slightly petulant when he said, “Guess not.”
But while he sounded annoyed as his face lifted, his sapphire eyes glittered with a calm, hidden power. Dampness filled the space between us, and the world faded away.
David’s usual jovial demeanor had vanished. For the first time since I’d met him, he resembled the powerful witch he was meant to be.
As he held out his hand, a thrumming filled my ears. A suffocating haze settled over me, making it hard to move, to breathe. Sound faded from my awareness as I tentatively touched my fingers to his palm.
Shock raced through my hand, traveling through me as it seemed my body was filled with this light sensation. The hair on my arms raised in response, and a shiver shot down my spine.
All I could see were David’s bright blue eyes and his presence cloaking over me, searching.
The look there held me into place with sudden anticipation. Perhaps it might be this simple to shift again. Having a quintet might be the answer.
After all, it wa
s witchcraft that made it possible for shifters to shift.
I wasn’t sure what he was doing, but a tingling sensation traveled from my feet to the crown of my head. The prelude to the transformation that I hadn’t experienced in so many years.
My heart fluttered in my chest with excitement—never had I dreamed it’d be possible to change again. I’d given up on that many years ago, after a million failed efforts.
But then the feeling vanished, and my skin crawled as—once again—the stirrings of another failed shifting rippled through my nerves. Tense muscles ached, once again unable to morph and change into my natural form.
David broke our eye-contact, his lips dipping into a frown. There was no hiding the confusion in his scent.
Teeth gritting, I blinked back tears of frustration. I hadn’t really expected anything to happen.
But it was still disappointing to have that tiny sliver of hope quashed.
“I’m not familiar with this magic…” His head cocked to the side, contemplation entering his expression.
“Magic?” Caleb stiffened at David’s statement, but it was Gregory who’d spoken as he stepped closer to my side, his hand grasping my arm. And under his curiosity, there was a glimmering of possessiveness in his question.
Fae, after all, were the true controllers of magic. And from the tone of his voice, he took personal offense at the idea of this.
He didn’t even ask permission before another wave washed over me, this one different—more intrusive and intentioned—than David’s scan. Yet, it was over quickly, and the wave receded. “I don’t feel anything.” Gregory narrowed his gaze at David. “What—”
“You’re not focusing on the right thing. It’s a curse,” David said, his tone equally as grim. “Search again, this time at the foundation of her aura. It’s there, almost entirely concealed. But it is the reason she can’t shift.”
The tightness of Gregory’s expression could almost cut glass, and my chest constricted under the unexpected nature of it.
All this time I’d imagined myself to be stronger than him, if only by a little. He’d been hiding his power, much like how Michael had been shielding his shikigami from me. But now, I was beginning to grasp how out of reach an Er Bashou’s level truly was. Even if Michael and Gregory weren’t really the Xing’s first officers—as there was no Xing born in our generation—if things had been different, the strength they radiated was of that nature.
I’d never met a Xing before. However, if a proxy Er Bashou was like this, just how powerful were our archetypes when personified?
I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to find out.
My thoughts returned to the present as Gregory dropped his hand from my arm, green eyes flashing dangerously. He interrupted the beginning of a question that Michael barely had time to begin, and had rounded on me within a blink. “Who did it? Do you know?”
My eyelids fluttered for only a second.
I loathed thinking about this, and I’d never spoken of it.
And yet, here we were. I couldn’t hide it now. My thoughts were in conflict with themselves.
But, really, there was no point in lying anymore. All the pieces had been laid out. I could already see Caleb putting them together in his head. If I didn’t say something, he would.
“It was Edward Cole.” Despite my inner turmoil, my voice was surprisingly steady. “I was cursed by Edward Cole when I was five.”
“Edward Cole?” Michael responded, disbelief lacing his voice. “The judge? Why would he do that?” My gaze flickered to his, and his face flushed in response. “I believe you, but… I find it hard to believe as well…”
I had expected this. In all my encounters, it seemed only Caleb had been immune to his charm.
“Don’t say that,” Gregory snapped, brushing back Michael’s attempts to gather me to him and placed his hands on my shoulders instead. “It’s insulting that you’d even suggest that she’d lie.”
“It’s okay.” My gaze traced over the scruff marks that marred Gregory’s Italian leather shoes. “Most people seem to be unable to hold him in anything other than the highest esteem.”
Gregory’s touch lifted my chin. He was frowning, and his face was a picture of inner turmoil. “I do believe you,” he amended his previous statement. “Although, I’m not certain why my mind is at war over this. But now that doubt has been cast out about his character, it’s difficult to ignore this nagging sensation.”
“Something is pissed up,” Caleb interrupted. “I’ve been feeling it for days. You and I owe this realm nothing,” he continued, gesturing between his brother and himself. “And our people are even suspicious of each other.”
“Your point?” Gregory asked, glancing at the seated man.
“We’re fae, we don’t trust anyone. This isn’t even our world,” Caleb continued, sighing as if he was stating the most obvious thing in the world. “So why should we give a damn if some witch is a good person or not?”
“It is rather odd,” David mused, stroking his chin. “You’re an ass to me, at least.”
A sense of foreboding seemed to cloak the air, weighing heavy on the already thick atmosphere.
I’d always known it would be difficult to plead my case. But now, with even my most shameful admission laid bare, and still the hesitance from those who were supposed to support me the most, it made it feel like it’d be impossible.
If I lacked a single shred of proof when I exposed him, nothing would come of my efforts. Edward Cole was simply too beloved.
How could I make everyone see?
“Don’t make that face.” Gregory’s hand squeezed over my shoulder. “I do believe you.” He sighed. “It’s just…” His words trailed off for a second as his gaze left mine, glancing around our location. The forest was still quiet outside of the running sound of the creek. Not even the bullfrogs had resumed their music. “We need to talk, away from here.”
“Couldn’t agree more.” Michael’s voice was gruff, and my legs were swept from under me as he lifted me to him. “So let’s go back. We’ve got some unfinished business to deal with anyway.”
His last statement was darker, more menacing than expected. And I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed. Everyone, besides Caleb and Gregory, had shot Michael a startled look.
And it was alarming, if you didn’t know what he was talking about. After all, Michael was the happy-go-lucky fool. I might love him, but that reality wouldn’t change his nature.
I no longer thought of his perseverance and optimism as a flaw.
I was already in so deep.
Still, I wasn’t looking forward to facing the inevitable lecture. “Put me down.” I pushed at his chest, not really meaning it. Physical closeness might make him forget how angry he might be at me. “I’m not even injured…” He looked at me and my breath caught.
“Much…” I begrudgingly added. Caleb was still on the ground, watching the scene with barely concealed curiosity.
And if I didn’t already know, I’d guess there was excitement in his gaze too. Though, I did know, because he positively radiated it. How dare he look happy at the thought of me being punished. He was the one who dragged me out here in the middle of the night.
“Put me down,” I repeated, inclining my head toward Caleb. “He’s far more injured than me. Someone needs to carry him.”
“Hey…” The amusement fled Caleb’s expression in an instant.
His protests died as Michael’s eyes narrowed—he knew my intentions. And this time when he spoke, he addressed Gregory. “Don’t dawdle. Carry your brother to safety. He’s injured.”
Gregory rolled his eyes and stepped in Caleb’s direction, who was staring wide-eyed at me. But at his brother’s movement, the spell broke. “Get your grubby hands away from me.” He slapped in Gregory’s direction before he moved to his feet, wincing. “I don’t need your help.”
“You say that, but you’re looking rather green around the edges,” Gregory remarked coolly, tilting his head. �
��Come to me.”
Caleb grimaced, swaying. “Shut up, I…”
The rest of his statement was lost as his voice trailed into silence. His skin went white, and he swayed dangerously. Gregory stepped forward, this time concern pitching in his scent as, without any further warning, Caleb collapsed forward—right into his brother’s arms.
Instinctively, I tried to move from Michael’s hold. But the onmyoji was holding me tightly against him.
“Oh, Caleb.” Gregory sighed, shuffling his brother in his arms. “What have you gotten yourself into this time? Father will truly be displeased.”
Of course, Caleb didn’t respond. But the question didn’t go unnoticed by Jordan, who snapped his attention away from Caleb’s unconscious form.
“What are you talking about?” The necromancer frowned. “Gregory doesn’t give a wit about Caleb.”
“How wrong you are,” Gregory muttered under his breath. “Highly inconvenient fool.”
“Gregory?” I peeked at Michael.
“Gregory is a junior,” Michael explained. “He’s named after his father. He’s a bit sensitive about his name.”
“Regardless.” Gregory shot Michael a stern look, not seemingly concerned about the unconscious man in his arms. “And if you don’t want me to discuss names, you’d best drop the subject now.”
Michael’s mouth snapped shut and a dusty pink covered his cheeks.
And as worried as I was about Caleb, this also pulled at my attention. After all, Caleb, while hurt, was in no mortal danger. “Michael?”
“Never mind, we’re leaving before this lot wakes up.” Michael squeezed me to him, stepping past the unconscious bodies of the wolves they’d fought as he made his way back the way we’d come. Following along at his feet was the dark presence of a shikigami, his shikigami. I’d normally had been uncomfortable, at the very least, at the evil swirling at my feet. But at the moment, trapped by Michael’s harsh, but confident expression and the nursing of my wounded pride, I couldn’t find myself to really care.
This should have been a noteworthy point of personal development—no longer being afraid. But I was certain the fear would hit me later.