Insidious Magic: A Snarky Paranormal Romance (Modern Magic Book 2)

by Nicole Hall

  She didn’t wait to see if they listened. The two men grappled back a few steps then Chad tossed Ryan over his hip. Zee cursed as fear surged through her. The bond assured her he was alive, but he wasn’t moving.

  Ryan, you need to get up. Finish healing the Wood. No matter what happens, finish it.

  Chad grinned at her and spun the knife in his hand. “Your boy toy is out of practice.”

  “I’m not.” Zee came at him with a high kick he easily dodged, but it worked to back him further away from the stone. Fury and determination powered her. Without sucking Ryan’s magic away to use as a shield, she needed to keep Chad’s dagger out of arm’s reach. And he sure as hell wasn’t getting close to Ryan again.

  Blood dripped down her arms, and the cuts ached, but the elemental power under her was building to a crescendo. Move, Ryan!

  Ryan groaned from the ground, but he crawled over until he crouched over the stone again. Zee felt the magic begin to flow, but she didn’t take her focus off of Chad this time. They circled each other, feinting and testing.

  “You put a spell in the break to hold it open. All of this is your fault.” Zee only needed to keep him occupied a tiny bit longer but his sly smile put her on edge.

  “What was I supposed to do? Starve in the filth and cold?”

  Chad brandished the blade at her once, twice, then without looking, he whipped the dagger at Ryan. Time slowed, and Zee used the last of her speed to throw herself between Ryan and the dagger. She curved her body around him, and the blade sank into her shoulder.

  Zee grunted and slumped to the ground, but she pushed Ryan to focus through the pain. Finish it!

  Chad charged them with a guttural cry, but he’d moved too late. Three things happened at once.

  Ryan sat back with a satisfied grin and a sigil glowing on his hand, Chad bounced hard off a faintly glowing golden bubble wrapped around both of them, and the seal inside her dissolved in a wave of power that rolled out from the center of the clearing. Zee gasped and her head lolled back as magic shot through her limbs. Bolts of pleasure and pain raced through her until her magic settled, tingling under her skin.

  The darkness around them melted away to reveal a bright and temperate winter forest. Her ears popped, and sound returned to normal. Wind rushed through the branches, ruffling her hair, and she’d never been so glad to be warm. A smile spread across her face as she wiggled her fingers and woke her magic.

  Zee sat up and gingerly looked back at her throbbing shoulder to see most of Chad’s dagger sticking out of it. If she breathed shallowly and didn’t move, the pain settled down to a barely manageable level.

  Chad lay on the ground whimpering a few feet away. Where the power had refreshed and renewed her, Chad looked like he was having one hell of a magical hangover. She guessed that his magic had also returned, and the resulting mix with the elemental magic swimming inside him had not gone well. It was probably overkill to freeze him in place, but she’d had about enough of his bullshit. And it simply felt good to use her magic again.

  The spell would keep him still until they decided what to do with him, but his need for more and more elemental magic would never go away. His future loomed as one of many tough decisions she’d have to make.

  Sera and Jake rushed forward, but Zee held up a palm to keep them back. Ryan spun from his position and nearly growled when he saw all the blood. Anger beat at her. He reached out, but then hesitated, and her heart dropped. Was he upset he’d lost his chance to seal his magic? After everything they’d been through, would she lose him anyway?

  The bond pulsed solidly between them, but the needs of the heart weren’t always strong enough to overcome the dictates of the head.

  Zee reached for Ryan with her good arm, shoulder be damned, and leveraged herself up to kiss him. After a moment with no response, she began to pull back, but then his hand slid up her neck to cup the back of her head, and he angled the kiss to take it deeper. She poured all her conflicted emotions and pain and joy into the kiss and let him make of it what he would. Zee forgot they were in the Wood, forgot Chad was motionless next to them, forgot the Fae and the humans and magic. All she cared about was him.

  When they came up for air, Zee felt a lot less conflicted. Jake and Sera ignored them, quietly arguing with each other, and the façade of privacy gave her a much-needed moment with Ryan. He pulled her into his lap and rested his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry, princess. I can’t heal you. I’m drained.”

  Relief made her weak. His anger wasn’t for her. A new voice made her jump. “It would be my honor to heal her.”

  Zee looked over to see Lana coming out of a trod across the clearing from them. Jake and Sera had grown quiet, and she knew they were listening. Ryan’s arm tightened when she attempted to get up.

  Lana squatted to the side of them, took in the damage, then met Zee’s eyes with her own full of regret. “With your permission?”

  Words stuck in her throat, so Zee nodded.

  “Deep breath now.” Lana grasped the dagger, pulled, and replaced it with her other hand in one smooth motion. Zee tensed as a wave of agony threatened to knock her unconscious, but soothing warmth quickly replaced it. She sighed as Lana’s welcome magic seeped into her, and Ryan eased her head down to rest on his shoulder.

  Everyone waited quietly while Lana eventually moved from her shoulder to her arms and then backed away.

  Ryan didn’t waste a moment. He tilted his head and nuzzled her ear. “Stay with me.”

  Zee lifted her head so she could see his face. “I wasn’t the one who left.”

  He winced. “I’m sorry. I was a jackass, and I can’t promise to not be a jackass in the future, but I promise to never walk away from you again.”

  She leaned back and saw fierce sincerity in his eyes. He meant what he said. “I have to go back to the Glade—”

  “Then I’ll come to you.”

  She could feel his determination pushing at her. He wasn’t letting her go without a fight. Tears pricked her eyes, but she smiled through them. “You’d give up your life in your world?”

  “In a second. You’re my life.”

  Part of her tried to insist that she couldn’t ask that of him, but she told that part to shut up. Instead she leaned forward and kissed him, then spoke against his lips. “And you’re mine. We’ll figure something out.”

  “You don’t have to,” interrupted Lana. Zee had almost forgotten she was there.

  “What do you mean?” Ryan asked.

  Lana’s eyes lingered on their embrace then she sighed. “I wanted to think it was a fling. Some momentary fascination. But I was wrong. I was wrong a lot. I hope you can forgive me, Zee.”

  Zee nodded slowly. “You didn’t know about Chad.”

  “I knew something weird was happening, but I was so focused on you that he was able to take advantage. I’m not nearly the leader you are.”

  “But you will be. Mistakes are part of learning.”

  Ryan grumbled, “Killer fairies seems like a serious mistake.”

  Zee pinched his side.

  A fleeting smile swept across Lana’s face. “I’m glad I haven’t lost your confidence completely. If you trust me to run things in your absence, the trods are open again, and while the barriers haven’t returned, the protections have. The Wood seems to have forgiven us. You can easily travel between Mulligan and the Glade.”

  “There goes the neighborhood,” muttered Jake.

  Hope filled her. She could stay with Ryan and still do her duty, but if she allowed herself that level of mobility, the other Fae would follow her lead. Ironically, Chad’s interference had secured freedom for all of them. Except him. Zee decided she’d had enough of him. She’d send him back to the homeland in Europe. Let someone else decide what to do with him. As a matter of fact, maybe the time had come to let someone else be in charge altogether.

  Ryan didn’t pressure her, and in the end, she made the choice with no regrets. “Lana, I’m stepping down. You’r
e more than capable of leading the Fae, though I plan to act as one of your two traditional advisors for the time being.” Zee met Ryan’s eyes. “I love you, and I want to be with you. As long as you keep me supplied in donuts.”

  A wicked grin lit up his face. “I’ll get you donuts in exchange for more magic lessons.”

  She remembered the way she’d taught him to control his magic and heat crept up her cheeks. “You don’t want me to seal you?”

  “No. I love you, and I trust you to help me control it. And I have some interesting ideas for the next lesson.”

  Heat raced in a taut line to her core, and she let him see some of the ideas she’d had.

  A pained expression passed over Lana’s face, and she clasped her hands behind her back. “I have an idea for the other advisor.”

  Reluctantly, Zee throttled back the images and listened. Lana’s choice reinforced Zee’s impression that she was ready to lead. Sera elbowed Jake and muttered something about a plan coming together, then drew Lana closer to grill her with questions. Though Zee would’ve loved to spend the rest of the day rolling around in the dirt with Ryan’s hands on her, there was damage control to handle.

  Sera, Jake, and Lana discussed logistics, while Ryan glared down at Chad and Zee checked his pockets. “Would you think less of me if I kicked him while he was down?”

  “Yes,” she said without looking up.

  “Might be worth it anyway. That knife looked serious.”

  Chad’s pockets were empty, so Zee picked up the knife Lana had dropped and wiped the blade on her leggings. It would need a real cleaning later. “He was never going to win.”

  “Oh, that I know.” He pulled her close for a quick kiss, careful of the sharp blade in her hand. “But I wish you hadn’t taken a hit for me.”

  She kissed him back. “Not your choice, and I’d make it again every time.”

  The others approached them, seeming to have come to an agreement. Zee carefully stowed the knife in her pack. She should probably give it back to Lana, but something odd in the feel of it made her tuck it away instead. Chad must have used it to channel magic at some point, but Zee couldn’t pinpoint a specific kind, which was highly unusual.

  Sera, as usual, had questions. “Someone explain to me, in small words, what happened.”

  Ryan linked his fingers through Zee’s. “Something or someone, I’m going to go with Torix, made a hole in the Wood many years ago, cracking the stone over there in the middle. Chad found it and was sucking magic out of it, making the hole a little bigger each time. Eventually, his leech impression wasn’t good enough, so he tainted the hole with a spell to hold it open, which slowly made the Wood sick. ” He sucked in a breath and continued. “When the barriers fell, the Wood responded like it had a virus and began aggressively trying to get rid of Fae magic since that was the cause of the infection. I healed it with my super amazing healing powers. You were here for the last bit. Thanks for the shield by the way.”

  She grinned. “All part of the plan. He looked super pissed. Why didn’t Zee just knock him out or something?”

  Ryan opened his mouth, but Zee beat him to it. “The stolen elemental magic protected him. I could distract him so Ryan could do the healing, or I could use Ryan’s magic to stop him, but there wouldn’t have been enough to fix the Wood. I chose distraction. It worked because we each trusted the other to hold up their end.” Jake cleared his throat, and Zee smiled. “With some outside help thrown in.”

  Lana shook her head. “I’ll be glad when this is over and my most pressing concern will be keeping the humans unaware that they’re not at the top of the food chain.”

  Ryan tilted his head. “The way you described that is extremely disturbing.”

  Lana shrugged, unconcerned. “I’ll take care of Chad. Let me know when you’re ready for the ceremony.” She inclined her head at Zee and dragged an immobile Chad into a trod. “Never should have vouched for you, you mewling quim.” Zee smiled at Lana’s muttering as the trod closed behind her.

  Jake turned to Sera. “Why are we always having life or death experiences here?”

  She shrugged too. “I’ve always maintained that fairies are assholes, and my opinion hasn’t changed one bit now that I know I’m half one of them.”

  The magic in the clearing slowly returned to normal levels as they finished cleaning out the last of Chad’s influence, and sprites began drifting out of the trees. Zee lifted her face to the warm air and smiled. Balance had been returned.

  Epilogue

  ZEE

  Ryan was very inventive in finding new ways to use their magic.

  It took nearly a week to organize the Fae and bring Lana’s idea into fruition. Zee made the formal announcement that Lana would be taking over as leader, with herself and one other acting as advisors. She’d expected some push back, but it wasn’t until they revealed who the other advisor was that the residents started grumbling.

  Zee stood with Evie and Lana in the center of the Glade. She raised a hand for silence, and most obeyed.

  “Evie has been a friend to our people for many years now, and she’s sacrificed more than most for our future. Times are changing, and we need to change with them. Isolation is no longer necessary, and we don’t want to be left behind. Evie will help us better integrate with the human world now that the barriers are gone.”

  A spattering of applause followed her words. Her people were slow to trust, and they’d been through a lot lately, but Zee knew they’d come around. Especially once she brought in some rugs and faster internet. She hugged Lana and Evie, then joined Ryan, Jake, and Sera at the rear of the crowd.

  Ryan wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. “How long before chaos sets in?”

  Zee draped her arms over Ryan’s and relaxed into him. “A week or so, but then they’ll handle it.”

  Lana spoke for a few minutes, then Evie. They explained, to the best of their ability, what had been happening the last few months. Zee overheard some angry murmuring about showing Chad what it meant to betray his people, but Lana had already sent him back to the homeland to be dealt with by the high council. The Fae were mostly tribal, but all villages followed the rules set out by the council.

  When they finished, the crowd dispersed. Many people came by to wish Zee good blessings on her future. She could tell Ryan was grinning behind her, but she thanked every person with the same solemnity they gave her. It elated her to know so many cared so much.

  Evie waited until all the Fae had left before approaching the group. “I feel a bit like Bilbo Baggins going off into the West.”

  Sera rolled her eyes. “Please. You’ll be running this place in no time.”

  “Don’t sass me, girl. I know you’ve been worried about my future, but I hope you’ll relax now. I’m where I’m meant to be. Besides, you shouldn’t be stressing with a baby on the way.”

  Zee took a closer look at Sera. Her strong shields hid a trace of new magic inside her. Evie was right.

  Sera blushed and glared at Evie. “We were waiting to tell everyone.”

  Evie shrugged. “And now you have.” She took Sera’s hand. “Don’t worry, honey. We Allens come from strong child-bearing stock. Good hips.”

  Tears gathered in Sera’s eyes. “Gah, stupid hormones. Thanks, Evie. But don’t tell anyone else, okay?”

  Evie raised a sardonic brow at Zee. “You mean all the people who think I’m dead? I’ll be sure to keep my mouth shut.”

  Zee winced. She had a feeling Evie would milk that particular miscalculation for a long while to come. As the Glade returned to its normal bustle, Evie invited them into her new cottage for tea. Zee and Ryan declined, but Sera and Jake followed her, with Sera arguing about the chances the baby would have magic. Zee didn’t think it was the right time to tell Sera she was definitely going to need lessons on raising magical offspring.

  Ryan leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “How long before we can go home?”

  Zee tu
rned in his arms and linked her fingers behind his neck. “We should be good now. Speaking of home, I have some ideas.”

  His eyes lit up. “I like your ideas.”

  She laughed and tugged him forward to brush her lips against his. “Not those kinds of ideas, but I like your thinking. How do you feel about turning the second bedroom into a workout space so I can plan more classes?”

  “Princess, you can do whatever you want with that bedroom.” He nuzzled the sensitive spot under her ear, and she shivered.

  “Still not a princess.” Her voice sounded breathy as she tilted her head to give him better access.

  “I love you no matter what you are. Warrior, princess, mooching Fae, whatever, as long as you’re mine.” His words were sweet, spoken against her neck, but the image he sent her was extremely naughty and made her wish they lived closer to the Wood. She called a trod, and he bit down lightly. Her hands threaded through the braids in his hair and pulled his head up. He took her mouth hard, the way she wanted, and his magic curled up her neck in a warm band to ease the sting. His lessons really were paying off.

  Languid heat softened her muscles, but Zee backed away and took his hand to lead him out of the Glade. She didn’t want to put on a show for everyone peeking out their windows. Sprites floated by, lighting the path with their golden glow, and Zee took one last look over her shoulder.

  Ryan grinned as the rustic cottages disappeared behind them.

  I’ve always been yours, she told him, and the truth echoed through their bond.

  Continue the adventure with Maddie and Aiden in Treacherous Magic!

  If you loved Insidious Magic, please take a moment to leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or Bookbub.

  Can’t get enough of snarky magical heroines? Get a fun short story with all new characters set in the Modern Magic world when you sign up for my newsletter, Muse Interrupted!