Abducted by Magic

by Kelli McCracken

  Quinn raked his hand through his hair and turned his back to me. “I’m not denying it, I’m just saying it’s not in the rules that you can’t fall for your ward. It’s just…I don’t know. Taboo seems too strong of a word. Let’s just say, it’s not something that happens often. I’m not sure how other supernaturals would react to it.”

  “So this comes down to your pride?” Now I was angry. “If that’s the case, quit toying with my emotions.”

  I didn't miss the pain in his eyes when he turned to look at me again. He started to move closer, but I waved him off and strode toward the bookshelf. I grabbed one and cracked it open, avoiding him as best as I could. I was done with this conversation. If they couldn’t fall for me, I would keep them at a distance. Maybe not physically, but I would shut them out of my heart starting now.

  Quinn’s footsteps sounded behind me. I half expected him to give me some speech about how he was sorry and this was all in my best interest. It had become a mantra for them lately.

  After a moment of silence, I spotted him standing on the balcony again. His wings expanded, blocking his face from my view. Looked like he’d chosen to listen to me and leave me alone.

  Just when I thought this was the case, sadness overtook me. It wasn’t my own. It was Quinn’s. Though I couldn’t see his face, deep down I knew I’d hurt him.

  Guilt consumed me. Part of me wanted to go to him and apologize. The stubborn side said to leave it be. It had to be this way no matter how wrong it felt.

  Shoving the book back into its slot, I returned to the sofa and eased into the cushions. My eyes fell to the coffee table where Samara’s journal rested. I reached over, grabbed it, and pulled it closer. I’d only skimmed through a few pages when I read it in her room.

  I wanted to read the rest of it in case there were any answers to our questions. Neither Quinn nor his brothers had read through it yet. They were too busy looking for a way to protect my life. But what if the answers we sought were in this journal the whole time?

  The leather spine bent as I opened it and found the last page I’d read–the last entry she’d made. She’d been debating on some other course of action that would prevent her from using old magic. She’d also mentioned Melynn, and that Melynn was the reason Samara hadn’t advanced in her studies.

  Flipping back several pages, I searched for any clues as to who could have killed Samara. After reading over one entry about an argument she’d had with Zane, I skimmed to the next. It was another complaint about not being able to see her human boyfriend.

  On the next page, I found a better entry.

  I’m convinced more than ever that the voices I’ve heard are my ancestors. They are trying to warn me about something. I can’t figure out what the message is yet, but I have a feeling I’m close. Each time I use old magic, I hear them more. If I get caught doing this, I fear what might happen to me.

  So, Samara was hearing voices. Perhaps I was hearing the same ones. I swore someone had been talking to me on several different occasions, yet no one was ever there. If this was the case, maybe they were trying to help me—or warn me. If I were blocking my psychic abilities like Roark suggested, that could be why I wasn’t hearing them anymore. Maybe something had gone wrong when Uncle Mathias had returned my gift.

  Glancing at the next few pages, I found another entry discussing the coven.

  I hate the way everyone looks at me when I walk through the halls or anywhere else on campus. Some of it’s fear, some is jealousy. The former worry because I know their secret. They wanted to leave the coven. Some already had. Others feared what repercussions they’d face if they did. Rumors inspired fear and rumors spreading around the coven were enough to make any witch watch their backs. It was said that the council was banishing anyone who challenged their decisions. Now that I know other witches are missing, including Rose, I have to question if the council is behind it. Something isn’t adding up.

  The council claims they are banishing witches because they’ve broken the law. Someone is lying to the high priestess because the information I’ve learned contradicts what they’re saying. They’re not banishing witches who’ve broken the law. I have a feeling they’re killing them.”

  “Oh no.”

  Before I could call for Quinn, he was standing in front of me. “What’s wrong?”

  He’d barely gotten the question out when Jax and Roark walked into the room. When they saw the concern on Quinn's face, they rushed over to us. I ignored the fact that all three were still reading my emotions and pointed toward the journal.

  “I just found something.” I handed the journal to Quinn then watched as he and his brothers huddled together to read over Samara’s words.

  By the time they finished, they glanced at each other and then me. “She tried to tell me this.” Jax admitted. “I wouldn’t listen to her.”

  He’d mentioned before how much regret he carried over their last conversation. It made sense to me now. Samara had tried to tell them what she knew and Jax brushed her off. No wonder he dealt with so much guilt.

  “Did Samara mention anything else about who she suspected?” Quinn asked.

  I shook my head. “Not that I saw. There are only a few more entries before the end. After reading this one, I didn’t check anything else.”

  Quinn flipped through the next few pages as the rest of us stood in silence. We waited with hopes of Samara naming who she thought was behind this. Several minutes went by before he glanced up from the journal.

  “Samara never names anyone, but after reading what she wrote, I would have to say, without a doubt, it’s someone within the coven.”

  “Great Goddess.” Roark’s gritty voice gained my attention. He stared at the journal and slowly shook his head. “How deep does it go?”

  “I’m afraid to find out.” Quinn replied. All three glanced my way. I couldn’t keep eye contact, not with the way I sensed my bond with them thumping with fear.

  Jax paced the floor. After several passes, he stopped a few feet from Roark. He placed his hand on his shoulder as a sign of support and understanding. They both observed me a split second before looking at each other again. “You know what this means. Right?”

  Roark’s throat wobbled when he looked at me and said, “It’s time to get you out of this realm.”

  Chapter 19

  ~Katarina~

  Roark slammed his hand against the fireplace mantel in retaliation to something Quinn said. The sound drew my attention from the painting I had been staring at while waiting for them to tell me it was time to go. I glanced at them just as Quinn urged Roark to calm down.

  “I cannot remain calm,” Roark snarled. “It’s obvious we can no longer trust the council. We need to search for our brother and call in backup.”

  Jax flung his arms out. “Staying here longer is like playing Russian roulette with Kat’s life. We can’t. I want to find our brother too, and we will, but it will have to be away from the coven.”

  “You’re both right.” Quinn motioned for Roark to give him a chance to speak. Roark’s lips pressed in a thin line and he nodded. “Katarina wants us to find Slade too, but I refuse to put her in more danger. Let me reach out to our people and urge them to send more trackers. As soon as we know they’re on their way, we can get out of here. It won’t take us long to reach the Stone Isles with the portal Katarina can now cast.”

  All three looked my way. I saw concern, frustration, even impassioned gazes. Did they think I would have a reaction to what they said? Now that my Uncle Mathias had made me a reaper, I liked the thought of having the ability to teleport to other locations, including the Pararealm.

  I couldn’t deny that I was nervous about creating a portal. The first few times I’d tried with Jax had been a disaster. Even though I had finally figured it out, I still didn’t feel confident.

  When they went back to their discussion, I refocused on the painting. I was such a mess. Why would Samara trust me to be fair and just? I couldn't get my life toget
her, even though I had been doing a good job of it before she’d transferred her power to me. Now, I was starting over.

  It will get better. Do not give up.

  The voice was back. How, I wasn’t sure, but I’d promised myself that if it returned, I would listen. Was this the ancestors trying to reach out to me?

  You’re close.

  Great. Whatever it was I heard, it could hear my thoughts.

  It’s called telepathy.

  That meant I needed to think my questions and answers. I double checked that my guardians weren’t paying attention to me. Their conversation looked like it was going as well as it had before I’d heard the voice.

  Releasing a deep breath, I turned back to the painting and cleared my mind of everything else. Who are you?

  It’s Samara.

  My heartbeat increased. The news made me giddy. I had so many questions for her, I didn’t know where to begin.

  I will answer all your questions in time, she said. Right now, I need to explain why I’m here…and I need to apologize.

  Apologize for what?

  For disrupting your life. For tearing you away from your family, friends, and everything you know. I had no other choice. When I looked in your eyes and sensed your soul, I knew you were my only hope.

  The least you could have done was explain what you were doing to me.

  The anger I felt over this situation had been pent up. I hadn’t planned to release it, but then, I never thought I’d get a chance to talk to Samara either.

  I never asked for these powers, I told her. They’ve done nothing but mess with me since I got them. Now, it seems I’m stuck with them until we figure out a way to transfer them to someone else without killing me.

  I chose you for a reason, Kat. I need you to keep my power. No one else can have it. I will teach you how to use it.

  When?

  My mind went silent as I waited for an answer. She’d been quick to respond to everything else I’d thought about until now. This was like a phone call dropping off and the connection going dead.

  Samara? Are you still there?

  Another round of silence convinced me that she’d exited our telepathic phone call. I snorted at the thought and rubbed my face. If I survived any of this with a shred of sanity left, I’d feel like I’d accomplished something. I needed more answers from Samara, yet I didn’t know how to bring her back to the conversation. Despite how hard I tried reaching out with my mind to find her, all I heard was my guardians in the background.

  “Kat,” Jax said, “did you hear me?

  I faced Jax a second later. He’d left Roark and Quinn near the fireplace and approached me. At least his brothers didn’t appear to be arguing anymore. That was a good sign.

  Jax placed his hand on my arm. “Are you ready to leave?”

  I nodded my head once, then thought better of it. “No.”

  Jax’s face scrunched in confusion. “You nodded. Now you’re saying no. What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing is wrong, I just…” How could I explain this? Samara held a telepathic conversation with me. Would she want me to tell them now? I had to. I promised there would be no secrets between us. They wouldn’t be able to protect me otherwise. The whole point of all of this was to learn from Samara’s mistakes.

  “We need to make another stop before we leave.”

  “Where?” Jax cocked his head to the side, his thumb rubbed up and down my arm.

  “I want to go to the graveyard where Samara is buried.”

  My answer gained me three sets of scowling eyes.

  “Why in the hell would you want to go there?” Roark asked, masking his concern with his normal hardened expression.

  “Because…I just spoke with Samara.”

  They all grew silent and peered at each other as if they hoped someone had an explanation. When no one offered one, they all shot off questions at the same time. I couldn’t understand anything they were saying.

  Whistling as loud as I could, I motioned for them to stop speaking. “We don’t have time for this. I will explain more later. Right now, I want to go to her grave and see if I can connect with her again. Something interrupted us before, but I have a feeling I can reach her there.”

  “It’s important we get you out of here as soon as possible, Kat.” The urgency in Jax’s voice had me second-guessing my decision. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to do this. I had to start listening to my instincts.

  “This may be our only chance to find out where Slade is and to see if Samara knows who killed her. We have to try.”

  “How do you know for sure it was Samara’s voice you heard?”

  “Because, since I arrived here, everyone has searched for ways to get Samara’s power out of me. The voice told me how she chose me for a reason, that I needed to keep the power. She even said she’d teach me how to use it. The voice did sound slightly different from what I’d heard from her as she was dying, but there was no mistaking it was her.”

  “I don’t know. It could be someone tapping into your mind to set a trap,” Roark said.

  “So what? We go prepared. If something happens, we can escape through the portal.”

  Roark left his spot near the mantel and advanced in my direction. Quinn tried to stop him, but one look from Roark and he stepped aside. When Roark’s piercing blue eyes locked on me, I held my breath.

  “We cannot put your life in jeopardy,” he growled. “It’s too risky.”

  Something about his tone filled me with anger. A defiant streak rose in me and I flung my hand to the side, spreading my fingers wide, palm facing the floor. A dark line cracked the air and opened to what looked like a giant field of purple electricity and plasma. I wasn’t sure if I could open the portal on my first try, but now I had proof that I could.

  Stepping closer to it, I heard Roark shout my name. His Scottish accent was more evident than ever, and it stirred the ache in my core. I stopped just shy of the portal and pivoted to face him.

  “If I want to risk my life to find answers, then it’s my choice. You can accompany me to the graveyard, or I will go alone. Either way, I’m going to Samara’s grave.”

  Without giving it a second thought, I stepped into the portal. The electrical field sparked bright, blinding me to everything for a brief second. When the light dimmed, the purple plasma floated around me. Currents of electricity attached to my body, but it wasn’t painful. If anything, it tickled and warmed my body from head to toe. It reminded me of a toy I’d played with as a child, where I could touch the globe and currents would gather near the glass where my skin made contact.

  After spinning in a circle, I realized I’d entered the portal too soon. Now that I was here, I had no idea where to go or how to reach the graveyard. At this point, I couldn’t even figure out how to get back to my guardians.

  Panic set in. My heart raced as my lungs struggled for air. I wasn’t suffocating, but my anxiety made me feel like I was. Talk about lousy timing for a full-blown panic attack.

  A storm brewed inside me. More currents formed around me, then another bright light blocked my vision. I waited for it to fade, and when it did, I sucked in a breath.

  Roark was standing in front of me, and he wasn’t alone. Quinn and Jax were right behind him. All three made it to me at the same time. I felt safe again, even though I noticed the anger in Roark’s eyes.

  “Don’t ever do that again,” he growled as he grabbed my arm and glared at me. “Never go out of our sight. We can’t protect you if you run away.”

  I was about to shout at him for the way he was treating me, but I sensed the guilt within him. He loosened his grip on my arm and ran his fingers over my skin. Once he lowered his hand, regret thrummed between us. He backed away and stood behind his brothers.

  While Quinn spoke to him, Jax came to me.

  I studied him for a moment before asking, “Do you know how to get us to the graveyard?”

  “Yes, but so do you.”

  I fr
owned at him, and he laughed.

  With a grin still on his face, he said, “All you have to do to get from one location to the next is think about where you want to go. The energy within the portal will carry you to your destination.”

  Once he patted my shoulder, I nodded and closed my eyes. As I thought about the graveyard where Samara was buried, it felt as though I was floating. I forced my eyes to remain closed. I kept thinking about the cemetery, asking the energy inside the portal to guide me to it.

  A kaleidoscope of colors shifted in my mind. When the colors faded and it grew dark, I opened my eyes again. Though I didn’t see a door, something tugged me forward. I stepped in the same direction, intrigued by the way the plasma parted as I exited.

  Jax was beside me when I walked onto the grass. Row after row of gray and white tombstones surrounded us, filling me with an eerie feeling. We were surrounded by the dead.

  Chapter 20

  ~Katarina~

  Soul Seeker, the knife Uncle Mathias gave to me, grew cold against my thigh. I wasn’t sure why it suddenly felt frigid, but just in case it was a warning, I proceeded across the grounds with caution.

  “It’s hard to see anything,” I grumbled as my legs shook.

  Something cracked behind me. I turned to see what it was when I noticed an orb of fire inside Quinn’s hand. It made a perfect torch to light our path.

  It took me a moment to find Samara’s grave. Once I did, we gathered around it, me standing at the foot while my guardians stood at the sides. They observed Samara’s tombstone for a moment, then all three glanced at me.

  “Now what?” Jax asked.

  I didn’t have an answer for him. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how to reach Samara or why I had felt the urge to come here. After shrugging my shoulders at him, I kneeled on the ground and touched the mound of fresh dirt.

  Samara, can you hear me?

  I waited to see if she would resume our telepathic conversation. When she didn’t answer, I spoke the words aloud. “Samara, I’m here. Are you?”