Abducted by Magic

by Kelli McCracken

  The weight of my guardians’ gazes grew heavy. I ignored them the best I could, focusing on the energy swirling around me. Had they felt it too? Was it…?

  Something began to glow in front of us. I rose from the ground, staring at the light morphing from a tiny speck to a wide, shimmering light. It dimmed after several seconds of staring at it. In its place I saw the face of the woman who had died in my arms. She was somewhat transparent, but there was no mistaking it was her. I had proof when I noticed the guardians staring at her, their mouths gaping.

  How were they able to see her when only I should be able to? Was this a side effect of being a reaper, or was Samara controlling this? I hated that I had the powers of a reaper and no idea what I could do.

  I drew my gaze away from her and glanced at my guardians. Each looked as though they were about to flood Samara with questions, but she held her hand up to them. “I know there is a lot that you want to know, but right now my time is limited.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “You said you were going to help me learn to use the power you gave me.”

  “I will. Right now, I need to warn you.”

  “Warn us?” Roark questioned.

  Samara nodded. “I know someone tried to kill you, Kat. Word gets around here in the afterlife.”

  Was she seriously cracking a joke about death at her gravesite?

  After the smile left her face, she studied me. “I don’t know if the person who tried to kill you is the same one who killed me. To be honest, the events of that night are still fuzzy. I know I’m dead, but I don’t know who killed me, at least, not by name.”

  “So it wasn’t a council member?” Quinn asked the next question.

  “No.” Samara shook her head. “But I think a few of them may be involved. The person who killed me wasn’t from our realm. He looked human, but I can’t be certain. It all happened so fast.”

  “Do you know where you were murdered or how you ended up there?” Jax asked. He stared at the ground, unable to make eye contact with his former ward. He still felt guilty over their last conversation. I sensed his remorse, and judging by the look on Samara’s face, she did too.

  “I remember being in the woods, but I don’t recall how I got there. Pieces of that night have come back to me, but not everything.”

  I’d have to ask my uncle if there was a way to unlock those memories. Traumatic events could wreak havoc on your mind.

  “What about Slade?” I wasn’t sure how long we had with Samara and I didn’t know if one of my guardians would ask before we lost contact.

  Samara’s head tilted to the side. The bridge of her nose scrunched as she frowned. “What about him?”

  “Where is he?” I asked. “We can’t find him.”

  “What?” Her nostrils flared as her chest deflated. “I…I don’t know where he is. He was there with me that night. I wanted to wait for him but I was dying. If I’d known something was wrong, I wouldn’t have left.”

  “And then your power would have died with you. Slade would have wanted you to save yourself. You did the right thing,” Quinn reassured.

  Samara averted her gaze. I hated what I had to ask next, knowing that she now felt responsible for whatever happened to Slade.

  “Is it possible he’s dead?” My question made everyone wince, including me. No one wanted to consider the possibility. But if magic was involved, could it affect our tattoos, making us think he was alive when he wasn’t? Still, if there was the slightest chance she remembered something, no matter how small, I had to know.

  Why didn’t I think to ask my uncle about Slade? He would have known if he had passed on. There was so much happening that I couldn’t keep my thoughts straight.

  “No. I have neither seen nor sensed his spirit on this side. That could only mean one thing. He’s still alive. Unfortunately, I don’t know where he is, but I could ask the ancestors for help locating him.”

  “Thank you. That would definitely help. In the meantime, if you remember anything, please let us know.”

  Samara’s form flickered, as if we were losing contact. The grave expression she wore when her eyes met mine said my suspicion was right. Her transparent body moved closer to me, and she reached for my hands.

  Extending them toward her, I gasped when I felt her touch. There was warmth in her energy. It seemed to fuse with mine, providing me with a sense of peace.

  “I want to make sure you and I are able to communicate whenever you need me. Right now, I barely have the energy to stay.”

  “How do we do that? Now that I have my gift back, this should have been easier.”

  As she held my hands in hers, she closed her eyes, drawing in a deep breath. She blew it out slowly and spoke in a voice so low, I struggled to hear what she said.

  “Et duo in carne una.”

  A wave a warmth flooded me. Then Samara’s image faded. I stood there, unsure what to say or do. The way Roark, Quinn, and Jax stared at me, their eyes wide and terrified, left me reeling. They had so much left to say to Samara, but they didn’t get the opportunity.

  “Call her back,” Jax demanded.

  “I can’t.”

  “Yes, you can.”

  I looked to Quinn for help. He wouldn’t look my way at first. When he finally did, he placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “There will be other times, Jax. Right now, we need to take Kata—”

  The ground beneath us shook. Everyone looked at Jax, wondering if his anger at losing his chance to talk to Samara caused the earth to quake. It was his element to control.

  Jax held his hands out in front of him. “It’s not me. I swear.”

  A loud rumble echoed around us as the ground cracked open. I glanced toward the line that formed beside Samara’s gravesite, between the guardians and me. Panic engulfed me as dirt shot into the air then rained down atop us.

  “What the hell is happening?” I lost my balance as the ground shifted again, knocking me backward. I laid on the grass, disoriented to the reality around me. The dew cooled my back as I glanced toward the guardians. Groaning shattered the air around us.

  Just as I made it back to my feet, I spotted what appeared to be rotting bodies climbing out of several graves. Their grunts and groans sent a chill up my spine. I wanted to scream, but I didn’t think I had the energy. Everything around me seemed to stop.

  Was I really seeing zombies?

  “We have to get Katarina out of here. Now!” Roark yelled the words as he faced the zombies. He formed what looked like two, long, jagged icicles in his hands.

  Jax joined him. He held his hand to the side of his body for a moment, then I heard a whirring sound. Several green crystals mutated into one long enough to be a dagger. It duplicated itself, then split off into each hand he had open and waiting.

  As both braced for a fight, Roark turned to me. “Open the portal, Katarina.”

  I raised my hand in front of me and spread my fingers, thinking about the opening I wanted to form. I was shaking so hard, it was difficult to focus on anything. Every bit of my energy was focused on seeing the portal open for us, but nothing happened.

  “Come on, lass,” Roark shouted. “We’re running out of time.”

  He was right. I realized how much when I saw an army of zombies rush him and Jax. They swung their weapons in front of them, destroying as many zombies as they could. Despite how imperative it was for us to leave, I couldn’t do anything but shake inside my skin.

  “Kat, open the portal.” Jax shouted the words when two zombies jumped him. Several more made it past just before Roark slammed into them. Quinn hurled fire orbs at another group.

  The beautiful men before me shifted into stone beasts. Their wings expanded and flapped behind them as they hunkered lower, ready to pounce on the first zombie that got close enough.

  “Fall back,” Jax called to his brothers.

  “Not going to happen, man.” Quinn announced. “We’re surrounded.”

  I glanced behind me, disbelievin
g the wall of undead heading our way. There was nowhere to run, and as much energy as it was taking them to fight, I assumed they weren’t able to fly. I had to open the portal. Still, I couldn’t focus. I was barely breathing as the terror cascading through my mind took control.

  That fear increased when three more zombies launched themselves at Jax. I thought the living dead were supposed to be slow. That’s the way they were portrayed in movies and books. The creatives in my world got it wrong. These beings were moving with great speed.

  Five more zombies rushed Roark, but he was ready and waiting for their approach. I clenched my teeth when he drove one of the icicles inside the monster. Its cries pierced my ears.

  I felt the side of my pants for my knife, struggling to get it loose from the strap. My fingers felt like thumbs. Just as the knife shifted, a putrid odor invaded my nose. I turned to see a zombie less than a yard away.

  “Kat, open the portal!” Jax screamed.

  My gaze shifted toward him. I shook my head, giving in to the fear paralyzing me. Everything continued to move in slow motion, and from the look of it, the situation grew more dire by the second.

  As I waited for the zombie to launch its body toward me, something collided into me. The breath in my lungs forced out in a grunt. This had to be the end. Pain would tear me apart when the zombies infected me.

  Instead of pain, I felt a firm chest against my back. I gazed up, relieved to see Quinn looking into my eyes. We were hovering above the cemetery. His wings flapped as he lifted us higher. His hold on me tightened, then the air around me shifted again. We were flying away.

  Though I was grateful he had managed to get us away from the attack, I wanted him to go back. We couldn’t leave Jax and Roark alone. With all the zombies rushing toward them, I didn’t think they would have time to fly away. The thought of something happening to them stung my heart, forcing tears to well in my eyes.

  Different scenarios played through my head. I didn’t realize how long I’d been out of it until I felt the ground under my feet again. Quinn released me from his embrace and leaned closer to my face. I saw his mouth moving, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. My mind had shut down.

  His hand curled around my upper arms. My body swayed as he shook me. His eyes pleaded with me. All I could do was stare into them until they disappeared from my sight when he closed them. Then Quinn pressed his lips to mine.

  The kiss was slow and sensual, sparking the magic inside of me. My arms wrapped around his neck, opening my body to him for further exploration. As soon as his hand brushed over the front of my shirt, I gasped.

  He pulled away and his lips parted like he wanted to speak, but nothing came out. A smile kinked the corner of his mouth. That one look made it impossible to focus.

  His hand slipped under my shirt. The warmth of his fingers drifted over my bare skin. The fire in his eyes blazed when he cupped my breast. He thumbed over my bra, causing my nipple to peak. I wondered what it would feel like to have his mouth there instead.

  As dirty thoughts rolled through my mind, I glanced at Quinn’s slate gray wings. I wanted to run my fingers across the smooth, leathery surface. Before I had the chance, he wrapped one around my waist and used it to scoop me closer. Then his mouth parted mine.

  The heat of his breath teased my skin. Each pass of his lips made the fire in my soul burn hotter. Sweat formed on my skin when his tongue licked my upper lip then slid into my mouth. I groaned as he swirled it with mine.

  Damn, he was a good kisser, just like his brothers.

  Just like his brothers? No—

  I pulled my head away from Quinn’s and glared at him. His chest met my palms as I shoved him away from me. I wanted to shout at him for messing with my emotions again, until I realized why he did it.

  “It was the only way I knew to get you back,” he said. “You were in shock.”

  I didn’t have time to answer. Loud flapping sounded in the distance. Just to the north of us, Jax and Roark flew out of a patch of trees. They descended from the sky as soon as they spotted us.

  I was glad to see they’d returned, but I wasn’t about to hug them. This was getting to be too much. Not only did I have to worry about someone trying to kill me, I had to worry about supernatural beings attacking when we least expected it. Add in the sexual tension between my guardians and me, and we had the perfect recipe for disaster.

  Chapter 21

  ~Katarina~

  I was on a beautiful, exotic island some of my friends would die to visit on vacation, but it didn’t come close to describing my reason for being on the Stone Isles. I was here to hide. From who, I didn’t know, but it didn’t change my fate nonetheless. My guardians were still searching for ways to transfer Samara’s powers, just to keep up pretenses. They no longer believed it was supposed to be given to anyone but me, thanks to Samara.

  Is this what life would be like for me? If I kept her powers, would I constantly be running? Would my guardians always be in danger while they protected me? I didn’t know how much more of this I could handle. We’d barely made it out alive. If we’d died, it would’ve been thanks to the fact that I had completely frozen. How would I be an effective reaper, let alone hold the power of a coven, if I couldn’t deal with high-pressure situations?

  If it weren’t for the shades and reapers arriving after Quinn had swept me away, Jax and Roark might not have survived. The thought of anything happening to them made my stomach clench in fear. This rollercoaster of emotions was wearing me down.

  Three days. It seemed like I’d been here longer. Perhaps it felt like so long because I hadn’t interacted with anyone. I’d holed up in this room of my own volition because it was better than being in the same room with Quinn, Roark, and Jax. I wasn’t sure which one was outside my bedroom door, guarding it. They took turns standing watch. I heard them change shifts, and each time they did, the relief person always asked if I’d spoken to the current guardian. The answer was always no.

  This was the only way I knew to put enough distance between us. No matter how hard I tried, the bond between us was impossible to ignore. Even holding on to my anger didn’t help. Anytime they were near, a tickle began in my belly. It turned into an insatiable need to touch or kiss them. I refused to keep putting myself through this. They didn’t need the stress from it, either. We had enough to deal with.

  My grandmother’s tarot reading revealed I would find love at some point. I supposed it would be with someone other than them. I wished the person would come along soon, though I wasn’t sure how I could have a relationship with a human anymore. Now that I was a reaper for the underworld, my life would never be the same. I prayed I hadn’t made a mistake taking on this new role. I was told to trust my instincts and that’s exactly what I’d done. Now I was second-guessing myself.

  Blowing out a deep breath, I rubbed my face and stretched my neck. This was an ongoing nightmare that I couldn’t seem to wake up from. We’d made zero progress in finding out who had killed Samara. It was difficult to investigate the coven when we couldn’t be anywhere near it. All we could hope for was that maybe Samara would get some of her memories back.

  A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. Relief replaced my irritation. Three days alone had taken its toll. I needed some form of interaction, even if it was with the men I’d been trying to avoid.

  “Come in,” I said.

  The door opened, revealing Quinn. “May I speak with you?”

  “Sure.”

  I sat up in bed and smoothed my hand over my wrinkled clothing. Quinn closed the door behind him. He wrung his hands together as he moved farther into the room. His eyes roamed over the paintings and furniture before meeting with mine.

  “My apologies for interrupting you, but you’ve been cooped up in this room for three days. You’ve barely eaten and you’re not communicating. We’re worried about you.”

  “I’ve had a lot on my mind, Quinn. It’s taking time to process everything.”

  “If t
his is about me kissing you, I’m sorry, Katarina. You were going into shock. I had to do something to get your attention. It wasn’t the best choice. It was a desperate one.”

  “It’s not that. I understand why you did it.”

  Judging by the way his lips pressed into a thin line, I knew he didn’t believe me. He glanced at the floor, shoved his hands in his pockets, and slumped his shoulders. “You’re wrong, you know, about my brothers and me. We care a great deal for you.”

  “So what’s the problem then? Is it the fear of what your elders will do? At least I can understand that.”

  Quinn approached the bed. He stopped when he stood a foot away, then kneeled in front of me. “It’s not fear of being punished, Katarina. It’s our fear of losing you.”

  “Why would you fear losing me? All I’ve managed to do is complicate everything.”

  “Because you’re the reason we exist. Samara gave us a purpose, but you…”

  I hung onto his words, waiting for him to finish explaining. His answer would probably break my heart all over again. I didn’t know why I was so eager to hear him say it.

  Another knock drew my attention back to the door. Jax stood in the threshold, meeting my gaze before his eyes shifted to Quinn’s. “I’m sorry to interrupt.”

  He entered the room as Quinn stood. “It’s no problem. You’re not interrupting us.”

  Jax focused on Quinn and jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. “Roark is looking for you. Hang on, let me get him.”

  He stepped back into the hallway and shouted Roark’s name. Footsteps sounded from downstairs, then moved to the staircase. Within a minute, Roark entered the room.

  He half-bowed to me, his eyes lingering a moment longer than usual. When he shifted his gaze to Quinn, he cleared his throat. “Draven sent us a message. He wants to meet with us.”

  “Why?” Quinn asked.

  “He wouldn’t say. How should we proceed?”

  Quinn rubbed his face and stared into the distance. “Do you think it’s possible he has information on Samara’s killer, or possibly Slade?”