Astrid shook out her hair. “Just a sec.”
Golden magic flowed from her hands and covered all of us from head to toe. Then, just a few seconds later, I was covered in full snow gear—a thick black jacket with faux fur on the inside, a thick fur-lined hood, and snow pants. My feet were suddenly dry and warm. When I looked up, Astrid was dressed in the same dark snow gear. Nova had the same style but the outside of hers had a leathery sheen. Tabi was head to toe in bright orange, so bright that the snow around her seemed to be reflecting the color. “Oh, you know me so well.”
“I try,” Astrid chuckled.
Ashryn pointed up toward the top of the mountain. “Windelos is that way.”
I titled back my head. “That way?”
“Yes.” She nodded and pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders.
Straight up. Of course it’s straight up. Thick clouds hung so low around the mountain that I couldn’t see the top. Even so, I’d rather give portaling a try than walk or try to fly in this storm. It was a complete white out. Back home, when the snow fell this hard, I stayed inside next to the fireplace, didn’t trek up a mountain in it.
“Can we try portaling?”
Ashryn shook her head. “The elves are protected from your kind of magic. You are born with it. The elves take magic from the earth itself in ways you can’t even imagine.”
“Fine, no portals, but we brought Tabi for a reason.” We only had three days, we couldn’t spend two of those days hiking a mountain.
Tabi motioned for us to move closer. She spoke over the wind. “Get in close, and we’ll see if I can give everyone a lift. Beckett?”
“On it.” I forced my magic out from my hands and down toward the ground. A bright blue platform rose under our feet. Tabi gave me a nod. “Hold on to your asses.”
The wind kicked up even more, and the snow whipped around us. The platform shook as it lifted up off the ground. Astrid grabbed onto my arm and dug in her fingers. I braced my legs wide apart to try and keep my balance as the platform lifted up off the ground. The wind whipped so hard I thought we were going to be blown off it. Within seconds, snow gathered on the top of the platform, turning it into an ice-skating rink. Nova slid toward the ledge, and I threw out my magic and yanked her back toward me. Her arms spun around as she fought to catch her balance. I reached out and caught her with my other arm.
Ashryn stood still as a statue as the platform rocked back and forth. We rose at a steady pace. The dark-gray rocky mountain face passed by in a flash, giving me only small glimpses of scurrying animal tails and the deep path we would’ve taken if we didn’t have any magic to help us. The wind grew rougher and colder the higher we rose. It cut through the air, piercing my winter gear, chilling me to the bone. The howling gusts increased, and the platform rocked.
“I can’t hold it for much longer.” Tabi gave me a split second before her power was overtaken by the harsh elements. Her face said it all. Hundreds of feet up, and we were about to be screwed. The platform smashed into the side of the mountain. Rock cracked off the side and fell onto the platform, barely missing us. The rest of it fell toward the ground, taking several evergreen trees with it. I tightened my grip on Nova, and when the platform swerved back toward the side, I threw her, with every blast of power I could muster. A scream ripped from her throat, and she slammed into the rock face and bounced toward the edge. Ashryn leapt off behind her, and grabbed her arm, dragging her back onto the ledge.
I looked to Tabi. “You got this?”
“Hurry!” Her lips pressed into a hard line, and her brows furrowed in concentration. Bright yellow strands of her power flew from her fingers and tangled with the wind.
My heart raced in my chest, and I tightened my grip on Astrid. “Together.”
The platform swung back toward the wall, and I started to run. My boots slipped on the snow, yet somehow we kept our momentum. She leapt first, and I could tell right away we weren’t going to make it. The distance was too great. The platform swung away, and I saw Astrid extend her hand, yet still, it wasn’t enough. I threw out my power, forcing her the rest of the way. Her body tumbled through mid-air and skidded across the shelf where Ashryn and Nova waited. The wind caught my body and shoved me down, like a hand trying to drown me. I reached out, and my fingertips grazed the ledge. Adrenaline spiked through my body. I was going to fall—there was nothing to catch me, nothing to stop me. Before I could throw a portal to catch myself, Ashryn leapt off the ledge and caught my arm around the wrist. Her body twisted in midair, and her momentum carried us back toward the mountain. We landed on the shelf, just below Astrid and Nova.
I sucked in a gasping breath. “Thanks for that.”
“Catch her.” She pointed toward Tabi, who was stuck in the middle of gust after gust of tornado-force winds. I threw out my portal just as she got knocked to the side and flew right into it. The other end opened right next to me, and Tabi stepped out.
Her cheeks were pink from the cold, and her eyes were wide with panic. “That was close. Sometimes nature wins.”
“On this mountain, nature always wins.” Ashryn reached over her head and yanked her body up. Her legs swung over her head, and she flipped up onto the ledge next to Nova. “You coming?”
Tabi pointed up toward her. “I can’t do that.”
I threw a portal right beside Tabi. “Who the hell can?”
We both walked through the portal and popped out next to Ashryn. I glanced passed her toward Nova and Astrid. “You good?”
I didn’t want to show the terror I felt for my soulmate, watching her almost plummet to the ground. My heart still hadn’t recovered. Astrid gave me a reassuring smirk. “I’m good.”
The wind hit us even harder, and I flattened myself against the rock face. “We need to keep moving.”
Ashryn looked up to the heavy clouds that were only a few feet above us. “We need to keep moving. There are things we must face… things that’ll take time.”
Chapter 13
Beckett
“Murder hornets! You said nothing about murder hornets!” I threw back my arm, knocking another one of those huge things back to rejoin the swarm following us.
“Those aren’t murder hornets, they’re B52 bombers!” Astrid screamed and ducked her head as another flew at her with its four-inch stinger poised to attack.
“Murder hornets are four inches big; these are the size of a football.” Nova zapped one with her purple sparks, and it dropped down to the ground, twitching.
The bright sun burned overhead, and sweat dripped down my body. Our winter clothes had long since been ditched for summer desert clothing. Hiking boots, shorts, and shirts were our new uniforms. All except for Ashryn, she continued on in her long cloak. How had we gone from a blizzard to this in a matter of moments? Running across a tundra like this plain was somehow part of the mountain leading up to Windelos, but it felt like a whole other world. Dust kicked up with each of our steps. That buzzing sound coming from those giant bees was a constant hum in the air. They chased us across the hard-packed dirt. Cylinder-shaped mounds stuck up from the ground like oversized anthills. More killer giant hornet things emerged and began to swarm over our heads. The sound of their wings was so deafening, I couldn’t hear my own gasping breaths over them.
Astrid’s cheeks were flushed, and she kept pumping her arms, trying to outrun the attack. “I gotta work on my cardio… too… much… running.”
“I hate running!” Nova screamed, yet she too kept on going.
“Screw this.” Astrid jerked to a halt and panic instantly hit me. What the hell was she doing? I skidded to a halt and tried to make my way back to her, but the giant murder hornets were too much—like a wall blocking me from my soulmate. One stinger to the chest, and she’d be done for.
Golden magic exploded out from her in a huge cloud. For a moment, it blocked out the sun. As the smoke cleared, I noticed all the buzzing had stopped, and we were surrounded by nothing but silence. I took a step toward whe
re she had stopped running and sucked in a sharp breath. Astrid stood in the middle of a swarm of frozen hornets. They all had their bodies tucked into stinging positions, pointing at her. The sun glinted off those sword-like stingers, and I wanted to run in there and grab her.
Her eyes widened. “That was close.”
They were mere inches from her body; one even seemed to be caught in the side of her sweater. “Too close.”
I opened my hand, and my blue smoke flowed from my hands all the way toward her. I moved those frozen hornets away from her, making a path for her to walk through. She stepped over and through the stingers, contorting her body in different directions, avoiding them. A strand of her dark-red hair fell over one stinger, and it was so sharp it cut the hair with the slightest touch. Once she was free of them, I sucked in a relieved breath.
Nova stood just beside me. Purple sparks fired from her fingertips. “One hornet funeral, coming right up.”
Ashryn wrapped her hand around Nova’s wrist and yanked her back. “Even creatures such as these hold a purpose in the greater scheme of things.”
“Since when do you move across worlds like a plague of death?” Had something changed in Nova since the last time I’d seen her? Were her powers expanding, or was she just using her deadly gifts more often now?
“Since it tried to sting me first.” She tossed that white-blond hair over her shoulder and sighed. “Just saying.”
Astrid hunched over and put her hands on her knees, sucking in deep panting breaths. “That was close.”
“A little too close for my liking.” I lifted my hands and used my magic to march all those hornets back into the hill hives. One by one, they all floated into the holes, disappearing from view.
“And here I was thinking I’d turn them into a bee-nado.” She chuckled and shook her head. “Next time.”
“Bee-nado?” I arched my eyebrow at her.
“Tornado of bees.” She shrugged. “It would’ve been a great weapon against whatever the hell comes up next.”
“Shouldn’t it be a hor-nado if they’re hornets?” Astrid teased.
Tabi chuckled too. “That just sounds like we’re offering some kind of sexual favor. ‘Come get your hor-nado on!’”
My chest rumbled with laughter. I was shocked. After all we’d just been through, they were standing here, making jokes. Even I could appreciate the moment. This was the first mission I’d been on without constantly thinking Astrid shouldn’t be here, and she’d already saved our asses. Maybe I was learning some new tricks, or maybe I found having her next to me was like being in constant bliss because her emotions were tied to me now. I felt her every whim, and right now she was happy to have her life in danger, happy to be here doing this. Though her worry for Tilly lingered under the surface, I knew she’d made her peace with leaving Maze to it… can’t say I would’ve felt the same.
Ashryn pointed toward a stone archway over her shoulder. “We’re getting close; we might not need a bee- or hor-nado.”
Beyond the archway was a lush green forest. Dark clouds hovered over it, bathing it in darkness and a constant veil of mist. The evergreens were so bright they nearly matched Astrid’s emerald eyes. Nova moved to my side, and a large smile spread across her face. “It’s just like home.”
I’d always known Alaska was a rainforest, but it surprised me it wasn’t jungle-like. Instead, it held the beauty of the rock mountains, with rocky terrain covered in multicolored moss, and giant trees that even at this altitude seemed to be flourishing. The scent of evergreen carried on the wind over the dry dusty terrain we were in. Dirt covered my body in a thick grime, and I couldn’t wait to stand in that cool mist. I waved the rest of them forward.
Astrid moved to my side and groaned, “First we hike through snow, then across a desert, and now a forest. What’s next? Hulking, fighting rock giants? Goblins in a tunnel? Endless riddles to keep a ring?”
“There’s no such thing as rock giants.” I gave her a sideways glance. “Goblins are possible… but who said anything about a ring?”
She rolled her eyes. “We really need a date night, with, like a movie marathon. I think The Hobbit is in order.”
I shrugged. “I have no idea what that is.”
“Sad. Just sad.” She kept pace with me as we passed from the desert to the forest.
Nova stepped beside Astrid and patted the top of her head and chuckled. “Short people always love the hobbits because they are hobbits.”
A burst of laughter escaped Astrid’s lips. “Everyone always says short girls are dwarves or hobbits. First of all, the dwarves are badass warriors, and hobbits eat second breakfast. Need I say more? And my feet are damn cute… just saying.”
Nova chuckled. “It’s not like I’m that much taller than you.”
“Then welcome to the life of second breakfast.” Astrid stepped over a branch, yet I heard something snap.
I froze. Ashryn too went motionless by my side. She pressed her finger over her lips then drew the bow from across her chest. She laid an arrow over the bow and pulled it tight, aiming into the shadows. We all went deadly silent, gathering our magic around us. In the darkness, under the canopy of trees and gray, dreary sky, our magic glowed, lighting up the area with blue, purple, yellow, and gold. Ashryn pivoted to the side, and her cloak whirled out around her. She fired a single arrow into the shadows. “Show yourself.”
All around us, the trees began to shake and move. From the shadows, wolves covered in armor emerged. The silver metal covered their heads, flanks, and backs. Their lips pulled back from their teeth, and drool dripped to the ground while low growls rumbled in their chests. But my eyes weren’t drawn to them; they were drawn to the people, no—not people—elves. My eyes were drawn to the elves riding them. Their armor perfectly matched the wolves’, with dark silver covering them from head to toe. Some had bows strapped across their chests, others held long swords. Long hair with multiple braids peeked out from under their helmets. At some silent command I hadn’t seen, they all stopped. More soldiers walked up between the wolves, their arrows trained on us. An earth-shaking growl broke through the line of wolves, and they all lowered their heads and backed up a step. A grizzly bear, a huge freaking bear, lumbered to the front.
A spiked golden helmet covered the bear’s head. The chainmail covering its body rattled and jingled with each of its burly movements. It stopped just inside the circle of wolves and roared in our direction. Its teeth were half the size of my arm, and wads of spit flew from its mouth. An elven female warrior sat astride the bear, her golden breastplate glinted, even under the dark cover of the trees. Her helmet fell low across her brow and came to a point just over her nose. Bright red hair fell in long waves down the sides of her body. Wild braids were threaded throughout.
She held up Ashryn’s arrow. “This came mighty close.”
Ash lifted her chin and met the woman’s eyes. “If I had meant for it to kill you, it would have. That was a warning shot.”
The woman lifted a braid from the side of her neck, revealing a line of crimson. “Close warning.”
“Perhaps you’ve gotten slow since I’ve left.” Ashryn kept very still, barely moving.
“How do I know you are who you say you are?” The woman sat forward on the bear. “We’ve seen a great many thing in these woods of late. Things disguised as our own people, and giant monsters not of this world.”
I took a step forward. “I am Beckett Dustwick, of the warlock house of Dustwick.”
She held up her hand. “Silence, warlock. I’ve known for many ages warlocks cannot be trusted. It would fit with the creatures we’ve been battling.”
The world around me rocked and shook with my power. Silence, warlock? She didn’t know who she was up against. I was here to save Logan, not to play nice. If I had to lift every single one of them off the ground and toss them away, I would. My kind may not have been trusted, and with good reason, but I didn’t have time to stand here and stare at each other. I took an
other step forward, ready for action, when Ash laid her hand on my forearm and gently tugged me back. She moved around me to stand in front of our group.
Ashryn flipped open her cloak and drew her sword from the sheath. The blade was long and narrow, delicate looking. It was made for quick stealth attacks, unlike a heavy long sword. The blade glittered like diamonds in the night and had swirling etchings carved into it from the hilt to the very tip. The hilt was long and straight, with only a small guard on it, but very much looked like an extension of the blade, with the same intricate carvings. At the end of the hilt was a large stone. Ashryn held the sword out in front of her. She spread her stance like she was readying for battle. She held the sword with a loose fluid wrist as though the blade was an extension of her arm. The legion of elves took one look at the damn sword, and as if they coordinated the move, every single one of them, including the wolves and bear, dropped down to the ground in a bow before Ashryn.
Astrid leaned into my side and whispered, “Are we supposed to bow?”
I froze, looking at the way they all held very still before her. “I have no clue what the hell is going on.”
Chapter 14
Maze
“You stay right there.” I dropped Odin right next to me. The leaves crunched under my boots, yet they didn’t make a sound for him.
He licked one of his paws and rubbed it over his head. “Why am I here?”
“Because you helped make her, now you’re going to help find her.” Tilly had made it out of the school grounds before we even made it out the front door. She’d sprinted barefoot into the Connecticut wilderness. It was just after 4:30, and the sun was already low in the sky. Gray hues of light filtered in through the bare branches. This close to winter solstice, only the evergreens had any color. The breath fogged from my mouth, and frost covered the ground and trees. The smell of snow filled the air, and I could almost feel Tilly’s exhilaration. She was like a wild animal, running through the forest, just going on instinct and feeling the night on her skin.
Wicked Curse (The Royals: Warlock Court Book 4) Page 9