Hectic (Arcane Mage Series Book 2)

by T. S. Snow

  My shirt became drenched in blood, but I didn’t care, I didn’t let up.

  I would not let her die on my hands. It didn’t matter that I didn’t know her, I felt responsible.

  If only I’d been faster to get here; if I hadn’t wasted so much time with the guys outside, if I hadn’t been so slow to catch Michael… she could still be alive.

  She’s not dead yet, Charisma. Her heart is still beating. Yes, her pulse is weak, but it’s still there. Focus on that. Keep counting.

  I didn’t know how much time had passed, but suddenly there were hands around me, getting me away from Danica. Men and women in green robes stepped next to her, and suddenly I had to cover my eyes to protect myself from their bright green healing magic.

  Whoever was behind me turned me around, and I found my face pressed against a hard, warm body. His hand rubbed soothing circles on my back, and it wasn’t until he started speaking that I realized Theo was holding me.

  “Shhh, it’s okay, she’s going to be okay. We got here in time. It’s okay,” he repeated it over and over again and my panic started to ebb away.

  “She’s lucky,” one of the Healers said, but I didn’t turn my head to look at who was speaking. I wasn’t ready. “The knife missed the jugular, and no major arteries were reached. Still, we’ll take her into the hospital, make sure everything is okay.”

  I turned to him then. “Can I go with her? Make sure she’s okay?”

  The Healer hesitated, looking me up and down as if he wanted to say something but didn’t want to make an awkward comment.

  “How about we go home, and you get a shower so you can wash off some of the blood, and then we check on her at the hospital?” Theo proposed.

  I looked down at myself and sure enough, not only I had a lot of blood on me, I was also only in my jeans and bra.

  Right.

  I awkwardly put my arms up to cover myself, but Theo was smarter and took his shirt off, extending it to me.

  “Thanks,” I offered, putting on his shirt. I had to resist the urge to bring it to my nose and sniff his comforting scent.

  Bad habits die hard, though, and I took a small sniff before I realized I was doing it.

  “But… would someone go with her? Make sure she’s okay? I…”

  “Don’t worry about it, ma’am, I’ll personally make sure she stays safe in her room and we’ll check all visitors,” the Healer said, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

  This wasn’t exactly normal behavior. Yes, they were serious about their oath to care for their patients, but for a Healer to offer to play bodyguard?

  The green-robed man was in his late twenties, early thirties, silver hair in one of those cool faux hawk haircuts that were buzzed on the sides and longer and standing up on top, and sporting a deep, dark, well-maintained beard, and brown eyes.

  Actually, he was kind of hot.

  Not that I was, like, looking or anything. I had enough man trouble in my hands as it was.

  Theo squeezed my shoulder. “C’mon, Char. Let them take care of her, I’ll personally take you back to the hospital the minute you shower and change.”

  I nodded. “Fine. Uh… has anyone contacted her family?” I asked the room in general, but it was Andres who answered me.

  “I just spoke to Onyka. She’s going to meet them in the hospital.”

  He got up from where he’d had a Healer with him, and I rushed to his side, only then realizing he had gotten hurt.

  “Oh Goddess, you’re hurt? Where? Do you need anything?” I turned to the Healer who had been with him. “How bad is it? Did you fix it?” Then I tried to force Andres to turn around so I could inspect him for myself.

  “Hey, hey, relax.” Andres caught my arm, brought me closer to his body, and then cupped my face so I’d look at him. “I’m okay. That asshole Manteis got me before I threw his MET away from him, but it’s alright. It was just a scratch.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He kissed my temple before stepping back from me. “It’s okay. Listen, there’s something else though.” He hesitated, and I held my breath, waiting for what he would drop on me next. “I didn’t tell Onyka about Michael.”

  Shit. Michael. I turned and found him waking up inside the air bubble Andres had tied him up in.

  I turned to Theo. “Hey, could you… could you make sure he stays unconscious for a while? We need to take him with us and call Christian again. He’ll need to be warned so he’ll take the necessary precautions. If he finally picks up, that is.” Not that he had when I’d tried calling him before rushing into the room after Andres, or even before I called Theo to give me a ride.

  What the hell was he up to, anyway?

  Theo nodded before he moved towards where Michael was trying to punch his way through the air bubble. I was grateful then that his power was Divination and not one of the other branches, because it meant that without his MET, he was pretty much useless when it came to physical combat. Theo pulled out his rosary-like MET and soon, a yellow activation circle appeared under Michael, inside the air bubble. Michael’s eyes widened and he tried to step outside of the circle, but it was too late. One second he was trying to escape, the next he was unconscious again.

  “Cool trick,” Andres commented. “But uh, what, exactly, did he do?”

  I beamed at Andres. “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”

  Andres looked down at me, seeming to take in my bloody state and shuddered, which made Theo and I laugh.

  “Thanks, but I’m good.” He rolled his ring around, dispersing the air bubble. “C’mon, Soulbinder, help me get this asshole up. We need to get out of here.”

  I turned to the Healers, noticing the silver haired hottie was now carrying Danica on his arms, and raised an eyebrow.

  “Are you guys sure about this? Will you be okay? Her own brother tried to kill her.”

  Silver-hottie nodded. “Don’t worry, I got her. We’ll see you guys later.”

  And with that, they left.

  I watched them leave before I turned to my guys.

  “Well, c’mon then. I have a shower with my name on it, and one of you needs to talk to Christian because I’m calling not it!”

  43

  Charisma

  “What the hell were you thinking, Carter?” Christian’s barked question was the first thing I heard when I got out of the bedroom where I’d been changing after my shower.

  “I’m sorry, boss, seriously, I am. I tried calling you. A lot. You weren’t picking up. I panicked. I got the intel that Michael was going to strike, and I tried to reach out to the others, but I couldn’t. And I knew if I didn’t do something, then—“

  “You got intel?” Christian cut me off, and I just nodded.

  I knew where this was going and he was not going to like it.

  “Who was your informant?”

  I opened my mouth to try to respond, but he asked another question before I could even think of an answer.

  “Wait. How did they even know you were alive?”

  The door opened and Blaze rushed into the room, running to me and sweeping me into his arms.

  “Char! You’ve got to stop worrying me like this. Are you alright? Are you hurt? Why didn’t you call me?”

  “Hey, I’m okay, you can put me down.” He was squeezing the life right out of me. “I’m okay, nothing happened to me. I wasn’t even hurt. Michael tried to kill Danica Manteis, but Andres, Theo, and I got there in time and stopped him.”

  Blaze dropped me like he’d been holding a hot potato. “Theo?” He looked around the room and saw our audience.

  Theo, Andres, a very angry looking Christian, and an unconscious Michael.

  “Wait, where’s Blair?”

  Christian was the one to respond. “Agent Illudere was caught breaking into Arcane Academy, so I brought her into AMIA to spend a night locked up and make her rethink her life choices.” He sent me a glare. “Something I should probably do with another certain someone, once this mess is settled.�
��

  I gulped.

  That did not sound like fun. Hell, could I sign up for the IT punishment? It would be a way better alternative.

  Christian sighed. “Regardless, I’ll think about your punishment later, Carter. Right now, I need to take Michael Manteis in for actual questioning, and I’ll borrow both Illudere and Soulbinder to go with me. I’ll need official reports from all parties involved. Go to the Hedge Hospital, check in with the Healers. You’ve gotten to know them pretty well lately, so you might as well make yourself useful. And take agent Futhark with you. One of the threats might have been eliminated, but there’s nothing to say there aren’t others. I’ll deal with you later.”

  “Sir, yes, sir.” I gave him a quick salute, grabbed Blaze by the arm and dragged him out of the house before Christian changed his mind.

  I reckoned I had a couple of hours to do something amazing before he remembered he wanted to punish me.

  Danica’s hospital room was less crowded than I’d expected it to be. Instead of finding her entire family, only Onyka and the silver-haired hottie were inside when we got there.

  Onyka was the first to notice us—Danica and silver-haired hottie were too busy making googly eyes at each other—and she got up to talk to me.

  At 5’8, I was used to looking down on other girls, but the Manteis heir was even taller than me. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say she was six feet. Her long, platinum hair was straight and reached below her shoulders. Her eyes were so blue, they looked almost silver and her skin was so pale, she’d make Snow White jealous.

  Before I could say anything, she enveloped me in a hug. “You saved my sister. Thank you! Thank you so much.”

  I awkwardly patted her back. “Uh...you’re welcome.”

  Onyka broke the hug, keeping her arm around my shoulders as she turned to her twin sister.

  “Look who’s here, sis. It’s your savior.”

  Danica sent me a grateful—if tired—smile.

  “Hey,” I said, waving awkwardly.

  I’d expected a great many scenarios, but being hugged by strangers and presented as some kind of savior had not been one of them.

  “Hey, Charisma. Thank you for what you did. I… I didn’t see. I couldn’t see. I had no idea he was going to attack me, or else I’d have stopped him. I’m just… thank you.”

  “Hey, hey, it’s okay. It’s not your fault he’s a deranged psychopath.” I winced at the look on the twins’ faces, realizing no matter what had happened, this was her brother we were talking about.

  “Erh. Anyway. I’m glad you’re okay, and that your sister is with you.” I turned to Onyka. “You’re not, like, going to go off on a murderous rampage and try to kill your twin sister too, right?”

  Silence followed my question, and I fidgeted.

  Right. Not the best thing to ask out loud.

  Blaze stepped up behind me, squeezing my arms. “Hey Little Spitfire, why don’t we go out and grab Onyka some coffee, huh?” And in my ear he whispered “then we can try to get one of the Healers to give us an update on her condition, because I don’t think we’ll be getting much out of Danica’s bodyguard.”

  “Right. Yeah. We’ll just…” I trailed off and we left, bringing the awkward with us.

  Blaze started chuckling once we closed the door.

  “Goddess, I can’t believe you asked Onyka if she was going to kill her twin sister. You should’ve seen the look on that Healer’s face.”

  I pushed him. “Shut up. You don’t know me.”

  “Charisma?” I froze when someone called my name. My entire system went into shut down.

  I knew that voice. Oh, how I knew that voice.

  I hated that voice.

  I looked up and saw no other than Cara coming towards us.

  Blaze tensed behind me, and I tried to calculate my chances of making a run for it, but it was too late.

  We had been made.

  44

  Charisma

  Like someone watching a horror movie who knew the character was about to die even if the character didn’t know it yet, I held my breath as my cousin Cara Silverstorm strode across the hospital. Her heels clicked on the ceramic tile like the imperial march, bringing with it the appropriate vibe of doom.

  I wished my magic was back so I could vanish on the spot.

  Abraca-fucking-dabra style.

  But nooooo, my stupid magic had to be stubborn and spotty, preventing me from disappearing like the Dungeon Master from the cartoon Dungeons and Dragons.

  I braced myself for the hatred, for the accusations.

  No one was more shocked than I was when she ignored me and turned straight to Blaze.

  My Blaze.

  “Blaze!” she called, closing the distance and hugging him. She went on her tiptoes and kissed him smack on the lips.

  My jaw dropped.

  Blaze stepped back from her, his eyes flying over to my face in panic.

  “This is not what it looks like. Char, I swear, this isn’t—”

  “Char?” Cara cut Blaze off, finally turning to face me. One eyebrow raised and the look of someone who had stepped in dog poo on her face.

  “Urgh. I liked you better when you were dead. We had a party, you know? Champagne. Music. It was so much fun.”

  I just stared at her.

  I mean, I knew my parents were ashamed of me, but damn. That was harsh. I’d probably have to look deep inside and examine the deep wound being reopened where only scar tissue should be. But later. Hopefully when someone told me what the fuck was going on, and why on earth Cara still had her paws all over Blaze. Paws she kept rubbing all over his chest like she was a damn cat in heat.

  “So you two are… friendly, then?” She asked, a pout on her red-stained lips, her voice saccharine sweet. “Charisma, don’t tell me you’re so desperate to be me that you’ve started to pick up my leftovers.”

  Her what now?

  “I… what?” I screeched.

  I looked from Blaze to Cara; Blaze looked pale, almost sick, while Cara had a triumphant smile on her face.

  “My, my, haven’t we been naughty, little Blaze? I can’t believe you didn’t tell my dear old cousin about our relationship. Shouldn’t she know she’s just your attempt at replacing me? Since you can’t get the heir, you pick up the castoff?” Cara trailed a finger down Blaze’s muscular chest, and though he grabbed her hand to get her to stop touching him, he didn’t dispute anything she’d said.

  This could not be happening.

  No. I couldn’t believe it. I refused to believe… but proof was right in front of me.

  Hell, Blaze’s lips were still red from where Cara had kissed him.

  I felt sick to my stomach.

  I needed to know from him though. I needed to be sure this wasn’t just another one of Cara’s crazy schemes.

  Please, Goddess, let it not be true.

  “Blaze… is that true?” My voice was weak, probably from the nausea I was trying to keep down.

  I’d kissed him. The same mouth who had kissed my freaking cousin. The same mouth who had probably kissed other parts of my nightmare of a cousin.

  Don’t throw up. Don’t throw up. Don’t throw up.

  “It was before you, Little Spitfire, before I ever even knew you. Hell, it happened more than a year ago. She was nothing, she meant nothing.” Blaze’s eyes were begging me to understand, his body coiled tight as he tried to step away from Cara, who was still clinging to him like a leech.

  “Nothing? My, oh my. Is that what you’re calling the months we spent together? It definitely seemed like it meant something when you told me you were falling in love with me.”

  Blaze winced, and that was more than enough of a confirmation.

  Fuck, it was more information than I ever needed to hear.

  Someone better call a damn Healer because I was absolutely sure my heart was breaking, and this time, it might never be repaired.

  “You didn’t tell me.” My voice may be low, but my
words were clear as crystal in the silence of the room.

  “Because it was a long time ago, Charisma. We were kids. She is the past. You’re my present, my future.” He tried to touch me, but I stepped back, away from him, away from his touch, away from the mental image of Cara and Blaze in bed together, naked.

  Every word they said was a dagger to my heart.

  “Don’t. I… I can’t. I need to go.”

  “Char, please, don’t,” Blaze tried to call out to me, but it was too late.

  I was already running.

  And there was only one place in the world I could run to.

  45

  Bastille

  The doorbell woke me up from the perfect dream. I’d had Charisma in my arms, in my bed, as I’d made love to her.

  Now the dream was gone, and with it the cold reality that I might never have Char in my arms again. That the one date we’d had, that one hug, would be all I’d ever have.

  No. I refused to believe that, refused to accept it.

  Until Charisma looked me in the eye and told me there would never be an us, I wouldn’t give up.

  Even if it took me months to finally hear from her again.

  She was worth the wait.

  The doorbell rang again and I cursed, getting out of the bed and going to open the damn door.

  One look at the clock showed me it was seven in the morning. I cursed again.

  Who the hell was disturbing me at seven in the fucking morning?

  I swore to the Goddess if Blair was coming to bug me about my love life again, I’d reanimate a swarm of dead spiders and set them all out after her. That would ensure she never bothered me again.

  I pulled the door open, ready to give her a piece of my mind, when a pink-haired woman tackled me. She hugged me like her life depended on it, like I was the missing link to her soul, and I hugged her back because I knew she was mine.

  ”Char?” It was both a question and a prayer.

  ”Bast. Hi.” Her words were muffled by my shirt, but I could still understand enough to catch that she was upset. Her voice was always a tad more mellow when she wasn’t her normal mailbox opossum warrior self.