Flicker and Flame: Magic Bound Book One

by Willow Hayes

  At his use of the word ‘power’ something inside me clicks, and I find myself able to think again. I suddenly remember the promise I made with Callum on the day my magic was unbound. I think of Callie, and the promise I made her after she died. Of the kids in my classes who feel powerless, but are learning that they aren’t. Of the day I walked into Reg’s terrified, and the fighter he helped me become. And then I think of what he told me when I refused to go into the ring, ‘You are the only one holding you back.’ My fear has kept me paralyzed, unable to move forward because I couldn’t let go of the past. Fear has kept me from becoming who I am supposed to be. I won’t be powerless again because I don’t have to be.

  I reach inside and call on Fire, ready to teach this bastard a lesson, and show him who holds the power now. I weave my intention into the magic and feel her rush to my call, as eager to end him as I am. His knife is poised to slice open my bra when I look him dead in the eye and say, “I have all the power, asshole.” The rage in his eyes at my defiance surges there for only a moment before he begins to feel the pain of my fire. I push the flames to lick up his legs slowly, careful to control the pace.

  He looks down at the offending flames in confusion. “What are you doing, bitch? Stop it!” his voice rising in fear and pain.

  “You don’t seem to understand. You have no power to make demands anymore.” I continue to slowly wrap fire around him, inching higher. He stumbles and attempts to bat the flames away, screaming in agony. “You have abused your power for too long, but you will never take from anyone again, you sick motherfucker.” I rotate on the table, draw my legs in, and kick him dead in the chest. He stumbles across the room and crumples to the ground where the flames of my vengeance consume him, and the room falls silent.

  Fifty-Four

  Kenna

  I pull off the remains of my shirt to hold against the wound on my stomach and dart to the door to find my guys. Throwing it open I dash out into the hall only to find them charging towards me.

  I skid to a stop, my jaw dropping. “But how?” I ask in amazement.

  Ignoring my question Callum moves forward. “You are hurt.” He gently takes the shirt from my grasp and away from my bleeding wound. A chorus of deep growls surround me when the the cut on my stomach is revealed. I feel the warmth of Callum’s healing magic alongside the unsettling sensation of my skin knitting back together, and then the pain is gone. He places a hand on the cheek where I was hit, and I feel the tingle of his magic once more. He repeats the process healing each of my injuries.

  Then without warning his lips slam down on mine in a brief, but passionate kiss. When he pulls back the fire in his eyes is so intense I can’t look away. I hear a scuffling sound to my right, and when I finally lift my eyes I realize we are not alone in the alcove. There are a dozen men dressed in tactical gear heavily armed with weapons and magic. Spectacular, I’m standing before these unknown men in my bra, covered in blood.

  Ignoring the men for now I look back to my Chosen, “So how are you guys even here? And who the fuck are they?” I look between them expectantly, waiting for an answer.

  “We don’t know much, but they crashed the party and took out the guards. We’re alive because of them. We were coming to rescue you, but it looks like you don’t need rescuing, badass.” Luka shrugs and gives me a small smile.

  Nakoa’s eyes were darting around the space during Luka’s explanation, and he growls out, “Where is the bastard?”

  “He’s ash,” I say as though giving a report on the weather. I bend down to gather Rya in my arms who is thankfully just unconscious after the kick she received from Lachlan and did not have to witness any of what went down. Teo comes over lifting her from me, and I reluctantly relinquish my hold.

  “He’s what?” Nakoa asks, puzzled.

  “Ash. I burned him to ash.” I shrug. The looks of amazement on their faces is almost enough to send me into a fit of laughter.

  “Did he…?” voice rough as gravel, Nakoa can’t finish the question, but I understand nonetheless.

  “He backhanded me and sliced my stomach, as well as a few other injuries, the evidence of which you just saw. But he spent most of his time grandstanding and talking a lot, he always did.” My eyes blaze fiercely when I look to Callum, “When he tried to take from me I remembered my promise. Then I killed the bastard. He will never hurt anyone again. I sure as fuck made sure of that.” My voice full of righteous anger and vengeance. I turn back to the wall of tactical black, “And who are all of you?” After everything we’ve been through I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they were the Queen’s men.

  Nakoa gestures to one of the men in black, and once I look at him I can’t look away. He is nearly as tall and wide as Nakoa, has gorgeous electric blue eyes, and dark hair that seems to stick up in every direction. “This is Kade,” Nakoa places his hand on the man’s shoulder. Kade’s eyes haven’t left mine yet, as if we are drawn together like magnets. “Callum and I served with him together in the Royal Guard. He’s a good man, Firefly. We can trust him.”

  Kade slightly bows his head and explains, “We are with the rebellion, Your Highness. I would be happy to fill you in later, but we really do need to go before the guards wake and send for reinforcements.”

  I stare at him. The rebellion? Um, he called me, Your Highness? I turn to look at the guys, my eyes wide with questions. “I think we should go with them,” Nakoa speaks firmly. “If he’s with these men I say we find out what this is all about, but it’s up to you.”

  Oh goody, my choice. I turn back to Kade calling on my magic to help me evaluate him, trying to find clues of his trustworthiness. His colors blaze with blue and purple. It seems as though he is being honest, and I make a decision, “We’ll go, but we can’t leave these people here. They are doing unspeakable things to them.” Kade’s eyes widen, but I can’t tell if it’s from frustration at the demand, or something else. While waiting for his answer I retrieve my swords from the floor, strapping them on over my bloody sports bra which I am sure is totally drool worthy.

  He agrees, and we set about rousing the patients to usher out the door. Each one is battered and bruised, and when we tell them we’re taking them with us many cry and sag with relief. We work quickly, trying to beat the clock before we are found, and all our work is lost.

  “Hey, Kade! You need to come look at this.” One of the rebel soldiers’ voice echoes in the hallway from the room he went into. I wander down the hallway, intrigued by the guy’s tone. Kade and the soldier are staring at a shelf of glass jars. The jars are glowing brightly in shades of green, red, and blue, among others.

  “That looks a lot like magic.” My voice makes them both spin towards the door. “Is it?”

  Kade spends a few moments evaluating me, no less than I am him, before he responds, “Yeah, it’s likely magic.”

  “Are they spells purchased from an Aether mage?” Now that I now about them I see that these could possibly be larger versions.

  “Probably not.” He offers me no further explanation, but turns to the soldier and says, “Grab them. We’ll study them back at base.” Turning back to me he asks, “Did we get everyone out?”

  “I think so, but I don’t know for sure.” I shrug, oddly reluctant to break away from this conversation.

  Kade pauses again, and I can almost feel his eyes dance over my face. “Right, well, we should do one last sweep to check.” I nod and turn to do just that.

  Once everyone is out we follow and are the last to head to the SUV. Once I climb into the car I watch curiously as Kade moves to the back and rifles around. Coming to my side he hands me a shirt with a small smile. I feel a shock as our fingers brush when I take the shirt from him. “Thank you.” I find his act of kindness oddly moving, and I put the shirt on and buckle up.

  Once everyone is settled we set off to destination unknown. The movement of the SUV and the stress of the traumatizing evening takes its toll, and I drift off to sleep in the shelter of Nakoa’s arms.
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  I wake to strong arms gently shaking me, and Nakoa telling me we have arrived. Stepping out of the SUV I look around to see that we are at what looks like an old, private airport. The huge property is scattered with large and small buildings, and is surrounded by a high fence with guards dispersed throughout. Part of the rescue team leads us into one of the smaller buildings, and the others lead the patients into one of the large buildings.

  As we walk in I’m surprised to find a bustling office at this late hour. There are desks scattered throughout the space, papers tacked to the walls, and a general sense of controlled chaos. A stern looking man with dark shrewd eyes, rich tawny skin, dark hair and a close cut dark beard, who looks to be in his thirties, approaches us and bows his head to me, “Your Highness, I am so relieved our men were able to get to the clinic in time. I’m Khalid Asher, and I am the commander of the rebellion.” Trying not to flinch at his use of ‘Your Highness’ I focus on Khalid who is flanked by Kade and another man with light dusty blue skin graced with spots of green-blue scales, aquamarine eyes, and long hair the color of honey worn in a braid that hangs over his shoulder.

  “We’ve never been aware of a rebellion, so additional information would be helpful. For all I know you are the Queen’s men and have just abducted us.” I’m sure I have fire in my eyes, but I truly couldn’t care less. Out of the corner of my eye I swear I see Kade’s lips twitch, but I don’t turn to look, keeping my focus on Khalid. “How did you even know we would be at the clinic tonight?”

  Kade speaks up and says, “We have a spy inside the castle who informed us of Queen Isadora’s plan to ambush you.”

  “But how the fuck did the Queen know because the only people who knew of our plan are in this room.” Though I remember Lachlan’s words about the queen’s plan, my suspicious nature rears its head at the idea of trusting this group we know nothing about, despite Nakoa’s trust in Kade.

  “She is a dream walker,” Khalid says.

  “And what exactly does that mean?” The emotional events of the evening combined with the confrontation of people I don’t know has my snark full of extra bite.

  Callum turns to me, his midnight blue eyes full of a sudden understanding and says, “A dream walker can visit the dreams of anyone they have a connection with. They can also influence the dream to torment or comfort the person.” He reaches out and squeezes my shoulder in reassurance.

  “Holy shit…that explains why my nightmares have become unbearable. Is there any way to stop it?” my voice cracks with the question, terrified by the knowledge that she has been in my head. That she could keep fucking with my head.

  “Sleeping with one of your mates should help, has it not?” confusion clouds the face of the man with aquamarine eyes as he asks the question.

  I blush and don’t know how to answer. Teo saves me from needing to though, “We haven’t known each other long, so we haven’t been able to test that theory much. Though the few times one of her mates has slept alongside her she was nightmare free.” He looks at me with a wink and shoots me a crooked grin, helping to ease some of my discomfort.

  “So if I sleep with my mates the Queen won’t be able to fuck with my dreams?” one eyebrow quirked up as I ask for confirmation, not quite believing that ending my torment could really be this simple.

  “That is correct, Your Highness,” Kade confirms for me. As I try to call on my magic to evaluate the truthfulness of their words I find my magic and I are too drained, and I can’t get a read on them.

  Kade steps up and whispers into Khalid’s ear. “Ah, so it appears that Kade is acquainted with two of your men, Your Highness.” I nod, wondering what this has to do with anything.

  Kade steps forward and turns his stunning electric blue eyes to me, “I know you have no reason to trust us, and we would like the chance to explain everything, but perhaps that conversation might be best left till after you and your men have rested and recovered from the evening’s events? If that works for you, we have rooms prepared for you already.”

  I consider his words and take stock of my Chosen who each look at me with tired eyes and weary faces. I have to admit I am beyond exhausted, and my brain took a hike somewhere between the clinic and here. I look to Nakoa for confirmation, and he nods his support. “Sleep would be awesome, thanks.” At the mention of sleep my body suddenly decides to make it abundantly clear how much it is needed.

  Following Kade out of the office building, my legs like lead, I try to keep up with his long strides. He explains the rebel base as he guides us to our rooms, “We converted the big hangers into apartments of a sort. Your rooms are in hanger one, along with rebel leadership.” He walks us to the closest hanger and down a narrow hallway. Apartments have been built in on both sides and a second story allows for additional units. I am surprised at all they have been able to fit into the space.

  Leading us upstairs he unlocks the first door and steps aside, so we can enter. The room has a single bed made up with plain linens, a simple, wooden free-standing wardrobe, and a small toilet room with a sink and mirror. The walls have been painted a light gray, and it’s clear they have tried to make the space comfortable, but other than the paint and furniture the room is bare. It’s a far cry from my beautiful room at the house, but it’s a place to sleep.

  “There is a shared shower room downstairs. It’s not ideal but it’s functional. Each room has essentially the same items.” Kade turns to me, his blue eyes like magnets, and says, “Your room will be a double which is slightly larger to accommodate the bigger bed for you and a mate to sleep in. We have single rooms like this, double rooms, and in another part of the property we have a few family units.” I blush slightly at talking with a near stranger about my sleeping arrangements but ignore the discomfort. “I’ll leave you to get some rest. Just head to the office whenever you’re ready to talk.”

  “Great, thanks. Hey, can you point me to where I’ll be able to find my friend, so I can check on her later?” Exhaustion makes my voice a little loopy, and I hope the guys remember what he says because I know I won’t. He gives directions, and we all say goodnight.

  Stifling a yawn I say, “I desperately need a shower, but I don’t know if I can drag myself down there and back.” Without saying a word Teo solves the problem by walking me to my room, grabbing a washcloth, and wetting it. He strips the borrowed shirt, lays me back, and begins to wash my stomach, hands, and neck clear of blood. His ministrations are hypnotic, and I struggle to keep my eyes open.

  “I don’t have the energy to figure out who’s sleeping with me, so you boys figure it out.” I weakly wave a hand in his direction and hear an answering chuckle. I feel myself drifting to sleep when I hear fabric being pushed along the floor. I groggily lift my head just enough to see that the guys have brought mattresses into my room. “What are you doing?”

  Luka looks up from the mattress he’s moving and says, “We are all sleeping in here. None of us feel comfortable having you out of our sights, so you’re stuck with us, Princess.” He shrugs and makes no apologies.

  My heart skips a beat at his words, and I smile tiredly at him. “I’m not going to complain.” Feeling incredibly safe with my guys surrounding me I set my head back down on the bed and sigh happily. I feel my shoes being slipped off and pants gently tugged down. Once free of clothes I am tucked in under the blanket. I feel a warm body crawl in behind me and pull me close. I peek over my shoulder to see Luka. “I’m glad I get to cuddle with you, at least for the five minutes I’ll be awake for it.” I laugh softly and hear him do the same. He kisses my neck and tells me to go to sleep, and wrapped in the safety of his arms, I do.

  Fifty-Five

  Kenna

  Leaving my guys to wait outside I walk in the door of the rebel clinic to find many of the patients we rescued last night resting peacefully. Asking after Rya I am directed to a curtained off area. Not wanting to disturb her I peek in to see if she’s awake. Rya turns her head at the scraping sound of the curtain rings, and h
er eyes go wide. “Kenna,” her voice cracks then fails altogether as her face crumples and tears spill over her cheeks. Rushing to her side, staying mindful of her injuries, I carefully wrap her in a hug.

  “I am so sorry, Rya.” Flooded with equal measures of guilt and relief I join Rya in her tears, and we grip each other close. When our tears slow I hesitantly approach the conversation, “How are you feeling?”

  She shrugs and grimaces in pain from the small action. “They have sent healers through, but there are so many injured they have had to prioritize patients, so I’ve not seen one yet. It’s okay though, the others need it more.” Her weak smile overshadowed by her haunted brown eyes. I hold her hand and squeeze it gently in reassurance.

  “I’ll ask Callum to come see you. I don’t know how much he’ll be able to do, but some is better than none.” It’s my turn to shrug, giving her a small smile. “Do you want to talk about what happened?”

  Eyes downcast, she sits silently picking at a loose thread in the blanket. She’s quiet for so long I begin to think that maybe she’s not ready to share yet. Her voice hardly above a whisper she begins her tale, “I was helping mom on the property when two men drove up. I remember thinking that they reminded me of the men who tried to take us at the restaurant, and that made me nervous. They were professional enough at first, telling me that I was selected as part of the lottery for the research program, but when I refused to go with them immediately they wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

  Swallowing hard she turns to me, “When the car stopped, a solid wall of stone moved and revealed a door.” No wonder we couldn’t find the entrance to the clinic. They hid it with magic. “I know now that it was the clinic, but it didn’t look like a clinic.” She pauses with realization and gestures at me, “Well you saw it.” She shudders at the memory of her time there. “I was thrown into one of the rooms, and they locked me in. Kenna, the sound of the lock was such a small sound, but it was terrifying.” Her lip quivers as her eyes begin to shine with unshed tears.