The Cursed Key

by Miranda Brock

  His pack. It brought up a point. “I thought that shifters in packs were bound to follow the rules.”

  Kael nodded. “They’re supposed to be, which makes me believe he is certainly tied up in dark magic with the mage if he was able to break free.”

  Now we had evil shifters to contend with. Super.

  Forested land zipped by us in the form of rolling hills and dark trees. The magic inside me swirled, growing warmer with every minute. I felt taut, as if my skin were barely able to contain the eager magic inside of me. My hands clenched on the seat beside me, and my pulse quickened.

  I wouldn’t be able to hold it in much longer.

  As my stare landed on a particularly dark patch of forest, I straightened. “Stop the car.”

  Kael pulled over onto the grass bumping up against the side of the road.

  I swallowed. “He’s in there.”

  I pointed toward the trees. My palm tingled, and I had to curl my fingers into my skin to keep the magic from bursting out.

  The shifter climbed out of the car, and I did the same, throwing my bag over my shoulder. He popped the trunk and headed toward the back of the car.

  Kael let out a long whistle, then grinned. I hurried to see what had his eyes looking like a kid who had found a box full of free candy.

  The trunk was full of weapons. Guns, mostly, but there were also some knives, a couple of swords, and a lethal-looking ax that would only be possible for someone with Kael’s shoulders to actually use effectively.

  My partner snapped up a pair of sleek pistols then glanced at me expectantly. Guns weren’t really my thing. Those swords were pretty sweet, but I’d probably be more likely to inadvertently stab myself.

  “No, thanks,” I said. “I’ve got Chaucer.”

  Kael shook his head, though whether it was at the nickname for my knife or my refusal to choose another weapon, I didn’t know. He started off toward the woods.

  “Wait, shouldn’t we move the car? If Tobias comes along, won’t he know where to find us?”

  “I don’t think it really matters. I’m sure he knows where to find the mage, and he knows that’s where we’re headed.”

  My gaze locked on the forest ahead of us. The key felt as if it were ready to jump right off my chest from where it hung. I pulled in a deep breath as we stepped through the browning, brittle grass.

  This was happening. We were really doing this.

  Images of sacrifice and blood bubbled up inside of me, and I grabbed Kael’s arm.

  I had to tell him.

  The shifter paused and glanced down at me. His eyebrows knitted together while I tried to come up with the proper way to tell him what I needed to do.

  “Don’t worry,” he said, misreading my apprehension “I’ll be right there with you. We’ve got this.”

  He loped off again toward the forest before I could say anything else.

  I hurried after him. First, find the mage, I told myself. Then I can worry about stopping him.

  The magic inside of me hummed. Would I be powerful enough to kill him? Why was it that he had to be bound? Hazy memories that scarcely felt like mine tingled at the edge of my conscience.

  “Olivia, come on.”

  I glanced up but couldn’t find Kael. It took me a moment to realize he was already in the shadows of the trees. Apparently, my thoughts had been weighing on my steps as well as my mind. I ducked under some low-lying branches and joined Kael in the forest.

  A snarl came from Kael, a ripping, throaty noise that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. His stance shifted, legs apart and a hand on one of the pistols. It didn’t take me long to figure out why he had suddenly gone on alert.

  Tobias broke away from the shadows with an easy grin on his face.

  It was absurd, but I looked for wings. The man had to have some to get here as fast as he did.

  Beside me, Kael sneered. “Giving yourself over to dark magic already, Tobias? It isn’t enough to betray your own kind, now you’re letting the mage use you?”

  “What can I say? It certainly beats driving.”

  Magic. That was how he had gotten here so quick.

  Tobias took a step forward, the movement hardly disturbing a leaf below his boots. “As for betrayal, that is simply a matter of perception. Look at you, taking up with a mage of your own.”

  The wolf shifter’s gaze swept to me, and his smile deepened.

  “Stay away from her,” Kael growled.

  The other shifter laughed. “See what I mean? Loyalty is just a word people throw around when it’s convenient. You loathe magic-wielders, fae, and witches more than anyone I’ve ever known, yet you have no problem using such a woman to help you get what you want.”

  I refused to glance at Kael, though I desperately wanted to see if I could spot the denial in his face. Kael hated magic-wielders? Was that the reason he was always so surly around me? Was he really just using me, or was Tobias trying to create a rift between us?

  “No amount of sly talk is going to stop us from ending you, Tobias.”

  Tobias had his hands in his pockets, and a small smile at the corner of his lips. “Perhaps not, but these guys might provide a bit of a challenge for you both.”

  Either Kael’s sense of smell wasn’t working or he hadn’t had the chance to tell me, but three more men and one woman drifted from the trees. Kael mumbled something about “pack traitors.”

  “Olivia,” Tobias said, drawing my attention back to him.

  I set my jaw “What?”

  “There is no need for us to harm you.” He held out his hand. “Give me the key, and this can all be over.”

  A slow, wide smile parted my lips. “Go to hell.”

  A couple of the shifters behind Tobias growled, the woman snarling the loudest.

  “Don’t kill the girl. She’s needed alive,” Tobias said without a backward glance at those coming to stand with him. “The cat is mine.”

  The forest exploded in yells, stomping feet, and gunfire.

  Four wolf shifters ran straight toward me. I had just enough time to pull out my knife and toss my bag to the ground before they were nearly on me. The closest one was no more than five feet. As a gun shot rang out, I braced myself.

  The man fell to the ground, a disturbing meld of a holler and a yelp coming from his mouth. He grabbed his ruined and bloodied knee as the other three ran past. In my peripheral, I could see Kael raising the pistol again, but there was a loud growl and then a massive wolf tackled into him. Snarls came and, as the trio of shifters charged at me, I knew a jaguar had joined the fight.

  I held up my knife, and the three shifters came to a stop in front of me. They didn’t come any closer, but two of them broke away and started circling me. My gaze darted back and forth, trying to keep an eye on all three of them at once.

  A blond man in the front edged a bit closer. “Come on, sweetheart, put the knife down before you hurt yourself.”

  Excuse me?

  I shifted my feet and leaned forward a bit. Finally, I let loose the magic burning in my veins. It blossomed around my hand and licked at my fingers.

  “Oh, look. The little mage wants to play,” came the female wolf shifter’s voice from behind my shoulder.

  Several yards away, Kael and Tobias were in a snarling, teeth-gnashing brawl. I could hardly make sense of the jaguar and the wolf engaged in what I was certain would be a battle to the death. I wanted to help Kael, but at that moment, the trio of wolf shifters closed in.

  I spun and let a ball of the magic-infused energy roll from my fingertips. It crashed into one of the males and sent him careening backward. He landed hard and didn’t get back up. Regret flashed through me as I pivoted away from him to lock eyes with the blond male. I didn’t want to kill anyone, even if they were working for the dark mage. The male rushed at me, a feral growl humming up his throat as he closed in. At the same time, the female came at my right side. I stretched out my magic-wreathed hand and sent a blast of magic at he
r. She tried to dodge it, but it caught her in the side, and she tilted with a pained cry.

  A body slammed into me, and my back hit the ground. I struggled against the large male and tried to buck him off. I brought up my hand with the knife, but he grabbed my wrist, fingers squeezing so tight I half-expected my bones to break.

  The other three shifters walked over, even the one who had been shot, though he was limping. Kael roared in the background. I desperately wanted to see if he was all right, but I was blocked by a wall of shifters now crouched around me. As they peered down at me, I stopped struggling. Their eyes were bright with victory, triumphant smiles on their faces.

  I would not be defeated. Not after all of this time. Not before I got to the mage.

  I closed my eyes as the shifters laughed. They probably thought they had already won. I didn’t want to kill anyone, but I forced that moral part of me down. The deep-rooted magic inside of me and the ancient being tethered to me was begging to be let out.

  And I set her free.

  My eyes flashed open. Heat burst from my hand as I lifted my hips to tilt the blond shifter off of me. He screamed. The fumes of burning flesh accosted my nostrils. My fist came into contact with his face, and then the other three fell on me and tried to pin me down.

  I struggled against their hold. One of them snarled, and in the next moment, a wolf’s jaws clamped around my upper arm. Pain ripped through my muscles as I attempted to jerk away. Without another thought, I took my knife and plunged it into the wolf’s neck.

  Blood sprayed, and the wolf jerked away with a strangled yelp. His legs kicked at the ground as he fell to his side. In the next moment, he grew still, his light gray fur darkening.

  Light flashed before me as a fist connected with my face. In my shock, my knife fell from my hand. The male and female shifters hauled me to my feet. Across from us, Tobias, in wolf form, had Kael down, his jaws snapping toward Kael’s neck.

  I may have defeated one of the shifters, but I wouldn’t be able to save myself from the others in time to rescue Kael.

  Chapter 24

  Kael.

  The sight of him in danger had me exploding. I jerked away from the woman’s hold and wheeled toward her. There was no hesitation as I raised my hand and sent a volley of magic straight at her chest.

  She was dead before she hit the ground.

  The last man standing backed away. Tobias let out a sudden yelp. The man glanced at his leader, then back to me. His jaw clenched, then he shifted into a wolf. I planted my feet and braced myself for the attack. The wolf dodged past me, and I pivoted to find his long strides carrying him quickly away.

  Coward.

  I raised my hand, the ancient, ruthless part of me ready to end him before he took another step. But instead, I pulled in a deep breath and lowered my hand. Hitting someone in the back was not something I would do, no matter how much the magic inside of me wanted it.

  Behind me, the forest grew silent, and I turned, half-afraid of what I would find.

  Kael had Tobias in his jaws. He dropped the black wolf, who then fell limply to the ground. Kael loped over, his yellow eyes looking me up and down. He tilted his head.

  “I’m all right,” I said.

  It wasn’t an exact truth. Blood from the wolf’s bite was soaking the sleeve of my jacket, and my head was ringing.

  Kael strode to my bag and nudged it. I took the hint and pulled out the spare set of clothes we’d bought a couple days ago. I turned around while he shifted and got dressed.

  “Livvie, I don’t care.”

  My brow furrowed. “What?”

  Kael stepped in front of me. “About what Tobias told you. I don’t care that you’re a magic-wielder.”

  That made me way happier than it should have. I shouldn’t care what Kael thought of me one way or another, but I did.

  The shifter pulled some bandaging out of my bag and pushed up the sleeve of my jacket. He started winding the bandage around my arm, and I barely held back a wince.

  “You’re a good fighter,” he said as he finished.

  “I wasn’t trying to be. I didn’t want to hurt anyone.”

  Much less kill three people.

  I shoved the thought back. I wouldn’t think about it.

  Kael nodded. “I know you didn’t.” His gaze swept over my face. “You got a cut on your cheek.”

  I hadn’t even realized. It must have happened while I was struggling against the shifters. Kael reached up to touch the cut under my eye. His hand lingered on my cheek, his rough, warm fingertips sending a heated flash down my body.

  Then his hand jerked back, and I gasped.

  The ground shook, and the fingers of a sudden chill traced across my skin. Dark magic rippled through the air. It tugged at the key and beckoned me forward like a confident, sneering villain. I grabbed my bag and knife and started through the forest, leaving the bodies of the wolf shifters in our wake.

  Silently, we stepped around the dark, damp trunks of the trees. Fog billowed in, wrapping around our ankles and cloaking our way. My skin pebbled with the growing cold. After a while, Kael paused and squinted at the fog. I peered around as well, and my gaze fell on an unusual tree.

  The trunk was contorted into the shape of an old man, the face and beard formed with twisted, ancient bark. Two warped knots formed eyes that appeared to be staring at me. I pulled my gaze from the unnerving tree as Kael started forward again.

  At first, the key led my way through the trees, but as the fog thickened, everything began to look the same. Trees and fog and silent, bare branches. I tried to lead the way, but after an hour, I found myself facing the old man tree again. I led the way again, confident that this time I would get us closer to the mage. My heart sank when, once again, I was facing the familiar tree.

  There was no denying it. We were lost.

  “Let me give it a try,” Kael said.

  I followed his wide back through the forest. How would he know where to go? Could he sense the dark magic permeating the air, too? Could he smell it?

  We wove through the trees and thick mist. Suddenly, Kael let out a sharp sigh.

  We were facing the warped tree again, the knotted eyes fixed mockingly upon us. I grabbed the key around my neck and, willing it to work, headed off into the forest. Kael grumbled under his breath behind me.

  “I’m trying,” I snapped, throwing a glare at him over my shoulder. Couldn’t he see that? It wasn’t like he did much better.

  “Well, why isn’t the key working?”

  “How am I supposed to know? Wearing the key around my neck didn’t suddenly make me an expert on ancient, magical relics!”

  Kael scowled. “You don’t have to yell.”

  “I’m not yelling!”

  Okay, that time I was. A little.

  The air grew thicker, the fog pressing in closer. Within my clenched fists, my nails bit into my palms.

  The shifter came closer to me as the ringing in my ears grew louder. “Why would you bring us here only to get us lost?”

  I wanted to pull my arm back and send it smashing into his face.

  Wait. No, I didn’t.

  I unclenched my grinding teeth and looked down at my fists. What was I doing?

  I closed my eyes and shook my head in an attempt to dispel the ringing in my skull. When I glanced back up at Kael, his scowl turned into a confused frown. He had come to the same conclusion.

  Something was trying to turn us against each other.

  “Let’s just get out of here.” Kael’s own fists loosened as he turned and headed into the trees.

  I hurried after Kael before the fog could swallow him, but paused. Something was urging me to go in all directions, some invisible force tugging me this way and that. I spun in a circle, and magic unfurled in my hands. What was pulling at me?

  Whispers sifted through the fog, and goosebumps crawled across my skin.

  The mage, the voices said.

  My heart jumped. I peered around through the
thick mist, only vaguely processing that Kael was no longer in sight.

  More whispers brushed my ears. The key has found the mage.

  My breath quickened as I searched and searched, afraid the dark mage would snatch me from the shadows at any second. Then, all at once, the tugging sensation stopped. I stood still in the quiet and the mist.

  The mage is found.

  My scalp prickled, and my heart thrummed faster. The whispers couldn’t mean me, could they?

  I reached up to grab a hold of the key, and my lips parted in surprise. I glanced down to find not one, but two keys.

  I swallowed. How had I gotten the first key back?

  I squinted at it. The gold was stained with dark red. I dropped the key in surprise. My hands were covered in blood.

  No.

  What was going on?

  Crackling echoed behind me, and I spun around to find the forest on fire. Flames licked up the trunks of trees and chased away the thick blanket of fog.

  Several feet in front of me, Kael lay on the ground, his blood quickly soaking into the damp earth. Bile burned up my throat as I hurried forward and knelt beside him. His eyes were wide, and he stared at me as if…as if he were afraid of me.

  “Why did you have to sacrifice me?” he asked. A trail of blood bubbled from his mouth.

  “I…I didn’t. Kael, what happened?” I grabbed his shoulder, but as soon as I touched him, he burst into ash.

  I shrieked and rocked back on my heels.

  “Hey! What are you doing? Hurry up!”

  I blinked. The scent of blood and smoke dissipated. Kael peered at me over his shoulder a few yards away.

  It had been a vision. Just a vision.

  My knees shook as I got to my feet. I hurriedly checked but found only the key from the ruins in Scotland. I rubbed my temples as I trekked toward Kael.

  Was the vision from myself, or the mage?

  I quickened my pace in an attempt to catch up to Kael’s retreating back. Impatient man. He was moving much too quickly. He disappeared around a large tree, but when I got to it, I could no longer see him.

  “Kael?” I called out. My voice was swallowed in the fog. There was no answer. In the distance, I caught the muffled snapping of twigs, and I hurried toward the sound. “Kael, wait!” Branches whipped at me as I ran, unease sinking into my stomach as I thought about what could happen if we were to get separated. “Kael!”