The Horned Mage: Books 1-5

by Hayden Harper

  The girls had healed up a hell of a lot better than me but their every move was lethargic and they’d devoured every scrap of food we had. Me? I was doing better than I’d expected but apparently super healing wasn’t one of my powers, at least, not on the scale Lexus and Victoria operated on. I was covered in scrapes and bruises and had hacked all night long. Thankfully that had calmed down. It should have been a lot worse. I knew that, but it still sucked.

  Contrary to all this crazy violent stuff that had been happening since I broke my curse, I really didn’t get into a lot of fights. And right then, I understood that if I tried to square off with anyone I would lose. It made me feel vulnerable. I didn’t care for it.

  “Haunted gas station, weird but I can kind of get it,” Lexus said. “But where the fuck did that snake come from? Shit, that was nasty!” She shivered with revulsion.

  I’d never told Lexus about Deirdre She. I guess I thought that if she didn’t know she’d be less likely to get into trouble with her. I sure as hell hadn’t planned on getting in the snake lady’s way ever again. But Deirdre knew I’d been there. She’d recognized me. My girls weren’t safe from her any longer, if they ever had been.

  “That snake’s name is Deirdre.” I brought a hand up and rubbed my eyes. “She’s…she’s the TA in my Magical Theory class. Also a drug dealer.”

  “Also a human trafficker,” Victoria said.

  I glanced over at her and found her looking at me with narrowed eyes.

  “She’s the water mage that made the Road Wolves back down when they cornered you on campus when they were looking for me,” she said, not asking, but clarifying.

  I nodded.

  “Wait,” Lexus said. “Wait-wait-wait. You go to school with that thing?”

  “Yeah.” I sighed. “She was Bullet and Dicario’s boss. She uh, ate them.”

  Lexus blinked at me. Then she was on her feet. “What the fuck?”

  She stormed over to me, face rigid with anger, teeth bared. Then all at once it seemed to go out of her. She sank onto my lounge and buried her face in my chest, shoulders heaving.

  “I-I thought you’d killed them,” she whispered into my chest. “I-I-I was terrified for you.”

  I froze. How the fuck did that make sense? Awkwardly I patted her on the back.

  “Um, no. As far as I know I’ve never killed anyone,” I said.

  She nodded. I looked over her head at Victoria who was watching the whole thing with a neutral expression.

  “So,” she said slowly. “Is Deirdre our enemy then?”

  “If she wasn’t before, she is now,” I admitted. “I kind of torched her meth lab before but she didn’t know it was me. I’m guessing she might have an idea now.”

  “So we need to get ready for a show down then,” she said. “Do you know what she is? I don’t know a lot about spells but I’ve never heard of one that lets a mage make that kind of transformation.”

  I shook my head. “Not a clue.”

  “So then, figuring out a way to stop her is our top priority,” Victoria said. “I’ll do some research while I’m at work today, see what I can find. You should take your time off today to do the same.”

  I nodded in agreement. “Shit. At least we managed to get those girls out.”

  Lexus adjusted herself so that she was leaning back into me and produced her smart phone. “I should give Daisy and Carina a call, check on them.”

  She put the phone to her ear and Victoria produced her own. I threw her a questioning look. She held it up and showed me she’d pulled up Twitter. “Best source of local news.”

  Learn something new every day.

  Lexus scowled as she pulled the phone from her ear then placed another call. And then another. Finally on the fourth she got an answer. I couldn’t quite make out the words that were being said on the other side and I tried not to eavesdrop but Lexus was suddenly back on her feet, shouting, “What do you mean she’s been arrested?”

  “Oh, my God,” Victoria said, was staring at her phone.

  I looked back and forth between them. “What’s happening?”

  Lexus shoved her phone into her pocket. “Daisy and Carina have been arrested for soliciting.”

  “All the girls from last night have,” Victoria said. “Those that weren’t deported.”

  Deported? I thought back and remembered the number of Latina girls who had been in the mix last night. Come to think of it there hadn’t actually been any white girls. Latinas, a few black girls, and a bare sprinkling of Caucasians.

  Victoria noticed my puzzlement. “Lots of girls who end up being trafficked are illegal immigrants. They think they’re getting a legitimate job or that they’re going to be meeting up with family. Next thing they know they’re forced into prostitution. It’s a lose-lose for them. Texas is kind of a gateway state. Lots of ports, airports, highways, and Mexico on the border.”

  I hadn’t realized. Suddenly I felt very stupid. I didn’t care for that feeling any more than feeling weak. Hot anger boiled inside my stomach and spilled out of me. “So why the hell weren’t the fuckers who kidnapped those girls arrested?”

  I wanted to hit something. Or maybe set something on fire.

  Victoria shrugged. “I didn’t see anyone there, did you? I mean, obviously someone put them there, but how are the police supposed to track them down? Besides, soliciting is a felony offense. I don’t know the full deal with human trafficking, but I know pimping out a girl’s a misdemeanor. Can’t be that much difference. Also, it’s a lot easier to make soliciting charges stick.” She snorted. “Pigs get everything wrapped in a tidy bow.”

  I’d never really heard Victoria say anything about the cops before and there was a venom in her voice that was unfamiliar. “You don’t care for cops, do you?”

  She laughed. The sound was so unexpected that I almost flinched. “My brother and I were with the Road Wolves since we could drive. No, I don’t care for cops.” She leaned back. “Not the idea of them, just…it’s just a job, you know? They’re there to punch the clock just like everyone else. It’s not justice; it’s bureaucracy.”

  Lexus stomped her foot and stormed back over. “I can’t get in touch with anyone. Not even Mom or Jadeite.”

  Jadeite. Oh shit.

  “Lexus, Jadeite’s dad, your, uh—“

  “Stepfather?” Lexus interrupted. “Ex-stepfather? It’s okay, it’s awkward for everyone. Just call him Crimson. That’s what I do. What about him?”

  “He was talking with Deirdre at your track meet,” I said. “They knew each other.”

  Lexus went very still. “And you think that….”

  I called Jadeite’s phone. It went to voicemail. I shoved my phone in my pocket, resisting the urge to hurl it into the pool.

  “I think he might be involved,” I said. “I mean, it’s kind of a big coincidence isn’t it? He comes into town after how long, talks with our local drug dealer, and your friends go missing.” Something else occurred to me. “And both of them were hanging around his ‘associate,’ Mr. Glow. Looked damn smitten too.”

  Victoria smirked. “Smitten?”

  I rolled my eyes. “And Jadeite’s spending all her time around this creep thinking he’s a good guy.”

  “That actually might be the safest place for her,” Victoria said.

  Lexus and I whirled on her.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “He’s still her dad,” Victoria said. “He probably wants to keep her out of everything. I’d be more worried about Lexus being around him.”

  Okay, that made sense. I didn’t like it but it made sense. I pointed a finger at Lexus. “You’re not going anywhere near him.”

  “Oh shut up,” she said. “If that fucker hurt my friends I want to be the one to rip him a new asshole. And he’s staying at my house. With my mom!”

  I took a deep breath. “We kind of got our asses kicked last night. We’re not ripping into anyone a
ny time soon. I think Deirdre could probably tear us apart. Her and some help? Best thing for us might be to lay low for a bit.”

  I hated the words. They tasted sour, like bile, as I spoke them. But they had to be said. “Victoria’s going to work. You are going to school and then coming straight back here. And I’ll…I’ll do some research.”

  I sucked at research. In part because I didn’t enjoy it. I made myself do it more often than I liked because it was necessary, but rarely was I ever actually fruitful. Okay, that wasn’t fair. I’d done alright with my last group project. I’d actually understood more than I’d thought there.

  A knock sounded on the gate that lead from our host’s backyard to the Morrow’s. There was only one person that could be. Victoria got up and opened it, revealing Thomas, who was holding an energy drink in one hand and a tablet in the other. His hair was wild and greasy and his eyes had a slightly glazed quality to them.

  He took us in slowly, blinking his reddened eyes. “I heard talking and—damn, what truck ran over you guys?”

  “Don’t ask,” Victoria said.

  “What she said,” Lexus followed.

  He looked at me and I shrugged.

  “Guess this isn’t a good time. I’ll swing by later then.” He turned to go, then stopped. “By the way, the police are starting to look for a serial arsonist. Not sure whether it’s a rival criminal or a vigilante, but they aren’t happy about whoever it is. Y’all wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

  He closed the gate behind him before I could answer.

  I looked from Lexus to Victoria. “Low profile, understand?”

  “What about my Mom?” Lexus said.

  I sighed. “I’ll swing by your place. I can say I’m looking for Jadeite since she’s not answering her phone. Should be believable.”

  She scowled but nodded. “Text me as soon as you know anything, okay?”

  I agreed, and hoped that I wouldn’t come across as the world’s biggest creeper in the process.

  Chapter Seven

  I walked to Jadeite’s house a little while later, having showered and dressed. I may have spent more time on my hygiene than was strictly necessary. I didn’t want to go over to Lexus and Jadeite’s house looking like a total slob but on the other hand I didn’t want to look like I was dressed to impress. I finally settled on a button up and a pair of jeans that I hoped struck the right balance. Then I realized I was wearing pretty much what I wore every day and wondered what the hell was wrong with me. Maybe living with a pair of girls was having an effect on me.

  On an unrelated note: button up shirts are a life saver when you have a rack of antlers growing from your head. Seriously, trying to get into a pull over t-shirt without shredding the neck was next to impossible.

  It didn’t help that everything took me twice as long to do because I was so tired and sore. Even so, by the time I was ready to head out, I felt significantly better. When I stopped to examine why I felt a little pulse from the earth beneath my feet. I still didn’t know what Eleanor had done to this place to make it react the way it did to me. Something to do with fae magic. Apparently it liked me and was helping me to recover. How much worse off would I have been if I hadn’t rested here last night? Scary thought.

  I wished the place farewell under my breath when I left and I swear I felt an answering pulse of magic that took the barest extra edge off the aches suffusing my chest and arms.

  In hindsight, walking might not have been the best idea. It was getting close to summer and the air was hot. Not so much that a few minutes outside would roast you, but a walk across town would definitely make you aware of it. Especially if you were covered in dozens of cuts and scrapes, as I was, for the resulting sweat to get in and sting. By the time I reached Jadeite’s house, something that didn’t normally take me this long to do either, I was ready to sit down. I sensed another shower in my near future. And maybe a sandwich, though that might require a trip to the grocery store and more walking, so…maybe not for a while.

  And there was still research to do later, so there was something “fun” to look forward to. At least it meant I could be still and rest for a while.

  I realized that I was stalling. Dammit. Why did I have to be so good at procrastinating? This had to be a normal thing for people in small towns, right? Everyone knew everyone and would come over and knock on each other’s door. Right, sure. Except that I hadn’t grown up in a small town and I was pretty sure that if Jadeite really wanted to talk to me that she would have called or texted or answered when I had.

  This wasn’t all that weird, I told myself, for the hundredth time. And both Jadeite and Reagan’s lives could be in danger with Crimson in the picture. And with Jadeite not answering her phone this was the only way to check in on them, especially since I wasn’t about to let Lexus anywhere near Crimson.

  With a deep breath I knocked on the door. It was a plain door. Hell, it was a plain house. Not too nice a neighborhood but not run down either. Far enough away from the college campus and high school to avoid the chaos of students but not so far away as to be disconnected from the town proper.

  The door opened a little way and Reagan stuck her head out, blinking in the light. “Caleb?”

  “Hi, Reagan,” I said. “Is Jadeite around?” I swear by my pretty floral bonnet I sounded just like an elementary school student. Can Jadeite come out and play?

  “She’s having a father-daughter day with Crimson,” Reagan said. “They left a little while ago.”

  I grimaced. “I thought it might be something like that.”

  “Did y’all have plans today?”

  “No, nothing like that. It’s just…” shit, what was it “just?” “Just” that I don’t trust the bastard? That I think he might be involved in human trafficking? That he might be a danger to her, Lexus, and maybe his own daughter, too? I really should have been thinking about this on my way over.

  “Just…are you okay, Reagan?” It still felt weird calling her by her first name. She wasn’t that old, she’d been a teenager when she’d had Lexus and was only in her early to mid-thirties, but it didn’t help. Calling one of my friend’s—and kind-of-sort-of girlfriend’s—parents by their first name felt odd.

  Her eyes widened a little bit. “O-of course.” There was a stutter there that made me not believe her and her words came out a hint too fast. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  I decided to take a chance.

  “It’s Crimson,” I said. “Something’s not right there. I think…I think he had something to do with that prostitution ring that got busted on the news this morning.”

  Reagan swallowed.

  Realization dawned. “You know something about that already, don’t you?”

  Her entire body stiffened as if someone had run a current of electricity through her. “Why don’t you come in? We shouldn’t talk about this outside.”

  So there was something to talk about. That was…something.

  I stepped into the entry hall—only for someone to slam into me from the dining hall entry to the left, knocking me to the ground. Whoever it was they were huge, and strong, easily pinning me to the floor. Before I could react, pain shot through my neck.

  I stiffened, tried to scream, and couldn’t. It was as if someone had poured molten metal into my veins, the agonizing heat spreading from my neck into my chest and arms and throughout the rest of my body from there. The extremities had it the worst, tingling with agony like burning needles.

  The figure pushed himself off of me and I found myself staring up at the face of Mr. Glow, my blood dripping from his mouth. His name seemed suddenly appropriate because his eyes and the inside of his mouth, beneath the coating of my blood, were glowing with yellow light. That light pulsed, contrasting with his dark skin, and making his fanged smirk all the more sinister.

  “You are the boyfriend of this one’s daughter,” he said from his position standing over me. He spoke with an acc
ent I couldn’t quite place that made his t’s sound like d’s and emphasized his vowels. Something African for sure, but I didn’t know nearly enough to place the region.

  He chuckled. “And you are friends with Jadeite. You know, that is never going to work out for you.”

  I started to call on my magic but once again I was too slow. My entire body and mind felt like it had been given a coat of lead that I had to fight against to move. The glowing vampire narrowed his eyes and something pulsed inside my veins, the heat that had faded with his bite returning sharp and electric.

  “Ah-ah, no spells from you little mageling.” He put his foot on my chest and cocked his head, as if considering me. “You know, I don’t know what any of these women see in a weak little thing like you. But we have all day to find out. We are going to have some fun, yes?”

  He stepped back and my body jerked, as if there were strings running through my blood veins, yanking my body like some sort of puppet. “I know just how to get rid of you. None of the girls from this house will ever want to see you again after today. Give me your phone.”

  My hand, twitching and spasming, obeyed. The more I resisted, the hotter the pain flowing through me grew. My blood was on fire.

  Mr. Glow seemed to think it was amusing. He laughed as he took my phone. “You keep trying to fight but don’t worry, I am going to take you to heaven. Or she is, first.” He jerked his thumb at Reagan. “You’ll take my cock after you’re through with her.”

  What? Wait, seriously, what the fuck?

  He fiddled with my phone and then held it up, clearly recording us.

  “What is your name?” he asked me.

  I tried not to answer but pain flared through my body.

  “What is your name,” he asked again, more forcefully. “Come on, give it up. The world wants to know.”

  “Caleb.” The pain fell away, leaving sweet numbness in its place. “My name is Caleb.”

  Mr. Glow made a hand gesture and Reagan came closer, stepping into the camera’s view. “And this is your girlfriend’s mother, yes?”