Untamed Fate (Magic Side: Wolf Bound Book 2)

  “Savannah, you’re strong, and you have a good heart. Trust it.” She

  clapped her hands. “Now, let’s summon some demons. Casey, fetch the

  coal.”

  My head spun.

  Having a conversation with my aunt was like listening to an airline

  captain come over the intercom and say, “Sorry about the turbulence, folks.

  Everything is going to be okay,” followed shortly by, “Good news, there are

  enough parachutes for everyone, and the flight attendants are standing by to

  help you put them on.”

  A scent of nutmeg filled the room as a stream of light poured from my

  aunt’s hand into the runes of one of the circles. The sigils illuminated one by

  one until the whole circle was lit and crackling with magic. “This is a circle

  of protection,” she explained. “As long as we’re in here, we’ll be protected

  from the demons.”

  Casey dumped a hefty bag of coal into a wide brass brazier set into one of

  the other circles.

  “The coal is an offering, used to lure the demons and give them form in

  our world,” my aunt continued. She flicked her eyes to me. “Kahanov would

  have used blood to summon the blood demons that attacked you. A lot of it.”

  Memories of the blood drainers with all their tubes and IV bags brought

  bile to my throat.

  At my aunt’s command, Casey lobbed a fireball into the pile of coal.

  Bright orange flames flickered in his eyes as he grinned at me. “You’re going

  to love this.”

  Why didn’t I believe him?

  Laurel gently shoved me inside the glowing circle of protection, and

  Casey joined me. She strode to the burning heap of coal and poured her

  magic into it until the surrounding circle of runes glowed bright red.

  With a swift gesture, she raised her hands, and all the shadows of the

  room swung toward her. She began chanting and weaving her hands, and the

  world twisted around her silhouette. Vertigo squirmed in my belly, and I

  grabbed Casey’s arm as the room spun.

  As my aunt’s voice rose in tempo, the air crackled with power, and the

  scent of brimstone burned my throat. The fire seemed to suck the shadows

  inward.

  No doubt about it—this was definitely diabolic magic.

  An ear-splitting screech echoed through the room, and a sinister form

  rose from the flames, clawing at the air.

  My aunt scurried back to the circle of protection just as the lighting in the

  candlelit room returned to normal, leaving a flaming demon perched atop the

  pile of coal.

  It was about two feet tall.

  “That’s it?” Casey asked.

  “Baby steps, Casey,” my aunt responded.

  I was too busy trembling. My very own aunt had just summoned a

  creature from hell.

  The thing screeched, glared at us, and then scampered on all fours across

  the room and ran up one of the walls.

  Holy shit.

  “What am I supposed to do?” I asked, my voice not quite as steady as I’d

  have liked.

  “Extinguish it. Like you’ve practiced with candles and fire.”

  I bit my lip, uncertain what to think. “You want me to…kill it? After we

  just summoned it?”

  She shrugged. “You can’t really kill demons, at least not in the way we

  think of death, not without a lot of trouble. They just disappear and go back

  to whichever hell they came from. I’m sure it’s unpleasant for them, but

  they’re embodiments of chaos. This is like recess for them.”

  I raised my hand toward the creature on the wall, but hesitated. “Isn’t

  Zara a demon?”

  Casey snorted. “Half-demon. There’s a big difference. As in real death.

  So don’t kill her, no matter how mouthy she gets.”

  I licked my lips as the thing jumped down and scrabbled over the stone

  floor, then slammed against the steel exit door.

  “Actually, you make a good point, Savannah,” my aunt mused. “Why

  don’t you negotiate with it?”

  She shoved me out of the circle of protection. The instant I was out, the

  thing screeched and charged at me, flames billowing from its coal-like eyes.

  Heart racing, I bolted for the opposite end of the room, desperately trying

  to summon my magic. Icy shadows swirled around me, along with the

  memories of being chased by blood demons. I tried to call the long, dark

  shadows that stretched across the room to smother the monster, but I couldn’t

  concentrate.

  Searing pain lanced through my skin as the devilish thing’s burning claws

  raked into me. With a yelp of surprise and despair, I spun and sent a burst of

  uncontrolled dark magic at the monster. It flew backward with a sizzle.

  Casey hooted. “Nice shot! Now extinguish it before it extinguishes you!”

  The thing charged, but feeling more confident, I backpedaled, calling the

  shadows. Streaks of darkness coiled around my hand and slithered across the

  floor. I waved my fingers, and the shadows moved like a black fog, but

  before I could strike, the burning thing leapt to the wall, and then plunged

  down onto me.

  Its claws dug into my shoulders, and its touch burned like pressing my

  hand to a hot grill. I screamed and lashed out with my magic, sending the

  demon careening across the floor.

  I struck out with the shadows, pushing them toward the demon. The

  shadows slithered and darted like serpents, and the creature’s flames flickered

  and began to fade. It screeched and struggled to get away, but I showed no

  mercy as I willed the darkness to extinguish it.

  Suddenly, it vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving an unearthly chuckle

  hanging in the air. It was laughing? How was I supposed to interpret that?

  You got me this time? or I’ll be back?

  I shook my head in wonder as Casey started applauding. Chest heaving, I

  placed my hands on my knees.

  “You got it, Cuz! Nice job,” he shouted.

  “Yes. Well done. Now try more,” my aunt quipped, and then began

  chanting again. Seconds later, the room twisted, and demons began leaping

  from the flames.

  I was still bushed. This was too much.

  My heels pounded on the stone as I darted toward the circle. Casey

  shoved me back before I could get in.

  “What the hell?” I shouted as I dodged away from the clutches of a

  diminutive yet deadly, charging fire demon.

  Casey dramatically put the back of his wrist against his forehead and gave

  a plaintive and deeply sarcastic cry. “Oh, save me cousin. I can’t protect

  myself with my weak fire magic. It’s useless against fire demons.”

  The trio of fire demons darted toward me, and I retreated as quickly as I

  could, trying unsuccessfully to repel them. “Casey, you asshole!”

  My aunt Laurel grinned. “You make a good point, son. As a specialist,

  you’re woefully unprepared for a battle like this.”

  She clapped her hands, and he was ejected out of the circle of protection

  with a yelp.

  “Oh, shit!” he cried as the demons converged on their juicy new target.

  Chaos ensued. Blasts of magic filled the room as we tried to contend with

  the fiery devils. As soon as one was down, my aunt summoned another.

&nbs
p; Finally, I screamed, “Enough already!” and pointed my hand at the

  burning pile of charcoal and ash. The shadows converged like serpents and

  extinguished the flames. Unfortunately, the little bastards didn’t disappear.

  Well, it was worth a shot.

  Deprived of their burnt offering, one charged at me in a rage, and I

  stumbled back. My foot caught on a seam in the stone, and I slammed down

  onto the hard floor, sending a jolt of pain up my tailbone and through my

  spine.

  I gasped as the burning beastie lunged, but before it landed on me, my

  aunt clapped her hands again, and the red glowing circle vanished. A

  surprised screech erupted from the flaming demon as it poofed out of

  existence, along with all the others.

  Pulse hammering in my temples, I flopped back onto the mercifully cold

  stone as bits of ash rained down around me. I was more drained than I’d ever

  been in my life, but the glowing warmth of triumph trickled through my

  veins.

  I’d lived. And I’d actually slain demons with my magic. Not bullets.

  Magic.

  Casey dropped to the floor and rolled onto his back, chest heaving. “Holy

  shit, Mom. Are you nuts?”

  As fit as he looked, he was really out of shape, and she gave him a kick.

  “Practice outside your specialty, you little pyromaniac.”

  Then she headed over to me and helped me up. “You did so well. Wasn’t

  that fun?”

  My mouth was dry, and I didn’t have the strength to respond. My family

  was comprised of demon-summoning lunatics who were definitely into the

  dark arts.

  Seemed about right.

  My phone alarm began to buzz. I swiped it off and glanced up at my

  insane family. “Shit. I lost track of time. I’ve got a date with a devil.”

  6

  Jaxson

  I parked my truck in the lot at Old Channel Harbor, got out, and slammed

  the door harder than I’d intended.

  I had two days to hand over Savannah Caine, or the sorcerer was going to

  make my pack pay. How, I didn’t know, but I believed his threat. I could

  watch over Savannah, but I couldn’t watch over everyone in my pack.

  That meant I had two days to bring him down.

  I wound my way through the lot over to the two women waiting for me

  by the dock—Nevaeh and Amal, both agents of the Order. I didn’t trust the

  organization, but I’d trust both women with my life.

  No sign of Savannah. Maybe she wouldn’t show.

  “Good to see you, Jax,” Amal said as she stepped forward and clasped my

  arm.

  She’d spent her childhood torn between Chicago and Cairo, and we were

  old friends. She’d been like a sweet little sister then. Now, she was one of the

  deadliest assassins I knew.

  I tilted my head to Neve, whose red hair gently floated in the still air—an

  enchanting quirk of being a powerful djinn, a genie of the winds. “Nice to see

  you, Detective Cross.”

  She smiled. “I’ve been out of town, but I heard you’re the new alpha

  around here.”

  I’d helped her and Damian Malek, one of Magic Side’s wealthiest and

  most dangerous underlords, overthrow a demented mage who’d managed to

  tear open a portal to the hells and had been amassing a demon army. This was

  after he’d unleashed a water genie on Bentham a month ago, allowing five

  prisoners to escape—including Kahanov.

  Since I’d taken over as alpha from my father, we’d faced one crisis after

  another. I’d hoped Billy’s death had been the tragic end of it, but now, I

  worried that was only a prelude. “Any new leads on the sorcerer?”

  Amal shook her head. “I lost his trail in Italy. Sorry, Jax.”

  “Then this visit better pay off. We need a lead. Fast.”

  I’d told them about the note, as well as most of the details surrounding the

  abductions and blood demon attacks.

  “Is Savannah supposed to be meeting us?” Neve asked. “You had me get

  clearance for her.”

  As if mentioning her name summoned the she-devil up from the pits of

  hell, Savannah’s Gran Fury peeled into the parking lot with the radio

  blasting. The werewolves I’d assigned to her protection detail followed

  shortly behind in a black SUV.

  She was late and loudly broadcasting that the world revolved around her.

  I clenched my fist. Just the sight of her made my blood pressure rise. She was

  insufferable and obstinate…and frustratingly arousing.

  Savannah climbed out of the car and strode over to us. Her white T-shirt

  was tucked into high-cut jeans that accentuated her curves, and I had to dig

  my claws into my palms to keep my head straight.

  Amal leaned close and whispered, “A new love interest?”

  “Never. She’s a LaSalle,” I snapped, too quickly. Unfortunately, Amal

  could probably smell the desire that plagued my mind the minute Savannah

  showed up.

  Her hips swayed as she crossed the parking lot, and I forced my

  smoldering arousal down, reminding myself that Savannah was the reason

  my pack was under threat.

  I tensed as she drew near. “Nice of you to show. At last.”

  “Better late than never.” She shot me a glare, then extended her hand to

  Amal. “Hi, I’m Savy. You two must work for the Order.”

  Amal shook Savannah’s hand. “I’m Amal, and this is Neve. We’re

  hunting Kahanov. It’s good to meet the woman he’s after. I’ve got a lot of

  questions for you.”

  “Likewise,” Savannah said.

  Neve shook her hand as well. “Your illustrations helped us identify him.

  You’re quite the gifted artist.”

  Savannah’s expression darkened. “That bastard turned my life into a

  nightmare. Even if I never saw his face, it’s hard to forget the details of

  someone like that.”

  A jolt of anger and protectiveness tightened the muscles in my arm.

  “Let’s go,” I growled.

  “What’s at Bentham?” Savannah asked as we headed toward the two-

  prop boat waiting for us in the marina. “Jaxson mentioned a bloodthirsty

  devil.”

  Neve nodded, her mood suddenly dark. “Kahanov escaped from Bentham

  with the help of a devil known as the Ripper. He might know what

  Kahanov’s plans were. It’s all we’ve got to go on, so we’re going to bash him

  around a bit until he coughs up something useful. He’s a real bastard.”

  A cold wind whipped around us, and the boats at the dock started bobbing

  gently in the breeze. Neve had a temper, and when it rose, so did the storms.

  We boarded the black Order patrol boat and sped across the harbor

  toward Bentham Island. Over the roar of the engines, Amal and Neve

  relentlessly grilled Savannah about Kahanov, his magic, and what she’d seen

  while scrying on him. But silence fell when we approached the massive

  prison, and Nevaeh whistled low as we pulled into the recently outfitted

  dock. “What a change. The last time I was here, this place was crumbling into

  the lake.”

  “What happened?” Savannah asked.

  “A water genie hit it with a tsunami and cursed its defenses.” Neve

  pointed to a faint shimmering dome in the air above the prison. “That spell />
  protects Bentham. When it came down, five prisoners managed to escape,

  despite a half dozen backup measures. Kahanov is the only one still on the

  loose.”

  The captain killed the engine and secured the boat against the concrete

  jetty. Neve stood and levitated onto the dock, while Amal leapt up.

  Savannah’s eyes rounded, and her jaw dropped. “Holy hell, that’s…

  awesome,” she said, then stood and placed her foot on the gunwale. Amal

  and I both extended our hands to help her up, and Savannah paused.

  Amal smirked. “I won’t bite.”

  Ignoring me, Savannah took her hand, and Amal pulled her up to the jetty

  with a swift tug.

  “Let me guess, you’re a werewolf,” Savannah said to Amal.

  “That’s right. The best kind, too.”

  “Wolfborn, like Jaxson?”

  “Gods, no.” Amal frowned. “I shapeshift into a wolf with magic, which

  means I can do it with my clothes on.”

  Savannah looked her up and down. “I’ve seen some of Jaxson’s people do

  that. Does it work with guns, too?”

  “Anything I’m carrying.”

  “Yeah. That seems better than the other option with all the twisting and

  bones snapping.” Savannah gave me a wry smile. “If I had to be a werewolf,

  I think I know what I’d choose.”

  She’d probably choose death. Her reproach for our kind was blatantly

  obvious.

  The guards at the gate had been expecting us, but it took ten minutes of

  running background checks before they let us pass wearing visitor badges.

  Finally, they stepped aside and waved us into the highest-security prison in

  the US.

  Half a dozen men and women in tactical uniforms were waiting to escort

  us. I heard the chatter in their earpieces as they led us down a bare concrete

  corridor lit by fluorescent bulbs— Level B is secure. Three-twenty-four has

  been subdued. Even with the spells and design of the prison, the guards here

  had their work cut out for them. Bentham held some of the world’s most

  dangerous Magica criminals.

  We took an elevator ride down to Level E and were escorted past a dozen

  cells with iron doors. The guards stopped in front of a door with a glowing

  number 36 in a triangle.

  Time to meet the Ripper.

  Savannah’s shoulders tensed as she glanced toward cell 37, which had

  once held Kahanov. She held herself strong, but I could feel her unease and