by Elena Gray
Enlightened by Magic
Guardian of Magic Book Two
Elena Gray
Kelli McCracken
Enlightened by Magic © copyright 2019 Elena Gray and Kelli McCracken
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
About the Authors
Chapter 1
~Slade~
Stuck in this dungeon with a sadistic man in front of me, I waited for his next onslaught of magic. He grinned, and a searing pain infiltrated my body as the magic around me ripped at my soul. I sucked in a deep breath and observed gray orbs of energy drifting from my core. It was like I was being ripped in two. No matter how hard I gritted my teeth, the pain wouldn’t subside. I’d never wanted to die as much as I did at this moment.
I didn’t know his name, but I knew I’d mistaken him for a human once before. It was the night Samara had gone to the human realm to meet her human boyfriend, Thomas, at a club. If it hadn’t been for this man bumping into Samara, or the fact that Jax wanted to break his fingers for trying to touch her, I wouldn’t have remembered him.
The horrible truth of the matter was that somewhere between Samara getting stabbed and my battle with this powerful mage, I’d ended up as his prisoner. He would use me for whatever experiments he wanted. Then, when I no longer served a purpose, he’d dispose of what was left of me. Gargoyles were immortal, but we weren’t invincible. My brothers and I proved as much.
We’d been too blind to see through his facade. Now, it was too late. I was chained to a wall, taking another round of beatings, and Samara was…
A growl rumbled from my chest. I hissed at the man and the darkness inside him. Shadows pulsated in his aura, revealing all his malicious intentions. The dark arts were forbidden in the realms. It was old magic—deadly magic—and this mage practiced it.
Sons of stone, this was not good.
“What’s the matter, guardian?” he said with a smirk. “Are you feeling a little shattered?”
“Why are you doing this?” I struggled against my restraints, desperate to bash his face with my forehead. I needed to take him down.
“Does it really matter? You have nothing to return to. Your ward is dead, and so are those other gargoyles you call brothers.” He yanked the gray matter from my core and formed it into something that resembled a sharp sliver of slate.
My knees buckled. The only thing holding me up were the chains binding my wrists. I wanted to accuse him of lying about Samara and my brothers, but I couldn’t. The sad truth was that ever since I’d woken up inside a dingy, dungeon-like, cell, I hadn’t sensed Samara or my brothers.
I hadn’t seen anything happen to Roark, Jax, or Quinn, but there was no way I could deny the possibility that Samara was gone. Not after what I had seen with my own eyes. The knife, the blood, even the look of horror on her face hadn’t left my mind. Add in the fact that the bond between all of us went dormant, and it seemed more of a reality.
They were dead. All of them.
I should have asked for my brothers to join Samara and me after she’d received the text she thought Rose sent. Had the four of us been united, none of this would have happened. Our combined powers could wipe out a league of supernaturals.
Instead of going with my gut, I’d allowed Samara’s fears to paralyze me. Her insistence to leave with or without me had overridden my rational thoughts. I gave in to her wants and left without backup.
Samara had found my soft side from the moment I learned I’d be one of her guardians. She had a way of playing me because of my compassion. Still, I wasn’t placing all the blame on her. I was a skilled guardian with my own powers and wisdom. I had known better than to leave without my brothers.
But admitting to that meant admitting to another truth. I should have known the text she received would lead us into a trap.
“You’re a hard one to break,” the mage huffed as he eyed the piece of slate between his fingers. “I guess I’ll have to take what I want from you, one piece at a time. You’ll make a great experiment.”
My gut churned at the thought. In truth, I deserved every ounce of punishment I received. I’d failed Samara right along with my brothers. I didn’t deserve to live.
The mage brought the sliver of slate closer and waved it a few inches from my face. “I’ve never had a piece of a gargoyle’s soul before. It’s quite fascinating. Then again, so was seeing your pain as I ripped this from you.” When my eyes fell to the pilfered piece of my soul, he laughed. “Did you honestly think you could keep that little witch safe?”
I lunged forward, but the chains held me back. All I did was make the mage laugh louder. He tucked the piece of my soul somewhere beneath his cloak then faced me again. Black smoke formed between his palms as he whispered something under his breath. The smoke swirled around both of us, spreading the stench of death with it. The putrid scent assaulted my nose. No matter how hard I tugged on my restraints, I couldn’t escape.
My lungs seized as I breathed in the dark smoke. I coughed as hard as I could to force it out, but nothing helped. The room spun around me. Each gasp I took only brought more smoke into my body. It made the skin on my arms, legs, and wings burn.
Drawing on what little strength I had left, I summoned the wind to me. We were underground most of the time, but this room had windows. They were darkened but they were there nonetheless. It was all I needed.
As the wind whirled outside, the mage turned around. Within seconds, the windows began to rattle. The force behind them became too much and caused them to shatter. Glass flew through the room as the wind cleared the smoke.
I was thankful for my affinity with air. Next time, I’d remember to hold my breath if the mage used another one of those spells on me.
Then again, what was I fighting for? Everyone I loved was…
The mage held out his hands, shooting a round of orbs into my abdomen. Each one expelled air from my lungs. I couldn't stand any longer. My restraints held me up, but this time, I didn’t struggle. I just wanted to go back to my cell and wither away.
“Get him out of here.” The mage shouted at the
demons assisting him. They were half my size, little guys that I could normally snap like a twig. Not tonight. I had no more strength, and they knew it. Some laughed hysterically as they tugged on my wings, some cursed as they tried to gnaw at my skin, which was impermeable to their teeth. The rest just chattered as they grabbed parts of my body and dragged me out of the room.
The lights above us faded in and out of my vision. My body felt like it was floating, except for all the hands touching me. The cathedral ceiling disappeared as we descended into the lower part of the building. I had no idea if we were in a house, a part of the academy, or some secret facility no one knew existed. Nothing appeared familiar.
A damp, earthy scent penetrated my nose, alerting me to where I’d been taken—to the dungeon, or something close in comparison. Whatever it was, it reeked of death and despair.
Small, cell-like rooms reminded me of horse stalls. They were sectioned off into two rows. Cement walls kept me from seeing into the next cell, but I could hear the other prisoners. Muffled cries echoed from one end to the other. Like me, they’d been locked inside after being tortured by the mage. I wasn’t sure how many were here, but after the last few days, it seemed like I heard fewer voices. I doubted it was because they were released.
Once the demons tossed me to the ground, my back slammed against the concrete floor. They reattached the chains on my wrists to the wall and one of them replaced the collar around my neck. Tiny jolts of electricity zapped me, stunning me long enough for them to fasten more chains to my ankles. The door slammed behind me, followed by the click of the lock.
The cold floor helped calm my burning skin. I stared at the ceiling, allowing my thoughts to settle. I couldn’t get the mage’s voice out of my head. He was so confident that Samara and my brothers were dead.
Chains rattled as I brushed my fingers against the faded ink on my wrist. I tried again to sense Samara and my brothers in our bond, but it remained silent.
My chest grew heavy. Tears formed in my eyes as I thought about the last time I had seen Samara. I’d only left her for a second, but it was long enough for the mage to find her and plunge a knife through her ribs.
I drew in a shaky breath as hate swelled inside me. If by some miracle I made it out of here alive, I would make sure that piece of shit paid for what he’d done to Samara as well as my brothers. He would be more than an experiment. His pain would be justice served.
“Slade? It’s Rose. Are you okay?”
The sound of her voice made my eyes water harder. Samara had died trying to save her best friend. She’d had no idea if Rose was still alive, or Natasha for that matter. Both had been missing right along with several other novice witches. Now, I was in the same position as Rose, and Samara was gone.
“Slade, answer me. I’m worried.” Rose called to me again, but I couldn’t answer her. It hurt to breathe. Speaking would be worse. Besides, I had nothing useful to tell her. Yeah, I was still alive, but I didn’t want to be.
Sobbing came from Rose’s cell. She was crying again. I’d listened to her every night since I’d arrived and she found out I was here. At least then I had the strength to speak to her. Now, there was nothing left.
Had the mage taken the part of my soul that cared about others?
I let out a groan just so she would know I wasn’t dead, but I left it at that. I heard her praying to the Goddess, thanking her for keeping watch over me. Even in her darkest moments, Rose had hope that we’d survive this. I had my doubts. Unless our supernatural leaders sent trackers to find us, or one of the prisoners managed to escape, we were not leaving alive.
How could I get through this? Every purpose I had was gone. Every part of me was shattered. My body. My heart. My soul.
I closed my eyes letting images of Samara play in my mind. Losing her was like losing my little sister. If my brothers were gone too, I’d lost the closest thing I had to a family. I’d failed them along with the other witches in this facility, and any other supernaturals locked away here. Gargoyles were the strongest of all creatures, but under these restraints, I didn’t amount to anything more than some dark mage’s lab rat.
Something tugged at my core. I opened my eyes and peered down at my stomach, half expecting to see a bug or rodent crawling over me. When I found nothing, I realized I was finally losing the rest of my mind. It couldn’t handle the physical and mental pain I suffered. I’d hit my limit.
Another tugging sensation came through. Instead of ignoring it, I gave in to the vibrations. The moment I did, a wave of compassion rolled over me. I concentrated on the positive energy, allowing the hope, love, and concern to swirl around me.
The harder I focused, the more I swore I heard a voice. It called my name, pleading with me to hold on and not give up. At this rate, I wasn’t sure if I was truly hearing anything or if the last bit of my optimism was fighting to keep me alive.
In truth, I was afraid to have hope. It had been days since I’d had a reason to be positive. Whatever was calling to me through the bond renewed me. A small surge of energy coursed through my body.
“Slade?” a voice called, one I knew wasn’t Rose’s. She was still sobbing in the cell next to mine.
I placed my hands against the floor. Pushing myself up, I gazed around the room. Part of me hoped someone had found us. Maybe the high priestess’s search party was here. I expected to see a woman standing on the other side of the bars to my prison, smiling at me. Much to my disappointment, I found nothing but the dimly lit hall, the bars, and solitude.
Another surge of energy burned through my body. Even shattered, my heart raced in anticipation. Was it Samara? Were she and my brothers still alive?
Perhaps the mage had lied to me this entire time just to break me. He wanted something from me. What, I didn't know, but maybe it was time I found out.
And just as I convinced myself to keep fighting for my life, a glimmer of light formed a foot away. It twinkled until the brightness faded and a woman’s face appeared.
Although her face was translucent, I could see how beautiful she was. Her long hair pooled around her shoulders. The ink marking my wrist tingled. This was the first sign I’d had that it was active since I’d been captured. Who was this woman, and why did my bond respond to her?
My heartbeat increased when our eyes locked. Relief replaced the sadness in her eyes as she focused on me. Then her lips began to move. The words leaving her mouth were more than I could have hoped for. They were an answer to my prayers.
“Hang on, Slade. We’re coming for you.”
Chapter 2
~Katarina~
My cries rang out as Slade’s image began to fade. I pushed what little energy I had left toward him, hoping it would keep our connection going a little longer. Now that I’d found him, I wasn’t ready to let go. I still needed to know where he was. What good was all of this magic churning inside me, if it wouldn’t let me hold on for just a second longer?
Samara shouted to let go but I refused to listen. Slade needed us. There was something wrong with his soul and I didn’t know how much longer he would survive.
My body finally betrayed me. Not used to wielding so much power, my legs buckled. Strong arms swept me up just as Slade’s face was replaced by Roark’s.
With a shaky hand, I reached up and smoothed his pinched brow. “I saw him.”
Jax stepped forward and gripped my hand. “Slade? Is he okay?”
“He’s hurt. It looked severe. His face was bruised and bloody. His soul…” I tried to swallow past the lump in my throat.
Jax brushed the hair off my face, his concerned gaze focused on me. “What’s wrong with his soul?”
“It’s damaged. Part of it is missing.”
Roark’s hold on me tightened. He helped me cross the room and set me on the sofa.
Jax took the spot next to us and Quinn sat on the edge of the coffee table. Samara floated closer, hovering just over Quinn’s shoulder.
“I need to try again.” I did my best to w
riggle free of Roark’s grasp as I attempted to stand. His arms banded around me, tugging me back to him. I huffed out a breath, too weak to bother fighting him anymore. From the way Jax and Quinn crowded me, they were taking Roark’s side on making me stay put.
I turned my attention to Samara. If anyone would help me go against my guardians, it would be her. Her journals proved she was a professional at disobeying them.
Anticipating what I was going to say, Samara shook her head. “You need to rest. You haven’t been trained to use your powers. It’s like muscle memory. You have to gradually build up to it.” She clenched her fists at her side. “We will do whatever it takes to make you stronger.”
Jax placed his hand on my leg and squeezed. “Slade is tough. If he knows we’re coming, he’ll hold on.”
I shook my head as tears streamed down my cheeks. “You didn’t see him. They’ve broken him. If I don’t find him, I’m not sure we’ll save him in time. I just want to try again. Please.”
Quinn leaned forward and cupped my cheeks, swiping my tears with his thumbs. “You’re putting too much pressure on yourself. A second-year student could never do what you did tonight.” He lifted my chin until I looked in his eyes. “Not long ago you were enjoying a night out with friends, oblivious to the supernatural world. Now look at you—a reaper with powerful magic inside you. We’re in this together, Katarina. We’ll figure it out and find Slade in the process.”
“Yeah, right. I’m a reaper with powerful magic who’s completely useless. If we find Slade, it won’t be me you thank.”