by Rae Rivers
“According to my grandmother, it’s a small spell book – like a Grimoire, but mostly about the portals and how to access them.”
“A book?” Jenna’s eyes fired and she stepped forward. “If we can find Hazel, we could steal it.”
“Right,” Declan drawled, flashing Jenna a fake smile. “Piece of cake.”
“Bite me, Declan.”
“Hazel’s crafty. It’s not like she’ll keep the book on her kitchen table.”
“I didn’t say it would be easy.”
Unease rippled down Ethan’s spine. “You want to go back?”
Jenna nodded. “I lived with her for two years. She has habits. At least now I know what to look for.”
“She’ll kill you in a heartbeat!” Declan reminded her, pacing the wooden floors.
Although determination lined her features, Ethan saw a flicker of fear that she quickly covered by turning away. She planted her hands on her hips and glowered at Declan. “I’m not going to waltz into her den. I had two damn years of being crafty. I can handle this. Unless you have a better suggestion?”
“It’s a stupid plan.”
“Right now, it’s our only plan.”
“She can do it.” Ethan’s voice cut through their argument, steady and stern.
Declan scowled at him. “Great, now you’re on her side?”
“I’m on the side that scores us a portal spell and Brogan-free margaritas.”
“Assuming there’ll be no more Brogans crawling out of the woodworks. And dammit, those bastards keep spawning!” Declan blew out air and ran his fingers through his hair. “Besides, this conversation is a mute point considering we have no damn clue where that witch bitch is hiding.”
“She’s in Ameera,” Jenna said, ignoring Declan’s double take. “I figured it out from something Megan said last night.”
“That means nothing if we can’t find the portal.”
Jenna’s expression brightened. “Could you show me where you last saw the shifters last night? Megan was here to deliver a message so it’s possible they all returned to Ameera. If we can find the portal, we can follow them. Find Hazel.”
“No.” Archer held up a hand. “No one’s using the portals. It’s too dangerous.”
“Archer, this is the first time we have a vague location for one!” Jenna argued.
“We’re not using the portals!” Archer’s voice boomed through the room. “For all we know, it’s a one way ticket to Ameera. It’s too damn risky.”
“Hazel’s after chaos and disorder. Leaving the portal open will ensure that.”
“We’re not going. It’s a realm we know nothing about!”
“A realm you know nothing about!”
Archer spun around to glare at her. “What the hell does that mean?”
Jenna’s mouth clamped shut but she matched his glare.
“Archer.” Ethan’s tone fired with warning. Watching his brothers interrogate her had ignited a flare of irritation, along with a surge of protectiveness. He scowled at them. “Back the hell off. Both of you.”
“If Hazel’s in Ameera, she’d probably have the spell book with her,” Sienna said, taking Archer’s arm and drawing him away.
“This is the first time we know where she is,” Jenna said. “We find her, find that spell, we can close the portals. She’ll be trapped there. No killing, no war.”
A heavy silence enveloped them as they weighed up the implications of Jenna’s words.
“Jen,” Sienna said softly, “Archer’s right that finding the portal is dangerous. I’m worried –”
“It might be our only chance at finding Hazel.”
“It’s not the portal I’m worried about. Or Ameera. It’s Hazel. Before you betrayed her, you were on the same team. Now you’re not. That makes her lethal to you.”
Jenna looked up, meeting Sienna’s worried gaze. But she didn’t flinch. Or blink. “I can handle her, Sienna.”
“She uses dark magic that’s unfamiliar to us. Her powers and spells … they’re unpredictable. And she’s fuelled by evil and hatred. That combination is a level of danger we’ve never faced before.”
Jenna held her gaze but didn’t reply. Probably because she knew Sienna was right.
But what was the alternative?
“Declan and I found no trace of the portal,” Ethan said, not giving a damn when Archer’s glare slid to him.
“But you have a vague location of where one might be. That might be enough.” Jenna touched her left wrist, stroking the tattoo. Her gaze met Ethan’s and something in her eyes sparked his own excitement. “You couldn’t find it but I can. Until now, I had no idea where to look. Show me the area where you last saw the shifters and I’ll find you the portal.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The sun had begun to set and the smell of dinner wafted through the air when Jenna escaped to her bedroom, the need for space overruling the need for food.
The sheriff had left and the brothers were on a conference call with a few other Keepers. Jenna’s suggestion to find the portal and steal the spell had met one heated discussion after the next. Tensions were at an all-time high, spiked by Hazel’s threat of keeping the portal open.
Drawing in a deep breath, Jenna slowly exhaled. Her chest felt tight, almost as though there wasn’t enough air in the hallway. She blamed it on the house. The arguments. Their inability to reach a decision. Hazel. Megan’s message. And the truth that gnawed at them all.
The war around them had only begun.
It terrified Jenna. She knew what Hazel was capable of. She’d witnessed countless times how brutal Hazel could be to the witches and warlocks who opposed her. There’d been too many times she’d felt helpless, torn between protecting them and Kate. She’d helped where she could, even risked blowing her cover once, but she’d only been able to save a few.
As for the ones she couldn’t help … those were the ones that frequented her dreams.
But despite the hell she’d lived every day, she’d stuck it out.
Because The Circle had chosen her. Despite her background, her parents. Her. And who turned down The Circle?
Her Mentors at the academy had conveyed their message. She’d been told to infiltrate their enemies – a group of warlocks and witches. At the time, the group had been led by Harper Avery, a Brogan sidekick. She had to discover what they knew of Kate and intercept any attacks against her. That had been her mission.
Kate. Above everything else, everything she’d endured, Kate had been her priority. Find her, protect her, and bring her home.
But everything had changed when Jenna had realised that Hazel was a dark witch caster. Her Mentors had wanted confirmation and the portal spell – a task Jenna had already taken upon herself before they’d given the order.
A search she’d abandoned when they’d closed in on Kate. Leaving the spell behind had been torture but she’d had a witch to protect, a duty to uphold.
Jenna’s stomach turned, agitation pounding inside her chest with a force that left her breathless. The moment she shut her bedroom door, she sensed she wasn’t alone. Instincts bristled and she spun around, air trapped in her lungs.
Ethan sat on the couch in the corner, a mild grin playing on his lips. He’d changed into a suede jacket and dark jeans, a hint he was on his way out. His elbows rested on the armrest, his fingers steepled beneath his chin.
Damn, he looked good in her bedroom.
She closed the door, her body flushed with a pleasure she refused to acknowledge. She tried to breathe, tried to hide her surprise, and opted for a casual tone. “Need something?”
“Yes. Air.”
“You realise that’s odd coming from you, right?” A half-smile appeared, but he didn’t reply. His presence filled the space in the room. A room that was private. All hers. “Shouldn’t you be on a conference call?”
“My brothers can handle it.”
Sitting on the couch, he seemed so placid, but she could see by the fire in his eyes th
at something was brewing. She’d seen that look before. The warrior was up to something.
She should be worried, but in truth the thought enthralled her. That side of him always had. Despite his easy, calm nature there lurked a quiet strength and darkness that could be dangerous if unleashed.
Ethan rose and crossed the room, his strides slow and even, and stopped directly in front of her. “You’re staring. Again.”
“You’re up to something. I’m trying to figure out what.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You’re supposed to be in a meeting but you’re here.”
“You have a problem with me being here?”
“No.”
“Your heart’s beating very fast.”
“Using your Keeper powers against me is unfair,” she said, but didn’t deny it. Her heart raced like crazy and she hated that he could hear it.
“Are we going to talk about that kiss?”
“Not on your life.”
“It was a great kiss.”
“Maybe, but we both know it shouldn’t happen again.”
“Maybe, but we both know it will.”
His boldness made her grin and she raised a brow. “What are you up to, Ethan?”
“What makes you think I’m up to something?”
“Because you’re here, in my room, waiting for me, and I know you’re not here to talk about our kiss.” And he radiated an energy that sent prickles all over her. Good energy. The contagious kind.
He edged forward, his body brushing against hers. She backed into the door.
“I came to ask you something.” He placed both hands on the door, his arms a barricade of muscles on either side of her head. He glanced at her lips before slowly, slowly, lifting his gaze. “The portal. Going to Ameera to find Hazel. Stealing the spell …” His words were a low rumble of sexiness in the quiet room that took her breath away. He paused, allowing his words to take a beat. “Did you really mean all that?”
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. The man had parts of her fluttering that shouldn’t be fluttering. Not here. Not for him.
“You think you can pull it off?” he asked.
Another nod.
“You can find the portal?”
“I’ll certainly try.”
For a long while, he simply looked at her, like he was pondering his next move. She left him to it, curious, and tried to ignore the heat and energy simmering between them. Anticipation joined the ranks of other sensations already there, the intensity of the moment rooting her to the spot. She considered pushing him away, but even breathing was impossible. Not with him all over her. Her heart pounded, her entire body alive with a zing that seemed reserved for him.
His gaze lowered to her lips, lingered. Pushing forward, he dipped his head closer.
Just as she thought he’d kiss her again, he reached for her jacket on the hook beside her head.
“Then let’s go,” he said softly, his grin softening the heat between them.
She blinked but kept her expression a blank canvas, refusing to expose the flare of disappointment. Instead, she took quiet satisfaction from the flash of heat she’d seen in his eyes moments before he’d smiled.
Raw desire. For her. Again.
Wow.
“We’re going out?” she asked, the smell of leather filling her nostrils as she pulled on her jacket.
He produced car keys and dangled them mid-air. “Up for a road trip?”
Her eyes widened and her jaw fell. And then she grinned, hope soaring for the first time in so long. “You want to find the portal. I thought Archer shot me down on that.”
“My brother has his opinions. I have mine.”
“This is different.”
“I know.” Ethan gave a sigh of resignation. “Archer’s overprotective and worried. He’s also driven by honour and our code of conduct. It’s clouding his judgement.”
“He’s not wrong.”
“He’s not right either. Neither am I, but this waiting will only end in more deaths. We all know that.”
“If we hunt them down and kill them …”
“We’re nothing like them, Jenna.” His words were spoken louder, with conviction, irritation tightening his expression. Then he relaxed. “Besides, I think your plan of sealing Hazel in Ameera might work. If we’re crafty.”
“I can do crafty.”
The corner of his lip twitched. “Archer’s doing what he thinks is right. I’m doing what I think is right.”
Jenna tugged her hair out from beneath her collar, her body zinging with excitement – and fear. Lots of it. Thoughts of Ameera always did that to her. “But you need an accomplice?”
A small smile broke free. “It’ll be fun.”
The idea of returning to Ameera was as terrifying as it was tempting. But finding the portal meant finding Hazel – and with luck, the spell.
My parents.
Her heart soared, despite the tug of conscience warning her to tell Ethan about her history with Ameera. But she couldn’t. What if he changed his mind?
“It’ll be dangerous,” she said instead, unable to look at him, afraid of what he’d see if she did. He’d always been able to read her.
“You’re afraid?”
“I’m not stupid. I’ve seen what they’re capable of.” And I’ve been where we’re going.
“But this time you’ll have company.”
Bingo.
During the last few years, the violence and darkness had been a constant struggle, but the loneliness had been the worst.
“Fine,” she said, snatching the keys out his hand. As if she needed convincing. “But your brothers will be furious.”
“Think I care?” He walked to the window, reaching for the rucksack on the floor.
“You’ve already packed?” Was she that transparent?
“For us both. Just the essentials.”
“You raided my stuff?”
“A toothbrush and a change of clothing is hardly raiding.” His smile was all mischief and too damn sexy. “But I couldn’t resist adding a few of the lacy panties. Red ones.”
“A shame you won’t be seeing them on me.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“Dreams, stud muffin.”
His low chuckle made her blush. He pushed open the window and lifted a brow. “Coming?”
“Does anyone know we’re leaving?”
Ethan put one leg through the window. “Nope. We’re going rogue.”
“You realise we can use the back door and still be rogue?”
“But this is way more exciting.” He flashed a grin that rendered her breathless.
And jumped.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The fact that Hazel had opened a portal at the local school irked Ethan.
It reinforced how little regard she had for others. The late hour meant it was quiet and deserted, but soon the grounds would be crawling with people oblivious to the chaos around them.
That part he liked. Blissful oblivion was what he and his brothers fought for. To defend the innocent and their homes.
Cobblestones paved the walkway, dimly lit by a few streetlights. A large fire hydrant loomed in the centre, its shadow twice as large on the uneven ground.
Under different circumstances, the school held a certain charm, fond memories, but tonight it smacked of something else.
Danger. Fear. And the thrill that came with both.
Ethan circled the fire hydrant, a flashlight in one hand. “This is as far as we got before they vanished.” He rubbed his palm over the point of the fire hydrant. The shape reminded him of a pawn on a chessboard.
Jenna zipped her jacket, stopping just below the curve of her breasts, and unfastened her watch. Shoving it into her pocket, she reached for the flashlight. She kept close to the walls, alternating glances between her wrist and the bricks, pausing briefly to explore.
“We couldn’t find the portal,” he said. “What makes you think you can?�
��
“Because you’ve given me the first hint of where one might be and I have something you don’t.” She held up her wrist, palm facing upward. She flinched when he took her hand.
This time, he knew what was there and understood why she’d always worn a sleeve or jewellery.
His thumb traced the tattoo. “You never talk about what happened during your time with them. Or anything that came before that.”
The thought struck as it had many times before – how little he actually knew about her. She seldom shared and had mastered the subtlety of fielding questions with ease. Her secrecy annoyed Declan, but for Ethan, everyone had secrets. So he seldom probed, despite his growing curiosity.
Besides, The Circle had sent her and he trusted them. Hell, they’d have his balls if he didn’t.
“I’ve told you what you need to know. The rest is irrelevant. Kate’s safe and that’s all that matters.” She withdrew, covering the mark with her free hand. “I hate bearing this mark, but right now it’s our only hope of tracing the portal.”
He let the deflection slide. “It is?”
“The portals are well hidden. A bit tricky if you’re looking for a ride home in a hurry. Their tattoos guide them. Line up the two, add some light and bam, you’re portalling.”
“You’ve done this before?”
“How else do you think we travelled between cities? The portal to Ameera should be the same.”
Damn, he’d never thought of her as an experienced portal rider before. It reinforced how little he knew about her.
She placed a hand on a jagged brick in the wall. “Right now, this thing is zinging like a beehive so I figure we’re close.” She began to climb, small movements, feeling her way upward, her feet tracing the places her hands left. Halfway up, she flashed him a grin over her shoulder. “You coming?”
“Of course.” But he didn’t move.
“You’re not afraid to ride the portal, are you?”
He considered dodging the question, lying even, but opted for honesty. “It’s never been at the top of my bucket list. And shit, what if Archer’s right and it’s a one-way ticket?”
Her smile faded as she clambered over the ledge and looked down at him. “Then we’re screwed.”