by Jen Talty
Or maybe it was the smirk on her father’s face.
“I just know these things.”
“I see.” Darrell smiled as if he and her father had some running private joke between them. “When do we leave?”
“Now.” Her father waved his hand. “I’ve got some news we’ll talk about in the car. Gabe is coming with us.”
She followed her father to the front of the house, her fingers locked with Darrell’s, her aura coating his skin like an old sweater. It looked good on him, but he needed to get his own back, and the longer it faded, the harder it would be to reverse the effects of the spell.
Her father opened the back door of the family limo. “Gabe, this is Darrell.”
Darrell settled into the seat, and she made sure she sat next to him, forcing her father to sit next to his cousin, Gabe.
“Nice to meet you.” Darrell extended his hand. “Thanks for helping me and my pack.”
“It’s unorthodox for you to be coming with us, but I understand that Avery here is also affected.” Gabe was a few years younger than her father, but his position in the coven and on the council, put him on equal footing. No one outranked either of them, and they worked together like a well-oiled machine. They almost always agreed on how to deal with anything coven-related, and there hadn’t been a time where Gabe hadn’t been by her father’s side. They were more like brothers in every way.
Not to mention, Gabe was her Warlock Guardian, which was like a Godfather. His wife, Jasmine, had been named her Witch Guardian. They were more like family than some of her blood relatives.
Like her Aunt Alley who currently rotted in a prison cell, her powers stripped for cursing Jackson and nearly killing Avery’s sister.
“Unfortunately, that is true,” Darrell said as he tried to pull his hand away from her grip, which she’d be damned if she’d allow to happen.
“Well, the good news is that Merlin, the head warlock of the Witches of the Willows, seems to be willing to cooperate.” Gabe handed everyone a piece of paper. “But the bad news is that the Wilcox family has disappeared as well as their family’s Book of Shadows.”
“And they didn’t report the book missing?” Avery asked. There was a lot she didn’t know about the inner dealings of witch covens and the laws regarding any kind of magic. However, she did know that all black magic was required by law to be registered with the council and if a book, even a locked book, went missing, and the coven didn’t report it, everyone in their clan could be stripped of all their powers. Most warlocks wouldn’t risk that.
“Merlin is only thirty and took over a few months ago,” Gabe said, tapping the paper. “The coven has been in disarray for years without proper leadership.”
“Holy shit,” Darrell said. “This says that Regan’s father, Viner, was the head warlock when we think the spell was cast.”
Gabe nodded. “He went missing two weeks later. Since then, they have been through four leaders.”
“I’ve spoken with Merlin, and he’s a distant relative of Viner’s, and the reason they have had such a large turnover is partly due to three deaths,” her father said.
“What did they die of?” Darrell asked, leaning forward.
Avery held her breath, waiting for the blow that she knew deep in the pit of her stomach was coming.
“They don’t know, but the symptoms present like your father’s did,” her father admitted. “But the deaths have only been leaders. Two others resigned and one refused.”
“So they know something is hinky,” Avery said under her breath, staring out the window as the limo turned off the highway and onto a busy road not far from Orange County where the majority of the Witches of the Willows’ coven was located.
Being a royal meant her life decisions had to be above reproach. Everything she did was under the microscope of her coven council, but also the governing council, the one that Gabe and her father headed. She couldn’t get a tattoo, even an approved one, without everyone needing to know. “But they never reported anything.”
“Actually, that’s not true. Ten days ago, when Merlin took over, he contacted the council,” Gabe said. “And requested a formal inquisition. It’s the only reason why we know so much now.”
“So, why are we going to meet with him if he doesn’t know where the book is, or where the Wilcox family disappeared to?” Darrell asked what she had been thinking.
“Because he’s been working on a spell that will snap their Book of Shadows back to the place it was locked. If he can do that, we can trace where it came from and hopefully, unlock the spells and find a reversal,” her father said.
Darrell tried to yank his hand away again, but she clutched it tightly. No way would she ever let him pull away from her again.
“We can work with this,” she whispered, knowing it was a long shot, but it was better than no shot.
“We’re searching for a needle in a haystack,” Darrell muttered. “We need to find the source. The exact spell. I don’t need to be a witch to know without that, my pack, you, and me are toast.”
“I know you’re frustrated, son,” her father said, leaning forward. “But we bought ourselves three days. Before we toss in the towel, or think the worst, we need to start with what we know and what we can use. The Witches of the Willows are willing to work with us without Gabe and me forcing them. This is good because we can trust their magic.”
“Are you sure about that?” Darrell asked behind tight lips. “Because they seem pretty damn unstable to me.”
“No,” her father said, reaching out, resting his hand on her knee, knowing she needed a douse of his strength. “Merlin is leading them in a positive direction. I had the pleasure of teaching him a few years ago, and he’s a good warlock with good intentions.”
“Trust my dad,” she whispered with her chin on Darrell’s shoulder.
Darrell turned his head and met her gaze. His hard, cold glare softened just a tad. “I trust him absolutely. But anyone related to the witch that did this to us, not only do I distrust, but I want the curse to stick with them when we’re wiped clean of it.”
Chapter 8
“I know you want me to stay with Avery, but I think I should be in on this conversation.” Darrell glanced over his shoulder, looking toward Avery where she leaned against the limo with her arms folded, glaring at him and her father. “This isn’t just about me and Avery, but my entire pack. My entire family.”
“What do you think you can add to this meeting?”
“A different perspective and let’s not forget, I was there when the spell was cast.”
“That is if Regan Wilcox is indeed the one who cast the spell.”
“We both know this is the only logical explanation.” Darrell didn’t like arguing with a man he respected and the father of the woman he knew he was destined to love for the rest of his life, but no way would he sit idly behind and do nothing. “I might be able to pick up something, or add a memory I’d forgotten, that can help us find the Wilcox family, the book, and make sure no one else dies.”
“I don’t want my daughter left alone, and I need Greg at my side. Which means I’m relying on you to take care of my little girl.”
“I plan on taking care of her for the next sixty years or so. She needs to come with us. She was there that day, too.”
“No,” her father said, shaking his head. “She’s already at risk. Why put her in the line of potentially greater danger.”
“You told me yesterday that it was best not to have a wall between us. What’s changed?”
“Nothing. I lied yesterday.” Albert let out a long breath, resting his hands on his hips. “Besides wanting you and Avery to get to know one another better, I feared you might shift into a wolf and run off.”
Darrell swallowed his pride. He probably would have lied too. “I can feel her aura now, and she’s worried and angry and that only weakens both of us. I’m sorry, sir, but she needs to go where I go, and I’m going to meet with Merlin.”
A
lbert pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re right. You’re right,” he whispered, nodding his head. “Locking her up in the limo isn’t going to protect her, much less save either one of you.”
He placed a hand on the Prince’s shoulder. “I will lay down my life if it means she’ll be fine.”
“I know you would, son. But understand, she’d do the same for you and excuse me for being a selfish prick, but I’d rather she didn’t, even though you are her soulmate.”
The two men shared an inappropriate laugh at her father’s dry humor, before turning serious again. “You’re not a witch. You’re not one of these people’s kind, and they won’t like a wolf hanging around while I probe into their lives, so please, follow my lead, okay?”
“I can do that, sir.”
“Seriously, stop the sir shit. You’re family. Call me Albert.”
“Albert,” Darrell said with a thick lump lodged in his throat. “Let’s get this party started.” Darrell waved Avery over, and she wasted no time racing to his side.
He looped his arm over her shoulder, kissing her cheek, lingering a little longer than he should have. “We’re all meeting with Merlin,” he whispered in her ear. “Stay close to me, okay?”
“I won’t leave your side,” she said with her hand resting on his hip as they followed her father and Gabe down a long, windy path lined with green bushes and colorful flowers, including red and white roses along with purple and yellow tulips.
The brick building in front of them stood tall, reaching its three stories into the blue sky. A sign that read: Witches of the Willows School of Magic, hung over a wooden double door with brass handles. Albert slammed his knuckles on the wood, knocking three times and stepped back.
They all waited as seconds ticked by like sand in an hourglass.
The big doors swung open and a tall, skinny man appeared. “Welcome, I’m Merlin. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Prince Albert.” Merlin extended his hand, his long fingers showing signs of arthritis. “I wish it were under different circumstances.”
“Us as well.” Prince Albert nodded.
“As you can see by my appearance,” Merlin waved a hand over his wrinkled face, “we don’t have much time. I have aged another few years overnight. There is not one warlock in my coven that will step up after me. Many are running to seek shelter with others.”
“That won’t save them,” Albert said.
“The curse is already in everyone’s blood,” Gabe added as they walked through a long corridor.
Empty classrooms lined each side. Pictures of witches performing various spells lined the walls.
“I have tried to explain this, but my people are scared. Many years ago, we suffered our first death from this curse, but we didn’t know why, and it didn’t happen again until a month ago. Since then, it’s been a rapid decline. On my council, there is only three of us left. They are waiting in one of the craft labs.”
“How sick are they?” Darrell asked. When he’d spoken to his mother, a few wolves were complaining of increased pain, but it seemed things weren’t progressing as rapidly as with the witches.
“I’ve been able to create a potion that slows the process down, but we’re almost out, and it doesn’t appear to be as effective anymore.”
“How is the spell coming to locate the Book of Shadows?” Gabe asked.
“It’s complete, but it will kill me if I use it.” Merlin turned a corner, and they looped up a flight of stairs.
The building should have been filled with the sounds of witches learning their craft. Instead a deafening silence filled the empty space.
“We think if I surrender my powers to one of you and have you cast the spell, it would work.” Merlin stopped in front of a classroom.
“But that would transfer the black magic,” Avery said with wide eyes.
“It would, but one of my council members, Hogan, thinks if we give my powers to an infected, it won’t be as powerful,” Merlin said as he stepped into the lab.
“I’ve already been able to pull part of the spell out from my daughter and Darrell.” Albert scratched the back of his head. “The governing council is doing their best with the sample I gave them, but they don’t have a mark yet.”
“They might not find it since the book is locked.” Merlin nodded to two men standing in front of a table filled with burners, small cauldrons, and other things necessary for mixing potions.
The men nodded back, but kept working.
“I can use the same spell to pull some of it out if we decide putting the powers in Avery is the only hope.”
“What!?” Darrell snapped his head in the direction of Albert. “No fucking way. I won’t allow you to put my mate at risk like that. It could kill her.”
Avery gripped his hand, her pulse pounding against his skin.
“She might be your mate, but she’s my daughter and as you said out there a few minutes ago, you both die if we do nothing.”
“Cast the powers into me,” Darrell said with a low growl. “I know it can be done. You did with Jackson.”
“That was different,” Albert said, inching closer, anger firing from his gray eyes. “I had to make him an untouchable to keep my sister from killing him. I can’t make you an untouchable with that spell inside you.”
Avery squeezed his biceps. “And if we cast warlock powers in you without no outside aura and an inside aura disappearing, it will suck the life energy out of you in minutes. Killing us both.”
Darrell yanked his arm free, taking a few steps back and raking a hand through his unruly hair. “There has to be another way.”
“That’s what we’re looking for, but our time is running out,” Albert said, staring at Darrell. “I don’t want to do this any more than you do, but these witches are dying off faster than your pack is getting sick and when they are all gone, you pack will die off fast, taking my daughter with you.”
“And we don’t know if the spell will then start in the Royal Family,” Merlin said. “If they die off, we’ll have mayhem.”
Darrell turned his back, folding his arms across his chest. His gut tightened, and the room blurred.
Avery’s soft, loving hands glided up his shoulder blades. “It’s the only way,” she whispered, her lips kissing the side of his neck. “I’m a pretty powerful witch, and I can do this.”
Darrell took a deep, calming breath. “What happens if this works and it snaps the Book of Shadows back?”
“I unlock the black magic and then we can make this right,” Albert said, placing a firm hand on Darrell’s shoulder.
“What about the Wilcox family? Will they be brought to justice?” Darrell asked.
“If they survive, they will be stripped of their powers,” Albert said with a tight voice. “And locked away.”
Darrell turned, locking gazes with Albert. “And if this doesn’t work?”
Albert said nothing, but he didn’t have to.
“We need to do this,” Avery said, palming his cheek, forcing him to look her in the eye. “For your pack…for us.”
Darrell squeezed his eyes closed. He could be the macho Alpha and pull rank with his mate, or he could do the right thing for everyone concerned.
“What do you need me to do?” Darrell pulled Avery to his chest, holding on to her for dear life.
“You’ll have to fight the urge to let go of her aura no matter what happens,” Albert said. “You give it all back, you die, making all this pointless.”
“I don’t plan on meeting my maker for a long time, so let’s get this freak show on the road.”
Chapter 9
While Avery practiced witchcraft every day, her higher-level skills were rusty. All witches had to go through courses that would prepare them for the use of black magic, but since her twenty-first birthday, she hadn’t actually performed any of the spells only legal during training.
And she’d never had to absorb someone else’s powers. After seeing what it did to her father to give them up to Jackson, eve
n momentarily, she couldn’t believe she was agreeing to it.
Life or death.
She chose life.
“You’re going to be entering what we call the empty space,” Merlin said. “You will see all sorts of spirits, but the potion will allow you to see the keeper of the locked books.”
“Why can’t we just call upon this keeper to give it back?” Darrell said, not hiding his frustration, or his sarcasm.
“Only the head wizard of any coven can get it back, and they risk not being able to make it back,” Merlin said, his damned even tone making her want to crawl out of her skin.
“This is sounding like a dumber plan by the second,” Darrell muttered.
“Just remember to trust your instincts,” her father said.
Right, because being a ballerina had prepared her for this.
“He will point you to where the book is, but he can’t go with you,” Merlin said. “And don’t let him distract you.”
She nodded. “Anything else?”
“Get the book, hold it tight, and cast the spell to bring you and the book back,” Merlin said, clasping his hands together.
“Are you ready?” her father asked, leaning against the table, his arms folded.
Darrell stood next to him, same position, with a deep scowl on his face.
She smoothed down her jeans and took in a deep breath. Taking even a weakened warlock’s power would be difficult. No matter how much she prepared herself for the collision between her powers and his, she had no way of predicting how her body would react.
Much less Darrell’s, and since they were connected through her aura, he would most likely feel and see everything she did.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” she said.
“Drink this.” Merlin handed her a small test tube filled with a smoky, purple liquid. “It will help protect your connection to Darrell.”
Her father glanced at Darrell as he placed a fatherly hand on his shoulder. “Go sit next to her. That might help too.”