Shackled to the World: A Phantom Touched Novel

by Brutger, Stacey

  “They’re going to come either way. At least this way we’ll know when to expect them.” Camden leaned back in his chair, humor dancing in his vivid green eyes at seeing her riled.

  She harrumphed in annoyance, and laughter drained from Camden. She was sad to see it disappear, and her anger evaporated.

  “Do you have a plan for what to do once we locate Logan?” Xander tipped back his drink and chugged down the slime as it oozed out of the glass, and she swallowed hard, unable to look away, practically able to feel the sludge slide slowly down her own throat.

  Only when he set down the glass was she able to blink and break her gaze. “Once we locate Logan, your job is to get him out.”

  “While you do what, exactly?” That Camden didn’t outright say no floored her.

  Annora crossed her arms, letting her nails bite into her skin. “I’m going to take my uncle somewhere he’ll never be able to hurt anyone else.”

  The afterworld.

  And she was going to leave him there to rot…if he survived that long.

  She waited for the guys to explode, but they only stared back at her resolutely.

  Which meant…fuck.

  They were plotting something.

  She narrowed her eyes, but no matter how hard she studied them, she couldn’t pick up anything through their connection, and none of the assholes cracked under her glare. Worry churned in her gut, but she didn’t have a choice. Her instincts warned her that if she waited any longer, the Logan who came back wouldn’t be the same boy who left.

  “I want to get some more practice in before we leave.” She gave a pointed look at Camden and Xander. “Since you guys were up all night patrolling, you can stay back and either rest or work on whatever secret plans you want to make for tonight.” She glanced at Terrance and Mason. “They can escort me.”

  A muscle ticked in Xander’s jaw, while Camden rubbed a hand across his face. They both looked at each other before nodding. She wasn’t sure how she felt about them not arguing with her. Her bullshit meter was pinging, but she refrained from calling them on it.

  For now.

  She’d wait until after they got Logan back.

  And then she’d kick their asses for worrying her.

  Without waiting, she grabbed the cold toast off her plate and headed for the door. The ferret scampered off the cupboards, slipping into her backpack seconds before she picked it up. Swearing erupted behind her when they realized that she was leaving now. Chairs scraped, and she smiled to herself as Terrance and Mason scrambled to catch up while she headed out the door.

  Terrance reached her first, and she spoke before he could ask. “You’ll be staying behind. Since I’m not connected to you, I don’t know what would happen if you travel with us into the afterworld.” She lifted her hand to stave off his protest. “But I want you to get your own team in place. As soon as we find the compound where they’re being held, the guys will call with a location, and then you’ll need to ride in with the cavalry. While someone else might be able to handle it, I think you have a better understanding of the urgency. Can you do that?”

  She was asking him to wait to rescue his brother.

  She wasn’t sure she would be able to do the same if he asked her to wait to find Logan.

  His shoulders slumped and he stared at the ground for a few paces before nodding. “While I want to be there to breach the compound, I understand. My brother—”

  “We won’t leave him behind.” Then she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. “Though when I find him, I might give him a talking-to for running off like that.”

  Terrance laughed as he flicked his sandy blond hair out of his face, then gave her a tired smile. “You and me both.”

  As they made their way toward the arena, Mason was a silent watchdog at their backs. She was very conscious of more eyes than usual watching her, and it made her skin crawl. She wanted to go back to being anonymous, but she very much feared that ship had sailed on her first day of school.

  They walked out onto the field, and she took off her sweatshirt, leaving her in a tank top, then bounced on her feet to warm up her muscles and nodded toward Terrance. “Let’s work off some of that frustration.”

  He gave her a dubious look, then shrugged and peeled off his shirt, leaving him standing in pants and a very form-fitting, ribbed tank top. Her brain did a mental pause at seeing him stripped down, and she shook off her thoughts as he sauntered toward her, his face losing all animation as he went into beat-the-crap-out-of-you mode.

  While he wasn’t built like Xander or Mason, his sleek lines showed enough muscles to promise his opponents that he knew what he was doing. She managed to evade his first punch, bending backward, but missed the wind-up fist that hit her ribs with enough force to knock the air out of her with an oomph.

  Using the pain, she smiled at him and swung out her foot, catching him behind the knee. Instead of going down, he did a backflip, and she narrowly missed being kicked in the face with the heavy, metal-tipped shit stompers he wore.

  After twenty minutes of exchanging blows, her body aching deliciously, she danced out of the range of his swing and smiled. “Are we done with the warmup?”

  He blinked at her, then gave a bark of laughter. “Are you trying to get me killed?”

  He glanced behind her, and she followed his gaze to see Mason was barely holding himself back from a complete shift, ready to stomp the smaller man into a puddle of goo. Annora rolled her eyes at Terrance. “We both know you’ve been taking it easy on me. If I’m going to learn how to fight my own battles, I can’t have you holding back.”

  Terrance studied her with his calculating brown eyes. He wore the cute neighbor next door look well, but his open, friendly face was a mask that hid a devious mind. After a moment, he lifted his chin and gave her a come-get-it wave. “Then show me what you got.”

  With a mischievous smile, she let the darkness take hold of her.

  One second she was in front of him, the next she appeared behind him, nearly knocking him on his ass with a blow to the kidneys. By the time he whirled, she already ghosted away, appearing a foot to the right, swinging her fist into the side of his neck.

  He grunted at the impact and staggered, barely straightening before she appeared in a crouch in front of him, sweeping his feet out from under him. He landed with a meaty thump, grunting at the impact and stared up at her in consternation.

  Then a grin split his face. “You’re on.”

  While she was getting better at ghosting without jumping into the afterworld, it took more concentration. After an hour, she was slowing, and her coordination suffered. A crowd had grown. While some people cheered in the beginning, the stadium had grown quiet while they sparred.

  Only when Mason stepped onto the field did she and Terrance break apart.

  The wolf had speed and strength on his side, while she had surprise.

  Both of them were beaten black and blue, and a few minor cuts nicked her knuckles and face. Her bones ached from the jarring impact of flesh meeting flesh, but it was a pleasant ache that she’d grown used to while living with her uncle.

  Terrance surveyed her critically, his own body more battered than hers, but he was already healing even while she watched, his wounds knitting together. “You’re a fast learner. You’re getting better.”

  But not good enough to win in an all-out fight against a shifter.

  At least not yet…but maybe in a few more weeks.

  Mason stopped beside them, glaring threateningly at the wolf, and Annora had to smother her smile when Terrance lifted his hands in surrender. Taking pity on him, she slipped between them and grinned impishly up at the troll. “No eating wolves today.”

  He grunted, giving one last glare at Terrance over her head, before he finally dropped his gaze to her, immediately locating every scrape, every bruise, his glower deepening. “Heal.”

  Annora stopped teasing him, his gruff tone warning her that he was on the edge of losing his shit.
With a nod, she lifted her hands and allowed the dark particles resting under her skin to rise. A black smog hovered over her hands, then slowly wound around her hands and arms, licking at her injuries. Bruises faded, scabs flaked away, while cuts slowly stitched themselves together, the sting of pain making her inhale sharply.

  Instead of feeling weakened by the healing, the pain and touch of the afterworld invigorated her. The smoke twisted through her fingers playfully before finally sinking back into her skin. Smiling brightly up at Mason, she held her arms out from her sides. “See? All better. No need to pound the wolf into mulch.”

  Whispers spread around the arena like wildfire, and her smile faded when she saw dozens of unfamiliar faces gawking at her. Mason and Terrance seemed to realize it at the same moment and sandwiched her between them.

  The ferret grabbed her bag from the sidelines and dragged it after him as he scurried toward her side. She slipped her sweater over her head and barely had time to scoop the ferret into the bag and pick it up before the guys frog-marched her off the field.

  She brushed her fingers over the ferret’s head, silently vowing to come up with another name for him. She couldn’t just keep calling him ferret.

  Once away from prying eyes, the men gave her a little more breathing room. Terrance eyed her arms with awe, reaching out to touch her, but stopped just short when Mason gave a little snarl of displeasure from behind them.

  “That…was not smart.” Terrance gave her a grim look, then glanced over his shoulder, as if he half expected a horde of people with pitchforks to be following them, clamoring for her blood.

  She scowled at him, hating the way gooseflesh pebbled her skin at his ominous pronouncement. “What do you mean? All shifters heal.” She snorted at the absurd idea that she was somehow different. “I’ve even seen witches do spells to heal just as fast. What’s the big deal?”

  Terrance grimaced, while Mason rubbed his forehead as if to ease a threatening headache. He herded her down the tunnels, skipping the showers completely. The troll’s large hand came to rest on the small of her back as he hurried her along, practically sweeping her off her feet as he rushed her into the twists and turns of the dark tunnels. “Strength is valued in the paranormal community, but it can also be a curse. Those people saw you take a beating for hours, saw you fight in a way that they cannot beat, then saw you heal without any ill effects.”

  “What he’s trying to say—” Terrance interrupted, bringing up the rear, guarding their backs. “—is that they want what you have and will do everything in their power to take it from you.”

  “Good.” Annora couldn’t repress her savage smile.

  Terrance gaped at her, while Mason stopped walking, his hand sliding off her back for a second before he grabbed a fistful of her shirt and hauled her to a stop. She turned to find herself confronted by a very angry troll.

  “You orchestrated this whole fight, didn’t you?” He glowered down at her, his agitation making his hair puff up with static and stand on end all around his head.

  If she didn’t know him so well, she’d be intimidated.

  Okay, maybe she was a little intimidated.

  She couldn’t work up a smile in the face of his anger, but she refused to lie. “Yes.”

  A shutter fell over his face and his arms flexed when he clenched his fists, his hair wilting. “That’s why you asked for me. I’m so stupid and gullible that you thought you could put one over on me.”

  The dejected look in his eyes, the way he was no doubt calling himself all sorts of an idiot, tore up her insides. Annora turned toward Terrance, struggling to control the anger brewing in her gut. Tiny particles swirled around her like Hell was reaching beyond the grave to pull her back. “Go and make sure we’re not being followed. Then head out and tell Greenwood our plans for tonight. Ask him how we can get in touch with your brother to let him know we’re coming.”

  The kid glanced between her and Mason, as if he thought he should stay to protect her, then closed his mouth and took off with a nod.

  Without waiting for him to go, she grabbed Mason’s arm, and dragged him toward the stairs. She released him, took a few steps up before turning, almost putting them on eye level, then she crossed her arms and glared down at him. “Is that the kind of woman you think I am? That I would single you out that way?”

  She snorted at the absurdity. “You’re one of the most intelligent men I know. I picked you for the reasons I stated this morning. I would’ve acted the exact same way if any of the other guys came with me instead, and I resent that you would judge me by others’ standards.”

  She was so angry she was shaking with it.

  That he thought she would treat him in that way…hurt threatened to crush her.

  Mason studied her a moment longer, his eyes searching hers intently. He must have found what he wanted, because his shoulders slumped, and he ran a hand over his hair. The hot pink hair reached out for her, as if begging for forgiveness. “I’m sorry. I thought…I don’t know what I thought.”

  He gave her a sheepish look, and it was all she could do to hold onto her hurt and anger.

  Before she had a chance to react, a fierce scowl crossed his face, his hair twisting wildly. “What the hell was that whole act outside about, then? Why make yourself a target?”

  A beat of silence followed before he answered the question himself. “It’s the same with the witches. You’re building your army in preparation for your father.”

  When he narrowed his eyes at her, still furious, she gave a shrug. “I’m betting that the shifters would rather I fight with them instead of being used as a weapon against them.”

  “Unless they decide to eliminate the threat of you completely.” His voice was a low rumble, the muscles of his arms flexing, as if he was already mentally ripping apart anyone who would try to harm her.

  Annora reached up and cupped his face. His anger vanished at her touch, his expression startled. “It’s a risk I was willing to take. I’ll do whatever I have to do, fight anyone I have to fight for a chance to stay with you and the rest of the guys.”

  His eyes darkened and he reached up, grabbing her wrist, holding her to him. Giving in to impulse, she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his.

  His eyes widened, then his breath left him in a rush. A second later, he lunged forward, wrapping her up in his arms and sweeping her off her feet, taking control of the kiss like initiating contact had given him permission.

  She wrapped her legs around his waist, her eyes widening in shock when his thick erection pushed against her, and she made a startled noise at the back of her throat. The fucker was massive. She knew he was a troll, that he would be proportionate to his size, but couldn’t imagine how he thought all that would fit.

  Very reluctantly, he lifted his head. He gazed down at her with heavy-lidded eyes, then the corners crinkled in amusement, as if he could read her thoughts and couldn’t contain humor. “Don’t worry, I know how to use it. You’ll be more than ready for me when the time comes.”

  She nearly choked on her laughter, giving him a dubious look, but he looked so smug, so confident, she believed him. Heat pooled between her thighs, and she shivered in anticipation. “Really? Maybe you should show me.”

  His breath exploded out of him at the dare, a deep groan vibrating from his chest as he lowered his head toward hers. He demolished her lips, taking control of the kiss. She was startled by his fangs, then moaned when he nipped at her, the sting making her skin extra sensitive.

  Unable to resist demanding more, she reached up and tangled her fingers in his hair. The strands pulled her closer, enjoying the attention. Then she ran her fingers lightly along the crown of horns buried in his hairline and felt more than heard his tortured grunt. He stumbled forward, shoving her back against the wall, using his weight to pin her, then ran his hands down her body.

  His palms ghosted along her skin, so gentle she barely felt them until her body was tingling with pleasure. He shoved his han
ds under her sweater, his touch rough, as if his control was fraying, and she gave a hum of approval.

  He boldly cupped her breast, capturing the tip between his fingers and squeezing deliciously, and she couldn’t stop the way her legs tightened around him, which shoved his erection against the growing ache between her thighs. Unable to help herself, she did it again. When his hand came to rest on her hip, he surged against her, taking over.

  With each thrust, her lust increased until there was only his hands and his mouth and his erection as she fell apart in his arms. He pulled away, completely content to watch as her awareness came flooding back, a pleased, possessive expression on his face.

  Then he dropped a chaste kiss on her lips, tugged her shirt back into place, and carefully lowered her to the ground. She staggered, her legs needing a second to remember how to function. Before she had a chance to catch her breath, he wove their fingers together and led her topside.

  “I’ll show you more after we get Logan back.”

  It was a promise, and she shivered at his husky tone, heat spilling into her stomach, already craving more. Before she could voice her thoughts, they stepped out into the quad. She took a deep breath, but it did little to calm the way her body longed for more of his touch.

  They’d only gone a few yards when a group of five young witches surrounded them. Four of them were wearing clothes that cost more than what she made in a week from the university. All but one of them were girls.

  “Hey, you. We need to talk.” The girl in front was all attitude, her black hair sleek and perfectly groomed. She was a stunner, not a single blemish on her skin. Everyone in her posse was the same, so cloaked with magic that it snapped angrily along Annora’s skin. Four of them were smirking. Only one of them hung back, clearly not pleased to be there…or associated with the others.

  Mason gave a muffled curse, untangling their fingers to stand in front of her, his frame bulking up even as she watched.