The pages came to an abrupt stop near the end of the book, leaving a single spell staring up at her.
“Fine.” He gave her a stern look. “We’ll look at it, but I want to go over a few of the self-defense spells first. You will not use the other spells without my supervision.”
Since she knew he’d snap the book shut and refuse to teach her anything unless she agreed, Annora nodded.
* * *
Well, the good news was she didn’t blow up the house, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. In two hours’ time, all she managed to achieve was memorizing a few spells.
And only one of them worked.
She could now make light—like light-up-the-fucking-world-with-the-sun-bright light—but that was about it. And since she and the guys could see in the dark, it wasn't very helpful, either.
While Edgar could cast faster than she could, his spellwork usually fell apart before he could finish, the spells a combination of witchcraft and phantom magic that he didn’t have the skill to perform. He tried to show her simpler spells he learned as a child, but those were even worse. Trying to levitate a small pencil made the whole house shake and groan like she was trying to rip the foundation out of the very earth.
Unfortunately, casting spells appeared to be a skill that needed to be learned. Apparently, phantoms never really had a problem with drawing too much power and suffering the consequences, so Edgar wasn’t sure how to restrict the flow of the afterworld. She’d memorized the location spell, but it was like she couldn’t reach far enough or her uncle was cloaked somehow.
She just had to pray she’d be able to make it work when it was needed.
While she put the book away and took a quick shower, Edgar went down to apprise the guys of her lack of progress. If she wanted to meet Willa at the café, she was going to have to haul ass. She grabbed the newel post just before she was about to head downstairs, then backtracked and snatched the blades out from under her pillow.
They were a gift from Logan.
She hadn’t worn them since he’d been taken, but she didn’t want to leave the house without them, especially now her father was actively hunting her. She strapped them on under her shirt, touching the placement of the knives to make sure she could get at them easily, then tucked her shirt in again before heading downstairs.
Wearing them made her feel closer to Logan.
As she headed into the kitchen, she found Terrance in deep discussion with the rest of the team. They broke apart when they saw her, and she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at them. “Just tell me. I’m going to find out eventually.”
Terrance was the first to break. “I got ahold of my brother and warned him we were coming. I told him to be ready and do his best to locate Logan.” He ran his hand over his hair, flipping it out of his face. “He says that while they want the book, they want you more. They’re willing to trade the kitsune for you.”
Even before she had a chance to open her mouth, the guys exploded.
“You’re not fucking doing it.” Xander looked ready to tie her to a chair.
Mason’s hair was standing on end, fairly vibrating with his growl, his frame bulking up, ready to go to battle, as if he knew she would fight him on it. What worried her more was that Camden remained mute—which didn’t mean he had any intention of letting her go. No doubt he was ready to drug her at the first opportunity.
When she glanced at Edgar, he raised a brow and shrugged. “I’m with them. It’s too dangerous to try a trade. They’d never keep their word.”
“So what do you expect me to do? Wait for them to eventually capture and kill every one of you? Because that’s what they’ll do. What happens to me when you’re all dead?” Annora wanted to stomp her foot or just ghost them and finish the job herself, but the stubborn bastards would only follow her and get themselves killed.
“Did Edgar tell you I haven’t been able to get the locator spell to work?” She gazed at each of them, her heart threatening to break. “This is our only way inside, and you know it. Don’t ask me to give up on Logan. I don’t think I’d survive it.”
A muscle jumped in Camden’s jaw, fire blazing in his green eyes until they appeared to glow. He marched toward her, his hands fisted at his sides, looking ready to throttle her. He then leaned down, his eyes narrowed in warning. “If we do this, then we do it my way. No sacrificing yourself. The only thing getting yourself captured will do is ensure that we’ll kill ourselves trying to get you out. You will do exactly what I say. Do I make myself clear?”
Annora swallowed hard at the threat, her chest aching at the idea of a world without them to keep her sane, and nodded up at him.
If she fucked up the rescue, they would die, and she refused to allow that to happen. “Understood.”
Chapter Fifteen
As Annora left the house to meet up with Willa at the café, she couldn’t have been more surprised when Camden volunteered to be her escort. “You don’t want to stay behind and plot our course for tonight?”
He just shrugged as he surveyed the campus for any threat. “We’re as prepared as we’re going to be. The rest of the guys are going to scout for reinforcements.” He glanced down at her, his expression as serious as she’d ever seen it. “We want Logan back as much as you do, but sacrificing you isn’t an option. Trust us to know what we’re doing.”
They were the best of the best, having spent most of their lives training for this kind of situation. Annora leaned into him, resting her head against his shoulder. “I do trust you. If I didn’t, I would have already tried to get him myself.”
Camden heaved an exasperated sigh that was part laugh. When she tipped her head back to smile up at him, he brushed his lips against her forehead so lightly she barely felt it, and she wanted to cheer at the small victory. A few weeks ago, he would’ve cringed away from even allowing her within touching distance.
As they entered the café, Loulou popped up from her seat like she’d been launched from springs, and practically skipped over to them with a bright smile, her nearly white hair streaming behind her.
Lionel, her wolf protector, was only a few paces behind, a menacing presence poised to beat the shit out of anyone who dared threaten his mate. Where there was one, the other was sure to follow. She had to marvel that the guy had the energy to keep up with the high-octane bunny who didn’t seem to know the meaning of slow or calm.
Loulou threw her arms around her. “I’m so glad you came.”
Before Annora even had a chance to return the hug, Loulou jumped back and dragged her over to their table. “How did you even know I would be here?”
The rabbit looked at her over her shoulder, her large blue eyes a little too big for her face, and she shook her head pityingly. “Girl, nothing that happens on campus is a secret.”
When Annora glanced around the café, she decided Loulou was right. The place was packed with an equal variety of shifters and witches, until it was almost standing room only. A glance out the window showed even more people were scoping out the place.
“Great.” She resisted the urge to sigh while she wove through the tables after Loulou, doing her best to avoid touching anyone, still unused to being around crowds. While she hated her lonely childhood, her skin practically crawled at having so many eyes on her.
Camden pressed closer, guarding her back, and her unease lessened a fraction. Most gave him wide berth. A few curious people wandered a little too close, and he deliberately brushed against them. It didn’t take long for their curiosity to fade to confusion after being dosed by his toxic touch, and they wandered away.
As they took their seats in the corner booth, Annora glanced around the cafe. The magic in the room was almost a living thing, it was so potent. It swirled and eddied like ribbons weaving between people, as if on the hunt or possibly trying to pick up her magical trail.
Camden waited while she was seated, then veered away to order their drinks, leaving Lionel to stand guard. Annora turned toward Loulou. “What
on earth are you doing here?”
Loulou raised her eyebrows, then scolded, “I’m providing backup. I’m sure you meant to call me. I just must have missed it.”
Annora suddenly found the tabletop fascinating, avoiding those earnest eyes. “Loulou—”
“Hush.” She waved her hand, and flashed Annora a bright smile. “Everyone knows something is going down tonight, and they want to help. Haven’t you noticed no one is in class? Everyone skipped. No one takes one of our own without paying for it.”
Annora blinked hard at Loulou’s fierce vow, touched and overwhelmed by such support.
Then Loulou winked. “Besides, most of them owe you for rescuing their pack members. This is one way to return the favor. Shifters hate owing other packs.”
Annora breathed a little easier.
That made more sense.
Camden made it back with her drink—hot chocolate—then leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Your guest has arrived.”
Annora turned toward the entrance. Sure enough, Willa was waiting by the door, scanning the crowd with a grimace. Their eyes met, and Annora lifted her hand in a small two-fingered wave, ignoring the way Willa’s glower deepened as she wove through the tables.
Willa was barely seated before she touched the wall and mumbled something under her breath. A spell activated, magic crawled up the wall and the rest of the café fell silent.
Annora could see everyone was still talking, moving, but the world around them was muted. If she concentrated hard enough, she could make out what the others were saying, but it was a struggle. She glanced at Camden, and he tapped his ear, indicating he could hear everything.
“Did you invite the entire campus?” Willa plopped down in her seat, shoving her shoulder bag between her and Loulou, forcing the rabbit to move over or be crushed.
Loulou glared at the witch. “Like we would let her meet one of your kind without backup.”
Annora raised her brows at the antagonism between them, then shrugged. “Apparently nothing remains secret for long on this campus. We can move this discussion back to Grady House if you want more privacy.”
“No, this is fine. Let’s just get this over with.” Willa finally broke eye contact with Loulou and turned toward Annora with a frown. She placed both hands on the table, her green eyes direct. “What do you want?”
Annora felt the spell the instant she spoke. It hit her chest and the pressure to speak increased with every second—trying to yank the truth out of her. The darkness at her core rose lazily, sucking in the magic. Instead of crushing the spell to ash, as soon as the darkness touched it, it shimmered black and was absorbed.
“You could just try asking,” Annora chided.
Willa just shrugged, completely unrepentant. “Most people wouldn’t know the truth if it hit them in the face.”
Annora very much feared Willa was correct and conceded defeat with a tired sigh. “I want to survive, and I’m afraid I’ll need the witches’ help to do that.”
Willa gave a near-silent whistle and shook her head pityingly. “They’re going to own your ass for the rest of your life and beyond.”
Annora took a sip of her hot chocolate, then gave a shrug. “Maybe…unless I have something they want. Which is where you come in.”
Everything about the girl stiffened. “What do you want?”
Annora decided to be blunt. She didn’t have time to waste. “I don’t trust the witches to keep their word, so I need someone I can trust. Is that you?”
Interest sharpened the witch’s eyes. “That depends…what do you need?”
“You want out from under the witches and so do I. They want my magic and will do anything to take it. Unfortunately, they aren’t the only ones. I need the witches to stand on my side if it comes to a fight.” Annora played with her cup, conscious of how much was riding on this conversation.
Willa didn’t answer right away. “The people coming…they’re like you.”
Annora hesitated, well aware that the witches could try to make a deal with her father for the magic and turn her over to them. But she decided to take a gamble and nodded. If anything, her father would kill everyone before he turned over any information to them about dark matter.
Willa glanced away, surveying the rest of the café. “Witches get their power from the elements. What do you hope to gain by asking witches to join your fight? They’d be slaughtered.”
“Dark matter might be stronger, but very few people can actually access it, and fewer still can control it without going insane or outright dying. But what if I serve as a filter? My strength with your magic?”
That got the witch’s attention, and she turned to study Annora, raising a single eyebrow skeptically. “Are you sure that would even work?”
Annora just shrugged. “We could try it. As it stands right now, the witches are anxious to get their hands on my grimoire…for magic they can’t even use. I can only imagine what they plan to do with it.”
“So you would give me access, but only with your supervision.” Willa didn’t sound happy about that part, but she didn’t say no.
“Exactly.” No way could Annora allow the witches unfettered access to dark matter. They would destroy the world. Just from sitting across from her, Annora could sense Willa didn’t have the markers needed to use the magic without annihilating herself in the process, the darkness had no interest in her.
Willa chewed on her lip for a moment, then narrowed her eyes. “Let’s do a test to see if it’s even possible first.”
She dug in her bag and pulled out a fat candle, setting it in the middle of the table between them. While the rest of the room wasn’t able to hear anything, Annora saw at least half the room lean forward with bated breath.
At her look, Willa just shrugged. “I’m a fire witch. While I can do a few parlor tricks in the other elements, I’m strongest with fire.”
Annora tightened her grip around her cup, her hands ice-cold despite the warmth of the hot chocolate. She took another sip for courage, watching over the rim as Willa took a deep breath.
Okay, they were doing this.
She glanced at Camden, and he gave her a grim nod, his stance widening, as if he was waiting for someone to attack. Lionel stood only a few paces away from him, the two of them looking like matching-freaking-warrior bookends.
Loulou looked just as suspicious, but kept her attention glued on Willa, seconds away from pouncing with all her hundred pounds of fluff if the witch so much as breathed wrong.
“Ready?” Willa cracked her knuckles, then twisted her head from side to side.
Annora blew out a breath, conscious of the hundreds of eyes on them, then held out her hand and allowed a small bubble of the dark particles to form in her palm. The smoke curled in upon itself like snakes.
Willa gaped at it for a few moments, her eyes wide, then she straightened and cleared her throat. She mumbled a few words in Latin, twisting her fingers into strange symbols before she closed her hand into a fist.
Annora felt the tug on the dark particles, watched them twist around the wick.
Fire whooshed up from the candle, the flame nearly four feet tall. She was flung backwards, her back hitting the booth, the fire sucking the oxygen out of her lungs. Loulou gave a little squeal and ducked.
Camden grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the booth, twisting to protect her from the dancing flame. The blaze licked at the ceiling until Willa snapped out of her trance and slashed her hand through the air while muttering a few Latin phrases.
The next second, the candle was extinguished.
Or what remained of the candle.
All that was left was a puddle of hot wax dripping off the end of the table.
Lionel leapt over the booth and pulled Loulou in his arms, his wolf glaring out through his eyes, his fangs and claws extended, ready to rip apart anyone who got too close. Willa remained seated, staring at her melted candle, dipping her fingers in the hot wax.
She slowly lifted her h
ead and met Annora’s gaze, her green eyes glittering with anticipation. “I’ll agree to help on one condition—take me with you tonight.”
“Ditto! Don’t think you’re leaving without me!” Loulou peeked out from behind Lionel’s shoulder, then quickly sidestepped him when he moved to reach for her.
Annora understood why Loulou wanted to help, but not Willa, and couldn’t keep the suspicion out of her voice. “Why?”
“Because then you will owe me and won’t back out of teaching me.” She rose to her feet and faced off with Annora. “I won’t go back to being a slave to those bitches.”
Annora couldn’t protest, because she knew what it was like to be at the mercy of a sadistic bastard, and she wouldn’t wish it on anyone. “Are you safe where you’re staying?”
Willa paused while reaching for her bag, glancing at Annora warily as she straightened. Then, ignoring her completely, she glanced at Loulou. “Is she really as innocent as she appears?”
“Oh, yeah.” Loulou nodded and smiled. “But cross her and she’ll make you regret it. There will be nowhere you can run that she wouldn’t find you.”
Annora glanced back and forth between the two of them, then sighed. “If you need a place to stay—”
“She can stay with us.” Loulou interrupted, batting those big blue eyes up at Lionel. When he sighed in defeat, she grinned triumphantly and turned back to Annora. “You have enough on your plate for now.”
Willa hesitated for a moment, glancing around at the many faces staring up at them, then shrugged. “That might be for the best.”
Loulou nodded proudly, herding the witch toward the door like she was her charge now. “You’re going to love staying with us.”
Willa cast a glance over her shoulder, her eyes wide, almost pleading, and Annora just smiled and gave a little wave with her fingers. The girl wouldn’t know what hit her. Smothering her laughter, she turned toward Camden, only to see him frowning at the smattering of wax that had splattered the front of her outfit.
She brushed off some of the dried flakes, then grimaced at the mess. “Can we stop by the bathroom?”
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