Magical (Mystical Series Book 3)

by Michael Weekly

  He hisses into my ears and pulls me against him. I grin as he controls our dance moves and pace effortlessly. He tugs on my neck with his sharp fangs and moves his neck around slowly, breathing down on me. I sway my hips with him and let the shifter lead the way. He moves me against the crowd, his gaze travels down my neck.

  He doesn’t say a word, I know exactly what he wants. I bite on my bottom lip, holding onto him. This stripper’s face and skin morph into green and black patterns. He coils around me, hugging my body tightly.

  My mouth drops open, it’s hard to breathe, but he’s worth losing every breath. He hisses to me, his sweet scent controlling my thoughts. My eyes roll back.

  I’m his.

  “Rose, wake up, you’re going to die!” I hear Donovan’s voice rushing from behind. I glance up at the shifter staring at me. The stripper has morphed into a large snake, he’s still and doesn’t make a move. His tongue slithers out quickly, his jaws expand, and his neck lunges forward for the bite. A whip shocks the snake, forcing the mystic’s neck to collide against a wall. I’m uncoiled instantly, falling to the ground.

  Donovan rushes over and steps in front. He clicks his broomstick, forming it into a sword. I get up as the snake swats his tail at Donovan, his teeth sharp as a blade. The snake strikes the sword as Donovan bumps into me, blocking the attack. The shifter spits out venom, but Donovan deflects it, burning the snake.

  “Eliza, this way, hurry!” I hear Rissa’s voice. The mystics in the club stop what they’re doing to glare at me.

  “Donovan, we need to go!” I shout.

  “I’ll catch up…get to Rissa. Save yourself.” He swipes his sword at the snake, morphing his broomstick into a whip, latching it around the mystic.

  My hair fades into blonde and I step in with my broomstick. I press the button, my weapon becoming a sword. I race toward the snake held by the whip. I kick off the wall behind it and swipe its neck.

  The snake’s head crashes to the ground as it bursts into yellow dust. I walk through the cloud of yellow, gripping Donovan’s arm, and race through the crowd.

  “You think I’m going to run away this time?” I huff and puff, waving my sword at the many strippers morphing into different animals. Rissa isn’t far, she gets the portal ready by shifting into her wolf form and placing her white paw on the bricks in front of her.

  Refocusing, I dodge a swipe from a roaring tiger. A chimpanzee chucks a glass of wine at me, thankfully Donovan steps in to shatter it with his sword. We move through the raging shifters. Charlotte’s eyes glow green as she summons sharp vines from the ground, swatting at the shifters.

  More and more shifters close in on us. Aeron rolls his eyes and flutters his colorful wings at the crowd. A powerful gust of fairy dust travels around the club; he floats silently in the air as the music around us mutes. Donovan and I whirl around at the mystics standing still, dazed. All of the shifters’ mouths are open, their eyes lifeless, and faces splattered with fairy dust.

  “We have about a minute or two until they wake up, ready to kill us all.” Aeron shrugs, crossing his arms.

  “So, yeah, I think we should get going,” I say.

  “Right, leap through, everyone,” Rissa says. “Thanks, Aeron.” She smiles at him.

  “Don’t worry about it, please get me out of here,” he replies. We all jump into the portal as the shifters surge back to life, charging for us. The portal closes and a boom releases, followed by a pulse of energy gutting us out.

  I roll in the grass and down a hill, the roots and foliage scraping my arms and tugging on my hair. I feel my hair burning back into its normal color. I come to a stop, plopping on dirt. Birds scream around me, fluttering their wings against leaves. I turn over, glancing up at trees.

  I’m calm, my heart stops racing because I’m in a forest.

  “Donovan? Rissa?” I turn to my side. “Charlotte, Audrey?” I stand up, flicking the twigs from my black pants. I make my way through thorny bushes and moist ferns. “Jax? Aeron? Hello?” I scream out. There’s a snap of a twig from behind me, I turn, holding up my sword. No one’s here, just me. Pressing the button on my broomstick, I stride through. How could they not be here with me? Didn’t we all leap into the portal together? I fix my hair, getting the leaves out.

  There’s a rocky trail ahead that leads me to the edge of a cliff. There’s nothing but green as I circle around and a soothing stream from below; it’s refreshing to be alone in peace. I glance over the edge of the cliff, it’s a pretty long fall from up here.

  Turning around, I climb up a tree with ease. As soon as I reach the top, I’m greeted by a nice breeze and a sea of green leaves. The sky is shaded yellow, orange, and pink. I close my eyes and breathe in their welcome.

  Something in my gut doesn’t feel right, my eyes open immediately. I dip back down into the trees and sidestep on my branch, grabbing an arrow in the air. I twist around, seeing a girl holding up a bow from a nearby tree.

  Another arrow shoots across the sky and dents the bark of the tree behind me. I leap down and race through the forest lines.

  “A YEE YEE A YEE YEE!” she chants for me.

  An arrow shoots through thin air for me once again, I roll to the side. A bow swipes in the air. I hold up my hands, gripping the bow and kneeing the person who attacks me.

  Another girl, this time with blonde dreads, throws a punch at me. I duck and punch her side. I attack once more but she blocks my hit with the sides of her arms. She twirls around, kicking me back. I collide into a tree. Another arrow aims for my back. I dip to the ground, swiping the girl’s legs as she falls to the ground.

  “A YEE YEE! A YEE YEE!”

  I run toward the stream, leaping over the crashing waves of water. I position myself for anything, the girls meet one another on the other side. They throw their bows to the ground, their eyes glowing yellow as they morph into wolves. The shifters leap over the stream. I run for it, climbing a nearby tree, running on the branches. I’m running for my life, are these shifters corrupt? I can’t tell, I know I need to get away.

  The shifters howl, a monkey leaps on my back, slaps my face, and pulls on my hair. I’m kicked off the tree. I release a grunt as I crash on the ground.

  I cough, scooting away from the wolves. Hearing a branch snap from above, my ears perk and my nose flares at a leopard on a branch.

  Dropping down from the tree, the shifter stares me down.

  “I’m not here to harm anyone,” I say.

  The leopard’s eyes beam yellow as it morphs into a tall, tanned boy. His hair is long, dreaded, and jeweled with beads. The birds stop their chirp, and the wolves growl next to him.

  “My name’s—”

  “I know who you are, Eliza Rose.” The boy doesn’t remove his glare. “I know what you are.”

  “How do you—”

  “You’d be amazed how much gets around in the mystic community.” He clears his throat and steps forward. “All I want to know is what brings you here to my kingdom?”

  “You must be Akamu.” He isn’t moved by what I’ve said.

  “What are you doing here? I don’t allow corruption and trickery in my kingdom, you’ve ruined others.” His followers hiss and growl at me. “I will not let you ruin mine.”

  I eye the group of shifters now circling me. “I’ve come here with Rissa for answers.” That must’ve done it, because now his wall has dropped and his eyes have narrowed.

  “Rissa?” he says. “She’s here with you?”

  There’s a rustle from the bushes behind me. “Hello, brother.” I turn around, finding Rissa by my side. She’s related to the king. Akamu’s nose flares, he shows his teeth. Rissa looks back at her brother.

  “You’ve been exiled from ever returning to Serevil.”

  “That may be true, but I’ve come to tell you I’ve changed and Ravamere has been sealed,” she says.

  “Do not lie to me,” he growls.

  “We’ve found two pure hearts that could change everything. Pleas
e, we need your help.” Akamu lowers his gaze, pressing his lips together. “It could change everything,” Rissa repeats. “I’m not asking to stay here, I’m asking you to help save this world.”

  Akamu raises his hand.

  He tilts his head to the side at his shifters. “Warn the others.” The wolves and animals rush away into the forest. “Come to the fire circle, let’s talk there,” he says, shifting into his leopard form, climbing back up a tree, and fading away into the leaves.

  I turn to Rissa. “Is there something I should know?”

  “Just that I almost killed my brother bringing corrupt mystics into the kingdom.” She brushes through the forest. “Christian ended up killing both of our parents.”

  ***

  The fire in the tent crackles, warming our skin. A mixture of orange and red flames flicker in my sight. Donovan and the rest of the crew ended up falling straight into the kingdom. Akamu is sitting on a mat of hide and dirt. His legs are crossed and he’s staring at the flames.

  The shifters outside of the tent are chanting and dancing around the fire. Bears, snakes, wolves, tigers, and so many more inhabit this place in peace. White markings and yellow eyes in the night, dancing for the stars above.

  “The truth is, Christian was not born corrupt, he was not elf-kissed. His father Emil and his mother Terese were both the King and Queen of Ellevil, the land of elves. Emil chose a path that led to darkness, he grew corrupt.” Akamu thrusts a stick in the fire, moving the logs around. “Christian took in everything from his family. He observed and didn’t talk about his abusive father. He was a ticking time bomb after Emil abandoned the family. He found his father and eventually ended up killing him. He met Marcus, another elf, and planned to take over Ellevil altogether.”

  “That’s until Terese foresaw me,” I say.

  “That’s right.” Akamu glanced up from the fire. “If you become betrothed to a corrupt mystic, not only are you linked forever, but being betrothed stirs up a powerful evil.” Donovan finds my hand in my lap and holds it. “An evil that can corrupt anything. Terese knew who would bring you into this world, she told Marcus to use your mother.”

  “How do you know all of this?” I ask, my eyes narrow.

  “Shifting is not just changing into an animal, it’s understanding all of the elements of being mystical. I have ears in the forest, eyes in the sky. Trees that feel and speak to me.”

  “I’ve had that happen to me. I thought I was the only one who experienced that.”

  Akamu shakes his head. “Shifting involves being one with nature. You’re a myth, it’s shocking how controlled you are now.” He nods at me. “You have become one with yourself, becoming one with nature allows you to discover all mysteries within.”

  Alice breathes in slowly and moves around on her mat. Charlotte, Audrey, Jax, and Aeron are outside dancing around the fiery pit with shifters. If the whole reasoning behind Christian being corrupt is true, this battle is not mine to fight.

  He’s already planned everything, even before I existed.

  “So what do you think Christian is planning?” Donovan asks.

  “He’s going to corrupt this entire world.” He looks over at me. “Eventually, he’s going to get what he wants, and that’s marrying Eliza.”

  “Not if I’m here. I won’t let him get to her,” Donovan snaps.

  “Donovan, we can’t really fight fire with fire. Did you hear what Akamu said? This elf has been planning for ages. He’s far ahead of us all.” Alice tries to reason with all of this. I don’t blame her, there’s a lot that we have to think about, fighting Christian.

  “How can you give in to defeat? What kind of witch are you?” Donovan bites back.

  “He wants me, there’s nothing we can do.” I stop the argument, lowering my gaze.

  “We’re here for a reason,” Rissa says. She pulls out the rose. “Akamu, I have the key to their betrothal right here. If they’re linked, Christian could be in on this discussion anyway, we need to break the betrothal.”

  Akamu shakes his head and sighs. “There’s nothing I can do. That rose has been enchanted for years now. There’s no snapping it anytime soon. Thankfully you all have it.”

  “What do you mean?” I say, glancing up at Akamu and then at the rose. I grab the rose from Rissa and toss it into the fire, the colors turn into a light electric green, the rose rolls against the logs and plops on the dirt, crystallizing itself back to normal. The tent is silent. Donovan glances over at me and Rissa covers her mouth, her markings glowing.

  Akamu clears his throat. “I mean that if Christian had it, who knows how difficult it’d be to retrieve it, and he could most certainly control you if he claimed it.” He bends over to get the rose and tucks it away in a pouch.

  “Control me?” I ask.

  “Just like he’s been doing to you, I assume. He’s a corrupt elf. Do you know how experienced he is? His manipulation and persuasion are more powerful than any elf combined.”

  I remember how he forced an illusion over me to believe I was in Ellevil for only a short time, it ended up being months. Donovan was trapped in the holding for some time until I realized what was going on. He manipulated me to think he was my lover. I lower my gaze and cover my face. I repeat the memories over and over in my head, my strands freeze blonde and the markings on my hand are burning. I’m losing control.

  “Eliza?” Rissa asks, worried.

  “Look, leave her alone for now.” Donovan comforts me and holds me. I feel his heart beating for me, my hair and markings relax. “I think she’s had enough for tonight,” he says, helping me up. We make our way toward the exit of the tent. I turn, giving Akamu and Rissa one last glance. Alice gets up as well and follows us out. I’m just Eliza Rose. How am I supposed to fight back against someone more powerful than I am?

  Chapter 30

  A patch of hide is on the ground near a bunch of tents. The Serevil kingdom lies on a flat section of a mountain. On the rocky walls are vines clinging on sharp edges. The crystal clear stream sparkles with moonlight as it flows into the forest. I sit down on the patch I noticed earlier and Donovan makes himself comfortable behind me, I rest on his thigh. I tilt my head at the large pit of fire as the shifters dance around with their handmade instruments.

  Charlotte and Audrey are laughing as they skip around the fire. “Why are they dancing?” I ask.

  “They’re in celebration for purity, now that they know about the pure hearts.” Donovan plays with my hair. “Is one of those pure hearts Dawn’s?” He clears his throat.

  “Yeah, it makes sense. Back in Richmond, Jared talked to me about the secrets in my grimoire. He talked about how I need to be more aware of Dawn’s safety.” I look up at him. “She was attracting mystics for a reason, the shifter and the fairy, the vampire. I feel so, so—” My voice trails off.

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “It is my fault. We went into Ellevil and left her alone. I shouldn’t have gone. I shouldn’t have gone with you. I was thinking about myself and left my friend in harm’s way, Don.” I shake my head, watching the shifters celebrate. Donovan rubs my shoulders, the tent’s sheets rustle against the wind and the trees bend to the side. “Donovan, I saw Dawn leaving Ravamere before everything happened.”

  “What are you talking about?” His voice is muffled by the wind.

  “I thought you knew because you and the Verel were on the grounds.”

  I turn around, his face blank and worried.

  “No one can escape Ravamere unless they kill a corrupt mystic in Ravamere.”

  “You’re telling me this like I don’t know. Of course I’m aware that’s the only way.”

  He’s taken back from my snap at him, he presses, though. “You’re taking it the wrong way. If Dawn left, it means that she’s—” We’re interrupted by Rissa walking over to where we’re sitting.

  “Hey guys, Akamu wants to see you, Eliza.” Donovan looks over at me. I know he’s upset I didn’t tell him sooner. I swear I
assumed he knew about her escaping, I thought his brotherhood were behind her leaving. Plus Donovan was never approachable in Ravamere. How was I supposed to do anything? I get up and follow Rissa into Akamu’s tent. I turn, seeing Donovan walking down the rocky trail on the mountain, disappearing into the dark forest. Our argument must’ve been loud, the jingles from the instruments, the laughter, and even the crackles of flame from the pit are silenced.

  I clear my throat, bringing in the sheets from the tent. My heart drops as soon as I turn around. My brother’s on the ground. I drop to my knees, screaming out in pain, not knowing if he’s okay or not. “Wake up Jared, wake up!” I can’t control how I feel right now. My hair shifts into blonde and the markings on my arms and body sizzle. I look up to Rissa. “Thank you so much for saving him.” I wipe my tears, I feel the side of his neck. “Jared?” I cough. “What’s wrong with him? Please, someone, tell me what’s going on.”

  “Jared has fallen asleep,” Akamu says.

  “For how long? What’s going on?” I move his white strands away from his face and place my hand on his shoulder. He’s lifeless, cold and hard as a rock. The commotion I make in the tent draws attention from outside, Audrey and Charlotte peek inside the tent. Seeing what’s happening, they rush to my sides. Audrey holds me and brings me into a hug. She raises her hand as vines wrap around the entrance of the tent, closing the sheets.

  Ice crackles on my skin. I glance down at Audrey, jerking away from holding me. She’s been ice burned, the marks on her skin immediately fade away as soon as she let go. She presses her lips and furrows her eyebrows. I sniff and look away.

  “Jared’s soul belongs in Ravamere. He can’t survive in this world for long.”

  “How’s that possible? He’s lived with my mother and me for the longest time. This has never happened before.”

  “That’s because Jared was in another form. He was a cat, Eliza,” Charlotte says. “Since he’s in human form, there’s no way for him to survive properly in the real world.”