by K. F. Breene
“Great.”
“You will not be pleased to hear, however, that you must be punished. And Darla is right—having a human pet for so long does look bad. We’d hate to have others think I favor your kind. So you will go into the higher level of humans distributed for good deeds. I will choose who gets you intimately, of course—while I applaud her foresight, I still do not like sharing. Your blood, however—that can be distributed more openly. Others will need the boost to their magic level. We will take the Council premises soon.”
“Why do you keep me, Nathanial? If you hate me so much, and hate my kind, why do I need to be under your thumb? No one else forces humans—or anyone else. Why me?”
His head tilted at her words. “You are a remarkably pretty girl. And there is a certain allure in lying with one such as yourself. I often wondered if you would get with child. Humans seem to find that easier. Three-fourths of my race means the offspring is likely to have my type of magic. This would ensure I could raise my child as my own. There was always the chance it would have human magic, and that I would have to abandon it, but it was worth the risk. Unfortunately, you are barren. And since you lack sexual finesse, I found that there was no use to you.”
“Then why keep me? Why not let me go?” she pleaded.
“Because what if I was the barren one? I couldn’t allow you to bear someone else’s spawn. Then I would be ridiculed. And yes, now we have that problem, which is why I will be sure to choose those who are infertile. If I choose wrongly, and you do get with child—well, there are ways to rectify that.”
White-hot rage burned through Emmy. Red hazed her vision. Anger clouded her judgment. Without a second thought, she reached forward and placed her hand on Nathanial’s neck. A perplexed expression crossed his face, but he did not flinch. That would be a sign of weakness for an advance from a human. She’d counted on that.
Before he could shock her with magic, she dumped her special spell into his skin. Fire and ice rolled, heating and then freezing his skin. His throat swelled. Red bled into his face. His eyes bulged as his hands flew up to his throat.
“Fuck you, Nathanial.” She dumped him out of the chair as he worked at the spell. She snatched his phone out of his pocket and ran. Sprinted through the halls. She’d hide with Jonas for as long as possible and hope someone showed up to storm the place. If not… well, Nathanial would find her eventually, and she’d deal with it then.
As she ran, she typed in the number Jonas made her remember.
* * *
“Cato, we’re en route. I can’t move any faster than I am.” I looked at Stefan with a suffering look as we sat in the backseat of Jameson’s car. I thought driving the extremely fast and gloriously scary Ferrari was the better way to travel, but not one person sided with me. I suspected Charles had mentioned that I’d gotten air when I took it out the other day to relieve some stress. He was such a scaredy-cat with speed.
“I know, Sasha. And I truly am sorry for calling every five minutes, but you know how it is when you are waiting—each minute stretches. I will say, however—do I have time for a quick chat?”
“Cato…” I ground my teeth. The man acted like a child sometimes. He was losing his marbles, that was clear. “Yes. You have time. We are still in the car headed to you.”
“Oh yes—how silly of me. I get thinking about the battle to come and forget the details. Where was I—oh yes, I am really pleased that your network of humans has proved so useful. I did know that Rudy disappeared into this area of the world, but I couldn’t pinpoint where. Then your spies and your witches—you have really come through.”
“But you said you can’t see the building.”
“Yes, that is true. But once you get here we will try some spells and see what lands. I have every reason to suspect the London faction sent Nathanial. He is an old… acquaintance of mine, and exemplary with magic. He can do things even I have not seen.”
“Not encouraging, Cato,” I said in dry tones. I rubbed my palm across my forehead to try and dislodge the worry. Cato had mentioned more than once that we were going up against an old, excellent, experienced army of fighters and magic-workers both. They were the best, and had been waging war with those close to them for hundreds of years. I’d been in my profession less than two years. So the experience levels were a bit skewed on my side of things.
“Not to worry, Sasha. Toa tells me you have handled the basic link with him very well. You keep up excellently, and when put under pressure, come up with exciting and terrifying spells. I can’t wait to wage war at your side.”
Goodie.
“How long do you think it’ll take to break the concealment spell, Cato?” I asked.
“Oh, probably a day or two. That little Delilah-human is coming, correct? I hear she is just great at picking apart very intricate spells. Quite the marvel for one unused to magic and with such a low power level.”
“Yes, she is, but she’s heavily pregnant.” She’d nearly caused a riot at the Farm when she said she was coming to help. Putting pregnant women in harm’s way wasn’t something Stefan’s people did. Well, it wasn’t something most people did, but Stefan’s people got really violent about it. Her mate tried to challenge Stefan. Charles and Paulie had to subdue him.
“Yes, we will guard her, assuredly. Now, Sasha, how are your two little ones? I would so love to meet them. You must—“
My phone beeped with call waiting. Glancing at the number wasn’t helpful since I didn’t know it. And while usually I wouldn’t answer, to get Cato off the phone, I’d make exceptions. “Cato, I have an important call coming through. Can I talk to you later?”
“Yes, of course. Of course. Are you any closer?”
“Bye, Cato.” I clicked the button to end the call and answer the other with an extravagant eye-roll. “Hello?”
“You’re supposed to say who you are,” Charles “helped” from the front seat. He was trying to take over for Jonas in the business etiquette department and succeeded in making me want to beat him senseless.
“Sasha?” a harried female voice panted into the phone.
“Yes, this is Sasha—see Charles, I didn’t need to say my name.”
“If you did, you would’ve saved that person asking,” Charles retorted.
“Sasha, this is Emmy. You don’t know me. But I am the person who has Jonas. Kind of.”
I bolted forward in my seat and waved at Jameson to quit talking to Stefan. “Where is he? Is he okay?”
“He’s—yes. He’s okay. For now. I’m—it’s a long story. I’m trying to get him out. I just took down my… jailor, basically. The guy that keeps me here. He’ll be looking for me. And they will kill Jonas when they find him. But I can’t get out of here with him. Or, at all, now. They’ll see me. I’m not allowed outside. Um. This is jumbled. Sorry. Just—I can tell you how to find this place. But you have to come quick. We don’t have much time. And even still, we’ll have to sneak out when you bombard this place. There’s no other way to get out alive.”
“Will you keep this phone on you? I can trace this phone.”
“Ask if it’s a trap!” Charles hollered. Stefan was staring at me, wondering if he should take the phone and handle this. I wasn’t great at organization.
“Can you put Jonas on?” I asked in a choking voice.
“Yes. Later. But now, please write this down. I’ll tell you how to break the spell—I’ll try, anyway. How close are you?”
“Half hour. We’ll be there in a half hour. We already have people waiting to get started.”
I heard a relieved sigh and a “thank God.” After that I scribbled frantically on an ad in a magazine Charles was able to scrounge up in Jameson’s car. It was clear Emmy didn’t know much about magic. She spit out words and sentences that sounded like a second-hand rant from a mad scientist. I wrote it all down, though, hoping Cato would be able to make sense of it. After that I heard a heavy door open and a low hum that sounded vaguely like Jonas.
My breath
caught. My knuckles turned white where they clutched the phone. And then I heard, “Sasha?”
“Oh my God, Jonas!” I couldn’t help a racking sob. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
“Yeah. I liked it. Where are you?”
“You would—“
“What’s his status? He take down half the guards yet, or what?” Charles interrupted in a rush.
“Can he get out?” Stefan asked.
“We’re on the way,” I said. “Twenty minutes, now. Cato is already there. Sounds like Rudy is somewhere in there. Cato’s worried they are going after the Council.”
“Yeah. They are. This crew is up to no good. They’re trying to take over.”
I heard what sounded like heavy metal clinking. Hinges creaked.
“Ah. That feels good,” Jonas sighed.
“What? What happened?”
“Emmy released my hands.”
“How were you holding the phone?”
“Shoulder. Sasha, listen, do you know how to take off a bit of magic for tracking somebody?”
My mind raced. I’d never even heard about the ability to do that. “I’m sure Toa would. Or—wait—Cato totally does! He was talking about how he was keeping tabs on Rudy. That was probably how. I could ask and call you back.”
“Is it something I’d be able to do, though?”
My heart sank. Jonas wasn’t great with spells that didn’t involve violence. Take down an army with his hands? Yes he could. Do a simple tripwire spell that a red could do? Nope. That wasn’t his specialty. “Probably not.”
“Thought not. That’s fine. I’ll figure it out. Just do me a favor.”
“Anything.”
“Make a huge bang when you get here. Make some sort of huge distraction. By the look on Emmy’s face, we’re going to need it.”
“Just one more thing, Jonas,” I said softly. “Are you sure we can trust this girl? I mean… she switched sides pretty quick.”
“She’s half human. They treat her worse than a farm animal. She has a shit life, and she’s coming back with me to start over. We can trust her.”
She’s coming back with you? A human? “Okay.”
“And one more thing,” Jonas said in a deep growl.
“Uh huh. Wait—are you into this girl? A human?” I couldn’t help but ask. Who was this guy all of a sudden?
“She’s hot. Listen, that bitch Darla is here. She’s working the top tier of people and they are buying whatever she is selling. Just thought you’d want to know.”
“That bitch!” I yelled. “I am going to punch her in the mouth. Seriously. Will she never fuck off?”
“Who?” Charles leaned toward me.
“Your lady-love, Darla,” I snarled. “All right, Jonas, go hide. Stay safe. You’ll hear me when I show up.”
“Sounds good. And Sasha…”
“Yeah?” I didn’t want to hang up. I didn’t want to disconnect with his voice. I was terrified this was the last time I’d talk to him.
“Thanks for coming. Knew I could count on you.”
“Of course. Of course I would,” I said with a shaking voice.
“Now. Chin up. Get tough. Show ‘em how big your balls are. Emmy and I’ll be waitin’.”
The line went dead. I stared at the phone for a moment in sorrow and bewilderment, both. “What is his fascination with my lady balls?”
“What’s his status?” Stefan asked in a low tone. His dark eyes bored into mine. “What are we going into?”
“We’re up against some old Europeans with some excellent magic skills and who don’t treat humans very well. I think it’s safe to say they won’t be using any humans. Cato’s smart. He had me build up the human magic so as to entwine it with his. Two sides of magic going against one. That has to count for something.”
“We have the home turf, too, Sasha. Don’t forget that. Playing-field advantage.” Charles stared out the windshield. “I wonder if they’ll use shifters, though.”
“Probably. They used those shifters to scout us out.” I chewed on my lip in thought. “But they weren’t as organized as Tim. I think we definitely have an advantage. The question is, can we combat against their superior magic-working. We might have more strength, but they might have better spells.”
“Cato knows what he’s about.” Stefan shifted in his seat. His demeanor was calm even though his eyes were on fire. He was mentally preparing for a battle he had no doubt he would win. “He’s been at this a long time. Plus, Dominicous has organized a front line from all over the country. They’ve been preparing for this ever since the Council fiasco. We’re ready.”
I wished I had his confidence. Jonas’ life was on the line.
Chapter Six
Jonas shook out his hands and stood in a rush. He swung his body around and rolled his shoulders. Being stiff was the worst thing for what was coming. He’d be dead before he ever got in motion.
He pulled up his sweats and tucked the phone in the pocket as Emmy hustled back to the rack of tools and took down two whips. She tied them around her waist and bent to the ground. Digging her fingers in the cracks, she worried one stone from the rest, revealing a small hole. Moving quickly and with fantastic economy, she pulled out a belt of knives. Working under the whips, she attached the lethal belt over her hips, overlaying her sheer gown.
“You are probably the hottest warrior I’ve ever seen,” Jonas said.
Emmy looked up with furrowed eyebrows. The worry cleared from her face for a brief, red-cheeked smile before she went back to her occupation. “We don’t have long. We need to get out of here.”
“Do you have a sword?” Jonas glanced at the wall of tools behind her. A paddle wouldn’t do much good against anything sharp, and he wasn’t about to go twirling a whip in public. That was something chicks did.
Emmy glanced behind her and refocused on him. Worry clouded her gaze. “No. I was never taught how to properly use one, so I’ve never kept one around.”
Jonas shrugged and stalked toward the door. “I’ll take someone’s off them. How long have we got before your captives come calling?”
Emmy replaced the stone and straightened up. She wiped her hands on her dress and retied her whips. “Any time. I caught Nathanial off-guard, but he would’ve unraveled my spell nearly immediately. He doesn’t think I can go far, so he’s probably not hurrying, but still…”
“We just have to stall.” Jonas couldn’t help moving toward her and gently putting his hands on her shoulders comfortingly. He felt her flinch lightly at the personal touch, but she didn’t shrug him off. “Sasha will get this bitch humming. If anyone can shake it up, it’ll be her. We just have to stall long enough for her to get pissed, and then make our escape.”
“She’s not as close as Nathanial, and my directions were probably not very helpful.”
Jonas moved his hand up to her face slowly. He touched her cheek as their gazes held. In a soft, reassuring voice, he said, “She’ll find a way in, and she’ll blow this bitch sky-high. I have the best mage on this planet because she is a true survivor. And I have the best leader, who will run circles around Nathanial. We just have to stall. Show me around this place, and I’ll keep it lively until reinforcements come.”
Tears glossed over Emmy’s eyes. One stray tear released and wobbled down her cheek before he wiped it away with his thumb. He bent, slowly, and lightly touched his lips to hers. He felt her hands wrap around his middle.
“Some warrior,” she said in a low tone. “I’m scared shitless.”
“That’s just because you’re thinking about it. C’mon.” He kissed her harder before stepping away. With a quick jerk, he swung open the door and prepared to rush a crowd of males with swords.
The dingy hallway waited, sleepy and empty.
He smirked back at her. “See? So far so good.”
“You don’t feel pain, and you’re not afraid of anything. What are you, Superman?” Emmy tiptoed around him on silent feet and peered to the right. A few ba
re bulbs dimly lit the old, stone hallway.
“I’m Superman’s kryptonite.”
Emmy huffed and took off at a jog to the left. “Well keep up. I assume you can run.”
“When I have to. I don’t make a sport out of it, or anything.”
“This is a serious maze down here. They mapped it out a long, long time ago, but very few people ever come down here. I bet I’m the only one that really knows how to get around.”
“What did this place used to be? Why is it here?”
Emmy shrugged as she turned left into a dark maw. She slowed to a fast walk. “I got the human affinity for the light, so I don’t have great night vision. Bear with me. Anyway, this was built by the Europeans a long time ago, I think. Like, first settlers era. Your race, obviously. To hide from the human settlers and whatever else. I think this below area was the dungeons, and then all the stuff above is for living. The stuff above has seen a lot of makeovers, but down here—well, who cares about prisoners, right?”
“And you’ve spent a lot of time in this place?”
They turned left and then right. Only one bulb every twenty yards lit their way, now. The darkness encroached on Jonas’ visibility, blurring the once-sharp lines. Emmy spread one hand in front of her, and one to the side, lightly skimming the wall with her fingers and hesitantly advancing. She probably couldn’t see much at all.
“I go where Nathanial goes,” she explained in a hush. “He visits this place once every couple years to check in with… whoever. People spying at the Council, mostly. I often acquire a captive, and spend the rest of my time wandering down here. Solitude is better than sneers or belittling. Hence my knowledge of the tunnels.”
“I take it you found one of the maps.”
“Yup. It was in the library. I took that, and a map of the surroundings. I have an American passport, so the idea was to eventually get free and disappear.”
“How’d you get—“ Jonas cut off as Emmy stopped in a drafty, dark void. She reached back blindly, groping for him. He took her cold hand and immediately threaded his fingers into hers. Electricity surged up through his arm and coursed through his body. An erection sprang to life, begging him to pull her onto his body. Instead, he took a deep breath and finished his sentence. “—a passport.”