by Antara Mann
As soon as the vampires attacked us, Carlos and Brendan started shooting, one bullet after another, aiming for their hearts. Two vampires screamed in pain as the silver seared their bodies. Of all the elements, silver was best known for its potency against supernaturals. The creatures’ bodies glowed a deep green, then exploded and turned to ash. Two down. Good, I noted to myself, smiling. In the meantime, I had taken out my chakram and another one of my enchanted knives and stabbed the ghastly creatures closest to me with all the force I could muster. That should teach these bastards some manners. But to my disappointment, my weapons didn’t take down the vampires — they only scratched them lightly. These monsters were frighteningly powerful. I immediately regretted not having brought my enchanted silver knife, the one Awen had given me as a present the night before I’d started this assignment.
Kagan had already blasted the vampires with a gust of wind. The blow threw them back a few feet, but they came back, more determined than before. I shouted for Brendan to give Kagan one of his silver-encrusted guns — now we knew for sure silver killed them — but two vampires came at me and blocked my way, their lanky arms swirling around my body. I took a few steps backwards, the vampires’ eyes fixed on me, glowing like eerie red lasers in the night air. I had to push them back, so I blasted a cloud of dust right into their eyes. That would give me some time.
The vampires stopped in their tracks, trying to disperse the dust magic I had hurled at them. I took the opportunity and looked around me. The rest of their gang were not slowing down: One hit Brendan hard in the arm while another went for Carlos, and the others charged at me and the fae. Brendan growled at the vampire before him and fired. He was still in his human form, though the light green color of his eyes wasn’t human at all, and I distinctly felt the pull and song of his magic bubbling inside him.
In the meantime Kagan had blasted a new gust of wind against the vampires, this time using fairy dust. It dizzied them and threw them off balance, but they would soon recover, so we needed to take advantage of the situation — I had to use my magic. There was no other way to beat these monsters. I reached for the magic thread inside my center, calling it. The vibrations of its song caressed my ears and the fire element intensified in me. But I needed a much bigger fireball than usual, so I let the magic build in me for a few more moments. Even if those vampires were coming straight out of hell, which didn’t seem that unlikely at the moment, a huge fireball was bound to destroy them. I glanced at Brendan — he shot one of the vampires in the heart and then turned around to shoot another at close range, the vampire’s fangs were almost touching Brendan’s bare neck. The creature fell to the ground, and when I next looked at him after I’d dodged a blow, I saw his body glowing in the same deep green color his fellows’ had a few seconds prior. At last, it exploded into ash.
I ducked a new vampire blow to my right and stabbed my crescent knife deep into his heart. The creature screamed, his crimson eyes darkening. Apart from the bloodlust and rage, I recognized insanity in them too. The vampire pulled himself together but before he could charge at me, someone shouted, “Alex, duck!” I had barely moved when someone shot the vampire in the heart and he fell to the ground, the smoke from the silver bullet drifting away in the air. He gleamed and then exploded like his cronies.
Another scream pierced the night and I turned around to see Carlos had shot a vampire in the abdomen. Blood was splattered everywhere, all over us and the remaining vampires, and it only enraged the monsters more. Their leader, the one who had talked to us, went straight for Carlos, and a few more followed him. I’d already summoned a gigantic fireball, drawing all my magic. A new vampire charged at me, but I flung an elbow at him: Thank magic the moon was waxing. Before the monster could strike me again, I hurled the fireball in my palm toward the leader and the minions surrounding him. It struck them like a lightning bolt, painting the night in shades of red, orange, and yellow, making the air sizzle. They cried out, the flames consuming their clothes, yet the fire didn’t swallow their flesh. And, even worse, they didn’t fall down as any decent vampires would have done in their place: The monsters simply continued heading for us, but slower, now only a few feet away.
What the hell? “How is this even possible?” I cried in panic, and wiped at the droplets of sweat on my forehead. I’d dealt with a lot of vampires, but never had I seen anything like this before. Another wave of fear and anxiety — stronger this time — crept up over me, freezing my heart and soul. That was definitely the doing of these ghoulish monsters.
“Bitch, fire doesn’t work.” The leader swung around to face me and chuckled. A few vampires pounced at me, but I ducked at the last moment and his momentum carried him past me. The second vampire rushed me, and I punched him straight in the chest knocking him flat. The third vampire hit me hard in my abdomen, sending a piercing pain through my body. I bit my lower lip hard. This bastard was really infuriating me. I slashed with my enchanted knife, stabbing him straight in the heart. A big gash formed on his chest, blood dripping from it. I called back my knife and wiped the blood on my jeans hastily. Another pair ruined! At least they weren’t as new as the pair the three-headed snake had ruined. This job was hard on my clothing.
“Fire may not work on you, but silver bullets do,” Brendan said before shooting several consecutive shots straight into the leader’s skeletal body. He dropped to the ground, his crimson eyes gleaming like evil lasers in the dark night and sending chills down my spine. The whole thing was freaking eerie.
“Alex, summon another element to combine with your fire: I want you to set up a magic barrier around them. There are too many of them, and we need to hurry if we want to finish them off,” Kagan said, almost panting in my ear after he’d fought off two vampires. His breath gusted against my neck, giving me goosebumps.
Of all times to let your hormones distract you, Alex, why now? I didn’t have time to answer my inner voice — Carlos’s scream brought me back to the dire reality of our situation. A few vampires had punched him in his chest, knocking him to the ground, and one bit him hard on the neck. But it was Carlos’ s skin color and the facial expression that terrified me: He was white as chalk. More vampires gathered around him, drawn by the blood and terror. He had to transform into his inner animal, and quickly. But to do that, he had to break free from the vampires and their magic. Brendan began shooting frantically at the gang of vampires, which now numbered only nine, and Kagan blasted another gust of fairy-dust wind at them. Just then he turned at me and nodded. “Do it now, Alex!”
A vampire tried to land a blow on me, but before I could react, Brendan shot him with a silver bullet. The monster died in typical fashion.
“What do you have in mind?” I shouted at the fae standing near me, my adrenaline running high.
“Just do it, Alex.” His grave expression made me reach inside me for the other element I felt most comfortable summoning: air. I felt its power and song calling me and playing with my magic and my senses. The sensation air gave me was even more enticing: Fire could burn, sure, but wind was unpredictable and invisible. I reached for it and when it surged within me, I unleashed it. A wind barrier with flames burning on its borders appeared in the space before us and I threw it at the vampires, just in time. Brendan had just wiggled free from the monsters’ grip, and Carlos was fighting for his life, his right knee and neck bleeding heavily. Once we made it out of this mess, I’d heal him again. The wind barrier closed around the vampires, keeping them at bay though they tried to break out, beating soundlessly against the wall. I had managed to beat them off with the help of my elemental magic. They weren't harmed, but they were prisoners.
“Good,” Kagan muttered next to me. He knelt down and put his hand on the ground, concentrating hard, slight wrinkles forming on his otherwise handsome forehead. And then I felt it: the song and magic surging from Mother Earth. The raw magic intensified, making my hair stand on end. He was drawing power from the earth element, pumping himself up. The vampires kept kickin
g and punching the barrier, the muted thundering sounds echoing in the space around us. A few more minutes and they could possibly break free, even more enraged than before.
“Move away,” Kagan shouted, and when Brendan and I darted behind him, carrying Carlos between us, he poured all his magic into the enclosed barrier. The earth beneath it crashed down, swallowing the vampires. Gravel, dirt, and rocks rained down, quickly filling in the hole he had created as the vampires disappeared into it. Within a few minutes there was no sign of the abyss the vampires had gone into.
I watched Kagan with astonishment — he controlled the elements and drew strength and magic from nature with enviable ease and speed. He wasn’t yet done, though: He drew another portion of magic from the moon and a gleaming white light sizzled in the air above our heads. He concentrated his energy onto the place where the earth had swallowed the vampires and drew a pentagram over it. It glowed for a moment and then an explosion crackled, scattering dark clouds of rocks, sand and debris. The earth beneath our feet shifted a bit, but otherwise we were all safe and sound.
“That should do it.” Kagan turned to us, his face sweating.
“That was… amazing,” I panted, and the fae beamed at me.
“I was hoping you would like that,” he said with a sly grin.
Ugh! I was too quick with the praise.
“I don’t understand, though. Why didn’t the fire hurt or kill them? I still don’t get it,” I said, glancing at Carlos. He didn’t look very well. He had transformed back into a tiger in order to connect with his magic and boost his regenerating powers, but he was still weak and wounded. His knee and neck were still bleeding a lot. Damn vampires! I needed to heal him, but first we had to get out of here. A part of me was afraid another attack might follow, with magic knows what kind of monsters this time.
Kagan had read my mind, and he reached for his raw fae power again. The wind swirled around us, caressing my hair and skin. The air around us vibrated with yellow-white light, then grew into a big swirl that took us through the ether into the void.
Chapter 12
We stepped through the portal and into a luxurious apartment. My exhaustion from the day’s events had taken its toll on me. As soon as we stepped through, I collapsed onto a couch that looked like it had probably cost more than all the magical artifacts in the Steaming Cauldron. At the thought of the shop, I felt a tight knot forming in the pit of my stomach. I resolved to think about how to save our business venture as soon as I could think straight.
“Wow, this looks like it could be Mark Zuckerburg’s place,” Brendan exclaimed as he laid Carlos's limp body on a fancy light blue sofa that looked as expensive as it was comfortable.
Kagan chuckled. “I don’t know about Mark, but this is my residence here. I mean, in the States.”
The fae NYC residence, I thought; how fancy. I looked around at the apartment: a spacious living room with fine, expensive furniture, everything sparkling clean. The room overlooked Manhattan Bridge through a big window that provided a magnificent view. I could definitely picture living here and waking up to that panoramic view each day. Fae sure knew where to live!
“And where do you live in your native Ireland? In a castle?” I asked him, envy discernible in my voice. I tried hard to conceal it, but failed. This place was so damn gorgeous, and completely out of my reach. I had better chances of dating Chris Hemsworth than ever being able to afford such a classy apartment. It just wasn’t fair: I worked my ass off and barely made ends meet, but here he was — a privileged fae, owing his wealth to the benign destiny of being born to one of the magic dynasties. Life really sucked — or karma, whichever.
Kagan looked amused. “Yes, Alex, as a matter of fact. My family owns a castle in Dublin and another in Belfast. If you behave, I might invite you there sometime.”
I wanted to apologize for my rude remark and rant, or at least tell him that I didn’t judge him for his privileged birth — after all, he had just delivered us from that gang of vampires — but Brendan cut in.
“You and your family are stingy with your money, aren’t you? A lot of less fortunate supernaturals could benefit from even a tiny part of your wealth.” I could just barely distinguish notes of envy in his voice too. It was a small relief that I wasn’t the only one who envied the fae, though Brendan’s bitterness was because of Kagan’s power, wealth, and influence — but mostly because the fae was our new team leader. Oh, men and their macho competition!
“Belonging to one of the magic dynasties is both a blessing and a curse,” Kagan snapped. “It’s not so cool when the rest of the supernatural world hates your guts.”
Brendan couldn’t muster any sensible response to that, so he remained silent.
I left the two men and went to Carlos, who was lying half-conscious on the sofa. His knee was badly injured, the vampire bites glistening; there were also bite marks on his neck, though not as big as on his knee. The worst problem, though, was his decreased energy level — the monsters had drained a considerable part of his life force.
“Don’t worry, Carlos, I’m gonna heal you,” I whispered. Then I put my hand on his chest and concentrated, half-closing my eyes to call my magic thread. Its beat and song surged inside me. A light blue circle of light appeared in my hand and I poured it into Carlos’s skin, trying to be as gentle as possible. He screamed instantly, but in a few seconds his pain as well as his injuries were gone. He lay still for a few moments, staring in disbelief at his perfectly healthy body, then looked at me.
“Jeez, Alex, that was… unbelievable!” He jumped up and hugged me. “Thank you so much! I thought those bastards had gotten the better of me.” He let go of me and I saw the gleam in his eyes. “I had no idea you were a natural healer. Brendan once told me you could heal yourself, but I didn’t know you could heal others also.”
“She is pretty extraordinary for a mage, isn’t she?” Kagan said, drawing nearer to me. There was a special gleam in his eyes that I didn’t like at all.
Just say whatever you think my magic is and leave me alone, I thought irritably, but, facing the fae, I said only, “Well, it’s been a rough day. That battle exhausted us all.”
Kagan looked so ridiculously smug and sexy that it enraged me.
“I agree with Alex — it’s been a hell of a day today,” Carlos chimed in. “Thank magic we’re in your top-notch apartment. Speaking of which, dude, you’ve got some awesome brandy and whiskey! May I pour myself some? I think we could all use a drink right now.”
“Sure, help yourself,” Kagan replied absentmindedly, holding my gaze like a predator waiting for his prey to make a mistake. I didn’t know what he expected me to say or do.
“Can we talk somewhere privately?” I asked.
He looked at me, amusement evident in his eyes. His lips twitched slightly. “Why?”
“It seems to me you know something about me that I myself am not really aware of. Seriously, can we speak privately, just the two of us?” I said in a muffled voice.
The fae smiled and put a hand on my arm. Even though his touch was light, his magic intertwined with mine, setting fireworks off in my mind and making me think of delicious champagne and forbidden pleasures. It took all the self-control I had left not to show my weakness for him. He led me to a smaller room.
“So, now we’re alone. Your wish is my command — anything else you want me to do?”
I wanted to punch him so much in that moment.
“No, I don’t think there’s anything more you can do for me, at the moment,” I said, and to my credit I maintained a poker face. “Anyway, cut to the chase: Who do you think I am?”
“I know you’re not just a mage as you claim to be. A mere mage — even an elemental mage with full control over all four elements — can’t heal herself or others, or see into the past like you do,” he said quietly.
“Well, I’ve always been different.”
“No, this is not just different. This can only mean one thing.” He came over to me an
d I inhaled his scent. It intoxicated me. He took my hand and caressed my palm. “I think you know, deep down inside you, what you are. I want you to realize it yourself, instead of me telling you. Don’t you think that’s better?” he said, practically whispering in my ear. It felt so good it made me dizzy.
Don’t give in to his charms, Alex, the voice in my head warned me, and I instantly sobered. Kagan was insanely powerful, rich, and belonged to the magic dynasties. What would he ever want with a girl like me? Awen’s words echoed in my head: “Don’t ever reveal your powers to strangers, child.” But he had meant the caution for other supernaturals in general, not for my working partner. After all, Kagan was on our team. You still don’t know him at all. Wait another day, the voice said.
I don’t think he means ill, I replied mentally.
He is powerful, and you ought to be careful with such people, child. The voice was firm, unshakable, and I was convinced. I shook my head and took a step backwards. I had been way too intimate with him in the past few minutes.
“I gotta go,” I mumbled, avoiding eye contact with him. “It’s getting late.”
“Where to? It’s already past eleven o’clock. Why don’t you stay here for the night?”
“I’d rather spend the night in my own bed. I’m sure you guys will do just fine without me disturbing you.” I opened the door and saw Carlos and Brendan sipping their whiskey on the sofa, chatting amiably. I pointed at them. “See?”
“All right, but whatever you do, stay alert. I don’t want you to be injured or kidnapped, heaven forbid. We are dealing with a very cruel and dark supernatural.”
“Your concern is touching,” I said sarcastically.
“And don’t go anywhere on your own. We’ll visit the Hellfire Club again tomorrow. Be back here at ten o’clock; you’ll be able to envision my place, won’t you?”
“Of course.” I had already taken out Naomi’s transport charm when I had another thought: The moon was already at a quarter, and I was feeling it in my veins. I no longer needed Naomi’s charm. But considering the powerful fae sniffing around, it didn’t seem like the best idea at the moment to show him my other special talents. True, some mages could teleport themselves, especially telekinetics, but I was labeling myself an elemental mage.