Illusions: Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (The Seekers Book 1)

by Carina Wilder

  At last he spoke.

  “I need you to stay back while I take on whoever’s guarding the outer door,” he said. “You can move in once the area is clear. You think you can unlock it?”

  “I’ll try,” she replied. “I’ve had some success. You…helped me, when you bonded with me. My skills have improved, though I haven’t had time to practice much.”

  “Well, we’ll do our best, shall we?” he said, smiling at her for the first time in what seemed like ages. “Have faith in yourself, Serafina. You are likely capable of far more than you know.”

  Warmth flooded through Sera as though it had been injected directly into her bloodstream. It was good to have a friend, whatever else this gorgeous man had become. Hedy was a mentor and Circe was a sister. But Rohan was someone who chose to help her out of kindness, generosity. There was no obligation involved, and somehow that made their link all the more special.

  But her bond with her sister was even stronger, and Circe, for all her calm, strength and fortitude, needed her now. She was all alone in a cell, and though Sera knew that she’d be as tough as she could, she would be feeling abandoned, frightened even.

  Finally through the trees, a large, grey stone building came into view. It was the first time Sera had set eyes on the Guild’s hiding place, and she had to admit that despite its ugly penitentiary style, it was an impressive achievement.

  Small barred windows sat in a long row across the second storey, denoting a series of cells. As if the Guild needed thick stone walls to hold innocent, powerless women in place. It was almost laughable. And yet, her hope was that the iron locks and mortared structure would give in to her magic as though they were made of straw.

  Today would be the first real test of her skills, and she was thankful to have a man as powerful as Rohan by her side in case things went terribly wrong.

  * * *

  Indoors, Paxx paced the long hallway outside of Circe’s cell. Only a few inmates were trapped in their own cold chambers: a young woman from Salem who knew nothing more about witchcraft than your average squirrel, and a woman who had tried on more than one occasion to seduce the guards into allowing her to escape. Neither of them was a Sisterhood member, and neither should have been in this place for any reason.

  He’d seen no sign of the Sorceress, Crow or Mace since the previous day, and the place was generally quiet, one man guarding each end of the compound. Downstairs was a bunk room where various members of the Guild still slept, some rising lazily for breakfast. Most of them weren’t yet fully-fledged shifters, but men awaiting their turn at a Ritual. Hoping that the next trapped woman would be offered up.

  None of them understood the beauty of the ceremony itself. And neither had Paxx, until he’d first set eyes on Serafina. He almost felt sorry for the men who might never get to experience the sensation of finding one’s prospective mate. Pure instinct kicking in as his eyes met her face and body. The knowledge that she was to be his one day.

  Of course, knowledge and fact weren’t always one and the same, and unless she decided that she wanted him, there was no hope of a Ritual. He would have to find a way to forget her after all was said and done. Perhaps one of her magical spells could even cure him of it. If not, he was probably in for months of anguish. But just meeting her had almost been worth that pain; that was how much he delighted in the pleasure of her proximity.

  As he walked along the hall, Circe’s voice came to him.

  “Is she coming?” Sera’s sister asked quietly.

  He turned and faced the small window, peering in at her as her eyes met his. She was so different from her sister. More and less shy at once. Circe always seemed to be hiding a secret; to know what might happen before it did. Not to mention that he felt as though she could read his insides as though a book were scrawled on his organs, dictating exactly who he was.

  “Yes,” he answered. One simple word which caused Circe’s eyes to close and a smile to spread slowly over her lips. But that lasted only for a moment before a look of concern took her over. “Something’s wrong,” she said.

  “What is it?”

  “I don’t know. Yet.” She stood and walked to the window overlooking the forest outside where Obsidian had remained perched in wait. “Sidian,” she said. “Watch over them as they come near.”

  The sound of a crow’s caw rang out and Paxx knew that the bird was doing her bidding. What a strange thing these Familiars were; like an extension of the women themselves. Very much like a déor, in fact, except that the human forms didn’t change shape. The big difference was that Familiars could not fight a bear or a wolf; they were watchers, sentinels in charge of information.

  “Be careful,” said Circe, turning back to Paxx. “This day won’t go as planned. Nothing from here on will.”

  Chapter 20

  Troubles

  Outside the compound’s south door stood a tall young man, broad-shouldered like so many of his kind, and innocent. Like Paxx and Phist, he’d been brought into the Guild against his will. But unlike them, he had embraced the privilege of being assigned a place in this life, a purpose. He had no siblings and life outside of the Guild had looked bleak; if he were really fortunate he might have turned out to be a blacksmith—a job which he abhorred—or a farmer. Even worse.

  And so he’d jumped at the prospect of learning to shift, of extracting from within himself a creature which could alter into an animal. Melina had presented the potential of a long life, and an exciting one. He had embraced the Guild’s doctrines, the idea of the Ritual, of a mate being chosen for him. He awaited the day when he would be offered a young woman, to be allowed to take her for himself.

  But he was not cruel; only naïve and young. This was the only life he’d grown to know, after all, and as far as he was concerned, the Guild members simply followed centuries-old traditions.

  On the long days that he spent on guard, his eyes fixed on the woods around him, the guard reminded himself that life would become something more. He would one day be a superior being—once the Guild had given him a mate, that was. And at the rate they were going, that day would come soon. Hopefully she would be glorious, beautiful, and perhaps they would even grow fond of one another.

  As on most days, he daydreamed about the future as he guarded against threats that never materialized, eyes glazed over as he stared ahead at a distant tree. Usually no one was around to see that he wasn’t entirely focused on the task at hand; the Sorceress would be far off, as always with her mates, ignoring their underlings.

  And so, in his usual distracted state, the guard didn’t notice the man making his way quietly through the woods to the west of the compound.

  The man who altered silently into a creature the likes of which the guard had never seen: a bird, taller than the average human, its neck alone several feet long. Its legs were powerful enough that it could run at great speed, its dark feathers bouncing rhythmically as it did so, dashing by the guard like a flash of light, drawing his eye once again towards the woods, away from Serafina.

  That was all that it took to grab his attention as Rohan, disguised in the form of an ostrich, sprinted into the forest east of the prison while Sera approached the now unguarded door quickly but quietly.

  From her pocket she extracted a rune stone, tracing a symbol before laying it gently on the doorstep below the lock as she uttered the word “Árásae.” “Open.”

  The stone glowed red as a dull click sounded. The door swung inward, allowing her entry into the fortress. She slipped in, grabbing the rune stone from the ground before sliding the door shut once again.

  Between Rohan and Paxx’s assortment of information, she knew the layout of the prison well by now. A set of stairs began through a doorway to her right and meant that she could avoid wandering by the men’s quarters, where no doubt they would be milling about. She had only to hope that they couldn’t hear her or smell her, wishing that she were skilled enough to conceal herself better.

  As she slipped up the stairs
towards another locked door where Paxx would be awaiting her arrival, it all seemed to be going too easily. Circe was only metres away now, ensconced in her cell. If Rohan could keep the guard occupied for a few minutes, they might just manage to get away.

  At the next locked door she used the stone once again, and again it swung open easily. Sera almost laughed, impressed by her own skills; skills for which Rohan was largely responsible. She felt as though she could take on the universe now.

  Paxx stood in wait, making his way towards her as she walked down the hallway.

  “Is everything well?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

  “Fine,” she replied, putting a hand out to touch him before pulling it back.

  Right. There was to be no touching this man. No touching Rohan, either. To do so only led to further desire, and much as she was grateful to them, this was the last time that she should ever see of either; they were allies for the day and then they would part.

  Sensing her dilemma, Paxx turned away and led her to Circe’s cell, which he opened with his own set of keys, pushing the door to allow her entry.

  For the first time in what seemed like days, Circe stood. Stepping forward, she greeted her sister with a warm, tight hug.

  “Are you all right?” asked Sera, examining her for signs of trauma.

  “Fine,” she said, stroking Nyx’s back, which was stretched over Sera’s shoulder. “But you shouldn’t have come. Something’s not right.”

  “Everything’s fine,” protested Paxx, stepping into the cell. “Come on, I need to get you two out of here, and quickly. If they find Serafina here…”

  “He’s right,” said Sera, grabbing her sister’s hand. “Is Sidian outside?”

  “Yes, in the trees,” said Circe. “He’ll join me once we’re out.”

  Following Paxx, the sisters made their way once again down the hall to the stairway. So far, all was quiet and calm. They raced down the stairs, heart rates accelerating as they advanced.

  But once again, no guards appeared. No men wandering along the downstairs hallway where there should have been at least one. Sera began to understand her sister’s anxious demeanour. Indeed, something felt wrong.

  The door to the outside stood before them, and no one was trying to stop them in their tracks. Could it be that they were nearly free? If so, this Guild wasn’t nearly so threatening as it had initially seemed.

  Paxx inserted an iron key into the lock, turning it quickly clockwise and then pulling the door’s handle. But nothing happened. He extracted the key, staring at the ring, and then tried another one. Still nothing.

  “I don’t understand,” he said. “I know that the first was the right one.”

  “Let me try,” replied Sera, placing the rune stone once again below the lock, once again uttering the command to open. But it was as though the door had been welded shut. Turning her head, she looked back at Circe, whose face expressed deep concern.

  And then an enormous blow seemed to come at Sera through the door itself, as though by a giant fist made of nothing more than air had struck her in the chest. She flew backwards, falling hard to the dirt floor below, Nyx still hooked around her shoulders. Circe ran to her, crouching down and helping her to her feet.

  “What happened?” she asked.

  The question was answered a moment later when the door swung inwards. A tall woman and a very large man stood in the doorway, their forms silhouetted in the bright daylight.

  “Melina,” breathed Sera.

  “Hello, Serafina,” the woman known as the Sorceress replied. “I see that your skills have come along a little.” She stepped into the building, a long crimson robe swaying as she went. “But I’m afraid that they’re not going to cut it here. The Bonding is no match for the Ritual. And you are no match for me.”

  Chapter 21

  Inner Conflict

  Buried deep within the dense woods, Rohan could still smell his pursuer, a man more curious than threatening; more bored than attentive. Rohan had never shifted into an ostrich before. But while studying in the modern age he’d learned about their speed and strength, and always been curious about their abilities. And now he ran tirelessly, his pursuer drenched in sweat but remaining relatively close at hand.

  When they’d gone a few miles Rohan shifted once again, this time into a starling which darted upwards, out of the guard’s eye line, and shot back towards the compound. His intention was to gather his clothing once he’d located Sera and Circe, who’d hopefully succeeded by now at escaping the Guild’s clutches.

  Paxx seemed like a capable man, and he was certainly protective. There was no question that fortune was on their side, provided that no insiders got wind of their plan.

  It took only a couple of minutes to return to the giant building, but when Rohan arrived he could see that all was not well: the outer door was wide open, and he Serafina’s scent was on the air: she was still inside the building. After landing, he shifted once again, now a vole, scurrying into the structure in his tiny form.

  Once inside, he saw what was happening.

  Two men had Circe and Serafina in their grasp, arms pulled behind their backs. Before him, Rohan could see a man and a woman standing, speaking to their prisoners. Guards stood around them, apparently more curious than aggressive. No doubt these were some of the reluctant Guild members that Paxx had spoken of.

  Paxx stood by, his back against the wall. But his hands were tied to a metal railing; no doubt he awaited whatever fate they would lay at his feet for his betrayal of the Guild.

  As Rohan darted towards them he overheard the conversation.

  “You will agree to our terms, Serafina, or your sister will be hanged.” This was the voice of one of the male Guild leaders, a large man. He spoke the words as though he were indifferent, cold to their very meaning.

  What terms is he speaking of? thought Rohan. What was happening here?

  “She will do no such thing.” This voice was new; that of Serafina’s younger sister. Defiant, strong.

  “Circe,” hissed Sera. “Hush.”

  “How can you do this, Melina?” Circe was asking. “How can you sell your gender, your sisters, as though they were meat?”

  “Easily,” the woman said, her long red hair in waves at her back, her calico Familiar rubbing itself against the hem of her skirt. “You think that I am somehow offering you punishment, Circe. But you have no idea. The powers of the Crones are nothing compared to those acquired during a Ritual. I am stronger than you, as I have just proven. Your magic cannot defeat my own. And I’m offering you—both of you—a chance to gain similar powers.”

  “At what cost?” Now it was Paxx who spoke. “You are asking these women to compromise everything that they believe in.”

  One of the guards punched him in the stomach, quieting him swiftly.

  “Stop it!” yelled Sera. “Melina, please. Will you give me a day to consider your offer?”

  “Sera,” said Circe, her voice desperate. “Don’t do it.”

  “It’s all right,” her sister replied. “I would sooner succumb than allow any harm to come to you.” She turned again to Melina. “Twenty-four hours. It’s all I ask.”

  “Very well,” said Melina. “One day. But at sunset tomorrow your sister will be hanged by the neck if you haven’t returned with your reply. Is that clear?”

  “Yes.”

  “Bring her back up,” said Melina, gesturing to the men to take Circe. She wandered over to Paxx and took his face in her hand. “And you,” she said. “What shall we do with such a man? I think you would be a fine example for the others. Particularly for your brother, when he returns from town.”

  Paxx didn’t respond; he simply pulled his face out of her grasp and looked the other way.

  “Tie him up outside,” she said. “Make sure that Phist sees him upon his return. Serafina, leave. Go home and make your decision. And return tomorrow.”

  Sera turned without a word and walked by Rohan, who huddled
in a corner, contemplating his next move. If he shifted now he risked Circe and Serafina’s lives, not to mention Paxx’s. No, that wouldn’t do.

  He watched two men pull Paxx outdoors and tie his hands to a ring, which was attached to a post outside. They wanted him humiliated, on display when his brother returned. Phist’s reaction would tell them if he too was a traitor to the Guild. And it was to Rohan to save them both.

  * * *

  Hours passed as the small bird sat perched in a tree, watching Paxx stand silently, calm always, as other Guild members kept an eye fixed on him. Occasionally, seeing that their prisoner wasn’t going anywhere, they would wander off to use the woods as a lavatory or to grab a snack.

  It was at such a moment that Rohan would have to make his move, and he would need to be careful. It seemed that the guard from that morning hadn’t reported his ostrich-hunt; perhaps he was frightened of accusations of insanity. Either way, Rohan would have only a brief window during which to cut Paxx free and to guide him away. The Guild would send men after him, no doubt.

  During one of the guard’s bathroom breaks in the forest, Rohan flew down, shifting into the dragon form that he’d so often enjoyed in his years at Dundurn. It was enormous; larger by far than a horse. But it would only be temporary.

  Even the calm Paxx couldn’t contain his excitement at such a sight.

  “A dragon! But there’s no such…” he began before stopping. Obviously he still knew little of shifters. And even less about Rohan.

  Quickly the scaled creature huffed a focus stream of flame at the rope which held Paxx in place, burning through it in an instant. And then the dragon changed seamlessly into a large black stallion, pressing its nose to the ground as though instructing Paxx to climb aboard.

  He did so, his hands still fastened together, and clung to the long mane as the horse galloped off, guiding him towards Ealdor. Away from the Guild, away from his brother, who had not yet returned.