Spectrum of Magic Complete Series - Spell Breaker - Fate Shifter - Cursed Stone - Magic Unborn - Libra

by D. N. Leo

  “Are you stupid or crazy?”

  “Try me!”

  Chapter 28

  The man shook his head, and said, “As an outsider, you can challenge them to a fight to the death to take over their leadership. If you win, you can take the leadership and do whatever you want—including dismissing it. But you know what will happen if you lose.”

  “What’s the challenge?”

  “I don’t know for certain. But they worship the moon, or its energy. If you destroy the source of their religion, then that should do the trick! Good luck.”

  “How do you know so much about them?”

  The man sneered. “I was in the same boat as you. Didn’t have any luck, though. But I’ve told you all I know. You can go save Orla. Can I have my woman, please?”

  Lorcan nodded. “Which one?”

  “Alana.”

  “Alana? The one who fainted at the sight of you?”

  The man laughed. “She’s a shapeshifter, you idiot. Bricius planted her as a kid in that clan. They trained her to do magic. She can shift in and out of that human form and do magic at the same time. In her true form, she’s a hell of a puma. I have to give it to you for capturing her.”

  “Don’t admire me. We didn’t get her.”

  The man’s eyes darkened. “What do you mean? You said you had them. I heard her howling before your friend took me out.”

  “I might have killed the puma. I’m not sure. I was defending myself. But no, I didn’t capture her.”

  “Fuck you, Lorcan. You bastard. You tricked me.” The man’s eyes reddened, he yanked at the chain.

  “Do you know how many people—including women and children—Bricius had killed? And God forbid how many people Alana killed. I can forgive her for trying to kill me at the riverbank, but I won’t forgive her clan for what they did to my parents.”

  “It’s not her fault. She was born into Bricius’s clan and was chosen as a child. Please don’t kill her . . .” Tears rolled down his face. “I’ve done my best to get her out.”

  “But did she want out?”

  “She couldn’t leave. It’s her duty. She couldn’t get out. Bricius’s clan is vicious—you said so yourself. Did you or didn’t you kill Alana?” Blood tricked from his nose, and he looked as if his head would explode. He pulled at the chain until it cut into his flesh and made him bleed.

  “No. She ran away.”

  “Let me go. I’ll take her away. Please. Just let me go.” The man kept tugging at the chain.

  “If you couldn’t do it before, why can you do it now? If you loved her that much, why didn’t you ask your clan to help save her?”

  The man roared in anger. More blood trickled from his mouth. “I am a rouge. I have no clan. No master. No home. Alana is all I have. Every time she goes into the woods, she’s mine. Let me go!”

  “I can’t. If she’s killing people, I’ll have to kill her . . .”

  The man roared and then let out a haunting howl. A projectile of blood erupted from his mouth, and then he passed out before he could shift back to his wolf form.

  As a pang of guilt stabbed at his chest, Lorcan said, “All right, I’ll spare her life if she promises she won’t kill anymore . . .” Then he remembered his mother, standing quietly in the corner, listening to the whole conversation without saying a word.

  Orla scrambled to the bed when Maeve opened her eyes. “Hey, how are you feeling?”

  “Where am I?”

  Maeve blinked. “You’re at Bradan’s place. He brought you here.”

  “Bradan!” Maeve shifted and tried to sit up. Orla pressed Maeve’s shoulder to hold her down. “He’s fine. It was his decision. He came back and blackmailed Uncle Tony into treating you. I think he’s quite cool. I can see now why you love him, Maeve.”

  Maeve closed her eyes and blushed. Orla cleared her throat. “Thing is, because he’s a cool guy, he actually asked me to leave. He said he could take the leadership for me. I can run, you know. But I can’t leave you like this, so I stayed. But the point is that Bradan will tell the clan that he’s willing the take the leadership, and I can deny it.”

  Maeve nodded. A tear trickled from her eye and dropped to the pillow.

  “What happened in the woods?” Orla asked.

  The memory hit Maeve, and she sat straight up. “Oh my God, where are Alana and Sam? Are they okay?”

  Orla shook her head. “Bradan found you and Alana unconscious. He found parts of Sam, torn to pieces. Did you see anything in the woods?”

  Maeve shook her head. “Everything was a blur. How’s Alana?”

  “Still out of it.”

  “I hope she’s up and about by the full moon. They’ll need a backup for Bradan. If you’re not doing it, they’ll need her even more.”

  “To do what?”

  “Line up, just in case. She’s the next in line after Bradan, but it’s just a formality. After the ceremony, she’ll go back to London. That’s her home. She doesn’t belong here.”

  “Alana is in line for the leadership of the clan?”

  Maeve rolled her eyes. “I know. Talking about not wanting to do it, she’s the worst of the three of you. I remember Uncle Tony had to drag her kicking and screaming all the way back here. He didn’t have any success until her parents died.”

  Orla narrowed her eyes. “How did they die?”

  “Hunting accident.”

  “Hummm . . .” Her wrist unit beeped, and she glanced at it. “Shit!”

  “What’s that?”

  “I only have fifty percent of my energy left. Long story, but if this thing runs out, I think I’ll die.”

  “Oh my God! How long do you have? What do you have to do?”

  “I have no clue. Lorcan knows what to do when it comes to technology. I think I have to go all the way back to our place—very far away from here—with Lorcan to recharge this. I didn’t think the energy would run out so quickly. I guess it wouldn’t in normal circumstances, but in the last few days, we’ve been through a lot, haven’t we?” She tapped the wrist unit.

  Chapter 29

  The temple was ancient and mysterious. It didn’t have to be located in this spooky corner of the woods to emphasize the point, Lorcan thought. He adjusted his wrist unit, making sure everything was in working order. He had already said goodbye to everyone, his plan being to grab Orla and run at any chance he got.

  It surprised him that so many people could fit inside the temple courtyard. It wasn’t nearly grand as the Egyptian pyramids or Greek temples, but it was quite formidable with stone walls and lofty ceilings.

  The double wooden door covered in symbols and letters that he had no clue what they meant. The door slid open as he approached. Lorcan stepped in and noted that the people in the courtyard didn’t follow him. He figured that whatever it was he was going to do here was not entertaining enough for spectators.

  There was no long aisle with columns or statues leading to a raised platform. It was a simple square room with an altar located right in the center. A large picture of a half moon was displayed prominently in the middle of the altar. The wolf had been right, they worshipped the moon.

  His eyes landed on Orla. She was standing next to the altar, smiling at him. Illuminated by candlelight in the mysterious temple, she was beautiful. There were others standing around her. He glanced around, scoping out the number of people, location, and exits.

  He heard a low beep and glanced at his wrist unit. But sound hadn’t come from his unit, but from Orla’s. She didn’t look at it, instead keeping her eyes locked with his. He cursed silently. She knew her energy was running low.

  An old man stepped forward. “Lorcan, my name is Tony, and I represent the family until the new leader is appointed. You are here to denounce your marriage with Orla Foley.”

  Lorcan smiled. “Her name is Orla Brody, and until we end our marriage, it will stay that way. I am here to take Orla with me, not to denounce the marriage.”

  “She owes a great deal to
this family. And if I am not mistaken, your life is one of the things she owes us. You can’t just walk in here and take her away from us. Who do you think you are?”

  “With all due respect, Orla is my wife, and I can’t let you force her into a position she doesn’t want to take.”

  “She has sworn.”

  “Not voluntarily. And where I come from, a promise like that doesn’t count.”

  “I know where you come from. That side of the woods isn’t very far from here. But a promise is a promise regardless of where you come from.”

  Lorcan smiled. “Now that sounds like a threat. She promised to be my wife, and I’m going to hold her to that.”

  “You are not in a position to judge us . . .” Tony’s voice came out so low it was almost a growl.

  “I will take the leadership, Uncle Tony. Let Orla go,” Bradan spoke up.

  “Bradan, you are the second in line. Ideally, we should have Orla.”

  “Orla has the right to refuse, doesn’t she?” Bradan advanced.

  Tony narrowed his eyes. “Yes, under normal circumstances, she would have the right to refuse. But she made promises to save his life, and for that she has forfeited all of her rights. Do you want debate the rules with me, Bradan?”

  “How can I repay her debts?” Lorcan asked.

  “There is no way you can do that, young man. If you denounce your marriage, she stays as leader. If you don’t, she will still stay as a magical slave. Either way, she stays and you go.”

  “There is no point keeping her. I have taken the potion for the ceremony,” Bradan said.

  “You stole the potion?” Tony stared at Bradan in surprise.

  “We have a traitor in our clan who killed my father and tried to kill me. I was injured, and without that potion, I would have died.”

  “Who stole the potion for you?”

  “That’s irrelevant. I drank it, and the last I heard, Aunt Anna couldn’t make a new one in time for the full moon.”

  “Don’t you dare . . .” Tony swung his arm and sent a stream of blue fire at Bradan. Bradan put up his shield just as quickly. The fire was deflected into a column at the corner of the temple, almost breaking it in two.

  “You’re not the subject today, Bradan. I know you have trained to be the leader, but at the moment, you are not. If you continue behaving in this way, I will not put you in that position.”

  “You have someone raising his hand for the position. Why insist on Orla?” Lorcan asked.

  “You took a wife without honor, Lorcan. You might be married before your God, but you aren’t before ours. She didn’t have our blessing, and she will spend the rest of her life condemned.”

  “She doesn’t need your blessing, and we don’t worship your gods.”

  Sweat beaded on Orla’s forehead. Lorcan knew she didn’t have much left in her energy tank. He looked at the old man. If he denounced the marriage to pacify them, they would keep her, and she would die when she ran out of energy. He couldn’t tell them about the Daimon Gate and Eudaiz. The multiverse was a secret, and he wasn’t going to divulge it. He had to get her out of here, and he had to do it now.

  Lorcan advanced. Tony and a line of men standing behind him closed in.

  “A fight isn’t necessary, Uncle Tony. I promised to take the leadership. Let Orla go,” Bradan persisted.

  “Do you think she can summon the spirits of our ancestors to save his life in London . . . by herself? I laid the path and connected her. I alone am the guarantor of her oath. She is in my debt. She can’t walk away from that.”

  Bradan sneered, “So that’s your true motive, Uncle Tony. I should have known. Because Orla owes you, you will have immediate access to the energy—and a larger share of it when she comes to power. I thought you cared for the clan.”

  Tony swung his arm, but this time it was too fast for Bradan to put up his shield. He was thrown into the wall like a rag doll and slid down to the floor in a boneless heap. Maeve squealed and crawled out from underneath the altar, scrambling toward Bradan.

  “What on Earth is a white witch doing in our temple?” Tony exclaimed and prepared to hit Maeve.

  Chapter 30

  Orla yelled for him to stop. Bradan groggily pulled Maeve behind him to shield her.

  “She doesn’t belong to this clan. You are not allowed to harm her. So you want to start wars with other clans?” Bradan snarled.

  “If you behave as you should, no one will get hurt,” Tony growled.

  With Tony and the clan distracted, Lorcan seized the opportunity to snatch Orla and make a run for the door.

  Tony yelled for them to stop. Before he could swing his arm, Lorcan shot out an electric beam. It scraped the ground in front of Tony, digging a large hole and crumbling all the stone on the floor in the surrounding area.

  “I can see you can wield magic, Lorcan. But Orla belongs to us until I release her. You walk through that door, and I will place another curse on her. Her debts will pile up, and she will live her life as a fugitive.”

  “I don’t care, Lorcan,” Orla said.

  Tony continued, “You might save her now, but her soul will be forever in debt. She has a family, and all she needs is our blessing. She denied us for you, and all you can give her is a life of a thief? Is that how you take a wife in your clan?”

  They were at the door, but Lorcan stopped. Orla pulled his arm. “I don’t care, Lorcan. As long as we’re together, I can live with it. Let’s go.”

  “Don’t you dare set foot in Ireland again, Orla. Wherever you run to, consider this home lost to you. You came from dirt, and your parents died for nothing,” Tony said in disdain.

  Lorcan turned around. “I challenge you and your curses on Orla.”

  “Lorcan, don’t do this,” Orla begged.

  Lorcan repeated, “I challenge you, Tony, and I challenge your curses and all the magic you’ve used on Orla. If I win, she will be free to walk out of this clan with no curses and no encumbrances. You will never be able to lay claim on her again.”

  “How do you know this rule?” Tony narrowed his eyes.

  “Are you planning to break the rule, Uncle Tony? This outsider has challenged you. Will you accept or not?” Bradan asked.

  “No, Lorcan,” Orla cried.

  He wiped the tears from her face. “I love you, Orla. If I can’t give you the life you deserve, what kind of a husband am I?”

  Tony went to the altar and opened a compartment. It didn’t surprise Lorcan to see him place a dagger, a bottle of poison, and a piece of dried bone on the table.

  “You asked for it. Choose, and I will execute.” Tony growled.

  “No, Lorcan, no!” Orla cried again. Lorcan looked at Maeve. She nodded and held Orla back.

  “I’ll take the dagger. And just to confirm, there will be one strike, and if I survive it, Orla will walk free?”

  Tony smirked. “Of course.”

  Lorcan saw the smirk, and he wasn’t sure of what to make of it, but if he could take a bullet, he could survive a dagger. But suddenly, he felt a tangible click in his head, and at the back of his eye, a small screen popped up that said, “Warning. Ten percent survival on execution of the mission.” Then the screen disappeared. Surely his survival chance was higher than that, he thought. Lorcan shook his head to will away his doubt and hesitation.

  He stood and looked at Tony. Tony grabbed the dagger and charged at him. He felt a warm glow at his back and saw that Bradan had swiveled to stand right behind him. The force of Tony coming forward was like a raging storm. Lorcan relaxed his shoulders and prepared himself to subtly maneuver his chest so that the dagger wouldn’t stab him in the heart.

  Then it dawned on him. He could take a strike from a dagger if it was an ordinary dagger. But if there was magic involved, he would most certainly be killed. But it was too late now.

  As Tony charged and swung the dagger, Bradan placed his palm on Lorcan’s back. He felt a wave of warmth, and a shield pulsed forward from inside his body and h
ung like a curtain in front of him. It was too close for Tony to retract his movement, so he darted through the shield. His body was able to penetrate it naturally because it wasn’t designed to block physical forces, but when the dagger hit the shield, particles splattered out of it like liquid and dissolved into the air. Lorcan knew nothing about magic, but he knew that the Bradan’s shield had knocked the magic out of the dagger and that Tony planned to use magic on the strike.

  The force of the blow pushed Lorcan back a few steps. The impact wasn’t as severe as when the bullet had hit him, but he still felt the blow and slumped to the floor, smiling when he realized it had been an ordinary dagger. He saw his blood on the floor, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard Orla scream. But at that moment, he knew he had survived the challenge. He felt Orla’s arms wrapping around his waist to help him stand up. Her body shook, but her grip was firm.

  “I win,” he said.

  “Uncle Tony, you cheated. He chose the dagger, not the magic, but you combined them. You have disappointed us,” Bradan said. “We don’t want you as a member of the family anymore. Please leave.”

  Tony’s face looked as if it was on fire, but he said nothing and strode out of the temple.

  Lorcan knew he wouldn’t be standing for long. He adjusted his wrist unit and opened the portal. In the distance, a flash of light appeared, and the portal opened. Lorcan and Orla could see it, but to the naked eye, it would look appear to be simply a strip of sunlight in the middle of the sky.

  The crowd rumbled, “Look at the rainbow! He can create a rainbow in the night sky!”

  “Let’s go home,” Lorcan said to Orla.

  Orla helped him as they both walked into the portal, traveling back to Eudaiz.

  Chapter 31

  A beam of bright light assaulted Lorcan’s eyes. He squinted and blinked, feeling incredibly groggy. Then he heard Orla’s soothing voice and felt her cool hands on his face. The light was too bright. It blinded him, and he blinked again.