Magick Marked (The DarqRealm Series)

by Baughman, Chauntelle

  Eldon stepped toward the window opening and shook his head. “Point taken, vampire.”

  He pulled the ley line energy into himself before expanding it around them both like a bubble. “Careful.” Hand in hand, they stepped across the jagged glass.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Stepping to the other side of the broken window frame, Rho pulled a dagger from the sheath at her waist. “Where are they?”

  Eldon studied the living room. She followed his gaze, trying to ignore the blue cast on everything in the room. The circle of protection made her feel a little like she was looking through colored glass, everything around her familiar but different.

  Preshea lay in one corner, her breathing shallow but steady. Tim licked at her face, but it didn’t help. She was out cold. Alexander was crumpled right outside the window, still clutching his bleeding arm and leg. Tim should be able to keep an eye on both of them easily.

  Rho refocused herself on the task at hand. Vectra was somewhere in this house. That small, scared voice could only belong to Preshea’s baby sister. She closed her eyes, letting her senses expand like tendrils of consciousness, touching the air and seeking out any sources of life.

  There. On the other side of the wall. Two bodies. Two heartbeats.

  “This way,” Rho breathed, pulling Eldon behind her.

  He didn’t argue, just followed her lead. The wall of blue protection followed them both as they rushed toward the rhythmic pulses.

  Thump. Thump. Thump.

  The pulses grew louder as Rho broke into a jog, trying to catch up to the sound. Behind that door. They were right there.

  She flung the door open and rushed inside, towing Eldon behind her. The room was small, maybe only ten feet square—but there was no one here. A twin mattress with a frilly pink bedspread was centered on one wall, the mirrored closet doors on the opposite side. A bookshelf pressed against one wall was lined with the full collections of Baby-sitters Club and Nancy Drew books.

  The heartbeats were deafening in her ears, but she couldn’t see the source anywhere. The overhead light flicked on and she glanced over at Eldon. He’d flipped the switch on the wall with his magick. The pulse began to fade, somehow growing softer by the second.

  “Where are they?” she whispered.

  Confused, she let her gaze dart around the room. They were here. She could smell them, one a little like lemons, the other like wet dirt. They’d been right here. She tried to yank her hand from Eldon’s to investigate, but he gripped her tighter.

  “No, you stay with me and don’t let go of my hand for any reason.” Eldon strode up to the bookshelf on one wall, dragging Rho beside him. “It’s not safe.”

  “We don’t have time for this,” she started, but stopped as he lifted a finger to trace the outline of the shelf. “What are you doing?”

  He didn’t answer, just leaned closer and inspected the books. There were some beautiful classics on the second to last shelf, bound in leather and delicate in appearance. The Count of Monte Cristo. Pride and Prejudice. A Tale of Two Cities.

  She tugged on his hand. “Eldon?”

  With a quick movement, he pulled on the corner of Alice in Wonderland. The bookshelf swung into the wall, revealing a pitch black hole.

  “Oh, my God,” Rho whispered. He’d found a trap door. “How did you know?”

  “Lucky guess.” He gave her an anxious smile. “Ready for a trip down the rabbit hole?”

  That’s why the heartbeats had faded and disappeared. They’d been running down a tunnel. Which could only mean… “She’s taking Vectra! We need to go right now!”

  Reaching over, he snagged a candle from the nightstand. “Run your hand over this.”

  “Why?”

  His eyes narrowed. “Do it.”

  She did as he asked, waving a hand over the wick.

  “Lumen,” he murmured.

  The candle sprang to life, and he stepped toward the darkened doorway. “One day you’ll learn to trust me instead of questioning everything I say.”

  She opened her mouth to respond, but shut it again as they stepped into the darkness. The hidden passage took them down into the ground, the tunnel walls and floors nothing but packed dirt. Eldon led the way, gripping her hand firmly as they plunged deeper into the earth.

  His words struck her as cold, but she didn’t think he’d meant them that way. One day you’ll learn to trust me. She didn’t trust anybody, did she? And now that she considered it, she’d pretty much questioned everything Eldon had ever said. The worst part was that she had no good reason not to trust him.

  Sure, when they’d first met there was some mutual distrust, but that was to be expected. They were different species, and that bred a healthy level of cynicism. But he’d never hurt her. Actually, he’d saved her. More than once. Her chest felt heavy as the weight of her guilt settled into place.

  The faint illumination provided by the candle was hardly helpful. Rho focused on the path in front of them as they rushed through the corridor. They were gaining ground on the heartbeats ahead of them. Vectra would be home with her sister soon. Man, she hoped Preshea was okay.

  She’d learned not to trust people, operating under the assumption that if she let anyone in, she would get hurt. That’s what life had taught her. This existence was a series of circumstances and you played the cards you were dealt.

  But that wasn’t entirely true, was it? Life was also a series of choices. Sure, there were some elements that fell outside of what she could control, but she could control herself. She could determine whom she would depend on and to what extent.

  She glanced down at their joined hands. He’d cared enough to envelop her in his own magick to keep her safe. She had no reason not to believe in him. Looking up, she caught the literal light at the end of the tunnel. They were so close.

  The ground began to incline, forcing them higher. The heartbeats were so close now they rang like dinner bells in her ears. She needed to get out of this cramped space.

  They emerged into the cool night air. Rho turned, still holding Eldon’s hand. The tree they’d exited from was a truly massive oak, at least a century old. Someone must have spelled the thing, allowing it to live even though it had been hollowed inside. Perfect hiding spot for an underground tunnel.

  House lights glimmered in the distance, a figure pacing inside. Wait, that wasn’t a person, that was a wolf. That was the ShiftMaster’s house.

  Where are they? Eldon asked, tugging her hand. She’d forgotten their connection remained open, and she sent up a quick prayer that he hadn’t been able to hear her thoughts back in the tunnel. Her inner turmoil didn’t need to be a distraction. Opening her senses again, she tried to track them by scent and sound. Lemons, dirt and beating hearts.

  They were only about a hundred feet away. Taking the lead, Rho rushed forward. Eldon squeezed her hand but held on as he ran beside her, dragging the circle of protection along with them. Two dark figures moved just ahead, one wearing a long dress, the other one a short skirt.

  “Help!” a small voice cried. “Help me!”

  Rho’s chest seized. She had to get to that girl.

  The figure in the long dress froze, then spun around, yanking the smaller figure to her side. “You try anything, the girl dies,” the woman threatened.

  Be careful, Rho. Eldon’s words shot through her head.

  No shit, she shot back.

  Rho strode forward with Eldon in tow, closing the space between them and the enemy. “Give us the girl.”

  “Give me the Kamen.”

  “We don’t have it,” Eldon said.

  “You lie,” the woman breathed, bringing her hand to Vectra’s throat. Green light poured from her fingers.

  Eldon jerked Rho so hard she staggered backwards as he st
epped in front of her.

  What are you doing? she asked. She trusted him, she honestly did, but she wasn’t so damn fragile that she couldn’t handle herself.

  That’s death magick. The black fog.

  Rho narrowed her eyes, examining the light at the woman’s hands. The green glow was brilliant, but he was right. A lace of black mist whirled, mixing with the colorful fae energy until it created a hazy fog.

  “Death magick is illegal, Rhyannon,” Eldon said.

  Rhyannon? Oh, shit. This was the queen of the fae.

  She tilted her head. “You know my name.”

  “Many do.”

  “Do not pretend to flatter me,” she spat. “Now, give me the Kamen or the child dies.”

  Eldon shook his head. “Your accomplice stole your Kamen. The green one.”

  Rho tried not to react. Every inch of her burned with the need to protect Eldon. She wanted to put herself in front of him, to shield him from this woman. Rhyannon’s presence was like toxic waste, rubbing against Rho’s consciousness and making her stomach turn.

  And she couldn’t do anything but stand here and hold Eldon’s hand. His protection circle was their best chance of survival.

  Rhyannon glared at both of them. “I don’t believe you.”

  “It’s on his neck right now. Go see for yourself,” Rho chimed in.

  “Why would you not take it, if you know what he holds?” Rhyannon asked.

  Eldon shrugged. “He’s with an Alpha who’s shifted into his wolf form, and a shifter who no longer holds an allegiance to him. It’ll be there when we get back.”

  Rho had to give it to Eldon. He was a hell of a bluffer. If she hadn’t known with absolute certainty that the Kamen was hiding in his pocket, she would totally buy what he was selling.

  He smiled. “The Council will certainly be glad to have the fae Kamen in their safe keeping.”

  Rhyannon shrieked, the sound filling the air like a dozen nails against a chalkboard. Rho tried to step back as if to escape the sound, but Eldon’s hold kept her in place.

  Then Vectra moved.

  “Vectra, stop!” Eldon shouted.

  Launching herself at the queen, Vectra clawed at her neck. “You… will not… steal… what is ours!” With a swift motion, she tore the chain from the queen’s neck and threw the jewelry on the ground.

  Energy exploded through the air. Rho watched in horror as Vectra’s body took flight, her back slamming against a tree with a loud crack.

  “No!” Rho rushed forward. The young girl fell to a crumpled heap at the base of the tree.

  Rho! Eldon’s voice shouted in her head.

  She had to get to Vectra. Rho couldn’t hear the girl’s breath filling her lungs and her heart was beating much too quickly. The tree was so close.

  Suddenly, everything looked clearer. More focused. Less… blue.

  Oh, God. The circle.

  She glanced down at her hand, realizing it wasn’t warm anymore. She’d dropped Eldon’s hand. The protection circle, it was… gone. Completely dissipated.

  Which meant that Eldon—

  Rho spun around as a blast of green magic tore across the sky, like an arrow destined for a target.

  “Eldon, no!” Rho screamed, watching in terror as the black tinge of fog crept over the edges of the green light. Changing course, she ran toward Eldon with everything she had in her body. The world slowed, time grinding to a halt.

  Not the death magick. Please, not the death magick.

  Silent prayers bounced between her lips and heaven’s ears as the horrific ball of death closed in on its target. He would be fine if she hadn’t let go. He’d told her to hold on to him no matter what, and she didn’t. She didn’t trust him. God damn her, she didn’t listen to him.

  The fire was moving too fast, even for her. There was no way she would reach him in time, but she kept running. All she could hear was her own screaming as the green fire slammed into Eldon’s chest, sending him crashing to the ground. Rho landed by his side only a second too late, just in time to feel him take a ragged breath. And hear his heart start to putter.

  Something inside Rho snapped.

  The wave of violence bubbled up in her throat until she could taste the anger on her tongue. She rose slowly, squaring her shoulders as she met the queen’s eyes.

  “What did you do?” Rho growled, equal parts of anger and sadness swirling in her chest. The fire seething under the surface of her emotions was something so profound, so frightening, she felt as if someone else were wearing her skin.

  Rhyannon bent to the ground and picked up the chain holding a yellow stone. “You do not take what is mine.”

  Mine. The word struck Rho’s brain, sending her into a violent spiral. Fury burst through her subconscious, an emotional detonator pushed. There was no kill switch. There was no shutting it off.

  Fire exploded from Rho’s hands, the green flames licking at her fingertips. A small part of her registered the abnormality, but anger overrode her logic. She moved her hands through the air, watching the fire move with the breeze. It tingled, but it didn’t hurt. She hadn’t been hit with energy. This was… this was something else. She owned this power.

  An eerie calm poured through her veins as she glanced down at the ground, cringing at the sight of Eldon’s lifeless body. Her heart burned, the despair so deep she could barely breathe. Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet the queen’s. Rhyannon stood frozen, her mouth gaping as she blinked.

  Well, wasn’t this a game-changer.

  “It’s true,” Rhyannon whispered, her voice reverent. “Siphon.”

  Fire danced along Rho’s hands, anger threatening to bubble over at any minute. Nothing mattered anymore. Eldon was gone. All those things she wanted to tell him, she never would.

  Rhyannon glanced down at her own hands, the fire she’d controlled completely gone. She shook her head. “You’re one of the undead. How is this possible?”

  “You were wrong.” Rho said softly, allowing the fury to boil, encouraging it as it stirred deep inside her. Strength billowed in her mind, growing on itself until she brimmed with so much power she felt like she had to release it or burst. It burned her bones, setting her soul on fire. “You do not take what is mine.”

  Green flames blasted from Rho’s hands with the force of a nuclear reaction, every thought completely overridden with her desire to destroy the queen of the fae. To take the woman’s life as she’d taken Eldon’s.

  The fire raged, the blaze pouring from her hands as if the supply were infinite. She had no idea how she was calling to it, or why, but she couldn’t stop. The flames shot through the air, circling Rhyannon’s body before engulfing the fairy in flames.

  Rho let her fury burn, allowing it to stream from her body in torrential waves. Tears poured down her cheeks as her heart ached, the sadness so overwhelming she could barely stay on her feet.

  The queen crumpled to the ground, defenseless against her own power. A brilliant light flashed, forcing Rho to blink against the sudden illumination.

  Rhyannon had vanished.

  The fire at Rho’s hands began to dwindle, slowly flickering and fading to nothing. When it finally stopped, she fell to her knees, unable to stand. With the last scrap of energy she had left, she crawled to Eldon’s body. This was her fault. She’d done this to him. Laying her head to his chest, she listened to the weak pumping of his heart.

  Then let the tears fall as she broke down completely.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “Rho!” The male voice was distant but growing closer. “Are you all right?”

  Rho pressed her nose against Eldon’s chest, breathing in the scent of him until she couldn’t smell anything else. His heartbeat was entirely too sporadic, his breathing much too shallow. Clutching hi
s shirt in her hands, she lifted her head to gaze at Eldon’s face. His eyes were closed, his chiseled features slack. He was growing paler by the second.

  Regret stung her heart.

  She’d pushed him away at every opportunity, even when he’d had the nerve to tell her how he felt. He’d cared for her when she’d narrowly avoided death from silver poisoning, and had told her how hard it was to watch her slip away. Is this what he’d felt like? Because her heart was on fire and her chest was too heavy and she’d give anything to rewind the clock. Anything.

  Rho swallowed hard and brushed a strand of hair from Eldon’s forehead. “Eldon? Can you hear me?”

  He didn’t respond.

  She talked to him softly anyway. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to step out of that circle.” She stroked his cheek. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry. Please don’t die.”

  “Rho?”

  She vaguely recognized the voice speaking to her, but it wasn’t Eldon’s so she didn’t care. “Please, wake up.” She patted his cheek. “Come on, you have to wake up.”

  “Rho, we have to get out of here,” the voice ordered.

  She shook her head, her tears staining Eldon’s shirt. “I was so wrong… about everything.”

  “We need to get him to his sister.”

  “We’re connected, Eldon. You can’t die,” she murmured.

  “Rho!” The demanding voice caught her attention and she snapped her head up to glare at the source. A snarl tore through the air as her protective instincts kicked into overdrive. It took her a moment before she realized the sound had come from her.

  The man put his hands up and took a step back. “Whoa, there. It’s me. Nick.” He tilted his head. “Eldon’s best friend, remember?”

  Oh, right. He was the one who’d told her their auras were mixed, whatever that meant. This man wasn’t an enemy.