Bryar Rose is screaming.
“Stop transporting,” I say. “You hear that?” She screams again. “It’s Bry.”
Colonel Mallory lowers his arms, and the silver dust fades. “Are you certain?”
“My wolf hearing is never wrong. Someone’s hurting her.”
Colonel Mallory shakes his head. “All the more reason for us to go. There’s nothing we can do here.”
I pound my fist onto my leg. There must be something.
Elle gives me those watery eyes again. “Knox, I know how you feel. Believe me. But waiting here does not help her.”
I round on Colonel Mallory. “You said you were looking for a break in the thorns. What if you could make one?”
“Even I don’t have that kind of magic, son.”
An idea starts to form. It’s crazy, but it’s worth a try. “What if you had help; could you cast something else?”
“Depends on the help.”
“What about Elle?”
“Well, now.” Colonel Mallory sets his hands in his pockets and rolls back on his heels. “That’s a possibility. Miss Elle is a very powerful fairy indeed.” He focuses on Elle. “You ever cast a spell?”
“No.”
“Didn’t even bring one silver particle of fairy dust to life?”
“If I did, my stepfamily would find me in a heartbeat. You don’t know what Blackaverre went through to get me out of that house. I’d never risk it.” She hugs her elbows. “Now I don’t know if I could. I’m willing to try, though. Anything for Bry.” She lifts her chin. “Would this spell be hard?”
Colonel Mallory’s face creases into a sympathetic smile. “Incredibly. The only spell that could help us here is a magical link. Essentially, you and I would merge our powers to break the enchantment on these thorns. It’s as simple as holding hands.”
Alec frowns. “You’ll cast at the same time?”
“Not really, son. We’d stay separate people, but for the purposes of the spell, our magic would emanate from the same person.”
“That’s not possible,” says Alec.
“Not for wizards.” Colonel Mallory shrugs. “But a few fairies can do it.”
“A few fairies?” The way Alec asks the question, I can tell that he’s absolutely not convinced.
“Fine, I’m the only one who can do it.”
I get that Alec is skeptical, but Bry is off somewhere screaming. “So you’ve done this before?”
“Absolutely not,” says Colonel Mallory. “It’s just a theory. But it would certainly require a fairy whose power and experience matches mine.” He turns to Elle. “There’s no doubt in my mind. You’ve got the natural power, sugar.”
“But not the experience.” Elle scrubs her hands over her face. “So, casting this linking spell is impossible.”
“Don’t worry, sugar. With enough practice, you’ll be able to cast someday. Your soul knows what to do, even if your mind doesn’t.”
Colonel Mallory’s words echo through my mind.
Her soul knows.
I round on Alec. “Back at the LeCharme offices, you cast a spell on Bry. You spoke to her soul. Can you do that to Elle?”
Alec frowns. “It’s dangerous to do it with her standing right here. Remember the frog?” He makes an exploding noise and moves his hands apart. “He said they’d need to hold hands.”
“A fairy is not a frog,” says Colonel Mallory. “A soul spell would be safe.”
I turn to Colonel Mallory. “So if he cast the soul spell, you two could link?”
“Why, we most certainly could.” He purses his lips. “That is, if your friend can really cast a spell like that. Not too many wizards have that kind of power these days.”
“He can cast it.”
Alec pales. “I can do it, but I won’t. Besides, Elle wouldn’t let me cast that spell on her. She’ll block it.”
“No, I won’t. Like I said before, if it helps Bryar Rose, I’ll do anything.”
“It’s a safe spell to cast if you’re miles away. But this close?” Alec points to Colonel Mallory. “I don’t care what he said about fairies and frogs. It could kill you.”
Elle pales. “Did you hear that scream? If we don’t get over there now, Bry will die.”
Alec pinches the bridge of his nose. “Not doing it.”
“Now, children,” says Colonel Mallory. “Let me get this straight. This boy here can cast a senior-level soul speak? How’s that possible exactly?”
I look to Alec. It’s not my place to share his secrets. Unfortunately, Alec isn’t talking.
“Son, don’t make me cast on you.”
A muscle ticks in Alec’s jawline. “I’m a warden for witches and warlocks.” I notice that Colonel Mallory is the only person surprised by this news. Elle must already have known. Interesting.
Colonel Mallory’s silver eyes light up. “Are you now? Well, in that case, get casting.”
“No. I can’t risk Elle.”
Everything about Colonel Mallory turns deadly serious. “And I won’t risk Bryar Rose. You’re no match for me, son. Don’t try.”
Elle gently rests her hands over Alec’s. “You worry about me getting hurt? Well, it would kill me to see my friend die. Do this for me. Please.”
Alec opens his mouth as if ready to argue. I’m tempted to punch him in the face until he agrees, but before I get the chance, Alec nods and steps away. “I’ll do it. But I hate this idea.”
“Thanks, man,” I say.
In reply, Alec only glares in my direction. I get that he’s pissed, but I can’t worry about that now. Bry is in serious trouble.
With that thought, Bryar Rose’s screams sound once more. Every muscle in my body gets tense. I want to transform into my wolf so badly, it hurts. It doesn’t matter that my thinking mind knows I’ll get skewered the moment I leap into the thorns. My animal-self wants to protect what’s mine.
Mine.
The word ricochets around my soul. Mine. My wolf always thought Bryar Rose was his mate. When exactly did I get the same ideas?
Bry’s face appears in my mind. I picture her intelligent blue eyes, luscious pink mouth, and delicate features. I shiver, remembering the touch of her slim fingers along my scars. This girl is a crazy combination of strength and sweetness. She can give a gentle kiss as easily as a swift kick. That girl owns me, body and soul. I’ll never allow anything bad to happen to her.
Which brings me back to the present moment. I turn to Colonel Mallory. For whatever reason, he’s as invested in Bryar Rose as I am. “You got everything you need to get started, Colonel?”
“Almost.” Colonel Mallory waves Elle over. “Take my hand, sugar.”
In this situation, some folks might whine or cower. Not Elle. She straightens her back and strolls right over to Colonel Mallory’s side. I can smell the sour tang of extreme fear on her. It only makes her strength all the more impressive.
“Good friend for mate,” says my wolf.
“Yeah, she’s strong.” I don’t bother correcting my wolf about the whole mate thing. After all, I have bigger worries. Did I just sign Elle up for a suicide mission? What if this doesn’t work?
Alex reaches into the pocket of his sport coat and pulls out a handful of red gems. Closing his eyes, he raises his arm. The gems cupped inside his palm glow with red light. Alec opens his hand. The gems cascade from his palm and multiply until they take the shape of Elle. Only, while the real Elle is made from flesh and bone, this version is created entirely from glittering jewels. The Ruby-Elle scans the scene. Without speaking a word, she walks over to Colonel Mallory and takes his other hand.
Now, it’s one thing to know that someone’s soul knows how to use magic without their mind being in on the game. It’s another to see it in practice. The look of absolute calm on the ruby version of Elle is beautiful and upsetting, all at once.
It’s as if she knows she’s about to die.
The moment Ruby-Elle takes Colonel Mallory’s hand, a flare of red li
ght shines around the living Elle. For a moment, she’s lit up like a Christmas tree. Alec’s magic is really kicking in now. The brightness disappears, and Elle hunches over in pain. I wince. I’ve had Alec zap me before, and it can really sting. That level of magic has to hurt like nobody’s business. Alec rushes to Elle and scoops her into his arms.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to do this to you.” My best friend may have looked pale before, but now he appears positively bloodless. I’ve never seen him cast so many major spells in one day. I don’t know how much longer the guy can hold out.
“Alec.” Elle slumps against his shoulder, her eyes rolling back into her head.
This situation sucks. My best friend is in pain. Elle’s hurting too. Hell, she might even be dying. But most of all, I can’t stop replaying Bry’s screams in my mind. If this magic doesn’t work, what will happen to her?
Colonel Mallory and Ruby-Elle raise their joined hands. The gemstones in Ruby-Elle’s body glow brighter. Silver fairy dust surrounds Colonel Mallory. Within seconds, the dust begins to glow with a crimson light. My breath catches.
Their magic is linking up, just like Colonel Mallory said it would. This spell might actually work.
The fairy dust begins to swirl into a smaller and smaller sphere. Soon, it’s the size of a grenade that’s made of both silver and red light. Colonel Mallory and Ruby-Elle share a look before speaking a single word in unison:
“Now!”
The small orb of light zooms off into the thorn forest. The brightness slams forward in a straight line, cutting its way through the wall of thorny branches. After that, it disappears. Have all my hopes gone with it? The branches don’t look changed at all, and the light of the spell is gone.
Maybe something more is supposed to happen. All I need is patience.
I clench and unclench my fists, trying to release some nervous energy. Finally, I can’t take it anymore. “Did that do it, Colonel?”
“I don’t think so, son.” Colonel Mallory turns to Alec. “You can release her now.”
Alec snaps his fingers, and the ruby version of Elle collapses into a cascade of blackened gemstones. The living Elle curls up with pain. Alec holds her more tightly against his chest. Her body goes slack.
I rush up to Elle and rest my fingers on her throat.
Alec’s face is tight with fear. “Is she all right?”
I know a dead body when I see one. Thankfully, Elle isn’t one of them. “She’s alive. She needs some healing spells, though.”
“I have gems back at LeCharme that will do it.” Alec addresses Colonel Mallory. “Take us there.”
I set my hand on Colonel Mallory’s shoulder. “Not yet, man. You should wait. Maybe the spell needs more time.”
“I’m afraid not, son. It’s over. If the spell were going to work, we’d have known by now.”
His words feel like a death sentence for Bry. If we abandon her now, we may never find her again. “You can’t know that for sure. Have you ever cast with someone’s soul before?”
“That’s beside the point. We’re heading to the city for help, and that’s final.”
My thinking self knows this is sane, but my animal side will have none of it. Every instinct I have tells me not to leave. “I won’t go with you.”
Inside my mind, my wolf grunts in agreement. “No leave mate.”
I give my wolf a mental high-five. “Damn right, buddy.”
Alec shakes his head. “You and your furry instincts. Your kind could learn something from wizards. Give logic a try.”
Right. Not sure I’d say that wizards use logic. It’s more like keeping a list of grudges against rival families. At least, we werewolves fight, and then it’s over.
“Go take care of Elle. I’m staying right here.” I focus on Colonel Mallory. “Can you transport them? I don’t think Alec could handle another casting right now.”
“Oh, I can do it.” Colonel Mallory inspects Alec. “You look like hell in a handbasket.”
“You don’t look too nice yourself,” says Alec. My friend has a point. Colonel Mallory’s tan skin seems almost green. Whatever that casting did, it certainly took something out of him as well.
Elle opens her eyes a crack. “Did it work?” Her voice is barely a whisper.
“Not yet, sugar. But we’ll figure out something.” Colonel Mallory steps closer to Elle and Alec while raising his arms. A cloud of silvery fairy dust forms around all three of them. It seems to take forever for the dust to grow thick and then fade away. Once it’s gone, so are Elle, Alec, and Colonel Mallory.
The thorn forest seems extra-quiet without them here. The sound of my own breathing becomes deafening. I shake my head. What kind of person have I become? I’m waiting around for a miracle while my friends are hurt.
“Wait for mate. Protect mate.”
“Don’t worry, buddy. We’ll stay here.”
Suddenly, red and silver light flickers from within the wall of thorns. I pause, my heart beating at double speed. Smoke fills the air. Before me, the wall of thorns combusts from the inside out. Flames lick along the rope-like branches until there’s enough room for one man to walk through.
Or in my case, for one wolf to run.
Relief and adrenaline pump through me in equal measure. The spell worked. I don’t even bother stripping off my clothes. In a single burst of power, I transform into my wolf and take off down the thorny path. Bry’s scent grows stronger.
She’s here.
She’s alive.
And I’m setting her free if it’s the last thing I ever do.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Bryar Rose
I’m trapped.
That thought rings through my mind, over and over. Panic zings through my nervous system. This is too awful to be real. Jules just cast a spell on me. Now I’m embedded waist-deep in the hotel courtyard. Thin cords of thorn-covered branches wrap around my wrists. And that’s not even the worst part.
He also used all three kinds of magic: fairy, shifter, and wizard.
I shake my head. It was enough of a shock to learn that Philpot was actually Jules, the secret leader of the evil Denarii. Those creeps are super-strong and can live for thousands of years. Pretty scary, but that should be the limit of their superpowers, right? I mean, they’re not supposed to wield any magic, let alone master all three kinds. A chill runs up my neck.
Yet that’s exactly what Jules did. Every cell in my body vibrates with terror. I have to get out of here.
Trouble is, I’m still stuck waist-deep in a courtyard. Beneath the ground, jagged stones shove into my lower back and legs. I wiggle against my confinement. A few of the rocks shift against me. It’s a start, but getting out of here will be a huge pain. Any time I move, the sharp stones cut into my skin. Yowch.
I won’t give up, though. Elle’s advice rings through my head. “When you get into trouble, don’t lose your cool.” I slap on what I hope is a confident face.
I can do this. I can get out of here.
Jules kneels in front of me. He’s totally returned to his non-werewolf look. “How are you feeling, Bryar Rose?” The smarminess is back as well, it seems.
Somehow, I manage to keep looking calm. Go, me. “I’m fine, Jules. Just waiting around, plotting my revenge.”
“You won’t break my magic.” The words come out as more of a question, though.
Awesome.
Jules totally thinks I can escape. My pulse speeds up with this news. Maybe he suspects that I have help coming…or even a weapon hidden in a pocket somewhere. Whatever it is, I’m going to act like I have a plan. Another classic piece of Elle’s advice rings through my head.
“Act like you can do anything, then work the con until you’re free.”
I crank up my sass a notch. “You don’t seem so sure of yourself.”
“I’m positive.” He still doesn’t sound it, though.
Yes.
Blanche steps closer. “You’re about to remove her organs, am I r
ight?”
“I will transform her into my wife.”
Oh, he totally thinks that he’s removing my organs. Yuck.
I glare at Blanche. “Back off.”
Blanche doesn’t move an inch, though. “May I have a single bite, my husband? I know that normally, only you can feast on the Magicorum. Still, I thought you might make an exception. After all, I dressed her so prettily.” She smiles so wide I’m surprised she doesn’t get a face cramp.
“Hey, Blanchey-baby. Over here.” She grudgingly flicks her gaze in my direction. “This whole situation is bad enough without you planning on how to divide up bites of my organs. Back off.”
“My future wife is right. Your question is disrespectful.” Jules gestures toward the hotel. “You may go now.”
Blanche puffs out her lower lip. She still isn’t leaving, though. “You like her more than you like me. I’m the lead wife. All I wanted was a bite.”
In a flash, Jules moves to stand in front of Blanche. He grips her jaw in his hand. “No one feasts on the Magicorum except for me. Do we understand each other?” Blanche nods, but Jules still doesn’t release her chin. “Want to join the other Denarii? Fancy being hungry all the time? Little food? No new clothes?” Blanche shakes her head. Tears line her eyes.
If she hadn’t just asked to eat some of my brains, I might even feel sorry for her.
“Then go.” Jules sets Blanche loose. She picks up her skirts and races for the hotel like her life depended on it. And let’s face it; it probably does. I scan the building carefully. Bodies shift in the shadows.
Huh. When I stepped down from the tower, Blanche said there were some others rustling around. Elle always says to get your captor talking. The Denarii hiding in the Thornhill Arms is as good a topic as any.
“How many of your Denarii are here?” Underground, I shift enough that my leg breaks loose. My pulse picks up speed. I can almost taste my freedom.
Jules stands with his back to me as he scans the broken windows. He shrugs. “I really wouldn’t know.”
Something about his answer just smells rotten to me. “Come on. You know perfectly well how many Denarii follow you around. In fact, I bet you work hard to hide their actual numbers.”
Wolves and Roses Page 20