Magical Compass: A Supernatural Prison Story

by Jaymin Eve

  I had spoken the truth though. My mom loved me, I’d never say she didn’t, but she’d loved my dad more. I got it now, to some degree. My feelings for Tyson were big. The epic fairytale romance kinda big. Still … I couldn’t imagine loving him more than my children. It felt like I’d love them so intensely that eventually they would roll their eyes at me and suggest I get a life that didn’t involve hugging and kissing them.

  No kids. It’s too damn scary. I felt Tyson looking at me then, and I had no idea if he’d heard my thoughts. I quickly shielded.

  Maximus cleared his throat, sounding like he would rather be saying anything but the words coming from his mouth: “Maybe we can leave the babies with Josephina once we’re back in Faerie. I’d feel better about it if we were at least on the same world.”

  “We can deal with that after we get this book,” Braxton said, sounding both gruff and kinda sad.

  There was no more arguing as we focused on the simple yet somehow incredibly difficult task of making it through these unforgiving lands. The huge gathering of buildings finally came into clear sight. There was no visible barrier – like a fence or gate – but I could feel the magical resonance of a field a few yards from us, stronger than anything I’d ever felt before.

  “Holy shit, this magical barrier would crush Stratford’s.” Jessa sounded slightly in awe. “I can’t wait to tell Louis. He’ll be so pissed someone out-magicked him.”

  Tyson let out a low rumble of a chuckle. The sound was stupidly attractive, and it took real effort to keep all of my pathetic from leaking out. “You’re just as competitive,” I reminded him.

  “I’m … ambitious.”

  Even through chattering teeth, my chuckle was loud. “Same thing, Tyson Compass. It is the exact same thing and you know it.”

  His face softened, and somehow looked surprised at the same time. I realized I was joking around normally with him. Showing him that my soul was healing.

  “You must be getting tired. Let me know if you need to rest.” His tone was serious again, and I felt him searching down our bond, assessing how I was.

  Truthfully, there was a deep-seated exhaustion hovering just beneath my determination and adrenalin. “It’s been a really long day.” Multiple long days if you counted the time change between Faerie and Earth. “And it’s not over yet. I’m okay, though. No time to rest until we find this magical book, track down those princesses, and save the world.”

  Jessa groaned. “I vote that someone else saves the world next time. I think we’ve filled our quota for this lifetime.”

  A few other grumbles joined hers; it had been more than a little rough for this pack lately. My pack.

  Fuck yeah it is.

  I mentally shoved Tyson into his corner. Out of my thoughts.

  His power tickled at my mental shields. You don’t scare me, mate.

  Now why did that not surprise me. Nothing scared the Compasses. Further conversation was cut off when we reached that barrier, about five or six feet from the edge of the first large, domed building. Tyson immediately stepped forward, running his hands along it, blasts of his extra-strong energy fanning across us with each of his movements.

  “I can’t break this.” He sounded pissed about that.

  Braxton just shook his head. “You can’t actually be surprised. This barrier was designed by multiple sorcerers, each powerful enough to rival Louis.”

  Tyson just gave him a look, one eyebrow raised. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just underestimate my strength. When I’m fully joined in the quad bond, I can rival Louis and you know it.”

  I hid my laughter behind my semi-frozen hand. Since I had managed to move my hand, I checked on Evie. She seemed snug and content under the special thermal blanket, but I was still worried. We needed to get her inside, and soon.

  Jacob must have agreed. “The babies can’t stay out here for much longer, and I don’t think this is a place Tyson is going to be able to open a step-through out of. It’s all magically protected.” His refined features were tensed against the winds. “I can keep the flames going for a while, but there is only so much I can do when it’s this cold.”

  He didn’t say it was draining him considerably; he didn’t have to. We could all see it was.

  Jessa marched forward, prepared to smash her hands against the barrier. Braxton caught her just before she could. “Haven’t we done this before?” he said, half laughing, half snarling. “You are too reckless, Jess.”

  She smiled so sweetly, tilting her head to the side. All of the Compasses immediately took cover, ducking and hiding behind one another. It was hilarious, four huge, powerful, dangerous and feared supernaturals terrified of one little wolf shifter.

  I smirked at Tyson. “Thought you weren’t scared.”

  He gave me a deadpan look. “I’m not scared of you. Jess, on the other hand, knows all of my weaknesses, and she’s as devious as fuck.”

  The shifter in question just continued smiling like that, and I was starting to get the urge to hide too. She was so bravely confident, while at the same time being exactly as Braxton stated: reckless. You had no idea what she was going to do next.

  “Did you feed her before we left?” Maximus whispered to Braxton.

  Jacob nodded his head a few times, his eyes wide. “She looks a little hungry. Do you have a bar or something to throw at her?”

  I shook my head, butt-checking my idiot mate out of the way as I strode over to stand with the girls. “It had to be Compasses we got as mates.” I let out a long, drawn out sigh.

  The twins dropped in on either side of me, and all three of us stared at the quads.

  “They’re going to outnumber us soon, especially since Jessa is worth at least two or three on the handful scale,” Tyson said, shooting me his sexy half smile, that dimple in his right cheek perfectly showcased. “You better stay single, Jacob.”

  The fey nodded in a few rapid movements. “I was just starting to get used to the idea of settling down, but now that you mention it, it might be safer.”

  I was just reaching out to grab Jessa – she looked like she was about to launch herself into the nearest snow drift and start a war – when a throat cleared from our right side. In less than a split-second, the quads’ humor died off and they were back to being badass supes. They shifted around, positioning themselves in front of us.

  I peered between Jacob and Tyson. About five feet away was a supernatural, just standing silently. A sorcerer – I could feel his earthy magic. He was much smaller than me, arms tucked into side pockets on his long dark blue robes. In the half light it looked like his eyes were a dark, murky green, standing out starkly against his ebony skin. His onyx hair had some graying at the temples, eyes surrounded by fine lines. He was ancient, and somehow not, at the same time.

  “Welcome to Jeste. We’ve been waiting for you.” His words held notes of power, each one drifting through the air, slamming against us. That was how Louis talked too. These powerful supes literally dripped energy in every syllable. He turned and walked away.

  I exchanged a glance with Jessa, who shrugged. “Guess we need to follow him.”

  Desperate to get out of the cold, none of us wasted another minute scrambling along as fast as we could. Those of us carrying babies had to be extra careful not to slip, but the quads were super aware of us, and no doubt would be there to help if we ran into trouble. I loved the way Braxton and Maximus barely took their eyes off their mates. I loved the way their expressions softened. It was absolutely beautiful. Being around them was opening my eyes to so many things I had never noticed from the Compasses. No one saw this side of them, which was a little sad.

  The tiny sorcerer dropped the barrier, leading us toward what looked like the main domed building. Tyson watched him closely, clever eyes noting all the details. He was probably hoping to learn something. Usually supes came to Jeste in a cage, not invited in through the front door. This was rare and unprecedented.

  The domed building had a vault
barring us from entering. The sorcerer just stared at it and the round hatch began to spin open. A gust of warm air hit us as the seal released and the door swung out. Silence reigned as we stepped into the first room, which looked to be an entrance hall. It was well-lit, warm, and somewhat eerie inside the all-white pod. The silence felt unnatural as we all trailed after him, three of the quads taking the lead, Maximus falling back to be the tail of the group.

  The hall was a few hundred meters long, before it opened up into a huge round room. Actually, huge was an understatement. It was so massive that I couldn’t even see where it ended. Within this open space there were living areas, kitchens, and beds. While there were no walls, they had used furniture to make multiple clear and distinct zones. They must all just live here, in a single room, without a shred of privacy.

  From somewhere more guardians appeared, sliding in from the shadows or something. I ran my gaze across them as they stood in a line. They were all different, and yet somehow the same.

  “You have passed our test,” the one closest to us said; he was slightly taller than our original guide, but not by much. He also looked much older. His ivory skin was heavily wrinkled; his blue eyes squinted from beneath heavy brows.

  What test?

  No doubt we were all thinking it, but no one was game to say anything. Except Jessa, of course.

  “You speak truth, I think,” she said, her arms wrapped around Jackson. “You’re powerful enough to hide that from me if you wanted to. What test did we pass?” She started to unfold the blanket from her son – I did the same thing with Evie – while keeping her eyes locked on the elders.

  “A test of deception. You’re all who you say you are. You have all come here for the reasons you relayed to us. Therefore, we will help you.”

  Well, that was easy. I had thought I’d felt a slight tickle of magic when we first stepped over the threshold. I’d dismissed it, thinking it was simply the rush of heat, but it must have been a spell to reveal all. Dissolve any falsehoods worn.

  “Follow us,” another of their collective said, an Asian woman, her voice deep and echoing. They turned in a single line and we fell in behind them. One by one they marched until they seemed to be standing in the center of the room, which I only knew by the peak of the domed ceiling above. The eleven ancient, powerful sorcerers then formed a circle, joining hands. Tyson reached out and wrapped his arm around me, hauling Evie and I back just in time for the chanting to start.

  “I was waiting for them to break out in song,” I heard Jessa whisper to Braxton.

  Braxton’s hand snaked around and covered her mouth, which was probably a safe call in these circumstances. All of us remained in our frozen pose, watching wide-eyed as they called their energy.

  One of the most powerful ley lines in the world runs through the center of Antarctica, Tyson said through our bond. They’re tapping into it. Can you feel the power?

  I could. It was vibrating up through the soles of my shoes, rocking the magic in my chest. That icy nub started to unfurl, a chill spreading through my veins, and it was growing increasingly difficult for me to stop myself from connecting to the line.

  Even knowing that if I did, I would never be able to control it. It would destroy me.

  Tyson’s heat shot down through our bond and the ice started to fade away. He had anchored me, and as clarity returned, I realized I should have been worried about him. He was a new sorcerer and a dragon shifter. Too much power, too soon. Are you okay with the pull? Your energy is so strong and new.

  I’m dealing. His mental tones were a little strained, but nothing worrisome. My brothers and our mate bond is anchoring me.

  I should have thought to use our mate bond from the start. True mates were stronger together.

  Soon you won’t even have to think about it. You’ll automatically know I’m in your corner.

  For the first time ever, I really did believe that. I trusted that he meant it when he said he had been all in even before our bond kicked in. That this time it was for keeps.

  Tyson Compass

  Not all of the guardians were sorcerers. There was at least one vampire, and two shifters that I could sense. There was also a fey. All of them ancient, their power intense. They were currently standing hand in hand around the center of the dome, doing God knows what. Wasn’t like any of us were going to step in and question them.

  I drifted closer to Grace, fighting the urge to pull her even farther back from possible danger. We didn’t know these elders, we didn’t know what they were doing. Braxton and Jessa could tell truth from lie usually, but there was no way to do that with creatures as powerful as these. The bottom line was, I trusted no one around my mate.

  I had already moved her back – she’d practically been standing in the circle – but it still felt like she was way too close. It would piss her off if I went too over-protective alpha on her, but if I got a whiff of danger, she could be all the pissed she wanted. She was mine, and I was keeping her safe no matter what.

  The short, dark-skinned sorcerer – the one who’d retrieved us from outside – broke the circle. He stepped away, and that was when the newly-formed trapdoor became visible. He stopped before us, lifting a large pouch off the front of his robes.

  Loosening the drawstring, he reached in and pulled free a handful of stones, with leather loops attached to them. “You are not permitted to perform magic in the prison, but you can wear these talismans for warmth.”

  We all got one; the leather cord was long enough for the girls to loop around the babies too.

  As everyone lifted theirs, I held up a hand. “I’ll go first,” I said. If it was a trap, it was better if only one of us was out of commission than all of us.

  I could sense Grace wanted to protest, but she just gritted her teeth, her full pink lips thinning, which made me want to grab her and kiss the shit out of her, but I managed to refrain. Lifting the cord up, I dropped it over my head. The stone hung low on my chest, and buzzed briefly before a blanket of warmth cascaded along my body. It wasn’t too hot, just a perfect comfortable temperature.

  “Seems fine,” I told the group.

  The elders showed no emotion at my display of distrust. They either didn’t care or they expected it. Everyone had their talismans on now, and I could see the relief on Grace’s face. It had felt a little like plunging into a warm bath. Once we were ready, one of the elders reached down and placed his hand on the trapdoor, and as he lifted his palm back up, a huge hatch opened with it.

  “Cherik will lead you to the room of secrets,” a vampire said to us, flashing fangs, like his were permanently out. I wondered if that was something that came with age or power. I had never seen Maximus do that. “You will have a limited amount of time to find the book and perform the magic required from it. This room is the only place we will allow you to cast a spell in the prison.”

  “Do not remove anything from the prison,” another one added. “Do not test us.”

  We didn’t argue. Cherik, the original sorcerer from outside, stepped straight into the open doorway. At first I thought he had jumped, but when we moved closer to the opening I noticed the stairs, narrow and dark, leading straight down.

  “Stay right behind me,” I murmured to Grace.

  She didn’t argue, slipping into line. I felt her hands grip the back of my shirt. She did that a lot, and I was starting to like it – the way she tangled her fingers in the material of my shirt, touching me so casually.

  My brothers placed their mates in the middle as well, so we ended up with Braxton first, then Jessa; I followed, Grace behind me, then Maximus and Mischa, with Jacob bringing up the rear.

  We had the girls covered from all sides. Jessa had briefly nudged Braxton, trying to go first, but he had only looked pointedly at their son and she’d shut up. As we stepped down into the icy depths, it got darker and colder. The talismans kept us comfortable, but I wouldn’t say it was warm. The darkness didn’t last for too long; a bright light was hovering deep
inside, near the base of the stairs.

  It felt like we were spiraling down the center of an iceberg or glacier. The stairs were carved from ice but somehow not slippery, the walls an opaque blue. As the stairway widened, the brightness increased, and then we all stepped out onto the prison floor.

  The Antarctic prison consisted of a massive platform of ice, spanning out as far as I could see. Sort of like the domed room above. The ground was solid as we crossed to Cherik, who was waiting patiently.

  “Do not concern yourself about the prisoners,” he said. “They can’t hurt you.”

  I would reserve judgment on that; this place had quite the reputation. There were no petty-crime criminals in here. This was the worst of the worst.

  He waved his hands in the air, as if sensing my unease. “I assure you, they are very well contained.”

  We all looked up.

  “Hooollly crap!” Mischa’s eyes were wide, mouth slightly ajar.

  Jessa looked just as astonished. “Have you guys ever seen anything like this?”

  Lots of heads shook, mine one of them. How in all the fuck had they created this place? The prison cells were suspended in the air, cubes of ice attached to the ice shelf above. I couldn’t see any openings, no doors or windows, and while the walls were not clear, there were visible shadows within.

  “How do you let them out for activities, or for food?” Grace asked the tiny sorcerer.

  He folded his arms across his chest and stared at her. “They don’t leave. They don’t eat. They receive nothing.”

  I heard a gasp from one of the girls, but I had no idea which one, because my eyes remained locked on the cells.

  “Considering we don’t have the death penalty, you’re walking a fine line here,” Jessa bit out, her eyes flashing as she slammed him with one of her looks.

  Cherik’s face did not change, unconcerned about her ire. Stupid. “Some die. Others survive. It really depends on the length of their prison term. But we don’t actively kill them. It’s up to them if they survive.”