Wreathed in Flame (Faith of the Fallen Book 3)

by Cassandra Sky West

  “Well… honestly, I thought you were just being polite when you invited me back. It wasn’t the best Intro to Magic that I could have come up with.”

  Caitlin shook her head. “We all want to learn. I think one of the reasons we all came together is because we… well, we want to do something important. We all have pretty much everything we could want, as far as money and stuff… but… I want to feel like I could do something to make a difference in the world. Not—I mean, yeah, I donate to charities and all, but…”

  Savanna smiled. “I know what you mean. Speaking of which… how would you like to make a difference right now?”

  Caitlin’s eyebrows went up. “Of course. What do you need?”

  They took the elevator down to the underground lot, where Warren’s Ford sedan was parked. The tinted windows blocked most of the light, but Savanna could see Tink’s head resting against the window as she slept.

  “So.” Savanna took a deep breath and turned to her friend. “You’re about to have a thousand questions. I just need you to trust me, and not ask any of them. It’s important in a way I can’t explain right now. So—no questions. Can you do that?”

  Caitlin cleared her throat. “Uh… okay…”

  Savanna opened the car door. Tink’s blue skin and elfin features were unmistakable.

  Caitlin’s eyes widened. “Is she—?”

  Savanna shushed her. “No questions. At least not until we’re somewhere safe. All I can tell you is that she’s hurt, and healing her will take blood magic. I need privacy, and space—preferably space we can clean up easily.”

  “How about the rec center?” Caitlin asked. “I can call the girls—I’m sure they’d love to help.”

  “Perfect,” Savanna said. “Can you drive?”

  Alexi pulled herself out of the water a few blocks away. Her clothes were soaked… and she’d lost her jacket, again. She really liked that one, too.

  The water was cold, which would have been a big problem for a human—but even if it wasn’t dangerous for her, it wasn’t exactly comfortable.

  She made her way back to where she’d left her Ducati, giving the flashing lights of police cars wide berth, and hoping no one would ID her. Her boots squelched as she walked.

  Where was her dad? Had he stuck around? She hoped Rayburn hadn’t seen them together.

  What would he think, if he’d seen the fight? What would she say to him, if they met again?

  Hi. Yes, I’m your daughter, but I’m also a vampire. So, how’s mom?

  Damn, Rayburn. How could that have been chance, running into him in broad daylight? He said he’d been hunting someone… and that he’d smelled his mark on her.

  The only people she’d come into contact with were Savanna, Warren and… Tink.

  Tink.

  Whoever tried to kill the blue faerie must have hired the nearest psychopath to finish the job. Maybe she stepped in some of Tink’s blood in the office. There had sure been plenty of it. Whatever they’d smelled on her was long gone, washed away by seawater.

  But she wasn’t the only one there in that office. Savanna had been there too. If Rayburn tracked Alexi with a minuscule amount of blood, they could do the same to Savanna.

  Alexi sprinted for her bike. She had to get back to the shop. She vaulted onto the seat and started up the engine.

  “Wait!” a voice called.

  Alexi looked up to see her father running toward her. His eyes were more than a little wild, but there was more determination in them than fear.

  “I don’t know what I saw back there on the docks,” he said, stopping in front of her bike, “but you’re my daughter. I’m sure of it. I can’t just let you go. Not again.”

  She hesitated, and then gave him a nod. “Get on.”

  She started the engine with a roar as her dad climbed onto the back. She wasted no time burning the tires as she tore up the street. The sun was beginning its inevitable decline to the horizon.

  She didn’t have the slightest idea what to do about her father. But she knew that she needed to protect Savanna. At least Rayburn had provided her with a meal capable of sustaining her.

  She floored it up the hill, darting in and out of traffic like a maniac. Every second that went by, she imagined her friend being eaten by wolves—ripped apart all the while screaming for Alexi. Her heart pounded in her chest and tendrils of panic spread in her mind. What if her current strength wasn’t enough? What if she wasn’t in time?

  Alexi turned the last corner and slammed the breaks. Tires screeched and the bike wobbled sideways as she decelerated.

  “Stay here,” Alexi said as she got off the bike. She couldn’t take him in there, not knowing what she’d find.

  “Alexi—”

  She took his shoulder. “Please. Dad.” It seemed so strange to use that word with this man whose face she could not recall, but she hoped it meant something to him. “I know you have a million questions, and I know this has to seem so unfair. But please… if I was the sort of person you could trust before… trust me now.”

  A heartbeat, and then he nodded. “You always were.”

  Alexi squeezed his shoulder and then ran for the shop. She slammed open the door, sending the little bells into a frenzy.

  “Are you okay?” Warren asked, emerging from his office.

  “Where’s Savanna?” Alexi demanded.

  “Not here. She left with Tink.”

  Alexi went to the counter, picked up his land-line and dialed Savanna. It went to voicemail.

  “Text her,” she said to him.

  “Alexi, what’s going on?” Warren asked, punching a message into his phone.

  “I just fought a werewolf on the docks—the same one we tangled with last week.”

  Warren nodded. “The one working with the goblin to kidnap children—Savanna told me. Goblins are crafty little devils. You could have been—”

  “The goblin was just a middle man. The real problem was the troll, but he’s dead now. They had a werewolf working for them, a real psychopath named Rayburn—any luck?”

  He glanced down at his phone, “No… Alexi you killed a troll?”

  “Dammit,” she slammed the phone down on the counter. “Look, there are some things we can’t go into right now. One of those things is my dad.”

  Warren looked up. “Your…?”

  “Yes, my dad. He’s outside. Give me two seconds, and I’ll be back. Keep trying Savanna. Someone has sent Rayburn to finish Tink, and if Savanna’s not answering her phone…”

  She left it there, and then pushed her way back through the shop door and onto the street. She strode back to where her father stood beside the bike, tapping his thigh impatiently.

  He turned to face her as she approached.

  “My name is Alexi Creed,” she told him, before she had even come to a stop. “I’m your daughter, but I don’t remember you. I don’t remember anything, before I woke up in the basement of a nightclub a year ago. I know you have a thousand questions. I want to answer all of them. I have so many of my own. There is nothing in this world I want more than to talk to you. To go home with you and see—” She stopped, her throat closing and tears welling up in her eyes again. “My friend is in danger right now, and I’m the only one who can help her.”

  She waited, breathless, for him to respond. He only looked at her for a long moment.

  “Oh, Lex,” he whispered, brushing a strand of salt-sticky hair out of her face. “It really is you. Duty and honor before anything else.”

  “I’ll come home, after this is done. I promise.”

  He nodded. “Don’t forget us.”

  Savanna let out the breath she’d been holding. Her nerves warred with her sensibilities, but she didn’t have a lot of options.

  If she tried to use the Well magic on the fae, and somehow drew the others to her, it wouldn’t end well. However, Tink needed healing, and she wasn’t improving. She had only been with Warren for a day, but the wounds should have healed somewhat. Instead,
they still bled. Savanna couldn’t imagine the little faerie had much blood left.

  Caitlin helped her with Tink as they walked her up the short staircase to the community hall that the coven used as a place to meet. They carefully propped the faerie between them as they entered the building.

  “No one will disturb us here?” She asked Caitlin. Once they started the ritual, stopping it could be lethal for everyone involved.

  “We’ll be fine. I, uh… own this one too.”

  Savanna gave her the wide eyes. “How many buildings do you own? I mean—if it’s not rude to ask.”

  “Enough,” Caitlin said with a sheepish smile. “I inherited them from my father. He passed away a few years ago. No, it’s okay. He’d been sick for a long time, and it was kind of a relief, really. I’m glad he’s not in pain any more. I kind of feel like I’ve been on autopilot since then, though. Like I don’t really know what to do with myself anymore.”

  Savanna held Tink while Caitlin unlocked the door. As she looked down at the blue faerie, Tink’s golden eyes opened, and blinked a few times.

  “Thank you for helping me, Savanna Grace,” the faerie murmured.

  “It’s going to be all right, Tink.” Savanna smiled at her, trying to seem reassuring. Healing rituals were complicated, and dangerous. The last time she’d done this, it had nearly killed her, Alexi, and Connor.

  Would it be different, because Tink was fae? Maybe it wouldn’t work at all.

  At the thought of that last healing ritual, Savanna’s breath caught in her throat. She’d gone a whole day without thinking about him, and she couldn’t explain the feeling of guilt that realization brought with it.

  “The rest of them will be here soon,” Caitlin said as she pushed the door open and helped Savanna carry Tink inside.

  Savanna hoped they could help. She wasn’t entirely sure—there had been enough magic between them for the women to share her vision, but this was something else altogether.

  They placed Tink on one of the couches and started moving the tables aside. It only took a few minutes to create a space wide enough for Savanna to work in. The floor was perfect for drawing ritual circles.

  “Check on her while I start these circles, okay?” She didn’t look to see if Caitlin complied, too intent on her task. She could do this with the basic three circles of power. They were all that was needed to see any ritual performed.

  She cocked her head to the side and reached into her pocket for the chalk. She let it play through her fingers while she thought. Three circles would be enough… but something nagged at her to draw more. Witches were weakest when casting ritual magic. The very same rituals that could give them enormous power often left them drained and vulnerable. Her mother had drilled the importance of the protection circles into her a million times. The ten circles of protection were designed to shield the witches from physical threats, all the way to demonic ones. They could be overcome, and they had their weaknesses, but they had to be done. The small amount of power siphoned from their blood to power them would be worth it.

  As Savanna finished the first, and largest of the circles, the rest of the coven arrived.

  “What was so important?” Clarice asked as she pushed through the doors, the others trailing after her. Caitlin pulled a blanket up over Tink.

  “Savanna needs our help with a ritual. Real witchcraft, not the stuff we’ve been doing.”

  They all murmured in excitement as Savanna completed the second of thirteen circles. Even though she’d only met them once before, she liked all of them. She wouldn’t fail them—the way I failed Connor. She shook her head, her hand slipping on the last bit of the circle. She sighed, she would have to start over.

  “What do you need us to do?” Asked Marta. Her Brazilian accent was thick with excitement.

  Savanna sat back on her haunches for a moment and let out a long sigh. She leaned forward and rubbed out the circle she had messed up.

  “I need you all to understand how dangerous real magic is. When I tell you there is a real possibility of dying, I mean it.” They looked to her, their eyes wide with her words.

  “Magic doesn’t happen without sacrifice, and even if everything goes perfect you will be exhausted for days. I have done this before, though, and if we work together, and you listen to everything I tell you to do, we should all be fine.”

  She looked at the women. Despite being the youngest there by far, she had their full attention.

  “My friend is dying. The only way I know to save her is with a ritual healing spell. We sacrifice our blood for her wounds to heal.” The chalk scraped across the floor. This was muscle memory for her. How many hundreds of hours did I practice this?

  Everything about how the circles were drawn was important. The direction she moved the chalk, where they connected with each other, the direction they paralleled, all of it. If she made a mistake… well, at best the spell wouldn’t work. At worst it would kill them all.

  “How dangerous is dangerous?” Bethany asked. Savanna couldn’t remember if she were the real-estate agent, or an architect.

  “These circles will protect us from any external threat, as long as we power them with our blood. The real danger comes from within. Once we start the spell, we can’t stop until the spell has run its course.” There was silence. Tink rolled over, a moan of pain escaped her lips and the blanket slid off her to pool on the floor.

  “What is that?” Keisha whispered to a chorus of nodding heads. Savanna glanced over at Tink, she looked pasty, thin, she didn’t have much time.

  “That’s Tink, a faerie. She needs our help or she’ll die. I can’t do this alone.”

  Silence permeated the hall for a few moments.

  “What do we do?” asked Clarice.

  “John sent me the address. He’ll meet me there,” Alexi said. She longed for a coat but settled for a hoodie Savanna had left at work. The address should be easy enough to find—she had been there the other day, and it wasn’t too far away.

  “How are you going to stop them?” Warren asked.

  It was a simple question, and one Alexi didn’t have an answer for. So far, she was oh-three against Rayburn. He’d either run, or she had been forced to retreat. She felt certain she could take him—but with his wolves, there was no way.

  “I’ll find a way,” she responded. Savanna could already be dead. Rage bubbled up in her at the thought. Her breathing deepened. If he’d hurt her, she would make his death as painful as possible.

  “Alexi, let me help. My magic isn’t great against physical threat—I usually leave if it becomes too dangerous. However, critters like werewolves and other physical threats can always be a challenge for those like me.”

  He reached under the counter and came back with a sawed-off double barrel shotgun. He flipped the toggle and the breach popped open revealing two shotgun shells. He opened a drawer and handed her two more.

  “As you can imagine, I don’t have to use it often—actually don’t think I’ve ever used it, but the threat of a shotgun loaded with silver buckshot can discourage even the most hardened werewolf.”

  “Thanks Warren, I appreciate it.” With a jerk, she closed the breach and latched it. Savanna’s sweater was a bit small, but it fit well enough for her to slide the extra ammo into the pouch.

  “She’s my friend too,” he said.

  It wouldn’t be enough, would it? She could feel the power from the wolf she already fed on, as much as it was, but it wouldn’t be enough. Even with the shotgun, she wouldn’t be enough. She lightly rapped her knuckles into the counter. There had to be a way to be more. If she could call on her sword. But, no. She knew she wouldn’t be able to.

  Something inside her clicked when she could and she didn’t have the feeling when she was around Rayburn. The demon and the troll, yes. But not werewolves.

  She glanced up at Warren, his concern plain on his face… an idea formed in her head. Would he go for it?

  “Warren, I have to ask one more thing of y
ou.” She placed the shotgun down on the counter as she moved around to stand next to the tall fae. As she moved close her eyes were drawn to his neck and the throbbing of his veins. The beat of his heart sounded in her ears.

  “Alexi, please, don’t ask me that.”

  She wasn’t hungry, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t feed. Was there a cap to her power? Would more blood mean more strength, or strength longer?

  “I can’t stop them, Warren. They outnumber me and are all as well trained as I am. Not to mention they’re werewolves. I need every advantage I can muster.” The thought crossed her mind that she could compel him, but she dismissed it. He was a friend. She couldn’t cross the line into forcing people.

  “Alexi, you don’t understand. Fae blood can be unpredictable. It can be unstable—if you drink it, there is no way to know the effect it might have. It could make you stronger… it could drive you mad.”

  She paused for a moment. She took in a deep breath to clear her head. “For Savanna? I’ll risk it.”

  Warren sighed, and his shoulders slumped. “Fine. Do it.” He turned his head as he braced himself against the counter.

  She hadn’t time to enjoy feeding on the wolf—though, in honesty, she enjoyed it every time. She closed in on him, her hands resting softly on his hips. The smell of pine needles and tree wax rolled off him. His smooth skin beckoned her, called to her. She had to swallow to keep from drooling as she pressed her lips against his throat. The memory of the way Tink’s blood smelled returned. The deliciousness off it. She couldn’t hold off anymore. Alexi sank her fangs into his neck.

  Warrens legs buckled, only the presence of the desk kept him upright. Alexi held him up with one hand the other wrapped itself around his back and neck to push him against her.

  He gasped. “Alexi, careful.” he murmured. She didn’t care. Every person’s blood had a flavor, Savanna’s was sweet, Victor’s had been savory. Each unique to the person. Warren’s blood called to her in a way no other had. It infused her with his essence. Her own blood boiled and the room was suddenly too hot. Beyond him lay a well of unspeakable power and it flowed into her.