by Janelle Peel
Dropping the page as if I’d been burned, I shoved my chair back and scooped Bex into my arms.
Kane opened his mouth in confusion.
I jerked my head sharply and ran up the stairs.
Flipping the lock on the door, I took Bex into the bathroom and locked it as well. With shaking hands, I lowered her to the floor.
Her pale blue eyes caught mine in silent question.
Shaking my head, I plugged the tub’s drain and turned both faucets on full blast; hoping like hell it would be enough to muffle my conversation.
Tears trickled down my cheeks while I tried to figure out what to say.
My phone rang.
Plucking the piece of plastic from beneath the strap of my tank, I thumbed the screen to life. Mel was calling.
Taking a deep breath, I accepted the call and choked out, “Hello?”
His deep bass immediately soothed my frantic nerves, “Nat, are you okay? What’s wrong?”
Slowly, I sank to the floor beside Bex and pulled her head into my lap.
“Answer me, Nat.” He rumbled, then tacked on, “please.”
My held breath hissed from between my clenched teeth as I gathered my resolve, “I know this might sound crazy, but what exactly, can you tell me about Bex’s parents?”
He paused. Pain laced his words when he answered, “I told you when you met Bex, her mother, my sister Tristen, was killed by a rogue Hunter. Now, what’s going on?”
“And her father?” I pressed.
“I don’t know. Tris said he was a passing Shifter. Why?”
My thoughts spun. If Bex was half Shifter and half Fae, was this the reason she could hear what she had described as music? I’d only heard the ear-piercing wail… Did this explain why she preferred her Wolf form, even in front of our Pack? Did she even have another soul? I’d never heard her refer to her Wolf…
“Nat!” Mel shouted. “You’re freaking me out. What’s going on over there?”
Biting my lip, I decided to find out more information before raising the alarm. The last thing I needed was for him to come barging in here with his Alpha dominance stinking up the place. “Things are just hard, that’s all. I feel like my wheels are spinning,” gritting my teeth, I threw Bex under the bus, “and Bex still won’t shift.” Silently, I mouthed, except in front of me.
His tone softened, “She will when she’s ready. Give her some more time.”
I sniffled; playing the damsel in distress to its fullest, “Okay. How’s things going over there?”
He snorted, “Not well. We went to speak with the Clutch here in Paris. Naturally, they don’t know a dammed thing. Viv was totally right, they are 100% douche canoes.”
I chuckled. Leave it to Viv to describe anyone she didn’t like in that way. “Now what?”
He sighed, “Now, we wait. Have you spoken to the Pack over there?”
Scrunching my nose, I rolled my eyes while bracing for his inevitable outburst, “I’m not allowed to speak with the Pack as a whole. They haven’t had any females for years, so Kane thinks it’s best if everyone types up their experiences and gives them to him for me to read.”
Surprisingly, he said, “Good idea. Male Wolves can get a little crazy around and unmated female.”
I looked to Bex with wide eyes. Did he really say another Alpha had a good idea?
Snorting softly, she lolled her tongue in amusement.
Shaking my head, I focused back on the conversation, “Right. Well, I have to go. Call me if anything else happens?”
“Sure. Likewise, okay? I mean it Nat, if you need anything, you call me.”
I smiled as my heart fluttered. It was nice to know he cared. “Okay.”
After we disconnected, I reevaluated my thoughts about him. He’d gone from bossy Alpha to jackass when he’d tried to mark me without permission, then to… friend? If I was truly honest with myself, I may have overreacted in telling him to stay away from me. I didn’t fully understand his instincts, but he’d flown around the world to find me; plus, he’d sworn an oath.
Placing my feelings on hold, I looked to Bex. Was she really half Fae? What did that even mean?
Daisy
Rubbing the grit from my crossing eyes, I refocused on the cramped print in front of me. Goddess, this was taking forever! I really needed someone to upload all of this crap to a computer. Hmm, there was a thought… Maybe I could enlist some of the third tier Mages to do that.
A commotion at the end of my stack drew my attention.
“No, I’m going to tell her.” Mark said, addressing Darius as he pulled on the hem of his robe’s sleeve.
“I saw it first. I should be the one,” Darius replied.
What could these two idiots have found, I wondered. Briefly, I recalled the last time I’d seen them when I was breaking into the Archives. It seemed they were still very much the same.
“But you didn’t grab it, I did.” Mark threw Darius a glare and noticed my eyeballing them. “Hey, Daisy,” he half bowed and awkwardly knocked his rear into Darius.
“Oomph,” Darius squawked and lowered his head reverently.
Shaking my head, I stood from the rough floor and cracked my back. It didn’t matter how many times I’d told them to quit with the pomp and circumstance, they still treated me like a Councilmember. Ick, I shuddered as my stomach rolled. I so did not want to be that. A Leader, sure. A power-hungry psycho, not so much.
Irritated with their stupidity, I barked, “Quit fucking around. What did you two bozos find?”
Mark grinned. Elbowing Darius, he skipped down the aisle like an overzealous puppy. Holding a sky-blue tome in front of him like a prize, his brown eyes sparkled, “I think I found what you’ve been searching for.”
Darius grumbled under his breath, “I found it, asshole.”
Ignoring their bickering, I plucked the thick book from his hands and almost dropped it. It was ice cold and slippery! Sinking to the hard floor once more, I settled the tome in front of me and stared at the cover. Runes were arranged in a strange snowflake shaped pattern, but different somehow. Water seemed to ripple behind the runes and across its surface. Reaching out with one finger, I traced the symbols. A flash of light lit the dim stack in one blinding spark and I reflexively closed my eyes.
“Mage…” whispered through my thoughts with the sound of a thousand voices.
Snapping my eyes open, I quickly realized I was not in Kansas anymore. A snow-covered field greeted my orbs as a viscous wind howled through the desolate plane, nearly freezing me to the core. Gaining in intensity, it whipped my auburn hair around my head in a frenzy that almost immediately froze and stuck to my cheeks.
“Daisy?” Mark’s voice called, worriedly.
Fear laced Darius’s tone, “Shit, look at her eyes.”
Their voices sounded so far away. What was this place?
“Get Cooper, she’s freezing!”
“COOPER! COOPER!”
Who was Cooper? What was I doing here?
Terror raced down my spine. Something was coming.
A wail screeched in the distance, but nothing was there. The feeling of being watched intensified, but I was rooted helplessly to the spot.
“Daisy? Mark, what happened?”
Who was Mark?
“I don’t know. I found the book and gave it to her.”
The field darkened to pitch black. Whatever was coming was getting closer… I needed to… What did I need to do? Gradually, a stinging numbness spread from my chest and erased the fear racing through my veins.
“Sorry, Babe. This might hurt a bit.”
CRACK!
Cooper
“Sorry, Babe. This might hurt a bit.” Grabbing her hand, he broke her contact with the tome with a resounding crack as the book’s magic broke. Blood poured from her finger and dribbled across its cover in a crimson splatter.
Calling to his well, he quickly healed the small wound and pulled her into his lap.
“Hey, you’re a
ll right. Look at me,” he whispered, turning her face towards his.
Her orbs were completely white as she stared through him with unseeing eyes. Not knowing what else to do, he reached for his magic again. Silver light lit his massive hands as he placed them on her chest.
“Is she breathing?” Mark screeched.
“Shut up, stupid. Let Cooper work!” Darius yelled back.
Warmth emitted from his palms, but her condition did not change. Not knowing what else to do, panic started creeping in. Oh Goddess, no! He couldn’t lose her! Frantically, he began shaking her still form. Despair laced his screams, “Wake up! Wake up!”
Tinkling bells sounded as the All Mother’s voice whispered through his thoughts, ‘Burn out the cold…’
Tucking his palms beneath her pink tank, he called to his flames. Praying with everything he had, he lashed a tendril to her slow beating heart and poured raw power directly into her chest.
Mark and Darius gasped in tandem at the amount of magic he was using, but he didn’t care. He needed her to wake up!
It seemed an eternity before her blue tinted lips took on a healthy pink. Coughing, she inhaled and sputtered as her lids slid closed.
His magic flickered in warning. It was too much, he was almost spent. Digging deeper, his power flared in one bright light before dying completely.
Weariness dragged through his entire being as he tenderly touched her cheek, “Daisy?”
Slowly, her lids lifted to reveal her clear, green eyes.
He sighed in relief and crushed her to his chest.
Her hand patted his shoulder, “Can’t… breathe!”
Loosening his hold, he sagged back against the bookshelf and roared, “You scared the hell out of me!”
Her brow furrowed as she looked up to Mark and Darius, “What happened?”
Wordlessly, they shook their heads.
She sat up, “Cooper?”
Rolling a massive shoulder, he jerked his head once. “I don’t know. They were screaming my name, so I rushed over here and found you on the floor, touching that,” he threw a glare and the thick book. The book that was once again sky blue… What had happened to her blood?
Lifting a hand, she reached for the tome.
With his last ounce of strength, he snagged her wrist before she could touch its cover. “No. I don’t have anything left. Please,” he pleaded, “don’t touch it again.”
Retracting her arm, she got to her feet and helped him up. As he swayed, she promptly tucked herself beneath his arm to steady him.
“Where did you go?” He asked.
A shiver wracked her frame, “I don’t know.” Tipping her head, she barked, “Mark, Darius, find something to wrap the book in. Both of you stay here until I return. DO NOT TOUCH IT!”
Mark took off like a shot while Darius nodded.
Daisy
After I’d gotten Cooper settled into our room, I rushed back down to the Archives.
Sitting at the entrance to the stack, Darius and Mark played cards on the floor.
“Has anyone else touched it?” I asked.
Solemnly, they shook their heads.
I nodded, “Good.”
Bypassing them, I proceeded down the aisle. It seemed they’d brought down a leather messenger bag to carry the book in. Unclasping the flap, I nudged the heavy tome inside with the toe of my boot and buckled it shut. Shouldering my burden, I stalked back to the duo. “Show me where it was.”
Without a word, they stood and walked to a section I had yet to explore. Mark lifted one arm and pointed.
Darius caught my eye, “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Mentally, I answered nope. Not in the slightest. I was scared out of my fucking mind. Just having the book touch my hip through the leather casing was almost too much to bear. I could feel the cold leeching into my thigh with every step I took. Every time I thought about that place, my mind ran away like a scared child. Verbally, I replied, “Yes. I’m fine. Were there more books like this?”
Mark shook his head while Darius answered, “Yes.”
Crossing his arms, Mark hung his head in shame.
I couldn’t blame him, not really. I for sure didn’t want to touch any more of these books, but I had to. We adored Nat and Bex. If anything happened to them and I could have helped, I’d never forgive myself. Swallowing my fear, I gestured for Darius to lead the way.
A few minutes later we entered another cavern. This one was far deeper than I’d ever been and the dust marking the floor showed only two sets of footprints.
“The rack is there,” Darius tipped his chin. “If it’s okay with you, I’ll stay here and watch your back.”
Gathering my resolve, I jerked my head into a nod and left him to it.
One rack leaned precariously against the stone wall. With only four shelves, three books remained. A dust free rectangle marked where the snowflake tome had been.
The first book’s cover was dark brown and showcased a large maple tree. While I watched, the leaves seemed to flicker from a vibrant green, to orange, red, and then yellow before falling to the ground. This must be Earth.
The second tome featured a brilliant red and orange flame. It danced across a pitch-black background and glowed eerily. Obviously, this was Fire.
The third highlighted what I assumed to be Air. The surface was stranger than the other two combined. I could actually see through it to the back of the bookcase itself. No dust lingered on its shelf and the loose strands of hair that had escaped my ponytail whispered around my face in an unseen breeze. Yup, definitely Air.
Earth, Fire, and Air, I mused. No wonder the blue tome felt slippery and cold. It was Water.
“Darius?” I called.
“Yeah?” His voice echoed back.
“I assume you have clothes on underneath your robe?”
Hesitantly, he replied, “Yeah, why?”
“Bring me your robe.”
Grumbling met my ears as his steps slapped against the floor in agitation. Raising my arm, I waited patiently for him to strip.
The course gray material scratched against my skin as he draped it over my palm.
Shutting down my fear, I approached the case and laid the robe out on the floor. Flipping the clasp on the bag, I lifted my lip and carefully slid the Water book out. Using the bag as a glove, I collected each tome and settled them together. Gathering the ends of the robe, I tied the material as securely as I could and lifted my bundle.
“We good?” Darius asked as we walked back through the entryway.
I nodded as we approached Mark, “You guys go get some rest. No more searches will be conducted until I deem it to be safe. Spread the word, the Archives are once again off limits.”
Chapter 8
Nat
Holding the phone at arm’s length, I squinted my eyes at the skype display, “Why does the cover look like it’s moving and why are you wearing leather gloves?”
The sky-blue tome lowered as Daisy’s face filled the frame, “Because it’s cold as fuck and slippery as hell.” Her auburn pony tail flopped over one shoulder as she jerked her head, “And, it scares the shit out of me.”
My blow lowered, “How so?”
Her sigh whispered through the speaker. Looking left and right, she leaned closer, “I saw something when I touched it.” Her voice lowered, “I went somewhere,” she tapped her temple for emphasis. “It was a snow-covered field. Something was watching me, and then there was this… keening.” She shivered, “I was so cold, Nat, but I couldn’t move. Then there was this numbness and I couldn’t remember who I was anymore… and well, I didn’t care.”
I sucked in a sharp breath, “How did you get back?”
“Cooper. The Goddess spoke to him, Nat. She told him to burn out the cold. He saved my life and depleted his entire well in the process.”
My eyes widened. Cooper had a vast amount of magic at his disposal. For him to empty his entire well was almost unheard of. I didn’t even know how much mag
ic I had.
“It was really scary, Nat. Cooper said I was unresponsive. Not only that, but my eyes were solid white and my lips were blue.”
My heart stopped. Bex was also cold upon our return from the forest and her eyes were the same…
Daisy interrupted my thoughts, “Anyway, there’s three more books.” She shifted and held a black book with a single red flame up to the camera, “Fire.” The tome lowered and she held up another, “I think this one is Air; see how you can actually see me through it?”
Mutely, I nodded. Like looking through a hazy mirror, I could see every detail of her face through its cover.
“It also has air currents that blow around it; totally weird.” A thump sounded as she dropped the book onto a table and grabbed the last one, “I think this one is Earth. The leaves actually change color like the seasons.”
The five pointed maple leaves cycled in a dizzying display of green, red, orange, and yellow. Kind of pretty, I thought. “That’s all of them, right?”
“Yup. So, how do you want me to send them? And no, I’m not going to read them for you and please don’t ask Cooper to. He’s still not back to 100% and I don’t want to risk it.”
“Agreed.” Biting my lip, I debated the best way to get the books here. “What do you think?”
She frowned in thought, “I could enhance some ravens. If I did two per book, it shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll need to come up with harnesses…” she shrugged. “I’ll figure it out. It’ll take maybe a day or two.”
“Sounds good, I don’t want them going through the regular mail system. Goddess knows what would happen if a human intercepted them.”