Concealed Influence

by V. M. Marsh

  Concealed Influence

  V.M. Marsh

  Book Two

  The Magic Sanctuary Trilogy

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Copyright Pending 2018

  For

  those of us

  who feel we must

  act a certain way in public

  to be accepted by our peers.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter One

  E choing grunts and howls grew louder as I careened through the dark forest. Branches reached out to block my way, like a warning against my chosen path. An annoyed huff left the back of my throat as I pushed passed them.

  This was taking too long. I needed to get through this crap more quickly. Grumbling, I stomped and kicked through the brush. Of course, they had to go at it somewhere difficult for me to reach.

  Pausing, I listened to the sounds become pained and distressed. Crap. I picked up my pace as much as the forest in my way would allow.

  These damn woods. I wished I had a more useful power during times like this. One that would let me move branches and bushes and roots out of my way to make a nice easy path through the forest. Stumbling through a thicket, I fell into a clearing.

  Finally! I’d reached my destination, and I could move about easier. Pushing myself off the ground and jumping to my feet, I raced to the enormous wolves fighting under the moonlight.

  “Hey, break it up before someone gets seriously hurt. Actually, I think one of you already is. So, break it up before one of you dies.” I yelled while tackling the grey one from the side.

  When it didn't budge him even a little, I perched my hands on my hips with a frown. There was no way I was getting between their snapping jaws. Shaking my head, I rammed the wolf again.

  “You don't want to be arrested by the M.E.A. and brought up on murder charges, so knock it off. Magical prison is not where you want to spend the rest of your life.”

  Still they ignored me. I glared at them with frustration and worry.

  Again, I wished for a power I could have used to stop them. A vine binding one or both of them would be handy. Or lightning strikes nearby to get their attention.

  “Come on, guys! One of you is going to die here if you don't stop. I've seen it.” I shouted.

  Running my fingers through my hair in anger, I was surprised to find leaves in it, which I tossed to the ground.

  “Both of your lives will be ruined soon. Of course, the dead one's life will be ruined, but things won't be any better for the survivor locked away and filled with regret.”

  Spotting a large branch and hefty stones, I grabbed them and staggered to the wolves with my heavy load. When I was close enough, I dropped the stones and brandished the stick like a bat.

  I hit the aggressor on the nose, and he yelped. As he snapped at me, I shoved the stick sideways in his jaws as far back as I could push it. Before he could spit it out, I pelted both wolves with the rocks.

  Backing away, they glanced between each other and me. “I said to stop. If you want to stay in the Sanctuary, back off and change. Now.” I commanded.

  They cocked their heads to stare at me. The air was thick with tension while I waited for them to make their next move.

  Thankfully, they bowed their heads and backed to the edges of the clearing.

  One lay down and the other sat when their bones began to crunch and shift. Dust swirled in the air as they writhed and slid across the dirt during the change.

  Crossing my arms with my legs spread, my foot tapped impatiently while waiting for them to finish. Soon, two naked men stood before me with lowered heads.

  “What the hell were you guys doing? You're close enough to the lodge that Norms could have heard you and gone searching for the source. They love drama and would have been thrilled to catch a wolf fight. Since you're much bigger than normal wolves, they would have taken pictures and showed extra people.”

  “Sorry, Emma. But Chuck was flirting with Marissa and trying to move in on my territory.” The more injured shifter complained.

  “I was not, Greg. You're just so filled with jealousy you can't let her even talk to someone of the opposite sex. It's not right. Besides, nothing would ever happen between me and Marissa. We're cousins, for Pete's sake!”

  I rolled my eyes. “Look guys, I don't care what the problem is. You know the rules. No shifter stuff near the lodge or Norms. You have the whole mountain to use; there is no acceptable reason to have done this here.”

  I sighed. “Besides, you were about to kill your friend, whether you meant to or not. Think about that the next time you want to fight it out with teeth instead of words.”

  I tapped my chin. “Or you could fight as bushes. You could throw berries at each other or something. Now, don't let this happen again, or you will be out of the Sanctuary faster than lightning.”

  Their faces fell in shame, and they nodded mutely, like naughty little boys.

  “Good. Now take Chuck to get bandaged up. And I wouldn't take him to Marissa if I were you. She's going to be pretty mad about being treated like property.”

  After shooting Chuck a pointed look, I continued on my way home. Of all the idiotic things to fight over. I shook my head and then smirked.

  I had no doubt Marissa would teach them both a lesson they wouldn't soon forget. Shifter women were strong and proud. They didn't take crap from anyone, especially someone acting like they owned her. Oh, yeah, Chuck was going to be in the doghouse big time.

  I bet Scarlet would have had a snarky remark about them. Chuckling, I wished she was here. I could have used her dry wit right about now. Damn, I really missed her.

  Sure, she was moody and prickly and sometimes kind of mean. And she had a difficult time trusting people and letting them in.

  However, that was understandable with her history of abuse and growing up as an orphan. I mean, she spent the last two years running and hiding from a stalker. He had physically beaten her for years before she'd gotten away.

  So I got it. I really did. And I felt horrible for purposefully gaining her trust only to betray her. I hadn't really, but she'd seen it that way.

  I blinked back tears as I tried desperately not to remember the last time I'd seen her. The last time I'd talked to her.

  I'd invited her over for dinner under the sort of pretense of feeding her a good meal. She hadn't been eating or sleeping much since she and her boyfriend, Cade, had broken up. She'd been especially mopey since he moved away due to a military obligation, which was part of the reason for the split. She refused to talk about it, but I could tell she was heartbroken.

  I wanted to make her feel better, even if only for a little while. I thought feeding her would do that. I hoped a belly full of tasty food would put her in a better mood and make what I needed to reveal to her easier on her.

  However, nerves got the better of me, and I ruined dinner for both us. She hardly touched h
er meal before we had to have “the talk,” which lead to the “incident.”

  I had just slid a pan of salmon in the oven when I heard a knock at the door. Hurrying through the house, I pulled it open to find Scarlet waiting with a raised black brow.

  “It's about time you showed up. Come on in.” I teased.

  “You should have warned me I'd have to hike for a week to reach your place.” She replied.

  I softly chuckled and rolled my eyes. “Please. It's not that far. It barely takes two days to get here.”

  I loved bantering with Scarlet, especially since I was more myself when I did and less the air-head Emma she knew. Wishing I could be myself around her all time, I led her into the kitchen. I think she would like the real me a lot better than my public persona. I sighed.

  Her hazel eyes widened in shock making me take in my kitchen anew. It was on the small side for what I was used to, but I supposed it was huge compared to the one in her studio apartment.

  “So, what do you do with all this space to yourself?” She asked.

  I called it. “To tell you the truth, it took me some time to get used to the size of this place. But not like you think. If you saw how huge my parents' mansion is, you'd get why I felt cramped here when I moved in.”

  Her mouth fell, and I turned away to keep from full out laughing in her face. Stirring the risotto, I worked on subduing the laughter.

  “The only time I've ever lived, hell, ever been in a place this big was when I lived with Bradley, and he's rich.”

  Crap. I had to play this like I didn't know who she was talking about. It would be tricky, especially since I so badly wanted to tell her everything.

  “Who is Bradley?” I asked lightly.

  By the anxiety and shock on her face, I wasn't nearly as successful as I'd hoped. The air became thick and stale with tension. I should have just ignored her comment and let it go. I cursed myself for playing this wrong.

  “Oh, just an ex.”

  Well, if she was going there, I'd like more information than I had. Might as well push to see what she would reveal. Maybe it would make what I had to tell her later easier. If nothing else, it was always best to know as much as you could about your enemy.

  “Why did you guys break up?” I asked casually.

  She grimaced. Crap. “Oh, you know. The usual. I don't like to talk about it. You know how it is.” She said frowning and turning away.

  Nodding, I stirred the risotto again. Damn me and my wrong moves tonight. This was not starting off how I'd hoped. I'd not only made things more awkward, but I hadn't learned anything new about Bradley either. Double damn.

  “So, what are we having for dinner? You aren't using this as a ruse to poison me, are you?”

  I chuckled. “Definitely not. Although, I might change my mind if you get too out of hand.”

  She snickered, but seemed uncomfortable. I realized too late my psychic abilities had kicked in, which led to me saying something too close to a thought of hers. Shit.

  “The menu tonight, madam, is Baked Lemon Pepper Wild Salmon with wild mushroom and feta risotto, and a plain old salad. But I have a bunch of dressings for you to choose from, including a Champagne one.”

  She laughed until she noticed my blank expression. “Oh, that wasn't a joke? You really have Champagne salad dressing?” She asked confused.

  Sometimes I forgot how abnormal my upbringing was. I grew up secluded on Spelton Mountain with only tutors until they finally let me go to high school with Norms. Champagne dressing was a staple at their house, so I hadn't realized until now how uncommon that was.

  I sighed. “Yup. It goes with my fancy house.”

  Scarlet leaned against a wall while I continued prepping dinner. Sometimes I hated the way I was raised. I hated feeling so different from everyone else.

  “Dinner will be ready soon. Would you mind setting the table?” I handed her plates and utensils to give me a moment to collect myself and get back on track.

  Finishing dinner, I realized Scarlet never returned to the kitchen. My weirdness had probably kept her away. Sighing one last time, I put on my perkier public persona and carried food into the dining room.

  “Help yourself while I grab the wine and glasses from the kitchen.” I told her as I set platters on the long oak table.

  Leaning against the kitchen wall for moment, I closed my eyes to calm my nerves. These were our last moments together before she discovered what I could do and that I had been lying to her. Nerves bubbled in my stomach.

  Hoping she would take the news well, I snatched the wine and glasses off the counter and took them to the table. We both picked at dinner.

  “Your food is delicious.”

  “Thanks.”

  Both pretending to eat, we were actually just pushing our food around our plates. So much for my grand plan.

  “I think I'm done, and it looks like you are too. Let's put our plates in the kitchen and retire to the sofa.”

  Her dark brow arched again, and I let out a small embarrassed laugh. Damn my parents.

  “Sorry, sometimes I slip into old habits. I told you I was home schooled for a long time, remember? My parents are fairly old fashioned.”

  Once we were in the living room, Scarlet chose to sit in a cream chair, so I sat on the matching couch. Taking a deep breath, I cleared my throat and tried not to vomit.

  “I didn't just invite you for dinner. I invited you here to share something with you. This is difficult for me, especially since I'm used to keeping it secret. From, well, pretty much everyone. However, it's time for you to know.”

  Holding my breath, I squeezed my hands together so tightly I thought I'd break them. “You asked me before about my magic. Well, I'm what's called a Seer, which means I see snippets of the future. And I've seen yours.”

  She slammed back against the chair with shock plastered on her face. I gave her a moment to recover.

  “What I see isn't set in stone and can be influenced, changed by current events. I've seen a horrifying future for you, so I endeavored to help you. The training we've done has all been in an effort to hopefully change what could have been in store for you.”

  Her mouth dropped open. Sure, she was surprised, but who wouldn't be? Overall, I'd say this was going rather well. I mean, she hadn't stormed out or torn my house apart with a tornado yet.

  “I've known and came to care about you before I ever met you. And I knew we would meet with the possibility of becoming friends, which I really wanted.” I said earnestly.

  Her mouth snapped shut, and I inwardly cringed. That probably was a bad sign. I hurried to explain and make things better while I had the chance.

  “I know about Bradley. Who he is, what he can do, and that he's coming for you. I've always known that too. You see, he was the cause of the devastating future I saw for you. So everything I did was an effort to give you the best chance I could to prevent that future from happening to you.”

  It wasn't the only reason, but it became my main motivation as I grew to know her better in person and not only in my visions.

  “My visions changed during your training, and I think you have a very good chance of defeating him now. Even if you can't, you should at least now survive. You have no idea how much I want you to succeed. I'm sorry for my deception, but it would have ruined everything, including your chances, if I'd told you sooner.”

  I hoped with all my being she would understand how this whole Seer thing worked, especially after we'd done this whole song and dance with her magic training. She had hated I knew things about her training I couldn’t share when she wanted me to, but she’d eventually come around.

  “Why now? What's changed?” She asked icily.

  Oh, no. I took a deep breath, but still hesitated. I was losing her. I could feel it. I had no idea how to prevent it, especially since this next part has to happen. For her survival and to save the Sanctuary. Damn my role.

  “He's meant to find you soon. If he finds you here, defeat and
your death is assured. Any chance of a favorable outcome is dependent on you being with Cade.”

  She reared back and adamantly shook her head. Shit. I knew she didn't want to put Cade in danger, but it was the only way she would live. Maybe it would convince her if she knew this was bigger than him, bigger than her, bigger than me. The greater good had always convinced me to sacrifice.

  “If you don't go to him, there is much more than your demise at stake. Magical communities throughout the world will be in danger. Bradley cannot find you anywhere near here or Wildwood.”

  She sneered at me, and I wanted to cry. I knew then I'd lost her. My best friend hated me.

  “You are a freaking liar. In fact, you've been dishonest with me from the moment we met. How can I believe anything you say now?” She yelled.

  My head dropped forward as I blinked back tears. “I know. I'm sorry, but there was no other way. You mean so much to me, and I did this mostly for you, to save you. You mean more to me than you'll ever know, and I risked everything, our entire friendship, to tell you this so you could survive.”

  “You didn't do this for me. You did it for the magical communities, for the sanctuary. You were never my friend, and you never will be.”

  She jumped up from her chair, which slid back from the force of her movement. Stomping across the room, she paused at the door. “Consider this my resignation. I'll be out of here tonight.”

  Slamming the door behind her, she shattered my heart. Tears rolled down my face as my best friend stormed out of my life. And I couldn't blame her.

  As I reached my front door, I sighed and swiped at streaming tears. It sucked our fight still affected me so much even weeks later.

  Shuffling through the doorway, I paused in the pitch-black. Loneliness sucked too. “Alexa, I'm home.”

  “Welcome back. Thank goodness you're here. Your cat has been pawing at me all day.”

  I laughed at the Echo's response. Still, machines couldn't make up for human companionship.

  Kicking off my shoes, I strolled across the light hardwood floor to lie on the couch. After flopping my head on a fluffy light yellow pillow, I closed my eyes and willed a vision to come. I hadn't seen anything in weeks. Not since Bradley had escaped the M.E.A., and I'd called Scarlet to warn her.