by K. F. Breene
“In return, I hope you’ll keep Esmine comfortable. She is heavily pregnant.”
“We cherish pregnant females. She will be well looked after.”
Tim stared for a beat before saying, “I know about what happened with your parents. It is a different pack now than it was then. We do not abide by such absolute cowardice. I want you to know that.”
Rage welled up in Stefan, barely in check. Sasha looked over in surprise, meeting his eyes with a question. She felt his sudden turmoil and, like the dear heart she was, would leave everyone waiting to come over and check. Dear heart, but terrible leader. Trusting he could work his way out of situations was something she still had to learn.
For the moment, though, he was thankful—not that he could admit it, obviously. Especially in front of a sack of farts like this pack of critters in front of him.
Stefan calmed his mind so his mental trash-talking didn’t turn verbal and end the agreement right here. He nodded once, and then strode away.
Chapter 6
I stopped loading the few meager possessions I owned into the car and stuffed my hands in my pockets. I’d never really had a home, which was true. Living with a foster family didn’t allow me to get too comfortable putting down roots. Then my small apartment, the first space that became mine, had been something like a handout from the city for my parentless status. I paid the rent and didn’t get any breaks on rent after a year, but still, I hadn’t exactly earned it.
But now, as the door was opened by a solid man with wild eyes, I felt a clump of lead form in my chest. If ever I had a home, this was it. I had my own area in a secret spot, with a standing invitation to treat Stefan’s rooms as my own. I had been given leave to decorate as I wished, hang pictures if I wanted, and otherwise have the run of the place. He had invited me in permanently; to share his space, make it mine.
On the cusp of deciding I would like that very much, I was being packed up again and sent on my way. Sure, it wasn’t for that long, and yes, I needed to get trained away from spectators, but still, a girl could whine a little.
“Sasha.” The voice tingled down my spine and lit me up.
Stefan stood behind me, his eyes intent but soft, his face something from a magazine cover. “This is farewell. I will see you soon. Take care of yourself and come back to me safe, okay? Don’t do anything foolish and make sure to stay close to Toa, Charles, or Jonas at all times.”
I slid my arms around his neck, letting him hug me close. He backed off enough to kiss me, his lips and manner indulgent, giving me something familiar and solid to hang on to. He didn’t rush me or hurry me along for the sake of his gruff leadership role. Instead, his tongue played, chasing mine, intertwining as his hands roamed my body, as if he were feeling and remembering each curve to have something to hold on to when we had to endure our nights away from each other.
“Okay,” I said into his chest when my body started to heat up uncomfortably. It wasn’t the time for a quickie. “I’ll come back ready to lead an army.”
He smiled down on me. “I love you.”
I took a big breath and wiped a tear. “You’d think I never spent any time alone.”
He rested his palm lightly on my cheek. “It feels like we’ve been together all our lives. Keep your link open and I’ll feel you. It’ll lessen the distance.”
I got a pang of longing as he stepped away. His face smoothed over into his familiar mask of steel as a burly man with a pronounced five o’clock shadow padded up with silent footsteps. He moved like a robust dancer, powerful but sleek. His brown eyes flicked at Stefan before landing on me.
“Sasha,” his graveled voice rumbled out of his chest, “My name is Tim. I am the alpha, which means all decisions go through me. We’ll have an easy time of it, don’t you worry.” He stood at the door, silently asking me to get in and get on our way.
I took one last look at Stefan, before I turned toward the car, and right into a staring, blue-eyed creeper. “Gah! Toa! Je-sus! Warn a girl when you plan to sneak up behind her.”
“You should be sensing for others with your magic. I should not be able to sneak,” Toa replied with silky patience.
I shook my head and climbed into the car.
“Your lessons have officially begun,” Toa said before the car had even started moving. “First we shall go over the principles of magic, starting with the elements. Now…”
My thoughts drifted sideways, Toa’s musical voice droning on as the city flashed by. I was interested to learn more about the Mata, wondering if they lined up with what I’d heard in stories, or if they, too, had a different twist on reality. I assumed they probably did, knowing Stefan wouldn’t have entrusted me to savage werewolves that bite anything they see and spread their werewolf ways through their bite.
Some thirty minutes or more after leaving the city, and when Toa had just started on the water element, the cars all turned into a pull-out, with the woods reaching out to us in the darkness.
“Everybody out,” Tim said, hopping out of the car and opening the door for me. I passed under his intent eyes, his watchfulness calm but detailed, disconcertingly so as he seemed to catch my every movement.
“Why did we stop?” a rough voice demanded, suspicion evident.
Jonas appeared at our side, huge and bulky, causing me a distinct urge to flee. As if he sensed it, Tim took one flowing step, positioning his body between me and Jonas’s bulk.
“We go on foot from here,” Tim said evenly. “Per Dominicous’s instructions, we’re taking her to an outpost where she has ample space to learn her craft.”
“That’s not the plan. You’re to take her to the main encampment to learn your way of life.”
“Plans change. She’ll have plenty of ability to learn where she’s going. Plus, defense is easier from that location. I’ve been told your crew isn’t as loyal as some are led to believe…” It was a dig, and appeared to be aimed at Jonas directly. To make his point, Tim stared up at Jonas, the Shape Changer appearing larger than his six feet, the weight in his gaze enough to send an entire army marching.
Jonas bristled, his whole body flexing, readying for action. I stepped back, the car stopping my exit.
“Whoa, whoa!” Charles jumped in, his body the same size as Jonasʼs, but his movements more like a puppy than a panther. “Jonas, bro, let it go. The Boss approved this. I was there. We’re good, bro, we’re good.”
Jonas stared down at Tim. Tim stared right back, ready. Five people, all about Tim’s build, took a step closer, ready to back up their alpha should he need it.
“Now, earth is an interesting element,” Toa rattled off, carrying on as if World War III wasn’t two seconds away. “It is often the hardest for a person to work, even though it is the most plentiful at any given time. You, I believe, are one of the individuals that suffer from this…”
Jonas’s focus switched to the nearly white head of Toa, deep in contemplation. When Jonas looked back at Tim, his eyes showed resignation even if his face showed the love of violence. He didn’t nod, step back, or even marginally drop his shoulders, but suddenly the air loosened. The danger had passed. For now.
I was the only one that took a giant breath.
“You two," Tim ordered, addressing his own men at arms. "Stay with Sasha. Now let’s go!”
*****
Andris entered Trek’s work room at a fast walk. “White Mage, I’ve got information.”
Trek paused with his hands high in the air, the crackle of magic tingling Andris’s skin.
“The Council is trying to join with the Mata.” Andris waited for that information to sink in.
“That was our idea,” Trek said in a whine.
Andris had to restrain himself from taking two quick steps and knocking the young fool on the side of the head. He didn’t feel like a magical duel today.
In a patient voice a teacher might use, Andris said, “It was, yes. But given that we are just one of a large magical community, and given that the Mata are o
rganized, with excellent fighting capabilities, it is logical the Council would seek to make amends.”
“But I thought you said that stupid Boss of theirs hates the Shape Changers.”
“He does, yes, but he is a company man, and this has come down from the top.”
Trek dropped his hands and made his way to a large chair, not quite the throne from his bedroom, but close. He sat with a plop and picked at his nail. “What should we do, then?”
“I’m working with another pack up north. They have tie-ins everywhere; people that are loyal to the cause. For now, though, the Mata has our girl.”
Trek sat up straighter. “Get her!”
“They took her to a remote location, intending to keep it secret. Obviously I had men following their progress to keep an eye on things. I would imagine Stefan would, as well, with how much he trusts the Shape Changers. As soon as we make a move, he’ll be alerted.”
Andris crossed the room to lean against the wall. “Their position is easy to defend, and they have a large task force of people protecting her; all Mata. There are only a couple of our kind, but one is a white mage with power levels above yours. We need to plan this out.”
“Above mine?” Trek stared at Andris for a second, his brain churning. “Impossible.”
Andris’s nostrils flared in irritation. “There are a great many with power that rivals, or exceeds, yours. With a lot more experience.”
Trek’s eyes widened before his face closed down in indignation. His chin rose, as he apparently chose to ignore that comment. “Can your elusive source sneak her out?”
“Yes. But unless we have a distraction, someone is bound to notice the human’s absence. I want her halfway to Canada before Stefan is told she is gone. And we’ll need to deal with that link between them.”
“And the loyalty of these Mata? Will they come over to our way of thinking?”
Andris shook his head, not sure where this was going. “I doubt it. Tim, their alpha, takes great pains to lead normal lives within the human society. He’s set some things up that have money rolling in. His people are prospering and happy. He’s not going to jeopardize that.”
Trek stared at him. “Then they’re not needed.”
“True…”
“So kill them. There’s your distraction. I’ll take care of the other mage. Get your source to ferret out the girl. Do you know this secret,” Trek used his fingers like rabbit ears, “location?”
“Yes. The source is in place.”
Trek hopped off the chair. “Good. Plan it. I’ll get an army of Dulcha at the ready. I’ll need some sacrifices, obviously.”
“Of course.”
Andris left the room strangely hopeful. Trek was a dippy youth, but put a target in front of him, and he busted his ass to claim it. They’d have this girl within the month.
Now, to plan that distraction.
*****
“So… just drape it on?” I asked uncertainly, eyeing the five men and women sitting patiently around the room, allowing themselves to be my guinea pigs. These people had courage in droves—they’d seen some failed spells and still volunteered to help.
We were in the cabin I used as my home base, the middle bunker—as Tim called it—within the cluster of cabins in this remote location. I’d met every one of the shape changers over the last week, a bunch of serious-eyed, combat-ready fighters that went about their duties to secure the location while still making it feel like a home in the woods.
I was in my usual strange situation with them as I had been with everyone else my whole life. Pretty much, regardless of the group of people I found myself with, I was the oddball. At least I was used to it.
Toa stood off to my right, staring. Nothing new there. Jonas, the leader in not trusting the Mata for any reason, at any time, sat near the door. He rarely let me out of his sight. Pretty much if I wasn’t on the toilet, he was in the same room. And that was only because I threw a tantrum when he tried to linger in the bathroom. Charles was off scouting, making sure Tim was doing a thorough job—Jonas had sent him. And here I was, trying to figure out this magic stuff.
I sighed a lot these days.
“This is not a new spell,” Toa said quietly. The man was under the impression I had bionic hearing.
“Yes, but this is the first time I’m trying to do it. Last time it just happened.”
“Do it,” Jonas barked.
“Oh, yeah, being an impatient a-hole is the right way to help,” I muttered.
“We trust you,” a slight girl with large, luminous brown eyes said. She, like the other four around her, changed into wolves. They apparently worked together like a wolf pack in the wild, and had been largely assigned to guard me.
Tim didn’t trust Stefan’s people any more than Jonas trusted the Mata. The partnership wouldn’t be formed quickly, despite Dominicous’s hope.
I called the elements, struggling and working to get and keep control of the tide that threatened to overwhelm me constantly. I shot past the red power level, flew past the orange and gold, slowed down at the white, and landed in black. Toa said I shouldn’t practice in anything but the black from now on. That to learn, I had to grow accustomed to my correct magic level. I had to admit, it did make things easier in the spell department.
“Everyone get comfortable,” Toa said softly.
Weaving the spell, I let loose and coated the room like a blanket. As the spell sank in, the tiny movements everyone but Toa made ceased. I’d frozen everyone in place.
“I was trying for a light one—you know, so you could still move instead of being totally frozen…” All eyes stared at me, patient. Except for Jonas, who was mad as usual. No mouths moved.
“Right. You guys can’t talk. Umm. Okay. I’ll try the disintegrate thing.” Alarm slowly crept into a few peepers. Like me, they also hoped I didn’t blow them up...
I analyzed the spell as movement caught my eye. Like a person walking at full speed toward a freshly cleaned sliding glass door, I knew what would happen a second before it did. Tim’s features went splat against the clear air-wall of my spell, his limbs hitting a second later. He bounced back, the look of supreme confusion on his face as he stared at nothing in the doorway.
His gaze hit mine as I started to giggle. “It’s a thickening spell. Air’s solid in here.”
“Then why can you move?” He glanced around, smirking when his gaze caught the side of Jonas’s motionless face.
“I have no idea, Tim. But as soon as Toa can talk, I’m sure he’ll lecture me on that.”
“Mhmm,” Toa answered.
I gave Tim a see? look.
Tim glanced at Jonas again and let a small smile quirk the lips. He looked back at me. “Can I talk to you for a moment?” Tim motioned me out of the room.
Tim was trying to irritate Jonas, which I could definitely get behind. I glanced around the patient faces. “I should probably try to get them out of this.”
“It’ll only take a moment.”
“Mmm mmm,” Jonas hummed, trying to prevent my leaving with a wordless growl.
Jonas still wasn’t my favorite person, what with trying to get me killed and all. And being that no one else liked him, either, I figured they’d be okay with hanging out for a minute while I pissed him off. “Sure.”
Outside the room, Tim leaned against the wall, surveying me. “I wanted to check in with you. Make sure you had everything you needed.”
I bobbed my head. “I do, thanks! Everyone is being really nice and helpful.”
“And the crew that came with you? Is Jonas treating you okay?” Steel crept into his voice, his bearing relaxed but the edge in his words hinting he could turn lethal in the blink of an eye.
“He’s being Jonas. Hovering around, shooting everyone angry glares, and making sure I don’t step out of line. Stefan sent him, so…” I shrugged. Like Charles, I wondered if sending Jonas was the best idea, but Stefan knew what he was doing. I knew he would do everything in his power to protect m
e, even if he couldn’t be with me. If he thought Jonas would do that, I wouldn’t question.
Besides, there was a huge camp of mean, fighting, potentially furry bodyguards. I’d be fine.
Tim, probably thinking the same thing, said, “Okay. Well, let me know if you need anything. Or if you have any questions. Everyone says you’re really trying to learn our ways and fit in, so I want to help you as much as possible with that. Ignorance is dividing us from Stefan’s crew—I want to combat that any way I can.”
I smiled at him, because it was a really sweet thing to say. Anyone that could help me fit in was A-Okay in my book. “I better try to unravel that spell. Or charm. I still don’t know the difference.”
“Why don’t you ask Toa?” Tim walked me back to the room. “He seems to have a well of knowledge.”
“I did. And he explained it. But he’s so hard to focus on. I find myself nodding off after the first thirty seconds.”
Tim laughed and watched me reenter the room. He continued to watch, probably in fascination, as I frowned at the air and busted my brain trying to figure out how to unravel the spell. After a while of pawing at nothingness, I found the hairline cracks in my spell, and began pulling apart the fibers little by little. Carefully.
Finally, my face drenched with sweat, I plucked the last magical knot and felt the spell disintegrate into nothing.
“Much better,” Toa said, stepping forward as if he hadn’t been frozen for the last fifteen minutes.
“Don’t step out of here when I’m immobile,” Jonas commanded.
I rolled my eyes, then immediately lost focus as Toa started to explain about that spell and how it worked.
A few hours later and I found myself traipsing through the bare halls of the main cabin. Fierce-eyed men and women, gliding with a killer’s grace not unlike Stefan’s clan, passed on their way to their duties, or maybe just after eating and heading to settle in somewhere and relax.