by Linsey Hall
Aidan stepped toward the door. “The protection charms on the door are too strong for my spell stripper. But we can get through one at a time with the Penatrist charms.”
Thank magic we’d taken them from Victor’s demons. A spell stripper would remove the protection from the door entirely, as long as it wasn’t too strong. Penatrist charms were for the big guns, like this. They didn’t remove the protection charm, but they’d allow one person through.
Aidan gave the charm he’d pulled out of his pocket to Emile, and I shoved mine into Claire’s hand. “Go!”
Her brows shot up. “What about you?”
“No way I’m leaving first,” I said. “Anyway, I can access some of my power, so it’s best I stay behind in case guards show up. Now go!”
Emile and Claire gripped the charms in their hands and turned to the door. Claire grasped the handle and pulled it open, showing no sign of pain upon touching it.
It swung open easily, revealing a vast white tundra. I shivered. Claire and Emile stepped out, followed by the dragonets, who had no problem crossing the threshold without charms. On the other side, they disappeared, returning to wherever they had come from.
Claire turned around and thrust her hand back through the doorway. Emile did the same. Connor and Nix reached out and took the charms, both of them shuddering visibly when their hands neared the door.
But as soon as they took the Penatrist charms from Claire and Emile, they relaxed, no longer affected by the bee-stings of the door’s protection charm.
They stepped through the doorway, into the tundra. As they were turning back to us, the sound of thundering footsteps reached my ears. The hair on my arms stood up.
“Guards are coming!” I said.
Connor and Nix thrust the charms back over the threshold. Del and Aidan grabbed them. Aidan pressed his into my hand, then shoved me through the door, not waiting for me to argue that he should go first.
I stumbled out into the cold, my feet aching at the feel of the icy stone step. I whirled around and thrust the charm back at Aidan, who grabbed it and lunged through just as guards streamed into the kitchen.
He slammed the door shut behind him, but it would only buy us seconds.
“I can transport two people,” Del said as she grabbed Connor and Claire each by an arm.
“I’ve got a transportation charm.” Aidan held out a small black stone. “Everyone else come with me.”
We nodded. Del disappeared with Connor and Claire as Aidan threw the stone to the ground. A cloud of glittery gray smoke poofed up. We stepped in just as the door to the kitchen opened, revealing a horde of guards.
When I opened my eyes in my own living room, I almost fell over with relief. My heart was still pounding, but when the guards didn’t show up, I knew they hadn’t been able to follow us.
Home. It was tiny and cluttered, but it was all mine.
Everyone stood around me, tugging their masks off. I was so grateful to see everyone again, whole and hale. Last time I’d seen them, they’d been fleeing Victor and the bulldog. Del and Nix had been unconscious.
“You guys are the best! Thank you.” I went in a circle, hugging everyone. “I was screwed right before you showed up.”
“Thank magic for luck, then,” Aidan said as he squeezed me hard. “The timing was coincidental. We’d just figured out where the prison was located. It’s damned hard to find.”
“Did you bring the dragonets?” I asked.
“No,” Del said. “They showed up at the same time we did.”
“I guess they’re my guardian dragons.” They’d shown up last time I’d really needed them, too, when I’d been facing off against Victor Orriodor at the stone circle near my parents’ home. Thank magic, I wasn’t going to look a gift dragon in the mouth.
“Are we safe here?” Emile asked. “Will they know to look for us?”
“They don’t know my name,” I said. “And my concealment charm works again. So they can’t find me here. Do you have any kind of concealment charm that will block you from their seers, if they decide to look for you?”
Emile shook his head. “No.”
“I can get you one.” Aidan pulled out his phone and tapped a message in, then looked up. “Someone will be here in fifteen minutes to take care of it. And I’ve put the best protections available on this building.”
“We haven’t had any trouble the last few days,” Nix said. “Any time Nix and I go out, we use a glamour charm to change our faces. That’s all Dermot Mulvey could possibly recognize, because I don’t think he knows our names either.”
“Dermot Mulvey?” I asked.
“That big bastard from the Order of the Magica. Jowly fellow.” Del gestured to her cheeks. “The one siding with Victor Orriodor.”
“The bulldog. And yeah, he doesn’t know your names,” I said. “Which makes us safe for now, right?”
“As long as you use glamour charms when you’re out and about in Magic’s Bend, just in case you run into him,” Aidan said.
So I had a reprieve. As long as I was careful, I could stay hidden from the Order and from Victor. They’d come for me, but this would give me time to prepare.
Relief made my knees weak. It was also probably hunger and adrenaline. I glanced over at Emile, who looked even skinnier and more ragged than he had back in the cell. Ralph and Rufus sat on his shoulders.
“Connor, can Emile borrow some of your clothes?” I asked. “And could you be a hero and bring some pasties over?” I had a sudden thought and glanced at Emile. “Are you a vegetarian?”
He nodded.
As I’d thought. If he could talk to animals, he probably didn’t want to eat them.
“You can shower at my place,” Del said. “Cass really needs to use her shower. Like, now.”
I laughed. “Yeah, yeah.” Though she was right. I’d never felt so grimy. “Let’s meet back here in a bit. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”
Aidan followed me to the shower. My bathroom was so tiny that he barely fit, but he managed. As soon as we got into the crowded space, he hugged me from behind.
I closed my eyes and leaned into him, then sighed, comfort flowing through every muscle and vein.
“That feels so good,” I said.
“Does indeed.”
“But I’m pretty gross.”
He kissed the top my head. “Yeah, you are. But I don’t mind. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
The relief in his voice was so palpable that I glanced into the mirror to see him. He towered over me, his broad shoulders filling the mirror over the sink. I was struck anew by how handsome he was, with his dark hair, gray eyes, and camping-model looks. Rugged, yet hot as hell. He could sell me a lantern and tent any day.
Then, I’d invite him inside.
But signs of his worry were visible as well. The shadows under his eyes were dark and his hair was mussed, like he’d been raking his hand through it. He even looked like he’d lost a little weight, though it’d been only three days.
But he’d recover. And so would I.
I turned around in his arms to face him. He leaned down and kissed me, his mouth warm and skilled on mine.
“I need a shower,” I murmured against his lips.
“Don’t care,” he muttered. His big hands ran all over me, touching every bit that he could reach. “I was so damned worried. If something ever happened to you…”
He shook his head as if he couldn’t even think of it, then took my mouth again. His kiss deepened, becoming possessive. Intense. Desperate. Like he was trying to make me part of him.
I shivered, losing myself in his touch. He smelled amazing—his evergreen magic, but also the scent of his skin and hair.
I couldn’t get enough of him as I swept my hands over his broad shoulders and reveled in the taste of his lips. His tongue danced over mine, making my head spin.
A loud laugh from the living room broke through the bathroom door, the sound breaking my daze. Worry returned, creeping in
to my head. I pulled away. There were still so many questions.
“Is everyone really okay?” I asked. “You don’t think the Order suspects you’re involved with me? They don’t know who Del and Nix are?”
He closed his eyes and shook his head as if to clear it, then met my gaze and said, “Haven’t heard a peep from them. And I don’t think they realize who or what you are. I’ve put feelers out, and I’m getting nothing back.”
As I’d thought. “The bulldog—I mean, Dermot Mulvey—has something going on the side with Victor. That’s why he hasn’t squealed on me. Whatever they want us for, it’s worth more than ratting me out and getting credit for catching a FireSoul.”
“It’s a reprieve for now, but I don’t think it’s a good thing.”
“Definitely not. He’s got something worse planned.” I pulled out of his arms, then turned around and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “But I can’t think about it ‘til I’m clean and fed.”
“They didn’t feed you well, I take it,” he said as I turned on the shower.
“No. And I’ve been sharing with Ralph and Rufus for the last three days.”
“I thought they looked plump.”
I grinned. “Maybe. But they’re good rats. I owe them, and Emile, a lot.”
“I’ll see that we help Emile find a new identity. The Order knows who and what he is. He’ll need help staying under their radar.”
“You’re the best, you know that?”
He inclined his head, not entirely modestly.
I grinned, then made shooing motions. “Scram. I need some alone time. But I want a rain check on what we started earlier.”
“All yours.” He winked, then stepped out.
Quickly, I shucked my clothes and climbed into my tiny shower. The tiles were cracked and dingy and the whole thing was about the size of a slice of toast, but no shower had ever felt as good. Not even a shower in Aidan’s masterpiece of a bathroom at his house in Ireland.
When the door cracked open, I called, “Who is it?”
“Special delivery!” Nix’s voice rang out. A hand clutching a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon shoved into the shower.
“Oh, thank magic, you’re the best,” I said as I took the icy can. It may be the beer of hipsters and hillbillies, but they had good taste, because it was my beer of choice, too. I didn’t care that it was only one step up from water in the estimation of beer snobs.
“It was my idea,” Del said.
I gulped down the chilly beer, grateful to taste anything that wasn’t gruel or stale water.
“I’m so glad you guys are all right,” I said as I set the beer on the tiny shelf. My shampoo clattered to the ground, but I ignored it. I was already clean.
“Thanks to you,” Del said.
“Yeah, I heard you pulled some heroic, self-sacrificing shit,” Nix said.
“Shit?” I slammed off the water, annoyed.
A towel landed on my head. One of them must have tossed it over the rail. I wrapped it around myself, then yanked open the curtain. “Did you just call my rescue shit?”
“Yeah, you idiot,” Nix said. “You could have gotten killed. Don’t pull that kind of crap again.”
“I had to save you.” I wanted to kick her.
“I know.” Nix hugged me, squeezing hard enough to force all the air from my lungs. But it was a stiff hug, and her voice was stilted. “You took a dumb risk. You could’ve been killed.”
Nix scooted back, and Del came in for her own hug, then pinched me hard on the butt. I yelped as she pulled away.
“Why the hell did you do it?” Del’s blue eyes glinted angrily. “You left yourself with no backup.”
I shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable. I didn’t usually make stupid moves like that, but it’d been necessary. “You were unconscious. It was the only way to get you out of there. I knew it was a risk, but I don’t… I don’t want to be in a world without you.”
“Yeah, well, it’s kinda mutual, dummy.” Del hugged me hard again. “Thank you. But next time, don’t risk yourself like that.”
Del stepped back, and I could see Nix crowded into the corner of the small bathroom. Her eyes glinted with angry tears. She’d worked herself into a good rage. She was the slow burner of our group.
“We were so worried about you,” Nix said. “I woke up from that sleeping potion, and no one knew what had happened to you. We couldn’t find you for days.”
I could understand their anger. If they’d taken such a dumb freaking risk to save me, I’d be pissed too. I’d gotten ridiculously lucky at the Prison for Magical Miscreants, and I knew it. Something terrible could have happened to me there. If I were in their position? I’d rather die than wake up knowing they’d been killed trying to save me.
Nothing was simple, was it?
I squeezed past Del and hugged Nix, who stiffened.
“I love you, Nix. I’m really sorry,” I said.
She relaxed slowly. “I know. And thank you. It was a huge thing you did, holding off Dermot Mulvey and his guards. But don’t do it again. I don’t want to lose you.”
I hugged her tighter, not speaking my fear—that we all might lose each other if Victor Orriodor got his hands on us.
CHAPTER THREE
“I come bearing gifts!” Connor held up big paper bags as he entered my apartment ten minutes later. The smell of spiced beef and buttery pastry wafted from inside, and my stomach growled.
“What would I do without you?” I grinned as he handed me a Cornish Pasty. Connor and Claire were from England, a fact I was thankful for every time I ate one of their delicious pasties. The savory treats were a hit at their coffee shop, Potions & Pastilles.
I scarfed down my food while sitting on the couch, grateful to be wearing my own clothes. Jeans and a t-shirt had never felt so good. I wanted to burn that old prison jumpsuit.
Aidan and my deirfiúr knew better than to try to talk to me at this particular second. I wasn’t going to stop chewing until I was full. Emile changed into some of Connor’s clothes—his standard skinny jeans and a band t-shirt. He’d found a seat on my old lounge chair and ate his potato and veggie pasty with relish.
Ralph and Rufus split one of their own, both of them sitting on a plate on the coffee table. My friends were scattered on the couch and in chairs they’d pulled in from my tiny dining nook.
Altogether, it would have been a homey scene if we weren’t being hunted by a sociopath.
I polished off the last bite of pasty, then looked up. “Okay. We need to figure out what Victor Orriodor is up to.”
Nix tucked her dark hair behind her ear, then held up her hand and began ticking things off. “Well, he’s collecting powerful magical objects to help with his end goal. He wants vengeance against someone, and he wants to use us to get it.”
That about summed it up. Three big things that could lead to disaster. We’d recently learned that Del, Nix, and I formed the Triumvirate, a trio of prophesied supernaturals who represented the balance between life, death, and magic. Nix was life, Del was Death, and I was magic.
I didn’t know what the hell it all meant, but we were trying to figure it out.
“I think I can help you with that,” Emile said.
Everyone turned to look at him.
“Yeah?” I asked. “Does this have anything to do with how the Alpha Council figured out you were a FireSoul and imprisoned you?”
He nodded. “Victor Orriodor got to me first, though. He wanted me to help him break into the Alpha Council headquarters. My animals can act as the perfect spies. They can even trip levers to break into places. Open doors and gates, that kind of thing.”
“Why did he want to get into Glencarrough?” I asked, though I thought I knew.
“To help him steal the Heartstone and Heart of Glencarrough.”
I nodded slowly. It made sense. The Heartstone was a magical artifact that provided protection to whoever possessed it. The Heart of Glencarrough was the person assigned to tend to it—it was al
ways a child, pure of heart. A month ago, the Alpha Council had hired me to retrieve the two when they had been stolen. We’d saved the child, but not the Heartstone.
“So you did it?” Nix asked.
“He threatened me. He was going to put a slave collar on me, but it interfered with my ability to speak to my animals. So he had to take it off. I agreed to help him so that I could alert the Alpha Council to what he was trying. But when I went to them, they didn’t listen. They tossed me in the dungeon instead for being a FireSoul.”
“And that’s what hate and ignorance will get you,” Del said. “Idiot Shifters.”
“But Victor got in anyway?” I asked.
“Yes. I didn’t use my animals to help him, but I think he took advantage of the furor over what I was. The Alpha Council was busy freaking out over me, and he slipped in and took what he wanted.”
“So, do you think he wants vengeance on the Alpha Council?” I asked. “We originally thought he wanted the Heartstone and Heart of Glencarrough to protect something of his own.”
Emile shrugged. “That could be it, but his castle is very heavily fortified. The mountains around it are nearly impassable. I don’t know if he’d even need anything more to defend it. So I think he was trying to weaken the Alpha Council’s defenses.”
“Castle?” Nix asked. “What do you mean, castle? I thought he lived in a mansion at a waypoint. It’s in the middle of a desert.”
Emile shook his head. “I never went there. I met with him at a castle in some mountains, though I don’t know which because I was blindfolded during the travel.”
“So he’s got two headquarters.” I leaned back against the couch. “That may be where he’s hiding the other FireSouls he’s kidnapped.”
Victor hunted and enslaved FireSouls to help him with his end goals. Often, they were children.
“Makes sense,” Del said. “There were none in his dungeon at the waypoint last month. And he knows he’s constantly hunted—by us and any adult FireSouls he’s enslaved who might want to kill him. I’d have two hidey-holes if I were him, too.”