Caged Magic

by Jennifer Lyon

  He rubbed gentle circles on her back. “You needed her to be real, needed to feel loved and wanted. And you loved her, or at least how you imagined it would be to have your own child.”

  His words resonated deeply, striking a chord of truth so authentic, she raised her head. In the darkness, his eyes had a slight glow to them. “She told me she never wanted to leave me.” Her eyes burned with more tears, but this time Risa let them fall. “Oh God, Linc, I was projecting my need for her. Not letting go.” She couldn’t go on. Her little baby had died at four months’ gestation, and her soul was trapped in Risa’s magic with the others. But Risa hadn’t actually seen her, that part was a fantasy, because she couldn’t accept the loss and had been desperate for someone to love her. And yet, Linc made her feel safe in facing the truth. Not judged, just sheltered and held.

  “Because you loved and needed her. But now, when the time comes to release the souls, you’ll be able to let her go. It’s still going to hurt, Risa. Your baby was very real to you, but I’ll be here to catch you. Me and Kendall.”

  “Why do you understand?” Most people would be freaked out.

  “I used to see my mom. Sometimes, after a brutal day of training, when I couldn’t even move, I’d lay in a heap of misery in my cage and she’d sit with me, telling me she’d find a way to get me out, that she loved me. Comforting me.”

  Her heart broke. More tears filled her eyes, this time for the thirteen-year-old scared and hurt boy who just wanted his mom. “She wasn’t there.”

  His jaw clenched, then released. “No. But for a while I believed she was.”

  Unable to bear it, her chakras opened, pouring out magic. It wrapped around them like a blanket.

  I love when you do that, but damn, woman, it makes me hard as stone.

  She shivered, his cock branding her belly. We could sneak into the bathroom…

  Her magic surged, springing wildly, straight up through her chakras and centering at her forehead. The pressure was so intense, her vision blurred and dizziness spun her away.

  Linc! My third eye.

  I’ve got you. I won’t let you go.

  His confident voice in her head calmed her enough for her third eye to snap open. Risa struggled to bring what she was seeing into focus. Soaring overhead, she took in the sight of an architectural marvel lit up against the night sky.

  Hoover Dam.

  She could see the dam wall, the intake towers on the Lake Mead side, the Spillway House, and on the other side, the bypass bridge. What did it all mean? Hoover Dam had been closed to the public since Archer spawned. The authorities believed the city was under a terrorist attack and had locked down the dam as a precaution.

  Still moving, she headed closer to the Nevada side of the dam, honing in on the Winged Figures of the Republic, which was two mythical beings figures sitting on a block with their wings reaching thirty feet into the air. Between them rose a hundred-and-forty-two-foot-high flag poll. The figures rested on a massive black base that sat on a terrazzo floor inlaid with a star chart. Rumors had swirled since the monument was built that the celestial chart held a secret invitation to other realms. All the lights on the intake towers and along the dam flickered, the earth trembled, and the lake water boiled. Flames shot up out of the two winged statues. With another horrific rumble, the front side of the black base of the statue blew off, revealing a supine man with wings curled around him as streaks of fire raced over his skin.

  His eyes opened, and he rose. Archer. That’s where he’d been hibernating! But since Archer already had risen and attacked them, that meant she was viewing the past with her third eye. Probably yesterday when Archer rose.

  She floated over to the Colorado River side, catching sight of the power plant below the spillover, then stopped. In a weird fast forward the sun rose, then set again. She guessed it meant a day had passed in her third eye, bringing her to the present. She continued to watch as a large man with wings flew into her vision and landed on the roof of the power plant at the base of the spillover wall.

  Archer.

  Lit up by the moon, he spread his leathery wings wide, his quiver of arrows on display in the center of his back, his arms in the air with his bow in one hand. The entire ground shook, and the water in Lake Mead and the Colorado River boiled, turning red and blue beneath the lights and moon.

  Lake Mead began to drain as if a massive plug had been pulled. With her third eye, she could see it filling the powerful ley lines below, rushing along the magical grid to shoot up through the power plant as pure energy.

  Right into Archer.

  Flames burst out from the spawn’s skin and climbed to unimaginable heights.

  Oh Sweet Ancestors. He was absorbing all the power in the dam and the ley lines.

  Archer turned and looked right into her eyes. “I’ll kill you and take my kid.” He leapt into the sky, his massive leathery wings flapping.

  Risa’s third eye closed, and she dropped back into her body. She jumped off the bed and nearly fell from a wave of dizziness.

  Linc leapt up and caught her. “Risa, tell me.”

  “Archer! He’s coming!”

  * * *

  “Anything?” Linc asked into his Bluetooth. He, Axel and Sutton were flying around the school perimeter, looking for any sign of Archer in the sky or rogues skulking around.

  “No sign of Archer,” Axel answered. “No idea if he can shield and appear invisible.”

  Shit, Linc hadn’t thought of that.

  “Several empty vehicles a few blocks away,” Sutton said. “Engines are warm.”

  “I smell rogues,” Ram replied from his position on the ground. “Not strong, so they’re staying back.”

  “Invisible,” Linc growled as frustration rode his spine. They couldn’t do anything but wait. “Fucker was hibernating at Hoover Dam the whole time.” If they’d known, they could have killed him before he’d locked in to his immortality.

  Now the witches had to banish him. Everything in Linc screamed to keep Archer away from Risa. But they needed her shield to hold the spawn long enough for Darcy and Carla to do the banishing spell.

  “We need more men,” Ram said. “Phoenix and Key are dealing with multiple rogue attacks in Glassbreakers. They can’t leave.”

  Linc flew around the back of the gym to the running track. He could see in the dark but spotted nothing unusual. Dipping low, he caught the faint scent of copper. Rogues, but where? Were they hiding behind a cloak of invisibility, or had they been scouting and left? To answer Ram, he said, “I called Baron. He and his crew are coming.”

  Linc, see anything? Risa’s worried voice flowed in his mind.

  Not yet. See anything else with your third eye?

  Nothing more. But I can feel him closer. Too close. I need to come out there so I can be ready.

  No! He roared that. He didn’t want her—

  A flaming arrow arched into the school, heading for Axel by the pool. Shit! He’s here! Linc pumped his wings. “Axel! Arrow on your six!”

  The man flipped in a series of aerial cartwheels, came out of the turns, and swooped below the arrow.

  Linc caught up to him just as another arrow blasted through the sky, right at him. He shot straight up, banking left toward the front of the school, when he saw Archer land on the roof of the student dorm and fire another arrow.

  Linc tried to evade, but it was too fast. Clearly the man’s power had increased. Magic flooded Linc’s body and cinnamon filled his mouth just as the arrow slammed into his left wing.

  For one second, the shaft hung there with the tip piercing the feathers, flames spitting sparks. Damn that burned. Before he could grab the shaft, the fire sputtered, died, and the arrow dropped.

  What the fuck?

  Shield magic, Risa said in his head. It’s in your wings, and I’m feeding it.

  Oh yeah, that half-breed demon was his now. Linc spun, leapt in front of Axel and snapped out his wing to block the arrow chasing him.

  The arrow h
it, sputtered and fell.

  “He’s on the dorm roof,” Linc said into his Bluetooth, making sure all the hunters knew as Archer fired more arrows.

  Linc zigged and zagged, blocking them with his shield-enhanced wings.

  “Rogues,” Sutton yelled, diving down and slamming into two men sneaking up on Ram.

  The growl of motorcycles filled the night as more than a dozen choppers exploded into the school. Baron’s armed men riding the bikes mowed down rogues.

  Archer leapt off the roof into the air, firing arrows. Linc pumped his wings, desperately trying to catch them. He got one, but another slipped by, hitting the gym. Flames shot up, lighting the building on fire. Another arrow struck a rider wearing a Baron’s M.C. vest, chasing a rogue.

  The motorcycle gas tank exploded in flames. A horrific scream rent the air.

  Linc kept going, trying to catch as many arrows as possible.

  “We have to get him on the ground,” Sutton said through the Bluetooth earpiece. “I have Ram’s knife filled with electricity.”

  Linc recalled the witches’ plan to stun Archer with Ram’s electricity. Would it still work now that Archer had sucked up a lake’s worth of energy?

  “Distract him, Linc,” Axel ordered. “The witches are ready.”

  Fuck. He didn’t want Risa out here, but they had to end this tonight. The only way she and Kendall would be safe was to kick Archer back to the Underworld. With his wings as shields, Linc could protect her.

  Decision made, Linc flew as close to Archer as he dared. “That all you got, fire boy?”

  The creature’s eyes glowed crimson. He nocked an arrow and—

  Axel and Sutton slammed into him from behind. Lightning flashed, flames shot up. And all three crashed to the ground on the athletic field.

  In the tumble, the electrically charged knife jetted out of Sutton’s grasp. Linc dove to catch it, but it embedded in a rogue. The man screamed as the electrical energy cooked his organs in a hideous death.

  Oh shit. Now they had no way to short out Archer’s hellfire. Risa would be trying to hold this supersized hellfire-shooting spawn at full power with just her shield magic.

  Worry twisted his guts. Could she do it?

  * * *

  Risa climbed on the back of Baron’s Harley and gripped his sides. Once ready, she yelled, “Go!”

  The man gunned his motorcycle, roaring across the school grounds around death and fires. So much blood.

  Don’t think about it. Opening her magic, she let go of Baron and wove her shield, working every strand, making the strongest shield possible. She pushed more magic. She had one chance to get this right.

  “There they are!” Baron shouted.

  The three men battled on the ground. Axel’s wing was on fire, and Sutton had blackened strips of skin peeling off his chest. Archer shoved them both off him and jumped to his feet, nocking an arrow, aiming at Risa.

  A whip snapped around Archer’s arm. Eli maneuvered the lash, keeping a hold on the spawn. “Do it.”

  Baron skidded the motorcycle to a halt less than ten feet from where Archer was restrained. Risa hung on with her thighs and prayed she could do this. Please, Ancestors, help me. If she failed… No. She couldn’t. Determined, she threw her shield.

  It snapped around Archer and his arrows.

  Pain. It blasted her nerve endings like she was being electrocuted. Hold it, don’t let go. Archer fought her magic, sending bolt after bolt into her shield. Her world narrowed down to just this, accepting the fiery jolts, keeping her chakras open while weaving more magic.

  Burning seared into her chakras, making them cringe. Her magic stuttered. Screams echoed in her head, rising in pitch, dragging at her mind. No! This couldn’t happen. If Archer got loose, he’d kill them all and take Kendall.

  Risa, I’ve got you. Let me have the pain, baby. Linc’s voice penetrated the screams. Come on, love. Keep your magic going.

  The bird flew in, his wings working as he herded her magic into a stronger, more disciplined stream. Relief from the hurting spread too. Opening her eyes, she realized Linc had pulled her off the bike and was holding her in front of him, facing Archer.

  “More blood,” Sutton said.

  Linc sliced his hand, laying it on her stomach where he’d shoved up her shirt. “Keep going, Risa. I won’t let go, sweetheart.”

  Dimly, she understood he’d been giving her blood to help her. His strength poured into her, while he siphoned off her pain. The ring on her right thumb glowed as the witches fed her additional power. They were doing it! She skimmed her hands through the air, pulling more threads of magic into the shield.

  Darcy’s and Carla’s voices rose in a chant. “Pure in whiteness, born of earth, feared by darkness, embraced by light…”

  Archer struggled, his power a dark, living entity, firing bolt after bolt of pain into her, but Linc funneled it off. Sweat poured down her back, and her knees weakened.

  Linc’s arm tightened around her waist. “Got you.”

  The bird worked in her magic, corralling the power into strong streams and guarding from threats.

  “…Salt open the door, to the demon’s demise!” The witches finished the spell.

  Pull back. She had only a second or two to drop her shield before Carla and Darcy threw the consecrated salt that would fully banish a demon. Lowering her hands, Risa waited for the relief in her magic. She’d done it, held the spawn long enough to complete the spell. Wait. What?

  The shield didn’t release. Instead it stayed solid and connected to her chakras.

  The bird stopped, wings going still. In her mind’s eye he turned to her, his yellow-ringed eyes wide as he screeched a warning.

  “Risa? What’s wrong?” Linc demanded.

  The bird screeched again as something oily streaked into her magic.

  “Pull back!” Linc yanked her against him in an unyielding grip.

  Panic ripped into her as she tried to retreat, but nothing happened, her shield didn’t budge. What was going on? She opened her mouth to scream, Stop!

  Too late. Carla and Darcy threw salt on Archer and Risa’s shield.

  “No!” Linc shouted, jerking her off her feet. “Something’s wrong!”

  Oh Ancestors! Archer had locked on to her shield. She’d be dragged with him. But there was no help.

  The unholy pull started at her feet and shot up her being. Oh God, Risa couldn’t save herself. But Linc held on to her, so she only had one choice.

  Save him.

  She gathered what magic she could and shoved Linc and the bird away.

  Sulfur billowed up from the bowels of the earth and yanked her into the Underworld.

  ~ 24 ~

  The bird screeched in agony as Linc was thrown back ten feet, landing on his ass. Rolling, he leapt up and lunged, stretching in desperation to grab hold of Risa.

  A sharp burn ripped across the inside of his chest. The bird screeched again, both of them experiencing a sudden loss as Risa’s magic vanished.

  “Risa!” The scream blasted from his soul. He couldn’t let her go.

  His hand brushed the edge of her arm. Almost…

  I love you.

  Her words filled his head just as she was yanked away. Gone.

  There was something warm in his hand. He looked down.

  The ring Darcy had given Risa. The one she was so proud of. The loss of her was unbearable, leaving a ragged hollowness in him. Shoving the ring on his little finger, he dropped to his knees, frantically digging at the ground where she’d been, as if he could tunnel his way to her. Red rage and pain consumed him. “No!” He plowed relentlessly into the dirt, the bones in his fingers snapping as he struggled to reach her.

  “Linc, stop.” Axel crouched in front of him, his hands clamping around Linc’s wrists. “She’s not there.”

  He looked up to the man. “Archer took her. He locked on the shield magic and took her. I tried to pull her back, but she threw me off.” The horror flooded him.

>   He’d failed her.

  Now Risa was alone in the Underworld. The last thing she’d said to him lingered in his mind. I love you.

  He stared at that silver ring on his swelling finger, the awful pain in his chest slashing and tearing at him.

  “Linc.” Hands on his shoulder shook him.

  He forced his head up and returned his gaze to Axel. “I have to get her back. She’s mine. I don’t care what it costs. I’ll do anything.” Without the bird to help her, oh God, the soul screams would attack. They’d rip her mind to shreds. “I have to save her.”

  “The only one who can help is Wing Slayer.”

  Their god? He could help? Linc would do anything to get to Risa and save her. “Where is he?”

  Axel said, “You have to get away from the salt and the banishing spell.”

  “What?”

  “Wing Slayer’s half demon. The consecrated salt Carla and Darcy used is a problem for him. He’s waiting for you on the roof of the staff residence.” Axel pointed to the five-story building.

  Rising, Linc turned to a huge figure backlit by the sun looming on the building. Around Linc were dead and wounded men from Baron’s crew, burned-out bikes and scorched ground. The second building of classrooms had burned, as had the gym. But now all the flames were out, no longer able to burn once Archer had been banished.

  “Here, let me see your hands,” Carla said.

  He shook his head. He didn’t care about the broken bones, and he didn’t want anyone touching Risa’s ring. He launched into a run, hoping his wings would carry him. Come on, Falcon. Wing Slayer is our only chance.

  The bird shook out of his cry and spread his wings, catching the air currents to take them up.

  Landing on the roof, he focused on the huge being hovering close to the building’s edge. After dropping to his knees, Linc removed his knife, cut his hand and laid the blade down in the offer of blood and service to his god. “Wing Slayer.” As his blood dripped onto the roof, he implored him, “Help me save Risa. I’m begging for her life.” How many lives had Linc begged for? Memories spun and replayed sickening details of those poor girls he couldn’t save—who were always dragged from his cage and killed. He wasn’t worthy of his god or his witch. He knew it. “I’ll go in her place.” It was all he had to offer.