Forbidden Light (The Two Hunters Book 2)

by Kara Jaynes

  A man with a white beard and long hair stepped into view, wearing pale gray robes. He gazed at me with golden eyes. Wait and stand ready. She will need you.

  The dream I’d had the night before came rushing back. “Glacia’s a rift child,” I breathed.

  It doesn’t change anything, does it?

  I shook my head. “Demons were once human,” I said. “No one is born evil. Your actions and choices determine whether or not you are good.”

  A smile spread across the older man’s face. Correct, my little dragon. You see better than most. He tilted his chin. But because of her bloodline, terrible and immense power lies within her. If she so chooses, she can use her power for righteousness, to nurture and heal this land. Or she can use it to destroy. To burn and freeze this land into oblivion.

  The fog roiled about me, and I shivered. Peering about, I noticed the fog was only on this dimension . . . and the last dimension. Strange. “What can you tell me of Elymas?” I asked. Who this man was, I had no idea, but I felt safe. I instinctively knew I could trust him.

  The man sighed. Elymas is a rift child as well. His voice pressed against my mind. A man with a wounded heart. He’s allowed hurt and pride to eat away at him, crippling his ability to feel love or compassion. Be careful when dealing with him. Elymas dabbles in magic he doesn’t fully understand, and may unleash more power than you anticipated. He and Glacia are kindred souls, in a sense, and she’s allowed him to poison her mind with dark magic.

  The man was growing more insubstantial, his image blurring and disappearing.

  “Wait,” I called out. “Who are you?”

  The man smiled, his form disappearing altogether.

  Stand ready, dragon. Dismantle the barriers and wait for Glacia’s call. It will come.

  25

  Glacia

  “She’s not real,” I whispered. Panic hung about me like a haze. I was holding my breath. I inhaled sharply, gulping my fear. “She’s not real,” I said, more loudly this time.

  She had died. Mother was dead. I thought of the tilted head and jerking limbs, and my breath hitched again.

  “She’s not real,” I snarled. I opened the door and stepped into the room again. “Who are you?” I barked at the figure. “Take me to Elymas.”

  The shadow’s limbs jolted again, and the figure lunged into the light, showing my mother’s face.

  Dead. Her skin was sheet-white, her eyes clouded and staring.

  Staring at me.

  Her lips peeled back in a soundless snarl as she lunged at me, fingers extended like claws.

  “No!” I screamed. I threw my arms out in a defensive gesture.

  She sailed right through me, her form dissipating like moonlight. I shuddered, relief surging through me. Just an illusion.

  Or a ghost.

  I stomped my foot, shaking my head. No. Ghosts weren’t real. I banished the thought and stepped further into the room.

  From the light of the hall, I saw stairs at the back of the room, going down. Gathering the last shreds of my courage, I walked over and began to descend the stairs.

  The upstairs door slammed, leaving me in complete darkness.

  Footsteps shuffled up above me and began to follow me, down the stairs.

  My courage failed. Putting my hand on the wall for balance, I ran down the staircase, a whine of terror bubbling up in my throat. I was sorry I’d come. I was sorry I hadn’t stayed with Silvan. I was going to die.

  The ground disappeared underneath me, and I fell into nothing. I screamed, clawing for the wall, something, anything, to hold onto.

  In the midnight darkness, I felt a hand grip my arm, halting my fall. I clung to the arm with all my strength, crying simultaneously in relief and terror.

  Someone cradled me, holding me close. A light slowly filled the room. I was held by strong arms. I thought it was Silvan, then realized I didn’t recognize the shirt or the feel or the scent of this man. Blinking in the light, I peered up into green eyes.

  “Elymas.”

  The man smiled. “At your service, my lady.”

  I knew I should be angry. Outraged, really, but I was just so, so relieved to see another human in this cursed night. I sighed and settled my head against his chest.

  “You did well, my little snowflake.” Elymas lowered his head to mine, burying his nose in my hair and inhaling deeply. “Most people wouldn’t have gotten past the wolf.”

  I was silent, trying to wrap my mind around what he’d said. “The wolf?”

  “It’s my pet.” He turned and strode across the room, keeping me in his arms. “These are all necessary precautions to keep my home safe.”

  “But I came,” I mumbled. A trickle of annoyance wormed its way into my overwhelming relief.

  “Yes, you did, my brave lioness.” Elymas settled into a large mahogany chair, placing me on his lap. “I had to teleport you to get you inside, but you found me on your own. I’m very pleased with you, right now.” He patted me on the head.

  I frowned. Only Silvan patted me on the head, and when he did it, it was purely out of affection. When Elymas did it, it made me feel like a child. I pulled away from him and climbed out of his lap. My annoyance grew when I realized he was occupying the only chair in the room, which left me standing before him.

  He was watching me, a small smile on his lips, as he eyed me from head to toe. “What’s the matter, Glacia? I thought you’d be happy to see me.”

  I clenched my fists, tilting my chin to eye him balefully. “With all due respect, you haven’t been exactly welcoming.”

  The magician laughed, and stood. He towered over me, his eyes still crinkled in amusement. “I was testing you, dear one. Of course, I could have tied off the illusions and kept my wolf locked up, but why would I spend my precious time and resources teaching a coward?”

  There was another reason for all of this, one he didn’t speak. I could see it in his glittering gaze. “You enjoy watching people react to fear.”

  He gave me a dramatic bow, flourishing his arms. “Very clever, my lady. See? You are learning already.”

  I sniffed, folding my arms, but didn’t press the matter. It wouldn’t do to irritate the man, not after learning what he was capable of.

  “Do want to meet my pet?” he asked, still watching me.

  I shifted, swallowing my unease. “Maybe?”

  Elymas snapped his fingers, and out of the gloom came the same, shaggy prairie wolf I'd seen outside. It came and stood before Elymas, its large, amber eyes filled with an emotion I couldn't read. It stared solemnly up at the magician.

  Elymas pointed at the floor. “Down, boy.”

  The wolf obeyed, placing its chin between its paws.

  “It's a very well trained animal.”

  Elymas watched me closely, though I couldn't say why. “Yes, he is,” he said. “Though there were a few . . . lessons he had to learn, first.”

  The wolf whined softly.

  “Quiet,” Elymas snapped, and the beast flinched and fell silent.

  “Elymas sat again, and leaned forward, digging his fingers into the wolf's fur as a rough caress. “He wasn't always a wolf-dog, you know.”

  Goosebumps prickled across my skin as I glanced back at the animal. “Dare I ask what he was before he became a wolf?”

  “A human,” Elymas said simply. “One of the Elite. He angered me, so I cursed him and compelled him into my service. It's more than he deserved, truly.” He heaved a sigh. “But I'm merciful that way. I don't kill if it can be avoided.”

  I swallowed, my heart thumping painfully. That was now both Taloos and Elymas who’d mentioned the Elite. They must be on this side of the sea, as well. If only Silvan knew. I didn't want him to know. “Can he be freed?”

  The wolf went completely still. His head still lying at Elymas’s feet, his amber eyes shifted to gaze at me, pleadingly.

  Elymas laughed and sat up, swiveling so he sat sideways on the chair, leaning his back against one of the armrests, swing
ing a booted foot over the other. “Yes. It's brilliant, really. He won't change until someone kills him—out of love.” He snickered again. “No one would ever kill a wolf out of love.” He glanced at the creature again, amused. “You're not showing enough devotion.”

  The wolf was already lying flat on the ground, but it thumped its tail against the stone floor, whimpering as it groveled.

  Frowning, I tried to ignore the overwhelming compassion that surged through me. I couldn't help the animal. Or whatever he was.

  “I didn’t come here to watch your servants, Elymas. I came to learn magic. You said you'd teach me.”

  “Yes. So I did, so I did.” He stood and motioned for me to follow. I hurried after him, casting one last look over my shoulder at the animal huddled on the floor.

  “What you're experiencing isn't completely outside the realm of normal,” he said, “though it's still considered uncommon. Most people born with the ability of magic learn to use it at a younger age, say, four or five, and they aren’t usually shielded. Those kinds of spells come at a pretty price.”

  “I don’t know who would have cast it on me, Elymas,” I said, having to scurry to keep up with his long strides.

  “Sir.”

  “What?”

  “Address me as ‘sir.’” He didn’t glance at me as we left the room and walked down a hall. Not the one I’d walked alone. This one was poorly lit, narrow and cramped, and went downward, like it was under the earth. “I’m your teacher now; you must show me the proper respect I deserve.”

  I looked away so he wouldn’t see my glower. “I don’t know who would have cast the spell . . . sir.”

  “Hmm.” He was quiet for a while after that, musing over my words. We reached a narrow door, and Elymas opened it, walking into a gloomy room. “It shouldn’t be hard to break. You’ll be working magic in no time.”

  The room was large. I couldn’t make out the end of it in the shadow. It was also drafty, but being presumably underground, I couldn’t tell where the breeze came from.

  Squinting my eyes, I could just make out several rows of bookshelves in the gloom to the far back. A stone table stood in the middle of the space, cluttered with books, glass bottles, and surprisingly, a few bundles of herbs. I remembered this room.

  “What kind of magician are you, Elymas? Sir.”

  Elymas beamed, and with a wave of his hand, the torches set in the walls burned brighter. “Some would call me a druid. I work with earth magic.”

  I chewed my lower lip, trying to remember what Silvan had said about magic. “Is earth magic the same as dark magic?”

  “Pshaw!” Elymas scoffed as he strode into the room. “Magic is magic, my suspicious snowdrop. It’s not good or evil. It just is. Though if we were going to argue that point, I would say that earth magic is good. It is certainly natural.”

  I thought about the demons, and shivered when a cold breeze wafted about me.

  Elymas stood by the stone table, and motioned me over as he flipped through a book. “Come here.”

  Trying to ignore the stab of fear in my gut, I walked to stand across from him.

  Elymas’s emerald gaze fixed on me. “I’m going to remove the spell. It’s woven tightly, but it’s beginning to loosen. You’ve said you’ve been able to detect magic here and there, or see enchantment in brief glimpses. We’re going to expedite that process. Now.”

  I blinked at him. “Now? Like, I’ll be able to work magic in a matter of minutes?”

  I didn’t like the smile he gave me. It was full of secrets. “Well, I could leave you the way you are, stumbling along, almost able to touch it, here and there.” The smile grew. “You might be able to work it properly in another, oh, ten years or so.”

  I couldn’t wait that long. I bit my lip, feeling unsure. Silvan couldn’t seem to tell the difference between blocked and slumbering magic, or he would have lifted the shield by now. I knew he would do his best to try and figure it out, but what if he couldn’t?

  I would always be less than him, unable to reach my full potential.

  I inclined my head toward Elymas. “I accept your offer, sir.”

  “Excellent.” Elymas grinned at me, his eyes glinting like green glass. “This will only hurt for a moment.”

  He lifted his hands, fingers extended toward me like claws.

  Threads of darkness leaped from his fingers snaking toward me with lightning swiftness. I didn't have time to flinch before the threads plunged into my chest, coiling about my heart.

  Pure agony. I arched my back, and a shuddering scream ripped from my throat. I was dead. I was worse than dead. Pain pulsed through my veins. Every inch of me seared in brilliant heat.

  Then it was gone. No pain, just the memory of it. Relief and misery coursed through me, and I collapsed, my strength spent. I blinked back tears. What had just happened?

  “Get up.” Elymas’s voice was crisp, breaking through my muddled thoughts. “Get up, Glacia.”

  I inhaled deeply and crawled to my feet. Elymas stood before me, his gaze intent as it locked with mine. “Seize your magic.”

  I blinked at him. “How do I—”

  “Now.”

  Resisting the temptation to roll my eyes, I mentally reached for my enchantment . . .

  And found it. Nestled inside me, it was a force so vast, I was astounded that it belonged to me. I stared back at the mage. “That . . . can't be mine.”

  Elymas laughed. It was a cold, hard sound, like his voice was wrapped in steel. “You're partially right. It's mine as well.”

  He tilted his head to observe me, and his expression of smug satisfaction sent a thrill of alarm down my spine. “What do you mean?” I asked slowly, afraid of what the answer would be. What had I done? What had he done?

  “We're linked,” Elymas said. “I'm the link holder, of course, but now we can share each other's magic.”

  I stared back, my heart wilting with terror under his words.

  Linked.

  With a man that wasn’t Silvan.

  26

  Glacia

  “What?” The word came out a squeal. I shook my head. “Linked? How is that possible? And what about my block?”

  Elymas smirked. “When my magic touched yours, the shield spell eroded and fell away. I was off on my calculations. I guess it wouldn't have been very much time before you eventually broke through it on your own, but what's done is done. You're much more powerful, now. And so am I.”

  My eyes narrowed. “You already knew that though, didn't you? About my block.” Heaven have mercy on me, I had been doing fine on my own, and I just hadn't been able to see it. I remembered what he'd said. He said it would be years before I could break through it. “You lied to me.”

  Elymas’s smile slipped away, replaced with stern aloofness. “I didn't lie. I just bent the truth to my advantage. It's human nature, Glacia. Don't pretend you have the high ground, here. You're a manipulator, too.”

  “Yeah?” I tilted my chin up, regarding him with confidence I didn't feel. “I don't lie to my friends. That makes us quite different.”

  “You came here against your friend's wishes,” Elymas pressed. He watched me closely. “Silvan didn't want you to come, yet you did, anyway. You said what you had to in order to come here, even though it hurt him. You got what you wanted.”

  “You've been spying on me?” I said, the sickening feeling in my gut souring further. The overwhelming feeling I had earlier, to seek my magic at all costs, had drained away, leaving me feeling sick and hollow. What had I been thinking?

  He shrugged dismissively. “In a way,” he said cryptically. “But that is beside the point. You, Glacia, do things because you want to, not because of any false moral code you profess to believe in. You don't do things because they feel right or wrong, you say and do things that will work to your advantage. Take Silvan, for instance. For whatever reason, you follow that boy around like a faithful hound.” His mouth twisted in a bitter smile. “But that isn't for his benefi
t, is it? You follow him because you want him.”

  Heat flooded my face and I looked away. “Silvan is all I have in the world,” I muttered. “Of course I wanted him. I needed him.”

  The smirk on Elymas’s face made my stomach clench. “Not anymore,” he breathed. “Now you need me.”

  I shook my head. “I shouldn’t have come.”

  “But you did.” Before I could react, Elymas had come around the table, closing the distance between us. I flinched, shying away.

  The mage grabbed my shoulders and pressed his mouth to mine.

  My first kiss.

  Elymas’s arms held me like bands of steel, his body pressed against mine. His kiss was rough and demanding.

  Horror ripped through me. This wasn’t what was supposed to happen. My first kiss was supposed to have been with Silvan. No!

  I tried to move away, but I might as well have tried to move a mountain with my bare hands.

  “No.” My voice was muffled against his mouth.

  Elymas growled, deep in his throat, the sound animalistic. He moved, tugging me toward the table.

  NO! I summoned magic, something dark and instinctive inside of me, slamming pure energy between us. Elymas was blown backward, colliding with the edge of the table.

  I staggered to my feet and darted into the shadows. My heart was pounding, the sound thundering in my ears.

  “Don’t think you can get away so easily, my little pet.” Elymas’s voice sounded breathless, either from pain or excitement, I couldn’t tell. “We are linked. The bond still holds.” I felt a tug inside of me. Elymas held control of my enchantment.

  The pain in my wrist. It throbbed, glowing red. I couldn’t hide with its light. I crouched in a defensive position. If I’d been an animal, my hackles would be raised, teeth bared. “You won’t control me.” My voice was a hiss. “You can’t control me.”

  Elymas laughed. “As if you have a choice.” His voice dripped with malice. “You were so stupid, my little snowflake. You were so blind. So desperate to access your magic.” He drew closer, his lean body tense, ready to explode into action. “But you can learn. You are, after all, bonded to me. I’m cunning. I’m experienced. I will help you see.”