Fabulous. A week of enormous flaming poop.
“I’ll help you, Bryn,” Cerys said. “You won’t have to do it alone.”
“I know a useful spell,” Mia said. “Can we use magic, Chancellor?”
The chancellor feigned ignorance. “Magic for what, child?”
“Thank you, Chancellor,” I said. Under the circumstances, I got off with a mild tap on the wrist. It could’ve been much worse.
“About this new addition to the hellhound enclosure…” Chancellor Tilkin began.
“His name is Rudolph,” I said.
“I see. I have no doubt that Mr. Fonthill will require your participation in his care.”
“Absolutely,” I said, and frowned.
“What is it, child?”
“If Gray…Mr. Mappleworth makes it back.” I fought back tears. “If he returns, is there a way to remove my blood from his? I had a nightmare where the blood could never be separated, and I controlled him for eternity.” I shuddered.
The chancellor laced her elegant fingers together. “As it happens, I am aware of such a procedure. Professor Langley and Alana created a potion years ago that is capable of cleansing the system of certain unwanted properties.”
I shifted uncomfortably. “It was created specifically for my father’s blood, wasn’t it?”
She angled her head. “It was, child. When he died, we thought we’d have no need of it ever again.”
I slumped in my seat. “I’m sorry.”
“Do not ever be sorry for who you are, Bryn Morrow. You’re a welcome addition and a credit to this academy,” she replied.
“I’ll remind myself of that fact when I’m knee-deep in hellhound feces,” I said.
The chancellor suppressed a smile. “Oh, you won’t be knee-deep. I’d say ankle-deep, at most.”
“Are we dismissed?” Cerys asked. “These snacks were good, but I’m starving.”
“And I need a shower,” Beth said.
Chancellor Tilkin made a dismissive gesture. “Be gone with you. I’m glad you’re safe and sound. You’ll be pleased to know that Master Horton is working with Professor Langley to improve campus security.”
Cerys forced a laugh. “Better late than never.”
“Even with heavier wards, we would have been unlikely to prevent the attack from beneath Mercer Lake,” the chancellor said. “Some events are simply unforeseeable.”
I knew that all too well. My mother’s death fell into that category. We worried and stayed hidden our whole lives because we feared my father, but, in the end, it was a car accident that killed her. Not an evil sorcerer. An ice storm. Life was strange and sad, yet somehow still wonderful.
“Are you all right, child?” the chancellor asked, sensing my distress.
I offered a patient smile. “I’m definitely getting there.”
I left the chancellor’s office with everyone else. While I listened to their excited chatter around me, I didn’t really focus on the words. My mind was still stuck on Gray, wondering whether he was trapped in a fiery inferno for all eternity. The idea was too much to bear.
“Are you coming to the dining hall, Bryn?” Mia asked. “Hazel said she made special arrangements with the cook.”
“I’m not hungry anymore, thanks.”
We walked past the steps where Fred and George were busy heckling trainees on their way into the library. The stone gargoyles were having a field day because one of the trainees accidentally had put his top on inside out, and another had toilet paper stuck to her shoe.
“Hey, Bryn,” Fred called. “You look like you’ve been to hell and back.”
I smiled. “You could say that.”
George swiveled toward Beth. “Aren’t you that missing student? I remember your face from the flyers on campus.”
“Someone stuck one on my nose,” Fred complained.
Beth pursed her lips. “That’s me.”
I waited for a snarky comment, but none was forthcoming. Instead, George simply said, “Good to see you,” and left it at that.
I saw Warden Armitage bolt from the library when he spotted us. He took the steps two at a time until he reached the base.
“Slow down, Warden,” I said. “You don’t want to bust a hip.”
“You’re all present and accounted for, I hear.” He quickly counted the number of heads, and stopped when his gaze alighted on Beth. “It’s true then.”
Beth offered a small smile. “It’s true.”
“Welcome back, Beth.” Armitage ran a hand through his thick hair in disbelief. “How did you all manage it? The nether is brutal.”
“It was brutal,” I agreed. “There are many things that happened that I’d like to forget.” And a few I desperately wanted to remember, but I’d keep those incidents to myself.
“I’m relieved to see you all made it back safely,” Armitage said. “I’d love a full report on your experiences.”
“My report will be far more boring than Bryn’s,” Dani said. “Mia, Robin, and I were stuck in a holding cell for most of the time.”
“We were carried off by three-headed flying hellhounds,” Mia said. “That’s noteworthy.”
“You were better off,” I said. “Trust me. Nobody needs to journal about the nightmare demon I met. Or the chimera.”
Armitage’s eyes popped. “You battled both of those?”
“And an army of ice giants,” I added. “And a witch that cooked her guests, but we did meet a very nice goat.”
“We?” Armitage echoed. “You mean Mappleworth?”
I tensed. “Yes. He was with me the whole time. I couldn’t have done it without him.”
“Where is he now?” Armitage asked.
My heart became lodged in my throat. “I don’t know.” I told him about the Devourer.
“Mappleworth can handle himself,” Armitage said. “We lost a fine warden when he left the organization.” He paused. “Two fine wardens, when you consider Riya.”
“We found Rippon,” I said, and Armitage’s eyes lit up. I wasn’t sure whether to offer any further details. I didn’t want Gray to get in trouble. It was one thing for me to admit what I’d done, but I didn’t feel right revealing Gray’s actions, however justified.
“Don’t tell anybody I said this because I have a reputation to uphold, but you’re all going to make exceptional agents someday.” Armitage tipped an imaginary hat before striding away.
“I never know what to expect from him,” I said, shaking my head.
“I do,” Dani replied. “Arrogance and an attitude.”
We laughed.
“What in spell’s bells is that giant white thing?” Beth asked, shading her eyes as she peered at the sky.
I craned my neck for a better view. It was then that I recognized that giant white thing for what it really was.
A swan. A ridiculously oversized swan.
“Bryn,” Dani said. “That’s a…”
“I know!” I sprinted toward Mercer Lake without a second thought. The swan answered to Gray. Maybe it could take me to him.
I ran through the gateway, rushing past several confused trainees.
“Where’s the fire, Morrow?” someone said. I didn’t bother to respond. The fire was in my heart, and I didn’t want anything to snuff it out.
“I’ve never been happier to see a giant swan,” I said, slowing to a stop when I reached the dock. The swan was gliding along the water, perfectly content. At the sound of my voice, it turned its graceful neck in my direction.
“Do you know where Gray is?” I asked. “Can you take me to him?”
“That won’t be necessary.”
I whipped around to see Gray standing on the dock behind me. In one piece. Not a hair out of place. I couldn’t contain my emotions. A strangled sob escaped me as I flung my arms around his neck.
“You’re here,” I said, my cries muffled against his chest.
He stroked my hair as he held me. “I am.”
“What took you so
long?”
“I got here as quickly as I could. I passed through but ended up a good distance away. I searched for you and eventually decided you must’ve passed through to another location. Luckily, I was able to hitch a ride.” He kissed the top of my head. “I didn’t want to waste time.”
Then he kissed me fully on the mouth. He tasted every bit as good as he looked.
“I thought what happened in the underworld stayed in the underworld,” I said.
Gray’s expression turned serious. “I’m sorry I said that. At the time, I wasn’t sure…”
“About me?” Ouch. That hurt.
“No, I wasn’t sure that you felt the same. I thought maybe it had been my fantasy playing out in that house, not yours.”
I smiled. “That kitchen was definitely my fantasy. And I would have loved for you to meet my mother.”
“The fence is a deal-breaker, though,” he said.
“I know, I know. No self-respecting vampire.” I lifted my chin to look at him. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
He cupped my face in his hands. “Turns out my soulless shell of a body still has a heart worth having.”
“So, the Devourer didn’t want it?”
“No, thank the gods,” he said, and fixed me with that hot, penetrating stare. “That’s why I’m able to give it to you.”
18
My roommates and I sat in the golden orchard, enjoying a relaxing picnic with our familiars. For once, they were all getting along. I smiled as I watched Icarus teach the cats how to swipe fish from a nearby pond. He was in his element, being helpful rather than combative. That was the owl I knew and loved—the one who’d taught me how to feed myself while living in alleyways. My salvation. He seemed more at home here than in Terrene, as did I. I’d never really had a proper home before. Home had been wherever my mother was. Ever since her death, I’d been more adrift than ever, running from a father that no longer existed. I was so grateful to Chancellor Tilkin for taking a chance on me. Her feathered cloak would always hold a special place in my heart.
“Clementine, let the others have a turn,” Dani called.
I stifled a laugh. “She’s definitely your familiar.”
Cerys chewed a handful of berries. “I’m glad you all decided to join me today. You know this is one of my favorite spots.”
“Haggis seems thrilled to have you back,” Mia said.
“We’re all thrilled to have you back,” I said. “Has anyone heard from Beth?”
“This morning,” Cerys said. “She’s decided to go back to school to become a healer.”
“Witches can be healers?” I asked. So far, my experience with healers had been limited to Alana, a druid, and, of course, my mother.
“They’re not as common, but they exist,” Cerys replied.
“Looks like someone’s here to see you, Bryn,” Dani said, inclining her strawberry blond head.
Gray stood on the edge of the orchard, looking impossibly attractive in a tight dark grey T-shirt and dark jeans. His blond hair gleamed in the sunlight. He held a takeaway cup in each hand.
“You’ve got a thing for golden apples now, Morrow?” he said, approaching the group.
“Clyde would approve.”
“Feel like a walk?” he asked. “I’ve brought smoothies from Stake-n-Shake.” He wiggled the cups.
Get off your duff, Icarus urged. Make him feel welcome.
I thought you didn’t approve of vampires.
I approve of anyone with the good taste to care for you.
Aw, Icarus. That’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me. I rose to my feet to meet Gray and accepted the smoothie. “Mercer Lake or forest?”
“Lady’s choice.”
“Forest is closer,” I said. I turned to my friends. “I’ll be back. Nobody touch my food!”
“Don’t worry,” Dani called. “I’ve already licked all your fruit. I’ll make sure Clementine nibbles on your sandwich.”
I shot her a death stare before strolling toward the forest with Gray.
“Everyone seems settled,” Gray said. “How’s Cerys?”
“Good, thanks for asking,” I replied. “She’s in counseling with Alana. Apparently, druids are excellent healers of the mind, as well as of the body.”
“And what about you?”
I glanced at him. “What about me?”
“Any second thoughts?”
I took a sip of my smoothie. Burstberry and lime. Delicious, as usual. “Second thoughts about you? Are you nuts?”
“I’m a crusty old vampire. You’re a young witch in training.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Maybe you were suffering from the effects of the chimera. I don’t know.”
“There’s nothing crusty about you, Gray Mappleworth.”
He pretended to wipe his brow. “I just had to be sure before…”
I stopped in front of a banyan tree. “Before what?”
He sucked up more of his smoothie. “Warden Armitage came to see me yesterday.”
“That must’ve been thrilling. Did he chew you out for our unauthorized visit to the underworld?”
“He did.”
Big shock. Armitage was as bad as Robin when it came to following the rulebook. To be fair, he could’ve insisted on punishments for all of us at the academy for running off to one of the most dangerous underworlds, but he opted to turn a blind eye.
“Then he offered me a warden position,” Gray said.
I nearly spit my smoothie all over the forest floor. “He what?”
Gray chuckled. “You seem a little surprised, Morrow.”
“He offered you your old job?” My stomach knotted. What did this mean? Gray was leaving the world of shadows and returning to the land of the living?
“He said the AMF would like to welcome me back, if I’m interested in returning,” Gray said.
“And are you?” I studied him closely. A job as a warden meant travel and danger. He’d be gone for days—sometimes weeks— and I’d be at the academy, wringing my hands like a military spouse. Not the ideal circumstances for a new relationship.
“I said yes, but on one condition,” he said.
“That you don’t have to put yourself in any dangerous situations?” I queried. “Because I wholly support that condition.”
“I’ll be a Warden of the West,” he said. “Danger comes with the territory. You’d better get used to the idea, Morrow, because you’re headed down the same path.”
“I have a few years yet,” I said. “So what’s your condition?”
He reached across the table and clasped my hands. “That I spend most of my time here, like Armitage.”
My eyes widened. “Here, as in Spellslingers?”
“That’s right. They’ve agreed to let me work here as an instructor and perform warden duties on an as-needed basis.”
“What about Armitage?”
“He’s asked to do more work in the field, so that means reducing his time at the academy. He misses the energy of active investigations. I think he’s been living vicariously through your reports.”
I couldn’t believe it. Gray, a warden again. And based at Spellslingers, no less.
“Armitage needs to adjust his attitude if he intends to get back out there,” I said. “He lets his arrogance and bureaucracy get in his way of results.”
“I think he’s been eating quite a lot of humble pie since you arrived,” Gray said. “He’s not a bad wizard, you know.”
My head was still spinning. “Wow, imagine what your parents will say. They’ll be thrilled.”
He pressed his lips together. “Probably, but it’s not my parents’ opinion I’m interested in.”
No, it wasn’t. It was mine. Bryn Morrow. Orphan extraordinaire. Daughter of darkness. The Shadow Sorcerer’s secret love child. Spellslingers student.
And future Warden of the West.
The good and the bad. The yin and the yang. They were all me, and I was—finally—at peace with that reality.
“I think it’s amazing!” I said. “I’m so happy for you.”
He sucked down the last of his smoothie, satisfied. “Good, because, quite frankly, that’s the only blessing I need.”
Thank you for reading! You can stay on top of the latest releases and other news by joining my newsletter http://eepurl.com/ctYNzf and like me on Facebook.
I hope you enjoyed the completion of Bryn’s adventures in Outlast, Warden of the West, Book 3. Look out for the next trilogy in the Spellslingers Academy of Magic world, which will feature Dani Degraff, future Sentry of the South.
I would appreciate a review on Amazon, as that helps other readers decide whether this book is the right choice for them.
You may also enjoy my paranormal cozy mysteries series—Spellbound and Starry Hollow Witches. The idea for Bryn and the Spellslingers Academy of Magic world came from the Spellbound series—
Curse the Day, Book 1
Doom and Broom, Book 2
Spell’s Bells, Book 3
Lucky Charm, Book 4
Better Than Hex, Book 5
Cast Away, Book 6
A Touch of Magic, Book 7
A Drop in the Potion, Book 8
Hemlocked and Loaded, Book 9
All Spell Breaks Loose, Book 10
Starry Hollow Witches series:
Magic & Murder, Book 1
Magic & Mystery, Book 2
Magic & Mischief, Book 3
Magic & Mayhem, Book 4
Magic & Mercy, Book 5
Magic & Madness, Book 6
Outlast: Spellslingers Academy of Magic (Warden of the West Book 3) Page 17