Hidden Magic: A New Adult Urban Fantasy Novel (Touched By Magic: Dragon Book 1)

by Ashley Meira

  The world melted together in shades of brown, but I could still see the fine red lines that distracted me moments ago. The torn leather around her thigh was peeled back, revealing a brand — a dragon entwined around a giant phoenix with its wings outstretched. I still couldn’t tell if it was hugging the phoenix or trying to smother it.

  “Who are you?” I managed to force out before blood spurted from my mouth like a violent firehose. Breathing felt near impossible. “Why—”

  “Stop talking.” She took my sword, turning it over in her hand as she approached me. The tip pressed against my neck, but I could barely feel it through the agony around my abdomen. She raised the blade and swiped down. I flinched, eyes squeezed shut, and awaited the killing blow.

  Nothing happened.

  Ten ton weights seemed to have taken residence above my eyelids, but I managed to force them up the tiniest bit. Through thin slits, I could see her hand pressed against her ear. Hearing the other side of a magical call was impossible, but I could pick up her words just fine.

  “We had to switch mountains, but I can still perform the ritual…. Cyrus went up ahead…. Because he’s an idiot and was going to get himself killed…. He’d have died too soon. It needs to be after the ritual…. Of course, master.”

  Dropping the sword, she looked me over. The sweet aroma of hazelnut wafted around me as she kneeled. Her hand reached over, gently brushing the hair away from my face. The action tugged at my memory, but I couldn’t for the life of me place it. Magic encircled her palm as she pressed it against my cheek. The soft touch of healing magic woke me enough for an idea to form. I let more of her magic flow through me before reaching forward, slipping my hand into her pocket.

  She kicked herself back and grabbed her sword. After a torturous minute of silent regard, she shook her head and made her way to the exit. “Don’t expect any more favors.”

  Some favor — I was still bleeding out my liver over here. I wanted to wait until she healed me more, but I couldn’t lose the element of surprise. Breathing hurt so much I tried to convince myself oxygen was overrated, but I held out long enough to watch her disappear. When she did, I unfurled my fingers. Resting in my palm was the Gem of Anathasia.

  I wasn’t sure how to use it, but she would notice it was gone soon. I had to act now. Damien said used the caster’s magic, so all I had to do was send my magic into it. But how the hell did I do that?

  My eyes slipped closed. I tried to slow my breathing, but all that did was cause my blood to pool. I hated to do it, but I thought back to my kidnapper’s lesson, and let the magic spread through my veins. Energy pressed against my skin, seeping through my pores. It flowed freely around me until I directed it toward the Gem. The ruby glowed like my ring had, sending gentle electricity through my fingertips.

  I continued sending my magic into it, too tired to force it all out at once. The longer it went on, the worse I began to feel. My grip around the Gem loosened, my fingers trembling uncontrollably. The dirt beneath me grew colder and colder, until the breeze filtering in made me shiver. It was the first time I’d felt actual weather. I decided it could kiss my ass.

  Even with my eyes closed, the world seemed to get darker with each passing second. My muscles gave out, and my heartbeat slowed until I could no longer feel it pulse against my side. I forced the rest of my magic forward.

  Dying didn’t sound so bad anymore, but just as I decided to give up, gold flashed against my eyelids, and I was surrounded by the smell of fresh laundry.

  “Holy shit,” a panicked voice pierced through the sound of breaking dishes. “Sophia?!”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Ollie’s magic washed over me, green and wholesome. Except it wasn’t its usual calm. Terror radiated off him in heavy waves. Spiced cider broke through the potent taste of my blood. It was delicious. I wanted more. Now.

  Suddenly, I wasn’t exhausted. I was starving — and Ollie’s magic was an eight-course meal. His shaky hands gripped my shoulders as he whispered panicked mumblings in my ear. My Ember, barely glowing, screeched in a muted whisper, trying to voice its desire before it died.

  My hand shot out, clawing my nails into the soft flesh of his cheek. Warmth coated my fingers. Blood. His blood. But I didn’t want his blood, damn it. I wanted his magic. All of it. I was drained and needed to refuel. I wanted to suck every last bit of magical power he had out until there was nothing left — until he could never get any of it back.

  “Sophia, Sophia! Stay awake, okay? I have a few potions saved up, and I’ll start brewing more. Just hang on— Whoa,” he breathed, his grip loosening. “What’s going on?”

  He sounded drunk, and it took me a minute to figure out why. I was draining his magic. He wasn’t casting anything — I was pulling his magic from inside his body and absorbing it. That wasn’t normal. That wasn’t—

  Realization gripped my throat like an icy fist. I was stealing Ollie’s magic. Ollie, my best friend, who had always been there for me.

  Who was trying to save my life.

  My Ember howled, but I pulled into myself, cutting my magic off from the world. My hands slid from his face, my knuckles cracking against the wooden floors. Maybe it was true, and Fireborns were monsters. But I’d be damned if I wasn’t going to fight that prophecy with every fiber of my being. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to hurt my best friend.

  Ollie’s grip tightened around me once more, and I felt one hand cup my cheek. His warm breath against my forehead was the last thing I felt before my entire body went numb.

  I woke up to swamp water being poured down my throat. No, I’d swallowed swamp water once — this was way worse. Another rush of foul liquid was tipped into my mouth. I sputtered, batting the offender away.

  “Well—” Oliver huffed “—at least you’re feeling a little better.”

  “Waterboarding is illegal,” I croaked. How was my throat so dry after all that liquid?

  “You’re free to try arresting me — assuming you can even sit up.”

  I lifted my head an inch. To my credit, I held it up for three whole seconds before collapsing into a whimpering mess. The agony coursing through my body had faded to throbbing pain, more like screaming muscles than shattered bones. Baby steps.

  Grit stuck my lashes together, but I couldn’t bring my hand up to wipe it away. A wet towel dabbed at them, the warm water like a delicate touch. Opening my eyes, I saw Ollie’s smiling face. His magic was still flickering around in a worried dance, but I appreciated the show of effort. He lifted my head and placed it on his lap.

  He waved a round bottle filled with sickly green liquid. “Open up.”

  “You’ll have to kill me first.”

  “If you don’t drink this, I won’t have to.” His voice was steeped in concern, and his smile faltered. “I’ve given you enough healing potions to bring back the dead, but you’re still in really bad shape.”

  I figured that out when I couldn’t keep my head up. “Enough to bring back the dead?”

  “Figure of speech.” He pressed the bottle to my lips. “Open.”

  I did and instantly regretted it. “Urgh. More like making the dead.”

  He brushed my hair aside. “Sorry, even I can’t make medicine taste good.”

  It wasn’t medicine I wanted. The potions were helping my body but did nothing for my deadened Ember. The hollow feeling I had when I woke up eight years ago was back. It wasn’t as bad, but it was close. I wanted to curl up and die — and this time, it wasn’t because of Ollie’s potion.

  “Sophia?” When I didn’t reply, he shook my shoulder. His magic came out in wild waves of fear.

  “Yeah,” I forced out, nails digging into my palm.

  The magic spread around the room was driving me insane. My hunger for his magic came back tenfold. And now that I had more energy, it was harder to convince myself to hold back. He wasn’t much of a fighter — I could easily take him down and suck him dry. He’d be drained, and I could leave before anyone noticed
.

  There were splotches of red on his cheek. Blood, I realized — from when I clawed at him and tried to steal his magic. I whimpered, the potion he was pouring down my throat spurting all over me. While he tried wiping my mouth, I curled into him. Pressing my face into his stomach, I let my tears soak into his shirt. He was my best friend, and I couldn’t control myself for more than a few minutes. This proved what I’d known all along — I really was a monster.

  “Hey, don’t cry,” he said softly. “It doesn’t taste that bad.”

  I choked out a laugh. My arms shook harder than a magnitude ten earthquake, but I managed to sit up. He placed a hand against my back and held the bottle up again. I chugged it, letting the horrible taste serve as a small punishment.

  “Is Anna taking care of the shop?” I asked, looking around his apartment.

  Ollie lived in a small studio above his cafe. It was warm and homey, decorated in earth tones. His kitchen counter was overflowing with knocked over bottles and bundles of herbs. A cauldron was in the back, soft waves of smoke wafting from it.

  “No, she has the day off.” Anna was a part-timer who helped Ollie out at the cafe.

  “So, you’re losing business?” Crap. First I wanted to steal his magic, now I was costing him money. “I’m so—”

  He pinched my nose. “No apologizing. You’re more important.”

  I leaned against his shoulder. “Thank you.”

  “No problem,” he said, kissing my temple. “Fiona should be here soon, by the way.”

  My eyes widened. I left them on that mountain. “I totally forgot about them. She’s going to kill me.”

  “She may have mentioned being stranded on a mountain — and waiting for a helicopter while being surrounded by dead bodies.”

  Guess she’d been too drained to open a portal. “The cold will keep them from smelling.”

  “That’s what I said.” He grinned. “She called me from Adam’s plane. That was a few hours ago, so she should be here soon.”

  “Hours? How long have I been out?”

  “About—”

  A green light filled the room. Fiona and Adam spilled out of the portal. She was fine, but Adam looked shellshocked.

  “You dropped us out of the sky,” he said, stumbling forward.

  She rolled her eyes. “I opened a portal.”

  “Into the sky.”

  “Yeah, and then I opened another. And another, until we made it here.”

  “Just because you can fly—”

  “You can shift into a phoenix.”

  “A phoenix?” Ollie said. “Dude, that’s awesome.”

  “Thanks,” Adam said. He perked up when his eyes fell on me. “Sophia—”

  A flash of red charged at me, and tiny hands shook me. “Are you okay? Where did you go? How did you get back? What happened?”

  Ollie pushed her back. “Stop that. I spent all night fixing her up.”

  “Like an angel,” I said weakly. “Feeding me vomit in a bottle.”

  “Shh. That’s the secret ingredient.”

  As the three of them conversed, I tried to think of what to say. I couldn’t admit I’d used the Gem of Anathasia in front of Adam. How was I even supposed to return it to him now? It’d bring up too many questions. Shifting, I felt the Gem’s edges dig into my leg. When did I put it in my pocket? Did Ollie see it?

  “What happened?” Adam sat at my feet. He grabbed my legs before I could pull away, draping them across his lap. “Your magic is almost completely drained.”

  “Mine too,” Fiona said, plopping down on Ollie’s other side. “We were farther from Santa Fae than I thought.”

  Ollie slipped out from under me and went to his kitchenette. “Does that mean you could have ended up splattered all over the ground?”

  “No,” she huffed. “It means we could’ve ended up in a whole other city.”

  “Don’t ever do that again,” Adam said, rubbing my feet. Maybe I should keep him. “Where did you go? All I saw was that woman using the Gem, then the three of you vanished.”

  “New Zealand,” I said, biting back a moan at the feel of his hands. Screw CEO, he should be a masseuse. “That’s what Snow — the woman in white — said. We were in a mountain. They’re planning on doing the ritual again.”

  “It’s been eight hours,” Fiona said. “They’re probably already done”

  “And if they aren’t, they will be by the time we get there.” Adam sighed. “What happened next?”

  “No more talking,” Ollie said, saving my life. He came over with an armful of food. Chicken pot pie, casseroles, and plenty of other steaming hot dishes were placed on his coffee table. If my muscles weren’t weeping, I’d have thrown myself all over it. “Eat. You can talk another day. After you get a healer to give you a clean bill of health.”

  “You healed me,” I said.

  “But I’m not a healer.” He rolled his eyes. “Professionally, at least. There might be something I missed — potions only go so far.”

  “I’ll call my healer,” Adam said.

  “Cool.” I staggered to my feet. Nothing fell on its side or blurred into an ugly mess. Patting my body revealed no more broken bones, and the taste of blood was gone. I was fine. And if I wasn’t, Fiona could portal me into the ER later. “I am going home to shower off all the blood and dirt. Then, I’m going to nap for another eight hours.”

  Adam caught me before I reached the door. “You need to eat and get checked out by a professional.” He turned to Ollie. “No offense.”

  “None taken,” Ollie said.

  “I spent the last few hours having sewer water shoved down my throat — the last thing I need is someone poking and prodding at me. And I’m not sure I can even keep food down right now.”

  Adam’s eyes shone with concern. His remaining magic encircled us, but instead of calming me like usual, it filled me with a violent hunger. My hand clamped over his, fingertips digging into his skin. Breathing came harder as I fought the urge to pounce.

  His grip softened, and he threaded his fingers through my hair. “Maybe you should sit down.”

  “I just want to sleep,” I ground out, wrenching my hand away from his. My Ember fizzled, making me want to lay down and die.

  “Let her go,” Ollie said. “The potions I gave her are full of nutrients. She’ll be fine for a while.” He stood and handed me my phone. “Besides, Symeon called while you were out. He’s got a new job for you.”

  I so did not have the energy for one of his jobs. “Did he say how big?”

  “Is it enough to replace my nice jacket?” Fiona asked. “Those stupid golems ripped it.”

  “That’s what you get for wearing nice things on a job,” I said.

  “I’m not you. I don’t keep the pretty things in my closet.”

  “She wears nice things.” Adam slid his hand down my neck, running his thumb over my shoulder. For once, my shirt had made it through relatively unscathed, so he had to brush the sleeve aside to see the bra strap. “Lacy things.”

  “Okay—” I pulled away “—if you’re going to gossip, I’m leaving. Keep it clean, though. He doesn’t need to know my cup size.”

  His teeth were bared in a predatory grin. “Don’t worry, I have no intention of getting that knowledge second hand.”

  Forget dragons and Fireborns — phoenixes were the really scary ones.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Damien’s gallery was all fixed up and decorated to the nines. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings, casting bright lights across the spotless hardwood floors. The burgundy walls were covered in priceless paintings he’d hung just for this night. Crystal sculptures were spread throughout the room, standing watch over the long buffet tables filled with decadent looking food. A chocolate fountain was in the corner, the liquid glistening like the world’s most delicious diamond.

  Dozens of well-dressed socialites loitered around the main room, flutes of overpriced champagne clasped in their ring-covered hands. The
re was enough money here to buy an entire country.

  I felt dreadfully out of place with my plain dress. “May as well have worn pants.”

  “You’re a bit too short to pull off a pantsuit,” Symeon drawled. He was dressed in an elegant tuxedo, perfectly in line with the rest of the upper class. “Stop fussing, dear. You look gorgeous.”

  I took his offered drink and downed it, ignoring the offended looks from the people around me. Damien was holding a party to celebrate the reopening of his gallery and had invited the who’s who of high society. I was here as Symeon’s plus-one, though I had no idea why he chose to drag me along instead of an actual date. How did I even let him talk me into joining him tonight? Right — he promised there’d be free food. And he invited Fiona, who threatened to smother me in my sleep if I didn’t accept.

  “I wasn’t talking about a pantsuit,” I said, looking into my empty glass. “Is there anything stronger than champagne around? I don’t see a bar anywhere. Don’t rich people drink hard liquor?”

  “Aren’t you still on the mend? You shouldn’t be having any alcohol.”

  “Thanks, mom,” I muttered, grabbing another glass from a passing waiter.

  “Perhaps I should take you to the garden — it might calm you.”

  “There’s a garden here?”

  He nodded. “A small one. In the back.”

  What kind of gallery had a garden? It was kind of cool, I guess. Though it didn’t make me any happier to be here. “You still haven’t told me anything about this new job.”

  “There’ll be plenty of time for that later. Really, do try to have some fun.” He nodded toward Fiona, who was flitting around the room in an excited frenzy. “Like she is.”

  “I don’t find wearing a dress fun.” Especially not a dress that reached my knees — they restricted my movements too much. But I couldn’t wear anything shorter without revealing my brand.