It chilled her to realize it was waiting, smart enough to know it needed to be stronger before attacking this man. When Randolph came to a stop at her side, he stood to attention like a dog that had his fur ruffled.
Raven walked the circuit of the room one more time.
When she came to a stop at her seat, the magic was gone again.
“You’re dampening it, repressing it somehow.”
The young man sounded so enthusiastic Raven hated to disappoint him. “I’m slowing the infection, but that’s not good enough. It won’t hold.”
The granny nodded, her gray hair bobbing. “She’s right. Once our magic is gone, the wild magic will take over, and we’ll become the enemy.”
“This is all bullshit.” A woman who resembled a soccer mom shoved away from the table, her ponytail swinging. “Why are we even listening to her?”
A second girl rose to her feet. “Ancient magic is a blessing, trusted to only the strongest. We were chosen. We’re meant to rule. She’s trying to trick you into giving up your power.”
The room erupted in confusion. Three witches sided with the soccer mom.
“You’re a fool.” The pity on the granny’s face was more powerful than any argument. “And you’ll die for it.”
Raven raised her hands. “I’m not going to force anyone to do anything. You saw what wild magic could do. I think I can help you, but only if you want it.”
The granny stood. “I want to live.”
Three others nodded, splitting the group in half. Raven hadn’t expected so many to place their trust in her. It was both humbling and scared the crap out of her. “The rest of you will go back to your cells, and—”
“No.” Soccer mom smiled, a sinister twist to her lips. “We don’t take orders from you or anyone else anymore.”
The temperature dropped as wild magic thickened in the air, growing like a black shadow as it lashed out.
Like a ghostly fist, it plowed through her chest, grabbed her heart and squeezed. Raven gasped and fell against the granite-tiled wall. Her power rose at the assault, her armor hardening, cutting off the stream of dark magic.
She inhaled sharply at the rush of fresh air, and shoved away from the wall. Rage roared through her as her creature woke with a vengeance. She grabbed soccer mom by the throat and hefted her off her feet. Pinned to the wall, the woman wheezed for air, clawing at Raven’s hand. Nails snapped off when she encountered the armor.
“Stop.”
As if sensing her prey was about to be snatched away, her grip tightened.
Bones creaked in protest.
The granny pushed her way forward. “You mustn’t kill her. If you do, the ancient magic will be set free to seek a new host.”
A growl rumbled up her throat, and Raven reluctantly lowered the woman to the floor. Soccer mom immediately dropped to her knees. Raven grabbed the girl’s blonde ponytail and yanked her head back.
Fear widened the woman’s eyes, and the dark shadows of magic swirling in them scuttled away to hide.
Raven couldn’t let her go free, not without taking some precautions.
She called on her power, and was shocked when the wild magic rose at her summons. She almost jerked back, able to feel it lick at her fingers like an eager puppy. It gathered itself, ready to leap, and panic clawed up her throat.
She searched for the source of the ancient power in the woman’s body, and found it had completely infested every part of her. The wizards could manipulate magic, but not store it. Witches pulled it through the earth and stockpiled small amounts of it in their body.
Wild magic was like neither.
It was sentient.
It needed to feed to grow stronger.
The similarities to her own power were chilling.
She didn’t know what would happen if it tried to take her over. She was a conduit, able to absorb energy from anything around her. She could become the ultimate power source if she didn’t find a way to protect herself.
Her beast rumbled in agreement and a flood of power engulfed her. When she grabbed the seething blue strands of electricity, the creature tightened its hold until it felt like her bones were being wrapped with barbed wire.
That’s when she understood what the creature wanted.
“I bind you from doing harm.” Raven sent a surge of energy into the woman, scraping every inch of her insides to gather the ancient magic.
The girl screamed in agony as the wild magic tried to flee. But without another host, there was nowhere else for it to go. Raven looped cords of energy around the magic and dragged it into the woman’s bones. The magic gouged groove into the flesh to get away, but it was no use. Once it was encased in bone, Raven heated the electricity until the magic was bound tight.
The girl screamed again, a combination of pain and denial, before collapsing to the floor with a sob.
The world around her dipped as all her energy was stripped away. When the trembling didn’t stop, she leaned weakly against the wall, locking her knees to keep from sliding to the floor. When Raven opened her eyes, it was to find everyone on the other side of the room, staring at her with varying degrees of horror. She flinched at the accusations in their eyes, then raised her chin and accepted the sting of their judgment.
“What did you do?” The granny couldn’t take her eyes off the soccer mom huddled on the floor, not daring to go anywhere near the woman and risk having the same thing happen to her.
“I bound her magic from doing harm.” She thought they’d be relieved, but they acted as if she’d confessed that she enjoyed kicking puppies and torturing kittens in her spare time. “I didn’t kill her.”
The butler shook his head, pity leaching color from his face. “It would have been kinder if you had.”
“If I did nothing, she would’ve died within a week. This way, she can’t cast, the wild magic will starve, and she can have a normal life. Without magic, the bindings will fade. After a time, she might even get her abilities back.” It was the best solution for all of them, the only way she could save their lives. Why didn’t they understand?
“She’d never be more than a wizard.” Granny had a hand at her throat, her eyes sad. “I think we need to go back to our cells and consider our options.”
Disappointment slammed through Raven as they walked toward the door. “You do understand the wild magic can’t be allowed to go free.”
Granny helped the soccer mom to her feet and sent her on with the others. “You’re trying to help, dear, but we’ve spent our whole lives working for the coven. Without magic, we’re just human and worthless to them. We don’t just lose our magic, we lose our family, friends, our jobs and our very homes.”
The door closed behind them, leaving her alone with Randolph. Something dark moved behind his eyes, an awareness of danger, and a grudging nod of respect.
“You think I made the wrong choice, too.”
He shrugged as he strode toward the door, uncaring now that the excitement was over. “I couldn’t say. I would’ve just killed them.”
At one time all she had wanted was to be normal.
To be human.
But at the prospect of losing her pack, she wasn’t sure she could go through with stripping herself of her creature, not if it meant losing everything.
* * *
Durant was waiting for her when she reached their room. Repressed violence hovered around him as she entered. He scanned her from head to toe, his arms crossed, his muscles bulging as he resisted the urge to reach for her. “You’ve had an interesting day.”
Raven froze, then cursed, reaching up and using her sleeve to scrub at the stubborn goo that had given her away. “You heard.”
Exhaustion made every move a chore. She wanted to lean against him, soak up his strength, but his look didn’t invite her closer.
“You were gone when I came back.” A growl rumbled up his chest. “You went off alone.”
Restless energy poured from him, the cramped room offering n
o outlet to work off his amped up rage. She needed to defuse it before he exploded. “Only to get food. I got distracted.”
“You nearly got dead.” The growled words were as good as a shout.
Raven wasn’t in the mood to be lectured. Needing to switch the subject, she said the first thing that came to mind. “How are your wounds?”
“Fine.” He spoke through clenched teeth, his words reluctant.
She didn’t believe him one bit and copied his pose by crossing her arms. “Let me see.”
He didn’t take the change of subject easily, glaring at her for a full minute before his lips tightened in defeat, and he reached for the hem of his shirt.
As packed muscles came into view, she wondered if she might have made a huge tactical error to ask him to strip while they were trapped in a room.
All alone.
With him half naked.
Muscles rippled as the shirt lifted before finally being pulled over his head. His dark golden hair fell wildly about his head. A little dusting of hair rested low on his abdomen, arrowing downward as if in invitation to delve lower.
It took a full minute of gawking for her brain to catch up with what she was seeing. Raw, angry lines crossed the front of his chest where claws had raked him. She somehow found herself in front of him, reaching out to trace the scars.
Muscles flexed under her touch and goose bumps chased across his skin. Those large hands of his clenched, but didn’t otherwise move. She didn’t dare lift her eyes to his, not until she saw everything. Instead, she circled around to find that his back was much worse.
The injuries were brutal, the blows meant to debilitate and kill.
One long wound traveled down the length of his spine. The only thing that saved her sanity was knowing that he was healing. Unable to stop herself, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss against the wards between his shoulder blades, giving thanks to them for saving his life.
He stiffened under her touch, stopped breathing and Raven could have kicked herself for giving in to the impulse. She carefully backed away, then turned and faced the wall when that didn’t curb the need to touch him again. “Where’s Dominic?”
“He went to eat with the other shifters. Without his wolf, we thought it would be safer that he not be left alone for long.”
It made sense. Durant’s clothes rustled as he moved, and she tensed up like a poker. If he touched her, they were both screwed. “Then why were you here alone?”
“Waiting for you.”
Raven whirled at his comment to see his upper lip curled in displeasure, revealing very sharp fangs.
Thank the heavens he’d replaced his shirt. So why was she so disappointed? She scratched her brow, trying to focus on the conversation and not recall the way he looked half naked. “I was completely safe.”
Durant raised a brow and purposely looked at the black goo staining more than fifty percent of her body.
“I just got in the way of a zombie.” His stared at her unblinking, and she protested the accusation in his eyes. “It had no interest in me.”
“Obviously.” Sarcasm coated the word. “You just happened to be in his way.”
Raven shifted uncomfortably, unwilling to lie to him. “Not exactly, but I couldn’t allow him to roam free. They’ve already infected eight people.”
His silence was unnerving. “How are we supposed to keep you safe?”
Raven sighed, and her shoulders slumped. “I don’t need saving.”
“No, maybe you don’t, but it will take us a while to adjust. The need to protect you is instinctual. I’ll take you at your word that you’ll allow us to catch you when you stumble.” Durant gave a charming smile as he neared, then he lifted a hand to cover his nose. “Can I talk you into taking a bath first?”
Raven lifted her arm to her face, then jerked back with a grimace. She smelled as if she’d been dug up and removed from a cemetery a few weeks after burial.
“Give me your shirt. I’ll clean it while you wash and then tell you what I’ve learned.”
She expected a teasing glint in his eyes when he talked about getting her naked, but he was very serious. With a heavy sigh, Raven headed toward the tiny washroom. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”
Raven stripped off her shirt and thrust it through the gap in the door. Durant scowled and gingerly picked it up between two fingers before disappearing with it. Raven scrubbed herself as much as she could in the sink, wishing for a full shower and maybe some acid to remove a few layers of skin.
“Try this.” Durant edged open the door and shoved a long-sleeve shirt at her. He didn’t bother to turn his back or offer her any privacy. She wasn’t fooled, fully aware that he was searching her for injuries, much like she had done to him not two minutes ago. She lowered the small towel, discreetly covering the tattoo at her side.
She wasn’t hiding it, not really. He’d already seen the mark in the shower. That didn’t mean she wanted to discuss it with him, not until she had time to figure out what it meant first.
Raven angled her body away from his prying eyes as she buttoned up the shirt. It was a good fit if a little short, flashing a bit of skin when she moved. “Satisfied?”
He grunted, shooting her a devilish smile. “Not even a little bit.”
Raven fought a blush and felt the heat rise anyway, which only made him smile wider. She skirted around him and walked toward the auditorium where everyone seemed to gather. “Tell me what you found out.”
He sighed, and his playfulness vanished. “The witches were still divided on the vote.”
“If what they say is true and the Prime only wants me, I could try and lead him away. It might give everyone else enough time to escape.”
“No.” His refusal was immediate. Durant placed his hand against her lower back, two fingers brushed bare skin, and her pulsed jumped predictably. Her reaction had a calming effect on him, and they stopped outside the auditorium doors. “We don’t know what he wants. We can’t risk him getting his hands on you.”
“He’s right.” Heloise emerged from auditorium, exhaustion lining her face. “If he wants you, it’s in our best interest not to hand you over. We cannot risk him becoming more powerful.”
There was no concern for her welfare, no compassion at the core of their decision, only practicality. If the witches believed it would save them, they would hand her over in a heartbeat.
Durant noticed the absence of concern as well, edging closer to her. “If you hand her over, you’ll lose your only advantage. He won’t stop until your whole race is annihilated.”
Heloise no longer tried to deny anything. “We managed to find and destroy the remaining zombies, but the wards are failing even faster than we expected. We can’t hold them much longer. We’re going to send the shifters out first to lay down cover and get out as many children as possible.”
The pronouncement was like a blow to the gut. “They’ll be massacred.”
Heloise gave her an impatient look. “We’re all going to be slaughtered, but we can try to save the children.”
Raven bit back her sharp retort, because Heloise was right. “What do you need me to do?”
The woman’s anger eased at her acceptance. She hesitated then shook her head. “We can’t risk the Prime going after you.”
A plump redheaded woman charged forward. “We should just hand her over. While the Prime’s distracted, we can all escape.”
Durant stepped forward, and Raven quickly placed a hand on his arm. He halted on the spot, but it didn’t stop his tongue. “The shifters will only follow her. Sacrifice her, and they’ll hunt every last one of you down. I’ll make sure of it.”
The woman blanched, but that wasn’t what Raven noticed the most. Shadows moved in Heloise’s eyes at the threat. Everything was unraveling around them, and Raven couldn’t let that happen, or they’d all die in this tomb.
“Stop. Both of you. Neither of you gets to decide what to do with me. That decision is between me and Helois
e.”
The plump witch pursed her lips at the sour taste of being told what to do by a filthy beast. Durant took it better…that was if you didn’t notice the way his eyes had turned golden as his animal stared boldly out at her with disapproval.
Heloise gave her a measured look, then a reluctant nod of respect. “I stand by my decision. It’s too dangerous for him to get his hands on you.”
“The shifters are willing to fight, but if they survive, they want to be released from their contract.” Raven lied through her teeth. The shifters had said no such thing, but they deserved to be rewarded for their sacrifice.
Heloise scowled, and a murmur of protest rose among the other witches. Her reluctance was obvious when she finally spoke through gritted teeth. “Fine.”
The witches had no choice but agree with the concession, and they knew it.
Something nagged at Raven. “Why was the Prime so important?”
“He’s the best of us, trained to bind and destroy magic.”
Raven remembered the thread of red encircling his eyes. They were no longer dealing with the Prime at all. “So binding and destroying magic is a special trait known only to Primes?”
There was a stretch of silence. Heloise answered first, her reluctance obvious. “It takes a special talent that only a few people can master, not to mention a tremendous amount of power and training.”
Raven’s heart dropped, and a sinking sensation ballooned in her gut. “How do you defeat wild magic?”
“By being stronger.”
Raven cocked her head at the prompt answer. It was a half-lie. “But won’t the magic jump to the more powerful person?”
Durant stood in front of her, giving the witches his back. He cupped her chin and lifted her face to his. “We’re not going to gamble that you’re stronger.”
“It can be bound.”
“What?”
“I think that’s why the Prime is so anxious to get to me.”
Over his shoulder, Heloise jerked at the announcement.
“The Prime is strong, but once he starts consuming magic from others, he will become invincible. If we act now, I should be able to bind him.”
“If it doesn’t kill you first.” Durant’s statement was flat, and the crux of the problem. Binding the soccer mom had nearly wiped her out, and that had been just a small sample.
Electric Heat (A Raven Investigations Novel Book 3) Page 22