Enemies Allied

by Serena Lindahl

  "The house is magical,” Elle continued. "Settle your destination in your mind, and the house will lead you there. You shall never be lost unless you tell the house you want to be." The woman chuckled, the action softening her austere manner.

  Eden stood with the others, clearly recognizing a dismissal when she heard one. She imagined a bedroom, not surprised when the blue room from the mage safehouse popped into her thoughts. With a murmured goodbye, she slipped away from the others before anyone could question her about her newly realized parentage. Her path took her past beautiful crown molding, scattered houseplants, magnificent landscape paintings, and up a tall staircase which caused her legs to burn with effort.

  A smile lit her face when she approached a door with a hand-painted image of a small bluebell. She opened the door to see her bedroom from the safehouse in all its comforting simplicity, right down to the attached blue bathroom and hand-sewn quilt on the bed. The window overlooked a square courtyard open to the sky. She wanted to explore the view later, but for the moment she was only interested in the bed. She collapsed, overjoyed that the bed was as soft as the one she'd left behind.

  Chapter Two

  Mac

  Mac held in her yawn as almost everyone left to find their beds. As Davin's heirs to the castle, she and Andrew were invited to watch the attachment of the Brownies to the estate. She was excited to observe the process. House Brownies fascinated her. Before meeting Bette, she'd never met another one in her life. They were human but also not.

  It had been challenging to stay in her seat as she watched Eli saunter from the room, though. She wanted answers. Why had he been there a year ago when she and her mom had been attacked? She'd lost all memories of that incident until Eden invoked a dreamwalk.

  A hooded figure had dissolved the automaton that killed her mother with a single flash of blinding green light. She hadn't known the identity of the mystery man until she spotted him on the road outside Castle Ilona. He'd confirmed it when she confronted him. She wanted to know why. She'd spent an entire year in a deep depression, believing she'd killed her mother. Eli's knowledge could have prevented a lot of moping and self-pity.

  Elle spoke a word. Mac's ears popped, bringing her back to the present. She'd have to talk to Eli later. A film fell over the room, sealing them in and keeping others out. Familiar with the privacy bubble from the Canton house, the spell contained all sound even when the door was wide open. The enchantment was extremely useful for private conversations and discouraging eavesdroppers.

  "This isn't a lengthy process, Dr. Rennert. Once we're done, we'll return to our duties."

  Sometime during Mac's musing, the other Brownie had reappeared. The younger girls were capable of taking care of themselves. Most of them had been abandoned by their caregivers when their mage powers manifested. Having grown up part-time in Castle Ilona, Mac knew the house itself would also protect them. It was a far cry from the environment of the safehouse where the kids had been practically on top of her all the time.

  Davin stood, impressive even in black jeans and a dark blue t-shirt. Compared to their uncle, Mac and Andrew resembled twigs. Davin used his massive muscles to his advantage. His rugged face made women swoon and men cower. He looked tired, though.

  Until recently, Magitechs were considered rare. Now, they knew several of them, not to mention the asshole bent on world domination. Learning that a Magitech wanted to enslave everyone with magic-powered robots was enough to exhaust anyone.

  "All you have to do is grant Castle Ilona to our keep. We shall protect it, care for its occupants, and reinforce the wards and longevity spells. The estate shall remain under your ownership, as our race is forbidden from possessions, but we will care for the house as if it's our own."

  "I grant Castle Ilona into the care of the three house mages before me: Elle, Jay, and Kay, for as long as it remains standing." Davin's deep voice boomed throughout the room.

  Another pop filled the air, one Mac felt more than heard. Elle smiled for the first time. "It is done," she said simply. She sketched a small bow to the three of them. "Thank you for entrusting your home to us. Now, we shall attend to our duties." The smile disappeared, returning to her industrious personality. Bette had been motherly and welcoming, something Elle didn't seem to share. Mac missed her sweet temperament, although she'd also been a scary authority figure. No one pissed Bette off and got away with it.

  The Brownies filed out, and Davin sighed while he pushed a hand through his already mussed hair. His eyes trapped her. The look on her uncle's face was a familiar one from her childhood. He wanted answers. Mac gulped. She'd been ignoring their questions since they'd been reunited. She owed them, but she'd also needed time to process.

  Davin had always been a strong presence in their life, even more so when their father disappeared. Davin and their mother, Ilona, had been very close despite their age difference. Her death devastated him as much as it had her children.

  "So, Eli is the one that saved you?" Davin asked.

  Mac's brows rose. She'd expected a different first question.

  "Wait, hold up," Andrew interrupted. "I don't know the whole story yet." Andrew was usually the quiet twin, buried in his books, research, or the computer game he was trying to master. The twins had been separated for a year, and the pain on his face gutted her. She hadn't even come home for the funeral.

  Mac rose, pacing the room. The Brownies had removed the food, and she wished it remained so she could occupy her hands and mouth with something other than speaking. "Eden did a dreamwalk with me."

  "Eden is the one with the - um..." her twin stammered, his pale cheeks reddening.

  Mac's lips twitched. "Yes, Eden's the one missing an arm," Mac supplied. "She's very aware that it's gone, so she's not going to freak out if you mention it. Anyway, I asked Eden to do a dreamwalk. We didn't know if it would work, but I had to. I thought I killed our mother." Her face fell, avoiding Andrew's eyes. The belief had haunted and guided every minute of her life since the attack.

  "Why would you think that, Kenzie?" Andrew's brows rose in surprise.

  Davin sat calmly on the loveseat, his hands clasped in his lap, watching them. He had to be really tired if he wasn't pacing with her.

  "Mom called me Kenzie. I'm Mac now. Please remember." He nodded. "My magic has a specific effect. It burns holes straight through anything it touches." Her breath hitched. She could still see her mom's body sprawled on the sidewalk, the pavement visible through a melted hole in her chest that obliterated all the body’s contents. "When the automatons attacked us at the safe house in Canton, I realized they used similar magic. For the first time, I believed maybe I hadn't been the cause, so I asked Eden. It was like I was there again. Mom and I were walking home that night, arguing about me leaving and going west like I always wanted. I said some mean things to her. That was where my memories stopped.

  “Eden showed me what happened next. A figure like the ones we fought last night stepped out of the darkness. The thing shot one of those energy bolts at us - straight at Mom. He said he wanted me or something like that. I stepped in front of Mom and the bolt hit me. The energy just sank into me; I suppose because it's so much like my magic. But it also knocked me out. I saw the rest through Eden's eyes as if she was there. Seeing my body lying on the sidewalk like that was freaky as hell." Mac paused and shuddered.

  Andrew listened with wide eyes. Davin’s expression was unreadable.

  "Anyway, the automaton thing shot another bolt at Mom. It didn't absorb into her; it melted her body and killed her instantly." Her voice lowered to a whisper. She wrung her hands together, staring at the floor as she paced. "Then the thing came after me again. I don't know if it was going to abduct me, kill me, or make sure I was dead. Before it could touch me, a hooded figure stepped out of the alley. There was a flash of light, and the robot thing just disappeared. A green flash blinded us and the robot turned to dust - blowing away on the wind. The hooded guy turned to me. He said something about me
not remembering things and that he'd see me again someday. The minute I saw Eli today, I knew it was him. "

  "Why?" Andrew murmured.

  "Why what?" Mac clarified. There were far too many questions for that simple word.

  "Why kill Mom? Why approach you in the first place?"

  Davin answered. "This Mather person has been looking for young Magitechs he can manipulate. He might have figured out that you and your sister together make a Magitech. As for killing Ilona..." Her uncle took a deep breath. "I don't think there was a purpose to it; that angers me the most. Her death was unnecessary. This Mather will die for that alone." His voice was dark with deadly intent.

  Mac loved and trusted her uncle, but he was a scary ass dude.

  "Why'd you run, sis?"

  "I couldn't bear facing either of you," she mumbled. "I felt so guilty, both over her death and the things I said before she died. I'll never forgive myself for that. I should've done more." Her voice cracked with the pain she'd kept in for so long.

  Andrew drew her into his arms as if they'd never been apart. She sank into him, enjoying the familiar comfort. He was only a couple inches taller than her, lean and warm. "You stepped in front of the killing shot meant for her, Mac. You did everything you could."

  Their uncle embraced them both, his long arms going all the way around them. "No more blaming." His chest rumbled against her cheek. "From now on, we move forward. We don't look back. What's done is done, and you did the best you could. I'm glad you're back, MacKenzie."

  Mac nodded, her face tight from holding back the tears. Now that some of the guilt was eased, she realized how much she'd missed them.

  "So, where do we go from here?" she asked as she pulled away, suddenly uncomfortable with the show of emotion.

  "Sounds like we have a battle to plan." Davin was already focused on his next goal. "After sleep. It's been a long night for everyone. As for Eli," he continued, "I don't trust him. Blood mages are always tricky. But he did save you, he’s Eden's brother, and he has information we need. We'll go forward one step at a time." He ran a hand over his face again, and Mac realized how much he'd aged since she'd been away.

  She nudged him. "Go up to your woman, Davin." The huge man smiled, true happiness on his face. He'd never smiled because of a woman before. It made the scary warrior appear more human. "How did you meet her, by the way?"

  "Not now, niece," he growled. "Good night, both of you."

  Andrew started to leave the room, but Mac caught his arm. "Not so fast, brother. Speaking of women, I’ve noticed how you look at Jenira's sister. Cat? And you couldn't shut up about her on the ride here.”

  Her twin blushed. She loved teasing him; he made it so easy. She'd been riling him since they were toddlers. She earned the right as the older sibling, even if it was only a two-minute gap.

  "Cat is amazing," he breathed.

  Mac rolled her eyes. "Oh please, brother. You're in love with her already? What does she think of you?"

  Andrew's cheeks reddened further, his gaze dropping to the expensive rug beneath their feet. "I don't know. She's not, you know - I don't think she's ever had a boyfriend before. I'm not pushing her; she needs time. She's so brilliant, though, Kenz - uh, Mac. She has incredible ideas for making Magitech products. She was the first to realize that mages should have a hand in creating the tech. At the time, no one knew that the mage would have to be Magitech, but she was on the right track before anyone else had a clue."

  She elbowed her brother. "Her sister will gut you ten different ways if you hurt her."

  A spark of fear entered her brother's eyes. "Yeah, I know. But I won't hurt her. She's more likely to hurt me." His expression changed to a grin, eager to change the subject. "Can you believe Uncle Davin and Jenira, though? He hired her to be his mercenary assassin; she tracked down the mage killers. I've never seen someone best Davin at anything."

  Mac shared his grin. "She's good for him."

  "What about you, sis? What did you do for the past year?"

  Her face fell. "It wasn't a happy year. I spent the first six months just wandering around and wallowing in pity. I lost a lot of weight, pierced several body parts..."

  "Ew, sis, I don't need to know that."

  Mac laughed and pointed at the small hematite loop in her eyebrow. "Don't worry; this is the only one you'll ever see. Alena found me. She's the fierce, redheaded one. She forced me to the safehouse. I think it was the house Brownie's food that made me stay though. When Eden came, I knew things would change. You saw her owl, right?"

  Andrew nodded slowly. "Yeah. The big, beautiful white one?"

  "Uh-huh. He's Eden's familiar. He told Eden that I have a familiar and that it would appear when I'd healed a little. I think Eden's dreamwalk did wonders for that. So I might be getting a familiar too." She couldn't keep the excitement from her voice.

  Her twin grimaced. "You really want one? An animal following you around?"

  "Hell yeah, brother. That's some awesome shit."

  Andrew shook his head, but he was grinning. "It's good to have you back, sis."

  Mac looked away, tears threatening to fall for a second time. "It's good to be back. Now go get some sleep."

  "I think I'll get food," he said, rubbing his hands together. "I also want to check the library. I remember Uncle Davin having some books on Magitechs, forbidden books. I might be able to find something we can use." Mac rolled her eyes again. Her brother hadn't changed at all. He looked back before he left. "Don't run off again, okay, sis?"

  After he'd left, she decided she wasn't tired enough to sleep. She wanted to go outside. Her feet instantly led her to her favorite childhood sanctuary. In the small grove of trees surrounding the looming castle, her treehouse still stood. She hadn't spent her entire childhood on this property, but they'd visited often. Thankfully, the plank floor was still intact.

  With a quick jump, she propelled herself upward to grab the first branch. Another spin and she swung up the next three branches, testing first to make sure they'd hold her adult weight. Tree climbing came naturally to her after all her time in the canopy as a child. Despite feeling like shit most of the time at the safehouse, she'd managed to keep her body in good physical shape. When she peeked over the edge, a shriek escaped and her foot slipped. A dark, scarred hand grabbed her wrist, preventing her from falling the twenty feet to the ground.

  "What the fuck?" she screamed over the pounding of her heart. Shaking Eli's hand off, she clung to the edge of the platform, staring at him.

  The blood prophet occupied the treehouse like he owned it, his legs stretched out in front of him. He drank from a dark beer bottle, and his eyebrow quirked in an annoying gesture. "I didn't realize this tree was taken, sweetheart," he replied with a grin.

  Still frowning, Mac swung her body all the way up. She wouldn't let his presence scare her away from her favorite place on the whole estate. She'd wanted to talk to him, but his nearness made her reconsider. He was intense, and it wasn't only his appearance. Despite acting cocky and happy, she sensed there was more to him. She sat down across from him, watching him warily.

  "I won't bite - unless you want me to, that is," he drawled and sipped his beer.

  Mac swallowed against the lump in her throat. Although the light was dim, she examined his face. His features remained handsome despite the white scars. His hands were also crisscrossed with scars; his arms were the same. She couldn't identify the cut he’d used to fuel his vision. All the old wounds looked the same.

  "Is there any part of you that's not scarred?" she blurted. When she realized how he could take advantage of her words, she clenched her jaw and tried not to blush. Her pale face showed her embarrassment too easily.

  Eli grinned. "Aye, lass. There are a couple places I'm not too keen on cutting into. I can show you if you want." A lascivious look entered his eyes.

  Mac thought his flirting was just a show, and she responded in kind. "Not right now." An unreadable grin covered her discomfort, and his g
reen eyes flashed in response.

  The silence stretched between them. The birds and squirrels hopped past, not upset by the humans in their midst. Evening fell, the shadows growing around them. She'd never been scared of the woods; the wild growth called to her mage blood. One day, she'd travel west to experience true wilderness and open spaces.

  "Why'd you do it?" she asked finally, crumbling a dry leaf into dust.

  "Do what? Save you? Kill Mather's minion? Take off before you woke up? What exactly do you want, Mac?" His unique voice rasped in the darkness, sparking along her nerves. She wondered if his vocal cords were scarred too. The lengthening shadows hid his expression.

  His words made her reconsider her emotions. For some reason, those questions almost absolved him of guilt. He hadn't really done anything wrong. She wanted someone to blame, someone more than an unavailable psychopath.

  "Why didn't you come earlier to save my mom?" This was the one thing she had a difficult time forgiving.

  Eli sighed, the sound heavy in the darkness. "I'm sorry about that, lass, I really am. It just wasn't meant to be."

  Mac inhaled deeply, trying to let go of her anger. She hadn't saved her mother either; she couldn't blame a complete stranger for the same. "Did you modify my memories somehow?"

  "I'm capable of a lot of things, but that's not one of them.” His grin returned.

  "Well then, thank you." She forced gratitude through clenched teeth. Despite everything else, he had saved her.

  "Don't thank me yet, lass. This isn't over, and there will be new things you can blame me for before it's all said and done." Eli's ominous tone sent a shiver through her body. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm out of beer. It's time for me to return to the house and turn in for the night. Even powerful blood mages need sleep."