Casted (Casted series)

by Sonya Loveday

  “I thought you were sleeping,” I said as he snatched the hot brew from my hands and drank deeply.

  “I told Jude I’d meet up with him this morning to go over the intel that was blowing up our system last night.” Edge slid his shoes on and swept in for a quick kiss before trotting down the stairs.

  What kind of intel would have Edge up so early? I threw on some sweats and raced down the stairs to find out what was going on. I found Edge and Jude huddled over a map. Jude’s hair was sticking up in every direction. His face was washed out, making the bruises stand out prominently. From the looks of it, he’d been up all night.

  “That’s four Covens in one night. Last time it was two,” Jude said as he picked through a stack of papers, pulling a couple of sheets out of the mess and handing them to Edge.

  “If they keep attacking the Coven’s, there won’t be anyone left,” Jude added. His hand scrubbed through his hair making a bigger mess of it.

  Edge dropped the pages he’d been reading on the table and heaved a deep sigh of frustration.

  Either they didn’t notice me or didn’t care that I’d overheard their conversation. More innocent people were dying because Lorenzo was still looking for the book. We had to step in and help what was left of the Covens.

  “What can we do? Are there any safe locations left to take the survivors? And what about the Covens he hasn’t raided? Can we get to them before he does?” I asked.

  “Even if we did get to them, they wouldn’t leave. For some reason, they think they’re safe because they don’t have the book. What they don’t realize is that Lorenzo is so desperate that no one is safe,” Edge said with a sweep of his hand at all the strewn papers on the table.

  “So how do we get one step ahead of him?” I asked.

  Jude’s fingers flew over the keys. “I’ll send an email out to the Coven leaders still able to receive messages”

  “Tell them that help will be available and to get in touch with us at the first sign of trouble,” Edge told him.

  I felt giddy in the sense that we were one step closer to turning the tables on the Triad.

  “Jude, gather the others in the living room. We need to come up with a shift schedule and a game plan,” Edge said as he grabbed a stack of papers. “I’ll put this in some kind of order so that everyone can look at what we have so far. Maybe there’s a pattern for the attacks and we won’t have to wait for a distress call.”

  “On it,” Jude said as he rushed out of the room.

  I walked over to the table and helped Edge stack the disarrayed papers. He flipped through them picking the ones he wanted to show everyone.

  “Do you think it will work?” I asked him.

  “It has to. We can’t afford to lose anymore Coven members,” he said, linking his fingers with mine. “Ready?” he asked.

  The living room had been transformed by the time Edge and I got there. What once was a cozy sitting area, was now more like a war room. One wall was covered with a huge colorful map of the world. Red dots covered the surface, making me wonder if they were Coven locations or all the places that had been attacked. Monitors were hung in various spots on the other wall.

  Everyone was seated around a table in the center of the room and to my surprise, Micah had been included. Edge handed the papers to Jude and took his seat at the head of the table. I slid into my seat between Matheson and Micah as everyone waited for Edge to speak.

  “Our latest intel is showing a spike in attacks on the Covens. We can no longer sit back and wait to see what happens next. As of today we’re stepping in to help.”

  “I’m game for it. The Triad needs to stop killing off our people,” Dagger said, slamming his fist on the table.

  “How should we do this?” Jessa asked.

  “We’re going to have to do this in shifts. With that being said, we’ll come up with a schedule of who’s going out to assist, while the others watch the intel. There will always be someone here to watch the monitors and report what’s going on to those of us who are out in the field…so to speak. For now, Jade will assist Jude while he keeps watch on the intel,” Edge said with a pointed look at me.

  I shot up from my chair. “What? No way! You can’t leave me out of this; it’s my fault this is happening!”

  “Jade, it’s not a permanent thing, just until you’ve had a chance to train. I can’t have you out there in the middle of a fight unprepared,” Edge said, gesturing for me to sit back down.

  I silently fumed at my inability to use my magic.

  Matheson leaned back in his chair, fingers pressed together. “It will only be a matter of time before the Triad turns their attention back on us. How will we keep them out once we start fighting back?”

  “The house is heavily spelled and will protect us from attacks. To be on the safe side, all of the Triad members we come up against must be taken out,” Edge replied.

  “Won’t the Triad know something is up? Don’t you think they’ll be just a little suspicious that someone is fighting back? None of the other Covens have done it before,” Dagger asked.

  Jude jumped in. “Maybe they’ll think the Covens have finally decided enough is enough.”

  “They will definitely know something is going on when their Enforcers don’t return after the attacks. The key thing here is to stay in the shadows, don’t let anyone get by you. We can’t afford a tip-off to the Triad that it’s us fighting back. Especially since Jade now has access to the spell book. We have no idea what Lorenzo wants from the book. Until we find out all of us need to stay off his radar,” Edge said.

  “I have news for you Edge. If you think Lorenzo is just going to tell anyone what he wants from that book, you are sadly mistaken,” Matheson said as he got up and studied the map.

  Edge blew out a pent up breath. “I know, Matheson. We can only hope that our efforts will reduce the attacks.”

  “It’s possible that the attacks will get worse. If the Covens start to fight back, he’s going to think they are protecting the book and send more Enforcers out.” Matheson never turned from the wall as he spoke his words of doom.

  He was right. What could we do to keep the Covens safe from Lorenzo’s attacks? He wanted the book and was destroying everything in his path to get to it. But without knowing what he wanted from the book, there was nothing we could do to bargain with him - short of offering myself up.

  “Right now, the only option is defense. We can’t sit back and let him destroy all the Covens in his quest. They’ve gone from shakedowns to murder. Until we know what the book can do, we have no choice but to protect those who cannot, or will not, protect themselves,” Edge said, pausing to look at everyone. “What I need to know is, are you in?”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  After the meeting in the room I’d dubbed the War Room, Edge put himself on Jade-training detail. The padlock finally seemed off and a thick current of energy was running over my skin. I felt alive. Sure, I’d just tumbled across the sand, even got a good sized mouthful of it, but I knew there was more he could hit me with. It was like there was something he was still holding back on.

  I stood up and tried wiping the sand off of my face. “What are you doing?” Edge asked as I turned from him and spit more of the grit out of my mouth.

  “I’m getting the beach out of my mouth,” I replied. It was no use; it was in my hair, down my shirt and even up my nose. I couldn’t wait to take a shower.

  “I’ve taught you how to call the elements. Use the wind as a barrier.” He tossed his hands in the air.

  I sighed inwardly. Getting the hang of this was slow going for me. I was great at using one spell at a time. Trying to defend myself and keep a current of protection over my body was still a problem. Edge called it shielding, I called it double the work to remember.

  “If you can’t keep the protection of the elements around you, then you’ll be in-”

  “Constant danger,” I said, finishing his reminder as I took my stance again.

  “T
his time bring your shield up. Let me know when you’re ready.”

  I felt the tingle start at my fingers and work its way up my arms to spread out along my entire body. It was still taking me too long. Edge said it should just be there. Once the current was tingling over every inch of my skin, I gave Edge a nod. “Ready.”

  “Don’t move, just feel,” he said as he let go of a spell and it crashed into me. I fell to the ground, landing on a soft cushion of air. My head was killing me.

  “What did you throw at me?” I asked as I staggered to my feet.

  Edge’s face screwed up in confusion. “I just sent a repelling spell. It should have just bounced off of you.”

  I rubbed my temples as my headache grew. “Do you think I could just work on using the elements for right now?”

  The ache was building, reminding me of the last time I’d had a power backlash.

  I tested my theory as I called the elements to me and started pushing a little extra into each spell. I called the rain and it poured over me, washing sand down my face and the sweat from my body. Edge stood outside of the storm I’d created. Sunshine glinted off his hair as he waited to see what I’d come up with next.

  The rain cut off and I brought forth a warm breeze. My hair fluttered and my clothes dried in seconds. When I let the wind go, my headache went with it. Edge’s lips curled into a smirk.

  “Better?” he asked, striding towards me.

  “Much.”

  He slid his hands along my waist, settling them on my hips, and pulled me into his body. “You’ve done really well today.”

  I rolled my eyes. I’d done alright, but nothing worth celebrating. Knowing I had access to my magic was something, but only when I had control over it would I then pat myself on the back. The nagging feeling was aggravating. It was like there was still something not clicking together to give me full control. Edge said that it was only because I was still learning all the fundamentals. I think it had something to do with the book and the fact that part of my magic was now connected with it - as if they were feeding off of each other. To fully use one, I’d have to use both. I knew it made no sense, but then again, when had anything else in my life made any sense?

  My stomach rumbled. It was time to take a break and refuel. The sun was slipping into the horizon. Tomorrow morning I’d be right back at it with Rainy while Edge got some rest from tonight. Nervous jolts shot throughout my body as I thought about them squaring off against the Triad. The one thing that kept my nerves from consuming entirely me was the knowledge that they would be taking the Triad by surprise.

  But I knew we wouldn’t have that advantage for long. We might get away with it a couple of times, but Lorenzo wasn’t stupid and everyone knew that. The Covens had to start taking a stand, or be lost forever.

  When we made it back to the house Jude informed us that reports had been coming in all day. Some of the Covens were disbanding in order to keep their families safe. It was sad to see how much Lorenzo’s madness had ripped those families apart. Edge read over the latest reports, cursing under his breath at the weakness the Covens were showing. In his eyes, they were running from the problem instead of asking other Covens to help them make a stand. He tossed the pages on the table in disgust. “If they keep this up, there won’t be a single Coven left.”

  Micah had been quiet through every discussion we’d had to date - always watching us like he was taking in the whole picture and putting it all together in his mind. So it startled me when he pulled a chair out and sat down to face Edge.

  “How many have decided to scatter so far?” Micah asked.

  Edge handed the list to Micah.

  “I think it may benefit us to speak to these Covens and let them know we are taking a stand and that we cannot do it alone. If they know someone is actively helping to keep the Covens safe, they may in turn help us.” Micah gestured to the paper. “May I?”

  Edge dipped his head in answer. Micah folded the paper and slipped it into his shirt pocket.

  “Will they listen to you? You are, after all, a Nomad, and they are taught to fear you,” Jude said, tapping his fingers against the table’s surface in thought.

  “I will do what is necessary to stop Lorenzo and the Triad from eradicating our bloodlines.” Micah touched the side of his neck. A symbol appeared. He pinched his fingers together and it pulled free. It wiggled between his finger tips and crumbled. His face crumpled as if he’d lost something irreplaceable.

  “You didn’t have to do that. We could have found a way around it somehow,” Edge said, watching Micah in disbelief.

  “I will do all that I can to ensure the safety of Jade. There is so much that you don’t know about the book–so much I am bound to silence on. If giving up my connection to the Nomads ensures that we can stop Lorenzo, then that is what I must do.” Micah’s eyes glistened as he looked at me.

  “I will not let you go in without the protection of my Coven,” Dagger said as he stepped in front of Micah. The old man got to his feet and allowed Dagger to place his palm against Micah’s neck. Magic rippled in the air. I could feel it surrounding me as it poured out of everyone and channeled into Dagger, down his arm and into Micah.

  Magic erupted from my body and slammed into Dagger. The connection between all of us amplified until we were hovering inches from the floor. No one could pull away or speak. We were at the mercy of whatever was linking them to me and me to Dagger.

  Papers began to lift off the desk like they were being pulled into a vortex surrounding us. The woman of the book emerged from my head and appeared in her wispy form, her body floating in the air above Micah.

  Eyes darted around the room as if everyone were asking each other if they were witnessing the same thing. The woman’s transparent body hovered as she looked around the room. Her focus settled on the hand that was against Micah’s neck. Slowly, she wrapped her vapory form around Dagger, placing her hand on his.

  Everything stilled.

  The woman stared into Micah’s eyes.

  “I should strike you down for keeping me locked away for so long.” The entire spectrum of colors flashed across her body like a contained lightning storm. Her form billowed and then shrunk, cutting off the eerie light show.

  “I find myself at a crossroads with you, Nomad. For now, I will allow you to live since you are not trying to contain me, but rather protect me. However, if you fall out of line, I am now linked to you and your new Coven. Cross me again and you will be ended with a mere thought.”

  Bright white light grew around us, the intensity piercing my eyes.

  “You will fail without my help. For that reason alone, I will offer it to you and you will use it.” Her voice boomed across the room.

  Tendrils of energy snaked out from her wispy form towards me. My neck burned in response as if she placed a fiery finger against it. Pressure built against me, pushing me backwards to pin me against the wall.

  She began chanting melodic words. The words were alien to me. Were they from the same language that had covered my arms? I could feel my body growing heavier. Her words dragging me down. Black dots danced in my vision as if I were slowly passing out.

  As her voice quieted, another blast of energy shoved me further into the wall. It felt like my skin would separate from my bones.

  When the pressure released, I slammed to the floor. My breath heaved in and out of my body. My vision cleared enough for me to see the others. They too, were sprawled out on the floor. Rainey was rubbing at her eyes, wincing. Jessa was slumped over on her elbows, while the others were slowly getting to their feet.

  I leaned my head back against the wall. That was all I had the energy for.

  “What the hell just happened?” Jessa asked as she staggered over to peer down at me. Edge nudged her aside and helped me settle into a nearby chair. My eyes darted around the room to look at everyone, making sure they were okay after what had just happened. They looked as beat up as I felt.

  “That was her? The crazy woman
in the book?” Jessa asked as she put her head in her hands using the table to support her wavering body.

  “That crazy woman just gave us something we all needed very much,” Dagger said.

  “Oh? And what might that be? Cause all I got out of that is one big bruise from head to toe and a splitting headache,” Julie snapped.

  “She gave us her mark,” he said pointing to his neck, “She also linked us all together,” Edge said.

  It was then that I noticed that no one had actually spoken out loud. We were communicating with our thoughts.

  Holy shit!

  “Holy shit, indeed,” Edge said as he scrubbed his face with his hands.

  “Does that mean we’re going to be inside of each other’s heads all the time?” Rainy’s eyes reflected worry.

  “No, I think we have to have the intention of communication,” Edge said.

  I felt better watching his lips move, knowing that the sentence was spoken and not projected.

  Before we could test that theory, the alarm blared, warning us that a Coven was in distress. Edge brushed my lips with a quick kiss before running out the door behind Jessa and Dagger.

  Jude was already in motion, his fingers flying over the keys of a laptop that had appeared in front of him. Julie pulled a chair up beside him and slid on an earpiece. A thin wire hovered close to her lips. The monitors along the walls started streaming information behind them.

  Micah settled into the chair beside me. His hands rested on the table. He gave me a solemn look but never spoke. It worried me how quiet he was, but Jude said it was normal for him.

  In the center of the table, a small black speaker rose into view and crackled to life.