by Jasmine Walt
Marked by Magic
a New Adult Fantasy Novel
Jasmine Walt
Blue Bolt Publishing
Contents
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Glossary
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Jasmine Walt
Copyright © 2016, Jasmine Walt. All rights reserved. Published by Blue Bolt Publishing.
This novel is a work of fiction. All characters, places, and incidents described in this publication are used fictitiously, or are entirely fictional. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, except by an authorized retailer, or with written permission of the publisher. Inquiries may be addressed via email to [email protected]
Cover illustration by Judah Dobin
Cover typography by Rebecca Frank
Edited by Mary Burnett
Electronic edition, 2016. If you want to be notified when Jasmine’s next novel is released and get access to exclusive contests, giveaways, and freebies, sign up for her mailing list here. Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.
1
At first, I didn’t understand what woke me. I was so exhausted from the long trip across the country that as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was asleep like the dead. But as I was tugged back to consciousness, the thick, pungent smell of smoke overwhelmed my nose, and the crackle of flame disturbed the late-night silence. Realizing the danger, I bolted upright in bed, my throat already half-closed, my heart beating twice its normal rate. The smoke was so thick I couldn’t breathe, and I fell back against the mattress as a coughing fit erupted from my chest.
Breathing shallowly through my mouth, I blinked against the stinging smoke and scrabbled for my discarded T-shirt so I could shield myself from the haze permeating the room. It was growing thicker by the second, and if I didn’t want to suffocate, I needed to get a move on.
With the T-shirt pressed to my face, I slid, belly down, off the bed and onto the floor. Three inches of relatively smoke-free air allowed me to breathe more freely, and I crawled over to the door, trying to get a feel for my situation. I pressed my hand to the thin, painted wood, gritting my teeth against the heat that scalded my palm. The smoke billowing from beneath the door triggered another coughing fit even with my impromptu mask, and I retreated hastily, considering my options.
I had two choices to escape death. I could open my bedroom window and jump down the fire escape, or I could try braving the fire raging beyond my bedroom door.
Crawling to the window, I hauled myself up so I could peer over the ledge. Unfortunately, the thickening haze made it difficult to see outside even with my shifter vision, and a cloud had drifted over the moon, blocking out my main source of light. Even so, a tingle skipped down my spine, causing the hair on the back of my neck to rise. There was somebody out there, watching, waiting for me to escape by using the path of least resistance. If I climbed out this window, I’d likely run straight into an ambush.
Then again, it was entirely likely that if I braved the fire and made it out into the hall, there would be an assassin from the Resistance waiting for me out there too. If I took my chances with the fire escape, at least I wouldn’t have to endure third-degree burns.
But then, I remembered I wasn’t the only one at risk here. My neighbors were in danger too – it was only a matter of time before the fire spread to the other apartments. There was a newlywed couple next door to my place, who had a six-month-old child. I needed to help them get out. After all, it was my fault they were in danger in the first place. Unless the fire inside my apartment was ignited by some kind of freak accident.
Then again, the Resistance had left a note on my apartment door only hours ago, telling me in not so many words that they were going to kill me. A freak accident would be a hell of a coincidence under these circumstances.
Mind made up, I pulled on some clothing, grabbed my weapons, and yanked open the door. The overheated metal doorknob blistered my hands, but I ignored the pain. Instead, I surveyed the damage through stinging eyes. My entire kitchen was in flames, and the fire had blazed a path over to my living room furniture. Smoke was escaping through the window above my kitchen sink, which someone had broken. Flames blocked my path to the door, rising high enough that, considering my low ceiling, I wouldn’t be able to jump over them without setting my pants on fire.
Oh well. There was a first time for everything.
I took a deep breath, which was a mistake, and immediately doubled over as I coughed up the scalding black cloud that entered my lungs. Dammit. Angry now, I swiped at my watering eyes and straightened as best I could.
Stop wasting time! People might be dying.
I braced myself, then dashed for the exit, taking a flying leap over the growing pillar of flame. As expected, the fire lashed out at my legs, traveling up my ankles to wrap around my calves. I clenched my teeth on the scream that threatened to tear from my throat, angling my body feet first as I crashed through the doorway. As soon as I landed, I dropped into a roll, moving back and forth until the flames devouring my legs were extinguished.
Wincing, I climbed to my feet, then cloaked myself in the illusion of an old woman. My legs burned like…well, fire, as I ran down the hall and began pounding on doors, shouting in a quavering, but shrill, old-lady voice that everybody needed to evacuate the building. Alarmed voices began to fill the air, but people weren’t moving fast enough for my purposes, so I yanked open the newlyweds’ door, breaking their flimsy lock in the process. Smoke filled their apartment, and I covered my mouth as I ran to the bedroom in the back. The fire was going to eat through the wall and spread to them in no time.
“Get out!” I threw open their bedroom door, and the couple shot straight up in bed, eyes wide with shock. The baby in the crib instantly started crying, and I raised my voice so they would hear me over her wails. “The building is on fire. Grab your kid and get out!”
The couple stared at the haze of smoke creeping into the room, and the man nodded. “Get the baby, Dalina,” he ordered, hastily rising from the bed. “Let’s go.”
I dashed from the room, then went to herd other people from their beds. Thankfully, several of them were already moving toward the fire escape at the end of the hall, which was what I wanted. Not just to save them, but because I needed to get myself lost in the crowd of residents fleeing the building. If I came out first, even in my old-woman guise, the Resistance was more likely to be suspicious and guess it was me. Once enough people started swarming for the exit, I dashed down the stairs to the second floor, then repeated the process, banging on doors and shouting at people to evacuate.
By the time I got to the first floor, I was staggering, my legs burning like mad from the pain. They were probably only second-degree burns, which mea
nt they hurt like hell because they hadn’t killed my nerve endings. Even though they were healing thanks to my shifter heritage, it was going to take some time. Luckily, the people here were already roused and heading for the exit, having heard the commotion from the upper floors.
“There now.” A man hooked an arm around my shoulder, supporting me. I glanced up, startled, and found myself staring into the face of a thirtyish human with spectacles on warm brown eyes. “An old lady like you shouldn’t be the one trying to evacuate everybody. You look like you’re in pain. Let’s get you out of here before you get hurt any worse.”
“T-thank you, young man,” I quavered, leaning against him. I allowed him to gently lead me outside. This was perfect. Nobody was going to suspect me now, not as an injured old woman being practically carried out by a helpful human. We followed the crowd out into the lobby and through the front doors.
I stiffened at the sight of two men in khaki uniforms standing outside. Swords drawn, armbands gleaming bloody red beneath the moonlight, there was no mistaking them. They were Resistance soldiers, operating in public view right here in Solantha. Things were worse than I had imagined.
“It’s okay,” the human murmured, squeezing my shoulder a little. “We’re going to be fine.”
We passed through the front doors, right beneath the watchful gaze of the two soldiers. Gawkers and survivors lined the sidewalk, a growing crowd, and I twisted around to face the soldiers, deciding to use the situation to my advantage.
“You stupid boys,” I shrieked, shaking my small fist at them. “How dare you set fire to this building, instead of fighting the mages like real men? Do you have any idea how many innocent people you endangered tonight?”
“Shut your mouth, old woman,” the taller soldier growled, his eyes flashing in the moonlight. The sword in his hand twitched, and my human escort began dragging me away in earnest.
“You almost killed a baby,” I yelled as he hauled me away, and the crowd began to murmur in agreement. Those murmurs soon turned into angry shouts, and I smiled inwardly as I disappeared into what was rapidly becoming a seething mob. Not that I was into mobs, but I wanted the population to understand just how corrupt and ruthless the Resistance had become. The less people trusted them, the harder it would be for them to take over the Federation.
“Nice play,” the human murmured in my ear as he pulled me to the back of the crowd. “But I would have appreciated it more if you’d waited until we were clear of their swords before you started insulting the soldiers.”
I turned to face my ‘rescuer’, a warning bell going off in my head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I sniffed. “Those young men needed a talking to, and that’s what I delivered!”
“I’m Forin Olmos from apartment 309,” he murmured. “The one directly across from yours. I saw you come out and transform, and I followed you down here to see what you were up to.”
“Fuck,” I muttered, dropping the old-lady voice. I leveled a glare at him. “I’m not going to have to knock you out, am I?”
Forin snorted. “I’m on your side. I don’t support the Resistance, who thinks nothing of killing the rest of us to get at you, and has just attempted to burn down my apartment. Besides, I don’t agree with how you’ve been treated. You’re a hero, Sunaya Baine, and you need to be free so you can keep doing your thing.” He released me, and I gaped at him in astonishment. Nobody had ever said that to me before. “Now go.”
Nodding, I turned away, then fled into the night.
2
Since running through town in the guise of an old woman would draw suspicion, I ducked into the first dark alley and allowed my disguise to drop for a moment. Leaning my back against the wall, I slid to the ground behind the safety of a dumpster, then pulled up my pant legs to check the damage on my legs. The sensation of the leather scraping against my shins was painful, but not as much as it should have been. Patches of skin had been burned away, leaving the areas raw and bloody, but they were already scabbing over.
I debated whether to use my magic to heal the wounds the rest of the way, or if I should allow shifter nature to take its course. I would be able to move faster without the pain, but since I didn’t know the proper Loranian words or the techniques involved to invoke a proper healing spell, it would drain more energy out of me than was wise. I had no idea what else I would encounter tonight, and I was already using enough magic on my illusions as it was.
The clouds above me parted, allowing the nearly full moon to shine down, and a wave of energy swept through me, reminding me I didn’t need to draw on my own magic for this. I could shift to heal my wounds. But I had to be careful.
Retreating to the back of the alley, I checked to make sure there was no one nearby, then shifted into my panther form. White light engulfed my body as the change took place, and I gritted my teeth against the pain as the transformation sealed my wounds shut. But when the light finally faded, I felt a million times better, my burns completely healed.
I gave myself ten minutes to rest, senses alert for any kind of danger. But nobody was looking for me here, and at this time of night, most people were in their beds. I caught a few whispers, the sound of feet clopping against pavement, but no one came in this direction. Relatively assured of my safety, I shifted back into human form, then cloaked myself in the illusion of a pimply teenage boy and headed out again.
Part of me wished I could stay in beast form as I made my way to the Palace. But the Resistance would be on the lookout for a black panther, and though I would blend in with the darkness well enough, traveling as a shifter still wasn’t the wisest move.
Yeah, and neither was staying in your apartment after receiving a death threat.
I scowled. Yeah, so maybe I should have headed for Solantha Palace right away, where I would have been safe. But I’d been away for so long. After the arduous adventure of the last few weeks, traveling across the country to rescue the Chief Mage, dealing with political assassination attempts, and other bullshit, I’d just wanted the solace of my apartment. Besides, I wasn’t about to let the Resistance think I was scared of them by running straight for the Palace with my tail tucked between my legs at the first sign of trouble. I wasn’t scared of them, and I wasn’t going to let them intimidate me.
But I was scared for my friends, and for the people around me, and I couldn’t let the Resistance hurt them again because of my pride. Even though the last thing I wanted to do was take up residence in the Palace again, I would do it if it meant saving lives.
As I walked toward the Mages Quarter, whose towers I could see jutting into the moonlit sky even from this distance, my eyes wandered, taking in the city. Sadness filled me at the cracked windows and boarded-up storefronts, at the trash littering the streets, at the threats and curses sprayed onto formerly pristine walls and shutters. This wasn’t the Solantha I knew, the clean, bustling city that oozed with character. This was a city under attack, besieged by terror and fear. People were scared to walk the streets at night, and even during the day they averted their eyes and stayed as far away from passersby as possible. It was a little terrifying to see just how far downward Solantha had slid in the time I’d been gone.
Heading toward Solantha Palace, I caught flashes of light in the distance, and my sensitive ears picked up distant explosions, screams, and battle cries. The commotion was coming from the direction of Shiftertown, where the Resistance had established their base, mainly in a couple of abandoned factory buildings close to the Rowanville border. Many shifters had fled the city when the Mages Guild had gone on a rampage, arresting anyone they suspected of having ties with the Resistance. Those who remained had sided with the Resistance out of defiance. I had heard the residents were even letting the Resistance use the vacated homes in their sector of the town, and that shifter children as young as six or seven were proudly displaying the red armbands signifying their support.
My thoughts turned to Boon Lakin, the tough-as-nails Shiftertown Inspector who had
become a friend to me. Would the Resistance have been able to take Shiftertown as easily if he, or my aunt Mafiela, the Baine Clan Chieftain, had not been swept up in the arrests? The clan chieftains were divided on the issue, but Mafiela had always been very much anti-Resistance. In the past, I’d always scorned her for it, but that was before I realized the truth about the borderline terrorist organization. Her son, my cousin Rylan, was a prominent member of the Resistance, and my aunt had written him off as soon as she’d learned he’d joined.
You’d think I would welcome my aunt’s misfortune, considering she’d thrown me out of my home and clan at the age of twelve, and done her best to make my life difficult. But it still seemed unfair for the Mages Guild to imprison her without cause. As for Lakin, he was just doing his job. The Tiger Clan chieftain had shared their fate, as well as a number of other shifters who hadn’t escaped town, falsely confident that their innocence would protect them from the mages’ wrath.
Iannis had ordered the wrongfully imprisoned to be set free, but that had been less than twenty-four hours ago, and it would take time to process their release. Many of them were probably still languishing in their cold, dark cells on Prison Isle. I shivered at the thought – it was a place you did not wish on anyone but your worst enemy.
A wave of magic rippled through me as I crossed the invisible line separating Rowanville from the Mages Quarter, and I realized wards must had been activated around the perimeter. That explained why these elegant apartments and town homes, with their magically enhanced trees and shrubbery, remained untouched. Old resentment burned inside me at the fact that, while the rest of the city was burning, the mage families slumbered in safety in luxurious homes behind their magically reinforced doors. They weren’t subject to pain and terror like the rest of us.