Ancient Magic: a New Adult Urban Fantasy (Dragon's Gift: The Huntress Book 1)

by Linsey Hall

  “So, this scroll sounds pretty interesting,” I said. “I’ll take the job. Half price because I broke into your tomb.” I’d do it for free, but I didn’t want him thinking I was too eager.

  “Excellent. We’ll leave tomorrow.”

  What the heck? That wasn’t part of my plan. “We? I work alone.”

  “I’ll help you. It could be dangerous.”

  “Dangerous is my day job,” I said. I winced, realizing I sounded like a jacked-up meathead from an action movie. But for magic’s sake, I walked around with daggers strapped to my thighs. You’d think it’d be obvious that I could handle myself. “I’ll take care of it. You don’t need to worry.”

  “I know you can take care of yourself,” he said, his dark eyes serious. “But I want this scroll. Badly. And I don’t trust anyone else with it. I’ll come along.”

  Damn. I waffled, but he looked determined. “All right. Tomorrow. Can you tell me a little more about the scroll?” Maybe if he told me enough, I could find it tonight.

  He nodded and leaned back in his chair, long and lean muscles stretching out. I sagged a bit, grateful he didn’t suspect me.

  “The scroll was written over a thousand years ago by monks who lived on an island off the coast of Ireland,” he said.

  Nerves prickled along my skin. That was the third time today that Ireland had come up. First I raided a tomb there, then Aidan, who owned an estate there, showed up, and now these monks. I didn’t like it. I worked all over the world. Today was my first job in Ireland in years. And it had come complete with a demon who knew I was a FireSoul and a handsome, dangerous stranger who wanted me to find a scroll that could spell my death.

  Yeah, it was weird.

  “The monks are still the only ones who live on the island,” Aidan said. “They’re supernaturals, but they choose to rely on study and contemplation rather than magic. They’re called the Holy Order of Knowledge. Their entire purpose is to record every bit of knowledge about the supernatural world that they can. The Scroll of Truth was created by their greatest seer before his death. He used his power to write about the future, which is why my name is probably in it even though it was written long before my birth. But it was stolen.”

  “By whom?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “If it’s been missing for so long, how do you even know about it?”

  “I keep a seer on retainer. She scries for threats to me and my enterprises every year. This year, she sensed a threat in the form of the scroll. She thinks someone else is trying to find it. But all she could see was the name of the scroll and that the Order of Holy Knowledge created it. I want to find it before the other person does.”

  Oh hell. This had just gotten worse. Someone else was after it? Seers couldn’t see every aspect of the future, but they were infallible about what they could see. “Do you know anything about who is hunting it?”

  “No. Just that someone is.”

  “Know anything else about it?”

  “That’s it.”

  “It might be enough.” I’d gone on way less in the past. I had its name—the Scroll of Truth—who’d made it and what it was made of. I’d found the Chalice of Youth with just a name and the knowledge that it was made of gold. But then, it was really, really easy for me to find gold.

  I closed my eyes and tried to envision the scroll. I focused on the names—Scroll of Truth and the Order of Holy Knowledge. My mind reached out, seeking the thread that would tie about my middle, but pain slammed into me.

  I gasped and slumped forward in my chair, my head pounding. I reached up and cupped my forehead. This had never happened before. Why did this scroll make me feel this way? First in the stairwell and now here.

  Was it because it contained information about my past? It made me even more determined to find it. No question, it involved me. Any time I tried to think about something important from my past, the pain came.

  “Are you all right?” Aidan asked.

  “Fine, it’s just been a really long day. Trying to find things with my mind is really draining,” I lied. “Can we visit the monks? I need a bit more information.”

  “Yes. We’ll take my plane.”

  His plane? He had a freaking plane? I didn’t want to get on his plane. I wanted to use a transportation charm and get there now, but I’d used my last one in the temple earlier today.

  If the monks lived in Ireland, his plane was my best bet. I could catch a commercial flight, but then I’d have to ask where exactly they lived, and by the time I got there, he would most likely be there already.

  It looked like I wouldn’t be sneaking off on my own after all. We’d do this together, and I’d figure out the rest later. And I didn’t hate the idea of hanging out with him, even though I knew it was a bad idea.

  “All right. When can we leave?” I asked.

  “Tonight. There’s a bed on the plane.”

  “A bed?” He had a plane with bedrooms? I quirked a brow at him, suspicious. “For?”

  He grinned. “Sleeping. Just sleeping. You’ve got to be beat after destroying the temple in Murreagh.”

  “Good. Don’t get any ideas.”

  He put up his hands. “Wouldn’t dream of it. I want that date first.”

  The look he gave me was pretty obvious. He liked what he saw. I blushed. I really wouldn’t say no to a cup of coffee with him under different circumstances, even though it was a really dumb idea. If I hung out with him too long and got into a situation where I had to use my power, he was strong enough to suspect what I was.

  I stood. “Business only, pal. But let’s get started. Ireland’s far away.”

  Aidan paid our bill, which I had no problem with. I was on the clock now. It wasn’t a date. He met me by the door, dwarfing me with his size.

  “I’m going to grab a bag, okay? Wait here.”

  He looked like he wanted to offer to come up to my place, but no way was that happening. I ran out before he could say anything.

  The scent of rain was on the air as I raced down the sidewalk and let myself into my building. Nix burst out of her apartment door as I ran by.

  “What’s the deal with Aidan Merrick?” She followed me up the steps. “You suddenly start dating one of the richest, most powerful hybrids in the world and don’t tell me?”

  “We’re not dating,” I said as I let myself into my apartment. She slipped in behind me, and I locked the door. “He showed up with a job about a scroll.”

  “Scroll? What’s inside it?”

  “It could tell people what we are.”

  Nix stepped back, her eyes wide. “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah. And Aidan said someone else is after it, too.”

  “That’s weird. Right after you ran into a demon who knew we were FireSouls? Too much coincidence.”

  “I know. That’s why I’m going to go get that scroll and destroy it. I might need you to make a forged version if there’s time. Without the information about us.”

  “Yeah, no kidding. But this is nuts.” She shook her head. “I talked to Connor and Claire. They both think he’s cool. And I really liked him.”

  A bit of the tension faded out of me at the news that Connor and Claire trusted Aidan. Connor was a better judge, as he was all Hearth Witch, but Claire’s opinion was good too, considering she had a bit of Hearth Witch in her. Hearth witches were really good at reading people’s intentions. Something about protecting hearth and home. And because Aidan had been in their shop and they lived in the back, their powers had been amplified when they’d assessed him.

  I couldn’t trust him one hundred percent, but he had the stamp of approval from Connor and Claire. He was probably safe.

  Until he learned what I was.

  Something I wasn’t going to let happen.

  Nix peppered me with questions as I threw a couple changes of clothes into a small duffle. I had no idea how long we’d be gone, but I hoped not more than a couple days.

  “Right, I’m out of he
re,” I said when I was done.

  We left my apartment and headed down the stairs.

  “You’ve got your charm if you need me,” Nix said at her door.

  “Yeah, thanks.” I hugged her and turned to go, but a thought popped into my head. I spun around. “Hey, will you go ask Dr. Garriso about the scroll and call me if you learn anything?”

  Dr. Garriso was our contact at the local museum and a scholar of all things magical history. We usually consulted him with questions about the artifacts we found. I loved his book-filled office but didn’t have time to go see him now, and he really preferred to speak in person.

  “Yeah. Good idea!”

  “Thanks.” I turned and took the stairs two at a time, hurrying to meet Aidan. As excited as I was to see him—which was so dumb, I knew it was—I still patted the dagger on my right leg. Old habits and all.

  Aidan stood across the street, leaning against the big SUV I’d noticed earlier. Most of his body was in shadow, but it was hard not to notice his height or the breadth of his shoulders. How was it fair that one of the strongest supernaturals in the world was also built like a world-class athlete and looked like a model?

  I scowled. It was unnatural, and dangerous for my sanity.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “Yep, let’s get a move on.” I climbed into his car. It was nondescript, but way nicer than my junker. Cars were not one of the things I considered to be treasure. Thus, Cecilia was an old broad on her last legs. “Is your plane at the Fairfield Airport?”

  “Yes,” he said as he pulled out onto the street. “I’ve told them to expect us.”

  His phone rang. He picked it up. “Merrick.”

  I perked up when he spoke. Eavesdropping wasn’t cool, but it counted as extenuating circumstances when mysterious, powerful strangers showed up on your door and needed your help with something that threatened your life.

  But his words were in another language. Not Irish or English, so I was out of luck. I gave up listening as we drove through the quiet streets of Magic’s Bend. It had started raining, and the streets were empty.

  By the time Aidan hung up the phone, we were pulling up to the small airport at the edge of town. Magic’s Bend sat on the Pacific, with a deep water port that wasn’t used very often. There wasn’t much in the way of suburbs, except on the south side of town where the rich people lived, so the rest of the city backed up to the forest and mountains. The airport was positioned right at the edge of town.

  Aidan drove completely around the main terminal to the back. Sitting apart from the small fleet of commercial jets was a sleek private plane, far bigger than I’d expected.

  Aidan stopped the car beside the stairs that lead up to the plane. I hopped out.

  “I’ll take that for you.” A bright-eyed flight attendant—a guy only a couple years younger than me—held out his hand for my bag.

  “Ah, I’m fine.” I smiled, then headed up the stairs.

  I whistled when I stepped into the plane. His car might have been nondescript, but his plane was anything but. Creamy leather and sleek wood decorated the space. The seats looked huge and comfortable, and there was even a couch in the back. I stepped in and turned to him. I was about to ask him how he afforded such a ridiculous plane when a thought occurred to me.

  “How come your plane is here if you were in Ireland earlier today? You didn’t have time to fly here.”

  “Magic’s Bend is my home base,” he said as he stepped into the plane. “I was just at my place in Ireland for the week. I took a portal charm to get here.”

  “But wouldn’t that leave your plane back in Ireland?”

  “I flew commercial,” he said as he walked to the small kitchen in the front. A curtain was pulled back, but when closed, it would conceal the small space. He grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and handed me one. “If it’s just me, I feel like a jerk taking this thing. It burns a lot of fuel to carry just one person.”

  “So you’re an environmentalist?”

  “Not a good one.” He held up the plastic bottle in his hand and nodded to it. “But I try to do okay about the obvious stuff. Taking this jet for just me is one of those things.”

  “But you’ll take it tonight.”

  He shrugged. “You need to sleep, and this one has a bed.”

  Huh. That was…nice of him. I’d never had a guy be thoughtful enough to offer me a plane before. Then again, I’d never known a guy with a plane before. Who did?

  “Thanks,” I said.

  The captain came out of the cockpit. “If you’ll take your seats, we’re about to take off.”

  “Thanks, Tom,” Aidan said.

  I found a seat in the middle and sank into it. I stifled a moan. It was so dang comfortable. After fighting the demon and then immediately dealing with Aidan, I’d been too distracted to realize how much my whole body hurt. Especially my leg.

  “You all right?” Aidan asked as he took the seat next to me. The plane rumbled as it taxied down the runway. He was close enough to me that I could smell the fresh forest scent of him. Most shifters had a slightly musky scent. Not bad, just animalistic. But he didn’t. Because he was the Origin, maybe.

  “I’m fine,” I said. “Just bruised up my leg pretty bad in the temple. I heal quickly, though.”

  “I’ve got some healing ability if you want me to give it some help.”

  I glanced up into his dark gaze. My breath caught. Healing meant touching. Not a lot, but any kind of touching with a guy like Aidan…

  “Uhhh….” Wow, I was great with words.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “It’s no problem,” he said. “It’ll only take a moment.”

  It was a bad idea, but I couldn’t help myself. The plane was now ascending into the sky, and it felt like I was leaving the real world behind. “Okay. It’s my leg. Left shin.”

  I held my breath as he laid his big palm against my leg. Even through my tall boots, I could feel the heat of him. Worse, I could feel his magic. I thought just standing near him was sensory overload? Though his hand stayed still, his magic caressed me, starting at my leg and working its way up. It felt amazing—comforting and tingly at the same time. About the best thing I’d ever felt.

  I closed my eyes and tried to control my breathing. I did not want him to know how much I liked this. If he moved his hand up my leg, I wasn’t entirely certain I would stop him. Normally I was great at shutting down guys who got handsy. But Aidan was different.

  I liked him. I even liked that he was a little bit dangerous. Which definitely meant I needed to set up an appointment with a shrink. But for now, trapped in this plane, I just wanted to focus on how good this felt.

  Too soon, he removed his hand. Disappointment surged through me. But as my mind cleared, relief came. Touching Aidan had been a bad idea. Something so little had clouded my mind. That was way too risky. I needed to stay sharp. Keep my guard up. I tried to shake the memory of his touch away and moved my leg.

  Good as new.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  That was my cue. I liked him. Too much, and I had to get out of here.

  “I’m going to hit the hay.” I stood and eyed the couch at the back of the plane. It looked divine. Squishy and soft. “Is there a blanket for that couch?”

  “Take the bed,” he said. “The door in the back leads to a bedroom.”

  “Is there only one bedroom?”

  “Yes, but I’ll take the couch.”

  I eyed his tall frame. “You’re not exactly going to fit on it.”

  “I’ll manage. Take the bed.”

  I was so tired, and I really wanted some space to myself. A door between me and Aidan would help me get my head on straight.

  “Okay, thanks.” I grabbed my bag and headed to the back.

  The gleaming wooden door opened to reveal a luxurious bedroom suite. It was modern and sleek, but the bed looked like heaven. I passed out in seconds; the last thought in my head was of Aidan’s hand on my leg.<
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  I got lucky. If I dreamed of Aidan, I didn’t remember it by the time I woke. The jolt of the plane touching down on the runway jerked me from sleep. I scrambled out of bed and threw on fresh clothes. Just a change of underwear and shirt. My jeans were fine. I usually wore them till they were destroyed anyway. Laundry was lame.

  When I entered the main cabin, the exterior door was open, and a fresh breeze blew inside.

  “Morning, sleepyhead,” Aidan said. He stood in the small kitchenette, looking refreshed and way too handsome after sleeping on that tiny couch all night. “I made some coffee to go. Want some?”

  “Sure.”

  “A lot of cream, right?”

  “How’d you know?” I didn’t like him knowing things about me. Even innocuous things like this.

  “You ordered a latte last night, so you like wimpy coffee.”

  And he was observant. Dangerous. “Wimpy coffee? I suppose you drink yours black?”

  “Black as my heart.”

  I laughed. I didn’t trust him. But I liked him. “You got a muffin to go with that?”

  “Blueberry or bran? There’s a basket here with both.”

  “Bran. It sounds healthy, but tastes delicious.”

  He pulled one out of the basket and handed it to me along with my coffee.

  “Ready?” he asked. “There’s a car waiting. We can head to the coast now. I’ve got a boat on stand-by.”

  “Is there a type of transportation you can’t access immediately?” This guy had everything.

  “No.”

  “Spaceship?”

  “My company, Origin Enterprises, is in the final testing phase of a shuttle that’s meant to carry valuables to a safe deposit bank on the moon. If you can wait a year or so—until we’re sure it won’t blow up—I can even get you a seat on that.”

  “The moon?” I’d really thought I’d stump him with the spaceship thing.

  “Safest place for valuables. Even you can’t break in there.”

  I frowned. “Huh. That would really kill my business model.”

  “No doubt.” He nodded to the stairs. “ Ready?”

  “Yeah.” I made my way down the stairs to a white Range Rover. The rolling green of the Irish countryside spread out before me. The scent of grass and the lingering bite of jet fuel mingled in the cool air. I climbed down the rickety stairs, hoping I wouldn’t fall on my face. These little landing stairs were always the worst.