by Linsey Hall
“I’m back, aren’t I?”
His gaze met mine. “And we’re going to keep you that way.”
I grinned, then winced.
Connor frowned as he leaned his head down and sniffed at my wound. He reared back, his eyes wild.
“What is it?” Panic laced Cass’s voice.
“Ubilaz poison.” He surged to his feet, then darted away, running through the door to the back of the cafe.
My heart thundered. “That sounds bad.”
“You came back from the dead,” Nix said. “This isn’t going to get you.”
“Though we’re going to want answers on how you did that,” Cass said.
“Yeah. Handy trick,” Claire added.
“Neato,” Emile added.
They were trying to distract me. I didn’t know what an Ubilaz demon was, but it must be bad.
I tried not to hyperventilate while waiting for Connor to return. Ralph and Rufus hopped off Emile’s shoulders and climbed onto mine, sniffing at my cheeks. Their little whiskers tickled.
“Ralph and Rufus have always been fond of you,” Emile said.
I grinned. I was fond of them, too. Fond of all animals. “They’re not saying goodbye, right?”
“Nah.” Cass shook her head. “You’re too stubborn to die.”
“And it’s not like dying stuck to you the first time.” Nix grinned.
“I’ve got it!” Connor cried as he hurried out of the back of the cafe, holding up a small vial of dark green liquid. He knelt at my side and poured the stuff over my wounds.
It sizzled and burned, and I yelped. Ralph reached up with little paws and patted my cheek.
When I glanced down, the wounds were knitting themselves back together. Blood and poison had soaked into my once-lucky shirt, but my flesh looked entirely healed.
“Am I better?” I asked. It sure didn’t hurt anymore, and I suddenly felt a lot stronger.
“No. Definitely not.”
I jerked my head up. “What do you mean?”
His dark gaze was serious. “I’ve never seen an Ubilaz demon before. They aren’t supposed to be able to leave the Underworld. But you can buy their poison on the black market for use in potion making. It’s one of the strongest there is.”
“Strongest as in deadly?” Cass asked.
“No,” Connor said. “Worse. It’s old school horror. In diluted forms, it does other things. But in pure form? It’ll turn you into one of them.”
“What?” I jolted up in my chair, and Ralph and Rufus tumbled into my lap. “Turn me into an Ubilaz demon?”
He nodded. “That’s what’s supposed to happen. The transition is slow. It’ll take about a week. But there’s an antidote. I can make it if you can get me some of the demon’s blood.”
Relief coursed through me, turning my muscles to jelly. “So I just have to get you some of its blood.”
“Yeah. Or another Ubilaz demon’s blood. Doesn’t matter. And you have to take more of the potion I poured on your wound. Drink it every day, and it’ll delay the effects of the demon’s poison until we can make the antidote.”
I sagged back against the chair, adjusting so that the sword scabbard strapped to my back didn’t poke me.
“But you have to get the demon.” Connor’s voice turned grave. “The potion I give you will only last about a week before your body becomes immune to it.”
Great.
“It’s not a problem,” Cass said. “We’ll get the demon. It’ll be fine.”
“Knock on wood.” I knocked on my head. “Don’t jinx us.”
Cass knocked on her head, too.
“Now that you’re not staggering, I want a proper greeting.” Claire threw her arms around me, careful to keep from touching my poison-stained shirt.
My heart leapt to see her again, and I hugged her tight. Claire was a Fire Mage, and she, too, was dressed in leather, her usual wear for her job as a mercenary. She worked part time at P & P with her brother Connor when she wasn’t off killing monsters.
I pulled back and took in her familiar dark hair and eyes.
“How are you back? It’s impossible,” Claire said.
I opened my mouth to explain, but I honestly wasn’t sure what had happened.
“Quit hogging her,” Connor said.
Claire stepped back. “Fine. Fine. I’m going to get you a snack. You need to get your strength up before you go out looking for this demon.”
Connor stepped forward and gave me a big squeeze.
“So good to see you.” I hugged him tight.
“We thought we’d lost you.” He mumbled against my hair. “Had us worried.”
I pulled back. “Had myself worried.”
“Well, you’re back now.” He grinned. “No idea how, but I’ll take it.”
“That’s about where I am.” My mind raced with what lay ahead of me. “Connor, do you think you could whip me up a couple defensive potions?”
I didn’t have my sword, and if I was going to go hunting big game like the Ubilaz demon, I’d need some weapons.
Connor saluted. “On it!”
“Thanks.”
He spun and headed back behind the bar.
Claire bustled past him, bringing a tray. She set it down on the table. “Vegetarian quiche and a cup of boxed wine. Your regular. Eat that now.”
“Thanks. You’re the best.” P & P’s specialty was the Cornish pasty, a savory treat usually made of meat and potatoes wrapped in pastry, but they tried to keep quiche on hand for me. It was my fave.
Ralph and Rufus had climbed back onto my shoulders, so I gave each of them a bite. I met Claire’s gaze. “Thanks for the wine, but it’ll have to wait since I need to track down that demon.”
“How about an espresso?”
“Amazing. Thank you.”
“Not a problem.” Claire bustled off.
I went to work on the quiche, suddenly famished.
“Okay.” Cass’s voice drew my gaze to her. “Time for some answers. How are you here?”
“I saw you die.” Nix’s gaze was stark, sending a small streak of guilt through me at making her worry.
I’d had no choice—I hadn’t wanted to kick the bucket, but I had. And I’d ended up in hell.
“Yeah, that happened.” I swallowed hard, the memory making my skin prickle.
“Were you in the Underworld? How did you get out?” Nix asked. “That can’t be possible.”
“I don’t really know. But I tore through a portal and ended up outside of town.”
“That’s so weird.” Confusion coated Nix’s voice. “That’s not even possible.”
It was. Somehow.
“What the hell took you so long?” Cass demanded. “We’ve been terrified. It’s been two weeks!”
Two weeks? It hadn’t felt like that long.
“We’ve been searching for you everywhere,” Nix said. “We were onto our last clue back at the shop. If the spell in the amphora didn’t work, we were going to go to the Order of the Magica and the Alpha Council for help.”
“No!” The Order and the Council were the two factions of magical government. The Order oversaw the magic users—Magica—and the Council oversaw the magical beings—Shifters. The Order was a fine organization—they kept us hidden from humans and ensured law and order—but they weren’t so fine if you were a weirdo with unknown powers. Then they thought you were the threat. And in that situation, you never came out ahead. Unfortunately, they would consider my deirfiúr and me to be a threat.
“We can’t let them know what we are.” I wanted to shake them.
We were all FireSouls, and we were all at risk. A few people knew about Cass, but we trusted them, unlike the Order and the Council.
“I know, dummy.” Cass rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t going to tell them the truth. Our secret’s ours. And your new can-escape-hell talent is definitely a secret.”
Emile’s frightened gaze met ours. In addition to being an Animus mage, he was also a FireSoul and
was hunted by the Order of the Magica. Just like us. He was one of the very few who knew what we were. We’d rescued him from the Prison for Magical Miscreants about a month ago, and he was still skinny from his time there. His eyes had a haunted look that twisted my heart every time I saw him.
Emile shuddered hard, no doubt remembering his time in prison. His bleak gaze met mine. “Don’t let them discover that you’re different. Don’t. Being a FireSoul is bad. Coming back from the dead is worse.”
“I know,” I said. “I’ll be careful.”
Only the people who’d been at the battle with us knew that I’d died. They’d have my back. My deirfiúr, Connor, Claire, Emile, and Aidan definitely wouldn’t turn me in. I even had faith in Aerdeca and Mordaca, our friends over in Darklane.
“Where is Aidan?” I asked.
Cass’s boyfriend was a serious badass and respected by the magical governments because of his massive wealth and power. He descended from the first Shifter and could turn into any animal he pleased. Griffins were his creature of choice. Cass was just as tough as him, though. She was a Mirror Mage who could mimic any supernatural’s magic, and she also had a whole bunch of stolen powers from her rocky past as a FireSoul.
“Aidan’s okay, right?” I asked.
“Yeah.” Cass nodded quickly. “He’s fine. Everyone is fine. Connor, Claire, and Emile. Aerdeca and Mordaca, also. You were the only one who…”
“Died,” I finished for her. Calm settled over me at the knowledge that all of my friends were okay.
Cass threw her arms around me again and muttered into my hair, “I was so scared. You were such a hero.”
Nix’s hand rested on my back, as if she couldn’t help but touch me to confirm I was really back.
I squeezed Cass, then pulled away. “We all were. Another fight, another day, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Dangerous world out there.” Nix tipped her chin toward the window. “But you went above and beyond. And now that you’re back, it’s safer for the rest of us.”
I grinned. “It was easy.”
Nix hugged me.
When I pulled back, I asked, “Where’s Aidan?”
“Off following a lead about a portal to the Underworld, but I’ll text him now that you’re back.” Cass pulled her phone out of her pocket.
“Yeah, I found that portal, thank fates.” I swallowed the last bite of food and leaned toward Emile so that Ralph and Rufus could jump off my shoulders onto his. “We should get out of here.”
Claire came over with a to-go cup and handed it over. “I figured you’d want to take this on the road. I added a boost.”
“Thank you. You’re a life saver.”
In addition to the Cornish pasties they served, P & P’s drink specialty was enchanted coffees. I didn’t know what they added, but the special boost was like a shot of Red Bull in your coffee, without the jitters. I didn’t always add it, but today… Totally necessary.
“No, that would be me.” Connor approached from the back. He handed me a small black pouch. “There are a few helpful potion bombs in here. Red are Portlothian acid bombs. Deadly. Gold are freeze bombs. Blue unfreezes whatever you’ve frozen. The dark green is your potion. Take it every day. They’re labeled, so you don’t get them confused. Do not drink the acid bomb.”
“No problem.” I grinned and took the bag. “Thanks.”
Connor looked at me hard. “Don’t forget to take it every day. The poison is still in your system. You’ll start looking like an Ubilaz demon if you don’t take it, and that’s just the beginning of the transition.”
Okay, yeah. I wouldn’t be forgetting this potion.
“Thanks. You’re a life saver. Literally.”
“Come on,” Cass said. “You need a shower, then we’ll come up with a plan for getting that demon.”
“Yeah.” I looked at Claire, Connor, and Emile. “Thanks again, guys.”
“Let us know how we can help,” Claire said.
I felt almost entirely normal as we said goodbye and left P & P. The night was cool and dark, the silence punctuated only by crickets.
“The best thing we can do is split up,” Cass said. “Use our dragon sense to try to find a different Ubilaz demon. That increases our odds of catching one.”
Nix nodded. “Smart.”
We neared Ancient Magic and Cass said, “Let me duck inside and get my bag.”
“Yeah, I left mine too.” Nix followed her in.
I trailed them into our shop, soothed by the familiarity of the place. It was filled with all sorts of magical artifacts that we sold to the highest bidder. But we were totally legal.
My deirfiúr and I might hunt ancient artifacts for a living, but we didn’t keep them. Our goal was to retrieve the magical spells encased in the artifacts. The magic decayed with time, becoming unstable and dangerous. We removed the spell from the artifact and transferred it to a replica, which we then sold. Once it was all done, we returned the artifact to its original resting place.
It was how we stayed on the right side of the law and kept our consciences in the clear. None of us wanted to steal from the dead, or disrupt archaeological sites.
Cass held up her bag. “Right! I’ve got it. We can go.”
As I turned to leave the shop, the air vibrated around me, something I’d never felt before. I snapped my mouth closed and glanced around.
“You feel that?” Cass asked, her green gaze darting.
“Yeah,” I muttered.
It thrummed against my skin, a strangely soothing feeling. At least, it’d be soothing if it weren’t so unusual.
Then the power hit me. The signature of a supernatural who was so strong it made my breath come short and my ears hum with a low buzz. The scent of sandalwood filled my nose, and the taste of a fine red wine exploded on my tongue.
“Ohhh shit,” I breathed as I turned toward the door.
The man who walked into the shop made my heart pound like I’d run a marathon.
This was the Warden. No question. His power was so immense I felt like I’d been hit by a truck.
I just couldn’t get a break. First the Ubilaz demon, now this guy.
Worse, he was everything I’d feared and nothing I’d expected.
For one, he was too damned handsome. Probably the best looking guy I’d ever seen, which would normally make me say something stupid. Particularly since his was the strong, dark type of handsome. Like a freaking fallen angel.
But I couldn’t focus on his looks when his power was sucker punching me. His magical signature was so strong that all five of my senses registered it.
The scent of sandalwood and the taste of wine were familiar, but the feel of his magic—a caress that made me shiver—was entirely unexpected. And the sound—a low growl that was as seductive as it was threatening—was a signature I’d never heard before. His aura was bright blue, a rare cobalt that I suspected was unique to him. Few supernaturals had auras—those who did were one some of the most extreme magical signatures.
With it, this guy hit up all five of my senses. No, six, I realized. He was lighting up my dragon sense, which only picked up things of value.
My heart raced as my dragon sense pulled me toward him.
No, no, no. This guy was not valuable to me. He couldn’t be. I didn’t even know him.
But my dragon sense did. And it didn’t seem to care that he was the Warden, come to drag me back to hell.
Chapter Three
Quickly, I dug into my pocket and pulled out a freeze bomb, then chucked it at his feet. The golden vial crashed to the ground and exploded in a flurry of glittery gold dust.
The Warden froze in his tracks, his foot partially lifted to continue his walk toward us.
“Freeze bomb?” Cass asked.
“Yeah.” Didn’t take me long to break into Connor’s stash.
“Quick thinking,” Nix said.
My gaze raced over the Warden’s features. It made my breath come short just to look at him. Thoug
h maybe that was a bit of fear as well.
“Why is he holding your sword?” Cass asked.
“And why does he have a magical arsenal like the entire Order of the Magica combined?” Nix asked.
He gripped my beloved sword loosely in his fist. My heart leapt, and I started forward to snatch it back.
“Stop!” Cass cried. “Don’t approach. You could be frozen too.”
I halted in my tracks. She was right. The golden freeze dust still glittered in the air around the Warden. I just wanted my sword back so dang much.
I dragged my gaze from my sword back up to the Warden’s dark eyes.
Nix wolf whistled. “He’s hot.”
“Yep.” And I didn’t like it.
I didn’t like his perfect face or the black hair that waved back from his forehead or his blazing dark eyes. I certainly didn’t like that he was well over six feet, nor the muscle that lurked beneath his dark shirt and jeans. It’d be pretty much impossible to resist him at a bar if he tried to pick me up, because hello, handsome.
“Powerful, too,” Cass said.
“Yep.” I was eloquent, as usual.
Even without his magic, I’d have a tough time beating him in a fight. If he got ahold of me, he could tear me apart.
Would he, though?
The fact that he could was unusual since I could hold my own against just about anyone in hand-to-hand combat. It was a point of pride.
“Who is he?” Nix asked.
“I think he’s the Warden,” I said.
Nix met my gaze. “Of what?”
“I don’t know. He’s some kind of badass from whatever hell I was in.”
“He’s come for you?” Cass asked. “First the demon, then this guy?”
“Yeah. My luck hasn’t been so hot lately. Don’t know how he tracked me, but he’s definitely here for me.”
“His magic doesn’t feel evil,” Cass said.
I reached out for his magical signatures, trying to get a better feel for them. The aura had faded, as I’d heard they did after a first encounter, but the rest were still evident.
Cass was right—he didn’t feel evil. And I’d felt evil before. Plenty of it. This wasn’t it. True evil made your heart race and your skin chill. You could feel it, like an animal sensed danger. But his power was so strong that I did sense danger. He might not be outright evil, but he was big trouble for me.