Soul Magic

by Jennifer Lyon

  She filled his mouth with her tongue and rocked her hips, trying to take more of him. Won’t hurt. My magic can take all of you. Then she circled him with her magic, stroking the sensitive tip of his dick with her powers, while kissing him deeper.

  His control shattered and he thrust into her, all the way up her channel until he was buried ball-deep. He tried to give her a second, but she rocked her hips again, driving him insane. He lifted her and thrust.

  Then again.

  Thrusting and filling her, touching her very center.

  “Carly.” He breathed her name against her mouth, tasting her while he bucked into her, again and again. “My golden witch.”

  She cried out, her body spasming. He lifted his head to piston his hips and spurted hard jets of raw pleasure into her. While he watched her eyes lose focus, her head tilt back, her wet hair clinging to her.

  Another lightning strike of pleasure shot through him.

  His. She was his.

  Carla laid her head into the curve of his neck. Yes. But he felt that kernel of worry, that tiny knot of doubt. How could she doubt this? She was his mate.

  Carla sat on one side of Sutton, Axel on the other, in the computer room. The four other witch hunters looked out from separate squares on the largest monitor. Key was the cute, hip one with the spiky hair, gray eyes, and killer smile. Phoenix had dark hair; dark eyes; wore black leather; and oozed sarcasm with a backhanded charm. Ram had a discipline he wore like armor, but there was fire in his incredible blue eyes. And the new guy, Linc. He was all about expensive clothes and hair unless pissed off. Then he shed the superficial to reveal the man she’d seen today when he’d saved Sutton’s life by killing Brigg.

  They listened as she explained that she’d opened her third eye to see Styx, her sister, and those five caged witches. She finished with, “Keri used her last burst of magic to show me the witches. She’s dying, just fading away to nothing.”

  “We’ll find her,” Sutton said. “In time.”

  The silence hung for a long second, then Linc said from the screen, “I was in the area when the rogues attacked because I was tracking Brigg. I didn’t want to believe he was rogue, but after he blooded you, Sutton, I had to deal with the truth.”

  Axel interjected, “Linc alerted me that an attack was being launched right about the same time you sent the 911.”

  Sutton shrugged. “I’m not questioning Linc’s actions or why he showed up when he did. Linc is one of us now, that’s good enough for me.”

  Carla could see the very subtle reaction in Linc. His chest and shoulders expanded a fraction, and the guarded look in his eyes thawed slightly. He’d had to kill a man he’d considered a friend, and he was marked by that, but the acceptance by the Wing Slayer Hunters helped him cope.

  Linc said, “I heard some talk while I was tracking them. Styx is their leader, as we suspected. He’s convinced Quinn Young that he can track witches and Wing Slayer Hunters with his psychic powers.”

  “I’m his test case,” Carla said, and she wished she was back in the shower with Sutton, surrounded by him, filled by him, until it felt like they were the only two people in the world. Where the ugliness couldn’t intrude.

  Axel turned to look at her. “Did you see where he is?”

  She wished she could answer more clearly. “I saw the place, a ranch or something like that, but I didn’t recognize it so I don’t have any way to know where it’s located.” The throbbing in her head started dialing up to painful.

  Sutton reached out and took hold of her right hand.

  He had felt her pain and eased it. That made it easier for Carla to lift her other hand to one of the blank computer monitors mounted on the wall and concentrate. It took longer than she expected to open her communication chakra, which seemed odd. It had opened so easily earlier. Maybe the constant headache was wearing her down. She focused her powers to imprint the image she’d seen with her third eye onto the screen. “There, that’s the wide view I saw.”

  Axel studied it. “Can you four see it?” He asked the men on the big screen.

  “Yeah, but it’s not familiar,” Key said.

  Ram said, “The isolation and forest terrain will make it hard to find, and difficult to attack. We can start mapping out probable areas.”

  Axel added, “I’ll fly over, looking for the landmarks you saw. It’s almost dark now, but I can start first thing in the morning.”

  It wasn’t soon enough. She thought of those five witches and her chest hurt. “I can try again, maybe get a fix on the location.”

  Sutton squeezed her right hand. “What?”

  She realized he was feeling her uneasiness. “Styx felt me there, knew I was seeing him with my third eye.”

  His fingers tensed around her hand.

  “He tried to get into my mind, but I borrowed his idea of the electrified fences he used on the witches, and I magically built them around myself. When I did that, I saw him physically rear back as if he’d been shocked, then he said, ‘You’re going to pay for that, right about now.’”

  “That’s how he found us,” Sutton said. “Through his connection to you.”

  She tried not to flinch. It was the truth, and it made her a danger to all of them. “Yes. And it’s not going to stop as long as I have these prongs. He’s got them shielded and I can’t get to them to remove them.”

  Axel considered that. “Maybe Darcy can help?”

  Frustration made her tense. “We could try, but I had Sutton helping me. We pushed my powers hard to break the shield, and we couldn’t get through it. Instead my powers forged a path around the shield and opened my third eye.”

  “So basically you’re a psychic homing device for this dude?” Phoenix asked.

  She looked to the screen and into the hunter’s dark eyes. “I’m learning to block him, but it’s not fail-proof. His connection to me is strong.”

  Sutton pulled their joined hands over to rest on his thigh, his eyes on her face. “We’re going to find him, and we’ll get your sister for you. While Axel does his flyovers, I’m going to hack into the Rogue Cadre network. It’s how I found out who Styx is in the first place. I’ll find more on his location. We’re close, baby.”

  “Okay” was all she could say. They might be close, but were they close enough to find Keri before her soul died off?

  Axel rubbed the bridge of his nose, dropped his hand and said, “We need to talk about the Induction Ceremony.”

  Sutton looked over her head. “I’m not leaving her. You heard Carla, that bastard is tracking her with the prongs in her head.”

  She had to help convince Sutton so she said to Axel, “Tonight is important, isn’t it?”

  “Very.” Lowering his gaze to her, he said, “Wing Slayer’s god powers strengthen from being acknowledged. Losing Brigg was a blow, and inducting Linc with a ceremony will help. And it’s important for all of us to show our allegiance. To make a stand. We can never, ever deny Wing Slayer again.”

  Carla felt the truth of that. “Like Quinn Young did.”

  “Exactly,” Axel said. “He renounced Wing Slayer, creating the loophole Asmodeus needed for his demon witches to throw the curse.”

  “All right, I get it.” Sutton’s hands wrapped around her arms and tugged her back to his chest, his chin resting on her shoulder. “I’ll go as long as I can be sure of Carla’s safety.”

  “That’s why I propose we do the ceremony close by here. We put the witch hunters not yet inducted in the cliffs on the other side of the access road. They can watch out for Carla and her mom from there, and still keep an eye out for any rogues trying to sneak up. That should be far enough away from the cabin that Chandra won’t incite the blood curse in the unbonded hunters.”

  “But close enough to see the cabin. And hear any trouble.” Sutton thought that was doable. “I’m on board with that.”

  Sutton was uneasy. “You don’t look good. Your witch-shimmer is kind of dull.”

  Carla moved around hi
s kitchen, making tea. “It’s just the headache from Styx. And I’m tired.”

  She did look tired, making the eagle beat his wings beneath Sutton’s skin in concern, but he didn’t cut the skin. He hadn’t done that since Carla’s mom had yelled at him. Sutton caught Carla by the waist, turned her, and cradled her face in his hands. Previously, the pain had flowed into him like a spigot he’d turned on full blast. Now it just trickled sluggishly. “Why don’t you go to bed? Try to sleep, and I’ll be back soon.” The idea of her already in his bed when he came back pleased him. To be able to slide in and pull her warm body into his arms was pretty damned cool. The eagle liked it, too, sighing and fluttering his wings.

  She touched his hand on her face. “Sutton, stop worrying. You can’t hold off my pain twenty-four hours a day.”

  He couldn’t help worrying. Carla was his life. “We’re going to find a way to get those prongs out. Until then, I don’t mind holding off your pain. I’ll only be gone an hour or two. I should hear you if there’s trouble, but we all have our cells linked up to the alarms on the house, too. You’ll be safe.”

  She slid her hand over his wrist to his forearm. “I know.” Her eyes softened. “You’re hoping Wing Slayer acknowledges you tonight with wings.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” It didn’t. He had Carly. As long as he had Carly, it didn’t matter if Wing Slayer didn’t give him wings. It was just that wings would give him the ability to fly, and that would make him better at protecting Carla. Then he could fly over the terrain where they thought Styx was, find and kill the bastard to free his mate of this pain. He’d get the knife, too, so Carla could free her sister. She wasn’t going to be truly happy, or truly believe that she was his mate until Keri was free to go to Summerland. Then she’d be his with nothing standing between them.

  She stroked his arm with her fingers. “Of course it matters, but it’s nothing you’ve done if you don’t get real wings.”

  This was exactly the shit that stood between them and threatened their bond. “Baby, you are my soul mirror. Styx was screwing with you in the vision. You know that. Keri loved you.”

  The yellow in her eyes spread. “I know that wasn’t Keri talking. I know she told me to save you. But that doesn’t mean you are mine. It means that she cared enough for you to save you from going rogue no matter what the cost to her. And we wouldn’t know because of the twin bond. It could confuse you and your eagle. And that could be why your wings haven’t come out.”

  His eagle shoved hard against his back, trying to break free and get to her. They both loved her, and it made him furious that she couldn’t accept that. And that was another reason he wanted his damned wings, so she’d believe they were soul mirrors. “I don’t believe that.” He wasn’t good at all this romance shit, and he couldn’t be something he wasn’t so he just told her. “I love you. You. Not your powers and not your sister.”

  Her eyes widened, then filled with green. Her witch-shimmer brightened. “I love you.”

  He believed her. Felt the truth. And yet, her fear still stood between them. It was frustrating as hell. “Is it that my love isn’t enough?” It hadn’t been enough for his mother to stay. Or even his father.

  “Oh, Sutton. Yes, your love is enough, it’s everything. I swear by the Ancestors! I just have an uneasy feeling, like I’m missing something, or …” She shrugged, her hand tightening on his arm. “It’s like I can’t hold on to you no matter how hard I try.”

  He pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair. “Carly.” She was in pain, he couldn’t bear it. “Sweetheart, do you think some of this might be from the break with your sister? And then today, you saw her fade in that knife. Could your uneasiness be from grief?” Since she’d come back from that vision, she’d felt different. He wasn’t sure how to explain it, like her powers weren’t as vivid. He hadn’t even realized it until now, but surely grief could affect her like this.

  She rested her palms on his chest. “Maybe. It could be.”

  She had paid a steep price to bond with him. “I’ll get her for you. I swear it.” He would do anything for her, with or without wings.

  She slipped one arm around his back to pet his eagle. “Whether we get her or not, I wouldn’t change my choice. I love you.”

  Sutton had never felt this way. Sure, her touch and words made his cock ache, but he ignored that. It was the bond that meant he wasn’t alone anymore. He had Carly to care for, to love, to comfort, and to seek comfort from. He had her to gang up on him with her mother so she could heal him. Carly made him feel like he mattered, like he was worth fighting for. God, he loved her. He didn’t have any more words, he only wanted to stand in his kitchen and hold her.

  Carla leaned back and smiled at him. “You need to go. This ceremony is important.”

  He shifted his hands back to holding her face. He knew he had to let her go, let her deal with the pain of the prongs while he was gone, but he played for time. “Only if you promise to drink your tea and go to bed.” He rubbed his thumbs over her cheeks. “Promise me.”

  “All right.”

  He leaned down, pressing his mouth to hers. She felt a little warm, but she’d promised him she’d go to bed and he’d be back soon. He lifted his mouth, slowly took his hands away, and watched her as the pain went back to her. It happened quickly, like a rubber band snapping. That didn’t seem right to him. Frowning, he asked, “Okay?”

  “Yes. It’s just a headache.” She pushed her hands against his bare chest. “I’m going to drink my tea and go to bed.”

  Her shimmer looked a little brighter than when he’d first come into the kitchen. “Naked?”

  She smiled. “You’ll have to hurry back to find out.”

  Sutton left feeling better. The witch was turning him into a worrier. He kind of liked it.

  The air was damp and rich with the scents of dirt, pine, and chaparral. They gathered in the clearing between the cliffs and the woods. Trees along the edge of the open space swayed in the moonlight, making shadows sway and dance over the twig-covered ground. It was eleven o’clock, and the deep cool night prickled the bare skin of his chest. They were all shirtless to honor Wing Slayer with their tattoos, the first symbols of their loyalty.

  Axel took it to the next level, his real hawk wings spanning at least six feet.

  The air was heavy with reverence as they each took their places. Axel faced them with his back to the cliffs. Sutton stood at his left with Ram by him. Key and Phoenix were opposite. They were in wing formation.

  Axel nodded, and Linc broke from the other witch hunters standing by the cliffs. He walked to the center and handed his silver knife to Axel.

  “Your test.”

  Linc answered, “Follow the law of justice by killing a friend who went rogue.”

  “Even though he was blooded by the enemy?” Axel asked.

  Linc’s shoulders rose, so that the light of the moon reflected on the outline of the unfinished falcon on his back. “He still had a choice. They gave him a knife to kill off the witch. He could have turned the knife on himself, saving his soul.”

  Sutton felt pride in Linc. His test had been brutal. But he had passed it, and would be a stronger, more just fighter for it.

  “Accepted,” Axel said. “Your vow.”

  “I vow my allegiance to Wing Slayer, god of the witch hunters. I take the ancient oath of protection for the innocent and justice for the damned. And I swear to fight the curse to my death.”

  “And your sacrifice.” He handed the knife to Linc.

  Without hesitation, Linc took the knife and sliced the inside of his arm. “My life’s blood for protection and justice in the name of Wing Slayer.”

  The blood dripped silently onto the dirt.

  Sutton felt his shoulders and neck tense with thick anticipation. This was the moment that Axel believed Wing Slayer would show his acceptance of Linc.

  The moment Sutton hoped for a sign of his own. He didn’t need a big public splash of his wings breaking out;
just a quiet acknowledgment, like the mark of wings on his knife or whatever Wing Slayer wanted. Then he’d know that his wings would come out when he needed them.

  Nothing seemed to happen. Just the roar of the ocean, the rustle of the tree branches in the breeze, and the shifting of the men as they waited. No dramatic cloud cover, no sudden explosion of lightning and crash of thunder, no earthquake.

  Then a shift, a sudden tension in the air. The breeze turned into a fierce wind, blowing the trees, making the shadows shift and weave eerily, dust and twigs blowing around their legs. A tangy yet sweet scent surrounded them as a large, winged shadow fell over Linc. Was this it?

  Then the shadow vanished, gone as quickly as it came. The wind faded back to a breeze, the trees grew calm, the twigs and dirt settled. The scent weakened until it was only a memory.

  Axel said, “Lincoln Dillinger, take your place in our wing formation. You are marked a Wing Slayer Hunter.”

  Sutton blinked, surprised. He’d felt a presence, something, but then it was gone. He reached behind him and slid his fingers over the hilt of his knife sticking out of the holster.

  It was still smooth. His eagle tried to reach Carla, suddenly feeling desperate to touch her. Sutton felt the same disappointment as the bird, but he had to stay focused on the ceremony. They both had to be patient.

  As Linc started to turn, his face as baffled as everyone else’s, the moonlight narrowed into a beam of light directly onto the man’s back.

  The tattoo was finished. It showed a falcon in incredible detail. The bird’s abdomen had gray bars across the white background, and the chest had teardrop markings in the same color. His long pointed wings were spread, revealing a glimpse of the intricate gray barring on the underside, and the darker solid feathers on the outside. The bird had a distinctive yellow eye ring, along with a mostly yellow beak and yellow feet.

  After a second of sheer silence and awe, the beam of light faded to normal. The men all broke formation, going to slap Linc on the back. Sutton reached him first, and said, “That’s a hell of a mark.”