My voice trailed off as I considered the possibility of the Exiled Maras doing precisely that. Chills ran down my spine, and Fiona, Avril, and Heron stared at me. I had a feeling they were thinking the same thing.
“Do they?” I frowned.
“That would be a bit… much,” Heron replied. “You can’t end up daemon chow for stealing a gold coin. That’s just… No.”
“I think it’s best we talk to Arrah about this tonight,” Avril said. “I just need the rest of the team to keep the Lords and Ladies busy. Especially House Roho. Can’t risk any of them coming back while Heron and I mind-bend our way through their mansion and interrogate Arrah…”
“We’ve got you covered, don’t worry.” I gave her a reassuring wink.
I set my sights on keeping Caspian busy, despite his blatant aversion to me. I found him intriguing, and I wanted to understand what exactly motivated him, and what kind of person he really was. He was challenging, and I was never one to back away in such circumstances.
Whatever he was hiding, I was going to find out. One way or another, I was determined to get to the bottom of what made Caspian Kifo tick.
Patrik
The Mara nurses came in to check on Minah once every couple of hours. Other than that, it was just me and the Iman girl in our part of the infirmary. I kept watch over her, thinking about the Druid spells I could combine to protect the city from daemons. I wasn’t sure they would work, but it was worth a shot.
This was a different world altogether, and, given how little we knew about these invisible enemies, it was impossible to predict how they’d react to Druid spells. I’d only seen the effects of my blue fires against them—which were barely any, from what I remembered. I kept throwing flames at them, but they’d hardly done anything to keep the unseen creatures at bay.
I needed the rest of my herbs and powders from my room at the inn, anyway. I had additional magical items in there that I could use to prepare certain spells in advance. I’d gone into the Valley of Screams with enough spell resources, but the daemons moved too fast even for me. I’d only had split seconds to prepare. I wasn’t going to make that mistake twice.
My mind wandered back to this morning. I rolled onto my side, facing Minah. Finding Scarlett sleeping by my bedside had been unexpected, but it had filled me with a peculiar warmth, something I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Three months had passed since I’d kissed Kyana goodbye as she lay dead on the cold ground outside Luceria. I could still hear Tamara’s wails. Kyana’s older sister had taken the loss hard, but there had been no one left to punish at the time. All the living Destroyers had been returned to their original forms, Azazel had been vanquished, and the fiends that had killed Kyana had been slaughtered. All that was left for us to do was grieve.
I’d spent centuries under Azazel’s control spell, slithering around in Destroyer form and doing his horrific, dirty deeds, just to make sure Kyana was kept alive. I put up with her anger and frustration. For a long time, I couldn’t even tell her how much I loved her, since Azazel’s spell was powerful and caused me so much pain whenever I did or said something against him. I couldn’t even tell Kyana to hold on, that one day I’d get her out of that cage and out of those dungeons.
All those centuries spent in misery, inflicting torture and death on innocent creatures while waiting for the day I’d get to hold her in my arms again… The moment I felt her cold skin, it all fell apart. I’d put myself through hell to save her, and I’d wound up losing her in the end. The irony did not escape me.
I was angry for a long time. I cried myself to sleep and chose a solitary existence, focusing exclusively on GASP. Training and preparing with the Shadians gave me new purpose. All that anger, the frustration—I could channel it into the supernatural protection agency. I could take my rage and repurpose it into relentlessness and determination. It worked, too. I advanced through the ranks, and I even passed my superior circle trials. I’d acquired my ninety-eighth band tattoo before the Neraka mission. Two more levels and I’d become a Master Druid. There were plenty of planets in Eritopia that needed one—the Druids who had been assigned to manage them were young or dismally unprepared. My world needed me. I needed my world, too. It anchored me; it kept me sane.
I’d found a twisted form of internal balance with GASP. Training fights helped me keep my rage under control. Researching supernatural species and supporting Draven in Druid affairs stopped me from curling up in my bed every morning. I missed Kyana so much, it tore me apart. I never talked about her with others.
I even tried keeping my distance from the Lamias, though I’d always had a soft spot for them, historically speaking. Kyana had not been my first girlfriend from the species, but she had been the one for me. My soulmate. Her friends tried to get close to me. They wanted me in their lives, on a more intimate level. But I couldn’t bring myself to even look at them that way anymore. I was still raw on the inside. My heart still ached.
Then Scarlett Novak-Hendry walked into our GASP base on Mount Zur, fresh from The Shade, and my so-called balance went straight out the window. Things took a strange turn for me then. I found myself gazing at her when she wasn’t looking. I couldn’t get enough of watching her run, watching her dart across miles like the wind. Those sky-blue eyes rattled me, and I didn’t like the way I was reacting to her.
She made me feel nervous and vulnerable whenever she was around, and yet, I liked being around her. I enjoyed the sound of her voice and, as of this morning, I discovered I loved running my fingers through her soft, warm brown hair. The feel of her skin on mine…
My biggest concern was that Scarlett had managed to disrupt my mourning, my routines of coping with the pain of losing Kyana. It didn’t feel right, especially not toward Kyana. I felt guilty at times, for feeling my core catch fire when my eyes met Scarlett’s. It confused the hell out of me, so I did my best to keep my distance from her.
But then last night, seeing Scarlett surrounded by those invisible daemons, eager to tear her apart, I was struck by the horror of never seeing her again—of watching her die. I couldn’t take that again. I was still healing. Why would I allow myself to develop feelings for Scarlett, given our field of work, where our lives were at risk?
I slowly shook my head, reaffirming my determination to keep my distance from her. I’d done the right thing this morning, sending her away with the rest of the team. I hated doing it, but it had to be done.
The infirmary door opened and Jax and Hansa walked in. Those two were as dysfunctional as I was, where relationships were concerned. They clearly had feelings for each other, but they refused to act on them. As long as it didn’t affect our team, I didn’t have a problem with the tension brewing between them, but I was just one step away from locking them both in a room for a few months so they could sort themselves out, for their own good.
“Hey, Patrik.” Hansa winked, and came to my bedside with my travel bag on her shoulder. She dropped it on the floor and grinned. “Time for some serious magic, huh?”
“Yes,” I groaned as I sat up. My whole body hurt, but it was mostly soreness. All my wounds had closed, thanks to the healing capsules and the Mara blood the nurses had used. “In hindsight, I was thoroughly unprepared last night.”
“What are you planning, magic-wise?” Jax asked, crossing his arms over his chest, his glance occasionally darting toward Minah.
“There are a few ninetieth-level spells I can combine,” I replied. “From what I’m told, the swamp witch magic that the Exiled Maras have, besides the travel spell, is minor—mere artifice where defense is concerned. They need something big and potent to protect the city.”
“Do you have everything you need in this bag of yours?” Hansa glanced down at her feet.
“Yes, but I will also need energy from all of you.” I nodded. “This is magic of the black arts—that is, I need living power to arm it. It’ll guard the entire base of the mountain and hopefully stop the daemons from coming into the city. I can�
��t guarantee it’ll work, though.”
“I understand,” Hansa replied with a sigh. “But it’s worth a shot, right?”
“Exactly.”
She then looked at Minah, who was still deep under.
“She hasn’t said anything, has she?”
“No, she’s been like this since you all left. I’ll obviously try to get more information out of her once she wakes up, but it’s a bit of a waiting game at this point.” I scratched my stubble, suddenly missing my razor. I had it at the bottom of the travel bag. I was definitely going to make use of the local amenities for a clean shave later on.
“Okay, well, we’re off to do a bit of scouting around the city,” Jax said, opening the door. “We’ll be back soon with the rest of the team so we can move this along.”
“That’s fine, I’ll put together a plan for the protection spell and have it ready for when you’re all here. We can put it in place tomorrow. I’ll need some time to prepare the incantation, since it’s a hybrid spell.” He nodded, and I watched him and Hansa leave.
I’d recently learned that I could amplify the effect of a protection spell by increasing its action radius. It involved using the cardinal points and burying charm satchels in walls facing all four main directions—north, south, east, and west. I could combine that with a couple of protective spells, and feed live energy into it. It could then fuel a defensive shield that would keep hostiles out of the city.
My biggest challenge was focusing on my mental image of the daemons while performing the spell. Given that they were invisible, I wasn’t sure it would work. I figured that I could instead focus on their eyes and apply the protection from that angle.
I looked at Minah, who was frowning in her sleep. She’d been through enough already. I didn’t want her to suffer more from these beasts. I needed to keep her safe. I needed to keep everyone safe. Especially Scarlett. Last night had been a close call.
Harper
(Daughter of Hazel & Tejus)
It was late afternoon when we left the library. We’d spent a substantial amount of time digging through the Exiled Maras’ records, and we’d managed to get a much clearer picture of how their society worked, what was accepted and what was frowned upon.
Fortunately, they weren’t all that different from the Eritopian Maras, but they really valued their rule of law and the artful side of life. In the end, once we drew the line, they were simply a large group of exiles that had found a new life here, a life that was now threatened by the invisible daemons. Sure, they had this creepy way about them and loved withholding information, from what I’d seen so far, but I was starting to believe that, if given some time, the Exiled Maras would learn to open up more.
Avril, Fiona, and Heron headed down the stairs leading to the Broken Bow Inn. I quietly followed but couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me. I glanced over my shoulder and stilled, seeing Caspian in the middle of a conversation with the other Lords and Ladies of Azure Heights. They were on the terrace just above the library, beneath the awnings.
I moved back a few steps, focusing my hearing on their exchange.
“They won’t see the connection,” Darius said to Emilian. “It’s best to let them follow the leads they have, for now.”
“They’re getting involved in our internal affairs,” Caspian muttered. “I don’t want my people under the scrutiny of complete strangers.”
“Their mission is to investigate the disappearances, Caspian,” Emilian replied. “How we enforce our laws is out of their reach or jurisdiction. But—”
Caspian shushed him as he spotted me. Shadows passed over his face, his nostrils flaring. He was angry.
“Let’s go somewhere more private,” he commanded the others, who then noticed me and put on a collective frown. They moved away from the edge, and vanished from my field of vision.
That reaction rang an alarm bell in my head and served to make me even more curious.
I hurried up the stairs to the upper level, but on reaching it, I found they were nowhere to be seen. I used my True Sight to scan the entire platform and its buildings, but I couldn’t see the Five Lords anywhere. It was as if they’d vanished.
“What are you people so secretive about?” I muttered, mostly to myself, before turning to head back to the inn.
On one hand, I had to give them the benefit of the doubt. They were Lords of the city, and they probably had a lot of confidential matters to discuss. No one liked an eavesdropper, after all. But given how shady Caspian had been acting from the moment we’d first met, I couldn’t help but struggle with the assumption that they were, in fact, hiding something.
I wasn’t sure if it had anything to do with the disappearances, but I knew my curiosity always got the better of me. I had to believe I’d find out eventually.
One thing was clear, though. Caspian thought he could scare me away with his repeated “advice” to go back to Calliope, and I needed to prove him wrong. You didn’t scare Shadians away. Deflection tactics only made us want to dig deeper.
Harper
(Daughter of Hazel & Tejus)
We put on our ridiculously expensive but absolutely stunning Spring Ball outfits and met outside the Kifo mansion on the top level of the mountain. The Kifo residence was huge, a small palace with a luscious white marble façade, red tile roofing, and cast iron decorative elements. It spoke of luxury and nobility, its straight lines and sharp edges reminding the beholder of the family’s stern military history.
The fountain mounted in the spacious front yard gushed with fresh water, skirted by a multitude of colorful blossoms in marble planters. Maras flocked toward the main entrance, clad in some truly extravagant costumes. They were welcomed by Imen servants in black uniforms.
I was one of the first GASP agents to arrive, followed by Jax, Heron, Avril, Blaze, Fiona, and Scarlett. They all looked gorgeous, prompting me to repeatedly praise Vincent’s tailors. They’d even made me look great, dressing me up in a beautiful white silk dress with long sleeves, a tight bodice, and a rich skirt, its bottom half covered in hand-sewn pale blue blossoms and sapphire gemstones. I’d styled my long black hair in a loose bun, sprinkled with faux blossoms, and I’d settled for a pair of elegant white flats. I was tall enough as it was; I didn’t aim to tower over the other guests. Blaze had been kind enough to let me feed off his energy back at the Inn, so I had an extra kick in my heel.
I glanced around, noticing the painstaking amounts of work that had gone into some of the Maras’ costumes. The dresses were huge, compared to ours, visual odes to springtime blossoms covered in faux flowers, colorful gemstones, and gold thread embroidery. The males were quite dapper as well, their three-piece suits ranging from pale blue and black velvet to a dazzling spectrum of green, yellow, and orange silk, matched with elegant top hats and crisp white shirts. It felt like I was watching an haute couture fashion show between nineteenth-century ballroom styles and seventeenth-century French trends.
“What’s taking them so long?” Jax muttered, his gaze fixed on the stairways leading up to the terrace. He looked particularly dashing in his grayish-green tux, but the frown on his face didn’t fit the overall outfit.
We were waiting for Hansa and Caia. I couldn’t wait to see what those two had chosen to wear, though I had a feeling that whatever Hansa had gone for, it would leave Jax speechless. I had a soft spot for the succubus, not just because we had a few traits in common, but also because of how she made her beauty look effortless.
Heron had opted for a similar combination as Jax, except his waistcoat was greener, further accentuating his jade eyes. Avril was a vision of fiery red, and I had to stifle a few giggles watching Heron trying to keep his cool in her presence. Not only was he not used to elegant clothes, but he certainly hadn’t been expecting Avril to look so beautifully devastating. In fact, the young Mara looked paler than usual, and was unable to take his eyes off her.
“I’m sure they’re on their way,” Avril said to Jax with a half-smi
le, then noticed Heron once again staring and raised an eyebrow. “Is there something you wish to say?”
“Nope.” He shook his head, regaining his cool. “Just wondering why you ladies think it’s okay to keep us all waiting like this for a ball we don’t even plan to actually enjoy.”
“Hah, speak for yourself.” Fiona grinned, radiant in her turquoise dress, hands resting on her hips. “I plan to make the most of tonight!”
“Don’t worry, Fiona.” Blaze winked. “Heron’s just trying to stay focused and isn’t really paying attention to what comes out of his mouth. The dude can’t multitask…”
I couldn’t help but chuckle, before Avril realized that they were poking fun at Heron’s inability to take his eyes off her. The Mara, on the other hand, pursed his lips and gave Blaze a challenging stare.
“Look who’s talking.” Heron smirked. “Can’t wait to see you eat your words later tonight, Mr. I’m Too Cool And Composed.”
“Yeah, right, Mr. I Took Longer Than Avril To Put My Suit On,” the fire dragon shot back.
Blaze looked cool by all possible standards. He’d opted for a deep blue three-piece suit, which he’d paired with a white shirt and a pale gray bowtie, combing his dark hair back to add more light to his rugged complexion.
“Blaze is right, Heron,” Scarlett interjected with a smirk. “Avril was out before you.”
Scarlett was like a real-life fairytale princess, dressed in a sleeveless, champagne-pink ballgown with a bejeweled bodice.
“Take it down a notch, boys,” Jax replied, “you both took ages to get ready. Not as long as Hansa and Caia, but still, up there in the top five.”
He topped his comments off with a smirk, which quickly faded when Hansa emerged from above, followed closely by Caia. I could almost hear Blaze’s pulse stop for a couple of seconds, and I pressed my lips tight to stop myself from laughing. As full of jokes and ridicule as they were, one look at Hansa and Caia and both Jax and Blaze were upright blobs.
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