Forgotten Magic

by Jayne Hawke

  “It’s been a long night. We should head somewhere warm and comfortable to rest.”

  I noticed that he hadn’t said home.

  “The pack house,” Elijah said, apparently waking just in time to overstate the obvious.

  I went to argue. I wanted the comfort of my own home, and the idea that I couldn’t defend my house rankled me. I’d just demonstrated I was a talented combat witch, after all.

  “I think that would be a wonderful idea, thank you,” Castor said.

  I looked pointedly at my traitorous familiar.

  “Please don’t be offended, but a few days surrounded by my own kind would very pleasant,” Castor said.

  I couldn’t begrudge him that. A crazy guy had just kidnapped him. Wanting a little comfort of the company of your fellows was a reasonable request.

  Nodding, I smiled and began towards the car.

  “We should grab some clothes from home first,” I said.

  Elijah smiled at me.

  “You were incredible back there.”

  I put my hand to my mouth in mock shock.

  “Was that just a compliment about my combat ability?”

  “Don’t let it go to your head, princess.”

  The questions hung over us as I drove back towards home. It was feeling less like home with each passing day. The notes felt like an invasion, and even though Castor hadn’t been taken from there it still felt as though someone had crept into my bedroom while I slept. That place was a fortress, it had been my sanctuary from the world, but the stalker and other creep were demonstrating it had flaws and weaknesses.

  I’d had no choice but to use my shadow weapons back in the cave. The shifters had seen it, but thus far they hadn’t asked about it. They were waiting. Castor gave me a small smile and a nod. The time was right. They’d fought at my side against these bastards without flinching or backing down.

  Castor and I had stuffed some clothes into backpacks before we’d joined Elijah and his pack in returning to the pack house.

  It was just Castor and me in my car, giving us a short while to discuss what had happened, and what was going to happen.

  “Are you sure you’re ok?” I asked.

  “I’m fine, really. I’m more upset that I didn’t manage to get anything from him to find out where he’s based. He’s a finfolk-sidhe mix, which is completely unheard of. The sidhe put their dicks in everything with a heartbeat, but the finfolk are usually more discerning,” Castor said.

  “He’s pushing harder. He’ll slip up, then we’ll break his neck.”

  Castor turned the music off, and I knew a serious talk was coming.

  “Elijah is a good alpha. And anyone can see how you look at each other. The time has come.”

  “Can you talk in plain English just once?” I teased.

  He rolled his eyes at me.

  “Tell him. If we’re wrong about him, then we can be out of the country in thirty minutes. I’ve made enough contacts to get us new identities far away from here if we need to.” He smiled at me, a brotherly expression. “I knew this time would come. I knew there was someone out there who could give you what you need, that you could trust. He will make you stronger. Together, you’ll be able to face whatever the world throws at you.”

  I raised an eyebrow at him.

  “You’re doing that ominous thing again.”

  “You know I can’t say what my mistress has planned.”

  My blood ran cold. That was the first time he’d made mention of the goddess or any plan. I’d suspected for years, but it had never been anything so concrete before.

  “Trust Elijah. Tell him everything,” Castor said firmly.

  It was beginning to sound more like a command than a suggestion. Exactly what did the goddess have planned?

  Forty-Six

  For a change, it was me who was taking Elijah to one side and saying we needed to talk. We’d stepped into what appeared to be a sparring room. Mats covered most of the floor. There were hooks on the ceiling for bags, but they were currently leaning against the wall in the far corner.

  Elijah crossed his arms and looked down at me as though he was about to face off with a rival alpha. I reached out and gently put my hand on his forearm.

  “You said you didn’t want any more secrets.”

  My stomach was twisting. My throat grew tight, and my heart was trying to break out of my ribcage. I’d never be ready to have this conversation.

  He frowned and uncrossed his arms and took my hands in his.

  “I’m here when you’re ready,” he said softly.

  “You were right. A witch did survive that night with the Inverness coven.” I swallowed hard. “They tried to sacrifice me to a goddess, maybe a fallen goddess, I’m not entirely sure. They were trying to steal her magic, and, well, she hated that. I blacked out, when I came to they were all dead and she was gifting me with some of her magic. And Castor.”

  Elijah frowned but remained close, holding my hands gently. I’d been worried he’d back off or react with anger.

  “I’m a shadow weaver, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. I can pull shadow creatures from the shadow plane, but I’m not a planes walker. I can’t get onto the shadow plane. I was trained as a combat witch from a young age, and Castor only encouraged that. We’ve hidden since I was sixteen. He’s my familiar, my best friend, my big brother.” I was rambling and I knew it. “I’ve lived in fear of someone finding out, and now they have. The stalker wasn’t the only one sending me notes. There was a second person. He called me by the name I was born under, he somehow knows who I am and, worse, what I am. I’ve been careful; I don’t know how he found me.”

  “What does he want?” Elijah said with a growl.

  “I don’t know. He’s been really vague so far.”

  Elijah pulled me into a protective embrace.

  “You’re pack now. We look after our own, and no one is going to hurt you,” he said firmly.

  I rested my head against his chest and allowed myself to melt into him. Even if it only lasted for a few moments, I needed to embrace it, to enjoy what little sanctuary and hope I could find.

  He hooked his finger under my chin and drew my face up to look at him.

  “I mean it, Lily. We all care about you, and we’re going to take down these bastards. Together.”

  My heart skipped a beat at his earnestness and sincerity. I’d never dared let myself hope that I’d have a pack, a real family around me. Yet it was happening.

  He caressed my cheek and leaned in to kiss me with a tenderness that made me smile like a fool.

  “I’m sorry that you’ve had to carry such a secret all of this time. I appreciate that you trust me enough to tell me.”

  “If you want to eat tonight, you’d best hurry up,” Jess shouted.

  I frowned over at her. We’d already eaten.

  Elijah took my hands, and we hurried down to the dining room where a mountain of food was waiting for us. Jess had already claimed two burgers that looked to be half as big as my head.

  “Shifters have big appetites,” Jess said with a shrug.

  “In all areas,” Elijah said with a sinful smile.

  A warmth spread through me. That was something to look forward to.

  Castor handed me some chips and shortbread while the shifters all sank their teeth into huge burgers. I didn’t think I was ever going to adjust to how much they ate, yet I looked forward to trying.

  Elijah and I had gone back to my place first thing so that I could check the grimoires for something on finfolk. I hadn’t had a chance, what with Castor being kidnapped and all. The collection of grimoires that I’d taken from my old coven held a wealth of information. Each witch is supposed to start her own grimoire when she’s nine or ten. They contain every scrap of magical information they learn. Often, mothers will pass their own grimoires down to their daughters when they die, to ensure the information isn’t lost. I had three generations worth of grimoires hidden away in the spare bedroom. Many pe
ople would pay a great deal of money to get their hands on them.

  To my dismay, a note was waiting for me on the table. The heavy cardstock and neat handwriting told me it was the person who knew who I really was.

  I’d been hoping to have a small break from all of that. We were trying to focus on the stalker, but whoever that bastard was didn’t care about that. They had their own agenda, and I wasn’t going to escape it.

  In typical shifter fashion, Elijah checked its scent before I was allowed to open it.

  “It smells generic. Sand, salt, forest. Thousands of people could have handled that,” he growled.

  You really shouldn’t have told him. Remove the mutt from your life, or you’ll live to regret it.

  Elijah snarled. That meant that somehow, the bastard had known that I’d told Elijah everything. I had no clue how they could possibly have known that. My mind immediately went to Rex. He still wasn’t keen on me. Could he have betrayed me? I didn’t want to seriously consider it, but this person clearly had inside information somehow.

  Another option was a carefully woven spell which would allow them to listen to what I said. As far as I was aware, only someone who was very tightly tied to the victim could do that. Siblings weren’t always a close enough bond - it was usually a spouse. The closest thing I’d ever had to a lover was Elijah, and it clearly wasn’t him. I’d never had a serious relationship. There hadn’t been an opportunity.

  Castor could have put together a spell like that, but that was ridiculous. It clearly wasn’t Castor either. I didn’t want to doubt Rex; Elijah clearly trusted him. No, it had to be something I didn’t know about. Some strand of magic I hadn’t studied, a mirror spell perhaps. I’d been so wrapped up the emotions of finally telling someone my secret, I hadn’t paid attention to the magic around me. It was possible someone had looked through the mirror in the sparring room.

  “We’ll find them. Both of them,” Elijah said firmly.

  It was becoming increasingly clear that we really had no choice.

  Forty-Seven

  Castor looked like a whole new person as he settled down next to Liam to see how he did his tech geek thing. Being around fellow shifters had done him the world of good. Guilt riddled me over how he must have suffered to keep me safe. I’d never intended for him to live in isolation, but I’d never known that he needed a pack, either.

  “Here’s the deal. There are two people threatening Lily. We’re going to hunt them down and end them. The stalker is more likely to fuck up. He’s arrogant. We know he was in that cave with us. We caught his scent. The other is more dangerous. He has magical skill that allows him to sneak through Lily’s fortress-like protections to deliver his notes. I want everyone to lean on every possible lead and contact to find these bastards. Lily and Castor are one of us now, and no one screws with the Sentinels,” Elijah said.

  Jess grinned, showing off her elongated canine teeth, her eyes glittering with happiness at what was about to come.

  “I’ve been dying to be let off my leash and really get somewhere,” she said.

  “Don’t get us in trouble, be careful,” Elijah said.

  She gave him a salute.

  “No worries, boss. I’ll hide the bodies.”

  I wasn’t entirely sure if she was serious or not. I found that I didn’t care one way or the other. Elijah was right. This needed to be ended so that we could all breathe and move on with our lives.

  Castor looked up at me with his eyes shining. This was what we both needed. I was still ready to leave at a moment’s notice, but the longer I spent with the shifters the less I wanted to consider that an option. I’d thought Elijah was an infuriating jackass, but he’d proven himself to be someone I thoroughly enjoyed the company of. A strong, thoughtful alpha.

  Jess and Rex left the office, presumably heading out into the city. I dropped a few of my contacts texts to see if anyone knew about a finfolk in the city. Liam was looking at those who thought the missing witch was a goddess. Now I just had to wait.

  James had gotten back to me. He said that he had some information, but he’d only give it to me over lunch. At first, he’d insisted on dinner, but I’d managed to bring him around to lunch instead. Elijah wasn’t particularly amused, but he knew how things worked as well as I did.

  I’d headed home and dug out a beautiful little red dress that highlighted my curves and showed off my legs. Paired with a simple up-do and elegant make-up, I looked very striking even if I do say so myself. Elijah was certainly impressed. He slowly looked me up and down, drinking in every detail.

  “You’ll have to wear that for me some time,” he said huskily.

  “You’ll be telling me it’ll look better on your bedroom floor,” I said with a laugh.

  He wrapped his hands around my hips and pulled me into a deep, possessive kiss that left my heart pounding.

  “When you’re ready,” he whispered in my ear.

  My head was in truly sinful places as I drove over to the little bistro James had decided on for lunch. It was the kind of relaxed place that charged sixty pounds a plate while pretending that everything was wonderfully casual. The wait staff were all dressed down in simple black and white clothing while maintaining impeccable manners. No one wore a suit. It was all high-end jeans and pretty dresses.

  James greeted me just outside of the place, which had outdoor seating where everyone could see that you were rich enough to think nothing of the prices.

  “You look positively radiant. Word is that you’ve been spending a lot of time with the alpha of the Sentinels,” James said before we went through the air kiss bullshit.

  “Thank you, and you know better than to gossip,” I teased.

  He put my arm around his and made a point of walking me into the bistro itself. The interior was done in off-whites and golds. Personally, I found the splashes of gold to make it look a little tacky, but it was simply a means to an end. We were seated in the very middle of the room where everyone could see that we were together. I hated it, but I maintained a slightly flirty smile and relaxed demeanour. I wasn’t going to lose this little game.

  The menu had no prices, which further drove home the point that it was somewhere that people who didn’t think about money went. As the saying went, if you needed to ask the price you couldn’t afford it. I chose a duck dish that looked like it’d be the most expensive thing on the menu and paired it with a very expensive whisky. James’ smile sharpened just a touch, but he was the one who’d started this entire thing.

  “Now, tell me, how are your cases going?”

  “Darling, you know I can’t tell you a thing.”

  “Well, now, that’s a shame. I’d heard that they were quite interesting. Someone said that two items just appeared out of nowhere.”

  I laughed.

  “Oh, come now. We both know that I’m exceptionally good at what I do.”

  “Of course, of course. I have heard some interesting things about you as of late, though. I’ve been tracking that Inverness coven case. It piqued my curiosity. It would seem that there are all sorts of delicious rumours surrounding it. Do you know the most interesting thing?”

  “I don’t believe I do,” I said as the drinks arrived.

  “Some people are saying that you’re connected to it all.”

  Well shit.

  Forty-Eight

  I rolled my eyes and took a sip of my whisky.

  “You know my past as well as anyone does. I haven’t even been to Inverness.”

  “I thought that at first, but then I thought about that fox shifter you live with.”

  I raised an eyebrow.

  “Since when is living with a shifter a crime?”

  “Since the coven you said you’re from has no records of a Lily being born.”

  Damn him. Why did he have to go digging like that?

  I shrugged.

  “So, I changed my name. Plenty of people dislike the name they’re born with.”

  “You know, the person
who’s digging into the Inverness coven is very determined. There are entire groups devoted to that coven and the supposed survivor. Some of them believe she’s a goddess.”

  “Some people are desperate to believe anything. This is all oddly interesting, but I’m afraid it doesn’t pertain to the information I asked you about. Have you heard about a finfolk-sidhe mix?”

  “We have time. We don’t have to get down to business yet,” he said as he placed his hand on mine, the pale tropical wood of the table clashing strangely with his skin tone.

  His violet eyes held my gaze. He was watching every detail of my reaction.

  “There will always be conspiracy theories around something like that. People need to make sense of a tragedy, and others need to believe in something fantastical to help them escape from their individual reality. I’m sure you’ll find something similar around other big events,” I said casually.

  “Did you know that witches with familiars are actually very rare?”

  “Yes, I did. It’s considered to be an archaic thing. Of course, some witches try to bind ordinary shifters into a familiar bond, but that’s something quite different.”

  “I’ve read that you can tell if a witch has a familiar by her magic. There’s an extra layer running over it; that’s the bond she shares with her familiar.”

  I took another sip of my whisky and wished he’d just get to the point.

  “I’m afraid I didn’t know that. Witches deal in threads rather than layers.”

  “It’s curious, your magic has far more layers to it than any other witch I’ve met.”

  I smirked.

  “I told you I’m good. My coven was very dedicated to making sure I wasn’t a one-trick pony.”

  He leaned forward a little and gripped my hand tighter.

  “Do you know what makes me so good at finding information?”

  “Your wit and charm?”

  He laughed, a sharp-edged sound.