by Rory Miles
I shrugged. “We can’t let them hurt Flynn.”
“If we go in half-cocked they will best us.”
“So we leave Flynn?” I asked, voice rising in frustration. He had no idea how well I understood the dangers of what was to come. Hell, I’d invented most of the dangers.
“I didn’t say that,” Kace ground out through a clenched jaw.
I huffed. “Well, it sure sounds like you aren’t ready to go.”
“I think we need more help.”
My hands flew out, gesturing to the barren rocks. “There’s no one here. We don’t have time to get someone else.”
He shook his head. “We don’t know that they will hurt Flynn.”
My fingers curled into fists. “Yes. We do.”
“How?” Bron asked, keeping his expression guarded.
I wanted to scream at him for using the moment to try and make me open up about my past. I scowled at the both of them.
“That is none of your fucking business. All you need to know is that Flynn is in jeopardy and every stupid minute we waste arguing is another minute he is close to having his magic siphoned.” I shook my hands at them. “Literally sucked from his body.”
Bron looked unimpressed while Kace’s eyes were distant, as though he were trying to puzzle the pieces together. He’d never get it right. I intentionally kept the vital parts vague.
“Forget it,” I said, shaking my head. “I’ll go by myself.”
“No.” Bron’s voice was steel.
“Do you plan on stopping me?” I raised a brow, pointedly looking him up and down.
His jaw ticked in irritation.
“I didn’t think so.” I turned to Kace. “Well?”
He sighed, and something like disdain passed over his face when he looked at me. “You’re a fool.”
“Kace.” Bron frowned.
He narrowed his eyes at Bron. “You used up all of your magic for her. She almost died because she was too stupid to be careful. She’s leading us straight into enemy territory. How do we know this isn’t all some ruse to capture us and take our magic?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered to no one in particular. The nice Kace from earlier had vanished.
“She is not the enemy,” Bron said.
Kace curled his lip. “Says the man who’s wrapped around her pretty little finger. All of you are.”
My head reared back in surprise. Bron? Wrapped around my finger? Ha. Hardly accurate.
“Enough,” Bron growled. “Winter is not one of them. They tortured her too.”
My cheeks flamed red with anger. “I thought you didn’t get that far,” I said, referring to the night he pried into my memories.
“I got far enough.” His eyes filled with sympathy.
So he knew. Great. I pursed my lips together, swallowing every vile thing I wanted to shout at him. He had no right to that information. He’d stolen it.
Kace picked up on the tension crackling between me and Bron. “Do you want a moment alone?” he asked in a mocking tone.
“Shut up,” I screamed at him, grabbing my whip and flicking it out at him. He barely dodged the tip, scowling at me as he backed away.
“I’m not helping her,” he said, glancing at Bron. “For you, I’d help. But for her? No way. She’s crazy.”
“You need to leave.” I had the loaded shooter pressed against my lips within moments. Readying the weapon was as innate as breathing.
“Winter?” Bron’s voice wavered.
I moved the wooden tube, tilting my head at my target. “Now, Kace.”
His handsome face was now marred with the deepest lines of anger I’d ever seen on a man.
He glanced at Bron. “I hope she’s worth it.”
I counted to twenty as he stalked away, kicking rocks and mumbling angry words with every step. Lowering the tube and unloading the dart, I placed both back in my holster.
“Do you have a plan?” Bron asked, voice heavy with disappointment.
I said, “Yes,” and avoided eye contact.
He grunted. The sound was enough to tell me he didn’t believe me any more than I believed myself.
With Kace gone, all my plans of a grand rescue fell apart. Between the three of us, we could have had one person take down any guards while the other two went to free Flynn. Now, with Bron injured, Flynn’s life depended on me getting in and out unnoticed. Being quick to anger was my downfall, as usual. I would have to apologize to Kace for losing my temper. He’d been right: I couldn’t do this alone.
Sure, I could take out a few guards if they weren’t ready but . . . a whole camp alerted to an intruder? More than likely I’d end up killed or worse—a prisoner.
Daman, despite his gentle appearance, was rotten to the core. The leader of the Deep Magic Crew had once been innocent. Or so I liked to think. Were people inherently evil?
I didn’t think so. Something had happened to Daman. Whatever it had been was enough to turn his red heart black. The time I’d unwillingly spent with the crew had been enlightening. His followers numbered near two hundred. The magic he wielded had been forbidden long ago. Deep magic was magic that couldn’t be truly controlled no matter how hard you tried, and the more you used it, the more it burrowed deep inside your essence, corrupting any inherited magic.
When the world was created, the goddess separated the people by region. Those from Forest Sector had brown magic, Mountain was gray, Desert red, Valley light green, and yellow for Plains people. She’d given the waters different colors as well, emerald for Green Waters and indigo for Blue Waters.
The goddess created another magic too. One meant for the leaders. A sentient power to be used to ease the strain of ruling. For a while, the violet-colored magic did help. Townsfolk welcomed the aid of the strange power. The magic could be used to hold crumbling walls together. Once placed, it would monitor and repair fractured sections of the wall without direction or a person pushing it to do so. Natural magic, the power one was born with, didn’t have a mind of its own. Natural magic needed guidance, while deep magic could take whatever the original intent of a spell was and run with it, changing it to fit its purpose.
Leaders rose and passed, using the magic for good. That is, until a terrible man ascended to the throne in the valley.
Most say he killed his father for the power. He directed the magic to do unspeakable things. His people protested. He used the power to silence them. One day someone managed to chop his head off, but his dark nature had bled into the power, forever altering the nature of the magic. Now, everyone knew deep magic craved violence. Incited, it even. That had been what Reid was talking about when he showed up at my house in Desert City, how the power had a mind of its own and whispered all the evil things it wanted to do in his mind.
The use of such power had been forbidden. When I was younger, I never thought I’d see anyone use the magic. Then, the incident with Reid happened and everything changed. When the DMC showed up and took me, I realized how many people still used the forbidden power. Daman had been born of the same trauma as that king from long ago. Whoever hurt him as a child created the monster he was today. Shivers ran up my spine. I’d die before I’d let Daman torture me again.
Whatever plan I made now, I needed to be prepared to do the unthinkable.
Twigs snapped and rocks crunched. At least two men were approaching. I crouched behind a rock, carefully loading my shooters. Lumi hung heavy, Bron’s magic warming the stone around my neck. I had no choice but to leave him behind while he healed. I didn’t like it, but he assured me he would be fine. Flynn was our priority. Bron could finish recovering out of harm’s way while I went to get him. I’d made it to the edge of camp undetected thus far. The rocky terrain provided enough places to hide between dashing through the open spaces. I’d scraped my shoulders on more than a few rocks and bushes.
Pieces of their conversation could be heard now. I pushed my back into the rock. My legs tingled, growing tired of holding the squatted po
sition. My heartbeat thundered in my ears, keeping time with my shortened breath.
“Rainer said he saw her over here.”
Well, shit. I guess I hadn’t gone undetected after all.
The other man sighed. “I’ve got to piss.” The thud of his steps sounded in my direction.
Frozen in place, I listened as he unzipped his pants. A stream of urine splashed the dirt next to me. If the man took one more step forward he’d see me. The cramp in my leg grew painful; I ground my teeth together. One movement, or even one sound, and I’d be found.
“I think I hear her,” the other man said.
The man near me grunted and zipped up his pants before going to investigate with the other man. I wanted to cry in relief when I heard shouts and the crash of them running in the opposite direction. Whatever had caught their attention had saved me.
I peeked over my rock. Once I confirmed the coast was clear, I scuttled from boulder to boulder, working my way toward the house that held the prisoners. The adobe houses hadn’t changed in the time that I’d been gone. Lit torches sat in sconces on the side of each house, illuminating the walkways. I passed the food hall, stomach turning when the familiar smell of the slop they used to force-feed me floated out of a window and reached my nose.
The medic’s house was just before the prisoner camp, the location convenient for rushing over people who’d been tortured beyond their limits. I stopped behind a rock and some brush when I reached my destination. The distance from where I crouched to the house was a good thirty feet. The light from the torch on the medic’s home was unavoidable. I’d need to sprint and then do the fastest lock-picking job I’d ever done and hope no one would happen upon me. Thankfully, I could use the magic Bron supplied to open the door, but I had brought my metal picks just in case.
I held my breath, tilting my head to listen for any movement. Shouts sounded in the distance but they were far enough away from my position. I lifted my butt up off my ankles, holding still for three more heartbeats. Then, I dashed from behind the rock, closing the distance in just a few seconds. Fingers brushing against the side of the house, I rounded the corner and silently hopped onto the porch. The door handle glowed a faint purple, locked physically and magically. Good thing I knew how to disable the magic lock, seeing as I was the one who helped them install it.
I felt for a tiny thread of Bron’s magic, pushing it from Lumi to the lock, whispering the words to break the spell holding the deep magic in place all the while. The handle glowed brighter, the power reaching out to assess the new magic. For a second, the two magics twined together before dissipating.
Open. Open. Open.
The lock clicked, the doorknob twisted and I all but fell into the house. Closing the door as silently as possible, I leaned my forehead against it and took a deep breath. That had been almost too easy. Daman hadn’t changed the magic on the lock. A muffled voice sounded, followed by a grunt.
I hadn’t turned yet but the hairs on the back of my neck raised. Then I heard him breathe. The nasally sound caused my hands to shake. His exhalation whistled out of his nose and sent shivers down my spine.
“Nice of you to join us, Ivory.”
My heart stuttered to a stop when Daman spoke. I shut my eyes, clenching my shaking hands. I should have known he’d be waiting for me.
Chapter Fifteen
“Daman.” The name soured in my mouth as I turned to face him.
Wiry gray hair curled on his head; a small section covered part of his bad eye. Battle scars and age had tarnished the once-handsome man. He stood slightly hunched, looking as though a decade had passed since I’d last seen him. In reality, he had tortured me for the last time just four years ago.
Despite my fear, I found my lips curling into a smile. I’d done that to him. The tranq laced with gypsum spider poisoning had been meant to kill him. Working in chains had made it hard to get the measurements right, but I’d gotten plenty of venom from the arachnid to put him under long enough for me to escape.
All but one window used for ventilation was boarded over. A magic-powered lamp cast a small circle of illumination over the space. My eyes flitted around the dilapidated room. The house had but one—a giant rectangular area. Shackles lined the walls. Most were empty. Flynn’s head hung limp in front of his body. From the steady rise and fall of his chest I knew he wasn’t dead. A woman and a boy were also chained and unconscious.
The walls, once white, had turned brown with dirt and blood. The small bed I’d been chained to more than I cared to admit stank of urine and shit. My wrists and ankles ached when I saw the leather cuffs that were once used to hold me down. Bile climbed up my throat.
Daman stood next to a chair I regretted making. I had embedded rubies in the arms and legs; the gemstones amplified any magic Daman supplied and turned it into one hell of a torture device. Daman loved the chair. I hated it, but the more toys I created for him, the less he had hurt me. When I finally grew enough backbone to try and escape, desperation made me create the vilest devices, the chair being one of them.
“I thought you’d come sooner. I almost gave up hope of seeing you again.” When he smiled, rotten teeth flashed at me. The poison had also done that.
My fingers twitched, wanting to reach for a weapon though I wasn’t ready to start fighting just yet.
“Nice teeth,” I said, sneering at him. “Too bad you didn’t die.”
He snarled at me, spittle flying from his mouth. “Not even you could get so lucky. I’m goddess blessed.”
I snorted. Goddess blessed? Seriously? I highly doubted Daman received any type of blessing from the goddess. He tortured and killed innocent people. I’m sure the mother goddess loved that.
“Sure, pal. Listen, if you don’t mind, I just came to pick up Flynn. Why don’t you scoot your withered ass out of my way?”
Fire flashed in his eyes. “I see time away has made you bold.” He gave me a smile that sent shivers down my spine. “It’ll be so much fun to break you again.”
I straightened, crossing my arms in front of me. “Try it,” I growled. The dagger strapped to my thigh embedded into Daman’s shoulder seconds later. He let out a cry of pain, throwing violet magic at me.
I dodged the spell but it turned abruptly, following me. I turned as well, letting Lumi absorb the magic meant to incapacitate me. The chain around my neck heated, burning my skin with the power of the deep magic. The gemstone rattled on the chain, begging for me to use the magic lest it break. Gritting my teeth, I dropped to my knees as the heat from the chain seared my neck and chest.
I turned toward Flynn, aiming my palm at the chains before letting the power loose. Purple magic streamed from my hand, burrowing into the cuffs around his wrists and ankles before I moved to the other two captives. Within thirty seconds metal clanked to the floor, not that it did them any good. The prisoners were still knocked out, but at least they were freed.
A pained scream tore through the air. Daman held the blade in his hand, dark red blood dripping from the tip. His breath came in angry spurts. I tensed, waiting for him to hurl the weapon back at me, but he dropped it. The dagger clattered on the filthy wooden floor.
“That wasn’t very nice.” He scowled at me, eyes beginning to glow violet.
I went to grab for my shooter but arms wrapped around me, holding me to a strong chest. Throwing my head back, I headbutted whoever held me. Flynn grunted.
Flynn?
Twisting my body in his arms, I turned to look at him. His face was slack, gaze devoid of emotion. A faint purple hue glowed in the whites of his eyes. Suddenly I understood. Daman was controlling him with the deep magic.
How was that possible? As far as I knew, using power to control someone was impossible. Or it should have been. Questions burned in my mind but Flynn didn’t give me a chance to ponder them. He began to squeeze me, arms crushing my spine. An undignified grunt sounded from my lips. The edges of Lumi bit into the scorched skin on my chest.
Using the remn
ants of Bron’s power and the deep magic from Daman, I grasped Flynn’s sides with my hands.
“I’m sorry,” I said before blasting him with enough power to put a large bear to sleep. The magic broke the compulsion Daman had on him. Flynn crumpled to the dirty floor, taking me with him. His arms fell limp at his sides, chest rising and falling with deep sleep.
By the time I scrambled off of Flynn, Daman hurled another spell at me. I flinched when it hit me, waiting for the power to burn me once inside my sapphire.
When no heat came, I glanced down, wondering why Daman’s spell hadn’t done anything. The slight movement had the chain slithering from my neck. My fingers reached to hold it in place, but purple magic shocked me. Recoiling from the pain, I watched as Lumi flew to Daman. When his fingers wrapped around the blue gem, he smiled at me.
“Thank you for returning the sapphire.”
There went my one advantage. The shooter pressed to my lips moments later, and I blew into the tube, shooting the tranq at Daman just as he blasted me with deep magic. I only hoped the tranq would last longer than his spell.
My body whooshed back with the impact of the power. Screaming in agony, I fell to the floor. Magic flooded into my veins, pain firing through every synapse in my body. I squeezed my eyes shut, knowing what came next. Purple lightning danced across my closed lids, rendering me useless. The last thing I heard before I blacked out was Daman falling to the floor, grunting when the dart’s poison took hold.
I groaned. Coming to after a blast of Daman’s deep magic always sucked. Somehow, I had ended up slouched down a wall. I shifted, using my feet to skootch upright. Metal links dragged across the floor with the movement.
Well, fuck.
The magic had lasted longer than my tranq. That or someone had heard the fighting and found Daman before I could wake up. I peeled my eyes open, biting my lip when the dim light from the only lamp in the room burned my retinas. No light came through the small window. Either not much time had passed or I’d slept for an entire day—or two.