The Wanted

by Rory Miles

  His dark eyes widened, softening as he said, “I know.”

  I shoved him away from me. “Good, Now focus.”

  He narrowed his eyes at my tone but nodded, joining me as I walked over to the others.

  “Ready?” I asked the group, glancing at Corban, Noah, and Erik before resting my gaze on Orval who stood in front of Dawn. “We need her magic.”

  He shook his head violently but Dawn grabbed his arm. “Orv, I need to help.”

  “It’s not safe.”

  She smiled at him. “We don’t know that. I haven’t heard any evil voices and I don’t feel like destroying the world. I can help.”

  His frown made her smile.

  “I’ll be careful.”

  Dozens of feet slapping against stone echoed around the room. “I hate to break up the touching moment, but we’re about to have visitors.” Shawn stood at the ready, facing down the enemy rushing down the tunnel toward us.

  “Fucking shit. They’re everywhere!” Shawn shouted, shooting blasts of magic at our attackers. His hair was standing up, electrified by the power in the air.

  Noah dived when a blast of violet magic barreled toward him. Ezme was shouting something at Erik, who roundhouse-kicked a deep magic minion and knocked him out cold. Bron and Corban battled against the largest group, Corban shielding while Bron systematically took out the threats.

  Heads rolled on the ground, his very real, very sharp sword slicing through our enemies. A stream of blood flew through the air, landing at Dawn’s feet. She stared at the red splotch, giving the spot a few slow blinks as though it would all disappear if she blinked hard enough.

  “Dawn!” Orval roared.

  The man behind her lunged just as she dropped to the ground, rolling out of his reach. Orval jumped over her rolling body, jamming his dagger into the man’s gut. Magic may not have worked against Daman’s lackeys but good old-fashioned weapons sure as shit did.

  Breaking out of my trance, I turned in time to jerk away from deep magic that would have incapacitated me had I not seen it. Then, my training took over. Duck under. Jab up. Dodge. Stab. The last one still made me squeamish, but there wasn’t time to worry about blood or death. All that mattered was getting out of this alive.

  Dozens of purple-eyed people rushed into the cave. The battlefield shrank as we all inched closer together, our backs facing one another. Ezme bumped into me, jumping when our backs touched and nearly blasting my face off. She scowled but quickly recovered when she saw it was me. Without speaking a word, Dawn, Ezme, and I moved into formation. My men formed their own ring of defense as the fight raged on.

  Orval stood alone; a large spiked mallet replaced his dagger. He swung the heavy weapon up and brought it down, taking out two of the possessed people and demonstrating why he didn’t need backup. When he swung the weapon around, he’d be liable to hurt anyone near him. The violet glow faded from their eyes as they died.

  Words didn’t do the scene justice. These people, willing members of the DMC or not, were being compelled to attack us. Coming at us of their own volition wouldn’t make killing them any easier, but at least we’d know they wanted to fight us, that they welcomed the violence. With Daman controlling them all, how could we know we weren’t killing innocent people?

  Ezme shielded us from a blast of magic, the violet thudding against her green dome and draining the power. Dawn’s eyes were wide; the shell-shocked look on her face worried me. The whole plan revolved around her helping us with her ability to use deep magic.

  “Dawn!” I screamed when Ezme dropped to her knees, pumping more of her power into the dome of protection. Several threads of purple magic crackled over her spell, breaking it down no matter how much of her own power she used to repair it. “We need you!”

  Her eyes snapped to mine, throat bobbing as she swallowed and nodded. Her blond hair was a wreck. Her eyes were red from crying, her clothes tattered and filthy from the fight. She held up her hands, purple power shooting from her fingers.

  Ezme collapsed. I grabbed her, pulling her back so Dawn could step forward. Dawn’s hands blasted magic at the three men rushing toward us. The violet threads of power wrapped around their bodies. When they didn’t collapse, I wondered if our plan would work, but then, then the compulsion spell dropped.

  Dawn had broken Daman’s control. She pivoted, using the same spell on the woman stumbling toward me and Ezme. I jumped to my feet, using my body to shield Ezme as she recovered. She’d protected us; it was only fair I returned the favor. I hadn’t expected her to be so battle ready, but then I recalled she’d already faced down deep magic once.

  There was no space for my whips, so I grabbed my knives, clutching one in each hand. Lumi hummed with power, the blows of magic that had hit me waiting for my command. I could still help Dawn even though my magic was limited to Lumi’s supply.

  She focused on a boy, ripping away Daman’s control. The ones she’d already saved from his spell stared at the bodies littering the floor, eyes growing wide with fear as their numbers fell.

  I spun, catching a man in his gut and stunning him with the hilt of my knife when he doubled over. He collapsed to the ground, no longer a threat.

  A woman screamed at me, catching me off guard when she ducked under my punch and tackled me. The stone floor knocked the air out of my lungs. I shoved her off of me, my elbow connecting with her jaw.

  “Bitch,” I yelled, kicking out at her when she grabbed at me. Lumi flopped around, begging to be used, but I wasn’t ready to waste the magic yet. Not on this woman.

  A growl ripped from her throat and she clawed at me. I sliced her arm, purposefully reducing the damage in case Dawn could save her from Daman’s clutches. Her head snapped up when I threw an uppercut, her eyes rolling up as she fell over. I glanced over my shoulder. Dawn fought off yet another man. Orval took out three attackers with one fell swoop. My men were also holding their own. The woman I knocked out was still down for the count.

  When no one else came at me, Ezme stood on shaky legs, hands raised and ready to fight even though she had no magic.

  Damn, the woman had balls. I regretted judging her so harshly. She caught the knife I threw to her, smiling her thanks before focusing on the incoming threat.

  Dawn’s magic broke yet another spelled person, whose eyes filled with surprise when they took in the fighting. The man backed away from us, hands raised in surrender. Ezme flanked Dawn’s right and I her left as a new wave of attackers came at us.

  “Ready?” I asked, glancing over at both of them. Dawn met Ezme’s gave, their jaws locking with determination.

  “Ready,” Ezme said.

  Dawn tilted her head, smirking at me. “Let’s fucking do this.”

  I laughed, despite the attackers rushing at us, because I realized how much I’d rubbed off on her.

  “Bring it on, bitches!” I screamed, raising my hands and funneling a blast of magic from Lumi at the attackers.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Warm blood coated my hand, the dagger I’d jammed into the man’s stomach sliding out with a squelching sound. I shoved his body back, spinning before he thudded down. Dawn’s magic whizzed over my head, hitting a possessed woman who started to run for me. The purple tinge faded and the woman screamed, scrambling back from the bloody fight raging in front of her.

  “Thanks,” I panted, throwing my knife at a man rushing Ezme. She spun just as the knife embedded in his eye socket, shooting me an appreciative nod as she ducked under a sword. Her green magic slammed into the woman she fought off, jaw grinding as she sliced her own sword through the woman’s stomach. Entrails splattered the floor and Ezme paled at the sight, turning just in time to fend off another attacker.

  I pulled out the blade strapped to my back, twirling it in my left hand and cutting down yet another minion that Dawn didn’t have time to save. She could only break so many connections at one time; there were too many to save them all.

  Dawn’s hands wove faster, hitting three pe
ople one after the other, breaking the possession. She turned, facing the entrance when a war cry of new attackers sounded from the tunnel. Ezme pulled back toward us, her back pressing against mine as we protected Dawn from surprise attacks. Our breathing was erratic, bodies trembling with adrenaline. I saw the men fending off their own wave of attackers, the ones who had rushed past us and made a beeline toward the gate.

  I raised my sword, arms shaking but ready. Ezme growled when another dozen people, all controlled by Daman, ran toward us.

  Dawn hit the first with magic, shouting in triumph when she broke yet another compulsion. When Amree stepped into the cave, time slowed.

  Dawn’s chest inflated with a shocked breath.

  Ezme’s brows pulled together, her head moving slowly from Dawn to Amree. Her face broke with the realization that Amree and Dawn were related.

  My heart thundered in my ears—thump, thump-thump.

  Orval’s shout of warning snapped me out of my daze. I turned in time to see Daman’s hand extend, purple magic tainted black with a death spell diving into Dawn’s chest. My friend clutched her chest as she flew back, her eyes still locked on Amree as the power worked through her body.

  “I warned you,” Daman said, flicking his hand, using magic to toss one of his minions out of his way. He stepped over body after body, moving toward the gate while I stood, stunned by what had just happened.

  Orval raged, picking up the possessed man in front of him and slamming him into the wall, his head leaving a trail of blood when he fell. Ezme blinked at me, face contorting with disbelief. I sidled up to her, facing Daman as we both screamed in rage. Her fingers tightened over her weapon. My hand wrapped around Lumi, letting the power she’d been absorbing rush over my skin. Ezme’s head canted, eyes narrowing on me before she mouthed trust me. Her magic pounded into Lumi. She grunted with the effort it took to expend magic as quickly as she was.

  When her magic sputtered, she knelt on the ground, breathing heavily.

  Erik, Corban, Bron, and Noah lit me up with their magic, no longer focusing on Daman but on giving me as much power as Lumi could handle. Kace and Shawn took notice next, lending their power as well. Daman stepped around a pool of blood, hand raising toward the spiraling, pulsing magic of the gate. My body buzzed with power, the different shades of magic flickering and filling my vision. Orval’s angry red magic slammed into me; the weight of his power, wild and vengeful, pushed me down to my knees.

  Just when I thought my mind was going to short-circuit, I let it all out, blasting Daman with deep magic. Hitting him with bright shafts of magic from the lands he wanted to ruin, the same death spell he’d used on Dawn spiraling around each one like smoke.

  Too distracted by his hand now pressed firmly against the gate, eyes wild with whatever power he felt within the depths of the world he’d began to rip apart, he didn’t even flinch when the magic pierced him a dozen different ways. His skin and bones shredding under the weight of the power, he didn’t have time to cry out in surprise.

  Scraps of clothing floated to the ground.

  The cave quaked with the residual shock of magic. The gate pulsed, an array of colors blossoming and covering the cave.

  Then, I passed out.

  Loss of consciousness only lasted a few moments. I came to in a now-silent room. Those who had been possessed by Daman stood staring at one another with wide, blinking eyes. Bron and Corban helped me stand, checking me for wounds. Their voices were muffled, as though my ears were filled with water.

  My gaze tracked over the floor to where Orval sat, holding Dawn in his arms. Her skin was ashen and her body was limp. What the ever-slowing rise and fall of her chest meant punched me in the gut. Bile rose in my throat.

  Amree stared at her sister, her mouth gaping open and tears streaming down her cheeks. She took a step toward Dawn, fell to her knees and vomited before collapsing in a heap of unconscious filth.

  Ezme let out a wounded noise. Kace supported her, taking the weight off an injured ankle. Shawn, Noah, and Erik gathered near where Daman had been ripped apart by magic. The once-small spiral now yawned open, spanning from the top of the wall to the bottom. The sheen of magic covering it shimmered with iridescent light.

  “It’s okay,” Dawn’s weakened voice reached my ears. She cupped Orval’s face, a single tear spilling from her eyes. “I’m okay.”

  She wasn’t okay. Death had her clutched in its icy grip, slowly squeezing the life from her body.

  Orval let out a puff of air. “I love you.”

  Bron’s and Corban’s hands brushed over me, both gripping my arms as if they’d spoken the words to me in that moment.

  Dawn smiled up at Orval. “I know you do, big guy. I love you too.” A more serious look washed over her face. “Don’t let this ruin you. Red needs her brother.”

  He gritted his teeth, the muscle in his neck jumping. “I don’t want to lose you.”

  A sad, heartbreaking smile wavered on her lips as she placed her hand over his heart. “You won’t.”

  I looked away when her head lolled back, not brave enough to witness the fractured look on Orval’s face. His cries reverberated around the room, making my heart seize and hurt for him. Not able to take his grief along with my own, I turned, heading toward the open air with Bron and Corban in tow. When I heard Ezme start to cry, I ran the rest of the way out of the cave.

  Gooseflesh rose over my arms when the cool desert breeze flowed over me, drying the sweat and blood covering my body.

  Bron crushed me in a hug a moment before I started to cry. Corban rubbed my back, whispering reassuring words I couldn’t understand. Too much. It was all too much. Mrs. Draper, Sloan, and now Dawn. Too many I cared about hurt.

  “It’s over,” Corban whispered. “He’s dead. It’s over.”

  My eyes pinched shut. Could it be true? Somehow, even with his death, I couldn’t help but feel like whatever hold Daman had over me would haunt me for the rest of my life. No matter how I tried to patch them up, the wounds would never heal all the way.

  “We can’t stay out here.” Bron’s gentle reminder had me moving toward the tunnel, sucking in fortifying breaths.

  “I know.”

  Orval had stopped crying, his face now red from anger and the tears he’d shed. Amree had yet to wake up. Someone, probably Noah, had had the decency to move her away from her throw-up, placing her on a relatively clean slab of stone. Ezme sat near Orval, shooting concerned looks his way when she though he couldn’t see them.

  Noah, Erik, Shawn, and Kace stood with arms crossed, staring into the rippling magic that covered the back of the cave. They glanced at us when we approached.

  “He did it,” Shawn said, jaw grinding.

  Noah sighed. “Maybe he didn’t finish opening the gate.”

  Erik shook his head. “Looks pretty fucking open to me.”

  Kace narrowed his eyes. “Maybe we should talk about this later?” He tilted his head at Orval, who stared vacantly at the wall across from where he sat.

  Reaching out to touch the magic, my body relaxed when I felt the rush of power skate up my arm.

  “He definitely finished something.”

  “You shouldn’t be touching it.” Bron didn’t try to remove my hand. At least he was learning.

  Amree woke up then, her screams making me well aware of the fact that she didn’t realize what she’d helped Daman do. Before any of the men could stop me, I stepped through the gate.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Magic held my body suspended, similar to the portal but more invasive. The power of the gate brushed the nerves along my spine; endorphins flooded my senses, responding to the strength of the power. Good power. Nothing like how deep magic felt. My feet landed on a solid, iridescent floor. I glanced around the strange space around me. Vaguely shaped like a room; I stood between four gates. I spun, they all looked so similar. How would I get back?

  A bright flash of white light illuminated the space. Squinting and holding my han
d in front of my eyes, I tried to make out the source. When my eyes adjusted to the light, I could make out a silhouette of a woman encased in white magic.

  “Hello?”

  Given the situation, that wasn’t the best question I could have asked.

  “My child.” The words were spoken by one voice that seemed to hold thousands of voices within it.

  “Mom?” I asked, honestly with less concern than I should have. What the hell was my mother doing here and when did she get this white magic?

  “No, Ivory. You know me.”

  I shook my head, my mind not wanting to accept what I knew was the only plausible answer. Because if I was correct, the goddess had a lot of fucking explaining to do.

  “You’re angry.”

  I fought the urge to scoff at her, since she could smite me if she wanted to.

  “Of course I’m angry.”

  “Your loss rests heavily in my heart.” Her hand rested over her chest.

  “Do you even have one?” The question left my mouth before I could stop it.

  A beat of silence followed; my heartbeat jumped against my wrist. Would she hurt me?

  The light fully receded, revealing a woman with flowing golden hair, sad silver eyes, and a turned-down mouth.

  “Nothing I say will make their deaths easier. Dawn fought valiantly, and Bev Draper deserved more.”

  My back stiffened. She knew their names?

  “Of course I do,” she answered.

  “Stop that,” I said, trying to push her out of my mind. I don’t know if my mental wall worked, since she was my creator and all, but she stopped answering the questions flitting through my mind. The most prominent being, why the fuck hadn’t she saved them? Since I actually wanted an answer to that one, I asked.

  Her gaze penetrated me. “Daman lost touch with his humanity.”

  “With magic you created.”

  She nodded, a lock of hair falling over her shoulder. “My intentions for the deep magic were good. Had I known giving it a sentient ability would cause this, I never would have created it.”