by Olivia Ash
“We don’t have time to argue this.” Soren pinches his nose.
“Wren…” Gideon’s voice pulls my attention to him. “We’ll be fine. Get your father, he can take you a safe distance away. We will find you once the battle is over.”
“It’s now or never, love,” Jesse adds.
I blow out a raspberry. “Fine. I don’t like it, but fine.”
Gideon nods. Soren sighs. Jesse gives me an affirming look and stands in front of me.
“Be careful,” he murmurs and closes his eyes. His hands lift to my shoulders, barely resting on them. A powerful pressure enters them that fades to sharp tingles shooting through my hands and feet. My body becomes heavier, and I wonder if I’ll be able to stand once he’s done.
Before long, he steps back and I nod.
“Go get him, tiger.” Jesse cracks a soft smile.
"Ready or not, here I come."
Taking a deep breath, I step onto the path and start to follow it around the curve.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Just as I approach the trees, Jackson Cane emerges from their shadows. Wearing a smug smile, he holds his hands out to his side. I stop mid-step and wait, wondering if the spell perhaps didn’t work.
“My friends,” he says. “Where is that lovely lady of yours?”
“Not your concern.” Gideon’s voice is stern, and I glance at him as he stands with an air of command.
I shake the need to just stand and observe him for a moment. My father is out here somewhere, and I need to find him before this illusion ends. I step lightly down the dirt path, moving around Jackson and glaring at him. I have to force myself not to hurl a fireball at the back of his head.
“Oh, come now.” Jackson feigns some twisted version of disappointment.
Oh, how I would love to give that man the justice he deserves. I don’t. But the urge is there. Besides, I can’t let emotions get in the way now. My father needs me.
Unseen, I step into the trees and weave through them. Here, shadows move like smoke toward Jackson, making me second-guess the plan to let them fight this on their own. There’s a lot of them. But if it’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s just how capable my men are, especially in a fight. I still don’t like it, but I have to get my father away from these people.
I watch as the figures move around and past me. This isn’t good. There are too many of them, and I duck behind a tree to avoid getting bumped into. That would be a very bad thing and ruin all hopes of getting to my father.
After the last shadowy figure passes by, I peek around the tree and see stillness within the shadows and beams of light that shine over the still frozen land. The smell of mud mixed with decaying leaves and wood fills my nose as I suck in a deep breath. I scan the area for a sign of my father.
I find him.
I rush to him as the trees thin and what looks like a campsite takes up a small open space deep within the woods. He’s gagged and tied to the base of a birch. I frown at the sight of his hollow cheeks and thin physical build. A crease appears between his eyebrows as his eyes scan his surroundings and settles on where I’m standing. As the weight of the illusion lifts, his eyes widen and a light of hope shines within them.
“Dad!” I rush to him and rip away his bindings, freeing him from the tree.
He removes the gag. “Wren, what are you—”
A rumble of thunder vibrates the ground and roars through the air. A chill runs down my spine. The fight has started.
Time to go.
I help my father to his feet. “Can you create a portal?”
He nods and tries to stand on his own. He’s so weak, it hurts my heart to see him this way.
Movement catches my attention and I narrow my eyes in that direction as a figure approaches us from within the copse of trees.
It’s Anderson, and he’s joined by a mage whose identity is concealed by robes and a hood. My heart nearly freezes in my chest as I realize the robed mage is probably part of the Order. I reach for my father just as the portal begins to form. The mage lifts his hands and a bolt of black lightning strikes the ground at our feet.
The portal’s light fades away as my father stumbles back. I work to catch him from falling over.
“Not leaving so soon, are you?” Anderson’s voice sounds overly cocky. More so than usual. And that’s saying something.
I seethe with anger as I help my father to the ground on the other side of the tree. Facing Anderson, I glare at him, hoping he realizes that he’s overestimating himself if he thinks brute force is going to win me over. “You just can’t take no for an answer, can you?”
His eyebrows lift in high arches on his head as he hums. “That ship has sailed. Now I have a new opportunity.”
I quirk an eyebrow as I step into my fighting stance. “And I suppose that because we’re both here, it’s all some big coincidence?”
“No. Not at all.” He smiles. Hell, if he wasn’t such a douche, he’d be half-way handsome, but his venomous smile just makes the bile in my stomach rise, coating the back of my tongue in bitter acid. “I intend to earn my family’s seat.”
“A seat?”
“Indeed.”
I glance at my father. His rail thin body trembles from either illness or the weather, and I can tell from his dry, cracked lips that he’s dehydrated. I can’t stand here all day and play Anderson’s games. I have to get my father to safety. And some medical help.
“As much fun as this is,” I roll my eyes, “I’ve gotta get going. Have fun with your… whatever.” I twist toward my father.
“Oh, you’re not going anywhere.” Anderson’s voice is happy. Too happy.
I turn my attention to him. “Excuse you?”
He smiles and takes a couple steps forward, closing the gap between us. My hands ignite in magic. The battle with my men rages on, and I look toward their direction, silently praying for their safety.
“Yes. I’ve finally got you where I want you. And turning you and your father in will do just nicely to secure my chair. But first…” he steps even closer.
I fire magic at him and the mage. He stops moving and casts a glance over his shoulder. The mage’s hooded head nods once.
“You can’t fight me off anymore. I’m going to take more of your power.”
“Try it and die.”
My father groans. I want to check on him, but turning my attention to him is the exact opening Anderson needs to take more of what doesn’t belong to him.
Hold on, Dad. Please.
I brace for the fight.
The mage is my first target. I don’t know who he is or what role he’s playing in this, but I don’t care. He’s on Anderson’s side, and so, he must be taken out. I toss a fireball at him and form my magic into a shield, keeping as much distance between me and Anderson as possible.
The mage deflects my fireball. Purple and black smoke-like magic erupts all over his body. My stomach churns in response to the corrupt magic emanating from him. He must be a shadow mage. I’ve never seen anything like this. My knees buckle, but I regain my composure and fortify my shield.
This is going to hurt.
A lot.
A bolt of black lightning hits the middle of my shield. My feet slide across the dirt as the force pushes against me. Glancing up, I notice Anderson is trying to move in a wide circle around me, trying to be sneaky.
I quirk a smile as my hand fills with white light with pink bolts of lightning sparking through. I make it large enough that it will be difficult if not impossible to dodge, and I toss it toward the mage while instantly twisting toward Anderson and knocking him down with a good blast of fire.
It misses, of course. But I’m not interested in killing Anderson.
Yet.
It was meant to be a warning, to disarm him and make him keep his distance.
Anderson lifts a finger and shakes it at me. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be. I promise to make your experience with me enjoyable until… well, until I
hand you over. But you won’t know what’s happening to you then. Consider it a service.”
“A service? From you? That’s laughable.” I quickly dodge the next bolt of lightning that shoots out toward me. I counter with a blast of white-hot light.
He dodges it easily.
Damn.
Anderson rushes me as another bolt from the shadow mage crashes into the ground, barely missing my feet. The force from the mage’s blast sends me flying through the air, causing my shield to collapse and disappear. The world turns end over end until my back slams into a tree. My head crashes against the bark, shattering pieces of it all over my shoulders as dots line my vision with a dark rim. The air is forced from my lungs from the painful blow, and I struggle to reclaim my breath.
I watch as Anderson’s cocky grin stretches his lips. He thinks he’s won as he approaches. But as I try to move, I can’t.
Panic rushes through me as images of Jesse’s mother, broken and lost, rush through my mind. There is no damn way this man is taking my power or my mind. Anderson makes his approach, each step is agonizingly slow. He looks over his shoulder at the mage, gives him a nod, and faces me again. He’s mere feet from me now, and I know if I don’t do something soon, it’ll be too late.
My father turns to look at me, as he watches helplessly from the tree behind him, eyes wide and full of horror as he is about to witness his daughter get broken by a zacar. I meet his gaze, fearless, in control, because something inside me burns.
My magic churns beneath my skin, soaking into my arms and legs as Anderson closes the few feet left between us. I feel like I’m on fire. My nerves scream at me as sharp tingling sensations pulsate through me. My body erupts in fire and Anderson’s steps falter as a look of confusion contorts his features.
My lips pull into a satisfying, devious grin. Anderson’s eyes take in mine. I lift a hand and aim it straight at him. I watch as realization dawns on him that I’m about to deliver a death blow, and he starts to dive toward the ground. I release my magic. As his feet leave the ground, my magic slices across his torso.
With a loud thump, he falls to the ground, groaning. He rolls over, and I see a nice gash in his stomach.
“Now, about that plan of yours?” I stand and slowly approach him.
The cowardly worm scoots on his ass to try and escape me. He presses a hand to his bloody wound and screws his face up in concentration, as if trying to gather strength for a counter strike. But it won’t do him any good. He’s crossed a line and there’s no return from where I intend to send him.
The mage shoots magic near my father, obliterating the tree and drawing my attention to him. My father luckily ducked out of the way and is lying flat on the ground. His eyes meet mine with a short nod. I give the mage a deadly glare. “You are going to pay for that.”
Anderson uses the distraction to his advantage by jumping up and running away into the trees before I can so much as deliver the blow to end his life.
Slippery snake.
It’s just me and the mage now. Fighting magic with magic. Fire with fire. Instead of growing weary, I’m filled with a rush of adrenaline and power. I duck, dive, roll, and shoot in the various ways I’ve practiced with my men. It comes naturally to me now. I step closer to him with each burst of magic in hopes that the attacks don’t get close to my father and seriously hurt him. Explosion after explosion, I remain standing, but just barely. I don’t lose focus as fire continues to burn along my skin, sending my magic rippling around me in bright swirls.
The mage takes a step back in response to my power, as if he’s never seen anything like it. The mage’s attention snaps to the left and right as he spins in place to look behind him and then face me again.
Too bad, there’s no one else here to help.
My men are taking care of his friends, and I’m going to take care of him.
The mage’s actions become frantic, batting at things that I can’t see. I pause, wondering what in the world is going on with him only to realize that I truly don’t care. He’s tried to kill me and my father. Hell, he even tried to help Anderson get close enough to steal my energy. This monster doesn’t deserve an ounce of pity.
Forming a large burning ball of fire in my hands, I steady it in front of my torso. Just as the mage stretches out his glowing hands, I release my magic. It slams into his torso, burning a hole through his mid-section.
As I watch the mage fall to the ground, the fire covering my skin sizzles out. Soren and Gideon suddenly appear at my side.
I face them with a relieved smile and throw my arms around them, thankful they are safe and alive. Once I pull from them, I find Jesse and Milo helping my father to his feet.
“Are you hurt?” Gideon’s voice pulls my attention back to him.
“I’m fine.”
Soren’s jaws clench as he takes in my appearance. I follow his gaze. Burns and gashes cover my arms and legs. Blood stains my clothes, and I’m covered from head to toe in dirt and debris from the surrounding trees.
I dust myself off and inspect myself a little further. Aside from some minor injuries, I’m surprisingly fine.
“Wren.” Milo’s voice snaps my attention to him as my father’s head lulls backward. He’s lost consciousness.
I rush to him, finally feeling muscle soreness and the sting of exposed wounds as the adrenaline from battle wears out. “Dad!”
He doesn’t respond.
I feel for a pulse. “He’s fading. We need to get out of here, now.” I face Gideon. With a quick nod, he forms a portal. We pull my father through.
I don’t take the time to check out our surroundings as we land on green grass. I help Milo and Jesse with doors as I rush behind Gideon to a room in what I assume is the safehouse. Once my father is on the bed, I step back and watch with bated breath as Gideon and Soren work to stabilize my father.
Jesse cups my shoulder and pulls me toward him. “Come on. Let them work.”
I let him guide me out of the room, mostly because I don’t have the strength to argue or fight against him.
Please, Dad. Just hold on a little longer. I’ve finally found you.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
As I sit in the living room of the safehouse, I look at the plain walls that surround a large black stone fireplace. The wood burning in the fireplace, gives off a luminous glow and the faint scent of hickory. The pops and crackles of the flames are the only things I can focus on at the moment. Not the waiting.
Because, as Gideon told me just a moment ago, “Only time will tell.”
Jesse’s voice intrudes on my brooding. “Drink, Wren.”
I take a sip of my almost forgotten potion. My arms scream with the movement and my muscles spasm.
The pain of the battle has set in, as I remember my forced encounter with the trunk of the tree as I slammed into it. A thick purple salve that burns like hell and smells just as bad covers the span of my back. The bits and pieces of bark that had flown around during the mayhem, like shrapnel, feel like little needles lodged in my spine. The nasty salve is supposed to not only help with the small pieces coming out, but also with the mind-numbing pain that’s coursing through my entire body with every movement.
“Anderson, that prick.” Soren growls the words from his seat to the right of me. “I’ll kill him.”
“Gotta catch him first,” Jesse adds from my left.
“Which is going to be much harder now.” Gideon leans forward to set his empty cup on the coffee table that divides the room from the fireplace and the sofa I sit on. He leans back in his chair. “I don’t know what seats or chairs he was referring to, but I suspect it has something to do with the Order and their hierarchy. This can’t be good. And now we know he is very well aware of Wren and her power.”
“He works for the Order.” Soren shakes his head. His hands clench into fists over his knees. “His family must be one of the heads.”
“Speculation, don’t you think?” Jesse asks.
“No.” Gideon si
ts forward, stretching his neck and rolling his shoulders to ease the stiffness in them. “It makes sense, the family name is common, but one that is linked to the Order.”
“I thought no one knew who was in the Order?” I ask.
“Exactly. Which is why I said linked.” Gideon’s eyes drop to my potion. I groan and take another sip. “Anderson’s grandfather was a double agent. He was believed to have been killed in action during a mission but has since been sighted near locations suspected to be outposts for the Order. No one could ever get close enough to apprehend him. It’s possible he has a high position within the Order. However, his family always appeared to be upstanding members of the community, never stepping out of line. And we don’t punish children for the crimes of their fathers. Eventually, sightings of Anderson’s grandfather decreased, and over time, the magusari focused efforts on other matters.”
“Obviously they want me, but why? Do you think they know about my meteorite?”
A series of shrugs and pondering looks fill the silence that follows my question.
“There’s no way to know unless they face you and tell you directly.” Gideon sighs and runs his hands over his face. “Unfortunately, that’s the best we have.”
“Well at least Anderson won’t rear his ugly mug at Blackbriar anymore. That should be something.”
My men respond to my comment with strange expressions.
“What?”
Gideon clears his throat. “He’s still missing, and as long as his whereabouts are unknown, he poses a danger. He’s working for the Order, he could be anywhere. If he’s not, then there’s a possibility he simply tucked his tail between his legs and went into hiding.”
“Coward,” Soren mumbles.
I agree.
“The magusari will be looking for him.” Gideon sits back in his seat, resting his head against the back of his chair.
I shift my gaze to him. A cut over his left eyebrow stands out. I frown as I stare at it. I think back to the battle that they had and wonder how many of their foes were like the one I faced. “Was that mage I fought really a shadow mage?”