by Nicole Hall
She tapped the outside of the pack as an idea dawned. Maddie knew how to make herself stronger using magic, but she’d never tried making something else light. She shrugged and retrieved the dagger, ignoring the glee emanating from it. Might as well try now. Light and unobtrusive.
Silver magic curled around the hilt and engulfed the blade. A second later, the dagger weighed next to nothing, and she had trouble looking directly at it. Excellent. She carefully tucked it into the waistband of her leggings, thankful they were tight enough to hold it in place.
The plan seemed great until she tried to actually walk. When she took anything more than a tiny shuffling step, the long, awkward blade pressed painfully into her leg. Torix had to touch her to steal her power, so she needed to be agile. Maddie shook her head in frustration and pulled the dagger out to leave it next to the pack, much to its chagrin. She tilted her head and stared at the area around it for a moment, then concentrated and changed the spell.
Weightlessness was great, but she needed it to come when she called. Wrapping a razor thin tendril of magic around the hilt made it so she could pull it to her at any point. The magic would stretch, and she tried to make the look-away spell extend to the tendril as well. Maddie couldn’t tell if it had worked because she could feel the location of her magic. Without trying, she could see it with her eyes closed. Aiden probably could too, but Torix shouldn’t be able to sense it.
Maddie rubbed her sweaty palms on her thighs and took a deep breath. The pulse of elemental magic in the Earth below her should have been comforting, but thanks to Zee, she knew Torix might be able to use it just as well as she could. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t pull on it in an emergency, but there was no point in juicing herself up ahead of time. Without more information, she’d done everything she could to protect herself.
Reaching out to Torix proved to be harder than she’d expected. A great big ball of fear tried to lodge itself in her throat, making it hard to focus. Eventually, she had to close her eyes and picture a man with pointed features and a sinister smile. She shuddered, but pushed through the cold terror to essentially toss a magical rock at him.
One moment she was alone in her mind, the next, Torix’s amusement washed over her. Finally come to your senses, dear?
If you want me, come and get me. Maddie slammed a shield between them to sever the connection. A single thin shield wouldn’t keep him out if he pushed, but as she’d thought, he was more concerned with getting to her physical location. If he did succeed in breaking through, she’d throw up another one, and she’d keep doing it as long as she needed to.
Every time a leaf rustled in the quiet stillness of the nexus, she tensed up. It didn’t take long before a path opened, thankfully on the other side of the clearing from where Maddie waited by her pack. The sprites appeared first, and she fought a sensation of betrayal. Sprites protected, and Torix was the last person who deserved protection.
A lanky man wearing jeans and a green sweater with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows strode out of the trod. He resembled any other human she’d encountered except for the bolt of terror that she experienced when she looked at his face. Brown hair swept back from sharp features and otherworldly green eyes, and Maddie forced herself to confront his smirk with her chin high.
The path closed behind him without anyone else exiting, and Maddie’s eyes narrowed. “Where’s Will?” she asked.
Torix shrugged. “I had another task for him.”
Maddie’s shield was suddenly shoved aside and Jake’s house filled her mind. Through the window, she could see Jake dancing with baby Amber in the living room. As she watched, Will crept around the corner with a gas can, splashing liquid along the outside of the house. He smiled with empty eyes.
Adrenaline surged through Maddie, providing a burst of energy, but she controlled it, taking a moment to examine the image. Daytime, and relatively recent judging by Amber’s size, but she couldn’t get any more context. Maddie thrust another shield between them to stop the vision. She wasn’t a stranger to Torix’s manipulation techniques. He couldn’t lie, but he twisted the truth consistently.
In her few seconds of inattention, he’d edged closer to the center of the clearing. Maddie glared at him. He wanted her scared and panicking. Even if the vision happened in real time, she couldn’t do anything about it. She’d have to trust Jake and Sera to protect themselves. Something she probably should have done from the beginning.
Maddie straightened. “Your tricks don’t work on me.”
Torix appeared in front of her in an instant, and Maddie barely had time to sidestep his grab. She’d assumed he wouldn’t be as fast as before, but she’d been wrong. He lunged for her again, and Maddie stepped back as she conjured a blade of silver magic. She carefully circled away from him as he paused and stared at her sword.
“You’d use my own magic against me? Perhaps you learned more from me than you let on.” His glittering eyes stayed on the blade as he shifted toward her. When she swung it, he blocked with an open hand, a small layer of muddled magic between him and her weapon. His eyes tracked up to her face, and his smile widened. The magic began to bend toward her painfully, and Maddie had to release it while flinging herself away from him.
His other hand came up while she backpedaled, and a blast of magic knocked her airborne. Maddie hit the ground hard, and the wind exploded out of her. She scrambled to a sitting position and scooted back as he approached, trying to suck in air.
Torix frowned for a moment, and his eyes lost focus as he studied her. “Something in you has changed.”
Maddie finally took a full breath, but she wasn’t about to waste her precious oxygen giving him ideas.
His eyes narrowed as he moved closer. “That blast should have knocked you unconscious. Your measly shield is no protection, so how did you—” Understanding dawned on his face, and his smile returned, filling Maddie with dread.
“An immunity. How delightful. I’ll enjoy that new ability of yours.”
Maddie’s muscles relaxed a little, but she was careful not to let it show outwardly. She’d been afraid he’d be able to sense her connection with Aiden, but Torix couldn’t recognize their bond. Now if only he’d reveal the source of his new power.
“This would all have been so much easier if you’d just returned what you stole. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to make this painful.” Torix crouched down, and Maddie dug her fingers into the dirt, pulling a jolt of elemental magic into her palm. She needed him closer to have the best shot at his face.
“Get away from her.” Aiden’s voice came from nowhere for a second before a trod opened up next to them, and he sprinted into the clearing.
Relief washed over Maddie, along with a hefty dose of doubled-up magic. Now that they were together, she could feel the real depth of their power. Before, she’d only had access to a small sampling of their capabilities. Maddie released the elemental magic in favor of the blend that felt as natural to her as breathing.
Aiden skidded to a stop in front of Maddie and threw an explosion of magic at Torix, knocking him away from her. She couldn’t see it, but she felt its reverberation. Torix went flying in an entirely satisfying manner. Unlike Maddie, he got up right away and dusted himself off as if nothing had happened. Note to self: work on superhero landing.
Torix sniffed in disdain. “A noble effort, but useless I’m afraid. You can’t hurt me with your paltry magic tricks.”
Aiden ignored him and glanced at her over his shoulder. “You okay?”
Seeing him here, determined to protect her, choked her with emotion, so she nodded. Aiden returned his focus to the Dark Fae now across the clearing from them. A subtle glow drew her attention to the hand Aiden had positioned slightly behind him. The golden necklace slipped from his palm and fell to the forest floor with a quiet thud.
Maddie’s eyes widened. What was that idiot doing? She surreptitiously palmed the necklace before standing up. Aiden had no protection against compulsion if Torix ch
ose to use it, unlike the asshole Fae who seemed able to shrug off any magic attack.
Torix’s eyes flicked back and forth between them, and he laughed dryly. “I see you’ve shared your magic with our girl, wolf.” So much for him not figuring it out. “I’d be careful if I were you. She’s in the habit of keeping what’s not hers.” His smile dropped a little, and his gaze slid past Aiden to land on Maddie mostly hidden behind him. “Magic is treacherous, dear. I thought you’d have learned that by now.”
He raised a hand toward her and crooked his finger. Maddie gasped and involuntarily took a step past Aiden. She clenched her teeth and forced her legs to stop moving, but the compulsion grew. Aiden wrapped his arm around her and called his magic to shield them. The forward movement stopped, but she could still feel the pull. What the actual hell? The necklace was supposed to stop Torix from using his magic against the wearer.
“What’s our plan?” Aiden whispered.
“Don’t let him touch us and don’t die.”
“Got it.”
Aiden raised his hand, palm toward Torix, and swept it sideways. Maddie felt a sucking pull from her center, and the tug disappeared. Torix frowned, and sweat popped out on Aiden’s brow. He’d disrupted Torix’s spell, but the interference took a lot of power for him to maintain. They needed a better strategy than ‘don’t get hit’.
The necklace warmed in her palm, and she remembered what Cassie had said. She had to be wearing it to be protected from magic. Maddie twined the chain around her wrist, and the warmth from her palm spread up her arm and through the rest of her.
Luckily, Torix stayed focused on Aiden. He seemed to be searching for something, then his smile returned, and Maddie’s mouth went dry.
“Oh, I’m going to enjoy this,” Torix muttered as he stepped to the side.
A brightly-colored lovebird flew out of the trees to land at his feet. In an instant, the bird changed form into a beautiful blonde woman with bright blue eyes wearing a simple sheath dress. Her tiny frame, maybe five feet tall, stood unsteadily on bare feet.
“Lexi.” The name was torn from Aiden as his hand dropped to his side. Maddie felt his shock and surprise.
Aiden paused, his eyes on his wife, and Maddie’s strength crumbled. Emotion moved freely between them, and after his shock came remorse…then longing. Hurt sliced through her.
Aiden longed for Lexi?
He missed the wife who’d betrayed him? Maddie understood in a twisted way. He’d loved Lexi. People could forgive anything for love. Do anything. Look at her brother and Sera. Look at Ryan. Hell, look at Zee.
Look at yourself.
Maddie silenced the quiet voice inside her. The small woman in front of them looked lost and afraid. She’d been in Lexi’s position as Torix’s slave. Maddie knew she’d use everything in her power to save Lexi from Torix, no one deserved that fate, but she wouldn’t give up the man she loved without a fight. Loved. Maddie blinked in surprise, but it felt right. Real. Well, that explained a lot.
Her heart clenched painfully. What if Aiden wanted Lexi? What if in the end, Maddie still wasn’t good enough? He’d chosen her. He belonged with her. But maybe now he’d make a different choice.
She blinked away tears. No. Hell, no. If Aiden chose Lexi, she’d been wrong about him, and he’d never been worthy of her.
Before Maddie could do something stupid, Aiden’s arm tightened around her. That small motion made Maddie realize she’d erected an icy wall between her and Aiden as soon as she’d seen Lexi change. With a grunt of pain, she tore it down again.
Aiden’s affection and warmth filled her, pushing out the last of her doubts. She chanced a peek at his face. He watched Lexi, but his jaw ticked and a tightly controlled ball of anger grew inside him. The bond made it clear that there was no choice for him. Only Maddie.
Lexi blinked at Aiden a few times, then smiled, ignoring Maddie completely. “Did you miss me, husband?”
Aiden shifted his hold on Maddie, subtly putting himself between the two women. “I want a divorce.”
“But Aiden…” She stumbled forward, reaching for him with one hand. Maddie started to pull away, but Aiden shoved her fully behind him. A split second later, Lexi lunged and swiped with her other hand, her fingers transformed into sharp-looking talons.
Aiden easily dodged her, circling her further away from Maddie. He tilted his head. “Looks like you missed me.”
Lexi growled and lunged again. Aiden danced back, well out of her reach. Her jerky movements made it look as if she hadn’t used those muscles in a while. Out of the corner of her eye, Maddie noticed Torix watching them with a satisfied grin. Was he hoping to torture Aiden by bringing out his clearly not-dead wife? Torix’s attention shifted to Maddie, and she realized that the torture wasn’t for Aiden. It was for her.
“How do you like my pet? Beautiful, deadly, obedient. Everything you aren’t.” Torix’s mind pushed at the edges of hers, but she still had the single shield between them. He liked it better when he could judge how well-aimed his barbs were. Too bad. For once, his manipulations had missed their desired effect. Maddie knew what Aiden thought of Lexi.
The other woman’s growls and grunts echoed from the far side of the clearing. Controlling another creature, especially a demi-goddess, required a huge amount of magical power. Maddie narrowed her eyes and started using her brain. She revved her senses and examined Torix, then Lexi. A thin coating of magic should have completely covered Lexi, like Maddie had endured. Instead, only a braided cord connected them.
Lexi wasn’t under his power; she was his power.
Maddie gasped. “Lexi’s been feeding you this whole time.”
Torix chuckled, low and dangerous. “I fill her needs, and she fills mine. The delicate fear that comes off of her when I’ve taken more than she can handle…” He shuddered, but his eyes stayed on Maddie.
Her skin crawled. “Why would she bind herself to you?”
He spread his hands, taking slow, deliberate steps toward her. “Why did you? Power. She accepted her role underneath me, and came to covet the domination. Every time she wakes from the brink of death, she craves more. You’ll see.”
The hell she would.
The beginning of a plan started to form. Now that Maddie knew his source, she needed to take Lexi out of the equation. Purposefully, she shifted and yelled toward where Aiden and Lexi were having a stand-off. “Aiden, take her out. Torix has decided on a new consort.”
That got Lexi’s attention. Anger warped her beautiful face.
“I will not be replaced by a lowly human.” Lexi turned on her heel and raised both hands at Maddie. Aiden dove between them, pulling a large sword out of the air. A real sword, not one made of magic like Maddie’s. It was sexy as hell, and Maddie again wished she had her own pocket trod.
Lexi either didn’t notice or didn’t care. She gathered a large torrent of magic between her hands and thrust it at Maddie. In one motion, Aiden swung the sword up and slashed across Lexi’s abdomen. She folded at the waist and crumpled to the ground, blood soaking the bottom half of her dress. His action was too late to stop the spell though.
Maddie’s eyes widened. She pulled hard on their shared power and threw a shield up as Lexi’s magic struck her. As a precautionary measure, it would have been really effective, except in her need to defend herself from Lexi, she’d turned her back on Torix.
An arm wrapped around her throat and pulled her backwards. Maddie lost her balance and landed against a hard chest. Her hands came up to pull Torix’s arm away from her neck, but he was immoveable.
Aiden jerked toward them, and Torix shook his head.
“Don’t move or I will snap her neck.” Torix held Maddie in front of him with a hand around her throat, his face next to hers. “That wasn’t very nice, but I happen to know from experience she’ll heal. It’s refreshing having a creature that enjoys the pain almost as much as I do. On the other hand, I don’t like other people playing with what’s mine.”
; Maddie’s heart thundered, and Torix breathed in her fear, dragging his open mouth across her cheek. She held herself still as he whispered in her ear.
“I like your taste best when you struggle.”
Maddie shuddered at the familiar feel of him against her skin and pried her mind away from the litany of what-ifs cycling through it. Now wasn’t the time for doubts.
“Let her go,” Aiden growled.
“We’ve been here before, you and I. Would you make the same bargain, wolf? Your freedom for hers?”
Maddie knew Aiden could feel her fear, but she was determined to keep it off her face. She met his golden eyes, and felt his relief at the assurance in hers. She had a plan. Torix maintained his vice-like grip on her throat, but she could breathe for the time being. Maddie kept one hand on Torix’s arm and held the other in front of her chest. As Aiden watched, she let the medallion of the necklace fall from her fist with the chain tangled around her wrist.
Aiden’s face didn’t change, but his confidence filled her. He trusted her to handle herself. Also, he’d make a great poker player.
His attention shifted to Torix, but his gaze didn’t move from Maddie. “I’d do anything for her.”
The sincerity in his voice and his eyes momentarily distracted her. He wasn’t just telling Torix; he was telling her too.
Exhilaration bubbled in her chest, but Torix’s fingers tightened on her throat. Now was probably not the time. She loved a good romantic gesture, but a distraction would have been a tad more helpful.
Torix shrugged, oblivious to the undercurrent between them. “You were mediocre as an underling, always finding ways around my orders. I don’t think I’m currently on the market for a new shifter as I already have one. I do believe I’ll keep your mate as my new consort though.”
Maddie recognized her moment. Torix intended to kill Aiden in front of her. He’d sworn years ago that if Maddie ever gave herself to anyone else, he’d destroy them. A punishment and a promise.
