Romani Magic (Shifter Blood: Romani Curse Book 3)

by Frances Trilone

  “You know I don’t have any powers. Didn’t you tell them that?”

  “It doesn’t matter what I say. They want to hear it from you. The best advice I can give you is not to trust any of them. Answer their questions directly, but don’t offer any more information.”

  Garrett’s advice surprised me. He’d spent his entire life around these witches. If he didn’t trust them, that couldn’t be good.

  “What can you tell me about the High Council witches? I know there’s five, and they’re the only ones who can control all five elements,” I said.

  “That’s not true. There are other witches who can control the five elements. They’re usually in charge of covens. Some of them were on the High Council, but their positions were challenged, so they stepped down.” He cleared his throat. “You’re right though. There are five High Council witches, and they’re chosen by the previous council witches, but having a pure bloodline is what matters the most. Half-witches aren’t very powerful, so you’ll never see one on the High Council.”

  “But half-witches have powers, right?”

  “Usually, but it’s rare for them to control all five elements.” He looked away. “The High Council’s made up of three witches and two warlocks. You’ve already met Grace Minea. She’s the one who was at the meeting in Woodlake and couldn’t read your mind. You’ll like her. She’s quiet, keeps to herself, and won’t ask too many questions. Then there’s Boris Kreanga. He can see auras and has visions. You’ll recognize him by his wild red hair, and he wears a necklace of teeth from the wolves he’s killed.”

  “Great,” I muttered, shaking my head. The witches and wolves didn’t get along, so a High Council warlock who killed wolves didn’t surprise me. But the idea of some idiotic warlock walking around with a tooth necklace disgusted me.

  “Julius Draper’s the warlock who was there that night we rescued you. He’s very popular among the younger witches. I’m sure you’ll think he’s hot and drool all over him. He has the power to communicate with the dead.” Garrett glanced at his cell phone when it chimed, then tucked it back into his shirt pocket. “Ava Sherrard’s—”

  “Sherrard?” I glanced at him, remembering what he’d told me when we had our heart-to-heart two weeks ago. “I forgot your mom was a High Council witch.”

  “Actually, Ava’s my stepmother. She’s telekinetic and has a strong affinity for air. Unfortunately, she probably won’t like you, but don’t take it personally. She and Calandra don’t get along, but maybe she’ll be nice. I’ve told her how great you are.”

  “Being telekinetic sounds pretty cool.” I couldn’t help but notice he’d referred to his stepmother by her first name.

  “I guess. It’s a common power among the witches. You have to channel your inner energy and direct the force outward. I bet it’s one of your powers.”

  “I doubt it.”

  “It’s possible. Powers are passed down through bloodlines. Calandra Leonte, your birth mother, has telekinetic powers too. Didn’t she tell you? She can also see the past when she touches people. It’s a rare power, and very few witches have it.” He patted my hand and gave me a gentle smile. “You have nothing to worry about. You’ll get your powers soon.”

  “It’s not that.” I bit my lower lip, hating I hadn’t yet told Garrett the truth. Calandra wasn’t my birth mother; Marie Dinescu was. She was a High Council witch who’d died over eighteen years ago. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

  “Don’t tell me you’ve been holding out on me,” he teased, moving his hand off mine. “Have you seen something naughty in my past?”

  “No.” I laughed, loving how Garrett always put me at ease. “Nothing like that. It’s about my birth mother. Calandra’s—”

  “What the hell?” He pressed the horn several times and slowed the car before stopping in the middle of the road.

  A black SUV with its hood open sat sideways in front of us, blocking the road. Next to it stood a small red car with its hood raised too. Jumper cables connected the two vehicles, and three men dressed in jeans and black T-shirts leaned under the SUV’s hood, facing away from us.

  “Looks like the SUV’s broken down.” I looked around, not liking how isolated we were. No houses. No people. No other cars in sight. We’d passed Dover’s city limits ten minutes ago, and I could see nothing but grass and pine trees. “Can’t you go around?”

  “I’m not sure if I can see around the red car, but I’ll try.” He put the car in reverse and glanced in the rearview mirror. “Damn. Now there’s a car behind us.”

  I glanced over my shoulder and was shocked to see another black SUV behind us. This one sat close to Garrett’s car, leaving no room for him to maneuver.

  Garrett rolled down his window and turned his head toward the SUV. “Back up! I need to get around!”

  “Um…looks like we’re boxed in. Why don’t you…” Grabbing Garrett’s arm, I pointed to what had caught my attention. The three men now stood with their arms folded, leaning against the red car. Their eyes flickering yellow as they stared at us. “They’re wolf shapeshifters.”

  “Great. And the guy behind us just shifted into a wolf.” Garrett rolled up his window and opened his glove compartment. He pulled out a gun. “Any chance you recognize them?”

  “No,” I replied, glancing over my shoulder again. That wolf’s eyes flickered yellow too.

  The back door of the SUV in front of us opened, and as the person stepped out, I breathed a sigh of relief.

  Chapter 3

  “I’ve seen him before.” Garrett placed the gun in his lap and squinted at the tall figure by the SUV. “Isn’t he from Norwood Isle?”

  “Yes.” I nodded. “His name’s Markus. He’s Kaleb’s best friend.”

  Markus ran a hand through his short brown hair, then folded his arms. As his brown eyes met mine, he smiled.

  I’d known Markus since my first week in Woodlake. In fact, he’d been the first Norwood wolf I’d met. Although, at the time, I hadn’t realized the Norwood staff were wolf shapeshifters. Aside from Kaleb, Markus was the only one who knew all my secrets, including the fact I’d healed Kaleb using my blood.

  I looked around, searching for Kaleb and hoping he’d appear, but none of the other car doors opened. At least Markus would have the answers I needed. Maybe even a message from Kaleb. Filled with excitement, I opened my door.

  “Are you crazy?” Garrett grabbed my arm. “You’re not going out there. I don’t care if they’re from Norwood Isle. You can’t trust these wolves. They tried to burn you alive.”

  “That’s not true.” I shook my head, even though Garrett made a valid point. Only the Norwood wolves loyal to Kaleb could be trusted. I didn’t recognize the other four wolves, but I knew I could trust Markus. “They’re not here to hurt me.”

  “You don’t know that. What if they’re working with the Rocklin wolves?”

  “Markus wouldn’t do that. I trust him.” I pulled away from Garrett and closed the car door. As I ran toward Markus, the other wolves didn’t move, much to my relief. They remained in their spots, watching as I threw myself into his arms.

  Markus hugged me. “Hey, Wolf Girl.”

  “Hey.” I smiled at the Woodlake locals’ nickname for me.

  “Why is it every time I look for you, you’re with this warlock? Should Kaleb be jealous?”

  “No.” Choking down a sob, I tightened my hold on Markus, afraid he might disappear if I released him. He smelled like the pine trees in Woodlake, like the café I’d worked at, like home. “I can’t believe you’re here. Tell me I’m not dreaming.”

  “You’re not dreaming. I promise,” he whispered in my ear.

  “Sienna,” Garrett shouted. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes.” I pulled out of Markus’ arms but stayed close to him as I turned to Garrett. He stood beside his car, holding the gun. “Put the gun away, Garrett. We can trust them.”

  “I’m a warlock. I don’t trust the wolves.” He looked directly
at Markus. “My gun’s loaded with bullets laced with wolfsbane. One wrong move and I’ll shoot every single one of you. I trained with the Corven family. I’m sure you’ve heard the name. They’re well-known hunters.”

  “You won’t have any trouble from us.” Markus’ eyebrow shot up before he turned his attention to the other wolves. “Get the cars off the road and stay alert.”

  One of the men gave him a nod and disconnected the jumper cables while the other two guys got into the vehicles. The wolf behind Garrett, who’d already shifted back into human form, was getting dressed.

  “I’ll call the High Council and tell them we left later than expected. It wouldn’t be good if they came looking for us.” Garrett opened his car door. “Markus, I’m curious. How did you find us? I put a spell on the car to hide our scent.”

  “I recognized your car when you left the coven this morning, so I followed you. You led us straight to Sienna, but we couldn’t get near the store, so we came back here and waited,” Markus replied. “Figured she’d either be with you when you returned, or I’d convince you to give her a message.”

  “You remembered my car from Woodlake? I hadn’t thought of that.” Garrett cursed under his breath as he climbed into his car. As soon as the SUV behind him backed up, he moved it off the road and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

  I turned back to Markus, unwilling to waste another second. “Where’s Kaleb?”

  “Kaleb?” Confusion crossed his face as he led me to the side of the road, not too far from Garrett’s car. “You don’t know where he is?”

  “No. I haven’t seen him since I left Woodlake. Isn’t he healing on Norwood Isle?”

  “Healing?” Markus ran a hand over his face. “No one’s seen Kaleb since that night. I thought you two must have run away together.”

  My heart sank. No. That couldn’t be right.

  “You’re not making any sense. If you thought we’d run away, then why are you here? How did you know to look for me at the coven?”

  “Your mom came back to Woodlake last night. She said Calandra stopped by the hospital to let her know you were okay. Calandra told her you were with the coven now, and they’d protect you.”

  Mom.

  “Is Mom okay?” I asked, relieved to hear she was no longer in Dover Hospital. If the doctors had released her, she must be doing better.

  “She’s fine. Everyone’s fine.”

  I swallowed hard. These past few days had been hell. I missed my family, and it was hard not knowing what was going on while things returned to normal for them.

  “I don’t understand. Kaleb should be with you. He knows you’re a marked witch. He wouldn’t leave you unprotected.” Markus shook his head. “The last time I saw him, he was a wolf and ran after you and Garrett. Did you speak to him that night?”

  “Yes. He told me to go with the witches. He said he’d come for me when it’s safe. We kissed and said goodbye, and then a vampire showed up, and Kaleb…” Tears welled in my eyes. I couldn’t say it, couldn’t admit Garrett might be right.

  “Kaleb what?” Markus rested his hands on my shoulders. “Whatever it is, it’ll be okay, Sienna. Just tell me what happened. What did Kaleb do when the vampire showed up?”

  “He…” Tears streamed down my face. “He crossed the barrier spell. He fought with a vampire and passed out. I tried to pick him up, but he was too heavy. Calandra showed up, and I asked her to help, but she said it was too late. That Kaleb knew he’d die if he crossed the barrier. I’m sorry. It’s my fault he’s dead. If he hadn’t—”

  “It’s not your fault,” Markus said, sounding broken. He pulled me into his arms, and I sobbed against his chest. “Kaleb loved you. He did what he had to do to save you.”

  “But…” I lifted my head and wiped away the tears, remembering what Markus had said—no one had seen Kaleb since that night. “If he’s dead, why hasn’t anyone found his body?”

  “I don’t know.” He glanced away, wiping his eyes, clearly fighting to regain his composure.

  “Kaleb might still be alive,” I insisted, trying to control the tremble in my voice. “Maybe he’s hurt somewhere and not able to contact us. You must go back and search the woods. He can’t have vanished into thin air.”

  “We’ve searched the woods already, but I’ll check again.” With great sadness in his eyes, he met my gaze. “I don’t want you getting your hopes up. There’s no way Kaleb could have survived that barrier spell. When I find him, he’ll be dead, and we’ll bury him on Norwood Isle.”

  “I know,” I mumbled, even though deep down, I still had hope. “I should go with you. You don’t even know where he passed out.”

  “No. You’re a marked witch. You’re not safe anywhere but with the coven. You need to do what Kaleb said. Go join the coven and be a witch. Cast spells, summon the elements, do whatever witches do. There’s nothing for you in Woodlake anymore. The Romani Elders banished you, and since you and Kaleb didn’t complete your bond before he died, the Norwood pack won’t protect you.”

  I sobbed against Markus’ chest while he held me.

  “I know how much you loved Kaleb, but you can’t fall apart. He wouldn’t want that. He’d expect you to be strong and move on with your life. Do you hear me?”

  “Yes,” I said through the tears. “Will I see you again?”

  “Of course.” Markus took a step back and wiped the tears from my face. “You being a witch doesn’t change things between us. We’ll always be friends. Promise.”

  “But I won’t see you for a while, right?”

  “Yes, but you’ll be fine. You don’t need me anymore. You’re Marie Dinescu’s daughter. She was a powerful witch, and I know you’ll be one too.”

  “That’s not true. I’ll always need you, Markus.”

  He smiled and pulled me into another hug. “As much as I don’t want to leave, you have to go. Garrett’s right about the High Council witches. It wouldn’t be good if they showed up.”

  I held on as long as I could, then released him.

  “I almost forgot.” Markus hurried over to the SUV and got my backpack from the trunk. “I promised Drina I’d give this to you. She said it’s yours. Guess you lost it the night you were kidnapped.”

  “Thank you.” I took the bag from Markus and swung it over my shoulder. “Is the agreement still in place between the Romanies and the Norwood wolves?”

  “No, but don’t worry about your family. I’ll watch over them.” Markus climbed into the SUV. “Be careful who you trust.”

  I got into Garrett’s car and placed my backpack on his back seat, next to my plastic bag. As the SUV turned around, I looked at Markus one last time and burst into tears.

  Chapter 4

  Garrett handed me tissues from the car’s center console and continued driving toward the coven in silence. When he turned onto a wide road, he finally glanced at me. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes.” I wiped my eyes. I didn’t have time to cry right now. Not when I had to meet the High Council and couldn’t admit to being in love with a wolf shapeshifter. I needed to stay strong.

  “Is this about Kaleb?”

  Nodding, I stared out the window. I didn’t want to talk about Kaleb or anything Markus had said. Nothing mattered right now other than meeting the High Council and learning how to use my powers. “No one’s seen Kaleb since that night. You were right.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  In the distance, black wrought iron gates welcomed us, along with a brick entrance sign that read ‘Raven Academy’ in a cursive font. Three raven statues sat on top of the brick, each one gazing in a different direction.

  “I thought you were taking me to the coven. Where are we?” I asked.

  “This is the coven,” Garrett said as the gates opened. He slowly drove forward, following the paved road. “We can’t put a sign up saying ‘Raven Coven.’ What would people think if they knew we were witches? It’s kind of a school, but without the structured schedules. Each coven has a res
ponsibility to train their younger witches and protect them until they’re able to control their powers.”

  “It’s a school for witches?”

  “Yes, but it’s also home for the Raven witches and the High Council. A lot of us were born here and haven’t lived anywhere except behind these gates.”

  I stared at the lush green grass and trees, imagining what life would have been like if I’d grown up here. The massive front lawn backed onto the pine trees that ran along both sides of the road, and up ahead stood a large two-story building with a water fountain in front.

  “How big is this place?” I asked while admiring one of the dragon statues perched on the rooftop. His claws gripping the rain gutter, he stared down at the ground below. Above the windows on the second floor were words carved in stone: ‘Do as You Will, and Harm None.’

  “The coven’s about two hundred acres and protected by a barrier spell. No supernatural creatures can enter the property without the High Council’s permission. They strengthen the spell every year. It’s completely safe to walk around as long as you stay behind the gates.” He glanced at his cell phone when it chimed. “That building up ahead is the Main Hall, where the High Council conducts business and teaches advanced magic. Behind that are living quarters for residents and guests, a library, cafeteria, gym, and sports field. The other covens’ properties aren’t as big as this one.”

  “How many covens are there?”

  “Hundreds. There are covens all over the world, big and small. The High Council oversees all of them.” He drove to the side of the Main Hall and parked next to another car. “I’m sorry about Kaleb. Maybe I should tell the High Council you’re not feeling well. I can show you around the coven and—”

  “No. I want to get this over with.” I placed the bag of cookies in my backpack and climbed out of the car, doing my best to block all thoughts of Kaleb.

  Garrett grabbed my plastic bag from the back seat and led the way. “Don’t let this place overwhelm you. It might seem daunting at first, but you’ll soon learn your way around, and the witches will welcome you. You’ll fit right in.”