Romani Magic (Shifter Blood: Romani Curse Book 3)

by Frances Trilone

  Hurrying after Rosella, we followed the maze until we reached a T-intersection.

  “We should cast a spell to see which way to go,” Cindy said.

  “That’s too risky,” I insisted. “What if someone saw us? The High Council wouldn’t let us come next year.”

  “Sienna’s right.” Rosella looked left, then right. “We should split up. If you reach a dead end, come back and go the other way. Remember, we have less than fifteen minutes, so hurry.”

  “We’ll go right.” Orla and Cindy walked to the right. They waved at us before rounding a corner and disappearing.

  “I guess you’re stuck with me,” I said to Rosella as we turned to the left. We walked straight ahead for a bit, turned left twice, turned right, and then came to another T-intersection.

  “Now what?” I crossed my arms and looked both ways. “This is going to take forever.”

  “It’s simple. You go right, and I’ll go left.”

  “Julius told us to stay together.” I sighed. “Let’s go right and see where it leads.”

  Rosella frowned. “We’ll lose valuable time if we both go the wrong way. What’s the problem? Are you scared to be alone?”

  “Of course not.” I cursed under my breath, wishing I’d gone with Orla. Rosella always had to get her way.

  “I’ll see you at the exit.” Rosella turned and hurried to the left.

  Groaning, I walked to the right, hoping the exit was just around the corner. Instead, I ended up turning left and walking straight into a dead end. I turned around and headed back in the direction Rosella had gone, hoping she’d already found the exit and the other girls were walking this way too.

  An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach as I reached the T-intersection where we’d split up. Goose bumps appearing on my arms, I tried to shake off the eerie sensation of someone watching me. Although there was no one nearby, my gut told me I wasn’t alone.

  “Rosella,” I called out softly before running around a corner and straight into someone.

  “Hey, what’s the rush?” he asked as he moved aside.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled, realizing it was the guy Orla had given her number to. A gorgeous guy with blond hair and mesmerizing light green eyes. “Are you looking for Orla? She went the other way.”

  “No.”

  “Well, have you seen my other friend? She has dark hair, pulled up in a ponytail, and she’s wearing the same outfit as me, except she has purple shoes.”

  “I’ve only seen you.” He scratched his head as he looked me over. “Are you Sienna?”

  “Yes.” I glanced over my shoulder, wishing Rosella would show up. Nothing about this guy felt right. “Have we met before?”

  “No. I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing you until tonight.” He winked at me and grinned.

  “How do you know my name?”

  He laughed as he moved a little closer. “Maybe I’m psychic.”

  “Sienna,” Rosella shouted.

  “I’m right here.” I turned to see her running around the corner, flushed and out of breath.

  “There you are,” she said as she stopped in front of me. “This way was a waste of time. It wraps around to a dead end. Why are you standing here?”

  “I was talking to… Hey, what’s your name?” I turned back, realizing the guy hadn’t told me his name, but he was gone.

  “Are you talking to yourself?” Rosella gave me a weird look.

  “He was here. That guy Orla gave her number to.” I glanced in the direction she’d come from. “Didn’t you run into him before? He came from that way too.”

  “I didn’t see anyone.” Her eyes narrowed. “Were you flirting with him? Just because Garrett’s not here doesn’t mean you’re free to get all handsy with some hot guy.”

  “I wasn’t flirting, and I wouldn’t get handsy with a stranger.” I lowered my voice, “He knew my name. Something’s not right.”

  “You worry too much. Maybe Orla told him our names. Knowing her, she was probably trying to set us all up.” She hooked her arm through mine and pulled me along. “Let’s go find the others and get to the buses. Maybe they had better luck and won the prize money.”

  We hurried together, keeping our arms looped. As we neared the T-intersection again, we still hadn’t seen that blond guy with those mesmerizing green eyes. How had he disappeared into thin air? It made no sense.

  “Did you hear that?” She froze, causing me to stop too.

  “No.” I hoped she was just kidding around. It was bad enough I’d thought someone was watching me earlier, but now she was hearing things. “I don’t—”

  A growl from up ahead sent a shiver down my spine.

  “You heard that, right?” Rosella whispered. She squeezed my arm and crept backward, taking me with her.

  “It could be a dog,” I whispered, even though I’d recognized the growl. It was definitely a wolf. Maybe a Rocklin wolf. “What should we do? We can’t go back to a dead end.”

  She glanced around and then looked up. “One of us needs to climb on top of the hay bales and get help.”

  “You go. If you’re able to see what it is, you can cast a spell. The High Council can’t get upset with you for using magic if we’re in danger,” I said. “If it’s nothing, you can at least direct me out of the maze.”

  “Okay, hurry.” She grabbed hold of the hay bale’s side and put one foot into my clasped hands. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes.” I bent my knees, remaining stationary as I lifted her. “Be careful.”

  She grunted as she pulled herself up on top of the hay bale.

  “Can you see anything?” I asked.

  “There’s no wolf,” she whispered.

  “Well, what do we have here?” a voice said from behind me.

  My back stiffening, I turned to find three guys with their arms folded, including the gorgeous blond guy. The one who’d seemingly disappeared into thin air.

  “Where’s your friend? We heard you talking to her,” one of the guys asked as he glanced over my shoulder.

  “She’s around the corner, looking for a way out. We got lost.” Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I clasped my hands behind my back and prepared to invoke the air element. “Have you seen our friends?”

  “They’re probably with our other friends.” The smaller guy glanced at the other two guys and grinned. “Is it true they call you the Wolf Girl? What kind of nickname is that?”

  “It’s because I like wolves.” I gave a nervous laugh, the knots in my stomach tightening even further. There was no way Orla had told these guys that nickname.

  “Wolves? I could work with that,” the guy with blond hair replied. “What about bats?”

  “Bats?” My throat went dry.

  The third guy smiled wide, exposing sharp fangs. “If you prefer wolves, I could shift into that instead.”

  “Tatcho,” I gasped, stumbling back and losing my concentration on invoking air.

  “Please run,” the smaller vampire said as his eyes flickered red. “We enjoy chasing our meals.”

  “Our orders are to take her back unharmed,” the blond vampire said.

  “Touch her, and you’re dead,” a voice behind me growled.

  A voice I never thought I’d be happy to hear.

  Chapter 24

  “Carter,” his name came out as a whisper. The Dover County Fair was the last place I’d expected to see him. Between the two of us, maybe we had a fighting chance against three vampires. I just had to stall them, keep them from attacking us too quickly.

  “You brought an alpha wolf to the county fair?” The blond vampire chuckled. “Damn. You really are the Wolf Girl.”

  “This night just got better. It’s a good thing I skipped lunch,” one of the vampires said, his tongue gliding across his fangs. He cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders as he prepared to fight.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Carter moved to stand next to me, folding his arms as he glared at the vampires.r />
  “Me?” I glanced out of the corner of my eye, taking in his black shorts and muscular, tanned legs. His arm muscles bulged beneath his tight black T-shirt. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to rescue you,” he snapped.

  “Shouldn’t you shift into a wolf?” I asked. “I’ll take the smaller one.”

  “You’ll do no such thing. I told you coming to the fair was a mistake. You should’ve listened to me.”

  I swirled my hands behind my back, pulling in air from around us. Either Carter was a good actor, or he really was mad at me. “You know I’m sick of being stuck at the coven with nothing to do. I wanted one night of fun with my friends. Just one night of doing something normal. Is that too much to ask?”

  “Oh my God. Can you guys hear yourself?” One of the vampires shook his head. “We don’t have time for this lovers’ quarrel.”

  “I think it’s cute. A witch and a wolf.” The blond vampire laughed, revealing his sharp fangs. “The Lost Raven thinks she can take one of us. I’ve heard she doesn’t even know how to use her powers. She can only invoke air and water.”

  “I bet they’re wrong about her,” the smaller vampire said. “She’s not the Raven of Five.”

  They laughed, their eyes flickering red.

  “Maybe you’re right.” I smirked as I flung my arms in front of me, sending a wall of wind rushing toward them.

  The wind pushed them far back and out of sight. All around us, rows and rows of hay bales came tumbling down.

  “Not bad. I’m pleased our stalling helped.” Carter grabbed hold of my hand. “Let’s get out of here before they return.”

  “We can’t leave yet.” I pulled away from him and pointed to the wall of hay behind us. “Rosella climbed up there. Jump up and see if she’s gone. Maybe she got away and went for help.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. I didn’t come here to help other witches,” he complained as he glanced over to where the vampires had disappeared. Cursing under his breath, he jumped up onto the hay bales. A few seconds later, he returned with Rosella in his arms.

  “Is she okay?” I asked him, noticing her eyes were closed. I touched her wrist. Her pulse seemed weak, but she was still alive.

  “She must’ve passed out.” He set Rosella down on the ground while he knocked over the hay bales behind me, then picked her up again. “Can we go now?”

  I walked ahead of Carter, scrambling over the hay bales, moving as fast as I could. I had no idea how large the maze was, but more hay bales still lay ahead. “Carter, we need a better plan. We can’t—”

  “Where do you think you’re going?” One of the vampires appeared in front of me, hissing and glaring.

  “Sienna,” Carter yelled as he carefully placed Rosella on the ground.

  The vampire seized hold of my arm, digging his nails deep as he dragged me away from Carter and Rosella.

  Wincing with pain, I fought to break free from his grasp.

  “Release her.” An older vampire jumped down from above, landing beside the other vampire and me. He reached out and grasped the other vampire by the head. Then viciously tore it off.

  As blood sprayed on me, I screamed.

  The vampire’s head and body fell to the ground, where they instantly turned to ashes and scattered around us.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” The vampire smiled and held out his hand. “You must come with me, Sienna.”

  “No,” Carter yelled, and he pulled me away, sending us both sprawling on the ground.

  The vampire’s eyes flickered red. “I can protect you better than this wolf. We need to leave before anyone sees me.”

  “I know you.” I got to my feet, taking in the vampire’s dark eyes and short black hair. A handsome man, he looked to be in his thirties. “You were there that night, in the Romani community in Woodlake. You saved me from that other vampire who tried to bite me.”

  Carter jumped to his feet and came to stand at my side.

  “Yes. He can be a little overzealous at times.” The vampire glanced over my shoulder as people yelled in the distance. “Please come with me. There are important things you need to know. Things I must tell you.”

  “She’s not going anywhere with you,” Carter growled.

  “If you get any closer, wolf, I’ll break your neck,” the vampire said. “Sienna, you need to trust me. I won’t hurt you.”

  I held my arm in front of Carter as he tried to step closer to the vampire. Having seen how easily he’d killed that other vampire, I didn’t want Carter anywhere near him.

  “Sienna, Rosella!” someone yelled from within the maze. It sounded like Julius, but I couldn’t be sure.

  “I won’t go with you,” I said to the vampire. “I don’t know who you are or why you killed the other vampire, but you can’t force me to run off with you.”

  “I would never force you to do anything.” The vampire stepped back. “Trust no one on the High Council. They’re not your friends. You’re surrounded by traitors in the Raven Coven. Be very careful.”

  The vampire turned and ran off, leaving me with so many unanswered questions. Like who the hell was he?

  “I’m going after him,” Carter said. “Don’t tell anyone I was here.”

  “Why not?” I asked, but it was too late. He’d disappeared, running after the vampire.

  Rosella groaned as her eyes fluttered open. “Sienna?”

  “I’m here.” I kneeled next to her, feeling the weight as my body gave out from exhaustion. “Help’s on the way.”

  Julius and several other warlocks appeared, tossing aside hay bales to reach us.

  “Are you okay?” Julius touched Rosella’s cheek, then snapped his fingers in front of my face. “Sienna, did you hear me? Why are you covered in blood?”

  “I…I don’t know,” I said, remembering the vampire’s words: Trust no one on the High Council. But surely I could trust Julius. He’d been best friends with Cyprian and had been nothing but helpful since I’d arrived at the coven. “Orla and Cindy were with us, but we split up. Did you find them?”

  “Are you sure they didn’t leave the maze?” Julius asked, his voice filled with concern.

  “I don’t know,” I replied.

  “We’ll find them. Don’t worry. Stay right there; don’t move.” Julius stood, yelling orders at the other warlocks to spread out and look for Orla and Cindy.

  I stared down at Rosella, trying not to cry. The vampire had been right. Traitors surrounded me at the Raven Coven. How else would the vampires know I could only invoke air and water?

  Chapter 25

  “If you feel dizzy or lightheaded, I want you back here immediately,” the coven’s doctor said, looking down at his watch while taking my pulse.

  I looked over at Rosella, who lay in a bed on the other side of the room. Since our arrival, she’d drifted in and out of consciousness and occasionally mumbled my name. Ava held her hand while Grace sat on her other side, providing support as she chanted a spell.

  Fortunately, the vampires hadn’t bitten Rosella. But somehow, someone had poisoned her and I had no idea how that could have happened. We’d all taken a bite of her candy apple and shared a bag of cotton candy, and she’d only took one bite of my funnel cake. And aside from a splitting headache and a few minor aches, I felt fine.

  “Will Sienna be okay?” Julius asked, sounding worried. He stood next to the doctor, keeping a watchful eye on me.

  Since we’d made it back to the coven, Julius had refused to leave my side. In fact, he’d insisted the coven’s doctor examine me thoroughly, including drawing blood to test for any signs of poison. The doctor had also asked me a bunch of questions to check I was coherent.

  “Yes. She’ll be fine, but I don’t want her left alone,” the doctor replied. “Someone needs to stay with her tonight.”

  Julius nodded. “I’ll take care of her.”

  The door to the room flew open, and Calandra stormed inside. After glancing at Rosella,
she hurried over to me.

  “Are you hurt?” Calandra stood in front of me, holding my arms while she looked me over. Her lips twisted when her gaze drifted to my neck. “Whose blood is that?”

  “I…I…” Tears rolled down my cheeks as I stared over at the body across from me. Cindy lay on a bed, completely covered by a white sheet except for one black shoe sticking out. The doctors hadn’t been able to save her; she’d lost too much blood.

  Although we’d spent time together, I hadn’t known Cindy that well. But I knew she had an older brother and a mom who loved cats. They’d never see her again, and Hale House wouldn’t be the same without her.

  And Orla was still out there somewhere, probably being fed on by vampires. Julius had tried casting a locator spell, but the pendulum had remained still. He hadn’t dared say what I already suspected. Orla was dead, and it was only a matter of time before someone found her body.

  “Sienna, tell me what happened.” Calandra gently shook my shoulders, trying to get me to look at her.

  “Leave her alone,” Julius snapped. “She doesn’t remember anything.”

  Calandra turned and glared at him. She raised her hand and stabbed a finger at Julius. “If you’d listened to me, none of this would’ve happened. We have one girl dead, one missing, and two who can’t even tell us what happened. This is all your fault.”

  “Don’t blame this on me.” Julius sneered. “You were supposed to come with us, but you backed out. What was so important you couldn’t keep an eye on Sienna? Even if she is a marked witch, it’s not fair to keep her restricted to the coven.”

  “Are you saying the Rocklin wolves did this?” Calandra glanced over at Cindy’s covered body.

  “Of course,” Julius replied. “Who else would’ve done it?”

  “No,” I said, but they didn’t hear me as they kept bickering about whose fault it was. I stood slowly, finally getting their attention. “The wolves didn’t do this. It was three vampires.”

  “What?” Calandra gasped.

  Julius frowned. “That’s impossible. The vampires wouldn’t attack the Raven witches.”

  “I saw their faces. They had red eyes and fangs,” I said.