Abducted by Magic

by Kelli McCracken

  Abducted by Magic

  Guardians of Magic Book One

  Elena Gray

  Kelli McCracken

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  About the Authors

  Prologue

  ~Samara~

  Blood pooled under my shirt from the stab wound in my chest. I used what strength I had left to summon the energy around me, then I glanced at the man fleeing from what would become the scene of my murder. He had no clue what I was about to do, and knowing that brought me a smidgen of relief.

  I could still keep my coven safe. All I had to do was get back to them, but I didn’t want to leave Slade. He’d disappeared right after the attack. I prayed he was okay and I hoped he’d gone to find my other guardians. I knew in my heart that this probably wasn’t true. He would never have left me. He would have died before…

  How could I have been so stupid? My carelessness had not only put my people in jeopardy but also my guardian.

  After I gathered the energy I’d summoned into my hand, a lavender light glowed inside my palm, forming a perfect casting orb. I flung it toward the ground, and a portal appeared. Relief filled me. It was time to use what little strength I had left and crawl into it. Then I’d teleport back to the estate and my family—my coven.

  Dirt clumped under my fingernails as I grabbed the ground and pulled myself toward the portal. Each inch I moved felt like a mile. I didn’t want to die here, in the woods on the outskirts of the city. If I made it back to my people, maybe they could save me.

  No. I refused to allow myself to hope for the impossible. Regardless if I made it back to my coven, I was not walking away from this. Death was imminent and no amount of magic could save me now. It was foolish of me to think I would beat this. The small red patch on my shirt had already spread, leaving most of the fabric drenched in my blood.

  After I pulled myself into the portal, the energy within sucked me into its vortex. I moved through the darkness, waiting for my magic to send me home. My body shifted a final time, and I shot out of the energy field.

  The dark sky above me glistened with stars. My body slammed into a wall and the impact knocked the wind out of my lungs. I gasped for breath. The pain of my injuries radiated through every inch of me.

  Wind whipped around me, causing me to shiver. A putrid odor invaded my nose. It smelled like rotting garbage and urine. In the distance, brakes screeched, horns blew, and sirens wailed. Music blared from someplace close. Add in the other minor sounds and scents, and I knew exactly where I was.

  The city.

  Why the hell was I here? My magic should have guided me to the coven. Instead, it brought me back to the city. Goddess, what had gone wrong?

  The dampness under my shirt reminded me that my blood was spilling at a rate I couldn’t afford. Before the hour was over, I’d be dead. I knew it in my soul. Using what little magic I had left, I focused on slowing the flow of blood leaving my body. It wasn’t much of a solution, but it might buy me a little more time.

  Opening my eyes again, I blinked until the blurriness disappeared. A dim street lamp lit my surroundings. I glanced around, taking in the brick walls of the buildings, an overflowing dumpster, and scattered garbage littering the ground around me. I stumbled back as a rat scurried out from behind the dumpster and ran past me.

  A few yards away a body sat propped against the wall. I wasn’t sure if the person was even breathing. It wasn’t until they coughed that I realized they were alive. They shifted enough that I was able to tell it was a woman. She didn’t appear much older than me, but I wasn’t certain. I couldn’t worry about her now. She would be fine. I needed to get home before my powers died with me.

  As I drew in a shallow breath, I touched the ground beneath me, searching for energy currents. I needed something to help me escape. This alley was one of the grossest places I had ever been. Why would my magic pull me here?

  The thought of spending my last moments in a dirty, disgusting alley angered me. I had no one to blame but myself for getting into this position. That part I could handle. What distressed me was the thought of what would happen to my coven because of my reckless behavior. Those innocent witches would meet their deaths because I’d made bad choices.

  Unless…

  Yes. There was a way I could protect my coven. Old Magic was frowned upon in today’s society, but I still knew how to use it. My coven would never approve of what I planned to do, but it would save them. The natural balance would remain, and I could rest in peace.

  All I needed now was a neophyte. I just hoped I could find one before it was too late.

  Chapter 1

  ~Katarina~

  “Earth to Katarina. Earth to Kat.”

  I blinked as a hand waved in front of my face. I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to shake the unease I’d felt since I got to the bar with my friends. My gaze drifted past Jessica and Natalie who were absorbed in their own conversation. Forcing a smile to my lips, I focused on my friend, Val.

  “Sorry, what did you say?”

  “Girl, I’ve been having a full-on conversation with myself for the past five minutes. Where did you go?”

  I shook my head and forced myself to laugh. “Oh, you know, just thinking about the fact that I no longer have to sit in a cubicle. Come Monday, I’ll finally have my own office.”

  I could never tell her the truth about my paranoia. She would think I was crazy. That part of my life, the mystical part, I’d buried long ago. People treated me differently when they found out I had a sixth sense. Why it had chosen tonight to reappear was beyond me. Maybe it had something to do with my grandmother’s cryptic message.

  Jessica, lifted her glass and held it in the middle of the table. “To Kat. For knowing what you want and not quitting until you got it.”

  The clink of our glasses was almost drowned out by the bass pumping through the speakers across the bar. Glancing around the table, my heart swelled and moisture filled my eyes. I was so fortunate to have these girls by my side. The numerous times I’d changed or canceled plans, they never heckled me. They had encouraged me every step of the way.

  I wished my dating life treated me the same way, but it was hard to start a relationship with an unpredictable schedule.

  It was all worth it in the end, though, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I’d worked hard for my promotion. I needed to do it while I was young. I wanted to have a family one day and I needed a stable job.

  I downed the rest of my drink, hoping it would dull the tingling on the back of my neck. Tonight was a night for celebrating, not giving in to my grandmother’s superstitions.

  “Dinner at my place this week so we can plan our next girls’ trip!” Natalie clapped her hands. “All I need is a sandy beach, a frozen drink, and a hot waiter.”

  “Who are you kidding, Nat?” Jessica laughed. “The only hot guy you look at is Derrick.”

  “Not true, I can appreciate a nice set of abs.”

  “Uh-huh, when they are attached to Derrick,” I chided. Derrick and Natalie had been dating since college and Natalie was completely head over heels in love with him. Hell, if they weren’t dating, I might have snag
ged him for myself.

  Natalie flipped her middle finger at us and I blew her a kiss. We constantly teased her, but in reality, we were all jealous. The dating scene was getting old and we wished we could quit meeting the frogs and finally find a prince, no matter how cliché it sounded.

  “How about Tuesday night at my place?” Val asked. “My vote is for someplace in the Caribbean.”

  Jessica raised her hand. “I second the Caribbean. Someplace warm, where all I need to pack is a swimsuit.”

  I lifted my phone from the table and opened my calendar, thankful that it was no longer cluttered with work trips and deadlines. Having a team to delegate to made my job a whole lot easier.

  Regardless of how hard I focused on my job, or even our next weekend getaway, it was impossible to ignore the knot in my gut. I scanned the growing crowd around me, searching for a sign of what could be the cause of my unease. I had no idea what I expected to find. A ghost from my past? Maybe a vacation was what I needed to clear my head.

  “Tuesday works for me,” I replied. “I’ll pick up Chinese.”

  “I’ll bring the wine,” Jess added.

  I pushed my chair back and stood from the table. The need to escape my friends suddenly overwhelmed me. When three sets of concerned eyes focused on me, I searched for an excuse for my behavior. “Speaking of wine, who needs another drink?”

  Three glasses lifted in unison.

  Making my way through a crowd of wall-to-wall bodies, I squeezed into a gap at the bar. Someone bumped my shoulder. I cursed under my breath and closed my eyes, willing my body to relax as claustrophobia set in. I hated crowds. The band that was headlining later was responsible for the madness surrounding me.

  I really didn’t need another drink, but it was the first thing that popped into my mind. Couldn’t I have just said I needed to go to the bathroom? Throwing myself into the middle of dozens of sweaty bodies was not a smart idea.

  Today was the day I had worked for years to reach. Late nights, tons of travel, missed events. I’d finally got the promotion, so why couldn’t I just enjoy it?

  I flinched as a chin rested on my shoulder, their cheek touching mine. I was about to ram my elbow into their stomach when a familiar voice said, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  As I searched for another lame excuse, she cut me off saying, “Don’t give me some BS response that you’re distracted by work. I know when something is bothering you.”

  If anyone knew me better than I knew myself, it was my best friend Natalie. She was the only friend who knew about my past because she had stayed by my side through it all. Turning to face her, I grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the back hallway that led to the bathrooms. It wasn’t an ideal spot to have this conversation, but it would be quieter than where we were. As we passed our table, Natalie pointed toward the bar. Then she made a drinking motion with her hand to let our other friends know if they wanted their drinks anytime soon, they better grab them now.

  While we moved through the gyrating bodies on the dance floor, I felt like saying screw the conversation. I wanted to get lost in the rhythm of the music instead. Then I wouldn’t need to think. I could just feel.

  When Natalie noticed my hesitation, she switched positions and pulled me through the crowd.

  As soon as we entered the hallway, she leaned against the wall and released my hand.

  “All right, we’re alone.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Spill it.”

  I dropped my eyes to the floor and blew out a breath. This was Natalie, one of the only people I knew who wouldn’t judge me. And if I was honest with myself, I wanted her to tell me that I was overreacting and that nothing was wrong with me.

  Lifting my head, I met her concerned gaze. “I haven’t been able to shake this feeling that something is going to happen. I’ve been getting a prickling in my neck and a growing knot in my stomach.”

  Without missing a beat, she asked, “Is it something good or something bad?”

  “That’s the thing, I have no idea. You know I haven’t embraced that side of my life for years.”

  Her expression shifted from concerned to sympathetic. We hadn’t talked about this in a while. Natalie understood my need to keep that part of my life buried. Until now.

  “Maybe you should call your Nona. See what she thinks.”

  Two girls stumbled down the hall toward the bathroom, arm in arm. One of them slurred, “Is this the line?”

  Jerking her head toward the door, Natalie replied, “It’s all yours.”

  “Really?” the other girl gushed. “You are soooo amazing. Thank you.”

  Giggling, they bumped into each other as they tried to push open the door.

  “I think it’s broken,” one of them said.

  Sighing, I leaned across them and gripped the handle, pulling the door toward them.

  As they glanced from me to the door, they both nearly collapsed in a fit of laughter. One said to the other, “We are so drunk.”

  “No shit,” Natalie said.

  The girls shot a nasty look at her before they let the door slam behind them. I really wasn’t in the mood to deal with this tonight.

  “So are you going to call her?” Natalie asked.

  “That’s what started all of this in the first place. She left me a message saying that she needed to do a reading with me, that she saw something in the cards but it wasn’t clear.”

  “All the more reason for you to call.”

  No way was I getting into this with my grandmother. She had been trying to get me to open up again. Each time, I discouraged her efforts. It was bad enough that her message had me on edge.

  “You know I can’t call her,” I said. “It’s probably nothing. Just nervous energy over everything that has happened this week.”

  “Or,” Natalie said as she leaned toward me with a conspiratorial smile, “maybe you are feeling the effects of every guy in here checking you out. Don’t think I didn’t miss the looks you were getting as we crossed the dance floor.”

  Heat stained my cheeks. I was never one to take a compliment well. Blending in as opposed to standing out was what I preferred. I didn’t always used to be that way, though. It wasn’t until the attention turned ugly that I’d started to withdraw from the spotlight.

  As if reading my thoughts, Natalie continued, “I know you try to not draw attention to yourself, but you could wear a grain sack and still look stunning. No matter how hard you try, you can’t hide those killer curves. Do you even realize how many girls would kill to be able to look as amazing as you do without makeup?”

  “Flattery will get you nowhere, my friend.” This time, a genuine smile formed on my lips. She always knew the right things to say when my self-doubt got the best of me.

  Natalie pushed herself away from the wall and wrapped her arms around me. “You know that I am always here when you need me. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to hear Nona out. You had an amazing gift, Kat. You were just a kid. You couldn’t handle that kind of responsibility.”

  Stepping out of her embrace, I gripped both of her hands. “Thanks, Nat. I’ll think about it. But right now, I think I’m going to call it a night.”

  “Are you sure? It’s still early. Why don’t you stay and have one more drink?” She wiggled her brows at me. “I’ll even be your wingman.”

  “While the offer is so tempting, I wouldn’t be much fun now.” I really didn’t have the energy to pretend everything was okay. Too many demons had been stirred up. While I dreaded calling my grandmother, I knew I had no choice. Once she focused on something, she didn’t give up until she saw it through. That must be where I got my stubbornness from.

  “Okay,” she said, “I’ll walk you out.”

  Nat led the way through the crowded dance floor. It seemed like more people had packed into the small space since we had last walked through. We were almost to our table when a girl called out to Nat and waved her over.

  “Go ahead,” I told her. “I’m going to say
goodbye to the girls.”

  “Make sure you wait for me. I’ll only be a minute.”

  Stopping at our table, I gave Jess and Val a hug goodbye. I scanned the bar and found Nat still engrossed in a conversation with her friend. I didn’t want to interrupt, but I also didn’t want to wait any longer. My car was just outside. With one last glance at Nat, I waved goodbye to the girls and headed toward the door.

  I pulled my leather jacket tighter as I stepped out into the crisp night air—a welcome relief after the stifling heat in the bar. I had zero regrets about leaving early. My friends would party all night and frankly, I didn’t have it in me.

  An icy chill swept up my spine. I looked over my shoulder, searching the vacant street behind me. The only building getting action tonight was the one I’d just exited. Everything else had closed hours ago. My grandmother had me all sorts of paranoid. I was going to have to visit her tomorrow or my imagination would make me go crazy.

  Just a few more steps and I could slip into my car and get the heat cranking. I couldn’t wait to get these boots off when I got home. They were better suited for fashion than practicality. The only reason I had these boots in the first place was Natalie. She’d convinced me that I needed them and that I couldn’t always dress like a prude. According to her, I had killer legs and I needed to show them off. Well, now I had killer feet.

  Passing a darkened doorway of a business long closed for the night, I jumped as a body plowed into me.

  “What the hell!”

  Teetering on my already sore feet, I was about to shove the obviously drunk person away when gravity began to do the job for me.