Wicked Curse (The Royals: Warlock Court Book 4)

by Megan Montero

  “Where is she?” Ophelia stepped over a fallen log and moved to my side. She drew a whip from her hip and held it loose at her side.

  “What the hell is that for?” I eyed the long black leather lead, ready to take it away from her.

  “I can’t very well stab her, but I can at least try to trap her with this.” Ophelia swung it around, and it cracked against a tree, splitting the bark from the trunk.

  “You are not going to use that on her.” I reached for the whip, and she held it away from me.

  “I’d like to see you try to pry this from my fingers.” Gray smoke seeped from her hands. “You’ll be happy you let me use it, trust me.”

  “Just let her have it, Maze. Taking a weapon away from O is like trying to take a bone from a dog.” Cross melted from the shadows on my other side.

  Green smoke poured from my hands of their own accord. “If you hurt her…”

  “Relax, psycho, I like her more than I like you. She’ll be safe. I’m just trying to slow her down so we can catch her.” She flicked that whip around, and it twisted like a long ribbon. Odin couldn’t take his eyes off of it—like a cat following a mouse.

  “Fine, now shut it. I have to concentrate.” I sucked in a deep breath and closed my eyes.

  I let my powers wash over me, feeling the vision begin to rise. Flashes of Tilly sprinting through the woods filled my mind, her bare feet traveling soundlessly over the forest floor. My jacket billowed out behind her, and my T-shirt barely covered her legs. Waves of her hair floated in the air as she ran. Moonlight kissed her cherry lips and gave her already pale skin a lunar glow. She turned her head to the side and looked directly at me, like she knew I was using my visions to follow her. She smiled, and her eyes changed from warm chocolate brown to glowing with emerald power. She blew me a kiss, and her little fangs popped out. The sound of trickling water filled my vision, and I could almost feel exactly where she was.

  “On your right!”

  Cross, Ophelia, and I sprinted to our right, moving like silent shadows through the darkening forest. I pumped my arms, sprinting ahead of the two of them as they flanked me in a loose V pattern. Odin ghosted at my side. He raised his nose to the air, trying to scent her. Just then, a vision hit me, and I saw her standing on a branch high above us. We ran right past her, and she turned for the other direction.

  “Stop!” I planted my feet, and they dug into the damp ground. Leaves crunched under me, and I slid to one side.

  Cross and Ophelia skidded to a halt. We were all breathing heavy smoking breaths. Ophelia walked around three tree trunks. “Where is she?”

  The dark vision exploded behind my eyes. Blackness with only those pounding words. Six will fall…six will fall…six will fall.

  “Maze!” Cross punched me in the arm sending a sharp pain through my shoulder and knocking me out of the vision. “Snap out of it.”

  I sucked in a deep breath and tried to focus. “Shut up.”

  I held out my hand, telling them to freeze. Ever so slowly, I raised my eyes toward the treetop. There she was, crouched on a thick branch. Her eyes glowed and reflected like a jungle cat. Tendrils of her curly hair fell around her face as she peered down at us. I tapped into her emotions as best I could. Confusion, the need to run, to hunt, to dominate, all warred within her. But deep down, I felt the real Tilly, the one who didn’t want to hurt her friends. She was there… just barely.

  Odin peered up at her. “Fascinating.”

  “What?” I hissed low so I wouldn’t spook her.

  “She smells of demon… and something else.” He sniffed the air. “No, definitely demon.”

  She sprang from the limb and landed in the center of us. We all took a small step back. I warned the others, “Remember, keep your powers down. We don’t know what’ll happen.”

  Cross pulled a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket. “Got it.”

  “Are those from my drawer?” Ophelia snapped.

  “I needed them. Shh.” He sprang at Tilly with his arms wide open.

  Tilly ducked her head and twisted her body to the side, moving so fast her body was nearly a blur of movement. She ducked under Cross’ arms and spun around behind him. The handcuffs that were in his hand were now in hers. She kicked out her leg, connecting with his back, and sent him flying through the woods. His upper body slammed into a tree, cracking it in half and sending him spinning until he hit another tree with his lower body. He fell to the ground with a heavy thud. A loud groan came from where he landed. “I’m okayyyyyy.”

  Tilly held up the handcuffs and crushed them into scrap metal within her hands. She threw the hunk of metal at me. I jumped to the side just before it collided with my chest. Instead, it drilled a hole right through the tree trunk behind me. I pressed my hand over my chest and pointed a finger toward her. “Bad, Tilly! Bad!”

  She drew up short and froze, with a frown on her face. Then her face fell, her bottom lip puffed out, and a shimmer glazed over her eyes. My heart nearly ripped out of my chest. I’d made her feel bad. She nearly killed me, and I felt bad. One of her little fangs popped over her bottom lip, and she hunched in on herself.

  “I’m sorry, not bad.” Oh shit, I didn’t know how to handle this. How did one handle their killer, half-demon soulmate sulking over being scolded after they tried to kill you? I took a step toward her.

  “Are you crazy?” Ophelia cracked her whip, and Tilly jumped to attention.

  Ophelia cracked the whip, and it coiled around one of Tilly’s arms and her midsection. O yanked back on it, tightening it around her. Tilly glanced down at herself for half a second and wrapped her free arm in the whip.

  “Oh, shit.” Ophelia’s eyes widened a split second before Tilly jerked the whip forward, and Ophelia sailed off her feet.

  Tilly’s hand shot out, and she caught O by the throat. Ophelia’s feet dangled as she held on to Tilly’s arms. “Til, let the blood flow,” she choked out.

  Tilly just tossed her little body right back toward where she’d thrown Cross. Ophelia spun in the air, and right before she struck a tree, Cross popped up and caught her against his chest, sending them both to the ground. “Again? Really?”

  I turned back to Tilly. “Don’t make me do this.”

  She waved me forward. She was strong, much stronger than us. I didn’t have my jacket, but I did have on my army pants, and damned if my cards weren’t in one of those pockets. I let the power seep from my hands and slip into my pocket. Red ribbons streamed from my pocket and headed right toward her. “I’m trying really hard not to touch you with magic, but you’re not making it easy, Til.”

  She straightened her stance, and as The Hanged Man ribbons reached her, she batted them away. She flicked her wrist from side to side, and they bounced away from her and snapped back into my pocket like a rubber band. Her eyes blazed from chocolate to green once more, and she ran at me full speed. I scrambled back, trying to ward her off. “No, don’t. Tilly, come on.”

  She flipped toward me and kicked me dead in the chest with both feet. The air rushed from my lungs, and something cracked in my chest. I sailed backwards and slammed into a big branch. My body flipped around, and I dropped to the ground and landed right next to Cross and Ophelia.

  Ophelia rolled to her side. “Why does she keep throwing me? We’re like the same size. I thought we had a short-people-unite type thing going.”

  “Try being the one to catch you.” Cross pressed a hand to his chest. “She broke something.”

  A wheezing cough escaped my lungs. Everything hurt. I lay there, looking up, as the sky went from gray to black in a matter of seconds. Tilly ran from branch to branch overhead, leaving us in a piled heap of destruction.

  Odin sauntered to my side and sat down. “Entertaining.”

  “That was an hour of need, and where the hell were you?” A rattling cough shot through my chest.

  “Watching.”

  I groaned, “Maybe we need a different approach.”

  Chapter 1
5

  Astrid

  Night had fallen, and with it the temperature once more. The elves walked through the woods with a grace that I couldn’t even hope to attain. Each of them held a torch high in the air. Smoke drifted up from the dancing flames, disappearing into the star-studded sky. Not even their chainmail made a sound as they moved. Long, light-green cloaks fell from their shoulders and whispered over the mossy ground as they walked. Half the contingent walked before us and the other half behind. Nothing in the woods moved, not even a breeze.

  “Does someone want to explain to me what the hell is happening? Because I am lost,” Nova hissed under her breath. “They’re just going to let us walk up to the gates now that Ash held up a pretty sword?”

  “Girl, they lost me at giant murder hornets.” Tabi narrowed her eyes at the elf in front of her. “As soon as we get to where we’re going, I’mma have Beckett send my ass home.”

  “You all know as much as I do.” Beckett quickened his pace to catch up to where Ashryn walked beside the bear and the women who rode it. “But I think it’s time we found out more.”

  He winked and motioned for me to hurry to catch up. I jogged to his side to listen to anything this badass female warrior elf had to say. She appeared to be the general, and I was so here for it. Ashryn’s voice was low and calm. “What are you doing outside the walls, Lyra?”

  The woman slid Beckett and I a sideways glance. “I do not discuss matters with outsiders.”

  “They serve the Fallen, not the council. They are to be trusted.” Ashryn said this as if her word was law, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was.

  Lyra let her hips rock with each step that bear took, riding it like she spent every day on it. I found myself taking longer strides just to keep up. Again, she eyed us, and my patience grew thin. We didn’t have time for secrets. Logan’s survival was on the line, and the sun had already set on our first day. I was at full strength, and damn it, I had to use it. I cleared my throat and focused on my charm-speak ability. I offered my best smile and sweetest voice. “You can trust us.”

  I let my power drift on the wind ever so gently. The hard set to Lyra’s lips softened, and her shoulders relaxed. “I had a disagreement with your mother.”

  Ashryn sighed. “So things haven’t changed.”

  “They’ve changed. We are cast out, Ashryn. We are no longer part of Windelos.” Her eyes lowered to the ground. “It’s my greatest shame.”

  “She cast you out?” It was the first time I’d heard anger from Ashryn. “Why?”

  “Something lurks outside these walls.” Her eyes drifted toward the darkness as though she could see some invisible monster we couldn’t. “Your mother believes that as long as we stay inside the walls of Windelos, there is nothing more to fear.”

  “What do you believe?” The question popped from my mouth faster than I wanted it to.

  “The things I’ve seen, they are not of this world, and if they enter Windelos, it might not be left standing.” She raised her head to a looming set of walls in the distance. “My loyalty is always to Windelos. I will protect it, even when others won’t. You understand, don’t you?”

  Ashryn lifted her hand, and Lyra took it. Ash rested her other hand on top of Lyra’s helmet. “Your loyalty will always be remembered.”

  “I mustn’t go any farther. I do not wish to fight a war on two fronts.” She turned her grizzly bear back in the direction from which we’d come. “This path will see you well.”

  Ashryn gave her head a slight bow and stepped away, giving them all space to leave. I expected to watch them while their lights disappeared in the distance as they walked away, but one moment they were next to us, and the next, the torches were out and the shadows had swallowed them whole.

  “That is creepy as hell. Also super cool.” I turned to Ashryn. “Can you teach me how to do that?”

  “No.” She spun on her heels and began marching toward the towering walls. They were thick stone and rose up like tower skyscrapers. I didn’t see a door or way of getting by. From the outside, it looked like there was no entrance—only a dark, impossibly sharp mountain face.

  Tabi cleared her throat. “Beck, if you guys don’t need me anymore, I really should be getting back to help get the walls back up.” She looked around the forest. “It sounds like the problems the elves are having are coming through the cracks in the walls.”

  He gave her a solum nod. “I agree. Will you please tell Zinnia what’s happing here?”

  “Of course.” She smiled.

  Beckett held out his hand, and a blue portal opened up just in front of her. In the darkness of the forest, it glowed so brightly I had to squint my eyes.

  Tabi gave us one last look over her shoulder. “Good luck.”

  And just like that, she was gone. “And then there were four.”

  Beckett motioned for us to walk with him. “We’d better catch up to Ash before she leaves our asses behind.”

  “Does anyone else think something is up with her?” Nova pointed toward her in the distance. “I mean, why did they all bow like that? And why did they just walk us here and practically leave us at the gates?”

  Beckett ran his hand through his hair, and blond strands fell into his eyes. “I think we’re about to find out.”

  Ashryn stood staring up at the looming walls. When I moved to her side, she closed her eyes and turned to me. “I will ask a favor now.”

  “Of me? Oh, yeah, sure, anything you need.” Ashryn never really spoke to me before and certainly never asked anything of me. My curiosity was piqued, and I wanted to help her. Her life seemed to be a complete mystery, not only to me, but to all of us.

  She groaned, “I heard you reference the Hobbit movies earlier.”

  Excitement jumped through my system. Play it cool, play it cool. “Oh, yeah, I like them.”

  “Though inaccurate to Windelos, there is one aspect that is accurate, and I must request it now.” She squeezed her eyes shut and her lips pressed into a thin line.

  “Anything.” Tell me, tell me.

  “Windelos is a world of traditions, and as such, we will need to look the part.” She made a sound of annoyance in the back of her throat. “What I mean to say is, you need to put us in clothing that fits the world, and the only example that comes to mind…”

  Holy shit. “Say no more. I got this.”

  I’d never cosplayed before or even nerded out. In truth, I never considered myself a nerd. But I’d seen the movies and read the books. I might’ve been a perfect socialite, but I preferred books to people, and everyone knew that. Ash wanted dresses, then dresses she would get. Golden smoke exploded from my hands, and in my mind, I envisioned what I wanted for all of us. Manifesting things was second nature now, and I would use it as much as we needed. I pictured the long elegant gowns that were just slightly off the shoulder and had sleeves that went all the way down to our wrists. The material was velvety and hugged close to my body until it hit my hips and fell straight down to my feet. I envisioned my dress as dark green with satin trim. For Nova, I visualized the same style, with black velvet and purple satin trim. Lastly, for Ashryn, I gave her a flowing silvery gown that looked just a bit finer than ours. It would glitter in the moonlight and shimmer like falling water. It too cut across her shoulders and had long sleeves, but there was a simple elegance to it. I made sure the mud, dirt, and muck was cleaned off our face and hair. I let our hair flow down our backs and topped off the style with metal headbands that surrounded our heads and came to a little “V” just above our eyes.

  Nova held out her hands, examining her gloves. “Very nice.”

  Beckett looked down at his black, loose-fitting shirt and black leather pants that tied in the front and tucked into his boots. “Really? This?”

  “Hey, she said to make us look like we fit.” I ran my hand down his arm. “You look good.”

  “It’s good enough,” Ashryn snapped and grabbed up the skirt of her dress. “I hate dresses.”

&n
bsp; She pulled out her sword once more and held it up toward the wall. The moonlight glinted off the hilt and caught in that huge diamond. It sent up a bright shining spotlight to the top of the wall. When a loud horn sounded, Ashryn slid the sword away and straightened her stance. She tugged on her sleeves and looked to Beckett. “Just remember, this is for your friend, and anything you see here will stay here. Do you understand me?”

  “I appreciate anything you do to help us get Logan back.” He took a small step closer to me, but we were about to encounter others who didn’t trust warlocks as it was, and we needed to keep our bond under wraps. Luckily, both our outfits covered our soulmate marks.

  A loud cracking sound echoed through the woods, and small pieces of rock fell from the wall. The ground shook under our feet, yet Ashryn kept her chin up, shoulders straight, and her face expressionless.

  A small chunk of wall about twelve feet high and twelve feet wide slowly slid to the side. It was a perfect rectangle that seamlessly slid into the other wall. Ashryn took a step toward the wall. “Come along.”

  I expected it to be like any other door, but this wasn’t New York, and we were walking into a different kingdom. My heart raced in my chest as I followed Ashryn into a long tunnel that could close on us at any second. The better part of me knew Beckett could portal us out of there before that happened, but there was a sliver of doubt in my mind that if these elves wanted to smush us like bugs, all they would have to do is close the damn door. Bright moonlight shone in from the end of the tunnel, and I hurried behind Ashryn to get to it.

  We stopped just at the edge of the tunnel. A man stood, waiting. His hair was long, just like the others’ and fell down past his chin. Thick leather pants and a heavy black trench coat covered him from head to toe. The coat had patches of armor over the shoulders and down the front. A blue glowing sword hung from the belt at his side. Though Ashryn seemed to relax just a fraction at seeing this man, I couldn’t. Some kind of weird power rolled off of him in waves, and I couldn’t put my finger on what it was.