Chasing Steel: Capturing Magic Books 1-3

by Jessica Sorensen

  “I had a nightmare about your dad,” I finally admit. “He was telling me I should use my powers to disintegrate a planet.” I leave out the part about how, for a moment, I kind of wanted to, not ready to speak about the heavy stuff aloud. “It just freaked me out a little bit.”

  He presses his lips together, uncertainty written on his face. “You know we’re not going to let him get ahold of you. We’ve been working for a long time to bring him down, so there’s no way in hell we’re going to let that get ruined.”

  Right. Because, if he gets ahold of me, he gets ahold of my power. And while we’re still not sure about all my magic abilities, the fact that Asher’s dad wants me has to mean I’m dangerous, which is why they’re protecting me.

  As stupid as it’s going to make me seem, part of me is hurt about that fact—that they’re not protecting me because they like me.

  Gods, I’m so pathetic.

  I really am sometimes.

  Asher unexpectedly scoots across the bed, closer to me. He parts his lips then shuts them. Parts then shuts. Then, muttering underneath his breath, he reaches out and cups my face between his hands.

  For a moment, I consider leaning back. For some reason, though, I don’t.

  Back in the day, before I met Ash, East, and Arrow, I thought all paranormals were awful, partly because a genie killed my parents and partly because they ran the world I lived in and forced humans to obey them. After spending time with Asher, East, and Arrow, I’ve realized that not all paranormals are bad. Maybe that’s why I’m letting him touch me. Or maybe it’s because, for most of my life, I’ve been deprived of touch.

  I shouldn’t let him touch me, though.

  I should be more cautious of the curse.

  Lean away, Harlynn.

  But I can’t seem to bring myself to do that.

  “I’m—we’re also protecting you because I—we don’t want anything to happen to you.” A smug smirk pulls at his lips. “Like East says, you belong to us now.”

  I roll my eyes. “I belong to no one, dude.”

  His smirk grows. “You know, you used to sound more pissed off when you protested that. Now you just sound like you’re working on autopilot.”

  “It’s because I’m tired,” I lie. The truth is that it doesn’t bother me as much as it used to. Still, it’s unsettling, knowing that my feelings for him—them—are deepening. “I should go back to sleep,” I say, even though I know I probably won’t be able to doze off.

  Asher skims the pad of his thumb along my cheekbone. “Do you …? Do you want me to help you go to sleep?”

  “How?” I question. “Using your magic?”

  He gives a nod, anxiety radiating from him. “Lie down.”

  I’m not much for obeying, but he has helped me relax with his magic before, and it felt amazing. So, I lie down on the bed, and he leans over me, resting his palm against my chest.

  “Mihi ad somnum proficisci pulcherrimus fur,” he whispers, staring into my eyes.

  “What does that mean?” I whisper, my eyelids already lowering.

  Usually, when he speaks in another language, he won’t tell me what he says. However, I feel his lips brush against mine so softly while he whispers, “It means, go to sleep, my beautiful thief.”

  I’m not sure if I heard him correctly, since I drift off into a blissful, nightmare-free sleep less than a second later.

  Asher

  After East and I returned from seeing Maxton, we headed back to our worlds traveling vehicle, both of us quiet. I’m sure he was probably thinking the same things as I was. Or, well, almost the same thing.

  The only way to break the curse is to share Harlynn.

  Share her.

  I’ve shared lovers before, but this … it feels different. Then again, Harlynn is different from the creatures I’ve been with. She’s feisty, smart, broken, beyond gorgeous, and I can’t stop thinking about her. I’ve never felt this way before, and it’s fucking terrifying, considering I’ve only known Harlynn for a couple of weeks. If things continue this way, I’m concerned how fast this curse is going to click into play.

  Just how quickly will my feelings deepen for her?

  The question makes me unsettled. So does the idea of falling for someone.

  For all my life, love hasn’t been something I’ve experienced. Even at a young age, I was introduced to cruelty and pain first, and by the creature who was supposed to care for me. My father was an abusive bastard, and my mother, while she tried to stop him, never succeed. Pain and anger is all I ever knew. And I learned to accept that. Learned to shut off everything so I didn’t have to feel anything. For the most part, it’s worked just fine.

  Then Harlynn came along, my doomed destiny right in front of me. I couldn’t have her. I knew that the moment I became aware of what she is. But now Maxton is telling me I can. A part of her, anyway.

  “Maybe,” I mutter, sitting down on the sofa, the taste Harlynn’s lips still lingering on mine. “But maybe so.”

  Arrow’s gaze snaps wide as he gapes at me. “You’re seriously considering this?”

  I glance at East, who’s sitting across me, looking at me with his brow arched, like are we?

  I shrug, directing my attention back to Arrow. “I don’t know … Maybe. Everyone would have to be fine with it, though.”

  “Including Harlynn,” East mutters, sweeping his hair out of his eyes as he leans forward. “Honestly, I’m still a little hesitant about this. I mean, what Maxton told us is pretty vague. And what happens if we all start to fall in love with her but at different times? Then what? Does it not work?” He blows out an exhale as he sinks back in the sofa. “We need to learn more about Maxton’s theory and from someone who can actually speak freely about it.”

  “You might be right,” I agree. “But who? It’s risky going around and just asking creatures about this. Not to mention we’d draw attention to ourselves, which is the last thing we need. Plus, unless we’re sure we even want to do this, we probably shouldn’t throw any effort into it when we’ve already got such a full plate. So, how do we decide?” I ask, though I’m not really asking him directly. I’m just stating the question aloud.

  East shrugs, looking at me then at Arrow, who’s been extremely quiet since we told him what we learned from Maxton. Out of the three of us, he’ll probably be the least likely to want to do this, considering how reserved he is. Not to mention he’s very cautious about his emotions.

  His gaze shifts between East and me. “What? Why are you guys looking at me like that?”

  I trade a look with East before looking back at Arrow. “We want to know what you think about this.”

  “About … sharing Harlynn?” Tension ripples through his mechanical body.

  I nod. “You’ve been very quiet since we told you.”

  He rubs his bronzed lips together then swallows hard, staring down at his hands. “I want to do it,” he admits, surprising the hell out of both me and East. “I just don’t know if I can. Honestly, I really doubt Harlynn would want to either. At least, not with me.” His low self-esteem stems from years of being abused by humans.

  While most cyborgs don’t struggle with that, Arrow is different. His beating heart connects him to his emotions more, which makes dealing with all the abuse and pain he endured much more complicated.

  “Maybe you should let her decide that,” East tells him. “Honestly, we should probably let her be part of this decision since it vastly involves her.”

  He’s right, but … “I think we need to look into it more first.”

  Silence stretches between us as I try to conjure up an idea of the best way to do just that. Maxton won’t tell us anything more, even if he could, since I basically tricked him into tell us what he did already. And, while I don’t feel bad for not killing him, I feel bad for tricking him, because it’s something our father would’ve done. And the instant the lockdown gets turned off, Maxton will turn into our father—not literally, but as his puppet. Then he’l
l come after Harlynn, just like he did at the arch the other day. So did Maple …

  “Fuck, I think I might have an idea,” I announce. Why the hell didn’t I think of this sooner?

  East’s eyes sparkle in surprise. “Really?”

  I nod. “There’s one more creature on this world who knows about Harlynn, the curse, and why my father wants her. If we can lure her out and capture her, we might be able to torture some very useful information out of her”

  East’s brows dip, but then spring upward. “Maple. Shit. How the hell did we not think of this sooner?”

  “We’ve had a lot of things going on,” I remind him, thrumming my fingers against the armrest as I attempt to come up with a plan on how we can lure Maple out of wherever she’s hiding.

  “We have,” East agrees with a nod. “How are we going to get ahold of her, though? I know she’s on this planet, but it’s a big fucking planet.”

  “I know,” I mutter.

  Shit. What’s the best way to get ahold of a creature that’s in hiding?

  “We could always have a party,” Arrow suddenly says. “We can make sure word spreads that we’ll be there, which means Harlynn will be there.”

  “You mean, use Harlynn as bait?” East questions, glancing at him.

  Guilt flashes across Arrow’s face. “Well, I wasn’t really thinking of it like that, but I guess that’s what we’d be doing.” He shakes his head. “You know what? Never mind. Forget I mentioned it.” He gets up and leaves the room, probably to go lock himself in his room and stew in his own self-pity.

  “He might be on to something,” East says, looking at me. “I know it’s not ideal, but it might be our only chance to get ahold of her.”

  “Maybe,” I mumble. But deep down, I know he’s right.

  The old Asher would’ve done it in the snap of a finger, but this new, struggling-with-his-emotions Asher feels extremely unsettled about the idea of using Harlynn as bait.

  “She also might know what Harlynn is,” East adds enticingly. “And if we can torture that out of her, it’d save us from having to steal the steel books.”

  Shit, he’s right. But, can I do it?

  Can I make myself the old, uncaring Asher again, turn off my emotions, and use Harlynn as bait?

  Harlynn

  Okay, so being on lockdown sucks pixie balls. Ew, that sounded gross. Still, it kind of helps the point I’m trying to make, which is: being on lockdown sucks! Especially when you’re stuck on a world traveling vehicle with a moody genie, an obnoxious faerie, and a way too quiet cyborg.

  Okay, fine, maybe those descriptions of the guys aren’t accurate. Sure, Asher is moody, but he also has his nice moments. And East, while he can drive me batshit crazy sometimes, also makes me smile, even when I don’t want to. And Arrow may be quiet, but he is probably the sweetest creature I’ve ever met.

  The problem is that I’ve been stuck on this vehicle with them for forty-eight hours straight, thanks to the lockdown and curfew, something I caused when I accidentally collapsed the arch. So, I guess maybe I do deserve being stuck in the vehicle.

  But I’m starting to go stir-crazy. Part of me wants to sneak away, but since I haven’t gotten the right opportunity to make my escape, or any idea of where I’d go since I’m not familiar with this world, I’m left being bored out of my mind.

  I’ve spent the last hour lying on the sofa in the living room. I’m rocking a pair of cut-off shorts, a tank top, and no shoes. My hair a mess, but it’s not like it matters since I’m not going anywhere. I have Arrow’s drumstick in my hand and am twirling it around while I listen to the three of them argue about what to do with Maxton, Asher’s brother and a wishing shadow that’s bound to Asher’s father, an evil genie who killed my parents and wants to capture me because of my powers. Although, the reasons remain a mystery. Just like what I am does.

  “I don’t want to say this,” East says to Asher in a cautious tone, “but it might be best if we send him back to your father right now before the lockdown is lifted and his connection to your father and his powers return.”

  “I can’t do that to him,” Asher says. “I just … I can’t, okay? There has to be another way to help him.”

  “You mean, other than kill him?” East says almost absentmindedly.

  “I still can’t believe he asked you to do that,” Arrow utters quietly.

  My chest tightens. Wait … Maxton wants Asher to kill him?

  While I’ve only met Maxton a couple of times and, both times, he tried to capture me so he could take me to his father, I could see the suffering in his eyes. Nothing he’s done has been of his own free will. He’s a prisoner to his father. He’s a genie without any of his own magic.

  “Can’t you?” Asher questions. “For most of his life, he’s been a forced slave to my father, having to do everything he’s asked. And considering what kind of genie my father is …”

  The room grows so quiet I can hear the thudding of my heart.

  “I’m sorry, Ash,” Arrows tells him. “I’m sorry that both of you are suffering.”

  I wish there was a way I could help them save Maxton, to pay them back for everything they’ve done for me. For saving me. For not throwing me out on my ass when they realized all the danger that came with having me around. For making me feel better about the thing with Yellow …

  I immediately shove all thoughts of him aside. While the guys have been understanding about what happened, I’m still trying to move past it. From what East told me, it’ll take some time for that to happen. Not that he embellished on his own personal experience with the subject. He just said that he understood. I could see it in his eyes, though, that he knew how I felt.

  The anger.

  The pain.

  The shame.

  “I just wish there was a way we could help him,” East says with a heavy sigh. “He looks so broken and beaten down.”

  “Careful with the word wish,” Asher warns with a pressing look. “My lamp’s literally less than fifty feet away.”

  East sighs, yanking his fingers through strands of his blond hair. “You know, it’d be really nice if there was a way to remove the power from that damn thing so we didn’t have to worry about accidentally setting it off. I’m so sick of worrying about having another flying elephant situation on our hands.”

  What the shit? I stop twirling the drumstick as I sit up. “Flying elephant situation?” What in the crazy troll babies?

  All three of their attentions turn to me, and I’ll admit, it’s a lot to take in.

  Asher is gorgeous; all tall and lean with short brown hair, pierced lips and brows, and these crazy blue eyes framed by thick eyelashes and smudged eyeliner. He is always sporting his jinn trademark wrist cuffs and, like all the guys, he rarely wears a shirt. Right now, he has on black jeans that hang low on his hips, giving me an eyeful of the tattoos and scars on his skin.

  Then there’s East, who is probably one of the most beautiful creatures I’ve ever seen. Tall, with chin-length blond hair; full, pierced lips; and emerald green eyes that always carry a flicker of mischief. He’s also not wearing a shirt and has his glittery wings spanned out, all sparkling magic and iridescent light.

  And Arrow is just as beautiful as Ash and East, but in a more otherworldly way. Half-man, half-machine, his arms, neck, and muscular chest are spun of flesh and bronzed gadgets. His fingers are purely mechanical and, since he’s only wearing pants right now, I can see the inked and small pieces of steel covering his abs. But his face is human; full lips, short black hair, and haunting silver eyes.

  “What? Haven’t you seen one before?” East teases with that typical, playful glint in his eyes.

  Shaking my head, I push to my feet. “No. In my world, elephants were just large animals with tusks that were stuck in zoos. And they didn’t have wings.”

  “Zoos?” East leans forward and rests his arms on the counter, his gaze locked on me.

  “It’s a place where they keep animals locked up
so paranormals and humans—well, the ones that can afford to go there—can go look at them,” I explain, tucking the drumstick into the back pocket of my shorts.

  East’s lips sink into a frown, a rare look for him. “That’s a thing?”

  I nod, wandering over to where they’re all standing. “Some paranormal even locked up humans in electric cells. Although, that was more for torturing purposes, but some would pay to watch it happen.” I shrug, remembering the time I spent in the electric cells, the pain and humiliation I felt.

  East eyes me over, and I swear he can see it written all over my face. His lips part, but Asher is the one to speak first.

  “Were you locked up in one of those places?” he inquires with a frown.

  I lift a shoulder. “Does it really matter if I was?”

  East rolls his eyes as he pushes away from the counter. “Little mouse, how many times do we have to tell you that everything about you matters?”

  Now I’m the one to roll my eyes, but that only causes him to smirk.

  Then he cups my face between his hands and holds my gaze. “Don’t roll those pretty eyes at me.” He grins as I give him a dirty look. “You matter to us, and it’s about time you start realizing it.” He skims the pad of his thumb along my cheekbone. “Face it, sweetheart, you’re one of us now.”

  I glance from him, to Arrow, to Asher, half-expecting one of them to chime in and declare that East is full of shit. But Arrow just gives me a confirming smile, and Asher’s eyes radiate intensity.

  “He’s telling the truth,” Asher tells me, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed, but then he steps forward and ambles toward me. “You’re one of us now, little thief, whether you want to be or not.”

  My lips part with a protest, a declaration that he’s not the boss of me and I’ll do what I want, but East talks over me.

  “And while I’m fairly certain those pretty lips of yours”—he traces his finger along my lips—“are about to lie and say that we don’t own you and that you have no desire to be part of our group, we all know that, deep down, you secretly like being kept by us.” His lips quirk with amusement.