by Raye Wagner
‘Hey, does your blood do anything if someone is cut with it?’ I asked Rage as panic crawled through me.
‘What?’
Time seemed to slow as Jakko shifted his stance toward the king.
Holy. Freakin’. Mage.
I knew that stance.
Jakko grabbed the selkie king’s wrist and then raised the blade.
No, no, no…
I lurched forward, crashing into Jakko just as he brought the knife down. The deadly arc’s trajectory changed, and the blade grazed the outside of the king’s leg instead of being buried deep within the femoral artery where he’d been aiming.
The young mage ripped the knife up and whirled on me in anger.
King Ozark’s bellow barely registered as my attention tunneled onto the threat in front of me.
Jakko’s look was feral, his upper lip curled as he snarled at me.
“You never could do the binding spell, could you?” The king’s voice was so sharp it could cut glass.
“No. But I finally had an opportunity to kill you.” He lunged, coming at me since I stood between him and the king.
Without my magic, I was left with only my hand to hand combat skills. I swung my arm up and over my chest, rotating my forearm to add power to the block. My arm hit his as Rage leapt in front of me in a blur and tackled the mage to the ground. My mate slammed his knee into the slender mage and then wrested the knife from the young man’s grip. His face was smooshed into the ground with Rage on his back, and within seconds, Rage had both of the mage’s hands restrained behind him. King Ozark dashed forward and knelt on the ground, but if he meant to help Rage, the selkie king was a fraction too slow. He took the young man’s wrists and called for his guards even though the teenage mage’s body was slack and completely submissive.
The king’s guards were so slow that they only arrived in time to zip-tie the mage’s hands behind his back while another guard tossed some of the magic-dispelling powder in his face to nullify his powers. Jakko coughed and then went into a full-on fit, screaming and bucking against Rage and Ozark until four more guards hauled him up into a standing position.
Ozark smoothed his hair, the veins in his neck bulging.
I’d seen what happened to Chinook for disobeying orders. I didn’t want to consider what was about to happen to this young boy. A very stupid young boy.
“Why?” the king asked, his voice breaking.
Did I detect hurt in his voice?
Jakko glared up at him with hatred in his eyes. “I never asked to be a mage slave. I don’t want this life. I want to be free.”
The king shook his head as if scolding a child. “That’s your mother’s fault, child, not mine. No one else wanted you at the market. If I hadn’t bought you, you would’ve starved. Or she would’ve drowned you.”
The color drained from Jakko’s face.
How old had he been when the king brought him here? A baby?
“I have three potential punishments for you. Given that your mother gave you no choice, I’ll let you pick which consequence you want,” the king said.
Jakko swallowed hard.
“One”—the king held up a finger—“I’ll kill you now.”
Beads of sweat formed on Jakko’s face, and his breathing became rapid and shallow.
“Two”—another finger joined the first—“you find me another mage to take your place and work off your debt for the next two years. One of your seven siblings, perhaps. Someone grateful for a roof overhead and three meals a day, all of which I provide for free. Then, you’ll be released onto the street to see what kind of life your freedom brings.” The king’s voice was a low growl, but under the anger, there was something more.
“Or three, you’ll go into the Hole for thirty days. There, you can think about what you’ve done and come out only when you’re grateful for the clothes I put on your back.”
The king spit the final word, and shame colored Jakko’s cheeks.
But had he thought this assassination attempt through, or was he mad at the world and his circumstances and had taken it out on the king? My guess was the latter. We’d seen that the king could be ruthless, but if he married widows to provide for them and took in unwanted children … he could also be merciful.
The king pulled his sword and pointed it at the mage’s chest. “What will it be, son?”
Son.
I knew it! I suppressed the grin tugging on my lips. The king was trying to teach the mage kid a lesson as a parent would. Tough love. The more I saw of this king, the more I liked him.
“Three, sir. I’ll take the Hole. I’m … sorry.” Jakko’s voice was barely a whisper, and tears glistened in his eyes.
The king nodded, and the guards then hauled Jakko off to the Hole—whatever awful place that was.
When he was gone, the king sighed and faced me and Rage.
“That was unexpected though maybe it shouldn’t have been—given Jakko’s circumstances.” He shook his head then stepped over to me. “I owe you a debt of gratitude. Though I wonder why you didn’t let him kill me and walk away with your freedom.”
I smiled. “I’m hoping our people can be allies in the future, but if you’re dead … that doesn’t make for good allies.”
‘Wow. That was pretty good,’ Rage said. ‘You’re getting a hang of this diplomacy thing.’
The king laughed heartily at my comment, but then his face took on a serious expression. “If you ever need a favor, I’ll not deny it.”
The king crossed one fisted arm over his chest and bowed deeply to me.
I tried to suppress my grin and glanced at Rage. ‘Score, right?’
‘Score indeed, love. That favor could come in handy.’ Rage nodded toward the selkie king. ‘You’ll probably get extra points if you bow in return as befits their culture.’
Oooh. I liked bonus points.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” I said to the king and bowed, mimicking his movements.
The king spun to Rage and clapped him on the back. “And thank you for taking him to the ground. I’m firing my head guard.”
The man who’d come in with the zip-ties stood against the wall with his arms behind his back. The king looked at him, and he paled.
“You heard me,” King Ozark said. “Run along, Mathews. Send me a replacement by end of day. You’ve been demoted to latrine duty until you pull your head out of your backside.”
Aaand … the ruthless king was back.
“Yes, sir.” The selkie darted a glance toward Steele and then bowed and left.
Apparently, the king liked to make his subjects choose their successors as a form of punishment. Ouch.
“What about the binding?” Rage looked at the tipped over bowls of blood.
Glancing up at the ceiling, the king sighed. “I don’t have another mage here, so will you swear to take your uncle off the throne by next year?”
Rage nodded, a feral gleam in his eye. “I will.”
The king extended his hand. “Then I guess we’re going to lead with trust, and I’ll have to take you at your word. If you betray me, I won’t forget it.”
Rage nodded, and the two of them shook hands.
Then, the king clapped twice and three beautiful women in purple shifts and white aprons entered through a side door.
“Yes, My Liege?” They spoke and then bowed in unison.
Creepy.
“Is our food still warm?” Ozark asked.
Still moving in perfect harmony, they smiled. “Yes, sir, in the dining hall.”
“Let’s eat!” He patted his belly and strode away from the mess like he hadn’t almost been assassinated.
‘I kind of like him,’ I told Rage.
‘Me too,’ he agreed and slipped his hand into mine.
We followed King Ozark into a wide hall, and guilt twisted my insides, followed by a rumble of hunger. ‘If we stay and eat, it’ll delay us getting Justice and Noble from your uncle.’
Rage sighed. ‘I know. But
to deny the meal could sour our fragile new alliance. Besides, if we don’t eat, we increase the likelihood of making mistakes with our hunger. My brothers’ll just have to hold on.’
Kill Surlama.
Save Justice and Noble.
Resurrect Honor.
And just over twenty-fourish hours to do it.
Chapter 7
Rage cleared his throat and turned to the selkie king. “The meal was lovely. Thank you.”
Lovely seemed inadequate. I was pregnant with a four-month-old food baby. Warm buttered rolls, fish stew, lobster tails, and honey yams … I could barely breathe.
The king frowned. “That sounds like farewell. Are you leaving so soon?”
Rage shifted in his seat. Pretty sure he didn’t want to offend the king, but we had a list of people to save, and the clock was ticking.
“Sir, like the hive mind you have with your people, my brothers and I have a similar gift. The alpha king is torturing them. I must try to save them … before he kills them.”
The selkie king dropped his fork, and it clattered off his plate onto the white linen cloth. “Why didn’t you say so sooner? Of course, you must go.” He waved his hands as if to shoo us away. “Leave now!”
The knot of tension in my chest released, and relief washed through me. “Thank you, sir.”
We rose from the table, and Rage grabbed my hand. We turned to leave, but after a few steps, Rage stopped and faced the selkie king. “One more question, if I may?”
The king nodded and waved off the servant topping off his wine.
“When will our magic abilities return? The powder you used—”
Understanding dawned in his eyes. “Jakko created it—quite by accident, and we’re still testing it. I’m afraid we don’t know the duration of its effects. It is the best defense my people have against those with magic.”
Anxiety rolled through me, churning my insides and making me nauseated. I probably could’ve done without those last six buttered rolls.
“Of course, there is an antidote. Jakko might struggle with perspective, but he’s quite brilliant. One moment.” He stood and stared at the wall for several seconds, and then a young woman scurried in holding a tray with two pale pink flowers.
Hive mind. That was 1000.6% freaky.
“Thank you, Marsa darling.” He took the flowers from the plate before walking around the table to us and then lowered his voice. “Eat these, and your powers will return within minutes. But a word of warning—Jakko said the hastama blossom gave him a significant headache. It may have the same effect on you, so I suggest you take it before you reach the island.” He glanced to the young woman. “Please pack them some water and dried fruits.” Then he turned back to us. “I wish you nothing but success on your journey.”
Sweet relief! I mean, I wasn’t keen on eating a random flower and getting a headache, but it’d be nice to have my magic back. Also, it didn’t go unnoticed that the king didn’t tell us what was in the powder, but at least we knew the antidote. Mental note: hastama blossom.
We bowed again, and then two male armed guards came to escort us away.
“And give them a speedboat,” the king ordered.
“Thank you!” I waved one final time as we made our way past the smiling and laughing children and back through town.
‘That was interesting,’ Rage told me as the moon shone over the village and people started to pack up and head into their houses, probably to finally sleep.
I nodded. ‘But now, we have an ally, and I have a favor with the selkie king.’
He smiled and then sobered, the smile sliding from his face. ‘How are we going to get my brothers back and kill Surlama with just the two of us?’
I was silent a moment, pursing my lips. ‘I have an idea.’
He looked at me, waiting for me to tell him, but the moment stretched on. ‘Are you going to keep me in suspense?’ he asked.
My idea was so crazy I wasn’t sure I could wrap my head around it yet.
I looked sideways at him. ‘I’ll tell you on the boat.’
He frowned but kept quiet.
Rage sped us out of selkie territory and went south, the silvery moonlight reflecting off the dark water. Once we were out of the cove and on open water, Rage slowed the boat to a crawl and then cut the engine. “Now, tell me your plan.” He stared at me with wide eyes.
“If I go into the spirit plane, I can talk to people in their mind.” It sounded a lot crazier coming out of my mouth. “I think.”
“You think?” He ran his fingers through his hair. “You mean talk telepathically like me and my brothers?”
I nodded. “But I can see whoever I’m talking to. I had a … a dream … er, vision of Kaja, when they first knocked us out with the powder. I called to her, and she heard me … like sat up in bed and stared at me.” Rage’s wide-eyed stare made me nervous, but I pressed on. “I think I can reach Kaja again and ask for help.”
“Holy mage.” Rage blew air through his teeth as he gripped the edges of the boat. “Nai, you’re not trained in the arts of a high mage yet. This could be dangerous.”
He was right, but what other choice did we have? We needed help. My insides twisted, and I took a deep breath.
“Do you have any better ideas?” I asked. He frowned, which I took for a no, and I continued. “If I ask Kaja and her sisters to create a distraction inside, they can lure away the guards—which makes it easier for us, right?”
He pursed his lips, seeming to mull over what I’d said.
“That’s kind of genius,” Rage muttered. “I mean, if the beach is clear, then we could sneak into the castle, no problem.”
I nodded because it would help, but his frown deepened as he stared at me.
“What’s wrong? Why do you look grumpy? Isn’t it a good plan?”
“You’ve never done this before, right? What if you link up with the wrong mind and send the message to the wrong person instead?”
I blanched. “Like the king?”
Rage nodded. “Yeah—or Surlama.”
“Crap.” I swallowed hard, my mind racing. “I think I just need to concentrate.”
We’d eaten our pink flowers just before getting on the boat, and thankfully the king’s predicted crazy headache lasted only a few moments before I felt some of my power return.
The boat rocked gently as the water lapped against the sides.
“I could try…” I shrugged, not knowing what more to offer. Truly, this was my only idea.
“Well, maybe I can help you focus. You know, I’m kind of a big deal.” Rage winked and tugged me closer.
I grinned, leaning into him as the heat of his body pressed against mine. “I thought I was kind of a big deal? Ya know, high crime and all.”
Rage’s gaze hooded. “You’re more than ‘kind of’ a big deal to me.”
I’d been joking, but his sincerity sent butterflies flitting around in my stomach. Reaching out, he stroked his thumb over my bottom lip. “Nai … I’m sorry for rejecting you when I realized we were mates in the garden. When those butterflies descended on you, I…” He looked like he was in pain at the memory. “I’m so sorry for hiding … for not trusting you when you obviously deserved it.”
Guilt twisted his features, and my heart pinched at his confession.
I leaned forward and gave him a lingering kiss. “All is forgiven,” I said with a wave of my hand. “I’ve decided to completely wipe douchebag Rage from my memory.”
“Hey!” He grimaced, grabbing at his heart.
I smirked and leaned forward once more to pull his bottom lip into my mouth. He sucked in a sharp intake of breath and then brought his hands up to cup my cheeks after he pulled me closer to him.
I’d heard from a woman in my pack that once you met your fated mate, there was this pull to be intimate, to be closer and closer each time until you sealed the mate bond. I’d been twelve at the time and had no idea what “sealing” the mate bond meant. Now I did. Now I could feel t
he heat travel down my core, and my body ached to be closer to Rage, to come together as one and share something so special, something no one—
“Aaah.” He pulled away and grabbed his head. I was ripped from my thoughts as my mate fell onto the boat deck in pain.
“What’s wrong?”
He grimaced with pure agony in his gaze. “Justice … he needs us.”
My stomach dropped. “Okay, let’s do this.”
Was it a risk to try this whole mental spirit walk thing on my own? Yes. But it was worth it if it saved Rage’s brothers. They took a shield oath for me, and I’d do everything in my power to protect them in return.
I closed my eyes and thought of my bestie. I remembered how we’d lie in her king-sized bed in Harvest Dorm and chat about random school stuff, how Master Carn was a douche—or which of the Midnight princes was most likely my mate. How was it that those times seemed so calm compared to now?
Exhaling slowly, I lay down on the boat seat and closed my eyes, picturing Kaja’s room.
The ivory crown molding at the top of the pale green walls, silver and cream abstract art from some famous mage painter, the sleek glass-top desk she used for homework—and drawing. The thick shag rug in a light green hue, softer even than our wolf coat. Then I pictured her bed, the canopy closed so that light wouldn’t slice through her room and wake her up. I imagined her asleep, with her red curls spilled across her pillow. It felt so real … like I was there.
I imagined myself sitting on her silk comforter, cross-legged, watching her like a creeper as she slept, her brow furrowing as if she were having a bad dream.
‘Kaja!’ I yelled.
My bestie sat up with a shriek—no signs of sleepiness in her startled expression. She blinked and then shook her head. ‘Nai?’
I grinned. ‘Hey, girl.’
She glanced right and left and then pinched herself. ‘Are you really here?’
‘Yes—no—well, sort of.’ How could I explain? I didn’t know what I was doing—if this was real or all in my imagination but it felt real... Where should I start? So many questions, and I had exactly zero answers. ‘I—' A sharp pain sliced through my head. Maybe there wasn’t time for a lengthy explanation. ‘I need your help.’
