Enlightened by Magic: A Gargoyle Shifter Paranormal Romance (Guardians of Magic Book 2)

by Elena Gray

  The ground beneath us trembled, and I smiled. I drew upon my earth element, allowing its rhythm to sync with that of my heart. My skin prickled in response. The energy between us was alive and tangible. It filled me with hope that we could do anything as long as we were together. Katarina was our greatest treasure, and because of her, we were a solidified unit capable of so many things. Could my brothers sense the same thing I did?

  As a breeze turned the sweat on my brow cold, darkness called me again, whispering a desirable promise of power. It pulled at my soul twice as hard as the light in Kat. The harder I refused it, the more its icy fingers grasped for me. It felt as though talons had ripped into my flesh.

  “Jax?” Kat’s voice weaved through the tendrils that were dragging me under. I held on to the sound, allowing it to soothe the demons in my mind. I could do this. I could hold on a little longer and give us the advantage we needed to find Slade.

  The air around us shifted once gravity took hold. It felt as though something was draining my energy. I growled at the sensation, refusing to allow myself to sink below the surface of my sanity. I had to be strong. Kat depended on me. I needed to battle this evil energy holding me in its grasp.

  “It’s working.” Samara’s voice cut through the fog inside my head. “The barrier is glitching. Whatever you guys are doing, keep it up.”

  Her words inspired me to fight harder. So did the influx of compassion I sensed in Kat. She squeezed my hand. She moved closer to me, and the warmth of her breath heated my chest.

  Something popped and sizzled in the distance.

  “You did it!” Samara shouted as the sound of clapping followed.

  The intense pressure in my chest hadn’t lightened when Roark released my hand. I couldn’t open my eyes to see if the barrier was gone. Something kept me pulled under.

  “Jax?” Kat called my name again. “Jax, answer me. Open your eyes.”

  As much as I wanted to obey her command, my body wouldn’t cooperate. I tried to speak, to let her know that I couldn’t unloosen the frigid lasso attached to my soul, dragging it down to the pits of darkness and despair.

  “Brother,” Quinn’s voice echoed in my head as his hand met my shoulder.

  “Jax, you’re stronger than this,” Roark added. He gripped my other shoulder as both tried to coax me back. I wanted to do what they asked, but they didn’t understand what kind of spell had overtaken me.

  “Katarina, help him,” Samara begged.

  Warm hands curled around my face as the sweet scent of Kat’s skin filled my nose. “Jax. Please, come back to me.”

  My soul shook at the sound of her voice.

  “Please, Jax. Think about us. Our journey has just begun.”

  Could she see me nodding? It felt as though I were, but I couldn’t be sure. Nothing in my head felt right.

  “You can fight this.” Kat’s voice grew louder then I felt her lips brush my ear. “Don’t leave me, Jax, not after everything we’ve shared. Come back to me, where you belong.”

  Every thought in my head went haywire the instant her lips met mine. Despite my seeming lack of enthusiasm, she didn’t pull away. Her breasts pressed against my chest, and even through her shirt, I could feel her nipples.

  The memories of our day at the beach played in my head, like the moment I told her there were no boundaries between us. Her smile did a number on my heart.

  My body twitched. I couldn’t let the darkness take me away, not after I’d found Kat, not after she gave herself to me. I treasured every delicate touch and kiss we shared that day and every day after. No way in hell was I giving her up without a fight.

  Focusing all of my energy on our bond, my soul woke from the shadows holding it back and sprung forward. It felt as though I were racing down a dark, dim hallway that twisted from side to side. I didn’t look back but allowed my mind’s eye to guide me in the right direction. Then I saw a shimmering light in the distance.

  As I mustered every ounce of strength within me, I catapulted my soul from the bleakness and launched myself toward the light. At the same time, Kat’s lips fused with mine again, her tongue slipping inside my mouth.

  My body responded. Whatever had me frozen in place, unable to move a muscle, had evacuated my system. All that was left was the need she stoked with each sweep of her lips.

  I gripped her waist, pulling her body into mine and rolling my tongue with hers. It was only a second later that I heard groans of disapproval.

  “Save that shit for another time,” Quinn grumbled.

  “Yeah,” Roark chimed in. “We have places to go and asses to kick. Make out later.”

  A few more sweeps from her lips had my body zinging. It all came to a halt as the heat of her mouth left mine. “Open your eyes, Jax. I need to see that you’re okay.”

  Blinking a couple of times, I glanced at the ground and drew in a deep breath. When I lifted my gaze and stared into Kat’s brown eyes, they spoke to my soul. She was mine.

  “There you are.” She threw herself in my arms and hugged me. “I thought I was going to lose you.”

  I squeezed her tighter and lowered my mouth to her ear. “You’re never going to lose me, Kat. I am yours as long as you want me.”

  “I’m always going to want you, Jax.” She eased away and gazed at me. “You’re mine, now and forever.”

  “Oh my goddess.” Samara floated over to us and waited until we looked at her to point toward the mansion. “You guys did it. The barrier is down.”

  The news was just what I needed to hear. I held Katarina in my arms and looked at Quinn and Roark. “What the hell are we waiting for? Let’s go get our brother.”

  Chapter 16

  ~Katarina~

  Nicholai kept us hidden in the shadows just at the edge of the forest. I told him he didn’t have to come. I didn’t want him to get in trouble for disobeying my uncle’s orders, but he insisted. He’d said his first duty was to protect me and he couldn’t do that if he stayed behind.

  I hated that Zander wasn’t here. Not just so we’d have another person on our side, but because he deserved to be here. He’d been involved with the search for Rose and Natasha since the beginning.

  Worry churned in my gut. No one had heard from Zander since he went in search of the shifters that lived outside the main pack. I prayed it wasn’t because something had happened to him. I’d made a promise to Samara that we would look for him when we were finished here.

  Now that the ward was down, we could finally see where Slade and the others were being held captive. I expected to find something straight out of a horror movie, not well-manicured lawns, gardens overflowing with flowers, and a stone patio with glass tables and cushioned chairs. There was even an Olympic sized pool.

  Whoever owned this mansion was loaded. Uncle Mathias’s theory was that this place could be connected with the society of dark mages. If that were true, did they practice dark magic around the pool while drinking beers? Did they play poker on Friday nights and smoke cigars? It all seemed so normal...on the outside.

  From what I could see, a few lights illuminated some of the rooms on the lower floor. I didn’t see any movement behind the glass. I hoped there wasn’t an army hiding inside, waiting for us. What if we had triggered an alarm when we’d torn down the ward?

  I gripped Roark’s and Quinn’s hands and squeezed. I hoped they didn’t feel how clammy my palms were. Shit was about to get real, and I was nervous as hell. We only had one chance to get the prisoners out, and the scales were tipped against us now that my uncle was gone.

  “So, what are the odds that we get in and out without anyone seeing us?” I whispered.

  “Well, love,” Quinn said, “that will depend on how many guards are inside. I’m hoping not a lot. They’ve probably gone undetected here for centuries. So why would they think someone would find them now?”

  The band of anxiety around my chest loosened a fraction. “I like your logic. Let’s go with that.”

  Quinn chuckled, th
en grabbed me and kissed me hard and fast. When he pulled away, he shifted from lover to fighter in a flash. Scanning the group, he said, “Stick close. If shit goes sideways, Nicholai or Katarina can portal us out.”

  Since we were all amped up, I didn’t want to dampen the mood by bringing up the fact that someone could put the ward back up and lock us in.

  “Katarina, do you feel Slade’s soul through your bond?” Nicholai asked.

  I smiled and nodded. The shimmer of his soul was on the other side of our tether. I focused on my reaper tracker, just like Nicholai had taught me. Our tattoos would normally draw us to him, but for some reason, we couldn’t track him that way. Right now, my reaper skills were the only option we had.

  Any doubts I had about my abilities were locked away. My only focus was getting to Slade. With Quinn and Roark glued to my side and the rest close behind, we jogged across the yard. The only sounds were our soft footfalls and the symphony of the forest around us.

  When we reached a door at garden level, Nicholai stepped around me. Shadows surrounded him until he vanished through the door. A moment later, the lock clicked. Nicholai pulled the door open and motioned us forward.

  Once we were inside, Nicholai cloaked us again. We stood in what appeared to be a lounge. There was a fireplace with two leather chairs on either side. Two sofas faced each other across from a cherry coffee table. A fully stocked bar took up the entire wall on the other side of the room. A chill zipped up my spine. Was this where the dark mages sat, plotting their kidnappings?

  “There is a door to the right that leads to the lower level,” Nicholai whispered.

  Samara nodded and moved toward the door. Now it was her turn to take the lead. I stepped up behind her just as she floated through the door. I jumped when just her head popped back through a moment later.

  Samara smirked and winked at me. “All clear.”

  If she were flesh and blood, I would have kicked her ass for scaring me. Instead, I took a calming breath, opened the door, and followed Samara down the stairs.

  When we reached the bottom, there was a hallway point that branched off in three directions. I pointed to the left and Samara went ahead. I glanced over my shoulder. Draven and Nicholai both had their eyes glued to Samara and both looked ready to bolt after her. Interesting. Samara had a better chance at a relationship with Nicholai than she did with Zander or Draven now. Nicholai could at least touch her.

  It seemed like an eternity before Samara finally returned. She was motioning frantically to us. My heart slammed against my chest. Had she found them?

  Quinn must have had the same thought, because our bond thrummed with excitement as he grabbed my hand and hurried toward Samara. Once we all surrounded her, I saw the tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “I found Slade,” she said. “The cells are around the corner. It’s unguarded right now. We have to hurry.”

  “What about the others?” I asked.

  “I didn’t go any farther. I wanted to grab you first.”

  I should have been running to Slade. This was what I’d been waiting for. Yet my feet were cemented to the ground and my stomach was in knots.

  Quinn tugged me to his side and pressed his lips to my temple. “He’s not going to reject you, love. I know my brother and I’ve felt his emotions through our bond. He cares a great deal for you.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. I was being completely selfish right now. This wasn’t about me and my feelings. This was about Slade and the girls.

  Stepping out of Quinn’s embrace, I let the essence of Slade’s soul guide me. When I turned the corner, I sucked in a breath, then quickly covered my nose. The tang of blood hung thick in the air, along with sweat and some other smells that made me gag.

  While the rest of the house was modern and inviting, this looked like a medieval dungeon. Cells with iron bars lined both sides of the hall. Thick metal chains with cuffs hung from hooks in between each cell. The concrete beneath my feet was stained with brown and red splotches. My stomach flipped because I knew some of that blood was Slade’s.

  I crept toward the cell where Slade’s tether ended. I dropped my hand from my face and peered into the darkened interior. Quinn lifted his hand and a flaming orb appeared, shedding some light in the room.

  Slade faced the wall, his hands pressed to the concrete, his head bent between his arms. As if sensing my presence, he slowly lifted his head.

  When he finally turned, all the air was vacuumed from my lungs.

  “Angel?” Slade asked.

  Roark gripped my waist before my legs gave out. Slade’s tether trembled with confusion and then hope. He dragged his hand through his hair, pushing it away from his face. Droplets of water splashed on the floor as if he’d just dunked his head in a bucket of water. His beard was a little longer since the last time I’d seen his face.

  I didn’t even realize that Draven had stepped forward and was saying a spell to release the lock. All that mattered was the man standing in front of me, and the violet eyes I’d longed to see in person.

  The door swung open with a groan, then Slade was standing in front of me. His eyes searched mine. “How is this possible?”

  His hands lifted until his fingers pressed against my temples, sliding down until they cupped my cheeks. Without another word, he pulled me into his arms and pressed his face into my hair. I held onto him and sobbed against his chest.

  I don’t know how long we stood like that before reality slammed back into me. Reluctantly, I released his shirt and leaned back. “I’m so sorry.”

  His thumbs feathered over my cheeks as he brushed my tears away. “Whatever could you have to be sorry for, angel? You saved me. Not just today, but that first night you came to me.”

  I glanced over his shoulder at Samara, who had been hanging back. Her fist was pressed to her mouth as she watched our reunion. Nicholai rubbed circles on her back, while Draven whispered soothing words.

  Slade followed my gaze. When he found Samara’s transparent form, a gurgle erupted from his throat. He released me, his arms hanging limp at his sides. “No.”

  Samara closed the distance between them, her arms open as she tried to embrace him, only to pass right through.

  Slade shivered from the contact, then spun to face her. “What happened? I thought you were okay. Our bond was gone, but then it was back. The same with our tattoo.”

  Samara shook her head. “It wasn’t me. I died that night, Slade. I thought you did, too. The bond you feel is with Katarina. She has my magic inside her. I gave it to her before I died.”

  Slade dropped his head into his hands. “No, no, no. This isn’t right. You can’t be dead. I failed you, Samara.”

  I had no idea if Slade would welcome my touch, but I couldn’t stand by and watch him hurting. The pain through our bond was like a knife in my heart, twisting and turning.

  When I touched his arm, Slade glanced up, his eyes meeting mine. “So, you’re my ward now? We’re bonded?”

  I nodded and pressed my lips together as I waited for the rejection to come. When muscular arms wrapped around me, my eyes snapped open and I tipped my head back. Warm violet eyes were locked on me.

  “I feel your emotions, angel,” Slade said. “Doubt, fear, shame. Now tell me, do you feel my emotions?”

  Love, acceptance, and forgiveness flooded me along with my own relief. My soul felt ready to burst. I could feel our bond growing stronger as each second ticked by.

  “My death wasn’t your fault, Slade,” Samara said. “If anyone is to blame it’s me. We can argue over who’s sorrier later. Where are Rose and Natasha? The other cells here are empty.”

  Slade shifted me in his arms and I felt his muscles bunch under my palms. “The guards just took them. I tried to stall them to buy more time until you got here, but for once they completely ignored me. There was nothing I could say to stop them.”

  Samara returned to Nicholai’s side. “You and I are the only ones that can get around unseen. Let’
s check the rest of the basement for other prisoners.”

  “I’m coming with you,” Draven said. “I lost you once, I won’t lose you again.”

  Samara’s lip trembled, and her eyes filled with love for the mage in front of her. She whirled around, wiggling her fingers for Draven to follow. “Nicholai can conceal you.”

  Once they were gone, Jax, Roark, and Quinn took turns embracing Slade. There were a lot of back slaps and I heard Slade grunt a few times. Sensing his discomfort, Roark turned Slade and lifted his shirt. Slashes and burns covered his back.

  I gasped as I covered my mouth. He must have been in agony. Thankfully, the wounds were already healing due to our bond. He was even standing taller than he had a few moments ago.

  “I’ll fucking kill them,” Roark roared.

  “Shhh,” I warned Roark as I glanced around, praying that the guards hadn’t heard him. “We can kill them when my uncle gets here. Then they’ll have a one-way ticket to Tartarus.”

  Roark’s hand shook as he gently lowered Slade’s shirt. “I’m sorry it took so long for us to find you brother. There was a powerful ward on this place. It’s hidden between the faerie realm and the Paltin Sea.”

  Slade swore under his breath as he grasped Roark’s arm. “There is nothing to forgive. I’ve experienced firsthand what this mage can do, and it’s a power unlike any I have seen before. It’s best if we gather the others and leave now.”

  As if he’d just realized something, Slade’s head snapped toward me and narrowed his eyes. “Wait. What is this about your uncle and Tartarus?”

  “My uncle is Mathias Shade.”

  “Your uncle is Mathias? How? Is he here now?”

  “No. Hades called him away. He said it was urgent. After I talked to you, we knew we couldn’t wait. The rest I can explain later.”

  Footsteps sounded down the hall. My guardians surrounded me, blocking me from whoever was approaching. I felt the crack of energy as they called to their elements.