Caged Magic: Paranormal Romance Book (Iron Serpent Chronicles 1)

by Sadie Jacks

  I felt my heart stop and my blood freeze. The last time they had been displeased with me…it had taken me nearly four months to recover physically. I still wasn’t sure I was recovered emotionally or psychologically all these long years later.

  “He’ll be healed, and they will be forever in your debt, Mother. I promise.”

  “I expect nothing but glowing reports by the end of the eleventh day, Kiema. Anything goes wrong…” she left the threat unfinished.

  She hung up before I could say anything else.

  It was times like this that my status in the lives of my parents washed over me. I was pampered, coddled even—at least materialistically—as long as I presented the picture they wanted. It wouldn’t do for their Golden Goose—my mother’s term for me—to look like a beggar.

  Love and attention were not within their capacities, not for me anyways.

  And if I failed to meet their expectations or keep up my end of whatever sordid bargain they’d struck with the Seeker families: severe and utter devastation. Animals were treated with more respect than I received during those times.

  The doorbell rang precisely at eight the next morning, pulling me from my thoughts.

  I was already waiting by the door. I was all packed and ready to end this travesty of a life.

  I turned to survey my apartment. Cold, sterile, and provided by my parents, I wouldn’t miss any part of it. Even if I get stuck living on the streets, it will be better than this gilded cage.

  “Here’s my last fuck you,” I whispered to the room. I raised my middle finger to the bland prison. I didn’t bother to hide the gesture from the camera up in the corner of the ceiling.

  I turned as the door opened behind me. My favorite human stood just inside the door. He always reminded me of a short Santa Claus. His cheeks were rosier than usual today. He leaned forward to grab my bags.

  “Thank you, Kemper. I’ve got my bags.”

  I couldn’t have anyone else touching them. I’d repacked four times last night trying to get everything I would need for my new life smashed into two small suitcases.

  The extra days allotted for the ritual allowed me to bring a second bag. Thank Gaia for small favors. I slid my smallest bag over the handle of one of the suitcases and turned, pulling all three bags behind me.

  “Of course, Ms. Kiema.” The driver set off in front of me.

  The door shut and automatically locked behind me. But this time, the sound didn’t crush my soul the way it usually did. This time the slam sounded like the jail’s doors had been blown off. A smile pulled at the corner of my mouth.

  “You seem more excited than usual, Ms. Kiema,” Kemper said once we were in the car, both of us getting settled in for the four-hour drive to the cabin.

  Shit, shit, shit. I couldn’t afford to get lazy this close to the end. I rallied my thoughts. “Just excited to see the sun for more than a couple hours, Kemper.”

  The aging driver nodded. “Today’s a good day for it, too. It’s not right. How your parents keep you locked away in your office or apartment.” He shook his head. He was developing a bald patch in the middle of his pure white hair.

  My heart tugged as I looked at the old man. The closest thing I’d ever had to a friend or confidant, Kemper helped fill the void of isolation.

  But I can never forget that his allegiance lay with my parents.

  “It’s not so bad,” I said, the same as I always did when he made the statements about my captivity. I don’t even feel the need to vomit as I say the words anymore.

  He harrumphed and shook his head. “Music?”

  “Yes, please. Classical.” I leaned my head back against the seat as the first strains of one of my favorite pieces filled the small space of the car.

  Closing my eyes, I went over the plans I’d received last night. I was still a little leery of talking to a virtual stranger on the dark web, but everything else had gone well up to this point. And honestly the plans seemed fine. All except for the last couple of steps. Those I would need to see to believe. I was literally putting my life into a stranger’s hands.

  I almost laughed. That’s exactly what my Seekers had to do if they wanted to be healed. To start fresh in a life they wanted. That I was required to do the same was fitting, somehow. I would get to be just like everyone else.

  For the first time in my life.

  Normal.

  **

  The long drive passed by in a flash. I stretched in my seat as Kemper steered the car through the patrolled entrance to the cabin.

  Such a small word for the grandiosity of the home at the base of the mountains. With two stories and housing just over ten bedrooms and the same number of bathrooms, the cabin was big enough to accommodate a small community within its walls.

  Cleared through for entry, I gathered my things and slid my sunglasses over my nose as the car rocked to a gentle stop.

  Pushing the door open, I rose from the car and inhaled deeply. Raising my face to the warm afternoon sun, I felt the low hum of the magic of nature slide through my body.

  Living in a concrete and glass prison stifled most of my magic. It’s one of the biggest reasons why the rituals happened out here. The scents of nature filled my nose and the pure air of the mountains filled my lungs.

  “There’s the Kiema I’ve been waiting to see. I’ve missed you,” Kemper said from behind me.

  I turned with a smile and bent to retrieve my bags from the trunk. “I’ve been waiting for the ritual. I feel like it took Mother and Father almost twice as long to set it up.”

  I’d begun to worry about it, actually. The plans depended on my being able to leave Feuer Tower. And that only happened once a year. The ritual.

  “It did seem to take longer, but I hear there was quite the list of applicants this cycle. Just be glad your parents love you so much to only give you one per cycle.”

  I cursed my inability to lean down and kiss Kemper’s rosy cheek. Of my entire life, I would miss him most. I barely noticed the old ache that tightened my chest.

  “They do make sure I’ll be around for a long time to come, Kemper. Have no fear of that.”

  He smiled at me, unaware of how my words could be taken. I wasn’t going to be the one to enlighten the nice man about the monsters who employed him.

  I took my bags up to the cabin. No one was allowed inside except me, my Seeker, and any mutually agreed upon third parties. When I turned back around at the front door, Kemper and the car had already gone.

  Once again, I was glad my younger self had seen the light so clearly. It had probably been when I was twelve or thirteen that I’d seen the proverbial writing on the wall of what my parents were doing. What they had made of my life.

  With a shrug, I headed into the massive home. Turning right just beyond the entryway, I stopped at a set of double doors. The keypad showed a steady red light.

  I entered my code. The one place in my life where I got to decide when I was locked behind doors. The one place I could choose when to lock those doors.

  I pushed open the right side door. A small seating area was just beyond the doors. Straight ahead was my master suite with an attached bathroom just to the right of the doors.

  Done in brilliant blues and creams, it was the only place in the world that reflected my personal style. I’d demanded the funds to decorate the cabin in whatever way I saw fit to conduct the ritual. I loved this stupid set of three rooms more than I should.

  The usual mix of emotions erupted in my chest as I stepped through the doorway and into my suite of rooms. The glorious feelings of freedom and anticipation rose and sparked like lightning.

  And right on schedule, the freezing rain of fear smothered out my lightning. What if something happened? What if I was stuck in this awful life forever?

  Anger rose like a fire. My parents were evil monsters who didn’t even recognize me as human. Let alone their daughter. I wouldn’t feel bad about protecting myself. No one else was going to take up the job.


  Guilt and shame dragged me down like the tide. I had more than many others. There was nothing in my life, at least materially, that my parents wouldn’t give me if I asked.

  Falling face first onto the bed big enough to hold four adults comfortably, I allowed myself to shed some tears. This inner cleansing had become part of my ritual, too. I remained on the bed until the patrol at the grounds’ entrance let me know that Ransom had arrived.

  “Allow entry. Inform him of the rules of the cabin, please.” I cut off whatever response might be made by hitting the mute button. That would be the last time I talked to anyone other than Ransom until we both left.

  I pushed off the bed and made my way to the bathroom. Taking a quick shower, I let the hot water erase any lingering sign of my tears.

  **

  I walked out into the main living room just as Ransom was heading into his own room.

  “Get your stuff put away, then come back out here. We’ve got some stuff to discuss,” I called after him.

  “You’re the boss,” he said over his shoulder.

  “Damn right I am.” I walked into the kitchen area.

  Set up like a huge wheel, the living room, dining room, and kitchen acted as the center. Each hallway made up the spokes. All of the hallways had mini suites for guests. The pool, exercise room, game room, theater room and library were sprinkled throughout the different hallways.

  A fireplace stood silent sentry in the middle of the back wall. A wall of windows and a clear glass door to the left of the fireplace invited a person to enjoy nature on the sprawling back deck. The intricately carved balustrade of the stairs to the second level on the right directed the eye to the double height ceiling of the living room.

  I needed to remember to give Ransom a tour before we got too far along in the process of the ritual. From experience, I knew we were going to want some time away from each other during this process.

  He stalked back out of his suite, his footsteps a harsh staccato against the hardwood floors. I winced. Apparently, the patrol guys hadn’t told him to take his shoes off in the house.

  I glared at his feet, and looking up into his dark blue eyes, told him the rules…again

  He raised a hand after a couple words.

  My voice trailed off.

  “You don’t need to repeat everything the guards outside said. I heard it the first time. I’m still not going to play by your rules.” He shot me a smug grin.

  I crossed my arms as I snorted. “You’ll play by my rules, or you’ll go home and forfeit whatever it was you put up for application processing.” I felt my belly curdle at the idea of going home to Mother and Father with a broken ritual contract.

  The voice of my contact slid through my mind. “I can give you my personal promise of safety.” I stiffened my spine. Ransom could choose what he wanted. I would be gone and free.

  Ransom’s face closed down.

  I rocked back on my heels. I’d stood up to the worst this world had to offer. Ransom Kolefni would not be the one to cow me into breaking my own rules.

  Chapter 4 – Ransom

  And somehow her father thought she was nothing but a puppet. I mirrored her stance as I studied the woman who held my future in her petite hands.

  Without her high heels, she was average height, average build, a little curvier than I preferred my women, but, fuck, were all her curves were in the right places. Her skin, its honey brown tone at odds with the seemingly almost new-baby surface, had my fingers itching to trace it. Jet black hair and almost silver-gray eyes completed the picture.

  There wasn’t too much resemblance between her and her parents, though. Other than height and mother’s and daughter’s hair color, there wasn’t too much that had been passed down from the older generation. All for the better, in my opinion.

  She made a noise deep in her throat, pulling my attention back to her face.

  We’ll see who is playing by whose rules, sweetheart.

  She opened her mouth.

  I held up a hand. “You can save your breath, Kiema. Your man down at the patrol desk gave me the lay of the land. But here’s the thing: You can’t afford to send me home without healing me.”

  Her nose wrinkled. “And why do you think that is?”

  “Because if I’m not healed by the end of these ten days, then your parents lose out on quite a bounty.”

  She snorted, the sound almost dainty and ladylike. “What makes you think I care about that?”

  Was she stupid? “One, because without them, you have nothing. Two, your whole world revolves around their whims. I saw that fortress you live in. Must be nice having the world at your fingertips. And three, not that it matters, but I’m sure you love your parents and don’t want to see anything bad happen to them.”

  Her lovely face went stony for a couple moments. If I looked hard enough, I could probably see steam billowing from her ears. It was nice being right in my assessment of my opponent.

  Score another one for turning Father’s abandonment to my advantage.

  “Fine. Most of the rules can go. Except for two of them.” She stopped talking, raised an eyebrow.

  “I’m open to listening to these rules. I’ll tell you if they will or won’t work.”

  She glared at me.

  I bit back the smile that wanted to tug at my mouth.

  “One, you really do have to tell me everything about you. Full medical, magical, and family history. I need to know if anything slipped by the pre-screen. There really are things I can’t heal.”

  “I can agree to that. Next.”

  “Two, don’t touch me. Ever. You touch me without my consent, this is done. Over. And you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”

  “What could be the possible legitimate reason for that rule?” Being told I couldn’t touch her skin had me gritting my teeth and my fingers clenching into fists.

  Kiema stared at me, head cocked to one side.

  I waited.

  She tipped her head to the other side. She looked like she was searching for something. “You really don’t know, do you?”

  I sighed. “Know what, princess?” I hated playing games.

  Her nose wrinkled at the pet name. Her expression cleared quickly. “How my magic works. What will actually happen while we’re stuck here for ten days together.”

  “I bare my soul to you, you decide if you want to heal more or not, which in this case you do heal me, then wham, bam, done and done.”

  She laughed, low and throaty. It pulled at my belly, tightened my groin. Such a sexual sound shouldn’t come from someone so uptight I couldn’t even touch her skin.

  “Not quite, Seeker.” She grabbed her hair up near the top of her head, wrapped it in one of those ties women, especially my sisters, seemed to have in unlimited supply. It sat like a messy flower sprouting from her skull.

  “Explain it to me then.”

  She turned and walked to the kitchen.

  I followed after her, a little bemused. Women don’t walk away from me, not until I’m ready for them to, anyways.

  Kiema got a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water. Not taking a drink, she turned and leaned her hips against the counter. She met my gaze head on.

  “Once our skin makes contact, my spirit will merge with yours. I won’t have a choice. And once I’m merged with your spirit, I will be compelled to heal you.”

  She raised a finger in the air as I opened my mouth.

  I glared at her.

  She returned my smug smile.

  Touché.

  “And that’s if I can figure out what is wrong. If I can’t figure out what’s wrong, you don’t get healed. Or I could send magic to areas that aren’t actually in dysfunction and end up making your illness worse or make you sick with something else.”

  She made air quotes. “The ‘baring your soul’ portion of this ritual helps me find what parts of you are actually in need of healing. No one will know you more intimately than me. That’s why you can’t touc
h me. I do the touching. Only. Ever.”

  What the fuck?

  Kiema toasted me with her water glass. Tipping it back, she drained it all in one go.

  “What the fuck?” I yelled. “No one fucking told me that you would have to go deep diving in my brain, emotions, and soul for this to fucking work!” I grabbed my hair with my hands, pulling it hard enough to sting my scalp.

  She quirked an eyebrow. “Now you understand why you’re not able to talk about the ritual with anyone. Not your best friends, not your lovers, not your dog. Not your diary. No one.” She ran herself another glass of water.

  “What happens to you?” I asked her.

  Water splashed as her hand shook for a second. Cupping the glass with both hands, she turned back around to look at me. Her eyes were a little darker. “Don’t worry about that. It doesn’t concern you, and won’t impact my ability to heal you. As long as it’s something I can heal.”

  “Why won’t you tell me?”

  “Because this doesn’t work that way. You don’t like it, there’s the door. We haven’t started. You’re free to leave with full forfeiture.”

  I tipped my head back and let loose the scream that had been building all fucking day. I’d been made to believe this was going to be easy. A little here’s my history, here’s my cock, thanks for the healing, see you never, kind of thing. Not go tripping down memory lane with a complete stranger I didn’t even really like in the hopes that she would be able to find that something special she needed in order to heal me.

  I turned back to her. “Have you ever failed to heal someone?”

  “Yes. His…illness…was added to my no-go list. But he’s the only one in the twenty-five years I’ve been doing this.”

  That’s something, at least.

  The very fucking least!

  “Why did your parents negotiate for ten days?” Kiema asked me, interrupting my line of thought.

  “Because we didn’t want to take the chance that this wouldn’t work.” I studied her once more.