Shadows and Sorcery: A Collection of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels

by Adkins, Heather Marie

  Julie and Ember ran up to them.

  Julie squeezed Aedan’s hand. “We didn’t find any electronic signatures, so no human alarms are on the house. We detected some magical barriers on the front door and front windows. As far as we can tell, the kitchen door is fine. There is a very large magical concentration on the second floor toward the center of the house. My bet is that’s where she is being held.”

  Braden stared at the house. “Are all the windows blocked?”

  Julie pointed to the front porch. “All the ones in the front along the porch are, but the rest seem to be okay.”

  Aedan frowned, “So Kallias is only expecting a frontal attack? That’s stupid.”

  Markos agreed. “I don’t trust him. He’s always one step ahead, so we shouldn’t assume anything. We need to break up in teams. Aedan, you and Julie portal to the roof and try to get into the house by way of the third-floor dormer window. It looks like there might be a skylight up there, so that could also be a way inside.”

  Braden stood. “I’m going in first to take out the two dark mystics.” He didn’t leave any room for debate.

  Markos raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. “Ember, you’re with me. We need to get the old woman to safety if she’s a prisoner or cuff her if she’s working with them. Then, we go after the other dark mystics.”

  Braden stared at them all. “Kallias is mine.”

  * * *

  The room was completely dark when Aria regained consciousness. Without windows in the room, it was impossible to tell what time it was.

  Her whole body was sore, and she was feeling seriously grumpy. She turned her head from side to side, but it was her face that was hurt and throbbing. Aria couldn’t believe that Kallias had punched her and then left her on the floor, crumpled in uncomfortable angles.

  She didn’t want to move, but Aria knew she had to get up and try to escape again. Staying on the floor wasn’t going to help her. Aria stretched her arms and legs, trying to get more feeling in her limbs. Her foot hit something only inches from where she was on the floor.

  She jumped to her knees and reached out with her hands. A body was on the carpet with her. At first, she thought it was Mae, but she immediately felt strong muscles and warm, clammy skin. The person was a male, and he seemed injured. Panic filled her. Please don’t let it be Damian, she thought. She ran to the wall and flipped the switch to the recessed lighting in the ceiling.

  Turning around to the body, she prayed her gut feeling was wrong. Aria stifled a scream and rushed to his side. Damian’s chest had red stickiness covering the front of his long sleeve T-shirt, and she could see a dark stain on the beige carpet under his back.

  Aria fell to her knees and checked his pulse. It was faint but still there. She closed her eyes and thanked the gods. “Damian,” she said quietly, not wanting Kallias to know she was awake yet.

  When he didn’t answer or wake, she pulled his shirt up to look at his wound. Since he was immortal, he would heal, but without magical assistance, he could be in trouble. She gasped at the gaping hole toward the center of his chest. Aria didn’t know how long ago it had happened, but she thought it should have closed some by now.

  Aria ran to the bathroom and grabbed a towel, wetting it before rushing back to Damian. Her hands were shaking as she cleaned the blood away. With the dark stain on the carpet coming from underneath him, she realized she needed to inspect his back and rolled him to his side. The wound there was way worse, and it concerned her.

  “What happened to you, Damian?” Aria asked him, but she knew he couldn’t answer. She began muttering healing spells, but they all fizzles out.

  Running back to the bathroom, she rinsed the towel and hurried to his side. Aria wanted to clean as much blood away as she could. This way, she would be able to tell if he was bleeding too much. If that happened, she would start screaming for Kallias and would do anything for him to help Damian. Aria prayed that didn’t happen.

  After washing as much of him as she could, she ran to the bed and pulled off the thick fluffy comforter. Folding it in half, she rolled Damian on top of it. Aria wanted him to be as comfortable as possible.

  “Isn’t that sweet,” Kallias sneered.

  “How could you do that to your brother?” Aria demanded.

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk. You assume I’m responsible?” Kallias’s smile was chilling.

  “I know you did this! He needs a healer! Please let me use my magic,” Aria pleaded.

  “It won’t help him because I drained his magic. He won’t heal unless I want him to.” Kallias walked closer.

  Aria’s eyes were blazing with hatred. She didn’t think there was anyone she disliked more than him. Deep breaths were the only things keeping her calm and keeping her from reacting. Kallias was just manipulating her again.

  “You can save him,” Kallias began. “All you need to do is agree to be mine and connect our magic together forever. Give yourself over to my complete control.”

  “No!” The word echoed in the room.

  “Then he’ll die.” Kallias stormed to the door, turning to stare at her before leaving. “It will be your fault. Think about that.”

  Aria wanted to scream and scream until she had no voice left, but she needed to hold it together for Damian.

  He was losing color quickly, and his breathing was more shallow. Aria closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Would she have to make a deal with Kallias to save him? Would Kallias actually follow through? He never once kept his word when they were younger, so she knew he wouldn’t now. Could she trick him into thinking she would agree to whatever he wanted and then save Damian anyway? Knowing Kallias, he would expect her to complete her end of the bargain first and then never fulfill his.

  Aria wanted to make Damian as comfortable as possible, so she bent to remove his shoes. Her hand ran along his ankle and she almost yelled with joy. The sexy Enforcer had a hidden portal knife in a slim holster.

  Pulling it out from under his jeans, she began sketching a portal, but it wouldn’t engage. Kallias must have made it so that people and magic could come inside but no one could escape.

  Her eyes began to brim with tears, but she refused to let them fall. Crying was not going to save Damian. Wiping her hands down her face, she tried to calm herself enough to come up with another plan. There had to be something.

  She looked down a Damian’s still body. She couldn’t lose him after just getting him back. She hugged him close and could feel her magic wanting to mingle with his. It always sought his out. Spells wouldn’t work in their prison, but their internal magic couldn’t be stopped. It would always be there to heal their immortal bodies.

  Jumping up, she nearly shouted out loud. That was it! She was going to mix their magic and hopefully provide him with enough to help heal him.

  Aria held him close, matching her breathing with his and focused on their heart beats. They began pulsing as one, and she opened herself to all that was Damian. She called her magic until it swirled inside of her. Once Aria could feel it in every part of herself, she attempted to push some of it into Damian.

  Aria placed both hands on his chest and slowly filled him with her magic. She infused it into every cell of his body, praying it would work.

  His magic was so weak and sluggish. Kallias had drained so much. She forced more of her magic inside of him, waiting for his to reach out to hers. Nothing was happening. No, she cried silently.

  Aria leaned down and kissed Damian’s lips, trying to awaken a sense in him. As she kissed his still lips, she swirled her magic around them both, enveloping them in love and peace.

  She felt his weakened magic begin to mix with her, and she wanted to shout with joy. She stopped the kiss to watch the chest wound start to close. It was slow at first, but then it began to heal more as their magic connected.

  Aria gently rolled him to his side and placed her hand on his back to help close the injury. Soon, the outside was closed and new skin was appearing, but he was still in danger.r />
  Kallias had drained him to the point that many mystics would not survive. This would take him a long time to wake, making escape nearly impossible.

  Aria knew she wasn’t strong enough to carry him out of there. Putting both hands on his face, she touched her forehead to his. Aria closed her eyes to concentrate on their magic. It was swirling together, but it had not bonded.

  Relieved, she could feel his heart beat faster and his breathing even out.

  It was working!

  Dropping her head on his shoulder, Aria wanted to hear his breathing so she could react quickly if he was in trouble. Snuggling next to him for a few minutes, she needed to calm her nerves and the tingling that was rushing over her skin. She hadn’t felt that close to him in years. It almost scared her to feel so much emotion.

  * * *

  Aedan and Julie stepped onto the roof from their portal and closed it quickly. They didn’t want too much magic to alert Kallias. Swinging around to the front of the dormer window, Aedan balanced on the ledge. He motioned for Julie to wait for him to check the room. Aedan had to make sure they would be able to enter unnoticed. He used magic to unlock the window, sliding it up enough for him to climb through.

  The third floor was completely open and seemed to be used mostly for storage. He stuck his head out and called for Julie. “Juls. We’re good. Come on.”

  Julie flipped through the opening like a gymnast and landed lightly on her toes in front of him, grinning widely.

  “Show off,” he mumbled, grabbing her hand to lead her to the stairway.

  “Jealous?” Julie teased.

  “We need to check each room for hostiles so no one can sneak up on us,” Aedan told her. “Stay behind me.”

  “It’s not my first rescue. I got this.” Julie knew he wasn’t trying to be bossy, but his protector side was out with a passion.

  They crept down the steps to the door that they hoped led to the second floor. Just before Aedan turned the handle, they heard voices.

  Julie put her finger to her lips in a sign to keep quiet.

  In the hallway beyond, they heard someone say, “Stabbing people in the back seems to be your signature move Kallias.”

  “And you better watch your mouth or you’ll find yourself in the same position as my brother.”

  “I thought you wanted to keep him alive?”

  “He’s not dead yet.”

  The voices faded from the hallway, and Julie leaned against the door, letting out the breath she had been holding. She turned to Aedan, who looked tense. “Do you think he really stabbed Damian through the back?”

  Aedan swallowed before answering. He wasn’t going to lie to her. “Yes. I think that’s exactly what he did. We need to hurry. If Kallias went through his heart, Damian might not make it.”

  “Would Kallias do that to Aria?” Julie hated to ask, but she couldn’t help herself.

  “Yes.”

  Julie nodded, unwilling to speak, or her composure might slip. She was a warrior and would hold it together for her friends.

  “Let’s go save them.” Aedan pulled her out into the hallway.

  * * *

  Markos and Ember made it to the back door without being seen. Ember’s mist provided the perfect cover. Even if someone was looking outside, they would not see anyone approach. The kitchen appeared to be empty. Kallias must have been a little over confident, thinking no one would find him.

  Ember dropped the mist and whispered an opening spell to unlock the back door. When it clicked open, she moved the pushed slowly into the kitchen. Ember tried to take a step inside the room, but Markos grabbed her waist, twisted around, and deposited her behind him. She wacked him in the back. “That’s not cool,” she whispered heatedly.

  Markos smirked and pushed his way into the room. An old woman was seated on a stool with her head on the counter. She was slumped over, so Markos was not sure if she was alive or not. He motioned for Ember to circle around the island to approach the woman from the opposite side. He wanted to make sure it wasn’t a trap.

  They were on either side of the woman, and she still hadn’t picked up her head. Ember gently placed her hand on the woman’s shoulder, shaking it slightly. The woman lifted her head a couple of inches to look at Ember with glazed eyes.

  Ember’s heart went out to the abused woman. “It’s okay. We’re going to get you out of here. You’re going to be safe.”

  The woman nodded her head a bit but put it back down. Markos gave her back an awkward pat and promised they would be back for her.

  Ember was so angry after seeing the woman that she started to stalk toward the hallway. Markos grabbed her and was in the process of putting her behind him again, but she kicked him in the shin, and he dropped her. “You better stop that right now! If you don’t, Markos, I swear I’ll make you regret it.”

  He chuckled, and she kicked him again. “Damn it, Ember. Knock it off. You need to stay behind me. I’ll go first. You can be mad at me later.”

  They opened the kitchen door and were just about to enter the next room of the house when they heard a huge crash coming from the front. Markos looked over his shoulder at her apprehensively, and then they both took off at a run.

  14

  Aria felt Damian move, so she jumped up and grabbed the water bottle from the dresser. She was shocked that Kallias had left it there. Hurrying back, she wanted to be next to him when he regained consciousness.

  Damian moaned as his eyes slowly opened. He should have been better prepared for his brother. Part of him still hadn’t believed that Kallias was alive. Damian had been so concerned about finding Aria on the floor that he’d dropped his guard and was taken by surprise. It was a mistake he would never make again. It was a mistake that could have cost both of them their lives.

  Closing his eyes again, he took inventory of his body and situation. He had been injured, and his body was still healing it. He could feel his magic surging, but it seemed different. There was something about his magic. He could feel Aria. He could feel her magic rushing through him!

  He was lying on something soft and felt Aria next to him, so he figured the danger was minimal at the moment. Damian tried to speak, but his tongue was sticking to the roof of his mouth. He cleared his throat and was surprised to find a plastic bottle close to his lips. Aria’s gentle hand was under his head, lifting it so he could take a sip.

  Damian leaned up on his elbows and struggled to a seated position. His entire core hurt. Taking the bottle from her, he drank greedily. After finishing nearly the whole bottle, he handed it back to her. “Thank you.”

  He couldn’t take his eyes away from her. Damian had been frantic without her, and now, even though they were in a mess, he was content. He would rather be captured with Aria than free without her.

  “I was lost without you,” Damian told her, staring into her eyes. “When I saw that portal close, and I couldn’t get to you, I wanted to tear the world apart.”

  “I’m sorry. I had no idea Quintus was a traitor until that moment. And when he told me he wanted to take me to Kallias, I had to go. It was a chance to find him,” Aria replied, squeezing his hand.

  Damian narrowed his eyes at her. “That was a foolish and dangerous thing to do. They could have killed you!” His hands were shaking. “I could have lost you. Aria, I could have lost you forever this time.”

  “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” Aria hadn’t thought about anything but finding Kallias and ending him. She hadn’t taken her safety or Damian into consideration. “I won’t ever rush off like that again. We are a team.”

  Damian lifted a hand to touch her face but it felt like pushing through glue to move it. He was still weak. “We are a team, and we need to stick together.”

  Aria grabbed his palm and brought it to her cheek. “Yes.” She leaned into his touch then became serious again. “When I find Quintus again, he’s going to be hurting for weeks.”

  Damian wanted to take her into his arms, but he was still a little to
o weak. “He’s dead. He can’t hurt anyone anymore.”

  Aria shuddered. She couldn’t believe that Quintus was a traitor. She was revolted to even think she had considered dating him.

  He looked down at his chest, noticing that his wound was closed. “You gave me some of your magic, didn’t you? I can feel you inside of me. It’s almost like we bonded. But we haven’t. You saved me.”

  Her eyes became watery. “I had to. You wouldn’t have made it if I didn’t fill you with my magic.”

  Damian pulled her closer to him. “I want our magic to bond, Aria. I want forever with you.”

  Aria felt a tear slip free, but she wiped it away. “I do too.” She squeezed him. “You really worried me!”

  Damian’s expression softened. “I’m so sorry. I rushed in here, saw you crumpled on the floor, and I wasn’t paying attention to anything else. Kallias snuck up on me.”

  “He drained some of your magic. He told me you wouldn’t make it without his help.” Her voice cracked.

  “He wanted you to make a deal.” Damian knew without a doubt that Kallias would have used him to make her do whatever his brother wanted.

  “Yes.” She paused. “I thought about it, but I knew he would never follow through.”

  “No. He wouldn’t have.” Damian pushed himself off the floor to stand. He wobbled on his feet.

  Aria rushed to his side to help him, but he waved her off.

  “You aren’t fully healed. You need to rest,” Aria admonished.

  “We don’t have time for that. Let’s get out of here.” He stumbled over to the door, but Aria beat him to it.

  “Kallias must have had someone fix the door. I had pulled the knob off trying to get away.” Aria cringed thinking about that escape attempt. “He had an invisible barrier around the room.”

  Damian breathed out in a rush. “That’s why I couldn’t connect with you. I felt a block, but I couldn’t break through.”

  Aria crinkled her forehead. “How did you get into this room?”