“I suddenly felt you, and I knew a portal to you would work,” Damian explained.
“That must have been right before he knocked me out. He must have dropped the shield around the room to enter it.” Aria felt her face and was happy the swelling was gone. If Damian had seen it, he would have flipped out.
Damian watched her touch her face. “How bad was it?”
“Aria crinkled her forehead. “How bad was what?”
“Aria. You said he knocked you out. Did he hit you?” Damian was looking at her face closely, trying to find bruising marks.
“It’s okay now.”
Damian grimaced when she reminded him of how he had found her broken on the carpet. “I’m going to kill him for hurting you.”
Aria wanted to change the subject. “I don’t have my knife anymore, but I’ve got your portal blade.”
Damian blew out a breath. “It’s something. Let’s find a way out of this room.
She made a move to take the knob off the door, but he stopped her.
“Try the door before you take anything apart,” Damian challenged.
Aria gave him a disgruntled look for his command but tried it anyway. It was locked. Aria wanted to stick her tongue out at him but decided to be mature and just ignore him.
He looked at her and nodded. She picked at the lock, hearing a click, and then pulled the door open. The barrier was gone. They could escape.
Aria caught Damian’s eye. “He left the room unblocked because he knew I wouldn’t leave you here. Barriers such as this one, take a lot of magic.”
Just as they were leaving the room, a crash sounded from a floor below.
Damian smiled. “Our friends have arrived.”
Aria winced. “I sure hope so.”
They took off into the hallway.
* * *
Braden usually hated sloppy spell work and people who used magic when they shouldn’t, but this one time, he was happy about it. Getting into the house was going to be easier than he had thought it would be. Saying a few ancient fae words, he could feel the change in the magical charge.
With a running start, he jumped up, tucking himself into a tight ball, and crashed through the front porch window, directly in front of a couple of stunned dark mystics. He rolled forward and shot up into a standing position, sword at the ready to take care of the two men in front of him.
Braden threw out a spell that rendered their magic unusable for a while. It would even out the fight. Since they couldn’t call upon their magic, they had to fight him in a physical battle. They made the mistake of rushing him together. Braden wasted no time swing his leg back and kicking the guy on the left across the room and swinging his sword around and taking the head off the guy on the right.
The first dark mystic picked himself up and ran at him again but this time with his own sword. Braden laughed loudly and ended the second man’s life within seconds.
Braden scanned the room for any more hostiles. Seeing none, he bent to wipe his blade on the shirt of one of the men on the floor.
Stepping over the body, he moved out of the room to look for Kallias. His priority was to take out the killers. The rest of them were on a mission to save their friends – if there was anyone to save.
* * *
Aedan and Julie also heard the crash and ran into the hallway just as Damian and Aria hurried through one of the doorways.
Julie tackle hugged Aria from behind and almost lost an eye in the process. “Juls! I almost knocked your head off! Don’t ever do that again.” Aria’s heart was pounding.
Julie ignored Aria’s outburst and continued to hold her friend close. “I was so worried about you!”
Aria squeezed her friend. “Thanks for coming for me.”
Damian leaned against the wall, watching the girls with a slightly amused smirk.
Aedan noticed that the wall was holding up his friend and was concerned. “You okay? Heard you got stabbed.” Aedan didn’t need to point out that Damian’s shirt was still covered in blood.
“Yeah, it was an amateur move. I was distracted.” Damian winced, still sore. “He could have taken off my head. I’m not sure why he didn’t.”
“You’re damn lucky!” Aedan was angry with his friend for rushing off alone and almost getting himself and Aria killed. “You can’t do crap like that.”
“I know. I messed up.” Damian was going to take whatever ribbing his friend was going to give him, knowing he deserved it all.
Aedan exhaled loudly. “Can you walk?”
“I’ll manage.”
“Good, then let’s go. The girls seem to think this is a good place for a reunion. We might need to remind them that this is a rescue not a party.”
Aria shot him a look. “We saved ourselves.”
“Not yet, so move it ladies.” Aedan grinned at them.
Julie and Aria both glared at him before heading to the steps leading to the first floor.
* * *
Markos and Ember reached the staircase just as Braden was leaving the small den.
“It’s all clear,” Braden told them, stalking toward the formal living room. He could sense that Kallias was close.
Ember pulled out her dagger, holding it in an offensive position when she heard people coming down the steps. She jumped around the railing and was ready to let the blade fly, but she noticed it was Aedan and Damian followed by Julie and Aria. She dropped her arm down and smiled in relief.
Markos was reassured seeing Aria and Damian. He had been worried about what kind of condition he would find them in. Markos patted Damian on the shoulder, not wanting to hit his injury in case it was still an open wound, and then he picked Aria up in the swinging hug. “Don’t disappear on me like that again.” Markos whispered to her. “We’re supposed to be in this together, remember?”
Aria wiggled out of his hold. “I’m not going anywhere. You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried.”
Damian looked around. “Where did Braden go?”
“Around that way. “Markos pointed to the opposite side of the house but stepped closer to Damian. “Are you okay to do this?”
Damian smirked. “Why. Because I’m covered in blood?”
“That might be a reason.”
Damian nodded. “I’m fine. Let’s get this done.”
They moved around the other side of the stairs to the formal living room, finding that Braden and Kallias were facing off, rounding on each other.
Kallias was using magic, throwing balls of energy at Braden who was using his sword to swat them away. A few burnt marks on the walls showed the attempts Kallias had made so far. Braden’s spell hadn’t worked on Kallias. His magic was too strong to be bound by the spell.
Markos stepped up. “Don’t kill him yet. We need some information first.”
Braden only grunted in response.
Damian needed some answers too. “Braden, he’s yours once I get what I want.”
Braden glanced over quickly and nodded.
Damian moved closer to Kallias. “Why did your blood debt shift to me if you are still alive?”
Kallias dropped his head back and laughed. “Ingenious, wasn’t it? You lost her because of it. My mistake was not going in and taking what is rightfully mine.”
Damian growled, but Aria spoke up first. “I’ve always been with Damian. I never wanted anything to do with you.”
Aria noticed her things were on the side table so she hurried over to them and took her stuff back. She was happy to have her daggers and swords.
“How did you transfer the blood debt?” Damian pressed.
Kallias continued to pace back and forth almost like an animal at the zoo. “My heart stopped, and I was technically dead, only it began beating again, and I was free from Pravus. I hadn’t known that the blood debt had jumped to you until later, but I couldn’t have planned it better.”
Braden walked closer. He wanted to end this, but Markos put his hand up. “Not yet.”
Kallias turne
d his gaze on Aria. “You’re going to be screaming my name soon. You might have gotten away this time, but you won’t for long. I’ll be back for you!”
Julie whispered to Aria. “Ignore him. He’s trying to bait you.” Aria shifted her weight and clutched her throwing knife tighter in her hand.
Markos had a few more questions. “Where have you been hiding all this time?”
“There are realm pockets all over this world and in Fairy, too! It was too easy!” Kallias bragged.
Markos continued. “Why did you kill Quintus?”
Kallias began to sneer. “He touched what was mine! He hurt my property. I had to show him and everyone else what happens when they put their hands on what belongs to me!”
“I’m not yours!” Aria yelled.
“I take what I want, Aria. And I’ll take you whenever I want. You’ll be screaming for me.”
Aria had heard enough. She threw her knife swiftly at him, lodging it in his shoulder. Kallias screamed in pain and threw several energy balls at her.
Braden managed to knock most of them away, but one hit her arm, and she cried out in pain. Damian took a step forward, but Aedan stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “You’re not in any condition to fight him.”
While everyone was concentrating on the energy balls, Kallias picked up a knife and threw it at Aria, striking her in the leg. Kallias began laughing manically, yelling that she would learn her place.
Braden used Kallias’s moment of inattention to cross the room. He was in front of Kallias before he knew that Braden was there. “I’m taking you into custody to face fae justice for killing our people.” Kallias thrust his sword at Braden, screaming. Braden brought up a small dagger he had in his other hand to block the attack, but Kallias managed to skim his upper arm.
Kallias thrust his sword and a series of fire balls at Braden. He would not be taken into custody, especially not by a fae.
One of the fire balls hit Braden’s side, and he knew that Kallias would not be leaving this house alive. He swung his sword around, and threw it end over end at Kallias, embedding it in his chest and ending his life forever.
Braden turned to the stunned group without saying anything. His arm and side hurt, and he could feel the blood running freely. He assessed the damage to his arm and noticed that the skin was sliced down to the muscle. He was missing a two-inch section of skin and a large part of his tattoo. His side was still smoldering from the ball of magical fire.
Braden swallowed hard as he stared at his bicep. His protection mark was ruined. Her spell was gone.
Damian rushed over to Aria while Ember and Julie went to Braden.
“My job is done. I have to report back to the queen.” Braden left without saying anything else.
They all looked at him in confusion, but they were too busy wrapping things up to worry about it.
Aedan called out to everyone. “Markos and I are going to check the rest of the house to make sure there are no more crazy killers hiding out.”
Aria sat on the couch, suddenly very tired.
Damian held her hands, stooping in front of her. “It’s over.”
Aria pulled her hands away and fell into his embrace. They just held on to each other, thankful they were okay.
Damian kissed her neck. “We’re going on that vacation.”
Aria laughed. “Sounds good.”
Damian leaned back from Aria and walked over to his brother. He stared down at him for a long time without saying anything. He had so many mixed emotions, but the strongest was pity. Kallias could have had whatever he wanted if he would have let go of his greed and envy. He craved everything that someone else had and was that way his whole life.
He bent down and picked up a small stick that looked like a wand, hanging out of Kallias’s pants pocket. Aria stepped up next to him and put her arm around his waist. “Is that what Levi wants?”
Damian twisted the stick in his hands, and suddenly it grew in length to tower over Aria’s head. The wand transformed into a staff. He looked at Aria. “This is probably a huge mistake, but we made a deal, and it’s never a good idea to break a deal with a dark elf.”
Aedan and Markos came back with the old woman. They helped her sit down on a chair, and she slumped to the side. Aria walked over to her and recited a healing spell on Mae. She felt so badly for the woman.
Markos glared at his sister. “Aria,” he warned.
Aria sighed. “I know, Markos.” It was a major rule they were forbidden to break. Humans were not to be spelled. Ever. Humans could not know their world existed.
“I’m sorry you had to endure this. You’ll be much happier soon.” Aria added a memory spell to erase all of the horrors she had faced. She wanted to make sure the woman didn’t remember any of them or her mistreatment at Kallias’s hands.
Damian placed his arms around Aria but addressed everyone in the room. “We have to make a stop, and then we’re taking a few days off.”
Aedan grinned. “We are too. Right, Juls?”
Julie nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. Aedan is taking me surfing.”
“You all go ahead. I called in a clean-up crew. I’ll finish things here and meet up with you all later to debrief. You can’t go off until we give our reports.
When Damian and Aria left in a portal, and Aedan and Julie departed in another, Ember faced Markos. “See ya soon, baby. Don’t miss me too much.” She blew him a kiss and took off.
Markos ran his hand down his face. He was sure hurricane Ember would be back in his life soon.
Epilogue
Later that night, Damian and Aria were cuddled on the couch in Damian’s Charlestown townhouse. They had stopped at Legacy to give their report to the High Council, who asked them the same questions over and over, just in slightly different ways. They were not happy that Pravus disappeared and didn’t leave a body behind.
Damian knew that the High Council was trying to catch them in some sort of lie, but all of them were telling the truth. It was simply a farfetched-sounding story and one that he was glad was over.
They still had some unfinished business with Levi and the staff that was hidden in his townhouse, but that could wait. He needed some down time with his girl.
Damian had one more thing to do, and he was breaking out in a sweat thinking about it. He had no idea what his girl was going to say. Aria would either throw herself into his arms or punch him. He shifted her slightly on the couch so he could reach into his pocket. It was still there.
Aria gave him an odd look. “Are you okay, Damian?”
Damian nodded, not trusting his voice yet. He cleared his throat and leaned over to kiss her forehead. Wow, he thought, I really need to get it together.
Aria gave him a concerned look, sitting up to face him. “What is up with you?”
Damian jumped to his feet and wiped his hands on his light weight sweat pants. They had showered and changed and were in comfy clothes to relax.
“Damian!”
He dropped down in front of her, his hand cradling her face. “I love you, Ari.”
She grinned. “I love you, too.” She waited for him to do something since he was acting strangely.
“You promised me forever.” Damian reminded her.
She heard the uncertainty in his voice. “I did promise you forever. I don’t break promises, Damian. You’re stuck with me forever.”
Damian kissed her hard and quickly before pulling back to gaze at her again. “I’m promising you forever too.”
“I’m holding you to that,” Aria said playfully.
“You know, tomorrow is May first,” Damian told her cautiously.
Aria hadn’t realized May first had crept up on her. It would be the first one in centuries that she didn’t feel gutted all day.
“May first has always been special to us. We had our first dance at the May Day celebration, and our first kiss the next year before the May Day parade. It was also on a May first that I told you I loved you.”
Aria had tears in her eyes. “I remember all of them. Every May first was special for us, and that’s why we picked that day to get married. They were all so perfect until…”
“Until I broke my promise to you. It’s the only promise I have ever broken. I want to fix that.” Damian took a shaky breath and pulled out a small platinum ring with a large oval rose diamond in the center, surrounded by smaller diamonds.
Aria gasped. Tears brimming in her shining eyes.
“Will you let me fulfill my promise to you to love you forever?”
“Yes!” Aria hugged him tightly but pulled back a little. “You should have asked me tomorrow on May first.”
Damian grinned. “It is May first.” He motioned toward the clock. “Will you marry me Aria?”
“Yes!” Aria hugged him tightly again. “I love you!”
“I’ll love you forever.”
* * *
The end for now. Thank you so much for reading Stolen Magic, Part Two. Look for the next book in the Mystic Magic Series, Vicious Magic, in Fall 2019. If you love the mystery, adventure, romance, and excitement of this book, check out my other books at www.CharWebsterAuthor.com.
About the Author
Char Webster weaves suspense, mystery, romance, and humor into all of her books. She strives to make the fantasy and paranormal worlds fit perfectly into real life where anything seems to be possible.
Reading and getting lost in a story have always been Char Webster's favorite things to do. She has also had a love for writing, which led her to her daytime career in public relations and marketing. After years of writing for others, Char decided to write something for herself.
Her books fulfill a lifelong dream of creating a world where people can escape reality for a little while. Char Webster loves living in South Jersey because she feels like it is in the center of everything. She loves pizza, hot sauce, French fries, dancing, photography, and trying new things.
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