By now, following my on-the-fly instructions was old hat to Frank, because he didn’t make a single mistake. He jumped and punched. All the while, I stayed close behind him, ensuring that any warlocks – including the illusionists – would have to get past Frank to get to me.
We worked as a proper team – as if we’d been together for years. If Josh and I had a scrap of the same ability to naturally cooperate as Frank and I did, we could track down every single bounty in Madison City in a day. That wasn’t the point. The point was, we started to make progress.
But it was only a start.
The last thing I wanted to see appeared right in the middle of the room, only a few feet back from Frank.
I recognized Bill’s thick neck before anything else. So did Frank, apparently, because as Bill appeared, Frank’s eyes blasted wide. He jerked back, but it wasn’t in time. Though Frank had managed to keep steady on his feet until now, obviously the sight of Bill derailed him.
Bill was using a hell of an expensive transport spell, and it allowed him to snap forward a single second after he’d appeared. He barreled into Frank’s middle, wrapped a massive arm around Frank’s torso, and hauled him backward. Not toward me – but toward the still functioning portal. Bill pivoted on his foot and threw Frank like a pro wrestler. There wasn’t a damn thing Frank could do.
I managed to catch a brief glimpse of his wide-open eyes as he was thrown backward into the pit, Bill on top of him.
There was a cascade of sparks, and the portal closed, leaving me alone.
It took a few seconds for the enormous blast of light to subside, and in the dimness that ensued, I had no trouble at all picking up every single glowing outline of a warlock.
In all honesty, I didn’t have time to appreciate how screwed I was. I didn’t have time to allow true fear to sink through my stomach and rock into me like waves from a tsunami. All I could do was take a single step backward.
Just before all the assembled illusionists and warlocks could gang up on me and knock me out, I felt something from behind me.
The only reason I’d been able to track the illusionists through the room thus far was because we’d surprised them when Frank and I had burst into the room.
And even though it had been one hell of a mind bend, I’d been keeping count of each one. And yet, I felt something appear behind me.
A blast of nerves sailed through my gut as I shunted forward and fell hard on my knees.
I saw a man take a step out from behind me. He wasn’t wearing the usual garb of the rest of the gang –jeans, sturdy army shirts, and large, thick leather jackets. Hell no – she was in a pressed suit. He was tall, unquestionably handsome, and had piercing gray-blue eyes that reminded me of Max.
But what was far more important than any of that?
The rest of the gang freaked out at his sudden appearance, making it clear that he hadn’t been one of their illusionists.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to stop you there,” he said.
“Who the hell are you?” the closest warlock managed as he threw himself forward.
“Jason – my name’s Jason. Nice to meet you all. Though I’ve been spying on you long enough that I feel we’re already firm friends.” He brought both of his hands up. Magic started to crackle between his fingers, jumping this way and that as if he’d stuck his hands into a Tesla ball. But here’s the thing – his magic didn’t have a particular color. Most warlocks had their own hue – from Josh’s pale green-yellow, to Frank’s forest green. This guy? The magic that spun around his fingers was a kaleidoscope of colors and patterns.
I had never seen anything like it – nor had I felt the level of power filling the room. The sound was so intense, it was like I’d shoved my head into an exploding bubblewrap factory.
All of the assembled warlocks and illusionists seemed to know what the strange colors leaping over Jason’s fingers meant.
I don’t think I’d ever seen so much collective fear.
Jason took a solid step forward, clenched his hands, and spread his fingers wide. The next thing I knew, an absolute blast of magic sailed out in every direction. It was like an ocean of power had suddenly been let loose in the room.
I was still down on my knees, and I automatically crunched in, trying to protect my face with my arm, knowing that Jason’s magic would obliterate me. But it seemed to somehow know who its targets were. Despite the fact I felt it wash over me, and its power sent violent tingles erupting through my flesh, it didn’t blast me off my knees.
The warlocks and illusionists? Yeah, they weren’t that lucky. To a T, every single man was blasted back, and after their thick, dense bodies struck the floor with wallops that echoed through the room, there was silence.
With a single spell, this man – Jason – had completely defeated over 20 warlocks.
I remained on my knees shaking in utter surprise as Jason cleaned his hands on his suit, took a step forward, turned sharply, and looked at me.
I didn’t know what to do. But I knew what I felt. For it was unmistakable. From nowhere, a surge of emotion washed over me. It was easily one of the most powerful experiences of my life. Instantly it reminded me of those ridiculous thoughts I’d had in the tunnel. For some reason, all I could think of was Max’s promise that my husband would appear soon.
Jason smiled. It was a familiar smile, as if he knew me. “Beth Sampson?”
I paled. “How… how do you know my name?”
“Because I know you,” he said. His voice was different now. Much breathier. It wasn’t because he’d lost said breath in the fight. He’d taken out those 15+ warlocks without skipping a beat.
And now? He didn’t appear to care about them – or anything else in the universe, for that matter. Just me.
I knelt there in utter shock as I looked at the man. My head had tilted all the way back, and my mouth was open as if someone had unhinged my jaw.
For his part, he stared down at me, his eyes open and never blinking.
I swear something passed between us. Something massive. It easily felt like the sum of all history. Like the import of every human action all crammed down into this single moment.
My whole body was abuzz, from my trembling limbs, right up to my wide-open lips.
I’d just found something. Something critically important. Perhaps the most important thing I would ever find in all my life.
He took a breath. “It’s nice to meet you,” he repeated.
All thought of the fight had completely disappeared from my mind. It didn’t matter that the rest of the illusionists and warlocks were still comatose around us. It didn’t matter that Max and Josh were still out there, trapped, and momentarily it didn’t even matter that I’d been split up from Frank.
All that mattered was this man.
I finally tore my gaze from him as one of the warlocks beside me twitched. My head jerked toward him just as Jason brought a hand up and spread his fingers wide. More of those incredible kaleidoscopic colors spilled off the tips of his fingers, sprang out, then sank into the man until he stilled.
My breath was caught in my throat. “What… what are you?”
“I’m a sorcerer. Or at least, a sorcerer in training. There’s not much more I have to learn, though,” he said, and as he spoke, he nodded at me. His eyes were alight as if he’d just seen the most important thing in his life.
And that thing was me.
I’d thought the tether I felt between Max and me would be the most important thing in my life. I was wrong. Whatever was happening between this man and me was much, much greater.
“Sorcerer?” My words shook from my mouth.
He nodded. As if in demonstration, he brought up a hand and spread his fingers wide, more of those kaleidoscopic colors spilling from each finger and zapping like sparks of electricity.
My mouth became dry as my heart pounded in my chest. “I thought sorcerers were an urban myth?”
“And I thought complete finders were an urban myth, too. We’re a match
made in heaven,” he said, his voice becoming gravelly. “Literally.”
At that term, I felt something rise through my chest. It was as if it recognized what he was saying, and more than anything – the import behind the look he was shooting me.
It was the look of a man who’d just found his soulmate.
I receded, cheeks paling as my hair cut over my face. “What’s going on here?” I could barely push the words out.
“What’s going on, Beth, is you found me. Congratulations. Or did I find you?”
It didn’t so much feel as if my jaw had become unhinged now – it felt as if someone was whittling away every single bone in my body and I would become nothing more than a puddle of confusion. I began to shake my head, but I stopped. For there was one thing I could not deny. The sensations rushing through me told me I’d found him.
What’s more? He was right. We were meant for each other.
All those weeks ago when Max appeared on my doorstep and asked me to find my husband for him, I’d thought Max was playing a game.
Now I realized he’d been serious.
“Jason,” he said as he reached a hand out to me.
This couldn’t be happening. It was insane.
He obviously appreciated how startled I was, because a small smile spread his lips. “This will take some getting used to. Don’t push yourself. I’ve had more time to adjust to the concept.”
“What do you mean?” I forced myself to say.
“Do you know what a sorcerer is?”
I shook my head at his sudden change of topic. I didn’t really care what a sorcerer was right now. Okay, so an apparent urban legend had come to life, but what really bothered me at the moment was that I had just stumbled across my husband. A man I had never met would soon become….
“A sorcerer is technically a witch who can practice every single type of magic. Someone with enough generalized power and intelligence,” he emphasized that word, “to be able to learn all other types of power.”
“… Why are you telling me this?”
“Because it’s germane to our predicament.”
“… Are you calling me a predicament?”
He smiled. There was something alluring about that smile. Or maybe it wasn’t alluring. Maybe I couldn’t trust a single sensation in my body right now. Because every time he shifted, let alone smiled or spoke, my torso tingled as if someone had wrapped their arms around me and kissed every inch of me.
“I’m not calling you a predicament. But the both of us are… in unique positions.”
“What do you mean?”
“You could be a sorcerer, too, Bethany Samson.”
I was beyond shaking my head now. This was too much. Honestly too much. I felt as if my whole world was crumbling out from underneath me. It was lucky I was on my knees, because another word of this insanity, and I would have tumbled onto my butt. “How…” I couldn’t even finish the question.
“Because you can find anything.” He brought his hands up and spread them wide, the look in his eye telling me just how special that was.
“No… there are natural limitations on my magic. There are natural limitations on everyone’s magic,” I managed, even though I couldn’t push my voice out that loudly. There was an automatic quality to it, and a desperate one. The quality of somebody repeating something they’d learned in the hopes it was true.
Jason smiled at me softly and shook his head. “The only limiting factor on magic is one’s mind. If a witch can find a way around that problem, then they can have as much power as they please,” as he said that, he brought his hands out wide, and more of those kaleidoscopic patterns of color and sparks spread over his fingers.
I could feel the sheer amount of magic pulsing off him from here. It was actually incredible. It shook through the room and sent a pitching, vibrating hum shaking through everything.
I tried to swallow, but my mouth was now as dry as sandpaper and there was no hope.
I knew that I should push to my feet, push past this whole situation, and get on with the job. I had to find Josh and Max before it was too late, and I needed to help Frank, wherever he was. And yet I couldn’t even stand, let alone hope to run.
“You don’t need to freak out. This was always going to happen.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’ve been waiting for a long time,” he said, and for the first time, his voice changed. It lost the edge of certainty and shook with a note of vulnerability.
That vulnerability threatened to draw me in. Hell, like I’d said before, every single movement he made threatened to draw me in. His mere presence was like a hook around my middle, one that pulled me closer with every second.
But I held on, not shifting an inch as I remained on my hands and knees in front of him. “What do you mean you’ve been waiting for me for a long time?”
“Have you forgotten your destiny? It’s time to find it again,” he said, his words opaque. The look in his eyes was not opaque. The look in his eyes was as direct and clear as anything.
If I’d thought his mere presence and voice was like a hook threatening to pull me closer, this was completely impossible to fight.
The next thing I knew, I finally pushed to my feet. He was close, close enough that if I took another step toward him, I’d be invading his personal space.
I teetered back and forth on the tips of my shoes, and I did it – I pressed a little closer to him. It was only a few centimeters, to be honest, but that was all it took. All it took for his eyes to widen and that smile to shift further across his glistening teeth.
“Do you remember yet? Have you found your destiny yet?”
I went to shake my head again, but I stopped. My lips spread wide of their own accord as my eyes locked on him unblinkingly. “… Destiny?” My tone shifted up and down.
“Destiny,” his voice became deep and gravelly. “The world has been waiting a long, long time for a generalized finder like you. Someone who can find everything from objects, to opportunity, to destinies,” he added, and his gaze did it again – pulled me in just that one step closer.
I was looking right up at him now. I’d never been the kind of girl to come onto people. It wasn’t that I wasn’t confident of my own sexuality, it was that my life was usually too messy to bother. Now didn’t matter, as I wasn’t coming onto him – I was starting to accept something that was inevitable. “You can’t find a destiny.”
He smiled. “You can if you try. You found me, didn’t you?”
My lips were open. I didn’t honestly know what to do with them. I knew what my heart wanted me to do with them. In a surge, a blast of tingles ran up my stomach, sunk into my chest, and darted into my mouth. It told me to shove forward and kiss him.
I didn’t. I held on. And the thing that made me hold on was a sudden image of Max in my mind.
I pressed my lips closed and swallowed. “How did you know… I would come?”
“As a sorcerer, I’m a finder, too, though, of all of the magic I can master, finding is the hardest. It is much simpler for a true finder to become a sorcerer than it is for a general warlock to do the same.”
“You haven’t answered my question,” I said softly.
“Though my powers of finding are not as developed as yours, I knew you would come,” he said, voice husky.
He was… holding something back. I knew that. I wasn’t looking for that scrap of knowledge – but it jumped into my head, and I couldn’t push it back.
I could push myself back, though. I could force myself to take a step away from him, but I didn’t. I looked right up into his eyes. “You’re lying – there’s something you’re not telling me.”
For a flash of a second, his face stiffened. He went from looking oh-so-inviting, to looking cold. As cold as the expanses of space, in fact. But it didn’t last, and as soon as it disappeared, it appeared as if it had never been there at all. “There was a prophecy,” he explained quietly.
I shivered,
a cold sensation tracing up my back and sinking into the base of my head. “… Prophecy?” I couldn’t control my voice. “What are you talking about?”
“In one of the old magic books. It told me you would come.”
“How did you know it would be me?”
He didn’t answer. He turned to the side, and I couldn’t tell if it was because he was ignoring my question, or because he’d suddenly heard something.
Eventually I tore my gaze from him and turned my head, too. I focused my senses, but I couldn’t pick up any footfall or screams. And yet, turning my gaze away from his did something to me – it was as if it reset my mind, reminding me once more of my priorities here.
Frank had been taken, and Max and Josh were still out there.
Max….
He’d known that I would meet my husband soon.
Could he have had access to the same prophecy, too? Or had he sensed an opportunity?
Before I knew what I was doing, I took a step back from Jason.
It wasn’t my remaining sliver of a tether with Max that made me do it. It was my mind, pure and simple. I chose to get some distance, so I could think.
Jason jerked his head back to me. “It’s okay,” he said. “I realize this will take some time to adjust to. That being said, we must now work together.” He reached a hand out to me.
I can’t tell you exactly how attractive his hand was. It wasn’t that it was large and broad and looked strong enough that it could hold onto anything. It was… that sensation in my stomach and heart and back and lips. The sensation that told me to shift forward and accept him, heart and soul.
I swallowed. I looked from his hand up to his face. It was the hardest thing in the world not to throw myself at him. “What do you mean we have to work together?”
“We need to blast apart the Cruze Gang, get their D 20 off the streets, and save this city before it’s too late.”
I shook my head. “What do you mean too late?”
“There are forces at play that need to be stopped,” he explained without explaining anything at all.
I stared at him open-mouthed. “I don’t understand.”
“Beth,” he took a step toward me, and his expression changed, his eyes flickering with a loving look as his gaze darted over my face, “I understand it’s confusing. You must trust me. You can trust me, can’t you? Follow your body – your sensations will show you what to do.”
Forgotten Destiny 2 Page 11
