Dangerous Magic

by Evie Hart

  “Eh. I’m watching my life flash before my eyes. It’s not as exciting as I thought.”

  “Of course it’s not. You live with horrid cats.”

  “No offense, but my cat hasn’t ever murdered anyone.” I met his eyes. “Why did you do it? Why did you kill Betty Lou and Amelie?”

  Cameron groaned. “Really? You want to prolong our deaths?”

  Yes. Yes, I was trying to prolong this. The longer Samuel was kept talking, the longer I had to formulate a plan.

  Not that I even knew where to start, but I wanted to try. I had to give it the old college try.

  Plus, I wasn’t alone. Although I wasn’t entirely sure what use Aristotle would be. Bats weren’t particularly violent creatures.

  Now, if it were Snow…

  “For someone who’s supposed to be the future alpha, you’re a wimp,” I shot in his direction.

  Samuel laughed. “I like you. It’s a shame I have to kill you.”

  “Don’t, then. We’ll take over the world together,” I quipped.

  “What are you doing?” Cameron hissed.

  Trying to save your life, dumbass.

  “Well?” I asked Samuel, not looking away from him. “Why’d you do it? Why’d you kill Betty Lou and Amelie?”

  “The border.” He ground his jaw, pacing back and forth. He touched his hand to his hip, and I instantly knew he had a gun there. “It was becoming problematic. Betty Lou wanted to keep it where it was or worse, cut our territory, but why did she have a say? She was a witch. You have no business getting involved with pack politics. She wielded her power as a witch to get her own way all the time.

  “That’s the problem with you witches, you know that? You think you’re the top of the paranormal chain, but you’re not. I could shift and rip off your head, and there wouldn’t be a thing you could do about it. Those cuffs block your magic.” He tilted his chin into the air, pausing for a second. “I poisoned Betty Lou because she was too big for her broomstick. She was sticking her nose into things where it had no business being.”

  “What about Amelie? Why did you kill her?”

  “She was a traitor. She backed Betty Lou and not the shifters. She was a new one. She should have known her place at the bottom.”

  Cameron shook his head slowly. “The cats don’t operate the way we do. You know that. They don’t have the same hierarchy as we do.”

  “Shut it!” Samuel whipped out a gun and turned it on Cameron. “Amelie saw me in Betty Lou’s office. I knew she’d figure out it was me who was responsible for poisoning her, so I shot her, then hid the gun in Lorenzo’s office.”

  “What do you have against him?” I asked, beating Cameron to the question. “Sure, I think he’s pretty mean and everything I’ve heard points to him being a pushy and ruthless leader, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad person.”

  “You have no idea what he’s like.” Samuel turned the gun on me. The most terrifying part of it was how his hand didn’t even tremble with his finger firmly curled around the trigger. “He’s demanding and cruel. I trusted him, once. He was like a brother to me, until he became the alpha.”

  “He didn’t change that much. Only how he needed to,” Cameron said.

  Avery, listen to me, Aristotle said inside my mind. Let him talk for a moment.

  He’s going to get himself killed!

  Better him than you.

  Aristotle!

  It’s my job to protect you, not the wolf man.

  Aristotle…

  All right, all right. You can save you both, but you need to listen to me.

  If you’d told me at any point in my life that me not dying was reliant on a bat, I’d have cursed you into next week and probably peed myself laughing.

  Thus, this was my life.

  And, hey. I kind of liked it, so…

  Listening. I blocked out the conversation that Cameron and Samuel were having, but I was becoming more and more aware of how agitated Samuel was getting with that gun.

  I’m going to give you a distraction. He doesn’t know I’m here. I’m going to fly past him and kill the lights on the way. You will have one chance to save you and Cameron.

  I swallowed. What on Earth are you saying?

  Those cuffs are magic resistant.

  Helpful, thanks.

  You’re not any ordinary witch. I’ll let you figure it out.

  I’m starting to not like you.

  It’s your magic, dear, not mine. Learn it. Use it. Respect it.

  Goddess. Was he a bat or the Sphinx? I didn’t have time for his riddles, especially if he was giving me a limited time to save our lives.

  What the hell did he mean?

  Samuel focused the gun on me, drawing me back into the moment and out of my head. “Stuck in your head, little witch? Trying to outsmart me?”

  “No,” I replied sweetly. “You’ve made it pretty clear. These cuffs stifle my magic. I’m defenseless.”

  “Good. It’s nice to know we’re on the same page.” He waved the gun at me.

  “Can I—can I ask a question before you kill me?”

  “I don’t see why not,” he replied amicably. “You’re going to die either way. Think of this like your last meal.”

  Wow. Now I was on Death Row.

  This was going from bad to worse.

  “How do you intend to explain this away? Me and Cameron dying.” I glanced over at Cameron.

  His jaw was clenched tight, and his shoulders were so rigid you could have used them as a foundation for a house.

  Samuel never lowered the gun, but he smiled. Evilly. Sadistically. “I’m glad you asked, little witch.”

  That nickname was getting on my nerves.

  “You’re going to be star-crossed lovers,” Samuel said dreamily. “The future alpha and the reckless witch who could never be together. Cameron’s love for you drove him mad, so he killed you before turning the gun on himself.”

  “A modern-day Romeo and Juliet,” Cameron drawled. “How romantic of you. Never mind that—”

  “Makes perfect sense,” I said quickly, cutting him off. “I mean, I’m pretty sure my family knows I’m seeing someone in secret. My aunt caught me sneaking out the other night.”

  Smooth, Aristotle said in my head.

  Thanks. I thought so.

  Keep it up. He’s buying it.

  “Really?” Samuel raised an eyebrow. “It was just a story, but if you two are really seeing each other…”

  “Avery—”

  “Just admit it, Cameron.” I put on my best sad face and looked at him. “You know it’s true. We’re going to die anyway, so we may as well die admitting the truth.”

  He met my eyes, his face expressionless for the longest time.

  I hoped he saw my plea. He needed to play along. Samuel needed to believe that my family thought something was wrong.

  Cameron sighed, looking away. “I knew this was a risk. I never should have found you when you came back.”

  “But you did,” I replied, still looking at him, pretending my hardest to be a simpering little witch, lovelorn over the handsome future alpha. “And I’m glad you did, even if it means we have to die for it.”

  “I’m going to be sick,” Samuel said, a grumpy tone in his voice. “You both disgust me. A wolf and a witch.”

  Now.

  A black flash flew through the air, and before I could take a breath, the basement was once again plunged into darkness.

  Samuel cursed, shouting out loud, and panic shot through my veins.

  No, no, no, I wasn’t ready.

  I didn’t know what to do.

  A crash sounded, echoing off the walls.

  Bloody hell, Avery! You’re going to get me killed!

  I wasn’t ready! I yelled inside my head. You’re insane!

  Magic, Avery! You’re a bloody witch! Use it!

  Magic.

  Of course.

  The cuffs bound my magic.

  But not all of it.

 
It doesn’t work for me. You know that. You’ve seen me try to wield it. I can’t.

  Yes, you can, Aristotle was insistent. And do it now.

  I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, instinctively reaching down into that part of my soul that held the silver magic. I was alone. My familiar, fuchsia magic failed to spark to life, but the silver magic?

  I could feel it.

  It was there.

  Swimming.

  Sparking.

  Alive.

  Alive.

  Oh my Goddess.

  It was alive.

  Magic was alive.

  It wasn’t an inanimate thing. It had life and a soul, and it existed because of me. With me. Inside me.

  It was alive.

  Grandma’s words came back to me, swirling around my mind, making so much more sense now than they had during our meditation session.

  “Ask it nicely if it will come with you. It’s alive, Avery. Ask it.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  “WHAT THE—” SAMUEL stumbled over something in the darkness, sending it crashing.

  I didn’t care.

  I knew. I knew how to access that elusive silver magic, the power that could not be blocked by these handcuffs.

  I inhaled deeply once again, reaching down as far as I possibly could. Will you please help me? I asked the magic. I’m going to die, and so is my friend. I’m sorry I didn’t see you before. Please help me.

  Nothing happened.

  The light switched on, letting me see Samuel’s rage contorting his face. His arm shook with the gun, and a vein bulged across his forehead. His face was bright red, his amber eyes on fire with anger.

  “I’m going to kill you!”

  His finger twitched on the trigger, slowly pulling it in.

  This was it.

  It hadn’t worked.

  I’d been wrong.

  I was staring death in the face, and I did the only thing I could do.

  I screamed.

  It startled him. Into pulling the trigger.

  “Avery!” Cameron yelled.

  I felt it.

  The silver magic.

  It unleashed itself, filling my body to the brim with its power.

  I focused on the bullet and it swerved to the right, slamming into something and sending glass crashing across the floor.

  “What?” Samuel took a step back. “M—magic. Those cuffs stop it.”

  “You’ve never met a witch like me,” I replied, focusing the silver on my cuffs. The lock clicked, and they fell away from me, clattering to the ground.

  Fuchsia mixed with silver, empowering me even more.

  I stood, facing down Samuel.

  He scrambled with his gun, aiming it at me once again.

  With one flick of my wrist, I yanked the gun from his hand and sent it back into his head. The butt slammed into his temple, instantly knocking him out.

  The older man crumpled to the floor.

  “Harm to none, the power of three, bind this wolf, protect me.” I held my hand out to Samuel. Silver and fuchsia bound together in a magical rope, wrapping itself around his body before it settled and disappeared.

  I staggered back, pressing my hand to my chest until I hit the stairs. Samuel was out cold, lying bound by my magic. Still, the gun was too close to him, so I waved my finger and flicked the gun out of his reach.

  My heart was pounding. I could barely breathe through the adrenaline that thumped through my veins, and even though Samuel was down and out, I still expected him to get back up.

  Especially since his body shimmered.

  “What is that?” I whispered.

  “His wolf is trying to get out,” Cameron replied. “Sometimes, if we’re badly injured, we’ll shift. Our healing powers come out stronger in our shifter form.”

  “Is that bad?”

  Silence.

  The shimmering stopped.

  “No. Your spell has contained his wolf.”

  “Would he wake up if he shifted?”

  “Yes,” he replied. “So that’s one hell of a spell, Avery Thorn.”

  I drew my eyes toward him long enough to smile. “Thanks.”

  “Any chance you can get me out of these cuffs? They’re pretty painful.”

  “Oh, my Goddess, of course.” I pushed off the stairs and ran to him, the last of the adrenaline subsiding from my body. I sent a combination of my magic toward the cuffs until there was a tiny click and they broke free.

  Cameron groaned, pulling his wrists in front of him.

  I gasped.

  They were red and raw, the skin literally burning away where the silver had been against his skin. He winced at the burns that coated his wrists and stretched down onto his hands.

  “Oh, my Goddess,” I whispered.

  “You like that phrase.”

  “We need to get you to a healer!” I took his elbows in my hands. “Cameron!”

  “No, we need to get Samuel arrested. They will heal.”

  Aristotle swept down from somewhere in the ceiling and rested on my shoulder.

  Cameron’s eyes widened. “Is that—”

  “A bat? Yeah. He’s my familiar and the reason we’re alive right now.”

  “Took you long enough to figure it out,” Aristotle muttered.

  “You have a British bat as your familiar,” Cameron said slowly, apparently momentarily forgetting about his wrists. “I thought it was a cat?”

  “Oh, it is.” I paused. “Long story.”

  “One we don’t have time for,” Aristotle said haughtily. “Avery, you can heal them. At least long enough to get him to a healer.”

  I jerked and looked at the tiny creature on my shoulder. “What?”

  “Trust your magic,” was all he said.

  Oh, Goddess. Was this a new power? Was there anything I couldn’t do?

  “Okay. Do you trust me?” I asked Cameron.

  He raised one eyebrow. “You just busted out of magic-suppressing cuffs, knocked Samuel out with his own gun, bound his wolf, and you have two familiars. Avery, you might just be the most powerful person I’ve ever met. Go wild.” He held out both hands, palms up.

  I gave myself over to the magic that now flowed freely through my veins and rested my hands on top of his. I felt the exact moment it left me and found him, and when I opened my eyes, I watched in awe as Cameron’s skin literally knitted itself back together, all traces of the burns disappearing into nothing.

  “Holy—”

  The basement door swung open, and I jumped to my feet, heart in my throat, and held out my hands.

  Dax filled the frame. “Avery.” His tone was pure relief, but he was pulled back by two very familiar figures.

  Nicole.

  And Dotty.

  “Oh, my Goddess!” I shouted as they both barreled into me, squeezing me tightly. “Dotty!”

  She hugged me the tightest. “You stupid, stupid witch!” she hissed into my ear. “You almost died!”

  “You knew I would, didn’t you?” I whispered back.

  “Another time.” She squeezed me before letting me go.

  “What happened here?” Dax joined us on the floor. “I got a call from Dotty demanding I meet her here and find… this.”

  I pointed at Samuel’s prone body. “It was Samuel. He killed Betty Lou and Amelie.”

  “The butler?”

  “Yes.” Cameron stood and came to me, wrapping one arm around my shoulders. “He poisoned us both, cuffed us to chairs, and was going to shoot us, claiming that we were in love.”

  Nicole snorted but said nothing when I glared at her.

  Dax muttered into his radio. “And why is he unconscious?”

  “Oh, that was me.” I raised one finger. “I used my magic to knock him out with his gun.”

  “Of course you did.” His bright blue eyes met mine with sternness, but there was a tiny hint of amusement deep in them. “The rest of my team will be here soon with the healers to check you both over.”
/>
  “I don’t need—”

  “That wasn’t a request, Avery. You will be checked over by the healers.” The amusement disappeared as he pulled cuffs from his belt. Extra shiny ones that I knew were made of silver. “You can release your binding spell as soon as I place one cuff on him.”

  The sound of him putting one cuff on snapped through the air, and I pulled the spell back into me, sending the magic dissipating through my body.

  Dax nodded, placing the other cuff on Samuel’s other wrist right as activity set the house alive.

  “Thank you,” Cameron said, sliding his hand off my body from where it’d still been clamped around my shoulders. “For being a nosy little witch and saving my life.”

  I met his eyes and smiled. “You’re welcome,” was all I could say before my cousins hustled me up the stairs with Aristotle still sitting silently on my shoulder.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  TWO DAYS PASSED before Dax showed at the house. I’d been expecting him before, but apparently Grandma had instructed that nobody was to be allowed in unless they were family.

  Aunt Shelly and Aunt Bella had refused the belladonna antidotes from the healers, insisting their way was much better.

  I couldn’t lie. After the adrenaline had fully worn off and I’d been taken home by Nicole and Dotty, I’d felt ill again. Aunt Shelly had poured a vile-tasting potion down my throat and given me a sleeping potion immediately after. I’d woken several hours later, feeling as good as new and full of questions.

  I wanted to know everything. From the belladonna to Cameron to my magic to Dotty waking up.

  I knew I wouldn’t get all the answers, but I’d immediately gotten the one I cared about: Dotty.

  She’d woken up at the exact moment I’d accessed my silver magic. At least, that was what we thought. The timelines lined up based upon how long it took my cousins and Dax to arrive at the Martinez Mansion.

  Apparently, everything that had happened in what felt like thirty seconds to me had, in fact, been ten minutes.

  She’d woken up and demanded to be taken to the mansion. Nobody had listened to her as she’d woken up with a jerk, as if she hadn’t spent the last couple weeks out cold, but she’d called Dax and threatened to curse him into old age if he hadn’t helped her.

  He had, and the rest was history.

  Including my silver magic. Sometime during my post-almost-death sleep, the silver magic had retreated into my soul.