by Linsey Hall
“It’s not large,” Aidan said. “But if you have Amplifiers, it might work.”
Not a bad idea. I’d never met an Amplifier before, but they were a type of Magica who were able to increase the magic they came into contact with. It was a handy skill.
The investigators looked at one another, then back at Aidan.
“We have two Amplifiers who work with the Order,” the lead investigator said. “One on commission who lives in Magic’s Bend, actually. We can have them here in a couple of hours. In the meantime, we’ll issue the order to evacuate the city. Just to be safe.”
“Good idea,” Aidan said. “I have no idea if this will work.”
I met Aidan back at the car.
“We need to go make sure Del and Nix evacuate. And Connor and Claire,” I said. “And Dr. Garriso.”
So many people I loved. And my trove. My heart constricted at the thought of my treasure. My friends would get out, but not my trove. If Magic’s Bend were destroyed, it would be too. There was no time to evacuate the contents.
I grimaced, ashamed at the thought. Families would lose everything. Some people might not even get out soon enough. Now was not the time to be worried about my treasure.
Aidan drove like a madman, cutting through traffic. I called Nix on my comms charm, telling her to get Del and meet at P & P.
“I’ll drop you off at P & P,” Aidan said. “You can make sure Connor and Claire evacuate. I’ll go get Dr. G.”
“Connor and Claire can come pick him up,” I said. “Then I’ll meet you back at the museum. I can use my Mirror Mage powers to help with the amplification.”
Aiden’s knuckles whitened on the wheel, and I could tell he wanted to tell me to evacuate with the rest. But he also knew it wasn’t my style, so he didn’t bother.
“Good idea,” Aidan said.
“I thought so.”
Aidan pulled up to the sidewalk in front of P & P. I leaned over and kissed him hard, and then climbed out.
“As soon as this is all over, we’re having that date,” I said. I waved my finger in the air to indicate everything around me. “Because this is getting ridiculous.”
“Agreed.” He gave me a heated look. I shivered. “I’ll meet you at the museum. Stay out of sight when you get there.”
“I’ll do my thing from behind some cover.”
“Good. Be safe.” He drove off.
I turned and entered P & P, just in time to see a blue light begin to glow in the middle of the room. The emergency announcement. Its glow turned the faces of the dozen patrons blue as they turned to it, their eyes wide with fear.
We hadn’t had one of these in decades. Never in my lifetime. I’d only heard of them.
A voice boomed from the light, deep and authoritative. “This is a state of emergency. Evacuate Magic’s Bend immediately. Threat of possible destruction of the town has been identified.”
The voice continued to repeat the message. Patrons surged to their feet, grabbing bags and shoving chairs. Del and Nix were nowhere to be seen.
“Don’t worry about your checks,” Connor called from behind the counter. His face had paled, giving Snow White a run for her money. “Get out of here.”
I hurried over to Connor, whose wide gaze met mine. “What’s the deal?”
“There’s a crazy portal at the museum. It’s going to go nuts at some point and create a magical vacuum that will suck in the town. You’ve got to get out of here.”
“Claire is on a job.” His brows lowered over worried eyes.
“Call her. Have her meet you at Aidan’s place in Enchanter’s Bluff. I need you all to get Dr. Garriso. Del and Nix will meet you there, and Del will transport you out of town.”
He nodded, reaching for his cell phone.
“I’m going to go find Nix and Del. They should be here by now.” I ran from P & P, sprinting past Ancient Magic when I realized the shop was empty.
I disengaged the enchantments on the green door and took the stairs two at a time. I passed the second floor where Del lived, but by the time I reached the third floor, I realized I’d probably better check on them. They might be on their way, but they might also be distracted. I’d been so desperate to get to my trove that it hadn’t crossed my mind.
I pounded on Nix’s door. She didn’t answer.
Shit. Where was she?
I pushed open the door. The small living room was empty. It was much better decorated than mine, though still tiny.
“Nix?” I called as I walked to her bedroom.
She stood in front of the open door to her trove, frozen.
Oh no.
Distracted.
I ran to her and grabbed her arm, tugging her backward. “Come on, Nix. We can’t take it. We gotta go.”
Her glazed eyes met mine. “Leave it all?”
“Yeah. We gotta.” I thought of the locket in the back of my own trove. The only thing I had of my parents. At least, I thought it was from them. I had no memory of it or them, only that I’d been wearing the locket when I’d woken at fifteen with my past completely blacked out.
I couldn’t leave it.
“Pick one thing, Nix. Whatever you can carry. I’ll be right back.”
She nodded, her eyes vacant. I hoped she’d be ready when I came back.
I sprinted back down the stairs to Del’s door on the second floor. No answer. I pushed it open and went through to Del’s bedroom. Like Nix, her trove door was open, but Del stood at the foot of the bed, shoving stuff into a big duffle bag.
She glanced up, her gaze wild. “I’m coming. I just had to get some things.”
At least she was more conscious than Nix. “Good. Hurry. Nix is in a bad way. Meet me at her place.”
“You going to your trove?”
“Yeah. Come get me if I’m not out in three.”
Del glanced at her trove door. “Yeah. Yeah, I can.”
“You gotta, Del. We’ve got to get Connor and Claire and Dr. Garriso out of Magic’s Bend. You’re the only one who can do it.”
She nodded, some of the wildness leaving her gaze. “Yeah. I can do it. Can’t get them too far because I’m still regenerating power from the portal, but I can at least get them a couple hundred miles away.”
“Good. That’ll do.”
I left, racing up the stairs and through my apartment. My heart clenched. I’d miss this place if it got sucked away.
In my bedroom, I placed my hand on the wall where my trove was hidden and pushed my magic into the secret door, igniting the spell that would unlock it. The magic snapped, and I pressed the door open.
I flicked on the lights. Racks of gleaming weapons and supple leather jackets and boots filled the space. Contentment immediately flowed over me, filling me with warmth.
It reminded me of being with Aidan, and if that weren’t screwed up, I didn’t know what was. Human companionship and healthy relationships should probably be the number one source of comfort and joy in my life. Instead, it was my trove.
But maybe not for long, if the portal went out of control.
I forced myself to move quickly through my trove toward the back. When I reached the last alcove, I dropped to my knees and shoved aside an old pair of boots, then pressed my hand to the wall near the floor.
A small door swung open, revealing my little safe. The place where I kept my true treasures. It had once housed the Chalice of Youth and the Scroll of Truth, but now held only the small golden locket. Dr. Garriso had the chalice, and I’d given the scroll to Aidan for safekeeping.
I reached in and grabbed the locket, then shut the door and rose. As I walked back through my trove, I fixed the locket around my neck, wishing I could remember how I’d gotten it.
As I neared the exit, my steps lagged. My dragon sense ignited, trying to pull me back toward my treasures. I gritted my teeth and fought it, but it was like that part of my soul knew I was abandoning what we had worked so hard for.
Would my FireSoul rather stay and die than leave al
l this? Was it that powerful?
No.
I was in control. I’d been proving it these last few days, and I would keep doing so.
But I turned and took one last long look at the shelves full of my treasures, hoping I’d be back and that it would all still be here. Being a FireSoul might have come with a lot of power, but it came with even more baggage.
In this case, almost literal. I had to tear myself away, digging my fingernails into my palms to clear my head enough to find the strength to leave.
I didn’t look back as I walked out the apartment door and took the stairs two at a time to Nix’s place. When I entered, Del was dragging Nix out of the bedroom. Nix’s glazed eyes met mine.
“Time to go,” I said.
“But—”
I grabbed Nix’s arm, cutting her off, and helped Del drag her out of the bedroom. By the time we made it to the bottom of the stairs, Nix’s vision had cleared a bit.
“Thanks, guys,” she said. “Don’t know what came over me.”
Del stayed behind and reignited the protection spells on the door while Nix and I headed to P & P.
“You’re going to go to Aidan’s and get Dr. Garriso with Connor and Claire,” I said. “Then get out of town.”
“What about you?” Nix asked.
“Going to help Aidan try to get rid of the portal. But I’ll be right behind you.”
“I want to stay and help.”
I squeezed her hand.
“Me too.” Del’s voice came from behind. She’d run to catch up.
“Thanks, guys. But the only reason I can help is because I’m a Mirror Mage. There wouldn’t be anything for you to do. And Del, you definitely have to get our friends out of town.”
People would be fleeing by road, air, and magic. Magic was definitely the fastest.
“Yeah,” Del said. “But I can come back.”
“And I can just—” Nix halted and grabbed our arms, jerking us to a stop next to her.
“Look,” she whispered, nodding her head into the window of P & P.
Another Tracker demon. The same kind who’d been hunting us before. Through his hair, I could just make out his sawed-off horns, and I’d bet anything that his eyes were that eerie silver.
“Oh, hell no.” Now? “Doesn’t he know we’re evacuating?”
“Not if he just teleported here.”
“Gotta love his timing.”
This demon needed to be sent back to his hell, and fast. But the desire to confirm that he wasn’t looking for us specifically tugged at me. If I was going to question him, I had to do it fast.
“I’ve got an idea.” I sucked in a calming breath and called upon my new Illusion power. It was hard to get a grip on since I hadn’t used it before, but I managed. Magic, fluid and ephemeral in this form, flowed through my veins. I imagined myself changing shape, growing horns and turning my eyes silver. My limbs didn’t fill with warmth like they did when I actually shifted into animal form, but a sparkling sensation slid across my skin.
“Whoa.” Del stepped back.
“How do I look?” I asked.
“Scary as fuck,” Nix said. “Like a bigger version of that dude.”
“Perfect. Follow me, but linger near the door like you’re not with me.”
They nodded.
I turned and strode toward the door, ducking as I entered. I probably didn’t need to, but if I was bigger than the Tracker demon currently interrogating Connor, the illusion that covered me likely would have hit his head on the doorjamb. I caught sight of myself in the antique mirror behind the bar and almost winced.
I was one scary bastard, over seven and a half feet tall and built like a ‘roided up wrestling star on Saturday morning TV. I twisted my features into a snarl.
“You!” I barked, pointing one massive finger at the other Tracker demon. “Why’re you poaching on my turf?”
He spun, confusion on his beastly face. “Master’s orders. Hunting FireSouls.”
“You got a special assignment? ‘Cause I do. One FireSoul in particular. You screw it up poking around because you’re here on a general hunt and you’ll fucking regret it.” I prayed that’s what they called them as I took a threatening step forward. I was half a foot taller than this guy and easily fifty pounds heavier.
“Hey, calm down. I’m just here on the seer’s orders that there are FireSouls in this town. Not hunting anyone in particular. So if you are, I’ll back off, let you have the bounty.” He raised his hand.
Bingo. Just what I’d wanted to hear.
Connor’s startled gaze darted between me and the other demon. He was reaching under the counter, possibly for a potion bomb. I needed to end this before he chucked the thing at me.
I called upon my lightning, letting it crackle and fill me. When I’d created a big enough bolt, I let it fly at the demon. Thunder cracked as he dropped like a stone.
“Cass?” Connor asked, bewildered.
I dropped the illusion and grinned. “Yep.”
“I thought that smelled like you. Badass power.”
“Thanks. I got it from a real asshole.” I walked over and kicked the demon. He didn’t budge.
Del approached. “That was some quick thinking.”
“Thanks. Most of the times I try to wound and then question, I just end up killing. This seemed better.”
“Yeah,” Nix said. “At least we know they aren’t hunting us in particular.”
“Just that they know some of our kind live nearby.” I grimaced. “Which isn’t good.”
“Let’s not worry about that now,” Del said. “We need to get out of here.”
“Agreed.” I hugged her, then Nix. “I’ll call you when we’re done at the museum.”
8
This time, I spied on Aidan and the Order from the parking lot across the street. I stood behind a tall pickup truck, with a view through the window to the museum. It wasn’t perfect cover, but everyone would be staring at the glowing museum, so I’d probably be fine.
I’d used the comms charm to tell Aidan where I would be. When I arrived, he’d perked up and looked back, his gaze searching the lot. He’d been listening for me with his Shifter hearing, I realized.
I peaked my head out, and he caught sight of me. One corner of his mouth kicked up slightly, and he turned back to the others. I recognized the three investigators, as well as one of the other two figures. The Amplifiers. One was an unfamiliar man dressed in a blue suit, but the other was familiar.
Mordaca?
Her dark hair and gown—she was basically a twenty-first century Elvira—were distinct. Mordaca was a Blood Sorceress who had a shop called the Apothecary’s Jungle in Darklane, the part of town where most Black Magic practitioners lived and worked. She wasn’t outright on the wrong side of the law, but there was no question she dabbled in forbidden magic. I’d hired her and her sister a month ago to help me find the Scroll of Truth, but hadn’t seen her since. She must have been the local Amplifier the investigators had spoken about.
When she turned, I flinched. Could she see me? She didn’t have any Shifter blood as far as I knew, so her hearing should be normal. How had she known to look back here?
“Why are you lurking?” A soft voice came from behind me.
My heart leapt as I spun, calling upon my lightning instinctively. It crackled under my skin.
“Don’t shoot.” A pale woman smiled eerily at me and raised her hands slowly. She wore a killer white pantsuit—that shouldn’t look good on anyone but looked amazing on her—and her golden hair gleamed under the noon sun. Her magic sounded like chirping birds and felt like a light breeze, but she wasn’t all goodness and light.
“Aerdeca,” I said. Mordaca’s sister. “What are you doing here?”
“Same as you. Keeping an eye on my loved one.”
“Why is Mordaca here?”
“She’s an Amplifier. The Order hired her to assist.”
As I’d thought.
Aerdeca scowled. �
�But you’re a Mirror Mage. You could be up there helping.”
“I am. From here.”
“Don’t want to run into the Order?” She arched a perfect brow.
“No. Do you? You’d be better able to keep an eye on Mordaca if you were nearby.”
“Fair enough. We’ll lurk here together.”
I turned back to the group and watched them talk. “I didn’t know Mordaca was an Amplifier.”
“She has many talents. But your magic feels a bit different than it did a month ago. I bet it’s a fascinating story.”
“No talking. Let’s just watch.”
Aerdeca shrugged.
“And give me space.”
She moved back a few steps.
I turned my attention to the group in front of the museum. They were spreading out, Mordaca and the other Amplifier standing on either side of Aidan. They approached the museum and stopped about ten feet from it.
Aidan reached out, his hand slowly swiping through space. Testing the soupy portal air, I assumed. He then held the Spell Stripper out.
Magic swelled in the air as he activated it. The scent of the forest and the sound of crashing waves hit me. Then the Amplifiers’s magic. The taste of whiskey came from Mordaca. The other Amplifier’s power felt like a cold shower.
I shivered, then closed my eyes and tried to pick up the feel of the exact magic they were using. My chest thrummed with energy as I grasped the signature of the amplification and mirrored it. Like the power over illusion, this was harder than my usual magic. Probably because there wasn’t something physical and easy to create, like fire.
My muscles vibrated with strain as I attempted to assist, but I’d had no training in this. It was like trying to grab on to eels. I visualized the amplification magic as green smoke that I pushed toward Aidan, trying to make it increase the Spell Stripper’s magic.
“It’s working,” Aerdeca whispered. “Keep going.”
Sweat dripped down my temples and my breath became short as I spurred my magic on, pushing it toward Aidan and the Spell Stripper. The museum wavered, the purple glow pulsing. The air began to thrum, as if the portal were fighting to hang on.
My legs weakened and I leaned against the truck. A hum sounded in my ears, either the portal’s magic or my own exhaustion. I pushed past it, focusing on the whiskey taste and cold shower feel of the Amplifiers’s magic.
