How did he know that Conner had retaliated against several of them after taking them from SG custody?
Before I could ask, Elijah crossed his arms over his chest, gave the room a quick once-over, and returned his attention to me. “Everyone knows about it, but you never know what’s truth and what’s creative spin to protect the supernatural community.” He started to stroll throughout the living room, examining everything in it as if he was trying to get a sense of who I was based on its contents. “Rumor has it that they were part of a hate group—and were killed while the SG was trying to apprehend them. It never rang true to me.”
After several moments of looking around the room, he returned to a position in front of me, directing all of his curiosity back to me. We stood several feet apart, and he seemed to be appraising me as much as I was appraising him.
“Is this the first time they’ve come after you?” I asked.
“No. The other times ended more favorably for the Trackers. I modified their thoughts and made them think they’d killed me. I thought that would stop them.”
I gave him a wry smile of understanding because I thought I’d done the same. “You don’t change your hair to disguise yourself?” If he was going around with his hair that color, he was a walking target.
He ran his fingers through it, changing it to dark brown, which was more pleasing since the red clashed with his fair skin. “Since I was coming to see another Legacy, I changed it.”
Am I the only one who can’t do that? “How do you do that?”
Blocking his hand as it came toward me, I stepped back out of his reach.
“Your hair,” he pointed out. “It’s brown.”
“I know, I saw it this morning when I got dressed.”
Smiling, he requested, “Change it.”
“I don’t know how,” I admitted softly. For the first time, I was embarrassed by my limitation.
“It’s easy enough.” Moving forward, he touched a strand of it, a warm tingle moved over my head, and when his smile widened I knew it was our natural color.
“Do you know how to do a protection spell?”
I nodded.
“Can you move objects with your magic?”
Again, I nodded.
“Then you can do it.” His face contorted to the side; I figured he was trying to think of a way to show me how to do it. He took my hand, and magic coursed over it. Prickled, moved along my arm, curled around it, and then unfolded in a multitude of directions. It felt like a unique brand of offensive magic and my body responded accordingly to protect me. Heat and energy moved through me, different than anything I’d tried before.
“Think of a color as you move your fingers through your hair and change it.”
I should have thought of the color I had before instead of blue. When I looked in the mirror, I was shocked to see I had electric blue hair with brown ends. I ran my fingers through again, pulling the magic. It seemed so simple with the right directions—as opposed to winging it—and I left it persimmon red and turned from the mirror to Elijah.
“It fits you.”
I wasn’t going to lie to him; he looked better with brown hair.
“Can you transport?” I asked.
He nodded. Now that he’d edged himself even closer, I became more aware of the undeniable strength of his magic. Was he a Legacy or a Vertu? The idea of him being the latter bothered me. I realized they weren’t all the same, but it was a struggle not to consider him an egomaniac whose goal was to start the Cleanse again. Responding to my change in mood, he noticeably stiffened and took a step back.
He looked around the apartment, giving me the impression he was trying to figure me out in the same manner. “It’s harder than it looks. Not everyone can do it. My mother can, but my father can’t.”
“Are you a Legacy?”
He shook his head.
“Thank you for showing me this.” I pointed to my hair.
He moved closer to me. He might not have been odd—I was still on the fence about that—but he had difficulty with boundaries and personal space. Despite my doubts, there was something about him I liked. Perhaps it was just the desire to befriend another person like me.
When I offered him breakfast, he was polite enough to accept the donut but turned his nose up at the bacon and Nutella-covered bagel. Maybe I didn’t want to be friends with this guy. He hates bacon and Nutella, clearly there is something wrong with him.
Three donuts and a cup of coffee later, Elijah had relaxed and was resting back on the sofa.
“How many times have you been tracked?”
Inching his brows together, he considered my question. “Two that I’m sure of, and I believe another was following me for a while but then he disappeared.” I wondered if the last one had been called away to help apprehend Conner, never to return.
“I move a lot. My parents have been in the same city for years unnoticed.”
It was ridiculous to be envious of something like that, but I was. His parents were alive. The silence between us wasn’t uncomfortable but it wasn’t cordial, either. Caution, pragmatism, and skepticism seemed to rule us.
“Are you really trying to spearhead the campaign to find and reveal Legacy?” There was a hint of interest and cynicism in his question.
Spearheading made it seem so important and planned, as if it were a well-orchestrated campaign as opposed to me falling into the situation. Instead of pointing that out, I nodded. There were more bouts of strained silence than actual conversation and I was relieved when Gareth called. I excused myself to my room for privacy.
“What do you think?” Gareth asked as soon as I answered the phone.
“About the hot guy you sent to my home?”
“Yeah, you already mentioned that. Besides ogling him, what do you think of him?”
“You know he killed a Tracker. I suspect more.”
“And you’ve killed at least three. Three that I know about, and your point?”
When you say it that way it sounds pretty damn bad.
“He’s cautious and I understand why. His magic is strong, really strong. He’s a Vertu.”
If Gareth was surprised, he didn’t let on. “Tina said his magic felt strong. I’m sure he has a mark to mask his just like you do. Do you think he can help find Savannah?”
“I haven’t gotten to that part. I wasn’t going to introduce myself, offer him a donut, and then ask him to help me track down an egomaniac with plans of world domination. Give me some time.”
“Levy, we don’t have a lot of time.” Getting Savannah back wasn’t just for my benefit but for his as well. They’d need her if the attacks continued. “The longer she’s with Conner, the more I fear things will end up worse than we can imagine.”
I couldn’t blame Elijah for the dark looks he shot in my direction. His narrowed eyes told how audacious he considered me. I’d known him all of three hours and was now asking him to do a spell with me to track down Conner. But not before I’d told him everything Conner had done, his plans, and his seeking retribution. And that Conner had been mauled by Gareth and still lived.
“Did you pierce the heart?” He looked over his shoulder and asked Gareth, who was staring at us, his attention going to my hair, which I’d kept red. Briefly, I wondered if it bothered him. He’d made the comment that he’d asked me to keep my natural color and I’d refused, but hadn’t refused Elijah. Was Gareth capable of jealousy? He didn’t seem to be, despite Elijah commanding a great deal of his attention.
“I don’t know, but I went deep enough that I should have.”
“Piercing the heart would have done it,” he informed us.
“So we die like vampires? You have to pierce the heart with a stake or behead us?” I asked.
Incredulous, Elijah said, “Everyone dies without a head, Olivia.” Setting back on task, he said the first few words of the locating spell. Refocused, I positioned the knife to draw blood from me first and then Elijah. It would be the second time we’d
done it. Even with our combined magic, our first attempt hadn’t been able to break the ward that protected Conner’s location. The flicker of color had illuminated but faded before we could get a clear direction.
Cutting my hand, I started the location spell. Elijah shot a look over at Lucas, who was leaning against the wall. My new comrade kept his cool, relaxed demeanor, but kept his eyes on the vampire, who looked particularly hostile dressed in all black again. Gone was his typical suave manner, replaced by tension and barely restrained anger. Although we knew it wasn’t directed at us, it was still uncomfortable.
The knife slipped over Elijah’s palm and blood welled. He did a location spell, I followed, and we alternated, getting flashes of the location. It flickered and faded, but doing the spell in succession finally gave us a firm location. My hand was sore from being opened so many times, and Elijah looked as if the idea of us becoming friends wasn’t an option. I couldn’t blame him. After everything I’d told him, perhaps keeping his distance was the smart thing to do.
CHAPTER 7
I squinted at the bright sun that blazed through the thick branches, unable to enjoy it the same way because I was in the woods again, and not on my own terms. Woods and forests had lost their appeal. I wished Conner was a madman with a caffeine or sugar addiction so I could hunt him down in a coffeehouse or bakery. At this point, I’d prefer a park or golf course. Anywhere but another woodland. But he was a creature of habit.
Thick trees crowded the area and their earthy oaky smell consumed the air but didn’t mask the magic. I’d have preferred Elijah to come with us, but he’d politely declined. I didn’t blame him. Knowing everything he did of Conner, it was a smart choice. He’d promised he would stay in town for a couple of days, but I had a feeling that being around us wasn’t on his to-do list. His life was less chaotic than mine and he seemed quite happy to go back to it. He was uneasy about the Legacy coming out; even after the debate where I’d presented the pros of doing so, he’d seemed hesitant.
“Announcing our existence won’t automatically garner acceptance,” he’d stated several times during our discussion earlier. Despite his objections his eyes had looked hopeful. I knew he wasn’t willing to be too optimistic about the possibilities because he was right, coming out didn’t automatically mean we would be accepted or safer.
Dismissing thoughts of Elijah, I continued through the thick mass of trees, tall grass, and dirt trails. There was a sudden rumbling noise, and Gareth reacted first, heading in the direction from which it came. It didn’t take enhanced hearing to find the location. An odd, massive creature was coiled around a sleeping Savannah; its three animal heads bobbed, alert and ready to strike. I’d met Conner’s pet—a grotesque combination of feline, wolf, and snake—before. I remembered its sinewy movements and powerful strikes. The serpent’s head was the part of the creature I despised the most. It moved too freely, making it the one to watch at all times. Its tongue slithered out at our approach. The animal stayed in position, unbothered by my presence, which made the situation seem more ominous. Why was it so calm?
Conner’s magic brushed over me and even though I couldn’t see him, I felt his foreboding presence. He wouldn’t deny himself the pleasure of seeing me fight his little pet. It was doubtful that he cared that I had a shapeshifter and a vampire with me.
“Savannah?” Lucas called out, his voice loud and soothing. Before I could call her name, Lucas lifted a hand to stop me.
Right, she hates me. The pain it caused just wouldn’t go away. I realized it was illogical to be hurt by it, but that didn’t make it sting any less.
The serpent head stretched its neck the range of its reach until it was just inches from my face, exposing its fangs before recoiling. Were they poisonous? What would they do to Savannah if used on her? Tightening my grip on my sai, I continued to advance.
“Conner, your issue is with me, so take it out on me!” I yelled. Lucas shot me a sharp look. My patience with the vampire was growing thin.
Conner’s cruel laughter carried with the wind, floating in the air, bouncing off the trees, creating a menacing echoing sound. I snapped around, surveying the area, trying to isolate the location and find him. Although there were twinges of rationality behind his cruelty, he seemed to have only a tenuous grasp on his sanity and was driven by revenge. That was harder to work with because it wasn’t rooted in something tangible like logic, but something as imperceptible as emotions.
Sword in hand, Lucas moved quickly toward the creature in a blur of a movement and was thrown back by a purplish lucent wall that had just sprung up. Returning to his feet, he charged again. Waves of color sparked and powerful magic flowed over the area, but the wall remained.
“I’ll have to get her. He wants me,” I said, coolly. “He’ll block anyone but me.”
“It’s a trap.” Gareth’s voice rumbled with anger.
“Of course it is.” I inhaled, letting the oaky smell calm me. I’d taken on his pet twice and neither time had been easy. I wondered if things would be harder now that Conner didn’t care about my life.
Slowly I approached the wall. It held. “Move back.” When the wall remained up, I looked over my shoulder; Gareth and Lucas had only moved inches away, maybe a full foot.
“Gareth.”
Reluctantly, he nodded at Lucas, and they kept retreating. Every so often I looked over my shoulder to see how much distance they’d gathered. It must have been an acceptable amount because the wall dropped, the animal uncurled from Savannah, and the snake lurched, mouth open, ready to plunge its fangs into me. Dropping to the ground, I felt it graze the top of my head. I shoved my sai up, piercing the body but missing the throat I’d been aiming for. Blood gushed as I positioned my second sai to strike my intended target. The creature wrapped its body around me. It plucked me up and slung me. Grabbing the end of the embedded sai, I used the force of the toss to rip it out as I crashed to the ground. I rolled to my feet the moment I landed and crouched low, waiting for it to attack again. The serpent’s mouth opened, and I leaped, turned out the handle of the sai, and hit the fangs with enough force to break them off. It shrieked and retreated. Twirling the sai, I positioned it with the blade up and waited for another strike. The snake recoiled and made a hissing sound.
A growl reverberated from the wolf’s mouth, loud enough that it should have woken Savannah, but it didn’t. Conner must’ve sedated her with a spell. The wolf furled back its lips and growled again. It drew back to slice me with a paw. Distracted, I missed the snake’s head, which butted me with such force I lost my footing. The creature used that to its advantage and raked its claws against my stomach. Pain seared through me. Damn, I remembered that feeling from our first encounter and I could go many more years without feeling it again. I heard another roar, but not from the creature. A cave lion’s massive body thrashed into the magical wall, trying to break it.
Conner chortled but I refused to try to identify the location of the sound. “I want him to watch you die.”
“I’ve encountered your freaks before and managed to live.”
“Because they were instructed to let you live. No such restraints have been imposed this time.” Magic slammed into my back; I careened into the animal but was able to roll out of the way before it could take a bite out of me. Once again claws dug into my flesh. I wailed in pain and tears sprang to my eyes. Conner’s mocking laughter made me adamant that I wouldn’t shed any more. When the claws came at me again, I jammed one of the sai into it and then the other. I yanked the first out and continued through a cycle of four strikes. I was covered in blood as the monstrosity lumbered back. I drew in magic and sent it thrashing through my sai. A pained howl rang in the air and the thing retreated even further. I kept calling up the magic, stronger, fueled by my survival instincts as much as by anger. I dropped one of the twins and pulled magic into me, feeling the summation of it, and coiled it into a massive force and lobbed it at the wall. The barrier held for longer than I expected but eventually
it gave. A blur of movement, and Lucas had Savannah in his arms, rushing away from us. The cave lion loped toward the creature. They both made powerful leaps, crashing together in midair. Gareth’s commanding feline mass overtook the creature and it fell back. He quickly answered the question of whether the creature could live with one of its heads missing. It was moving despite the sliced-off serpent’s head.
The creature had mass on Gareth, but the dead weight was a disadvantage as it lunged again. The cave lion jumped out of its path and clawed its side. It roared. Gareth made another attempt at an attack but was met with claws digging into his own flesh. The monster retreated and bared the teeth of the two remaining heads. On the offensive, the creature watched Gareth’s every move, turning as he rounded it, looking for an advantage. Too distracted by Gareth, it wasn’t able to react when I attacked from the rear. Leaping onto it, I embedded my sai into its back. The conflation of the two wailing sounds of pain—one from a lion, the other from a wolf—filled the air. The creature bucked like a bull trying to throw me. When it lifted its body to toss me off, it exposed its vulnerable necks and chest to Gareth. He lunged and tore the wolf’s neck with his teeth. Conner’s pet immediately collapsed. I pulled out the sai and kept stabbing until it stopped moving.
When it was undeniably dead, I snatched out the twins and dismounted. I wiped off my weapons on my pants. Gareth stayed in animal form as we both surveyed the area. We were met with silence, but I could feel Conner’s magic—it was tumultuous.
“Conner, your pet’s dead.” I kept my voice level and even. I wasn’t trying to taunt him. “This will not end well for you. You have an issue with me, take it up with me. Leave Savannah out of this. Don’t come near her again.”
My words were met with more silence. Waves of magic filled the air and twirled around. It was as if Conner was trying to speak to me in magical code. I continued, “I know you’re here. Reveal yourself.”
A powerful gust of magic slammed into Gareth and me, sending us several feet into the air. We landed, hard, on the ground. Another blast hit Gareth, and then another. Each one sent him farther away from me. I started to roll to my feet and found myself enclosed in a diaphanous shell, with Conner standing over me. I tried to stand but with a wave of his hand, my legs collapsed under me and I hit the ground.
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