Chaotic Magic: A Snarky Paranormal Romance (Modern Magic Book 6)

by Nicole Hall

  Samantha tried not to let the rush of jealousy show on her face, but it was a lost cause. The bond refused to let her keep her emotions to herself. “I hope she had enough sense to stay far away from you.”

  To the consternation of Koi, she lay down next to him and turned her face upward. The quinat snorted and picked her way back down to the pool. Samantha’s past had been weighing on her the last few days, mostly because she knew he wanted to hear her secrets. The bond went both ways, after all. She wasn’t ready to out herself as an oracle—she might never be ready—but she could share the parts of her history that had shaped her.

  “My father left when I was very young because of my magic.”

  Luc turned his head to search her face, but she continued to stare up at the passing clouds.

  “I was raised by my mom, but she was always a little bit afraid too.” Samantha shook her head. “She tried to love me, but I cost her too much for her to get all the way there. She died when I was eighteen and left me the house and a trust set up by my grandmother. That’s when I finally stopped suppressing my magic and went in search of someone to train me.”

  “And found your mage.”

  Samantha smiled at the edge of jealousy in his tone. “Yes. Ichabod. He was eighty if he was a day, and I was convinced he would keel over every time he walked up the stairs outside.”

  Luc popped up on one elbow to look down at her. “Ichabod? Seriously? Did he search for the headless horseman in his spare time?”

  She shifted her gaze to meet his eyes. “No need to disparage him. He’s not in my life anymore. You are.”

  “I am.” Luc leaned down and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips, then pulled back before she could deepen it. “That’s why you’re so prickly and controlling about your magic? Because of the mistakes of your cowardly parents?”

  Her brows flew up. “That seems harsh.”

  “Not the way I see it.” His jaw tensed with anger, and Samantha prepared to defend her choices yet again. Ichabod had never understood either.

  She wanted to be offended on behalf of herself and her parents, but the bond pushed her feeble protests aside. Luc wasn’t angry with her; he was angry for her. From inside their magic, she could feel the frustration and helpless fury he kept leashed on her behalf.

  “I know my magic doesn’t scare everyone away, but being a responsible mage means controlling the power.” She said the words, oft repeated, but for the first time, she wasn’t sure if she believed them. Hadn’t her initial concern with Luc been that her visions would make him leave if he knew about them? How was that any different from her father leaving after she’d prophesied that he’d die?

  Luc tipped her chin up to recapture her attention. “Your magic has never scared me, and it certainly won’t drive me away.”

  Samantha had carefully cultivated an attitude meant to intimidate. Smart, skilled, and powerful, she wore her confidence like armor. Except Luc insisted on pushing right past her defenses. He teased her and challenged her, but he’d never disrespected her.

  It was hard to dismiss a man that wanted her for the same reasons everyone else feared her.

  She breathed deep and let his certainty settle inside her. Maybe she was ready to tell him the rest after all. Before she could open her mouth, though, a loud screech and a jolt of pain from Koi echoed across the clearing.

  13

  SAMANTHA

  Samantha hopped up and rushed down the hill to the pool where they’d left their gear. Her head ached from the sharp pain that had lanced through it with Koi’s cry. Luc trailed close behind her, and when she pulled up short at the sight of a small woman in leather pants and a hooded cloak digging through her pack, he had to throw an arm around her to stop from knocking her over.

  The woman stood and spun around at the scuffle. “Stay where you are.”

  An oily magic tried to coat her mind, but Samantha pushed it away with ease. She shifted to move closer, but Luc’s arm tightened around her. Their bond flooded with tension, and underneath that, the need for Samantha to be still. Had the hunt found them?

  She relaxed her posture and raised a brow at the trespasser. “Who the hell are you?” A strong offense usually made the best defense.

  The woman pushed the hood back, revealing a familiar face surrounded by ashy blonde hair. Dread sat heavily on Samantha’s chest. She’d seen this woman before in her visions. Both times Luc had died.

  Samantha clutched at Luc’s arm around her mid-section. Her visions had been extremely detailed, and this clearing in the forest wasn’t the closed-off room she’d seen. Then again, being face to face with the woman who might murder him wasn’t encouraging a lot of good feelings.

  Luc sighed behind her. “Tamra, I should have known it was you.”

  Samantha gaped at him over her shoulder. “This is your booty call?”

  He brushed his lips against her cheek and murmured in her ear. “Keep your power hidden. Trust me.” Then louder, “It was a low point in my life.”

  Tamra huffed. “That’s not what you said the last time you entertained me at your hotel.”

  Koi popped out from behind a close-growing copse of trees to her right, distracting Samantha from the urge to try out some of her newfound fire-power on Tamra’s perfect face. She’d heal, like anyone from the clans would, but the temporary disfiguring pain might be worth it.

  The quinat chirruped sadly and hobbled over to hide behind Samantha, despite being much bigger than all the people in the clearing. Sherlock and the squirrels were nowhere to be seen.

  Samantha remembered Koi’s insistence on leaving, and guessed she’d known about the intruder. The distinct feeling of ‘I told you so’ mirrored Koi’s agitated prancing. Samantha frowned at her and sent her a mental push to calm down. Panicking wouldn’t help.

  She used the little bond to check the bird for injuries, but she appeared scared more than anything else. “What did you do to my quinat?”

  Tamra glared at the speckled bird. “She didn’t listen when I told her to go away, so I gave her some incentive.”

  Luc piped in, sounding bored. “Sherlock saw her kick Koi in the lower leg. I doubt it hurt her very much.”

  “You kicked my bird in the shin?” Samantha nearly growled at the tiny blonde menace.

  The woman ignored Samantha and addressed Luc. “I’ve come on behalf of the elders to offer you a trade. An artifact of great power in exchange for the dryad queen.”

  Luc’s shoulders tensed. “I don’t trade in people.”

  She grinned slyly. “That’s also not what you said before. I clearly remember you telling me all about your collection of exiles in Terra, and how the power you drew from them rivaled anything you had before.”

  Samantha refused to give Tamra the satisfaction of reacting to her words. She’d said them to antagonize a response, but the worst insults always carried a bit of truth. Luc did collect exiles with power, and he’d come to her asking about the artifacts in Aecantha. How else would the elders know to offer him one unless he’d talked to a representative about it? Perhaps Tamra?

  A twinge of hurt reached her through the bond. Luc must have felt her doubt—she’d maintained an open connection between them for days now—but Samantha couldn’t afford to explain. She knew he’d never trade Dru for an artifact, but he did crave power in a way that made his exile support group extremely convenient.

  Tamra shrugged when he didn’t respond. “You have twenty-four hours to accept. The elders extend a promise of safe haven between now and then.”

  Samantha felt the prickly magic of a bargain drift past her and settle over Luc. Their shared magic thrummed, and Luc’s arm moved slightly to press her against him, back to front. The dagger shifted as his hand brushed the sheath, and Samantha understood his reminder. She hadn’t forgotten she wore a powerful artifact all her own.

  Tamra rubbed her hands together. “Now that we have business out of the way, on to what I want. Give me the necklace.”

  Th
e oily magic pushed against her mind again, but to no avail. Luc, on the other hand, slipped away from her to walk over to his pack. He pulled a pouch free and stood, holding it out toward Tamra.

  She nodded. “Open it.”

  He pulled the drawstring apart and dumped a simple necklace with a golden medallion into his palm. Even from several feet away, Samantha could feel the power emanating from his hand.

  She frowned. Had he been carrying that the entire time? For what purpose?

  Samantha didn’t consider herself slow, but the pieces fell into place with startling speed once she remembered Dru’s story about her ascension to the throne. Tamra had been there, wearing an artifact in the shape of a necklace that made her immune to the magic of others. Dru and her mate had promptly stolen it before secretly booting Tamra back to Aecantha. She’d also had some kind of mind control ability, that thankfully hadn’t worked on Dru and didn’t seem to work on Samantha.

  Tamra sighed happily. “We meet again.” She snatched the necklace from Luc and stuffed it inside her cloak. “I’ll bet you regret not wearing it, don’t you?”

  Luc tilted his head in assent, letting his arm drop to his side. “I regret many things.”

  She gave him an appreciative look and sidled closer. “We could always try again.”

  Samantha did not like where this encounter seemed to be headed. Luc had asked her to keep her power hidden, but that didn’t mean she had to stand around helpless. If she distracted Tamra enough, maybe it would free Luc from her thrall. At the very least, Samantha could use her sharp tongue for flaying someone more deserving than her hapless lover.

  But first, prudence demanded she do something with the extra power she’d been given.

  Without moving, she gathered Luc’s magic to her, interweaved with her own, but like the blue base of a flame rather than a separate strand of power. A quick flick of her wrist for the sigil and she created a barrier all the way around her—glowing like a beautiful sunset— much like the one she’d used against the redcaps.

  Luc had maintained his air of indifference when she’d pulled on his power, but his gaze shot to her when the shield went up. Tamra turned and tilted her head at Samantha.

  “An interesting use of power, but ultimately useless. I’ve never met a ward I couldn’t bypass.”

  “How nice for you. This isn’t a ward. Your power has no effect in here.”

  Tamra’s eyes narrowed, and she faced Luc again. “Release the shield.”

  He spread his hands with a subtle, superior smile. “I can’t. At this point, only she can.”

  Samantha wanted Tamra’s attention back on her. “I’ve heard of you. The one who can’t shift.” She sent Luc a look dripping with pity. “I didn’t know you went in for the broken ones.”

  Tamra whirled back to Samantha and marched away from Luc. “I’ve changed my mind. I want this one too.”

  Luc crossed his arms, looking lethal and sexy as his biceps flexed. “I’ve grown fond of her. It would inconvenience me if you carted her away only to kill her later.”

  Tamra’s nostrils flared as she took another step, almost close enough to touch the bubble. She raised a hand with dark, gleaming magic swirling in her palm. “I could kill her now.”

  “That would be a shame. Even if you managed to get through the shield, I’ve promised to protect her and killing me would break your bargain. Not much of a safe haven.”

  She closed her fist, snuffing out the magic, and a dark humor came into her eyes. Samantha waited to see what Tamra would do next, but the slow smile the other woman gave her didn’t bode well. Her plan to distract Tamra seemed to have backfired. How annoying.

  The blonde pursed her lips and sauntered back to her position next to Luc. They’d be nose to nose if she were a little taller. As it was, she quirked her eyebrow at him, then turned her head to look at Samantha.

  “You think he’s yours now, little human?” Tamra ran a finger down his bare chest, grinning at the twitches in Luc’s muscles. “I wonder how long your shield will last if I take what I want from him while you watch from behind your protection.”

  Luc’s jaw ticked, but he raised his chin and met Samantha’s eyes. “Stay. There.”

  The order grated against her nerves. Did he really expect her to do nothing and watch? The bond indicated he did, filled as it was with the intense need for her to obey. Samantha glared at him. She didn’t react well when someone told her to obey like a recalcitrant puppy.

  Tamra laughed, a low, husky noise that Samantha wanted to shove right back down her throat. “You see? I won’t even have to force him. Shall we test how fond of you he really is?”

  She raised up on her toes and braced herself against Luc’s chest to lean against him, but a moment after her skin came in contact with his, she hissed and yanked her hand back. “Not very nice, Luc.”

  He flashed a humorless smile. “I think you’ll find I’m less inclined to make the experience pleasurable for you when I don’t have a say. I believe I’ll pass on your kind offer. The elders might not be so forgiving.”

  A darkness covered the clearing like before at Janet’s house, and Tamra flinched back from Luc, pressing her temples. Samantha looked up, but there were only wispy clouds drifting across the sky. The elders had sent another summons.

  Tamra grunted and shook her head, then smiled at Samantha. “You won’t always be shielded.” She spared Luc a glance as she reluctantly moved toward the trees. “Stay where you are until I’m gone. Bring her to the meeting or the bargain is off.”

  Luc stood in place and watched her until she disappeared into a thicker area of underbrush. “Stay behind the shield, love. She’s not away yet.”

  Samantha crossed her arms and waited. She could feel Tamra’s presence too, but it moved farther and farther away from them. “How long before her power wears off?”

  He ran a weary hand through his hair. “I don’t know. She’s never used it around me before, but Seth warned me when he and Keely first returned from their adventure here. To our benefit, her ability doesn’t work on everyone, and she can’t tell who it affects and who it doesn’t. Until someone shows her.”

  “I understand.” Samantha chose the tone of her next words with care. As much as she wanted to accuse him of lying to her, the emotions churning in her gut said that charge might be an exaggeration. “Why didn’t you tell me about her? Or the necklace?”

  Luc met her gaze. “I believed Tamra had been taken by the elders, as should have been the case. It never occurred to me she would be free to wander the countryside. As for the necklace, Seth gave it to me with the dagger. I packed it into my satchel then promptly forgot about it when I was transported to another realm against my will.”

  His calm, rational response drained most of the irritation away, leaving nothing but exasperation. Samantha propped her hands on her hips, tapping her fingers against the dagger hilt. “And you didn’t notice it any of the times you went digging through there for condoms?”

  He slanted her a wicked grin. “Those were the times I’d be the least likely to notice it.”

  Samantha shook her head, fighting off the slow burn caused by that smile. “Does its protection work against Tamra’s mind control? And anything the elders could do?”

  “Yes, to both.”

  She groaned. “Seriously? That would have been exceptionally convenient in the next day or so. Anything else in your pack that could be useful?”

  “Against Tamra and elders? No.” His shoulders relaxed, and he finally moved away from his makeshift prison. “It should be safe enough now.”

  Samantha swallowed hard as she released the magic of the sigil. She’d been full of confidence while she’d had a bubble around her, but she couldn’t maintain it and do anything else. Bravado was a lot harder to come by with nothing but a thin bargain between her self-proclaimed protector and the former demi-goddess shape-shifter who she’d just pissed off. True, this lovely little meeting hadn’t been the one from her visions,
but she may have just instigated the events that happened later.

  She looked around for Koi, finally finding her trying to blend in with the foliage next to the waterfall. Her poor quinat was shaking. Samantha’s fury ignited all over again that someone would hurt such a cheerful animal. Koi finally calmed as Samantha sent her soothing thoughts.

  Luc searched the ground around them. “Have you seen my shirt?”

  She spotted the black fabric draped over a bush with vibrant purple flowers. The giant blossoms were beautiful, but Samantha didn’t want to get too close to the inch-long thorns protruding from the branches. She gingerly lifted the shirt and tossed it at him. “Can you call Sherlock?”

  He dressed then picked up his pack. “I’ve already tried. She seems to have gotten the message to come back, but I can’t tell if she’s coming back here or going back to her home stable.”

  “I can’t believe you were canoodling with the enemy.” Samantha couldn’t get the rage-inducing image of Tamra running her finger down Luc’s chest as if she owned it out of her mind.

  Luc raised a brow at her. “Canoodling? Have you suddenly channeled a 1950s housewife?”

  “I stand by my comment.”

  He shrugged. “My standards weren’t nearly as high before I met you.”

  The off-handed compliment warmed her even as she shied away from it. If he wasn’t concerned by their past, Samantha could get past her murderous feelings. “I guess we stay here until we know which way Sherlock chose.”

  She repacked her bag while they waited, tossing Koi the last of the berries she’d saved from the squirrels. They’d gotten complacent with the squirrel army warning them of nearby people, and all it had taken was one comment from Tamra to silently send them away. They were creepy, but she’d miss them. She winced when she thought of the scene Tamra might have stumbled on if Koi hadn’t taken care of matters on her own.

  Samantha stewed over their animal companions while she finished with her bag. But after a few minutes of silence, she noticed the bond felt off. The magic she’d used had reverted back to its neutral state between them when she’d released it, but Luc’s usual twisted sense of amusement was markedly absent from the flow of emotion.