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

by Nicole Hall

  “The shield was dangerous.” Luc’s quiet words drew her attention. He stood where she’d erected the shield, staring at the faint marks in the dirt from her movements.

  She slowly rose to face him. “Tamra was dangerous. You asked me not to reveal my power to her, and I didn’t. I’d hoped if I distracted her, she might lose her grip on you.”

  He looked up, and though she could see the anger in the line of his jaw, she couldn’t sense it from the bond. At some point, he’d blocked part of himself off from her. “I asked you to trust me.”

  “I did.” Samantha felt her own ire start to rise.

  “No. You foolishly made a beacon of yourself. Did you forget about the hunt? We were lucky Tamra wasn’t involved with it. She came here looking for me, and I didn’t want her to notice that the human I traveled with also matched the quarry the elders sought.”

  Samantha clenched her fists to keep from strangling him. “Foolish? She was practically licking her lips as she stared at you. Was I supposed to stand there useless while she messed with you?”

  Her breath came in short bursts, from anger, but also from jealousy and arousal. She’d wanted to destroy Tamra for touching Luc. Her Luc. The possessive need drove her to stake a claim on the man in front of her, and she couldn’t tell if the wild urge originated from her or from him.

  He stalked toward her, fire in his eyes. “Yes. I know how to deal with Tamra.”

  She glared at him when he stopped just shy of touching her. “You? The one she can control? Her ability doesn’t work on me. I should be the one dealing with her.”

  Luc’s jaw ticked as he stared down at her. His hand came up as if to touch her face, but he dropped it before making contact. “What happens when you stop hiding us and she realizes I share your magic? Will you defend yourself against me when she turns me on you? In a battle of wills, can you guarantee you’ll win?”

  Samantha looked away, annoyed that she couldn’t give him his guarantee. “You’re not all-powerful, and I can block you just as easily as you’re blocking me now.”

  He sighed, and his breath ruffled her hair. “The emotions, not the magic. I won’t be used as a weapon against you.”

  She admitted defeat and closed the distance to slide her arms around his waist. “We are in so much trouble.”

  Luc laughed dryly and hugged her. “Indeed.”

  With a rustle of the underbrush, Sherlock came trotting into the clearing, but her appearance didn’t alleviate any of the tension. Luc pulled away to address his quinat. She bumped Luc with her body and huffed at him, but Samantha couldn’t tell if she was angry or glad to see him. Luc patted her neck, and she chirped brightly. Happy, then.

  At least someone was.

  “We should leave. Find Keris. She’ll be able to tell us who wants me dead and get us out of here.”

  He shook his head as he returned to her. “We don’t have enough information. Keris could be the one who set the redcaps on you. We’d be better off following Tamra. At least we know what she’s capable of.”

  “You’re right. We know Tamra is a bad guy.”

  “Yes, and she’s working with the elders, which by my calculation makes them villains as well. Your Keris also works for the elders. Ergo, we should avoid both Tamra and Keris, and I should convince the elders—as the least likely villains to try to outright kill us—to open the doorway for us tomorrow.”

  “You mean at the meeting where you agree to trade me and Dru for a powerful shiny trinket?”

  He raised a hand to trace her jaw. “I would never trade you for power. Tamra does the bidding of the elders. She doesn’t get to dictate the terms of any agreement I make with them.”

  Samantha wrapped her fingers around his wrist. “What about Dru? And the hunt?”

  “I have no intention of actually bringing Dru to them, but I can make them think I plan to. The purpose of the hunt is to deliver you to them, yes? Instead of the artifact, I’ll demand you as my prize.”

  The plan hinged on Luc’s ability to fool the elders, and she had faith in that ability, but there was one aspect he didn’t know about. His death at Tamra’s hands. Her magic thrummed with the knowledge that his meeting with the elders tied into the vision.

  “You can’t go to that meeting.”

  He tipped her chin up to meet her eyes. “Why?”

  The words stuck in her throat and nearly choked her. The rush of the waterfall became deafening in the silence. She’d almost told him before, when the timeline of the vision had still been hypothetical, but Tamra’s presence meant she’d lost the luxury of silence.

  “I saw your death in a vision. To Tamra, at that meeting.”

  “In a vision?” His hand dropped away from her face as he took a step back, forcing Samantha to let go of his wrist.

  “Yes.” She silently pleaded with him to listen, to believe in fate for once in his life.

  A stoic mask covered his features, and she caught a flash of pain through the bond before Luc slammed a wall between them. “You’re an oracle.”

  “Yes.”

  He shook his head and turned away, striding across the clearing to Sherlock. Samantha sucked in a breath as pain ripped through her. Her heart broke knowing she’d lose him, but if she could convince him to believe, maybe she could save his life. And that would have to be enough.

  14

  LUC

  Samantha was a fucking oracle. A full-on, manipulative peddler of fate. His jaw clenched painfully tight to keep from verbalizing the stream of nasty comments spilling through his mind. The sophisticated, intelligent woman that had become the most important part of his life didn’t fit with the manipulative, scheming oracles he’d known before.

  She hadn’t moved since her admission, and Luc couldn’t face her. He’d wanted her to show him the parts of her she kept hidden, to trust him with her secrets, but he’d never suspected that he would be one of them.

  Except she hadn’t even trusted him now, had she? She’d come to a crossroads and been forced to tell him or risk his life.

  Sherlock followed him to the edge of the water, where he stared down but didn’t see his reflection. Instead, he remembered the weight of Samantha limp in his arms outside her house. And again, when she’d gone stiff against him in the woods.

  He’d seen oracles have visions before, but they’d looked nothing like Samantha in the grip of hers. I saw your death in a vision. Luc shook his head, and steadied the trembling shield he’d put between them.

  The cool touch of her magic twined with his was hard enough to ignore, but the heat of her emotions swamped him. The shield provided him a reprieve, albeit a temporary one, to deal with his own feelings.

  He absolutely didn’t trust oracles, but he’d trusted Samantha. Should he have? Had this all been an elaborate ruse as he’d accused of her that first night?

  No. The bond assured him of that much at least. She held nothing back in the flow between them. He’d simply chosen not to pursue the secrets, preferring her to come to him in her own time. His mind flashed through a series of memories, each time he’d asked her about her extensive knowledge. Each time, she’d given a different reason, but the real source had been her visions. Each time, she’d decided to hold back the deepest part of herself.

  Throughout their journey, she’d shared guidance with him, shared knowledge, shared her bed and her body, but she’d never truly relinquished control. Despite their bond, she’d fought to keep her secrets. What repercussions had she feared that had made her so desperate?

  Her brisk footsteps crunched over fallen twigs as she approached. Samantha’s hand caught his arm, but he didn’t turn around.

  “Luc, please don’t go to that meeting. I’ve seen it twice now, and both times you die in my arms. I don’t want to lose you. Help me find Keris. She can answer our questions, and we can figure out a way to leave this realm without the elders.” Her words shuddered with tears, and Luc felt a fresh wave of pain slice through him.

  He squee
zed his eyes shut, blocking out the pool of water and trying to block the accompanying need to ease her fears. I don’t want to lose you. She’d said it before when he’d asked about her secrets. She’d had plenty of opportunities to tell him the truth, and those few words were the reason she hadn’t. Samantha had expected him to abandon her once he knew.

  “You lied to me.” He hadn’t planned to voice the accusation, hadn’t even realized it had been circling in his head.

  “I warned you I couldn’t share secrets—”

  Luc spun around, cutting her off. “This was your secret. Yours to share or not. You chose not, and that’s fair, but every time I asked you about your information, you had a ready excuse.”

  She released him and squared her shoulders. “I didn’t lie.”

  Her chest rose and fell in a ragged rhythm, matching the waves of emotion he felt crashing into his shield. Luc hated that she suffered, hated that he wanted to forgive her, to forget all the times she’d had the opportunity to confide in him that she’d ignored. He hated the power she had over him.

  Her eyes widened as he stepped closer, and she moved back. It was the first time she’d ever backed away from him, but he wasn’t in the mood to let her go so easily. “You didn’t trust me, have never trusted me.”

  Samantha flinched but retreated again when he came forward. “Luc, don’t do this. I know you’re hurt, but you have to listen to me.”

  Luc steeled himself against her plea and her pain. “So you can twist the truth as you see fit?”

  She stopped and her chin came up. “You’re one to talk about twisting the truth. You fear the future so much that you push away anyone who might actually help you. Fate is an excuse.”

  He crowded her and dragged his thumbs roughly along her cheekbones to cup her face. His hands on her felt right, as if they belonged solely there, but Samantha put no importance in their connection. She thought him afraid?

  He leaned forward to brush her lips, making sure his grip remained gentle despite his roaring anger and heartache. “I’ve never held back from you, never pushed you away. At every turn, I welcomed you closer because that was where I wanted you, whether I realized it or not. But I was only fooling myself, wasn’t I? The Samantha I welcomed wasn’t you.”

  Her face crumpled, then she took a deep breath and steadied herself. “It’s dangerous to get close to an oracle.”

  If he’d thought her confession had hurt, watching her accept that he’d turn his back on her now gutted him. He stepped back and let his hands drop to his sides, schooling his features to let her keep believing the truth she wanted to see.

  He’d spend one more night making sure she was safe, then when they returned to Terra, she’d be on her own, as she preferred it. Despite Tamra not knowing about the hit, he still believed the elders had ordered it. Luc knew he could negotiate for them to call off the hit, end the hunt, and open the doorway. It wouldn’t matter if Keris worked for them.

  They’d given him twenty-four hours, but he had his answer for them. He just had to get their attention. But first, he needed to convince Samantha to stay away from town until he could barter for her safety and her freedom.

  He grabbed Sherlock’s reins and spoke over his shoulder. “I’m heading closer to Aecantha to scout the area. You should stay here to avoid the hunt.”

  “I’m going with you.”

  Luc had known giving her an order wouldn’t work. He had to make her think staying was her idea. “Sorry, oracle. I’ve no need for your services. At least, not those services. I’ll be finding a room in town for the night. You’re welcome to join me, but I’m afraid this time it will cost you.” He let his hard gaze linger on her soft curves. “I’ll come retrieve you tomorrow. Stay here or don’t, it doesn’t matter to me.”

  It hurt to look at her, knowing that she’d believe the worst of him, but he had to be convincing in order to keep her safe. Her eyes narrowed, and pure stubbornness hardened her features. For a moment, he thought she’d take him up on his offer, then she let it go.

  “Be careful, Luc.”

  He nodded and mounted, letting Sherlock head toward Aecantha. The quinat started to walk out of the clearing, but he asked her to wait and turned back. Samantha stood with her arms wrapped around herself as Koi nudged the pack on the ground at their feet.

  He couldn’t resist one last warning. “Don’t take the dagger off, love.”

  The endearment slipped out, too late for him to stop it. A sheen of tears gathered in Samantha’s eyes, but she pressed her lips together and nodded.

  Luc left the clearing clenching the reins in white-knuckled fists to keep from turning around. Aecantha was only a short ride away, and before Luc had really prepared himself, he’d crossed over the faint magical boundary that marked the edge of Aecantha’s territory.

  The quiet buzz told him the other villages had been correct in stating that Aecantha had closed itself to outsiders. The safe passage offered by the elders had allowed him entrance, but Samantha wouldn’t have been given the same luxury.

  They came over a rise to see concentric circles of variously-sized buildings stretching across the valley. Mostly cottages, but intermixed with some grander structures. A large open area in the middle boasted a simple fountain.

  Confronted with their destination at last, his mind returned again and again to the look on Samantha’s face as he’d ridden away. He tried to push it aside and compartmentalize the wound she’d left, but the pain seeped out. Cutting her off felt like cutting off a piece of himself. What kind of greeting would he receive when he returned?

  Knowing Samantha—and he did know her—she’d have come up with some armor of her own, along with a week’s worth of clever insults. Luc smiled at the thought, but the sting of reality wiped away any pleasure. His time with her had come to an end, thanks in part to this ruse.

  She’d balk at his manipulations, but she’d be safe.

  Unlike him, if her visions turned out to be true. His death appeared to be a popular theme among oracles. Luc frowned at his bitter thought. He hadn’t given Samantha much reason to think he’d react well to her revelation, but if she’d wanted a future with him, she could have at least tried to find a way to tell him instead of stringing him along.

  As he traveled farther from her, he questioned his plan. Samantha could take care of herself, especially knowing she had access to both of their magics. His shield blocked the majority of their connection, but the power flowed unhindered. Even with that reassurance, his tension increased until his shoulders screamed and Sherlock shot him uneasy glances.

  The other oracle had told him interpretations of her visions that most benefited herself, but he’d never have believed that of Samantha. He’d trusted her. Even now, he trusted her. She believed in what she saw—Tamra killing him at a meeting where he’d been promised safe passage.

  The obvious discrepancies aside, there was probably some truth in her vision, but he considered it symbolic at best. Tamra was a danger certainly, but the safest path lay in making a bargain with the elders that would ensure an end to the assassins plaguing Samantha.

  He passed several groups of people milling around the edges of the village, but none of them sent him curious looks. A couple of people smiled at Sherlock, but the lack of other quinats made him think that was because the birds were a rare sight here. Either the villagers excelled at stifling their curiosity, or Samantha had continued to hide his power even after he’d ridden away.

  A lack of trust… or an attempt to keep him safe? The theory slowly dawned on him as he thought back over their interactions. She’d kept him safe the entire time they’d been here. Even before they’d gotten to this realm. The night with the redcaps that started this mess, he’d only been there because she’d invited him over on a flimsy excuse to talk about the artifacts. Luc had assumed she’d been unwilling to admit to her attraction, but what if it had been more?

  When she’d come downstairs after sleeping off the vision at her house, she�
��d been inordinately relieved to see him. Not a reaction he’d gotten from her before that point. Luc shook his head, and Sherlock turned to see what the wiggling was all about.

  That must have been when she’d seen his death. Right after they’d discussed his distrust of oracles. If she’d told him then, he’d have likely distanced himself from her just as she feared. He winced. As he was doing right now.

  Instead, she’d tried to find a way to protect him. What had he just decided? She’d balk at his manipulations, but she’d be safe. Luc sighed in disgust. He’d done more than balk. Yes, she’d hurt him, but he’d left at the first opportunity, exactly as she’d predicted. No wonder she’d kept her secrets. She’d been right.

  Luc wanted to destroy the shield he’d created between them, but he couldn’t afford to give her any reason to come into town. The boundaries would most likely alert the elders immediately, and they’d lose their advantage. Her safety came before anything else.

  He jerked up straight on Sherlock, earning another baleful glare, this realization hitting him all at once. Samantha came before anything else. No qualifications. He’d do anything to protect her, including give up his own life.

  Luc cursed and startled a woman walking the other direction. She hurried along past him, but he didn’t care that he’d drawn attention to himself. He’d spent the last hundred years gathering power and avoiding relationships to circumvent the first oracle’s vision of his death, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret a single thing that had led him here.

  She’d told him he’d sacrifice himself for his love. And for Samantha, he would.

  Sherlock took him to a stable, like in Rayl and Pasheen, but unlike the other places, this one didn’t have other quinats milling around. Luc pulled her saddle off, reeling from the shock of his revelation. Maybe there was more truth to their visions than he’d let himself believe.