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

by Nicole Hall

  He gave Sherlock his thanks and released the bond. Luc wanted the ability to make a quick exit with Samantha once he had access to the doorway, but it wasn’t fair to the quinat to keep her bound indefinitely. They could hike from Aecantha, provided he found a way to cheat a death foretold by two different oracles.

  Good thing Luc excelled at finding loopholes. The desperate desire for a future with Samantha, full of challenges and compromises, flitted across his mind, and he’d be damned if Tamra would take that away from him.

  He slipped through the smaller door of the stable that led to the street, then followed a strolling group of people to the central square. A small crowd gathered around a circle etched into the ground. Luc peeked around an enthusiastic spectator and saw two grown men trying to heave each other over the boundary line.

  Most of the people surrounding him focused on the fight, but a few conversations around the fringes sounded promising. He concentrated on eavesdropping and blending in, hoping to pick up some information about the elders or Keris. If he could figure out why they wanted Dru, he could use his bargaining chip more effectively. Unfortunately, the people standing around only seemed interested in gossiping about the latest mating ritual.

  Luc started to back away, but stopped when a stray comment caught his attention, one with a familiar name. “Did you see Keris rush away? Didn’t even stop to say hello after being gone for so long. Rude.”

  He approached the couple speaking, but before he could interrupt, Samantha yanked hard on their shared magic. Luc dropped the shield and stumbled back a step at the turmoil rushing through him, followed quickly by panic that he had to claw his way past. Samantha was in trouble.

  SAMANTHA

  Samantha told herself not to cry, but the order felt empty. Her throat burned with unshed tears as she knelt in the dirt of the clearing. Luc had left not long before, but she couldn’t make herself accept that her biggest fear had finally happened. She’d lost him.

  Except that wasn’t her biggest fear. She’d gladly lose Luc from her life if it meant he lived.

  Samantha resisted the urge to reach for him again through the bond. She wasn’t sure what she hoped to achieve by connecting with him—maybe reassurance that he hadn’t done something stupid and put himself in danger—but the first two times had proven futile. His shield had stopped her cold. At least their magic continued to flow with no interruptions.

  Which brought her back to the insane urge to cry. Men were stupid and love sucked. And she was stupid for falling in love with a man who couldn’t see that she was just trying to protect him.

  Koi squawked and fluffed her neck feathers at Samantha. Her distressed quinat couldn’t figure out what was wrong. She kept alternating between walking to the edge of the trees to call for her companion in a sad, little trill and nudging Samantha’s shoulder with her head. On the third pass, Samantha wrapped her arms around Koi’s neck and burrowed her face in the soft feathers.

  “He wants to talk about trust? How about all the secrets he kept?” Her voice was muffled, but Koi couldn’t understand her anyway. “Why was it okay for him to be all alpha and protective but not me? I’m not helpless any more than he is.”

  Samantha pulled back to stare at Koi, who cocked her head. “I’m not helpless.”

  She shoved the urge to cry deep inside to be dealt with when death visions weren’t on the horizon. Luc wanted to traipse off to town so he could be alone and lick his wounds? Fine, but while he scouted, she’d find Keris and get them the hell out of this realm.

  Koi started prancing from one foot to the other as soon as Samantha stood up, ready to finally get moving. She could drop the hiding spell to call Keris telepathically, but not knowing what Luc was doing made it too dangerous. Damn the man and his tantrum. If he hadn’t put that shield between them, she’d have a lot more choices.

  Samantha gathered her pack and climbed on Koi, then nearly smacked herself silly for not noticing the distinction before. Luc had put up the shield to prevent her from reading his emotions. As a master of manipulation, his angry, cruel words had distracted her from his true intention.

  He wanted her to stay away from Aecantha.

  Samantha seethed for a second, then set Koi toward the village as fast as she would go. A few minutes of trotting later, Samantha hissed at the sting of the boundary as she crossed it. Catia had told them the boundaries were closed, but something had let her pass, albeit reluctantly.

  Koi slowed as they approached an opening in the trees, and Samantha got her first look at Aecantha from the top of a small hill. She dismounted, detached her pack from the saddle, and led Koi back into the trees. First, she thanked the quinat for being the best giant bird mount a girl could ask for, then she told Koi to head for the stable.

  Samantha patted her and stepped back before saying goodbye and releasing the bond. Koi squawked at her and fluffed her neck feathers, but she eventually listened and hurried off toward the buildings. Samantha would miss that silly bird, but the last thing she needed was a repeat of the Tamra incident. This way, Koi would be safe no matter what happened in Aecantha.

  Luc was nowhere to be seen, but he’d had a lead on her. The drift of magic from their bond told her he’d made it into the village, but nothing more specific.

  Samantha started down the hill on foot aiming for the closest small cottage and careful to keep her ‘look away’ cloak tightly wrapped around her. She’d made it to the shadow of the building when a tall, statuesque woman in a red toga dress came around the corner and halted directly in her path.

  She raised a brow, seeming to have no trouble looking directly at the cloak. “What are you doing here?”

  Samantha sighed in relief, despite Keris’ annoyed attitude. “That’s a long story, but I’d very much like to not be here.”

  Keris nodded and led her away from the buildings. “Come. We’ll talk. It was clever of you to keep yourself hidden, even from me.”

  Annoyance flared that Keris’ comment mirrored Luc’s concern. “I could have contacted you faster if I’d dropped the shield.”

  “But you trusted Luc instead.”

  Samantha glanced away from her as guilt tried to take over again. “To an extent. I should have trusted him more.”

  Keris sent her a small smile. “There’s still time.”

  “Actually, I don’t think there is. I need to get him out of here before my last vision comes true.”

  A slight breeze blew Keris’ dress against Samantha’s legs, and the woman turned toward the woods. “You foresaw his death.”

  Samantha looked down at her hands and nodded.

  “There’s no preventing what you saw, but your power comes from your connection to chaos. At its heart, chaos is ever-changing, so nothing is ever absolute. Embrace the chaos, change your fate.”

  Samantha frowned as she considered Keris’ words. The same ones Janet had said. How was that nonsense supposed to help her save Luc? No wonder he hated oracles.

  They approached the edge of the trees and what looked remarkably like one of her squirrel army dropped down from a branch in front of them with its tail twitching. It stood on its two hind legs and chittered at Samantha, blocking their path.

  “I’m glad to see you too, but you can go back to your friends. I found the person I was looking for.”

  Keris chuckled. “You’ve befriended a caid.”

  The squirrel ran off, and Samantha watched it disappear into a nearby bush. “Is that what they’re called?”

  “Yes. Native to this realm, but closely related to the squirrels in Terra. I’m glad he found you.”

  Samantha eyed Keris. “What do you mean?”

  The other woman continued to walk as if she hadn’t just made a strange comment. “I have an affinity with these creatures. In my absence, I sent them to aid you.”

  Eyes wide, Samantha stopped completely. “You have an affinity? Are you saying you shift into a squirrel?”

  Keris slowed and sighed. “Small creatu
res have their benefits too.”

  Samantha felt bad for her shock, but Keris had such a formidable personality that she’d assumed the woman turned into a phoenix or Godzilla or something. “Yes, of course. The caids helped us a great deal during our journey here. Thank you.”

  The wind picked up, circling them as it tossed up sticks and bits of dried leaves. Keris grimaced and touched her temple. “I understand you’d like to return home. Unfortunately, the doorways are closed, and I have no way to reopen them while the elders wish them locked.” She dropped her hand and glanced at the dagger sheathed at Samantha’s hip. “But perhaps you can change that.”

  Cryptic as ever, Keris winced again and placed a hand on Samantha’s forearm. Before she could draw breath to ask for an explanation, the wind gusted and the sky darkened, bringing that sense of foreboding.

  A second too late, she recognized the remorse on Keris’ face. “I’m sorry, Samantha. Trust in Luc.”

  Samantha pulled in as much of the shared magic as she could but she couldn’t get her sigil up in time. Keris’ grip on her arm burned against her skin as the world around them blurred and melted together. A moment later, she recognized the smell of candle wax, and the world rearranged itself into a dim room with a long table at one end. Four figures stood behind the table, and Tamra leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, a triumphant smile crossed her face.

  “I told you sending Keris would work.”

  Yep, Samantha still wanted to rip out Tamra’s throat every time she spoke.

  She tried to move, but something held her still, and belatedly, she noticed the faint feel of a web on her arm. A magical cage had been erected around her, coating her skin in fine, shimmering silk. She fought fear and panic for control just as Luc dropped the shield between them from wherever he’d ended up and enveloped her in warm comfort. The magic calmed her, but the scene in front of her mimicked her vision, right down to her inability to move. She finally admitted that she should have told him everything. Luc would rush to her rescue, and what could she do to help him as a statue?

  15

  LUC

  Luc had no idea how he planned to get to Samantha, when all he had was the feeling that she’d left the forest. She’d been afraid when he’d yanked the shield down, but with their full connection restored, she’d wrestled the fear into submission.

  The people in the square ignored him as he hurried down a side-street looking for a quiet place to perform a spell, which led him to believe that Samantha’s protection remained strong despite her new location.

  Most likely, someone from the hunt had finally found her. Luckily for them, Samantha didn’t seem injured. Before he’d had time to do little more than open his satchel, a tall woman in an intricately tied red dress appeared in front of him. To his credit, he didn’t flinch.

  She took him in with a quick glance. The power in her eyes gave Luc a pretty good idea of her identity, but her words confirmed his suspicion. “Have you come to answer the elders?”

  He closed his satchel and slung it over his shoulder. The roar of the crowd a few blocks away echoed off the walls around them. “I have. Keris, I presume?”

  The woman inclined her head and held out a hand. “I offer transport to the council.”

  Luc kept his hands by his sides. “Did you bring them Samantha?”

  Her face softened for a brief moment. “She’ll need your help.”

  Cold anger filled him at her confirmation. “If anything happens to her, I’ll come for you.”

  Keris raised a brow at his threat. “You should worry more for yourself, fire-caller.”

  “I’m nothing without her.” The words came from the deepest part of himself, and he hoped he had a chance to give them to Samantha.

  She lifted her chin. “The elders crave power, and Tamra doesn’t realize what she’s lost. Ask about Lexi.”

  “Her sister?”

  Keris didn’t answer, simply wiggled her fingers at him. Luc met her golden eyes, and dropped his hand into hers.

  Between one breath and the next, Keris deposited him in a large, windowless room. Torches and candles lined the walls providing weak light. His eyes danced over Tamra and four figures standing behind a long table before coming to rest—finally—on Samantha. Beautiful and defiant, she stood facing the others.

  Keris had not appeared with him, but Luc suspected that was her way of helping them. She knew too much about their situation, and she was clearly at the mercy of the elders. None of the clan folk looked his way, but Samantha met his eyes in the near darkness. Her desperation—what he now recognized as fear for him—ramped up through the bond, making his heart race. But only serene superiority showed on her face.

  He stood opposite the table at one end of the room, bracketed by his former lover and the woman he loved. Luc wanted to rush over to Samantha and mend the hurt that he’d caused with his words in the clearing, but her stiff posture warned him off. She was holding onto her control by a thread. Not surprising considering that she expected him to die at this meeting.

  The bond had allowed him to send her some calming magic, but any help it had provided had vanished when he’d shown up next to her. In the seconds Luc had taken to determine Samantha wasn’t hurt, the others had noticed his presence.

  A man in a plain brown robe stepped forward to the edge of the table, bringing himself into a pool of light. “Welcome, fire-caller. We’ve temporarily nullified your mate to ensure she doesn’t interfere with our discussion.”

  Luc frowned and his eyes shot back to Samantha. She still hadn’t moved, and he caught sight of the gossamer web covering her. His fists clenched as he fought to keep his voice level.

  “This is not the way to begin a discussion.” If they had any hope of leaving this room, he needed Samantha wielding the full breadth of her abilities.

  The man lifted his hands in a shrug. “The spell will not hurt her. Tamra can attest, she endured the same not too long ago.”

  Tamra smiled at him, but didn’t move from her slouched stance against the wall. “The spell won’t hurt her.”

  Luc ignored her threat and returned his attention to the elder. “Why order her death if you didn’t intend for her to die?”

  Sly calculation flickered in the man’s eyes. “Her kind are dangerous. We determined that an oracle was working with a known traitor, spreading lies and providing information to help him overthrow our council. We demanded her life as forfeit, either in death or in servitude, as is our right.”

  Luc had to unclench his jaw to speak. “You have no jurisdiction in other realms. Your power doesn’t reach beyond the doorways.”

  “Power is fluid, and we’re willing to negotiate. We want you to bring us the dryad queen. She’s stolen something of ours, and she must be made to provide recompense. You may take your mate in exchange.”

  Samantha flinched in his peripheral vision, but Luc didn’t dare take his attention away from Tamra and the elders. “I’ll be taking my mate either way. I want the artifact Tamra offered me.” Luc paused and sent Tamra a long, slow appraisal, lingering on the gleam of gold at her neck. “And I want Tamra.”

  The elder scoffed. “You ask too much.”

  Tamra pushed off the wall and strolled closer, adding an extra sway to her hips. “I thought you didn’t trade in people.”

  Luc shrugged. “I’m making an exception.”

  “Decided the little human wasn’t enough after all?”

  Luc felt Samantha’s helpless rage flood him, but he didn’t dare give up the ruse with Tamra so close. At the same time, he refused to block Samantha out again.

  He addressed the elder but his gaze stayed on the approaching woman. “You offer too little.”

  “Very well. You may have Tamra or the artifact in addition to your mate.”

  Tamra stopped directly in front of him, smirking. “Take the artifact. I’m happy to finish what we started in the forest.”

  Luc threaded his hand into her hair, cupping her neck
as he brought his mouth down to her ear. “Just like Lexi, in servitude or death.”

  Tamra reared back and shoved him away, whirling to face the council. “What did you do to Lexi?” Her quiet voice a warning despite her position. The elder answered, hemming and hawing, but Luc had what he needed.

  Luc snuck away from his position in the center of the room while Tamra and the elder were focused on each other. Samantha glared at him as he approached, and he opened himself to the bond as wide as he could.

  He let her see the whole of him and that his heart beat only for her. Her face softened and the anger melted away. Luc smiled and lifted the necklace he’d taken off of Tamra, draping it around Samantha’s neck instead.

  She gasped as it encircled her, free from the elders’ bonds. Luc cradled her face and pressed a kiss to her lips. She tangled her fingers in his shirt and yanked him closer, kissing him back with desperation.

  Luc reluctantly eased back. “I’m sorry, love. I’ll never walk away again.”

  Samantha shook her head. “I’m sorry, too. No more secrets.”

  He grinned and linked their fingers. “Oh, I have a few you might enjoy.”

  She sighed. “I’m going to be so pissed if you die now.” Her eyes narrowed. “And if you ever touch her again, I will remove your testicles with a melon baller.”

  Behind him, Tamra screeched, having finally figured out what Luc had known since Keris mentioned her—that the elders had sacrificed her sister for power. Luc turned, tucking Samantha behind him.

  An unexpected sight greeted him by the table. Tamra stood over the prone body of the elder, one hand gripping the other with her head thrown back. Her blonde hair rose around her in defiance of gravity, and Luc felt a heaviness weight the air.

  Behind the table, the other elders had also collapsed, and he had no idea if they lived or not. An iridescent flow of magic moved from the four elders to Tamra’s strained body. She cried out, then the flow abruptly stopped, and she fell to her knees laughing.