The guardian flailed around, burning bright from Jackson's fire spell. A few seconds was all it took for Julia to recognize the other mage. Their way blocked by Seraphina, she’d finally had the chance to see the man at her back.
As the most notorious mage fugitive, they required all the Enforcers to memorize what he looked like and, technically, arrest him on the spot. At this point, she figured throwing in with him was safer than trusting the Fae. He wasn’t, as far as she knew, planning on killing her unlike Seraphina.
Julia’s shielding flared, brilliant white lights indicating the strength of the hit. The only troll not currently running from fire had crept up on her, slamming its tree trunk club into her head. Momentarily stunned, not from the hit since the shielding stopped it, but from how close she came to losing her head. A blow like that unprotected would have snapped her spine.
She sent a mental thank you to Markus for the defensive spells. Being the more powerful of the two, he’d insisted on using his magic for the both of them.
Spinning around to assess the new threat, she immediately regretted it. The troll had swung again, this time lining up with her face. Flinching as her shielding flared, weaker than before, she cursed the ugly creature. With the force the troll was putting into his swings, the shield dropped faster than normal. One more hit and it would be gone and with it, her head.
Thinking over her options, she dismissed casting another fireball from her earring. The unusual rainbow effect hadn’t surprised her as sometimes her spells went a little awry. Her magic resistance must have interfered when she'd casted the spell into the gem. In any case, her earring needed time to recharge, to gather energy back into itself, before it was usable again.
Most of her memorized spells required little casting time - a few seconds at the most - yet, with the troll winding up for another swing, she wouldn’t have time.
Instead she touched her star rose quartz earring and whispered “Tremere”, while pointing at the ground beneath the troll’s feet. Vibrations shook the ground, causing the troll to stumble. The tremors increased and he lost his balance. Falling to one knee, he struggled to stay upright.
Not wanting to use another earring casting unless necessary, she went through the spells she had memorized and settled on an illusion. With no fire spells to cast, she decided this illusion would the most effective since it preyed on the victim’s worse fears. Julia pulled out a small pinch of thyme from a pouch on her belt. As she did so, her hand brushed against her blasting rod. She’d forgotten about it, hadn’t even checked for it when she’d searched for her other weapons. A gleeful smile curved her lips.
Fingers moving deftly, she weaved the complicated pattern while still holding onto the thyme between two fingers.
“Suppressio” she said as she shaped the magic and released it. The thyme swirled and danced in the air before gently touching the troll. The effect was anything but gentle.
Eyes widened and lips peeled back from nasty yellowed teeth as his nightmare appeared before him. Guttural whimpers the sole sounds he made as he fell backwards onto the grass, crab-walking away from the horror consuming him. His club lay forgotten on the ground.
Julia surveyed the battle. The imp harassed Seraphina while roots held her in one place. The leaf guardian and one of the trolls still on fire. Jackson was dodging flaming branches, already taking a hit, his jacket torn and skin showing through. Blood stained his sleeve. As he was freely moving his arm, she assessed it as non life-threatening, though it probably hurt like hell. One troll left and he seemed confused about how quick they were losing the battle.
Exhausted from the flight through the forest, from pulling energy for her spells and feeling the effects from the magic induced sleep, Julia was close to empty. Her reservoirs tapped dry, nothing but dust left.
This had to end.
Grabbing her blasting rod from its loop on her belt, she waited a few precious moments until the three trolls and the guardian moved closer to each other. Gathering as much energy as she safely could, she focused it through the rod and released it as an arc of pure concussive force.
It slammed into the four of them, causing them to fly backwards several feet. The fire had finally consumed the life from both the troll and the guardian. Their smoldering bodies lay motionlessly on the ground. The remaining two trolls sprawled senseless next to their kin, neither moving but alive.
Some of the force pushed her backwards a few steps, causing her to lose her footing. In her haste, she awkwardly stepped on an exposed root. Feeling a twinge of pain, she pushed aside the ache, ignoring the distraction.
Julia had a moment’s sense of satisfaction over her handiwork before exhaustion overtook her. Swaying, she slid into a boneless heap. Darkness again greeted her for the second time that day.
TIRED, ALMOST drained, he struggled to open the portal. Drawing energy inward, he then directed it towards the invisible doorway. A shimmering rip between the two worlds appeared.
A swift glance over his shoulder showed reinforcements pushing their way through the forest and into the clearing. The ones still alive on the ground were pushing themselves upright while the imp continued to harass Seraphina. Once he left this plane, Xerix would be dismissed from its summons and its essence would flow back into the ring.
Jackson knew he couldn’t continue to fight. The last bit of his energy had gone into creating the portal. They needed to leave now or die here.
Rushing to her side, he picked up the slight woman and slung her over his shoulder fireman style and hurried through the narrow opening. He disregarded the burning in his arm, the pain negligible. The familiar queasy sensation caused by the interplanar travel rapidly disappeared. However, the aches and weariness from the battle did not. He didn’t know when he'd ever felt so worn down. It’d been too long since he rested properly, a full night sleep without waking up in a panic.
With a flick of his wrist, he closed the doorway and jogged to the nearest parked car. The woman bounced on his shoulder, her head flopping against his back. She’d need a healing spell once she woke up.
Halting next to the car, he opened the door and pushed her into the back. She slumped down with a little sigh, fell over sideways onto the seat and remained still. A twinge of guilt, his need to protect, protested over not buckling her in safe, but dismissed it. A stupid move, staying in one spot. The Fae opened the portals between planes with ease and while several were banned from this world, many could cross the threshold.
Humid and sticky, the night air was oppressive with heat. His shirt clung to him with sweat. The ripe, cloying smell of decay and car exhaust filled his nose.
Overhead, tall buildings and streetlights obscured the night sky, impossible to see any stars. The only sounds were cats yowling and an occasion car driving on nearby streets. In this part of the city, most people were in bed, good little civilians unaware or uncaring of the dangers outside their homes.
He glanced down the dimly lit alley. Garbage littered the ground and the walls were so close he could reach out and touch both without stretching. Not that he wanted to since the walls were pretty slimy looking. Water dripped down, the brick worn in several spots.
He'd scouted out the alley earlier yesterday, knowing a portal to Fay existed here. Distance and time worked differently in Fay than it did on Earth. While the portals were a ten minute hike apart on the other side, he was now about a thirty minute car ride away from the downtown office building. It was also no longer early morning, but late evening.
If things went badly (which they had!), he required an escape plan, a way to evade the Enforcers. He'd spent weeks searching for portals which was why he’d been in the office building in the first place. The rundown junker of a car he’d left here for his getaway, knowing no one would steal it, and then stashed all the necessities, including weapons, food, change of clothes and extra cash in it.
He hadn’t counted on having a passenger with him though. She was a huge complication to his plans.
/> Opening the driver’s side door, he slid into the seat. Grabbing the seat belt, he buckled himself in while starting the engine. A low-level hum of energy alerted him to the activation of the portal. Wasting no time, he pulled onto the street and headed south. As crazy as it sounded, his destination was downtown Toronto. He knew they would track him to this spot and he hoped they’d assume he took Highway 401 out of the city. Two major city blocks south, it was a logical conclusion.
Traffic was insignificant at this hour, so his sole frustration was all the red lights. On the other hand at least they kept him from speeding and drawing attention to himself. Impatient to get back to the hostel, he wanted to hole up and figure out his next move, especially since he needed to decide what to do with this woman. He glanced over his shoulder to check on her.
Still unconscious and more or less on the seat. A few rough stops had caused her to move closer to the edge. Guess he better ease up on the breaks or she'd wake up with one hell of a headache.
Finally, Jackson turned onto the side street near the hostel and pulled into an empty parking spot. He fed the meter a few dollars to get the maximum three hours. The car would either be ticketed or towed once the time ran out, but he didn’t care.
He'd bought it from a roadside sale in the country, meaning he stole a "For Sale" car and left the cash in their mailbox in an envelope. Then he switched the plates with another car in case the owners reported it stolen.
Opening the back passenger side door, he leaned in and hauled the woman into a sitting position. At least with the late hour, most people were either in bed or at the clubs. No one was around to notice him carrying her into the hostel. Slamming the door with his hip, he used the fob to lock the car. No need to have his emergency stash stolen.
Making his way unnoticed to his quarters, he opened the door and gently laid the woman on the twin bed - the only bed - in the room. He hadn’t expected company when he paid in advance for this place. Once he had her tucked her and comfortable, he left the room, locked the door and verified the wards were in place. He had a misdirection ward set up to stop tracking spells, along with a few others. Soon the Enforcers would realize they were missing one of their own and he didn’t want them breaking down his door. Satisfied everything was intact, he hurried off to gather his emergency supplies.
Chapter Three
JULIA WOKE WITH a pounding headache. This situation was becoming all too familiar and it ticked her off. She didn’t audition for the role of the helpless maiden. Growing up, she disdained stories of princesses and their chronic need for a man to save them.
This ended now.
She turned her head, expecting the forest and instead saw plain white walls. Her hands sunk into a thin blanket, not grass and dirt. Dipping her chin to her chest, a hideous blue and brown patterned blanket covered her. A lumpy mattress cushioned her body and when she moved, it squeaked in protest.
Fighting off the panic rearing its nasty and unprofessional head, she flung back the blanket and sat up. A bit of dizziness assaulted her and she hoped standing wouldn’t be an issue. Worry gnawed at her. Did anyone know where she was? What plans did Jackson have for her?
A complication. A burden. An unknown element.
At best, he would drop her off somewhere and disappear. At worst... oh damn, she didn’t want to think about that. A demon trafficker, capable of anything. She needed an escape plan.
Her eyes roamed the room. On the small side, it was an open area similar to a bachelor apartment. To her left, an open door showing the sink and part of the toilet. Both white and basic. The sink was the pedestal type, no extra cabinet space underneath.
Across from the bed near the main door, a kitchenette with a small section visible through the doorway. The wall blocked her view of the fridge and stove. At least, she assumed it came equipped with the major appliances. The wooden cabinets lining the upper and lower areas gave it a homier appearance. It didn’t match the rest of the cold, impersonal room.
Right of the bed, past a small nightstand, stood a tiny kitchen table and three chairs; one edge of the table pushed against the wall. Perhaps that was the reason for odd number of chairs. Or maybe a drunken brawl destroyed it. The tiny room brought to mind a starving student's budget, loud parties and rowdy nights.
Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she disregarded the sharp sting in her ankle. She stood and crumpled to the floor when the pain became impossible to ignore. She yelped as she fell, unable to contain the involuntary cry.
The door flung open, banged against the wall, and Jackson filled the entry. Wary, he assessed the room and slowly closed the door behind him. Relaxing a little, he tossed a duffle bag to the side of the door when no immediate danger presented itself. He prowled to the kitchenette and bathroom, scanning each area before satisfied no menacing presence lurked.
“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” The concern almost fooled her. His warm, liquid smoke voice wrapped around her, begging her to trust him. Helpless to resist, she focused on his lips and she fleetingly wondered what it’d be like to kiss him. His lower lip fuller than the upper one gave him a hint of sensuality and softness.
The intelligence gleaming in his eyes told her not to trust him. He’d take advantage of her if possible. She needed to keep her guard up. He was the enemy.
"Nothing. I’m fine.” Exposing weakness went against everything she'd learned. Drilled into her to hide who and what she was, it’d become habit to deny anything that didn’t make her stronger in the eyes of another. If a mage thought she had some power, they’d be less likely to realize she was resistant. And less likely to execute her for something beyond her control.
Long blonde hair streaked with blood, sightless eyes screaming at her to run.
Closing her eyes against the onslaught of the decades old memory, she instead focused on the pain in her ankle. Perhaps, if he thought her feeble, it would make escape easier. He wouldn't watch her as closely.
“It’s my ankle. I can’t stand on it.” She admitted with great reluctance.
Cautious, she watched him through her lashes, unsure of his mood. He closed the gap between them, an unreadable expression on his face as he studied her. Was he planning on killing her, using her as a hostage?
Markus had warned her many times. Dangerous and unstable, stay as far away from Jackson as possible. Well, that wasn’t happening anymore.
He knelt beside her, his hand gentle as he touched above her calf. She tried to pull away, but he held steady as he then calmly placed his other hand on her ankle.
"Maybe heal the scratches on your face as well." He murmured.
The tingle of energy from his attempted healing washed over her, unable to penetrate through her magical resistance.
Forcing down the resistance required concentration. Picturing it as a brick wall surrounding her, blocking her from the magical world, she'd removed it brick by brick. Lowering the wall was the sole way magical healing worked. However, even exposed, she never received the full effect like everyone else.
Years of practice meant it took seconds to drop the wall. Except she hadn't expected him to heal her. The wall remained intact, cutting her off from his spell. Did he notice his healing failed?
Trying to read him, a near impossibility against a trained Mage Enforcer, the dark brown lashes framing his deep brown eyes caught her attention. Any woman would’ve been envious of them. He was so close to her she could see the faint stubble on his strong jaw and the amber flecks in his eyes. His mahogany hair was a little messy and in need of a trim. It curled over his broad forehead and covered his collar giving him a sexy just-out-of-bed look.
Shocked and horrified at her thoughts, she bit the inside of her cheek and tasted blood. No, finding him attractive, not an option. It was a betrayal of her Enforcer’s oath. While she’d spent time committing his features to memory in case she ever found him, not once had she consciously considered his masculinity or how it would affect her.
The warmth of his ha
nds on her leg took on a new meaning. Uncomfortably aware of his long, elegant fingers, she idly wondered how they would feel sliding further up her body. Furious with herself, she again jerked her leg away from him. This time he had a firm grip and lightening slammed through her injured limb.
Damn it, where was her head? She caused more pain by reacting instead of thinking.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you. I just wanted to heal your ankle.”
His apparent concern and her unwanted attraction to him had her snapping at him. She needed anger to put some distance between them. She didn’t want to feel any type of sexual pull towards him and was ashamed at her body’s reaction.
“If you hadn’t yanked me into that damn world, I wouldn’t need any healing! I’d still be in one piece and not hiding out in some crappy room with only one bed.... one bed?! Why in the nine hells is there only one bed? You know what, I don’t care. I’m not staying here. Give me a phone so I can get picked up.”
Looking wildly around the room, she didn’t see any phone in sight. Using the bed to leverage herself up, she slid away from Jackson and his tempting hands. Marching towards the kitchenette to search for a phone, she crumpled onto the floor in agony.
Didn’t she just berate herself for not thinking first? Keep this stupidity up and it would take weeks to heal, making her vulnerable and dependant on his good will. If he had any.
She glared at Jackson, daring him to say anything. Grim, he stared back, no hint of pity or sympathy and offered her a hand up. Swallowing her pride, she placed her hand in his and braced for the electrical tingle his touch had previously caused. Sure enough, as soon as his fingers curled around hers, the sensation came back and along with it, a fluttering in her belly. Julia used his strength to hoist herself up, keeping her weight off her injured ankle.
Magic Resistant Page 3
