Magic Reborn: The Peacesmith Series: Book1, A New Adult Urban Fantasy Novel

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Magic Reborn: The Peacesmith Series: Book1, A New Adult Urban Fantasy Novel Page 27

by Carly Hansen


  Another one yelled, “No, no, no, wait!”

  All heads turned to the left, where Twain and Java suddenly appeared.

  “Oh no,” Twain said. “We went in circles.”

  He spun around and bumped into Java. The two crashed to the ground.

  “Get them,” Baldwin shouted. “None of the intruders must get out alive.”

  Twain and Java scrambled to get up and vampires piled on them, pinning them to the ground.

  Baldwin flew in a rage toward Micha and rammed his fist into his cheek. Micha’s head swung to the side. He crouched, then fired a knee into Baldwin’s stomach. Baldwin doubled over.

  The vampires around began to climb onto the platform. Some trampled Ivan’s body as he groaned for help.

  Fenix pulled out the lasso and the stake.

  She twirled the rope and flung it. The platform was now so thick with vampires that the lasso easily caught five of them.

  She handed the end of the rope to Gaius. “Use them against the others,” she said.

  He nodded, then yanked the rope and ran between vampires, dodging them. The noose dragged the trapped vampires and the length of rope mowed down others.

  Fenix wielded the stake, plunging it into the hearts of any attackers who came. And they came fast and furious.

  She fanned away the thick smoke of disintegrating vampires, just in time to see Micha raise Baldwin off the ground with a one-handed chokehold. Baldwin held Micha’s wrist with both his hand and tried to break free. But the more he wriggled, the more pained his expression became.

  Micha seemed to have had enough of that. He raised his free hand and ripped Baldwin’s suit and shirt to shreds, exposing his chest.

  Baring his fangs, Micha thrust his face toward Baldwin’s heart.

  “No,” Baldwin cried out.

  Just as Micha’s teeth were about to sink into Baldwin’s flesh, three Newones descended on him. One pounded a fist into Micha’s neck, while the others kicked and cuffed him. Micha let go of Baldwin, who plunged to the floor.

  With a powerful swing of his arm, Micha knocked down two of his attackers. More Newones pounced on him. It took seven of them to pin his arms behind his back.

  With the help of two Newones, Baldwin got back on his feet. He fired quick jabs into Micha’s stomach. Smashed his fists into Micha’s nose and drew blood. Another blow split Micha’s lips.

  Baldwin landed one right smack into Micha’s eye socket. Bone cracked against bone. Micha’s bloodied face fell forward as the Newones held him up.

  Fenix felt as if her heart would fall out of her chest. But her hands were too full with fending off Newones to rush to Micha’s side.

  Just then, Shelly, Zack, and Razor entered with guns blazing, mowing down Newones in their path. For a moment, it seemed everything in the chamber froze.

  Out of a cloud of disintegrating vampire, Gaius bumped into Fenix.

  “There’s just too many of them,” he said. “We can’t win like this.”

  “We can’t give up, Gaius.”

  “I’m not talking about giving up.”

  “So, what are you saying?”

  “Use your powers, Fenix.”

  Chapter 40

  Fenix had been running away from this for the last few years, and, like a reflex, resistance to the idea kicked in.

  “You were born to do this, Fenix,” Gaius said. “Only you can save us now.”

  Fenix looked back at Catelyn, who’d recovered from fainting and had crawled under the furs to hide. Only one foot of her trembling body poked out from under the covers.

  Fenix shuddered. Her magic had got Catelyn into this.

  She felt she owed it to Catelyn to find a way to escape. And she felt she owed it to those girls who’d been murdered in Birstall to see that they got justice.

  Just then, a burst of blinding red light and a deafening explosion caught Fenix off-guard. She crouched and covered her eyes.

  When she looked up, thick red smoke hovered near the platform. As it cleared, a dark gray figure, about eight feet tall, appeared.

  It had an enormous head with an elongated face. A huge, bulbous nose hung between glowing red eyes that were the size and shape of large eggs. The creature had no lips, and half of its face was taken up by a mouth with long, jagged teeth.

  When it opened its mouth, it spoke with a terrifying low growl. “What’s going on here, Baldwin? Where’s the captive?”

  Baldwin broke off from attacking Micha and looked up at the creature. “Don’t worry, she’s around here somewhere. She can’t escape. None of them will.”

  “You were supposed to hold her captive to do Diabon’s work.”

  “And she will be useful for that,” Baldwin said. “But I need to take care of my own enemies first.”

  The beast suddenly sniffed the air and looked around the chamber.

  “One of Diabon’s servants,” Gaius whispered to Fenix. “The mark on your head is supposed to protect you. But it’s almost at the end of its shelf life, and up this close, I don’t know…”

  “You mean this creature might be able to detect I’m a peacesmith?”

  “It’s possible. And if he picks up your scent, it’s permanent. He’ll always be able to find you.”

  The beast swiveled its head in Fenix’s direction and stopped. It stuck its long neck out her way and began to walk toward her.

  “Damn, I think he’s onto you,” Gaius said. He grabbed Fenix by the shoulder, and fear stabbed her heart. “You’ve got to destroy it, Fenix. You’ve got to destroy this place and everything in here. It’s the only way.”

  Millions of needles pricked every inch of Fenix’s skin. Pain shot through her entire body. The sound of wind blasted in her ear. She closed her eyes to shut out the pain and the noise, but they only increased in intensity.

  “You can do it, Fenix,” Gaius said. “You must destroy everything and leave no trace.”

  “What do I do?”

  “Let go of your fears,” Gaius whispered. “You are a peacesmith. Trust that you will know what to do.”

  Diabon’s servant was fast approaching, and Fenix’s mind went blank.

  She squeezed her eyes and tried to concentrate.

  I am a peacesmith.

  The words echoed through her mind.

  What powers do I have? And how can I use them?

  Her pulse raced faster than she thought possible, and she breathed so hard her lungs hurt.

  Wind, Fenix’s mind said.

  Her hands shook violently and suddenly felt hot. Sparks flew from them as white light blazed in her palms.

  A deafening roar erupted. Fenix could feel energy surge from her hands. Gusts of wind swirled around her, throwing everything into chaos.

  Twain and Java, who had been at the mouth of one tunnel, were blown back into the chamber. Shelley, Zack, and Razor were picked up by the currents and slammed against each other. Gaius crouched and hugged Catelyn. Baldwin, Micha, and the Newones who’d held him down were a mass of bodies tumbling over each other. The tall, gray creature stumbled and teetered at the edge of the platform.

  Fenix raised her arms, and the winds went rushing through the tunnels, lifting vampires like leaves and flinging them against the walls.

  Fire, Fenix’s mind said.

  Voosh!

  Immediately, tall flames ignited at the entrance to all the tunnels leading into the chamber. The cavernous space was now ablaze with light.

  Return winds, Fenix’s mind said.

  Fenix could feel her power over the swirling currents. The winds roared louder as they grew in intensity. They circled through the network of tunnels, whipping up the vampires in the hideout as they came rushing back to the chamber.

  Any moment now, the winds would rush in, fanning the flames at the mouth of the chamber into a massive conflagration that would destroy anyone in this place.

  As the howling wind came closer and closer, Fenix reached into her jacket for Alda’s space-bending wand.


  The sound of the wind grew louder in her ears. There were just seconds left.

  Her fingers fumbled, grasping for the wand but finding nothing. Her heart pounded.

  Where was it?

  Did she lose it somehow amid all the fighting?

  The wind was just inches away from the chamber.

  Fenix’s fingers frantically dug into the other pockets of her jacket.

  Finally, they curled around the wand.

  She pulled it out.

  VOOSH!

  Gale-force winds blew in the flames. The chamber went ablaze with light as heat enveloped the space.

  “Wonsuekat!” Fenix shouted.

  Chapter 41

  Fenix’s left cheek burned.

  She raised her head and felt sticky dampness there. On the asphalt below her was a damp, red spot where her skin had grated off. Her jaw felt like it had broken into a million pieces.

  The air was cool. The only sound was a familiar one, the lapping of waves against the concrete wall of the wharf.

  She sat up.

  Figures were moving in the water. Her eyes adjusted, and she recognized Shelly, Zack, and Razor swimming in toward the wharf.

  Up on the roof of a nearby building, Twain was holding on to a tile for dear life.

  A hand rested on her shoulder. She looked up, and Java smiled down at her.

  “You’re worse than Alda with that thing,” he said.

  She looked around, then jumped to her feet. “Where’s Catelyn?” she said. She ran back and forth, shouting Catelyn’s name, her heart pounding.

  “Over here.”

  It was Gaius’ voice.

  Fenix and Java ran around a corner and found Gaius kneeling over Catelyn’s body.

  Fenix dropped to her knees. “Catelyn,” she cried.

  Gaius stroked Fenix’s shoulder. “Don’t worry,” he said. “She’s breathing. She fainted back there in the chamber. She’ll be alright.”

  “Hey, get me down,” Twain called out.

  Java looked up at Twain on the roof and chuckled. “Maybe we should leave him up there.”

  “Java,” Fenix chided.

  He backed up, raising his hands in defense. “Just kidding,” he said. “I’ll go help him.” With that, he turned and bounded off, shifting in mid-sprint and soaring.

  Micha’s image immediately flashed through Fenix’s mind. “Did you see Micha?”

  Gaius shook his head.

  “Look after Catelyn,” Fenix said as she darted off.

  Micha was nowhere in sight either along the wharf or in the water.

  Fenix ran into the nearest building. The roof had a gaping hole. Under it, three figures were crouched, looking at something.

  Fenix heard a groan as she approached.

  Shelly, Zack, and Razor looked up. On the ground between them was Micha’s bloodied and mangled body. He had been really done in by Baldwin and his Newones. A twinge of pain pierced Fenix’s heart at the thought of the new injuries he must have sustained from crashing through the roof.

  “Micha,” Fenix said, dropping to her knees.

  Razor shifted out of the way and let her in close enough that she could stroke Micha’s face.

  Her heart ached to see his bruised face.

  “Alda’s place is just down this way,” Fenix said. “Let’s get him there. Right now.”

  “No,” Shelly said.

  “Alda can fix him,” Fenix said. “There’s no time to waste.”

  “No.” Shelly’s eyes blazed.

  “But he’s badly hurt. Alda can—”

  Shelly pushed Fenix’s hand away from Micha’s face. “What he needs is vampire blood and a safe place to recover. He needs nothing from you.”

  Fenix rocked back on heels. She pursed her lips to hold back the tears that welled up in her eyes.

  “I’ll make sure he’s alright,” Shelly said, a little more kindly. “Leave us now.”

  Razor stood and lightly tugged at Fenix’s jacket.

  Fenix could hardly believe this was how it was going to end, but she saw that it was pointless to resist any further.

  She got to her feet, turned, and walked out of the building.

  Chapter 42

  Packard and Runcey clambered over boulders that were strewn everywhere in the tunnels and made their way through the narrow passageways with flashlights.

  “Scorched,” Packard said, examining the walls. “Must have been one helluva fire that went through here. Nothing that was in here could’ve survived it.”

  “Well, that was one helluva noise we heard up here from down on the road as we were going by,” Runcey said. “Sounded like a tornado up on this mountain.”

  “A blazing tornado?”

  “You explain it to me then.”

  “Welcome to the paranormal desk,” the older agent said. “Believe me, Runcey, my mind is reaching harder than yours for some kind of explanation for all of this.”

  They went through the tunnels until they came to a cavernous room. It was empty, except for a long mound of gray material near the center.

  “Well, what have we got here?” Runcey marched toward the pile, then found himself suddenly jerked back just as he reached it.

  He swiveled his head and saw Packard’s hand pulling at the shoulder of his jacket.

  “What the—”

  “Look before you leap, kid,” Packard said. He nodded toward the center of the space.

  Runcey trained his flashlight in that direction, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end as he realized that two paces ahead of him was a deep, dark hole.

  He stepped toward it and shone the light into it. Packard joined him, pointing his light into the chasm as well.

  It was so deep he couldn’t see the bottom.

  “Smooth walls,” Packard said, nodding.

  “That can’t be natural.”

  “It isn’t.” Packard flashed his light across the ceiling and walls of the space. “None of this is.”

  “What do you make of this?” Runcey said as he focused his attention again on the gray mass on the ground.

  Packard stooped and examined the material closely. “Ashes,” he said. “Whatever it was, it was big. Eight feet tall, if standing. Almost certainly not human.”

  Runcey rubbed the back of his neck, which had suddenly become painfully tense.

  “This place,” Packard said. “I’m pretty sure it’s the hideout of some kind of supernatural beings.”

  “You think maybe it was this thing, whatever it was, rather than werewolves that killed those girls in Birstall?”

  “I don’t have a clue what this thing would have been.” Packard shook his head. “We’ll take some samples and have the lab check it. Doubt it will be of any use, though.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “The inferno that raged here was so powerful it more than likely reduced whatever was in here to nothing that could be read by our equipment. I’ve been facing this for years. We just don’t have the technology to detect and identify these beings.”

  Packard stood up and clamped his hand on Runcey’s shoulder. “But I’ll tell you one thing. My experience tells me we’re onto something. It wasn’t by coincidence that we got run off the road on the way up here.”

  “You don’t think it was just some crazy driver, huh?”

  “Could it have been anything other than deliberate? No, there’s something going on here in Tresmort, Runcey. I have my suspicions about those folks at Angelo Labs, and that boy who disappeared from the crime scene in Birstall. I think we’re definitely onto something. We need to stick around this city and do some more digging.”

  Chapter 43

  Fenix parted the curtain and entered Alda’s medicine room. Alda sat at a desk reading from a big, thick book in the candlelight. She raised her head as the beads clattered against each other.

  “I looked everywhere for him,” Fenix said. “After everyone went to bed, I spent hours last night roaming the entire wharf, hoping to fin
d him.”

  “Who are you talking about?”

  “Ivan.”

  Alda nodded.

  When Twain and Java got back to the warehouse the previous night, they told Alda about meeting Ivan among the Newones at the vampire hideout. But between introducing Catelyn to everyone and Alda insisting on attending to all their wounds, Fenix didn’t have a chance to bring up the subject of Ivan.

  “I don’t think there’s any building I didn’t search, and some of them were pretty dangerous to enter.”

  “So, you tried to bring him back with the magic of the wand, did you?”

  Fenix looked down at her boots. “I don’t know where he could’ve landed. Maybe he fell into the sea but was too weak to swim and ended up…”

  Alda shook her head. “No. He would have suffered the same fate as the others in that place.”

  Fenix felt a chill run down her spine. “How come the wand didn’t bring him here with the rest of us?”

  “I charmed it so that it would work only on your allies.”

  Alda had a faraway look in her eyes. She seemed to smile wistfully.

  Then she sighed. “I know you’re upset about this,” Alda said. “But, sadly, this is how it was meant to be. It never occurred to me that you’d encounter Ivan there. But the wand was set to keep you safe from your enemies. When Ivan chose that side, he also chose his fate.”

  Alda got up and walked over to Fenix. “Ivan was lost to us long before you destroyed that place, remember?”

  “I suppose.”

  “Believe me, I know it’s hard to let go of someone you loved as part of your crew. But that’s life.”

  “Well, it sucks.”

  “Get used to it,” Alda said as she returned to her desk. “I can’t even begin to count the number of crew members I’ve lost over the centuries.”

  Fenix stared down at her feet.

  “Hey,” Alda yelled. “You have no time for sulking. Tomorrow, you, Twain, and Java have to go meet a nasty little fairy by the name of Jasper Teebone. He’s got a very special peacock’s tail feather that I need you to pick up.”

  Fenix sighed as she left Alda’s medicine room and headed down to the storeroom where the witch kept her hoard.

 

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