Taken by Magic: a New Adult Fantasy novel (The Baine Chronicles Book 8)

by Jasmine Walt

  Ta’sradala’s shoulders stiffened, and for the first time, an uneasy look crossed her face. “Did you meet anyone while you were in the Tua realm, girl?” she asked sharply. “Or take anything that was not freely given?”

  I scowled, refusing to answer. I did not want to get Nalan and Arala into trouble, and I knew that Broghan wasn’t supposed to have come with me. If I told her that he had followed me from the Tua realm, I could land myself in even more trouble than I was in now.

  “I’m getting tired of all these questions,” I said, turning away. “If you aren’t going to send me home, then I’ll find a way back myself.” I was perfectly capable of walking to the nearest village or town and securing transport of some kind. With any luck, there might even be an apothecary that sold the ingredients I needed to recharge my gulaya.

  “I don’t think so,” Ta’sradala snapped. Magic sizzled around me, and my arms and legs snapped taut against my body, rendering me immobile. “You’ll be staying right here until I figure out what to do with you.”

  I’d been worried that Ta’sradala would leave me out in the garden, frozen like a statue, but instead she locked me up in one of the bedrooms, which in a way was even worse. As I lay there on the bed, unable to so much as blink, my mind raced. I furiously tried to figure out how to escape this latest predicament. There were all sorts of spells that could undo immobilization, but, as before, my magic didn’t work on the Tua’s. She was simply too powerful, her magic too different for mine to work against hers.

  At least I can breathe, I thought miserably as I stared up at the ceiling. My bodily functions were working just fine, as evidenced by my near bursting bladder. I needed to pee so badly I thought I might die, but I couldn’t even wet the bed, I was frozen so stiff. I sincerely hoped that Ta’sradala wasn’t going to force me to do any more tests. For all I knew she could be planning to put me through an endless series of challenges, claiming I had been cheating every time I won, until my strength and ingenuity finally gave out and I died.

  Tears stung at my eyes as another wave of helplessness overcame me, and a scream built in my chest that I couldn’t release no matter how hard I tried. What had I done to deserve this torture? Was I destined to be Ta’sradala’s plaything for the rest of my life, simply because I’d dared to love her grandson? Was I going to die before I ever saw Iannis again?

  And yet…even knowing what I knew now, I still wouldn’t have changed a thing. I hadn’t thought so at the time, but being taken prisoner by Iannis was the best thing that had ever happened to me. I had learned so much about myself, and had grown far more powerful and confident than I ever would have if I’d simply kept my head down and lived out my existence as an enforcer. Beneath his stern exterior, Iannis was wise and compassionate, with a heart of gold that so few people got to touch.

  I was extraordinarily lucky to be one of those few.

  As the hours passed with excruciating slowness, I tried to call for Broghan again. But if he was anywhere nearby, he didn’t answer. Wouldn’t he have caught up with me by now? Or was he stuck back in the cave world? Maybe he was afraid of Ta’sradala, too. Or, for all I knew, something else had caught his attention and he was off on another adventure. Broghan was fun-loving and capricious, and he didn’t seem to have any concept of danger. I had a feeling he was just as likely to come after me as he was to befriend someone else and go off looking for trouble.

  Finally, just when I thought I could bear no more of this, the door opened. “Apologies for keeping you waiting so long,” Deryna murmured as she came inside with a tray of food. I felt a jolt of surprise at the sight of Ennartha right behind her, and I would have fallen off the bed if I’d been able to move.

  “If Mother gets angry, this is on you,” Ennartha said to Deryna, not looking at all happy as she waved her hand to unlock the spell. I groaned in relief as my muscles finally relaxed. Sitting up, I winced as aches and pains rippled through me—everything was stiff from being locked up for so long. “I was never here,” Ennartha added with a warning glance at both of us as she left the room.

  Deryna sat the tray next to me on the bed and took a seat, but I shook my head and rolled off to the other side. I was hungry, but my bladder was going to explode if I didn’t use the facilities. I hobbled off to relieve myself, then came back to find that Deryna was still waiting for me.

  “Why are you helping me?” I asked as I slowly sat down on the edge of the bed. A bowl of hot stew and thick slices of soda bread were waiting, and my mouth watered as I lifted the tray onto my lap.

  “Because I don’t think it’s right, what Ta’sradala is doing,” Deryna said. “I wish I could do more, but she is far too powerful for me to stand against, and as you can see, my sister is not inclined to intervene.”

  “No kidding,” I said after I’d swallowed a spoonful of stew. “If Ennartha is your sister, does that make you half-Tua as well?” I didn’t understand why she looked so old, if that was the case.

  Deryna shook her head. “We are half-sisters,” she explained. “I was born from our father’s real wife, long after Ennartha was brought to us. We had other siblings, too, but I’m the only one left alive. It is frustrating,” she added, her wrinkled features tightening into a scowl, “to be powerless in one’s own house.”

  I stared. “You mean to say that this estate belongs to you?”

  She nodded. “Ennartha does not stay in one place very long—she travels extensively. Since she is family, I have allowed her to keep a residence here, but the estate is legally mine.” She sighed. “I am especially concerned about the effect Ta’sradala’s visit is having on my great-grandson. He lost his family to the Tua and is scared to death of her.”

  I nodded sympathetically. “He told me about that earlier,” I said. “I invited him to stay with Iannis and me in Canalo. When this is all over, you should bring him there. Iannis said that Ta’sradala is unlikely to ever go to the Federation.”

  Deryna opened her mouth to answer, then stopped as we heard a loud commotion downstairs.

  “Where is Sunaya?” Iannis thundered, his fury echoing through the entire house. “She had better be here, safe and unharmed, Mother, or there will be hell to pay!”

  16

  “By the Lady,” Deryna exclaimed, rising from her chair. “Is that Iannis?”

  I hopped off the bed as excitement rushed through my veins, eager to bound down the stairs and straight into his arms. But my legs were still stiff, so I was forced to hobble. Not exactly the way I’d imagined reuniting with Iannis, but it sure as hell beat never seeing him again.

  “I’m surprised it took you so long to get here,” Ta’sradala said in a silky voice, and I froze. She was already back? My heart sank. “I knew that mortal was bad news, Iannis. She’s made you weaker.”

  “Nonsense,” Iannis said. “I simply hadn’t expected you to hide out in Aunt Deryna’s house like a criminal.”

  “How dare you speak to your grandmother that way!” Ennartha scolded. “You were taught to respect your elders and show better manners than that.”

  “I would not call my manners to account if I were you just now, Mother,” Iannis said icily. “You have both gone far beyond the pale, kidnapping my bride-to-be. You even blocked our serapha charms so we could not sense each other. How could you connive at such cruelty?”

  “It ill becomes you to storm and shout like this, Iannis,” Ta’sradala said sharply. “You are behaving like a human—no, worse, like that hybrid brat you’ve foolishly decided to marry. Clearly, she has exerted a very bad influence on you. I don’t know why you’re so angry—girls come and go, and marriage is really not a good idea for people as long-lived as us. If you wish to start a family, I know a Tua female with a fascination for exotics like yourself.” I could practically hear the feline smile in her voice. “She would give you a strong, long-lived child. This feeble, short-lived mortal is simply not a proper match for you.”

  Iannis said something, but I didn’t hear it, because my ears
were roaring and I was seeing red. Ignoring my stiff legs, I jumped down the rest of the steps, then burst into the sitting room.

  “I’ve had enough of you,” I spat as Ta’sradala and Ennartha stared at me, startled. “Iannis and I are getting married whether you like it or not, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.”

  “Sunaya!” As he spun toward me, the anger melted from Iannis’s face, replaced with relief. I leapt into his arms, and he crushed me tightly against him. Joy swept through me as I kissed him fiercely, clutching at his broad shoulders as I inhaled his familiar scent. The stress and misery that had plagued me evaporated, leaving me feeling safe and warm in his arms.

  “Are you all right?” Iannis asked in mindspeak, his mouth still pressed against mine. Tears stung my eyes at the concern in his voice, but I blinked them back—I would sooner die than dissolve into tears in front of his grandmother.

  “I’m fine,” I assured him, not wanting to rile him up with everything that had happened just yet. “I’m just glad you’re finally here.”

  “I’m sorry it took so long for me to arrive,” Iannis said ruefully. “I did not have a gulaya keyed to Manuc, and it took me some time to figure out exactly where you were, never mind the travel time to get here. Not to mention a hurricane blew the ship off course.”

  “How long has it been since I disappeared?”

  “Twelve days.”

  “Please tell me that it isn’t going to take that long to get back.” That was cutting it way too close to the wedding date.

  “Of course not. I’ve brought a gulaya. We’ll be returning home shortly.”

  “Make sure not to use it in front of your grandmother. I tried that, and she disarmed mine before I could activate it.”

  “If you two are quite finished with this disgustingly sentimental display,” Ta’sradala said coldly, “I don’t believe we are done with this conversation.”

  “We most certainly are,” Iannis said as we reluctantly broke apart. “Sunaya and I are going home now.”

  “Iannis,” Deryna said soothingly, having come in at some point while we were embracing. “I understand that you are angry, and rightfully so. But it has been an age since you have come to visit. Please, at least sit down for a meal with us before you go, like a real family.”

  “A real family?” Iannis said, his voice tight with barely leashed rage. “Is this the sort of behavior a ‘real family’ engages in?”

  Ta’sradala snorted contemptuously and vanished from sight. Was she truly gone, or simply invisible? Everyone else seemed to relax, so hopefully the former. She’d be back soon enough, I guessed, as leaving the rest of us in peace was hardly on her agenda. Or was she finally conceding defeat and allowing us to return to Canalo?

  “I am truly sorry for what your bride has endured,” Deryna said to Iannis. “Please know I had no part in it—you know how we cannot stand up to your grandmother, no matter how outrageous she becomes. But there is a family member you have not yet met.” She pulled her skirts to the left, revealing Drawe, who had been hiding behind her. “This is Drawe, your nephew.”

  Iannis’s eyes widened in surprise. “Nephew?” he asked, peering down at Drawe curiously. The boy, still clutching at Deryna’s skirts, refused to meet his eyes, but at least he hadn’t run off. “He is Cousin Sharla’s son? I didn’t realize they’d had a child.”

  “Yes. I took him in when he was a wee babe.” Deryna stroked his mop of dark red hair. “Come, Drawe. Say hello to your Uncle Iannis.”

  Drawe finally lifted his head. He stared as Iannis crouched down to meet him at eye level. “You’re a very handsome young man,” he said gently. “I can see your mother in you. She was a lovely woman.”

  Drawe lowered his gaze again. “Thank you,” he mumbled. “I didn’t know her, though.”

  “I’m sure you’ve heard stories about her,” Iannis said solemnly. “I have quite a few from when we were children that I’d love to share with you when you have the time. Would you like that?”

  The boy nodded. Iannis straightened, then offered him a hand. Drawe hesitated for a moment before he took it, and my heart melted as I watched the two of them head into the dining room. Iannis would be a great father when the time came.

  Ennartha was regarding me doubtfully, as though still wondering what her son could see in me, but I couldn’t be bothered to resent her just now. I was just so happy Iannis had come for me before his bitch of a grandmother sent me off on yet another life-threatening challenge. With any luck, we’d be out of here before dessert, and I’d finally get to sleep in my own bed.

  I’m never taking my life for granted again, I decided as we sat down for dinner. Yes, it could be tedious and stressful at times, but at least back home I wasn’t powerless and insignificant.

  Despite Deryna’s attempts at peacemaking, tension crackled in the air as we ate the meal that had been set out—pork roast, asparagus, and mashed potatoes. Glancing at Drawe, who was sitting next to Iannis, I refrained from recounting my ordeal and simply enjoyed the food.

  “This is very good,” Iannis said to Deryna in an attempt to lighten things up. “I’d forgotten how good your cook is. I’ll have to come and visit more often.”

  The air crackled and Ta’sradala reappeared in our midst. My food nearly went down the wrong pipe, and from the sudden silence, I knew everyone else was equally uneasy.

  “Who says you are leaving at all?” she demanded. Ennartha paled, Deryna put a hand over her eyes, and Drawe cowered back in his chair. “Your bride has not passed my test. She has cheated at all of the challenges.”

  “You keep saying that, and Magorah help me, I’ll figure out a way to rip that icy black heart out of your chest,” I growled. “As I’ve said before, you never laid down any ground rules, so there’s no way that I was cheating. You’re just making shit up as you go along.”

  “Is that true?” Iannis asked pointedly. “You told Sunaya she had to pass some test and did not tell her the rules?”

  “I assumed she knew them,” Ta’sradala said haughtily. “Clearly I gave her too much credit.”

  “Mother,” Ennartha said, her tone cajoling. “It is unlikely an ignorant mortal would automatically know your rules. Nobody here can support your claim that Sunaya cheated.”

  “I agree,” Iannis said. “How many challenges has she completed?”

  “Three,” Deryna said before Ta’sradala could answer. “And they were all dangerous enough.”

  “Surely Sunaya and Iannis have proven their tenacity if nothing else,” Ennartha said. “Perhaps we should let them return home and marry. Foolish or not, it is obvious that they are not going to be dissuaded from their course no matter what you say or do, Mother.”

  “I agree,” Deryna said. “Let them be happy.”

  Ta’sradala looked like she wanted to object, but before she could, a male Tua appeared by her shoulder in a flash of light. Drawe screamed and hid under the table, which I couldn’t blame him for—the Tua was huge, twelve feet of pure, masculine power. His silvery-blond head scraped the top of the ceiling, and that was with him shrinking down his form. He narrowed golden eyes on Ta’sradala, who stood up so quickly I barely registered the motion.

  “Brother,” she said in a deeply respectful voice, bowing. I stared—I couldn’t believe that Ta’sradala would be subservient to anyone, but here she was, bowing before someone else! Ennartha was on her feet and bowing as well, and if not for the fact that Iannis and Deryna remained rooted in their chairs, I might have done the same.

  “That is my Great Uncle R’gaolar,” Iannis said in a shocked voice. “The head of my grandmother’s clan in the Tua realm.”

  “Really?” I craned my neck, looking up at him with interest. “You’ve met him when you visited the Tua realm, I’m guessing?”

  “No, he came to Recca once before, when I was very small. But that was an age ago.”

  “Sister,” R’gaolar said, his voice cold. “I come seeking my youngest.”
/>   “Broghan?” Ta’sradala answered, sounding confused. “I have not seen him.”

  Cold horror spilled through me as I stared at the irate-looking Tua. Broghan was his son? By Magorah, I was in so much trouble. Anxiously, I called for the shape-shifter in mindspeak again, but he didn’t answer. What the hell had happened to him? Was I going to be held accountable for his disappearance?

  “He was visiting with two of his cousins when he vanished,” R’gaolar said. “Right around the same time that this frail mortal of yours”—he flicked a hand at me—“came to visit. Perhaps you know where he is?” he asked, looking pointedly at me.

  “I am sorry that he is missing,” Ta’sradala said, and I could have sworn I heard a hint of fear in her voice. “But I truly have nothing to do with this.”

  “Forgive me if I find that hard to believe,” R’gaolar said. “It is too much of a coincidence that you sent a mortal into our realm, unsanctioned, and then my son vanishes right after. I have spoken with Nalan and Alara, and they confirmed that she visited them. The Creator only knows how this outsider may have corrupted their young minds with her strange notions and vices.”

  I wanted to protest that insult but decided to keep my mouth shut—the last thing I needed was to get myself into more trouble. I hoped that Nalan and Alara weren’t getting any flak for helping me out—did R’gaolar even know how much knowledge they’d given me? I assumed neither he nor Ta’sradala would be happy if they knew I now had the power to travel between the two realms. Not that I would risk it again without Broghan to help out.

  “Is this how you repay our hospitality,” R’gaolar hissed, turning the might of his piercing regard fully toward me now. “By stealing my son?”

  My stomach clenched with fear, and I forced myself to relax. “I didn’t steal him,” I said, as calmly as I could. “It’s not like I could control a Tua. He hitched a ride with me when I came back to Recca, and I didn’t realize it until after we arrived. He said he wanted to see our world for himself, and he was with me on my last…adventure,” I said, infusing that last word with sarcasm. “But he didn’t come back with me when Ta’sradala yanked me back here, so I don’t know where he went.”