Magical Compass: A Supernatural Prison Story

by Jaymin Eve

  The quads separated, disconnecting their bond. Everyone looked around, and while I was getting a vibe of familiarity, I had no actual idea where we were. Jessa’s eyes narrowed on the side of the mountain, near where we stood. “What are we doing here?”

  Following her gaze, I examined the mountain closer. No way! No wonder this place had only been vaguely familiar. The last time we were here, everything had been covered in snow. The sanctuary. The book had dropped us right in the middle of Romania.

  “Do we think the princesses are inside?” I asked, stepping off the main road toward the mountain. “Or at least one of them?”

  Panic tightened my chest; we should have been more specific in our request. There were three princesses we needed to find, assuming Josephina was right. We did not have time to go back to Jeste again for the spell if only one of them was here, and I doubted the guardians would let us in again anyway.

  “It’s as good a place as any to stash those who need to be hidden from the world,” Braxton said, his eyes flashing yellow for a beat. “Many ancient protections line this mountain, which is no doubt why we’re standing outside. Not even an original book of magic will infiltrate those walls without permission.”

  I couldn’t see the doorway, just like I hadn’t been able to last time. It had only been for dragon marked beings then. Now though…

  “Can anyone see the door?” I glanced down the line to see Jessa shaking her head. Mischa too, her face uneasy and very pale.

  She, out of all of us, had the least pleasant memories of our last time here, and I hoped it wouldn’t be too hard on her to return.

  “Now the sanctuary is open to all who need it, so maybe we should focus on our need and see what happens.” Jacob’s suggestion was a good one, so we all reached out and placed a hand on the wall.

  We need to find the jeweled princesses and save the world.

  I thought those words over and over, trying my best to convey my true need. We’re running out of time.

  Time for my mom. Time for the world. Time to stop the shadows from rising. Time to stop the demons. So many enemies, and it felt like we were all that stood between the world and these creatures waiting to destroy it.

  I tried to bring my focus back. I needed to stay on track. One thing at a time or I would fall apart. One thing at a time. Nothing seemed to be working, so I decided to send some of my magic out, like I would when connected to the earth or the ley lines.

  A cold rush left me, and I jerked when I realized the ice energy was so entrenched and entwined with my magic there was no way for me to separate them anymore. Just as I was about to pull it back, a door-size shimmery oval appeared before me. I would have fallen through to the other side if it wasn’t for Tyson steadying me.

  “Looks like you found the doorway,” he said drily. There was also a slash of fury in his tone, which surprised me.

  What’s wrong?

  He didn’t hesitate: It’s all linked to you and I don’t like it. If I could take you far away from this, I would.

  We haven’t run into any real trouble yet.

  He let out a low groan, and his mental tone went less dark and more playful. You had to put that out there, didn’t you? I hope it stays that way, but something tells me things are going to get a hell of a lot worse before we see the end of this.

  I swallowed roughly, my throat and mouth dry. I wasn’t sure I was ready to deal with “worse,” so I was going to pretend he hadn’t put that into my head. Focusing, I turned toward the doorway, leaning forward to step through. I got half a leg in before Tyson picked me up and deposited me behind him.

  Jessa growled. “Why do you guys insist on relegating us to the role of ‘damsel in distress?’ It’s annoying. We’re supes, just like you. We have strength.”

  Mischa nodded, an unusual feistiness crossing her face. “It’s been getting worse since we had babies. Like you think that makes us weaker somehow. We just pushed a kid from our vaginas. Jessa pushed two out. I’d like to see you all do something like that.”

  The four idiots looked dumbfounded for a beat, then identical grins crossed their faces. Great, they found this amusing. Things were about to get ugly. Jessa had been fighting their blatant overprotectiveness for as long as I could remember, and Mischa did have a point. It seemed to have gotten a lot worse since the last time I was around. I couldn’t fully blame the quads, though. There seemed to be more than one occasion recently where they’d almost lost the girls.

  “Jessa babe, you know it has nothing to do with us thinking you’re weak,” Tyson said, his grin fading away as he held both arms out to her. “I think you’re one of the strongest supes I have ever met. The things you’ve achieved, the sacrifices you’ve made…” He cleared his throat then, his masculine features softening. His eyes were a deep, rich shade of golden brown. “I admire and respect you. I love you. But I will never, and I don’t say this with any sort of jest, never stop protecting you. I can’t live without you three, my brothers, and our babies. It’s as simple as that. So your protection comes before anything else, including your pride.”

  Jessa’s face crumbled, her blue eyes shining. Confusion was written across her furrowed brows. If she was feeling anything like me right now, she was on emotional overload. I also had a little bit of jealousy mixed in. Even though I knew Jessa was mated to Braxton, and Tyson was my true mate, hearing him say he loved her like that was hard. I had spent too many years envying their relationship to not have some hang-ups about it. But, and I was proud to say this, the strongest emotions inside of me were adoration and respect for Tyson. His selflessness – despite the cocky brashness he showed the world – was something truly incredible to see.

  His hand snaked out and captured mine. I’d had most of my thoughts hidden from him, but he felt the overwhelming emotions I couldn’t contain. He gave my hand an extra squeeze right as Jessa threw herself at him and he had to drop it to catch her. He lifted her easily into his arms, hugging her as close as he could without squishing Jackson between them.

  “I love you too, Ty.” She pulled back, and he let her go so she could turn around. “I love you all. We’re blessed to have such a strong pack. But … seriously, I’m going first.”

  Braxton did the strong, silent thing again, but I could tell by the way he was looking at Jessa, and the way she was turned to him, that they were mentally communicating. The dragon shifter stepped forward and wrapped her up in his arms, like he couldn’t stay away from her for another moment.

  “Are we ready to go now?” said Jacob, a pained expression on his face. “You know, if you six are done reminding me of the fact that I will probably die alone … a cranky, bitter old fey…” His eyes were flat too, with just the slightest tinge of turmoil deep in their green depths.

  Braxton moved toward the door, Jessa at his side … slightly in front as per her request. Tyson took my hand again, and the rightness of his unconscious action struck me hard. It was instinct. Beautiful instinct.

  As we passed Jacob, I reached out with my free hand and brushed along his. Our eyes locked and I tilted my head to the side and gave him a nod. I wanted him to know I understood, that I had been where he was and he should not give up hope. A genuine smile replaced that slightly sardonic one, and he clasped my hand for a quick squeeze before letting me go.

  Fuck, you’re amazing. Thank you for loving my brothers. The four of us … we’re bonded so tightly that it’s almost a package deal.

  I had the briefest flash of a package deal with the Compasses, and a fiery blush scoured my cheeks. Heat and Tyson’s laughter flared through my mind. Sorry, little witch, but I’m going to draw the line there. I won’t share you that way with anyone.

  Holy smokes. I really wished I could hide right about then, but at least he didn’t sound mad. It’s just … well, he put that thought right into my head. I didn’t actually want any of the other quads. I had grown to care very strongly for all of them, but not even close to what I had always felt for Tyson.

/>   Stepping through the shimmering doorway, I held my breath, unsure of what awaited us on the other side. It was dark and warm in the cave, and I quickly ditched my winter coat and scarf. Evie’s beanie was next.

  “Hey, my talisman is gone,” Mischa suddenly said.

  I realized mine was too.

  “Yeah, none of us had them when we arrived here,” Jacob added. Observant fey. “They hopefully went back to the elders. Otherwise they’ll be pissed at us for stealing their stuff.”

  I shuddered. They were not supes you wanted mad with you. Our winter clothes were dropped into a pile, which would have to be left behind. I was still a bit warm, having a thermal long sleeve on, but I couldn’t get it off without unwrapping Evie, and since she was content, waving her little arms at me, I didn’t want to disturb her. I also didn’t trust my new ice-cross-healer magic not to do something crazy.

  Tyson just shook his head at me, touching my arm. In a surge of power, my thermals were replaced by a dark tank with thin straps. It hugged my body, disappearing into the top of my jeans. He did the same for the rest of the pack, making sure we were all dressed for this new climate.

  “No mystics,” Jessa observed, her eyes darting around the cave entrance. “Does this even look the same as last time?”

  It was hard to tell, the lighting was dim, and caves were all pretty similar, but … it seemed a little different. More stalactites and stalagmites, maybe. A silvery strain of stone embedded through some of the wall. Nothing to cause alarm, and yet somehow a sense of wariness still rocked through me.

  “I think we should stop for a second and refresh the kiddies.” Mischa was trying to calm Lily down, who had started to fuss and squirm. “And … I’ve been thinking … when we get back to Faerie, we should leave them in Josephina’s protection. I’m going to stay behind as well and make sure they’re okay.”

  Maximus shook his head. “No. Misch … come on. I don’t want us to be separated. Things get fucked up when we’re apart.”

  She leaned into her giant mate, barely reaching his chest. “I don’t want to be without you, but it’s insanity for us to think we can fight a battle like this with babies strapped to us. We can’t risk them.”

  “I’ll stay,” Jacob declared, his tone hard. “You six are stronger together with your mate bonds. I can take care of them. I’ll keep them safe.”

  More protests went all around but Jacob ignored them. “You know I’m right, and there’s no need to argue about it yet. We haven’t even found the princesses. Let’s just get this part done and then we can deal with the next.”

  He was trying to cool things down, but we could all tell he had already made up his mind. He was going, no matter what.

  It took the twins about fifteen minutes to change nappies, feed their babies, then play and sing to them. I was leaning against the wall, watching the exchange, my heart both light and heavy at the same time.

  “They’re amazing, aren’t they?” Tyson leaned back next to me, his body pressed firmly along my side, sending tingles up and down my arm. “I never expected to love them so much. I barely remember our lives before they came into it.”

  “They’re truly incredible, and they have amazing parents who love them. Not to mention a pack who would protect them to the ends of the earth. So many blessings.”

  He pulled me even closer to his side and my heart did a bit of a tumble. Being with him like this still took me by surprise. I wasn’t even sure how we’d fallen into this perfect alignment so quickly. The true mate bond was a magic beyond anything I knew.

  “Our bond has helped me deal with what happened at my gran’s,” I told him softly. “You don’t have to keep kid-gloving me. I’m okay. Truly.”

  He wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into his side with one firm tug. “I can see that, and when we’re finally alone, kid-gloves will be the last thing on my mind.”

  I hid my laughter and desire in his chest, not wanting his family to see. When I pulled back, I flashed a smile at him, and he gave me a sexy wink. He then turned back to stare at the kids, a soft, gentle look on his face. It suited him. He would be a wonderful father, but I still wasn’t sure I wanted that. My genetics might not be the best to spread around either, since I had all of these weird magics inside of me.

  I hid those thoughts. This wasn’t the right time for that conversation. But one day we would have to talk of the future, and I had no idea if that would change everything between us.

  We set off along the path, Evie strapped to my front again, her huge eyes blinking in long drowsy blinks. Her little play and feed had tired her out. Light was visible toward the end of the tunnel, just like last time, and I was expecting to walk out onto that high ledge, the one that showcased the full view of the territories of the sanctuary. There was a desert, a land of snow, one of crashing oceans, and a forest of multiple green hues. Each was contained within their own quadrant, the sanctuary city being the center of the four. The city would be where we started our search.

  Being here again reminded me strongly of my gran. She had always told me the story of the hidden oasis, how it was a world for those who needed to escape. I’d thought she had been referring to the dragon king, but maybe there had been more to the story than I realized, hidden meaning I had not paid attention to. Maybe she had been trying to tell me all along that this was more than a sanctuary for dragon marked.

  Which gave me a thought: “How would these princesses have entered this place if they didn’t wear the mark?”

  The goal of this place had changed with the death of the king, but before that it had only been dragon marked who resided within.

  “Maybe they’ve only recently arrived,” Maximus said, flashing some fang. He didn’t usually do that, but he seemed tense. His eyes were very dark, which usually meant his vampire was in control.

  “Possibly…” I was about to say more, but we had just stepped out into the bright light, and I was too busy blinking around in astonishment.

  Okay, then. Not the high ledge I had expected. We were right at the base of the city. Supes were bustling around; in front of us were skyscrapers, shop fronts, and eateries. I turned around to see the tunnel we’d just emerged from, but there was only city behind us, like the tunnel never existed at all.

  “Well,” Mischa choked out, her pale features practically chalky now. “That was a much faster trip this time.”

  Maximus eyed his mate with concern. “Are you okay?” His voice was tender, a tone I’d only ever heard him use for Mischa.

  She half-smiled at the vampire, her shimmery eyes the most stunning shade of green. “I’m fine. Just bad memories, you know.”

  This was probably the last place Mischa ever wanted to find herself again. I reminded myself to talk with her later. I had some meditative techniques that could help her purge the bad memories, and heal some of the hurts, if she was interested. Probably something I should try out for myself too.

  “Well, well. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  We turned toward the low, accented voice. A familiar fey was standing there, sans his normal blue robes. Instead he was dressed in a pair of flowing white cotton pants, and a similar loose shirt. Very boho style. He also seemed relaxed and much calmer than the last time I was here.

  “Quale, it’s so good to see you again.” Jessa stepped closer, shooting a smile in his direction. “Sorry to arrive unannounced, but we didn’t actually know we were coming here until about thirty minutes ago.”

  Quale waved his hand in a “don’t worry about it” gesture. “The sanctuary is open to all who need it.”

  He then looked between all of us. “So what do you need? What brought you here?”

  Jessa let out a ragged breath. “First, there’s something I need to tell you. It’s about Louis.”

  Quale’s expression didn’t change, and considering the tremble in Jessa’s lip, he should have been worried about the bad news clearly coming his way.

  “I know about my brother,” he sai
d gently. “I’ve been in contact with him since he was taken. I have a lot to tell you, actually.”

  You could have dropped a feather and heard it hit the ground; we were silent and shocked. A bunch of supe kids rushed past then, and their loud bursts of laughter brought us all back.

  “Follow me,” Quale said. He turned and led us through familiar streets. It wasn’t a huge city, so even though we’d only been here for a few weeks last time, we had traversed most of these streets at least once. Jessa and Braxton less so, since they had been stuck in Faerie for the majority of that time. I’d mostly avoided Tyson and tried to learn as much as I could from the healers.

  I had never regretted getting on that plane when Louis had asked me to help. Though, if he had told me Tyson was involved, I would have run in the opposite direction. But I did regret the way I pushed Tyson away while we were here. A burst of warmth rocked along our bond and the swirls of darkness that had been sliding free from their box dissipated. Somehow he knew when I was struggling with those inner demons, and without even speaking a word he calmed the storm.

  Another storm was replacing it though, a dull ache low in my body that would not quit. I craved him with an almost obsessive nature, which was scary as hell. What if I lost him? Could I survive?

  “Grace, I think you and I need to talk,” Tyson murmured low in my ear, his expression torn. “You’re killing me, baby, seriously killing me.”

  I swallowed hard. “What do you mean?” I knew he couldn’t hear my dark thoughts. They were locked deep in my mind, beyond the reach of our bond.

  “I feel your pain. The sadness is crushing you. You’re barely even breathing.” Some anger bled into those last words, but it was not directed at me. He was angry for me, and struggling with his new powers. “The dragon wants to hunt down everyone who hurt you…” His low voice was slightly calmer. “And we want to kill them all.”

  His lips brushed across my forehead. I wanted so badly to wrap myself around him and let him take some of the burden of my emotions from me. But he could not shield me from this, I had to keep working through the darkness myself. Plus, we had a job to do. I needed to focus on that first, and the other stuff second.