Furious Flames (Elemental Book 3)

by Oxford, Rain

  “Henry would know.”

  “Henry wouldn’t suspect you of not being you.”

  “With his popping in and out thing, he can get to Henry before we can call him. We might already be too late. It also explains why he didn’t try to kill me; he wants my power and can only get it if he has the talisman. Do you know Henry’s number?” I asked, tossing him my cell phone.

  He nodded and dialed the number. After he held it to his ear for a second, he frowned at me. “Disconnected.” He dialed another number and his expression became pained a moment later. My phone turned pastel purple. “Hi, Mum. Is Dad there? He’s talking to Drake? Can you tell him to… no, I don’t need you to come back. No, I don’t know what time it is. Mum, I didn’t… Mum? I need to talk to… I’m not drunk, would you please stop telling Dad to… If Amelia were pregnant, it wouldn’t be my child. Give the phone to Dad. I need to talk to…” He sighed with frustration and the phone turned bright blue.

  He gave me a look and I opened a well-used link between us. “Do you know anyone who would know where Henry lives?” I asked in his mind.

  “It should be in the school records. I’m hoping Hunt can find him through the shadows like he found you, but my mother won’t hand Dad the damn phone before it’s too late.” An audible current leapt from his skin to the phone and he dropped it in shock. I knew before it clattered to the ground that it was dead.

  “What did you do?” I asked.

  He stared at it as if he had never seen a phone before. “I was just… I didn’t do that.”

  “We both saw you do that,” Amelia argued.

  “That was wizard magic. That was your magic,” he told me.

  There was a hard knock on my door and I groaned. “This isn’t going to be good.” I answered the door to see two police officers, both looking contrite. I knew instantly they were shifters, and neither would look me in the eye. One was a tall, thin man with immaculate blond hair and a too-thin face. The other man was about my height and more muscular, with shaggy, dark brown hair.

  “What are you two doing here?” Darwin asked. The shifters wouldn’t look at him either.

  “We are here to arrest Devon Sanders,” the tall one said. “Over the disappearance of Regina Sand–”

  The shorter shifter punched him in his gut to shut him up. “Regina Paris.”

  “She’s dead? I thought Maseré was watching her?”

  “They were watching her until she went to bed. She was in a room with no windows or doors except the door to the living room, which they were waiting in. When they went to check up on her, she was missing.”

  “Shit,” Darwin cursed. “Gale wants you sitting in a jail cell when he goes after the amulet. Then he’s got you trapped when he takes Henry’s power and comes to take yours. What evidence do you have that Devon did it?”

  “We have no evidence, but the humans we work with are going to want to question him. Alpha Maseré instructed us to arrest Devon so that if something does happen, we can claim we were questioning him about what happened at his mother’s apartment. This is only for precaution, but we have to make it look real enough for the humans we work with.”

  There was a reason why I was a private investigator and not a cop; I didn’t want to arrest people, deal with paperwork, and get shot at.

  “You’re giving him an alibi,” Darwin said, understanding.

  I thought about it for a moment. After the plan was fully developed in my head, I nodded. “Alright then.”

  “What’s the plan?” Darwin asked.

  “We’re going to follow Gale’s plan, but we’re going to add a step to it.”

  The plan wasn’t actually that simple, of course. First of all, we had to speak in our minds with my magic, just in case someone had somehow managed to bug my apartment. I had suggested I use my magic to fry any electronic spies, but Darwin balked at the idea, informing me that each of his computers were hand built and worth more than my monthly salary. I told him exactly how much my five-figure income was for the month before I attended Quintessence, but he just rolled his eyes.

  “My dad makes more than that in a day, bro. Just on interest.”

  “Then why are you complaining about the cost of your computers?”

  “Because that’s his money, which goes to charities and research mostly. I buy my computer parts with my money that I earn at my job. My computers are my carefully designed babies and I’ll bite anyone who tries to fry them like sausages.” He sat on the coffee table. “Now, explain.”

  “We’ll let the cops lock me up so Gale thinks his plan is working. Meanwhile, you do whatever you have to do to get Henry to bring the amulet to you. If anyone can figure out how to use the amulet, it’s you, so I want you to borrow Henry’s invisibility power and come to me. When Gale arrives to confront me, you’ll use the amulet to suck away his power.”

  “What if he doesn’t go to you?”

  “He will, because we’re going to make him think I have the amulet.” I kept the link open and reached out for the increasingly familiar mind of Maseré. Once I knew a particular mind, distance didn’t seem to matter. I felt the man’s recognition of my presence and then the same welcoming that his son always gave me. The wolf, however, snarled with warning. The wolf would watch and wait for me to make a wrong move— a dominating move— and then he would attack.

  Normally, I would treat animals respectfully, but I wouldn’t hesitate to use my power on them if they threatened me. This wolf was just trying to defend himself and Maseré. “Did you get ahold of Hunt?”

  “Yes. He’s looking for Vincent now.”

  “I need more help. We’re trying to set a trap for Gale.”

  * * *

  August 28, 12am

  “You remember the plan, right?”

  “No, bro, I wasn’t listening,” Darwin answered.

  I sighed, making the drunk across from me look up. Amelia had used her magic on me to keep me calm so that I wouldn’t accidentally control someone’s mind, but Darwin was wearing it thin. Although Amelia warned me it might make me arrogant and uncaring, I didn’t feel very different. Teasing the wolf shifter guard was just a result of boredom. Then again, it was a little odd to be bored during my arrest. I considered sitting down on the bed, but the stains on it were unsettling.

  Astrid and Amelia were looking for Regina while Darwin searched for Henry and Hunt tracked down my uncle. Meanwhile, Maseré’s wolves on the force were watching from a distance in case Gale tried anything on me before Darwin could get the amulet. Stephen’s coven and the rest of Maseré’s pack had even chipped in to spread the word of where I was and that I had the amulet.

  I just hoped Gale took the bait before the wizard council heard it.

  I sighed again. Amelia’s power was wearing off and leaving me restless. Whoever suggested a plan that left me a sitting duck was an idiot. Oh, yeah, that was me. I found myself reaching for the ring in my pocket and stopped myself. Vincent told me the more I used my power, the stronger it would become. I hated the dreams because they never made any sense, but the visions I had when I put on my ring were usually much clearer and more insightful.

  Distracted by the uncharacteristic desire to use the ring, I reached my hands through the bars to rest my elbows on the crossbars and felt… fur…

  I reached out my power for the invisible jaguar and sensed his mind easily. Every shifter was two entities bonded together. In person form, the person was in charge, while in animal form, the shifter had a primarily animal mind. However, both entities were strongly influenced by the other.

  In Henry’s case, the influence was a lot more subtle. They were both extremely different, with drastically opposing priorities and desires. I had sensed Henry’s mind and the jaguar’s, but never as strongly as that moment, and I realized then that if they ever stopped fighting each other, they would be an unstoppable force.

  Astonishingly, it was the jaguar that was more welcoming. They had one thing in common and that was an extremely p
rotective instinct. “Why are you here?”

  “I thought you wanted the amulet,” he responded easily.

  I was almost startled by how quickly he picked up the ability, and more so by the fact it was almost like both the jaguar and man were speaking to me as one. “Did Darwin find you?”

  “No. I was just about to go to bed when I felt the need to bring you the amulet. Then I found you without having to track you or anything, like I just knew where you were. I figured it had to do with your psychic powers. Bear in mind, I have no control over my jaguar right now, as it is the first of the three days of the full moon.”

  “Your phone number was disconnected.”

  “My parents have been going through my mail and keep throwing my bills out. The amulet is around my neck. For some reason, it can become invisible with me. Take it and back up so I can break you out.”

  “I’m not trying to break out; I’m waiting for Gale. Tell me you figured out how to use the amulet.”

  “I have not. Now, either get out of that cell or I will break it. I hate cages and it’s making the jaguar angry.”

  I placed my hand on the lock like I had before and tried to unleash my magic into it… nothing happened.

  Jumping to the conclusion that it had something to do with the amulet, I panicked, my adrenaline spiked, and magic suddenly surged through me and out into the lock, which snapped with a bright flash of light.

  Henry’s “camouflage” faded until he was his normal self, only… “Did you get smaller?” I asked, wondering if I had imagined his size when we faced the golems.

  The jaguar narrowed his eyes at me. “You try sneaking through doors when you’re as big as a horse. I can fell trees at that weight, when I prefer to hide in them and ambush… or at least my jaguar does. What’s the next step in your plan?”

  “My plan was to essentially trick him into coming here.”

  “Hey, is that a panther?!” the inebriate across from me asked, swaying on his cot in a halfway sitting position.

  Henry snarled at him. “No, you’re drunk. Go back to sleep,” I said. My power reacted before I realized what I was doing and the man immediately passed out. Henry looked at me, probably wondering why I was so harsh on him. “I didn’t mean to do that.”

  He shifted. In seconds, his bones reshaped, his fur receded, and he became bipedal. When Henry stood in his person form before me, completely naked, he frowned. “I thought you learned to control your power with earth magic.”

  “It’s a process, apparently. I seem to be getting more powerful all the time and I’m not sure how much of it I’m going to be able to handle.”

  “Then perhaps defeating Gale will be a simple matter.”

  “Nothing is simple anymore.”

  “That is the nature of the paranormal world. Now, what is our plan?” he asked, removing the amulet from around his neck.

  “Well, first of all, you need to find some clothes, because if a cop comes in here and sees you naked, they’re going to put you in a cage next to me.” He didn’t shiver or make a sound. Instead, the subtlest shift in his eyes betrayed his jaguar’s protest.

  He handed me the talisman. “Once Gale arrives, I will distract him while you prepare your attack with the amulet,” he said, offering his plan when I didn’t have one.

  “I was relying on Darwin figuring out how to use it. Felicity probably had to show Gale how to use it.”

  “She didn’t, actually,” said the disembodied voice of our enemy. Gale appeared just a few feet away from us. Like usual, he wore a black, satin, button-up shirt tucked into his black jeans. Although nothing about his average, almost boring appearance really changed, he somehow seemed a little more esoteric each time I saw him, as if he was changing on the inside and I could sense it.

  Henry moved to attack him, but he waved his hand and the shifter was thrown back. Earth magic gave me the strength I needed to control my power and water magic gave me the courage I needed to trust my friends.

  I wanted Gale to burn.

  I created a shield, like I had done in the warehouse, but only over Henry. Protecting myself did little good if I couldn’t defeat Gale, and this game of tag had to end before my friends or family really got hurt. For some reason, that included Regina.

  With Henry taken care of, I turned to Gale, focused my power, and released it. I felt the block he had over his mind. Whereas he had the stolen abilities of many paranormals, I had little more than mind control, instinct, and visions. Thus, I had to make up the difference with ingenuity and tenacity.

  I reached into my pocket with my left hand and slipped the ring on. With my other hand, I held the amulet. Normally, there was an object for me to create my vision on. This time, I used the amulet, but focused on Felicity. Gale had used the amulet, so I could use it to stimulate a vision. I could because I had to.

  I hope I don’t fall and hit my head, was my last thought before my world changed.

  Although Gale’s mind was closed, his subconscious was drawn in by the need to see Felicity again, and his mind couldn’t differentiate the vision with reality.

  I saw her through Gale’s eyes. At first, confused as to why everything was blurred and dull, I thought my magic was inadequate. Felicity was there, kneeling on a stone floor and completely naked, yet not attractive in the least. Her red hair was the giveaway; Gale was not only in serious need of glasses, but colorblind as well.

  When she held out the amulet, he hesitated. “This will give me power?”

  “It will allow you to take the power of paranormals. It will also seal our deal.”

  “Then you will be mine?”

  “Until your death.”

  “What happens then?”

  “Then you will have a choice to make.”

  He took the amulet, which I held in my hand in reality. I focused once more. Maybe I didn’t know how to use the amulet, but Gale did, so I reached out through their bond that was forged that day and activated the amulet, drawing Felicity’s power into me. The oddest sensation was the ease of using the amulet, which worked like a mental syphon. It was actually as simple as drawing magic from myself, except I was drawing it from the amulet. Without proper direction, the amulet drew magic from everyone around me and, although it drew Felicity’s magic, it wasn’t from the vision. It drew her power from wherever she was in real time.

  Which meant she wasn’t dead. It also meant I could use the amulet with no limit over space.

  The entire process happened in the span of about two seconds. Before Gale even realized what I was doing, I raised my hand as if to shove him back. A mixture of hate, anger, and greed came over me along with Felicity’s power. Red lightning shot from me, burning my entire body simultaneously, but not to the point of incapacitating me. Gale, however, went down hard.

  The hate and anger vanished to be replaced with sharp regret. Felicity was fighting it. For some reason, her soul was tied to the health of Gale and she couldn’t kill him. I couldn’t release her power specifically, so I let all of it go. They both deserved what they got for killing people, but I wouldn’t use her power to kill her husband, no matter how their relationship came to be. I wouldn’t allow myself to become like them.

  Gale struggled to his feet, shaking. Henry, once again in jaguar form, lunged at him. “Stop,” I said, holding back my power. Instead of obeying me entirely, the jaguar turned in his advance until he stood between me and Gale. He growled and lowered himself for another attack.

  Gale vanished, but Henry still growled at the empty space.

  “Is he gone?” I asked.

  Henry shifted back. “Yes. Why did you let him go?”

  To say that I didn’t want to kill him sounded foolish and feeble after Gale killed many. “I don’t know,” I lied.

  He nodded. “I understand. We could trick him the way Darwin did before. Besides, you definitely don’t want to kill him using the amulet.”

  I groaned. “I hadn’t even thought of that. I would have taken all of his
power.” I had enough shit to deal with trying to control my psychic power.

  * * *

  Henry went his own way with the amulet after that and I caught Darwin up as one of Maseré’s shifters drove me back to the apartment. He told me that Astrid and Amelia found Regina in the same house I found Jackson and the other victims in. Fortunately, she was tied up but not injured. They left her tied up until they got her back to Drake, who they believed could hide her better than Maseré’s pack.

  Still angry over Danielle and her drugging my mother, I told him not to tell me where they were hiding Regina. I returned home to find Vincent sitting on my couch. “You’re okay,” I said.

  He gave the vague impression of a half-smile. “I am, and I’m pleased you care. I was, however, confused as to why Logan said you thought I was in extreme danger.”

  “I got your letter.”

  His face grew more serious with a slight tightening of his mouth. “What letter?”

  “Ghost brought me a letter from you talking about trust, time, answers, and a journey. Then you said it might be the end for you and that I should have been your son,” I said. His eyes widened a little at the last word. “Was it a forgery?”

  He sighed and leaned forward to pick up a mug of tea from my coffee table… only the tea hadn’t been there a second before. “No, I suspect it was real. The type of magic you learn at Quintessence can be considered superficial.” He took a drink before continuing. “Much of it is great starter magic, a way to better yourself, and designed to make life better. Logan and I are of another generation; one which relies on the darker and more unfriendly arts. Logan told me you were well-read and had a basic knowledge of what I am referring to.”

  “I’ve read many books on magic. None of them were light-hearted. Does this have something to do with the tower?”