Claimed By Magic

by Claire Marta

  “Jazzy, get your sweet arse over here, now.” His voice was strained and winded as he yanked the goggles from his head. He didn’t make any effort to get to his feet.

  Wincing, she crawled towards him on her hands and knees. He wasn’t far. At the same time, she struggled out of her yellow rain jacket. The colour was bright and easily detectable. Better to ditch it now. This left her in a black baggy jumper and her ripped jeans.

  Hand curled around an electronic tablet, the mage’s lips were moving. The spells spilled out in silence. Twitch’s own magic leapt to life once more. Like blue streaks of lighting, it raced across the screen of the device. Jasmine could feel it rocketing against her senses. Reaching his side, she curled up against him with the wall to their backs.

  What the fuck was going on? Why were the Jinn attacking? Tiny blue sparks were jumping across Twitch’s pale skin. They snapped and crackled. She could feel them growing with the rhythm of the mage’s beating heart.

  Trying not to panic, she could see the Jinn were almost on top of them. Their magic was seething. It was a hundred times more powerful than Twitch’s. Just the feel of it pulsating in the air filled her with fear. A second before it lashed straight out towards them, the mage raised his hands.

  Bright sparks exploded as magic clashed. The light was almost as blinding as the explosions, which were still going off. Twitch’s spells swelled in strength as he strained forward. Body taut with effort, it continued to stream out of him. The grip he had on the electronic tablet was white-knuckled. His teeth were gritted. Perspiration was popping up on his scarred forehead and upper lip.

  “Use the force field on your bracelet when my magic fails. Then run and don’t look back, got it?” The words were hissed out between his lips.

  “Are you fucking crazy? What about you?” Jasmine asked in alarm, pressing herself closer into his side. His messy curls brushed against her face, tickling her nose.

  “It doesn’t matter about me.” Twitch grunted, still fully focused on the battle. “Jasmine…”

  “Twitchy. If you’re about to utter your undying love for me before you go and do something monumentally stupid, forget it,” she rushed back, cutting him off.

  “Shit woman, you could at least let a guy get the words out first.” There was a thread of humour, but the strain in his voice was clear. “Just do as I say Jazzy. We don’t have time to argue.”

  Tears blurred her vision. Biting on her lower lip, she pressed down hard until she felt the sharp slice of pain. She didn’t want to leave him and there was no way that was going to happen. Desperately, she looked around. There was nothing at hand she could use as a make-shift weapon.

  His magic began to falter. Keeping the force and concentration up seemed to be draining him. The sparks splutterred. She could see the tremor in his hands. His whole body was now trembling with the exertion. The Jinn’s power suddenly lulled. As if he had been waiting for it, the mage dropped his hands.

  Jasmine froze. Fuck, the bracelet. Trying not to freak out she fumbled for it on her wrist. Twitch had already sensed her hesitation. He moved. Flinging himself over her as the Jinn’s magic rose once more. The power crashed into his back. His scream was muffled in her short hair. His body spasmed and arched with the pain. Then he went limp.

  Everything seemed to freeze inside her again. No, no, no. What had he done? Damn him. If he had gotten himself killed she would kill him. Well drag his arse back to life just so she could kill him again, because there was no way she would let him die protecting her. Not Twitch.

  They were laying in a tangle of limbs. Rolling him over, she touched his chest, his face. There was a thin line of blood trickling from his nose. She could also see crimson seeping from his ears. The slow rise and fall of his chest prompted the tears she had been holding back to fall. They streamed unchecked down her pale cheeks. There were no wounds that she could see. He was just out cold.

  “You stupid fucking idiot,” she snapped, slapping his unconscious form. “You had to go play hero.”

  Dragging his head onto her lap she threaded the fingers of one hand through his long untamed locks. The Jinn were still advancing. Twitch’s magic had driven them slightly back. She could feel their power mounting once more. Watching them with growing horror, she searched for her friends limp hand. Her fingers brushed the tablet which was still clutched in his hold.

  If she used the bracelet now she would be the only one protected. She couldn’t abandon him. No matter what the idiot had said. That wasn’t going to happen. Trying not to panic, she blinked the tears from her eyes. She needed a plan. Yet nothing came to mind.

  Something tingled inside Jasmine’s chest. Quick and fast, it took her by surprise. A tiny blue spark ignited. It fizzed to life against their joined hands. The feeling rushed through her nervous system. Sensation growing, it was like a lightning bolt shooting up her brain stem. The energy soaked right through her to the core of her bones.

  Shuddering, she sucked air into her lungs. She didn’t understand what it was. Nothing like she had ever felt before. The Jinn’s spells hurtled towards them. Focusing on the heady feeling, more sparks flared into being. They spread, consuming her arm in a raging inferno of blue flames. Jasmine didn’t feel any pain, just the familiar tingle and prickle of Twitch’s magic. Thrusting her hand out, Jasmine let it go.

  Magic collided. The blast wave was so strong it fluttered her clothes and hair. This time however, it was a static blue barrier that engulfed her and the mage. The Jinn’s power licked against the shield, but seemed unable to penetrate it.

  Several pairs of golden eyes locked onto Jasmine with frightening intensity. There was nothing human about them. Unblinking, they glittered with a feral alien stare, detached and cold. They were watching her as if she were some kind of new bug they had just discovered under a microscope.

  Whatever she had managed to connect to, didn’t last long. Magic fading, the sparks spluttered and died. As it diminished, it left her shaky and light headed. She felt sick.

  Just as quickly as it had leapt up, the barricade dissipated. They were defenceless. The Jinn had cocked their heads to one side. Their sinister scrutiny was unwavering. A spine-chilling sound fell from their lips. So close to the manic laugh of hyenas it made every hair on her body rise at the disturbing high pitch parody of the sound.

  Dread made it hard to breathe. Jasmine could feel the simmer of their magic slowly rising. This time though, there was nothing to protect her and Twitch. They were screwed. Grasping his velvety coat tightly, she leaned down covering his face. Eyes wide with fear, she didn’t take them off the Jinn.

  Then something happened. A different kind of magic hung low in the fog. Gliding over Jasmine’s senses it was like a warm summer breeze. Their attackers had sensed it too. Stilling unnaturally, they peered around.

  In a swirl of emerald skirts, a woman materialised from nowhere. Jasmine caught the flash of angry forest green eyes. Long, glossy, mahogany red hair rippled in a thick cascade down slender shoulders. The newcomer didn’t give the Jinn a chance to react. With a flick of her wrists, power hurtled out towards them.

  It hit the creatures at full force. Jasmine felt it against her sixth sense as if a tornado had just been unleashed. The Jinn were picked up as if they were toys. Mist was whipping around in the frenzied swirling. It tossed them high into the air and flung them in a blur back down the street. They vanished from sight with an unnatural high-pitched howl.

  Turning, the woman glanced down at Jasmine and the mage. She was radiant. Figure a perfect hour glass, she was classically beautiful. Her eyes were almost almond shaped like a cats. Full lips graced a generous mouth. Thin eyebrows curved upwards and her cheekbones were high. She possessed a regal countenance. Like a queen. When she moved, she carried herself with an easy grace.

  An explosion somewhere to their right was set off. Jerking her head towards the sound, Jasmine saw the flash of lights in the shroud of white. The attack was still under way. They couldn’t just
sit here. Looking back towards the woman she found her gone.

  Eric pulled off the black leather gloves and tossed them onto the table top. Not much had changed in Avalon. Not since his last visit a hundred years previously. The self-importance of the main blood-lines was narcissistic as ever. This made him wonder how they ever got anything done. They could barely get on.

  He had seen nothing that warranted concern so far. Nothing sinister lurked in the mist. Perhaps Carbrey had been wrong after all. The Jinn disguise he was forced to endure still restricted his wintry powers. This did however seem to be stimulating the magic buried deep. Eric found this insufferable.

  He could feel it expand in his chest every time he took a breath. His blood tingled with it. The sensation jangled up and down his spine. Eric scowled. He did not particularly enjoy the feeling. It felt unnatural, which was the very reason he had fought his mother’s attempts to cultivate it when he had been a boy. He did not need it.

  She had been one of the rare few Vampiria to possess it. His father had indulged her for a while until he had realised his son had no interest in the ability. Mother then gave up. He knew nothing regarding how to use it or even call it forth. And he had no wish to. Magic was something he preferred to keep dormant. His kind did not trust it. Having it crawling through him so freely was disconcerting. Eric had enough to cope with already.

  He would not need it, he assured himself. He still possessed his vampiric strength, speed, and cunning. That was more than enough.

  Eric’s thoughts turned to Jasmine. She seemed even closer with the mage than before. Twitch was half in love with her, which was clear. You would have to be blind not to see it. Would the boy make a move? Would his advances be successful? Would Jasmine welcome him as a lover?

  Jealously lanced through Eric making him growl. Jasmine was his. Every instinct inside said to take her and be damned with the consequences. This was however, not so simple. These were not the days gone past when he could simply claim her as his property. Gone were the rights of Lords and Lieges.

  Even blood bonded, and under vampire law, she had a choice. And Eric had his honour. This was the modern age. Everyone had rights, even vampires. He wanted Jasmine to want him. The situation was as simple as that.

  Using his powers of persuasion would be easy, but as he had found before, he wanted her to retain her free will. Eric wanted what she felt for him to be real. He refused to coerce her into being his human companion. This had to be given freely.

  Eric knew it was the honourable thing to do. Guilt already niggled at him for attempting to force her in Prague. This had only led to the predicament he was now in. Clearly, she still desired him. Her body at least reacted with lust to his presence. Their physical connection was undeniable. Yet, that had not seemed to be enough. What else was there? Thoughtfully, he tapped one long finger against his lips.

  Could he use her desires against her? He had never been mortal. Even though he lived in the world with humans he was not one of them. Even an immortal like him, it seemed, was not infallible.

  His persuasion had always been at hand if needed. Yet, no one, but Jasmine, had denied him. In the past, he had fucked females in an unending string of one night stands. They had been a mere distraction, pleasurable pursuits when not working on a case. In all the centuries he had existed that had never altered. Jasmine had changed all that. He did not desire anyone else.

  Demanding she return to him would not work. That was clear. Raking his short black hair roughly with his hand, he sighed. Coping with the melting pot of emotions he now had to live with did not help. His discipline and ice control, though, had not deserted him. Jasmine was a problem he would eventually solve. Once he set his cold intellect to something, it did not take him long to find a pleasing resolve.

  A ghostly brush of power prickled against his vampiric senses, like the warm breath of a lover over his skin. Eric tensed. Out of his periphery, he caught sight of a form.

  Fear not, Vampire, I mean thee no harm. A distinctly female voice whispered. Yet one he did not recognize. The sound resonated inside his head.

  Eric did not respond or turn. Relaxing his shoulders, he allowed an outward façade of calm. Within, he was rigid and focused, ready for attack. The rustle of skirts whispered between them as the woman moved a little closer. Green. Eric could make out the colour of her dress. Her hair was long and flowing free. It appeared to be a dark red.

  Jasmine needs you. Do not waste time, you must go to her, now. Hurry. The woman’s voice had turned urgent.

  With those words, she vanished. Eric’s features drew into grim lines. Taking a deep breath, he opened the connection between him and his feisty female. Jasmine’s fear was like a sharp stab to his gut. Her feelings were clear. She was in trouble.

  The ground rocked beneath Jasmine’s feet with another blast. She could hear the sounds and screams of the magic wielders. Fear and confusion thickened the fog. Whatever was happening had caught everyone off guard.

  Magic was everywhere. Exploding like fireworks, sending chaotic flashes through the mist. The Jinn weren’t alone now. Other magic was mixed with theirs, potent and powerful.

  Battles were raging. Although she couldn’t see them through the thick whiteness, Jasmine could feel them. Her sixth sense was going off like alarm bells in her head. Wave after wave of magic kept smashing against her sensitivity. It was disorientating. Her skin was over sensitized with the sensation. Every pore that covered her body felt like it was searing and singeing.

  Clutching Twitch’s arms, she attempted to drag him off the street. She hadn’t been able to move him far. For someone so slender, he was heavier than he looked. Her palms and left knee were also stinging. Small cuts littered her skin. Trying to ignore the barrage of pain, she continued her task. Gritting her teeth, she heaved her unconscious friend backwards. He slid a few centimetres further. The effort left Jasmine falling on her arse.

  “Fuck, Twitch. I think you need to get your skinny butt on a diet or I need to start lifting weights.” She grumbled, getting back on her feet.

  What sounded like thunder rumbled threateningly overhead. Rain was not what they needed right now, although it would probably be good for the fires that were burning. Layers of black smoke were mingled with the mist. Bending, she took hold of her friend’s wrists again. Movement caught the corner of her eye through the green glow of the goggles.

  A Jinn was striding towards them. Unlike the others, this one did not seem to be entranced. The movements were much more coordinated and focused. Swiftly, the black leather form converged on them.

  Jasmine’s panic rose. Fuck. She was not equipped to fight some magical being with frightening powers. And she doubted the woman who had helped them would be back any time soon. She had, after all, left them.

  Maybe if she had a weapon...

  Glancing desperately around, she grabbed a chunk of stony debris from the ground. Brick sized, it was heavy.

  Taking aim, she lobbed it at its head. “Keep away from us, Jinn.”

  Hand shooting out in a blur, it caught the object before it had time to impact with its face. Head cocked to one side, it examined it thoughtfully. Jasmine’s breathing became rapid as panic increased. Stooping, she snatched up another rock.

  Pain shot up her arm as a spell coiled around her wrist. Yelping, the rock slid from her palm. Glance darting back up, she found a red veiled witch had joined the Jinn. They stood side by side. The woman’s bony hand was out stretched and magic still lingered on her fingertips. As it built up again it spilled between them. This time it was stronger.

  Jasmine’s attention bounced to the Jinn. Now it was closer. Moving in time with the slow rhythmic pace of the female at its side. The beastly mask came further into focus. Black tusks, a cross between a bear and a wolf. This Jinn she knew. Yet there was something more. A jiggling thought she couldn’t quite get hold of, a wisp that kept escaping.

  There was something familiar about its build, the broadness of the chest the m
ore she studied it. It was something she had not noticed before. Maybe it had been the fact she had been so nervous. Fear had a way of sharpening your focus.

  “Kaysin?” Jasmine questioned with uncertainty. Had it turned on them also? It nodded. Just a subtle tilting of the head, but she registered the acknowledgement. Sliding a muscled arm silently around the witch’s neck, it squeezed. The female went stiff with shock, and then in a frantic thrashing of red shrouded limbs, she began to fight.

  The only thing that could be seen of her were pale bony arms. Her finger nails so long and cracked they were more like dirty talons. She also made no noise. The absence of sound made it all the more macabre. Kaysin was too strong. The witch did not stand a chance. Even though she was covered from head to foot, Jasmine knew the moment she lost the fight.

  The woman went limp, er red clad form crumpling like a plucked trampled flower. Jasmine kept her gaze on the witch. Looking into feral inhuman eyes of a Jinn again was something she didn’t want to do just now. They gave her the heebie jeebies. She was already freaked out enough as it was.

  After easing the witch down onto the ground, Kaysin straightened back up. It’s tall brawny frame towered over her. Jasmine felt a sense of anticipation coiled inside her at its presence. She couldn’t understand it, but she felt strangely aroused. It had to be all the leather. Or maybe it was all the honed muscle on display that was so well defined by the costume. Fuck, she had to get a grip.

  Her eyes rested on the woman’s chest. The slow rise and fall assured her she was not dead. The Jinn had just knocked her out. Worriedly, Jasmine chewed on her thumb nail. For now, it looked like Kaysin was on their side.