by Linsey Hall
I turned to face him, catching sight of the badge on his jacket.
Order of the Magica.
I swallowed hard. He wore the neatly pressed suit of a courier. His gaze landed on the three of us, recognition flaring.
“Just who I was looking for.” He handed out an envelope. “You’ve been summoned.”
“Summoned?” Cass asked.
With a shaking hand, I took the envelope.
Claire bustled up behind us. “Richard, what is this?”
The courier turned to face Claire. “Claire. I’m just delivering a message from the Order.”
“I get that, but this is a private party.” She hustled him to the door. “It could have waited.”
Out on the sidewalk, he turned to face us. His dark hair gleamed in the light, and his expression was sober. “It really couldn’t wait.”
I opened the envelope, revealing a thick piece of parchment. My breath held as my eyes raced over the script. “It’s a summons to the council chambers. At eight tomorrow.”
Del’s pale face met mine. “Why?”
“Doesn’t say.”
“They must know what we are.” Cass’s voice shook slightly. “We’ve used so much crazy magic lately.”
“Yeah, but they already knew we are capable of crazy magic,” Del said. “Their mercenaries have seen us use it before. That doesn’t mean they know what we are.”
“But they’ve never called us for a meeting before,” I said. “This is different.”
Our identity as FireSouls was a secret. It was no longer as closely guarded as it had once been—the trials we’d faced these last months had ensured that—but we didn’t need to be walking into the council chambers of the Order of the Magica with that secret potentially out in the open. Still….
“We have to go,” I said. “It’s not guaranteed that it will be bad.”
“No, you don’t have to go.” My mother’s voice sounded from behind me. “You can come live with us.”
I turned to her. “We can’t run any longer. I fought hard for this life here in Magic’s Bend. As much as I love visiting you, this is my home now. I can’t run. ”
She smiled, nodding her understanding.
“I agree,” Cass said
“No more running,” Del said.
“I’ll go with you,” Ares said.
Aidan and Roarke stepped up behind Cass and Del, putting their hands on their shoulders. It was clear—they would come as well. And they were good allies. We had loads of good allies.
If it didn’t go in our favor tomorrow—we’d fight our way out. Then we’d start again.
But I really didn’t want to start again.
The next morning, the six of us stood in the waiting room of the council chambers. I’d never been to the Order of the Magica headquarters. Hell, none of us had ever been here.
We avoided this massive brick building like the plague, living our whole lives under the radar. Even Del, who worked part-time as a mercenary, had avoided this building and worked solely through intermediaries.
But here we were, in the fancy waiting room done in gleaming wood and gold. When we’d walked across the courtyard twenty minutes ago, I’d seen friends loitering on benches and leaning against trees.
Connor and Claire sat on the hood of a car, Aerdeca and Mordaca on a bench. My parents at a cafe. Pond Flower with Emile, her keen gaze on us. Quite a few vampires were there as well—even Doyen and Magisteria, though they waited in the deep shadows of trees to avoid the sun. Even Jeff sat in an oak tree, small and hidden in the leaves.
They all waited as backup, in case this went south.
We had friends. Help. Always.
I drew in a shuddering breath, my gaze riveted to the door to the main chamber. It was an ornate wooden affair, screaming wealth and power. We’d never had much use for the Order other than to avoid them. I appreciated that they kept law and order, but I didn’t want them keeping it with us.
Ares squeezed my hand, a silent gesture that we’d get out of this intact.
“It’ll be all right,” Aidan said.
“You know that?” I asked him. He had contacts here. Maybe…
“No. But have faith.”
I nodded, meeting Cass and Del’s eyes. We’d flown under the radar for so long. Please don’t let this be the end.
Finally, after a decade of waiting, the door creaked open. A slender young man dressed in a somber black suit stepped out. “It is time.”
We followed him in, my heart in my throat.
Somehow, this was more frightening than facing Drakon and his army. These people could take my whole life from me. It was somehow more real than my own death. Hell, I’d come back from my own death. But I couldn’t rebuild this life in Magic’s Bend.
The main chamber was a large, rectangular room. A massive, glittering chandelier shed light on the long table in front of us. Seven figures sat behind it, four men and three women. Each was dressed somberly, their faces stern.
In front of them was a row of six chairs. Like the principal’s office, but on steroids. We approached, stopping behind the chairs.
An older, white-haired gentleman stood. His dark gaze was hard, his face devoid of pleasantness or levity. He gestured to the six chairs.
Suddenly, I was annoyed. My fear was drowned out by disbelief.
“You’ve got to be kidding, right?” I said.
No way I was sitting in one of those little chairs. Whatever they were going to throw at us—it was coming. But damned if I’d sit in the naughty kids’ chair only days after I’d thrown myself to my death to save the world.
The man coughed and shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. “Yes, yes. Clearly that was a poor idea.”
Confusion flared. Yeah, I knew that had been a shit idea. But that he agreed?
“We are creatures of tradition here, you see,” he said.
“And tradition is to try to make everyone who visits seem small?” Cass asked.
Del made a tsking noise. “It’s an old trick. And not a very good one.”
As much as I was scared witless of what these people knew about me, I wasn’t about to play their games. I’d faced worse than them, no matter how much control they might have over my life and booting me from the home I loved. While I was terrified of that outcome, I couldn’t bear to bow to them.
Not after everything that had happened.
“Ah.” The Order leader hesitated, then seemed to catch himself. “Tradition,” he boomed.
Tradition was them harping on their own power while being afraid of everyone else, but whatever. I stood silently, waiting for him to get it over with.
“Tradition says that FireSouls are evil,” he continued.
Shit.
“But we may have been wrong.”
My brows arched.
“We’ve had our suspicions for some time about you three.” He shifted. “At first, you seemed weak. Normal. But over the last year, we have noticed that your power has grown. Quite substantially, according to our sources.”
Their sources had to be the mercenaries that they’d sent to help us fight impossible battles. It’d been a risk to solicit their assistance, but it’d been necessary. We hadn’t been willing to risk the safety of the world to save our own hides.
Apparently that was biting us in the ass now.
“What is it you’re trying to say?” I asked.
The woman next to him stood. “What we’re trying to say is, thank you.”
“Thank you?” Shock dropped my jaw.
“Yes. We’ve pieced together a bit of what you’ve done. Not a lot, but enough that we realize we must change our ways. Therefore, we are pardoning you.”
“Pardoning us? From being what we are?” I appreciated that I wasn’t in trouble—but the wording was crap. “We saved your asses. There’s nothing wrong with FireSouls.”
“Get ‘em,” Cass whispered.
“We see that now. Mostly.” The woman’s face firmed. “We thank y
ou for what you’ve done—saving the dragons, and us. Our fear led to prejudice, and that was unfair to you. We recognize that now.”
“What about other FireSouls? Are they safe from you?” I thought of the League of FireSouls. They’d made as many sacrifices as we had.
The solemn figures behind the table hesitated. Finally, the man spoke. “We cannot guarantee anything. Change is slow to come. Rest assured that you are safe. And the others, we will be more lenient.”
“Good.” I frowned at them all. “Because they saved you too.”
“We must be wary of power unchecked,” the man blustered. “Balance is key. Balance is safe. It is our job to ensure it lasts.”
The woman stepped forward. “But we will try. Be assured of that.”
It was clearly the best that I would get out of them. I nodded, then turned. It was time to get the hell out of here. There wasn’t much left to say anyway.
We walked out of the room as a group. The back of my neck burned all the way to the main door, but the air outside was sweet.
We were free.
As the heavy wooden door slammed behind us, I turned to Cass and Del.
“That’s it.” I laughed.
“I can’t believe that just happened,” Del said. “We don’t have to be afraid of them anymore.”
“No more hiding,” Cass said. “No more running.”
“What were they going to do to you anyway?” Ares said. “Nix came back from the dead. The three of you are all more powerful than everyone in there. You have allies everywhere. They can no longer touch you.”
“It was a smart move on their part,” Aidan said.
“They didn’t have much choice,” Roarke added.
“You’re right. But still…” I thought back to their faces. “I do think they were truly grateful to us.”
“They were,” Cass said. “And after the sacrifices we’ve made, it’s clear we mean them no harm. Their stupid prejudice is crumbling.”
“We made that happen,” Del said. “And it’ll keep crumbling. They’re afraid, but they’ll have to get over it.”
“I think they will.” I hugged my deirfiúr, memories of our pasts racing through my mind. We’d been through so much, good and bad. And we’d come out the other end. The world was a better place. And I was here with them now, safe. All of us were safe. And the whole world was ahead of us.
Ares and I sat on the hillside overlooking my village below. All around us, grass bloomed in profusion. The trees sprouted buds, and flowers grew along the streams. I’d even seen the forest spirit. She’d looked much more substantial. Down below in the village, people sang and danced.
Elesius was recovering. Growing again.
“I’m so glad there weren’t many casualties.” I leaned against Ares, absorbing his warmth.
“I’m glad that I didn’t lose who I cherish most.” He wrapped an arm around me and squeezed. “Your plan was a good one. Waiting for the dragons saved all the fighters. As a team, they were victorious. But you… You risked your life. Died for your cause.”
“I had to. There was no other way.” I smiled. “And it’s hard to lose a battle with three dragons on your side.” I thought back to the fight. “And the demons were fighting for a shitty reason. Our side, however … They were fighting for something real.”
“No kidding.” Ares kissed my head. “And they had a good leader.”
I grinned up at him. “Not me. I was hardly there at all. That battle was a team effort. Everything we’ve done is a team effort. I was busy throwing myself into a pit.”
He shuddered, pulling me close. “I should have realized you’d do that.”
“I’m just lucky I came back.” I smiled.
“Phoenix. Your name is apt. And I’m grateful I fell in love with a woman who can come back from the dead.” He shuddered. “I can’t bear to think of the alternative.”
“I wonder if my mother knew I’d come back?” Though Cass, Del, and I had thought we’d named ourselves for the stars above when we’d woken in that field with no memory. We’d been wrong. My mother had given me that name, and I’d remembered.
“I think she may have,” Ares said. “She’s a stoic woman, committed to duty. But she’s committed to you above all.”
I nodded. “And this whole time, when she spoke of sacrifice and doing our duty … That would have been terrible if she’d thought I’d die. That we’d all die.”
“Exactly. So I think she may have known. Or sensed. Or hoped.”
“Whatever the case, I’m glad it worked out.” I played with the grass at my side. “And now Elesius can grow again. And thrive.”
“No more battles.”
“No more war.” I turned to him and kissed him. “I’m glad I found you. And that I have a life left to enjoy with you.”
“Your whole life?” The corner of Ares’s mouth tugged up.
“I was thinking maybe, yeah. Give it a try.”
“Good. I was thinking the same. I’ve lost you once. I don’t plan to lose you again.” He pulled me close and kissed me hard, his mouth warm and skilled.
I wrapped my arms around him and sank into the kiss. After a moment, I pulled away. “I’m glad we’re fated. It feels right.”
“Even if it weren’t fated, I’d make it so. I want to spend my life with you, Nix.”
“Likewise.” I looked down at the valley below. “I can’t believe how lucky I am. I found you. My deirfiúr and I are alive. We get to have our home in Magic’s Bend. Even Elesius is thriving.”
“Lucky, maybe.” Ares squeezed my hand. “But I think a person makes their own luck. And Nix—you’ve definitely made your own luck.”
I looked at him and smiled. “I want to keep making it.”
“You will.”
I kissed him again, then turned my gaze back to my town. I leaned against him, enjoying the view. It still amazed me—everything that I had. We’d have dinner with my parents later, then go back to Magic’s Bend and have drinks with Cass and Del.
This was my future. I’d made it through the dark part and arrived, along with everyone I loved. I couldn’t wait to see what was next.
~~~
Thank you for reading! If you haven’t read Hidden Magic, the story of how the FireSouls got into the magic hunting business, you can join my mailing list and get it for free. Turn the page for an excerpt, and for more info about future adventures.
THANK YOU FOR READING!
I hope you enjoyed Nix’s series as much as I enjoyed writing it. Reviews are so helpful to authors. I really appreciate all reviews, both positive and negative. If you want to leave one, you can do so on Amazon or GoodReads.
For now, the Dragon’s Gift series is complete. But the adventures aren’t over. If you haven’t read Cass’s or Del’s series, you can find Cass here and Del here. Or, if you liked Bree and Ana, they will have a series coming out later this year. Join my mailing list to stay updated. You’ll also get a free copy of Hidden Magic, the story of the FireSouls early adventures. Turn the page for an excerpt of Hidden Magic.
Excerpt Of Hidden Magic
Jungle, Southeast Asia
Five years before the events in Ancient Magic
“How much are we being paid for this job again?” I glanced at the dudes filling the bar. It was a motley crowd of supernaturals, many of whom looked shifty as hell.
“Not nearly enough for one as dangerous as this.” Del frowned at the man across the bar, who was giving her his best sexy face. There was a lot of eyebrow movement happening. “Is he having a seizure?”
“Looks like it.” Nix grinned. “Though I gotta say, I wasn’t expecting this. We’re basically in a tree, for magic’s sake. In the middle of the jungle! Where are all these dudes coming from?”
“According to my info, there’s a mining operation near here. Though I’d say we’re more under a tree than in a tree.”
“I’m with Cass,” Del said. “Under, not in.”
“Fair enough,” Nix
said.
We were deep in Southeast Asia, in a bar that had long ago been reclaimed by the jungle. A massive fig tree had grown over and around the ancient building, its huge roots strangling the stone walls. It was straight out of a fairy tale.
Monks had once lived here, but a few supernaturals of indeterminate species had gotten ahold of it and turned it into a watering hole for the local supernaturals. We were meeting our contact here, but he was late.
“Hey, pretty lady.” A smarmy voice sounded from my left. “What are you?”
I turned to face the guy who was giving me the up and down, his gaze roving from my tank top to my shorts. He wasn’t Clarence, our local contact. And if he meant “what kind of supernatural are you?” I sure as hell wouldn’t be answering. That could get me killed.
“Not interested is what I am,” I said.
“Aww, that’s no way to treat a guy.” He grabbed my hip, rubbed his thumb up and down.
I smacked his hand away, tempted to throat-punch him. It was my favorite move, but I didn’t want to start a fight before Clarence got here. Didn’t want to piss off our boss.
The man raised his hands. “Hey, hey. No need to get feisty. You three sisters?”
I glanced at Nix and Del, at their dark hair that was so different from my red. We were all about twenty, but we looked nothing alike. And while we might call ourselves sisters—deirfiúr in our native Irish—this idiot didn’t know that.
“Go away.” I had no patience for dirt bags who touched me without asking. “Run along and flirt with your hand, because that’s all the action you’ll be getting tonight.”
His face turned a mottled red, and he raised a fist. His magic welled, the scent of rotten fruit overwhelming.
He thought he was going to smack me? Or use his magic against me?
Ha.
I lashed out, punching him in the throat. His eyes bulged and he gagged. I kneed him in the crotch, grinning when he keeled over.
