“Zoe didn’t go with us.”
“Her husband did. He’s just as familiar with her magic as she is, it seems.”
He was right. I hated that he was right. “I should’ve taken him, but we needed to keep this place protected too.”
Max’s expression was curious. “Were you worried something would happen while you were gone?”
“Yeah. Really nervous.”
“Why?”
“I ... don’t know.” Discomfort rolled through me under his steady gaze. “It’s just a feeling I have, like a warning signal inside my heart. I didn’t want to leave the grounds unguarded.”
“That’s all you have to say.” Max was calm as he held open the tent flap. “You’re nothing if not diligent when it comes to your coworkers. Nobody would question you if you simply said ‘I have a feeling’ and left it at that.”
“Well, it’s too late to go back and fix it now.”
“It is indeed,” Max agreed. “Next time, though.”
“Next time,” I echoed.
“Kade is part of this team. You need to view him as an equal rather than something to be protected.”
“I do look at him that way,” I protested.
“Not always.”
“Oh, whatever,” I grumbled as I stepped over the threshold. The second I crossed into the warded area I knew something was wrong. “What the ... ?”
Dolph was on the ground, his eyes closed. Zoe hurried to him and pressed her hand to his chest. I watched the blue fire ignite, relieved when it didn’t dissipate, and dropped to my knees so mine would be the first face Dolph saw when he woke.
“Hey.”
“Um ... hey.” His eyebrows knit in confusion as he glanced around. “What happened?”
“That’s just what we were about to ask you,” I said.
Once Dolph was talking, Zoe moved to the cage. Kelly sat with her back pressed to the bars. She looked dejected.
“Our prisoner is still here,” Zoe noted.
“There’s no way anybody can break our spells on this thing,” Raven said. “I don’t care how magical this Celeste is, she doesn’t have the power to break the wards we placed on this cage. We spent weeks perfecting the spell.”
Zoe grinned at a morose Kelly. “Well, that at least is something.”
“Do you remember what happened?” I prodded Dolph. “Was it the cult?”
His eyes remained murky, but he slowly nodded. “They came from that direction.” He pointed toward the opposite end of the tent. “They weren’t wearing robes. I thought they were excited guests who wanted to see the animals.”
“Why didn’t they kill you?” Aric asked. “After we wiped out so many of their members I think they’d want to send a message.”
“If they killed me, there would be no one to relay their demands.” Dolph said. “They didn’t get their person, but they did get one of ours.”
A chill ran through my body.
Zoe became more frantic as she scoured the tent. “Where’s Sami?”
Dolph licked his lips. “She’s the one they wanted. She tried to use her magic on them, but they threw this ... thing ... at her. I don’t know how to explain it. It was like a magical bomb, except it exploded into a glowing web and it covered Sami. The more she fought it, the more pain it caused her.”
Slowly, he tracked his eyes to Zoe. “I told her to stop fighting because she was screaming. I ... didn’t know what else to do.”
Zoe’s expression was so dark I swear her eyes momentarily went black. “They took her.”
Dolph nodded. “Luke too. He went down trying to protect her. He fought hard.”
“What do they want?” I asked.
“Her.” He jerked his thumb toward Kelly. “They also want magic. They mentioned you and the mage. They think you two are going to sacrifice yourselves to get Sami back.”
“We will,” I said softly.
“Oh, no.” Zoe was defiant. “They are the only ones being sacrificed.” She stalked toward the tent flap. “They never should’ve touched my kid. I’ll burn their entire organization to the ground ... and I’ll enjoy doing it.”
“We have to find them first,” I pointed out.
“They’ll contact us.” Zoe’s eyes were devoid of life. “They want to make the trade. You know darned well they can’t do it if we don’t have a central location to meet.”
“We’ll work together,” Max stressed. “We’ll do this as a team.”
“I don’t need a team.” Zoe didn’t wait for him to respond, disappearing through the opening.
The tent was quiet as the reality of our situation sank in. I focused on Aric, who hadn’t said a word since he learned his daughter had been kidnapped.
“We’ll find her,” Max promised. “We’ll get her back.”
“We will,” Aric agreed, finally speaking. “Zoe wasn’t kidding about burning the world down to get Sami back. She’ll do it. I just hope I don’t lose her in the process.”
“We won’t let that happen,” I reassured him.
“It’s out of our hands now.” Aric was grim. “Nobody will be able to rein Zoe in. That includes me. This is going to end bloody.”
26
Twenty-Six
I left Zoe and Aric to deal with their angst as long as I could. After an hour, however, I started looking for them. I wasn’t surprised to find them by the river.
Aric sat on a large rock, staring out at the river. I had no idea what he was thinking, but as a father of a missing girl it was likely his thoughts were dark. Zoe, on the other hand, was easy to read. She paced back and forth, cursed the likes I had never heard outside of a truck stop or golfing event, her fingers regularly sparking as she vented her anger.
I stared at her, uncertain, and then opened my mouth to call to her. Aric spoke before I could.
“Leave her be.” His voice was soft.
I cast him a sidelong look. “I don’t think I can. I need to talk to her.”
“She’s beyond rational thought right now. If you push her, she’s likely to take a chunk out of you.”
I was willing to take one for the team. “We need her. We have no idea what we’re up against.”
Aric spoke quietly. “She’ll be there when it’s time. Right now, she can’t shut out the guilt.”
I was confused. “What guilt?”
“She was here. I was gone. Sami was her responsibility.”
“She couldn’t have known this would happen.”
“Sami still went missing on Zoe’s watch. She’s always been emotional. It’s one of the reasons I love her the way I do. She’s always been the strongest person in the room, even when her emotions are hobbling her.”
I took a moment to let the words sink in. “What about you?” I asked. “How do you feel?”
“I wish I had it to do over again,” he said. “I wish I hadn’t been frustrated with Sami earlier. She was being mouthy and altogether ridiculous. She’s a teenager, though. That’s what she does. I have to remind myself that she’s no longer a little girl and it’s probably best to involve her in some things, even if I think she’s not old enough to grasp what’s happening.”
“She was involved.”
“Not as much as she wanted.” He looked down at the ground. “I was short with her. Now I can only hope that I’ll be able to take it back.”
“You will.” I was adamant. “We’re getting her back. Luke too.”
“I know. I just ... my heart hurts.”
I could see that. Heck, I could feel it. “This isn’t Zoe’s fault.”
“Deep down she knows that, but the rage that she feels won’t be abated until we have Sami back. Even now the Archimage is whispering to her. That won’t help matters.”
I snapped my head up. “It whispers to her?”
“The book will always be a part of her. I was terrified when she absorbed it. I didn’t know what it would mean. She almost lost herself to the book in the immediate aftermath. Now, when she’s at h
er most vulnerable, the book tries to take over to wreak havoc on anybody within striking distance.”
My mind raced. “What can the book do?”
“Zoe is the most powerful being I’ve ever met. The fact that she has the power of the Archimage at her fingertips is probably for the best, because other people would give in and embrace the darkness.
“My wife is a contrarian.” he continued. “She doesn’t do what anybody else wants her to do. She does the opposite. So, when the book tries to entice her, she refuses to give in. There have been times, however, when she’s called upon the power of the book ... and the results have been nothing short of explosive.”
It was a lot to consider. “Maybe we can use the book now. Maybe if Zoe taps into the right part of it we can overcome whatever magic they’re using to hide themselves.”
“She has to get herself under control first,” he said.
“Is that what she’s doing now?”
“Yes.”
“How long will that take?”
“I have no idea.”
I watched him, the love shining through his eyes as he watched his wife try to pull it together. “Come back to the tent as soon as you can. I have an idea I might need her for.”
COLE WAS IN THE TENT WHEN I RETURNED, Raven and Max filling him in on what he’d missed. He looked bereft when he met my gaze.
“Luke is gone.”
“I know. We’ll get him back. I promise.” I turned to look at Kade, who had finally joined us. He was paler than I’d ever seen him — even the night he first found out magic was real — and for once I had no idea what he was thinking. “I’m sorry.” It was the absolute lamest thing to say, but no other words came to mind.
His expression softened when he saw how I was struggling, and he strode to me, pulling me into his arms for a hug. “No, I’m sorry. I should’ve stayed here. I thought it would be better to watch the perimeter.”
“Under normal circumstances that would’ve been the right thing to do. These are very clearly not normal circumstances.”
He buried his face in my hair. “I don’t know what to do.” They were hard words for anyone to admit. For him, though, they were absolutely devastating.
“I have an idea.” I stroked my hands over his back, holding on for a moment longer, and when I separated from him, I focused on Kelly. “It involves her.”
The woman hadn’t moved since we’d returned. She remained in the cage, staring into nothing, as if she’d lost the will to live. I planned to change that ... by whatever means necessary.
“Kelly, it’s time we did some talking.” I hunkered down so that we were eye to eye. “You have a mark on you somewhere. A rune. You probably had it cut into you or tattooed. I need to see it.”
Kelly’s response was dull and lifeless. “They left me.”
I frowned. “Who? Your friends? Yeah, they left you.”
“They didn’t even try to free me. They simply said they couldn’t and that they appreciated my sacrifice.”
I frowned, confused. I slid my gaze to Max. “That doesn’t sound like a group fighting to get their member back.”
“No,” Max agreed, thoughtful. “Dolph said they wanted to trade. Nixie’s treating him now. We can question him again when he returns.”
I wasn’t certain that was necessary. “I need to see the symbol on her.” I moved to the door of the cage and used my magic to open it.
Kelly showed mild interest when she saw the door swing open, but she shrank back when she realized I was moving toward her. “I don’t want to die. Stay back!”
“Shut up.” I was over her. Heck, I was over the entire thing. “You have a mark on you,” I repeated. “Either tell me where it is, or I’ll find it myself.”
“I won’t let you!” She screeched lashing out. The open-handed slap landed harmlessly on my shoulder. “You’re an abomination and I won’t give you what you want.”
Raven took advantage of Kelly’s hysterics to move behind her. She grabbed the woman on either side of the head and held her in place with her magic. That allowed me to grab Kelly’s arms. I studied them carefully. Finding nothing, I tugged at her shirt. On the back of her left shoulder I found it.
“And there it is.”
“That’s a brand,” Raven noted as she stared. “They actually branded one another.”
I dug in my pocket for my phone. “I need to figure out what that rune is. If we can track that rune, we can track the others.”
“Let me help,” a quiet voice said from behind me.
I was relieved to find Zoe. Apparently she had managed to pull herself together. “We need to photograph that rune and then get it off her. If I’m right, the protection she enjoys can be removed if the rune is destroyed.”
“Get your photo,” Zoe intoned. “I’ll handle the rune.”
I snapped multiple photos, checked them to make sure I had what I needed, and then pulled back. “What are you going to do?”
Rather than respond, Zoe lifted her right hand. It ignited in fire, but it was something I’d never seen before. It changed color, from pink, to purple, to blue, to teal, to green. Around and around it went. By the time Zoe’s hand made contact with Kelly’s shoulder, the woman was already screaming.
“Stop!”
Raven kept a firm grip on Kelly, watching in fascination as Zoe pressed her hand to the brand. Kelly squirmed, but she was no match for the magic holding her in place. After thirty seconds, Zoe pulled back her hand and revealed a bare spot on Kelly’s shoulder. The brand was gone.
Now we needed to figure out if the protection had been lifted.
I handed my phone to Kade through the cage bars. “Don’t lose those photos.”
“I’ve got them.” His gaze was searching as he scanned my face. “What are you going to do?”
“There should be nothing stopping me from seeing inside her head. We can’t wait for Celeste to call us for a trade. We have to move on her.”
“But ... why? Can’t we at least pretend to make the trade?”
I risked a glance at Zoe. I didn’t want to say what I was really thinking.
“They left Kelly here without even trying to save her,” Zoe replied for me. “Yes, I heard that part of the conversation. If they didn’t try to save her, they’re not going to trade for her. That’s a lie. They came for Sami all along.”
I swallowed hard. “I wasn’t sure if you’d figured that out yet.”
“I did out on the beach. I remembered the night we fought with them on the riverbank. Sami healed the girl. Then Sami healed Luke in the tent. Celeste saw it. Sami is the big magical payday they’ve been looking for. Why would they possibly trade Kelly for her?”
I nodded. “It’s just a way to hold us off.”
“Which means we need the information inside her head,” Zoe said. “I’ve got it. Don’t hold back on my account. Find out where they are.”
I swallowed hard and moved closer, doing my best to ignore Kelly’s terrified eyes. She knew something bad was about to happen.
“Okay, here we go.” I placed my hands over Raven’s and stared hard into Kelly’s eyes. “Reveal.” It wasn’t a request. It was a command. And now, without her magical protection, Kelly had no choice but to obey.
Darkness swirled and I found myself in another place. It certainly wasn’t the mausoleum basement. But there was another gate.
“Where is this place?” I demanded.
I expected an answer from Kelly, but Zoe responded. “Listen.” She cocked her head.
“What am I listening for?”
“Water.”
I closed my eyes and did as instructed. After a moment, they popped open. “You’re right. I hear water.”
“It’s the river.” Zoe was calm as she walked to the shimmering door of the gate. “I’m assuming I can’t go through this one either.”
Despite knowing it was unlikely, Zoe attempted to step through the opening ... and met another invisible barrier. “She’s obviou
sly never been through either gate.”
“No,” I agreed, glancing around.
“I think we’re dealing with a different plane. We need your pixies and Pemberley to go with us when it’s time.”
“Go with us where?”
“To the river. That’s where they’re keeping Sami and Luke.” Her response was matter-of-fact. “It makes sense if you think about it. They wouldn’t be able to travel far with an obnoxious kid in tow. I guarantee Sami didn’t allow herself to be taken without a fight.”
I hesitated, and then asked the obvious question. “Why didn’t she stop them when they came into the tent? She had the power.”
Zoe didn’t take offense at my question. “I don’t know. I can think of a few scenarios. None of them are pleasant. They could’ve knocked her out somehow. Dolph mentioned a magical net. Maybe there was more to it than that. Maybe they managed to sneak up behind her and catch her off guard with some sort of magic she didn’t see coming. It’s possible that she assumed the people entering the tent were circus workers.”
That was a possibility I hadn’t considered. “Dolph said they weren’t wearing robes. You’re right. She might not have seen them as a threat.”
“She was with Luke,” Zoe continued. “She wasn’t expecting anything bad to happen. If she’d been prepared ... .”
“You can’t blame yourself,” I said. “It’s not your fault this happened.”
“No,” Zoe agreed. “But I shouldn’t have separated from her.”
“How do you know the outcome would’ve been any different? It could’ve been exactly the same, except they also would’ve gotten you.”
“I’m much more cynical than Sami.”
I pictured the teenager, wild hair and eyes, and thought about her sassy mouth. “I can’t imagine anyone being more cynical than that kid.”
“If I had it to do over again, I wouldn’t leave her. I can’t go back in time and fix it,” Zoe said, almost as if to herself. “I have to move forward. That’s one of the things Aric and I promised one another when we had her. We wouldn’t look back at what we did wrong. We would only look forward and promise to make it better.”
“That’s a really good philosophy.”
Mystic Caravan 11 - Freaky Mage Page 25
