by Jami Gray
She didn’t hesitate. “Always.”
“Good.” I managed to fake a confident grin. “Then let’s get you out of here so we can go kick some ass, shall we?”
Chapter Eighteen
“Once we start, we can’t stop,” Zev warned. “If either of us falters, we all die.”
“That’s cheery,” I muttered under my breath. “Let me guess—this is going to hurt?”
“Like a bitch,” he confirmed.
Knowing it would just prolong my agony, I gritted out, “Bring it.”
Taking me at my word, Zev shoved power into the circle, his muscles visibly straining, teeth bared, eyes narrowed. His power barreled through the lines and hit me like a tidal wave. I grunted under the impact and locked my knees to keep from crumpling. Around us, the magical rings began to rotate with Lena as their center. The first one remained at waist level, but the second drifted higher then shifted until it was perpendicular to the first. The power snapped and snarled, whipping clothes and hair in its wake. The pressure deepened until I swore I could hear my bones creak. My Prism ability quivered in distress, wanting to rise to fight it back, but if I let it loose, it would screw up everything. Caught in the dual fight, the only thing that kept me on point was the threat of killing us all if I faltered.
An invisible tether latched on to me, just under my ribs, and gave a painful jerk. I almost missed Zev’s voice under the rush of white noise. “Rory, on two, I need you to step forward into the circle. You need to let the magic flow through one hand to the other, like you’re keeping a merry-go-round spinning. When I give the order, we’re going to reverse the circle. Ready?”
Afraid I would be reduced to a screaming mess if I unlocked my teeth, I stuck with nodding.
Zev counted down, his voice echoing hollowly. “One… two.”
We stepped forward in tandem.
My breath caught as a fierce wave of power seared the soles of my feet to sweep up my legs like a forest fire. It snaked up my spine then exploded at the base of my skull, whiting out my vision. The constant circuit of magic hurt, but I held my position. It was like riding lightning. It spread out, tearing through my palms. The painful ache crawled down my arms like some vicious insect burrowing through my veins. I scrambled for a metaphysical handhold, using Zev’s imagery to keep the magical merry-go-round spinning. Lost under the magical deluge, all I could do was endure.
I caught the faint sound of Lena’s voice then Zev’s deeper response, but it was just noise. The magical current split, threatening to tear me wide open. Caught in its ruthless grip, I could do nothing but hold and wait for Zev’s next move. I blinked, feeling the damp traces of tears chilling against my overheated skin. I locked eyes with Zev.
Even through the glow of power, the signs of his struggle were apparent. Lines of strain radiated from his eyes. His lips were pulled back in a snarl; his cheeks were pressed so tight to his skin that the bone threatened to cut through. But I hung on to the steely resolve flickering deep in his dark eyes. It was the only thing keeping me from collapsing into a sobbing ball of pain. The ache grew, slipping like acid into my bones.
Caught up in the agony, I almost missed Zev’s “Rory, now!”
That invisible tether tightened, and together, we paced the circle counterclockwise. Each step felt like trudging through burning quicksand while dragging a boulder. I was covered in sweat by the time Zev reached my initial position and stopped. I stood at the north point, worried my legs would fold, and forced air through the tight bands around my chest. I swore my ears were bleeding and razors were scraping against my bones. Numb acceptance began to dull the sharp edge of pain. My brain went foggy, but jumbled though it was, I heard Zev’s warning. “Lena, brace.”
From my position behind her, I couldn’t see much. In fact, the only thing I could focus on was Zev’s face—fierce, determined, and washed in a field of icy blue. Everything else had been reduced to a mass of shifting shadows. Caught in the storm of magic, I missed whatever he did, but I sure as hell felt it. Like a tsunami, magic crested to a towering behemoth and hovered over us. Between one breath and the next, it broke, thundering down with inescapable force. Bowel-loosening fear held me in a merciless grip and triggered my magic. I didn’t get a chance to stop it before it snapped into place with bone-jarring intensity. I heard Zev’s pained grunt, but I was scrambling to rein in my power so it wouldn’t screw up whatever the hell Zev was doing.
I almost missed Zev’s snarled “Rory, stop!”
“I can’t—” I snapped my mouth closed as desperation powered by panic wrestled my magic into obedience. For a breathless moment, everything seemed to pause. Fear that I would kill us all choked me, but then a high-pitched whine started. It grew in strength until the urge to scream was almost undeniable. Just when I was going to give in, the illuminated circle shattered in a silent explosion. The staggering release of pressure sent me stumbling forward. I landed on my bruised knees, barely managing not to knock myself unconscious against the back of Lena’s chair. Not that it mattered because my head felt like someone buried a hatchet in it. There was a metallic taste in my mouth, and everything, every inch of skin, every hair follicle, everything fucking hurt.
I took precious moments relearning to breathe. When I was fairly sure movement wouldn’t turn my bones to dust, I managed to crawl around Lena’s chair. My shuffling movements smudged the now-dulled sigil marks marred with jagged lines. A dusting of ash drifted down, but I couldn’t see where it was coming from. I swatted a few flakes from my face, and my hands left black smears against the smooth floor. When I was close enough, I used the back of Lena’s chair to keep myself upright. I reached out and felt for a pulse. A harsh sob of relief escaped when a steady beat raced under my touch. “Lena?”
“I’m okay.” It came out croaky and was followed by a hollow groan. “Oh my God, that hurt.” She lifted her head, blinked at me owlishly, and said with a note of stunned surprise, “You look like shit, Rory.”
I swayed on my knees but didn’t fall over. “Have you looked in a mirror?”
“Been a little busy.” She managed a shaky grin.
Relief swept through me, pushing everything else aside as a giggle escaped. I clamped a hand over my mouth. “Sorry.”
“What the hell was that?” Zev growled as he stumbled closer, his features stark in his bone-white face. He dropped to his knees on Lena’s other side.
There was no avoiding his eyes in their bruised sockets, and I didn’t have the energy to try. I even ignored Lena’s wide-eyed, silent “oh shit” look. Instead, I played dumb. “What was what?”
Before he could respond, Lena interrupted. “Think maybe you can get these ropes off me?”
I went to work on the knotted rope wrapped around her wrist, grateful when Zev did the same on the other side and didn’t pursue his question. When neither Zev nor I appeared to be making any progress against the stubborn rope restraints, I stopped. “We need something to cut through this.”
Looking around, for the first time, I took in the interior. From the outside, the shed might fool most into thinking it held the normal yard implements, but this was definitely a mage’s casting space. The only things on the unbroken floor were the marks of the shattered circle and the chair holding Lena. The walls were lined with open shelves cluttered with bottles, herbs, yellowed bones, candles, and various other artifacts required for Arcane works. If we were lucky, there would be a blade or two somewhere in the jumble of objects.
With a groan, I pushed to my feet and stumbled over to the shelves. I caught my balance against the narrow table under the small window, the impact sending a few animal bones rattling across the surface. I spotted the familiar shape of a hilt and pulled it down. It was a short blade, like a paring knife, but based on the dried mud and brown bits, it was used on herbs instead of veggies. “Good enough.”
I brought it back to Zev, and since my vision was washing in and out, I handed it over. “You do it. I’m not sure I can.”
“Whatever you do, don’t puke on me,” Zev said.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” I let myself drift as my aches and pains settled into a dull throb. There was the sense of movement around me, but it wasn’t enough to drag me all the way back. I had no idea how much time had passed, and it wasn’t until I heard Zev say, “That’s the last one,” that I opened my eyes.
Zev pulled the last pieces of rope from Lena’s ankle, straightened, then held out a hand to her. “Can you walk?”
She nodded.
I blearily got to my feet and moved to her other side, shoving out a hand to help. Between Zev and me, we were able to get her upright. She used our hands to find her balance. Her wrists were a raw mess where she’d struggled against the ropes, and I bet under her wrinkled slacks, her ankles were in the same boat. With Zev on one side of Lena and me on the other, we did an awkward three-person shuffle and escaped the shed. It was a good thing it was a quiet neighborhood and no one seemed to be watching, because heaven only knew what we looked like as we stumbled out of the house and into Zev’s SUV. I helped Lena get strapped in then climbed into the back-passenger seat next to her. Zev was at the wheel with the engine started and the AC on full blast by the time I clicked my seatbelt into place.
“Guild or hospital?” He looked at me through the rearview mirror.
“Hospital,” I decided before Lena could interrupt. I pulled out my phone and brought up my text string with Evan.
“Dammit, Rory, I just want to go home,” Lena groused without opening her eyes.
“And I want to win the damn lottery, but we’re both bound for disappointment,” I shot back absently as I started typing. “You know the Guild rules. If you sustain an injury on the job, first stop is medical services.”
“Well, the rules suck,” she whined.
“Yep,” I agreed without looking up. “And stop pouting.”
She huffed then grabbed my wrist. “Who are you texting?”
I raised my head and took in the ugly circles under her eyes that matched the bluish-purple bruise spanning from the corner of one bloodshot eye down toward her cracked lips. “Evan.”
Her hand fell away, and a flash of surprise swept over her face. It was replaced by a mix of emotions I couldn’t untangle before she turned to look out the window.
Before I could poke and prod, Zev said, “There’s a Guild Mercy about ten minutes away.”
I sent the text and held the phone in my lap. “That works.”
The electronic voice of the GPS began its route, and Zev pulled away from the curb. Next to me, Lena’s eyes were closed, and her head was resting against the seat. She wiped absently at her mouth, winced, and dropped her hand. I caught the smear of red across her skin. A tremor ran through me. At first, I thought it was my phone vibrating with an incoming text, but when I checked the blank screen, I realized it was just me. Reaction was setting in. The anxiety that had been my constant companion since Lena went missing was swept under my relief that she was sitting next to me, battered but alive. “God, Lena. You scared the shit out of me.” My voice was shaky and just above a whisper.
She didn’t open her eyes, but her lips curved the tiniest bit. “Scared the shit out of me too,” she mumbled.
The GPS announced the next turn and estimated our time of arrival. I opened my mouth to ask Zev to mute it, but he beat me to it. The electronic voice fell silent.
Under my hand, my phone vibrated. I checked the screen and saw Evan’s response. “Evan’s going to meet us at the hospital.”
She made a soft humming sound of agreement, and Zev shot me a look through the mirror. “Keep her talking,” he mouthed.
I nodded then reached out to cover one of her scratched hands and squeezed. “Hey, Lena, don’t fall asleep on me.”
“Not sleeping. Just resting my eyes.” The soft slurring of her words contradicted her claim.
“Uh huh, sure.” It came out droll. “Tell me about Keith and Theo.”
A sigh escaped her lips as she rolled her head in my direction and opened her eyes. “Only if you tell me how you ended up partnering with Dark and Broody here.”
“Deal.” Heat rushed over my face, and I didn’t dare look at Zev. Not that it mattered. Lena knew me too well. “But you first.”
She studied me for a moment before wry amusement settled in. “Fine. I’m assuming you accessed my case files?”
“Not me, exactly.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Evan?”
“Yep,” I confirmed. “We saw the referral from the doctor about Keith’s limp dick.”
That dry comment earned a flash of humor before she licked her lips and continued. “While that’s accurate, it’s actually called an Acrapous hex. It’s a preferred revenge for disgruntled ex- or soon-to-be ex-lovers. Despite Madeline and Keith’s diversified past relationships, I was able to narrow it down to Keith’s ex, Madeline, or her newest boy toy, Theo. I had some questions I wanted to ask Keith.”
“Questions you wanted to ask before your wrap-up appointment scheduled for Monday,” I guessed.
“Exactly,” she confirmed. “Except when I got there, I didn’t know that it wasn’t Keith who answered the door.”
Confused, I frowned. “What do you mean?”
She grimaced. “How deep did you and Evan dig on Theo?”
“Not so much on Theo since we were focused on you and Keith.” That reminded me of what we found on Lena. I shot a glance at Zev to make sure his eyes were on the road and not the mirror. With the coast clear, I turned to Lena and mouthed, “Clarke Family?”
I didn’t think her face could get much paler, but it did. Her hand shot out and gripped my arm, her broken nails scratching my skin. Her panicked gaze flicked to Zev and back to me in silent question.
I dipped my head in a tiny nod and covered her hand with mine before giving it a comforting squeeze. Knowing a prolonged silence would clue Zev in, I cleared my throat and picked up the conversation. “By now, Evan might have more on Theo, but…” I trailed off, hoping it was enough of a lead-in to swing the conversation out of dangerous waters.
Lena’s grip tightened then eased. She pulled her hand away and fisted it in her lap. Her shoulders straightened, and her jaw took on a familiar obstinate line. “What about you, Zev? What do you know about Mr. Theodore Mahon’s abilities?” Her voice was sharp, carrying a hint of belligerence.
Knowing Lena was uncomfortable with Zev knowing about her ancestry, I still wanted to warn her that antagonizing the man was not smart.
Zev used the rearview mirror to meet Lena’s gaze, then he turned back to his driving. “He holds a minor ability in illusions.”
“Minor or not, it’s enough,” Lena countered with a hint of embarrassed anger. “He opened that damn door, wearing Keith’s face, and I didn’t catch on until it was too late.”
Remembering the scene at Keith’s house, I finally put some of the pieces into place. “He’d already killed Keith?”
She nodded then winced. “He invited me in and suggested I head to the living room. I hit the archway, saw Keith’s body sprawled in the wreckage. It was so unexpected, I just stood there like an idiot. It gave him enough time for the bastard to knock me out.” She turned her wan face to the window and stared out morosely. “I woke up in that damn shed, locked inside that damn circle, saw Keith’s body dumped off to the side, and knew I was in deep shit.”
And knowing my friend, that would not sit well with her. “And Theo?”
“He was just waiting for me to wake up.” She turned, her face hard. “When he finally decided to make an appearance, I asked what he thought he was doing; he was all too e
ager to share. It seems that while Keith worked for LanTech, he ran across some proprietary information worth serious money. Unfortunately, that information was locked under a complex Arcane cipher. The kind that would require a skilled Key to open.”
“So he what? Gets himself cursed to lure you in?” Talk about going to extremes.
“Not me, specifically, but yeah, that’s exactly what he did,” Lena said.
“Delusional dick,” I muttered. “Why?”
“I don’t think it was his idea,” she said. “From what I could gather from Theo’s I’m-so-clever diatribe, he made the mistake of heavily investing in one of Keith’s businesses. When it went under, it left Theo in rocky waters and pissed as hell at Keith. He was going after him, hard. Threatening to expose his dirty laundry. Keith offered the information in lieu of cash if Theo would keep his mouth shut. When Theo got a peek at the cipher, he knew they would need someone with serious skills who wouldn’t squeal to someone with a bigger checkbook.”
“So they went to the Guild.” Because while the Guild was mercenary in nature, its reputation on maintaining confidentiality was impeccable.
“Yep.” She picked at a nail. “Theo convinced Keith to agree to the Acrapous hex, telling him it was a sort of test, to make sure whatever Key they got was legit.”
I didn’t know enough about hexes to assess that, so I asked, “Is that kind of thing that complex?”
It wasn’t Lena but Zev who answered. “It’s on the lower end of the top level of complexity, but I don’t think the complexity was the point, was it?” He directed that last to Lena.
She grimaced. “No, they needed someone with a delicate touch.”
I shifted in my seat, feeling left out and stupid. “Explain that for those not in the know here.”
Lena explained, “When reversing curses, whether they’re a cipher or a hex, you have to be able to gauge magical pressure.” Reading my confusion, she switched gears. “Think of it like a magical bomb tech. Some bombs are simple—cut the red wire and save the world. Some have multiple redundancies. If you don’t take it apart in the right order, you go boom. Some rely on pressure plates, too much or too little—”
