by Linsey Hall
“So they decided to drown me instead?” The memory of my body dying while my consciousness was stuck in my memories turned my stomach.
“No. They were just too stupid to realize what was happening.”
Around him, more demons appeared. Four, then six, then eight. All appearing in groups, as if they used transportation charms. Victor really had bought them all up.
My friends still weren’t waking. If only the Monster had arrived before I’d tried my magic. I’d at least have blasted him away. I’d escaped him so many times before, but of course I couldn’t manage that forever.
“Leave my friends,” I said. “And take me.”
I’d deal with getting out of his creepy dungeon when the time came. I could blow the place away with my wonky magic if my friends weren’t there to get hit.
“Oh, I’m an all or nothing sort of fellow. And I want all three of you.”
My skin chilled. There were now over two dozen demons. Too many for me to fight without my magic, which was too dangerous to use.
I stood shakily, reaching for Righty. So it’d be a fight, then, and I had only two daggers to use against the most powerful supernatural I’d ever met. Victor laughed as I withdrew Righty, but the sound cut off sharply a moment later.
Colored birds zipped past me out of the corner of my vision.
What the heck?
I squinted at the shapes before realization hit me. The dragonets! They dive-bombed Victor, who threw up a shield against them. One by one, they bounced off. But they shook themselves and dived again.
Thank magic they weren’t flesh and blood. They couldn’t be killed. Though I didn’t know how effective they would be against Victor.
More figures appeared, distracting me from the dragonets. In pairs, the League of FireSouls appeared on the Everlong Portal stone.
Backup had arrived! We had a chance.
At that moment, Aidan groaned, then stood. He looked around, his sharp gaze taking in the situation. Silvery magic swirled around him, the scent of the forest rising. He transformed into a griffin, then launched himself into the air. Connor and Claire struggled to their feet as the League of FireSouls surged into the fray.
Now we really had a chance.
Something grabbed me from behind, wrapping hard around my middle.
“Let go!” I thrashed, trying to break free as it dragged me backward.
Around me, the demons were rising, shaking off their stupor.
When my feet scraped over the large circular stone that marked the portal, I shrieked, “No!”
Half a second later, I was sucked through the ether. My vision went black for a moment. When I opened my eyes, I was in the forest outside the FireSouls’ compound.
I pulled away from the arm that encircled me and spun, kicking my captor in the middle before I’d even gotten a glimpse of who it was.
Corin tumbled to her back in the leaves that scattered the forest floor. I jumped onto the stone that marked the portal and envisioned the stone circle and the fight, wishing desperately to return there.
Nothing happened.
“Why the hell isn’t it working?” I demanded.
“It’s blocked.” Corin struggled to her feet, her arm wrapped around her middle. “I think you cracked a rib.”
“You deserved it. Send me back!”
“No. I can’t let you be abducted.”
“What about my deirfiúr? My friends!”
“The others will bring them here to protect them.”
“What if they can’t?”
“Then at least Victor won’t have all of you.” A hard expression entered her eyes.
“Damn it! Send me back!”
Corin shook her head. “Can’t. I have orders.”
Helpless rage made my skin heat and my chest feel too tight. I couldn’t believe I was here, trapped, away from the fight.
The transportation charm!
I dug into my pocket and pulled out the small black stone, then threw it to the ground. But it didn’t burst into the glittery cloud that would take me wherever I desired. I picked it up and chucked it again.
Nothing.
“Won’t work,” Corin said. “Those are blocked here.”
Damn it. I shoved it back into my pocket and was about to try to call on my illusion power to scare her into following my orders when the charm around her neck made a noise.
She pressed her fingertips to the comms charm. “Yes?”
“You can bring her back. They’re gone.”
“On it.” Corin’s gaze met mine. “Your lucky day. We’re going back.”
“That was a fast fight.” Dread filled my chest. Victor wouldn’t have left without a victory, and he had more men than we’d had.
Corin joined me on the portal stone and gripped my arm. The portal sucked me in, and a moment later, I stood back in the middle of the stone circle.
Demon bodies were scattered on the ground. Only ten feet away, Connor lay on his back. I ran to him and fell to my knees, laying my fingertips at his neck.
His pulse was strong. Thank magic. My shoulders loosened. I glanced around, searching for everyone else. Among the bodies, I couldn’t find anyone I recognized. My skin chilled.
A thud sounded behind me and I spun. Aidan’s massive griffin stood in the stone circle, his coat glinting gold in the moonlight. Claire climbed off his back.
Magic shimmered around Aidan as he transformed back to human.
“They took Nix and Del,” Claire said as she fell to her knees at Connor’s side.
“What?” I asked.
“Almost immediately after you were dragged away, Victor changed tactics,” Aidan said. “I was nearest Claire, so I picked her up. Before I could reach Nix or Del, Victor’s demons grabbed them. They disappeared a moment later.”
“Damn it!” Fear clawed at my chest. “He must have taken them to the waypoint.” My dragon sense couldn’t find them there.
Connor shifted and opened his eyes, croaking, “What happened?”
“You got knocked out, dummy,” Claire said.
Alton approached. “But it kept you alive. The demons assumed you were dead and left you alone.”
I whirled on Alton. “You bastards! You dragged me off when I could have helped.”
Alton’s gaze chilled me. “We did what was necessary. And there were too many for you to be any help.”
“Your magic is, uh, pretty powerful, Cass,” Connor said. “Probably better you didn’t use it a second time. My insides feel liquefied.”
“Yeah,” Claire added. “At least this way, Nix and Del are still alive.”
I stutter-stepped backward. They were right. I could have killed them. In my fear and my rage, I could have let loose again with magic I didn’t understand.
“I’m sorry,” I croaked. “I—I—”
“It’s cool.” Claire rubbed my arm. “You were just trying to help.”
I scrubbed a hand over my face, thinking about Del and Nix. “We’ve got to get them back.” Victor Orriodor made his home at a strange place that wasn’t on Earth. It was between the heavens and hells and impossible for me to find.
“Do you know how to get to the waypoint where Victor Orriodor lives?” I asked Alton.
“No. We do not,” Alton said.
I wanted to scream my frustration. But I didn’t have time to lose my shit. My deirfiúr needed me. I had to find them.
Find them.
Of course. My FireSoul abilities hadn’t been able to locate the waypoint in the past, but maybe now that they had the extra power, they could.
“Will you guys step back?” I asked. “Far away. I’m going to try to use my new strength to find Nix and Del.”
Everyone nodded and walked away, well outside of the stone circle. I was really going to have to get a handle on my new magic, because I didn’t want to be a walking bomb.
But at least I had it back.
It wasn’t hard to shove away all thoughts and focus on my dragon se
nse. I’d never wanted to find anything so badly in all my life.
Within a few seconds, I picked up the thread of their location.
But it wasn’t at the waypoint.
“They’re in Magic’s Bend,” I said, confusion welling.
“What the hell?” Aidan stepped forward.
The others followed, gathering around me in a large group—Aidan, Claire, Connor, and the nine FireSouls I’d met before. The dragonets hovered over everyone’s heads.
“Yeah, I’m sure of it.” No wonder it’d been easy to pick up the thread of their location. They weren’t at the waypoint. “Let’s go.”
“We cannot follow,” Alton said. “The Order of the Magica has a strong presence in Magic’s Bend. The League is already too small. If we are captured, we will disappear for good.”
“And then there’d be no one to rescue us from the Prison for Magical Miscreants,” Corin said.
I remembered what they’d said about that being one of their primary goals. Of course they couldn’t risk their entire organization.
“But when Victor removes them from Magic’s Bend, contact us,” Alton said. “We can help you at the waypoint, or another place that is removed from the Order’s influence.”
“Here.” Corin handed me a transportation charm. “Use this. It’s the least we can do.”
“Thank you.” They were committed to keeping me and my deirfiúr out of Victor’s hands, but not to the point that they’d risk their organization. I couldn’t blame them. “I will let you know what happens and if we need help.”
They nodded and departed, disappearing in pairs through the portal. Within moments, we stood alone in the stone circle, the moon shining serenely as if the ground weren’t singed and soaked with blood.
The bodies of the fallen demons had all disappeared, so it was too late to check them for transportation charms. At least we had two and the one from Corin. Enough to get us back and then some.
Aidan bent and picked up the dampening cuff I’d discarded. He handed it to me. “This might come in handy now. Maybe dampen some of your power so you can control it.”
I smiled and put it on. Calm descended over me as it diminished some of the crazy-strong power ricocheting around inside me. Hopefully with this thing, I could perform something closer to normal magic. The kind that didn’t come with a sonic boom.
“I think it works,” I said. Until I learned to control the strength of my new power, it’d be better if I was at a slightly lower intensity.
“Back to Magic’s Bend?” I asked. “We’ve got a rescue mission to pull off.”
13
We arrived back in Magic’s Bend a few moments later. Because of the time change, it was early evening, the hour when the light turns to dark. I hadn’t been able to tell precisely where my deirfiúr were from so far away, so we’d transported to my living room.
Connor held up his empty bag. “I’m running to my workshop. I need to refill my potion bombs.”
“Get something that’ll work as a mask,” I said. “If that building isn’t empty, we don’t want to be recognized.”
He nodded. “Good idea.”
“Grab one for me,” Claire said.
“And meet us at my car.” I shrugged out of the coat Aidan had loaned me and said, “Let me grab a jacket and masks. Help yourself to anything. I’ll be out in a sec and we’ll go.”
Not that there’d be much in my fridge or pantry, but they were probably starving. It’d been ages since we’d eaten.
I hurried into my room and grabbed the first jacket I saw. It was draped over the bed, a discard from earlier. As I tugged it on, my golden dampener cuff glinted on my wrist.
I scavenged in my dresser for a couple old ski hats. I found two black ones—very robber-chic—and pulled them out. There was a pair of scissors lying on my dresser, and I used them to cut eye holes.
I returned to the living room to find Claire and Aidan eating granola bars and chugging soda. Claire tossed me one, and I tore into it, shoving a bite into my mouth before mumbling, “Ready?”
“Let’s get them,” Claire said.
I grabbed my keys on the way out, and we hurried down the stairs, polishing off our impromptu dinner. I ate because it was probably a good idea, not because I was hungry. But I was so rocky with worry that it was hard to swallow.
When we stepped out into the dark night, a drizzly rain chilled the air. Connor jogged up the sidewalk to join us, carefully cradling the messenger bag that now bulged with his ammo.
I closed my eyes and called on my dragon sense. It pinged with recognition, that familiar tug pulling me down the street and toward the center of town.
“The business district?” I said. That was the last place I’d expected.
“What the hell are they doing there?” Connor asked.
“It’d be quiet this time of night,” Aidan said. “And it’s a weekend, I believe. Not a bad place for a secret meeting.”
“Let’s go.” I crossed the street toward Cecelia.
We hopped in, Aidan next to me and Connor and Claire in the back. I said a little prayer as the engine coughed and sputtered, but it turned over.
Thank magic.
I drove like a maniac through town, keeping my eyes out for cops and pedestrians. Fate favored us tonight, and no cops pulled us over.
When we neared the business district, I nodded to a tall gray building in front of us. “It’s that one.”
“Take the next turn,” Aidan said. “There’s an overflow lot where people park for O’Connel’s, a local bar. We can park there so he won’t see us coming.”
I nodded, my gaze caught by the many windows that were blacked out like dead eyes. The building was mostly empty, but I didn’t want Victor to be looking out a window and see us come in.
And if we were going to be breaking and entering, it’d be better if Cecelia wasn’t sitting right outside like a beacon.
I pulled into the lot, which was appropriately dark, and turned the car off. I pocketed the keys and sucked in a deep breath.
Aidan squeezed my leg and said, “We’ll get them, Cass.”
I gave him a small smile, the most I was capable of right now, but I appreciated the gesture.
“Yeah,” I said. “We will.”
“So weird they’re in there, though,” Connor said. “Evil masterminds hiding out somewhere boring like the business district?”
“Not that weird, actually,” Claire joked. “Ask anyone where the bad guys are hiding during a recession.”
I laughed, but it was an awkward, nervous sound. I’d take a snake-filled, demon-infested temple any day over this kind of terror.
Before getting out of the car, I turned around to look at my companions. “Okay, I’ll lead. We move quickly and quietly.”
“And shoot to kill,” Aidan said.
“Happy to,” Claire answered.
“Delighted,” Connor added.
I handed a ski mask to Aidan and pulled mine over my head, adjusting it so I could see out the eye holes. It was itchy and awkward.
“I feel like a low-rent robber,” I said.
“You look like one, too,” Claire said.
I grinned at her. She’d pulled hers on as well. None of us looked good, but it didn’t matter. I didn’t want to be recognized by the security cameras. That’d be a one-way trip to the Prison for Magical Miscreants. I’d only used my powers in Magic’s Bend a couple times in the past because I was so afraid of revealing myself to the Order of the Magica. Having security footage of my face breaking into this building—where I’d also be breaking out the magic—would be really bad. Aidan could only shift into animals, which was too bad. If he could shapeshift into another human, I could mirror that and avoid this damned mask.
Silently, we climbed out of the car and slipped through the shadows to the alley. It was quiet and dark back here. No one bothered to come to this part of town at this hour. Like Connor had said, it was boring.
The alley fed out
to a small street that lined the back of our target building. It was one way, and there were no cars, thankfully.
Connor pointed to the heavy metal back entrance and the camera above it. “Let me freeze that security camera first.”
“Good idea.”
Connor raced across the street and melted into the shadows at the edge of the building, careful to stay out of range of the camera. When he was about a dozen feet away, he reached into his bag and pulled out a round bottle. With expert skill, he chucked the bomb at the camera.
It shattered over the camera, and a sparkly silver fluid spread over it. Connor gestured for us to cross.
“It’ll look like static to the security guard,” Connor said when we joined him.
“Thanks,” I said.
We approached the heavy metal door. It was some kind of service entrance, which was perfect for our needs. There shouldn’t be a security guard on the other side—just at the front to check people in and out.
“Do we need the penatrist charms?” I whispered.
“I can handle it.” Aidan pulled his spell stripper out of his pocket and ran the small silver charm around the edges of the door. Once again, I was grateful that he was only mostly a good guy.
Good where it counted, at least, which was always on my side.
The prickly feeling of the protective spell that guarded the door faded, and Aidan put the spell stripper back into his pocket.
I grabbed his hand before he could turn the handle and said, “If we’re outnumbered, you guys need to run for it.”
“No way,” Claire said.
“I mean it. If any of us get caught, someone has to stay free to rescue them. I’m not saying ditch entirely, but pick your battles.”
“Don’t be so negative,” Connor said. “We can do this.”
“Yeah.” But I didn’t have a good feeling about any of it.
I nodded at Aidan, who turned the handle and entered on silent feet, then held it open for the rest of us.
We slipped into the building like thieves. I wasn’t used to breaking and entering into anything modern.
“I prefer tombs. This modern B&E makes me nervous.” I hoped that was all it was, not some sense of foreboding.
