by Linsey Hall
I swooped low over the rampart walls, staying far from the men who paced, their eyes ever alert.
I was about to land when I heard a shout.
“Intruder!”
No!
I was just a bird! How had they sensed me? I didn’t have time to panic. Something heavy crashed over me, dragging me to the ground. I shifted as I fell, my transformation forced by the magic in the net.
When I slammed to the ground, pain radiated through my body. I lay there on the cobblestone courtyard, stunned, able to feel all the magic in the air. Beneath my cheek was a strange, star-shaped ornament inset into the cobblestones. I stared at it dazedly as I tried to get my bearings.
The signatures of the many Shifters bombarded me—tastes, smells, sounds. So many Shifters in one area gave the place a buzzing feeling.
I scrambled upright, throwing the net off me. Before I could call upon my magic, something sharp pierced me in the neck. I reached up, feeling a dart of some kind.
Then I passed out.
Cold crept along my skin, seeping deep within my bones and dragging me from slumber. The bed beneath me was hard as rock. I curled my hand against it, realizing that it was rock. Hard and gritty stone.
My head pounded as I opened my eyes. Four stone walls surrounded me. A heavy wooden ceiling stretched above. I turned my head to see a wooden door, reinforced with iron strips. There was nothing in the room except me.
My power was suppressed. Not even a spark of it burned within me. I pulled off the golden dampener cuff at my wrist, but my magic stayed repressed. There were some seriously powerful anti-magic charms on this cell. Shifters couldn’t do magic like Magica could, so of course their prison would have strong enchantments against it.
I was in another freaking prison.
Helpless rage made me clench my fists as I jerked upright. My brain throbbed, feeling like it bounced against my skull.
Aidan was gone. Possibly in his own cell.
And I was locked up.
Again.
But Dermot was alive. Aidan’s men had reported that the Order said all the bodies in the rubble were dead. Dermot must have survived without injury and escaped before the Order showed up.
The bastard must have used one of his protective shields to save himself from the falling roof. The only person I’d wanted to kill had been the one to survive.
He must have realized we’d come here to rat him out, so he’d beaten us to it. Barely. But it’d been enough time to sow the seeds of doubt in the minds of the Alpha Council members.
I almost growled, but the noise was cut off by the sound of a key in the lock. I jumped to my feet and raced to the door, tucking myself beside it so that whoever was entering couldn’t see me.
They’d taken the daggers I’d had strapped to my thighs, but I was still a good fighter. And I had my other charms. I just had to get away from the dampening charm that had been put on this cell. Then I could really fight my way free.
The door creaked open and I tensed, ready to pounce. A massive grizzly bear stalked into the room, his claws as big as steak knives. He smelled like salmon and old dirt, and his fangs were longer than my forearm.
I sank back against the wall.
A woman in a long green dress followed the bear into the cell. Her brown hair was pulled back and streaked liberally with gray. Elenora. The wolf Shifter who was the leader of the Alpha Council. We’d been on friendly terms when I’d helped save Amara. I hadn’t expected her to be my buddy, but tossing me in this barren cell was a bit much.
“Why am I here?” I demanded.
She turned her sharp gaze on me. The bear at her side growled.
“Shut up, Smokey,” I said.
Her brows rose. “I’d think you’d be on your best behavior, considering your circumstances.”
I glanced around. “Oh, this? I’m used to it.” I made my voice sharp. “But I shouldn’t be in here. Not after how I proved myself with Amara. I saved your niece’s life. At great risk to my own, might I remind you. You said that I went above and beyond. Those were your exact words.”
“I recall. But you broke into Glencarrough. Did you think we wouldn’t notice an unidentified bird? We’re very sensitive to other animals. They don’t come here. Only Shifters do. And Dermot Mulvey, a high-ranking member of the Order of the Magica, has leveled some serious accusations against you.”
“That I’m a FireSoul? Ridiculous.”
“Of course you’re a FireSoul. While you were passed out, we had our healer check your magical signature. You are most definitely a FireSoul.” Her green eyes took on a thoughtful sheen. “I always thought your magic smelled odd.”
“The Origin wouldn’t spend time with a FireSoul,” I said. “No way.”
“Aidan Merrick will do whatever suits him,” she said. “As you well know.”
She was right about that.
“Give up the charade.” Elenora crossed her arms elegantly in front of her chest.
She was right. I was found out. “Aidan doesn’t know what I am.”
“Lie,” she said.
“He doesn’t.” I’d go to my grave maintaining that.
“I appreciate that you are trying to protect him.”
I scowled at her. “Where is Aidan?”
“He’s in the cell down the hall. You’re here in this cell because you’re a FireSoul, and we don’t know what to do with you.”
I wanted to growl at her. Had she so quickly forgotten the risks I’d taken for Amara? But Dermot must have pleaded his case well.
“Don’t know?” I scoffed. “Toss me in the Prison for Magical Miscreants, obviously.” I’d escape on the way there, hopefully.
“Normally, yes. But as you said, you helped us with Amara. At great risk to yourself. I believe that you are fundamentally good, Cassiopeia. Your species has a well-deserved reputation for evil—how could you not, given the amount of power you can wield? But I believe you are the exception to that rule.”
Little did she know, I had more power than she could dream of. “You’re wrong. I’m not an exception. Most FireSouls are harmless.”
“Oh?” Her brows rose. “You’ve met others?”
I cursed myself inwardly. Now was not the time to be defending my species. I had to play it smart and safe and selfish and get my ass out of here. “I knew some when I was a child. But you believe I’m an exception—that I’m fundamentally good—so you’re locking me up here?”
“It’s better than turning you in to the prison or the Order of the Magica. The Shifters know what you’ve done for us. So we’re going to take some time and figure out what is going on. If we can trust you not to harm us, we will release you.”
“What did Dermot tell you is going on?”
“That you are a FireSoul who robbed him. And that you are involved in a plot to take down the Alpha Council and Glencarrough.”
That sneaky bastard. How smart of him to tell her I was doing exactly what he planned. Now what was I supposed to say? Nuh uh, that’s his plan?
“Why would I want to take down the Alpha Council?” It was all I could say.
“A vendetta against those who imprison your kind.”
I laughed. “Really? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. If I had a vendetta against people who were assholes to FireSouls, it’d be everybody!”
“That was my thought. Unless the Alpha Council hurt you specifically, I can’t imagine why you’d start by targeting us.”
“Exactly. So you can let me out.”
The grizzly growled at that, stepping forward. I hissed at him.
“No, I cannot,” Elenora said. “While I might be willing to, other members of the Council are not. They want more answers.”
“Fine. You can have them.” I told her about Dermot and Victor Orriodor. Her brows rose as the story continued. When I finished, she looked skeptical rather than worried.
For the first time, my heart really sank.
“That’s an interesting story
,” she said. “You can understand why I am wary of it, however. Dermot is part of the Order of the Magica. Why would he want our downfall?”
“I don’t know.”
“We aren’t going to turn you in to the prison or reveal what you are to the Order of the Magica. Not yet. We will keep you here until we confirm your claims.”
“You’ll need to do it quick, because Victor has plans for you.”
“We will do our best. We haven’t replaced the Heartstone, so you can understand how this is a matter of utmost importance.”
Damn, that was bad. It’d make it so much easier for Victor to break into Glencarrough. As he’d planned.
“I will present what you have said to the Alpha Council,” Elenora said. “In the meantime, you will stay here.”
I glanced around at the barren cells. “Seriously?”
“We’ll bring in some furniture to make it more comfortable. But we can’t trust you in the rest of the keep.”
I had nothing to say to that.
She turned and walked out.
Right before she left, I asked, “Is Dermot still here?”
“He is not.” She left the room, the grizzly at her heels.
I slouched against the wall, my mind racing.
If Dermot and Victor needed me and my deirfiúr for the final havoc they planned to wreak, then what good to them was I locked up in here? They couldn’t even get to me.
Shit.
I almost pounded my head into the wall when I realized. I was such an idiot. If Dermot put us here, it meant he had a way to get us out. Of course. Whatever they planned, it would definitely go down at Glencarrough.
This probably worked out better for them. They couldn’t find me and my deirfiúr because of our concealment charms. But they could rat us out to the Alpha Council and get us thrown into the dungeons.
Where we’d wait for them to arrive. They’d break in somehow—aided by the fact that the Heartstone was missing and defenses were down—and they’d put their miserable plan into action.
I was one card in their deck, and I’d put myself right into their hands.
7
I spent the next hour feeling my way around every stone in the wall and floor, hoping to find an out. Nix and Del would come for me, but I didn’t want them to. It’d be the worst thing in the world for them to get caught in this cell, too. Sitting ducks waiting for Victor and Dermot.
And though Del could transport, she probably couldn’t do it within the confines of the dungeon because this place would block her magic, too. So it was up to me to find a way out of a stone box.
If only I’d found that last transportation charm when I’d been searching the properties room at the Prison for Magical Miscreants. That’d get me right out of here.
But then, the Alpha Council probably would have taken it from me.
So I’d have been screwed either way.
I stiffened when I heard a shuffle outside the door. Were people coming to deliver furniture, like Elenora had said? I crept over to the side of the door, hoping that maybe this time they wouldn’t be bringing a grizzly for a guard.
I stared hard at the door, waiting for it to open. But it didn’t. Instead, the black strips of iron that reinforced the wooden door began to glow hot orange. Then they began to drip.
They were melting. Long, rolling drips of molten metal slid down the doorframe, pooling on the stone below. My heart pounded in my ears.
A moment later, the door creaked open. As it swung, I noticed that the locking mechanism had melted entirely out of the wood.
Amara peeked her head in. “Cass?”
“Holy shit, Amara.” She was busting me out of here.
“I’m half Metal Mage,” she said.
“I can see that. I’m so glad to see you.”
“Come on. Quick,” she said. Her ragged stuffed bunny was clutched in her hand. “No one knows I’m down here.”
I went to the door and hopped over the puddle of rapidly cooling metal. As soon as I got into the hall, my magic surged within me, coming back to life.
I hugged her quickly. “Thanks for getting me out of there.”
“No problem. You saved me once before. When I heard my dad say you were down here, I had to get you out.”
“You’ll get in trouble.”
She glanced back at the door. “Not like the trouble you were just in. I’ll lose screen time and maybe be grounded for a year, but it’s worth it.”
I grinned. “Thanks.”
I didn’t like the idea of her being grounded, but the Shifters cherished their kids. Nothing harmful would happen to her besides some solid boredom.
“No problem,” Amara said. “Let’s get Aidan out.”
She led me to a door at the other end of the hall. It was the same construction as mine had been, though there was more metal on the door. Probably because Aidan had more brute strength than me. They weren’t taking any chances with the Origin.
“Mind if I borrow your power?” I asked.
“Go ahead.”
I touched the widest metal strip that bisected the door and connected to the lock, then reached out for Amara’s magic. It felt warm against my skin, and as soon as I had a grip on it, I also felt like I could feel all the metal in the door. Not just the stuff under my fingertips, but all the pieces that were nailed to the other side of the wood as well.
I pushed the magic out of me, concentrating on melting the strips of metal. A second later, the metal liquefied and poured to the ground in a rush.
Amara and I both leapt back to avoid being splashed by the molten iron.
“Wow,” Amara said. “You’re strong.”
“Yeah.” I hadn’t expected to melt it so quickly. It’d taken Amara almost a minute to melt the metal on my door. I’d done it in a second. “You okay?”
She nodded. “I didn’t get burned.’
“Good.” I pushed open the door to Aidan’s cell, careful not to touch any part of the wood where the iron had been for fear that it might be hot.
As soon as the door swung open, Aidan stepped into the doorway, then jumped over the melted metal and joined us in the hall.
“I thought that might be you,” he said. His gaze dropped to Amara. “You came to save us?”
“Yep.” She grinned, revealing a missing tooth.
“Good lass.” He rubbed her head. “I’ll send you a present as a thank you. How does a pony sound?”
“How about a remote control helicopter?” Her eyes gleamed.
“Done.”
“Thanks!” Her eyes turned thoughtful. “Address it to my room. I think I’m going to be grounded a while.”
“It’s a deal,” Aidan said. “Now tell us, are there any other exits from Glencarrough?”
“No, just the gate.”
“Anything small?” I asked. “A place that rats might sneak in, maybe?”
She screwed up her face as she thought. “There are rats in the kitchens. I like to leave them cheese. I think they come in through the pantry. It’s against the main wall, so there might be a way out from there. If you were a rat.”
“Good thing I can turn into a rat, then,” Aidan said. “Now you run along. Maybe you won’t get in trouble for this if you aren’t caught.”
She looked down at the molten metal. “No one else can do that. So they’ll know it was me.”
“Thank you extra much, then,” Aidan said. “I’ll send you two helicopters.”
She grinned. “You’d better go.”
We hurried down the dungeon hall to the stairs.
I perked my ears, calling upon my heightened senses. When I heard no one coming, I said, “Let’s get to the top of the stairs. Then we’ll shift into mice. Amara, could you lead us to the kitchen?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
We climbed the stairs silently. At the top, Aidan mouthed, “Now?”
I nodded.
A swirl of silver gray light shimmered around him, then he disappeared. I looked down.
At my feet sat a tiny gray mouse. I called on my Mirror Mage powers, reaching out for Aidan’s gift. I grasped ahold of it, smelling the forest scent of his magic, and envisioned myself turning into a mouse as well.
Magic warmed me from within, filling up my limbs. Suddenly, I was falling, the walls flashing in front of me. Or I was shrinking rapidly. A moment later, I looked down and saw tiny mouse feet tipped with transparent claws. Next to me, a gray mouse twitched his nose.
Aidan was a bigger mouse than I, but not by much. Amara loomed overhead.
“Ready?” she asked.
I nodded, then scrambled up over the stone stair, digging my claws into the minuscule crevices in the rock. Amara pushed the door open to reveal a wide hallway. It wasn’t as ornately decorated as the one we’d walked through before.
Good. That meant we weren’t in the main part of the house. Amara headed right, walking quickly down the hall, her ragged bunny slapping against her calf.
Aidan and I raced behind her, keeping ourselves tucked against the wall. Fortunately, the floor was gray stone like the wall, so we blended. If any Shifters came upon us, they’d probably be able to smell us, but hopefully our camouflage would buy us some time.
The world flew by as we ran, looking entirely different from down here. I picked up different scents and sounds and could even feel the thud of Amara’s footsteps through my paws. My little mouse lungs were heaving by the time Amara stepped through a doorway into a big, warm kitchen.
A massive man turned to her and grinned. His floppy white mustache made him look like Belle’s dad from the cartoon version of Beauty and the Beast.
Aidan and I hesitated at the door as Amara walked in.
“And what are you scrounging around for, Miss Amara?” he asked.
Amara walked quickly over to the big fire and sat down, drawing the man’s attention away from the door. “Biscuits, Master Murphy. I’m just desperate for some biscuits, and you make the best ones in the world.”
I would’ve laughed if I could have, at how thick she was laying it on.
“Do I now?” Master Murphy asked, his eyes twinkling.
