by Zoe Chant
“I have selected suitable candidates, High Magus.” That was the witch, the one bound to Hugh. “Our most talented and worthy, who I predict will be able to easily bind the shifters. They are most eager to acquire familiars at last.”
“We will take six with us. Some spares, in case any fall before all the beasts are subdued.” Corbin let out a dry chuckle. “A little competition will spur the acolytes to perform better, in any case.”
From the sound of it, Corbin had nearly reached his cage. Ash braced himself, and was unsurprised when the binding bit into his arm.
“Up,” Corbin ordered.
Ash pushed himself to his feet, taking care to move sluggishly, as though still exhausted. In truth, not all of his stiffness was feigned. He had been much younger the last time that he had slept so rough. He rolled his shoulders, wincing, before stepping out of the cage.
A small floating sphere of witchlight orbited Corbin, illuminating his glittering gray eyes and hungry expression. He was clearly looking forward to the coming fight. As well as the witch, he was accompanied by four other warlocks, all of whom Ash recognized. They were the ones who had bound Alpha Team.
“Magus Serena,” Corbin said, turning to the witch. “Are you also in readiness?”
The witch hesitated. “This assault has come a little earlier than anticipated, High Magus. I am still mastering the finer points of my familiar’s power. If you wish me to come, I shall, but…”
Corbin shook his head. “No. Sea dragons are too rare and valuable a prize to risk accidentally killing them. You shall remain here to guard the other acolytes. Even without you, we have a more than sufficient strength to deal with such a small force.”
“Er…” Griff’s warlock cleared his throat. His agile hands twisted together nervously. “My familiar has not yet recovered consciousness.”
Corbin sighed in irritation. “I told you not to draw so heavily on the griffin’s power, Adept. Let this be a lesson in how critical it is to conserve your familiar’s strength.”
The remaining three warlocks exchanged glances. To Ash’s secret delight, matching expressions of guilt spread across their faces.
Corbin had noticed too. His tone sharpened. “Adepts. Are any of your familiars fit for this fight?”
Dai’s warlock studied his shoes. John’s discovered a sudden interest in astronomy.
Ash stood still and silent in the shadows, unnoticed, but fierce jubilation beat through his veins. Even caged and tormented, Alpha Team were not yet defeated. They were fighting their warlocks, no matter how it ripped their minds and souls.
Corbin, you fool, he thought, watching the warlock’s expression darken. You always did try to grasp more than you could hold.
“Y-you ordered me to use my familiar’s power, High Magus,” Chase’s warlock stuttered. “A-and the pegasus shifter is much more willful than I anticipated. He fights so hard, so relentlessly…I can only force him to submit by driving him to the brink of exhaustion.”
“And that’s just a glorified pony,” Dai’s warlock said quickly. “I’m trying to tame an actual dragon. No one could do it in a day.”
“And yet, here I stand with the Phoenix leashed to my will,” Corbin said, in his iciest tones.
All three warlocks winced.
“But you are the High Magus,” John’s warlock ventured, with a sycophantic, ingratiating smile. “You have more power than all the rest of us combined. We can only dream of attaining a fraction of your mastery.”
Corbin’s taut shoulders eased a little. He’d always liked flattery. “True enough. Well. Perhaps you weaklings are unnecessary for handling such a small force.”
Corbin cast a quick, assessing glance at him. Taking a risk, Ash relaxed his guard a little, not resisting as the warlock’s will probed at his fire.
Whatever Corbin had sensed, it appeared to satisfy him. He cast a pointed glare round at the rest of the group. “My familiar is well-rested, and more than capable of supplying sufficient power for this task. Let you all take heed, and do better managing your own creatures.”
Ash let out his breath. He didn’t know what Rose was planning…but dangling such a small, tempting target in front of Corbin had to be bait to lure him out.
And it had worked.
Too late, he realized that Corbin was still watching him. He schooled his face to blankness, but the warlock’s eyes narrowed.
Corbin stared at him for a long, excruciating moment, then turned to Chase’s warlock. “Adept. Did your spell detect any other shifters, closer to our location?”
The warlock gulped at finding himself in the spotlight of Corbin’s attention again. “N-no, High Magus. Just the ones who were already at the resort, and the new small force swimming round the coast. No others.”
“And they were definitely all sea creatures?” Corbin pressed. “No others? Say, a swan?”
The warlock looked baffled. “Not unless it can breathe underwater.”
“Very good.” A small, smug smile curved Corbin’s thin mouth. “Gather the acolytes at the front gates. I shall be there shortly, and portal with them to the cove.”
The warlocks and witch bowed, scattering. Corbin waited until they were all out of sight.
“So,” he murmured, for Ash’s ears only. “You told her everything, did you?”
Ash avoided the warlock’s gaze, clenching his jaw. Corbin let out a short, ugly bark of triumphant laughter.
“I knew you were lying.” Corbin turned away, snapping his fingers as if commanding a dog to heel. “Come. Victory awaits.”
Ash bowed his head, letting his shoulders slump as if in despair. But in the secret depths of his soul, he gripped a bright, unquenchable spark.
Rose has a plan. She remembers. She will come.
Holding fast to his faith in his mate, he followed the warlock.
Chapter 23
I could have done with one of these twenty years ago, Rose thought, gripping the pearl around her neck in a sweaty hand.
She’d been worried about how they were going to sneak up on the mansion—she didn’t know what sort of magic the warlocks had at their disposal, but she had to assume that they had some way of detecting approaching shifters. But it turned out Neridia had an answer to that problem.
“These pearls of concealment will hide us,” she’d said, opening a casket in her treasury. “The Master Shark made them many, many years ago, for himself and my father, so that they could sneak out from court and adventure together. One of them kept me safely concealed for many years, until I was ready to accept my destiny. I am certain that even warlocks will not be able to penetrate their power.”
Despite Neridia’s confidence, Rose hadn’t been entirely convinced that any mere pearls—even ones as big as grapes—could really be magic. But it seemed the sea dragon had been right.
After Neridia’s knights had dropped them off at Shifting Sands Resort, there hadn’t been any sign that the warlocks had detected their arrival. They’d been able to meet with Scarlet, the resort manager, who had provided them with a staff vehicle and detailed instructions on how to get to the old abandoned mansion. She’d also introduced them to a strange, shy woman who’d peered at them through tangled, white-streaked hair.
“I know how you can get in,” she’d whispered, and Rose’s heart had bled at the fragile, trembling bravery radiating from her. “Where the cages are. You have to stop the tattooed men. They’re giving the island bad dreams.”
Rose didn’t know what Gizelle had meant by that, but however strange her manner, her information had been accurate. Following her advice, they’d been able to sneak through a hidden crack in the high walls surrounding the property. Now they crouched behind thick bushes in the overgrown garden, eyeing the mansion itself.
“There’s the side gate,” Virginia whispered, her breath tickling Rose’s ear. All six of them were huddling close together to make sure that the magic of the pearls covered them all. “Gizelle said the menagerie is right through there
.”
“I can sense Chase,” Connie said. “He’s definitely in there. Can everyone else feel their mates too?”
A pang went through Rose as everyone—apart from herself—nodded. She would have given anything to be able to reach Ash.
Not our mate, her swan said. It arched its neck, feathers bristling. But we will still get him back.
“Any word from the decoy group?” she asked Neridia.
The sea dragon’s blue eyes went distant as she communed telepathically with her warriors. “Nothing—wait! The Knight-Commander says there are people on the beach. He’s certain he just spotted Ash.”
“It worked,” Hayley breathed, looking relieved. “Corbin took the bait.”
“Remind them not to engage the warlocks,” Rose said anxiously. “This really isn’t the time for a glorious charge.”
“Don’t worry, I picked my most sensible men for this task.” Neridia made a slight, rueful face. “Well, as sensible as honor-sworn knights can be. But in any case, none of them will do anything rash. They’re pretending they haven’t seen the warlocks. The Knight-Commander says they’ll try to draw them further away down the coast, but he fears Corbin will quickly become suspicious when they don’t land.”
“Then we’d better not waste a second.” Ivy cracked her knuckles. “I think it’s time to stop being subtle.”
There was a pause, and Rose realized they were all looking at her to give the command. She could feel their emotions—fear, yes, but mostly iron-hard determination. They were ready.
She stood up straight, lifting her chin. “Let’s get our mates.”
Ivy grinned like a shark. Without another word, she sprinted in the direction of the side gate, her green-streaked hair flying behind her.
Halfway there, she jumped. Her curvy body shimmered, lengthening and shifting. Emerald wings caught the air.
A shout of alarm rose from somewhere inside the mansion, but the wyvern was already opening its jaws. It breathed out a thick white cloud of acid. The side gate disintegrated, wood shriveling and falling away.
“Come on!” Rose yelled, hauling Neridia up.
It was probably the slowest attack in the history of warfare. Neridia and Connie did their best, but since they were carrying four babies between them—one due to make an appearance any day—it was more of a waddle than a charge.
But with a rampaging wyvern clawing down the walls, the warlocks were far too preoccupied to even notice the small group of women. The startled shouts turned into screams as Ivy disappeared through the hole she’d made.
Rose helped Connie over the smoking stones, leaving Virginia and Hayley to haul Neridia through. A sudden glare of light made her flinch. Spots danced across her vision as a searchlight beam swept across them.
The circle of light swung wildly across the courtyard, fixing on Ivy. The wyvern’s scales glittered like cut emeralds in the harsh white glare.
“Dragon!” someone yelled from on top of the walls. “It’s a dragon! Someone bind it!”
Dozens of running footsteps converged on them. Rose sensed a thick, black fog of greed and hunger.
“Ivy, get out of the light!” Rose yelled, dragging Connie forward as fast as she could.
The wyvern whirled, but with only two legs, it was clumsy on the ground. It couldn’t escape the pinning stare of the searchlight. It breathed out a blast of acid, forcing the first group of warlocks back, but more lunged out of the shadows behind it. One robed man leaped, snatching at the wyvern’s folded wing.
“Ivy, watch out!” Rose screamed.
The wyvern abruptly disappeared. The warlock’s fingers closed, not on scales, but on Ivy’s bare wrist.
“Got you,” the man crowed—and then his eyes widened. His mouth worked, soundlessly.
“Surprise, asshole.” Ivy twisted free as the warlock collapsed. She pushed up her sleeves as he collapsed. “Anyone else want to try?”
A couple more warlocks took her up on the offer. They very quickly discovered that there was a very, very big problem with binding a shifter whose skin could sweat deadly venom.
In the space of seconds, the tables were turned. Ivy’s teeth bared in a feral grin as she chased fleeing warlocks in a lethal game of tag.
“Not too fast, Ivy!” Rose hurried after her, the others at her heels. “We have to stay together—”
Rounding an empty cage, she found herself face-to-face with a robed man. He yelped, cringing—and then his eyes widened as he realized she wasn’t Ivy.
“There’s more of them!” the warlock yelled at the top of his lungs. “More shifters!”
Fast as a snake, he grabbed for her arm. Sheer terror froze her in place as his fingers brushed against her skin.
No, no, no! Her swan beat its wings in panic. Not again!
Then she was stumbling, falling, as Connie shoved her out of the way.
“Not her!” Connie cried, offering her own arm. “Take me instead!”
The warlock didn’t need to be invited twice. With a snarl of triumph, he seized Connie’s wrist.
Nothing happened.
The warlock blinked. He stared down at his own hand as if it were a gun that had just inexplicably misfired.
Which meant that he wasn’t looking when Hayley brained him over the head with a rock.
“That’s for my mate,” Hayley growled as he collapsed. She stomped across his prone body, not being too careful about where she put her feet, and pulled Rose up again. “Come on, we’re nearly there!”
Rose gasped, adrenaline still making her heart vibrate like a hummingbird. Dizzy, she tried desperately to orient herself.
The courtyard was a madhouse of searchlights and screams. Ivy darted in and out of the shadows, her deadly touch dropping warlocks like flies. Virginia and Connie supported Neridia, helping her over the uneven ground as they searched for their mates.
Rose’s breath seized in horror as a warlock lunged at the three women. Either he was more observant than his colleague, or just luckier, because he ignored the two humans. Barging Connie aside, he grabbed for Neridia.
Neridia’s chin lifted. She gazed down at the man with regal poise.
The warlock made a strange gurgling noise. Releasing the sea dragon, he sank to his knees, clawing at his throat. A gush of water spewed from his mouth.
Calmly, the Pearl Empress stepped round him, leaving him to drown on dry land.
“Hugh!” Ivy cried out. Abruptly abandoning the warlock she’d been pursuing, she whirled—and froze.
Rose tried to turn to see what she was looking at—but stumbled on feet that suddenly seemed like blocks of wood attached to her legs. Numbness spread up her limbs. Beside her, Hayley gasped, apparently paralyzed as well. Out of the corner of her eye, Rose could see that Neridia, Hayley and Virginia had been caught too.
“I have them!” A woman with long, flowing black hair strode into Rose’s field of view. Shining silver runes wound up her left arm.
And behind her…
Ivy made a high, keening sound, like a trapped animal.
“Oh, no,” Rose whispered.
The unicorn hobbled painfully behind the witch, all grace lost. Its left foreleg was matted with dried blood. Every time the silver, cloven hoof touched the ground, its white flanks shivered with pain.
But it still carried its head high, refusing to be bowed. Even though all the light had been snuffed from its horn, its eyes still burned with unquenchable spirit.
Spotting Ivy, the unicorn called out, a fierce, clear cry. They both strained for each other, but neither could break their invisible bonds.
Hugh wasn’t alone. Griff was there too, in griffin form, towering over a slender warlock with a narrow, scholarly face. Beside Rose, Hayley caught her breath in a sob of pain. The griffin’s head turned, eagle eyes widening as it saw her.
“Virginia!” Dai shouted. He was in human form, supporting John Doe.
Seeing his own mate, the sea dragon shifter broke into a frantic, staccato song i
n his own language, more like organ music than speech. Neridia sang something back, her voice breaking with yearning.
“Will you shut that animal up?” the robed woman snapped at one of her colleagues. “I can’t hear myself think.”
The man made a jerking gesture, and John Doe’s song cut off. Dai tried to speak again, but was silenced by his own warlock. In the abrupt hush, the witch swept the courtyard with a scornful stare.
“Panicking like chickens,” she said scathingly, to the men who’d been fleeing for their lives mere moments ago. They crept sheepishly out of the shadows, hanging their heads—though Rose noticed that they all still stayed well away from Ivy. “Anyone would think you’d never seen a shifter before.”
“We haven’t seen one like that before, Magus!” one of the chastised men protested, pointing at Ivy. “It’s some kind of dragon, but—”
The witch rolled her eyes. “I’m not interested in feeble excuses. Just hurry up and bind the wretched creature, before the High Magus returns and sees this mess.”
Several of the acolytes stepped back. The one the witch had picked out went pale. “B-but, Magus,” he stuttered. “No one can touch it. Everyone who’s tried, well…” He trailed off, gesturing helplessly at the collapsed forms scattered around the courtyard.
The witch tilted her head, looking interested. She walked closer to Ivy, dragging Hugh along behind. Ivy’s jaw worked as though she wanted to spit, but the witch’s magic held her motionless. All she could do was glare at the woman in pure hatred.
“Interesting.” The witch tapped a fingernail against her lips for a moment, evidently thinking. Then her mouth curved in a smile. Silver light shimmered around her fingers as she reached out to caress Ivy’s cheek. “But no great obstacle. I shall simply neutralize its venom—”
The witch stopped. An expression of great puzzlement spread across her face.
She looked down at the gleaming horn protruding from the center of her chest.
“The unicorn is loose!” a warlock screamed.
