Outlast: Spellslingers Academy of Magic (Warden of the West Book 3)

by Annabel Chase

  His hand felt warm and strong in mine, and a wave of contentment washed over me. When I was with Gray, there was no place else I’d rather be, even in the underworld.

  Crackling flames in the fireplace gave the living room a homey feel. Two sofas formed an L-shape with a coffee table positioned in front of them. There were paintings on the wall of idyllic landscapes that made me want to step right through the canvas and visit them.

  I pointed to the middle painting, which included a scenic harbor. “Where is that, Gray? Have you ever been there?”

  He stepped closer to study the image. “I don’t know, but it’s very scenic. Maybe we’ll go there someday.” He snaked an arm around my waist and gazed at me adoringly. “Would you like that?”

  “I would. Very much.”

  He squeezed my side. “Let’s see the kitchen.”

  We wandered into the airy space. I hurried to the island and placed my palms flat on the quartz countertop. “I’ve always wanted an island.”

  “Do you cook?” he asked.

  “No, but I would learn, just because I had an island.” I spun around, admiring the sleek white cabinets. “It’s a dream kitchen. It belongs in a magazine.”

  He joined me at the island. “I would cook breakfast in here, and then serve it to you in bed.”

  I jerked my head toward him. “You would?”

  “Of course, I would. Anything for you.” He surveyed the kitchen and inhaled deeply. “We would be very happy here. I can feel it.”

  “Then we should stay,” I said. “I don’t see a reason to ever leave. We have everything we need right here.”

  Gray pulled me against the length of his body. “Yes, we certainly do.”

  “You smell like pine and spices,” I said, my cheek pressed against his firm chest. “Have I ever told you that?”

  “There’s so much I want to tell you.” He stroked my hair, and it felt like the most natural gesture in the world. “Your hair is impossibly soft.”

  I longed to stay like this forever, wrapped in his arms.

  “Do you drink coffee?” I asked, peering up at him.

  “No, why?”

  “Good. I’m not a fan of coffee breath. I smelled a lot of it when I waitressed. Any bad habits I should know about before we live here together?”

  He appeared thoughtful. “I like a cold bedroom at night. You might want extra blankets on your side of the bed.” He lifted my chin. “Is that a deal-breaker?”

  “Not for me. Extra blankets are easy.”

  “What about you?” he asked. “Any deal-breakers?”

  “You don’t bite your nails, do you?”

  “Not with these fangs,” he replied, opening his mouth so that I could see them.

  I reached up to touch one. “They’re very impressive.”

  He grinned. “That’s the ultimate compliment for a vampire.”

  The point of his fang punctured my skin, causing a drop of blood to bubble to the surface. I saw the hunger flash in his eyes as he caught sight of the blood.

  “Is it hard for you?” I asked. “I thought the Sentinel trained you to resist bloodlust.”

  “It isn’t about bloodlust,” he said cryptically.

  “Then what is it?”

  His hand cradled the back of my neck. “I want to taste you.” His voice had a hard edge that I didn’t recognize.

  “You can’t,” I said. “If you drink my blood, I’ll be able to control you, and neither of us wants that.”

  He moaned softly as I licked away the blood. “Please don’t do that.”

  I thought of my nightmare, the way it felt when Gray’s tongue slipped across my wrist. I shuddered at the memory.

  Gray inched closer. “We haven’t seen upstairs.”

  “Take me,” I said. “Take me upstairs.”

  Desire sparkled in his eyes. “With pleasure.”

  We returned to the foyer and headed to the second floor. The master bedroom was the first room on the right at the top of the staircase. An enormous canopy bed sat in the middle of the room against the far wall.

  “This room is perfect for us,” Gray said, sliding his arms around my waist. His lips hovered dangerously close to mine.

  “We’re perfect for each other,” I murmured.

  He nuzzled the curve of my neck, and I shivered as his fangs gently scraped the skin. “I’ve been wanting to do this since the day I met you.”

  “And I’ve been wanting you to do this since the day I met you,” I said, my breathing ragged.

  “Why did we wait so long?”

  “Because you’re a gentleman,” I said.

  His fingers threaded through my hair. “You always accuse me of not being polite enough.”

  “That’s basic manners. This is something else.”

  “Lust,” he said.

  “Not bloodlust?” I asked. He didn’t seem on the verge of losing his mind. In fact, he seemed very much in control, and I liked it.

  “No,” he finally said, his eyes locked on mine. “Just lust.” His smoldering gaze sent shockwaves through my entire body.

  A knock on the door interrupted our moment, and we broke apart.

  “Who could that be?” I looked askance at Gray. “Are you expecting anyone?”

  “No. Maybe a delivery?”

  Amazon Prime really could deliver anywhere. “I’ll go see.” I gave his lips a quick kiss. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

  I hurried down the steps, eager to get back to Gray. I didn’t like to be separated from him.

  I yanked open the door and my jaw dropped. “Mom?”

  She stood on the doorstep, looking exactly the same way I remembered her. Her dark hair was pulled up in loose bun, and her face was still relatively smooth for her age.

  “Bryn, thank goodness.” She threw her arms around me and held me close. “I got here as quickly as I could.”

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” I said, my voice muffled as I buried my face in her scrubs. She always seemed to be wearing scrubs. She used to say it made clothes shopping easy. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

  She breathed in the smell of my hair, like she did when I was a child. “You have no idea how happy this makes me.”

  The sound of footsteps reminded me that we weren’t alone. I turned to see Gray on the staircase, looking confused.

  “Gray, I’d like you to meet my mother, Dr. Jenny Morrow. Mom, this is my boyfriend, Gray Mappleworth.”

  Gray came down to the foyer to shake my mother’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Morrow. Your daughter has said a lot of wonderful things about you.”

  My mother scrutinized Gray. “A vampire, huh? Well, at least he’s not an evil sorcerer, right?” She touched my cheek lightly. “Look at you. So grown up. I still remember when you fell into the reservoir. Gosh, you were only four years old.” She glanced at Gray. “That’s when I knew I had a little magical person to raise. Up until then, I hadn’t been sure.”

  “You were so scared,” I said, remembering.

  “Can you blame me?” she asked. “A mother’s biggest fear is losing her child. I kept you safe for as long as I could.”

  My heart felt ready to burst. “You did a great job. Everything’s good. My life is good.”

  She blinked back tears. “I’m so glad to hear that. I hated to leave you behind.”

  “Can we offer you a drink, Dr. Morrow?” Gray asked.

  “Please, call me Jenny.”

  “Mom, you have to see the kitchen,” I said excitedly. “There’s an island.” I dragged her into the beautifully appointed kitchen and watched her expression change from mild interest to awe.

  “I love it,” she exclaimed. “This is the ideal kitchen.” She beamed at us. “The two of you will be very happy here.”

  Gray kissed my forehead. “Don’t I know it. I’ve never met a luckier vampire.”

  “When did you know?” my mother asked.

  “Know what?” I queried.

  �
��That you loved him, of course,” she said. “Your father swept me off my feet in the hospital.” She sighed deeply. “He made my head spin. I actually swooned. I didn’t know I was capable of swooning until I met him. Isn’t that ridiculous? Is that what it was like for you?”

  I felt Gray’s lingering gaze on me, and my whole body tingled in response. “It was swift and immediate, I’ll say that much.”

  “Really?” Gray’s grin was infectious. “I thought you were a little afraid of me.”

  I held my thumb and index finger an inch apart. “Maybe this much of me wanted to run in the opposite direction. The rest of me wanted to run straight into your arms.”

  My mother clapped her hands together. “This is lovely. And what about you, Gray? When did you realize that my daughter was the one for your immortal life?”

  Gray stroked my cheek with his thumb. “I’d have to say when…”

  Another knock on the door distracted us.

  “You talk to my mom,” I said. “I’ll get it.” I ran to the door, in a hurry to get back and hear Gray’s answer. I didn’t recognize the woman on the doorstep. Her long hair flowed down her back and her almond-shaped eyes were so dark, they nearly appeared black.

  “Can I help you?” I asked, keeping my tone friendly.

  “Riya?” Gray sounded shocked.

  The woman lit up. “Gray, you’re really here.” She ran into the foyer and embraced him. “You haven’t aged a bit.” She pulled back and winked at me. “Vampire humor.”

  Gray gaped at his former AMF partner. “I don’t understand how you’re here.”

  She offered a disarming smile. “What do you mean? I came to see you.”

  “No, that’s not possible.” He shook his head, as though trying to clear the confusion from his mind. “You shouldn’t be here.” He frowned at me. “Where’s your mother?”

  I turned around and glanced back at the kitchen. “Mom?”

  There was no response.

  Gray took a step back from Riya and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Stay back.”

  Riya’s dark eyes glittered with concern. “What’s wrong, Gray? You don’t want to introduce me to your new girlfriend? She’s a little young for you, but very pretty. You always did have a good eye.”

  “Leave her alone,” Gray demanded.

  Riya threw her head back and released a demonic laugh. “When did I ever listen to you? How do you think I ended up dead?” Her gaze lowered to meet his and her lips curled. “You know he’s here, don’t you? You remember.”

  “Rippon,” Gray said flatly.

  “Yes.” Riya sashayed toward him, a wiggle in her hips. “Not so far from here. Ready for the taking.”

  Gray’s eyes flashed with anger. “Where?”

  “Take the third tunnel past the siren lagoon,” she replied. “You know how he likes to stay close to the ladies.”

  “We need to focus on Abraxas,” I said. “Stick to the plan, Gray.”

  Riya’s tongue flicked across her top lip. “Doesn’t she know you at all, Gray? You don’t take orders from anyone. You follow your own path.”

  Gray’s muscles tensed. “No, that wasn’t me. That was you.”

  She gave him a coy look. “Was it? I could’ve sworn you were the difficult one out of the two of us. The lone wolf.”

  Gray took a step closer to her. “Who are you? Because you’re not Riya.”

  Riya’s mouth opened wider and wider until a loud roar shook the foundation of the house. Her long hair morphed into a mane as her human head transformed into a lion’s. Her legs molded together into a serpent’s tail and her womanly body developed into a goat’s hairy torso.

  “A chimera,” Gray said.

  Fire streaked from the chimera’s mouth, and I leapt out of the way, but I wasn’t quite fast enough. My arm burned and blistered. Behind me, the banister burst into flames.

  “My mother!” I ran into the kitchen, leaving Gray to battle the chimera alone. I stopped short as I crossed the threshold. The beautiful kitchen was dissolving before my eyes. What was happening?

  “You need to get out of here,” a voice said.

  “Clyde?” I spotted the goat at the back door. “I’m so confused.”

  “That’s intentional,” Clyde said. “Come on, blossom. Exit’s this way.”

  “But Gray needs me,” I protested. “My mother needs me!”

  “Your mother?” Clyde tilted his head. “Sorry, Bryn. Whoever you saw, she wasn’t real.”

  The foundation of the house shifted, and I nearly lost my balance. “She wasn’t here?”

  “Let’s go, kid,” Clyde urged.

  Gray ran into the kitchen. “Back door!”

  “See?” Clyde said. “Told you.”

  We escaped right before the entire house collapsed. The earth swallowed the debris whole, leaving no trace of the happy home. Not even a picket fence post survived.

  I gaped at the empty plot of land. “I don’t understand. My mother wasn’t real? Riya wasn’t real?”

  “It was the chimera,” Gray said. “It took your mother’s form, then Riya’s.”

  “The house?”

  “A mirage,” Gray said. “The chimera created a personalized fantasy to ensnare us.”

  “A fantasy,” I repeated. My mother. Gray. None of it was real. I touched a finger to my lips, remembering the way it had felt to kiss him.

  “It played on our weaknesses,” Gray said.

  “But not our fears, like the nightmare demon,” I said.

  Clyde whistled. “You met a nightmare demon and a chimera? Anybody ever tell you you’ve got some dumb luck?”

  I felt like I’d lost my mother all over again. And Gray…Had that really been my fantasy? A house in suburbia with the alluring vampire? With a single sentence, Gray stopped me from delving too deeply into what it all meant.

  “What happens in the underworld stays in the underworld,” the vampire said, and my heart sank. The whole experience had felt so real. The disappointment was crushing. I glanced at my arm and realized that the burns and blisters were gone. Even my injury must have been part of the fantasy.

  “What happened in that house?” Clyde inquired. “I was out here chewing grass, totally minding my own business. Then I saw the house start to crumble.”

  “Thanks for coming to look for us,” I said. If Clyde hadn’t snapped me out of my daze, I might have stood in that kitchen calling for my mother until the house crashed on top of me.

  “You okay, Morrow?” Gray asked, noticing my dismal expression.

  I managed a smile. “I know it’s an odd thing to say, but it was nice to see my mom again, even if she was a fire-breathing monster.”

  Gray observed me. “You’re something else, you know that?” He turned to Clyde. “Where are the tunnels near the siren lagoon?”

  “Gray,” I interjected. “Abraxas is beyond the blue hills, remember?”

  “And Rippon is near the third tunnel. We can take a quick detour on the way to Abraxas.”

  “Siren lagoon isn’t that quick of a detour,” Clyde said.

  “We have to get to Cerys,” I insisted. I couldn’t believe we were debating this now. “Every minute she stays with Abraxas is a minute closer to death.”

  “I don’t want to miss my chance to find Rippon,” he argued. “I may never get another opportunity like this to catch him by surprise.”

  I was torn. As much as I wanted to support Gray and help him get closure, I knew it was far more urgent to find Cerys.

  “Killing Rippon changes nothing,” I said. “Riya will still be dead. Cerys is alive. Right now. And we have a chance to save her.”

  “You don’t understand,” Gray countered. “Riya was my partner. We worked together for years. I let her down once. I won’t do it again.”

  I poked him in the chest. “You did not let Riya down. You told me yourself that she was headstrong and determined. You were a willing accomplice, maybe, but you didn’t force her to go to the underworld unpre
pared. That was her choice. If anything, she put you in danger.”

  “That’s not true,” he said firmly. “She was a top warden.”

  “Even top wardens make mistakes, Gray,” I said. “You know who didn’t make a mistake? Cerys. Her kidnapping is on me. I made the mistake, and she’s the one suffering for it. Now, please. Stick to the plan. Let’s find Abraxas and get Cerys out of this literal hellhole.”

  Gray stared at me, unblinking. I hated that he was struggling with a decision that seemed straightforward to me.

  “If you want to go and hunt down Rippon, that’s fine, but I’m going to rescue Cerys,” I continued. “Whatever happens as a result is on you.”

  I turned to go without waiting for his response. I didn’t care. I was going to face off with Abraxas whether Gray came with me or not. I was willing to do whatever was necessary to save my friend.

  I felt his strong hand wrap around my arm. At first, I thought he was going to insist on going after Rippon. To my great relief, he said, “Wait for me, Morrow.”

  13

  The blue hills were exactly as described. Their color scheme was similar to the stalactites in the Arctic monster cavern. It seemed to be a feature of this particular underworld. Thankfully, they were true hills and not arduous to hike. Clyde seemed to be relishing his freedom, frolicking in every hillside along the way. Gray and I steered clear of any meadows.

  We finally reached the border of an orchard of golden apples that reminded me of the one on the academy campus. I immediately thought of Cerys, and how much she enjoyed the orchard at home. As an earth witch, she loved spending time in nature. It fed her power, as well as her soul.

  “Yum, apples!” Clyde declared, and attempted to jump high enough to reach a branch. Gray plucked an apple from the tree and popped it into the goat’s mouth.

  “I guess you think they’re safe to eat?” I queried.

  Gray suppressed a smile. “I figured we’d let him test it for us.”

  Clyde spat the remaining apple onto the ground. “Gee, and here I thought we were friends.”

  Gray laughed. “I’m sure it’s fine.” He removed another golden apple and bit into it, demonstrating his point.

  I didn’t wait to see whether any nightmares or fantasies materialized. I was far too hungry. I ripped an apple off the nearest branch and chomped eagerly. It was, hands down, the most delicious apple I’d ever tasted.