by C. L. Bright
“This is the stupidest thing any member of my family has ever done,” Pops grumbled.
I grinned as I looked over at him.
“Why do you look so happy?” he snapped. “You’re about to get yourself killed for some female you barely know. Forget I asked. Your mind is addled.”
I laughed and shook my head. “I’m glad you think of me as family. Laranissa has always been a mother to me, and it’s nice knowing I have more family, especially when nearly every Verdugo has written me off as a traitor.”
“Not the ones who matter. I never much cared for your father. My daughter thinks he may come around and support you eventually, but I don’t know if I believe that.”
“I’m amazed you were able to get her into Azuredale without arousing any suspicion,” I mused. “All it would have taken was one person to question Laranissa’s origins.”
“That part’s easy,” he replied. “Laranissa grew up with her mother away from here. She has roots outside of this settlement, like other spellcasters associated with us.”
“I heard you refer to her mother as your witch, but you aren’t together?”
“I’ve always considered Laranissa’s mother my witch, but she never felt the same connection to me. Our magic isn’t compatible. I’m just a romantic fool.”
“You? A romantic fool?”
He glared at me. “A warlock doesn’t get this irritable without some heartbreak in his past. It’s part of the reason I’m so against you putting your life at risk for this shapeshifter. You’re young.”
“But my situation is different,” I argued. “My magic is already partially bound to Juliet’s.”
“She’s not a witch,” he stated.
“I know, and it shouldn’t be possible based on everything I’ve ever been taught.”
“Have you considered the possibility that this isn’t your magic joining? This could be some connection like the familiar bond. For all you know, she could find a shapeshifter mate. What happens then?”
“Even if it weren’t for Juliet, I can’t abandon Serena,” I pointed out.
He nodded. “What are your plans for Serena? You may find a way to get Juliet back to her home, but I doubt they’ll offer sanctuary to you and Serena.”
“That may not be possible since I’ve heard the protection spell around the Heathergate Refuge will only allow shapeshifters to enter,” I admitted. “For now, the plan is to get Juliet to the Heathergate Refuge. The rebels may be willing to offer me sanctuary.”
These were all things I’d discussed with various members of the leadership council already, but Pops had avoided talking about me leaving in the last week. It seemed he’d saved all his questions for our last few minutes together.
He snorted. “So, you have no solid plan, and yet you’ll risk it all when this shapeshifter may leave you.”
“I’ve seen you talking to her picture, the one I assume is of Laranissa’s mother.”
Pops stopped walking and glared at me. “You’ve been spying on me in the middle of the night?”
“Not intentionally,” I replied. “What would you do if your witch was in danger today? Even knowing she doesn’t consider you her warlock, could you let her die?”
He let out a frustrated breath but didn’t answer my question before he started walking again. “I’m going to be furious if you get yourself killed.”
We both stop walking when we reached the very end of the protected area. This was where we had to say our goodbyes. When I hugged him, Pops hesitated for a heartbeat before hugging me back.
“Take care, son.” He looked over at Sin. “Don’t let anything happen to him, demon, or I’m going to be very angry with you as well.”
She looked up at me, putting her paws on my shins. She was in the form of a much smaller black dog, probably no heavier than ten pounds.
“What is it?” I asked.
Pops chuckled. “She wants you to pick her up. It’s why she picked a smaller form this time.”
“I’m not going to carry you around,” I insisted.
She remained where she was, paws on my shins.
“I don’t think you’re gonna get moving until you pick her up,” Pops stated.
“I can always walk around her,” I reminded him as I scooped up the irritating demon. “Don’t think I’m going to carry you the entire trip,” I told her as I stepped out from behind the veil of magic.
I immediately felt my connection to Juliet and sighed in relief.
Soon, I’d be able to hold her in my arms again.
Chapter 16
Juliet
Two days earlier
I’d been snapping at nearly everyone since my brief connection with Dante. Our separation had become even harder since learning he was coming.
For weeks, I'd dreamt of him.
He consumed my thoughts, driving out any plans to return to the Heathergate Refuge. It’s not that I’d given up on the idea of going home and dealing with my stepmother, but how could I focus on that when I felt as if a piece of my soul had been ripped away from me?
Communicating telepathically while in human form was all new to me. Alaric was the only one other than Dante I’d done that with, and he’d been a wolf at the time. It also hadn’t felt the same as the link I shared with Dante, leaving me with questions and no one to ask.
Would it only work when he was close by?
Had it just been a temporary telepathic link?
I had other questions, but those were the ones that plagued me most. Dante was far from me, yet I’d been able to communicate with him again for a short time.
The relief I felt at knowing he was still alive had brought tears to my eyes. That had been nearly a week ago, and I’d felt nothing since the dark magic had invaded our link.
Every attempt to contact him again was met with a void.
No telepathic communication.
No proof Dante was okay.
I craved the connection to him even more after that brief exchange.
That’s how I found myself sitting as far from the rebel shapeshifter settlement as I could get without angering Alaric. He hadn’t been amused the day I’d ventured too far in cat form, not that I blamed him. He didn’t want me to bring any danger to their community.
“It won’t do you any good to sit around and worry about Dante,” Serena stated as she approached me. Her hair was loose, with black curls falling around her face as she regarded me with silvery-blue eyes that were just like Dante’s.
“I’m not sure there’s anything that will do me any good,” I grumbled.
“Try looking on the bright side,” she suggested.
“Bright side? What bright side?” I asked.
“Dante is still alive,” she replied.
“We don’t know that. He was in danger when he shut down our link again, so there’s no telling if he’s still alive. The magic that touched our connection was darker than anything I’ve ever felt.”
“You need to knock it off, Juliet. I get that you’re worried. I’m worried, but it won’t do you any good to sit around all day trying to connect with Dante. Were you even trying the last time?”
“No,” I admitted.
“Then there’s no reason for you to keep trying,” she stated. “It will happen. Something kept him from reaching out to you before that day, and it must be preventing him again.”
I heard footsteps, so I simply nodded. My telepathic conversation with Dante wasn’t something I wanted to discuss with others. Most of the rebels already didn’t trust me.
“What are you two talking about?” Alaric asked as he approached us.
He had on just a pair of shorts, leaving his torso bare. His light-brown hair was messy, as usual, and his gray eyes were fixed on Serena.
Alaric knew about my last communication with Dante because it hadn’t felt right keeping information about the dark magic that had touched my bond from the rebels. He’d decided it wasn’t a threat and told me to keep the information to mysel
f. Some shapeshifters still didn’t trust us.
He always tried to pretend he was just checking on us or had inadvertently run into us, but I knew the truth; he simply wanted to be around Serena. When we’d first arrived, he’d followed her around, claiming to be worried about her fear of shapeshifters.
Serena had quickly gotten over her fear by spending time around the children. They all gravitated toward her because she was so willing to share spellcaster stories. She was naturally nurturing, and after overcoming her fears, most of the adults no longer intimidated her.
A few still intimidated me.
“Are you listening to us, Juliet?” Serena asked as she waved a hand in front of my face.
I shook my head. “Sorry. My mind wandered. What were you saying?”
“I was reminding you that Dante is a survivor,” Serena replied. “We both need to have faith that he can get himself out of whatever mess he’s in. There’s nothing else you can do.”
“Do you think I’ll ever see him again?” I asked. “Don’t lie to me and tell me what you think I want to hear.”
“Probably not,” Alaric replied.
Serena scowled and swatted his chest with the back of her hand. “Why would you say something like that while she’s already worried?”
“Because it’s the truth,” he replied. “She said she wanted the truth. It’s always possible he just retreated behind whatever wall of magic he’s been hiding behind.”
“That makes sense,” Serena agreed with a nod. “Dante is smart and cautious. He normally is, anyway. I’ll admit he’s behaved a bit recklessly where you’re concerned, Juliet. If something dark touched your bond, he wouldn’t be willing to risk leading the danger to you.”
“I suppose.” I wasn’t convinced, but that explanation gave me some comfort. “He wouldn’t risk my life to contact me.”
“Do you believe that, or are you trying to make yourself feel better?” Alaric asked.
“I don’t know what to think,” I admitted. “There’s this part of me that feels like I’d know if he died. It doesn’t make sense that I feel this way.”
“Nothing about your bond makes sense,” Serena added.
“Do you think that veil of magic he’s hiding behind is the same kind of spell they have around the Heathergate Refuge?” Alaric asked.
“It can’t be exactly the same,” I replied. “The spells that protect my home are designed to only allow shapeshifters to pass.”
“Both spells probably require multiple layers of magic cast by different spellcasters,” Serena added. “These types of protection spells are complex and designed to prevent one spellcaster from betraying the others.”
“That makes sense,” I agreed.
“I don’t know how you can feel safe at the Heathergate Refuge,” Alaric began. “Spellcasters cast those spells, and you can’t trust that one of them won’t betray you. They have no honor.”
I resisted the urge to smack him. Alaric might have developed a fondness for Serena, but he’d yet to learn how to keep his mouth shut regarding his feelings about spellcasters in general.
“Could you try to avoid sounding like such a jerk?” I asked.
Alaric opened his mouth to argue before looking at Serena and flashing her a sheepish smile. “Present company always excluded when I say something like that. How do you know the spellcasters who make the bracelets won’t find a way to make some that allow spellcasters to enter your land without permission?”
“That seems unlikely,” Serena argued.
“Why is that?” Alaric asked.
“They don’t want us to enter the protected areas,” Serena explained.
“That’s what they say,” Alaric told her.
“If you tell me spellcasters have no honor so you can’t trust them, I’ll kick you,” she warned.
“I met one of the spellcasters who makes the bracelets,” I told Alaric. “If the others are anything like Torrent, then I doubt they’d try to help other spellcasters get past the barrier. Torrent knew what I was right away, and he tried to help me.”
“Maybe he was lying about helping you,” Alaric suggested. “He may have planned to turn you in. He could be the one who tipped off your warlock’s brother.”
I shook my head. “Torrent could have turned me in the day I met him. Instead, he kept my secret. I trust him.”
“The Wylders aren’t like other Azurean families,” Serena added. “Unlike the Verdugos, they could have familiars, but not a single member of their family has ever had one to the best of my knowledge. I’ve always gotten the impression they don’t support the practice, though they’ve never spoken out against it. There are rumors that some members of their family went off to live in the woods, preferring a more natural life. I wonder if we could find them and get you a new bracelet, Juliet.”
“I’ve come across the spellcasters living deep within the woods before,” Alaric remarked. “Do you really think they can make those bracelets?”
“It’s possible,” I replied. “Some rumors are just that, while others have more basis in truth.”
“I’ve even heard rumors of the spellcasters deep in the woods being the descendants of those who cast the original spells on the Heathergate Refuge,” Serena remarked.
“Interesting,” I mused. “I wonder if they can help me get you and Dante past the Ivorfalls as well.”
Both were silent for several heartbeats.
“You expect Serena to live among the shapeshifters at the Heathergate Refuge?” Alaric sounded aghast at the idea.
“It’s safer for her there,” I argued.
“I don’t think so,” he scoffed.
“Why?” Serena asked.
“Because I can’t protect you there,” he replied.
“You don’t know how long they’ll let either of us stay here,” I reminded him. “There are plenty here who still aren’t all that happy with our presence. What happens when we’re told to leave?”
“That won’t happen,” Alaric insisted. “You can’t go back to the Heathergate Refuge. You have to know that. There’s no proof these spellcasters in the woods can even help you. It’s just a story. Going to look for them would put you at great risk.”
“I’m not sure you’d be safe at your old home,” Serena added. “Look what they’ve already done to you?”
“It’s probably too late to save your father,” Alaric said with no emotion. “If your stepmother is determined to rule, she must have had plans to kill him. He’s very likely already dead.”
Serena looked furious as she glared at him. “What a horrible thing to say. Juliet already has enough to worry about. Why would you tell her that her father is dead?”
I understood Alaric’s reasons, and I knew he might be right. There was always a chance my stepmother would simply wait until my father handed over the power to my stepbrother. That would be the easiest way to avoid conflict at the Heathergate Refuge, but she might not be as concerned with conflict if she had enough shapeshifters backing her. These were all things I’d considered over the last few weeks.
I put a hand on Serena’s arm. “It’s okay. I’ve been coming to terms with the fact that my father may be dead. This is about more than my father—it’s about my people. I am meant to be their leader, but Alaric is right about you. I think it will be safer for you at the Heathergate Refuge, but it might be risky going to find the Spellcasters who can help with the bracelets. Perhaps I should do this alone.”
She snorted. “Don’t start with that. I’m not helpless. What about Dante? How will he find you if you’re off looking for these spellcasters?”
“I plan to find Dante first,” I assured her. “After that, I’m going to do whatever it takes to become the leader my father said I was born to be.”
“It’s safer for you here,” Alaric said with an exasperated sigh. “Leaving is risky and foolish.”
“This isn’t where I belong,” I told him. “If my people won’t allow me to return with Dante, then I’l
l leave, but not before I make sure my stepmother can’t cause any more problems.”
“And what about your stepbrother?” Serena asked. “You hardly ever talk about him.”
“Ellis is still a child.” I felt sadness wash over me. “We don’t know each other as well as we should, considering we’ve lived together since his birth. Part of it has to do with the eight-year age gap, but there’s also the fact that my stepmother coddled him and kept him away from me whenever possible. I can’t imagine he knows what his mother’s done.”
“If you aren’t close to him, then you have no way of knowing he doesn’t want you dead,” Alaric pointed out.
“I hate to say it, but Alaric is right,” Serena added. “I have no doubt Nicolas would have killed Dante if that’s what it took to get ahead.”
“Ellis isn’t like Nicolas,” I insisted. “He’s not cruel. I just know my brother isn’t involved with any of this. We may never be close, but he doesn’t want me dead.”
“I hope you’re right,” Serena whispered. “What are you going to do if you can’t bring Dante or me back with you to the Heathergate Refuge?”
“I don’t know yet,” I admitted. “Maybe Dante will have some ideas.”
“You need to accept that you may never see Dante again,” Alaric stated.
I shook my head. “No, I won’t give up on Dante. He’s not dead, and we will be together.”
Chapter 17
Over the next couple of days, I tried to gather information about the mysterious spellcasters in the woods.
If nothing else, it kept me from spending all day obsessing over Dante. I wasn’t sure how much of what I’d been told I could believe. Some shapeshifters claimed to have seen them and gotten close enough to listen in on conversations, but no one could tell me with any certainty if they would be able to help me.
Some of the stories I’d heard sounded too farfetched to be true, especially the talk of alliances with demons. That had come from two older shapeshifters we’d just left.
