by Quinn Loftis
“Cab is on its way,” Sly said.
They stood under the tall, buzzing streetlight just past the motel. Z and Sly hadn’t said a word since she’d spouted out the psychopath babble. She supposed it was something odd to say in everyday conversation. But to Jewel it was interesting. She’d always loved to learn anything and everything. She’d gone through a phase when she’d read anything she could on the brain and how it worked, especially in regards to tendencies of the mentally ill, including sociopaths and psychopaths. It was fascinating to her. Her mom had been a little creeped out when she’d gone through that phase and had been quite relieved when she started reading books about natural disasters. She’d watched a documentary on hurricanes and had become enamored with that subject and out went the psychopaths.
The cab pulled up, and Jewel pushed away the old memories. She felt as though they’d occurred a lifetime ago, rather than just a couple of years. It was as if those memories had no place in the life she now lived.
They loaded up in the cab, and Sly told the driver to head to the airport. She and Anna still had no clue as to where they were going. Jewel wondered, probably a little too late, if they should trust the warlocks to lead them in the right direction. But she still felt the pair were allies rather than enemies. She didn’t get an evil vibe from either of them. But there had to be some reason they were working for Volcan. He must have had some sort of leverage over the warlocks, which she totally understood, because he had leverage over her as well. And it sucked.
The airport was bustling, even at this late—or early—hour, depending upon how you wanted to look at it. They checked their bags and got their tickets from a kiosk, and that was when Anna and Jewel finally found out where they were going.
“Salem, Massachusetts?” Jewel asked, a deep V appearing in her forehead as she frowned. “You do realize that, more than likely, all those historical witch hunts were done in vain. Those women probably weren’t actually witches.”
Z chuckled. “Sometimes having too much knowledge blinds you to the truth, Jewel. It can make you trust in only what you can see, what you can verify. But you should realize by now, there’s a lot more to this world than can be quantifiably measured. And legends aren’t built on lies. Exaggerations and embellishments, maybe. But there is always a morsel of truth mixed into the myth. It’s just a matter of being willing to find that truth,” Z said. “Take my word for it. The witches were real, at least some of them.”
Jewel couldn’t argue with that, especially since she’d been undeniably introduced to the supernatural world, a world she thought only existed in books and movies.
Anna shrugged. “It’s not like we have any other ideas at the moment.”
Jewel couldn’t argue with that either.
They queued up for the security checkpoint, and Jewel nearly laughed when a TSA agent pulled Anna out to be patted down, as if the girl looked like a dangerous terrorist. When they finally got to their terminal, they had five minutes to spare before their boarding time.
While the others found seats to wait, Jewel remained standing. She was too antsy, that’s what her mom would call it, and she needed to be moving. Jewel could feel Volcan’s magic in her, the darkness pulling at her own will to do what he wanted. She felt as though her body was being highjacked, and she was fighting with all she had to remain in control of her own will. Her eyes were restless, constantly scanning the environment around her, and her jaw was clenched so tightly it hurt. When the flight attendant began calling seat rows to board, she let out a relieved sigh. But her reprieve was short-lived because now she was going to confined to a tiny seat in a narrow rectangle packed in with a bunch of strangers.
Jewel cursed herself. She was being ridiculous, and she knew it. That was the frustrating part. She was aware of her behavior and she knew it was irrational, but the knowledge didn’t help her stop. Her restlessness had to be caused by Volcan’s magic at work in her. From what she’d learned about gypsy healers, they were pure, all light, goodness, and selflessness. Volcan had forced his dark blood into her veins, and now her light magic was mixing with his dark magic like a white blood cell fighting off an infection trying to invade the body. How could she possibly feel okay or function normally when all of that was going on inside of her?
Jewel startled when she felt a nudge on her arm. She swung her head around to see Anna staring back at her with raised brows and a slightly opened mouth.
“They called our row,” Anna said quietly, as if she didn’t want to spook her.
Jewel nodded and let out the breath she’d been holding. “Okay, yeah, I’m good.”
When the plane was finally full and the last passenger on, the door was closed and the plane began its taxi to the runway.
“Did you know eighty percent of plane crashes occur either within three minutes of takeoff or eight minutes of a scheduled landing,” Jewel said, just before the flight attendant began her presentation on how to use the safety gear.
“Did you really have to tell me that right before we take off?” Anna asked.
Jewel felt her face flush. “Sorry. Sometimes the facts come out of my mouth before my brain has registered what I’m about to say.”
Anna quirked an eyebrow at her. “I really wish Peri was here to respond to that statement. I have a feeling it would be something along the lines of, ‘Are you sure you’re a genius because that kind of behavior generally happens among the hopeless stupid?’”
Jewel laughed and it felt good, as if that little act of showing delight somehow pushed the darkness back a bit, at least for the time being.
Chapter 7
“When the Great Luna created us, she had a specific plan in mind for her people. We were given the soul of the wolf, which carries with it loyalty, strength, and a need for a strong pack connection. She gave us the soul of a human, so that we could have higher cognitive abilities, more complex understanding, and control over impulsive choices. She blessed us with the possibility of finding a mate whose strengths and weaknesses would complement our own. As wonderful as all those things are, I think she forgot one critical ingredient—patience. Waiting for this mate that will complete the other half of my soul is unbearable.” ~Nick, Beta, Canada pack
Nick glared at the djinn standing across from him in the sparring circle. Thadrick had sought him out and suggested they spar. It sounded like a good idea at the time. “Note to self.” Nick grumbled. “Never spar with a djinn. Ever.”
Thadrick chuckled. “I heard that.”
“Ask me if I care,” Nick taunted.
The djinn tsked at him, which only served to infuriate the wolf.
Thadrick lunged at him but turned a split second before he would have made contact and was suddenly behind Nick with a dagger pointed at his neck—kill shot.
“Why are we doing this again?” Nick asked. “There is no way I can defeat you. You are much faster and stronger. So what’s the point?”
“The point, boy,” Thadrick said coolly, “is to become a well-rounded fighter in both of your forms. You are correct. You will never be able to conquer me. But you can improve your speed and technique by sparring with someone superior to you.”
“He shouldn’t have to explain that to you, Nick,” Drayden, his Alpha, barked at him.
Nick glanced over at him and lowered his eyes before looking back at Thadrick. “Alright, I get your point. Let’s go again.”
Over and over, Thadrick bested him, but now it only made Nick want to try harder. He could tell after several hours of sparring that he’d made progress. His reaction time was getting quicker. A few times, Thadrick had allowed Nick to attack first, to shake things up a bit, allowing the wolf to see the djinn’s defensive maneuvers.
When Nick’s legs, literally, gave out and he found himself on his knees, he knew it was time to bow out. His breathing was heavy, and sweat poured off of him as though he was standing under the spray of a shower.
“I concede,” Nick said, looking up at Thadrick. The infuri
ating djinn didn’t even look winded.
Thadrick reached down, holding out his arm. He was offering his opponent help and respect at the same time. Nick reached up and clasped his hand around Thadrick’s forearm. The djinn mirrored the hold and pulled the younger man to his feet. To be offered a warrior’s grasp was no small thing. It is only done between comrades, and only those held in high esteem.
“You did well, Nick, Beta of the Canada pack,” Thadrick said with an old-world bow. “Not many wolves can spar with a djinn for four hours. It proves your Alpha takes your training very seriously.”
“That’s just a nice way of saying he’s a hard ass,” Nick said as he looked over his shoulder at his Alpha, who’d watched the entire practice session.
“And you are a better wolf because of it,” Drayden said.
Nick couldn’t deny that. Drayden was a good Alpha.
“Thanks for the spar,” he told Thadrick. If nothing else, the focus he’d been required to maintain during the fight had helped Nick not obsess over his mate for those four hours. A reprieve that was both needed and loathed at the same time.
As he walked towards Peri’s house, which had become their temporary home, he saw his Alpha join him from the corner of his eye.
“How you holding up?” Drayden asked.
Nick knew he wasn’t asking about his physical health. “I haven’t gone on a killing spree.”
His Alpha laughed. “That is always a good thing. You’ll let me know if it gets to be too much. I don’t just mean now. I mean when they get here and we are stuck only able to see and hear them. If that begins to make your wolf feral, you will tell me.” It was a command, one with Drayden’s power attached to it, and Nick wouldn’t be able to disobey.
“It is imperative that we control our wolves. The Great Luna has chosen this time to reveal these healers and bring them to us for a reason. All of this, everything that’s happening, it’s bigger than us. Even those who are here and have not found their true mates are at risk for giving into the darkness. Volcan knows the importance of true mates and of the healers. He will exploit that if he can.”
Nick nodded his agreement but didn’t speak. His Alpha had said all there was to say. They had to remain united. The males must be patient in waiting for their mates. They had to be willing to make sacrifices. Unfortunately, that was all easier said than done.
Ciro stared out over the picturesque landscape of the fae realm. He saw rolling hills and meadows enclosed by strong, breathtaking trees. It looked like something found in a fairy tale book for children. But regardless of how beautiful it was, he still thought his own villa in Italy, surrounded by beautiful vineyards, was the most beautiful landscape anywhere. He missed it. He missed his pack and the day-to-day workings that came with being an Alpha. Perhaps he was simply too old to embrace change. His wolf rumbled inside of him. Mate, he said. Ciro nodded. Yes, we will have to embrace change when we finally claim our mate. He agreed with the thoughts his wolf was conveying to him.
Lucian’s scent hit him before Ciro saw the other wolf. “If you’ve come to see if I’m turning feral, you need not worry, old friend,” Ciro said.
Lucian folded his arms across his chest as he stepped up beside Ciro and surveyed the same landscape for several minutes before speaking. “I have to admit that I am curious as to how a wolf as old as you are has been able to keep the darkness at bay for so long. Much younger wolves than you have succumbed.”
It wasn’t the first time Ciro’s age had been addressed in connection with the darkness that grows inside of all mate-less Canis lupus. And until the Great Luna had come to him, he hadn’t ever had an explanation for it. And though now he understood, the reason was extremely personal. The Great Luna had told him that his mate had endured some truly disturbing things in her short life. Because of that, she’d chosen someone for her who would have unlimited patience. She had chosen a male that would be willing to wait any amount of time it would take for her to feel safe with him. And because she needed a male with that much long suffering, she’d made Ciro age much slower than others of his kind, which caused the darkness to spread slower as well. He wouldn’t share all of this with Lucian, so he gave the only answer that would still keep his mate’s privacy intact.
“It has been the will of the Great Luna,” Ciro answered. “She is the creator, and I am the created. Who am I to question her? She has called me to trust and obey. I will strive to do just that.”
Lucian’s lips tilted up ever so slightly in what might have been a smile. “Your answer makes it clear why she chose you. You are a man of integrity, Ciro. Men such as you are few and far between. The five healers that have been revealed to us have experienced men with no integrity, no respect, and no selflessness. Each of the males she has chosen for those healers are exactly what they need.”
“Now if we could just get to them.” Ciro growled.
“We will. In the meantime, we can take comfort in knowing that the pixie king will protect them with his life. They are safe.”
“Gustavo is with them. That could be a good thing, but it could also be a very bad thing,” Ciro pointed out.
“Yes,” Lucian agreed. “But, Sorin, Adam, Crina, and Elle are all formidable warriors. If Gustavo succumbs to the darkness before he can claim Anna, they will be able to deal with him.”
“So, for now, we wait.” Even as patient as he was, Ciro was still an Alpha wolf, with the drive to protect those who were under his care. Doing nothing was not in the genetic makeup of any Canis lupus male.
“We wait for the right time to act.” Lucian paused and took in a deep breath. “I have a feeling there is much going on that we do not understand. But we have to be smart as we hunt our prey. Volcan is powerful. He’s proven that he’s knowledgeable as well. If we run into battle rashly, we will not walk away unscathed, if we walk away at all.”
“I agree. Speaking of waiting, have you seen Dillon’s Beta, Dalton?” Ciro asked.
“Yes, he’s in mourning,” Lucian said, sounding just as concerned as he felt.
Ciro’s wolf growled. “He’s pining for his mate as if she’s lost to him. He’s lost weight, he’s reclusive, and he rarely phases from his wolf skin. I know it is not my place to question Dillon, but…”
“I can,” Lucian finished for him.
Ciro nodded. “You can and he won’t respond as though you’re challenging him. Right now, our wolves recognize you as the Alpha of this impromptu pack. He will treat you as such.”
“I will talk with Dillon. He’s a good Alpha, but he knows of Dalton’s history, and that may be why he’s giving the wolf leniency.”
“If Dalton continues like this, he will need to be caged and given an Alpha command to eat. He is of no help to his mate if he’s as weak as a newborn pup.”
Lucian didn’t say anything more. Ciro had made his point. He’d debated going to Dillon himself, but Dillon would be insulted and possibly see it as a challenge. They didn’t need to begin fighting amongst themselves. If they started that nonsense, they might as well wave the white flag of surrender to Volcan.
“Did you see Thadrick sparring with Nick?” Lucian asked, changing the subject to something much lighter.
Ciro nodded and smiled. “I’ve never sparred with a djinn,” he admitted.
“Not many have. They are rather aloof. Thadrick, I think, has gotten bored and is curious about what he’s been documenting for the supernatural history books. It’s been an interesting couple of years.”
“And bound to only get more interesting.”
Of that, Ciro had no doubt.
Dalton’s wolf did not like the djinn. Then again, Dalton’s wolf pretty much hated anyone that wasn’t Jewel. Apparently, he decided that everyone else was not worth the dirt his paws tread on. There were moments Dalton agreed.
“Dalton Black.”
Thadrick’s voice carried on the wind as he traversed the steep hill upon which Dalton had momentarily paused in all his wandering. He didn’t like
the way the man said his name, as though he were familiar. The fact that Dalton, all the supernaturals for that matter, was familiar to the centuries-old, all-knowing djinn pissed his wolf off more. The djinn, keeper of their history, knew the pasts of all the supernaturals. How the legendary creatures managed such a feat, he didn’t know.
As soon as Thadrick was standing next to him, the wolf’s hackles rose. Dalton wanted to laugh when he let the wolf have some control, and the beast flopped onto his side like a bored cat.
Thadrick simply stared down at him. “It takes much more than that to insult me, wolf.”
Dalton let out a hrrumph.
“It has been a very long time since I have been in the company of other supernaturals,” Thadrick said, obviously deciding to ignore Dalton’s cold-shoulder act. “Seeing what happens in my mind’s eye is not the same as being present. I will admit that this present-ness is taxing for me at times. The very air is charged with the emotions emanating off of each of you.”
Dalton raised his head just a bit and looked up at Thadrick.
The djinn chuckled. “Yes, there is much you do not know about my kind. There is a reason we record and protect our history. Those reasons are also the reason we are rarely seen among other supernaturals.” He tilted his head slightly and frowned at Dalton. “I suppose I could share some of those reasons. You don’t exactly look like the poster wolf for healthy Canis lupus everywhere. More than likely, you’ll be dead before you have the strength to share with anyone else what I’m about to tell you.”
Do djinn taste good? Dalton’s wolf asked him.
Like chicken, Dalton responded. His wolf found amusement in the man’s response. Perhaps the djinn was of some use if he could get his wolf to feel anything other than despair.
“Are you listening?” Thadrick said, sounding very put out. “At least pretend to be riveted by my confessions. As I was saying,” he continued, “when I touch another supernatural, I can feel what they are feeling.”
