Forged from Flame

by Kasey Mackenzie

My lips curved in a pleased smile from the simple pleasure of bantering with my sister. I don’t think I would ever get tired of thinking or saying my sister—or brother. They were literally the only two things I could actually thank Garret for providing. Not that he’d done it for us, or that he’d had a hand in the raising of us. My suspicions were that the two whose lives he had been involved in from fairly early on had a high probability of being screwed up. Or evil.

  Probably both, I thought with a small yawn.

  Jake checked his watch. “You have time for another nap if you want. Over 50 minutes until the fourth check-in.”

  I stretched slightly and considered whether it would be better to catch another catnap or just stay awake. In my previous life, naps had only occurred when I was sick. Now, the pressures my magical abilities placed on my physical body meant I could nap at the drop of a hat, given half a chance. My mouth opened to say I’d take just one more nap when all of a sudden sheer, blind panic gripped me by the throat. My fingers clawed at my neck as suffocating pressure squeezed until my vision went black.

  Jake and Dia reacted immediately, but they couldn’t fight an unseen enemy. I realized that I couldn’t either, since the attack wasn’t actually against me. Bianca was sending me panicked impressions through the liegebond.

  I managed to gasp out, “Garrett’s found Bianca again, and he’s strangling her to get my attention. I have to jump there using Spirit or they’re dead!”

  Jake gave a grim nod. “Do it. We’ll watch over your body.”

  The jump into the nearest band of Spirit and out of the band closest to Bianca was dizzying as ever but swift, given her physical proximity. Garrett must have eased up just enough for her to catch a lifesaving breath, because she was fully conscious as my own psychic presence stared down at her body on the living room floor of the lake house. Nic, Liam, and Avani were frantically trying to figure out what was wrong, helpless to do anything more active since she was still breathing and didn’t need CPR. They couldn’t see the bands of Spirit once again wrapped around Bianca’s throat—but I could.

  Rage such as I hadn’t felt in ages swept me in its grip. I’d warned him not to do this again. He took my own burgeoning Mindbending skills so lightly that he dared attack one of my liegesworn—pregnant with his own twin children—twice in a 24-hour period!

  He became aware of my own presence at the same instant I locked onto his. ((Ah, there you are, daughter. For a moment, I started to worry.))

  His words only further incensed me. ((I warned you that I would protect those I love or who swear allegiance to me. Let me say this again since you didn’t get the message last time. Do not invade the mind of another of my liegesworn or myself without invitation. Understood?))

  His mental tone took on a patronizing bent. ((You belong to me as much as these liegesworn you claim belong to you. Might makes right, little girl, and I will go wheresoever I plea—))

  ((Wrong answer, asshole.))

  All five elements responded to my command thanks to my borrowing the Elemental hands of Nic, Liam, and Avani to augment my own. I imposed my will upon Bianca’s immediate surroundings, igniting a first-level firewall around her body. The three other Elementals yelped and leapt back.

  ((Sorry,)) I sent into Nic’s mind. ((I can’t split my attention but keep them back while I deal with Garrett.))

  Relieved acceptance crossed Nic’s face, and he gave a tight grin. He placed a hand on Liam’s arm and tugged him back even further, whispering into his ear. Liam gave a fierce smile of his own and nodded. Avani shadowed their steps, eyes focused on Bianca.

  Spirit swirled as I added it to the firewall, increasing it to second-level. I knew that for the other Elementals, Bianca had just disappeared from view. My warning kept them from panicking. Bianca’s gaze remained a heart-breaking mixture of terrified and hopeful. I spared a moment to reassure her nonverbally and then I struck. The bands of Spirit Garrett had wrapped around Bianca’s throat became mine to control as my amped-up firewall shoved his psychic presence away from Bianca with shattering force. His shock and awe filtered through the bands of Spirit I’d hijacked. Time to teach him a lesson he wouldn’t soon forget.

  Ruthlessly, I used the hijacked Spirit to search through Bianca’s psyche, seeking whatever insidious toehold Garrett must have managed to conceal, even after she’d pledged her liegebond to me. My father’s presence began to feel some of the rage that still pounded through my veins, because he made the nearly fatal decision to throw himself against my Spirit-soaked firewall. An expert in channeling Spirit he might be, but he knew nothing of how I could wield all five elements into a powerful new whole.

  That truth was brought home to him with as much brutal force as Jake’s mother and aunt had undeservedly experienced. Sensations of agony and shock reverberated across our temporary connection, providing the helpful knowledge that my amped-up firewalls could cause unspeakable pain on both the physical and psychic planes. My lips curved in vicious satisfaction as I momentarily basked in the much paler echo of suffering that was a small fraction of what he actually did deserve. Oh goody, I found a fringe benefit to my being a genetically-enhanced superfreak.

  Now it was time to send this monster packing.

  ((I warned you not to underestimate me!)) I broadcast toward his mental presence. ((Let’s see how right my might can make this.))

  It took precious moments—each one enacting a magical toll on my body back in the physical realm—but at last I spied the tiny but strong knot of Spirit he had concealed inside another, thinner layer of Spirit, this one designed to appear unobtrusive and discourage viewers from investigating further. An ingenious use I hadn’t tried before, so I clinically made note of it to experiment with later before summoning all four physical elements to augment a band of Spirit stolen from my father. I formed a metaphysical knife and began hacking at the threads of Spirit lodged inside Bianca’s psyche. They resisted at first, but once all five elements touched the pure Spirit, they began eating through it the way my first enhanced firewall had nearly burned Breena and Ju Hai to a crisp.

  Bianca let out a gasp of relief once the layers of Spirit evaporated. I channeled Spirit one more time, strengthening the edges of her psyche frayed by my father’s magical Trojan virus. All at once, the bond between the two of us grew stronger, sharper, more vibrant. At last I understood why our liegebond had seemed less solid than with my siblings. I’d assumed it must have had something to do with their sharing blood ties with me, or for the simple fact I’d carried so much resentment toward Bianca for her past actions. Now, I knew it was because my father had been actively sabotaging the bond since before we’d even formed it.

  I’ll have to make sure Nic and Dia are clean after this. But that would have to wait. My psychic strength was fading fast.

  Fortunately, so was my father’s. What little of his psychic presence had survived contact with my firewall dissipated the moment I destroyed his virus. Leaving behind lingering traces of shock, awe—and for the first time—true fear.

  ((He can’t do that to you ever again, Bianca. I took precautions to prevent it. We have to finish here, but we’ll be home soon. Have the others stay alert.))

  ((Thank you, Cassidy. Thank you so much!))

  For the first time, I felt true affection flowing through our bond. It felt—nice. And reminded me that it was time to let bygones be bygones where she was concerned.

  ((You’re welcome,)) I whispered into her mind, and then I jumped into a band of Spirit and back into my body. Only to discover that I had also jumped from the frying pan into the fire—because several well-armed monks had our second-level firewall surrounded—and were holding a water-soaked Rhianne hostage on the far side of the barrier.

  “Oh bloody hell!” I muttered with what little strength my spiritual battle had left behind. “Can’t I ever catch a break?”

  Chapter 14

  Apparently not, because the obvious leader of the enemy monks was the same man I’d seen channeling
Spirit. Meaning he could likely see past the second-level firewall and knew we were inside it. Jake’s hands settled on my arms as my eyes flashed open, and he helped me stand. I swayed slightly, exhausted from the fight I’d just won against Garrett. There was no way I was up for another fight. Not that it appeared I had much choice in the matter.

  Dia stepped to my other side, lending her support to keep me on my feet. I gave her a grim smile of thanks.

  ((Where’s Isaac?)) I sent to her.

  ((No clue. Hopefully he evaded them. They popped out of nowhere on the beach the second Rhianne appeared. They’ve been standing there about 15 minutes, just waiting.))

  Jeez. No way I would have guessed that fighting my father had taken that long. I could sense her worry for Isaac along with her determination not to show it. Jake’s eyes met mine when I glanced to my right. “Bianca’s safe, as are our brothers and Avani.”

  “Too bad we can’t say the same,” he said with bared teeth.

  “We’ve been outnumbered before,” I reminded him, taking a moment to catch my breath for the coming fight. “And the last asshole who tried to use Rhianne as a hostage against me got his ass kicked up and down.”

  I banished the Spirit from my firewall and pitched my voice loudly enough for our mysterious Mindbender to hear. He flashed a sudden smile as the three of us popped into view for his companions. They showed no outward signs of surprise. Their leader bowed slightly and murmured to the monks holding Rhianne. They released her arms, and I wondered how two seeming humans had been able to subdue her so easily. Which was when I noticed two thick silver bracelets covering her wrists, each engraved with Elemental sigils and crawling with glittering shards of Spirit.

  ((Those bracelets must be using Spirit to block Rhianne’s magic,)) I sent to both Jake and Dia. Their hands tightened on my arms, but they otherwise showed no reaction.

  The Mindbender stepped just to the edge of the now first-level firewall, nodding toward Rhianne. “Please believe I have no intention of using Rhianne as a hostage. The bracers were merely a precaution to protect my people until you returned to your body. Now that you have, we must respectfully request you return to the monastery so we can discuss a few matters.”

  I forced my body to stand straight and radiate strength when what I really wanted to do was pass out for at least 24 hours straight. “And if we respectfully decline your invitation?”

  Steel glinted in his brown eyes. “Then I’m afraid Mr. Harris will remain a guest of ours until you accept.”

  ((Fuck. They do have him,)) Dia sent along the bond. ((Not sure how. Shouldn’t we have seen something?))

  I stared into the Mindbender’s eyes, giving the appearance of seriously considering his words while I established a link to Rhianne instead. ((Do they really have Isaac?))

  She did an admirable job keeping her cool. ((I believe so. We found the spot where Colin’s body must have been, but it turned out to be an illusion. Spirit, I guess. When Isaac touched it, he vanished. These guys claimed Isaac triggered a trap that teleported him to their monastery. And then they were waiting for me when I made my way back to tell you guys what happened.))

  I quickly relayed the information to Jake and Dia while that unsettled feeling returned tenfold. This was definitely looking like a setup—but I wasn’t sure Garcia had anything to do with it despite what my father had claimed.

  “Do we have any assurances of safekeeping should we accept your invitation?” I finally asked out loud.

  The Mindbender bowed again. “We assure you on our word as Hikaru’s Own that no harm shall befall you while on our land, provided you do not cause any to us.”

  That name had me blinking rapidly and readjusting a few assumptions. So these monks weren’t members of the Society of the Sacred Star. And they’d named themselves after one of the Elemental world’s greatest heroes, who’d sacrificed his life to defeat his tyrannical mother. And at least one of their number was a powerful Mindbender who could conceal as well as I could and possibly cast a spell I’d never dreamed possible—teleportation. Somehow these facts didn’t put my mind at ease. Not Stalkers didn’t automatically equal allies.

  But when we got right down to it, they had us in between the proverbial rock and a hard place. They boasted superior numbers, two hostages (no matter their claims otherwise), and a powerful Mindbender; whereas I’d exhausted my own limits by channeling Spirit all night. Still, I wouldn’t play along meekly for this Mindbender any more than I would my father.

  “We likewise pledge to do no harm to your people unless we are first attacked. But let me also assure you that I won’t hesitate to commit kamikaze to see my people safe, if that’s what it takes. And as you can see,” I gestured to my firewall. “I can channel all five elements. I suggest you do not underestimate me.” Unlike my dumbass father.

  The Mindbender flashed another smile. “Please know that is one mistake I won’t ever make. But for now, please follow us.”

  Jake narrowed his eyes and stepped forward slightly. “Just so we’re crystal clear, all three of us will fight to the death if you so much as look at her sideways. And you’ll be first on my personal hit list. I’ve learned several tricks to counteract Spirit from working with my bondmate here.”

  The other man merely bowed his head respectfully. Whether because he wasn’t scared of Jake’s threat or because he was, I couldn’t tell. Better for us if it were the first option, since that’d make him underestimate Jake right before getting his ass kicked. I banished the remaining elements of the firewall, ignoring how exposed that made me feel. A quick glance at Jake’s watch revealed we had an hour before the others expected us back at the top of the hill overlooking the monastery. Although chances were they would notice us being escorted into the place we were supposed to avoid.

  Despite my preference to project strength, there was no way I could make the trek back without support. Jake placed his arm around me and took most of my weight, disguising it as if we were a couple out for a stroll. He also sent a flow of energy through our bond. It helped take the edge off enough for me to walk more normally, but nothing could erase the pure physical toll magic had taken on my body. Only rest would restore me fully.

  The Mindbender’s people—a dozen men and women—scattered to the front and back of our group as he led us away from the beach and onto a paved path winding toward the monastery. Rhianne stepped close to Jake, with Dia still on my left, and we followed the Mindbender silently. No sense in revealing any more than necessary.

  Dia, who’d shown the forethought to gather our belongings, helped Rhianne slip her street clothes back on over her bathing suit as we walked. My mind raced in a way that my body could not while we walked. This group of monks had named themselves Hikaru’s Own. Colin must have known enough about them to choose the lake on their property as the stage for his suicide. Had this Mindbender later found Colin’s body and revived the Dragon himself? Was Colin now a member of Hikaru’s Own? Did they accept Elementals? Were any of those in this group Elementals? That they carried guns and had not yet channeled magic didn’t automatically rule out the possibility. Or had someone else—like Dorian—carted off Colin’s body? But no, someone had placed a Spirit-cloaked illusion of Colin’s body at the bottom of the lake. So that meant my father, this Mindbender, or some other mystery Mindbender had to be involved. Unless…

  My eyes widened and my throat grew dry as that unease hit again. This time I realized why. The clues had always been there, pricking at my subconscious mind, ever since Jake had first told me the sad tale of his brother’s death. But only now did I piece them all together.

  We reached the edge of buildings making up the monastery’s main area, and the Mindbender led us into the largest building directly in the center, a building that bordered the courtyard where I’d earlier observed him channeling Spirit. Perimeter guards had eyed us curiously as we passed but remained at their stations as instructed by our guide. We entered a massive building that seemed more like a school t
han anything. An imposing foyer that displayed Buddhist statues and tapestries led to a long hallway that had ancient weaponry of various origins lining its walls. Footsteps echoed hollowly on wooden floors as we stepped to the end of the corridor.

  Our guide opened intimidating double doors covered in multicolored images of Phoenixes, Dragons, Selkies, and Gryphons. At the top, centermost point of the door stood a fifth creature of myth, this one sending my eyebrows heavenward. On first glance, a five-tailed fox with feminine features bared wicked canines and a look of human intelligence. On second glance, the fox gave way to an Asian woman with a vulpine smile and sharply intelligent expression. The way the figure seemed to shift from one glance to the next reminded me of the magical tattoos all Beholden Clan members—and many Freeholders—obtained as a rite of passage. Bands of glimmering black Spirit writhed around the creature. I recognized her as a kitsune from Japanese mythology thanks to my teenage fondness for anime and Jake’s fondness for art featuring mythological creatures from around the world.

  The Mindbender noticed my fascination and nodded. “Yes, kitsunes are what we chose as the artistic representation of those who can channel Spirit, the fifth element; like we two. Or as most Elementals call them, Mindbenders.”

  I frowned. “But I can channel more than just Spirit.” Jake’s inhaled breath indicated he thought I’d overshared. “I am a Phoenix, not a Mindbender.”

  “You are both,” our guide corrected gently. “As are most who can channel Spirit. Very few can work Spirit alone, and most of them give in to a madness that is just as terrible as the wildness. Spirit allows for the working of magnificent magic, but without a physical element to help filter its effects, it enacts a terrible price.”

  I shivered when I realized he must mean Yukari and Garrett. Their bloodthirsty quest to dominate and destroy could certainly be considered madness. I had already revealed that I could channel more than one physical element. No sense in actual oversharing. Before I could say anything, he ushered us into the large, oval-shaped room, and I forgot that train of thought because chaos broke out and confirmed my earlier suspicion.