Wicked Magic (The Royals: Witch Court Book 2)

by Megan Montero

  Zinnia leapt to my side. “No!”

  “Let them.” I pushed her into Gray’s arms.

  She titled sideways and fell into him. “What?”

  “Let them!” It was the last two words I spoke before Megaera smacked into me and lifted me up off the ground.

  My back slammed into the hard rock face. Jagged edges poked into my skin. Pain shot through my body. Below me, I heard Zinnia screaming my name, but I couldn’t see her. We were too high up. Megaera’s hand was pressed to my neck. I gasped for air. My vision was full of their faces. They all swirled together. Megaera pressed her long nail under my chin forcing me to meet her gaze. “Hold still, young prince. This won’t take long.”

  A viper wound down her arm, slithering toward my face. Its fangs dripped with venom as it opened its jaw wide.

  I tilted my head away. “This wasn’t part of the deal.”

  “A peek for the map.” Megaera gave me a cold smile a moment before the snake struck.

  Its fangs sank into my cheek, and the muscles from my face all the way down to my toes went limp. My body slumped back against the wall, and I was suddenly drowning in my memories. Visions of my mother and her hot cocoa scent swirled together with my punishing training sessions with Blackwing and the first time I’d faced him as a fully-changed phoenix. All the pain of the trials surged through my body as though I was reliving them. And then suddenly, it all stopped, and there she was like a shining light in the darkness…Zinnia. I focused on her bright face. The Furies melted away to nothing. Everything was gone, and I felt as though I was floating. Pictures of all the times she’d caught my eye flashed through my mind, and then a clear vision of the thick band around my wrist that matched the thin band around hers perfectly.

  “Ah, and that is exactly what I am looking for.” Megaera’s voice felt like it came from so far away. “Well done, young prince. Our bargain is struck. Your secret is safe with me…for now.”

  Chapter 26

  Zinnia

  I wanted to climb up the wall after Tucker. Though it was only minutes since he’d been taken, it felt like hours. He’d disappeared out of the reach of the firelight into the darkness above. His muffled bellows were cut off suddenly, and then there was utter silence. I was terrified for him. I glanced down at the blade in my hand, wondering if I should throw it.

  Grayson followed my gaze. “I wouldn’t if I were you.”

  “I know. I could hit him.”

  Ashryn came to stand at my other side. “Yes, but if you cut a Fury, the consequences would be…steep.”

  “Yeah, like under penalty of death.” Nova joined us, completing the circle. “We just have to wait.”

  My body spun toward the door of its own accord. “What is happening?” The others were all moving like robots as we each fought not to be pushed out the door. Yet my legs kept on walking like the march of a wooden soldier. As I was about to go back out the door we came through, I grabbed on to the door jamb and tried to hold myself in the den of Furies. Tucker hadn’t returned, and I was not leaving without him. Nova was the first to be forced out, then Ashryn.

  Grayson held on to the other side of the doorway. “I think we’ve been asked to leave.”

  My legs were flailing wildly, but I still held on. My back slammed into the ground, and I felt like I was being dragged out. I clung to the door jamb by the tips of my fingers. “I’m not leaving without Tucker.”

  One of my hands slipped free. I gritted my teeth. Why would they kick us out this way? What were they doing to him? The thought of Tucker being trapped with those three women made my skin crawl. Not to mention the constant worry I’d been feeling since he left my sight. We’d spent the past few days in constant contact, and now I hated not having him with me. When my other hand slipped free, it was like my body went on autopilot and I shot to my feet. My arms and legs stiffly speed walked me right out the door and back to where we’d left Hades.

  I abruptly stopped short just in front of Hades “What just happened?”

  He shrugged. “My guess is the Furies were done with you.”

  I spun on my heels and marched back toward the large double doors. When I smacked into an invisible barrier, a scream of frustration bubbled up my throat. “How do I get back in?”

  “You don’t.”

  I jabbed a finger at Hades. “That is not an answer. You’re Hades. Get me back in there.”

  “I don’t think you want back into the Fury den. Especially once they’ve expelled you out.” He stepped to the side and waved to a new set of five more hideous chairs, each one more broken down than the other. “Now, which one do you hate the most?”

  “Ugh! What is it with you and these stupid chairs?” I threw my hands up. “Tuck is still in there, and either you help me get him back or so help me I will level that whole place.”

  I gathered my magic around me, letting it swirl up my legs around my body and down my arms. The ground began to shake, and I relished the feel of it. A long crack opened from where I stood all the way back to the doors to the Fury den at least a hundred yards away.

  Nova darted to my side. “Zinnia, stop!”

  “Why?” My hair blew back away from my face.

  “Shouldn’t Tabi’s powers have drained out of her by now?” Nova turned toward Ashryn. “Shouldn’t they have?”

  Ashryn canted her head to the side. “Yes.”

  I didn’t feel them leaving me any time soon. I raised my hands over my head, about to open that crack even wider.

  Hades jumped in front of me and grabbed my hands. “I wouldn’t do that.”

  “Too bad I don’t care.” Tucker was trapped in there, and I’d do whatever it took to get him back. He might not feel the same way about me as I did about him, but I didn’t care. I wanted him back, and I wanted him back now! Silver streams of my magic shot up from my fingers. A brown scroll appearing in my grasp, quelling my magic for a second.

  Hades took a step back. “Looks like your boy held up his end of the bargain.”

  I lowered my arms and held the paper close to my chest. “Then where is he?”

  The doors to the Fury den creaked open, and Tucker strode out towards us. I’d never seen him so worn. He didn’t hold his head up with his shoulders back the way he normally did. He trudged toward us with his head hanging low and his shoulder hunched forward. Strands of his dark hair fell into his eyes, and his lips were pressed into a hard line. When he walked up in front of me, he didn’t give me that cocky grin I’d grown so attached too. His eyes were laser-focused on the rolled-up paper in my hand. “Did you get it?”

  I held it up. “Yeah, I think so.”

  “You think so?” He reached out and plucked it from my hands. “Let’s check, shall we?”

  “Are you okay? What happened in there?” When I placed my hand on his arm, he stiffened and looked at it as if it would burn him.

  “Nothing, I’m fine.” His cold demeanor sent a clear message…he wasn’t talking about it.

  Yeah, we’ll be talking about it later. For now, I let him turn our focus toward the map. When he unfurled it, there were three spots marked on it with golden symbols. One was a small key, one was a lock and one was just a dot that jumped all over the place. I sucked in a breath…Mom. I poked a finger on the moving spot. “That has to be the island.”

  Tucker nodded. “I think so.”

  Grayson leaned over my shoulder. “What’s that there? A key?”

  “It’d make sense for the vault to have a key.” Tucker pointed to another spot on the map. “So, we have to go here first.”

  I wanted to go after my mother right way, but then we’d lose the element of surprise. If we were going to free the dragon, then we could get her at the same. Patience was not one of my virtues, but for her, I would make sure I was more than ready. Because when it came to rescuing her, there would be no second chances.

  I grabbed the corner of the map and squinted at the glowing key symbol. “Is that in Seattle?”

 
Hades grabbed the map from Tucker’s hand and sighed. “It’s the Space Needle, to be exact. Damn it.”

  “Why damn it?” I didn’t want him to have his hands on that paper any longer than necessary. I reached out and gently took it from his hands, then folded it and handed it back to Tuck, where I knew it’d be safe.

  “Because the Space Needle isn’t just a building. It’s a combination lock, which means the people who I thought owned it have been evicted without knowing it, and now Alataris has taken it for his own.” Hades stabbed his hands in his hair. “Matteaus is going to be pissed.”

  “But why?” I had to know what we were up against and who else would be involved.

  “Never you mind that, you all have to get to Seattle and get that key.” Hades placed two fingers in his mouth and gave a loud whistle.

  “But we don’t even know where to look for it. It could be anywhere in the Space Needle.” The ground began to shake once more, and it sounded like a stampede was heading right toward us.

  “The top of it is a combination. Figure that out and you’ll get the key.” He turned his back toward us and put his hands on his hips as though he was waiting for something.

  I grabbed Tucker’s arm. “We don’t even know how we’re going to get there.” The ground shook so hard I had to hold my other hand out to keep my balance. “We need to get out of here before whatever that is gets here.”

  Hades called over his shoulder. “You said you were going to need a ride. Well, I’ve got one for you.”

  A dog the size of a Mack truck thundered into view, only this one had three large heads. Its fur was so black it’d be impossible to see at night. Drool dripped from each of its mouths and fell to the ground in sticky puddles.

  I took a small step back and shook my head. “You want me to ride that thing to Seattle?”

  The dog towered over Hades by at least two stories. Its teeth had to be the size of trees. Yet when Hades held his hand up, the dog flipped over onto its back. Its tongues hung out of the side of its mouths. When he wagged his tail the ground shook with a thump, thump, thump.

  “He’s not a thing.” Hades climbed up onto its stomach and used his whole body to scratch it. “He’s a good boy, isn’t he?”

  The dog’s back leg kicked back and forth like Hades was hitting the right spot. As he wriggled over the ground dirt and dust floated up off the ground and billowed out toward us. This wasn’t a guardian to the gates of the underworld, this was a way over grown puppy.

  I hesitated. “Tuck, I don’t know if I can do this.”

  Hades jumped down and landed right in front of me. “You said you all need to get to Seattle quickly. Well, the underworld has tunnels all over the world. Cerberus here knows them all.”

  The middle head was panting so hard I was enveloped in hot dog breath so strong it blew my hair from my face. Behind Hades, the head on the right drooled a wad of slobber the size of a boulder. It fell to the ground with a squishy sound. I barely stopped myself from gagging.

  Tucker sighed. “I don’t see any other way.”

  Hades clapped his hands together. “That’s right, everyone up.”

  Well crap…

  Chapter 27

  Tucker

  I stood behind Zinnia and placed my hands on her hips. When she leaned back into me, I couldn’t help but wonder when the Furies were going to use my secrets against me or the rest of the queens. It could break the whole crew apart, and they needed me. She needed me.

  Zinnia brushed her hair over her shoulder and looked up at me with those dazzling sapphire eyes. “I’m not ready for this.”

  “You are.” She was the strongest girl I’d ever known. I lifted her up over my head and placed her on the back of Cerberus’ right head. “Make sure you hold on to the collar, okay?”

  She swallowed, then nodded. I didn’t want to leave her side, but I had to make sure Nova was loaded up on the left head of Cerberus. I took one step toward her, and a large tongue ran up my back. Ugh, perfect. My hair had to be standing on end, and the back of my jacket felt soaked. I didn’t dare take a whiff of myself. After being tossed around in the underworld and given a tongue bath by a three headed dog there was no way I smelled good. I lifted my hand and ran my fingers under the chin of the middle head, where Ashryn was already on board and ready to go.

  I gave her a thumbs up. “Are you good to go?”

  She reached forward and patted Cerberus on the head. “This creature is wonderful.”

  “Yeah, well, you’re driving, so don’t steer us wrong.”

  She pressed her hand to her chest. “I would never.”

  I patted Cerberus just under his ear, the strands of his fur were as long as my arm. “Good.”

  I strolled over to where Grayson was about to help Nova up. He held his hands out in front of him. “Up you go, Nova.”

  Without hesitation, she placed her foot in Grayson’s waiting hands and stepped up as if she was mounting a horse. She threw her leg over and settled herself in behind the dog’s big floppy ears. For the first time this whole trip, a wide smile spread across her face.

  I leaned up against Cerberus’ side. The soft fur tickled the back of my neck and arms. “You all set?”

  “More than ready. This is so cool.” She laced her fingers around one of the threads of the collar.

  When I turned to head back toward Zinnia, I found Grayson walking over to her. Enough was enough of this. I strode after him. There was no way he was going to ride with Zinnia. As he reached up about to hoist himself behind her, I grabbed on to his arm and pulled him back down. “You can ride with Nova.”

  His lips tilted up in a half smirk. “Is that so?”

  “That is so.” I crossed my arms over my chest, remaining unmoved. If he wanted to challenge me over this, then bring it on, baby leech. I was getting close to drawing a line in the sand. If he wanted to try to cross it, then so be it.

  “You sure you want to?” He glanced up at Zinnia. “I really don’t mind, you know? She’s quite fit.”

  I curled my hands into fists. She’s quite fit? I’m not going to hit him, I’m not going to hit him. For years, I’d worked on keeping my emotions hidden. This would be no different. “I’m sure.”

  Grayson shrugged, then patted me on the shoulder. “Just remember hands to yourself, mate.”

  Was he for real? “Just remember it’s none of your business where my hands go.” I squatted low, then jumped up and landed right behind Zinnia.

  “Whoa!” She startled and tilted to the side. Her body began to slowly slid to the side. “Oh no. Whoa, whoa, whoa.”

  Before she could slide all the way off, I reached out and grabbed her arm and pulled her upright. Her back pressed in my chest, and her long hair tickled over my cheek. “Thanks.”

  Her breaths came in panicked puffs. I leaned in close to her ear. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

  When I wound my arms around her waist, she let her hands rest on my forearms. She pressed her fingers into my skin. “Don’t let me go.”

  “Never.” Though she probably suspected I meant while we rode this big ass dog, I meant it for so much longer after that.

  Hades strolled out in front of us. “He knows where he’s going. Just hold on. If you fall off, well, I’ve already fulfilled my duties to The Fallen, so you are on your own, my friends.” He gave us a mocking salute, then disappeared into thin air.

  Cerberus took off like a shot. Zinnia’s whole body pressed against me. Her back melted to my chest, her thighs rubbed mine and her warm vanilla scent surrounded me. We were moving so quickly my hair blew back from my face. This close to her, I couldn’t stop myself from brushing her hair from her neck and running my fingers down her cheek. She leaned into my touch. I wanted it to be like this always. With her by my side. But if anyone found out about us being soulmates, it could all end in the blink of an eye. When she rested her hand on my thigh, my heart leapt up into my chest and I could barely breath. I held still. I just wanted it to last
a bit longer.

  “Woohoo!” Grayson whooped from the other side of the dog, drawing me back to the present.

  “Nearly there.” Ashryn tilted her body to the side, and Cerberus turned and ran down a long tunnel. Nearly there? No, not yet! I’d only had a moment with her this close to me. Up ahead, there was a pinprick of light that seemed to grow bigger and bigger each second. Cerberus yelped and jumped like a puppy. His tail smacked the walls of the tunnel each time he wagged it. Drops of drool flew back from his oversized jowls. Each one splattered over the ground and walls with a sickly sounding splat.

  The light at the end of the tunnel grew so big I knew my few moments with Zinnia were nearly over. I knew the others couldn’t see us, so I wrapped my arm around her waist and hugged her closer. My heart raced in my chest from having her this close to me. Cerberus skidding to a halt sounded like the nails on his paws were grinding against hardwood floors. I dropped my hand away from her and instantly regretted the distance between us as I slid off to the side.

  From on top of Cerberus, she looked down at me with a bright smile. Her sapphire eyes danced with excitement, and she looked every bit the queen she was. “Well, that was…interesting.”

  “Wasn’t it?” I lifted my hand up, offering it to her.

  Zinnia kicked her leg over and slid down the side of Cerberus into my waiting arms. “Are we here?”

  Grayson ran up beside her and lifted her up out of my arms and spun her around. “Wasn’t that fun?” His windblown hair fanned out around his eyes making his eyes look even wider with exhilaration.

  “Um, yeah it was.” She tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. As Grayson wrapped his arm around her shoulder and guided her out toward the opening of the tunnel, Zinnia hesitated only a moment, then went along with him.

  I gritted my teeth. How could there still be something between them? Were they just friends, or were they more? The jealousy and curiosity was killing me. Part of me knew Gray was a great guy. The other part of me didn’t give a crap. I wanted to yank his arm away from her. I wanted to stop them from being together. But I had a destiny to fulfill, and if I did my job the right way, she and I could be together…if she still wanted me by then.