Burned by Magic: a New Adult Fantasy Novel (The Baine Chronicles Book 1)

by Walt, Jasmine

  I turned the key in the lock on my apartment door, then flopped down on the purple corduroy couch just inside the living room and stretched out. I’d only moved in four days ago, so the walls were still bare of decorations and boxes still needed to be unpacked, but the place was mine and I was happy with it.

  I’d briefly considered moving into Roanas’s house, as I’d found out that he’d left it to me in his will. In fact, I’d spent my first two days of real freedom roaming the place, packing up things in boxes, smiling and crying as I looked through photo albums. But in the end I hadn’t been able to do it – the ghost of his presence would have haunted me forever if I’d stayed there, and I’d never be able to move on. I needed my own space, my own life.

  “Delivery service!” an unfamiliar voice called, jolting me out of my morose thoughts. I sat up, apprehension and curiosity warring within me. I wasn’t expecting a package from anyone, but the freckled face of a young boy wearing a green and white uniform peered up at me as I peeked through the peephole, confirming that he was from Solantha’s main courier service.

  “Hello,” I said as I opened the door. As I moved to take the package, the courier’s scent hit me, and I stiffened.

  It was Rylan.

  “Hey, cousin.” He tapped a gold pin on the collar of his polo shirt, murmuring a Word, and the illusion faded away, revealing a man with long, black hair, yellow eyes and a square jaw. He was still dressed in the courier uniform, which looked pretty silly with his swarthy complexion, but it was definitely Rylan. “How’s it going?”

  “By Magorah,” I hissed, grabbing his arm and pulling him inside the apartment before someone saw him. “What the fuck are you doing here, Rylan?” I didn’t ask him where he’d gotten the illusion charm – they were rare, and unless you found a mage to custom make one for you, only sold on the black market.

  He arched a black brow as I slid the deadbolt home, and set the package he was holding on the counter. “I’m just checking up on my baby cousin. Is that a crime now?”

  “No,” I muttered, leaning against the door. “But you’ve committed plenty of others you could be arrested for.” Having a wanted fugitive in my home after I’d just been cleared myself was just what I needed – not.

  “Yeah, including breaking into Solantha Palace to try and rescue you.” Rylan’s tone was mild, but his yellow eyes blazed, and I resisted the urge to squirm guiltily. “I don’t remember receiving a thank you card.”

  “Yeah, well I don’t remember ever getting an address from you to send one to,” I snapped. He was not going to make me feel guilty, especially since his half-baked plan had nearly fucked us all. “Or giving mine out, for that matter.”

  Rylan gave me a lopsided grin. “I guess I’ve only got myself to blame for that,” he admitted. “And you know I have my ways of getting information.”

  I sighed. I loved my cousin, really, I did, but his recklessness made me feel old and matronly in comparison, even though I was the younger one. I’d always assumed my half-mage heritage was the reason I was more sensible than him.

  “Since you’ve decided to risk getting your ass arrested, you must be here for a reason. Mind telling me what it is?”

  “Other than delivering this package?” His lopsided smile didn’t change, but his yellow eyes narrowed. “My superiors sent me to offer you a position in the Resistance. They’ve seen what you’re capable of, and having a shifter who can use magic against the enemy would be very valuable.”

  My heart sank. It was one thing to tell my friends that I wasn’t interested in joining the Resistance, but another thing entirely to tell my cousin, who’d devoted his life to it.

  “Tell your superiors that I appreciate the offer, but I’m not ready to make that leap yet.” I pushed off the door I was leaning on, and walked around the counter to grab some glasses from the kitchen cupboards. “You want anything to drink?”

  “Cranberry juice would be great.” Rylan frowned, confusion and hurt on his face. “Why wouldn’t you want to join the Resistance and take down the mages once and for all, after everything the system has put you through, Naya? Don’t you see that things have to change?”

  I grabbed the bottle of cranberry juice from the cherry red icebox and poured glasses for both of us. “I see that more than ever,” I told him. “But I’ve realized that I might be of more help effecting change by sticking close to the Chief Mage’s side.” That is, if he ever decides to talk to me again. “I’ve already managed to open his eyes a bit to what’s really going on in this town.”

  Rylan took his cranberry juice from me with a scoff. “Please, Naya. Do you really think that the Chief Mage has been blind to everything that’s been happening around here, and he just now woke up because you shoved his nose into it?” He downed his cranberry juice in one go. “He’s just as complicit as the rest of these power-hungry mages, and he’s using his centuries of experience to get you on his side. He knows that with hybrids like you on our side, the Resistance would be too powerful for the mages to control.”

  Rylan’s words slapped me in the face. All the mistrust and doubt I’d ever had about mages, which had been pushed to the back of my mind during my time at the palace, came rising up all over again. Dread curdled in my gut, and I felt suddenly ill. Had the Chief Mage been playing me the whole time? Was I really such a fool?

  But then other memories flooded into my brain – the way he looked at me sometimes, with concern and admiration in his eyes lurking just behind the annoyance, the way his hands felt against mine as he unlocked the magic inside me, and the way his lips sometimes curled up at the corners when he thought I wasn’t looking. There was more to him than the icy exterior he presented to the world.

  “By Magorah.” Rylan’s expression twisted in disgust as he noticed the rising heat in my cheeks. “You’ve slept with him, haven’t you?”

  “No!” My cheeks burned. “Why would you say that?”

  Rylan’s eyes narrowed. “You’re telling the truth… but I recognize that faraway look in your eye, Naya. Don’t tell me you haven’t at least thought about spending the night in his bed.”

  “It’s just hormones.” I gritted my teeth, ready to rip into Rylan if he pushed the matter… and then an idea came to me. “And besides, I can’t deny there is a certain… camaraderie between us. As his apprentice, I can get close to him and learn things that could be of use to the Resistance.”

  Rylan arched a brow. “There is merit to what you say,” he said slowly. “But you should know that it’s not going to look good to the Resistance if you stay so close to the Chief Mage. They may mark you as an enemy.”

  Anger sparked within me, and I leaned across the counter to pin Rylan with a glare. “Oh yeah? And then what? Should I expect to walk out of a store and have a bomb thrown in my face? Maybe I should stay in my apartment then, so that when you guys come after me, at least no innocent bystanders get killed.”

  Rylan stiffened. “Those were accidents,” he growled, his fangs sliding out. “Careless actions by new members. They’ve been reprimanded since.”

  “I’m sure the families of those who were killed find that real comforting,” I snarled.

  Rylan’s features contorted in fury. “Don’t tell me you’re condemning us for a few small missteps. They’re nothing compared to the damage the mages have wrought on our world.”

  “That’s pretty fanatical, even for you.” Sadness dragged at my heart, and I realized that somewhere in the back of my mind, I’d been hoping he would refute my accusations instead of just defending them. “I can’t believe that you’d choose to sacrifice family for the Resistance.”

  “The Cause is greater than any single individual,” Rylan said, but guilt flickered in his eyes, and he looked away. “I’ll tell my superiors that you’re gathering intel during your magical training and that you intend to turn it over as an initiation gift when you’ve joined. That should keep them off your backs.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Sounds a hell of a lo
t like a promise that I’m not sure I plan to keep.”

  Rylan shrugged. “It’s the best I can do under these circumstances. I can’t protect you if you decide to throw in your lot with the enemy, Naya. You know that.”

  I scowled. Things were so much better when I was neutral… now that I was so closely associated with the Chief Mage, I knew the Resistance couldn’t categorize me as a non-issue anymore. But if they were going to be a thorn in my side, perhaps I could use that.

  “Maybe you can do me one better.”

  Rylan’s brows flicked up to his hairline. “How so?”

  “I’m sure you’ve been following the shifter killings,” I said, “and when I was alone with Yantz and Talcon, they told me they were working for someone called the Benefactor. Any chance you can find out who that is?”

  Rylan’s brow furrowed. “The Benefactor… the name sounds familiar. I’ve heard it mentioned amongst Resistance members before.”

  Dread pooled in my stomach again. “That doesn’t sound good.”

  Rylan gave me a sharp look. “Just because the name was mentioned doesn’t mean it’s connected to us. But if this person is responsible for killing shifters, I’d like to know who he is too. I’ll look into it.”

  Relief flooded through me, and I flung my arms around him. “Thanks, cousin,” I murmured into his hair. We might not be standing quite on the same side, but our mutual loyalty towards shifters was something we had in common. I couldn’t trust Rylan to protect me from the Resistance completely, but I could count on him to do this.

  “You’re welcome.” He pressed his lips to my forehead, then stepped out of my embrace. “I’ve got to go now.” He tapped the charm on his collar and muttered that Word again, and his freckle-faced illusion slid back into place. “Enjoy whatever’s in that package.” He winked at me before letting himself out of the apartment.

  The package. I’d completely forgotten about it. Frowning, I lifted the brown cardboard box and checked the address. My heart rate sped up a little bit as I saw the return address was from the palace, with my name and address written across it in flowing, bold, script. And when I leaned closer to sniff the box, an amalgam of sandalwood, musk and magic tickled my nostrils.

  I ripped open the box.

  Inside, to my amazement, were my crescent knives and my chakram pouch. It had been so long since I’d seen them that at first I thought I was imagining things, but as I wrapped my hands around the handles of the knives and lifted them up to the afternoon light filtering in through my kitchen window, a burst of joy filled me. Rushing to my room, I found the strap and pouch that I used to hold them and fastened my weapons to my legs. Having them back was like welcoming home two old friends.

  I then lifted the note that sat at the bottom of the box, and held it up to the light so I could read it. It was written in the same flowing, bold script that was on the outside of the box.

  Miss Baine,

  After much searching, I have recovered your weapons from an unsavory pawnshop in Downtown, and enchanted them so that you will not lose them again. Though I am still not convinced letting you live outside the palace walls is the best decision for your wellbeing, I recognize the futility of arguing with you and only ask that you remain armed and aware when you are not under my protection.

  I fully expect to see you tomorrow at 1 o’clock sharp for your lessons.

  Iannis ar’Sannin

  Chief Mage

  I grinned as I pocketed the note. Maybe I still had problems, but I had my weapons and my magic and the most powerful mage in the state on my side – who apparently was willing to venture into the slums of the city to ensure I was armed and dangerous. If that wasn’t enough to put a smile on a girl’s face, I don’t know what was.

  To be continued...

  Sunaya Baine’s adventures will continue in Bound by Magic, Book 2 of the Baine Chronicles. Join the mailing list below so you can be notified of the release date, and to receive special updates, freebies and giveaways!

  http://jasminewalt.com/newsletter-signup

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you very much to my awesome beta readers Amanda Miller, Jo Walsh, Carmen Lund, Jason Stanley, Rob Brown, Rachel Berquist, Angel Ray, John Hamilton, Nicole, and Jett. This book would not be what it is without your invaluable feedback and insight.

  I’d also like to give a big thank you to my editor and writing partner-in-crime, Mary Burnett. This book would not have been possible without her.

  Lastly, I would like to thank Judah Dobin, my biggest supporter in writing and everything else in life. Despite not being a bookworm, you’ve somehow managed to make me a better person and a better writer. One day I’ll figure out what kind of sorcery you’ve used on me, but for now, I’d just like to say that I love you very, very much.

  About the Author

  Jasmine Walt is a devourer of books, chocolate, and all things martial arts. Somehow, those three things melded together in her head and transformed into a desire to write, usually fantastical stuff with a healthy dose of action and romance. Her characters are a little (okay, a lot) on the snarky side, and they swear, but they mean well. Even the villains sometimes.

  When Jasmine isn’t chained to her keyboard, you can find her working on her dao sword form, spending time with her family, or binge-watching superhero shows on Netflix.

  Want to connect with Jasmine? You can find her on Twitter at @jasmine_writes, on Facebook, or at www.jasminewalt.com.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author