Repossessed

by Shawntelle Madison

  “Wouldn’t you love to know that? Let’s just say this place is the key.” Dagger left the bench and strolled around a mound of tattered books and discarded clothes. “Contrary to popular belief, not everything stays here. The dwarves have been working with the Supernatural Council to return all the weapons back into the world. Ever since I’ve gathered together my cursed goodies—thanks in part to you—I’ve blackened most of the wizard weapons in Limbo. You did a lot of the work pushing most of what I needed through the portal. You need a particular amulet for cursed goods, which I don’t possess. Thanks to you, once I figure out a way to get my tool out, a lot more wizard wands are gonna bleed black.”

  Rob’s jaw twitched. You dirty piece of shit.

  Time to wipe that smirk off his face. He shifted to advance on Dagger, then paused. There was no way Dagger would be able to blacken all wizard weapons in the world. They’d have to be in close proximity to the cursed items he gathered.

  So what the hell was he up to?

  No time for Q&A right now, might as well get to the ass-kicking part. Rob opened his satchel.

  “Wield it well, Doryeonim,” the bag spirit implored. From within the folds he pulled out a long onyx staff. Black thorns jutted from the end. Sparks from its power heated the palms of his hands. A thrill pulsed through him as he gripped it.

  “I guess this means you’ve decided to turn your back on us?” Dagger spat.

  “I haven’t done a damn thing to our kind other than return property to the original owners. What I will do is put my foot up your ass so far you’re gonna taste the cotton candy I stepped on not too long ago.”

  “Show me what you got then.” Dagger took a few steps back, then brushed his fingertips along the top of a metal block on the end of an antique bookcase. The dark metal came to life, wobbling a bit before it fell into an old wood bucket with a loud clatter.

  Rob held his staff steady, unsure what move Dagger would make. A mahogany fire wand sprouted from his palm. He pointed it in Rob’s direction.

  Rob raised his staff in a defensive pose, drawing on its power until it mingled with his own, building to a crescendo that roared in his ears like ocean waves crashing into the rocks. His body vibrated as he prepared to release the power gathering in the staff, sweat beading on his brow from the effort it took to control the magic. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the bucket. It shuddered before sinking into the junk and Rob stilled, his palms burning from the unspent magic in the staff. His focus wavered, the need to investigate nagged at him. Especially when a sinkhole began to form.

  Maybe sinkhole wasn’t an accurate term.

  The contents of the ten-foot radius sunk in, only to rise again as something jerked and spasmed from the ground. A tiny head with glowing red eyes came first, it’s bulky mass shuddering as it tried to find its footing. A set of metallic shoulders emerged from the debris next, covered with old oiled leather armor rose through the junk, along with a set of large hands. A strong stench of iron shot from the creature. Rob held his ground, trying to swallow away any apprehension from the humanoid thing that flexed its massive hands.

  The satchel on his hip quivered and spat out words Rob didn’t recognize. Maybe he vocalized the curse words Rob held in.

  Dagger must’ve paid a pretty penny for the iron brick he dropped into the bucket. Summoned golems were dangerous in the magical realm. Far too unstable, they were known to turn on those who called on them if the spellcaster wasn’t powerful enough to keep them from taking them out after their target had been brought down.

  Rob took a step forward, his torso vibrating with pressure like a volcano about to blow. The best offense was a full on attack in this case. He aimed the staff at the golem. The power circling in his stomach jumped into the end of the weapon and raced to the other side. He held tight as an arch of blindingly white lightning shot the golem point blank in the chest. The creature screeched as it flew backwards into Dagger’s house. The wooden walls splintered into tiny bits as debris scattered wide.

  Rob aimed again, feeling the heat in the staff writhing to be set free. He was unprepared for how fast the golem’s sprinted in his direction. His hands tightened on the staff as he fired again in quick bursts, but the golem quickly reached his side and swung wide. Rob brought the staff upwards, managing to block the blow. His teeth jarred from the impact. What little defensive magic the staff had, it wasn’t worth shit.

  The creature laughed, a choppy sound, as it raised its meaty fists high in the air to slam downward. Rob’s block didn’t come fast enough and the golem struck him on the left shoulder. The crunch of broken bones forced all the air out of his lungs. Rob let out a long curse as the blow struck.

  “Doryeonim, stay sharp!” the satchel growled.

  Pain radiated through his left arm. It was now hanging shattered at his side. Rob staggered backward, quickly reaching into his bag with his good right arm, for another weapon. Another swing came hard, but he sidestepped the blow.

  Where is it? Where is it? Only once in his life had he gone through the whole inventory of his father’s satchel, barely understanding most of it, but only one weapon in his father’s arsenal would save his ass now: The haetai’s stick.

  He stretched his fingers until he encountered a heavy twitching baton, no longer than his forearm. He yanked upwards, pulling until the stick emerged from the bag, lit as if on fire. With a mighty heave, he tossed the flaming weapon into the air, hoping and praying what his father told him held true. “The haetai defends against evil when you need it, but use it wisely.”

  The iron golem stormed at him again. Rob glanced around him and spotted a charmed Aegean shield. He gritted his teeth, dodging and weaving to avoid a giant fist to the head. Pain ripped through him as he held his left arm against his body with his right, only to let go so he could reach out to retrieve the shield.

  The golem snarled and swung again.

  Instead of feeling the jarring effect of the swing, the golem’s hand fell into the shield. The golem roared, pulling back a corroded and sizzling limb.

  The golem swung wider to catch Rob’s legs as a blur came from the left and slammed into them. The haetai growled deep in its throat. He jerked his gaze in its direction, taking in a massive, yet beautiful beast from Korean legend. The haetai’s long incisors locked around the golem’s shoulder, digging deep into the metal. The beast’s lion-like form shook its head to deepen the wound, its scaly limbs twisting and claws the length of blades cleaving at the golem. Dagger’s soldier tried to snatch its attacker off its back, but the haetai held fast and they tumbled away. Rob dug the balls of his feet into the uneven floor beneath him and scrambled away just as two grappling beasts cut a swath through the debris not a foot from where he had stood.

  The two duked it out, the haetai clawing and scratching while the golem punched and bashed. The haetai was faster, far more vicious and managed to wrestle the iron golem to ground. With a loud screech, the haetai ripped off the golem’s head like a forgotten rag doll. Another limb flew away, then a leg.

  The haetai was no joke.

  Instead of poking at its kill, the beast glanced at Rob and vanished into a flash of light. The stick around its collar fell to the ground for Rob to pick up. His arm burned as he held it, but he had bigger problems now.

  “Rather handy,” Dagger said from behind him. He closed in quickly from the left.

  He tried to lift his right arm to block Dagger’s forward stab, but he didn’t twist around fast enough. Dagger grinned as he extended his fire wand with a blade at the end. The tip pressed against Rob’s Adam’s apple.

  “Go ahead. Show me how fast you are,” Dagger whispered. “Give me a reason to make you swallow this knife.”

  When Rob slightly shifted, Dagger grabbed his injured shoulder and squeezed. Tight. Pain coursed through him, spreading from his shoulder into his mouth. Rob grunted, refusing to give that piece of garbage warlock the satisfaction of hearing him cry out.

  He pushed fo
rward, holding tight to Rob’s wound. “Start walking, Shin.”

  They shuffled away from the ruins of Dagger’s house over a hill. No more than a hundred feet away, Rob spotted where Limbo disappeared into endless canyons of emptiness. The blackness had no end. When they reached the edge, Dagger laughed at his side.

  “Do you know what’s down there?” Dagger pressed the wand-blade closer until the tip cut into Rob’s neck. “Limbo’s architects needed powerful magic to hold countless magical things inside—and to keep others out. In order to do that, they trapped a demon down there.”

  Rob had heard enough. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, he twisted out of the grip and threw a right hook, ready to block his vulnerable left side. Dagger was quick to respond, thrusting the blade forward with a dance of fire in its wake. Rob managed to dodge the heat searing across his chest, growing ever more pissed off, to throw a combination right hook, followed by a swift uppercut, then a right jab. Pain be fucking damned.

  With a roar, Rob slammed into Dagger, shoulder to chin, as hard as he could, and drove the warlock toward the edge of the cliff. Dagger lunged toward him and rolled onto Rob, trying to bring the wand-blade close to his neck. “Do you want to meet what lives down there?” Dagger hissed. “It eats blackened magic.”

  “Not today, but you’re more than welcome to check it out for me.” Rob thrust one of his legs upward and placed his shoe in Dagger’s chest. With a hard kick, he flipped Dagger over his body beyond the edge. Rob turned to watch Dagger fall through the mist and plunge into the chasm.

  “Have a nice trip,” Rob murmured. With satisfaction, he hoped Dagger enjoyed his stay in Limbo as much as he did.

  “Well done, Doryeonim!” If the satchel had a face, Rob suspected the old spirit would be beaming.

  “Don’t congratulate me yet.” Exhaustion settled into his shoulders and pain continued to stab at him from his shattered bones. Far too quickly the reality of the situation hit. He was injured and lost. How the hell was he supposed to get out of here? His thoughts went to Tessa, somewhere beyond the haze, and he hoped she got his message and she pulled through to save her business.

  Dagger’s final words bothered him. “It eats blackened magic.” Did he have plans for the demon? Plans beyond bringing down the wizards? A creature powerful enough to hold the fabric of Limbo together had staggering power. Unimaginable strength.

  Dagger was out of the way now, but what door might he have opened with his actions?

  With no working wizard wands among the junk along the ground, Rob had no choice but to use a binding spell, which barely did enough to keep the pain at bay when his ribs were jacked up, and hope the bindings held while he searched for a way home.

  Nothing stirred as he walked east. He’d keep going until a portal opened. If he got out once before, he could do it again.

  By noon that same day, Tessa worked with Ursula and the event planner to make sure everything was in place for the evening festivities. She never expected the party to be so beautiful. Lionel and Amelia had converted their grand cathedral-like dining room into a party space. The twenty-seater dining room table was removed to offer space for dancing, the quartet, and tables for the guests to enjoy the appetizers. Quincy had made arrangements with the event planner to have the food delivered by three this afternoon.

  Even with the positive outlook, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed. She had her wish, the party would proceed and Cramer would be present. But the most important person she wanted there was likely far out to sea, heading to horizons unknown.

  The man who’d come through as her hero.

  Tessa smiled. Of course, it would be Rob to bail her out of a mess again. Even if he couldn’t be there, she wouldn’t let him down after his efforts. This party would succeed and her business would rise from the fire unscathed—well, maybe a bit charred on the edges.

  Everything was in place. Danielle had contacted Cramer and he said he’d show up promptly at 7 p.m.

  Her client arrived as expected, appearing before her in a dazzle of white and gold.

  “Miss Dandridge.” He assessed the dining room and nodded. “This is unexpected, yet pleasing. When I learned from an associate of mine that you lost your scroll, I was quite surprised.” He accepted a drink from a waiter. “That didn’t sound like the woman I signed a contract with all those months ago.”

  “I’ve had some problems, but as you can see from today, I know how to bounce back and succeed.”

  He nodded. “Before I meet the women, did you have any problems finding anyone?”

  She leaned forward to offer a sly smile. “You’ll be more than pleased with them. One or two may catch you off-guard. Now all you have to do is act like the gentleman I know you can be. You might be rough around the edges, but I’ve learned that shouldn’t hold you back from finding the right woman.”

  A few minutes later, Tessa and Cramer arrived to a party in full swing. The quartet played a lively tune and waiters served appetizers of calamari, roasted clams, and quiche squares. The culinary students had done a fantastic job. Twelve ladies waited anxiously as Cramer entered.

  Tessa addressed them. “Ladies, thank you for coming this evening, even under such last-minute circumstances. I appreciate the efforts made for you to come out across the river and spend time with a valued client. For those of you who haven’t met him…” She pointed to Cramer. “This is Archibald Cramer, distinguished member of the Supernatural Council and elder warlock. I hope you all have a delightful time.”

  Tessa stepped back from the deluge of bodies. The magic-magnets came at him first, asking questions and throwing out their hands for introductions. Cramer took everything in with a smug calm. He offered smiles all around. A welcome change. She left the group to check on the party.

  Danielle tried to shoo her away. “Everything’s fine. Stop worrying.”

  “I know, but I want everything to be perfect.”

  Danielle smiled. “It will be and Cramer’s having a great time.”

  Tessa glanced at the entrance again. She wished everyone, including herself, could enjoy the festivities. Last night she’d had a foolish fantasy. A quick daydream where a man showed up in jeans and a black T-shirt. Even though he was underdressed in the dream, the grin he wore was all she needed. She tried to smile but failed.

  Rob wasn’t coming.

  She had to face these kinds of situations and move on. Wasn’t that a part of life?

  The party continued with Cramer offering the ladies dances while the music played. She clapped her hands with everyone else as he swung his partners around the room.

  Her eyes darted to the doorway as someone in a uniform appeared at the door. She glanced away, hoping the illusion would disappear. Her gut clenched. Don’t look, it won’t be Rob—he’s somewhere else.

  Slowly, she checked again and there was Rob, tall and dashing in his white uniform. She took one step and then another. Heels and all, she ran to the door where he lifted her and planted a long kiss on her lips. The music in the room faded away as she hung in the air supported by his strong arms. There were only his intoxicating lips and the feeling they evoked in her heart.

  They separated, and she turned her head, embarrassed to have her guests see her swept up in the arms of a man only a few of them knew. But they didn’t seem to mind and the moment was met with three or four whistles from the crowd, and a wink from Cramer. An older witch sat next to him grinning from ear-to-ear. Cramer leaned closer his date for a private conversation.

  “What are you doing here?” Tessa asked as he put her down. “You should be out to sea at Bora Bora or something.”

  He chuckled, pulling her close. “I had an important mission to handle first.” He sighed. “I had to move heaven and earth to get to you though. Somehow I made it thanks to Harry and a few of his wizard friends who patched me up. I’ve never been so glad to see biker wizards before.”

  “Are you all right?” She touched his face. The warm skin along his rough cheek f
elt so good.

  “I will be. I got a new job. You’re looking at the newest hire for a special branch of United States Armed Forces.”

  “Special, huh? Sounds interesting. You’ll have to tell me more later.”

  His hand stroked her back as he snuck in a quick peck. “To be honest, I wondered if you’d be happy to see me.”

  She shrugged. “Oh, stop it. After everything that’s happened, I thought I’d never see you again.” She kissed his lips again, lingering long enough to run her hands down his waist. “No, you’re not a ghost. A flesh and blood man.”

  His eyes smoldered. “I’m not going anywhere, Tee. I plan to be around for a long time—right where you need me to be. Especially since we have some catching up to do.”

  “I agree.” She suddenly felt shy. Even a few days had been far too long without him.

  “I missed you, Tee.”

  She sucked in a breath. No man had ever said that to her before. Not a single boyfriend.

  “Do you want a drink?” she managed. “Maybe sit down and have something to eat?”

  He shook his head, his eyes still stormy. He had other ideas.

  “I’ve been thinking about you, too. About us.” She sighed softly. “But I do have a party to finish.”

  “Do you think a party is gonna stop me from what I want do to you?”

  “No, probably not.” Her breath hitched as the words she wanted to say burst forth. She had to let it out. “I was so hurt the last time we were together—I didn’t get a chance to tell you how I really feel about you.” She swallowed. “How I love you, Minho.”

  “You should never need to say it. We both already know how we feel.” Rob smiled, the look on his face filling her with endless joy.

  He leaned into her ear, whispering something dirty about a large linen closet he passed on the way into the dining room. Another closet. Her breath caught in anticipation.