by Kate Kelley
Chapter Twenty Two
Now that the boys knew, they helped with my training for the next two weeks. I alternated who I worked with each day of the week, so I got a sense of exactly the way each brother worked and thought. The journalist in me was dying to ask them questions just to push their buttons. Their personalities differed so much it was a wonder they were even related, let alone brothers, and I was still trying to work out how old they each were, but they wouldn’t tell me. At least I could figure out the order they were born. Wolfram, firstborn, strong as hell, pushy, annoying, sexy--he was best for hand-to-hand combat. Aiden--cold, distant, severe, snobby, he was good for the history, mechanics of moves, and for provoking anger, which also helped my powers. Baal--hands-on, patient, a bit overprotective, great for secretly practicing fire magic. Brand--innovative, hilarious, laid-back, fun--he was the only one so far who could get me to use my Air glamour.
We worked mostly on suppressing my fire magic and bringing out my Air magic—which was surprisingly easy for me to do. Aiden said he suspected I was more inclined to Air magic than Fire, anyway. The hard part was trying to vanish into my magic, creating a glamour which would cover me from the Wildfire crew’s sight.
Brand liked to work with me on it every chance we got, which was many. He was also a morning person, and liked to wake me up at six o’clock and attack me to start off our sessions. But he wasn’t picky--he would wake me from my naps, too, like now.
Basically, I hated him.
“Extend your back. Bring in the Air. Good.” Brand turned out to be a real stickler for form. I did as I was told, pointing my tailbone down to the ground and extending the top of my head toward the ceiling. “Breathe through the bottom of your ribs.” His voice was this hypnotic drone which would be annoying if it didn’t work so damn well.
“Bring out the Air, slowly, imagine it rising like steam from your pores, your hair follicles.”
It was weird, but I felt it come out of all of those places. The first time we did this, I cracked up and asked if I could fart it out too. Aiden had been present for that, which didn’t go over too well with him.
After a few minutes, I opened my eyes and my gaze settled on Brand. He was wearing a white T-shirt that read, ‘Netflix and Chill.’ He stared through me and smiled. As I backed away slowly, I felt the Air shroud me with each step, magnetized to my skin.
Brand clapped. I jumped and ran stealthily behind him. He turned slowly, the smile still spreading on his handsome face. “If you scare me, I’ll not be held responsible for the girlish scream that comes out of my mouth.”
I held in a snicker as I crouched, eyeing his shoulders. Then I pounced, my arms locked around his throat, holding him in a headlock.
“Dear Lord, that’s girlier than my scream,” I told him.
He clutched at my arms which he couldn’t see but could feel, then backed up until I was slammed into a wall.
Ouch.
I clutched his back with my knees and he dug his fingers in below my elbow, gouging my pressure point.
Fuck.
He twisted my arm when I let go, then tackled me to the ground.
I headbutted him, his nose burst with blood. I scrambled away and slipped out of the door, feeling him close behind me.
The Queen made her way toward me, horror on her face. I grimaced and lowered my head, embarrassed to be in her presence in tiny sleep shorts and a tank top.
“Brand, your nose!”
Oh yeah, I was still invisible.
I dodged her as she jogged past me, just barely skirting around her enormous, brocade gown.
“What have you been doing?!”
Now I knew where Brand got his girlish scream.
Brand bowed politely. “Mother, good morning. I was making love too hard. The girl was quite strong, as you can see.”
I covered my mouth with two hands to keep the choking laugh from escaping while the queen scowled and shook her head, clutching Brand’s cheeks in her hand. She tsked. “The ball is tonight. Go clean up and put some ice on that.” She grabbed her skirt in haste, and swished away down the hall, catching a maid for a quick conversation.
“Yes, Mother,” he singsonged, shooting me a scathing glance.
That flippin’ ball. I was being forced to attend, which normally wouldn’t faze me—I could always disobey--except this was on the Queen’s orders, and I was pretty sure I couldn’t disobey a queen, lest I wanted my head detached from my body.
Although, I had killed a queen, so maybe I could take her.
But really, I loved Wolfram’s mother—she was everything a mother ought to be—doting, kind, poised, caring, beautiful. A bit of a snob, but what Queen wasn’t?
Brand swiped at me and I reared back. He turned around to make sure no one was in the hall. “Rai, unveil. You did well, brat.”
I closed my eyes and mentally shook off the glamour, and Brand’s eyes focused on mine.
“Sorry about the nose,” I said.
He snorted. “No you aren’t. Excited for the ball?”
His question caught me off guard. “Not really.”
“The scope-out then?”
I scowled. “Are we still doing that tonight?”
“As far as I know. As soon as Wolfram meets us for dinner. We’d better hurry if we want to make it back for the ball at midnight.”
A nervous thrill passed through me at the prospect of scoping out Wildfire’s base so soon.
Brand smiled, catching me off guard. “It’s cool that August has a mate, though, right? It makes him stronger, which will help us against Wildfire. I mean, he just lucked out with Adara. They’re perfect for each other. Basically predestined since they were little babies.”
I stared at the wall behind him. “Mhm.”
He shook his head as if in awe, ignoring my lame response. “His powers should be really weak from being on Earth, but because of finding his mate, he’s stronger than ever. Did you see him lift Baal?” His eyes held a faraway look as he thought about it.
I averted my eyes when I knew the violet was showing. “Yep. Okay, gotta go get dressed. Thanks for the sesh.”
Brand grabbed my arm as I started past him, and I paused, eyes ahead. I didn’t want him to see my anger, my stupid, stupid pain.
“Dance with me at the ball tonight, okay, lesserborn?”
I slid my hand into his and squeezed before letting go and disappearing into my room again, shrugging off the white tank top and shorts and hurriedly dressing in a black sports bra and a pair of leggings that wicked moisture from my skin, black sneakers, and combed my heavy hair up into a high ponytail, braiding it and coiling it around the band so that it was secure. I threw on a loose, oversized tank top over my bra, and washed my face, deciding not to mess with makeup. I wanted to be comfortable on the mission. I needed no distractions.
Of course, Wolfram being there was the biggest distraction of them all, but that couldn’t be helped.
Brand, Aiden, and Baal ate hunched over their plates like a band of wild vikings. Even Aiden got a little uncouth at meal times, ripping into his food like a starved man. I suspected it had a little bit to do with how they grew up--food was just another competition.
I hiked a leg over a bench and plopped next to Baal. “Hey there, cavemen, save any for me?”
I eyed the plate of eggs and bacon and slid it toward me, the aromas wafting over me as I dug in with gusto.
Baal laughed heartily. “Who are you calling a caveman? You eat like a fucking wild boar.”
I gave him a sidelong glance as I chewed a long strip of bacon and noticed the bite of pancake Baal shoved into his mouth. I swallowed. “Breakfast for dinner, huh? And where’s my pancakes?” I pouted, exaggerating my lower lip.
A thwack hit the table to my right and I turned to see a plate stacked high with a pile of buttered and syruped pancakes. Wolfram’s grin took over my vision as he sat next to me, sliding the plate of pancakes over to me. “Eat them this time. No excuses.”
He reached over me, his arm brushing mine as he grabbed a fork. I cut off a bite of pancake and stuffed it into my mouth. “Mmm,” I hummed. “Tastes like yours,” I told him as I licked syrup from my fork.
Wolfram watched my mouth and his eyes glowed a dim copper. “Where do you think the cooks got the recipe?”
Aiden snorted. “August loved to cavort with the servants. He was always fooling around in the kitchens growing up. Highly inappropriate.”
Baal smirked. “Key phrase there is fooling around. He was very popular among the pretty kitchen maids.”
A stab of jealousy struck me. “Gross, Auggie.”
Wolfram’s eyes flew to mine. “I learned to cook, though. You seem appreciative of that.”
Aiden angrily sliced into his scrambled eggs. “He was shirking his duties as heir, as usual, while the rest of us took on his work.”
“Shut up, Aiden. You’re boring us all.” The words just popped out of my mouth, along with the burn of anger at his constant insults at August.
Aiden’s eyes pierced mine coolly, the copper burning low. I challenged him with my own gaze, unwilling to look away.
Finally, Wolfram cut into the awkwardness. “We’re leaving after the meal, so I hope you all are ready. Remember that we’re letting Rai--Miss Peterson--go in by herself. We’re hiding farther away, so we need you to consult the map.” He directed his gaze at me and I nodded. He searched my face for a moment, then pulled out a folded piece of thick paper, handing it over to me.
I unfolded it, opening on a detailed drawing with ‘Wildfire Camp’ scrawled on the top. “The Wildfire camp is around the bayou at the southern tip of the Fire Realm.” He pointed to square marking the perimeter of the drawing. There’s a wall around the fortress. And if I remember correctly, only one way in and out through a drawbridge in the front. That will probably be closed, but if it opens, you will need to slip through-- without touching anyone, of course. And if it doesn’t open, then you’ll need to climb.”
I took the last bite of pancake and pushed my plate away, utterly stuffed. “And where do I need to go once I’m in?”
“I need you to circle the place and count the buildings inside the walls, and any guards you see. Note where they stand, what weapons they have. I’m anticipating more numbers. If anything about the layout of the grounds has changed from the map.”
My eyes widened and I took a gulp of ice water as trepidation coursed through me. “Oh, is that all?”
“No,” Wolfram said, my sarcasm going over his head, “You need to promise me you’ll stay away from the center building. You’ll see it from afar--don’t approach it.”
I looked at his brothers for a clue to what he was talking about but they seemed as clueless as I was. “Okay...why not?”
“Too dangerous. The leaders reside there, and we don’t need them accidentally seeing you.”
I nodded absentmindedly and took another sip of water as my eyes trailed the figures on the map.
“Promise me.” His gravelly voice pulled my attention to him, and I gazed into his black eyes. If I wasn’t mistaken, I could have sworn I saw fear there.
I set my glass down and nodded again. “Okay.”
He stared at me a moment longer, then gestured toward the map. “Four keeps hold up the corners of the fortress wall. Inside, I expect there will be sixteen buildings, four more than before.”
“How will that tell us how many members there are?”
Brand swirled a glass of what looked suspiciously like brandy. “Only so many you can keep in each building. They’re, what, four thousand square feet?”
Wolfram cocked his head. “About that, yeah. Usually slept ten to twelve. If you feel comfortable enough to approach a window, you can peek inside and count. But don’t go in. If you unveiled and they found you in their quarters, they’d kill you on the spot. Or rape you, then kill you.”
A silence fell over the table as empty plates were pushed back. I clapped my hands and stood. “Well, what are we waiting for then? Let’s make me invisible and count some bitches.”
Chapter Twenty Three
“First of all, get off my goddamn toe,” Brand hissed in the gloom of the marsh.
“Sorry!” I whispered, and stepped back and ran into a hard chest. Two giant hands covered my bare shoulders, and then were gone an instant later with a smack.
A hand at my back, with the clean, male scent at my left. The male scent was so potent it made me dizzy for a moment. How I knew it was Wolfram was a mystery. My sense of smell was a bit wacko as of late. I even smelled him through the frowzy smell of stagnant pond water that was heavy in the wood. “Wolfram, I need you to back off so Brand and I can concentrate,” I hissed.
“Can she really not see in the dark? It’s barely nine o’clock. The darkness isn’t even full yet.” Aiden asked with badly-veiled contempt.
“Hey,” I snapped, “I’m new at this magic shit, so lay off.”
“Back up,” Wolfram growled low, presumably at the men.
“You too, Auggie,” Brand quipped.
“Shh!” Aiden hissed loudly and I bit back a snicker, even as dread and anxiety prickled underneath my skin.
I felt the rush of muggy air around me, shrouding my body as the men backed away.
“Close your eyes,” Brand started in his drone voice, and I listened to all of his soft commands, willing the elements around and inside of me to bend and shield me.
By the time we were done, I was unsure if the glamour held up. I instinctively wanted to light a torch, but my eyes were adjusting by this point, and the moon bathed us in tepid, malachite green light, filtering through the fog of the swamp.
I held out my hands and spun. “Am I gone?”
“Yes,” Wolfram said first. He reached out toward me and I inched forward until his hand brushed my bare midriff. He stilled, his hand flexing on my skin, before letting it drop. “She’s glamoured.”
We walked through the swampy woods along a path that wasn’t completely sunken in but squashed suspiciously under my invisible boots. Toads croaked low, constant songs that vibrated the air while wet leaves smacked my bare arms from trees on either side of the narrow path. We followed Wolfram, with Brand by my side and Baal and Aiden taking up the rear, making sure to give me enough room to walk.
Finally, we approached the edge of the forest, and Wolfram stopped a few feet away. We stared out into the dark until soft orange lights sparked in the distance and I knew it was the Wildfire fortress. My stomach clenched.
Wolfram turned, looking straight at me, his face bathed in shadow, except for the dull copper of his eyes shining through. He was looking directly at me.
Shit. “Can you see me?” I whispered.
His eyebrows dipped. “No.”
I sighed, unconvinced. “Are you sure? You’re looking directly at me.”
He blinked, looking away. “I promise I can’t see you. I can..smell you.”
Snickers sounded behind me and I blushed deeply. “I should have showered…” I mumbled, discreetly sniffing my armpit. It didn’t smell to me.
Wolfram shifted. “It’s not…nevermind.”
“I’m confused,” I said flatly.
“He can smell your sex,” Baal said through the darkness, amusement in his voice.
Alarm struck me. “What?!”
Brand coughed, covering a laugh. “More like pheromones. Explain later, and keep your voice down, for Christ’s sake.”
“Wait, but--won’t they smell me then, if--”
Wolfram shook his head resolutely. “No, they won’t.” I watched him, waiting for an explanation. He reached back to secure his hair in the leather strap he always used.
I looked at Baal, who rolled his eyes at his older brother. Aiden clutched his head as if he was experiencing a gruesome migraine.
Brand wiped a smile off of his face, then looked in my direction, not quite meeting my eyes. “Only those who are attracted to you can smell your pheromones. Unless the guards have
met you before and are attracted to you, it won’t be a problem. For instance, I can’t smell you. Not that you aren’t pretty, but you’re more like a sister to me.”
Aiden rubbed his temples. “I can’t smell you either, but you aren’t like a sister to me. More like a thorn in my side.”
Baal shrugged and winked at me with a crimson eye. He inhaled dramatically. “Delicious.”
Wolfram pierced him with hard look that was visible even in the pall of the night. I shivered.
Alright, then…that was way too much to process right before entering a terrorist camp.
Shaken, my face on fire, I busied myself by studying the map one last time in the light of the bayou moon. Wolfram got within a foot of me and I pulled the veil over me tighter.
His voice was low and straight to business. “Remember--get in, don’t touch anyone, walk the perimeter, count the buildings and guards, and circle back around and out. Shouldn’t take you more than thirty minutes tops.”
I took a deep breath, eyeing the torches in the distance. “Okay. I’m ready.”
Wolfram folded the map quietly. “More like fifteen. Fifteen minutes, and I want you out and back here. If you aren’t back by then, I’m coming to get you.”
I turned to him. “You want to get killed? Give me an hour.”
Wolfram kept his head bowed, but I practically felt the vibration of the anger and energy coming off of him. He cleared his throat as if trying to control his anger. “You haven’t held a glamour that long before. That’s too long--”
Aiden huffed an impatient breath. “An hour is sufficient. Now go before they catch us here.”
He was right. I wanted to get this over with. “Bye. See you soon.”
And I ran from them before Wolfram protested, my boots making silent tracks across the muddy field. I kept my eyes trained on the torches of the keeps, and as I drew closer, I slowed my pace, keeping my footfalls light and strategic.
Finally I was ten feet away from the drawbridge. It was open, and firelight from inside the camp casted a silhouette around men who stood huddled in the doorway. There were four, two pairs having separate conversations. They were dressed black long sleeved shirts and pants talked in the space of the doorway and from the looks of them, they were big. They shifted while they talked, and I spotted something hanging from their belts. From the looks of it, they were either small daggers or guns.
