“We run hot,” Axel chuckled, smacking his palm over his own naked chest while Titus shook his head.
“I assume your appointment with D.E.A.D overran, so we don’t have much time,” Riley began, his head subtly shifting to face his men. “You know what to do.”
Alice knew he wanted to ask her how it went, but he also knew she wouldn’t want to discuss it in front of Titus or Axel. Not something so personal.
With a sigh she dropped her bag to the earth before she held out her arm.
The warmth in her hand was familiar and strong. It crackled as it grew with barely any effort until her arm was completely encased in blue flames licked with green.
“Do it again,” Riley said with a sensual smirk that caused her stomach to knot in excitement.
Unable to stop her tongue from darting out to lick her dry lips she released her energy, only to repeat the same motion of the fire climbing up her arm once again. Riley’s eyes narrowed, following her tongue at her accidental tease.
“Do it again,” he growled, voice deepening.
“This is becoming uncomfortable,” Titus murmured, arms crossed against his chest. He leant against a tree, his knee bent as the wind played with his pale shoulder-length hair. “It’s clear her powers are developing far quicker than we anticipated.”
“No shit,” Axel chuckled beside him. “She can hold onto that arcane longer than any witch I have ever seen. Fuck, I bet she can give you a run for your money, Tit.”
Titus snarled. “Call me that again, pretty boy,” he threatened. “Just because she has the power, doesn’t mean she has the experience.”
“Is there a reason they’re here?” Alice asked when she flicked a glance to her right.
“You need to be trained by different styles of instructors,” Riley replied. “And they need to learn patience.”
“Patience?” Axel muttered. “Patience my arse.”
Patience? she mentally added. That’s a bit bloody rude.
Riley chuckled as if he knew exactly what she thought. “Axel, you ready?”
Axel stretched, then immediately jumped into the makeshift circle. “Ready to eat dirt, my little doomsday?” He grinned, holding his hands out as arcane coated his fingertips.
“Bring it on, pretty boy,” she said, using the same nickname Titus had just used.
His grin tightened, his dark eyebrows coming low over deep green eyes. In a flash he threw a bolt of arcane, the purple sphere dissipating at her feet as she jumped out of the way with a gasp.
“So slow,” he taunted, readying another.
Alice steadied her legs just as he threw a larger sphere, the arcane burning across her flesh before she was able to rebound it back.
“That’s more like it,” Riley clapped.
A high pitched hum in the distance, beating in intervals like a drum.
Bom. Bom. Bom. Bom.
“Watch out!”
Alice moved out of the way of the bolt just in time, the purple ball hitting the tree directly behind her.
“Sorry,” she said, shaking her head to clear the noise. “Let’s go again.”
What the bloody hell was that?
She managed to dodge every bolt, returning some with her own blast of arcane. Her chi pulsated, energised as she tested its strength. Witches were restricted in their magic, their chi’s only able to stretch so much before they needed to recover. Alice was different, the closest to the original Elementals who each brandished a single element. Over time and a millennia of breeding, witches once singular powers mixed amongst the elements and diluted. Yet, Alice still held the strength from her ancestors power. It was supposed to be a gift, yet it felt like a curse.
Who really wanted to be in a prophecy for the end of the world?
Bom. Bom. Bom. Bom.
A pop of pressure forced her head to turn, the drum-beat hum increasing in pitch until her ears ached.
Fire burned across her torso before she fell against a tree, her head snapping back onto the bark with a crack.
“Alice?” Riley called as he jumped over the clearing, his hand reaching out to touch her face. “Are you…”
Wild magic woke up inside her, electric as it snapped out in a blast of lightning to send Riley flying across the circle. Riley twisted mid-air, landing in a crouch with his fist smashed into the earth.
Chest tight, Alice controlled her breathing as the wild magic wreaked havoc inside her chi, wanting her to turn, to move.
Bom. Bom. Bom. Bom.
“Superhero landing,” she said, sucking in a breath. “Cool.”
“What the fuck was that?” Axel asked, jaw dropped. “Was that just wild magic? How the fuck can you use wild magic?”
“Are you part Fae?” Titus added as he cautiously approached, eyes warily watching her arms that instinctively covered in blue flames.
She ignored them as Riley appeared in front of her, his mouth set in a grim line. “Are you okay?” she asked as the wild magic teased along her fingertips until she recalled all her magic. She hadn’t been able to call the wild magic since the trials, having thought it had gone dormant since she had been working with Peyton to try and remove their familiar connection.
What made it suddenly come back?
She couldn’t feel Peyton, which meant he hadn’t opened the bond they shared, a bond they had struggled to remove. Apparently witch, Fae pairings were supposed to be impossible. Which meant there wasn’t much information on how to break the connection.
“That was… unexpected,” Titus murmured.
Riley flashed her a look of concern. “How long has it been back?”
“Back?” Axel screeched. “What do you mean back? How can she have wild magic? How is it not ripping her apart?”
Alice watched their lips move with a frown, but was unable to concentrate on the words. Pressure built in her head as the hum continued.
Bom. Bom. Bom. Bom.
It eased when she turned towards the forest, even more so when she started walking forward, then running.
“Alice?” a voice shouted behind her as she ran.
Trusting her reflexes to not trip over any debris on the forest floor she vaulted past the trees, feeling Riley running smoothly beside her a minute later. He said nothing, silently following her until she saw a glint through the heavy bush.
“Shit.”
She skidded to a stop, the high-pitched hum becoming increasingly uncomfortable the closer she became. In the centre of the forest was an iridescent transparent oval, partially covered by a dead bush. Part of it burned through a tree, leaving the hole in the charred trunk.
“What’s that?” she asked, able to see Riley through the oval as he carefully walked around it. It distorted his image, like a pool with ripples.
“It’s a portal,” he replied as Axel and Titus appeared from behind the trees. “Fae.”
“What’s a Fae portal doing here?” Axel asked with a frown.
“It looks broken,” Titus added.
Bom. Bom. Bom. Bom.
“I can… feel it,” Alice murmured, mainly to herself as the wild magic danced along with the hum.
Riley’s arm wrapped around her waist, his attention on the spectrum of colours that seemed to just float in the air. Every few seconds a random rune would flash beside it, disappearing as fast as it appeared, but not before it scorched the bark further.
“Search the grounds, something may have come through.”
Axel and Titus immediately followed Riley’s order.
“Is the gateway not supposed to be here?”
Riley took a second to reply, his fingers entwining with hers. “No. If there’s a door, it means there’s a tear in the veil. And when there’s a tear, there is usually something here that shouldn’t be.”
“Of course there is,” she said, deadpan. “Because that’s all we need.”
Riley chuckled. “I’ll have a look around, see if there’s something going on that we need to be made aware about.” He laid a kis
s against her neck before he began to tug her back towards the house. “Am I seeing you tonight?”
Alice angled her head so he could easily claim another kiss. They were officially dating, at least, that was what the magazines had speculated ever since The Wharf. Not that either of them had confirmed or denied it.
Their feelings were new, strange so they had decided to take it slow, the stress of both their lives making it difficult to be normal.
She craved him. Which scared her.
Yet, just being near him made her excited, her chi electric as it brushed against his.
“So, sweetheart?” he pressed when they broke out into the open.
Alice turned so her lips brushed his, just a soft contact that caused him to suck in a sharp breath, a growl rumbling his throat. “You know I’m busy.”
“Mmmm.” He leant down for one last kiss.
“I fixed it,” a voice interrupted. “It sounds better now,” Sythe said from beside her car.
Alice pulled back. “What do you mean, fixed it?”
Sythe stood, his grin growing as he attempted to rub the black substance that covered his hand down his shirt. “I’ve figured out why the exhaust was making weird noises and fixed it. It’s only temporary though as I didn’t have the right tools. To be honest, I would replace the whole thing.”
Riley grunted. “Sythe, I need you to go find Axel and Titus.”
Sythe’s smile immediately dropped, his eyes shimmering silver as his beast peeked through. “Sire.”
Alice waited for him to leave before she approached her car, unable to see any difference. “I don’t know how you all live together.” She could barely deal with Sam spontaneously bursting into the bathroom with gossip while she was in the shower. She couldn’t imagine having to share with six others.
Riley patted the roof. “They have their own places, but choose to stay here. It calms our beasts to be close to one another,” he shrugged, as if he was talking about the weather and not mystical creatures for which they shared their souls. “You get used to it.”
Chapter 3
Alice skimmed her finger across the handwritten letter, feeling each dent of the pen. Sam had placed it with the rest of the post in his newly handmade rack, assuming it was just another bill. To be fair, from far away it looked like a bill, the envelope nondescript with just her details printed on the front. She wouldn’t have noticed if it wasn’t for her icing disaster. It was when she was cleaning she noticed the envelope was thick, expensive compared to the usual bills.
Miss Skye,
The letter began.
I apologise for the delay in getting this to you. Due to the unusual circumstances of my clients death The Ancients have only just released the relevant paperwork.
To confirm, Nahaliel Dread, of his own Master, has now been registered as true dead. He advised me that in the event of his death you will be given this key.
My deepest condolences,
L.R.Spencer
Spencer & Harvey
The key was gold, heavy but thin, too thin to be used in a normal lock. The bow was in the shape of an eye, the pupil cut out and replaced with red glass.
“What’s that?” Sam asked a few seconds after the front door slammed shut. “And why is there icing everywhere? Did any actually get on the cake?”
Alice held the key up further, looking through glass.
“And I ask again,” he murmured as he moved closer, placing his work bag on the kitchen counter beside the mountain of washing up she had yet to do. “What’s that?”
“It’s from Dread. It was supposed to be sent to me when he died, but was delayed due to, well, you know.”
“Overlord? Bloody hell. Why would he send you a key?” Sam scanned the letter. “No other notes?”
“No, that’s it.” She had checked. “Hopefully I’ll know more when I visit his place.”
“You got access?” Sam rested his chin on the top of her head, his arms wrapping around her shoulders. A gentle purr vibrated his chest, the immediate sensation comforting. “Wait, did you just say visit?”
“Apparently.” She patted his hand, feeling him sink his nose into her hair. “I received a message when I got home to meet a representative of the estate at his place tomorrow morning.”
“Vampire laws are stupid.” He pulled back, tilting his head to the side. Eyes wide he shooshed her, flicking off the light in the kitchen before he grabbed the matches from the drawer.
Alice grinned, anticipation racing through her bloodstream as she flicked off the living room lights too and held her breath, Sam following quickly behind.
If she couldn’t control herself, he would hear, and then it would be ruined.
She had to time it perfectly.
Waiting, she caught Sam’s attention from across the room, his eyes reflective in the freshly lit candle light.
You ready? she asked with a tilt of her head.
He sniggered and wiggled his eyebrows. I was born ready, baby.
Light footsteps on the path before a knock on the front door. Alice knelt down behind the sofa, muscles tensed as she waited for it to open.
Another knock, slightly louder before the handle squeaked, and Kyle pushed the front door open an inch. His emerald green eyes narrowed, sweeping across the living room to settle on Poe, who watched him with fascination from the kitchen doorway.
“Meow.”
Alice waited as patiently as she could, a grin creasing her cheeks.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” Alice and Sam shouted in unison, jumping up from their hiding spots.
In a blur the cake erupted from Sam’s outstretched hand, hitting the ceiling with a squelch. They all stood silent, the cake sticking. A few candles had dropped to the floor, while others were missing, probably still attached to the cake.
“Shit!” Sam began to stamp on the candles that were still alight. “Kyle, what the fuck?”
Kyle stood still, face flushed with a fist covered in blue icing. His eyes teased red, the outsides of his irises ringed with black. Shoulders tight he walked through into the kitchen, the back door slamming shut a second later.
“What’s up with him?” Sam asked just as the cake fell from the ceiling. It splatted against the floor, exploding into a pile of icing and candles that decorated everything within a two foot radius, including Poe.
“Meow.”
He didn’t seem to mind as he began to lick at his paws, attention settling on the mountain of mush with an excited gleam in his multicoloured eyes.
“Kyle?” she called through the back door, hoping he hadn’t disappeared after his outburst. “What was that about?”
Kyle stood on the grass, arms crossed with his hands digging into his skin hard enough she could see the red marks left by his nails.
Alice took a deep breath as she stepped out into the garden, the movement-sensitive light flashing on to wash over them with a pale light.
“Kyle? Are we just going to ignore what just happened?” He had only just started to regularly visit, their bond raw, but growing. “It was only a birthday cake.” She had even baked it herself. It had taken her three hours and two attempts, the first she had burnt and not even two cases of ready-made icing could save it. The second she was proud of, even if it was slightly wonky. Okay, it was very wonky, but it wasn’t like it would be noticed now it decorated the entirety of her living room and cat.
“I don’t celebrate my life,” he said, so quietly she wasn’t sure if the reply was for her.
“I wanted to celebrate your life.” It was a good idea at the time, to celebrate his first birthday free and together. A new memory.
“If you knew what I’ve done, you wouldn’t want to,” he murmured, the wind playing with his dark hair. He had allowed it to grow, the length almost at his shoulders compared to his usual self-hack job. “I shouldn’t celebrate my life, when I was the reason they lost theirs.”
Alice hesitantly approached, her hand reaching out to touch his shoulder. His muscles
were hard beneath her fingertips, but he didn’t move away. She wanted more than anything to wrap her arms around him, tell him it would be okay. But she knew he didn’t like to be touched, even from blood who loved him.
“Tell me.”
He closed his eyes. “I’ve killed people, lots of people.”
“Kyle…”
“I see their faces when I close my eyes, every single one.” His voice tightened. “I was good at it, The Master’s pet executioner.” He turned, his eyes filled with unshed tears before he dropped his chin. “I don’t deserve to be standing here.”
“No, you don’t get to do this,” she snapped, forcing his attention on her. “You don’t get to wallow in undeserved blame. You carry all this guilt over something that was out of your control.”
“I…”
“No.” She dropped her hand to move in front of him, wary of his flinch. “It wasn’t your fault. You were a child, manipulated by dark magic and abuse.”
“I killed them Alice.” His voice cracked. “And I didn’t even hesitate.”
“You’re a victim just as much as they were.” She made sure she kept eye contact, made sure he could see the truth in her words. “You survived him, Kyle. Instead of living with this crushing guilt, live knowing the man who forced you to do those things, who chained you like a creature isn’t even dust. He’s gone, and he’s not coming back.”
A single tear fell down his cheek.
“There is no point wallowing in the past,” she quietly added. “Especially one as shit as ours.”
“If I didn’t know better, I would say you were the older sibling.” He looked up, eyes widening before a ghost of a smile curved his lips. “What’s that?”
Alice self-consciously touched her head, only just remembering the children’s party hat. It was too small, and the elastic string cut into her jaw.
She couldn’t stop her laugh. “I bought party poppers and a banner too.”
“I’m sorry about the cake.” His eyebrows drew together.
Knight's War: A Witch Detective Urban Fantasy (Alice Skye series Book 5) Page 2
