My attention didn’t stay on him for long, not when something tugged at me and my focus turned to a gorgeous woman with long red hair and plump red lips popping out against her porcelain white skin. Her energy was warm and soothing. I narrowed my eyes.
Succubus. While she was easily the most gorgeous being in this room, I wasn’t a fool. Succubus and incubus relied on glamours to attract their prey. They fed off sexual energy, but they didn’t kill anyone. All their prey would remember was having an amazing night, and they’d sleep it off for a day. They loved their games, and it seemed this woman did more so than normal. If she could, she’d put her energy to full blast just to see if I’d fall at her feet.
Never fucking happening. My expression said as much, and she read the message loud and clear as her smile slipped into a scowl. Good. Let her expression look just as twisted and ugly as her true appearance.
My heart twisted. The only incubi I knew who didn’t bother with these games was Henzie, and he’d been dead for a few weeks now. It was getting easier, and Ami was no longer destructive, but there was a small tiny spot inside of me that felt missing since he wasn’t there. It was hard on Ami the most. She only realized she loved him after he died, and I couldn’t imagine how that felt. She was doing better, and I only knew that because she stopped taking every possible assignment, and she’d also volunteered to plan my birthday party.
That gave me hope.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“We were just talking with your aunt. She’s a fascinating person,” Maev spoke up.
“Is that so?” I glanced at Atasha, noting the strain in her body. Good, she wasn’t falling for whatever they were trying to get out of her.
Atasha smiled at me. “I was just explaining to them that I’m not the person they need to talk to. I think it is a great opportunity to open up communications between two communities. Unfortunately, I do not have the power to make decisions like that.”
“Who would we need to talk to?” Maev asked, looking too excited about this opportunity to gain more power. Maev was the one councilwoman I could say with confidence that I didn’t like, and I was pretty sure she didn’t like me either.
“A member of the Highborn council,” Atasha said with a small smile. “They are the leaders of the community and all negotiations must go through them.”
“Are you able to help us get in touch with them?” Necos asked.
Atasha nodded. “I can. But for now, I wish to spend time with my niece. We have not had a chance to get to know each other, and I am only here for her.”
Eyes focused on me, and I did my best to look cool and collected. I didn’t need the more predatory beings to think I was a target. I met eyes and made sure they knew I wasn’t some wilting flower, unable to stand up on her own without help. They’d eat me alive the moment they sensed weakness.
Necos stood up and did a small bow. “Then we wish you all the best, and I hope you enjoy our city.” He paused and sent Atasha another smile. Before he had a chance to speak again, there was a loud crashing, and I turned to see the door practically off its hinges. A bulky man stood in the doorway with a wolf at his side. The wolf was a pretty shade of burnt red and growled as it came into the room.
“Ashton, what is the meaning of this?” A man at the table stood. He was tall and one of the bulkiest in the room. His Alpha energy rolled through the room to match his anger as he glared at the shifter at the door, ready to tear him apart.
“We should be asking you the same thing. Two shifters were killed and you don’t even care.”
“It is being handled. Now leave.” A deadly golden sheen entered the councilman’s eyes. Someone gasped as his energy intensified.
“If something isn’t done, others will handle it on their own.”
“And if they dare, they will not just have me to deal with. Now leave and in the future you’ll do best not to go over his head.” He growled which drew a whine from the shifted wolf as his tail tucked down between his legs and he bowed low. The other man swallowed before turning and stalking away. The wolf followed dejectedly, still feeling the Alpha’s power and wrath. The councilman settled into his chair, unfazed by the fact that he’d just had a stand-off with members of his pack.
I wanted to ask so many questions. With meeting Venni’s mom and brother, the grumpy wolf downstairs, and now this, alarm bells were going off. Something was happening. Not wanting to stick around and get myself into trouble, I stood up. “We should get going. I’m sure Atasha is tired from her journey here. Thank you for keeping her entertained until I could come and get her.”
“We will be more than happy to meet again in a few days,” Maev said.
“I’m sure you would.” I smiled at Atasha. “Shall we?”
She stood, and said her polite goodbyes. She would have been better off telling them to fuck off. They were going to bombard her now with requests.
“It is so good to see you again, Laila. I missed you,” she said on the way back to my truck. She only had one bag with her, and her trusty guard stayed close at her side, his eyes alert as he looked at everyone with distrust.
“Really?” I was shocked by that. I didn’t expect that from her.
“Of course. I am looking forward to spending time with you.” She leaned closer with a wider smile. “And it will be good for me to be away from the community right now. I have little patience for foolishness, and lately, that is all the Highborn Council has been.”
My eyes flickered to her guard who didn’t blink an eye at Atasha’s assessment.
She waved her hand dismissively. “Ignore him. He feels the same. I would not have brought him with me otherwise. I thank you for adding the stipulation that I got to choose my own guard.”
“I didn’t want there being a chance of Atrius coming.”
I suppressed a shudder. The last time I’d seen Atrius, I’d drawn on Shanton’s energy and used power to slam him against a wall. There were some good insults tossed in there too to make my point. I had been too furious to really think it through. The asshole had created a dreho using power, which changed it. A dreho was normally mindless, but when power was used instead of magic, it had twisted it into something else. It had a consciousness, it could feel, it could think, and it was enraged. I had to unmake it, and even now I wasn’t sure how I’d done that. I had just wanted its suffering to end. And that fucker, Atrius, was the one who proudly claimed to be its creator.
Thinking back now, that was probably a bad idea. Atrius was a powerful elementalist, and I knew deep down that I only got away with the damage I did to him because I had taken him by surprise.
Still. I’d do it again. There was something therapeutic about nearly killing the man who was the source of so much of my fury.
“I think I’m glad too,” Atasha replied. Her voice was magic as it pushed away any thoughts of Atrius. He wasn’t worthy of anymore of my time.
When we got to my truck, still sitting at the curb, illegally parked, Atasha’s eyes widened.
“That is a beast,” she whispered.
I chuckled. “The biggest and baddest of all vehicles. Come on, I’ll show you my new home. I’m still getting settled in, but it’s coming along.”
The guard helped Atasha climb into the truck while I pulled myself up. He got into the back, still not saying anything. I shrugged it off and forced tension out of my hands before grabbing the steering wheel and taking my aunt to my home.
Not something I ever dreamed of doing.
Chapter Six
Atasha’s guard was named Rowan, and I only knew that because Atasha finally remembered to tell me as I unlocked my house and led them inside. The man still hadn’t said a single word.
I wasn’t sure what to make of Rowan. He looked to be older than Atasha, but I wasn’t sure that meant much in the world of elementalists, not if they were immortal. He had the trademark glowing green eyes, scruff along his jaw, and short brown hair, close to his scalp. His eyes were watchful, taking
in everything as he moved through my house with that walk that seemed to be part of being an elementalist, and yet not something I’d managed to master. Seemed like all of them had the ability to look like they floated over the ground. They’d never trip over nothing like I sometimes did, or misstep, or stub their toe.
“You have a beautiful home,” Atasha said, looking around.
“Thank you,” I said and meant it. “I’m still settling in, but I’m sure in no time, this place will be my little haven.”
She nodded, understanding where I was coming from. She chose to live on the outskirts of the elementalists’ lands instead of inbound. That meant she lived in a little hut, and I had a sneaky suspicion that if she wanted, she could be right in the center of their lands, living in a luxurious house. The further from their center a person lived, the smaller their home became.
“So, uh, I’ll show you your rooms and let you get settled. Then maybe a tour?” I asked, feeling so unsure about myself.
“That sounds perfect,” Atasha replied with a smile.
I nodded. “Okay, good.”
After leading them up to their rooms and giving them space, I went back downstairs. I didn’t know what to do with myself, knowing they were up there. Normally, I’d go down and look at how my lab was coming along or out into the cold to my garden. My dining room had also become my temporary lab since I didn’t really plan to use it for its true purpose, and the kitchen was big enough for the guys or any other guests I may have to feed.
So while they were upstairs, I paced at the bottom by the door. Someone knocked before the front door opened and Alijah, Venni, and Elliot showed up.
“What are you guys doing here?” I asked with a smile, relief flooding me.
Elliot smiled. “We want to make sure you’re okay.”
“That’s sweet,” I whispered and glanced up the stairs. “They’re getting settled. What the heck am I supposed to do?”
“That’s something you need to figure out with her. We can’t tell you what to do,” Elliot said.
“Ugh, this shouldn’t be so hard.”
They chuckled. Venni and Alijah stiffened when they heard something. Their noses flared briefly.
“Who’s the man with her?” Alijah asked.
“Her guard, Rowan.”
“A man is staying here?” Venni asked.
I glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. “Yes?”
Venni’s jaw tightened, and he glanced at Alijah. Before I could ask what was going on, Atasha and Rowan were coming back down.
“The rooms are perfect, Amaorah.”
“I’m glad. How about that tour? We still have works in progress, like my lab and the garden, but I’d like your opinion on their development.”
My request ended up being the right one because her expression lit up, and she smiled big. With a warm feeling whirling around inside of me, I gave her the grand tour. The house was huge, with five bedrooms, three bathrooms, the kitchen, dining room, living room, office room, entertainment room, and the full basement.
Then we went outside to the massive backyard. A quarter of it was going to be the garden and then a nice chunk for a separate building. For now, the area it was going to be built on was marked off.
“Goodness, you can do a lot here,” she said as she walked along the path I’d created in the garden, noting what had already been placed. She hummed in approval, and gave me suggestions on where to put specific plants for the most effective growth. I took everything she said seriously. Her garden was gorgeous, and she had a long time to learn and practice.
The entire time we walked around, the guys stayed on our tail, and I didn’t miss the scowling glances Venni and Alijah were sending Rowan’s way. He didn’t seem to notice or he didn’t care as he stayed with us.
“Laila, I noticed your ward is pretty strong,” Atasha said as we walked around to the front. She stood only a foot from where the ward was.
“It was the first thing I put up here.”
“It is a blood ward?”
“Yes.”
“That would have taken time.” She winced. “And painful.”
I chuckled. “But worth it.” Anyone with any negativity who hadn’t been keyed to the ward would never make it through. And if they tried to force it, they were in for a painful surprise.
She got lost in thought for a few moments before asking, “Would you like to learn how to make it stronger with power?”
“Yes.” I didn’t even need to think about it.
She smiled. “You already have a great foundation, so we’re going to build on that.”
“She doesn’t have the control to do anything hard,” Venni said, and I scowled at him.
“That’s why I’m here. I’ll guide her.” Atasha’s response was full of patience as she stared at Venni. Venni’s scowl deepened, and I didn’t miss the worried glance Alijah tried to hide when he stared at him. It was just for a second, but it was there.
Something was going on, and they were hiding it from me. I didn’t do well with secrets, but I wasn’t about to confront them in front of my aunt. My eyes narrowed, and Alijah’s gaze met mine. He gave me the briefest movement of his head, telling me not now.
I was fine with that. I’d get it out of them later.
“Where did you start?” Atasha asked, breaking up my little face off with Alijah. Venni was too busy scowling at Rowan. Elliot didn’t miss the exchange and now he looked to be more alert as he warily watched Venni.
Yes, something was definitely up.
“Here.” I showed her the spot. It was on the side of the house.
“Okay, what we are going to do first is create power symbols. They’ll go right into the ward already placed.”
“Not carved into the ground?” I asked.
“They could, but power words don’t need the physical. It can attach to the ward itself and you won’t have to worry about others trying to wipe them away or break them. They’re already difficult to break, and by putting them on the ward directly, they become nearly impossible.”
“Can you break them?” Alijah asked.
She nodded. “I could. Those on the Highborn Council can too. Not many others can.”
I stared at her. She’d just given me a huge clue into her position with the elementalists. It was hard to determine when I was visiting, because it seemed like people respected her, and yet she lived in a hut on the outskirts. Even the council caved when I said that she should be able to choose her guard while visiting. The council had been all too accommodating to her, more so than with other Highborn family members.
Now she was one of the few who could break power words on wards and the only others who could break those were apparently the Highborn Council.
“Why aren’t you sitting on the council?” I asked.
Her smile hardened. “A personal choice, and only one person from the family line can sit on it. I’ve backed off.”
“She lost,” Rowan spoke up for the first time. We all stared at him. His voice was scratchy from disuse, deep, and those two words held all the heat of his fury, telling me exactly what he thought about it. We waited for him to speak again, but having said what he wanted, he had nothing else to say.
Atasha was furious as she glared at Rowan, but he just stared back at her with a blank expression.
“What really happened?” I asked.
Her lips pressed together hard as her eyes met mine. The glow in her green eyes intensified. “When there is more than one person fit for the seat, they duel. I lost.”
“He cheated,” Rowan said again.
“It doesn’t matter. I lost. He was already on the seat, and I thought I could take it from him. That’s how the seating changes if the elementalists don’t die.” Considering elementalists were immortal, the only way for someone on their council to die was if they were killed. And I imagined that was harder to do, needing to get past their guards and then be strong enough to kill them.
“Like an Alpha challenge,
” Venni said.
She nodded. “Just like that. After my brother was killed, I became determined to change the laws. Not long ago, I thought I was strong enough, so I challenged Cornaith. I lost, and he was able to keep his spot.”
“Someone had slipped poison into her before the match. She would have won.”
“I like it when you do not speak,” Atasha muttered. I fought back a smile and noted the way Rowan was focused on her. I was sure if he had found whoever poisoned her, they wouldn’t have continued living.
“All right, let us begin.” Atasha turned to me. “What you are going to do is prick your finger. You only need a drop of blood to cement the connection. Then you will the symbol onto the ward.” Atasha found a stick and drew what was needed into the ground for me.
The symbol was jagged lines intersecting in a way to almost make the symbol look symmetric. If I had to compare it to anything, I’d say it was an angry time funnel with a couple extra lines.
“We are going to do this at the four corners. You started right at the north spot and so we will go north, east, south, and finally west, before closing the circle. When we close the circle, it’s a short incantation with another drop of blood. The ward will feel like it’s stealing your powers. Do not fight it. Let the ward take what it will need. It will stop when it needs to.”
“What if it doesn’t stop?” I was more nervous about this than I cared to admit.
“It will. The ward does not want to harm you. It wants to keep you safe.”
Not wanting to drag this out, I did what Atasha had suggested. When I made the first symbol at north, it was like opening a door. The ward anticipated my need and thrummed with excitement. I stared at the ward when I finished until Atasha nudged me forward
Magical Collision Page 5
