In Mage We Trust (Of Mystics and Mayhem Book 1)

by Heidi Vanlandingham

  I leaned forward until only a breath stood between our noses. “Are you ready to surrender, Giselle? You won’t win.” My breathing slowed until my lungs burned for fresh air. She tried to shake her head, but only her eyes moved as they frantically darted from side to side.

  “No one hurts my family,” I hissed at her, pointing at Lucien and Niki as they lay together a few feet from us. The gaping hole in Niki's stomach had closed, the healing skin red and raw. Lucien lay beside him, the only evidence of his mother’s heinous act a vivid pink line across his neck. The skin continued to darken until it blended with his natural ruddy skin tone. I breathed in a sigh of relief, but my soul still screamed for Niki’s.

  The queen chattered and mumbled in a frantic tone. I shook my head in slow motion and tsked at her. “You’re such a stupid twit. You had everything—two men who loved you, two amazing sons—and you destroyed it. For what?” My magic crackled, sizzling through my hair and infusing the air surrounded us. “Power? Is that what you wanted? Stupid woman, the power was already yours. All you had to do was be queen with your husband. Not against him.”

  I breathed in and out slowly, focusing my still-growing power. “My life hasn’t been easy, but I have been blessed. My mother gave up her mortal life for me. My father fought for me, and my grandfather believes in me. I now have the most important thing of all. Love. Do you know the feeling, Giselle? Without love, life isn’t worth living. Without love, you have nothing. Power and a throne won’t fill your soul.”

  Granddaughter, you have another option. My grandfather’s words ribboned through my thoughts.

  I’m doing this for you, Grandpops. For everyone she has hurt and destroyed. The pathetic demoness you see before me isn’t the woman you fell in love with.

  Johnna, think first and don’t be hasty. Please . . .

  He right. Al’s sharp voice pierced the angry haze clouding my mind. It was the buffer I needed to pull back enough to realize I couldn’t become like her. By using my magic in anger, I was no better than Giselle. A clear tone infused my mind, like a soothing balm over my tattered soul.

  Once my mind was clear, I knew what Grandpops and Al were trying to tell me. I concentrated on the large metal cocoon, letting my anger flow along a narrow path. “You took my parents from me!” I said, biting out each word. “You tried to kill both of your sons.” I pointed at Lucien, who was pale and bloody. “Look at him, Giselle. Look at what you’ve done to your son. Do you even care I’m your granddaughter?”

  I aimed the growing fury of my magic at her while still keeping it muted, which took all the control I had left. Her frantic mumbles turned into a high-pitched keening, shaking the room. Her corpulence swelled even more, her eyeballs protruding from her skull.

  “Feeling bad yet?” I drew my brows together. “No? Well, get ready because I think you’ll feel this without any problems. Afterward, though, I don’t think you’ll feel much of anything.” I glanced back at Lucien.

  He gave me a small, resigned smile that didn’t come close to reaching his sad eyes. He nodded once. “End it.”

  I didn’t look back at his mother and continued to hold my uncle’s gaze as I made her blood boil. The small amounts of metal racing through her veins increased. In my mind, I imagined the earth elements quadrupling and laced them all together. As they joined, I pulled out stray ribbons, sending them throughout her body, invading vessels and organs. When the metal-infused blood coursed through her heart, I solidified the metal, encasing the fragile organ in a box of copper.

  The strands of metal wrapped around her body stopped moving and fell to the floor. It was anticlimactic, as endings go, but Giselle could no longer hurt anyone. She might not like where I’d sentenced her to go but banishing her through the Hell Hole and into the Abyss—where Lucifer could deal with her—seemed the best solution.

  I cupped my palm over the place on my neck where my imp rested. Did I make the right decision, Al?

  In Abyss, Queen will become nothing or work to cleanse soul.

  Hmm. After everything she’s done, I don’t think her soul has any light left in it.

  I sleep now—I tired. His reply was typical for Al.

  I patted my neck gently, knowing Al would feel it.

  Just then my grandfather interjected one last thought. Giselle’s soul probably doesn’t have any light left, but by sending her into the Abyss, you’ve given her a chance.

  I didn’t like how weary his voice sounded, but after everything we’d been through, it was to be expected.

  Staggering back a few steps, without warning, my legs gave out, but Lucien caught me before I hit the floor. As he held me against him, his demon heat seeped into my cold body. I closed my eyes and burrowed against his chest. The steady beat of his heart, comforting.

  “I don’t think I’m cut out for this,” I sobbed. “I’m a disgrace to Niki's soul. I just sent my own grandmother to a terrible place. What kind of person does that make me?” I cried against his chest. “I’m so sorry, Uncle Lucien. I’m so, so sorry.”

  His grip around me tightened. “Oh, sweetheart, my mother chose her path long ago. You gave her the mercy I couldn’t. She’s hurt too many people.” He tucked a curled finger beneath my chin and raised it just enough so I could see his face. “I know you don’t know me very well yet, but believe me when I say you are an amazing person. You’re my family. You and your dad are all I have left, and I aim to keep what’s mine.” He wiped the tears from my cheeks. “Will you let me take care of you—at least until we find your parents?”

  I couldn’t stop the smile spreading across my face. My uncle, the powerful demon king, sounded scared. “I wouldn’t want anyone else to take care of me.”

  “Where does that leave me?” Niki’s deep voice startled both of us.

  Gasping, I rolled off Lucien’s lap and scrambled over to where Niki sat, leaning against the wall, pale but alive. Tears streamed down my cheeks. Kneeling in front of him, I cradled his face in my hands a moment then threw my arms around his neck. I needed to feel him, his warm breath on the back of my neck, his heart beating against mine.

  “I thought I’d lost you,” I whispered.

  “Never,” Niki whispered back.

  With a sideways glance, I noticed Lucien walk to the other side of the room, leaving us momentarily alone, but it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. I covered the scar on Niki’s cheek, my vision blurry. I wiped away several drops of blood with my thumb, my heart filling with so much love for this wonderful demon it ached. My hand slid down his neck to the shiny black button on his shirt.

  He covered my hand with his and, without warning, scooped me into his arms. Cradling me against his chest, he carried me into the small, adjacent room where I’d hidden earlier. With a quick wave of his hand, a sofa appeared against the far wall, and he sat us down on it.

  Leaning back, I slipped his shirt button through the buttonhole. Easing my hand lower, I undid the next button and slid my palm along the scalding skin on his chest. I undid two more buttons, tracing every dip and rise of each abdominal muscle. Glancing down, I could see the pale pink line of his rapidly fading wound.

  “Johnna, what are you doing?” he whispered in my ear.

  Smiling, I slowly turned my head and kissed the center of his chest. “I needed to make sure your wound was healing. Other than that, I have no clue.” I feathered my lips across his flat male nipple and lightly nibbled, a smile forming on my lips when he jerked. “You like what I’m doing?”

  Before I could blink, he answered my question by lifting me up and moving my leg over his until I straddled him, our chests pressed together. Hot palms covered my cheeks, and his fingers threaded through my hair, holding my face a breath away from his. Beautiful yellow eyes dropped to my lips. He blinked then ever so slowly, each second excruciating, drew my mouth to his.

/>   The kiss started gentle but turned more demanding, more forceful. Our tongues dueled. Our hearts raced. I ground against him as if I could get closer and sink into his skin until he pushed me away, but only enough for a thin layer of air to slip through.

  “We can’t, imp. Not like this,” Niki whispered. “I want to savor every moment with you while I love every inch of your body, but this isn’t the time or the place. I’m also still a bit weak. The wound was mortal. If Lucien hadn’t been right there . . .”

  I dropped my gaze to the rather large bulge in his jeans and couldn’t help but wish we were anywhere else but here. That everything in the world was right again—but it wasn’t. “Okay,” I whispered.

  “Imp, look at me.”

  It took a lot of energy to force my eyes to his. All I could think of was I’d done something wrong or my kiss wasn’t good enough. My self-doubts were eating me up, and I didn’t know what to say. There was always a first time, I guess.

  Niki tucked a finger beneath my chin and forced my face up to his. “I stopped, not because I wanted to, but because we have to. You drive me crazy, imp. I want to kiss you senseless and take my time memorizing your sexy body. You’ve changed my life, Johnna. You flash your brilliant smile, and it lights up my soul. I look into your eyes and see my future unfold.” He gave me a hard kiss before pulling away, a slight frown on his face. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  I nodded because I had those same feelings for him. “You love me and can’t live without me.”

  He chuckled. “Not exactly how I would put it, but yes.” He held my face between his hands, his yellow eyes glistening. “I love you more than life itself. You are my life, and I will follow you until the end of time.”

  “Wow.” I smiled, happy tears spilling from my eyes. “You sure know how to make a girl feel loved.” I leaned forward, my lips barely touching his. “I love you back, my demon.” I gave him another quick kiss. Rebuttoning his shirt, I ran my palm over the soft black material, trying not to notice the severed fibers over his healing wound. Contentment filled me, and it was such a wonderful feeling.

  “If we don’t get back out there, your uncle is going to beat the door down.” I liked seeing the laughter in Niki’s yellow glaze for a change. With another wave of his hand, the entire wall disappeared. Niki turned me around until I sat propped against his chest as Lucien bent over one of the guards, pressing his fingers against the demon’s thick neck. Shaking his head, he turned and repeated the action to the next demon before straightening.

  “I thought you’d saved them,” I said.

  He shook his head sadly. “I didn’t have enough magic with both Niki and me injured. All I could do was take away their pain for the short time they had left.” He strode across the room toward a demon whose back was covered with very familiar crossed chains.

  “Malachi.” My voice broke when Lucien turned him over, his huge arm flopping against the floor with a hard thud. I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer he would be all right. My attention had been so focused on Niki, Lucien, and Giselle, I hadn’t even known he was in the room.

  I pulled Niki’s hand into mine and linked my fingers through his. His pain beat at me, the agony for his friend surging through me and taking my breath away. “Lucien?”

  The king gave us a look of relief. “He’s out cold. There are a few minor cuts, but he’ll be fine.” Lucien eyed the missing wall and nodded. “I’ve been meaning to do that but never took the time. I always thought that tiny room was such a waste of space.”

  Letting out a relieved sigh that Malachi would be fine, I turned my head and kissed Niki’s scarred cheek. I brushed the pad of my thumb across his lips and raised my gaze to his. “Fate has cheated you, you know. You have a twisted true mate. I found the ending way too exciting and gruesome, but now I think we’ve earned a little quiet time, don’t you?”

  He answered me with a totally sexy smile of his own. The one hand not covered in blood rose to my face, as he gently brushed the backs of his fingers down my cheek. I shivered, and his smile widened. As I’d done to him, the pad of his thumb feathered over my lips. A spasm of pain pierced my heart. I’d come so close to losing him.

  I sagged against him, my exhaustion beating at me, but I wanted him to continue what he was doing. Unfortunately, everything that had happened since the alley back in Alexandria had finally caught up with me. I trapped his hand between mine and kissed his thumb then laid my head on his shoulder. “What happened earlier? When your mind went blank?” I asked, watching Lucien help Malachi stand up.

  Niki's brows knit together. “I couldn’t let you feel my pain. One of her lightning bolts got me in the stomach.”

  “You weren’t the only one,” Malachi said in a strained voice. “Although, mine was more of a glancing blow.” He motioned to another demon about a foot from him. “Poor bloke jumped in front of me—took the strike meant for me.”

  His glanced at us with a confused frown, one hand gripping his right thigh. “What happened?”

  “Johnna happened,” Lucien said with pride. “She’s a veritable army all by herself.”

  Malachi grimaced as he took a step closer. “I knew that a couple of days ago.” With a quick flick of his eyes, he took in the rest of the dead guards and the mountain of metal near the door. Lastly, me. “Where’s the queen?”

  I took a deep breath and pointed to the pile of metal. “I sent her into the Abyss.” I fidgeted with my jacket zipper, chewing on my lower lip. “Lucien, what was Giselle doing when I barged into the room? She was muttering something. At the time, I thought it might have been a spell.”

  “It was, and thanks to your interruption, she wasn’t able to finish it. Believe me when I tell you how grateful I am. Otherwise, I would be a pile of ash.”

  “You’re welcome then.” I forced everything I had into the tease, trying to lighten the mood hanging heavy over the room. “Besides, I like having you around.”

  I raised my arm, the small imp-charm dangling from my wrist. I knew what I had to do next. Unhooking the small, grinning fetish, I laid the tiny piece of metal in the palm of my hand and squeezed it tightly. I closed my eyes and whispered, “Come back to me.”

  A brilliant blue light flashed around the charm, growing and shifting as it morphed into my grandfather’s tall, cadaverous form. He leaned down and plucked me from Niki’s lap, holding me in his thin arms. “I am so proud of you, my child. You did what I couldn’t and proved yourself to be a true demon mage. Giselle is in a much better place now. Thank you.”

  In the time I blinked, my grandfather’s dejected face morphed into a scowl as he continued to stare at me. “Why is your skin practically sagging off your bones? Can’t imagine anyone thinking it’s attractive, although most kids nowadays don’t do anything I like.”

  “I’m just tired. I’ll get my second wind in a couple of minutes,” I mumbled, my brain turning in circles. Did I want to be a demon mage? Was this what I wanted to do with my life? There were still so many unanswered questions. I also wanted my parents back, safe and sound. I missed them so much.

  Much to my disgust, tears filled my eyes. I reburied my head in my grandfather’s chest, not wanting anyone to know how girlish I was acting again. Several deep breaths later, I glanced up. My eyes widened. All four demons stood close, hovering over me with worried expressions etched on their faces. I couldn’t help but smile. I even felt Al’s affectionate caress through our mental bond. I had never felt so loved.

  “Johnna, are you well?” Lucien growled, quickly clearing his throat.

  I nodded. “Just winding down from a magic high, I guess. We still have a lot of work to do, don’t we? Making certain which guards are loyal to you or to your mother. It’s only my opinion, of course, but it should be our first priority.”

  Turning back to Max, I tried to imitate his
small grin and failed miserably as my lips shook. “Do you forgive me?”

  “Without question, dear child. I owe you more than you will ever know. You are a tremendous metal mage, like Niki said. I also believe the potion you inhaled increased your powers even more, definitely helping. Giselle was a powerful demoness.”

  I closed my eyes and grimaced, hearing the frustration in Niki’s sigh without having to see the frown I knew was plastered on his face. I turned around anyway, my palms facing him. “I didn’t mean to and still don’t know what I did. I was smelling what I thought were jars of herbs Dad used for his spells. When I opened the last one, the sparkly liquid inside disappeared. I still have the jar if you want to see it.” I dug in my pocket and pulled out the tiny vial, placing it in Niki's open palm. I was shocked it hadn’t broken during all the excitement.

  He turned the glass vial over in his hands, the furrows covering his forehead deepening. He held it out to my grandfather who took it and passed me back to Niki at the same time. I treasured the feel of his strong arms folding around me again.

  Max let out a long string of curses and glared at me. “Had I known this was what— Next time, it might be a wise thing to leave your father’s stuff alone.” He held up the empty vial in front of him. “You should be dead,” he stated flatly.

  “Excuse me?” I squeaked.

  “This was the formula he never could perfect. It killed several people, if I remember right. It’s the power-enhancing formula.”