“Because you’re worried you’ll be putting them all at risk?”
She nodded firmly. “Yes.”
“Then let me help instead.”
“What? You can’t.”
“If the pack can do it, why can’t I?” Derek crossed his arms as if daring her to say it was because he was human. That was one of her reasons. The other being an entirely irrational feeling of protectiveness toward him.
“It’s still a risk…” she said weakly.
“I’m not part of the pack, so me going with you doesn’t risk the pack, but it is safer than you going alone.”
“What if I can’t protect you in there?”
He laughed at her. Actually laughed. “It sounds like you couldn’t even protect yourself. I’m going to watch your back, not the other way around.”
She stared at him, trying to think up another excuse, but they were all weaker than the last. Accepting his help for now was probably her best bet.
“Fine, but if we run into something dangerous, you have to promise to bail, immediately,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him.
“I’m not making a promise I have no intention of keeping. Let’s just do this and be as smart as we can about it.”
Ceri pressed her lips into a thin line and nodded. “You’re difficult.”
Derek just grinned at her.
Muttering to herself, Ceri grabbed the sage and lit it again. “Get over here and sit in the circle with me.”
Derek hurried to join her. The circle was barely big enough for the two of them, mostly because he was over six feet tall and made purely of muscle.
She scooted around to face him with her legs crossed. “Have you ever done this before?”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
“Alright. The important thing is not panicking. The spirit realm is…well, it’s different. You don’t move the same and you won’t have your physical body.” The owl landed just outside the circle. She couldn’t deny being a little relieved it had come when she needed it. Normally it was the one to appear when it wanted to take her to the spirit realm. She hadn’t been completely sure she’d be able to call it.
Derek glanced at the owl. “Do you talk to the owl?”
“Sometimes. In the spirit realm.” She took a deep breath, already regretting all of this. “You ready?”
“Yep.”
“Close your eyes and breathe slowly. We’ll be there before you know it,” Ceri said, looking up into the owl’s eyes.
As easy as breathing, she drifted into the spirit realm
Snow drifted down in heavy flakes around them. Derek looked green as he peered over the edge of the cliff.
She wrapped her hand in his. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m afraid of heights.” His voice cracked slightly on the last word.
A laugh bubbled out of her lips before she could stop it.
He glared at her. “It’s not funny.”
“It’s a little funny,” she said, unable to suppress her smile.
“Are you sure we have to jump down there?”
“I have to but you can stay up here if you want. Or I can send you back to your body?” she suggested, raising a hand ready to do just that.
He batted her hand away. “I better not die.”
With that, he launched himself over the edge of the cliff.
“Crap.” She jumped after him, holding her limbs close to her body to fall faster so she could catch up. The wind caught them as she grabbed his arm. “We shouldn’t separate you idiot!”
His eyes were squeezed shut. “I did…what…I had to.”
“We’re about to land,” she said, pulling him in close so he didn’t freak out when their feet touched the ground.
He tensed, hands gripping her arms hard enough to bruise. She smiled into his chest, doing her absolute best not to laugh at him. It was pretty amusing to see such a burly guy freaking out over a little cliff.
Their feet landed silently on the ground and she stepped back, making sure Derek wasn’t going to pass out on her. He put his hands on his knees and took deep breaths.
The strange jungle was just as she remembered. Alien, green plants towered over them.
“Did we shrink or are these things just really tall?” Derek whispered, looking around warily.
“We’re in the spirit realm, size is…relative here.” The same creeping sense of unease she’d felt before was already making her feel watched. “Let’s go farther in.”
Derek nodded and started walking. She followed, feeling like she was moving through molasses. Frowning, she watched him walking unimpeded.
He stopped and looked back. “Are you coming?”
“How are you walking without effort?”
“Can you not?”
She shook her head. “It’s like trying to wade through molasses.”
He strode back to her. “Let me carry you then.”
“What? No––”
“Ceri, it’s the most efficient way to move. Give me one good reason why not.”
She sighed. “Fine.”
He scooped her up like she weighed nothing and walked confidently into the forest. It grew warmer the farther they went. The strange plants stood closer together, blocking out the sky.
Even though she wasn’t walking, she felt herself growing more and more tired, as if existing in this place took effort.
“Are you still okay?” she asked.
He nodded. “I feel like we’re being watched but I can still move just fine.”
She glanced back over his shoulder and her heart almost jumped out of her chest.
“Stop and put me down,” she said urgently.
He complied. “What’s wrong?”
“Look,” she whispered, pointing at inky-black darkness creeping up behind them. It spread over the ground like water, crawling up the trunks of plants as it flowed around them. The entire forest behind them was encased in the darkness. They couldn’t go back.
“What the hell is that stuff?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do we do?”
“I don’t know! Just–– shut up and give me a minute to think.” Her hand went to the totem around her neck. It was time to test it out.
She lifted her other hand and cast a simple light spell. A brilliant flash of white light exploded from her palm. However, instead of pushing the darkness back it surged forward and swallowed the light, snuffing it out.
“Get behind me.” She grabbed Derek’s arm and dragged him away from the darkness.
“It’s behind us too. Maybe we should have kept moving.”
She turned and saw that he was right. It had them surrounded. Gritting her teeth, she decided the only thing she could do was face it head on.
“Stay here, and trust me.” She waited for his nod before marching forward and wading into the darkness. Just like last time, she immediately began to fade.
Derek grabbed her arm and yanked her toward him, shielding her from the darkness with his body. “Fight it.”
“I can’t!”
“Yes, you can.”
Her hand was slowly reforming but Derek was dissolving instead. She only had as long as he could shield her before she’d be pushed out of the spirit realm once again.
She shut her eyes and buried her face in his chest. The darkness slithered up her legs.
“Illuceo.” Her magic flared out, beating back the darkness.
“It’s working, do it again!”
She chanted the spell over and over but using magic here was sapping her strength much quicker than she expected. They had minutes at best. This wouldn’t work.
With one last, forceful push, she grabbed Derek’s hands and yanked them both out of the spirit realm.
She fell back, her head hitting the ground painfully. The two of them lay inside her circle, panting.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Don’t apologize. You did your best.” He reached over and grabbed her hand,
holding it tightly. “We’ll figure it out.”
She stared up through the tree branches and hoped he was right.
Chapter 25
Amber
Amber paced the length of the living room as she chatted with Tatiana Vernier. It was a nervous habit; she hated being on the phone.
“Yeah, I can make this weekend work.”
“Great! You can bring the whole pack if you want but I’ll just be bringing Jean, my shaman. Text me the address of whatever restaurant you’d like to meet at,” Tatiana replied happily.
“Will do. See you then.”
“Stay safe.”
She hung up and continued pacing the length of the room.
“Well?” Angel demanded.
“We’re meeting this weekend to talk and share information. She’s being very helpful.”
He crossed his arms. “You forget I can sense your strong emotions. You’re unsettled.”
She stopped abruptly and sighed. “It’s too easy. She said I could bring my whole pack. Maybe it’s a trap.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “This is the Amber I know and admire. You probably should be suspicious.”
She threw her arms up in exasperation. “I thought you wanted me to become friends with her. She never would have introduced herself to me if I hadn’t been asking around about her.”
He snorted. “I don’t appreciate it when people flip my plans around on me. She’s up to something, so instead of being friends with her, you need to find out what she’s after.”
“I intend on doing that. We know she’s not being completely up front with us.”
“Maybe Genevieve can dig up something on her. She seems to have a knack for research. Anyhow, I must cut this meeting short.”
“Tragic,” she said drily.
“It is. For you.” He winked and popped out of existence.
Her shoulders drooped in relief. All she wanted this morning was to have some time to herself, clean the kitchen, and maybe take a nap before heading into the mechanic shop to catch up on things before the weekend was over.
The sound of tires on gravel startled her. No one was supposed to be home for a while, and Ceri and Derek were out for a walk –– or whatever they were actually doing out in the woods alone.
She walked over to a window and peeked outside. A plain, black suburban that screamed federal agents was driving down their driveway.
“How the hell did they get through the wards?” she muttered, pulling out her phone to text Genevieve and Ceri.
Unlike last time the police showed up at their door, there was nothing to hide. She doubted they were coming to arrest her. There would have been more of them –– they tended to send in large forces for werewolf arrests.
She paced the living room, waiting for the knock on the door. Whatever questions they had, she would answer the same way she’d answered questions from the police. None of it was a lie unless you counted omitting how much they knew about Evangeline.
Finally, there was a brisk knock on the door. The cabinets fluttered at the knock. Great. Illya didn’t like them. She took a deep breath, then walked over and opened it.
An elvish woman –– which would explain blowing through the wards –– and a human man stood in front of her. They wore expressions as severe as their black suits.
“How can I help you?” Amber asked, leaning against the door frame and crossing her arms.
“Agents Icewind and Horan,” the woman said in lieu of a greeting, flashing her badge. The man was staring at her intently, but remained silent. “Are you Amber Hale?”
She nodded. “I am.”
“Do you have a few minutes to talk?” Icewind asked.
“Sure.” Amber remained in place. It was pure stubbornness, but she didn’t want them inside her home. Her den. The wolf prowled in her mind, anxious to have intruders gone. Coming through the wards without permission was rude, and she didn’t like that was how this had started.
A muscle in Icewind’s jaw twitched. “May we come inside?”
“Oh, you’re asking now?” Amber asked with a fake smile.
The elf’s eyes narrowed at her. “The MIB has the authority to enter––”
“I’m really not interested in how you’re throwing your authority around. You’re not coming inside. I don’t believe in encouraging poor manners.”
The man’s lips twitched as if he were fighting down a smile.
“Considering your pack is under investigation, I’d think you’d be more willing to cooperate with the MIB,” Icewind bit out.
“I’m perfectly willing to answer any questions you have. Right here, in the doorway. Not sure what difference the location makes to you.” Amber cocked her head to the side, staring Icewind down.
“During your confrontation with the sorcerer,” Horan began, subtly flicking Icewind in the arm as if to tell her to back off. Maybe they were doing good cop, bad cop, “you stated that he was working with the half angel, Zachariah Hudson. Do you have any proof of this?”
“Other than seeing them together, no. I didn’t have time to whip out my phone and take a picture,” Amber said drily, pulling away from the staring contest with Icewind to look at Horan. He looked like your typical, clean cut jock but she sensed something more dangerous lurking behind the crew cut. He was actually paying attention.
“Understandable,” he said with a pleasant grin. “We’ve come today as a courtesy to deliver these summons in person.” He handed her a legal document. “In order to fully investigate the events of the attack, we need to speak with you and every member of your pack, and your brother. These interviews will be conducted at our office in Portland at the times listed in the summons. If any of you need to reschedule,” he paused and pulled out a business card, “feel free to call me personally.”
She took the card and folded it up inside the summons. “Sounds great. Looks like I’ll be seeing you both again soon.”
“Have a good day, Ms. Hale,” he said with a polite nod.
Icewind turned around and headed back to their suburban without comment.
Amber stood in the doorway until they had driven off the property, her fingers gripping the summons so hard she tore a hole in it.
Chapter 26
Deward
A chill wind rustled through the branches as Deward crouched in front of a moss covered boulder. He brushed a chunk of the moss away. It was two hours after dawn Monday morning but the waning gibbous moon was still visible in the sky. Its light caused the ancient rune carved into the base of the boulder to glow slightly, making it much easier to find.
The lines had faded but he was sure this was what he had been searching for. Six months spending every free moment with his nose in books. Sleepless nights translating obscure texts, some meant to mislead you to hide this secret.
The entrance wasn’t in the city like many who had looked for it thought. It was miles away, deep in the woods, most easily spotted the night after the full moon.
Trolls couldn’t wield magic like a witch or elf, or shift into a different form like a werewolf, but they could mold magic that had already been created. It was part of why casting magic at a troll was less effective than it would be against any other race.
This rune was a built in key, of sorts. A witch could unlock the entrance with ease. It would take him a little more effort. He placed his palm against it, dew sending a chill through his palm, and drew on the magic that filled the boulder. It was old and tremulous, but enough was still there.
The boulder split in half with a low pop. He jerked his hand away and took a step back as it began to move. The two halves pulled apart, tendrils of light clinging between them like taffy. They slid through the dirt as though they didn’t weigh half a ton each.
The light dripped onto the ground and the earth below then melted away revealing an opening. It led straight down.
Carefully, Deward approached the edge and peered down into the dark hole, anticipation flooding through hi
m. He couldn’t see the bottom.
He hadn’t expected to find the entrance to the old tunnels this quickly. It was possible, if everything tonight went well, that he could be the first to complete his feat. To do so would be an honor, and if he was honest with himself, immensely satisfying.
Pulling out a flashlight, he aimed it downward. The light reflected off a damp, stone floor. It was hard to judge the distance but it certainly wasn’t far enough to injure him if he hopped in.
Deward’s phone buzzed. Tommy was only five minutes away.
As he looked down into the beckoning void, he made a snap decision to enter the tunnels now. Tommy was almost here. It was only a minimal risk.
Cold air rushed up from his toes as he dropped down. Fear bloomed in his gut when the ground was slightly farther than he expected, but he managed to tuck and roll with the impact.
The cavern he had dropped into wasn’t large. A single tunnel lead further down into the earth, and into darkness. The stench of the place made him want to climb right back out but he wasn’t going to turn back now.
There was something rotten down here. Perhaps the tunnels themselves were decaying. They’d been hollowed out by witches before Portland was even founded and were supported with magic, but magic could not endure forever. It, too, would rot and crumble over time.
He had a love for history, which is what had led him to choosing this feat. Whether or not the Book of Prophesies could really help someone tell the future was beside the point. Finding the hidden room which contained texts that might have come from the Library of Alexandria would be an achievement in itself.
Based on his research, it was likely the room would contain quite a bit of magical history. Enchanted books, cursed robes, and even a seeing glass –– something used to spy on your enemies that had been outlawed two-hundred years ago.
He hesitated again, but Tommy really would be here any moment. Quickly texting him that he had dropped down into the tunnels, he hurried toward the opening that led down. Tommy could follow his scent easily enough, and it’s not like there were turns one could get lost among. The tunnels simply went…down.
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