Shadow Wars (The Stoneridge Pack Book 2)

by CJ Cooke

  The magic slammed out of me, and in the back of my mind, I registered the ‘ouff’ from Cassia as it rushed into her body. It was easy enough to find what needed to be healed in her; it was, after all, a gaping hole in her stomach. My magic quickly got to work, repairing and generating cells, knitting the flesh back together, and re-establishing blood flow. It was a shame I couldn’t do anything to fix Cassia’s magic, but that was the thing; it wasn’t broken. Cassia’s magic might be different and people might be afraid of it, but it was hers all the same. It was kind of sad she felt ashamed of it. It was just different, and there was nothing wrong with different.

  As I worked, I felt Cassia’s magic reaching out to me, almost like it was curious. There was something so unfair to be able to hold the magic to heal others but not yourself. It didn’t try to interfere; it didn’t try to reject me. It was almost like it sat and watched. Every so often, I felt a sensation like it was reaching out to brush against my magic. It was strange and a little unnerving. It only added to my realisation that maybe the magic we used, that lived inside us, was somehow alive.

  “You’re magic is changing,” Cassia said as soon as I started to withdraw, her stomach healed as if nothing had ever happened, apart from the concerning black lines.

  “It feels stronger,” I told her, “No, that’s not quite right. It feels bigger?” I shrugged in confusion. I didn’t know how to describe it, just that it was different.

  Cassia nodded, thoughtfully falling silent for a few moments. “It’s because you’re using it now. You said you never practised before, right?”

  I nodded in agreement, not sure what she was talking about.

  “It takes time for a witch to fully come into her magic. She needs to practice, give it a chance to develop and blossom. Think of it like a muscle. You won’t know your full potential for a few years.”

  I suppose that made sense when you thought about it like that. It tracked with what I already knew of the most powerful witches the Coven Council kept firmly under control.

  “Now, that’s done, we need to come up with a plan for this,” I said, pointing to her stomach as she pulled her shirt down.

  “I’ll sort it,” she shrugged.

  “Nah, sorry, not good enough.” I got up from where I’d perched on the side of the sofa beside her and moved over to the armchair to get comfortable. I could tell by the squint of her eyes she hadn’t expected me to care, and possibly, that she didn’t want me to interfere; tough luck—she was with the pack now.

  “Look, I can deal with it. I just need to drain some magic. I’ll cast something strong, and it will drain me enough to draw it out. Just don’t make a fuss about it. I don’t want Hunter to know there’s an issue. He’s driving me crazy enough as it is,” she sighed.

  Almost as if his name had summoned him, Hunter reappeared in the doorway, holding a bottle of bathroom cleaner and a sponge.

  “That was quick,” I smirked.

  “There wasn’t any mildew after all, but I gave it a once over anyway, just in case,” he said seriously, and I couldn’t help but grin at him. He was so smitten. Hopefully, now Cassia didn’t have to deal with her injuries, she wouldn’t be quite so grumpy with him.

  “I told you,” Cassia mumbled, and I rolled my eyes.

  Or maybe not.

  “When Sean was here last he told me to make sure that the wards were fed. Do you know what that means?” I asked, wondering if this could be the solution to her problem.

  “Yeah, the wards run from the magic you put into them, but over time it’s going to lessen and you’ll need to top it up. Think of it like running an engine, you need to give it gas to keep it going,” Cassia explained.

  “So, does it have to be my petrol or can it be your petrol… wow is it just me, or does that sound weirdly dirty?”

  Cassia shook her head with a chuckle. “It needs to be your magic or magic from your coven.”

  “Could we be a coven?” I asked, sitting up in interest.

  Cassia’s eyes widened in shock and she looked slightly taken aback. “I’m not sure you understand the gravity of what you're asking,” she blushed. “Forming a coven is to share magic, you should think carefully before you decide if you want to share your magic with mine.”

  “Why wouldn’t I? We’re going to be living together, we’re pack now. You’re going to be helping with the kids magic tuition. I’d not let you do something like that if I didn’t trust you. Cassia,” I added softly, “there’s nothing wrong with your magic, you know?”

  She broke eye contact with me and looked away and I could tell that no matter how many times I told her, she wasn’t going to believe me. “Perhaps it's something you should think about for a while,” she said, blowing me off.

  “I was just thinking feeding the wards could be exactly what you need to keep your magic at a manageable level,” I shrugged, trying to play it off like I wasn’t bothered about her instant rejection of the idea.

  Cassia nodded before changing the subject. “After dinner tonight, I’d like to speak with everyone. I found something in one of the books I borrowed, and I think I have an idea. I just need a couple of hours to fine-tune it a bit more.”

  I looked down at the side of the couch to where she was staring and saw a stack of at least ten books lying there. I only remembered her taking two when I saw her yesterday.

  “I may have sent Hunter back for another every time he started to annoy me,” she told me sheepishly, making me crack up into hysterical laughter.

  41

  River

  Calli had been quiet all through dinner, even when she was bathing Abby and Jacob and making sure the kids were getting ready for bed; she seemed too absorbed by her own thoughts, only going through the motions.

  Once the kids were in bed—well, waiting for us to go downstairs so they could all sneak into one bed together—we headed down and met in the library with the others. The furniture, which had been delivered today, was definitely a massive improvement. We now had two couches and a heavy oak coffee table in the middle of them. A desk sat in front of the window with a chair, and the two armchairs we’d brought from Calli’s still sat in front of the fire. It was cosy in here and a lot better than the dining room, even if it was a bit of a squeeze for all of us to fit.

  Hunter had taken one of the seats in front of the fire after turning it to face the room. He’d pulled Cassia down onto his lap as he’d sat, and even though she’d rolled her eyes, she’d not moved from the spot and even seemed to relax into him. Nash and Holly had adopted a similar tactic in the other chair, although the two of them were sickeningly sweeter about it.

  Blake had taken the chair by the desk, although I was sure his choice was more because out of the window, he had a clear view of the cabin where Jean had stayed behind.

  That left Tanner and Maverick on one couch while I dropped onto the other next to Calli. Grey was standing with his arms crossed and a concerned look on his face. I needed to check in with him and see how he was doing. The stress of everything the pack was going through was bound to be starting to get to him.

  “Cassia, it’s good to see you up and about,” Grey started. His eyes flicked to Maverick. He still didn’t trust him entirely. Revealing that we had Cassia in our pack was a huge risk if he betrayed us. Hunter had been dead set against it, but Cassia, on the other hand, had seemed fairly laid back about it all. She said she’d already taken his measure, and she trusted him, whatever that meant.

  Cassia nodded shyly, and Hunter visibly gripped her tighter. It was nice to see them not at each other’s throats for a change.

  Maverick, for his worth, sat casually on the couch, soaking in what was happening with curiosity. I had to admit I wasn’t getting any ominous vibes from him, and even though Tanner and Calli seemed to trust him, I still had my reservations, no matter how much it was killing me.

  “Okay, everyone has done well in getting through what they needed today. In case you aren’t aware, I have extended an in
vitation to Holly to stay with the pack until all of this is over. Once the chaos has been dealt with, she can evaluate whether she wants it to be a more permanent move. Now, Cassia, I understand there was an idea you wanted to put to the pack?”

  Cassia nodded and went to stand up, only to find herself firmly trapped by Hunter’s arms. With a roll of her eyes and a huff of exasperation, she started to speak from where she sat.

  “I’ve looked through a number of the books Calli lent to me, and I think in theory what I’m suggesting should be quite easy, but it could also completely fail and not work,” she started. It wasn’t exactly filling any of us with confidence.

  “The other day, Grey and Calli pointed out to me in one of the books the details of a moonlight funnel. This is quite rudimentary magic that most white light witches can perform. In essence, it’s a ritual that directs the flow of moonlight into a concentrated form and is used to dispel darkness. Usually, it’s used for removing curses and other forms of dark magic. But Calli and Grey, who were unused to the spell or that type of magic, understood it as literal darkness, and from there, made the connection to shadow demons. When they first raised it, I explained why they were wrong, but then it got me thinking. These books are old, some of them are older than anything I’ve ever seen in my old coven, and I’m wondering if maybe the spells’ context is simpler than we’ve ever imagined. Perhaps the mention of darkness could also apply to the literal meaning of it as well.”

  The room fell quiet as everyone digested what she’d said. I wouldn’t lie, it was difficult. We were a pack of wolves, and the extent of our experience with magic was that it was used against us and what we’d gleaned during our run-in with the witches. None of us had even a basic understanding of it.

  “I’ve got a question,” Tanner stated. He had a serious look on his face which usually meant he was about to say something ridiculous. “What’s a white light witch?”

  Cassia looked at the pack around her like she was trying to decide if he was serious or not.

  “Seriously?” she finally asked, and squinted at us in suspicion.

  Everyone nodded, and Calli shuffled uneasily. She wasn’t taking it well that she didn’t have the necessary information to be able to help us.

  Cassia sighed in defeat. “A white light witch is a normal witch, the opposite to a shadow witch.” When she saw us all just nodding silently, she added. “Calli is a white light witch.”

  “We need some way to test out your theory,” Nash said thoughtfully.

  “Yes, we’d need something with a similar magical essence to try the funnel on to see if it works the way we’re hoping,” Cassia said, starting to look nervous. That couldn’t be good. “I thought you should try it on me.”

  “Absolutely not!” Hunter roared, clinging to her even more tightly. “You have nothing to prove here, Cassia. You belong here because you are my mate. You do not need to let them experiment on you to try and prove your worth here. This isn’t the same as your last coven.”

  Cassia swivelled on his lap so she could look Hunter in the face. Running one hand down his cheek, she leant her forehead against his in an intimate gesture none of us had seen her do before.

  “I need to do this, Hunter. I need Calli to perform the funnel on me,” she said quietly, but in the confines of the small library, we could all hear her.

  Hunter was shaking his head, and his eyes flashed with the silver of his wolf as a quiet growl echoed in his chest. None of us judged him, and he was dealing with it far better than we would’ve if it had been Calli making the suggestion.

  “Your stomach,” Calli said quietly, drawing the attention of the room and freezing Hunter on the spot. “It’s worse than you admitted to earlier, isn’t it?”

  It was like watching a tennis match now as we all swivelled back to the other side of the room to see what Cassia was going to say. What was wrong with her that Calli was talking about? Why hadn’t anyone raised this earlier?

  “Yes,” Cassia admitted. “How did you know?”

  “The lines on your stomach are similar to what you see in blood poisoning,” Calli told her. The look on Calli’s face said it all. Something was wrong with Cassia, and she couldn’t heal it the way she would normally.

  “Then Calli will heal you,” Hunter said gruffly. “I won’t let you go through with this.”

  “Calli has done all she can. My problem is not a physical one; it’s a magical one. My body cannot contain a large amount of shadow magic. It has to be drained regularly, so it doesn’t reach dangerous levels. Without the coven, I've no way to do that now,” Cassia told him.

  It was awkward. It felt like we were watching something they should be talking about privately between themselves. Ultimately, this was Cassia’s decision, but it wasn’t our place to weigh in on it, or make Hunter feel like the pack was going to force his mate to do something she didn’t want to—even if it was something that could save her life.

  “Why can’t Calli drain the shadow magic?” Hunter asked her, his voice breaking at the end of his question as he tried, and failed, to hold his emotions back.

  “It takes more than one witch to be able to perform the spell. Calli is strong, but she would need at least one other to help her.”

  “What happens if it isn’t drained?” Hunter almost whispered.

  “It will continue to build until it slowly poisons my body, and I am consumed by the shadows. I would likely turn into something similar to the shadow demons. I would be lost to the shadow; nothing but a shell of me would remain.”

  The first tear rolled down Hunter’s cheek, and Cassia clung to him tightly.

  “You’ve known this was going to happen all along, haven’t you?”

  “Yes,” she admitted. “I tried to push you away, I tried to deny you, but it was impossible.”

  “Perhaps this is something you should talk about…” Grey started awkwardly, finally voicing what we were all feeling.

  “No,” Cassia said, sadly shaking her head. “There’s no other way. This is my only chance. I have looked into everything I could think of. If this works, we’ll know it works on the shadow demon magic, and we’ll have a weapon against them.”

  “And if it doesn’t work?” Grey asked. We all already knew, but she needed to admit it, for herself, just as much as for Hunter.

  “Then I would ask you to take my life, so I don’t turn into one of them, but I will do all I can to help you find another solution before that needs to happen.”

  The look of shock on Hunter’s face was more than I could bear, and I wanted to tear my eyes away from it. He had the look of a broken man. I knew it well because I’d worn it the night Calli had told us she’d exchange herself for Jacob with the witches. But I just couldn’t bring myself to look away. He was my pack brother now, and he was hurting on a level I could understand. I wouldn’t turn my back on that.

  Hunter turned towards Calli, a look of desperation in his eyes. He didn’t need to say a word; we all understood.

  “I will make this work,” Calli promised him.

  He nodded in agreement even though he had a look of defeat on his face. He must’ve seen that he didn’t have a choice. Sometimes, it felt like none of us did. We were all stuck on this crazy ride they called life, and getting off wasn’t something any of us was ready for, let alone seeing someone we loved to do it. The pack was facing so many issues now, so many threats, but we were pushing our way through. We just had to make sure we kept pushing; failure was not an option. We had too much riding on this to even consider losing.

  “How long do we have before you need Calli to do this?” Grey asked in concern.

  “Tonight,” Cassia said, holding her head high. “We do it tonight.”

  Grey nodded distractedly, and I could see the indecision on his face. It should be strange that we were all growing so close to this shadow witch who seemed to have accidentally become a member of our pack. It wasn’t, though. She was mated to one of our brothers. It was so rare in o
ur world to find a mate that she was always going to be a precious thing to us, not to mention how much we owed her for helping us get Calli and Abby out of the witch stronghold. We hadn’t even realised how much she was giving up to do it. She must’ve known there was a chance it could lead to her death without having the coven around to siphon her magic.

  “Okay, how do we do this safely? What can we do to increase our chances of success?” Nash asked, already turning to the bookcases with a determined look on his face.

  “I appreciate the sentiment, but I think this is an either it does, or it doesn’t type situation,” Cassia told him with a wry smile. “I will walk Calli through the ritual for harnessing the funnel. She is more than strong enough to pull this off, and she should be able to control the flow. You will know when it has worked because the lines will fade from my stomach. The important thing to remember is that you can’t stop until that has happened.”

  “Why is that important to remember? What’s going to happen?” Hunter growled, seeing the way she’d tried to sidestep around some information.

  We all saw the indecision on her face, she didn’t want to tell him. It was going to be bad; I could already tell it was. I was already starting to think this was going to be a bad idea. There had to be another way—anything.

  “She will be funnelling pure moonlight into my system and, if the spell works how I believe it will, it will burn away my magic from my very core,” she hesitated for a moment, searching Hunter’s eyes for something before she admitted, “It’s going to hurt, it’s going to hurt a lot.”

  Hunter crushed her against him in his arms, and we all tried not to watch. The fact that there was nothing he could do to save his mate from this was tearing him apart. He started to grieve the loss of her, even though she was still there in his arms.

  Standing from the sofa, I walked over to the pair of them. It felt almost wrong to intrude on this moment, but he needed to hear this.