Page 15 of Falling for her Guardian

She opened her mouth to scream for Storm when Jack touched her face and everything went dark.

Valeth carried Jack’s prize over his shoulder. She was asleep thanks to Jack’s magic, which made it easier to take her to his lair.

“You know who’d be great at helping in a situation like this?” Valeth said, huffing as he trudged through the snow. “Azure.”

Jack snorted. While Valeth was his second-in-command, Azure was his number three, always trying to push Valeth out of favor with Jack. Azure, unlike Valeth, was a warlock who willingly embraced dark magic and followed Jack instead of staying on the good side of magic with Santa.

If only all the warlocks would join Jack’s army, he’d have enough power to overthrow his brother and take over the Well. In good time, he was certain he would succeed.

They reached the lair a short time later. There was only one entrance to the underground bunker that he’d retreated to when he was exiled from Northernmost. There were guards posted, followers who would die for him, and they stepped aside as they opened the door for them.

“I want to take her magic right now,” Jack said. “Let’s go to my office.”

They moved through the underground passageways to an opulent office carved out of stone. Valeth set the female on the couch against the wall and tugged off her hat and gloves.

Jack finished his cigarette and stubbed it in the skull of an elf he used as an ashtray.

“She’s pretty,” Valeth said.

“You can have her when she’s turned,” Jack said.

Valeth smiled. He had some odd proclivities when it came to female companionship, and sometimes the females weren’t quite right after they spent time with him. But Jack didn’t need another female in the army, so Valeth could do what he pleased with her.

Jack cracked his knuckles and approached the female. She was still unconscious with his magic. He laid a hand on her head and closed his eyes, opening his magic to pull the essence of her magic into himself.

But nothing happened.

He tilted his hand and looked at it, then pressed it to her head again.

Focusing more diligently, he closed his eyes and tried to force her magic away from her and into himself, but once more, nothing happened.

Fuck.

“She’s human,” he said.

“What? She was in the security building,” Valeth said.

“That doesn’t make sense,” Jack said. He moved her head to the side and studied her for a moment.

Damn it, he still needed to siphon magic to replenish his, especially leading up to the winter solstice.

Valeth moved to pick her up. “What are you doing?” Jack asked.

“I’m going to get rid of her.”

Jack scoffed. “You don’t think she might be valuable?”

“She’s human. They’re not allowed in Northernmost.”

“True, but she was in the security building, so someone knows her and would look for her.”

“Oh.”

“That’s why I’m the boss. Put her in one of the cells. Once she’s awake, I’ll figure out why she’s up here and how she can help me in my quest to get my brother out of power.”

Valeth lifted her into his arms and Jack saw something in the follower’s dark eyes.

“Hold on,” he said, putting a hand on his shoulder. He released a little power into his voice when he said, “You don’t harm her unless I say so. Not a hair on her head. Got me?”

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