Page 7 of Roaring Flames

It’s a sad truth of not only their history, but their present as well. Though the murdering of Blood Companions is illegal nowadays, a lot of witches and warlocks will still do it and just pray they don’t get caught.

The thought of hurting my mate, hurting Izzy, makes me physically nauseous.

Izzy’s mouth drops open in shock. “That’s fucking horrible.”

“It is, but it’s the way of their kind.” I clear my throat and hurry to get us back on track.

It won’t be long until my brother and his friends come sniffing around, searching for Izzy.

And I’m certain that’s the last thing she wants.

Hell, it’s the last thingIwant, as much as I hate to admit it.

“Anyway, Letty and Juan broke the mold when they fell in love. Letty’s family members—all powerful witches in their own right—were appalled by her decision. If she were to kill her Blood Companion and claim his power for her own, she’d be unstoppable. But Letty refused. She loved him too much. And she thought Juan loved her as well.

“No one was more surprised than Letty when Juan attempted to kill her. We can’t be sure what changed for him. I’m sure the witches and warlocks have extensive records of this entire ordeal, but we’ve only received verbal testimony.

“A lot of shifters believe that Juan became paranoid. Perhaps his own family was whispering in his ear that Letty planned on killing him. Or maybe he always planned to attack her. Thewhydoesn’t matter. All we know for certain is that Juan attacked Letty in their shared bedroom with an ax.

“She fought him off and begged him to stop, but he was consumed by rage and fear and confusion. Those emotions… They can control you if you’re not careful. Consume you.”

I would know, after all. I’m experiencing all three of them in spades right now.

“And then what happened?” Izzy seems entranced by my story. Her eyes are wide and guileless and brimming with questions.

“She killed him,” I answer without preamble. “She used her magic to fling him off of her, and he hit his head against the bedside table. Died instantly. She became consumed by grief and pain and retreated in on herself, refusing to show her face to the world.

“All she wanted was her mate back. She became so lonely and despondent that she came up with an idea—what if there was a way for her to not be so alone anymore? Witches can’t bring thedead back to life, but they can dabble in soul magic…if they’re powerful enough.”

Soul magic has been a point of contention between witches and warlocks for centuries now. The current leaders—the Maiden, Mother, and Crone—have chosen to outlaw the practice of it. Too unpredictable. Too dangerous. Too unnatural.

I, personally, believe they banned soul magic simply because none of them could perform it. They hate the prospect of someone having more power than them. I can’t prove my theory, of course, but it’s the only one that makes sense.

Magic—regardless of the type—isn’t inherently evil. Only the way you wield it is.

“Soul magic?” Izzy cants her head to the side.

Sunlight reflects off her golden hair, creating a tapestry of color in the blonde strands. White and brown and even red.

Beautiful.

So fucking beautiful.

I clear my throat again. “Soul magic is…well… It’s complicated. It’s been outlawed for centuries now, so not a lot of research has been done on it. Rumor has it that warlocks and witches who possess this type of magic can see auras, gauge intentions, talk to wayward spirits, sometimes even hear thoughts.”

Izzy shudders. “That’s fucking terrifying.”

“It’s tame compared to some of the other magic witches and warlocks can perform.” I chuckle darkly and then pick up where I left off. “Legend states that Letty searched the beyond for her lover’s soul but couldn’t find it. Perhaps Juan didn’t want to be found. Or maybe the universe decided he didn’t deserve a second chance.”

I shrug. “Either way, after weeks of fruitless searching, Letty was about to give up. It was only then that she felt a presence with her. It was a female, and someone Letty was positiveshe never spoke to in her life. This presence could barely talk coherently, but the two of them forged a bond.

“Both of them were lonely—one stuck on Earth by herself; the other stuck in a strange plane of existence. So Letty did what she thought was best for both of them. She tugged on the entity’s soul and brought her to Earth so they both wouldn’t be alone anymore.

“Letty realized then that she felt strange. Different. There was a voice in her head that wasn’t her own. A beast, so to speak. She had instincts she never had before. Letty realized that shedidbring the beast back with her—by trapping the creature in her body.”

“A wolf…” Izzy breathes in awe.

I nod once. “That’s right. The wolves are actually creatures from a different plane of existence—a different world, so to speak—that traveled to Earth. They can only survive when they’re in a host’s body. Think of it as a…parasite.” My wolf snarls angrily at being compared to something so demeaning. “We could probably survive without our wolves, but our wolves can’t survive without us.

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