Page 42 of Joined By Magic

Dread bloomed in my heart as the reality of his words took root. A lifetime in Atar, with their strange customs and disdain for non-mages. I’d thought my life was restrictive here. What would it be like there? Dismay threatened to overwhelm me.

A familiar voice startled me out of my thoughts. Celia’s voice, emerging from Damien’s link-up. For a brief moment, hope spiked.

“I was out for a stroll when it happened. Father Amanthus often takes his exercise walking in the palace woods, and the Lord Commander took him. Appeared right in front of him and disappeared, taking him in that strange way he can.”

Her voice dissolved into a choked sob. “If he’d seen me, I don’t like to think what would have happened. The Father didn’t deserve this for speaking out against his sinful activities. He was braver than all of us, and he’s paid the price.”

That fucking bitch.

My dismay melted, consumed by fiery rage. Leo’s face mirrored my fury. The whole thing had been a setup. The priest was a means to an end. The Griffins had orchestrated it all.

Ellory Griffin. A yes-man with no leadership qualities and no ambition, or so Leo had said. Was he the driving force behind this, or his wife? The sophistication of it staggered me. The strings they must have pulled to get this on the news so quickly, to ruin public opinion of Leo before he even knew he’d been accused. It was illegal, against all sanity and protocols.

But it had happened.

I shook myself into motion. “We have to go. I’ll get dressed.”

Leo nodded, and the look on his face almost broke me. Hopeless devastation.

I dressed in simple jeans and a top. It wouldn’t matter. Once we arrived in Atar, we’d be pampered and given clothes befitting royalty. I threw a few photos into a bag—Leo and his mother, me with my mum and dad, Hex and me on our first day of school. Leo and his dad.

Andrew!

I rushed from the bedroom. “Leo. Your dad! Will he be safe?”

Leo broke off his conversation with Damien. “I’ll need to bring him, and Helen. All Peter’s crew too.”

“Can you teleport everyone to the portal?” asked Damien.

“Yes. You gather Helen and Peter’s crew. I’ll bring my dad here.”

“I already called them, they’ll be here soon except Peter. You’ll have to collect him, he’s out in the city. I’ve told him to get somewhere secluded so you can pick him up.”

Leo nodded, then vanished, leaving Damien and I staring at each other.

As always, Damien stayed calm in the face of stress. I envied him the skill. My skin crawled with panic as the seconds ticked by. Each moment, the jaws of the trap seemed to close in tighter.

Banging sounded. “Damien! It’s us!” Atalie’s voice.

Damien motioned me back, pulled a sleek silver handgun from his pocket, and approached the door. He yanked it open and leveled his weapon.

“For fuck’s sake, you scared me to death.” Hex’s voice held an edge, tight and stressed. She pushed in, followed by Atalie and Helen. Hex ran over to me.

“Are you okay? I got the short version. Did that priest kidnap you?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Leo got there before he hurt me.”

Hex examined me through narrowed eyes, then nodded. “Good. Thatfucker,though. I’m glad Leo killed him, even if we’re all in the shit.”

Helen and Atalie took turns wrapping me in hugs. Helen pushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear and studied me with motherly concern. Her solid presence always made me feel better. “It’ll be okay, Liv. Keep your head high once we arrive. Don’t show any weakness.”

I nodded and straightened my spine. “I will. Thanks.”

She scanned the room. “Where’s the Lord Commander?”

She always used Leo’s full title, even when chatting to me. As his secretary, it must be inbuilt. “Getting his dad.” I looked at the clock. He’d been gone ten minutes already. What was the hold up? “It’s taking too long.”

Hex and Atalie exchanged a worried look. They’d adopted Andrew as an honorary uncle during our stay at his mansion and visited often.

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