Page 33 of Whispers of the Magical Forest

"I can’t believe he only got half the garden." I managed a weak laugh that turned into a grimace as the corruption surged. "He must be losing his touch. Last time Aislinn’s life was on the line, he nearly took down the birthing mountain."

"Not helping, Fi," Violet muttered.

I pressed harder against the wound as Violet held her phone out. "What's happening, love?" Thanos's voice was tight with concern. He must have felt Violet's distress through their mate bond. "I felt your fear and rage."

"They took Aislinn." Violet's voice cracked. "We were at the café and... they just took her. There was this purple light and-" She broke off, her free hand clenching into a fist as phoenix fire flickered across her knuckles.

"What do you mean they took her?" Argies's voice rumbled in the background, dangerous and low. "Where is she? The bond's still there, but it feels blocked."

“We don't know yet," Violet said, her voice shaking with barely controlled rage. "Some sort of magical barrier is interfering. Gadross used his relics to track the residual energy they left behind but got nowhere. It nearly knocked him out in the process They're still in town somewhere.”

“Something about the area offers protection. Not to mention, they need a proper ritual site for whatever they're planning, and they’ve been building it here for years," I added.

"Fiona." Bas cut in. His deep voice carried clearly through the speaker. "What did you do to yourself? I can feel your magic destabilizing from here."

"Remember how I said this was just a normal wine-tasting trip?" I asked. I hoped I sounded more stable than I felt. "Funny story about that... turns out Hambledon has an evil cult problem. It comes complete with corrupted winecellars. And a mage who really needs to work on his hospitality skills."

The sound of something breaking echoed through the phone. It was followed by what could only be dragon fire. Looked like Argies was taking the news about as well as expected. Violet winced and continued with the explanation. “We destroyed the corrupted wine barrels they had infused and thought it weakened them, but they wanted us to go to the cellars...” She trailed off when she noticed how silent things had gone on the other end.

There was a long pause on their side. When Bas spoke again, his voice had gone dangerously quiet. "Corrupted Fae barrels? Using preservation magic to store something else? That sounds exactly like the work of the College of High Magic."

"The what now?" I asked, leaning against Violet as another wave of dizziness hit.

"It was a school where a group of dark practitioners took over a number of years ago," Bas explained. I felt the tension that was clear in his voice. Through the phone, I could hear doors slamming and footsteps on gravel. "They were experimenting with ways to store and transfer magical essence. They had a particular obsession with using Fae artifacts." The sound of car engines starting filled the background. "If they're involved... this is worse than we thought."

"Speaking of worse," I said as the wound pulsed painfully, "don't suppose any of that ancient knowledge includes a cure for corruption magic? Because I have to say, their hospitality leaves something to be desired. Not a single glass of wine offered before they started with the evil spells."

Wind whistled through the phone connection. They must be on the motorway already. A distant roar echoed through both the speaker and the night sky. "Wasthat-?" I started.

"Argies," Thanos confirmed. "He's on his way to you. We're right behind him."

"That was fast," I muttered as I eyed the growing crowd of townspeople. They were pointing at the sky and. Oh bloody hell. That would be Argies, making the most dramatic entrance possible. Apparently, he had no patience for subtlety. I couldn’t blame him. I was almost as worried as he was.

A massive shadow passed overhead. It blocked out the winter stars. Argies descended in full dragon form. His scales gleamed like a peacock sapphire in the moonlight. His wing span was wider than a house. They easily scattered snow in all directions as he landed with enough force to shake the entire street. The transformation from dragon to human was seamless. One moment there was a massive beast of legend. The next a very angry, very naked man radiating enough power to make the air shimmer.

The display sent waves of raw energy rippling through the town. I felt the corrupted wards shiver in response. Purple light pulsed through the network we'd discovered earlier. Several mundies stood frozen. They had their phones out and were recording. Perfect. Just what we needed. Viral videos of a dragon landing in Hambledon. That would do wonders for keeping the supernatural world secret.

"Show-off," Violet muttered, but her lips twitched. "You need to get dressed. I'll start damage control. Maybe a mass hallucination spell? Blame it on bad pub cheese?"

"No need," a familiar voice cut in. Gadross was irritatingly unruffled despite the chaos. His copper disc was already spinning between his fingers. "I've got this one. Though, next time, perhaps we could avoid the dramatic aerial entrance? My budget for memory modifications isn't infinite."

"Bill the Shadowmere pack," I suggested. "I’m pretty surecausing magical incidents falls under their jurisdiction, considering they started this mess."

Argies ignored our banter completely. He dressed from clothes in a bag he must have dropped before landing. Once clothed, he strode toward us with barely contained fury. His eyes still held a hint of dragon fire. The heat rolled off him in waves that melted the snow at his feet. "Kalli's safe with Grams. She's added extra wards to the house. Nothing's getting through those barriers. Not even First Ones."

"Good to know," I said, then stumbled as another wave of corruption pulsed through my wound. The shadow magic was getting creative now and trying to sync with the larger network we'd discovered. Strong hands caught me before I could face-plant into the pavement. They brought with them the familiar scent of autumn leaves and ancient forests.

"You're getting worse," Bas observed. How was he there with us already? His Fae magic probed the wound gently, recoiling from the shadow taint. "This is not good. The corruption is trying to integrate with your nicotisa power."

"Story of my life," I agreed. I leaned into him despite my best attempts to look tough. The contact helped stabilize my magic and push back against the magical poison. "Though I have to say, corruption really brings out my eyes. Makes them sort of glow. It’s very fetching if you're into the whole possessed by evil magic aesthetic."

"You’re always gorgeous," Bas murmured. His fingers traced runes around the wound. Some were protective and others designed to obliterate anything in their path. My mate was more of a bulldozer on steroids and so was his magic. His magic recognized me and would never hurt me. He was doing what he could to cleanse me. My love for him deepened as each symbol flared with Fae light. His efforts, at least temporarily, contained the spread of corruption. "Shadow magic wasn't meant to mix with life magic. It could tear you apart from the inside."

"Always looking on the bright side, aren't you?" I gripped his hand tighter, drawing strength from our connection. Through our mate bond, I could feel his worry warring with rage at seeing me hurt.

Thanos pulled Violet into a fierce embrace. Over her head, he looked at the gathering crowd of slack-jawed mundies. Then his eyes scanned across the melted snow from Argies's arrival, and the visible corruption spreading from my wound.

"I see we're maintaining our usual level of discretion," he said dryly as his arms tightened protectively around Violet. "I suppose subtle went out the window around the time a dragon decided to land on the high street."

---